Tennis anyone?
The growing Mission Tennis Club hosted its annual Labor Day weekend tourney for members and Mission residents. Having played nine matches in two short days, I was physically exhausted like a marathon runner at the end of his journey.
My muscles haven't seen this kind of action all year.
This three-day weekend brings many special childhood meanings. Looking through my aging scrapbook, this was the first tennis tournament my parents put me in as a skinny 15- year-old junior high school student.
My father Tok and older brother Daljit set the pace in the earlier years before people took me seriously.
I recall packing my tennis bags wearing my tight Jimmy Connors shorts and shirt just trying to fit in.
My personal interest grew watching my uncles, father and brother bring beautiful tennis hardware and displaying it throughout our home. I wanted my name engraved in stone, too. Well, it didn't happen overnight.
My father gave me my first opportunity in 1983 to play doubles with my older brother.
The pressure was on and he wasn't the easiest partner to be on the same side with. He and I would win the double titles for several years until the late 80s when my younger brother Harry and I teamed up and won it for a few years consecutively.
I also had the fortunate opportunity of teaming up with my father Tok and won it for a few years back-to-back in the early 90s.
When I entered this year's event, I decided this was going to be my last year participating, having played almost 20 times.
There is no reason why. Now I would rather watch and support local tennis initiatives from the sidelines and mentor players.
Having organized local tourneys for 15 years and raised money with tennis pros in 1992 for upgrading the courts, I was given every opportunity to make a difference on and off the court.
Here are just a few of the former local Mission tennis legends that deserve Wimbledon Centre Court praise: the late Art Wood, Peter Brand, John Young, Phil Paul, Fay Holt, Shelia Walker, Roy Tremblay, the late Billy Gill and Jack Ziefflie.
Having won this year's men's single event for the 17th time against Brandon Wood, whom I have been coaching, it's nice to exit on high spirits.
Speaking with club president Mark Gervais, who has been running the organization since 1985, he said: "I've had people contact me from all over the world to play with the club during their stay in Canada. We are currently pushing for better courts and lights at the park. It would extend our evening playing time two to three hours. The District of Mission has always been co-operative in assisting our club."
Also, don't forget to get your entries in for the Building an Inclusive, Diverse Community essay contest before Oct.1.
The question is: How do we create an opportunity for different cultures to work together towards a harmonized, inclusive, multicultural community?
- Ken Herar is a columnist for the Abbotsford-Mission Times. Contact him at: kenherar@gmail.com.
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