Tennis, Anyone?
Photography: Timothy Thimmes
Some people might find hitting a little yellow ball over and over within a 36’ x 78’ space limiting. For me, the places my mind, body and spirit go within a defined rectangle can feel infinite. The experience is called tennis.
There’s joyful physicality — feet moving, arms stretching for a ball, the snap of my wrist and the swish of my racquet as I hit the (hopefully) perfect overhead. There’s strategy — how can I put the ball where my opponent isn’t on the court? Should I use slice, spin, a lob, a drop shot? (Or my favorite move — just wing it and pray for the best). There are the wonderful friends I’ve made — people I never would have encountered otherwise because we’re in different social or neighborhood arenas — yet suddenly we’re part of the same team, cheering for one another, on the court and off. There are the simple pleasures of tennis moments — the way Park City’s mountains look looming high above the outdoor courts on a summer day and the sounds of laughter, tennis balls bouncing in a sing-song rhythm and the squeak of sneakers on the court.
For me, playing tennis brings back happy childhood memories of playing on or around tennis courts with my family and friends. I remember running drills around the courts on cool autumn mornings while our high school coach shouted that we looked like old ladies; a few kisses with boyfriends over the net between games (a good distraction technique); and playing team matches while the wind rustled through the huge oak trees that surrounded our school courts, sounding like the murmur of a stadium crowd. Sometimes I even played at the country club, with its silky green clay courts, traditional white dress code, and a silver bucket full of icy, longneck, glass bottled sodas.
After a 20-year hiatus, I recently took up tennis again. I’ve played so much over the past two years that my family and friends are threatening a “tennis intervention.” (Often playing in tournament matches on Friday nights, I miss a lot of cocktail events, and they just don’t think that’s right).
I must admit, tennis is addictive. I can’t get enough. When I play well, it’s such a high, I want to go out and do it again. When, as my tennis friends say, I “stink up the court,” I want to go back the next day and redeem myself.
Just so that my friends know, I’m not alone in my madness. The United States Tennis Association reports that tennis is the only traditional sport that’s had a positive participation change (a 10.3 percent increase) since 2000. In 2005, 24.7 million people were playing tennis, the greatest number of players since 1992.
Park City is a hotbed of tennis opportunity. Laurie Lambert, Park City Racquet Club’s tennis operations supervisor, reports that about 550 kids and 400 adults play tennis regularly at the club each year. Programs include clinics, lessons, league play, socials, tournaments, camps and special programs. “I like the saying, ‘Competition doesn’t create a person’s character, it reveals it,’” says Lambert. “I think that’s especially true with tennis. You find out a lot about yourself when you play a match. And then there’s just the joy of hitting the ball. It’s truly satisfying. There’s nothing better than being on a tennis court, laughing and having a good time while you’re competing. You can be social and competitive at any age — all you need is a racquet and one friend to hit balls with. It’s truly a lifetime sport.”
Park City has its share of tennis talent. Park City High School’s girls tennis team had its best results ever last year, placing 2nd in state in the 3A division. Lori McMahon, in her 9th season as coach, says, “We’ve won regionals every year since I’ve been coaching. We’ve placed third in state a few times, but last year was a breakthrough. We have the strongest team ever right now, with lots of young players, lots of interest and support from both the Solamere/Oaks Tennis Club and the Racquet Club.” Our Park City High School boys’ tennis team, a veritable powerhouse, has won state five times in the past eight years.
Local Ernest Oriente, a professional business coach and avid tennis fan, played 202 times last year and was presented with Utah Tennis Association’s 2006 ‘Special Recognition Award’ for the tennis “cheerleading” he’s done on a statewide basis. “I’m passionate about tennis because it’s a social sport,” says Oriente. “I can bowl by myself. I can have a beer by myself. But I can’t play tennis without a partner. I love the camaraderie and competitiveness. Tennis is like the mental game of chess coupled with the aerobic demands of being a runner and the endurance of a swimmer. You have to have it all.”
Granted, the world has bigger problems than figuring out how to improve a backhand or get topspin on a serve. But while we’re working on world peace, and in answer to my friends’ proposed ‘tennis intervention,’ I’ll enjoy the good health, good friendships, good challenges and great fun that tennis brings into my life, one point at a time.
Kristen Gould Case is editor of Park City Magazine. She suspects that she spends half her salary on tennis, but won’t ever add it up and find out for sure.
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