Lessons Learned from an 11-Year-Old National Champ
Text by Shane Klippenes and Photography by Jim Wells
Gatlin demonstrates the proper form for a solid basic shot, one of the many “little things” that he practices daily.
At first glance, Gatlin Sutherland looks like an ordinary 5th grader; and in many ways he is. He plays competitive basketball and football, likes some aspects of school, and eats “normal food”. Oh, and he is one of the top ranked racquetball players in the nation.
Gatlin’s Grandfather Scott is a longtime tournament racquetballer who began taking him along to tournaments when he was 5 years old. After watching the action a time or two, Gatlin entered a “2 bounce tournament” and loved it. According to Scott, 2 bounce matches “go on forever” but are a great tool for introducing kids to the game. This proved true for Gatlin, who was firmly bitten by the racquetball bug and has been a fixture at courts around Montana since.
Gatlin and his Grandfather Scott are an inseparable team that travel throughout the state and country together playing the sport they both love.
To the untrained eye, racquetball may appear to be a form of tennis played in a box. It’s true that both sports use a ball and a racquet, but the similarities stop there. Consisting of 2 games played to 15 and a 1 game, 11-point tie-breaker, racquetball matches are fast paced, contact laden, sweat soaked chess matches where skilled players use a combination of power and “playing the angles” to earn points.
“Rookies chase the ball. As a result of all the hours in the court and experience against high level players, Gatlin knows where the ball is going as soon as it is hit”. Having spent some time in a racquetball court himself, Greg Hall (Manager at Access Fitness in Great Falls), knows firsthand the frustration of being outmatched on the court. “During the hay day of court sports, Heisey had 2 racquetball courts, all 4 Fire Stations had racquetball courts that were open to the public, and clubs with up to 8 courts available were open in Great Falls.” It was during this time, that Greg’s uncle taught him the finer points of racquetball during frequent matches at Fire Station 2. Although he didn’t “look like a typical athlete”, Greg says his uncle frequently served humble pie in the court with a knowledge of the game and the way the ball comes off the wall. “If you’re skilled with shots, you don’t have to be a fast runner and can make a novice run all over the court.”
Gatlin has multiple shots in his arsenal, with the jam serve being his favorite, “because it is tough to return”. Although he plays both Singles and Doubles at tournaments, the more open court provided by Singles, makes it his favorite. “The court isn’t jammed up and I can serve to both sides…” when playing one on one.
After winning the national championship for his age group in 2014 and placing 3rd in 2015, Gatlin has earned the right to have an opinion, although he exercises it sparingly. During time spent having a cup of java and talking with me and Scott at Morning Light Coffee, Gatlin was quiet, humble, fun and self-deprecating with an occasional flash of mischief in his eyes as he relayed stories of playing against adults in tournaments.
Because of a lack of equally skilled players in his age group, Gatlin plays in open age brackets tournaments throughout the state. According to Scott, initially people would play soft on Gatlin in tournaments, “until he started beating them.” A couple of competitive tournament players from Alberta, found out the hard way that “you have to play all out, right from the start”, to beat the wiry 11-year-old. Now, all the men “play him straight” and he has earned respect throughout the State, because of both his skill in victory and grace in defeat.
Playing against this type of competition has “really helped” when competing at the national level against kids his own age, as evidenced by his strong performances over the past two years. It’s not all about winning though, as racquetball has been an avenue to make friends with similar interests, from all around the United States and Canada. Grant, Kaylan and Benjamin are all kids that he routinely plays against in singles, is occasionally paired with in national doubles matches, are scattered around the country, and have very different personalities but are tied together by a love of the sport. They sporadically keep in touch throughout the season but it’s all business when they meet at Nationals.
The 2016 USA Racquetball Junior Olympic Championship will be held June 22-26 in Fridley, MN and Gatlin will be there, looking to reclaim his title and earn a trip to the World Championship. While preparing for the big trip, a favorite quote he uses frequently during practice sessions rings in his head. “All the little things make the big things happen”. From the start of his racquetball adventure 5 years ago, Gatlin has had fun, worked hard and done countless little things to make these big things happen.
Congratulations and good luck Gatlin as you continue to make big things happen!
