September - October
1999 -- Vol. 10, No. 5

CHANGING TIMES
by Luke St. Onge

I have just returned from what I believe was the greatest racquetball event ever held in the short history of our sport — the 1999 Pan American Games. For many reasons, this experience was truly exceptional.

For the first time, racquetball was fully integrated into the single most-important multi-national sports competition outside the Olympic Games themselves. This provided us with an opportunity to showcase our sport for the many international sport federation presidents in attendance, as well as his excellency, Juan Antonio Samaranch and PASO President Mario Vazquez Rana, both of whom observed racquetball for the first time.

The portable court was a standout in itself, as press and spectators surrounded it in packed stands from the quarterfinals on. The court was set up in Winnipeg’s main tennis facility, the Winnipeg Winter Club, which took our sport out of the fitness arena and into the “main stadium.” Just as impressive was the use of a full referee contingent of uniformed Level III International Officials, along with assigned line judges for each and every match. This type of formal staging gave our athletes the best possible backdrop for their finest performances.

Racquetball was presented side-by-side in the same venue with squash. With both our portable courts featured, there was no contest, in my mind. For the first time, spectators could make a direct comparison between the two, and racquetball came out well ahead. Why? The bright court, the athleticism, the crack of the ball, the speed, the excitement of the crowd — there was just no comparison.

And what of the other comparisons? As the “Rodney Dangerfield” of racquet sports, ‘we don’t get no respect.’ Clearly the biggest difference between the two sports is cold, hard cash. Squash has financial resources that racquetball does not. It’s just that simple.

I would like to thank the following people who made this opportunity a reality: Dr. Roger Jackson, Chairman of the PASO Technical Commission; Mike Moore, Vice President of Sports for Winnipeg; and Keith Calkins, President of the Pan American Racquetball Confederation. Also thanks to the staff of the Winnipeg Winter Club, the presidents of the National Olympic Committees of Argentina, Bolivia, Canada, Chile, Dominican Republic, Guatemala, Honduras, Mexico, Puerto Rico, USA and Venezuela. A special thanks to Technical Director Jim Hiser and the International Referees and linesmen who adjudicated this important event objectively and with the dignity it deserved.

Finally, our warmest thanks to the wonderful people of Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada, who opened their hearts and embraced racquetball as a major sport in the Pan American Games.