USA Racquetball junior nationals return to Des Moines in June

Des Moines is set to become the center of U.S. junior racquetball when the 2026 Junior National Championships open at the Wellmark YMCA on June 24 and run through June 28. The tournament will draw the country’s top young players into singles and doubles brackets across age divisions from 8-and-under through 21-and-under.

This is more than a national title chase. For the athletes in the draw, Junior Nationals serves as a selection battleground, with the top finishers earning a chance to qualify for Team USA and represent the United States internationally. That makes every match matter, especially for players trying to turn a strong junior season into a spot on the national pathway.

USA Racquetball has positioned the event as the centerpiece of its junior pipeline, and the structure of the week shows why. Younger players will get their first taste of a national championship stage, while older contenders in the upper age groups will be under pressure to prove they belong among the country’s best. The singles and doubles divisions create multiple routes to stand out, and the best performances in Des Moines can carry far beyond one week in June.

The federation is also selling the event as a family-focused gathering, with Des Moines serving as a practical host city for competitors traveling in from across the country. The Wellmark YMCA is being framed as a strong venue with quality courts and a setting that welcomes both athletes and spectators, giving the tournament a stage worthy of its importance to the sport.

For returning contenders, the week offers a chance to confirm a year’s work against the strongest junior field in the country. For first-time national competitors, it is a chance to test themselves on a bigger stage than anything they have seen before. For everyone in the draw, the path is clear: perform in Des Moines, claim a national championship, and move one step closer to collegiate racquetball, professional ambitions, and, for the best of the best, international play for Team USA.