COLUSA, CA (MPG) – The Colusa Rotary Club hosted the first of two events in 2024 and 2025 geared toward introducing more people to tennis.
“We have a really good tennis community, and we want to encourage others who are maybe interested to come join it,” said Rotarian Luke Steidlmayer, who, along with brother Eric, head coach for the UC Davis Aggies men’s tennis team, grew up playing on the Colusa courts.
Saturday’s event, held on the first chilly fall day of the year, got a two-hour delay, due to overnight rain, although the morning hours from 8-11 a.m. were put to good use. Rotarians Brendan Farrell and Nic Weber, along with Lucas Guzman and Park, Recreation, and Tree Commissioner Thomas Roach cleaned the park and blew leaves and standing water off the surface. For the event, volunteers also pulled Bermuda grass growing under the fence and onto the courts.
The free tennis event was made possible from a 2024 Community Sake Grant, which was provided by the Colusa City Council from American Rescue Plan Act funding, a federal allocation to help cities bounce back from the COVID-19 pandemic.
About a dozen youth learned the basics of handling a tennis racket and hitting the ball into the green, followed by the rotation of 10 teams of two people, an exercise that increases skills for even the most experienced tennis players.
“You really learn a lot from playing people you’ve never played before,” said Jen Giffon, who partnered with husband Matt.
Teams also included Rotarian Antonio Ortiz, who partnered with PRT Commissioner Elizabeth Yerxa, and Rotarian Brendan Farrell, who partnered with wife Megan, who is expecting the couple’s second child, Marcus, around Christmas. Steidlmayer teamed with his son Clay.
While Rotary Tennis Day is intended to introduce youth and adults to recreational sport, the club’s long goal is to help fund the maintenance of the city’s tennis facility, Steidlmayer said.
Although not a Rotarian, Fred Leonard, who participated in Saturday’s event, has led the effort to maintain the nets and benches, but Colusa Rotary hopes to add resurfacing the courts to their list of planned community projects.
Steidlmayer said for optimal play, tennis courts should be resurfaced every 10 to 15 years.
“This year, it was just about raising awareness,” Steidlmayer said. “Having a day where people can come out and see other people who play is great, but this is supposed to run into a fundraising event.”
Cameron Garner, who plays tennis every day and partnered Saturday with Colusa teacher Dak Kalisuch, said she would like to see more people come out to experience tennis.
“It really is a lot of fun,” Garner said.
The second Rotary Tennis Day is planned for spring 2025, and may include a formal tennis clinic, a professional exhibition, and the first fundraising tournament to raise money for tennis and pickleball facilities.
Because the park has only two tennis courts, the historically contentious relationship between tennis and pickleball players has ended with a desire for the games’ respective enthusiasts to work together to provide recreational facilities in Colusa to accommodate both sports.
Colusa Rotary plans to partner with community members who are already working to have four pickleball courts installed at Sankey Park.
“I’ve been talking about it for years,” Jen Giffin said. “Now, it’s really happening. The more people we have to help, the better it will be. We have people who can donate their time and equipment, but we need the whole community, including Rotary, to be involved.”
Visitors to the courts on Saturday enjoyed a free lunch of hot dogs and hamburgers, and each participant was given a T-shirt. The five-hour event ended around 4 PM with a competitive doubles match in which Lucas Guzman and Brendan Farrell lost to Luke Steidlmayer and Matt Giffin after a fast-paced back-and-forth rally to break a 4-4 tie.
Rotary’s next Tennis Day will include off court activities, such as cornhole and kids play area for tennis downtime.
“It’s still a work in progress,” Steidlmayer said. “We just want people to know the tennis court is a fun place and it’s the spot to be.”