By Kate Watson - The Weekly News
Stephen Peck started playing racquetball because "it was fun to be a little kid running around hitting a ball."
Now, the 15-year-old Dartmouth native is headed to his fourth national racquetball championship, being held this month in Regina, Sask.
Peck is one of seven members of Nova Scotia's Canadian Junior Racquetball Team. This year, the team is made up entirely from youth living in Halifax or Dartmouth, but previous years have included players from other parts of the province. The team practices twice a week at the West Point Racquet Club on Bayers Road.
Peck says his first year at nationals was more of a learning experience - just seeing the competition across the country and being a part of that was exciting for him. In his second year, he made it to a semi-final in one of his single divisions. During his third nationals, he made it to the finals in both the Under 16s and Under 18s in the white-tiered division.
This year, Peck is again competing in both the Under 16 and Under 18 divisions, and seems likely to bring home a medal in the younger age group. But he says winning medals is not his primary reason for playing racquetball.
"This is such a fast-paced sport, and it's a great way to have fun and stay active. I can see myself playing for a very long time."
Events to raise funds for the annual trip to nationals happen year round, with the goal of raising $1,200 per player. The activities include bottle and penny drives, yard sales, an auction, 50/50 draws and a fundraising tournament.
Seeking recruits
Paul Keeping is the junior team head coach and president of the Nova Scotia Racquetball Association. He'd like to see more young people get involved in the sport.
"Racquetball is an individual sport that gives a great amount of confidence to any athlete that plays the game," he says. "It's a great discipline, as you do not have teammates on the court to help with the pace of play."
But for now, the small number of junior players mean that a young person with the drive and desire could become a member of the team and compete with athletes from across Canada.
"There is no qualifying for our team," says Keeping. "There are so few juniors playing that we welcome any athlete that would like to play the sport and play at a national level.
"I do, however, look forward to the day we have to hold a provincial championship to select athletes who would attend."
k-watson@ns.sympatico.ca
