By Contributor Bethany Johns (NTU Media Student)
Check out a video from the 50+ tennis session here - https://vimeo.com/153483899
The weekly sessions (Friday 2-3pm at Southglade Leisure Centre in the hall) are offered to anyone of any skill level with an emphasis on socialising and having fun. Suzanne Garnett, the Community Tennis Officer for Nottingham who started the group said: “It’s an offshoot of another group, so some of the participants have been doing it for 6-12 months.
“We had other groups but they were in small spaces, and some of the sessions were even outside in car parks. It is a great game for older people as smaller courts and slower balls provide a gentler game with longer rallies".
They now play at Southglade Leisure Centre every Friday. The sessions are led by the participants themselves. Suzanne said if the members want to, they have the opportunity to volunteer like Kevin, one of the participants who started leading the Friday sessions.”A lot of them just want to participate, though.”
Suzanne is one of many ‘activators’ in Nottingham, whose jobs include getting people involved in a range of sports from golf to archery. Rather than regular tennis balls and courts, the group uses soft foam ball alternatives and slightly smaller playing spaces.
Ms Garnett added: “It really helps them keep fit and healthy. One of our participants, for example, has diabetes and coming to these sessions has helped him regulate this.”
Kevin Mulloy, a 62-year-old participant of the group said: “It’s a lot of exercise and a lot of fun. “It’s a different kind of exercise, which is hard to organise for yourself.” The retiree was among five other people who attended the Friday session, although they usually expect slightly higher numbers. “You’ve got to be a little bit cautious about injuries,” warned Kevin. “I picked up a minor hamstring injury last week so I stopped playing straight away and massaged it so I can still play today. But you have to be careful about that.”
Kevin added that it’s not always easy for people of his age group to get the exercise they need. “The people who need it the most probably need to be taken by the hand and brought to some sessions,” he said.