NMRA 40+ Round Robin Players Return to Tucson After Four Years

Cindy TIlbury

It had been four years since the National Masters Racquetball Association had held an event in Tucson, and another three before that. Tucson Racquet & Fitness is arguably the easiest venue in which to hold a racquetball tournament with St. Louis Vetta Concord a close second. 

The staff at the Tucson Racquet & Fitness Club is the best, the eleven concrete courts are in amazing condition, the new owners and restaurant staff were ready for us, and the hotel was all set for our rooms and banquet. 

Our 50 players this year came to Tucson from 14 states and Guatemala City. Fifteen first-time NMRA players were introduced to our brand of round-robin fun and competition, including two guys from my local LA Fitness doubles group. I often hear that my tournament invitation emails are getting out to many 40+ players, and that they report that they consider registering, so it’s always fun when new people actually give us a try. 

The Barry Hendricks Special Partner Award went to the only logical recipient for this inaugural award: Jonny Walker, Barry Hendricks’ long-time doubles partner. Barry had been inducted into the NMRA Hall of Fame not too long before he passed away last August, and Barry attributed much of his NMRA success to Jonny.  Jonny lives in Phoenix, so he came down to Tucson to accept the award, say hi to everyone, and join in our banquet. What a treat to see old friends like Jonny! This award is quite special. We had a Sportsmanship Award that we wanted to bestow upon very special players, but no one was ever nominated because almost all NMRA players show exceptional sportsmanship. Now that we have attached Barry Hendricks’ name and added the aspect of being a doubles partner, we expect to have a lot of nominations next year. Susan Hendricks, Barry’s wife, played Women’s 55+ Doubles with Marni Winings, and they were a very tough team. It was an emotional night for all of Barry’s friends and partners, and the next day, Susan laid out all of Barry’s whimsical-saying tee shirts for anyone to buy, and we all had a chuckle at those. Barry will be remembered through this award—a great tradition started, indeed. 

Cindy TIlbury

During our Friday night banquet, we raised about $3,000 to split with USA Racquetball and National Masters Racquetball. In many tournament cities, we find a local junior racquetball charity to accept a donation, but Tucson does not currently have a program and we know USA Racquetball can always use a little boost. 

One other highlight of the tournament is the tough doubles competition created by having Sudsy Monchik and Ruben Gonzalez as doubles partners with Mark Frank in two different age divisions. Ruben played with Mark in the Men’s 60+ Doubles. and Sudsy has finally turned 50.  Sudsy livestreamed all weekend on Facebook and YouTube. My Los Angeles friends had never had the opportunity to compete against a player as good as Sudsy, and they really enjoyed the chance. I have always wanted the NMRA to be the home for the retired professional players who want to continue playing high-level ball, so I am particularly pleased to welcome these gentlemen to all of the tournaments. If there are more pro players out there who qualify to play 40+ racquetball, please contact me and we will get you set up to play the 2025 schedule and beyond. 

Cindy TIlbury

We had some new ladies this time, too. The Mixed Doubles divisions had plenty of teams, and  everyone got plenty of court time. 

During the event, we found out that we had to move the venue of our NMRA July 10-12 tournament. The Glass Court Swim & Fitness club in Lombard, Illinois, was our first choice, but the club owners made the difficult decision to close the doors at the end of March. We are scrambling, but with local arrangements being performed by Joe Williams, we have landed in Colorado Springs, Colorado, on the same July weekend. Check R2Sports.com for updates and registration. There is so much to do in the area that you will want to spend extra days at the end. Plus, don’t forget to come a few days early to get used to the 6,200 ft. altitude. Things To Do and a full Information Sheet will be available soon on www.nmra.info on the Tournaments page. 

Special thanks go to Head/Penn for the racquetballs, Mark Frank for hosting the pro players, generous individual donors who bid up a few items at our banquet, and to my tournament desk team of Patrick Gibson; Marni and John Winings; and Joe Williams who did double duty with the tournament desk and transportation duties. Bruce Adams was getting ready for a joint replacement and was an immense help behind the scenes. Club Manager Renee Sitter always does a fantastic job helping our tournament run smoothly, and Daniella Vasquez at the Doubletree Reid Park took great care of our folks who stayed there. Great chicken fajita buffet dinner, too. 

After you play Beach Bash Outdoor ball in Hollywood, Florida, start practicing for 2025 Indoor Nationals in Pleasanton, California, in May, then our NMRA International Championships in July in Colorado Springs. Contact me at Cindy.tilbury@att.net or at 303.888.4461 if you have questions or suggestions. We hope we will have to create a waiting list for the July event, as we plan to cap the player list at 88. See you on the court—indoor or outdoor! 

Cindy TIlbury

Cindy TIlbury