During the XI World Championships 202 in Puerto Rico, female racquetball players got together to exchange ideas and find out how racquetball is doing in their home countries.

Realizing that women's development is critical - numbers are low and newcomers that show up for one tournament don't necessarily show up for the next - the group acknoledged the need to work hard just to get more women involved in our sport.

This meeting was a starting point, and we need to keep in contact during the year to share successful ideas that motivate women to play racquetball.

Countries represented at the meeting were: Ireland, Germany, Costa Rica, Japan, Bolivia, Mexico, India, Puerto Rico, Jamaica, Venezuela and Chile.

Some ideas that came up to motivate women to play were:
1. Family tournaments in which at least one woman gets to play.

2. Couples tournamens, similar to the mixed doubles format used in the IRF Junior Worlds: men serve to men, women to women. We want the women to play themselves, not just watch and wait until the men are done.

3. Women's open players should offer instruction to young girls, instead of men who might be too intimidating. We need to create an environment that is supportive for young girls to learn in.

4. "Davis Cup" style racquetball tournaments between neighboring countries on a weekend starting Friday with two single matches, one doubles on Saturday and two singles on Sunday.

5. We need to look for government funding and programs in each country that are designed for women's development in health and sport activities.

6. Share homes and hospitality with "exchange" players who play on the women's pro tour. This will help keep costs low so that more women will be able to compete "internationally" on the tour. Check the LPRA [Ladies Professional Racquetball Association] schedule in the Racquetball Magazine for dates and nearby stops.

7. Participate in international events: US Open in November, Junior Worlds in December, Ecuador Open in November, Bolivian Open in February.

Finally one of the most important things is to get in touch with your local racquetball association and your national Olympic Committee to find out if there are funds to assist in our efforts. Do you have ideas that will help women's racquetball grow? Please let us know.

Angela Grisar (Chile)
Rosy Torres (Mexico)