You can learn a lot of things about people when you play a tennis tournament, especially one where you have three teammates in a one weekend event like the Longboat Key Observer Challenge Cup.
I played with two women and a man over 80 in Division 2, which we won in the final 3-2. The format was mens singles, womens singles, both doubles and mixed for five points.
It was surprising to see my partner, who is over 80 and worked for decades on Wall Street, yelling more than me, saying BEAUTIFUL! after my winners or DUMMY! after his errors. I only said Come On once in three days. Jim was once ranked no. 1 in USTA Eastern 35s doubles.
Our teammate Karin is friends with ex NHLer Michael Pivonka, who has a daughter who played college tennis. And you won’t believe this. Nicole Pivonka had some kind of shoulder injury and because of it she was forced to serve underhand. In four years at Drexel University playing no. 1 singles, Pivonka never lost a match in four years with her underhand serve.
There was a guy in the Observer Challenge on another team that played the wackiest style anyone ever saw. I didn’t see him play but the reports were that he hit the ball as hard as he could and some went in, but most went into the net or into the fence. This wildman player had a beard and everyone thought he was 40 years old but in actuality he was just 18! Multiple people thought for sure he was over 40 but they were over two decades off.
In my last match of the Challenge, I played a retired lawyer named Dave in singles, the match clinched the Cup for us. I won the set 6-0 but this player was so unique. After every one of my winners or great shots he chuckled out loud, as if enjoying how good the shot was. In over two decades of playing tennis I never heard an opponent express enjoyment, sincere, authentic enjoyment when good shots beat him. He did this the whole set. I told him after that I will never forget his good spirit on the court, even while losing. He said he stopped being so serious a long time ago and it’s all about enjoying tennis now. And nobody does that better than this guy.
My other teammate Sandy told us about some of her war stories. Once in a league match, winning 5-2 in doubles, her team called the shot out – it was clearly, absolutely out – and the two opponents just left the court, leaving their bags before totally disappearing. Then another time, they beat another woman who she thought was a friend and that “friend” would not speak to her for three months. We are not talking about junior tennis here, we are talking about adult seniors.
The Observer Challenge is a tennis tournament sponsored by the Longboat Key weekly newspaper The Observer. This was the 19th Annual tournament held at the Longboat Key Public Tennis Center, drawing about 100 people to watch and support the action over three days, Friday to Sunday.
It attracts all kinds of players from the area, some mega millionaires with private jets, doctors, lawyers, business titans, real estate brokers, and regular people too. Everybody comes together for this one special tournament held every January or December.
Our prize for victory? A picture in the next issue of the Observer with the Cup and four glasses inscribed with the tournament logo and a nice white long sleeve shirt also with the tournament logo.
It’s one of my favorite tournaments to play, the format playing with two women and one man, the team format, is always special and extra fun. I have never seen such a tournament format played anywhere else than at Longboat Key and hopefully some will read this and spread the news across the US because the mixed gender four member format is tremendously enjoyable, like Hopman Cup and World Team Tennis.
And just look at that Cup…it’s even nicer than the Wimbledon plate.
