In a way, platform tennis has followed the progression of many residents of The Villages. The game was created in the northeast United States, and it is now thriving as it marked its 10th anniversary in the community earlier this week. And like the many Villagers who have persuaded friends and neighbors to join them in Florida’s Friendliest Hometown, it was one evangelist for the sport who got the activity rooted here. That man, Joe Russo, of the Village of Pennecamp, was honored Wednesday by the Platform Tennis Club, which probably wouldn’t exist but for his efforts. The six courts that Russo helped open a decade ago have now grown to 24, which remain the only platform tennis courts in Florida.

The game was invented in Scarsdale, New York, in 1928. Its beginnings are as a country-club sport that is played in the winter, with courts in cold climates raised so they can be heated to melt snow. The courts are surrounded by wire mesh fences, which are in play. In general, platform tennis stayed close to its northeastern roots. That is, until Russo moved to The Villages.

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Russo, a World War II veteran from northern New Jersey, was fairly athletic, playing golf, table tennis and other sports. When a golfing buddy suggested he try platform tennis at Ramsey Country Club, Russo agreed. Something about the sport just clicked, and Russo was hooked. He was so enthusiastic that in the New Jersey winters, he and playing partners would shovel snow off the raised platform, turn on the heat and a couple hours later, they’d be playing.

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Russo played in New Jersey country club leagues for almost 20 years. When he semi-retired and moved to Maryland, he worked to get his homeowners’ association there to fund the construction of courts. As people from the New York area moved to that community, there were more people who were familiar with the sport. Russo eventually convinced officials there to install platform tennis courts. He played the sport there for several years when he began to consider moving to The Villages.

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He inquired about the availability of the sport here but wasn’t discouraged when he discovered it wasn’t yet offered. In fact, there were no known platform tennis facilities in the state of Florida. Russo moved to The Villages in August 2008 and soon began trying to persuade John Rohan, director of recreation and parks, to install courts.

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Eventually, Russo measured tennis courts at Bridgeport Recreation Center to see how many platform courts could be built on the space used by a tennis court. Subsequently, he put on a platform tennis demonstration on a pickleball court at Bacall Recreation Center.

Finally, after about 18 months, Russo got his wish. Six platform tennis courts were installed as part of the construction of the SeaBreeze Recreation Center, which opened March 11, 2010.

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