I feel fortunate to still be able to play tennis at the age of 59. I no longer give my son Owen a decent game, but he humors me, and we get a good practice in. Officially, he won 6-3, 6-2, but he could have blanked me 6-0, 6-0. I didn’t play at all this spring or summer, but I will make a point to play at least weekly in the 2026-2027 academic year. I love tennis; it helps with my balance and coordination and is a good workout. Tennis also connects our family together.
Owen continues to play often and is good enough to play NCAA Division II tennis, in my opinion. I struggled returning his serve, a rapid, high-spin ball to my high backhand. He has textbook groundstrokes and good strength, stamina, and OK agility. Owen is left-handed, which also gives him an advantage in matches.
We played at El Cafetal Sports Complex in the town of San Ramon, Costa Rica. The complex has paddle ball courts, a sand volleyball court, and a couple of tennis courts. The lush tropical foliage behind the complex made for an exotic tennis experience for me. We could feel the heat and humidity of San Ramon, which has a lower elevation than Zarcero. The city itself has about 11,000 people, and the canton or county has a population of 97,000. It is the nearest town to Owen’s village, being only 19 kilometers by road from Zarcero. However, the trip takes between 30 and 40 minutes because of the narrow, windy road through the coffee and dairy farms of the Central Cordillera mountains.
We had a snack and lunch twice at the Nectandra Cafeteria in San Ramon. The sandwiches, coffee, and juices were delicious. The adjective that kept coming to mind when describing the towns and villages of Costa Rica is “sleepy”. The Ticos are super relaxed and casual. I can see why North Americans a moving to Costa Rica to avoid the uptight and busy North American lifestyle. Owen confirmed that he rarely sees someone wearing a suit and tie. The dress is very casual, lots of shorts, t-shirts, spandex and tight tops on women. I also noticed lots of tattoos and everyone being very subdued and generally smiling and content. The “pura vida” catch phrase aptly fits the culture. I guess with such nice weather, lush plants, blue skies, and a fairly small population, it makes for a sleepy, happy vibe.
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