Tennis, everyone

By Mary Alice Garrett

This story originally appeared August 11, 1988 in The News Journal of Wilmington, Delaware.

Tennis: It lasts a lifetime.

That's what tens of thousands of middle-aged and older people are finding as they rally in tennis three times a week.

Some have returned to a game they learned as youngsters; others have taken up the sport in mid-life. Both groups find the physical, mental and social benefits are tremendous. Chronic ailments are forgotten on the tennis court, and new friends are found there. And, research is proving tennis may contribute to a longer life.

For seniors, it's especially good for self-esteem. "Hitting the delicate passing shot on break point or executing the crafty drop volley, reinforces feelings like, 'I've still got it - I'm not over the hill,' " said James E. Leohr, director of sport science for the U.S. Tennis Association.

Playing tennis regularly means fitter, stronger bodies, better endurance, more energy, fewer weight problems and better appearance. A sense of well-being similar to a runner's high often occurs while playing tennis.

Forty local people, age 45 to 88, are proving all this true three mornings a week at Delcastle Tennis Center, 710 McKennans Church Road. They call their coed group "The Model A's Tennis Club."

One member, E. Graham (Gray) Bates of Hockessin, will celebrate his 89th birthday in October. Bates began playing tennis as a young boy. He still has a winning serve and a good net game.

"If he's at the net, you can't get the ball past him," said Russ McCauley, 69, no mean tennis player himself. Bates is competitive. He's been known to throw his racket. He's also modest. He declined to be interviewed. "If I'm still playing tennis when I'm 90, I'll let you interview me," he said.

In addition to the Model A's, the courts at Delcastle are full of junior players, round-robin groups, Volvo and competitive cups teams and people taking lessons from three tennis pros. "It's busy," said Julie Sten, assistant manager, who estimates that 3,000 individuals use the public tennis facilities of New Castle County Department of Parks and Recreation.

Recently, head pro Mary Fink put children age 6-9 through drills. "Turn, bounce, hit," she said as the youngsters alternated forehand and backhand returns. "Start your swing from low to high. Try to hit the 'chin' [bottom] of the ball," she said.

"Good form, Reese. Couldn't be better than that," Fink said to a confident Reese Watson, 7. His classmates, Sonia Moorthy, 9, and Sara Bernstein, 7, practiced following through on their strokes.

Next they practiced serving, from the service line instead of the baseline. "Feel yourself leaning forward first, then toss the ball," said Fink. "Try to get the service toss out in front of your body. That's better, Sara. Reach for the sky when you go to hit."

Fink, who has a master's in sports administration, said that ideally, everyone should learn tennis young - "the earlier the better. Children can emulate anything," she said. "They copy the teacher."

Adults don't imitate as well, but respond to verbal commands, Fink said. It's possible to learn to play a decent game of tennis after age 30, but "your mechanics" will not be as good as those of someone who started younger, she said.

Ethel Watson of Oxford, Pa., and Marte Bernstein of Hockessin watched their children from the bleachers. "Tennis is a good family sport," said Watson, mother of three tennis-playing sons and a Volvo team player herself.

Many local Volvo members play their weekly matches at Delcastle. There are 30 women's and 28 men's teams, totaling 696 people. All are amateur players of intermediate to high-advanced tennis levels. Members play among themselves, with the top 10 teams advancing to a Middle States Volvo tournament in Princeton, N.J.

"It's a social as well as a competitive league," said Jan Fahey, 52, women's coordinator. "It's not real cutthroat. Age is not a factor." Members range from 25 to the mid-50s. "That's what's wonderful about tennis," Fahey said. "We all feel like we're one mold."

There's camaraderie. When one suffers an injury, they all feel it, Fahey said. "We can't imagine life without tennis."

Another person who can't imagine life without tennis is Ralph Pollman, 64, coordinator of the Model A's. It took a heart attack blamed on smoking four years ago to get Pollman into tennis. His doctor prescribed walking for therapy, but he soon tired of that.

"I said to my doctor, 'Can I do something a little more strenuous,?' " Pollman said. "He said, 'OK, if you don't run more than one step and only play doubles.' I pushed that a little bit - very quickly." Pollman now plays tennis every other day. He's thinner and off cigarettes. "I think I'm in great shape after playing this game," Pollman said. "I just think tennis has been wonderful for me."

Bob Smith, 69, waited to try tennis. He's hooked on it now; he gets up at 5:30 on the three mornings he plays at Delcastle to drive from his home in Chesapeake City, Md. Smith says tennis gives him more energy and more exercise than he would get in golf. "I tell people, I'll play golf when I'm old."

Margie Ford, 65, has solid ground strokes and ball placement which enable her to beat younger opponents of both sexes. She said she played "pick up" tennis when she was 9 but didn't get serious about it until 18 years ago. A cataract forced her to witrhdraw from tennis for a while, bet she returned following surgery. Her husband, Tom, is also a Model A member.

The Fords are among several couples who play with the Model A's. The Keens began tennis after moving to North Star 22 years ago. Muffie, a scholarship basketball player in college, is competitive in tennis. Said she, "We do have a great time, and that's what it's all about."