Q. Where are the racquetball courts in Charlotte and do you have to be a member to use them?
A. The Dowd YMCA has 7 racquetball courts and the Waterford apartment complex has one court at each of their locations. The Concord Sports facility is a private club with 5 courts and the Cornelius Nautilius Fitness has 2 courts. Contact the specific club to find out more about fees.

Q. How much should I expect to pay for a racquet if I'm just starting out.
A. A beginner racquet should not have to cost more than $ 25.00 dollars. The better you get the better racquet you would want to purchase.

Q. What equipment do I need to play racquetball?
A. The main equipment that is needed for racquetball is a racquet, ball, eyeguards, good shoes and a glove is optional.

Q. How do I become a tournament player?
A. To become a tournament player you would start on the local level and play tournaments. The divisions start at the beginner level as a D player and as you get better you would move up to the C,B,A and finally to the open division. After the local level, you can move to the State Tournament, The Regionals and then to the Nationals. To find out more about Racquetball Tournaments go to www.ncracquetball.com and www.usra.org.

Q. Where can I buy Racquetball Equipment in Charlotte or the Surrounding Areas?
A. The YMCA Pro Shop at the Dowd YMCA is one of the most convenient places to purchase a racquet. Racquets can also be found at Dick's, Omega, Wallmart and K-mart.

Q. What organizations help promote racquetball?
A. The N.C. organization for racquetball is the North Carolina Racquetball Association and it has information available on tournaments and offers a newsletter. You can find more information at their website www.ncracquetball.com

The national organization is called the USRA (United States Racquetball Association) The website is www.usra.org.