By Danielle Schipani
Racquetball in New Jersey is back on the rebound, thanks in part to a Middletown man who is working to reintroduce professional, amateur and collegiate tournament play to NJ.
Jonathan Clay, 32, is funneling his passion for the sport into his own company called Rollout, his own sports apparel and tournament organization.
“Rollout has created exposure for the sport and has brought the professionals back to New Jersey,” he said. The company takes its name from the lexicon of racquetball lingo; a rollout describes a killer shot sent into the space where the wall meets the floor, causing the ball to rebound without a bounce by rolling back into the court, ending a rally.
Clay, a Red Bank Catholic graduate, grew up with a racquet in his hand. His first partner was his father; as a teen, he played racquetball with friends at the local YMCA after track practice; and competed in college.
His passion has led him to become the first and only certified racquetball instructor in New Jersey, and the founder of the NJ Amateur Racquetball Association. He holds a slew of championship titles.
Part of his mission is to organize tournaments, which typically draw about 140 athletes. His own team, Team Rollout, consists of over 40 players from three countries, ages 14 to 48. There is Rocky Carson, who is ranked #2 in the world and holds every title in the sport; Rhonda Rajsich, ranked #3 in the world and among the top five women in the sport; and Cliff Swain, a former world champion.
Last month, over 25 colleges and universities sent athletes to compete in the largest collegiate conference in the country, the Eastern Collegiate Racquetball Conference (ECRC), held in Warren. It was the first time New Jersey played host. The event was organized by Clay.
Upcoming Rollout events include NJ Open Mens Pro Tournament on December 4-6; NJ Open Women’s Pro Tournament on March 3-6; and the Racquetfest 4 MS Charity Tournament on April 8-10 in 2016.
For additional information, visit www.wearrollout.com, www.newjerseyopen.com or www.racquetfest.com.s
