Jen Walden
It was great to be able to return to our usual tennis club activities this past season after suffering through all the restrictions, limitations, and confinement the previous two years.
All of our Canadian friends were able to return and join us on the courts, and we acquired a few new members as well. It was a fabulous season! We played against many of our regular community teams, as well as a couple of new ones. In all, there were 11 social tournaments, of which four were hosted here on our beautiful sport courts. We closed out the season with our annual year-end picnic on April 2 at the courts, playing in-house games and enjoying a super luncheon coordinated by our president, John Schlenker, and his delightful wife Irene. What a great ending to a perfect tennis season!
The SunBird Tennis Club sponsored a hole for the Groundskeepers Golf Tournament last month. We donated a $100 prize in honor of Jim Seaman, a longtime tennis club member, avid golfer, and good friend to us all. We miss you, Jim!
On March 20 the IronOaks, Cottonwood Palo Verde, Sun Lakes Country Club, Springfield, and SunBird tennis players raised over $6,000 for Neighbors Who Care (NWC) at a tennis social hosted by IronOaks Tennis Club. Those in attendance enjoyed a morning of fun tennis and camaraderie but, more importantly, embraced a common cause in supporting a community organization that assists so many homeowners with numerous needs. Volunteers provide assistance for transportation, shopping, errands, visitations, home repairs, business help, dinner deliveries and caregiver relief, and more. Thanks, everyone, for your support for this worthy cause!
Our summer schedule for court times from May through September is as follows:
Monday: 7 to 9 a.m., Courts 3 and 4
Wednesday: 7 to 9 a.m., Courts 1 and 2
Friday: 7 to 9 a.m., Courts 3 and 4
If you wish to reserve courts as a resident, please sign up on the court reservation sheets posted in the tennis glass case at the courts. Signups can be done up to three days in advance.
A big thank you to our sport court liaisons JD Stephenson (tennis) and Brian Long (pickleball) for coordinating efforts to produce our master court schedule for the coming season, beginning in October 2022. The schedule will be posted on all four courts, as well as in the tennis glass case on the courts. Job well done, JD and Brian!
Your tennis tip for May: Get your back leg behind the ball! Getting your back leg and weight behind the ball allows for easier weight transfer and a more consistent shot.
If you are interested in joining our SunBird Tennis Club, please contact our president John Schlenker at 847-525-7648.
Our next meeting will be held on Oct. 4 at 5 p.m. in the Lakeview Room.
Have a great summer, everyone!