Troy Parks and Rec launches the first spring tennis league – The Troy Messenger

Troy Parks and Recreation’s Spring Tennis League began Monday with more than 80 children, adults and seniors participating in the league.

As early as the fall, it was proposed that the city start a tennis league, and that fall it was so successful that Troy Parks and Rec decided to do the same thing in the spring.

“We were very excited and surprised that 38 people attended and we thought that was a great number,” said Dan Smith, director of Troy Parks and Rec, of the fall league. “We had a great time playing tennis in the fall, so we decided to offer it in the spring as well. For the first week of registration I was concerned because it was extremely slow and I wasn’t sure if we would have enough people to even host a Spring League.

“Then in the last few days of registration it just exploded and we ended up with 85 people ranging from children to adults to seniors. We’re also going from one night a week to three nights a week.”

Smith said it is his department’s job to ensure there are many opportunities for youth and adults in the area.

“Our unofficial motto at Troy Parks and Recreation is, ‘Not everyone plays baseball and softball.’ So that means we have to offer a variety (of activities) for the youth, the adults and the seniors,” he stressed. “For a lot of people, it could be about being competitive, or it could just be for fun. There was a young lady who picked up a racquet for the first time in the fall and is now playing tournaments almost every week. So she found her passion and her sport.”

Madison Bassett gets ready to serve. (Photo by Josh Boutwell)

Smith said he hopes the fall and spring tennis leagues become annual leagues and said that is the plan going forward. Smith also said that if players are interested in competing in a postseason at the end of the league this summer and aiming for a championship, that’s also a possibility. Most importantly, Smith says he’s excited to be able to offer local residents more ways to enjoy activities in the city.

“It was a wonderful surprise,” Smith said of the Spring League involvement. “Anytime someone suggests something, if it’s within reason, we try to implement it.

“We’re like, ‘Sure, let’s offer it and see what happens.’ Social media can be very positive in this regard to educate people about it. This helped us in the fall and we were very happy and blown away by the number we had this spring. So we always want to provide opportunities for youth, adults and seniors and we always try to implement any suggestions we get if we can.”