Mike Sobotka didn't plan to join a tennis club in January. But when his longtime club on Long Island closed last April, he faced a choice: wait for warmer weather or start building his new tennis life immediately.
He chose January. A year later, he's convinced it was the right call.
Hit the Ground Running
When Mike's previous club announced it would close, he knew he needed a backup plan. He'd been playing tennis for years—four times a week in summer, three in winter—and wasn't about to take a break from the game he loved.
The clinics became his entry point. "By joining in January, I joined and played in a number of clinics, which was a great way to meet people, and then using those connections, I got other games," Mike explains. Winter or summer, the path to building your tennis community at The West Side remains the same: show up, participate, and the connections follow naturally.
The indoor courts at The West Side made the transition seamless. While his old club was winding down operations, Mike started splitting his time between both facilities. By the time April rolled around and his former club officially closed, he'd already established himself at The West Side Tennis Club.
"The old club, the only thing that was functioning at that point were the indoor courts. Whereas at The West Side, they had the indoor courts, they had the dining room, they had the gym, they had all of the clinics."
Even in January, the full club was alive and active.
Making Connections When It Counts
Mike is over 70, but age hasn't slowed his game. What matters more is finding compatible playing partners, and joining in the winter gave him months to do exactly that.
"The men have a WhatsApp group," he says. "I want to play Tuesday morning, so I go on the WhatsApp group and say, 'I have a court Tuesday morning at 10 o'clock, who wants to play?' And I may get one for singles or three for doubles, but you get games all the time."
He also took advantage of men's night events, themed evenings featuring a different liquor feature. "You get 20, 30 guys, you get four different beverages that are explained and compared with a little bit of food and a little bit of tennis mixed in. That's another way to meet 20 people at one time."
By summer, Mike was already integrated into the community, playing with people across age groups and skill levels. "I played the other day with some guys who are 25 years old. And I love the diversity."
A Summer He Didn't Have to Waste
Joining in January meant Mike made the most of his first summer at The West Side. No need for introductions or searching for playing partners during peak season.
"It did help me maximize my first summer, but that was also because I utilized the men's night out and the clinics," he notes. "Because if you just join and don't do anything, guess what?"
His wife doesn't play, but she still enjoys the club for dining and socializing. They've attended concerts together, taking advantage of member ticket access. Mike joined as a single member, appreciating The West Side's flexibility with membership categories.
"The old club only had family memberships. The West Side has all sorts of memberships, memberships for people under 30 who can't afford the full price. They're very accommodating.”
Worth Every Minute
If Mike could do it over, would he still join in January?
"There's no way I would have taken a break. Not a chance."
For anyone considering membership but waiting for spring, Mike says: "It gives them the opportunity to hit the ground running."
The facilities helped—indoor courts, the gym, dining room, organized clinics. But what made the difference was time. Time to meet people through WhatsApp groups and social events. Time to figure out who plays at his level. Time to become part of the community before summer arrived.
"You can't replace the friends from the old club that you've known for 20 years," Mike acknowledges. "But you got to start someplace, right?"
He started in January. By summer, The West Side already felt like home.
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