From childhood, PE teachers encourage us to develop healthy lifestyles, in
part by introducing us to "lifetime sports." What is a lifetime sport? Not football
or bungee jumping, because, face it: At some point we're bound to snap in half.
Lifetime sports are what you can play until your great-grandchildren bury you
with your equipment -- sports like tennis. This week, lifetime players will
take to the courts at the Houston Racquet Club for the United States Tennis
Association National Senior Women's Clay Court Championships. Competitors will
play in both singles and doubles tournaments in age divisions ranging from 35
to 85. Yes, those divisions span the eras from Richard Nixon to Woodrow Wilson.
But for those of you who think that the thrill of victory dissolves with eligibility
for Medicare, take note: People who've been grown-ups for longer than you've
been alive don't just do these sorts of things for fun, sonny. There is real
prize money involved, and winners will also receive "coveted gold, silver and
bronze balls" awarded by the USTA. What, no brass? Noon to 6 p.m. Monday, March
8; 8:30 a.m. to 6 p.m. Tuesday, March 9, through Sunday, March 14. Houston Racquet
Club, 10709 Memorial Drive. For information, call 713-464-4811. Free.
--
Eric Norvell
Can't Drive 55?
Okay, we can't condone it, but we know some of y'all love to drag race. We
see you on the Richmond Strip, gunning it from light to light. We see you getting
chased off, time and time again, by the cops on Rankin Road. We understand your
need for speed, and we don't even think your love for fast cars has anything
to do with the size of your genitals. But if you're gonna put the pedal to the
metal, why not race in a controlled environment at Houston Raceway Park's Safe
Street Nights? The five-o will stay off your back, and you can have your time
and speed recorded by professionals. 5 p.m. to 10:45 p.m. Fridays. 2525 FM 565
South in Baytown. For information, call 281-383-RACE or visit www.houstonraceway.com.
$8 for spectators; $15 for car and driver. -- Keith Plocek
