Amey Khanolkar reports on the Drexel men’s and women’s teams’ experiences at the Racquet Club of Philadelphia.
Philadelphia, PA — James Zug, award-winning historian, journalist and writer, Squash Magazine editor and author of the famous book ‘Squash: A History of the Game’, hosted the Drexel Men’s and Women’s Squash teams at the Racquet Club of Philadelphia (RCOP) on January 25th, 2011. Jim set-up the event to organize exhibition matches between the Drexel squash players and Racquet Club members. Jim then introduced us to two other, lesser known, racquet sports – Court Tennis (also known as Real Tennis) and Racquets. This was a great opportunity for us, as college students, to interact with members of the club and learn about the rich history of the Racquet Club of Philadelphia. As an international student from New Delhi, India, I was very excited to pursue my higher education at Drexel University. Being an avid squash player, coming to Philadelphia – the home of squash in the United States – was like a dream come true. After playing for my high school in New Delhi, I seamlessly transitioned to the Drexel squash team.
One could notice history and tradition in every little detail of the Racquet Club of Philadelphia – from the architecture of the building, the ‘all-whites’ dress code, intricate wooden changing rooms, and the plush lobby. Jim explained to us the history of Court Tennis, its origins in England and France, and its growth in North America. Jim shared with us his experiences as a college squash player at Dartmouth, and how he has gone on to be a keen court tennis player at the Racquet Club as well. This was a tremendous learning opportunity for both the Drexel men’s and women’s teams, and they hope to have more such events in the future.
