LETTERS FROM THE EDITORS
EVERYONE CAN BE ON TOUR
Scott Colebourne Editor-at-Large
As my partner and I continued hitting we began to sweat more, it was a hot morning, even before the sun came up. The humidity that would dissipate later in the day still hung in the air and drenched our clothes. As I travelled from city to city, training each morning as the sun rose over the courts, the beach, or whatever was our training ground for the day, I was starting to feel “it”. On this day I definitely felt different; I felt better, stronger, faster, I was hitting the ball cleaner, crisper, deeper. We hit down the line, then cross court, then played points, serves, volleys, groundstrokes. It all became a blur of ball fuzz, sweat, and the constant thud of the ball on strings. As we walked off the court that morning, I felt more like a tennis player than I’d ever felt in my life! I was on tour! One aspect of the tennis life that I love are the unique feelings that it can create in all of us. Whether you’ve recognized this or not, we all play tennis for different reasons and those reasons can evolve over time.
Currently I play tennis for the feeling of hitting the ball cleanly and the discipline that it takes to do this, again and again. I gain great joy (and pain) from trying to position myself in the right part of the court at the right time to enable me to use perfect technique. This is a very elusive target and it keeps me motivated as perfection is rarely obtained in relation to my game. That summer day when I was on tour, I was 14 years old and in the middle of my high school summer vacation. I was playing in a series of local adult tournaments in rural New Zealand, traveling from town to town with my best friend and hitting partner. We got around through a combination of my mother driving us and using the longdistance bus service. It was a far cry from the US Open, but for me at that time, I felt like a real tennis player and for a 14-year-old in New Zealand whom had dreams of playing in that US Open one day, feeling like a real tennis player was all that mattered.
GIVING CREDIT TO OUR COACHES As a kid growing up on the coast of Sydney, Australia, my early childhood days were consumed by swimming practice/ competitions, heading to the beach with friends, or competing at the surf club. Over time I was losing a little interest in the swimming so I needed another sport I could play year round, but the options were limited. Scott McCulloch Editor-at-Large
During my youth, I had epilepsy and regular seizures. This ruled out contact sports. Determined to find a match my mum introduced me to tennis, to which I had no idea the lifelong journey that I was about to embark on, and the impact it would have in shaping my life nearly three decades later. As I flash through that journey something that stands out to me is the merit and acknowledgement that coaches deserve, and the profound impact they have on us; they are not only our teachers, but also our mentors. I was shy and very self-conscious because I couldn’t play the sports my friends did because of my epilepsy. However, I had such great parents, mentors and teachers that helped me focus my energy into my tennis. I also found a place, a voice and a
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self-expression that allowed me to grow and gain self-confidence as a person. I am proud that the qualities of those who impacted me exist in our CDT culture of excellence, challenge and evolution. It is evident in our team as they are stepping up with a firm grip on their “tomorrow vision” to impact their community, club and colleagues. An achievement that I am proud of that we are experiencing across the board is the success of our Tennis 101 program. It is not simply a 4 week beginner tennis program for adults, but one that runs much deeper than that. Our team is creating an environment and experience that breaks down social barriers and connects the inner tennis player in us all with a lifestyle; friends, exercise and a tennis community. The commitment, learning, ownership and pride of the team is seen in the result with a retention rate of 50% of players completing the program, staying with tennis, and growing in the game. I look forward to future achievements as an industry and hope we all take a minute to recognize the merits of coaches that are around us.
EXPERIENCE Magazine | www.ExperienceCDT.com
