Local Legends: Ken and Marisa Lewis - A Lifetime of Memories at Gate Pa

"Local Legends" is a web article series where Tennis NZ celebrates club workers and volunteers who have given extensive time and energy for the betterment of their club and the sport. If you want to nominate someone, click here.

Tennis NZ spoke with Ken and Marisa Lewis, life members at Gate Pa Tennis Club in the Bay of Plenty. We chatted about their love story that began at the club, their decades of service, and passing their love of the game to their daughters.

With over 80 years between them on the committee, and numerous other roles—from BBQ/kitchen cooks, to club captains, cleaners, tournament organizers, and tennis parents to their kids and others—Ken and Marisa’s service to the club has been invaluable. However, initially Ken was hesitant about being recognized at all.

“I’m not a big song-and-dance guy,” he said.

But asking about how his love for tennis started helped him overcome any pre-interview jitters.

The story of the Lewis family and Gate Pa Tennis Club begins in the 1950s when Ken, then in primary school, didn’t realize he had a makeshift tennis net in his backyard.

“We lived about 200 meters from the club. Next door was the club president at that time, and he had kids our age. Plus, our backyards were separated by a wire fence, roughly the height of a tennis net. We used to hit the ball over to each other every now and again.”

“I didn’t think much of it until one Christmas when they invited me down to the club. I distinctly remember they let me serve from the service line, not the baseline.”

Ken was enamored with the game and patiently waited until he could become a member.

“You had to be 10 to be a member, and I wasn’t yet, so I had to wait. But I’ve been a member ever since, except for a gap of about three years when I did my OE.”

Before his OE, Ken became an accomplished doubles player. He won the Most Improved Junior Award in 1960 and still has the cup 60 years on. His most memorable win came at the Senior Mixed Doubles Interclub Champs in the mid-1960s.

He represented the Bay of Plenty at tournaments across the North Island, including Rotorua, where he watched the legendary Ruia Morrison compete in the Open Men’s grade.

“She was beating all the men; she was amazing.”

When Ken returned from his OE in the mid-70s, he met Marisa.

“I first showed up to the club in basketball boots,” Marisa admitted.

“I was always sporty, but I knew nothing about tennis. My brother was a member, so he eventually got me and my sister down to the club. It wasn’t on the court where I met Ken; it was more at the club parties.”

Once married, Marisa increased her involvement with the club.

“Because I married him, it became my job as well… It was very much a part of his life; he had all his mates there, who he went to school with. It was just what we did on Saturday afternoons.”

Another Gate Pa legend and friend Geoff Bird, started the concept of “Business House,” a new type of tournament format that allowed players who weren’t club members (often representing a local business) to compete in a social tournament. As the competition grew, it split into competitive and social leagues.

“The concept caught on, and soon all the clubs across the Bay of Plenty were doing it.”

Ken and Marisa currently run Business House on Monday and Tuesday nights, and have done so for the last 20 years, despite retiring from the committee this year.

When asked how they’ve remained so consistent over the decades, Marisa summed it up poetically:

“We just kept turning up, and the years kept rolling over.”

One noticeable change during those years was the arrival of their two daughters, Tania and Kylie. Thankfully, both share their parents’ love of the sport, having been introduced to it before they can remember.

“The maternity ward was down the road from the club,” Marisa recalled. “So when I was holding Tania and we were leaving the ward for the first time, one of the first things she would have seen outside was the courts and the club, as Ken had arranged a match between mates.”

Helping their daughters through the club’s junior programmes, just like Ken had done, was a particularly fond time for the family.

“When they were juniors, they were good days. All the kids would play with each other, go to interclub, and then get a big ice cream down at the shops together. As our juniors got older they used to join in on our senior club days, so we were all at the club from 8am until late.”

Over the years, the pair have held various roles including both in the club captain roles with Ken serving over 40 years there, committee members, facilitated Business House, with Marisa also being junior convenor.

Marisa also used to clean the club house where one of the juniors once asked if she lived at the club.

For both Ken and Marisa, it’s clear that their motivation for involvement always came back to the people, not just the sport.

“In a way, the club is our family—an extended family. It’s always been very social. We hang out, have a game, and have a drink together afterward. All the organizing we do fits in around that.”

“It’s rare for us not to be at the club on a Saturday,” Ken added.

“Oh,” Marisa added, “We also run the bar, so we’re there until close anyway.”

Organizational skills and a passion for volunteering run deep in the family, as daughter Kylie is now the Club Secretary. Eldest daughter Tania also does a lot of work for Tatuanui Tennis Club, just outside of Morrinsville.

When asked about the future of the club, the couple remained optimistic.

“The club is in a good position,” Ken said, with our eight courts being utilised every day. Our court booking system is also bringing in non-members from the surrounding community. We have a great bunch of volunteers with many being with the club over a number of years, with a new generation of volunteers coming through.”

Both Marisa and Ken were made life members of Gate Pa Tennis Club in the late 90s, but their service to the sport and the club continues to this day.

“It’s funny because I was a little bit of a ratbag when I was younger. Of course, I’ve mellowed out a bit,” Ken said.

“The club is family to me, and funnily enough, my family is a big part of the club too. I wouldn’t trade it for anything.”

“Go The Pa!”