Northeast D.C. resident Stanley White spends his Thursday evenings at the Sherwood Recreation Center tennis court, using tough coaching and drills to make his students work up a sweat and bring out the best of their tennis game. He is no joke.
Every Thursday since Sept. 17, White has hosted free tennis clinics for those in the community who want to enhance their skills, build connections, stay healthy and have fun no matter their skill levels. White has also started a women’s tennis team, Net Results.
White first came to the Sherwood Recreation Center as a recreational specialist last year and noticed there was a tennis court but no tennis program. Just a few people were playing on the court.
One of the things he wanted to do was get more people in the Capitol Hill area involved in playing tennis, he said.
He began doing free clinics in 2008, and 20 to 30 participants would come out to play.
“Some of the young ladies out there had never picked up a racket and look at where they are now. They’re able to hit the ball, bring the ball into play and hit it back and forth. They’re able to serve,” said White.
Bonnita Bradley, 48, is one of the new players who came under White’s instruction in May, seeking to learn the sport for recreation.
“My game has improved, but not to the level that I know it will get to,” said Bradley confidently. After practicing with White, Bradley was invited to be part of the Net Results team.
Net Results made such spectacular progress that he entered their team into the Washington Area Tennis League tournament which was held in August. Last summer, the team won second place in the tournament. This year, they captured first place.
“This year, we won the city championships,” White said, beaming with pride and a sense of accomplishment. “Then we went to the regional down in Newport News the same month.”
The Net Results team competed against teams from Virginia and Prince George’s County, Md., winning two matches and losing one match. The Virginia team won overall.
Veronica Cooper, 58, is captain of Net Results. She began taking tennis lessons two summers ago with White so she could join the Senior Women Tennis players. But she underestimated the skill level of the players in the league.
“I found out the seniors can really play so I couldn’t play with the seniors,” she said. “So Stan started a team and I started playing with them.”
Cooper is content playing with Net Results and feels she has gained more of a sense of community since being involved.
“I never played tennis before so it’s been great to come out and meet new people and just have a great time. Now I know a lot of people in the whole city of D.C.,” said Cooper.
Cady North, 27, came on board in March of this year. She had not picked up a tennis racket in 10 years but still rose to become co-captain.
“I didn’t mind taking on the role as co-captain and being there to help out the girls and coordinate things,” said North.
Although fun and community building are reasons why White offered these clinics for those in the Capital Hill area, health is also a very important element.
“Let’s face it, obesity is one of the biggest health problems right now,” White said. “A year ago, we did a tennis networking party and everyone brought in nutritional foods to talk about eating healthy. So, we focus on health as well.”
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), as of 2008, 21.8 percent of adults in the Washington, D.C. area are obese. Of those, 32.9 percent are African American, 22.6 percent are Hispanic, and 9 percent are white.
The CDC also states that adults who perform at least 150 minutes of moderate-intensity aerobic activity and two days of muscle-strengthening activity can enjoy health benefits such as weight control, strengthening of bones and muscles and reduced risk of cardiovascular disease, as well as other benefits.
Cooper picked up the racket due to her own health concerns. She lost bone mass and did research on how to gain it back. Instead of taking medication, she decided to take up tennis to help.
“I didn’t want to take medication for the rest of my life,” Cooper said. “I found that exercise works. I went and got my bone density tested today and I have increased. So I’m really pleased about that.”
White has been coaching tennis players for over 35 years including high school, college, and even professional players.
White founded the Net Results Tennis Service 20 years ago and does private lessons, group lessons, as well as racket stringing. He named the Net Results team after his company.
White is also driven by a desire to help young people learn the game so that they are able to obtain a college tennis scholarship.
“I tell parents, I cannot take your child to the pros. What I can do is show them the game enough so that they may go on and get a college education,” he said.
White’s students praise his passion for helping others learn tennis and his ability to invoke confidence in their potential.
For example, Mariel Cruz, 24, a new participant in the free clinics, said she’s had others teach her the game. For her, none of them compare to White’s coaching skills.
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