Winning Where It Matters
By Gina Clance, Net News Assistant Editor
We all seek companionship — friends who share interests and hobbies … friends who make us laugh. Finding people who fill our lives with joy is such a thrill! We are lucky to find a person or two who fit this description. Can you imagine finding an entire tennis team full of friends like this?
Well, one Senior Day Women’s team at Roswell Park has created such a tribe.
“We have had a Senior Day Women’s team since 2002,” said long-time captain Frankye Hajj. “The roster has changed many times over the years, but why we play has not changed. When you reach the senior teams, you play for the love of the game and time with good friends.”
As we all know, many ALTA teams hit the courts each season hoping to bring home the big plate or, at the very least, a bag tag. This Roswell Park team has played 46 seasons and has not won more than 10 points in a season since 2016. In several seasons, they have not even taken one point. And they are just fine with that.
“Years of chasing plates and bag tags are not as important — besides you have already won your share of them,” said Hajj, who has been playing tennis since the 1970s. “Most of the players were found on [ALTA’s website] ‘Teams Looking for Players.’ I always let them know we are a low-profile team with no drama. We are so thankful to still be able to play. Winning is great, but it is not everything.”
A lack of drama is not the only positive aspect of this tennis team. Making ladies feel welcome and part of the family is another.
“Three years ago, I joined this team, and from day one everyone — especially Frankye — made me feel so welcome,” said co-captain Teri Korfas. “I was the ‘young one,’ not yet 60, while these wonderful women had played together for years. I had just lost my mom the previous October, and somehow, I found a whole team of moms. They taught me that being healthy enough to play is the real victory.”
The ALTA Senior Day League is for members 55 and over. Hajj’s team boasts players from their 60s to their 80s. Hajj says she believes tennis is a lifetime sport — as long as it’s not taken too seriously.
“As long as I can have eight players for an ALTA roster, we will play tennis,” she said. “We are not a young team, but it is true, I do believe tennis is for a lifetime, and we prove it every day we play.”
This group of ladies keeps their love of the game going between seasons, too. They get together to play every Tuesday and call it their “fun tennis.”
“After one of our matches, a player from the visiting team came up to me and asked about our ‘fun tennis.’ She asked if she could come and play with us,” said Hajj. “She has been playing with us for two years and goes back to her own team for matches.”
Hajj said she enjoys sharing her love of tennis with other women. As far as Korfas is concerned, her captain has definitely accomplished that.
“We don’t always win our matches, but we always win where it matters most: friendship, laughter, exercise, and the blessing of being together,” Korfas said. “I’m so grateful to be part of this special group.”
