Wallyball Club Serves as Local Family for Daytona Beach Campus Students

What started with a single game to introduce Mark’s wife, Bonnie, a flight attendant at Delta Air Lines, to the fast-paced team sport, became a tradition for most Saturday nights for the Barrs and a growing number of students, many of whom are now Embry-Riddle graduates.

On May 10, Mark and Bonnie attended Embry-Riddle’s commencement ceremony at the Ocean Center in Daytona Beach and watched as five of their regular wallyball players accepted their degrees. It’s a bittersweet ritual they’ve practiced ever since they formed the unofficial wallyball club. The couple also hosts a barbecue the weekend before commencement in the quad outside the racquetball courts, to celebrate any new graduates and to say goodbye.

“It’s kind of sad for us, because most of them move away to start their careers. You do build relationships over time,” Mark says. “We like to think of ourselves as their Daytona Beach family.”

Katie Pebley (’16, DB) is one of those new graduates. She’s played wallyball on campus nearly every Saturday night since she transferred from Gulf Coast State College in Panama City, Fla., to Embry-Riddle in 2013. “My husband, Zac, introduced me to it,” she says. In fact, playing wallyball with the Barrs was one of their first dates. Katie and Zac Pebley (’15, DB) were married in December 2015.

Aside from being a regular date night for the college sweethearts, wallyball also offered a much-needed study break, Katie says. “It just helps me get out of my own head a little bit. During the weekends, I’m mostly studying and writing papers. If I’ve got writer’s block or something, it’s nice to come here, take a break and reset.”

Supporting the students is the main reason Mark and Bonnie keep coming back with their net and ball every Saturday night. “When we realized there was a benefit for the students that became the sole focus,” Bonnie says.

A credit portfolio manager for Amerisbank, Mark earned an M.B.A. in Aviation from Embry-Riddle. He completed an undergraduate degree from the University of Central Florida in Orlando, where he grew up. “I waffled through the first couple of years of my college experience,” he says. “These students here, I feel like they don’t have time to do that. We want to support them in achieving their goals by providing a healthy, constructive activity for them on the weekends. It’s a way for us to give back.”

The Barr’s involvement with the wallyball club extends far beyond the weekly game night. They are a sounding board for students dealing with everything from rising tuition costs, housing and financial aid issues, expiring international visas, stressful classes and personal problems. They meet with out-of-town parents who come to visit and welcome club members, who don’t have family living nearby, to their home for the holidays. And, each year on Thanksgiving, Mark and Bonnie invite the wallyball players to join them in their family tradition: riding the Ormond Beach Scenic Loop by bicycle. “I figure I can eat more turkey, if I ride 23 miles in the morning,” Mark says.

Katie agrees the club is much more than a weekly exercise session. “We’ve really grown in community since I’ve been here,” she says. Wallyball club membership varies year to year but frequently includes graduate students and Embry-Riddle faculty, such as Rafael Rodriguez, assistant professor of mechanical engineering, who has played for the past two years.

One thing the Barrs have worked hard to maintain is that the club remain “approachable” to all, regardless of skill level. “Our goal is to make sure that everyone can play at the level they are comfortable with. We want it to be fun,” Bonnie says.

Each fall, the Barrs recruit from a new class of freshmen, many of whom live on campus. Their recruitment techniques are largely informal. As students walk past the courts, Bonnie, Mark or one of their returning players will simply shout a greeting and welcome them to join in the fun. Word of mouth helps spread the news. In the past, the Barrs have had groups exceeding 20 students. When the numbers dictate, they bring two nets and play four teams (each team has four members) on two racquetball courts. Now, with building projects on campus requiring the courts be used for storage, there is only one court available.

“The courts are such a great resource for the students,” Mark says. “We can play even when it’s cold and when it’s raining.” Oftentimes in the winter, Bonnie brings hot chocolate. And, the couple frequently pairs a pre-game barbecue with the games. “I estimated since 2006, we’ve spent at least 500 nights here playing wallyball,” Bonnie says. “We’ve been known to play until 1 a.m. As long as students keep coming, we keep playing.”

The Barrs credit their 10-year commitment to the wallyball club in part to their Christian faith. “We always look to find a need we can help with or another way to connect with people. Our faith makes our hearts want to fill a void,” Bonnie says.

The club also fills a void for the Barrs, who don’t have children of their own. “The students make me feel parental,” Mark admits.

Over the years he and Bonnie have formed lasting relationships, keeping in touch with the students as they graduate and move on to jobs and families of their own. It’s not uncommon for former wallyball players to show up on any given Saturday and surprise them with an impromptu reunion.

Katie says she looks forward to doing the same. “I hope this keeps going and that I can come back some day as an alumna and do it too.”

For more information on playing wallyball at Embry-Riddle, contact Mark Barr at (386) 871-8044. Visit www.wallyball.com for details on this fun sport.