Tennis Memphis

Summer Camp at Leftwich

2009-08-10T12:53:00.004-05:00

We had another successful Summer Tennis Camp season this year. Here are just a few minutes of the kids at Leftwich during one of the July sessions. One nice thing that doesn't show up on the video is how the kids exchanged phone numbers at the end and made plans to see each other at the next camp session or sometime during the rest of the Summer.

Relax the Back vs. Double Fault Club

2008-12-12T12:19:00.003-06:00

A nice point played to win the mixed doubles set.

Relax the Back vs. Double Fault Club

2008-12-12T11:42:00.004-06:00

Nyal dodges a body serve in the men's doubles, and everyone shakes hands at the end.

Relax the Back vs. Double Fault Club

2008-12-12T11:18:00.006-06:00

This time, we had the good sense to reserve an indoor court!

In the women's doubles, Luisa hits a screamer down the line, and we see some footwork in the men's singles.

More Pfizer vs. Double Fault Club

2008-12-05T16:17:00.003-06:00

No need to challenge this line call-- he made the right one! See for yourself.

GMATT Video- Pfizer vs. Double Fault Club

2008-12-05T15:57:00.007-06:00

It was a cold evening but we stuck it out. Here is a clip from the beginning of the mixed doubles set.

Great things going on this Fall

2008-09-10T13:02:00.006-05:00

The heat of Summer seems to have broken and Autumn is in the air. Here at Tennis Memphis, we are really looking forward to it because we have some new programs lined up for the Fall that we are excited about. The first one is the Greater Memphis Area Team Tennis League (GMATT) for adults. This will be different than the USTA Team Tennis that we play in the Spring. The teams will come from corporations, churches, nonprofit organizations, city governments-- basically, wherever people work. The players on the team do not have to be at the same level. In fact, we would like to see some new players out there on the court. The format will be set up like World Team Tennis, where men's singles, women's singles, men's doubles, women's doubles and mixed doubles matches will be played. We hope that the atmosphere will be like WTT too-- with coaching, cheering and lots of fun allowed. The teams can even name themselves if they want. Don't worry though, guys-- matching uniforms are optional. If you don't work for a big corporation, you can still get on a team. Only half of the roster has to be from the company (or church or whatever), so the unemployed or self-employed can still participate.

For players age 50 and over, we have the Welcome Back to Tennis League, or more simply called "the 50+ league." The format will be similar to GMATT, except that anyone can join any team, no matter where they work or attend church. The only restriction is your age. No "youngsters" allowed.

Junior players? Let's not leave them out. We will have Junior Team Tennis again this year. JTT is good for kids that don't have a lot of experience but want to start playing matches. The team format works out well for them, too. They get the best of both worlds--playing an individual sport in a team environment. They can get on a team with their friends or classmates, or meet a whole new group.

Well, I guess that just about covers everyone-- adults, kids, seniors. We hope so. That is the way we want it. No matter your age or skill level, Tennis Memphis has a league for you to join this Fall. For more information, visit our website at www.tennismemphis.org. See you on the court!

Is tennis as exclusive as people think?

2008-06-29T18:07:00.003-05:00

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.

The craziness of summer camp

2008-06-17T13:21:00.006-05:00

Summer Camp started on June 9 and the public tennis centers have not been the same since-- but in a good way. Even though it takes a lot of work and a lot of sunscreen, it is always rewarding to see the kids get started in tennis or continue from last summer. You wonder which ones will stick with it and which ones will be gone at the end of the week. We hope that they all will come back, but realistically, we know they won't. But, we will do the best we can to get them to love the game of tennis. With the use of the QuickStart program (mini-tennis), the new Latino program and 3 new camp sites this year, there is no reason that any kid in Memphis can't give it a try this summer. The instructors are fun to watch, too. They really put themselves into it and seem to enjoy it as much as the kids. There is plenty of smiling, laughter and tennis to go around.

Play a third set

2008-05-18T17:37:00.005-05:00

After a few weeks of USTA League Tennis (a.k.a. Team Tennis), there is a small, yet adamant group forming that wants to play the third set out instead of playing a 10-point match tiebreaker. Okay, these are probably the same people that lose in 10-point match tiebreakers, but still. We all know how many Team Tennis matches there are to be played and how much court time they already consume. Playing the third set out would definitely add to the burden. But to what extent? Not every match splits sets, so it would not happen all the time. But, when it does, the players could really see who was the best on that day, instead of just who made the last mistake. Most tournaments play a third set, at least in the main draw. Most tournaments stay relatively on schedule, though sometimes they can get out of hand. Some players say that tiebreakers unduly favor the "big servers." Some say that tiebreakers are unfair to players that train and work on their fitness, which would be a factor in a third set. It seems that the only good thing about playing a match tiebreaker instead of a third set is that it saves time. Is that a good enough reason? What do you think? If you had it your way, would you want to play a match tiebreaker or would you play the third set out?

The cost of "membership"

2008-04-28T11:36:00.005-05:00

The other day at the Leftwich Tennis Center, some players were admiring the new courts and landscaping. One of them said, "well, I guess this means our membership will go up this year." We at Tennis Memphis want to assure the public tennis players that this is absolutely not the case for two main reasons. One is that the money for court repairs and other capital improvements at the tennis centers comes from the City of Memphis, not Tennis Memphis. We are not financially responsible for these projects. We only make recommendations to the City every year when they put together their CIP budget and hope that they give them high priority. So, the fact that the courts at Leftwich were resurfaced this year has little to no effect on Tennis Memphis' budget or any of our programs, except that we hope to have more players at Leftwich now because of the nice courts, which would increase our participation numbers and revenue.

More importantly though, is the fact that "membership" fees will not go up because we do not have any "membership" fees at the public tennis facilities. Memberships never have been and never will be (as far as Tennis Memphis is concerned) required for anyone to play on the public courts. What we do offer is a Player Card, which gives the card holder a list of benefits that are available at the 7 tennis centers that we manage. The only instance in which someone would have to have a Player Card is if he or she wanted to participate as a regular player in Permanent Court Time. Otherwise, anyone, Player Card holder or not, can come to any of the 7 public tennis centers during their operating hours and pay for and play on an available court, attend a clinic or participate in a program or league. Anyone, Player Card holder or not, can call and reserve courts in advance. The Player Card holders can reserve courts a lot farther in advance than non-Card holders-- that is one of the benefits. Once a person purchases a Player Card, they can play on the outdoor courts as many times as they want at no additional charge-- that is another one of the benefits. A lot of people have purchased Player Cards to get the discount for Team Tennis. We are glad that benefit has been so well received.

When you think about it, it is really not much different than having a library card (or not). Anyone can go to any of the public libraries during their operating hours and access their resources and programs. But, if they want to check a book out of the library, they have to have a library card. Nobody has to have a library card to walk in the door, but most people get one because they want to be able to check out books. (Yes, you could point out that library cards are free and Player Cards are not, but you get the idea).

So, public tennis players, don't worry-- your "membership" fees will not go up because of the recent court repairs at Leftwich! Do not even worry about that. Come on out to any of the public tennis centers and enjoy playing in the nice weather. If you want to purchase a Player Card, great. We will be happy to help you. If not, that's okay. Play public tennis anyway. See you on the court!

This is the guy!

2008-04-28T11:29:00.004-05:00

This is T. Mann, the one responsible for the new landscaping at the Leftwich Tennis Center. He stopped long enough the other day for me to get his photo. We really appreciate his hard work.

Reflections on the Bullfrog

2008-04-15T19:47:00.000-05:00

Everyone at Tennis Memphis knew the Bullfrog tournament was coming. April 12-14. The dates were burned into our brains. Some of us ordered the t-shirts. Others contacted businesses for donations. Everyone crossed their fingers that the courts at Leftwich would be done in time. All of the Tennis Memphis staff was put on notice to not make any plans for that weekend because they would have to help with something. I didn't mind that so much, except that I had heard so many horror stories about junior tournaments-- parents harassing officials, players throwing racquets, making bad line calls and generally acting like little punks. I was a bit nervous about getting in the middle of all that.

After working 24 hours at the tournament desk at Rhodes (12 hours on Saturday, 12 on Sunday), I can say that with regard to junior tournaments, stereotypes may not come out of thin air, but they are not always true, either. We did not have any trouble out of any of those kids or their parents. In fact, it was quite the opposite. The kids were polite and respectful. Some of them made a point to talk to us beyond asking if they were the next court up. The parents reassured us that we were doing a good job, and said over and over again how appreciative they were of our time and effort. Having to sit and/or play all day in the cold weather could have put any of us in a bad mood, but we all tried to keep our spirits up. I guess a bad day playing tennis is better than a good day . . . well, you can fill in the blank for yourself.

Certainly, I would not want to help run a tennis tournament every weekend, but next year, when the Bullfrog rolls around again, I'll be willing to lend a hand. Who knows, maybe we will see some of these kids on the pro tour in a few years, and we can say we knew them when.

Leftwich has a friend-- with a green thumb

2008-04-02T14:19:00.000-05:00

The court repairs are not the only thing going on at the Leftwich Tennis Center. Thanks to "T" Mann, the patio area now has new landscape beds with flowers planted in the shape of tennis racquets and a tennis court. T built the beds, planted the flowers and laid the mulch at his own expense and labor because he just wanted to do something nice for the tennis center. What a wonderful complement to the court repairs and great start to spring tennis. What a difference a little bit of caring can make. Thanks, T.

Leftwich court repairs are underway!

2008-03-24T21:06:00.000-05:00

The outdoor courts at the Leftwich Tennis Center are finally getting the repairs they need and deserve. Some people have commented about the bad timing-- just as the weather is getting warm, just as Team Tennis is starting, etc. That might be true, but we had to take what we could get. What people might not know is that Tennis Memphis has been working with the City of Memphis for over a year (at least) to get the Leftwich project off the ground. Resources are tight, and there are a lot of facilities in the Memphis Park System and a long list of capital improvement projects. Every delay seemed to increase the cost because the courts kept deteriorating, which caused more delays to redo the estimates and project scope. But, finally, our number came up and things fell into place. Yes, it is an inconvenience, but just for a few more weeks. Then, we will be able to enjoy the results. The only problem is, now that the cracks in the courts are gone, what can we use as an excuse for mishitting the ball?

Now that the tournament is over, can spring be far behind?

2008-03-10T11:49:00.000-05:00

Many of us here in the Memphis tennis-playing community look forward to the Regions Morgan Keegan Championships/Cellular South Cup tournament every February. It gives us a rare opportunity to see professional tennis players up close and personal. If you are able to sit close enough, you can even see the spin on the ball as it flies across the court. One day, I was able to sit in the very front row behind the baseline to watch Jonas Bjorkman play Donald Young. Wow. So that is what a kick serve looks like!

Even though some of our favorite players lost in the early rounds, or did not show up at all, I still found the tournament inspiring. Unfortunately for me, the pro players make it look so easy that after a week of watching them, I am convinced that I can make the same shots in my hotly-contested 3.5 matches. Well, my opponents don't seem to mind.

Another good thing about the pro tournament is that its passing seems to herald the start of spring. Okay, so this year we had some snow, but you can still sense that the prime tennis-playing weather is right around the corner, just in time for Team Tennis. So, is everyone ready?