The Pauls Valley Tennis and Racquet Association and the All Valley Lawn Tennis Club are partnering to host the first “Wimbley in the Valley,” a community lawn tennis event, July 13, from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. at Pauls Valley’s Wacker Park.
The new community event, timed to coincide with the final Saturday of the 2024 Championships at Wimbledon, will feature the sport of touchtennis, described by organizers as a scaled-down adaptation of tennis.
“In terms of how the sport is played, the way to think of it is more of a basically mini-tennis,” said Ryan Rennie with the All Valley Lawn Tennis Club. “It’s a kid’s tennis racket, a compressed foam tennis ball, played on about a halfsized tennis court.”
Touchtennis can be played on just about any surface, according to Rennie, including grass, making it ideal for Wimbley in the Valley, which will take place in the grassy area south of the Wacker Park bandshell.
The event will offer competitive tournament play, which will include men’s and women’s singles, men’s and women’s doubles, and mixed doubles, as well as community free-play, with rackets and balls provided.
Rennie said it’s a great chance, even for those who have never played tennis, to come out and learn.
“So, those who want to compete can compete, but there’s also an opportunity for those who just want to come out and give it a try. They can try it on their own, or we’ll have somebody come out and help teach them, if they want that,” Rennie said. “And then there’s also going to be all kinds of other activities going on throughout the tournament.”
Those other activities, designed to bring a fun Wimbledon-style spin to the event will include a British accent contest with cash prizes and the opportunity to snap your picture with life-sized cutouts of members of the Royal family.
“We thought that would be fun,” PVTRA member Matt Hamilton said. “We’ll have King Charles, Kate Middleton and Prince William. We’ll also have royal masks of King Charles, Queen Camilla, Kate, William, Meghan and Harry.”
They will be serving strawberries and cream, a Wimbledon tradition, as well as offering free lunch, although donations will be welcomed.
A local band, Stage Crew, will be playing British covers around intermission or lunch time, and there will be a silent auction for a 2021 Official Wimbledon Towel by Christy, also a Wimbledon tradition.
“If we can work out the logistics, we’re going to have a big screen TV and try to play either classic Wimbledon matches, or maybe a current match that’s on right then,” Hamilton said. There will also be prize drawings every hour.
“I think the mixed doubles brackets already look pretty good. We feel like our bracket play is going to be great,” Hamilton said. “But the main thing is we want the community to come have a good time. Bring their families, bring their kids, check it out, enjoy a sandwich, grab some strawberries and cream and experience Wimbley in the Valley. We’re really excited. We think it will be a neat community event.”
Net proceeds from the event will go to the Wacker Park tennis court renovation project, court enhancements or to local tennis or other racket sport programming.
Those interested in registering for the competitive tournament can do so online at pvtra.square.site.
Registration for competitive play is $25/player. The community learn-to-play is free.
Those with questions about tournament registration may contact Ryan Rennie at 405-808-8985.
Wimbley in the Valley is part of PVTRA’s wider plan to host four community tournaments a year. As planned right now, Hamilton said, those include the Wimbly in the Valley touchtennis tournament, a community fundraiser tennis tournament in the fall to support Pauls Valley’s junior high and high school tennis teams, a community Ping-Pong championship to be held in the winter months, and a community pickleball tournament in the spring.
