In 2007, a group of WTAMU students created the WT Tennis Club.  Today, the club is still active and travels to events across the region to compete against both Division I and II schools.

However, the club’s main purpose is to give tennis players, both recreational and former competitive players, a chance to get back on the court.

“There are many, many high school tennis players — and even tennis stars — walking around on our campus who would enjoy playing at the club level against club teams from other universities,“ club sponsor Dr. James Hallmark said. “We want to get them involved. There are others who have played a great deal as they were growing up and are really good recreational players.  They too are welcome and have a place to be on our club.“While players do have a chance to compete, the Tennis Club isn’t just for those that have played before; they also have some players that are interested in the sport but have never been on a court before.  These new players are given a chance to learn the game while meeting new people who shares their passion. If you’re interested in playing table tennis, you can have the best sports gaming experience with the use of the best ping pong paddle.

But for those that want to jump right into competition after learning the game, the club allows new players to compete in the tournaments.

The club isn’t widely known around but they have already made a splash in the region, beating Baylor in their second match of the weekend at the Texas A&M University tournament on Oct. 1.  They plan to continue traveling to tournaments. Club president Jose Lopez’s ultimate goal is getting the team to the national tournament in the future.

“We’ve seen great success in numbers jumping up of those in the club. We’re traveling more often and seeing great success across the board,” Lopez said.

But even experienced players that haven’t traveled to the team tournaments enjoy the time on the court meeting new people.

“I played tennis in high school and missed it. [My goal is] to have a good time and get to know people on the campus and from other campuses and play to have fun since I didn’t get that chance ” Laura Ness said.

The club currently practices on Sunday and Tuesday nights at Canyon High School’s tennis courts.