Students looking to take their racquetball game up to the next level can learn techniques and improve their skills in TCU’s club sport.
The TCU Club Racquetball was started this semester by Kevin Armes, a senior music education major. Armes is ranked No. 23 in Texas for mixed doubles. Their first tournament, 2014 Maverick Racquetball Turkey Shootout, was on Saturday, Nov. 15.
“When I first came here I was kind of disappointed that there wasn’t already something for racquetball,” Armes said. “I’ve played a long time, so I wanted more competition. Initially, the idea was brought up by a guy named Michael Brooks [a TCU alumnus]. At that point we didn’t really think it was possible.”
Armes said he was later encouraged by Randy Lewis, an instructor in the Neeley School of Business, to start the club.
“[Lewis] said if I wanted to start it, it wasn’t hard,” Armes said. “I could use sort of a template for a constitution, make changes and that as long as I could maybe find two other guys, I could make it work.”
Armes said he missed the deadline to start the club, so he started an unofficial club.
“I started doing that and started getting a couple of guys excited,” Armes said.
When the time came at the end of the 2014 spring semester, he applied for the club to become a sports club, Armes said.
“I filled out all the stuff I needed to fill out,” Armes said. “I got a couple of guys on board that really wanted to be a part of it, and then found a bunch of players.”
The club, which meets every Monday and Wednesday from 8 p.m. to 9:30 p.m., has about 20 members–half of whom are regular players.
Members also get the opportunity to play other guest players. On Nov. 10, members played against Chase Robison, who is ranked No. 3 in Texas doubles.
First year pre-business major Zach Cermak said he wanted to join a sports club when he came to TCU, and found out about the club through the University Recreation Center website.
“I heard about racquetball, and I started playing with some people, and didn’t really know how to play, just had fun with it,” Cermak said. “I guess I wanted to get more serious with it, so I came to racquetball club.”
Junior finance major Jake Agajanian said he hopes students will become more proficient in racquetball and learn to play as a team.
“Even though it’s an individual sport, they can help each other even if they are playing against each other,” Agajanian said. “When we start going to tournaments, it will really help team bonding because they are going to have to support each other and watch each other and give each other tips against the opposing players from other schools and areas.”
Agajanian said the club has given him an outlet where he can be creative since they are thinking of new ways to teach players.
“It also has allowed me to lead,” he said. “I want to lead even more, but this has been a great start and it’s been a great outlet. I’ve enjoyed it a lot.”
Cermak said the club is a time for him to have fun and take some stress out from his day and schoolwork.
“I’ve met some cool people here that I wouldn’t have met,” Cermak said. “There’s a big tournament that we’re doing Saturday and that’s going to be really fun. Just a time for everyone that’s in racquetball club to hang out; it’s just another good way for me to meet new people.”