RACQUETBALL : After Drawing the Line With Tennis, Holly Courts a Different Success

Jerry Holly didn’t pick up a racquetball racquet until he was 45 years old. But in just seven years of competition he already has filled a room with trophies.

“I started playing racquetball because I was tired of waiting around in tennis lines, playing a brief amount of time and then getting kicked off the court,” said Holly, 52, of Northridge.

Holly’s next tournament will be the Coors Light Marty Hogan Classic July 31-Aug. 2 at The Racquet Centre in North Hollywood. Holly will compete in the men’s Master’s Division (45 and older).

“There are about a dozen masters players who are very, very competitive and can hold their own in any age group outside of the open division,” Holly said. “It’s amazing how many people will kill themselves for a six-inch trophy.”

While Holly competes for trophies, Steve Soffa of Woodland Hills is planning to turn professional in the next two years. After four years of amateur competition, Soffa, 21, still is trying to crack the top 30 rankings in the California Amateur Racquetball Assn.

The former teaching pro will play in both men’s open singles and doubles at The Racquet Centre tournament.

Two-hundred players are expected at the tournament, the only Valley-area stop for the series that is held throughout California and Nevada.

Information: 818-344-3148.