Club tennis team finishes first year

Southeast Missouri State University has added a tennis club to its list of club sports on campus. The team welcomes almost all members as long as they have some experience with tennis and are able to be competitive on the court.

"We started the club last semester," Kevin Francis, the founder of the club, said. "I played tennis all through high school and really wanted to play in college, but it just didn't work out. Me and another teammate from high school both came here and were both interested in starting a club team. I went through the required steps but was unable to start it my freshman year. Luckily, I was able to start up the club this year as a sophomore."

The club practices every Tuesday and Thursday from 6-8 p.m. Members of the club also will get the chance to compete in matches against other teams.

"We were only able to do two tournaments this semester," Francis said. "Took the top four guys and the only two girls of the club, at that time, to the two tournaments. We went 1-5, which isn't a terrible start for a new club. Next year I will try and get more one-on-one matches with other schools and give everyone the opportunity to compete."

The club has 15 members -- 10 men and 5 women. Members of the club have a good time while also competing.

"I have always enjoyed playing tennis in high school and I wanted to meet new people and play more tennis," Cory Herzog, a member of the club, said. "I was in intramurals and he [Francis] told me about how he was thinking about starting a club, and I was definitely interested."

"I played tennis all through high school and found out there was a tennis club through a guy on the team, and I decided to come and it was really fun," Alyson Adams, a member of the club, said.

The club does not have a fee to participate or join.

"There is no league that we pay. The USTA [United States Tennis Association] is the overarching head, and they don't charge us anything," Francis said. "Each individual tournament has an entry fee. We only charge our team members for travel, entry fee, tennis balls and other equipment."

Not only is the club tennis team free to join but it also is a way to experience new things, meet new people and get better at something that's enjoyable.

According to Herzog, club tennis is a group to participate in where students can have fun but also take playing tennis seriously. Players are given the opportunity to play as many people as possible while still having a good time and improving.

"My favorite part about the club is competing against the guys in practice," Adams said. "It can be really intimidating at times but a lot of fun."

The club tennis team will continue play in the fall and is looking for more members to welcome to its team. For more information on the club contact Francis at kgfrancis1s@semo.edu.