Board of Directors
Officers#
Boston, Massachusetts | president@usaracquetball.com
Current Role with USA Racquetball Board of Directors: President
Term: Executive Appointed; Term expires May 2024
USAR Committees Served: Liaison to all committees.
Active participant: Executive/Finance/Fundraising/National Events/Membership
Roles/involvement in other racquetball organizations/associations: Massachusetts Racquetball Association (President)
Professional experience: Varying stations of leadership within the Biotech Pharmaceutical industry in both on-the-floor manufacturing as well as quality support for manufacturing sites. Currently Head of Quality for a manufacturing site.
Skills/Experience: Leadership experience leading teams as big as 24 professionally as well as state racquetball associations and events. Critical thinking skills to dive into root cause and to determine corrective actions; planning and organizational skills to help coordinate activities and define courses of action.
Year began playing racquetball: 1992
Favorite racquetball moment: That's a toss-up between making it to the B finals at the US OPEN and winning my first Open match against an established Open player.
Monument, CO | kmwattz22@gmail.com
Current Role with USA Racquetball Board of Directors: Vice President
Term: Board Appointed/Independent Director. First team expires 2027
USA Racquetball Committees (Chair/Member): TBD
Roles/Involvement in other racquetball organizations/associations: Worked for 3 years with Jim Hiser on World Singles & Doubles in Highlands Ranch. Have volunteered many times at tournament desks.
Professional Experience: Retired Healthcare Administrator and Registered Nurse, Lean Six Sigma Black Belt, National Board and Committee member for Healthcare and Supply Chain organizations. Current Board member for National Mill Dog Rescue.
Skills/Experience: Team Building, Process Improvement, Personnel Management, Organizational Rebuilds, Fundraising
Year Began Playing Racquetball: I am the best spectator and cheerleader!
Favorite Racquetball Moment: Volunteering at Junior Nationals and watching the level of excitement and skill each player has as well as how dedicated their coaches are, not only for coaching their racquetball skills, but also in promoting their sportsmanship, communications, and self-esteem.
Naperville, IL | cherylkkirk@aol.com
Current Role with USA Racquetball Board of Directors: Secretary
Term: At Large Elected; Term expires 2026
USAR Committees Served: Executive Committee; Legislative Committee; Election Committee; U.S. Team Committee; National Events Committee; Women's Committee
Roles/involvement in other racquetball organizations/associations: Current President of Illinois State Racquetball Association; Secretary of International Racquetball Federation and Pan American Racquetball Confederation; Team Leader of U.S. Adult and Junior Racquetball Teams
Professional Experience: McDonald's Corporation 1979-2007: Operations, Training, Olympics Activation; Director in Worldwide Operations
Skills/Experience: Operations, Training, Communications, Logistics; Tournament Director; Newsletter Contributor
Year began playing racquetball: Began playing in 1977 - 47 years and counting!
Favorite racquetball moment: Winning Women's C at Nationals in Houston, 1999
Kerrville, TX | srios13@stx.rr.com
Current Role with USA Racquetball Board of Directors: Treasurer
Term: At Large Elected; Term expires 2025
USAR Committees Served: ExCom/Finance* (* = Chair)
Roles/involvement in other racquetball organizations/associations: Current President of Texas Racquetball Association, Secretary of LPRT, Board member of Alamo City Racquetball Association, Assistant Coach US Jr Racquetball team
Professional Experience: Commercial property management, contracting, involved in front office management of several medical practices since 1993, currently owner/operator of a medical billing company
Skills/Experience: Medical insurance/commercial property management/tournament desk management
Year began playing racquetball: First played 1975, didn’t get serious until 1986
Favorite racquetball moment: Being court side and watching Jr players you have spend several years supporting make the US National Jr team and then being given the opportunity to help coach them as they play at the Jr. World Championships.
Directors#
Portland, OR | Ro-el@Splatr.com
Term: At Large Elected; First term expires 2026
USA Racquetball Committees: Membership Committee (Chair), High School Committee (Member), Scholarship Committee (Member), Marketing Committee (Member)
Roles/Involvement in other racquetball organizations/associations: Splatr.com Racquetball (Founder); Oregon High School Racquetball League (President, Commissioner); Sprague High School Racquetball Team (Coach); LA Fitness (Racquetball League Director); Stanford University Racquetball Club (Founder, Alumni)
Professional Experience: Technologist & Entrepreneurial Product Leader, Startups and Nonprofits.
Skills/Experience: Product Management, Software Development, User Experience Design, Tournament Management, League Management, Coaching.
Year Began Playing Racquetball: 1986
Favorite Racquetball Moment: Running my first racquetball tournament using splatr.com!
Manitou Springs, Colorado | steve.czarnecki@gmail.com
Current Role with USA Racquetball Board of Directors: Board Member; Independent Director
Term: Executive Appointed; 2nd Term expires May 2025
USAR Committees Served: Finance
Roles/involvement in other racquetball organizations/associations: N/A
Professional experience: United States Golf Association (1997-2010) - Director, USGA Foundation; DISH Network (2011-2013) - Programming Manager; USA Racquetball (2013-2016) - Executive Director; Colorado Springs Youth Sports (2016-present) - Executive Director
Skills/Experience: Finance, Management, Communications, Event Planning
Year began playing racquetball: 1991
Favorite racquetball moment: Winning a bronze medal in Boys #2 at U.S. High School National Championships
Pawcatuck, CT | glen.gitterman@gmail.com
Current Role with USA Racquetball Board of Directors: Board of Directors
Term: Complete term: November 2024 – May 2025, 2 year term: May 2025 – May 2027
USAR Committees Served: Legislative, Financial/Accounting; Membership/Marketing
Roles/involvement in other racquetball organizations/associations: Current President, CT Racquetball Association
Professional experience: Physical therapist
Skills/Experience: Elite singles player, Tournament Racquetball since 1980
Year began playing racquetball: 1979
Favorite racquetball moment(s): Recipient of 2020 USAR Presidential Award
Herndon, VA | ktracquetball@gmail.com
Current Role with USA Racquetball Board of Directors: Board Member
Term: Finish out a vacated term January 1, 2025 – May 2025, May 2025 – May 2027
USAR Committees Served: Growing the Sport, National Events, Marketing/Membership
Roles/involvement in other racquetball organizations/associations: VP of NMRA, Treasurer of IRT, CVRA Board of Directors
Professional experience: 30 years of finance and management experience with the federal government
Skills/Experience: 30 years running racquetball tournaments at all levels, leadership and organizational skills, assisting USA Racquetball the last two years while Mike Grisz was Executive Director
Year began playing racquetball: 1987
Favorite racquetball moment(s): Winning Mixed Centurion Open at the 2018 US Open with Mike; although I should probably say meeting Mike...
Athlete Representatives#
Marine on St. Croix, MN | jbrball@msn.com
Current Role with USA Racquetball Board of Directors: Athlete Representative
Term: Second Term (2024-2028)
USAR Committees Served: Rules/Election/Finance/Marketing/FinanceRoles/involvement in other racquetball organizations/associations: Minnesota Racquetball Association Board of Directors; IRT player representative
Professional experience: IRT professional. Owner of Beast Made. Owner of Countryside Carpentry.
Skills/Experience: Management; coaching/training; leadership.
Year began playing racquetball: 1996
Favorite racquetball moment(s): Playing doubles with my brother, Sam Bredenbeck, in the 2022 Pan American Racquetball Championships in Bolivia for Team USA.
Simi Valley, CA | TFUHR1@aol.com
Term: Second Term (2024-2028)
USAR Committees Served: TBD
Roles in other racquetball organizations: Military, Local, State and National racquetball event organization volunteer/participant.
Professional Experience: 2 time Team USA member, IRT player, National Singles and Doubles Championship titles, 30 years+ racquetball Instructor, United States Air Force Officer, Combat Plans, Bachelors of Science, Masters, Business Administration, JNJ Pharmaceutical Executive Sales
Year Began Playing: 1989
Favorite Racquetball Moments: US National Doubles Finals 2014 and 2015,Toronto World Championships 2014, US Open tournaments/Nationals on the glass court, Teaching juniors, all the memories from 35 years of tournaments and racquetball family and friends.
Gilbert, Arizona | michelle@keyracquetball.com
Current Role with USA Racquetball Board of Directors: USA AC Alternate; Ex Officio
Term: Serving second term as Athlete Representative (2020-2024)
USAR Committees Served:ExCom/Legislative/National Events/U.S. National Team/Election/Women’s/Membership/WOR*/Scholarship/Collegiate/Rules (* = Chair)
Roles/involvement in other racquetball organizations/associations: World Outdoor Racquetball liaison, Arizona Outdoor Racquetball
Professional experience: USAR National Junior and Adult Team member; competed on the LPRT; business advisor to numerous organizations and individuals
Skills/Experience: Leadership, Management, Operations, Communications, Event Planning
Year began playing racquetball: Born into the sport
Favorite racquetball moment: I will always cherish the friends and family moments throughout my lifetime with racquetball.
Centennial, CO | erika@manillaathletics.com
Term: Second term (2024-2028)
USAR Committees Served: Junior/Marketing
Roles in other racquetball organizations: LPRT athlete, Team USA athlete, junior committee member, marketing committee member, junior program director Denver Athletic Club, Manilla Athletics Coaching Platform Co Owner
Professional Experience: Bachelors- Biomedical Science Masters- Business and Administration
Year Began Playing: 2004
Favorite Racquetball Moments: This is so tough! Training with my team at the Olympic Training Center as a junior, winning my last junior world championship title in San Luis Potosí at the age of 18, winning my first Adult National Singles title in 2022, winning the first Mixed Doubles National Championship title with my brother (honestly this trumps all of them), my first semi-finals appearance at the US Open on the LPRT in 2021, and winning the US Open LPRT Doubles in 2022. Tons of memories and each one of them hold a special place in my heart for different reasons!
City/State: Layton, Utah
Current Role with USA Racquetball Board of Directors: Athlete Representative
Term: First term expires 2028
USAR Committees Served: Hall of Fame Committee
Roles/Involvement in other racquetball organizations/associations: None at present
Professional Experience: Played pro tour part time off and on for many years.
Skills/Experience: Been playing national and international events for many years. Had many appointments on the Junior and Adult U.S. Teams. Been playing outdoor racquetball for 15-20 years as well.
Year Began Playing Racquetball: 1987 at age 4
Favorite Racquetball Moment: Playing for Team USA at the Worlds in Colombia in 2016 and winning the Women’s Doubles.