Michael Franco
Director of Paddle Tennis
Ruth Lake Country Club
Traditionally, Achieve Sports Medicine newsletter likes to focus on just one athlete. This month, we wanted to focus on a sport that is up and coming around our community-Paddle Tennis.
Michael Franco has been working around and in country clubs his entire life. He started at 14 as a bag drop kid, worked his way up to be a caddie, and now holds the title of Director of Paddle Tennis at Ruth Lake Country Club in Hinsdale. With new paddle tennis facilities, including courts, The Hut (TV’s, bar, sitting area), and an outdoor fire pit, Michael is very excited about the upcoming season!
“When I came to Ruth Lake the middle of Summer 2014 to do Tennis, our Paddle Tennis facilities were just being built,” Michael continued,” this will be our first full paddle season.” But Michael is not new to paddle tennis. Through his various positions at country clubs, teaching tennis was one of his favorites. As the sport of Paddle Tennis (casually called Paddle around the club) grew in popularity, Michael’s interest grew as well.
Similar to tennis, Paddle is played on an outdoor court and with a racquet.
Although similar in those two aspects, the sport of Paddle, as Michael described has a lot of variations from traditional tennis. As you can see, the racquet does not have strings like in tennis, the courts (pictured on right) are smaller, and paddle is traditionally played in the colder months of the year—quite opposite of tennis.
“In tennis, players are about 80 feet apart, in paddle players are only 40 feet apart,” Michael explains. With each point lasting longer than tennis, an average rally in paddle can last for up to 20 balls. With the fast play comes the need for 1-2 step agility, good core control, and quickness ( arms and feet).
“Since paddle is played in the cold months and in a more relaxed atmosphere than most sports,” Michael mentioned that injuries do occur. Calf strains, Achilles tendon pain/rupture are most of what is seen. Additionally, players should make sure they have a coach or instructor monitor form so chronic issues such as tennis elbow and wrist issues do not arise. As the sport is up and coming, Michael was adamant to mention that every year the game becomes a little more competitive and a lot more popular. With approximately 70 players (including substitute players) wanting to play on a regular basis, it is essential for players to remember the same injury prevention basics used in any physical activity (see Gina’s Injury Prevention for Paddle Tennis article for tips and pointers).
Although injuries happen and the matches get competitive, “paddle is a very social sport. Our facility centers around The Hut. We want families to come enjoy our atmosphere; we want people to come in for a beer after they’ve played, or maybe watch the football game with their teammates.”
With the fast paced lifestyle that we all live, sitting in The Hut (with the fireplace on, TV set to a sports match, maybe a hot chocolate in hand) allows you to escape the busyness of life and truly enjoy the sport, the community, and the family friendly vibe. If you haven’t tried paddle, this is a great opportunity to be more physically active, enjoy the Ruth Lake community, and do what paddle players do best (after the match)-Relax!
Contact Ruth Lake Country Club and Michael Franco to learn about how you can get involved with Paddle Tennis this season!
6200 S Madison St.
Hinsdale, IL 60521
(630) 986- 2060
www.ruthlakecc.org
Open court hours available, team play, and kids programs available!
Spots fill quickly so please register soon.