For much of its existence, the Moose Jaw Tennis Club has found itself at the whims of Mother Nature.
When the season started, when games could be played and everything revolving around the sport depended on how nice the weather was at the local tennis courts, located in Crescent Park just off of Third Avenue Northeast.
Over the last few years, though, all that has changed.
The MJTC has been successfully operating an indoor court year-round in the Golden Ticket Sports Centre, and based on how much the facility has been used in recent times, the sport remains pretty popular even in these pandemic times.
“The last few years people haven’t been going away for the winter, so it gets a lot of use,” said Robbie Little with the MJTC. “It’s a busy place, and we wish we had two courts, actually.”
Of course, there’s nothing like getting outside and getting some fresh air and exercise -- and with that, the tennis club is looking forward to another busy season once things warm up.
To that end, they’ll be holding registration for both the outdoor season and indoor court on Apr. 23 from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. at the Golden Ticket.
The local club features a five-court facility with a full-service clubhouse, with lights for evening play. Things open as soon as the weather is nice enough in spring and shut down when it gets too cool in the fall.
Patrons will notice a major change to the club’s look in early June, when the City of Moose Jaw resurfaces and repaints the courts in a vibrant blue reminiscent of the Australian Open and the current colour scheme of the indoor court.
“The courts are overdue for some work, and we thought it would be a nice change, something different,” Little said.
Folks who are taking up the game for the first time will also have the option to take lessons from the MJTC’s six qualified instructors, all of whom are more than happy to offer some tips and tricks to those first picking up a racket.
“There’s lots of instruction available for new people coming out, you can try the game and maybe get a few lessons going and see how much you like it,” Little said. “We just want to let everyone know that tennis is a sport for all ages and now in Moose Jaw you can play it all year round if you like, and we all have a lot of fun.”
Outdoor registration gives you full access to the Moose Jaw Tennis Club facility, with fees for juniors 15-and-under at $100, students 16-and-older $150, adults $250 and families with two adults and all children 15-and-under living at home $500.
Membership for the indoor court is separate from the outdoor season and includes year-round access to the sport at all times. The cost is $500 for adults, $1,000 for families and $400 for students. Silver membership -- which entitles players to play indoors on evenings and weekends -- is $300 for adults, $600 for families and $300 for juniors.
For more information on the club and to book court times, be sure to visit their website at www.tennismoosejaw2.wixsite.com/home/.
