Archive for October, 2009

Racquetball is a very special sport that combines athleticism, competitiveness, camaraderie, and a bond that is unique among those who play the sport. The sport is very simple for any beginner (and even children) to play; but at the highest level, racquetball offers intense athletic competition that is thrilling to watch. And best of all, racquetball offers one of the most intensive workouts you can find anywhere. Besides being easy to learn, it increases your cardiovascular endurance, strength, and flexibility. You burn as many as 800 calories an hour when playing.

There are five million people playing racquetball in the United States each year and growing. Action is being taken to help the sport grow and reach new heights. The sport is now expanding worldwide. The future looks very bright for racquetball.

There are a lot of people in the racquetball industry that care deeply about the sport and its future. Little by little people are joining forces to make an even bigger difference in the sport.

On September 17-20, 2009, there will be a Men’s Professional Racquetball Tier One event in Terre Haute, Indiana, that will be a tournament for players by the players, fans, and people who care. All of the top-ranked men’s and women’s professionals will be in attendance to promote our charity event titled “Acing Autism” (or Athletes Against Autism).

This tournament will help raise awareness for autism. Autism is a complex neurobiological disorder that typically lasts throughout a person’s lifetime. Today, 1 in 150 individuals is diagnosed with autism, making it more common than pediatric cancer, diabetes, and AIDS combined. Autism impairs a person’s ability to communicate and relate to others.

Bull riding is a fascinating rodeo sport: a rider trying to stay mounted on the top rodeo bulls for as long as they can. But, usually the angry bull bucks off the rider long before it reaches eight seconds. One may think that it is eight seconds too soon, but when you are hanging by the bull with just one hand tightly fastened around the long braided rope, eight seconds can seem like a lifetime.

Bull riding is perhaps the most popular of all rodeo sport; and the most dangerous. Here are the top rodeo bulls that contribute to the danger of the sport:

Little Yellow Jacket is a three-time PBR (Professional Bull Riders) “Bull of the Year”. He won the title from 2002-2004; this made him unmatched by any top rodeo bull in the history of PBR. Born in 1996, he debut in PBR in year 1999 and went to his first world finals. By 2001, he was the bull to watch, bagging the second place of “Bull of the Year” that year. The next year, the former “Bull of the Year” had an injury and Little Yellow Jacket stepped up in his thrown. Some may say that it was just lucky break that gave him the award; but he proved he deserved that stop as a top rodeo bull, for two more consecutive years. He ended his lustrous career on 2004 and rank as the second on the list of PBR’s tops bulls.

Dillinger is a two-time PBR “Bull of the Year”. He was forced to retire during his prime due to injury. He was a big bull, but he was agile and athletic; a menacing mix of speed, size and strength. He was not really a threat to gore the riders as he does not have his horns, but still the riders were intimidated by him because he was known for his power and competitiveness. Only a very few rodeo riders rode him successfully, and he was truly one of the top rodeo bulls ever.