For Earth Day 2015, I encourage all tennis players to go green and celebrate our glorious planet.
My love of Earth Day began many years ago when I was in high school. At most high schools in America, the biggest day of the year is the homecoming football game or the prom. But when you go to a small boarding school in the mountains of rural Tennessee, the biggest day of the year is, by far, Earth Day. Each year, my school put on a huge celebration April 22; there were no classes — just hiking, climbing, caving and eating a feast prepared from the crops in our organic garden.
While you likely won’t be celebrating Earth Day 2015 in quite as grand a fashion, there’s a million little things you can do today to say thanks to Mother Terra, who has given you life, beauty and, for the tennis players reading this, sunny skies to play under and shady trees to rest on. Besides going to your local outdoor court and playing, there are plenty of ways tennis players can commemorate Earth Day. Here are just a few.
Recycle Your Tennis Gear
Instead of tossing out your worn tennis shoes so that they wind up in a landfill, donate them to a charitable organization like Soles4Souls, Nike Reuse-a-Shoe or Share Your Souls.
Used tennis rackets can be donated to Tennis Racquets for Kids, which gives your old Babolat to a child in need.
Recycle dead tennis balls by sending them to Rebounces, which accepts balls in batches of 200.
Be Less Wasteful at Practice
Instead of buying a plastic water bottle from a machine at your tennis facility, make sure to bring water from home in a reusable bottle.
If you’re close enough to your tennis court, walk or bike to your lesson today instead of driving. If you’re too far away for that, carpool with your tennis pals!
Play outdoors instead of at an indoor facility if possible. Also, play during daylight hours so that you don’t have to turn on the lights.
Volunteer to Clean Up Your Court
Whether you play at a private facility or local park, help make your tennis center clean and beautiful by picking up trash or planting flowers around the court.
It’s the Little Things that Count ….
There are a myriad of ways to be eco-friendly on April 22 (and hopefully beyond that).
- Take a shorter showers after your tennis lesson. I promise you’ll still get clean. Check out tips for taking shorter showers at WhatsYourReaction.com.
- Eat a healthy salad to fuel for your next match. It takes 2,500 gallons of water to make a pound of beef.
- Wash your tennis clothes in cold water and line dry them. If you cold wash three loads a week you could save up to $40 per year.
It’s okay if your Earth Day plans don’t include spelunking and bushwhacking. You can still contribute to the longevity of our planet by making smarter choices with your everyday tasks. Don’t forget to get outside today and play tennis!
