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Racquetball
is a fast-paced game that requires endurance, skill and body
control. It was developed on a handball court in the early
1950s by a man named Joe Sobek, who vigorously promoted his
game of "paddle racquets" at YMCAs across the country.
But people didn't really start trading in their handball
gloves for racquets until about 1968, when the first
National Paddle Rackets Tournament was organized in
Milwaukee. That event gave rise to the popularity of the
string racquet over the previously used solid-wood style.
The following year, the International Racquetball
Association was formed, and in 1973, a second organization
was created to monitor the sport, the U.S. Racquetball
Association.
Today, 9 million amateurs play the game, and 3,500
racquetball facilities dot the Americas, Europe and Japan.
Tournaments are conducted worldwide, including at least 20
annual professional competitions.
Racquetball aficionados enjoy the sport for its fast-pace
and intense workout; it doesn't take much longer than 30
minutes to get some vigorous exercise. And, unlike tennis,
it is a racquet-sport that is not steeped in tradition and
formalities. Rather, it is more a casual, though very
challenging, activity. |
