Tennis: A healthy sport for generations

“My partner that I was going to play with couldn’t come at the last minute and a good friend of mine, Del Campbell, who played tennis at Kansas, he was scheduled to play with another guy and Del couldn’t come,” reminisced Lunsford

He ended up teaming up with Campbell’s partner, Frank Hagelshaw. This was the first time that the two had played together and they ended up winning the whole tournament as Campbell suspected they would.

“In the finals we beat a guy who wound up being No. 1 in the country and his partner, who was originally from Africa. And he’s now won two Gold Balls, and we beat them in the third-set tiebreaker in front of maybe 50, 60 people.”

Throughout his tennis career, Lunsford has paid attention to the physical health benefits of playing the sport.

“Tennis is a high-intensity, interval training sport,” explained Lunsford. “You’re running in quick bursts and then stopping and then turning in all directions. You’re rotating your body, you’re bending over, you’re stretching up. And you’re doing it constantly over a period of hours. You’re normally doing it outdoors in the sun. And those are all good reasons why it’s physically the best sport for you.”

Lunsford plays, on average, eight to nine sanctioned national USTA age-group tournaments a year, driving across the country to do so.

When asked what advice he would give to those considering picking up tennis later in life, he had just two words: “Do it.”

“It’s probably one of the best things you can do,” he said. “You don’t have to be a super athlete or a super tennis player. Just get out there and have some fun and play with people at your ability level.”

He’ll be participating in the Level 1: USTA Men's National 80-85-90-95 Indoors at Overland Park Racquet Club in October for his next tournament this year. Registration for this tournament closes on Oct. 1. Those interested in more information or registering can click here.

But the tennis family doesn’t stop there. Lunsford’s son, Stephen W. Lunsford, also plays the sport.

While his father started playing tennis late in life, he started playing in high school at a neighborhood court that was right around the corner from his house in Connecticut with one of his friends.

Once he went off to college he didn’t play again until years later when it was brought up at the end of a softball season in Vista, N.Y. One of the players on the team mentioned that they get together on the weekends to play tennis, and Lunsford was eager to join in.

“I think I enjoy the team aspect, you know, being a part of a team. That’s been probably the biggest change from when I left tennis as a kid, playing one-on-one with a friend, to when I came back to tennis with a group of people and then starting with USTA,” he said. “Playing on a team really brought everything together and made it so much more enjoyable than just an individual sport.”

Lunsford also mentioned that he enjoys the camaraderie with his teammates and how the leagues have helped him meet people through tennis since his move back to the Midwest.

Recently, his 40 & Over 4.0 men’s team, captained by Mark Reedy, punched a ticket to nationals. They’ll be representing the section in Orlando, Fla. from Oct. 25-27.

“I think anybody that really puts their heart and soul into it and really goes into it with the right attitude of giving it a chance and really wanting to have fun with it, is gonna have fun with it,” said Lunsford on what advice he’d give to those returning to the sport. “There’s so many different ways you can take the game of tennis and have it work out for you. It’s not just one thing fits all. There’s so many different things you can do with it.”

His daughter, Abby Lunsford, has also played the sport on and off since she was in middle school back in Connecticut.

Back then, she took lessons occasionally, but eventually put the racquet down to continue to play soccer, a sport that many of her friends were involved in.

She picked up the sport again a couple of years into working at the front desk of the Jayhawk Tennis Center during college. One of her coworkers arranged World Team Tennis and urged her to get on the court to give it a try.

“I was so intimidated and nervous at first because I’d never actually played a match before,” she recounted. “But it was a beginner group and everyone was really supportive so I ended up having a lot of fun.”

Now, years later, she’s back in the tennis world working at USTA Missouri Valley in the Communications and Marketing Department. When one of her coworkers convinced her to come out for a tennis drill at Overland Park Racquet Club, she decided to give it a try and hit the courts once again.

“I understand why drills are so popular now,” Lunsford said. “It’s a great way to get moving and meet other players. You’re not there to win, you’re simply there to have fun and get better.”

What she enjoys about tennis is not only that it’s a fun way to stay active, but also the community that rallies behind it.

“The tennis community is really great,” she said. “I’ve met a lot of awesome people through it. Plus, they’re willing to meet you where you are. Whether you’re looking to play leagues, tournaments or just get out and hit, there are so many opportunities to get involved.”

To learn more about the health benefits of tennis, click here.