Huddersfield Lawn Tennis and Squash Club has found that ‘sponge ball’ isn’t just for the kids.
Sponge ball is a form of mini tennis played with a football-sized sponge ball. It was designed to introduce children aged four to 10 into the sport.
But because of the smaller size of the court, one third of a full-size tennis court, and the slower pace and lower bounce of the ball, it is ideal for older people who have never played tennis before but want to give it a try.
Huddersfield Lawn Tennis and Squash Club advertised this new type of tennis on their Facebook page as a way of filling under-utilised court time in midweek.
Since then it’s become a great success with 18 people signing up for the course and learning how to play. Socialising and staying on for a coffee and a chat afterwards is also a big part of the enjoyment.
Club tennis manager Becky Lee organises and runs the courses and shows new players the basics and gets them started.
The club chairman Peter Emsell is delighted with how the sport has taken off and the amount of people that want to play.
He said: “Sponge ball has been an unexpected success at the club. It started with just a few players who had never played any racket sports before and it has just grown and grown.
“It is usually a type of tennis that young kids play but the over-50s love it. It’s a fun, mini tennis game and is great for beginners. It also helps us keep the courts used in off peak times which is great.”
If you want to take part in sponge ball just get in contact with the club by visiting: https://www.hltsc.co.uk/
