LAST WEEK’S RECAP | June 21 – 24, 2012
THURSDAY
It was like being at a reunion; everyone was smiling and enjoying themselves so much that they didn’t want to rotate out of their matches after the first hour. Three players from Cliffside Park, Jersey City and Mahwah who often played with each other in the past but hadn’t in a few months on the same day decided they would gather tonight. The Jersey city regular introduced a tennis classmate from NYC to our group. They all had fun.
Regulars from NYC, Edgewater, Hoboken and Wyckoff played a friendly, yet competitive match. I’m sure they had a great workout.
FRIDAY
It was hopping this Friday with players from NYC, Riverdale, NY, Boonton, Butler, Edgewater, Fort Lee, Hackensack, Livingston, Montclair, Parsippany, Randolph, Roxbury, Wanaque and Westwood.
MIA was the regular from Parsippany who’s preparing for his wedding this coming weekend. His friends gathered to play last Friday, while discussing their road trip to Canada for the wedding. Although I love weddings and will cancel a tennis party only for weddings, I will sadly miss this one because I would have to miss a big Fourth of July weekend here. Many players are looking forward to playing this weekend. I send my wedding wishes with his buddy from Boonton. There are at least 5 players from our group going. He’s made so many good friends in the group through tennis.
Two new players are re-discovering tennis and loving it. The player from Florham Park attended tennis camp one summer as a child and the player from Rutherford hit the ball around once as a teenager with friends. As adults they really want to learn. I always say everyone has to start somewhere. If you have the desire to learn, I will help you. To all the new players or anyone that knows of new players – join us this summer on Friday nights to learn and practice what you learn. By the end of the summer, you will know much more than when you first started.
SATURDAY
It was a small group due to graduations and other things I have no idea what! Saturday players are mysterious lol.
SUNDAY
It was one of the best Sunday parties.
As the regular from Jersey City was leaving, he and I were saying – Wow what a great party. I wanted to compare notes and asked him why it was fun. He replied – “I don’t know, just fun, good weather, fun people to play with, fun matches.” What more can one ask for!
A Friday regular from Wayne brought his friend also from Wayne, 19 and 17 years old respectively. They both had such a great time that they were surprisingly tired (and made new friends) by the end of the party.
A recently newcomer from Brooklyn brought a friend from NYC. They’ve been friends since HS, lost touch and re-met when the Brooklyn player was with a few friends in NYC, saw the NYC player sitting on the sidewalk and recognized him. They stayed in touch ever since. Their other bond was tennis, great way to do something together. They met so many people today and had a great time on and off the court. The laughs and jokes were non-stop all afternoon.
Another couple from Wayne joined in and they had some great tennis and non-tennis stories to share. There was so much going on all day long, I can’t remember more other than that it was fun!
Towards the end of the evening with just one more match to go, I needed a fourth and asked two players from Edgewater and Parsippany who finished playing if they could play a little while. It was funny to watch them banter about why the other one should go. Finally the Edgewater regular said – “You know this is going to hurt, right?” Parsippany player said – “It’s good for you.” Diverting the conversation, Edgewater regular said – “I like your shirt. Can I have it?” Parsippany player – “It’s too small for you” and it went on and on…. It was their stalling tactic until I had to just nudge one of them off the deck and on to the court. The bantering ended until they’re back next week to continue.
At the end of the night we bode a sad farewell to the regular from Randolph who will be gone for 6 weeks, vacationing in Florida. She teased that she could come back in between. I think she just might, for she made so many friends here in just a few months.