Tennis, anyone?

You don't have to twist the arm of members of the Butler Tennis League, who show up weekday mornings at the courts in Butler Memorial Park for friendly doubles play from 9 a.m. to 11 a.m.

“This is the first year that I can come to play any day I want,” said Center Township resident Tim Tyler who joined in 2014. “I was a teacher at Mars and coached sports there for many years.

“It's good exercise and keeps you moving. In two hours, I get in between 7,000 and 10,000 steps.”

There are varying levels of play among the league's 30 members, mostly retirees. But teams are set to make the matches competitive.

“I've played with most of these people for years and know their abilities,” said Curt Craig, a member who comes up with the matchups Sunday after players let him know what days they will be available to play. “We try to get everybody to play against their own talent-level.”

The current league formed in 2004 with the merger of a men's group and a women's group, bringing together players from Memorial and Ritts parks.

Barb Snider played in the league up until last year when health issues forced her off the court. She recently showed up to watch her husband, Bob, and others compete.

The height of tennis' popularity in Butler came in the 1970s and early 1980s, a wave that spurred the interest in many of the league's current players.

“When I was a kid, there were just a few courts in Butler,” Barb Snider said. “Bob and I were in the first class (early 1960s) to spend all four years of high school where it is now on top of the hill (on New Castle Road). They put in six courts there and that's when people really started playing.”

Former Butler High tennis coach Dave Barnes and John Stillwagon were longtime supporters and promoters of tennis in Butler. The courts at Memorial Park were named in Stillwagon's honor shortly after his death in 1998.

“John set up a lot of tournaments here and I played in just about every one of them,” said Craig. “Rich Monteleone was the No. 1 singles player at Butler and went on to play at Pitt. He competed in some of those tournaments. People from all over the region came in for those.”

A number of current players, including Tyler and his wife, Carol, winter in Florida and play there in very competitive leagues.

Coming home means less pressure on the courts at Memorial Park.

Carol Tyler also competed in USTA-sanctioned leagues in Wexford and Pittsburgh until recently.

“My knees needed a break,” she said, laughing. “With this group, everybody tries their best, but it's also a lot of fun.

“I enjoy the socializing and it keeps me on my toes.”

Phil Lenko, a former resident of Butler now living in Erie, makes the trip to Butler twice per week to take part.

His reason is quite simple.

“There's nothing like this between here and Erie,” he said.

Craig, whose wife, Toni, is a regular in the league, commends the upkeep of the courts.

“I have to compliment the City of Butler,” he said. “Anytime we need something, new nets or lines repainted ... they do it for us and we appreciate that.”

The league has helped many of its members reintroduce themselves to the sport.

“We played here when our kids were little,” Barb Snider said. “We'd be here on the courts and they would be in the creek playing with their buckets. Then there was a drop-off in the number of women. Bob continued to play, but I went about 30 years without playing and came back to it about seven years ago. I always missed it and it was wonderful to pick it back up again.”

Steve Bresnehan grew up in Chicora.

“I played when I was younger, but my wife and I had four boys and life sometimes gets in the way,” he said. “Between little league, cub scouts, boy scouts ... there just wasn't time for tennis.

“I got back into it four years ago. My wife, April, she's getting into it, too. It's been great to get in with this group. Everyone is helpful and my game has definitely improved.”