ROANOKE TIMES
Copyright (c) 1996, Roanoke Times
DATE: Wednesday, February 28, 1996 TAG: 9602280040
SECTION: CURRENT PAGE: NRV-10 EDITION: NEW RIVER VALLEY
SOURCE: LISA P. SMITH STAFF WRITER
MEMO: NOTE: Also ran in February 29, 1996 Neighbors with second photo.
Juanita Reed Stanley sat in the dinette area of her comfortably furnished home, the notes about her tennis activities spread out on the table in front of her.
The seven-time Roanoke City-County tennis champion nervously referred to her notes, which she wrote the night before, to talk about winning the tournament from 1946-1951 and again in 1960.
The tournament was a competitive event for local tennis amateurs ranging from junior boys and girls to men and women.
Stanley breezed through many of her matches to become the champion, according to articles written about her in this newspaper during the 1940s and '50s.
Stanley said her toughest match was against her younger sister, Wanda. Stanley won, though, 9-6, 9-7.
"We were both so totally exhausted that our mother had to put us both to bed."
Stanley also competed in doubles play.
In 1948, '49, '51 and '60, she was a champion in the women's doubles championship. And she was a finalist in the 1951 Virginia State Women's Tournament.
She once dreamed of turning professional. But the dream was impossible to accomplish, she said.
"It was so expensive, and the players didn't make as much money as they make now. But if there was reincarnation, I would come back and become a professional."
Stanley began reliving her introduction to the game.
"[Wanda and I] grew up during the Depression, so we had to find recreation that didn't cost much money."
Stanley was 12 when she got her first racket. "I can remember they were building the tennis courts at Fishburn Park, and every day during the summer I would go there to watch them work, waiting for them to finish."
The courts became a regular meeting place for Stanley and her friends.
"The balls were 10 cents apiece, so we could only play if we found any discarded balls."
Stanley played a lot of matches with boys, "because they were stronger, and that helped me a lot in my tournament play."
She earned two titles during her junior and senior years at Jefferson High School.
During her years of competitive play, Stanley married Jack Stanley in May 1948. Stanley also worked full time in the Roanoke office of the Social Security Administration as a claims representative and then as an operations analyst.
Because she wanted to focus more on her work, Stanley decided to retire from competitive tennis in 1951.
Stanley also added a new addition to her family during retirement as well, her daughter, Sharon was born in 1953.
In 1960, Stanley went back to play one last time, winning the women's singles and doubles championships. "I did the tournament in 1960 just to see if I still had it."
But this retirement didn't mean she was through with the sport. She continued to play on a recreational level by joining tennis leagues and reserving time at private tennis clubs. She now makes the game a vital part of her leisure time, playing at least three or four times a week.
Stanley's husband and daughter, both of she taught the game of tennis, play with her, along with her daughter's husband, Ed Mitchell.
But the enjoyment the sport brings also can be an obstacle, especially when professional matches are televised, Stanley said.
"I enjoy watching the major tennis tournaments on television, like the U.S. Open and the Australian Open. When they are on, I can't get anything else done."
These tournaments do, however, give Stanley a chance to see her favorite player, Steffi Graf.
"Steffi is a great all-around player,'' she said. ``I like her mainly because of her one-handed backhand. I admire Monica Seles, but I don't like her two-handed backhand."
By watching these professionals play and also reading articles about them, Stanley said she has improved her own game.
"I have a more complete game now than when I was younger. I've learned so much from watching the pros on television and reading tennis magazines."
Being away from competitive tennis also has helped her.
"I play with more reckless abandon now. I try for more of my shots because there is no pressure to win."
LENGTH: Medium: 89 lines ILLUSTRATION: PHOTO: Roger Hart. Juanita Reed Stanley, former tennis champby CNBfor Roanoke and Roanoke County, won six straight championships from
1946 to 1951 and then again in 1960. She still plays at least three
times a week.