Professional Beach Tennis, www.beachtennisusa.net
Marty “Kid Kodiac” Salokas. Donny “The Golden Bullet” Young. Ring any bells? How about Phil Whitesell or Chris Henderson? They are not just any professional tennis players, they are pro Beach Tennis players. That’s right, Beach Tennis. It has grown increasingly more popular in the last few years since the official debut of Beach Tennis USA (BTUSA) in 2005. Founder Marc Altheim stumbled upon a game when he was vacationing in Aruba in 2003, and fell instantly in love with playing tennis on the beach. He decided to bring it to the US, and with the formation of BTUSA he has created teaching clinics, leagues, and tournaments across the country to introduce Americans to the sport.
How do you play? It’s pretty simple actually. It’s a lot like regular tennis, except played on a regulation beach volleyball court using a slightly depressurized ball. The idea is to not let the ball touch the ground. As of now, the only sanctioned form of Beach Tennis is doubles, but the organization is hoping to expand it to singles play in the future. Most of the locations for tournaments and official Beach Tennis facilities are on the East Coast and in California. However, Chicagoans can still enjoy the fun and benefits of this exciting sport. The beaches along Lake Michigan are there for a reason.
Any beach that provides volleyball posts can be used to play Beach Tennis. Bring a volleyball net (or rent one), tennis racquets, tennis balls, and a large group of people, and play a few matches in the sand. Apart from learning a different and entertaining new way to play tennis, the game is also an intense workout. Running through sand adds resistance, and forces players to exert more energy than they would on normal tennis courts. Also, the sand puts less pressure and strain on knees and joints.
For people who are interested in getting more involved with Beach Tennis rather than playing a friendly match here and there, it is possible to join or form a Beach Tennis League. Team Beach Tennis (TBT) is a division of BTUSA and is available to sports league directors and promoters. TBT accepts applications for charter leagues and league directors from all across the country, hoping that it will even become popular in places that do not have beaches. The leagues consist of co-ed teams, age 18 and older, and have several divisions like men’s, women’s, and mixed doubles. Qualifying teams can participate at the National Championships on Labor Day weekend to officially end the season.
For players who want something in between leisurely play and intense leagues, Chicago has a way for people to contact other players interested in beach tennis and form friendly teams. Sportsvite is a website dedicated to helping people connect through sports. The site provides visitors with the option to create and organize their own teams, and even has management tools to help form schedules and rosters. Anyone can sign-up and contact other people who enjoy playing beach tennis.
So Chicago, the beaches are just waiting to be utilized this summer, and Beach Tennis is an exciting new sport that can be enjoyable for any tennis player.
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