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Game, set, match for Nashoba Valley Technical High School and the Westford-based Endless Tennis Group.
Though the word “love” has negative connotations in the sport of tennis, there was plenty of the positive kind in the air recently when the tennis club, which uses Nashoba Tech’s courts through a partnership with the school, donated a bench to the school to be placed inside the courts, engraved “Given to NVTHS by the Endless Tennis Group August 2017.”
The Endless Tennis Group is a club of mostly retired men who play every weekday morning for the exercise and the camaraderie.
According to group Commissioner Norm Drapeau of Westford, the bench serves two purposes, one of gratitude and one of necessity.
“Well, we needed a place to sit between matches, so we said, ‘Why don’t we donate a bench to the school in appreciation for letting us use the courts?’” Drapeau said.
There was agreement among the members, most of whom are from Westford and surrounding towns.
Drapeau, the spokesman as well as commissioner for the club, said Endless Tennis started about 10 years ago when some of the soon-to-be members were “sitting around after a round of golf and realized it wasn’t turning out well.”
“So I said, ‘Well, anyone want to play tennis?’” Drapeau added, and just like that, the golf clubs went into storage and the tennis racquets were dusted off.
Now the club has about 15 members, and they’re always looking for more, as long as the level of play is 3.0 to 4.0, Drapeau said.
Nashoba Tech Superintendent Denise Pigeon said the school is starting a tennis team for the students, and she hopes the arrangement between Nashoba Tech and the Endless Tennis Group yields benefits for both parties: The kids can see that the sport can help you stay healthy well past retirement age, and the club members may be able to help the students with some pointers.
“It really is a partnership between the school and the group, Pigeon said.
Anyone interested in joining the Endless Tennis Group can call Drapeau at 978-846-2543 or email him at mandn62@gmail.com. Also, high-school students in Ayer, Chelmsford, Groton, Littleton, Pepperell, Shirley, Townsend and Westford who want to find out more about Nashoba Tech can call 978-692-4711, ext. 1122.
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