Racquetball Community Spotlight: Thomas Evans
by Karen Grisz
Thomas Evans, a retired computer programmer, has been teaching racquetball on and off for 37 years. Whether it is through clinics or private lessons, Thomas brings a passion and commitment to the game that should inspire all of us. Read on to learn about his racquetball career and what he does to grow the sport and develop young players.
Thomas started playing racquetball in the late 1970s in college and played in a few pro tournaments in his heyday. He moved to San Antonio, Texas, where he still lives today, and became the club pro at several facilities, running clinics and other programs. After a few facilities closed or changed management, he took a break.
But as so often happens with those of us who love the game, he couldn’t stay away. His friend and junior coach George Bustos encouraged him to teach again. At first, he resisted, but he met Shane Diaz when she was 13 and was excited by her passion. He remembered training former LPRT pro Dominique Davis when she was in high school and saw the same drive in Shane. He was hooked. He also started training DJ Mendoza when he was “a little kid”.
He turned both over to George when they were ready for national (and international) level competition. He believes it very important for teaching program to have more than one person; someone who can take over and elevate the athlete’s game once they reach a certain level. He works not only with George Bustos, but also Naomi Ros and DJ Mendoza, who are now coaching too.
Thomas currently teaches 7 kids, 3 days a week. Three of “his” kids qualified at Junior Nationals this summer for the National Team and are headed to Guatemala for Junior Worlds in December. Best of luck to Chris Nelson, Noah Jackola, and Yana Alegria!
As one would expect, Thomas focuses on drills, conditioning and situational game-play, but gives equal weight to the mental aspects of the game. He stresses the need to focus, to be able to stay in the moment, to shake off a bad shot or a bad call. He also tells them at the beginning – you are going to sweat, you have to work, but the court isn’t as big as a basketball court or football field, so don’t be intimidated.
I asked him a few additional questions, and here is what he said:
Q: What would you tell parents who want their kids to play racquetball?
A: Kids need to try a bunch of different things to find their niche but make them commit for 6 months. They need to learn enough to feel some accomplishment and improvement before deciding if a sport or activity is right for them.
Q: What advice to you have to any player on how to get better?
A: Focus on what you want to accomplish, not what goes wrong. Relax and enjoy the game – it’s life too, not just racquetball. It’s not all about winning. WORK ON YOU!
Q: And, finally, what does racquetball mean to Thomas Evans?
A: Racquetball means I can give back to others. Racquetball is a community that has given me many friends. It gives me the opportunity to encourage others to do more than they thought they were capable of doing. It is a form of self-expression.
Have a kid in the San Antonio area who wants to try racquetball? Reach out to Thomas at the Thousand Oaks YMCA!