Tennis Anyone?

Bob Mitchell can be found most mornings at the Maytag Park tennis courts.

“I picked up a tennis racquet in 1980, said to myself, ‘hey, I think I can play this game.’ I was hooked,” he said.

Mitchell, who turned 76 on Aug. 1, came to the sport of tennis later than most. He was in his 30s when he was asked to go along with a group of men from his church to play tennis in Sully.

“They asked me if I had ever tried playing tennis. I hadn’t, but from that night on, I haven’t stopped playing tennis,” Mitchell said. “That was a Friday night. I got up Saturday morning and started playing.”

On Oct. 18, Mitchell will be formally inducted into the United States Tennis Association Iowa Tennis Hall of Fame at Coe College in Cedar Rapids. Mitchell along with his longtime doubles partner Tom Wickham of Dubuque are members of the USTA Iowa Tennis Hall of Fame Class of 2014.

“I’m in the Hall of Fame, but they do all the awards at the end of the season,” Mitchell said. “Tom nominated me and his son nominated him. We met while playing singles against each other in 1991. He’s a tall man — 6-foot-6 — and he beat me more than I beat him in singles.

“I talked to him that first time and told him I was looking for a doubles partner. Tom said he would like to play doubles also. We’ve played together ever since.”

Once introduced to the sport, Mitchell said he couldn’t wait to get off work to go play tennis at the courts in Newton’s Aurora Heights or Maytag parks. He worked at Axtell Ford as a mechanic for 35 years, retiring in 2001.

“I had always been intrigued by the sport. I watched tennis on television. Growing up in Searsboro, I played baseball and basketball in school,” Mitchell said. “But, I just fell in love with tennis from the first time. I’ll play anyone, and have played almost everyone in Newton and in the state.”

Jerry Freese, Henry Van Elsen, Rodney Verwers and Roland VanDerKrol were the four men who introduced the sport to Mitchell. Mitchell said Freese was the one who really got him going.

“Tennis was big in Newton in the 1980s. The courts at both parks were full and you might have to wait an hour in line to get on a court. I didn’t win any games starting out then I was finally able to beat Jerry. I was playing a lot,” Mitchell said.

In 1984, Mitchell won his first singles tournament — the Newton City Intermediate. He said Newton had citywide tournaments at the time. The next year Mitchell decided he would take weekly lessons from the tennis pro hired for the summer.

“He told me I was doing everything wrong. I told him I was winning matches, and I’d keep my game as it was. In the Newton City Open, I played doubles and met him and his partner in the finals. We beat him,” Mitchell said.

Tommy Little was the player to beat in the city tournaments, according to Mitchell. He said Little worked at Maytag and was very good.

“My challenge was to beat him, and I finally did. Most of the time once I beat someone, I had figured them out and continue to win matches against those players. I challenged everyone in Newton. Gary Thompson, who was 6-foot-7, was another man I had strong matches with. He said to me, ‘you should go for something better like the USTA circuit.”

In 30 years, Mitchell has played in an estimated 270 USTA tournaments. Since 1991, Mitchell has been ranked No. 1 in doubles 20 of the last 22 years. He has played in approximately 200 to 225 USTA tournament finals, winning 125 and was runner up 90 times. He has 25 singles championships and 100 wins at doubles.

Along with USTA competition, Mitchell began playing in the Des Moines Tennis Association ladder competition in the mid 1980s.

“Playing in Des Moines helped me later when I got into the USTA competition. There were many players with different styles in Des Moines. With the ladder format, you win and move up the ladder. Being at the top of the ladder, you were allowed to select which courts you’d play matches on in Des Moines,” he said.

“There was one where they had laid a carpet surface over the hard court. I really liked playing on that surface because it took all the weapon out of the ball. I could play my game, which was a defensive style with long points and win.”

Mitchell stayed No. 1 in the 45 age division, the 55 age division, the 65 age division and the 75 age division.

“People look at me play and ask me how I win matches. I tell them I just need to get the ball back over the net one more time than my opponent,” Mitchell said. “I didn’t ever develop a lot of power, but I found I could play defensive tennis and win. I’d hit the ball where I wanted and didn’t make a lot of errors, which kept me in the matches.”

Mitchell admits his playing style is unconventional. He said at the beginning he didn’t have ground strokes. He used his quickness and good eye-hand coordination to develop a strong net game, Mitchell said.

“My Lord and Savior blessed me with some athletic ability and good health throughout my life. I worked at it on the court and never got bored with the sport,” Mitchell said. “I’ve never lost my agility on the court. I’ve always been able to get to a ball quickly. Even now, people are amazed how fast I can move to the ball for my age.”

Mitchell said he is left-handed, but when he had wrist surgery and couldn’t play, he decided to learn how to use his right hand. He said he began teaching himself how to play with his right hand during that time by hitting the ball against his basement wall.

For about 15 years now, opponents have had to deal with Mitchell switching hands during matches. He said it has helped when going after a ball hit wide to his backhand.

“Whatever I can do to keep myself in the point. Defense wins over offense most of the time, if you are willing to play the long point. Now, if a good open shot is there — you take it. I want to get into long rallies, even in doubles. A lot of people don’t have the patience to wait for the right ball for their high percentage shot. I love the long rallies,” Mitchell said.

Mitchell and Wickham compliment each other on the tennis court, he said. He said the taller Wickham’s strength in doubles is hitting balls on the baseline and Mitchell’s strength is at the net and using the lob effectively.

Mitchell has received the USTA Iowa’s male player of the year award twice — 1988 and 2004. Mitchell and Wickham have played for Team Iowa in the USTA Missouri Valley competition. They were on the team of three doubles teams which went undefeated in 2000 against teams from Oklahoma, Nebraska, Kansas and Missouri. Team Iowa was second in the 65-year olds Missouri Valley regional the next year.

“Tom talked me into playing a tournament on clay in North Carolina. There were doubles teams from all over the country and from other countries in Super 70s tournament in Pinehurst, N.C.,” Mitchell said. “We won the first round, then lost in the second round. The team that beat us won the tournament. We were able to play two more matches against teams which had lost and went 3-1 and had a lot of fun.”

Mitchell said when he first began playing all the tournament across Iowa — there use to be 17 tournaments, and he went to all of them — he rode a scooter to the tournaments. He said once he saw another player go to his car after a match and eat a cold can of spaghetti.

“I decided to do the same thing, but I wanted mine hot. At the time I had a Ford Fiesta and figured I could put the can of spaghetti and meatballs, wrapped in foil, right in the valley of the engine,” he said. “It worked. I carried a bowl, a can opener and a loaf of bread with me. I still do this now, but I have a different car. It still works. I’ve never had a can explode on me.”

Mitchell said his love of the game and love for a challenge keeps him on the tennis courts. He said he organizes things to have a group to play with each day. Mitchell said most of the others he plays with are much younger — in their 40s — but they have a good time.

He has been known to shovel snow off the courts at Aurora Heights or Maytag Park, so he could play matches in the winter, a fact given up by one of his morning tennis match players. That morning Mitchell was playing at Maytag Park with Dan Wunderlich, Michael Trettin and David Trettin, all of Newton.

“I feel like I’m 16 when I’m on the court. I feel good after running around on the court, still do. I love the exercise of playing tennis,” Mitchell said. “As long as my body will get me out there, I’ll play. I’ll never quit.”

Mitchell has four grown children — Penny, Peggy, Rebecca and Rodney — who all graduated from Newton High School. He said his son played tennis for NHS. Mitchell said he had helped with the high school program over the years.

Mitchell said he enjoys helping others get into tennis. He said he is helping a 65-year-old man learn the game right now. Mitchell said it was great watching how the man was improving.

“I just love the game,” he said.

Contact Jocelyn Sheets at
641-792-3121 ext. 6535
or jsheets@newtondailynews.com