53rd pop-tennis tournament continues decades-long tradition at Ron Parker Park

Tony Kovich, who the Moderator introduced as working with the Saint John's County Utility Department and a local paddle/pickle/tennis expert, said the long-running pop-tennis tournament recently held at Ron Parker Park marked its 53rd edition. "And we've been playing the tournament here since 1973, on the beach, and we do have some preliminary matches on these courts," Kovich said.

Kovich described the sport's deep local roots and how the tournament predates the recent rise of pickleball. "The sport's been played here since the sixties," he said, and he noted that New York, California and Saint Augustine are the three U.S. cities that typically hold these tournaments. The program was recorded on Labor Day as part of the Mayor's "Mondays with the Mayor" series at Ron Parker Park in the City of St. Augustine Beach.

Kovich also explained that what is often called "paddle tennis" has been rebranded in some places as "pop tennis," and that local preliminary matches are sometimes held on the park's courts. The remarks framed the tournament as a continuity of a regional recreational tradition rather than a new event.

The Moderator closed the segment by thanking Kovich for the historical perspective and by encouraging local participation at future events.