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 Gutstrung 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.