Matthew Swaine

Start in racquetball: Both of my parents played Racquetball, so I grew up around the sport. When I was younger, I would watch them play and eventually started hitting the ball around whenever they took breaks. It wasn’t long before I was hooked and developed my own love for the game.

What I love about the sport: When I play Racquetball, I feel an adrenaline rush that I can’t get from anything else. I love the competitiveness and the sound of the ball hitting the wall. There is something about the speed and intensity of the game that keeps me coming back.

Training habits: I recently returned to the sport and have been focused on rebuilding my game and continuing to improve. I’m currently on the racquetball court three days a week and lifting weights three days a week.

Best racquetball memory: There are so many amazing memories from all the years I have played racquetball. I’ve really come to appreciate the time I spent traveling with my family to different cities and meeting all of the amazing and supportive people involved in the sport.

The moment that stands out the most was placing second at the Junior Nationals in Burnaby, British Colombia which qualified me for the Junior World Championships in Santa Domingo, Dominican Republic. It was the first time i felt like all my hard work had paid off.

If I’m not playing racquetball, I’m: When I’m not playing racquetball, I’m usually working long hours or spending time with my partner Liz and my rescue dog Carbrera.

Something that people might not know about me: Outside of racquetball, I work in IT and enjoy working through and solving complex technical problems.

Advice for other players: Take every match as a lesson and an opportunity to get better, and never quit while the match is still going. Serving is the only time you have full control of the ball, so take a moment to think and visualize your serve before you hit it.

Who has been important in my development as a player: I was fortunate to have many coaches at my racquetball club throughout my childhood. In those early years, every volunteer coach taught us something new and played a role in our development, both as players and as people. Coaches such as my dad, Gerald Swaine, along with Tony Dawson, John Ursino, and Phil Roach, helped build the foundation that I continued to develop throughout my teenage years.

As I progressed, I was also fortunate to learn from many of Ontario’s top Canadian players, who generously took time out of their schedules to help refine my skills and elevate my game. I would like to give a special shout-out to Corey Osborne and Mike Green for the mentorship, guidance, and support they have provided over the years. I am incredibly grateful for everything they have done and continue to do for me.

The most important person in my development as a player has been my mom, Sue Swaine. She traveled with me and funded every tournament throughout my junior career. She took me to the US Open on multiple occasions so I could watch the very best players in the world compete, and she attended every tournament alongside me. She spent countless hours training with me, ensuring I always had the support and resources I needed to succeed. Driven by her passion for the sport and her commitment to helping me improve, she even pursued additional coaching education through the Coaching Association of Canada. Her sacrifices, dedication, and unwavering belief in me played the biggest role in helping me become the player I am today.