Amherstburg tennis league celebrating 15 years

Members of the Amherstburg Open say the league is suffering due to a lack of playable courts.

The tennis league, which was first started in 2003 by Robert Dufour and Mike Callard has evolved over the years. Starting as a summer league, consisting of eight players, the league enjoyed six years of success before 2009 when Dufour moved away.

“The league fell apart for a couple years when no one wanted to take the responsibility of running it,” said Dufour, commissioner of the league.

At first, the league offered one division which included all skill levels. After four years of examining the overall outcome of the league, Dufour decided it was time there should be two divisions, as the less advanced players did not like the fact they had to play against the elite players.

Today, the Amherstburg Open has 26 total players in the intermediate and expert league. There is also a wait list of players wanting to join the Open.

“In the regular season you would just get a list of names and numbers and it would be the players’ responsibility to call their opponent,” said Dufour on the process of setting up league matches. “There was no set date as we found something always went wrong that day.”

Although most members in the league are from Amherstburg, matches for the league can be played anywhere as long as both opponents agree on location.

With one court in Amherstburg considered “suitable” for league play, several matches are being played in Harrow, McGregor, Anderdon and Windsor.

“I feel the lack of courts hurts the league,” said Eli Parent, a second year player in the intermediate division of the league. “The courts in town are terrible. The one decent court isn’t even good. The cracks are a death trap and could put one of our players at risk of an injury.”

Aaron Parent, who is in his second year, said the league suffers from a lack of courts.

“We should have at least three to four courts,” said Parent. “Not just for us but the high school does use them too as well as other people in the community.”

Another ongoing problem for the league is availability due to matches being played on the one court and it often being used for road hockey. In the future, Eli Parent said the old arena across from the tennis park would be ideal to be turned into indoor tennis courts.

“It’s a shame so much money is spent on sports complex catering to baseball, hockey and football but no tennis,” said Parent. “It’s a great sport that promotes fitness as well as discipline.”

With the start of the 2015 season just days away, league members are planning to make the championship game in late September a regular event.