WHM: Q&A with Lynn Tsumoto

Q&A with Lynn Tsumoto

Q: What inspired you to take on a leadership role as the president of your Community Tennis Association?

A: I began playing tennis when I was already an adult with children. It provided a welcome outlet from family and professional responsibilities, even though I had very little time to play and learn. Still, it was fun, and I was able to make enough barely noticeable (actually dramatic to my myopic eyes) improvements to play on women's teams eventually. I surprised opponents with wildly odd strokes using different parts of my racquet and occasional loud exclamatory phrases, without violating any rules of tennis etiquette that I was aware of at the time. From there, I've been president of the El Cerrito Tennis Club for just over a year, after our previous president was not able to complete his term. As a member of the club's board, I felt obliged after benefitting so much from tennis to help lead if chosen. After a year as the interim president, I was elected to the office.

Q: How do you see the landscape of community tennis evolving, and what role do you envision women playing in its future?

A: Other racquet sports are becoming popular, some easier to learn than tennis, which requires time to develop the basics. There are so many dimensions to our sport, which is why I love it. There's always another stroke, move and strategy to practice and incorporate into your game. So even though we are a small community organization of volunteers with limited resources, the women and men on the board want to offer affordable clinics and workshops that are fun and that motivate our members to learn.  Once they get bitten by the tennis bug, they'll want to play on!