Spotlight on: Mike Kinkin and Team DOVETAIL

Mike Kinkin started playing racquetball at age 17, and he was introduced to the game by his beloved father. While in the military, he played on Air Force bases around the world, finding community in the game. His wife Kristen also plays (although she needs to get back into it), and his kids are athletes too – Jordan played soccer, and Brittany played volleyball and now is into running. He turned his love of woodworking into a successful cabinetry and refinishing business in Illinois and moved it to Florida - he is the owner of Dovetailed by Design.

He is also the founder of Team DOVETAIL, a team of professional and amateur players he brought together to provide a supportive environment within an individual sport. 

Team DOVETAIL grew out of a desire to give back to the sport he loves so much, and now it pays tribute to his father, who passed away in November of 2023. After a long hiatus from racquetball, Mike reunited with Rocky Carson, a professional racquetball player whom he considers a friend outside of racquetball. Mike offered a sponsorship arrangement with Rocky at the IRT Stop in Atlanta, and the journey began. A little while later, Rocky wanted to play doubles with Lalo Portillo at the IRT stop in Sarasota, so Mike added him to the “roster”. Rocky and Lalo went on to win that tournament, and Team DOVETAIL was born.

Mike recognized what we all know – racquetball numbers are down. He wanted to think outside the box, generate excitement for the sport, and help players in their racquetball journeys. Junior Sam Schultz was the third addition to the Team, followed by Hollie Scott, Kelani Lawrence, and Andres Acuña. 

Team DOVETAIL

Over time, Mike realized his passion is with the juniors.  Any attempt to grow the sport must start with new, young players. Team DOVETAIL now has 12 juniors on board, including some names that may be familiar to you - Cole Sendrey, Naomi Ros, Victoria Rodriguez, and DJ Mendoza to name a few, but also new juniors who are just starting out. Team DOVETAIL is also working with juniors in Ireland and wants to build the sport everywhere. These young players are reaping the benefits of having access to professionals – they are truly embracing Team DOVETAIL’s motto – Strong Together!

Visit https://www.teamdovetail.com/ to read more about the Team and its mission and to see some of his shirt designs.

A big shout-out to Mike’s long-time assistant and friend, Cindy Boisvert, who keeps Dovetailed by Design running smoothly and does the same for Team DOVETAIL. 

Mike says his role model is Keith Minor. Keith has done so much for racquetball and Mike personally. That is an excellent segue into the next topic because Keith and Mike were instrumental in getting World Team Racquetball off the ground…

The World Team Racquetball (WTR) concept has been floating around for a while. But how to do it?  Mike Martinez and Mike Coulter wanted to do a team event in Las Vegas. Hank Marcus and Abel Perez joined the group. Kinkin, Martinez, Perez, Minor, and Coulter would meet every week for 5 months to plan the inaugural event at the 3Wallball World Championship in Las Vegas. If you didn’t see it, look for the videos on Facebook and YouTube. 4 teams battled to be crowned the first WTR champion – and the winner was… “The Thunderbolts”; Mike Kinkin’s Team. The group hopes to expand the concept beyond the pros to amateurs across the country. The Thunderbolts and Kings will face off again at the John Pelham Tournament in Portland in December. Stay tuned for more details.

Some additional questions for Mike:

What can USA Racquetball do to help the sport?

There is too much focus on the tournaments. We need to increase the number of recreational players. We need to change the message. Work on the foundation. For example, we have worked with Manilla Athletics to open a junior program in Florida, and we have been running it with Kevin DeMarco as coach. Through his efforts, we are starting to see some small gains and are excited about the future. And, to you, the reader – you can help, too! Support the juniors in your area.

What is your favorite memory of Team DOVETAIL so far?

Our first time at Beach Bash, the whole Team stayed together in an Airbnb. It was Hollie Scott, Kelani Lawrence, Sebastian Franco, Rocky Carson, Andres Acuña, Lalo Portillo and Sam Schultz. It showed me that the team concept could work. They watched each other and supported each other; we were a small family. 

Traveling to Ireland was an amazing experience, too. Cole Sendrey was the only junior who went. The others were Maria Renee Rodriguez, Lalo Portillo, Andres Acuña, Andree Parrilla, Leo Vasquez and Kristen Kinkin. Cole was the “ham” of the trip. We toured all over and kept a very busy schedule, and Cole was so tired at one point that he fell asleep in the hatchback of the car. We all took pictures of him sleeping there. He became one of the “gang” at that tournament. The Irish were so welcoming and wanted to learn. I personally learned a lot about their culture, and we look forward to more trips in the future.

Team DOVETAIL

Team DOVETAIL

Team DOVETAIL

Final thoughts?

I hope we can make a difference. I hope we grow the support on the pro level and at the local level to survive. Professional tours are essential because they give the juniors something to aspire to. We must aspire to inspire!  And you, the reader/player, can help, too!  Support the juniors in your area. Give back in any way you can. Please donate to the DOVETAIL Mission, where all the donations go directly into their junior campaign.

Stronger together is more than words, it’s a mission.