Racquetball is Spanier's sport

James Ryan had already changed from his suit to shorts. The vice president and dean for continuing and distance education stretched out last week for his racquetball game with University President Graham Spanier.

When Spanier did arrive around 5:30 p.m., he was dressed in a T-shirt, shorts and sneakers -- all with the Nike swoosh. He would soon be changing clothes again to attend a meeting about reorganizing the University's Commonwealth Educational System.

Although he is one of the busiest people at the University, Spanier still finds time to exercise.

He currently tries to play racquetball about three times a week. He has about a dozen partners, including a former women's world champion.

He also tries to squeeze in a few games of basketball with his son.

"Racquetball is a good way to get a lot of exercise in an hour. The whole time you're there, you're playing the sport," he said. "In tennis, I found I was chasing the ball all the time."

Spanier is not the first University president to get a lot of exercise.

Former University presidents Joab Thomas and Bryce Jordan golfed and played tennis, respectively.

Playing racquetball burns the second highest amount of calories per minute, according to Lee Bateman, president of the Pennsylvania Racquetball Association. In a one-hour match, a player can burn more than 700 calories and run the equivalent of two miles.

Ryan said he had gotten out of the habit of playing racquetball, but started again when Spanier asked him if he played.

"It's been good for me because it's forced me back into a more regular exercise routine," Ryan said. "He's a very good racquetball player and we play very close."

Stan Latta, director of student life, played two games with Spanier in December.

"He's very good at the short game in front. He's very competent at the front," Latta said. "My task is to get him as far away from the front wall as possible."

While Ryan said that he and Spanier are fairly evenly matched, Spanier's best partner is Fredina Ingold, a former world champion and director of recruitment and athletics at the Altoona Campus.

In 1988, she won a gold and silver medal at the American Amateur Racquetball Association's national championship. In 1989, she won the senior world championship.

"His game level has come up tremendously. From the first couple of times we played, I keep seeing an improvement in his game," she said. "He is very observant and watches things. Our games are very competitive and fun."

Although Spanier comes to Rec Hall for exercise, his work doesn't get in the way.

Ingold recalls one time someone forgot their racquetball.

"He was like, 'Here, take mine,' and he ran down to the locker room to get another one," she said. "He's very giving. He just wants to do so much for students."

One thing Spanier wants to do for students is to improve the exercise and sports requirement.

"I'd like the focus to be more on fitness for life rather than one credit of golf or racquetball," he said.

The University Faculty Senate is now considering such a proposal. Students would take a three-credit health science class. It is undecided whether actual physical activity would be part of the course or if the course would only include information about health and fitness.

Currently, students must take three credits of exercise and sport activity (ESACT) classes and a one-credit health class. A final proposal should be ready by the end of the semester, said Robert Pangborn, chair of the Special Committee on General Education.

If the proposal is approved, the new class could be ready in a year. But students already enrolled in the University don't have to worry -- they can still take golf and racquetball to graduate.