Mario Cuadros | SCTennis.com
Whether it’s going out on the lake or enjoying a cookout in the backyard, family activities play an important role in the relationships between parents and children. The activities are an opportunity to bond and share a similar interest that can last a lifetime.
For Tammy Kelley (on the right) and Christine Webb (left), playing tennis continues to be one of those family activities.
Kelley has been around tennis all her life. She started playing in public parks growing up in New Jersey. She fell in love with the game as a young girl. As a mother, she tries to pass along her passion for tennis to her children. When she and her husband decided to move south, a big incentive was the opportunity to practice tennis with her family.
“My 4-year-old sons play tennis, so we like to play together as a family,” she said.
Unlike Kelley, Webb took longer to begin her tennis career. The influencing factor for her was her daughter, who began playing at an early age and is now playing in college. Webb wanted to share a common interest with her daughter and found that tennis was something they both enjoyed and could share for many years.
Both Tammy Kelley and Christine Webb also play tennis with other people, including league tennis. They both enjoy the camaraderie and the competitive nature that league tennis offers. Competition is not lacking, either. Both women play with the Tennis Association of Hilton Head Island 40 and Over, 8.5 team.
“We’re playing against women who play four or five times a week,” Webb said. “It’s a tough category with very competitive tennis.”
Their expectations are high for this weekend’s USTA South Carolina Combo Doubles League Championships: they expect to keep the title on Hilton Head Island.
“We just want to have fun and win,” Webb said. “We practice hard, but we play harder.”