Never too old to hold a racket
"What I like most about the game, is it's a family sport. My kids grew up next to these courts. I grew up next to a tennis court when my parents played. We need young people at this club to keep it going for the next generation," said Jurie Steenkamp about the state of tennis in Nelspruit.
“Ah, it’s like watching ballet on the tennis court. This is Fed’s best chance to win another trophy.”
Although Jurie Steenkamp supported Roger Federer in the Wimbledon Championships this year, the 71-year-old has just played in his own championships at Nelspruit Tennis Club (NTC) where he has been a member for 45 years. He played in the men’s singles, doubles and mixed events and narrowly lost in the final of the doubles, which is a rather impressive result, considering he is the longest-standing member at the club and the oldest championship entrant.
He and his wife, Aloma, play socially four times a week and have been tennis partners since the year they got married in 1970. If the women playing doubles are short of a player, he fills in.
“Well, I’ve got the time, I might as well,” he said.
He most enjoys a strong game of men’s doubles but makes sure to keep fit for the singles court too.
“Movement is the main problem these days. If the ball is within reach, I can get a good hit on it but if it’s out of my reach, well, there’s a problem,” Steenkamp said.
He and Aloma also represent Mpumalanga each year at the interprovincial team tournaments. Steenkamp said his favourite “interpro” was held in George and Oudtshoorn about 15 years ago.
“As one gets older, it’s nice to play in a tournament where people are the same age as you, socially and tennis-wise. We just have such fun on tour,” he added.
Steenkamp started playing tennis in 1955 after having to take a break from rugby due to an unfortunate head injury involving a golf club. He has never had a coaching lesson, he taught himself how to play by watching others in action on the courts.
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He became a member of the NTC when its courts were at the old location near the former civic centre. The current Van Riebeeck Park complex boasts nine courts. Steenkamp feels disappointed that not many people play tennis anymore.
“What I like most about the game, is it’s a family sport. My kids grew up next to these courts. I grew up next to a tennis court when my parents played. We need young people at this club to keep it going for the next generation,” he said.
“There’s just too much for the young people to do these days. School sport happens on Saturday mornings and then everyone watches sport on TV on Saturday afternoons. It’s very sad.”
Steenkamp used to belong to Uitspan Tennis Club in Pretoria where he said there were 30 active members who played every Saturday. When he arranged his wedding to fall on a Saturday afternoon and invited the members to attend, they asked what time the ceremony would take place.
“I had to move my wedding from 16:00 to 19:00 just so the tennis players could attend. They refused to miss their league matches in the afternoon. That’s how important Saturday tennis used to be,” he said.
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Steenkamp hopes he still has a good few years on the court.
“I just love it. I always say, if you can play tennis, you can play any sport well. I got so much out of this sport and I think my children did too.”
Jurie and Aloma have three children; Jurie Junior who lives in Johannesburg and plays tennis socially, Sumari who runs her own ballet school in Mbombela and Therina, who coaches and plays tennis in America.
