Toast of the town … Tennis, anyone? In Hamtramck, yes

By Charles Sercombe
For those unfamiliar with Hamtramck’s colorful history, this city was once a powerhouse in the world of tennis.
So much so, that even Grosse Pointers once came here to learn the fine art of hitting a tennis ball.
And it was mainly thanks to the work of that late husband and wife team, Jerry and Jean Hoxie. They are known for starting the first tennis camp in the nation right here in Hamtramck, starting in the 1940s and continuing through the 70s.
Jean Hoxie did the heavy lifting of taking a bunch of inner-city kids with no money and turning many of them into national, and even world, champs.
On a rainy and dreary Saturday afternoon – a hint of fall weather soon to come? – Toast stopped in at the Ukrainian American Archives and Museum on Jos. Campau and took in a talk about Hamtramck’s rise in the world of tennis.
One of Hoxie’s star students was Chuck Brainard, who recounted his days with the legendary coach and the players he faced.
“Mrs. Hoxie always thought big,” Brainard said. “Always wanted to take care of the kids.”
But she was a strict disciplinarian when it came to practicing, Brainard added. She would have her tennis students hit balls against the infamous tennis wall in Veterans Park, over and over.
And if you lost a practice game, Brainard said, it was “back to the wall.”
The wall, by the way, is still standing and is still in good shape, waiting for the next generation.
For students, the games were not the only competitive challenges — so was practice, seven days a week.
Unfortunately, one of the guests of honor, the legendary Jane “Peaches” Bartkowicz, could not make this event because of a health issue.
Peaches, as she is commonly known here, was a stand-out during a time of many exceptional players.
She went on to win numerous championships, and even played the hallowed grounds of Wimbledon, where she won the Girl’s Singles title in 1964 before going on to win three medals in the 1968 Olympics.
Brainard said a standout moment for Peaches was when she once volleyed 1,666 balls at the wall in Veterans Park without an error. She stopped at that number only because she had to go to class.
“Nobody’s come near (that), to the best of my knowledge,” Brainard said.
While the glory days of Hamtramck tennis are long gone, the tennis program at Hamtramck High School was resurrected about two years ago, thanks to coach Joe Patterson.
Patterson conceded that, although the players he’s coaching are “not at the Hoxie level yet,” there is a huge amount of “drive and passion” among the students for the sport.
The school program now has about 25 boys and 16 girls enrolled.
“A lot of times, it’s hard to get them off the courts,” Patterson said.
For those interested in discovering the joys and challenges of tennis, the Hamtramck Parks Conservancy is hosting free tennis rentals (for those without gear), in a pilot program that started this past week and which continues on Tuesday evenings from 5-7 p.m. on Sept. 29 and Oct. 6.
The free program is open to those 10 years old and up. So who will be the next star tennis player in Hamtramck? Only history will tell.
When it comes to good food and great times, Hamtramck has plenty to offer. In this column, we’ll talk about what’s happening at our bars, restaurants and at other events throughout the city.
Posted Sept. 25, 2026