As the BW Racquetball Club is recruiting for its 2023 season, members of the team and head coach said that while the BW racquetball team competes at a competitive level, the club offers varying levels of commitment and welcomes members at any skill level.   

The racquetball team is currently competing at the Division II level, but in the past the players competed as Div. I athletes. Julia Stein, a junior biology and public health double major at BW and member of the racquetball team, said that being called a Div. I sport is both a blessing and a curse when it comes to recruiting new players.   

“People just totally get the wrong idea because they think they have to be some pro to even try it out, but people should just try it out for fun,” Stein said.  

The racquetball team has had a great deal of past success, having won national titles and seen its alumni play in professional leagues, head coach Andy Hawthorne said. But the team has always accommodated different players, he added.  

“Even in the years that we’ve dominated the country in racquetball, we’ve always had beginners on our team,” Hawthorne said. “[Whether] you’ve never picked up a racquet or whether you’ve played for ten years, there’s a spot for you on the team.”  

The racquetball team practices three times a week, but Hawthorne said that some players come to practice twice a week while others exceed the three day per week mark. Unlike the rigid practice schedule of some other sports, the Racquetball Club gives students the freedom to choose their level of commitment, Hawthorne said.  

“We are as demanding as you want to be,” Hawthorne said.   

Stein said that the flexible schedule offered by the team works well with her college schedule.   

“It’s a really good experience to be on a team and play a sport in college but to not have it totally run your life,” Stein said.  

Angie Case, a sophomore art education major, racquetball club player and team manager, said that she had little prior experience before joining the team. However, by leaving tournaments optional and even offering beginner brackets to new players, the team has become beginner friendly.  

What makes the racquetball team special is the friendship that arise through participation and practice, Case said.  

“There’s a certain energy about being part of a team,” Case said.  

While Stein has been playing racquetball since she was five years old, she said that playing for BW has given her a new perspective on the sport.  

“I’m kind of gaining perspective of people who just like to play it for fun and who have fun playing,” she said.    

There are also opportunities for students to get involved in the Racquetball Club outside of playing the sport. Emilio Leone, a junior creative writing and sociology double major, is one of the Racquetball Club managers along with Case. Leone is not a player, but he said he has fun while travelling with the team for tournaments.  

“I’m not a very athletic person, so being involved in the team in a nonathletic way is fun for me,” Leone said.   

Stein highlighted the fun at the core of the Racquetball Club experience.   

“Whenever you introduce it to people, they have so much fun,” Stein said. “I like seeing that spark and joy in people.”