Partnership Between USA Racquetball and the Gregg Peck Memorial Fund Supports National Junior Program

“The most gratifying part of racquetball for me has been giving back to Junior players. Working with Jim Hiser and winning back-to-back gold medals in the World Championships as Head Coach of the U.S.A. Junior Team will still be my most thrilling accomplishment”

- Gregg Peck, August 31, 2019, upon learning of his Racquetball Hall of Fame  nomination (he was inducted in 2020).

Gregg Peck was an incredible athlete, competitor, and coach who passed away in May 2020 from a heart attack. He was a major benefactor to the sport of racquetball on and off the court and especially passionate about mentoring and coaching young athletes.

In 2023, his wife, Lauren Peck, established the Gregg Peck Memorial Fund in his honor. The purpose of the fund is to help underwrite racquetball-related travel expenses and other costs, especially for USA Junior National coaches. See the article about the establishment of the fund here:  Gregg Peck Memorial Fund | USA Racquetball

Lauren’s goal of a $100,000 endowment has been reached, and so the partnership with USA Racquetball became official. USA Racquetball will receive an annual donation to be used to support expenses for our junior coaching team, a much-needed boost for our Junior Program.

Lauren talked to me about the fundraising efforts and how much the racquetball community means to her family. “The racquetball family really showed up for my family while we were grieving. Dave (Peck, Gregg’s brother), and Laura (his sister-in-law), kept telling me about the outpouring of online support” after Gregg’s passing.

That community support continued when she set up the Fund. “Fundraising was definitely grassroots – family, friends, and the racquetball community made it happen.”

She thanked Sandy Rios and the Texas Racquetball Association for creating the Gregg Peck Spirit Award several years ago. This gesture spurred her on to create the Fund, a thought she had had in her head for many years. 

Lauren then told me a story. She was excited that junior athlete Cole Sendrey won the first Gregg Peck Spirit Award and learned that Gregg had actually met Cole many years ago (she thinks he may have been about 12). Gregg saw Cole practicing at his club and also saw him play in a few tournaments. Kevin Sendrey, Cole’s father, sent her a picture of the two of them, and it energized her to push hard to continue working to support juniors as much as possible.

USA Racquetball is grateful for this new and ongoing partnership and happy to be a part of building Gregg Peck’s legacy into the future. Thanks to Lauren Peck for her tireless efforts in support of Junior Racquetball.

Do you want to support the fund?  Donate here: Gregg Peck Memorial Fund

USA Racquetball