Dave Negrete | St. Charles, IL
Contributor | Class of 2025

2025 Hall of Fame Inductee Dave Negrete
Dave Negrete
Dave Negrete has been a leading contributor to the sport of racquetball for 45 years. His efforts have had impacts at the state/local level, the National level, and on the pro tour in his racquetball career.Negrete maintained involvement at various clubs in and around the Chicago Land area from 1978 to present day. He served as a club pro for several clubs, was involved in club management, put together a club ownership group in the late 1990s, and has stayed active in the local scene throughout his entire adult career. His involvement at the club level led to state leadership in Illinois, where he served on the Board of Directors, ran hundreds of tournaments, and was named to the ISRA state Hall of Fame in 2010. His signature annual event, the Halloween Classic, was a staple on the Men’s Pro tour for decades and was well regarded by players as being one of the best events on the annual schedule.

His state level involvement led to national USA Racquetball involvement, which included stints on the Board of Directors and recognition with the 2009 Joe Sobek Award, given annually to recognize outstanding contributions to the sport. He was instrumental in averting the 2013 financial crisis faced by the USAR at the time, a significant event that went relatively underreported at the time. In 2022, Negrete launched a non-profit called “Racquetball Now” to build upon his decades of coaching and influence to help grow the sport.

In 2001, Negrete was appointed the Commissioner of the Men’s Pro tour, which had fallen into a crisis of leadership. Negrete’s reputation amongst the players and his influence in the sport made him an ideal candidate to lead the tour. Under Negrete’s tour leadership, the Men’s pro tour experienced great growth and expanded influence. Negrete brought on major sponsors Motorola and Verizon Wireless, which led to additional tour events and grand slams. Negrete was influential in the building and funding of the 2nd iteration of the Glass Court, which allowed for a true portable court to be used around the country. He also introduced Racquetball to ESPN and ESPN360, the first streaming service in the world.

Negrete was also a top player, following in the footsteps of his uncle, USAR Hall of Famer Bill Schmidtke, winning numerous Illinois State titles in singles and doubles, as well as the 50+ World Senior title in 2014.

Lastly, on the eve of his appointment to the USA Racquetball Hall of Fame, he has been brought back to the IRT to take over for his second stint as the commissioner by the new pro tour ownership group, looking to leverages his connections, experience, and influence once again to help rebuild the men’s tour.

Congratulations to Dave on this great honor; it is well deserved.