Racquetball is not a very popular sport at Timber Creek High School, but for junior Cayden Akins, it is a hit.
While Akins is also a member of the Varsity tennis team, he is ranked number two in the nation for racquetball. He began playing the sport at a mere three years old, and has worked his way up to now attending the national Junior Olympics annually.
“When my mom would go up to the [recreation] center, she would bring me along, and we would play racquetball at the courts,” Akins said on his introduction to the sport.
Racquetball is a sport played with a rubber ball on either an indoor or outdoor court. The objective is to win each match by serving or returning the ball so the opponent is unable to keep the ball in play. As Akins more simply states it, “it’s kind of like tennis, but without the net.”
His father played racquetball in his youth, and encouraged Akins to do the same. Akins already enjoyed racquetball, but according to him, his father gave him the final nudge to play the sport for more than sole leisure.
“My dad definitely pushed me to become very good, because he saw that I had potential,” Akins said.
Since Akins placed second in the High School Nationals in March of 2017, Timber Creek has been ranked at number 12 in the nation for racquetball, despite not even having a team.
“Every year, I go to the national Junior Olympics in June, and [last year] for the first time ever, I actually got third,” Akins explained. “If you’re top two, you’re eligible to play on the U.S. team to go to the world tournament where you play against other international teams, but since the person who placed second already qualified, I’m qualified to play in the world tournament,”
Akins usually practices around five to six times a week, but his practices have been reduced to two to three times a week due to the high school tennis season. Although it may be difficult to play both sports during the same season, Akins is able to balance his time.
“I’ve been involved in a lot of racquet sports growing up. I play tennis because it’s similar to racquetball, but the muscle memory is different. It’s sometimes hard to balance [my schedule] but I’ve actually found out that being able to play tennis and racquetball at the same time benefits me,” Akins said. “Being in different environments with the different racquets may seem counterintuitive, but being able to play both sports actually helps…me become prepared for different situations.”
