The last racquetball court in the Midcoast was shuttered this week to make way for a youth program at the Bath Area Family YMCA, despite protests by players who frequent the court.

On Monday, April 14, the racquetball players met with the executive board of the Bath Area Family YMCA at the Brunswick Landing Y to plead with leadership to keep the court open and find a different solution for expanding programs.

Last Friday, racquetball player Ryan Leighton, who organized a petition to keep the court open, said members had received confirmation from YMCA Chief Operating Officer Amy Vendt that the executive board had decided to proceed with the closure of the court, effective Monday, April 21.

Leighton said members are consulting legal counsel to explore whether age discrimination may have played a role in this decision. An online petition drew around 255 signatures, but Leighton closed the petition Friday once he learned of the Y’s decision to move forward on the renovations.

“Naturally, this decision is disappointing to many of us,” Leighton wrote. “While it appears the closure of the Bath court is final, YMCA leadership has expressed a willingness to continue dialogue around possible alternatives.”

The closure of the racquetball court in Bath marks the fourth location to close for the sport. Still, Leighton sees an opportunity to restore racquetball to a space at the YMCA at Brunswick Landing, while also exploring the option of building a new court independent of the YMCA.

Leighton and other racquetball players disagreed with the reasoning behind the closure and believed there were issues with communication between the YMCA and its members using the racquetball court.

Topsham-based contractor Crooker Construction and Woolwich-based contractor Reed & Reed, Inc. donated their names to the racquetball courts. Leighton said neither business was aware of the planned renovations to the racquetball courts, and they were disappointed with the YMCA’s lack of communication.

The new, multipurpose, youth-and-family space is expected to open in early May and serve as a dedicated afterschool hub for kids and teens to study, socialize and create art.

The multipurpose space will provide STEM (science, technology, engineering and math) and arts education programming, which the YMCA does not currently offer. It can also serve as a shared space for talks or evening support groups. The Bath YMCA felt it needed the resources now rather than waiting for the expanded child care center.