Tennis Club courts fitness, fun for players

By Laura Hipshire
THE ERICKSON TRIBUNE

Gene Simmons is working on his serve.

According to Simmons, a good game of tennis lies in the strength of the serve.

“It’s about placing the ball, and serving,” he says.

Simmons has been playing the game for more than 30 years.

Simmons, who moved to Henry Ford Village from Trenton with his wife Dolores, organized the Tennis Club and is always looking for new members.

The club plays twice a week at the Ford Woods Park in Dearborn.

“The courts there are in very good condition,” he says. Basically, members wishing to join need only “show and play.”

For now, the club is better suited for players who know their way around the court.

“Eventually we would like to start another club just for beginners,” Simmons says.

Experts: Sports like tennis serve body and mind
Simmons is on to something. Apparently, tennis benefits the mind as well as the body. Charles Hillman, kinesiology professor at the University of Illinois, says senior citizens who swim, jog, play tennis, or participate in some regular exercise are more likely to be better prepared to respond to situations requiring quick thinking than their couch potato peers.

“I like the activity, the challenge of the game,” Simmons says, admitting he can’t move as rapidly as he used to. “I’ve got nothing to prove, though; I just want to get some exercise.”

While tennis isn’t everyone’s game, there are dozens of other sports and activities to stimulate both body and mind at Henry Ford Village—which features more than 100 different clubs.

Think you can “ace” some tennis trivia? If so, try this short quiz:

1. What is the name given to a shot that is hit to your opponent who then fails to touch the ball with his/her racket?

2. What is the least number of points needed to win a game?