By Will Scott
The University of Louisville racquetball club team has been steadily climbing the national ladder since its inception three years ago, and now the team looks to rank among the top 30 teams in the country.
This is quite a feat considering the resources and lack of attention the program has received, according to Coach Gordon Henry.
This weekend, they will look to climb even higher in the national spotlight. However, there are still a few obstacles facing the team’s future success.
“Recruiting is hard,” Henry said. “We try to target kids who have interest and help them develop through hard work and practice.”
Henry has taught his squad to do just that, and the results have shown. Through Henry’s own success and skill, the team has seen firsthand what it takes to be a skilled racquetball player.
Under Henry’s tutelage, the team has homegrown talent and continues to look for new blood.
“It is a necessity for us to find young people who are interested in the sport, as most of the people on the team have been with us since our beginning, and are now almost ready to graduate,” Henry said.
The team will look to add to its short resume this weekend when it hosts a tournament at U of L. It has invited Ohio State University and Memphis State University and will be held in the SAC.
Racquetball tournaments are set up much like tennis tournaments. There are different divisions, and a player will enter into a division depending on skill level and experience.
In addition, there is seeding for each team, and players will be paired up accordingly. For example, the No. 1 player will play the No. 1 player.
The caveat to this is that there may be professional athletes in competition.
Racquetball is not like many other sports that declare professionals ineligible once they turn pro. Professionals who are enrolled in school can compete and play for college.
So amateurs may find themselves matched up with one of the best players in the world in any given match.
This rule has led to some controversy in the sport, as it proves to have its benefits and problems. It may be unfair for some players to earn money while they are still competing as an amateur on one hand, but on the other, it allows amateur players to play a pro one day.
Henry hopes that this will not be a problem this weekend as his team looks to protect home court. “This weekend should be a good test for our team, to see where we are and what we really need to improve upon in the future,” Henry said.
