Cheers to all the SunBird Socialites! Left to right: Jen Walden, Dianna Wreford, JD Stephenson, Patty Neavill, James Morgan, Leslie Maach, Sue Stephenson, Dawn Boyle (Joan’s sister-in-law), Rowland Tegio, Joan Boyle, Bob Filiere, and Springfield special guest Michael Wykes (photo by Sharlene Jerome)
Sharlene Jerome
March was bustling with lots of tennis tourneys and social events to keep us up to speed and on with our days. On March 15 we took on the formidable players at Palm Creek. Although we were not victorious, with a score of 7 to 16, there were some notable achievers. The Most Valuable Player was newcomer and recent SunBird Tennis Club member Patty Neavill, as well as Springfield’s dynamic duo of Mike King and Michael Wykes. On March 23 we hosted the members from Mountain Brook. We played some resilient matches, but we were unsuccessful in our quest for the top spot. We finished with a record of 10 to 22. As if that wasn’t enough socializing, JD Stephenson, Tennis Club president, hosted a final in-house social led by Rowland Tegio on March 29. The overwhelming consensus was that this was a fun time filled with recreational play, footwork, and movement drills and a must-have going forward.
For the Fall 2025/Spring 2026 season, we will be changing our format to only socials and not head-to-head club tournaments. The format is as follows: The hosting club will create the tournament schedule based on the total of the club’s participating players. The hosting tournament director (TD) will assign each club a designated color (i.e., red, blue, etc.) to represent their teams. The hosting TD, at their discretion, may pair players, if needed, with another team’s members. Each player will have two matches per tournament when possible. Some players may play more than two times if desired and warranted.
The most important thing is to keep moving, keep socializing, and keep having fun! We hope that all the snowbirds had happy and safe travels home last month. We look forward to seeing everyone out on the courts this fall.