Re(1): The only way to save Jai Alai
Posted on November 22, 2014 at 04:05:19 AM by Inigo Calzacorta
There are a few points that i don't agree on in the posts above and the rest are right
on in my opinion.
Strategy exists in all sports whether full size or smaller versions
of them. They are simply different strategies. In the long history
of this sport there has been plenty of professional small court
jai alai activity. Small court jai alai prizes technical and less
powerfull players. More finess and less brute force. It is well
known in the jai alai world that players with less build and more
technical attributes can beat larger goiko-storza-lopez type players
on smaller courts. this is an undisputed fact. I have seen it
here with my own eyes and what i saw was a more level playing
field and tremendous jai alai battles between totally different
styles and sizes. Small court jai alai is not a power game.
Here where i live in Markina basque country we have one 82 foot
court open to the public 24/7, one 92 foot court in the sport
center, one 118 foot court open to the public, the well known
177 foot court "uni de markina". These four are full
height and have rebotes and there is a fifth court that is around
130 feet long with no rebote. This is a town of almost 5000 population.
We could say we are blessed with jai alai. Everything begins on
the smallest of the five courts. Yes, everthing. It makes absolutely
no sense to start anything on 177 meter length. kids develope
all the necessary forms and mental schemes about the game on small
courts. Even adults learn the game on the smaller courts. There
is an appropriate age for learning the various techniques/forms/postures
and it is essential that the facility permits repetition. Try
and try again and again until you get it right. All of this magic
occures on small courts. You can rebote at an early age and or
when you have not developed full strength. The going back and
forth to fetch the pelota is less of a burden. I could go on and
on but i guess you get the idea.
I have the conviction that jai alai will come back when and only
when there is sufficient small court activity, sufficient leisure
jai alai, sufficient play for fun. This does not mean that the
jai alai we all know and love is gone forever. Not in a million
years. Its just that the whole model/structure that has maintained
this sport is obsolete and something new has to be implemented
quick before they actually do knock down the existing jai alai
courts.
Here is a shocking fact: During the boom years in construction
the gernika court was days away from being demolished in order
to construct housing. It was a last second effort that saved that
magnificent court. This is not even ten years ago.
Don't want to be a bore about the subject but build those
small courts. All the history of pelota started in small public
courts in the small towns.
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