I am that person I said I would NEVER be. You know, that person out at lunch or Target in a tennis skirt and baseball hat. That person that can’t do anything in the morning because I have a date on the tennis court. That person that is ADDICTED to tennis. But truth be told, I would have it no other way today. Here are my top reasons why I love tennis and I think you might want to try it too!
Exercising the Body and Mind
Obviously, physical exercise is probably the number one reason people start to play tennis. You can get out on the court and play for an hour and half and get a pretty good workout. Besides giving your body a workout, tennis is a mind game. It’s all about strategy and you’ll be using your noodle for much more than just hitting a ball. When I first started playing, one of my teammate’s husbands, who is a Dr., always said some of the sharpest elderly people he treated were people who played tennis! That’s reason enough, right!?
Life Sport
Tennis is a game that you can play your whole life. Seriously! Anyone who is new to tennis can tell you how frustrating it is when you have just started playing and you get beaten by two eighty year old women in double knee braces. Talk about a humbling moment. But that’s what is so great about it too! I play with women of all ages. In fact, I’m one of the youngest at 32 and feel like the best part of my tennis career is ahead of me. There are not many sports you can say that about. Now instead of dreading playing those little old ladies, I look forward to being just like them someday and putting a crushing on my young opponents.
Social
The reason I first got out on a tennis court was because I had a group of friends who wanted to learn how to play and asked me to come along. We had a blast learning the basics and laughing at ourselves as we shanked balls over the fence or completely missed hitting the ball altogether when it came right at us. Being on a court with other ladies is FUN. There is always something to talk about and catch up on and you’ll find you will make a ton of new friends in the process.
Me Time
Tennis has become my outlet from kids and from life in general. It’s a few hours a week and I can go get some exercise, be outside, and forget about all the crap that I have going on at home and in life. It’s an extremely fantastic stress reliever. Tennis makes me feel good about myself and I love that it’s my thing.
Support Group
Like I said above, you’ll make a ton of new friends playing tennis. What’s even more awesome is that many of the women you will play with are moms and everyone is at a different stage in life. I play with women who are grandmothers to women who have newborns. Talk about a lot of great mothering knowledge in one place! When I had my third child, it was my team that threw me a surprise baby shower. When someone has surgery, it’s the team who shows up first with a bag of goodies and get well wishes. I started tennis for the exercise, but have gained so much more than I could have ever expected!
Cute Outfits
You know that’s a perk right!? Who doesn’t like adorable tennis skirts!? And you can legitimately wear them to run errands etc. because you actually played tennis. (Oh come on, you know you put work out clothes on ALLLL the time to make people assume you actually went to the gym!) Tennis outfits are WAYYY cuter than yoga pants!
HOW DO I START?
Now that I have made my case for why you need to play tennis, you may be wondering how to get started.
Get the gear. My advice is not to invest too much at first. You don’t have to have a tennis skirt quite yet. You can play in any work out clothes you like. Pick up a racquet at Target or Dicks. If you are playing on clay courts, you will need to purchase a pair of tennis shoes specifically for tennis on clay courts. (Running shoes rip up the clay and don’t give you enough support moving side to side.)
When you are ready to commit, visit Go Pro Tennis. It’s a local store specializing in all things tennis. You can demo racquets and the owner is great and will help you find the racquet perfect for you!
See if you have a friend or group of friends who would like to play!
Find a place to play. Almost all the country clubs in Jacksonville and surrounding areas have tennis programs. Even if you are not a member, some clubs will let you try a tennis membership. Here is a list of a few local public tennis courts where having a membership is not necessary.
Southside Tennis Complex
San Marco
904.399.1761
Huguenot Tennis Facility
Jacksonville Beach
904.247.6221
Jack Russell
Atlantic Beach
904.803.7213
Boone Parke Tennis Complex
Riverside/Avondale
Are you a tennis lover? What sport or hobby makes you happy??
Would love recommendations on lessons or clinics for novice adults who don’t have tennis buddies.
Julie, where in Jax do you live?
At the beach. (I didn’t realize I could reply directly! Sorry for the double post.)
Huguenot Park in Jax beach is a great place. Give them a call (their number is in the blog) and see if they have a beginner’s clinic or would just offer private lessons! It’s so much fun!!!
Julie, where in jax do you live?
I’m in the mandarin area and haven’t been able to find a group! 🙁
The William’s Y in Mandarin has a great tennis program. An extra perk of the Y is they offer child care which is HUGE! Also, if not interested in joining the Y, Southside Tennis complex on San Marco has a great program too. Their number is in the blog post. JCA also has a good tennis program (AWESOME head pro- Reggie Exum) Perhaps contact him about a tennis membership or just some lessons! Good Luck!!!
At the beach
I live off of 210-any tips on a group or place to play that is near me? I’m new to the area and would love to play and meet people. Thanks!
I have heard about a tennis association near or around the Argyle area but I cannot seem to find anything about it online except that there are 4 nice courts. Anyone who has any info on this would be very appreciated!