Quite a racquet
Charles Billingsly takes on students at LaHaye
FOCUS — A student duels with Thomas Road Baptist Church worship pastor Charles Billingsley in racquetball. Photo credit; Courtney Russo
The Liberty University racquetball team started the semester with a bang as it held a student tournament to celebrate the opening of the new courts at the LaHaye Student Union. The event was held Feb. 10 at 3 p.m. with special guest Charles Billingsley. Along with a successful career in the music industry and devoting his time to Thomas Road Baptist Church, Billingsley can be found playing racquetball quite frequently.
When students returned from winter break, the LaHaye Fitness Center opened two new racquetball courts for students to use, along with a new dance studio and new recreational rooms for cardio, strength training, cycle training and aerobics. With the new courts now available, students no longer have to go off campus to The Sports Racket to get their racquetball fix.
Jeremy Martin, a junior at Liberty who plays hockey for the Division III team, is one of many students excited for the addition of the racquetball courts to the fitness center.
“I think it’s a great thing for people who love to come to the gym and work out or stay active,” Martin said. “A lot of students don’t have cars on campus and just can’t find a way to get to an off-campus spot like that.”
At the two-hour tournament, approximately 15 students, in addition to the racquetball team, battled Billingsley. But Billingsley was
tireless, playing one match after another while taking little to no time for a break in between. The racquetball team members gave him some fierce competition, but not even they had enough to bring him down in the early rounds. Even the team’s best members proved to be no match for the seasoned Billingsley. The Thomas Road fixture dominated, going a perfect 10-0 against his opponents.
As Billingsley played students on one court, the second court was being used as practice space for the racquetball team.
The new courts can be easily reserved. Students must reserve a spot no earlier than 24 hours in advance and simply must ask a worker at the
LaHaye Student Union about availability. The only thing needed to reserve a court is an up-to-date Flames Pass.
Voss is a news reporter.