Tennis is not a sport that is as easy as picking up a racquet, according to a local player.
“If you’ve never played a racquet sport before, it’s a little bit difficult,” said Vivian Thickett, a member of the Powell River Tennis Club (PRTC). She highly recommends lessons for anyone interested in the game.
Registration for beginner, intermediate and advanced lessons is now available through Powell River Recreation Complex.
All classes are at the Townsite Tennis Courts on Tuesdays and Thursdays from June 7 to 16. Beginner and intermediate classes take place from 5-7 pm; advanced from 7-9 pm. Cost is $55 per person for four, two-hour classes.
The tennis courts, which were originally built in 1929, are a public facility.
Tuesdays and Thursdays, PRTC members have priority, except when lessons are being taught.
The club has about 40 members who sign up every year, according to Thickett.
Membership is $15 for a single, $20 for a couple and $25 for a family, with the fees mostly going toward social events.
The club also runs a ladder tournament featuring matches where players play against each other and move up and down in the rankings, based on wins or losses.
In addition, players from Sechelt and Comox regularly visit for days of social tennis.
“If anyone new comes out on the days we’re playing, we absolutely welcome them and help them,” said Thickett.
While no one from Powell River has ever made the Association of Tennis Professionals (ATP) or Women’s Tennis Association (WTA), Thickett said there have been a few who earned tennis scholarships at American universities.
“We’ve had a few good junior players,” she said. “Bob Burnett was one of them and Kim Andersen went to college in the states, too.”
To register for lessons, call 604.485.2891.
