At first a tennis rookie, Clearwater woman now serves

CLEARWATER – Julie Panton was just a regular citizen of Pinellas County, enjoying the Clearwater Beach lifestyle and enjoying good company.Being the people lover she is, Panton was always interested in meeting new people and friends. An acquaintance suggested she play tennis.But there was only one problem, Panton told her friend. She had never played tennis before. And having just turned 50, she was too old to learn a new trick.But her friend persisted and Panton relented.Little did Panton know her life would drastically change as a result. Now seven years later, Panton is one of the more respected members of the tennis community. She has turned an almost flippant suggestion into a cottage industry. She is a tennis official and is a tennis instructor and tutor to dozens of youngsters throughout Pinellas County.She also volunteers as much time as she has to encourage and promote the game of tennis. As a result, Panton was named by the Florida chapter of the United States Tennis Association as a Volunteer of the Month.In short, Panton is high on tennis life.“Yes, I love the game so much,” Panton said. “It’s just being around people and you learn more and you love what you do. You can never learn enough about tennis. It’s so much fun.”Panton is the head professional at the Willis S. Johns tennis center in St. Petersburg and is a youth coach at the St. Petersburg Tennis Center.She also took classes since taking up tennis in officiating and works several matches a year in addition to her tutoring and overall free public relations service for the sport.Panton became a tennis professional last year and as a result started her own business. She began an after-school program for youngsters and also offers classes for adults, even for adults who are much closer to retirement than the age to vote.“People always have fun around tennis and the people involved in tennis are so nice,” Panton said. “It’s always so much fun.“And you can never be too old to learn.”