Playing Tennis With Dad

My father taught me to play lawn tennis. Now it's my turn to teach my sons.

I started playing tennis when I was 9 (or 10) years old. At that time, it was only me and my eldest brother who were interested (forced and obliged?) to play the game.

DBP tennis club

My first home court was the DBP tennis court located in CPG North Avenue in Tagbilaran. Dad was a retired accountant from that bank; incidentally, our former house was also conveniently located close to it.

There were so few of Dad's colleagues who play tennis back then. So, I played a lot of tennis when I was starting out. The tennis court surface, which is hard court, was great to play in. It was much better than some of the tennis courts I have played.


Dad helped train some of his colleagues and so the number of tennis players in the bank increased. Eventually, they formed their own tennis club and held friendly tournaments with other clubs, company-related and municipal clubs.

I tagged along during those friendly tournaments. Not only did it helped me honed my tennis skills, it also gave me the incentive of going to other places. I have played in Garcia-Hernandez (against the Philippine Sinter Corporation club), Antequera, Loon and other Tagbilaran courts like Mansasa and the Napocor compound.

Baclayon tennis club

When Dad retired early from DBP we moved to Baclayon a few years later. And so we started playing in the local town club.

Again, through friendly tournaments I was able to play in Jagna, Lindaville and even in Cebu City.

But this time, I played less in Baclayon because I was already living and working in Cebu City or elsewhere since my university days in the late 1980s. However, whenever I went home to Baclayon on weekends, if there was a friendly tournament, I played.

Tennis playing family

There is one wonderful memory that still pervades in my mind until now. For a short period (maybe a few weeks) during my early teens, we played tennis as a family.

We were watching a GMA 7 show featuring a Hollywood actor and his tennis playing family (wife and children). The actor father trained his children through formation drills. Forming a line, each child take turns hitting the balls in the different strokes like forehand, backhand, lob, service and others.

Dad was really inspired by that show and decided to try it on us. Imagine 7 boys in line formation, age ranging from 7 to 15 years old, taking turns hitting the balls in forehand, backhand, lob and service strokes.

What great fun we had back then! Oh, and yes, Mum was our no. 1 fan.

Although it did not last long, it succeeded in raising interest in our younger siblings. So, when we went to university in Cebu, Dad still has our younger brothers to play with regularly.

Continuing the tradition

I finally relented to my wife to train her in tennis. Since we have to bring the boys along during our training sessions, they are learning, too. I reckon they are about the right age to develop their interest in tennis anyway.

For now, I just let the boys enjoy playing around with their rackets and balls. Occasionally, I teach them how to hit the ball properly.

It really has gone full circle. After my Dad, it's now my turn to train my kids. It is a father's wish for their children to grow up and become better than himself. That, too, is my aim and hope for my sons in their life. And in particular, in terms of tennis.

So, game on!