The weekend of March 26, Oregon State University’s club racquetball team plays in the national championship and their final championship with Head Coach Rob Durbin. 

After three consecutive years of obtaining the overall nationals championship title, the team is looking to make it even at this year’s event in Minneapolis.  

After retiring from his day job at the post office and hitting his 20th year as coach of the Racquetball team, Durbin is retiring from coaching after this year’s championship. 

“It’s been a joy, I feel like I could do this for many years,” Durbin said. “But, no, it’s time; I’ve really enjoyed the ride.” 

Durbin is passing the team to former OSU Racquetball team members and current Assistant Coaches Cody Bouchette and Katterlea MacGregor. 

The two see it as an honor to be picking up where Durbin left off, with Bouchette saying, “It’s impossibly big shoes to fill.” 

MacGregor added, “I’m just really excited to use the opportunity to continue to grow the sport- it’s given me so much and I’d love to give back.”

OSU’s racquetball team is notoriously prestigious, winning 15 out of 20 overall national championship titles since the team’s beginning in 2003. 

Regarding why the team appears to be so successful, Bouchette said, “Honestly, the main thing is the amount of fight we got in us.” 

Regarding the key to the team’s success, Tucker Elkins, a senior at OSU and the team’s top player, said, “I honestly think it’s 99.9% our coach, Rob.” 

Elkins adds, “He organizes leagues, and his dedication to the team is unmatched.”

For the uninitiated, a racquetball game involves the use of both racquets and, get this, balls. Games are played either one-on-one or two-on-two within a boxed court. 

In a nutshell, the game is played by a team beginning a rally by serving at the wall, the ball then bounces off the wall and back towards the players. The rally continues until a team fails to bounce the ball off the front wall before it hits the ground. 

“It really is a game of anticipation and knowing the angles of the court,” Durbin said.

With small bouncy canvas balls whizzing around the room, at times as fast as 120 miles per hour, the gameplay, as Durbin puts it, is “High risk, high reward.” 

Coach Durbin not only helped create one of the most prestigious teams in the Intercollegiate Racquetball Championship history, but also helped foster a strong community of athletes. 

“I think people have bought into the camaraderie of the team,” says Durbin. He continues saying, “I want people to care for each other.” 

This mentality is echoed by the incoming coaches. Regarding Durbin’s connections to the team, MacGregor said, “I want to be able to have those attachments with others, and help reach even the smallest goals.” 

Interested students of any skill-level looking to join the ranks of OSU’s club racquetball team can find the racquetball team’s portal through OSU’s rec-sport page online.  

“We want to help people learn, and teach you how to play,” said Racquetball team treasurer, club officer and team member Megan Szudarski regarding what new players should keep in mind. 

Szudarksi added that “If I can do it, I think anyone else can.”