The history of Raquetball
Racquetball was invented in 1949 by Joseph George Sobek in Bridgeport, Connecticut on a handball court. It started when Sobek was unhappy with the indoor racquet sports then available and decided to create a new game that would get his heart rate up and would also be easy to learn. He took the basics of handball and squash and modified it to his new game he called "paddle racquets" now currently known as racquetball. He then single-handedly promoted the sport and founded the Paddle Rackets Association to generate interest in new invention. Then a few years later a group of racquetball players formed an association under the direction of Robert Kendler who headed the U.S. Handball Association, in 1968 and the sport took off. Soon thereafter Sobek took himself out of the picture and returned to his work as a tennis professional. In the early 70's, racquetball clubs could be found in almost every state while the sport enjoyed a steady and quick rise in acceptance and popularity. The late 70's and early 80's
The racquetball population is dominated by a younger generation of participants, with 59.4% of players falling in the 12-34 age category. Racquetball is a popular activity among the young/affluent segment, who are more likely to play frequently (25 or more times per year) than are participants in any of the other special population segments. ("Young/Affluent" are defined as 25-44 years old; have household incomes of $50,000 + in professional/managerial occupations.) Among this group, racquetball ranks fourth in popularity, behind downhill skiing, golf and bicycling. Racquetball players tend to be more upscale than the general population, with the highest incidence of participation at the $50,000+ income level. The average household income for all players was $60,900. Today's racquetball games are singles, doubles, and cut-throat. Points are scored only by the serving side. Losing the serve is called a sideout in singles. In doubles, when the first server loses the serve it is called a "hand-out" or "half-out" a
Some topics in this essay:
Games Sport,
Handball Association,
Bridgeport Connecticut,
Required Players,
Rackets Association,
World Championships,
Olympic Committee,
Canadian CSA,
,
Robert Kendler,
racquetball players,
20 feet,
loses serve,
server loses,
serve called,
server loses serve,
eyewear worn,
singles doubles,
Join now to see the rest of the essay!
Approximate Word count = 688
Approximate Pages = 3 (250 words per page double spaced)
|
Example Essays Home
