Photo Provided The Wheeling Oglebay Tennis Club recently hosted an OVAC Kick-off for prospective high school players. Pictured are the WLU coaches and players who ran the drills, WOTC representatives, and area high school players.

The Wheeling Oglebay Tennis Club, a non-profit organization with the mission of growing tennis for all ages, started 2025 with multiple adult and youth activities.

The first event was held in January in conjunction with Wheeling Park’s 100 Year Celebration. Members of the club participated in a game night with the following on-court activities: playing with wooden racquets, hitting targets for prizes, a volley challenge, and an innovative game called triples.

Peggy McClure reacted to picking up a wooden racquet again: “I started with a wooden racquet in the 1960s. Compared to today’s racquets, the wooden ones seem really heavy, awkward, and much smaller. I wouldn’t want to go back to those racquets!”

After the on-court activities, members enjoyed refreshments provided by the Wheeling Park Commission and the WOTC. The evening also included time for board games.

In February, the WOTC held the OVAC High School Kick-off. Prospective players from any of the OVAC schools with any ability level were invited to attend a two-hour free clinic. Players were grouped by skill level to make the experience worthwhile for all.

Drills were run by the members of the West Liberty University men’s and women’s tennis teams under the direction of WLU coaches Ronnie Hulewicz, George Frazier, and Travis Closser. Hulewicz commented, “As a team, we were beyond grateful to be back helping the WOTC. The OVAC Kick-off was a success with players of all levels coming together. It was great to see our team engaging and sparking high school players’ interest.”

Frazier, Tennis Director of the OVAC, stressed that this event is a wonderful opportunity for high school players to work on their skills in preparation for the upcoming season. He added, “I am thankful that the Wheeling Oglebay Tennis Club and West Liberty University tennis teams can work together to provide a good clinic for the local OVAC high school tennis players.”

The third event to kick-off 2025 was Youth Match Play. This was held for six weeks on Fridays from 4 to 6 pm. Participants were scheduled to play singles and doubles matches.

In order to participate in this program, players needed to be able to play points, keep score, and compete. This program was coordinated by teaching professional Jeremy McClelland.

All events to date were held at the Wheeling Park Indoor Facility. WOTC President Debbie Pickens reflected, “We are off to a great year! We are fortunate to have an indoor facility where we can hold our events from October through April.”

The WOTC has scheduled additional events for 2025. An Elementary Play Day will be held for ages 4 to 12 on Saturday, April 12, at the Wheeling Park Indoor Facility. Millie Mulhern Youth Tennis will be offered in May and September on Mondays and Wednesdays at the Wheeling Park Hilltop Courts. MMYT is for those in grades 4 to 11 of any ability level.

Two national level tournaments will be held at the Horne Family Tennis Center at Oglebay, the Wheeling Park Hilltop Courts, and the Wheeling Park Indoor Facility (if necessary). The Jack Dorsey Senior Memorial will be June 18 to 22 with players aged 35 to 90 from across the country competing for national ranking in this USTA level 3 event.

The West Virginia Open will be held July 31 to August 3. This tournament awards $5000 in prize money to participants in the open events: men’s and women’s singles and doubles and mixed doubles. The new title sponsor for the West Virginia Open will be announced soon.

At the WV Open, players with an NTRP (National Tennis Rating Program) will also compete at their appropriate ability levels for district and sectional recognition.

In July, Summer Camps at Oglebay are available for youth and adults. The youth camps are based on ages (4-18) and are for all ability levels. The adult camp is open to anyone 18 or over who wants to learn the game of tennis.

In addition to these events, the WOTC holds adult round robins and a member tournament in August.

The WOTC is in the process of restructuring its website and coordinating a new event registration through the United States Tennis Association. For now, please email wheelingoglebaytennisclub@gmail.com for additional information on the details of any of the 2025 programs/events.