Thursday Women

9:30 a.m. Fall registration runs July 1-22

Love the Game — Good Sportsmanship

KERI BECK, THURSDAY WOMEN’S VICE PRESIDENT

Tennis is a game that requires cooperation and courtesy. From the warm-up to the handshake (or racket bump), it can be exhilarating, but intense, and good sportsmanship makes for a fun day on the court whether you win or lose the match. ALTA encourages good sportsmanship. We love to hear stories from our members about teams that went above and beyond so that matches could be played and be enjoyed by all players. Over the last several years, I have received a number complaints about issues and problems that occur during matches, but when I hear about all the good that happens, it reminds me why I love this game and why I volunteer with ALTA. And the good far outweighs the bad.

Lifelong friendships and friendly rivalries have occurred because of ALTA tennis. Many of us moved into the Atlanta area and looked for a local or neighborhood team in an effort to make new friends and experience more of our communities. The Thursday Women’s League is filled with wonderful ladies who have the opportunity to get out on the courts during the week and have some friendly competition. Billie Jean King once said, “A lot of sports, over the years, become a game. If you are into tennis, it becomes part of your lifestyle.” That rings so true for our ALTA membership.

Every season, we give out sportsmanship awards to teams that have gone above and beyond and are examples of stellar cooperation or helpfulness during the season. We have now made it even easier to nominate teams for this special award! If you go to the ALTA website, and look under the Documents tab, you will find the Sportsmanship Award Nomination Form, which you can fill out online. The document has a link to the First VPs email for no-fuss submission. I encourage you all to look for opportunities this season to see all the good on the courts around you, and nominate a team who has shown considerable kindness and goodwill toward you or your team!

Arthur Ashe once said, “Success is a journey, not a destination. The doing is often more important than the outcome.” We should all make an effort to enjoy the journey each week on the courts and carry forward the lessons that good sportsmanship teaches us about our lives on and off the courts.