Racquetball Courts Are Gradually Becoming Extinct

In the early 1970's, I started playing racquetball and saw it thrive as one of the fastest growing sports in America. Thousands of new racquetball courts were built to satisfy a seemingly insatiable demand. The sport was fun, easy to learn and provided a great high intensity workout session. A terrific cardio, aerobic and anaerobic exercise, one hour of casual racquetball burns over 600 calories.

Racquetball is a fast paced sport played on an enclosed court. Professionals can send the ball zinging at speeds of greater than 150 MPH. Most games are played with two people (singles), but three (cutthroat) and four (doubles) people can play.

The speed of the ball, sudden sharp front-to-back and side-to-side movements and the walls themselves are all hazards that lead to an increased possibility of injury. There is also the chance of jarring collisions as up to four players rapidly jockey for position during play. I've had my share of maladies over the last 30 years including shoulder pain, elbow tendonitis, wrist pain, muscle pulls and strains and chronic Achilles tendon tendonitis. You gotta love it! Knee injuries are particularly common with hardcore racquetball players and many enthusiasts of the game have hung up their racquets after knee surgery.

In the 1980's racquetball was in its heyday with as many as 10 million players. Today, according to the International Racquetball Federation there are now an estimated 5.6 million players. Approximately 25% are considered frequent players defined as those who play 25 days or more a year. Time has caught up with many of the players from 20 to 30 years ago, spending less time or even no time on the courts, as they nurse their groaning knees. At age 53, I know that I have to depend more on my experience and shot making ability rather than my old techniques which greatly depended on speed and a total disregard of my body as I dove for the ball whenever possible.

The racquetball playing population in the US has now appeared to stabilize but the decrease in popularity of the sport has taken its toll. During the 70's and 80's clubs that offered exclusively racquetball were extremely popular. They are now a rarity as many have converted all or part of the court space to a fitness center model offering aerobics and weight training. Some clubs just shut down completely.

Basic economics and the changing preferences of those that belong to fitness clubs have also had an effect on the decrease in courts. The racquetball court itself is 40 feet long, 20 feet wide and the ceiling is 20 feet high. The courts take up a lot of square footage for only two to four people to utilize at one time. A fitness club has only so many square feet. Membership in the club has to be limited because of capacity issues at the busiest times during the day. This has a direct effect on the bottom line.

I'm a member of the Superior Athletic Club in Medford. The largest city in Southern Oregon, Medford had two facilities that I could choose from when I relocated here 7 years ago. There were the six courts at Superior and three at the YMCA. The YMCA has already converted one of the courts to an indoor climbing wall. According to Tricia Pendergast, the yoga coordinator at the club, the other two courts are also being transformed into alternate uses including a dedicated yoga area and possibly a child care center. "This is a trend with YMCA's up and down the Pacific coast. It's just not the best utilization of space" states Pendergast.

The six courts at Superior are now down to five courts. One of the courts is now a dedicated "spinning class" and now houses 28 stationary bikes. (Spinning is a high intensity exercise in a classroom setting.)

This Medford story is typical of what is happening all across the country with racquetball courts. It's difficult for dedicated players including myself to witness this phenomenon and I can't help but feel some sense of sadness as the number of courts slowly dwindles over time. Since the ultimate decision to retrofit or close a court is based on economics, the only solution is to increase the demand for courts.

A rekindling of the enthusiasm of over 20 years ago is wishful thinking. However, racquetball is still a great sport and is certainly more fun than putting miles on a bike peddling to nowhere.

It's up to the current players to keep the spirit of the game going and to introduce new participants to the sport. This requires a change of the mentality that I've witnessed in the past which considers new players competitors for precious court time. We need new players! I would love to see high demand for courts. I need a place to play for the next 35 years.