Hey there and welcome to the weMove podcast.

Tennis and racquet sports are getting a fair bit of attention at the moment. Tennis is picking up as it often does with a dip into fashion, and more so recently with the film Challengers and the Netflix series Break Point getting some attention (although that could have made more of an attempt to cover the behind the scenes tennis world of adulation, isolation, struggle and success). With the Padel and Pickle scene booming it is not just tennis, though while the others are fun, it is tennis that has caught my eye from it cropping up in conversations on mental fitness and longevity, the reliance of self, childhood memories, skill development, the rise of competition and the idea of winning and human connection and community.

Over the course of these episodes I’ll be speaking to a variety of players from raw beginners, to seasoned athletes, coaches and community builders. And today it is the community building. We are social beings at heart, we want to be around like minded people and also be active. Just look at the running boom that keeps returning and growing, the same for Crossfit and the training space. Well that appears to be happening in the Tennis space and the emergence of a new type of community club. Like minds coming together to share time, space and movement/sport with each other brought together through social media. 

I’m talking with Maria and Joost the founders of one such club, Amsterdam Tennis Society, a females only club in Amsterdam. Mirroring their aesthetic and personality, ATS was born mid this year 2024 and is already meeting a need for connection, community around a shared passion for Tennis. 

There are other groups around the world forming, sharing a similar desire to come together and do. For me it feels important to have ATS as an example that there are like minds out there, wanting to express themselves connect with other like minds. Sport is a great way of doing that, in fact any interest/activity is the same, it just takes a moment of inspiration to have a look what’s out there and get involved. 

As always share the episode with someone you think might need a nudge of encouragement.

From Chris and me, Peace.