Please tell me that you are kidding, or please help me find a job in this area.
Which state is this in BTW?
Not kidding. But I probably should have qualified the USTA stuff. It's $35 for
each 8-10 week league session (still reasonable, IMHO). And some captains buy all the balls for the whole "home" season and divide up the cost...but most just have the players in the lineup bring a fresh can for home matches. Since I mostly play doubles (and my partner and I share 'fresh can' duties), I usually try to slide a new can or two to the ladies who are our singles workhorses.
Club fees, however, can run the gamut, from the insanely expensive country clubs (initiations in the 5-figures) to some very middle-class joints like the one our family is a member of. I'm not afraid to say what we actually pay. It's about $1K/yr...but no other (court) fees except for the ridiculously cheap childcare at $2/hr...or guests ($3 for an outdoor court, $10 for indoors).
I'm in the Richmond VA metro area. Job market is a little slow, as it is most places these days, I suppose. But our cost-of-living is relatively low, the suburban school systems are top-notch and we have a very, very vibrant tennis community. There are at least three public AND free facilities (on my side of the River) that many of the "independent" teams play out of. Once you're on The List (usually run by the local Park & Rec Dept), captains can even reserve courts to match the League schedule. It's a sweet, sweet deal.
Oh, I spend a ton of money on tennis, no doubt about it.
I figure that without tennis, I would be spending $40 a month on prescription co-pays for anti-depressants, plus psychotherapy at $250 an hour (after satisfying the deductible). So it all evens out.
Seriously, without tennis and fitness, I would surely be an overweight diabetic with high blood pressure. Managing all of that would be expensive!!
All these dollar figures aside, I'm with ya on the "deal" it is. It has kept me sane...and married (despite hubs not always liking how much I play
). Much cheaper than a therapist and infinitely better for you. Gosh, I love this sport. There's something for everyone, every age: teams/leagues or individual play. Whatever floats your competitive boat.
