Noah McEwen

Start in Racquetball: My mom found a Learn to Play Racquetball class on the county’s website, I tried it out and had lots of fun. I remember going to one of my first tournaments and watching Sam Murray and Coby Iwaasa play and the moment I started watching them I knew I wanted to play at that level. So, I’ve been practicing to get there one day.

Reason for playing racquetball: I love it because I get better every day, every week, every month, and every year. I’ve gone from not being able to hit a backhand to crushing the ball on my backhand.

Training habits: It depends on how my body feels, but most weeks it’s usually 3-4 practice days and 1-2 playing days.

Best racquetball memory: One that I’ll remember forever is winning provincials with Alaya Buller in B doubles. It was the first time we played together and we were seeded last. We had to play the number one seeded team for our first match. We won that first match and went all the way to the finals to win our division. It was a big surprise for both of us because we just wanted to have fun and never thought we would win a single match. It was the first time I won, and it was with one of my friends.

Non-racquetball hidden talents: I’ve been playing the cello since I was 10 years old. And as for the rest of the rest of my hidden talents, they will remain hidden.

When I’m not playing racquetball, I’m probably . . .  I’m probably keeping my eye on the stock market, working, watching racquetball games online, or playing some poker every now and then.

Surprising fact about me: I have a habit of skipping the first season of tv shows. Oh, and my favourite colour is orange.

Advice for other developing players: Play around with different things to learn new skills, whether in life or in racquetball. Get a coach to help you develop in the sport. And of course, have fun with the process, cause if you don’t have fun, what’s the point.

Important people in my racquetball journey: My parents, for driving me around to tournaments and paying for them and lots more. And John Halko for doing his classes. If John didn’t do his classes, I never would have discovered how much I love racquetball.