Editorials

“Every year for the last five years, we’ve put through an average of 300 kids per year,” he said. “Hopefully those seeds that we’ve planted may grow,” he said, noting this year Rainbow Lake and Savanna Schools also took part in the program.

The club maintains the courts in Swanavon, running mens night (Thursday), ladies night (Tuesday) as well as fun doubles on Saturday.  In addition, the club offers lessons for both youth and adults during the day.

“Most of our membership is made up of beginners and intermediates,” said McDermott. “We don’t really have a lot of players above a 4 - 4.5 mark as far as skills are concerned.”  Tennis players are ranked from one to seven, with one being a fresh beginner and seven the professional level.

Whatever the level, just getting out on the court can be beneficial to anyone.

“It’s one of those sports that you use pretty well every muscle in your body to play with,” he said. “You need to be - I wouldn’t say fully athletic - but mobile in every direction because you’re running forward, moving sideways, going back, you’re stretching.

“You’re doing everything that you do in yoga but a bit faster,” he laughed.

McDermott noted players of all levels are welcome at the GP Tennis Club.

“You don’t have to be good at the sport,” he said. “I mean just getting out there, rallying the ball back and forwards is a great feeling, not only mentally but physically.”

Those who have a more competitive bent will find worthy opponents on the courts as well.

“If you’re in the competitive mode, you definitely need a lot of stamina and a lot of mind power to overcome losing, and then coming back again,” said McDermott. “It’s a one-on-one situation so you don’t really have anyone else to blame but yourself for anything you do out there.  A lot of people don’t like that pressure, but a lot of people thrive on it.  Obviously, the great players thrive on that pressure.  That’s why the whole world tunes into Wimbledon to see the singles (matches).”

While singles play is more popular on television, the Grande Prairie club has a lot of fun with doubles matches. It recently held a fun doubles tournament a few weekends back, with fun doubles open at the courts on Saturday afternoons.

“Generally for doubles, you have two on either side and each person rotates for serving. Everybody gets a chance to serve; everybody gets a chance to receive. The rules are pretty well the same as far as scoring is concerned,” he explained.

“The idea is to kill your opponents without decapitating your partner,” he laughed.

Strategy is a lot more defined in doubles because it is a team sport.  There are more lobs used, there are more drop shots used to bring the guys in to the net.  Usually on doubles it is kind of the brick wall scenario – if one guy is moving back the other guy should move back.”

McDermott said good doubles teams can anticipate each other’s moves and know where the other is going to be at all times.  “It’s knowing your partner because the other person has to cover the area where he is not.  Practice certainly makes perfect for a game of doubles.”

Whether playing doubles or singles, McDermott said tennis is a life-long sport.  Unfortunately in Grande Prairie these days, finding a place to play can be a little difficult.

“Yes, we did have courts all over Grande Prairie 10 years ago, but now look at them,” he said. With trees literally growing out of the courts at the Leisure Centre/Legion Track the state of most of the public courts in the city leave something to be desired.

“It has to start with the city, I think, and then with the community.  Because if you don’t have those initial facilities to start up with you can’t expect the game to grow,” said McDermott. “It’s very frustrating for all of us to see the decay,” he said.

He noted the club is looking at taking a proposal to the city that would see a dome built over the courts at the Leisure Centre so they could be used year-round.

That’s the kind of thing Grande Prairie needs right now,” he said.  “There’s got to be alternatives for the kids, there’s got to be options there.”

During the winter months, the club does rent out the indoor soccer pitch at the Leisure Centre on Saturday and Sunday mornings for tennis play.

Until winter hits, however, the club is very active at the Swanavon courts.  McDermott said anyone wanting to learn more about the game is more than welcome to stop by the courts.

You can also check out the GP Tennis Club online at www.gptennisclub.com, or call the tennis hotline at (780) 832-6312, or e-mail gptennisclub@msn.com.