In their own words: Pam Sloan on tennis in the public parks

The National Public Parks Tennis Championships is such an exciting tournament. I’ve always been an advocate for this event, and in fact, we hosted this event in Kansas City when I was tennis director for the city. The NPPTC isn’t just about tennis, but about having fun and meeting people from all over the country; the networking experience is amazing. This tournament is so important because it reaches out to the public court player and allows them to come to center court and show their talent. It showcases the public park connection to the sport.

Every opportunity I get to promote tennis I also, promote the NPPTC tournament. But the event isn’t without its challenges—particularly in the area of sponsorship. Many of us are continually seeking sponsors to help in administering the tournament. Ideally, we need to find a long-term sponsor for the NPPTC, which would ensure the event continues to thrive in years to come, as tennis in the public parks continues to grow throughout the country.

Providing tennis programs and opportunities in a park and recreation agency has been one of the most rewarding experiences in my life. I share one story: Some years ago, I received a call from a woman who wanted a female to teach tennis to a group of ladies. At the time I did not have female instructors, so I decided I would teach the eight weeks myself.

As the women arrived, I realized the challenge may be more than I expected. They all wore long skirts, indicating they were from a religious group, and I worried about how they would get around the court. As we started learning about the equipment and the court and started an exercise to determine their skill, it was apparent many lacked eye-hand coordination. It was going to be a very long eight weeks, I thought.

The next Saturday, they showed up in their pedal pushers and with racquets they had bought from Walmart. I couldn’t help but smile at their enthusiasm and excitement. It took a few more weeks, but as I watched the ladies work on their hits, two of them managed a four-hit rally—and the air was filled with joy and excitement.

To this day it makes my heart feel good to know that I taught these ladies to play. I ran into them that winter at a mall, and they hollered from a distance, “Hey, coach!” They talked about still playing every Saturday at their local public park, and of their love of tennis. There could be no bigger reward than this for the work I do—and we all do—in tennis.

[Editor’s note: Stockton, Calif., resident Pam Sloan’s many honors include the USTA Missouri Valley Distinguish Service Award, the National Public Parks Tennis Association Jean and Hollis Smith Lifetime Achievement Award, the “Exceptional Service Award” from Kansas City Parks and Recreation and the “Outstanding Service Award” from USTA for her NJTL work. She also is a member of the USTA Missouri Valley Tennis Hall of Fame.]