Racquetball: Is it
bombing or booming in 1988?

Olympic recognition could have a positive impact on the sport's credibility and growth.

By Judy Julison

Recreation professionals, like private business owners, face the potentially satisfying or potentially disappointing effects of their attempt to predict trends before they happen or respond to needs as they exist.

In the 1970s, the game of racquetball was expanding by leaps and bounds, and there was every reason to believe that the sport would continue to grow at a rapid rate. Following the formation of the United States Racquetball Association and the first professional tour in 1973, a new and explosive interest had been generated among the non-professional player.

Positive response

Park and recreation agencies, along with private business executives, quickly responded to the sudden racquetball boom by constructing facilities, and developing league and lesson programs to accommodate the demands of the newborn racquetball community. By the late 1970s, new courts were popping up not only in Illinois, but also throughout the country, and hungry parades of racquet-ball hackers competed for court time at the local club.

Unfortunately, the contagious enthusiasm which characterized the late 1970s did not continue.

What happened?

Racquetball statistically had reached its peak during a three-year period from 1977-79. In 1980, the sport began to experience its first noticeable decline in play, and it continued to decrease at a steady pace for the next several years. Ektelon, the leading manufacturer of racquetball sports equipment, reported its lowest sales markets in 1985 and 1986.

The wild expansion of racquetball fever had come to a halt, and left many private club owners planting "for sale" signs on the front lawn. Meanwhile, recreation agencies and other private clubs began to experiment with facility renovations and alternative court uses. These included walleyball, weight training, court basketball and computerized golf.

Encouraging upswing

Does racquetball have a viable future? The outlook, nonetheless, may still appear good. Despite the rather dismal decline in interest from 1980-'86, racquetball play has begun to show an increase between one and two percent during the last two years nationwide.

Paul Keidan, Midwest sales representative for Ektelon racquetball equipment, attributes this encouraging upswing in play to the recent introduction and emphasis of midsize and oversize racquets to the sport.

"Consistent with the tennis industry, larger racquets have made the game easier for a greater number of people to play," he explains.

Consistent with human nature, participants are more likely to develop interest in a sport when success is achieved quickly.

Survey findings

A recent survey conducted by the National Racquetball Association (NRA) reports an average of 1.9 million (56 percent male, 44 percent female) new participants each year, with a total of 3,500 facilities and 8 million (67 percent male, 33 percent female) players currently participating nationwide. Although the heaviest concentration of racquetball play is found in California where the seasonal nature of the sport is insignificant, the American Amateur Racquet-ball Association (AARA) ranks Illinois

Illinois Parks and Recreation 7 July/August 1988

sixth in the country for racquetball participation.

Locally, racquetball facilities throughout the State have recorded increases in play ranging from one to 25 percent during the past year, with the most significant growth represented in the Chicago area and in the northwest suburbs. Of 30 clubs surveyed, 60 percent showed an increase in play over the previous year, while 23 percent reported a slight reduction in court use. Seventeen percent of those clubs surveyed observed relatively no change in participation from the previous year.

Cautious optimism

Yes, the statistics look promising, but the future of racquetball may still be questionable. Many club managers who have recently reaped the benefits of court use increases at their facilities support the opinion that the influx of new players may be directly attributed to the closing of other area clubs, as opposed to a renewed interest in the sport. Others attribute the increase in play to the initiation of extended programming, professional staff, and multi-use alternatives.

The recent increase in racquetball play can be attributed, in part, to the introduction of midsize and oversize racquets to the sport.

Whatever the case may be, clubs that have survived the crunch of the early 1980s must continue to identify innovative ways to generate interest and to effectively market their facilities to insure a promising future.

Racquetball enthusiasts and national organizations contribute by fighting to gain Olympic recognition for the sport in 1992. If they are successful, Olympic acknowledgement could serve to lend even more credibility to the sport and help to secure a moderate growth pattern. Although racquetball may never again see the level of enthusiasm as it did in the late 1970s, the current statistics and potential for Olympic acceptance may suggest a positive prognosis in years ahead.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR: Judy Julison is the manager of the Forest View Racquet Club in Arlington Heights, IL, owned and operated by the Arlington Heights Park District. She currently serves as the Racquet Sports Division Coordinator in the Illinois Park and Recreation's (IPRA's) Facility Management Section.

References for material used in this article are available from the author.

Illinois Parks and Recreation 8 July/August 1988