Serving Aces at Father Time

Howie Levinson, 93, hits a forehand during a summer morning tennis match at Patch Reef Park.

Well beyond the age where most have traded their tennis sneakers for orthopedic shoes, 93-year-old Howie Levinson continues to lace his Nikes, swing his racket, and serve aces at Patch Reef Park.

A longtime member and one of the first ever to play tennis at the Patch Reef Park Tennis Center, Levinson still leads a group of retirees onto the courts three mornings per week.

“He's our mentor,” said Eli Aranya who, at 57, is among the youngest in the group. “He's our life guide.”

Born a decade before the United States entered World War II, Levinson owned a sweater manufacturing company in New York before retiring to South Florida in the mid 1980s.

Always on the lookout for places to play tennis, Levinson and some friends made their first trip to the Patch Reef Tennis Center in 1987 – a couple weeks before the facility's official opening.

“Two weeks before the park opened, the courts were ready but they didn't have any security,” Levinson recalls. “We came in and nobody chased us, so we played.”

Levinson immediately embraced the Patch Reef facility as a straight-set victory.

“We had never seen 17 lit courts at one time,” Levinson said. 

Levinson's been a fixture at Patch Reef ever since.

He didn't take up tennis until after age 40, doing so primarily to play with his wife. He enjoyed the sport so much that, upon retirement, he played daily. As his age advanced, Levinson initially scaled back to five days.

Now, three mornings per week, Levinson and his group, which can swell to nearly two dozen during the winter season, welcome the morning sun with serves and volleys – nearly exclusively playing doubles.

“We just think he's our role model,” said David Johnson, 82. “We want to be like Howie.”

Levinson laments that speed is no longer an asset on the court, but he isn't about to let that slow him down.

“My game has certainly gone down,” Levinson said. “These guys are ultra patient. They haven't kicked me out yet.”

Still, Levinson's return of serves and overall play put players decades younger to shame.

“He has a great serve,” said Willie Kattula who, at age 80, is a relative youngster. “I'll tell you what, 90 years old and he can still serve damn good.”

Levinson credits the Plexicushion courts at the Patch Reef Tennis Center for extending his tennis-playing window.

“It does not look like a soft court, but it's not really hard on your knees and your ankles the way a cement court or an asphalt court is,” Levinson said. “They play very well.”

Levinson says he's never had a bad day at the Patch Reef Tennis Center, but one day especially stands out.

In February of 2022 Levinson walked to the court to find the net covered in crepe paper and a table loaded with cookies, cupcakes and a Patch Reef Tennis Center cap.

“They gave me a surprise birthday party right on Court 1 when I was 90,” said Levinson, grinning at the memory.

Levinson and the group are friends off the court, too. Sometimes the gang will grab a bite after playing – though not as often as they once did. More often they'll enjoy a cup of coffee. 

And there's the weekly poker match hosted by a group member.

“I was looking for some friends and I found all of them here,” said Gustavo Cajilo, 82, who's also been playing at Patch Reef since the courts opened. “We've loved it since the beginning.” 

Ten group members took to two courts on an early September Friday morning, briefly dodging a few rain drops during their hour-and-a-half of play. Players substitute liberally throughout the morning when someone on the court needs a breather.   

All want to play well, but winning isn't exactly paramount.

“Everybody's friendly,” said John Zhang, 71. “We don't care about winning or losing. We're here for exercise.”

The number of players on any given morning can range from eight to about 20. Most are men but there have been a couple of women. 

Players do leave the group, but new faces also join frequently – generally after their retirement.

“We'll welcome anyone who wants to play,” Johnson said. “People show up, we let them play.”

As long as the group has players, they plan to continue to enjoy the Patch Reef facilities.

Does that mean Levinson will still be a fixture at Patch Reef when he turns 100 years old?

“Why not?” he said with a smile.