As of Spring, 2007, the SMU Racquetball Club has ceased
operations, due to the loss of its last remaining student officer. Although
somewhat diminished in participation, racquetball continues informally at
Dedman Center for Recreational Sports.
Prehistory:
Before there was writing,
and as passed down through oral tradition, the SMU Racquetball Club had a
thriving run in the late 80's and early 90's, while racquetball was still
experiencing somewhat of a heyday. Rumors of tournaments held on campus and at
local area clubs, traveling teams, and intercollegiate events, abound. At some point in
the 90's, however, the club faded away into oblivion, and everyone involved was
forced to undergo radical brainwashing, during which all concrete facts,
figures, people, places, and things relating to the club in those ancient days
were lost into the abyss of time.
Modern Times, or the "Golden Era":
The most recent Racquetball
Club was restarted in January of 2001, by entrepreneur, engineer, future winner
of Survivor-Mars, Judah Epstein, with his friend and trusty sidekick David
Brumbalow as Treasurer. As President of the club, and through his diverse
interests and associations, Judah chaperoned hundreds of novice wanabees (well,
dozens) into the Club ladder, and a select few off onto the ranks of the SMU
Racquetball Hall of Fame. During this golden era, Chris Smith, future club
coach, and Devin Ritholz, future and ultimate President were enrolled. In later
years, the Club actively participated in Texas Racquetball tournaments, and
local intercollegiate and interclub competition, with multiple members holding
State rankings.
The
old SMU Campus racquetball courts. Mmmm, brick walls!
The Second Coming, or "Judah where art thou?":
As Judah approached
graduation, Devin took over as club President in the spring of 2004, and
struggled honorably against the forces of inertia to prevent an impending
downward spiral of interest in Racquetball as a club sport at SMU.
Unfortunately, most of the
original members of the club were also through with their four years, and were
not being replaced in sufficient numbers. The club worked hard throughout the
2004-2005 season, and dramatically stepped up its marketing and visibility to
counteract the drop in membership. Also, coaching and club ladder competition
became more serious. Yet as the core group of members became increasingly better
players, the numbers of casual members also dropped off. This season was notable
for the largest number of top tournament finishes (12) in the history of the club.
The Last Gasp:
During the 2005-2006 season the
Dedman Facility was renovated, and Racquetball ceased to be offered at SMU. The
club was therefore relocated off-campus
to the Landmark Fitness Factory Club in Dallas. Participation at this off-campus
venue had reduced even
further to around ten members, largely a group of Alumni, Faculty, and Staff, with a
much smaller participation by Undergraduate students. This season was notable
for the largest number of sponsored players (4) in the history of the club.
The 2006-2007 season was back
in session in Dedman Center, on the six newly built, glass-backed, state-of-the
art courts. However, with Devin's graduation in 2006, and a lack of any
continuing undergraduate students to carry on the tradition, there was no
marketing or staff to generate and maintain interest in the Club. Although there
was some casual play and coaching continued through the Fall, with the failure
to find a student willing to commit to the role of President, the club
effectively ceased to operate and gave up its funding as a student organization
in the Spring of 2007.
Note: The Racquetball Club is
gone but not forgotten. If you or someone you know has an unexplainable and
irresistible urge to create out of whole cloth a Club of like minded individuals
with which to pursue dominating the realm of Intercollegiate racquetball
competition, don't hesitate, and we won't stop you. In fact, we'll help. Please
contact Chris, below. Squash, too!
The contents of this Web site are the sole responsibility of
the SMU Racquetball Club and do not necessarily represent the opinions or policies of Southern Methodist University.
Questions about this site may be directed to the President.
