Shot Fest 2007

I registered for the best tourney of the year in my geographic region. I paid my 30 dollar entry fee. I was set to play the "C" bracket. I had prepared as much as I could for the test.

then...

I get a message over an hour after it was left that I missed my first match. I was suppose to play my first match at 8:00am on this past Saturday. I was specifically told I was set to play at 11. I was pissed. The person that won "C" just barely beat a player I own. I would have liked to just got a chance to play.

Tournaments are a very different breed of racquetball. All the matches are officially judged with their calls standing. Anyone that has watched racquetball knows that the balls moves so quickly it can be hard for the players to keep track of it. Judges often make bad calls, but you did not hear me say that. Another aspect to tourney play is the audience and their impact on game play. There could be anywhere from 5-30 people watching your match. Bad shots seem to become even worse... poor decisions are second guessed like crazy in the gallery (I've been there!) and most of all - the players are increasingly aware of tight game situations. I usually do not fare well in tourney games for all these reasons, but I have been working on that. I wanted to exercise what I have been working on.

ALL FOR NOT!! or at least until next year...

P.S. My trick is simple. Never look back at the gallery... not even for a second. Make a bad play... back pedal into position. Turn to face your opponent in the back court - I'd lock my eyes on them or the ball alone. After a while the crowd fades... what I did not have a chance to work on was the man (referee) with the microphone... that could be unsettling if not worked routinely!