Getting My Nephews Involved

During the Christmas holiday, I've had the opportunity to talk with my nephews in Seattle about setting a date for my next visit which will include a visit to the University of Washington to see their men's tennis team in action. This is the third year in a row I'll get the boys out to a match and expose them to some great college tennis and hopefully continue to strengthen their interest in the game.

Over the last four years, I've helped develop an interest with my sister's second child, Kory, by getting him on the court and teaching him how to hit the ball. Three years ago when my sister and her family moved to the Seattle area, I saw it as an opportunity to expose Kory and Kyler to the game through the Washington men's program, which is one of the better programs in the country. We have had some great experiences at their matches.

Two years ago, I took Kory to the UW - Oregon match. Former Georgia Tech player West Nott, who is currently the assistant coach for the University of Southern California women's team, was a volunteer coach at UW and he made a point of getting together briefly during the match with me and Kory for a quick meet and greet and some photos. Kory loved the experience. A UW match would not be complete without a visit from the costumed Husky mascot or a visit from the UW band or even the best thing you can offer a young fan willing to wait a few minutes in line - free pizza. Out of all the places my sister and her husband could have relocated to, Seattle is just a phenomenal city and having UW so close by was a real bonus for me, especially with the tennis program it offers.

Last year I brought all three of my sister's boys to the Portland match. Kyler, the oldest, tracked the scores of each match throughout the afternoon and gave me regular updates as the Huskies got closer and closer to victory. In the break between doubles and singles, Kory took part in an on court race for fans and ended up winning a Husky tennis t-shirt for his efforts. This year, Kyler says he will earn a shirt. Later, Kory and Kyler got an autograph and photos with the Huskies #1 player, senior Alex Slovic. He was great to the boys and they loved how approachable Alex was. For the two young boys, it certainly was a memorable day. I loved every minute of it!

It was later in the season that I learned that Alex was a good friend of Daniela Bercek. Nina was a senior at Duke and a former #1 in the NCAA singles rankings. I have known Nina for a number of years and when I was talking with her about my UW experience during the Georgia Tech - Duke match this past season, she told me she went back a number of years with Alex, as they played tennis together in Serbia. When the NCAA championships were taking place in May in Athens, Georgia, I ran into Alex and UW coach Matt Anger. Alex was participating in the singles championships and ended up losing to John Isner in the semifinals. My nephews were really impressed that he had such a great run in the championships. I think they might have even shared that fact with their friends at school. I told Alex I talked with Nina in Atlanta and again thanked him for being so nice to my nephews. It really was another example of how small the tennis world really is.

The boys and I have talked about a few matches for the 2008 season and at the moment I think we are leaning towards either the Pacific or the Eastern Washington matches taking place in March. UW is hosting the indoor championships in February and that would be a temping event to go to. The boys are young and so the significance of the opponent is not as big of a deal. Plus, the month of March will be a better time for me. No matter what match we end up at, I know we'll have a great time together.

There are just so many ways to get the kids involved in the game of tennis. I have other nephews and a niece and I hope to be able to create a passion in each one of them for this great game. I can't think of a better way to build that passion than to have them experience a college tennis match.

Time.

From Atlanta to New York City to Denver to Atlanta

I am visiting my sister and her family in Seattle for the Christmas holiday. I had a great e-mail from a friend of mine in Denver, CO this past weekend. This is certainly not the time of year when you really think about playing tennis outside in Denver. Recently they've had temperatures in the high 20s and consistent snowfall in the area and we'll all agree these conditions are less than ideal for working on your forehand or backhand. Weather like that won't stop some people. John recently returned to Denver from a trip to Mexico and got together with a group of tennis friends to clear the nearby courts so they could get three days of tennis in. I love it!

I met John this past September while I was on a business trip in Denver. John knows a group of people I had met at the US Open in New York. You know how it goes when you meet people. You start talking with them over a common interest, share some stories and some laughs, make small talk about your life and then you move on. It happens all the time, but not in this case.

I traveled to the US Open this year with my girlfriend Lisa, as it was her first time to the Open. We met my good friend Eric in New York. This was Eric's fourth consecutive Open and my 12th. Eric was staying in a separate hotel from us and on day one of the Open we took different train routes to the National Tennis Center. Upon our arrival on the grounds of the tennis center, we met up with Eric at the bar outside Court Five. On his way in, Eric started talking with a group of people on the train about tips they should consider in order to get the most out of their first visit to the Open. Matt, Brock, Steve and Polly were in from the Denver area and were really pumped up to be taking it all in. Over the next two days Eric spent a good amount of time hanging out with the group of four. We all just hit it off.

On their last day as they were discussing going home, and leaving some great tennis behind, they talked specifically about where they lived in the Denver area. Interestingly enough, I had to make a business trip to their hometown the following week and so we shared e-mails and phone numbers and I said I would get in touch with them.

When I got to Denver the weekend prior to my business meeting, I got in touch with Matt. We went out and hit for a few hours on Saturday morning and he let me know that later in the day Polly would be having a group of people over to watch the Super Saturday tennis matches from the Open. Great stuff! During the early afternoon we even called Eric to make sure has was watching the matches. It was a gorgeous day in Colorado and later in the afternoon Matt and Brock took me over to a park in Boulder where we played shuffleboard with Polly's son and his good friend. Brock brought along his personal shuffleboard equipment set. So we got a few games in and headed back to Polly's for a cookout and watched the women's final where Henin dismantled Kuznetsova. I met John for the first time at the cookout and we talked about getting out to hit during the week.

A few days later I got in touch with John and we went to hit at a park near the hotel I was staying in. We had a real nice workout and when it was over he let me know Steve had invited us over to his place for a cookout. Not only did Matt come over for the cookout, but Steve's parents were driving through Denver from California and joined us for dinner as well. It was unbelievable how well it all worked out.

I had a great time with the gang over that week and we talked about keeping in touch. I'm glad we have done that.

I have been traveling for a number of years, but I don't think I have had a tennis experience quite like this one. These are great people and they were so friendly and it was really easy just hanging out with them. These are the type of people you meet that make you feel like you have known them all your life. Thanks to them I was able to get a few days of tennis in and it also gave me the chance to get to know them all a little better. How can it get any better than that? I know they are considering getting back to the Open, although I don't know if it will be next year.

It doesn't matter if or when they get back to the Open. I've met some great people in a great part of our country and I am looking forward to the next time when I will see all of them. If it isn't at the Open it will be somewhere else. And we'll all have a good time.

Time.

Hitting Partner Takes Title

It is December 11th and the weather in Atlanta today reached 77 F. As you might guess, this is the kind of day you want to get out to the court and hit a few balls. I mean you just can't pass up the opportunity to work on your strokes with the weather being so unseasonably warm, even for the southeast. Tonight I had the pleasure of hitting with my friend Elizabeth, a lefty with great control and a mix of power and finesse.

I started hitting with Elizabeth over 18 months ago when she responded to a message board post I placed on the Atlanta Journal Constitution web site. We've hit on and off since then and during a typical get together we will hit groundies for about an hour. She has a great forehand that really pops when she hits all out.

Tonight we hit groundies for about two hours. The hitting consisted of good solid strokes and long rallies. We both worked up a good sweat, and it felt ten times better than playing a match. Sometimes playing a match is the better experience, and tonight Elizabeth shared with me the details of some recent match successes she had in the local K Swiss Ultimate Tennis League.

Last week, Elizabeth won the Atlanta women's 4.5 singles championship for the Fall season. She won in straight sets 6-1, 7-6 (5) and her husband and friends were also on hand to see her win the title. Isn't it always better when you have people around cheering you on? The championship match was held at the Collins Hill Athletic Club in Lawrenceville, the same place I visited in October to see the ITF Women's $50K tournament. She had a great season at the 4.5 level, winning all seven of her matches. Her prize for taking the title? A pair of K Swiss tennis shoes. Did you expect a Wilson tennis racquet?

This was her second season in K Swiss and I am sure she will continue to play in the league. I am really happy for her. She also spends time coaching locally, so she stays connected to the game in a number of ways. Isn't that the case with so many of us?

It's great when the people you play with have success on the court. It has a way of rubbing off on you as well. I know I've got a lot of work to do to make that happen.

Time.

Stone Mountain Tennis Center

Earlier this year, the Stone Mountain Tennis Center facility closed due to a non-sustainable business model. I learned about this in an issue of Net News, the great tennis magazine published by the Atlanta Lawn Tennis Association, or commonly known as ALTA here in Atlanta. I had the privilege of playing at the Stone Mountain Tennis Center on two occasions and while I am not surprised that the facility had to finally close its doors, it is unfortunate that such a great facility is no longer being used by tennis enthusiasts throughout the southeast.

The center was built for the 1996 Summer Olympic Games. Andre Agassi captured the gold medal for the United States during those games. After the Summer Games, the center was operated by a number of management organizations, but because of its location and size, it was just too difficult to bring the kinds of crowds needed to make it work.

When I moved to Atlanta from Charlotte, NC, I got in touch with the Coan Tennis Association. Our Charlotte organization usually played representatives from the Coan Association as part of a summer southeastern traveling league. The Coan Association is a great group of people committed to growing the game of tennis and they have all kinds of events throughout the year for its members as well as the larger Atlanta tennis community. One of their events is the annual Rainbow Tennis Tournament, a three day affair that brings players of all skill levels together from all over the southeast. It had been held in late May at the Stone Mountain Tennis Center. I am not sure where it will be held this year, but it is a great event to consider playing in, no matter what location it is at.

I am happy I had the chance to play in the facility. Walking the grounds, you knew it was a place where big time tennis was played. The stadium court was rather intimate with approximately 7,000 seats, but at the time of the Summer Games it held about 12,000. The grounds are very spacious, with plenty of room to stand if you want to watch the action at any of the 15 courts. Having been to a number of professional events, this setting was ideal for a major tournament. The only issue in Atlanta is that Stone Mountain is a bit out of the way in regards to downtown and routine traffic patterns and so it could be a bit of a pain to get to regularly. They hosted a few NCAA events there, but it really is not a great place to see an NCAA tennis match because the courts are all spread out. Having six courts all together is really necessary for a successful college tennis event.

After you got your court assignment at the Rainbow Tournament, you could feel the energy building as you walked the grounds with your bag over your shoulder and approached the court. It was different than showing up at a local park. The courts were always in top condition and you knew during warmups this was a special place. Looking back over your shoulder and seeing the stadium court in the distance was a simple reminder that some great tennis had been played here - Olympic tennis. Wow. Great stuff.

Thanks to the Coan Rainbow Tennis Tournament, I had the chance to play in a place very few tennis players ever have an opportunity to play in. I'll look forward to the announcement of the 2008 Rainbow Tournament, but I will be disappointed in knowing it will not be held at Stone Mountain.

Time.

You Never Know Where You Will Find Tennis People

As I was paging through the 2007 November - December issue of USTA magazine, I came across a photo of Ashley Weinhold, a top US junior, who was featured for a win at the Girls 18 USTA National Hardcourt Championships in August. This was the third time this year Ashley was featured in USTA magazine.

I met Ashley in September of 2004 on a Super Shuttle bus at the Tampa Airport, as we were both heading to the Saddlebrook Resort. I was on a business trip and Ashley was taking part in an all-star camp sponsored by Addidas. We chatted for most of the half hour ride to the resort, as I asked her a variety of questions about her game and her tennis lifestyle. She was from Austin, Texas and a Longhorns fan.

I was hoping to get to play some tennis while I was on the trip, but with the business at hand I really did not have the time. I did manage to get out one afternoon while the Addidas camp was in session. About 15 of the top juniors in the country took part in the camp and a number of coaches ran them through drills and hitting sessions while they were there. It was good, high quality tennis. On the day I got out to see them hit, they worked on groundies and net play for awhile and then went over to another court where they received an instruction session from tennis legend Stan Smith. He talked to them for about 25 minutes or so and then the kids went out and drilled while Stan watched their workout. It was a real treat just to listen to him address the group and provide tips during their workout. While I enjoyed my time at the resort for business, that day made the entire trip worthwhile.

The next time I ran into Ashley was the following summer at the US Open. She was involved in doubles and I caught her on one of the practice courts a day or two before she was scheduled to play. She was pretty focused but you could tell she was loving the experience.

I don't think I ran into her in 2006. I did read an article about her in USTA magazine earlier this year that she had been nominated as a practice partner for the US Fed Cup team prior to their match against Belgium in April in Florida. I thought that was pretty impressive. She even wrote a blog about the experience. At this year's US Open, I unexpectedly caught Ashley warming up on one of the practice courts. She was drilling and I was on my way to one of the afternoon matches so I did not stick around to say hello.

In October of this year, a friend of mine who frequents Georgia Tech matches called to tell me there was an ITF Women's $50K event in Lawrenceville, GA, about 30 minutes from my house. I went over after work one day and caught some really good tennis, including Julie Ditty, Angela Haynes and Alexa Glatch. As I was watching Glatch play against Alisa Kleybanova, I noticed Ashley sitting outside the fence of the court watching the same match. I went down and visited with her for five or 10 minutes and then went back to my viewing spot. She was entered in the doubles draw and unfortunately I would not be able to see it. There had been rain earlier in the day in Atlanta and she told me several of the players in the draw had gone over to Georgia Tech and the indoor courts there and worked out with some of the girls on the Jackets squad. She also talked about visiting with Bryan Shelton and I told her about my trips to the Flats to watch the Jackets play.

Who would have ever thought a simple shuttle ride on a business trip would lead to these encounters over the last few years? It will be interesting to see when our paths cross again, and they will.

Time.

Looking Ahead to the College Season

18. The Georgia Tech men's tennis team will play 18 home matches during the 2008 collegiate tennis season. The 2007 national champion Georgia Tech women's tennis team is scheduled to play 12 home matches in 2008. Wow. That is a lot of high quality tennis action to look forward to in this upcoming season.

I've been going to Tech matches over the last six years and this will easily be the highest number of home matches for the public to be able to see in that time.

I ran into Scott Blackmon, a senior on the Tech men's team, at the Georgia Tech - UNC Greensboro basketball game in Atlanta recently and he had a different take on the schedule. While I was thoroughly excited that the team would be in town often, he said the downside is that the players on the team don't get as many chances to travel to other schools. If I was a player, I'd be looking forward to the trips as well.

On the men's side, I am looking at possible road trips to see the team, but the opportunities are few. I had such a great experience in 2007 when I went to Washington, DC to visit one of my hitting partners and good friend, Eric, and we made our way over to the University of Maryland for the match vs. GT. When we arrived at the indoor facility and realized there were no seats in the place, we went over and hung around the Tech players. They were a little surprised when we showed up in our Tech clothes to root them on. They were really great to us during the match as we raised our voices in support of them. After the match in which Tech beat the Terrapins 4-3, a GT alum, Clint, invited Eric and I to his place where he was hosting a party for the team and other alums living in the DC area. It was a great time and we got a chance to connect with the guys and the coaches away from the court. The team is really a classy group of people. Kenny Thorne runs a great program. So it gets you really fired up about making another road trip this season. The best options are all in North Carolina, as the team plays at NC State, UNC, Wake Forest and Duke.

On the women's side, there are two matches I will be disappointed in missing. They play Notre Dame and Duke on the road. My dad went to Notre Dame so I had all that ND brainwashing for as long as I can remember. While I am not a fan, the school does occupy a special place in my life. I have even been to see the ND men and women play in South Bend. They have a great indoor facility and a nice outdoor facility as well. They run a really good program, both on the men's and women's side.

The GT women had two big wins against the Irish in 2007 and in both matches there was a lot on the line. After beating Stanford 4-3 in the semi-finals and ending their 89 match win streak at the ITA National Indoor Championships, GT played ND for the championship. The women were tough and beat ND 4-2 for their first tennis title of any kind. Later in the year, in Athens, GA, they played ND in the quarterfinals of NCAA Championships. Again the Jackets were able to beat the Irish 4-2 and advance to the national semifinals for the first time in the program's history. I was there. Great stuff. I know there will be plenty of excitement at that match this season.

While I am not a big Duke fan, I am an acquaintance of former player Daniela Bercek. The Devils came to Atlanta last season and I was able to visit with Nina for awhile while the Jackets were notching another victory. Nina was a former #1 ranked player in the NCAA and I had the chance to see her play on a few occassions. It was a great win for the Jackets as Duke had beaten them in 29 straight matches. Talk about getting the monkey off your back. Nobody beats the Jackets 30 times in a row. Nobody. While Nina has moved on, they have another player I saw as a junior at an Addidas camp at the Saddlebrook Resort a few years ago. Elizabeth Plotkin will be a sophomore this year and while I always look forward to seeing players I have run across in my tennis travels, seeing Duke this season may have to wait.

Once we get to January, the season will be upon us.

Time.

Getting Started

Thanks Parrish.

I was on the court last night in Smyrna, GA and bumped in to an old acquaintance of mine and we caught up on a variety of things related to tennis. Parrish let me know how he played a USTA Challenger event, looking for his first ATP points, and how great the experience was about being on the court when the chair umpire stated during introductions, "To the left of the chair from the United States . . . "

Later in the discussion he started talking about a new blog that he started. I thought to myself, "that's pretty cool and blogging is such an easy thing to do." The more I thought about Parrish's blog, the more I started thinking about doing my own blog. Tennis has given me so many incredible experiences in my life and I have met so many great and interesting people through the years and I thought to myself last night that it might be cool to put those experiences out there and share them with others, as it may help get other people thinking and talking about the things that I am seeing first hand through the places I visit and the people I meet.

So I will use this blog to start a dialog about my experiences through tennis and how they carry over into other parts of my life. I always think to myself how lucky I am that I take part in the tennis culture because the game has given so much to me for more than 30 years of my life. In order to get others excited about what tennis can be in their life I'd like to share my experiences here as I have been hangin' around the court for years there are just so many stories to tell. And I am reminded all the time that the tennis world is really a small place and you cross paths with people time and time again. Tennis is more than a game. As my friend Janet from the Coan Tennis Association reminded me, "Tennis is a lifestyle." I love being part of it.

Time.