Racquetball club on campus
A look into an 'easy to pick up' activity complete with workshops and tournaments
Michael Mayday
Issue date: 11/6/08 Section: Sports
Last spring, senior Joshua Done organized a racquetball club for students and faculty. The simple sport is easy to comprehend, but difficult to master.
"It allows you to move forward, backward and side to side," Done said. "It requires a lot more footwork and maneuvering."
Done said the difficult thing is the player getting into position, hitting the ball and getting out of the way in rapid succession. But the sports difficulty doesn't prevent students and faculty from enjoying it.
"It goes without saying: it's just the best sport," said Don Westblade, professor of religion and the faculty advisor to the racquetball club. "It's just a lot of fun. It's a great sport because you can enjoy it without being an expert at it. And there's always opportunity to improve."
There isn't a lot of equipment needed for racquetball: goggles, to protect the eye, a racquet and gym clothes.
Done explained racquetball is a sport similar to tennis, except with more strategy and maneuvering. The players can hit the ball off of any wall so long as it hits the front wall and doesn't bounce on the floor twice. Players must also know where to move, when to move and be aware of other players.
Done said the club can help teach curious students how to play this game, which is easy to pick up. The club also hosts weekend workshops, where students can learn techniques from more experienced players. In addition to workshops, racquetball tournaments occur occassionally.
Last spring, Financial Aid Director Rich Moeggenberg won the tournament.
"What we're doing is we're setting up a few tournaments each semester, as well as weekend workshops where players can learn from each other," Done said. "People can become more experienced with the game and have fun."
Racquetball has simple rules, but it can evolve into a complex game. One version of racquetball, called cutthroat, has one server play against two opponents.
"It's two against one, but when that one person goes out he swaps with somebody else, so it's always you versus the other two when you're serving."
Students interested in the racquetball club can e-mail Done at jdone@hillsdale.edu, or respond to a school-wide e-mail.
"It allows you to move forward, backward and side to side," Done said. "It requires a lot more footwork and maneuvering."
Done said the difficult thing is the player getting into position, hitting the ball and getting out of the way in rapid succession. But the sports difficulty doesn't prevent students and faculty from enjoying it.
"It goes without saying: it's just the best sport," said Don Westblade, professor of religion and the faculty advisor to the racquetball club. "It's just a lot of fun. It's a great sport because you can enjoy it without being an expert at it. And there's always opportunity to improve."
There isn't a lot of equipment needed for racquetball: goggles, to protect the eye, a racquet and gym clothes.
Done explained racquetball is a sport similar to tennis, except with more strategy and maneuvering. The players can hit the ball off of any wall so long as it hits the front wall and doesn't bounce on the floor twice. Players must also know where to move, when to move and be aware of other players.
Done said the club can help teach curious students how to play this game, which is easy to pick up. The club also hosts weekend workshops, where students can learn techniques from more experienced players. In addition to workshops, racquetball tournaments occur occassionally.
Last spring, Financial Aid Director Rich Moeggenberg won the tournament.
"What we're doing is we're setting up a few tournaments each semester, as well as weekend workshops where players can learn from each other," Done said. "People can become more experienced with the game and have fun."
Racquetball has simple rules, but it can evolve into a complex game. One version of racquetball, called cutthroat, has one server play against two opponents.
"It's two against one, but when that one person goes out he swaps with somebody else, so it's always you versus the other two when you're serving."
Students interested in the racquetball club can e-mail Done at jdone@hillsdale.edu, or respond to a school-wide e-mail.
Be the first to comment on this story