Holiday Tournament –
Dec 6
Can you believe it? This will be the 10th annual
Holiday Tournament. Wow. 10 years. Do you remember what life was like 10 years
ago? I, for example, still needed mapquest to get from the DAC back home. My bald
spot had not yet materialized. I owned a portable compact disc player with a
Guns ‘n’ Roses CD (I actually still have the CD, but not the player!). Miley
Cyrus was the sweet and innocent Hannah Montana and not an eye-gauging
wrecking-ball jockey (puke). Florida Marlins won the World Series. The Pistons
won the NBA championship… Time changes many things, but not everything, For example, it hasn’t
stopped the traditional Holiday Tournament from running.
While you drink your eggnog (actually, beer-nog in this
case), why not deck the squash court halls with sounds of volleys
(Fa-la-la-la-la-la-la-la-la!) and participate! The unique Swiss System event
can only handle a maximum of 24 players, so be quick to register.
What is the ‘Swiss System’ I hear you cry? Don’t cry, it’s
simple. All players will be in one draw and receive 4 matches. Each match will
be 2 games to 15. There will not be any handicapping. You score points for each
game you win. So, since the match-ups are relatively random, anyone can end up
playing anyone else. It’s a great way to step on court with members you
normally wouldn’t.
Now, it’s no secret that in this format the stronger players
rise to the top. However, the good news is that ALL players will receive a prize for entering no matter if you come
first or last. These prizes are provided by you – your entry gift – or fee.
That’s right! As your entry fee, you must provide a wrapped
gift worth at least $20. Players will choose their gift at the end of the
tournament in order of the final rankings. Here are some guidelines to help you
with the dos and don’ts of the art of gift exchange:
DO purchase a gift that you wouldn’t mind
receiving yourself.
DO NOT re-gift the potpourri that your grandmother
gave you last year.
DO make the effort to purchase the gift yourself well before the day of the
tournament.
DO NOT ask the squash-pro to quickly put together
a package of stuff one hour before the event starts and ask me to wrap it up
for you.
DO adhere to the “banned substances” list:
Viagra / Canary Yellow DAC T-shirt / Cash / Muffins / aforementioned potpourri.
DO NOT ignore the “banned substances” list.
No doubt we will get some members dressing up in appropriate
Holiday themed gear. Let’s see who can be the most decorative, creative. Keep
in mind you need to play in said gear. So if you choose to place deer horns on
your head, or a great white beard on your face, that’s great so long as it
doesn’t interfere with your swing. Maybe I will have a prize for best costume…
