Presidents Message

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  President’s Message—July, 2019 NMRacquetball.com

‘Pride of Ownership’

New Mexico has a history of staging large, complex, memorable events. Examples: NCAA Final Four 

Basketball Championships, International Balloon Fiesta, World Boxing Championship, and numerous 

political rallies. We were on stage again for the National Senior Games in mid-June, a 20 discipline 

Athletic Festival held over 12 days. It was another opportunity for Albuquerque and New Mexico to 

shine. Racquetball was one of the 20 disciplines; hosting more than 200 players from many states at 

the New Mexico Sports & Wellness Midtown and Downtown venues. Players who qualified in 

mens/womens singles & doubles plus mixed doubles vied for medals in more than forty categories.

Generating community support can be a rigorous venture. Those who joined did so with passion,

sweat, and a sense of PRIDE. Conspicuously absent were personal agendas. Communication amongst 

organizations, government entities, and volunteers is often a huge concern, especially when there are 

questions as to who is the leader of the hierarchy. The Local Organizing Committee,

the City of Albuquerque (Parks & Recreation/Visit Albuquerque/Department of Senior Affairs)  and 

the National Senior Games Association all worked together to create access for athletes, 

diplomats, administrators, and volunteers.  I have experienced large athletic festivals over 

three decades, such as the Olympic Festival, Pan American Games, and World Games.

Only the Kaohsiung (Taiwan) World Games in 2009 surpassed this one in terms of organization,

administration, and value. They hit the ‘jackpot’, even though most of the visitors did not speak the

native tongue of Mandarin.

Thank you to the thousands of volunteers who lent support across the city and locations in other 

parts of New Mexico. It was apparent that each one had the motivation to help make the 2019 NSG 

the best it could be.  With close to 14,000 athletes and an economic impact of over $30 million, we 

wish all who came, saw, and conquer well, and we invite them back.

Quote of the month…

‘Who, what, when, where, Kawhi’

Mark Jackson on Kawhi Leonard, NBA Toronto