Bouncing off the walls
By Ronda Addy

During the 1970s, racquetball was one of the most popular sports in the country, but by the early part of the 1980s, its popularity had declined to the point that many clubs tore down their racquetball courts. Still there were some loyal players who kept the sport alive.

A combination of handball, tennis, squash and the Spanish sport jai alai, racquetball was invented by Joseph G. Sobek. When he wasn't working in the rubber manufacturing plant in Bridgeport, CT, Sobek played tennis, handball and squash. In an attempt to make handball easier on the hands, Sobek and a partner combined the rules of squash and handball in 1949, forming the sport of racquetball, or "paddle rackets," as they called it. Sobek devised a new paddle based on a platform tennis racquet for the game and had 25 prototypes made in 1950. He then took the paddles to the Greenwich YMCA to promote the sport.

Before long, the game of paddle rackets caught on, but many players experienced problems with the ball. The solution came in the form of an inexpensive rubber ball created for kids by Spalding. Sobek bought as many of the balls as he could, and in time, he started his own company to create the balls to his specifications. In 1951, Sobek founded the Paddle Racquet Association and created rules and promotional kits to send to YMCAs and other sporting organizations.

In 1969, Robert Kendler, founder of the International Racquetball Association (IRA), changed the name of the sport to racquetball. That same year, the first official championship was held in St. Louis and manufacturers started producing equipment specifically for the sport. In 1968, the National Paddle Rackets Association held its first championship, the Gut-strung Paddle Rackets National Championship, in Milwaukee. In 1969, the IRA took over the tournament that was held in St. Louis and Kendler used the USHA and its publication, ACE, to recruit new players. Meanwhile, Sobek continued to hold racquetball clinics.

The popularity of racquetball soared in the late 1970s. Equipment sales skyrocketed and the demands for new courts grew around the country. In 1973, Kendler left the IRA after a dispute with the board of directors and went on to found two new but short-lived organizations, the U.S. Racquetball Association and the Professional National Racquetball Club. Despite Kendler leaving, the IRA continued to grow, and in 1979, it became the Amateur Racquetball Association, which became the United States Racquetball Association in 1997. That same year, the International Amateur Racquetball Federation (now called the International Racquetball Federation) was formed with 13 member countries. A year later, the Ladies Professional Racquetball Association was founded.

In the 1990s, racquetball gained worldwide recognition. In 1990, the International Racquetball Tour was founded, and today, it conducts the professional men's tour, which includes more than 30 events throughout North America. The Central American Games, the Central American Caribbean Games, the Pan American Games, the South American Games, the Bolivian Games and the World Games recognize racquetball as a full medal sport. In 1982, the U.S. Olympic Committee recognized racquetball as a developing Olympic sport, and in 2001, the Committee granted racquetball Group "A" membership, making it the youngest sport ever to achieve this status.

In spite of the sport's decline in popularity, racquetball championships continue to be held around the world. An estimated 20 million people play racquetball in 95 countries worldwide.