PENN TWP — Tennis got away from Lisa Bechtold.

It's since returned to her life with a vengeance.

The Adams Township resident — and mother of Mars High School's No. 1 boys tennis singles player Adam Bechtold — played in the 18th annual Butler Country Club Tennis Pro-Am Sunday afternoon.

Lisa Bechtold and Pine-Richland senior Katelyn Terchick were the only females in the event, which consisted of eight doubles teams playing a round-robin format.

Adam Bechtold teamed with Swissvale pro Matt Paat. Lisa Bechtold teamed with Sewickley pro Will Kleeman.

“I've played in this event three times before,” Bechtold said. “I was part of the winning team a couple of years ago.”

There were a lot of years where she didn't play tennis at all.

She grew up in the Hampton area. Her high school did not have a girls tennis team then.

“I played a lot at LakeVue (Athletic Club) and in summer tournaments,” Bechtold said. “I loved the game. I played quite a bit.

“I went off to college and just stopped playing. I moved on to other things.”

For 25 years, she didn't play tennis at all.

“Then a friend of mine wanted to learn the game and knew I had played,” Bechtold said. “She asked me to help her out. I got back on the court.”

That was 10 years ago — and she hasn't left tennis since.

BCC tennis pro Whitney Snyder said it “isn't uncommon” that people who played tennis in their youth rediscover the sport years later.

“You get out of school or go on to college and other things take over your life,” Snyder said. “Often times, a person gets married, has kids and winds up teaching them the game or getting back into tennis because of them.”

Bechtold has been a member of the BCC tennis committee for five years. Her son, Adam, has been a member of the BCC junior tennis team for three years.

He played in his first BCC Pro-Am Sunday.

“I've been playing since I was 10,” Adam said. “I learned the game from my mother. We get out and play each other maybe once a week.

“Do I beat her? Not very often.”

“But he's getting there,” Bechtold said, laughing.

Adam said he began taking tennis seriously two years ago. A sophomore at Mars, he was the Planets' No. 1 singles player as a freshman last spring.

“We played one match before everything was shut down,” he said. “I'm really looking forward to this spring. I like the challenge of playing the other school's top player.”

He added that being part of the BCC junior tennis team “has helped make me a lot of friends. I play four or five times a week

“This is a great social sport and it's something I can play for the rest of my life. There is so much postive energy here (in BCC junior tennis). I've done advanced clinics ... I've learned a lot on these courts,” Adam said.

Bechtold joined the country club's tennis committee to make sure the facility is put to good use.

“This is a beautiful tennis facility and we come up with ways to maximize its use through different events,” she said.

Bechtold and Terchick received the extra effort awards at the Pro-Am. The team of Sewickley pro Trevor Heck and Ron Jones won the event with a 5-2 record.

Kleeman and Bechtold, Treesdale pro Jay Barkley and Dave McKeown, Sarver pro Trent Goerk and Terchick, Sewickley pro Hayden Moyer and Ken Boben all tied for second at 4-3.

Churchill pro Dave Bender and Jody Offstein were sixth at 3-4. Paat and Adam Bechtold, Wexford pro Curt Fleming and David Bocci were 2-5.

“This was a very competitive event,” Snyder said.