Today we are going to take a look at a different view of the sport of racquetball. We are interviewing Ben Simons, the Indoor Court Sports Manager at Head/Penn Racquet Sports. Not only is Ben one of the masterminds behind the product lines that Head produces some of the best product in the game, but he is also a good player too. I have known Ben for 5-6 years now and think the world of him, not just for what he does for the sport of racquetball, but as a person and as a friend. Sit back and enjoy as we try to pick the brain of one of the racquet gurus of the industry. BP

DOB: September, 18, 1969
Born in: Lancaster, Ohio
Resides in: Mesa, Arizona
Family: two dogs, Jazz is a boxer, Lady is an English Pointer
Hobbies Include: Golf, Cigars, pool, motorcycles (street bikes), running racquetball tournaments, Blues/jazz clubs - live music
Current Occupation: HEAD/Penn Racquet Sports, Business Manager, Indoor Court Sports & Accessories,
Current Automobile: Infiniti FX35
Sponsors: HEAD Equipment:
Racquet: MX 170
Glove: MX Supreme
Shoes: Nike
Clothes: Team HEAD & Oneshot Sports
String: HEAD MegaBlast 17
String Tension: 34

BP:For those who don't know, who is Ben Simons?

Ben:I grew up in a small town called Lancaster, Ohio which is located about 30 minutes south east of Columbus. I played many sports growing up. I played football until my freshman year, baseball through my sophomore year and played basketball all through high school. I went to The Ohio State University and graduated in 1991 with a Business Finance degree. I was a member of Delta Sigma Pi, a professional business fraternity as well as the president of The Ohio State racquetball club for two years. I didn't actually start play racquetball until my sophomore year in college. I couldn't play sports for any organized college team so I had to find something to compete in. I started playing racquetball at Ohio State and joined our racquetball club in 1988. I started playing a couple local tournaments and attended the Ohio State Singles championships in Canton, Ohio in 1990 and met Doug Ganim. I was a low C player and had no idea what real racquetball was. Well after watching all the Open matches and attending a banquet with the Ohio Season in Review Slide show with photo"s of the entire season of tournaments, the national team, etc. I was hooked; I wanted to be an Open racquetball player. I attended one of Doug"s camp, took private lessons from his brother Dave (Doug wouldn't give me private lessons). I won a C tournament in April, a B tournament in August and an A tournament in September and playing Open in October. Since then, pretty much all I have done has centered around the sport of racquetball. I started running tournaments with Doug all over Ohio for the next 3 years and moved to Arizona in 1994 where I began my own tournament series in 1996 and became the racquetball director for the Arizona Athletic Club in Tempe. At the same time I was helping run the US Open, National Singles, National Juniors, we hosted the National Intercollegiate Championships at AAC in 1999 I believe. I no longer help run the major events but I still run a series of 4 tournaments in Arizona and I am also a member of the Arizona Racquetball Association and organize our State Singles and State Doubles Championships each year.

BP:So how and when did you get started with HEAD/Penn??? .

Ben:Doug Ganim gave me my first Preferred Player Team HEAD Sponsorship in 1990. He also put me on his product development team about a year later where I would help him do product testing, string all the prototypes that would come in, etc. As I got better I moved up the ranks in sponsorship to the NAS level. I have been with HEAD my entire racquetball career, over 15 years. Wow, I didn't need to think about that. When HEAD bought Penn in 1999 they moved their US offices to Phoenix, Arizona. In the fall of 2000 I found out that the racquetball product manager position became available from Scott Winters believe it or not. I called Doug immediately and asked if I was qualified for that position. He got me in contact with Kevin Kempin and I went through about 3 weeks of interviews and was lucky enough to get the position. To get one of five jobs available like this was an honor. I had been working hard in the industry for 10 years and coming up through the ranks and the Team HEAD program made if all worth it. Loyalty has its bonuses. Now my dad can stop telling me I"m wasting my time playing racquetball and get a real job.

BP:The MegaBlast series a few years ago was your first "solo" racquetball technology and it was a fairly radical change from the intelligence series. What prompted such a bold transition in the line?

Ben:Product lines are planned several years out so when I came into the position in November of 2000, intelligence and intelligence X were already done for the most part. I personally liked the intelligence lines very much but they were behind in power. You ever sit around and look at something and thought: "If I would have made this I would have done it this way"? Well here was my shot. I had been sitting around for 10 years saying if I was designing racquets I would do this. I really felt we needed to make a statement on the high end so we broke off from tennis and created our own technologies. MegaBlast Technology and Power Channels were formed from a brainstorming session with Doug and me and then our engineers in Austria had to figure out how to make it work in a racquetball racquet. I am not always the engineer"s favorite person that"s for sure. I also felt if we were making this major change in the design and playability of the racquets I wanted everyone to notice. So a day in Austria with the graphics designer who doesn't speak any English and we came up with the bright orange and green MegaBlast racquets. The orange came from the auto industry, it was a trendy color on the new 350Z that just came out and the green is basically Kawasaki green. Bright and visible. The Product Managers in Austria told me these were the ugliest racquets they had ever seen and I couldn't possibly want these racquets to look like this. That is when I knew the colors were perfect. Not loved by all but noticed by all; that was the goal.

BP:Can you briefly describe the process for taking a racquet from concept to production?

Ben:We are always looking and thinking of the next best racquet. It gets tougher and tougher each year. We take what has worked, listen to any and all criticism anyone may have and try to improve on any weaknesses in the latest racquets. It is tough to fit one style of racquet to everyone"s game so we need a variety of racquets that have different weight, balance and other playing characteristics. The hardest thing is to design I racquet that may not fit my game perfect but I know that is what the market may be looking for. Performance samples are made and we do testing for weight, balance, playability, vibration, etc. Compile all the data and come up with the best racquet. Then we durability test the racquet and over 600 hours of play are put on each construction. Then cosmetics, header cards, grip stickers and cover bags are designed. It is a full year in the making.

BP:What is the most challenging part of this process?

Ben:Coming up with the next best racquet. Understanding what the market is demanding, what the competition is doing and creating the right product to fill that demand and finishing the 600 hours on each construction is quite the task. I have never seen two leaders in the sport do such radically different things. We come out with a racquet with no holes & our competition has huge holes all over the racquet. Very interesting approaches out there.

BP:Head is known throughout the industry as producing a quality product, with the breakage issues the company had last year, do you think that has hurt Head"s public image at all?

Ben:No, not at all. Many accounts and customers have no idea there was an issue.

BP:What were the exact issues with the IGS series???

Ben:The issue was not as large as people may think but HEAD as you stated has a reputation for quality durable products and we hold a very tight standard on percentages of breakage. IGS fell below that standard we have set for ourselves.

BP:How did Head/Penn rectify the situation from a Customer Service standpoint???

Ben:Again, the problem wasn't as major as many thought from a consumer standpoint. We have one of the best warranty departments in the industry and turn around racquets very quickly. As soon as the new MX racquets come out, any manufacture defect will be replaced with the new MX line. The biggest issues really came with your heavy tournament players, i.e. Team HEAD members. It was more internal.

BP:What changes have been made to the Metallix line to increase durability?

Ben:Wow, if I could only tell you all of them. Trade secrets you understand. Actually it is very simple. First there have been more durable materials used in key areas. Also the way the graphite is layered in the racquet has been changed. Basically a racquet is comprised of several layers of graphite laid on top of each other. They are then rolled and baked to form the racquet. I single layer of graphite can be ripped apart like paper with the grain. Against the grain you could hang a truck from it. So the key is to layer the graphite so the grain patterns are crossing to form a durable cross section. The lighter the racquet the more important the layering becomes and the more durable material needs to be used thus a little more money. So layering of graphite is very important. Some changes in overall shape rounded off the changes.

BP:What was the concept of the new HD ball??

Ben:Why did Penn feel it was the right thing to manufacture since they already own the ball market??? Great question. For years racquetballs have been basically the same. Some are a little faster, some are a little slower but a similar type feel and play. Racquets over the years however have changed drastically. They have gone from 220 grams plus down to 165 grams or less in some cases. The ball has never really been addressed. I really wanted to create something with different playing characteristics. My goal was to make a lighter, softer, more visible racquetball but maintain the basic speed of the ball. This was a tough order as in the past to make a ball fast or faster you had to make it harder. So we went to work. First was the color and we tested a lot of colors across the country and this dark purple color was a unanimous favorite on court. It also was the best in our in house testing for video. With the color accomplished the compound was next. In lab and on court testing was huge with many changes along the way until we came up with the final product. We were able to make a slightly lighter, softer ball that feels great coming off the racquet. No more harsh feel from a racquetball that is too hard. The new ProPenn HD is actually as fast as the ProPenn off the racquet but because of the softer, lighter compound it will tend to slow down quicker off the walls creating a much different playing characteristic. Why did we do it? There had not been a truly unique ball introduction with any significance since the ProPenn back in 1991. Also, the IRT has changed drastically in 15 years and with the increased television exposure with the US OPEN and the Pro Nationals we wanted to help by making the ball more visible on TV. It was time for a new Official Ball of the IRT and new technology for a better playing ball at the high-end, so Penn along with the IRT created it. Tell us a little about the relationship between Head and Penn. I don't think many people know but HEAD actually purchased Penn back in 1999 creating one company, HEAD/Penn Racquet Sports. What a great combination of companies. HEAD wanted to get in the ball business and Penn needed to expand in the racquet business for all sports: Tennis, Racquetball and Squash. Neither could have been as successful on their own as both brand names were so strong in there respective fields. Together, the synergies are great and allows for many new avenues of business and promotion making HEAD/Penn one of the strongest brands in racquet sports. Penn is the only ball made in the U.S.A. The largest ball factory in the world is located right next to me in Phoenix. Not only am I involved with Austria and the manufacturing of racquets but know I get to work directly with our Penn factory here in the US on the ball production side. If you have ever been through the plant and see all the processes involved in the manufacturing of a racquetball, not only will you be amazed but you will wonder how is it possible to buy a can for $3.00. Why are the two companies such a good fit for the industry??? The greatest part is although there are two brands it is one company working towards the same goals. The strengths of both HEAD and Penn are now combined towards maintaining the growth of our sport. Through the sponsorship of the National Associations, State Associations, players, etc. HEAD and Penn combined do more for grass roots racquetball than anyone. It is a great fit. What do you see in the future with this relationship between Head and Penn??? The two brands will continue to grow together and continue to work towards the common goals of being #1 in the racquet sports industry and continue to do all we can to grow the sports we are involved in.

BP:Where do you see the sport headed (no pun intended) in the future???

Ben:I have watched the sport now for 16 years. People still talk about the "good old days" of the 70"s & 80"s when racquetball was in it boom period and then refer to racquetball as dying. It drives me nuts. Racquetball is here and it is now that we need to be concerned with. Some great things have happened over the past 10 years and we actually saw double digit participation growth last year. In my humble opinion, racquetball is not dying at all; it is finding its place. Racquetball is a relatively young sport; it is only 35 years old or so. Every major sport in history (tennis, golf) has had a boom period and then a slow down and then a growth period and so on. Racquetball was invented and it was a great trendy sport and it grew like crazy. As the fad wore off it came back down to the core players and now it is up to all of us to grow the game again. It won't happen tomorrow or this year, it takes time but again, we are a young sport with a lot of potential. I love this game.

BP:What do you think the sport needs to do to grow in popularity???

Ben:We have to create excitement around the sport that people can see and become a part of. Television coverage is a major portion of this. Through television coverage we can reach the masses not just the people in the racquetball clubs and that is important. We have to get young people interested in racquetball and we are competing with a lot of options: baseball, football, basketball, soccer, Lacrosse, skateboarding, etc. All of these have great TV coverage, even Lacrosse, and they are creating personalities that the youth can look up to and aspire to be. Racquetball needs this. I feel it is starting but has a long way to go.

BP:With both of the top two players looking for racquet sponsors, is there any interest in signing one or both of these players?

Ben:As one of the leaders in racquetball, there is always interest in signing top professionals. HEAD has always had a history of having the #1 player in the world on staff over the past 10 years with Sudsy Monchik & Cliff Swain before Sudsy. When Sudsy retired we made a conscious effort to create a team approach versus just having the #1 player in the world. We have made both scenarios work and I personally enjoy being a part of the new Team approach. Is there room for a #1 player on the HEAD Team, absolutely. There are several players looking for contracts at this time and we are considering all options and talking with all players.

BP: Let"s switch gears and move to you as a player, let"s get out of the industry stuff. As a player you have competed against some of the best names in racquetball. What is your most memorable match played to date and why was it so special?

Ben:There are many. Playing Ruben Gonzales in 1996 at the National Singles in the second round and watching him go on to win the championship. Jack Huczek at nationals one of the years he went on to win. In my first pro tournament ever having to play Andy Roberts on the glass court at City Square in Phoenix. Playing Marty Hogan at the US Open. But my most memorable match had to come at the 2005 US Open. In the 10 years competing I have only qualified for the pro draw one time and that was 8 years ago. I came in playing probably the best racquetball of my career and at 36 am thinking I need to do this now, my goal was to qualify and play a top 16 player in the world at the US OPEN. I did manage to qualify and was fortunate enough to play Kane on stadium court at the US OPEN. This is why I still play the pro draws, to have the opportunity to compete against the best players. Good size crowd turned out to watch Kane of course. I had not been nervous to play a racquetball match in years, but I was actually nervous. The introduction came for me and that was great but when you are standing on the court and they say two-time defending US OPEN champion and #1 player in the world before your opponent"s name you know it may be a rough day. You always want to say I can win but in this case we all knew the outcome before it started but I was going to put on the best show he would let me. I think I was on the floor a minimum of 2 times/rally. We played three games which lasted about an hour. He beat me 5, 3 & 1 and I had never been so tired after a match. I can't really explain what it is like to be competing against the best player in the world but Kane was great to play and at no time made me feel like I didn't belong there. I appreciated that.

BP:What is your greatest accomplishment as a player??? Was it when you won the Mixed 30"s National Doubles title last year??? That had to be a thrill for you.

Ben: How did you know? Oh yeah, you were there. I really never thought I would win a national title at this point in my career. Why did I have to wait until I was 36 to start playing my best racquetball? This was my first national title but I definitely could not have done this without the best mixed doubles partner ever, Rachel Gellman. I would say she has the best forehand out there and you let that ball come off the back wall and it is just over. We were not even seeded in the draw so we had to beat the #4, #1 & #3 seeds to win. This easily could have been in the last question too as most memorable.

BP:Did you feel slighted when you opened your Racquetball Magazine and didn't see your name with all of the other Champions listed???

Ben:I thought it was pretty funny, my first national title and all divisions were listed except the Mixed 30+? I must need to do more. Story of my life. I don't know if I ever told you that I wrote an email about that to the USRA and was told there would be an Editor"s Correction or apology for that in the next Magazine, I still haven't seen it.

BP:Do you really think you are going to be able to defend that title next year???

Ben:Absolutely. I think it will be a little tougher as we can't come in as sleepers but I still have the best forehand side player in mixed doubles. I really don't think anyone took us as a good team. They all knew Rachel, but no one had really ever seen me play, so I was the dark horse I guess. I just happened to have a great tournament.

BP:You tell me, did you take us seriously in the finals or did you just think you would win?

Ben:Because you are a sponsor and a friend, I am going to plead the Fifth, hahaha. No, I think I figured it would boil down to who killed more balls, you or Jo Shattuck, obviously we know who won that battle. And it was like an 8am match, I hate morning matches.

Rapid Fire Questions with one word answers
1. Beer, Soda or Water - Beer
2. Arizona or Ohio - Arizona
3. Ohio State Football or Phoenix Suns Basketball - Are you serious? Ohio State Football
4. Golf or Tennis - Golf
5. Heavy Metal or Rap - neither
6. Smooth Jazz or Latin music - jazz
7. Penn HD Ball or the ProPenn ball - ProPenn HD
8. Outdoors in the summer in AZ or middle of winter in Ohio - Love the heat in AZ. Winters in Ohio are the worst.
9. US Open, National Singles, or National Doubles - US OPEN
10. Favorite Head Sponsored Player??? Brian Pointelin!!!!!