West Philadelphia: A Lasting Friendship Formed Through Tennis

At the age of 80, King may not be as agile as he was 28 years ago when he began playing tennis, but he knows how to enjoy the game.

Originally from Johnstown, Pa., King moved to Philadelphia after his service in the Navy. Four years ago he moved to the 4500 block of Locust St. from West Oak Lane and spends a lot of time at the Garden Community tennis courts.

“I began playing tennis in 1982,” said King, who continues to play for his health and for the sheer love of the sport.

“Just think,” said King. “In 2030 I’ll be 100 years old. Isn’t that something?”

The game of tennis changed for King four years ago when he met Ed Anderson. Anderson, 65, lives in Lebanon, Pa. with his wife, Janet. He was in Philadelphia visiting his son when King spotted him walking down the street one day.

King yelled out to Anderson and asked if he’d like to join him for a game of tennis. With only a spare racquetball racket, Anderson made due. Today, they’ve formed such a close bond that King refers to Anderson as his oldest son.

“I began playing tennis four years ago at the age of 61,” said Anderson. “I had never really played tennis until I met Charles.”

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Their fifteen-year age difference is of no significance to these to men.  King, a black man from Johnstown, Pa., and Anderson, a white man from the Jersey Shore, have embraced one another’s differences in their friendship. King said that from the black perspective, he has learned a lot about the white perspective and has been able to rid himself of some of the negative feelings and perceptions he may have acquired during his service in the Navy.

“He says hello to all the black people and I say hello to all the white people,” said King. In the past four years, they’ve met over 200 people through the game of tennis.

Richard Warren-Gibson happened to be getting off the bus when he saw King sitting on the bench at the Garden Community tennis courts and made time to stop in and catch up.

“I would see him out here in the mornings on my way to class,” said Warren-Gibson of King when asked about how they met. “One time I even cut class to play with him!”

Warren-Gibson, a 21-year-old graphic design student at the Penn State campus in Brandywine, met King over a year and a half ago and now plays tennis on occasion with King and Anderson, as well as others who come to the court just looking for someone to play tennis with.

“We don’t ask you to play,” said Anderson. “We say, ‘Come in and play.’” Even if a person doesn’t have a racket, either of the two men will sit out for the opportunity to meet and play tennis with someone new.

“We don’t teach tennis, we teach fun. If someone asks me a question, I’ll answer, but I don’t coach,” said Anderson. “I like to practice fun.”

LaReine Nixon met King and Anderson much the same as Warren-Gibson. She now plays tennis with King on a daily basis.

“She used to go walking around this area, and one day I invited her in to play,” said King.

Nixon, 52, is an artist and has a custom framing business. Her gallery, Philadelphia Framing & Fine Arts, is located on the corner of 61st and Lancaster Avenue in West Philadelphia. LaReine has done custom framing for 15 years. Four years ago she discovered her own artistic ability as a painter, and now she is the portrait artist.

LaReine began playing tennis at the age of 16. She was also a dancer and a gymnast and developed her skills in tennis by playing against a wall. She said she always plays tough with King and Anderson so that they know she’s a fierce competitor.

LaReine, King and Anderson have been playing tennis together for almost a year.

Anderson and King spend a great deal of time on the tennis court, but when they’re not playing tennis, they both enjoy activities that stimulate the mind.

King is a published author and also a perfected jazz pianist.

“Art and physical activity are both good things,” said King. “You want to have something to do each day that you get up, in order to keep yourself thinking. For me, it’s music, tennis and writing. Every one of those things gives me a purpose.”

His book, Thank You Jesus From Johnstown Pennsylvania! was published in 2006 and seeks to pass on the legacy of obtaining a good education and solid values in life.

“I did all the ‘shoulds’ in life,” said Anderson, who sticks to a strict schedule of mealtime and “me” time. “Now that I’m in my 60s, I’m doing the ‘me’s.'”

Through tennis, King and Anderson encourage people to use their minds.

Anderson’s main physical activity is tennis, though he ran a few marathons and completed several bike races in the past. He now owns a company called LifeTrax that seeks to help people achieve their goals, organize their lives and get on track.

“We encourage people to get in the moment,” said Anderson. “And that doesn’t cost anything.”

There are dozens of people who play tennis at the Garden Community Center Tennis & Garden Facilities on a weekly basis, all who have likely seen Charles King and Ed Anderson at one time or another.

Their friendship, after all, is based on years of great conversation and the game of tennis. Not only do they view tennis as a self-teaching sport, but the game has also allowed them to learn a lot about themselves.  Together, they’ve grown in friendship and in their skills at the game of tennis.

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