Bedford Women's Tennis Season Ends With Smiles

The Bedford Women's Tennis Team saw its season end last week, but don't call it a disappointment. The fifth-ranked team, out of ten teams in the league, was one spot shy of making the playoffs, which begin this week.

"Even though we didn't make the playoffs, we feel like we did just great," said Susan Vidal, who co-captained the team with Pat Colavito.

The team's loss at Reis Park Tennis Courts in Somers last Wednesday was settled when a match that was tied 4-4 in the deciding set had Bedford's number one doubles team trying to pull out the win, but after a few long rallies, an unexpected shot out wide, and a return into the net, it was over.

The Bedford doubles team fell to Somers, 6-3, 6-4. It was one of five matches played that morning as Bedford battled it out in the Westchester County Women's Tennis League.

"It was a good match, but we should have taken the net more," said Bedford competitor Donna Glassman. Her partner, Laura Kaplan, agreed. "The other team was getting every shot back, so it started to become a head game," she said. "Even though we lost, we put in a good performance and had fun. And that's what we're here for."

Indeed, although tennis is the focus at these weekly matches, fun and camaraderie are the real reasons women play on the Bedford team each spring. The league is organized by the County Parks Dept with different leagues reflecting level of play.

Municipalities enter teams— for Bedford, the women's B2 league is the "more recreational level," according to Daryl Ann Sudlow at the town of Bedford Recreation and Parks Department. The town likes to be competitive, but people enjoy participating for the social aspect, too, she said.

This year's team captain, Pat Colavito, underscored that sentiment. "I love tennis and I love bringing out the best in people," she said. "Being together, playing together and having fun at the game are our top priorities," she said.

Colavito and Vidal organize and schedule the team for the April to June season. Vidal helped start the team several years ago because of her passion for the game, she said. They have some steady returners, but new recruits do join each year through the recreation brochure and by word of mouth. They always end up with a solid group that plays well and has fun, she added.

This year, the team actually started in January with indoor practices at the Saw Mill Club in Mt. Kisco. Once spring arrived, the team practiced weekly at the courts in the Bedford Hills town park, under the watchful eye of town Tennis Director Patrick LaSalle, USPTA.

"Patrick helps us hone our skills and improve our individual games. And he's at every one of our matches cheering us on," Vidal said.

This year's Bedford team included 19 competitors. In addition to the captains, team members included Bonnie Berton, Lynn Biederman, Mariel Brittis, Nathalie Dwyer, Lara Ford, Donna Glassman, Laura Hilliard, Laura Kaplan, Laurie Lewis, Bobbie Ludel, Jessica Norris, Marissa Scopelliti, Dawn Silverberg, Desiree Smith, Pam Veith, Ethel Wagner and Kuniko Weiner.

The team's most challenging match was the second of the season: an away match against Scarsdale. "It was windy, cold and even raining for a time," Colavito remembered. "It required perseverance to stay focused, and to stay warm." Although Bedford lost the overall match, the team considered it a positive experience. "It just toughened us up and motivated us to get out there and try harder next time," the team captain said.

Unfortunately for Colavito, the Scarsdale match was also memorable in a not-so-good way. "During my match, the gemstone from my birthstone ring flew off. We looked and looked all over the court, but never found it. That was an expensive loss for me, on many levels," she said.

Several team players are coming back to tennis after a multi-year hiatus. "I was asked to play on this team a couple of years ago," said Nathalie Dwyer. "I hadn't played since high school. This has been so much fun."

Dwyer's most memorable match this year was against Lewisboro. "Our opponents included a woman who had been a great college player. It was a really competitive match and brought out the best in our play. It was fun to play against such a good player," she said.

Jessica Norris had been away from the game for awhile. "This year both my children are in school, so I had the time to give it a try," she said. Her effort in the Lewisboro match was also a high point in the season for her. "We lost the first set, but came back in the second set. I had 12 deuces on one of my service games— the competitiveness was really exciting. We finally lost, but my partner Ethel Wagner and I really felt proud of our effort," Norris said.

And while the season is completed— game, set and match— these ladies don't mind the "Love" part of tennis at all. The team has plans for an end of season celebration lunch. "Win or lose, the real point is that it's a community thing," said team member Bonnie Berton. "We're just having fun playing," she said.