Is tennis as exclusive as people think?

I was sitting in a non-tennis-related meeting/luncheon last week and when I looked around, I noticed that I was one of only 4 women in a group of about 75 people. I only saw one person of color in the room. I thought about how different it was from my normal working environment. At Tennis Memphis, there are African-Americans, Whites and Latinos. There are men and women of different ages, including teenagers and senior citizens. Same goes for the players at the tennis centers. We have kids as young as 5 and adults as old as-- who knows? 70? 80? People come to the tennis courts from different neighborhoods, backgrounds, occupations and income levels. Some of them have played their whole lives, while some started last week. It is really nice to see. It is really nice to be a part of it. Tennis really is for anyone and everyone--at least at the public tennis centers. Whoever you are, you fit right in. Isn't that the best way to be? Maybe it takes more effort to get along with people who aren't just like you, but it has to be worth it. Hey, if all else fails, you can always talk about tennis.