Don Goodwin, who plays at the Littleton YMCA in Denver, shared his feel-good experience from the Motorola / Verizon World Championship IRT Pro Stop held in Colorado Springs ...
For those of us who love the game, we who think about it every spare moment of the day, practice our stroke mechanics in the men’s room at work, we who are just down-right obsessed with it, were blessed recently with a new Grand Slam event in Colorado Springs. The experience of witnessing the immortals from whatever planet they hail from was truly mesmerizing.
First, there was the made for TV court. Sitting in the stands at the side of the court sent the viewing perspective to a new level of speed and out of this world ability of the professional athletes in the sport. There was not a bad seat in the house; from any angle it was enjoyable to be a spectator. It was especially fun to see our own homeboy Woody handling the commentary for Royster Productions.
Additionally, the professional players were very approachable. I think I introduced myself to every one of them and they were grateful to meet with and talk personably with you. I found them to be extremely friendly and appreciative of the recognition and admiration they receive from fan base of the sport. Unlike most professional sports, even the amateur is made to feel like he is adopted into the brotherhood of this special group of people.
Finally, the setting was inspiring. A great many people and suppliers went all out in making this a special event for us, the spectator. When I first walked into the setting I knew this was going to be a special event. Thanks Eddie for bringing the Motorola Verizon IRT nationals and Grand Slam tournament to Colorado Springs. It was the highlight of my year and I look forward to this becoming an annual event in our area.