The women playing the Ladies Professional Racquetball Tour have been experiencing some grand events in Mexico the last couple of seasons. If these events continue, they may become more comprehensively followed by the press in Mexico and Central/South America. For sure, the events that have already taken place, represented opportunities that have been out of the norm for women professionals here in the US. The last post eluded to what the men on the professional tours should be doing to take things into their own hands to build interest. The women of the LPRT should be doing the same things to make their own increasing opportunities.
Anyone who follows racquetball at all, knows that Paola Longoria is already at rockstar status in Mexico. The Mexican media is hungry for the most recent magazine features, TV show appearances and seeing Paola receive achievement awards. Her face is popping up throughout Latin American culture as well as the word "racquetbolista". Let's look at that for a second. It's her face that shows up. Not-so-much (hardly) the videos of her playing. The Mexican media began looking at her because of the backstory, taking patriotic ownership of her "world dominance". But now, it's becoming more of "Paola", her face, than the thing that got her engraced in the first place.
There is a great opportunity here for the women, those who begin thinking aggressively about where they want to take the sport. (Some players already know this.) There is a deep understanding here that they are athletes. They train hard and work on their game. They want to compete. Yet, if the players would like to see themselves helping to garner more attention for racquetball, which would mean more opportunities for substantial paydays, they should be working on their "faces". Face. Racquetbolista. Ladies. If it sounds like I am advocating the pretty face and the "woman athlete" who is engaging to look at and hear, it's because I am. And the professional who takes control and makes a serious attempt to make their hard work on the court and in the gym work for them professionally, will be positioning themselves to make playing the game of pro racquetball easier. If your waiting for the tour to do it for you, here is a breaking news flash... the tour needs you to make professional events with good payouts an easier endeavor.
Find a way for people to see your game. Figure out who "people" are. Oh... and hit your spanish.