SPORTS FLASHBACK 1997: Funk moving up in racquetball ranks

A Niverville teenager, who only took up the sport at the urging of his father four years ago, is moving quickly up the ranks of junior racquetball, and came within two points of finishing third at the Canadian championships last week.

Kurt Funk had to settle for fifth place in the 18-and-under category at Rock Forest, Quebec, but his performance helped the Manitoba team to its highest ever finish in the national event.

Funk, who graduated from Niverville Collegiate this year, has been playing at Supreme Racquet Club in Winnipeg two or three times a week and was part of a 32-member provincial team to travel to Quebec the first week in July.

It was Funk’s fourth provincial championship, and while he was happy with a fifth place finish at nationals, he said he had only been a point out of fourth and two points out of third in the gruelling competition.

Racquetball matches, which are scored much the same as volleyball, with points counted only on a serve, can stretch out, he said.

In Quebec, where it was “plus-42 and no air” on the court, he battled his way through one 3.5 hour match. Funk said he lost 17 pounds during the week-long competition and consumed 24 litres of water one day while he was there.

Funk did not fare as well in doubles matches as in singles at the championships, explaining it was difficult for Manitoba team members to practice together, with most of the team spread out among clubs at Brandon, Thompson and Winnipeg.

This was Funk’s third trip to the Canadians and he says there is a slim chance he may be going to the world championships in California at Christmas.

In the meantime, his father will have to find a new racquetball opponent. The teenager left last week for a sawmill job in British Columbia, and after a few months of that, he plans to travel Europe.

Funk’s father, John, who teaches carpentry at Steinbach Regional Secondary School, said Kurt was the only one of his sons he could get interested in racquetball, which was his own favorite sport.

It took Kurt only two years to move from someone to play against to a player who could consistently beat his father on the court.

“I’ve given up entering tournaments Kurt is in.”