In Passing: Joe Lambert

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In 2005, Joe Lambert was 77 and already billed as one of the sport's most decorated players, in the Dallas Morning News SportsDay Collin County feature "Plano Resident still commands the Court". He'd picked up the sport at 52, and at the time, he'd already captured 15 national gold medals, 11 of those in singles. Nearly 15 years later, and just shy of 92, this lauded Master's athlete passed away in his hometown of Plano, Texas on May 22, 2019. He'd been inducted into the NMRA Hall of Fame in 1996 and gone on for another quarter century of living his best life in the sport. After a brief tour of active duty in Army service, Joe's career kept him involved in Army & Air Force Exchange services. A native of New York, he moved to the Dallas metro area in 1969 and retired from a career in industrial engineering in 1988. He met and married his wife Jo Worrell in 2001...
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HOF 2017 | Leonard & Martin

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In ceremonies at the 2017 International Championships in West Allis, Gladys Leonard was inducted into the Hall of Fame in the Athlete category. From Eclectic, Alabama, she spent many years in the Washington, DC area playing with the Fort Myer military base group. They introduced her to the NMRA about a decade ago and she earned a medal whenever she competed since then. Her regular Mixed Doubles partner, Scott Kraemer, delivered her HOF introduction with a delightful presentation featuring pictures from her past. Everyone asks to play with Gladys — who is a great competitor and so worthy of the Hall of Fame.  Mike Martin from Golden, Colorado, was also inducted for his amazing contributions to the organization and specifically on behalf of the 75+ players. At 90, Mike has been a dues-paying Member for over 15 years, entered almost 30 NMRA tournaments, and won 34 medals in Singles and Doubles. He's also been an active participant in the annual Man of...
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HOF 2017 | Andy Gomer

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Andy Gomer of Arlington, Virginia, has never been to an NMRA event and yet, he is one of our staunchest supporters and fans. Over the years, Andy grew to admire the work of Carmen Alatorre-Martin and the NMRA so much that he made numerous contributions to assure that the tournaments became even better for the players.  He regularly plays high-level racquetball at the Fort Myer military base, where he first heard about the NMRA and its round-robin, social style of tournament play. All of the players in the group raved about their experiences and Andy stepped right up to make sure the events remained top-quality. To induct Andy into the Hall of Fame, we traveled to Fort Myers in June to surprise him with a mini-ceremony and enjoy a great weekend of celebration and gratitude! Andy is a racquetball player, but his substantial financial contributions to NMRA have totalled more than any company or individual in our history.  He has owned several...
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Betts & Tilbury invest in IRT

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The men’s professional International Racquetball Tour and the IRT Network have combined forces with an investor group that includes NMRA Hall of Famers Rick Betts and Cindy Tilbury of Malibu, California. E.J. Promotions will be led by John Scott, along with added investors Sal and Dee Perconti of St. Petersburg, Florida, Robert Blumenshine of St. Louis, Missouri, and Dean Baer of Long Island, New York.  The racquetball power couple was also featured in their hometown newspaper, The Malibu Surfside News, with a lengthy interview and photos about their long-time involvement with the sport that they love....
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