"Tennis is my life," said Lise Trudel, 65, as she took a brief break on the sidelines during a recent match.
The Montreal native, clad in a pink tennis skirt and visor, has been playing at the Yacht Club since 1971. She hits the courts three or four times a week, practicing and playing on several teams.
Fellow teammate Marlene Mullen, 69, has been wielding a racquet for 30 years and also plays at least three days per week. Mullen takes her game seriously and didn't let a knee replacement last year keep her away from the courts.
"I've been addicted to it," she said of tennis. "It's a lifeline - a healthy lifeline."
While Trudel and Mullen practiced their sport, Yacht Club tennis pro Paul Sabutis, 62, wheeled a cart filled with neon tennis balls onto the adjacent court for a morning clinic.
"These are probably some of our best players at the club," Sabutis said, motioning to the four women warming up for his clinic. The women, he said, play at a 4.0 to 4.5 level. The U.S. Tennis Association rates players at 4.5 and above as advanced.
The tennis pro, who began playing the sport as a teenager in Pennsylvania, works full time at the Yacht Club and part-time at Mid-Cape Racquet and Health Club. He's given tennis lessons in the local area for 20 years and said he enjoys helping players improve their game.
"Up on your toes, ladies! Nice shot," Sabutis said as he watched from the sidelines during his clinic and offered continuous words of encouragement while the women swung their Wilson racquets and sent the ball soaring over the net.
Although many athletes at the Yacht Club have been playing tennis for years, there are plenty of beginners at the club and veteran players are always quick to help them learn.
"Just come out and have fun," Sabutis advised new players. "Don't put too much pressure on yourself."
Shari McNemar, 66, said that when she began playing tennis in 1974, it was tough to learn patience as she honed her skills. She took about 20 years off from the game during her career with Lee County government, but picked up a racquet again a few years ago when she retired. Now, she plays at the Yacht Club - which offers league play, clinics and private lessons - every day.
"Truly, it's like riding a bike because even being away from it for 20 years, you fall right back into it," McNemar said of tennis.
The retiree - who plays in two leagues at the Yacht Club and practices and takes lessons during winters in West Virginia - said she doesn't enjoy exercising in the gym. When she plays tennis, she's so into the excitement of the game that it doesn't feel like a tedious workout.
McNemar is drawn to the socialization and friendly competition of the sport and said she's gained balance, strength and endurance playing tennis over the years. In fact, her doctor said her time on the tennis court may have played a role in her strong recovery after several bone surgeries.
"He said 'I have to account it to your being physically active,'" McNemar said as she sauntered onto the court for her morning tennis match. "You get your exercise and it's fun in the meantime."
