What Racquetball is ...
Racquetball is a fast-flowing sport invented in 1949 by incorporating the rules from both squash and handball. It is quite different from most other racquet sports, because all the boundary walls of the court, including the ceiling are considered in-bounds.

Joe Sobek, a US tennis and handball player, is credited with inventing racquetball when he was looking for a fast paced sport that was easy to learn and play. He named his game ‘paddle rackets’ and later founded the National Paddle racquets Association.

The game grew in popularity and in 1969 the International Racquetball Association (IRA) was founded using the new name of the sport. Despite several name changes in the preceding years (it is now called USA Racquetball) it continues to be the dominant governing body for the sport in the US and is recognized by the US Olympic Committee. 

An estimated 5.6 million people regularly play racquetball in the US, with a further 14 million playing in over 90 countries worldwide. It is hoped that its popularity will lead to recognition as an Olympic sport in the near future.

Getting involved in racquetball.
The USA Racquetball Association is the main recognized body for the sport in the United States. They can provide contact details for 50 state organizations who may be able to provide information about local playing opportunities wherever you are.

Contact:

USA Racquetball Association, 1685 West Uintah, Colorado Springs, CO 80904-2906

Or checkout the website http://www.usra.org/ for all the local contacts for the individual states.

How playing racquetball gets your body fit.
Playing racquetball can have a number of positive health and fitness benefits on your body. Here are some of its key exercise advantages:

• Improves aerobic fitness, with more oxygen circulated around the body to better muscular endurance.
  
  
• Burns off calories with energy being supplied to the muscles and not forming fat.
  
  
• Boosting flexibility and sprint speed, due to the fast-paced nature of racquetball.
  
  
• Improves hand-eye co-ordination with concentration required for serving.
  
  
• Develops the strength and power of muscles, notably leg and arm muscles.
  
  
• Furthers concentration and mental strength, with matches often lasting for some time.
  
  
• Boosts a player's cardiovascular fitness (the heart and lungs organs), allowing more oxygen to be pumped around the body and help energize muscles.