USU handball club needs helping hand
In an effort to avoid extinction, the Utah State handball club is looking for a little support.
Handball, a sport that has been around since the early 1900s, has seen a severe drop in interest since racquetball moved into the neighborhood.
Now the handball class at Utah State is in danger of having its equipment taken away by the United States Handball Association because of waning interest in the sport.
The USHA provides two gloves with liners, goggles and a ball to each student who takes the class.
“In effect the students would have to pay for the equipment,” volunteer instructor Ron Bachman said.
This semester’s class has about 20 enrolled students. If the equipment were taken away then the students would have to cover their own equipment which Bachman estimated would be around $30, putting the fees for the class at about the same range as most other physical education classes.
The official USHA Web site states one of the reasons for having a handball program is its low cost.
Other reasons include having to develop both sides of your body as you need to hit the ball with either hand to perform well, handball is a “lifetime sport” and one of the few where fitness and skill are important.
“In a survey by the President’s Council on Physical Fitness and Sports,” the USHA Web site states, “14 popular sports and exercises were rated by seven fitness experts. Using the criteria of cardio-respiratory endurance, muscular endurance, muscular strength, flexibility and balance, handball is No. 1, followed by swimming and jogging.”
While most handball players cringe at the “it’s like racquetball with your hands” explanation of their sport, it might be an apt definition.
The ball is a little smaller and once the game gets going it’s a little slower than racquetball.
Abigail Cannon, a sophomore majoring in business, said the hardest part of the game is returning the serve.
“[Handball] is a lot like playing pool,” Julia Goeple said. “You have to know the angles. It’s a thinking person’s sport.”
While handball doesn’t have a huge following like some sports it does have professional leagues worldwide.
In the United States there is both a men’s and women’s professional league which includes players from California to Ireland and Canada to Texas.
This coming fall semester the handball class will be held Mondays and Wednesdays from 2:30 to 3:20 p.m.
Cannon said not only does the HPER building have handball equipment but so does the Logan City Rec Center.
-krn@cc.usu.edu
(Photo by Ryan Talbot)