Huib Vreugdenhil is a tennis OldStar

Huib Vreugdenhil
Genealogiecode: K XII s
Door: Tubantia.nl
Bron: Tubantia.nl
Foto: Arjan Gotink

 

BORCULO – Lenie Jacobs (73) and Huib Vreugdenhil (72) can call themselves Tennis OldStars. The two from Borculo, together with 17 other 60-plus players, meet each Thursday morning at tennisclub De Wildbaan for a game and a cuppa coffee. Vreugdenhil: “The Borculo OldStars are more than just 60-plus tennis players, we’re friends”. Tennis has been played at De Wildbaan by people over 60 for a while. Vreugdenhil: “For years there was talk at the club about tennis for people over 60, but nothing happened. When I turned 65, I thought: now it is time to really pick it up. Then I started a Thursday morning group with a few other over 60s. We started with five tennis players. Now there are twelve.”

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One of them is Lenie Jacobs. She reported to Vreugdenhil’s group last year. “My husband passed away in 2014 and after that I was a bit looking for friends to play sports and chat with. I wasn’t behind the geraniums or anything. I traveled a lot by train. But I often did that alone. Previous year I read in the newspaper about tennis for peers. I went to take a look and was immediately included in the group.” The group of elderly tennis players now receives official status within De Wildbaan with the OldStars quality mark. OldStars tennis has a slightly smaller field on which the ball may bounce twice instead of once. You can also serve underhand. Tennis teacher Loet Baard supervises the OldStars tennis players of TC De Wildbaan.