Hanging with the older crowd: Cousins enjoy challenge in doubles

Text Size: AaAaAaAaAa
Avery Meyer, 10, of Dixon hits an overhead return as her cousin, Carmen Dieken of Columbia, Mo., looks on from the baseline during the 22nd annual Emma Hubbs Tennis Classic on Monday in Dixon. The cousins took second place in the 13-and- under doubles division. (Alex T. Paschal/apaschal@saukvalley.com)
Buy Sauk Valley Media Photos »

DIXON – Avery Meyer wasn’t about to miss out on the 22nd annual Emma Hubbs Tennis Classic, just because no teams signed up in her age group.

“Avery wasn’t about to let them cancel it,” the 10-year-old’s mother, Lori, said while her daughter played Monday in the 13-and-under tournament at the Emma Hubbs Tennis Center in Dixon. “She was gonna play.”

Truth be told, Meyer was excited that she got to play with the big girls. Not to mention spend some quality time with her 11-year-old cousin, Carmen Dieken, who was visiting from Columbus, Mo., and staying with grandma.

Mom, dad, and grandma and grandpa watched the cousins give the older girls fits. They took second with seven points. But winning isn’t what the annual event is all about.

“I don’t care what place we get,” Dieken said. “I just care that it’s fun.”

Dieken took part in the tournament for the first time, whereas Meyer was taking her second crack at it. She played in the 14-and-under doubles tourney last year.

“I like the challenge,” said Meyer.

“It was kind of hard being against someone who’s not your age, but it was also very competitive,” Dieken said. “It was a great challenge, and Avery helped me.”

“Avery always wants to play against the boys and the older kids, because they hit it hard and low, like she does,” Lori Meyer said while Avery rhythmically rocked before cutting loose a vicious serve.

As for Dieken, she’ll toss the ball as many times as it takes before serving, waiting for just the right one. She took her first lessons from Hubbs and her longtime staff during last summer’s visit.

Meyer started at age 4, when her brother, Ian, was playing in the tourney. Her parents figured, since she was there she might as well play in the tiny tots division.

She took to it like a fish to water and has been close with Kimi Wegner, who’s worked with Hubbs for about 10 years, ever since. The family’s taken a picture of them together every year, sort of a different take on the conventional yearly line on the wall to keep track of a youngster’s growth.

Previous Page|1||

Comments

Blogs

» Extra! Extra! - A blog by Chris Heimerman
Extra! Extra! - A blog by Chris Heimerman

Knowledge is power, right?

Bryan Frederick is a Lifestyle Medicine Instructor at CGH Medical Center, and he's got me thinking and re-thinking my approach to weight loss.
» Out Here
Out Here

Why the need for middleman?

The other day, we ran a story about the Dixon Tourism Board's website, which is hard to navigate and missing key information, particularly about the Petunia Festival. Are we wasting our time examining local tourism websites?

Reader Poll

Have you ever gone boating on the Rock River?

Yes
No