Through a now-departed cherished friend, Don Mungham, I had the pleasure of meeting some of the famed Dubeau brothers from Penetanguishene (Mike, Brian and John) some 15 years ago.
Over the years, the fun has continued, as I have run into some of the clan, especially Mike, at various events.
Heck, I could write a book about some of the moments I’ve shared with Mike Dubeau on various golf courses.
But that’s another story for another day.
A conversation over coffee recently provided another glimpse into the rich sporting lives of the brothers, moving away from their well-documented hockey careers.
In between sips, I felt privileged to learn that Brian and John Dubeau have also shared a lifelong passion for tennis. Their experience when it comes to bouncing highly strung racquet against fuzzy ball amounts to a total of 110 years.
Cherished among the racquet memories are Brian’s 25 years of magical moments spent taking part in the annual doubles tennis tournament held in Penentanguishene.
Started by Brian, his brother John and Mike Hamelin, the Midland Tours Tennis Invitational (known for many years as the Penetang Midland Coach Lines Invitational), has a rich history.
In talking about the tournament, during a relaxing weekend stop at the Midland waterfront, it was like getting a glimpse back in time.
Over the years a number of women have graced the tournament with their presence, including former Canadian junior champion Ann Merkley.
“Years ago, Ann won national championships in the age 10 and age 14 divisions,” he noted.
Decades ago, a number of the younger players in Midland-Penetanguishene would travel to Toronto to compete in the former Toronto Telegram Invitational Tournament. When Dubeau was 15, he captured the championship trophy in that tournament.
“When I was about 10 or 12 years old, Penetanguishene had a very strong junior team at the time and Lorne Main and Jim Bentley came to town to put on a tennis clinic. Lorne Main was a world seniors champion from the Ontario area and he is still playing at age 78,” said Dubeau.
Ironically, Dubeau was in Florida last winter when he ran into Main and the pair swapped stories about that memorable clinic in Penetanguishene.
It might have just seemed like another short coffee stop for Brian Dubeau, but what an enlightening few minutes for a scribbler always trying to expand his world.
On July 5 in Penetanguishene, players from across Simcoe County, Canada and possibly the U.S. will take to the courts locally for the 2008 Midland Tours Invitational Tennis Tournament.
Doubles teams will taste both thrilling victory and bitter defeat, but in the end, new tennis moments will be created.
In turn, that will add to what is already a rich local history.
Game on!
