As the fall season is upon us, the weather is becoming just right for Oakland University students to wear a flannel, go on a jog around campus or try out one of OU’s most welcoming self-made club sports: the Tennis Club.
Vincent Griest, the vice president of the Tennis Club, explains how students can try the sport out even before paying their dues.
“We have the normal club team and anyone can join, as long as they pay the $100 dues for indoors,” Griest said. “But while we’re outdoors, anyone can show up.”
As long as the team is on the outdoor tennis courts, newcomers are welcome to pick up a racket and learn from some of OU’s best.
“In the beginning, we have drills for new members that want to haven’t picked up the tennis racket before,” Griest said. “We’ve had multiple people who picked it up, and they’re still here, paying their dues.”
While the club is beginner friendly, the club is for tennis players of all skill levels, from those who want to compete in tournaments, to those who have yet to touch a racket.
“It’s for all skills and skill levels,” Griest said. “It’s for the lower skill levels and the higher skill levels. Anyone and everyone is allowed to participate.”
One aspect that is special to Griest is the community of the club.
“We’re here to make friends and have fun,” Griest said. “I’ve had plenty of wonderful experiences of meeting new people, meeting friends, and having hangouts since we do a lot of stuff over the summer too.”
For members who grow to be more committed to the sport, they can step into the court and try out for tournaments throughout the season.
“We try to get two to three tournaments every semester, and we do tryouts for those tournaments at least two weeks before,” Griest said. “We do tryouts not only based on match play, but based on if they do their volunteer hours, if they participate, and if they come to tennis often. It’s not only based on skill, it’s based on whoever shows up and helps out with the team.”
Outside of practices and tournaments, the OU Tennis Club is planning several fundraisers scheduled for the end of each month. One such fundraiser is the fastest serve fundraiser.
“We’re going to do a fastest serve fundraiser, so whoever has the fastest serve will get a certain prize,” Griest said. “The first serve is always going to be free, and then $5 for unlimited serves.
This fundraiser will also be featured in the team’s own tournament, Grizz Bash, on Oct. 26 to Oct. 27 on the OU courts.
“We have a whole bunch of teams that have already mentioned they are interested,” Griest said. “We have Ohio State University, we have Michigan University, we have Wayne State, Detroit Mercy and more. These are all the club tennis teams though, not the actual D1 teams.”
For more information on the OU Tennis Club, follow the team’s instagram page, @tenniscluboaklanduniversity, or visit their GrizzOrgs webpage.
