The Mighty Quinns Return

by Jenna Wright

Sandy Springs Tennis Center (also known as North Fulton Tennis Center) is one lucky place! Why? The competitive, yet extremely generous group of ladies, known as “The Mighty Quinns,” are located out of that facility each season. They have made an appearance for the third time in a row at the Senior League State Championships, and this time they have very high expectations!

            The name “Mighty Quinns” derived from the captain’s name; Janice Quinn. Janice has been playing league tennis for nearly three decades. She teamed with Jan Kenny from the very start, and still remains teammates with her to this very day. Together, the two have picked up various players and friends they have met in other leagues throughout the years, leading to what the Mighty Quinns are today. They are nine passionate women who not only have fun playing tennis together, but each lady gives back to the community in some way or another. A common interest among ladies is the love for animals. One of the players actually works for a veterinarian. Joan Marcinko is also heavily involved in Special Olympics Tennis. The entire team participates in charity tournaments, as well. A few of them described their teammates as a wide variety of ladies, yet the bottom line is they all give back in some capacity.

            Although a lot of time from this team is dedicated to giving back to the community, they always make sure to find time for their own tennis. They practice on a regular basis and even have a meal afterward. They call it “practice and wine.” The women are also very impressive when it comes to their tennis skills because they receive no group coaching, yet still make it to state each year. Their tradition at the end of each season is to have a celebration; whether it is going on a team vacation or having a party around town. Some of the places they have visited together include Big Canoe, Callaway Gardens and Vandermeer. Other leagues they are involved in include ALTA, USTA Adults League, K-SWISS, Peach Tennis and T2.

            The Mighty Quinns were 100% prepared for a challenging weekend. They conducted weekly round robins, tried out different partnerships and found clay courts to practice on instead of their usual hard. This tournament is taken very seriously by the Sandy Springs ladies, as they stated it would mean EVERYTHING to be able to win the State Championships and advance on to the next round.

            “We are staying until we win; if it is not this year than we will be back! That is a threat!”