Old guys, fast game

While racquetball has declined in popularity nationwide, a group of competitive players in Bluffton and Hardeeville is keeping the sport alive, proving age has done little to slow them down.

One player is Bob Wills, 81, who started playing racquetball 50 years ago and still plays regularly.

Many of the players relocated to the Lowcountry from across the country and competed in state and national racquetball and tennis tournaments during the sport’s peak in the 1970s and 1980s.
The group began with four men in 2021, shortly after COVID-19 restrictions eased.

“As we met other competitive players, we invited them to join us,” Wills said.

Wills said racquetball has steadily declined in popularity as courts have been converted for other uses and more players have shifted to pickleball.

“Racquetball is a dying sport,” Wills said. “Most courts have been refitted for spin classes or fitness centers. Many people have shifted to pickleball as they age. The younger generation has so many distractions, like running, biking or pickleball. I used to go to racquetball tournaments and 400 people signed up. Now we’re lucky to get 30.”

Steve McCoy said the group now has 13 players, including one woman. They come from 10 states, with one player from Bluffton.
McCoy said the group values both competition and camaraderie.
“Golf is popular. Pickleball isn’t as aggressive, and it’s easy.

Racquetball is timing, endurance and talent. I’d wager a bet that men ages 30 to 35 couldn’t beat us,” McCoy said.

“It’s different than old people playing bingo or card games. We’re bucking it for as long as we can.”

Wills’ competitive spirit remains one of his defining traits, McCoy said, recalling a story about Wills meeting tennis player Andre Agassi at a Mercedes Pro-Am tournament.

“Bob told him, ‘You may be better at tennis, but I can beat you at racquetball,’” McCoy said.

“And at 81, he probably still could,” he joked. “He plays seven days a week.”

For the group, the game offers more than competition.

“We’re active guys, happily retired. I don’t think a single guy has a wife who complains. They’re glad we’re having fun,” McCoy said.
He said racquetball also fits more easily into daily life than other sports.

“Golf is a five- or six-hour commitment. Racquetball takes one or two hours, and the wives get freedom to do their activities,” he said.

There are only two places to play racquetball locally: Bluffton and Hardeeville.

McCoy said he enjoys seeing children at the recreation center watching the players.

“They’re running around, they stop and look, and we’re the age of their grandpas. They must see a difference,” he said.
The friendships built around the game remain just as important as the exercise.

“We joke like we did in college. Old men can still act like young boys. We can be ourselves without a filter,” McCoy said. “That’s fun, and we don’t take it too seriously.”
Wills agreed.

“We joke and banter back and forth. There’s good camaraderie. If there’s a questionable point, we just play it over. No arguing,” Wills said.

He said the game continues to offer physical and mental benefits.
“It’s good exercise. We stay in shape. It releases tension. There’s love of the sport, and it’s beneficial to our health.”

New competitive players are welcome, with competitive being the operative word.

It costs $75 to join the Bluffton Recreation Center and $6 to play at the Hardeeville Recreation Center. Wills said a racquet costs about $250, but it can last for years. Just ask about the old guys racquetball group at either location’s reception desk.

For Wills and the others, racquetball remains more than exercise. It is competition, friendship and a reason to keep showing up.

“We all look forward to playing,” Wills said.

Edwina Hoyle is a freelance writer in Bluffton.