Tennis for the non-sports minded; 2 matches this week

(This is the third in a series of stories about spring sports for the non-sports minded. In case you missed them, lacrosse and track and field were the first two stories in the series.)

Other than track and field, spring sports involve a ball.

Usually a white one.

In baseball or softball, a ball is thrown at a player. In soccer or lacrosse, players are kicking or passing a ball.

In golf, a small dimpled ball is hit with a club toward a hole.

In tennis, it’s a yellow ball hit with a racquet back and forth between two or four players over a 3-foot net. And, unlike other spring sports, there’s a hard playing surface, which really should be completely dry for tennis matches.

On that note, “spring” has been brutal for the about 35 girls who chose tennis. The hill next to the courts has looked more like a giant snowbank than an inviting grassy knoll. Normally, it’s the perfect place for fans to view multiple tennis matches, which take place simultaneously.

But the girls have braved the fickle Michigan spring weather, donning multiple layers and carried on. The familiar deep ‘th-whack’ of yellow Wilson tennis balls has been interspersed with periodic chatter and the chirp of laughter despite the cold and windy weather.

“Number one for the girls – and all the coaches share this philosophy – is at the end of the day, we want this to be fun and that they want to be out there,” said Head Girls’ Tennis Coach Matt Pedlow.

Pedlow is in his 12th season as the Bulldog coach. He, JV Coach Tom Osbeck, Mischa Moore and Brian Tucker, agree that tennis is a sport for any girl who wants to give it a try.

(But, whacking a tennis ball in near freezing temperatures – despite today’s propensity to have rackets strung less tightly than in year’s past – is just not considered optimum tennis weather.)

Although there are two types of “game” when it comes to playing tennis – most high girl high school players opt to play the baseline – running side to side along the white line at the back of the court; rather than serve and volley – where a player serves and immediately rushes toward the net.

You’ll hear rubber-soled “tennis shoes” making odd squeaking noises as the player’s quickly stop, start and lunge to return the ball on blue and green hard courts. (Which, by the way, are the same color as those seen on TV during the US Open.)

The girls’ experiences and skill levels range from rank beginners to three years of varsity experience. Although anyone interested can join the team, (there’s a no-cut policy) the best 15 players are chosen for the varsity team. In addition, there is a JV as well as a middle school program.

Another tennis oddity? There’s the chance two high school teams will tie at the end of the match as four singles players and four doubles teams compete. 

Making this year’s varsity team is tough because it’s loaded – seven returning players competed in the state tournament last year. The coaching staff believes a league and regional title is within the team’s grasp, and that another trip to states is plausible as well.

“The goal is to finish in the Top 10,” Pedlow says.

He purposefully schedules perennial powerhouses like Lumen Christie, Green Hills, Mason, Saline and Flint Powers and sprinkles in weekend tournaments with top flight players.

“They play up to the level of their competition,” he says.

Pedlow’s teams have eight league titles, a regional title (they were second in 2017) and solid finishes in the state tournament. 

So let’s look at match play. Unlike many spring sports where umpires or referees dictate play or penalties, high school tennis players make their own calls and when in doubt, a call always goes to the opponent.

A single’s court is 78 feet by 27 feet and doubles teams must cover even more ground – as the courts are 36-feet wide. It takes about 1.5 to two hours to complete a match.

Coaches are only allowed to talk to their players at certain times during play.

So these girls are out there thinking for themselves, testing their opponent’s strengths and weaknesses, and then making conscious choices to continue doing what’s working, or when it’s not switch up strategy on the fly.

“The beauty of tennis is they are out there alone with very little coaching or no coaching and they can’t just walk off the court” if things aren’t going well.

Tennis players must “learn to think for themselves and persevere,” Pedlow says.

Great life lessons, don’t you think?

You’ll witness 40 m.p.h. serves (which signal the start of play) and hear a distinct popping sound when the racket strings connect with the ball in the “sweet spot” (center of the racquet) during a good serve, return of serve, overhead slam, or solid ground stroke.

Conversely, you’ll hear a very different sound perhaps a “ping” or a “thunk” if the ball is caught on the frame. (Although, even then, sometimes the ball still dinks over the net anyway.)

Figuring out who’s winning and who’s losing can sometimes be difficult, but keep an eye on the back fence of the courts and you’ll see score cards flipped once a game is completed.

So are you sufficiently intrigued to check out tennis? Weather-pending, you have two opportunities this week.

The girls play an SEC team — Tecumseh — on April 24 beginning at 4:30, then on April 25 at 4 p.m., the Bulldogs play host to a powerhouse  — Flint Powers. So, if you’d like to watch top notch tennis, this is the match to put on your must-go-watch calendar.

(In case you weren’t aware, the tennis courts can be found behind the high school and there’s plenty of nearby parking. And that lovely hill where you can set up a chair or bring a blanket to sit on.)

There are very few sports that you can still play at 50 years old. And beyond. Tennis is one of them.

And Chelsea has some of the nicest courts around, so please, do yourself a favor and check out this spring sport. Maybe even give it a try.

Go Buldogs.