For 38 years friendships and hospitable competition have moved through the members of the Glebe Ladies Tennis Club.
By Laura Fox • Photography By Aaron Spicer
For 38 years, during bone-chilling springs, the hot, humid summers and the glorious days of fall, members of the Glebe Ladies Tennis Club have held court. The club began in 1977 with a group of women from Arlington who had taken tennis lessons from Karen Mullen, a tennis instructor with Arlington County’s Department of Parks and Recreation.
Mullen’s interest in tennis began in 1960 when her future husband, Jack, took her to see 16-year-old Billie Jean Moffett (later to become Billie Jean King) play at the Philadelphia Lawn and Cricket Club. “It was the first time I saw a woman play tennis.” Mullen says. “I thought, ‘Wow, nobody can hit a ball like Billie Jean.’”
Mullen attended East Stroudsburg University of Pennsylvania and earned a degree in physical education. She then moved to Arlington where she began teaching tennis.
“Most of the women who took lessons were housewives or school teachers who had the summers off,” says Mullen, 74. “The women wanted to continue to play after the lessons were over, so we formed the Glebe Ladies Tennis Club. The courts at Glebe Park were reserved for the Glebe Ladies, and we played there every Wednesday morning.”
In the historical context of women’s tennis, GLTC was in its infancy when professional women’s tennis was taking off. “The Glebe Ladies would buy blocks of tickets to watch the Virginia Slims matches at the Smith Center at George Washington University,” Mullen says. “We saw Martina Navratilova, Rosie Casals and Billie Jean King play. It was a time when women’s tennis was booming. Watching the matches spurred the Glebe Ladies on to play better.”
Although the Glebe Ladies Tennis Club might conjure up an image of genteel women playing tennis in flowing white skirts and wide-brimmed hats, the women who started GLTC and those who have joined over the years are no shrinking violets when it comes to playing tennis.
June Million, 74, is one of the original members of GLTC and continues to play. “Many of us were housewives,” Million says. “Our kids were in school during the day, and we were looking for something to do. I looked around Arlington, and there were plenty of tennis courts, and it was free. When the weather is good, you can play year-round. I thought I should learn to play, and I liked it.”
“We started with 20 members from Arlington, McLean and D.C., and it grew to more than 100. People heard about it by word-of-mouth,” says Mullen. “In the beginning, it was an opportunity to drop in on Wednesday mornings for a friendly game of tennis. Then competitive ladders were added for both singles and doubles play and ladies and mixed doubles tournaments.”
Mullen thinks the evolution of GLTC from predominately stay-at-home moms to women in their 30s and up to their 80s is great. Mullen and Million agree that older players might be a step slower on the courts but that their years of experience playing tennis can be an advantage. “Older players can put the ball where they want to,” says Million. “I know I can’t keep up with younger players. Now there are enough older players to play with. You forgive each other’s mistakes and make accommodations for those who have injuries. You understand that you are out there to have fun.”
Gladys Barrett, 87, who lives in Arlington, is another original member, and she currently serves as GLTC’s senior policy advisor. “We came back to Arlington in 1976 from living in Turkey, and I became interested in tennis. Friends and I used to go and hit the ball, and then we decided to take some lessons from the county. There were about six of us who took lessons from Karen Mullen.
“The group was about having fun playing tennis, and it is still that way today. Whether you could serve an ace or you didn’t know anything about tennis didn’t matter. The Wednesday morning drop-in doubles play is for the sheer enjoyment of tennis. You know that every Wednesday morning you’d go play tennis, and you’d have no idea what type of game you’d have for the 30 minutes you play before the whistle is blown and you rotate partners.
“I think the informality of the group is a draw. It doesn’t cost a lot of money to join, and you can participate as much or as little as you want to. In the beginning we organized to the extent of having names and addresses on a list,” says Barrett. As more players joined the GLTC, the members created the positions of president and treasurer. GLTC also has members who organize and manage the activities, coordinate communication and update the GLTC website. And with more than 80 members, one of the most valuable resources is the membership directory.
According to Barrett, the Glebe Ladies were fortunate to have Evelyn Offutt as an original member. “Evelyn was a great player,” she says. “Her son, who is in real estate, decided he was going to build her a house, which he did, across the street from Glebe Park. The members kidded Evelyn about putting in a court at her home. She did put in a court, and that became the fourth GLTC court.” Offutt died in 2012 at the age of 94.
Over the years, the strong friendships among the club members have endured. “Glebe Ladies are there for each other through illnesses, injuries and deaths,” Barrett says. “It is a very congenial group—no throwing racquets or stomping off the courts. This is the attraction for those who were just learning tennis. They could find out what they could do without someone jumping down their throat.”
Looking to the Future
GLTC is thriving after 38 years because of the steady addition of new members. Kathy Peters, who recently joined, is Barrett’s daughter. They are currently the only mother-daughter duo in the club. Peters, 58, who lives in McLean, began playing tennis seven years ago. She joined GLTC in 2012 when she moved to Northern Virginia from Charlottesville. “I knew of the Glebe Ladies from my mom, and I thought joining would be a good avenue for me to meet new players.” Peters likes the challenge of playing against opponents who always tend to beat her. “I look forward to playing them so I can learn from their games. I think it’s good to play with stronger players; if it is a good game, I don’t care if I lose.”
Karen Spence, 71, a member for 10 years and a past president of GLTC, doesn’t have a formal background in tennis. She picked it up while her family lived in Switzerland. In 2000 in McLean, she began playing tennis on a regular basis and now plays two to three times a week.
Spence says GLTC members are friendly and enthusiastic and have a variety of abilities. “New players want to know about joining if they haven’t played in a while,” she says. “I tell them that’s where I started, too. Most of us have something that interrupts our playing whether it’s a job or family, kids or even illnesses. I think we are almost all starting at the same place. Maybe you did play tennis, then a big interruption occurs, and then you have a little bit more time, and you want to start playing tennis again.
“As an older player you may not have the power, maybe you’re not quite as fast, but over time you’ve found a few shots that seem to work for you. You get reinforcement from playing. You try a shot, and it works, so you try it again. You pick things up that work for you and your abilities.
“I don’t have a formal background in tennis. I’ve had two lessons many years apart. By playing you sort of figure things out,” says Spence. Those who have played against Spence are impressed by her backhand drop shot. “I don’t know how I learned to do that, but it happened, and I thought the opponents can’t get to those balls quickly, so I’ll keep trying that shot. I don’t remember thinking I’m going to learn to do a backhand drop shot. It just happened, quite frankly. There was nothing formal about it.”
Joining a new group at any age can fill even the most confident people with anxiety, especially if their tennis skills might be a bit rusty. Jan Burke, 61, the current GLTC president, has been a member since 2011. “I found out about GLTC from the Arlington County website. After retiring from the government, I had time for tennis during the day. I came to Wednesday drop-in doubles to see if I would like the group. I watched everyone and their interactions with each other. I found it very welcoming. I sort of fell into GLTC, and this whole other world of tennis opened up. I remember submitting my membership application online and getting a call that day from the president, Karen Spence, who welcomed me into the group. This is the type of attention that attracted me. Someone taking time to call me and [asking] me to come out and see what the group is like.” While president, Burke plans to carry on that tradition of outreach to new members.
Alberta Seith, 68, of Annandale, hadn’t played tennis in more than 25 years before she joined GLTC in 2011. “I had played a lot before I had kids and when they were young. And then I just stopped. Three years ago I signed up for a tennis boot camp to get my skills back.” A chance conversation about finding women to play tennis with led her to GLTC. Seith says she was surprised how long the club had been around and amazed that there was this community of people ready to play tennis.
“I was just trying to come back; that was my main goal. I wanted to find people who would play with me because I was not very good. Everyone at the GLTC was so gracious and so kind. I discovered if you find a time and court, GLTC members will come and play,” says Seith. “Walking in and not being a very good tennis player, I was surprised that the members give you the space to progress on your own level. You meet other people. It’s like a big smorgasbord—you get to play with a variety of people with a variety of skill levels. You can always work harder by playing someone better than yourself.”
Seith is one of the members who plays tennis outdoors year-round. “We play when the temperature outside is 40 degrees or above. In the winter we start at 9:30 a.m. At that time I may be wearing mittens, a fleece-lined jacket and pants. After the first three to four games I start removing layers. Off come the mittens; your hands stay warm running around. I exchange the heavy jacket for a lighter jacket. You have to get up, get out to the tennis courts and start running around. Then the temperature feels fine.”
Gail Wentzel, 68, of Arlington, is a GLTC past president and has been a member for 12 years. “When I joined there was this older woman in the group, Lucille Capps, who took me under her wing and encouraged me. The members were very welcoming, not intimidating at all. There was quite a variety of abilities, as there are now,” she says. “Glebe ladies play to win. You play your best game, but it is never a pressure situation needing to win.” Wentzell says one of the best perks of membership is the phone directory. “You’ve got a list of all these tennis players who are available when you want to play.”
“If you are interested in joining GLTC, I encourage you to come out to the Wednesday morning drop-in doubles from 9–11 a.m. to see if you like it, meet some people and then decide if you want to join,” says GLTC President Burke. The 2015 season begins April 1 and continues through Oct. 28. New members can join at any time, and dues are prorated. Dues for 2015 are posted on the website.
Joining GLTC
GLTC is open to women of any age interested in playing tennis. It is a nonprofit, membership-run organization.
Activities include:
• Wednesday drop-in doubles at Glebe Road Courts (4211 N. Old Glebe Road, Arlington VA 22207)
• Competitive singles and doubles matches based on ability level
• Round robin doubles tournaments
• Mixed and ladies doubles events
• Spring and Fall membership meetings with luncheon
To see more information and to join, visit the GLTC website at https://sites.google.com/site/glebeltc/
(April 2015)