Since Scott Chambers learned to play from his dad at age 10, he never has stopped.
The Palm Harbor resident joins his teammates next weekend on the Seminole Lake Tennis Center 4.0 team in Florida's Adult League State Championships in Daytona Beach. A win would advance the squad to the USA Adult League National Championships.
Chambers has participated in three other nationals, two in the 50 years-plus doubles league and on last season's Seminole Lake Tennis Center 4.0 adult team. The 50-plus squads were from McMullen of Clearwater and Seminole.
"When I was growing up, I played whatever sport was in season, but I always came back to tennis," Chambers said. "My dad was in the Marine Corps and as we traveled from base to base, I kept playing tennis.
"I played in high school and for St. Petersburg Junior College around 1968," Chambers said. "When I went on to Florida State, I didn't play on the team, but I played."
Chambers played on the Air Force team while stationed in Europe. Competing against the various bases probably was responsible for his picking up doubles, he said.
"My family moved here from Hawaii in 1966 and were charter members of the Racquet Club in St. Petersburg," Chambers said. "Tennis was always something we did.
"I think going out to play tennis was probably what I did on my first date with my future wife. After service, I still had a year of college left and was attending FIU (Florida International University) when we met. Tennis was something we both had in common."
Chambers, who has worked as an insurance claims adjuster for 25 years, and his family have lived in the area for 12 years. Playing local tournaments linked Chambers with those looking to form teams for league play.
"The last couple of years, I've played with Seminole and there's a good base of players there," he said. "I'm competitive in most things, and tennis is a good outlet for that. We have great camaraderie on our team, as well as with the wives and girlfriends. Plus, tennis is really a good social event."
Chambers considers himself a conservative player who strives to hit the ball down the middle, keep it in play and be consistent. Anticipating his opponents' shots and moving toward the action are keys to his success.
"You can never stand still and need to be ready to go to where you think the ball is coming," Chambers said. "I have fairly good hand-eye coordination and an adequate serve. My goal is to get the first serve in and get to the net. If I'm on the net, I can cause some havoc."
Based on his experiences in other state tournaments, Chambers likes Seminole's chances.
"We probably are stronger in singles and have pretty good overall depth in doubles," he said. "At every level of competition, you find some teams stronger and some weaker, but it all kind of levels out.
"I like to take a position of leadership (on the doubles team) and encourage good communication. We don't let many balls go by."
Chambers has teamed with Dave Heeder and Steve Baccich on the Seminole squad this season to primarily defend the No. 1 doubles spot. In the state tournament, Seminole will face Boca Raton, Gainesville and DeBary in a round-robin format. The team with the best record advances to nationals.
Joining Seminole will be the Countryside Country Club 3.0 and Racquet Club of St. Petersburg 3.5 men. Countryside includes captain Dan Grimmer, Mike Lockwood, Sandy Whetherholt, Bob Barry, Pedro DeJesus, Ted Barrett, John Francy, John Westerbrook, Joel Dean and Ray Howell. They will play teams from Tallahassee and Brevard. The Racquet Club meets squads from the Fort Lauderdale area, Deland and Indian Harbor Beach.
The three-day event is Aug. 13-15 at Florida Tennis Center, headquarters for the USA Tennis Florida state office in Daytona Beach.
JUNIORS: Sixth-seeded Danielle Collins won five matches to capture the girls title in the 12-and-under North Florida Designated Tournament in Tallahassee. She won her first two matches in straight sets to face No. 12 Emily Aguilera of Miam i in a quarterfinal. A 6-1, 3-6, 6-4 win advanced Collins to a semifinal with third-seeded Jessica Worring of Miami. After a 7-5, 7-6 (1) upset victory, Collins played No. 5 Kelly Sullivan of Tamp a for the championship and won 1-6, 6-1, 6-0. Amy Lowther topped the 10 consolation draw, and Robert Dvorak was a boys 10 consolation finalist.
Second-seeded Rebecca Bodine won the girls 14 singles crown in last weekend's Tampa Bay Junior Championships. Julia Sikorski took the 10 title. Joel Samaha defended his top seed in boys 18. In consolation action, Brett Apter beat Sonny Kennedy in the 18 final and Dalila Chiadmi outplayed Jessica Cox in 16.
ADULTS: The Countryside Country Club 6.5 men's squad won the four-team District 12 Combo League with a 6-0 record. Countryside advances to January's state tournament. Playing for Countryside were captain Fred Maloy, Dennis Bianco, Guy Pearson, Michael Scarpelli, Randy Herman, Wallace Voege, Robert Poffenberger, Richard Boderek, Jeffrey Maloy, Frank Crum and James Taddeo. Saturday, a playoff begins in the 7.5 division for four teams, all 4-2. Shipwatch II is at Feather Sound and Shipwatch I is at the Racquet Club. Winners compete Sunday for the title.
In the women's Combo League, East Lake Woodlands has a lead over PGTA-Levin with one match remaining in the nine-team 7.5 division. Royal Racquet Club is 6-0 in the six-team 8.5 class. Play continues through Tuesday.
The inaugural USTA Adult Men's Fall League will play September-October and conclude prior to the Senior Doubles League. Winners participate in the spring league playoffs. Interested teams should contact Norm Ott, 526-7966 or norm.ott@verizon.net
Carol Fontaine and Richard Warrener captured the 55-and-over mixed doubles title in the Suncoast Championships in Venice. Andres Molina won the men's 45 singles.
Fourth-seeded Michael Halisky played past the competition to win the men's open singles in the Temple Terrace Adult Summer Bash. Mark Wagner was a finalist in the 40 division.
COMING UP: The Royal Racquet Summer Classic is this weekend in Clearwater. Call (727) 799-3200 to enter the adult singles age-division designated competition. ... Largo Tennis Center will play host to the Hot, Hot, Hot Rookie Tennis Tournament on Aug. 14-15. The entry fee in the event for players 10-16 is $20. Call (727) 403-8588 before the Wednesday deadline.
