The Alternative Press

CHATHAM TOWNSHIP, NJ - The Chatham Colony Club is supporting the uncommon sport of platform tennis.

Platform tennis, which is also known to those who play as “Paddle Tennis,” is played similarly to doubles tennis, however the court is only a quarter of the size.

The secret to platform tennis lies in the wire fencing that surrounds the court. The wire walls are areas of fare play, and can be used to player advantage.

“It’s a great aerobic sport,” says George Foot who has been playing the sport for the past 20 years and also runs the Colony Clubs Platform Tennis Program.

The Colony Club is only one of a few clubs in the area that offers platform tennis and it is believed that the current courts at the club were built in the 1960s, although the actual year is unknown. The Colony Club was also bought by Chatham Township in the 1960s.

Platform tennis is mostly a winter sport that is played outdoors from September to March and even in the snow. One reason for this is related to how the ball bounces off of the court’s skid-prof pavement in the colder temperatures.

“I was playing tennis with the Colony Tennis Program and was recruited to play paddle tennis,” says Foot, who also sits on Chatham Townships Advisory Committee for the club. “I had never heard of it before, as many people haven’t and I got addicted.”

For others who are unfamiliar with platform tennis, the Colony Club offers clinics for men and woman of all ages.

The Colony Club is looking for women to put together more teams that can play during the day on various weekdays. Men play on Saturday mornings in teams and at night 2-3 days a week on a round-robin basis.

Memberships at the Colony Club are for fall and winter seasons and cost individual members $125 and $200 for a family. Membership at the club includes their pool, tennis program and platform tennis.

For more information on the Colony Club, memberships and platform tennis, contact George Foot by phone at (973) 635-0268 or his email at gfoot@verizon.com.