Starting something from scratch is hard work.
Take a club tennis team for example.
Convincing those in charge that the club is worth the time and effort, while assuring nothing will be taken away from the varsity program, comes first.
Once that’s out of the way, finding a place to practice and funding for equipment can be a daunting task.
Then comes the all-important quest for people who want to play on the team. Recruitment, tryouts and cuts take even more time.
OK, it’s time for a break.
Just kidding.
Now comes the competition factor: Finding other people you can actually compete against can be a little tricky.
Sound like a lot of work? The Oregon club tennis team knows these struggles all too well.
Erin Miller (back) is part of a sibling duo on the club tennis team, while Harvey Rogers (hitting ball) is another Duck competitor.
The club tennis team was started last year as men competed for the first time during spring term. This year marks the first time women have competed. Club Coordinator Seth Davis credits junior Derek Lehr for pushing the envelope with the idea of a club tennis team.
“Derek really got the ball rolling,” Davis said.
Lehr played with the team last year, but is taking a break because of other commitments.
Davis, a junior, along with junior Megan Buller and sophomore Kate Ottum make up the coordinating trio in charge of club operations, along with competing. They referred to this year as “the first real season” for club tennis.
The Ducks recently set up an official five-team league through the United States Tennis Association. The league will consist of Oregon State, Portland State, Washington, Western Washington and Oregon, and will get under way in the spring.
When it came to choosing players, Buller said the Ducks ended up with a team from, “all ages and all walks of life.” With players from different age groups and several from different countries, he said it has been constant fun throughout the team bonding process.
“It’s interesting how I’ve met so many different people,” Davis said. “We have fun during practice.”
“It’s the most random team ever,” Ottum said. “We get along really well.”
Although the Ducks emphasize
having fun, cuts were made during
tryouts as the coordinators wanted the team to have a competitive,
serious side.
“We want somebody that’s not lazy,” Davis said. “Someone who will take it seriously.”
“Tennis is a game where your feet should never be still,” Ottum said. “Never.”
Adding to the uniqueness of the roster are the sibling duos of Tyler and Nicholas Viles and Erin and Beth Miller.
“(Tyler and Nicholas are) really consistent and always working hard,” Davis said. “They’re self-motivated guys.”
“(Erin and Beth are) really good,” Ottum said. “They’re the most consistent players on the (women’s) team.”
The team practices twice a week on the indoor tennis courts in the Student Recreation Center. Buller said other schools are jealous of the Ducks’ facilities.
“It’s a great complex,” Buller said. “We’re really lucky to have it.”
Greg Smith, a coordinator and instructor of racquet sports for the University of Oregon, is the official coach of the Ducks, but leaves most of the duties up to the coordinators.
The Ducks’ ultimate goal is to compete at the USTA’s national tournament, but they will wait until next year once they’ve gained experience. This means, after all the hard work that went into putting the team together, the Ducks have one thing to look forward to before next year’s national tournament.
Hard work.
Jon Roetman is a freelance writer
for the Emerald.