Airman competes with AF racquetball team

  • Published
  • By Tech. Sgt. Kurt Arkenberg
  • 90th Space Wing Public Affairs
F.E. Warren AFB, Wyo. --  A senior NCO from the medical group recently made the all Air Force Racquetball team and is set to compete against the best players the nation has to offer. 

Master Sgt. Alfredo Suendermann, 90th Medical Support Squadron, will soon spend seven days in Houston battling racquetball players from all branches of the military as well as elite civilians. 

"This is the pinnacle of any military member's racquetball life," Sergeant Suendermann said. "I've been working toward this my whole Air Force career." 

Sergeant Suendermann, who's been playing racquetball for more than 18 years, said the pursuit of this goal was not an easy row to hoe but the hard work eventually paid off. 

"My family and leadership were very supportive of my goal," said Sergeant Suendermann. "Without them, there's no way I could get on the court three or four days a week to put in the time needed to be a good player." 

According to Sergeant Suendermann, spending all your free time on the court isn't the only thing you have to go through to reach the elite level in racquetball. 

"It takes getting beat up on a lot as you progress through the racquetball ranks," Sergeant Suendermann said. "But eventually it starts to 'click' and the tide starts turning in your favor." 

Once things started to click for Sergeant Suendermann, he had to local, state and regional tournaments just to have the opportunity to qualify at the U.S. Open tournament in Memphis, Tenn. 

"I started to excel in the local tournaments in Wyoming and Colorado," Sergeant Suendermann said. 

"But it really came together at the Wyoming State Singles Championship when I won my division and took third overall in the open category," he added. 

Riding the momentum of his win at the state tournament, Sergeant Suendermann was only one tournament away from making the all Air Force team. 

"Going into the U.S. Open, I was nervous but knew my play was peaking at the right time," Sergeant Suendermann said. 

With a run to the quarter-finals, Sergeant Suendermann secured a spot on the 16-member Air Force team. 

The next stop is May 20-26 for the 2008 National Singles Finals in Houston where he will compete against a total of 45 of the country's best civilian and military racquetball players in the three divisions he's qualified for.