By Chequetta Allen, Sunday Women’s League Vice President
Tennis is back! All of our anxious anticipation has been relieved, and we have all breathed a collective, socially distanced sigh of relief. I could not have been the only person who was feeling like all the cleaning, organizing, rehab projects, cooking experiments, and online shopping were good, but there was still a void and a lot of pent up energy that could only be resolved by getting back on the court.
Tennis was the missing piece. It was such an integral part of so many of our lives, and its absence was noticeable. While tennis might have been absent from my weekly schedule, I never stopped being ready for its return.
I walked three to four miles per day to stay fit, and I even lost a few pounds along the way. With that, I fully expect to be lightning-fast this fall. My tennis wardrobe has been refreshed with newly ordered court attire. Neck gaiters were added to my tennis wardrobe but, honestly, those were in the works before there was ever any COVID-19. An allergy to sunscreen products on my face makes them a necessity; COVID-19 just added a sense of urgency for the purchase. My husband was even kind enough to purchase a tennis ball rebounder self-training tool so that I could hit alone. It took weeks to arrive, but it saved me from illegal hitting. I played enough Tennis Clash online to work on strategy and to work off a lot of frustration about the very same challenges I had previously encountered on a real tennis court.
I took very good care of myself while I was away from the game. That shoulder issue I had has healed. I read at least four books during my time away. I’ve better organized my life, and now I’m more prepared than ever to partake in some fall Sunday Women’s League tennis action. Surely, I’m not the only person who misses my team and the weekly competition. I’m sure the captains and team members have poured some extra energy into recruiting new players to beef up their teams’ rosters.
The suspension of the Sunday Women’s League spring season left 18,654 ladies sitting courtside. So, I feel like there are least 18,653 more ladies who feel the same way. Like myself, these women were very understanding of the public health crisis, and they have been patiently awaiting the fall season. They’ve had time to spread the word and build up some fervor for Sunday tennis. I’m expecting a lot of excitement and a reinvigorated energy in the air. I have no doubt this long-awaited fall season will culminate into one that exceeds our expectations.
