Introduction
The annual Pepsi Cup Team Championships was established in 1986, and each year it caps the season with a playoff among Colorado club teams.
The winning squad gets their club name inscribed onto the Pepsi Cup trophy and has the honor of displaying it in their home club until the following year's playoff. Over two decades of continuous play have been recorded, and despite unfortunate changes in the club landscape, this annual event remains a player favorite.
After many years of being hosted by the Colorado Athletic Club in Aurora (CACA), the facility closure in late 2005 forced a re-location of the championship. The combined efforts of the event founder - John Foust - and the Colorado Racquetball Association, allowed the event to continue uninterrupted at the Littleton YMCA, and later at the Highlands Ranch Recreation Center.
2010 Director's Message
By John Foust
Pepsi Cup Founder & Executive Director
Dear Racquetball Directors, Club Managers and Team Captains ... Well, it's here at last ... the 25th Anniversary of the Pepsi Cup!
Who would have thought things would run this long? That was the original goal and I’m proud to have been a part of it for all these years. Having said that let’s give credit where credit is due.
There was a time when the local Pepsi plant was locally owned. There were those within the organization that played racquetball, loved the sport, and were dedicated to helping me however they could. While the original concept was mine none of it would have happened with the help of one person, Lewis Hutchinson. Without a doubt one of the best people I’ve met in my 30 some odd years in Denver. Lewis embraced the idea and involved others within the organization to help set things up.
We’re a long ways from my days at the Aurora Athletic Club. The AAC is gone, the Denver Sporting Club, Lakewood Athletic Club, Colorado Athletic Club / Aurora, all gone as well, all stalwarts of the racquetball community. If there’s one consistent in life it’s there’s no consistency. Things change, the tournament has changed. If anything has remained the same it’s the fact you, the players, have supported it for so many years.
This year is not only the 25th Anniversary but will also mark one other big change, I won’t be there. At the moment I’m in Santiago, Chile as part of a disaster recovery team on an earthquake related project. Barring unforeseen circumstances I’m not seeing a scenario in which I’m back by the first of June.
Luckily for all of us we have one of the best state organizations in the nation. You don’t know what you have until you lose it and trust me on this – Marcia Richards and the CRA board have done a phenomenal job over the past few years, making adjustments to a changing racquetball scene. Without their help this year’s event may well not have happened at all. As it is, the show will go on ... albeit with minor changes.
I’ll be involved as much as I can from a distance, but please keep in mind that our recovery team works 6-7 days a week, often times 10-14 hours a day - which leaves little room for outside activities. The day-to-day operation of the tournament will be conducted by the CRA. I’ll input what I can that won’t affect, or interfere, with whatever direction they decide to take.
Keeping that in mind, be sure to take a look at the rest of the information here on the CRA website, which includes the event basics. Most of you know how things work, so hopefully we'll all be able to pull together to head everyone down the right road. Again, there may be some administrative changes made by the CRA, but I’m sure they’ll do a great job of keeping players and team captains informed.
So take a look here, ask questions of your team captains or the CRA, and plan on having a great time at the 25th Annual Pepsi Cup. I'll be thinking about you!
The Basics
THE BASICS
The Pepsi Cup is a unique event. It’s the only state team racquetball championship in the nation. It has a storied tradition and is second only to the CRA State Championships for longevity.
There will be a three person executive committee to manage and address any problems, consisting of the tournament director, a floating CRA board member, and a non-conflicting tournament player (a player with whom the decision doesn’t affect their club).
Pepsi Cup Format
The Pepsi Cup matches club level players in a team racquetball format. Players compete for individual trophies and at the same time earn points for their club. The team compiling the most points at the end of the competition is recognized as the Pepsi Cup/Colorado Team Racquetball Champion for 2010. The tournament is USRA/CRA sanctioned and competing players earn USAR and Colorado ranking points.
The low per-person cost to participate is a bargain in this day and age and may be underwritten by your club in total, in part, or by the players themselves. We encourage club support of your players in some form as they are serving as representatives of your athletic facility.
Your club is eligible to field two players in each of the singles divisions with the exception of the Elite. As with the doubles, there’s one roster position available in this division. Players may compete in a maximum of one singles, and one doubles event, or two doubles. You may not play two singles events. Awards are given to first, second place finishers (minimum of eight in the division). USAR/CRA ranking points are awarded in all divisions (with the exception of doubles).
Team Size: A team can consist of up to 30 players…..2 each in Men & Women’s Open, A, B, C singles, 1 each in the Men and Women’s Elite singles, and 1 team each in Men, Women’s and Mixed Open/A and B Doubles.
Remember - you do not have to send a full team to compete. It’s OK to send less.
Team Composition: Obviously teams with a full complement of players have more opportunities to accumulate points. As previously stated - the size of the team helps, but it’s not a guarantee your team will win. As the rounds progress the points accumulated becomes greater. Many a Pepsi Cup title has been lost in the quirky quarterfinals. It’s in these rounds that the teams start shuffling for position.
While having Open players on your team is great they still earn the same amount of points as your B and C players. Many a Pepsi Cup has rested on the shoulders of the less experienced players. The truth of the matter the B and C players generally have an opportunity to earn more points due to the fact they have more players, thus more rounds. Big club, little club, it doesn’t matter. It’s an exciting format and fun for all involved.
The most competitive teams come from athletic clubs that allows their players the opportunity to earn a position on the team rather than simply be chosen. Start that process now! Get organized, determine your selection process, and drum up some interest. Here are some criteria to take into consideration.
a. If a player from the club is a state or regional finalist, or the defending Pepsi Cup Open champion, they automatically have a roster position in that division.
b. Other positions are determined by allowing players to sign up and compete in a playoff system.
c. The number of players competing for a particular position determines the playoff format. It may be a regular draw, or a round robin.
Creating a competitive situation almost always results in a stronger team. This toughness comes from knowing positions were earned rather than given. The more input your players have, the more they become a team.
There’s no doubt the ultimate goal is to win the team title. Almost as important is the opportunity the Pepsi Cup offers to create a true team concept within your racquetball group. These are the things that bond players and solidify your racquetball program.
Team captains are invited to take part in the seeding process. The tournament committee generally meets on Sunday afternoon the weekend prior to the Tournament. If you’re interested in taking part contact Marcia Richards no later than Saturday for the time and place.
Tournament Guidelines
2010 25th Annual PEPSI CUP
COLORADO TEAM RACQUETBALL CHAMPIONSHIPS
1. Private club members must have a club membership card. Private clubs will be limited to a maximum of two (2) trade outs – one man, one woman. Recreationally based players must have a verifiable form of participation / membership at their home facility of at least one month Documentation can be provided by the team captain as long as a signed captains code of excellence is on hand. Military ID or civilian ID for military. Family members of military qualify for that team. If during the tournament it is determined that a player, or players, do not meet this criteria the points earned by the player(s) to that point will be deducted from the overall team score and the player in question pulled from the draw. No refund.
2. All trade outs must be designated on the roster with a (T).
3. Trade outs must be active, and participating, in a minimum of one activity a month.
4. CRA/USAR rankings, if provided, and results from the current year will be used to determine proper player classification. If there is a question up front about a player’s eligibility it will be pursued through the team captain and/or with the club. The tournament director, in association with the executive committee, will have final say regarding disputes that may arise during the actual event.
5. Seeding will be based on current CRA/USAR state rankings (if provided), current state championship results, recent tournaments, and past Pepsi Cup playing history. Team captains are responsible for providing objective review and evaluation on the proper competitive levels of their roster players.
6. Individuals will be limited to playing a maximum of 1 singles and 1 doubles event, or two doubles events. Players entered in two events must be prepared to play matches back to back if scheduling requires.
7. All entry fees must be paid prior to the start of the tournament. It is the responsibility of the club and team captain to collect and turn in entry fee money - in advance by check OR by online registration of the entire roster by the team captain, with credit card payment OR by each player individually, online by credit card. The CRA does not offer manual credit card processing - all credit card payments must be processed online. Fees not paid prior to the start of the first match may be charged a late fee of $5.00. No entry refunds after draw has been set.
8. Employees (working at least 25+ hours per week) are considered members. You may have two total per team.
9. Roster changes - if a player substitution is made after the draw has been finalized the new player will take the previous players position, regardless of ability, or lack thereof. No seeding consideration will be given for substitutions.
10. Roster changes after entry deadline are accepted at the discretion of the tournament director.
11. Each club will designate a team captain, or contact person, who will be responsible for their team. This person will serve as a liaison should questions arise in regards to seeding, scheduling, conflicts, etc. If the team captain is not available during the event, a back up contact should be designated.
12. Consolation rounds are considered in the points process, with inclusion determined by the number courts at the host facility. This is a year by year decision, with instructions posted once first rounds have begun.
13. USAR rules will prevail. Players must be able to show verification of membership prior to playing their first match. USAR memberships are available at the tournament desk.
14. Losers referee next match or find a suitable replacement. Players who do not fulfill their referee duties will have points deducted from their team total. Neither stipulation applies if a self-refereeing system is used.
15. First place finishers from preceding years - in any division - must play, at a minimum, the next highest division. Open players and/or open doubles winners are excluded. B Doubles winners may not play with same partner.
16. B Doubles is for B level players. Those choosing to play at a higher level in a USAR / CRA sanctioned event, with four or more teams, and winning, are not eligible to play B Doubles in the Pepsi Cup.
17. Team points, as well as USAR ranking points, will be given to the third and fourth place finishers. See scoring format for more detailed explanation.
Deadlines & Details
2010 VENUE: Highlands Ranch Recreation Center
Tournament Date: June 3-6, 2010
Fees: $36 first event, $12 second event
Team Roster* Deadline: Friday, May 30th, 10pm
Starting Times: Tuesday, June 1st, after 7:00pm
This year the tournament will be hosted by the Highlands Ranch Recreation Center. They’ve hosted the event for the past two years and have done a wonderful job. The Littleton Family YMCA will be used on Friday evening and Saturday. For those of you haven’t played at HRRC a reminder – you need to bring your own lock and towel.
*Payment must accompany roster. Ultimately it’s the team captain and club’s responsibility to insure the players are properly registered and paid online in advance of check-in. Note: player substitutions received after the entry deadline and/or once the draw has been set may, or may not, receive consideration in a seeding position.
Should you have questions please contact Marcia Richards at 303-738-9797.
PLAYERS NOT AFFILIATED WITH AN ATHLETIC CLUB CANNOT COMPETE UNLESS THEY MEET THE TRADEOUT AGREEMENT AS STIPULATED IN THE GUIDELINES.
Players found in violation of this policy during the tournament will be dropped from the event and points earned to that point deducted from the team total.
Team captains should review ALL of the online information and, if possible, distribute guidelines to your team players to avoid any confusion as to how the tournament works. There have been problems in the past because players simply didn’t understand the general guidelines, so help in this area would be appreciated.
Captains List
Check with these past captains to see if they'll be coordinating this year, or can direct you to a new contact person:
Bally's / Westminster -- Bruce Evans
Buckley Air Force Base -- Steve Guzman
CAC / Monaco -- Marc Stander, Ken Mendelsberg
Country Club of the Rockies -- Alok Mehta
Denver Athletic Club -- Jo Shattuck
Downtown YMCA / C.S. -- Mark Sikorski
Flatirons Athletic Club -- Rick Sorenson
Goodson Recreation -- Bruce Burkland
Heartwood Athletic Club -- Josh Martin
Highlands Ranch Rec. -- Scott Parrill
Hot Springs Athletic Club -- Mark Russo
Lakewood Recreation -- Deb Beldring
Littleton Family YMCA -- Bruce Burgess, Marcia Richards
Lynmar Racquet Club -- Eddie Meredith
North Jeffco Racquetball & Fitness -- Brent Andersen
Pueblo Athletic Club -- Dan Beaudry
Trails Recreation Center -- Mike Winters Buck Recreation Center -- Dennis Chandler
Schlessman YMCA -- Ralph Graham