Posts Tagged ‘Josh Patterson’

PROFILE: Tennis Teams at Marietta College

With an undergraduate enrollment around 1,400 students, there is not much on the Marietta College campus that goes unnoticed. It could be assumed that all groups get publicized similarly; however that is not that case for one organization.

The Marietta men’s and women’s tennis teams compete every year in a rugged Ohio Athletic Conference, yet rarely are thought of when it comes to athletics on campus.

“To be honest, I didn’t even know we had tennis teams here,” said Marietta College sophomore John Lucore.

Almost everyone is familiar with everything from College Union Board activities to the employees at Gilman, so why is a varsity sport on the low spot on the totem pole?

“I think it comes down to people not really being sure how the sport works, and people aren’t going to come watch something that confuses them,” said Marietta College sophomore and men’s tennis member Josh Patterson.

For each match six players from each team play an individual singles contest as well as three double matches. The winner of each is awarded a point, and the team with the most points out of nine is declared the winner.

Confusion of how exactly to watch the game also comes into consideration for a lack of attention for the teams.

“I think people are unsure when to applaud. It’s more like golf, you clap after a point, not during the action. You’re not going to bring a cowbell or anything like to that watch a match,” said Patterson.

Uncertainty of the game at times has led to sparse turnouts for home contests for the Pioneers.

“I think our biggest fans could very well be the trainers,” said Patterson jokingly.

The low turnout though has not stopped the team from competing. During the off-season the two teams practice at a local indoor club with a former collegiate stand-out who offers lessons. Once the season rolls around, the team is on the court six days a week, sometimes more than once a day.

With the OAC season fast approaching, the two teams have been on the court non-stop preparing for the thick of the schedule. The teams call the Beren Tennis Center home for their home matches. The Center, which opened in 2002, is a top notch-facility that is not only open to the team, but faculty and students as well.

Patterson, who has been playing since age 12, weighed in on the 2010 campaign.  “I would like to win all of our non-conference matches, and compete and hopefully win a few in the OAC.”

EDITOR’S NOTE:  This article is by Chris Miller, a Media Writing Two student at Marietta College.  If you are interested in writing for Writing on the Mall, send an e-mail to Patrick_H@writingonthemall.net.