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City needs more racquetball courts

In September of 2008, my friend and I decided to start a racquetball league in St. Albert with the support of the Alberta Racquetball Association (ARA).

In September of 2008, my friend and I decided to start a racquetball league in St. Albert with the support of the Alberta Racquetball Association (ARA). We kicked off our first league with two clinics provided by ARA, info in local papers and posters I put up. We understood that space was limited as St. Albert only has one court but we also assumed it would take us a year or two to attract a core group of players.

Fast forward to this winter and I am very happy with how our small league has grown. Whether it’s giving tips to players we see at Fountain Park about wearing safety glasses or how to take a shot, bringing in some local higher-level athletes to give a doubles clinics or turning up for doubles games when we can get court time, we’ve really shown ourselves to be in favour of having this amazing sport make a comeback in our city. On average, I receive one to two email inquiries a month and am approached by one to two people per month on a personal basis. As of late, I have had to turn these people away.

At the time that I write this, I have only been able to play my beloved sport less than 5 times since November of 2009 due to limited court time availability. While I’m so excited that racquetball has taken off in our community and grateful that the City of St. Albert saw fit to update and refurbish the existing court, a city of our size having only one court does not make sense. Previously, Fountain Park had several courts, which have since been converted to a play area for kids, a staff room, etc. The lone convertible court is also available to squash players, severely limiting my and others ability to book court time. I also utilize the lap pool and spend weekends outdoors with my spouse while he races the local dirt bike ice racing series. For some of our players, these and other alternate activities aren’t available. Racquetball, with a sprung court that is easier on the body and a high degree of affordability, is the only option.

In a community that used to have several racquetball-only clubs and that prides itself on physical recreation options, I am sure that if more court space was available we could once again re-introduce a large number of enthusiasts to racquet sports. With a facility like Servus Credit Union Place, why aren’t we offering court space at rates consistent with Fountain Park? Racquetball courts can be used for other sports such as squash or wallyball that are played all year round, as well as half-court basketball games. If there was more space, more leagues could develop right here in St. Albert, offering yet another service to our residents

Please consider the installation of courts within our community.

Elisabeth Ashley Owen, St. City Racquetball League, St. Albert

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