By Carrie Rupp

“I’ve met so many great friends through tennis,” Fran Hunt said. “That’s what has kept me going all of these years.”

Eighty-four-year-old Fran Hunt isn’t exaggerating when she says “all of these years.” The Maine native, who now resides in Easton, Pa., has been heavily involved in USTA League tennis in Eastern Pa., for more than 30 years. She was honored by USTA Middle States in 2005 with the inaugural Carol Strasser Memorial League Service Award, an award given annually to a dedicated league volunteer.

Hunt began playing tennis in her 50s at Northwood Racquet Club. From there, she became a team captain, then 3.5 women’s coordinator and, finally, an Area League Coordinator.

She recently retired from her coordinator position but says she doesn’t see herself throwing in the towel as a captain any time soon.

“I don’t mind being a captain; I’ll do it for as long as I can,” Hunt said.

Although Hunt serves as captain, she no longer competes as a member of the team due to back problems.

“It is still fun to be involved,” Hunt said. “Tennis keeps me young, not that I always feel young. Sometimes I feel young, sometimes I feel my age, but the doctors tell me I’m in overall good health. They say I’m going to live to be 110.”

Although Hunt’s physicians tell her she’s in good health, she was sporting an injury at the 2007 Senior League Section Championships – a broken toe – an injury she sustained while loading her car up for her trip to the championship.

Broken toe or not, Hunt was busy keeping her team organized and watching her teammates’ matches during the championship weekend. Hunt has taken teams to nationals twice – a feat she believes is always attainable – although ultimately she just wants her teams to have a “grand time.”