Oregon Racquetball

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Oregon Racquetball is comprised of three associations that provide statewide racquetball activities to three different groups. As a whole, Oregon provides the sport of racquetball with nationally recognized programs, events and players. Each association is run separately with its own board of directors, budgets and sponsors.

[edit] Oregon Racquetball Association

The Oregon Racquetball Association (ORA) is a series of events targeted towards adults. This series is commonly referred to as the ORA Tour. The season runs from September to May, with events held each month. While younger players are welcomed and encouraged to play in the events, the make-up of the ORA Tour is mainly adults who want to take their experiences beyond the recreational level. Each event offers “Age Group” and “Skill Group” divisions. “Age Group” divisions separate players by their age (eg. Men’s 35+ is for men aged 35 and over). “Skill Divisions” separate players by their skill. The Open division is considered the top division of play, followed by Elite, A, B, C & D. Divisions are offered for men’s singles, women’s singles, men’s doubles, women’s doubles and mixed doubles. While some events do offer prize money for the Open divisions, all the competition on the ORA Tour is considered to be contended at the amateur level.

[edit] Oregon High School Racquetball League

The Oregon High School Racquetball League (OHSRL) celebrated its 10th Year during the 2004-2005 Season. The league started with three schools and 30 players, and now has more than 350 participants from 24 schools. The season is comprised of four league matches, followed by the State Championships and the National Championships.

Oregon and St. Louis, Missouri are considered to have the nation’s strongest high school racquetball programs, and the National Championships alternate between the two locations every year. In 2006, the event was held in Salem.

In 2006, Beaverton won the National Team Championship in the boys, girls, and overall divisions. The top three high school teams in the nation in 2005 were from Oregon. Catlin Gabel won its second consecutive National Team Championship, with Beaverton finishing second followed by Sprague. Beaverton has won four National Team Championships (1996, 1997, 1999, & 2006) in its existence; Sprague won the title in 1998 and North Salem in 2000.

[edit] Oregon Junior Racquetball Association

The Oregon Junior Racquetball Association (OJRA) is the crown jewel of junior racquetball programs in the country, if not the world. Like the ORA Tour, the season is made up of events held monthly. The OJRA Tour typically starts in September and runs through April. There is then a regional event, followed by the National Junior Championships in July. In 2005, USA Racquetball National Junior Championships (also called the U.S. Junior Olympics) were held in Portland.