Five Minutes With Mary Conaway

No one in Reston loves tennis more than Mary Conaway, who has been the Reston Association tennis manager for the past 11 years. Even after establishing new programs, expanding existing ones, initiating scholarships, and being appointed to a national tennis committee, Conaway continues working to improve tennis Reston. Her next project? Moving it indoors.

Reston Patch recently spoke with Mary Conaway about how tennis has become one of the most popular sports in town.

Q. When did you first start teaching tennis?

I first started at Reston Association in 1997 teaching tennis. At that point I had been in between jobs and wanted to get into the tennis industry, so I attended the Hilton Head Professional Tennis Registry and became certified to teach tennis.

Q. How has tennis in Reston changed over the past decade?

A. I see an explosion of tennis, which is very exciting. At first it was just in a few neighborhoods, but now it has expanded throughout all of the areas. Tennis right now, according to the tennis industry, is the fastest growing sport in the United States. Back in the '70s, tennis was very popular. That is what we are seeing again. We do a lot of community outreach and with that people are so appreciative and so happy that we are brining tennis into their lives.

Q. How well recognized is Reston's tennis program?

A. It is recognized as one of the premier tennis programs in the Mid-Atlantic. Nationally, I was appointed by the United States Tennis Association (USTA) President and the Chief Executive Officer to serve on a national committee – National Committee Learning and Leadership Development – so that brings a lot of recognition to Reston. Actually, the USTA President recently attended the Asian Festival which was held here, along with the tennis block party.

Q. How many people participate and what is the age range?

A. If you go by what is in the database, there are between 2,500 and 3,000 active players, but you really can't count how many people are just playing recreationally. If you go out to the courts on the evenings and weekends, it's hard to find a court: it's packed. So you might add another 2,000 on top of that number.

Q. How early can kids start playing tennis?

A. We start instruction at age 3 in what we call a "munchkin program." I actually created this program, which basically uses the game's approach to teaching tennis. We use a quick-start format, meaning we match kids up with an appropriately-sized racquet, bigger balls, and put them on smaller courts so they see success right away.

We also play lots of games with them that are fun and help them develop the skills they need for tennis without even realizing it – like bouncing a beanbag or a scarf off of their racquet. That is how stroke production is created. After six weeks they are already hitting the ball over the net.

Q. Why do you think tennis participation and support has increased so dramatically?

A. Tennis is a lifelong sport. So not only does it promote physical health, but it is a social sport. We have a very active senior league that plays every Wednesday and Friday and there are people well into their 80s participating. But they're not just active on the tennis court. They get together and go to lunch, plan trips together, and have been very supportive within community. Also, I just think we got here at the right time, are in the right place, and have good people.

Q. What are you working on during the off-season?

A. We are actually very busy in the winter at the elementary schools. We go right into the gym and set up our short course tennis. We teach tennis once or twice a week. That keeps some of our pros busy in the off-season. Our season, even though it gets cold, runs until November 13, which is when we have our annual Tennis Ball (party) at Hidden Creek Country Club. It's a fun night; we get dressed up, have dinner, drinks, give out awards and celebrate all the great work that we do.

Q. In another life, if you were not a tennis professional, what would you be doing?

A. That's a tough one. I guess it would be doing something in human resources, which I did a number of years ago. It's changed a lot but I like the training and educational part of it. I like helping people attain the knowledge to help them do their job.

Q. Tell me a little bit about the HEART scholarship program and other community outreach activities. What was your inspiration for initiating these programs?

A. HEART stands for Have Everyone Access Reston Tennis. Our tennis committee does a lot of fundraising, as do our seniors and other members. That money all goes into the community for different programs including scholarships. We've always been very community-oriented. For example, this year we've given free lessons to Laurel Learning and last year to Southgate Recreation. We've been doing it for some time and wanted to come up with a name for it so people could recognize it because they want to support it. The tennis community is very supporting of the tennis staff.

Q. So, what's missing in Reston?

A. We have 48 outdoor courts but no indoor facility. Part of Reston's motto is "live, work, play," but we can only do the playing part of the time. We're going before our Board of Directors in September to present the next stage of the proposal: the financials. Ultimately, it is the community that will decide whether this moves forward so we want the community to be a part of the process if it goes to referendum.

Q. What is the best part of your job?

A. Being out in the community with the people. I'm definitely a people person. My goal is to get a tennis racquet in everybody's hand. The staff loves [tennis] and we want others to experience it as well.

The annual Reston Association Simon Cup women's tournament will take place this weekend and next at Lake Newport tennis. The women's singles is Sept. 11-12;  the Women's Doubles is Sept. 18-19. Cost is $20/RA Members, $22 non-members. This a tournament that is fun for women players of all ages.Call 703-435-6534 for more information.