When Josh Stern and his wife first drove through Forest Hills in 2019, they weren't looking for a tennis club. They weren't even looking for a new neighborhood. A highway detour changed everything.
The Sterns joined West Side Tennis Club with one simple goal: finding a pool close to home. After too many summer weekends spent driving to Long Island, they wanted something easier, something local. Tennis wasn't even on their radar.
"My cousins had a tennis court in their backyard, so I played at their house whenever I was there,” Josh remembers. When I was very little, maybe eight or nine, I think my parents had me in lessons for six months. And I just didn't really take to tennis at the time."
As social members, the Sterns didn’t think much of playing tennis. But with their two sons showing interest in the junior program, they decided to give it a try.
What started as a simple summer solution was about to change their entire family dynamic.
For over a year, Josh watched from the sidelines as his sons began learning the fundamentals. Then something shifted. The dad who'd chosen basketball and soccer in his youth found himself drawn to the grass courts. It wasn’t long that he transitioned from social to tennis membership and hasn't looked back.
"I started following tennis a lot more actively,” Josh shares. “I took some lessons and that kind of just got me slowly more and more addicted to the sport."
Now Josh plays 2-3 times a week, with Monday night bubbles and Wednesday clinics becoming what he calls "two of my favorite nights of the week."
The Sterns’ membership became the foundation for their social life in Forest Hills, creating connections that may never have formed otherwise.
"The club became so ingrained in our life that it actually solidified our decision to raise our family in Forest Hills for the long haul," Josh reflects. "So many of our social events now involve members who have become really good friends over the years; whether it's through our kids meeting at tennis and us becoming friendly with their parents, or through the weekly poker game at the club, or just from hanging out at the restaurant and pool."
For a family that knew no one when they first joined, the club gave them a community.
Perhaps the best part of the Stern story is how tennis has woven itself through their entire family. Josh's wife, who had never played in her life and initially stayed as a social member, recently took her first lesson.
"For anyone that has never tried tennis, I think she's a perfect example of somebody that's starting slowly, is starting to get the itch," Josh explains. "I think no one should be nervous or apprehensive about joining The West Side Tennis Club, even if they have zero experience, because there's a starting point for everybody."
Their boys, now 10 and 8, have grown up on these courts. They attend tennis camp each summer, participate in year-round programs, and compete in tournaments; supporting each other every step of the way. Family vacations now include finding tennis courts. Josh even takes lessons with his older son, and occasionally joins his Wednesday night clinic.
"It's really a joy to be able to play with him and to watch him play at a level that measures up to some adults that have been playing for much of their life already and he's only 10 years old," Josh beams. "So it's something that brings a lot of joy to my family."
Today the Sterns can't imagine Forest Hills without West Side Tennis Club. Their family’s story–which began with a simple search for a neighborhood pool–proves you don’t need to be a tennis player to belong. All you need is to be open to the possibilities that unfold when you find your community.