By Lydia Dawit and Luis Gonzalez
Being a part of the Quaker Ridge tennis shop was a great way to spend our summer.
Everyone’s friendly attitude contributed to our experience, and we learned a lot while working with the members and the staff. In addition to our work, we got to learn how to play tennis and pickleball, and watching the matches at the club was almost as much fun as playing.
On July 10th, the club hosted a ”Breakfast at Wimbledon” event in which members were served a beautiful spread from Chef Joe and watched the Wimbledon finals while playing their own matches. We had a great turnout and everyone was excited to watch and play. This event, like all of the special events at the club, required a lot of behind-the-scenes work. We spent quite a while getting the TV connected to the cable box, and the cleanup was significant, with lots of leftovers and tables that needed to be moved back into the clubhouse. Despite the work involved, we really enjoyed interacting with the members on these special occasions.
We also learned that pickleball has picked up momentum at Quaker Ridge! We hosted a pickleball doubles tournament that was very fun for everyone involved. Things got extremely competitive, especially when Luis had to make a tough call while serving as referee.
Momentum Wednesdays were always a highlight of the week. We worked on our projects and talked and just generally had a great time. During the career lunches, we talked with a wide variety of people from different professions. It was a thrill to learn from these accomplished people and make such great connections. Meeting a successful artist and learning about his career was especially interesting.
The tennis and golf lessons on Wednesdays were also great.
This fellowship was a great experience for both of us, and we would definitely do it again!
Lydia and Luis interned with Head Tennis Professional J.P. McConnell.