A ‘love’ of the game

Twenty years ago, Deb Wells rediscovered a childhood game and uncovered her lifetime passion.

And now, for more than a decade, Wells has been working with the North Georgia Tennis Association as its local league coordinator after returning to the sport she had left behind as a teenager. She has built a reputation as one of the most dedicated tennis advocates in the state, helping drive the NOGTA membership numbers higher and higher each year.

“She is a champion when it comes to organizing tennis and making things happen,” said NOGTA President Mark Williams. “Deb is great at finding teams or taking on teams to get new people involved. She is constantly guiding us and pushing us to get more people engaged. She keeps it going for us.

“She takes the hassle factor out of the equation.”

Last fall, Wells was named the Adult Local League Coordinator of the Year for the state of Georgia by the United States Tennis Association. Earlier this year she received an even bigger honor by receiving the same award for the USTA’s Southern Section, which encompasses nine states and is the largest district in the nation.

“It was a very special honor,” Wells said. “I do love it. I am passionate about it, and I love the people I work with. That is what makes it so much fun — the players. They nominated me, and that made it even more special.”

The state of the game is strong in the area, with nearly 1,100 players involved in leagues across the northwest corner of the state. Every year, the USTA gives accredited organizations like NOGTA membership goals in order to ensure the growth of the game, and Wells said that NOGTA is thriving.

“We are seeing tremendous growth,” she said. “We exceeded all of those goals (set by USTA), and it has been a steady progress, especially over the last five or six years. I am thrilled with the progress we have made.”

In addition to the adult leagues, NOGTA is beginning a more concentrated effort on expanding the juniors program. Working with Dalton Parks and Recreation Department tennis coordinator and teaching pro Michel Bates, NOGTA is planning junior clinics and camps throughout the summer.

Bates, a 1981 Dalton High graduate, was a three-time state singles finalist for the Lady Catamounts in Georgia High School Association competition and held the USTA’s No. 1 ranking during juniors play from ages 15 to 18. She went on to play at Auburn University, and two years ago The Daily Citizen selected her as one of its “Local Legends,” the area’s top 50 athletes of all time.

“It is nice to have her there,” Williams said of Bates’ addition to the local tennis scene. “She really works a lot with juniors, but a lot more adults are taking lessons now more than ever before. It is nice to have her and do clinics and have a little more community outreach.”

In addition to the adult leagues, Wells will also begin coordinating the junior teams. Currently, NOGTA has four teams in the 15-18 age group.

“The leagues are the lifeblood of tennis around here, but junior tennis is the future of the programs,” Wells said. “That is where your league players are going to come from. To me, it is such a great sport. It is a sport for a lifetime. It is fun, great exercise and very social.”

Wells first got back into tennis when she and several friends started playing recreationally. After taking some lessons, things snowballed and tennis took root in her life.

“I had played for fun as a child, but I never played in organized matches or a league,” she said. “Some friends and I just decided it might be a fun thing to do and took some lessons, and out of that came a team that was together for 10 years, and that team went to nationals. I have made some of the best friends that I have ever had, and I have tennis to thank for that.”

One of the particular joys for Wells is seeing new people come into the tennis fold. She says when people hear about NOGTA, they may be intimidated because they are beginners and think they aren’t good enough to play in an organized league.

“We love beginners, and our players are always willing to play with new players,” Wells said. “We were all new at one time. I am always working to find new players. One of the things I love is to find a place for new players to play.”

Williams agreed and said he is always on the lookout for new players to join the organization.

“There are opportunities for the beginner, even if they don’t know how to keep score,” Williams said. “League just means that it is organized. That is the misconception, that just because it is a league, you have to be good. We have everything from the beginner to the club pro. It is a hard conception to change, but we are really open to every skill level.”

Later this fall, NOGTA will host the USTA Southern Combo Doubles State Championships at Lakeshore Park for the seventh year in a row. It is a cornerstone showpiece for the organization and an event that Wells takes great pride in.

“It is just a great event for our city,” she said. “It is the first weekend in November and it usually coincides with all of the Christmas open houses downtown, and the players love coming to our tournament. We have made quite a reputation with the tournament, and there are about 50 local volunteers who work so hard to make it happen.”

But as important as that tournament is, Wells’ passion is for expanding the game and helping the local players.

“The love of the game and the love of the players is what I do this for,” she said. “The enjoyment I get from working with the players and seeing it grow gives me tremendous satisfaction. It is something that is very important to me.”

Sports

Search Results

Related Photos

Discussion

A ‘love’ of the game

NOGTA’s growth is in good hands

Site Map

Contact Us