This past Friday there were a quite few new players. A couple from Randolph bought a couple of racquets and went out to hit with each other at the park. The wife decided that she needed lessons and so signed up for community group lessons…
A couple of Fridays ago 2 females were challenged to a play fierce but friendly match by 2 male opponents, one a spouse and another a new friend they’ve made over the past few weeks. At first spectators could not understand the enthusiasm on the court, the fist pumps and of course the surging adrenaline…
A Friday regular from Butler emailed me when the newsletter wen out Tuesday morning this week, asking – “Is it Friday yet? Ugghhhh … long week and it’s only Tuesday.” I like that about Friday players – despite their long work week, the one thing they look forward to the most on Fridays is tennis! and, of course, seeing the friends they’ve made over the winter season or years for some of them. When I emailed Saturday players that my sister was making Thai food this Saturday, there were many amusing responses…
A Friday regular from Little Falls made great strides in tennis. After a slow start tonight, he got better and better. He and his partner, a regular from Mahwah, played together a total of about 7 hours between Friday, Saturday and tonight Tuesday. It was no coincidence that they played together so much – they just enjoy being partners.
No sooner than the warmup period ended, did the strategizing by the regular from Englewood Cliffs begin as he made motions to his partner from Tenafly about hitting, slicing and cutting down the ball to the feet, probably showing how to break down the relentless net-hogging opponents from Englewood. The very first point already showed great doubles play, from ground strokes to volleys, from an approach to the net rushing and from a lob to the Englewood opponents to the smash by one of them for a winner…
I sound like a broken record but I must report about the nice and never boring comments about a player. This past Tuesday and 2 Saturdays ago, people told me – “What a great player and great net player she is, etc.” They’re talking about a Tuesday regular from Englewood. She (and her husband, together or apart) is hard to beat…
FRIDAY (Feb 10th)
A player from West Orange broke a toe 3 weeks ago, took a week off and then played for the last 2 Fridays with the still-broken toe. After the first week he said – “I hurt my toe last time and I was not sure what it would be like today. It is not great but I want to play. I will give it a rest next week when I am away.” (His mother has always told him very wise words that if you want to get somewhere fast, move slow. He must have forgotten what his mother told him when he rushed and broke his toe.) I’m happy to report that he survived the second week of playing with the broken but mending toe. The recurring question of the night was “What is that?”…
FRIDAY (Feb 3rd)
The best way for newcomers to be welcomed into the group is to attend the friendliest parties of the week. I figure, by the end of the week, what else is there for one to do but let your guard down and mingle with other tennis players on TGIF. Two newcomer friends from North Haledon and Paramus got together at the Friday party after a few years’ respite. A great addition to the group, they found us to be a friendly group, met a bunch of nice people, talked for a long while after they finished playing and said they would return….
Thursday (Jan 26)
Four players, 3 from NYC and 1 from Tenafly, had so much on the court on Tuesday. Unbeknownst to each other, three of them signed up. When there was one more spot left, I told the fourth that the other 3 signed up. He said yes, he wanted a rematch and to keep them together for both hours. One donned a bandana and his partner a ninja head tie. Their opponent donned a cap but his partner had none. I must not have paid close attention because in the 2nd hour the one without head gear suddenly wore the same ninja head tie, except he’s got some sort of lettering on the front, it probably said The Ninja Master!…
TUESDAY (Jan 17th)
After a 2-3-year break to play golf, a player from Fort Lee returned to tennis a couple of months ago and more frequently a couple of weeks ago. He’s enjoying tennis again, finding it a treat to have a moment off from being a first-time dad to a 2-month newborn. Congratulations!