Tennis More Than Ever
By Lonnie Mitchel Let's start by writing about things you may know and probably have to be reminded about, especially in this COVID-19 world we live in. Yes, we have to talk about COVID-19 because it is a reality that has hit us all in the face. The pandemic of 1918 was not in our lifetime and certainly those types of things can never happen to us, right? With the modern world we live in, the technology, entertainment at your finger tips and social media, a pandemic could never happen! It hit us like a slap in the face, and it’s very real. We need tennis to come to the rescue now more than ever to: l Increase aerobic capacities l Lower resting heart rate and blood pressure 44
l Improve metabolic function l Increase bone density l Lower body fat l Improve muscle tone, strength and flexibility l Increase reaction times l Improve mental health and well-being I returned to Long Island from my duties at SUNY Oneonta, coaching the men's and women's tennis teams, and have been on hiatus since March with the hope that I can be reunited with my squads very soon. I want desperately to be on campus to see and feel the energy that college students bring, and certainly the tennis competition. I consider the practice courts and competition days to be my salvation. I am sure you feel very much the same about our precious game. It is precious and as you read on, I hope I will have reinforced that fact. What disturbs me, other than the
Long Island Tennis Magazine • July/August 2020 • LITennisMag.com
COVID-19 atmosphere we are forced to function in, is how out of shape our youngsters look. I pondered my article subject for this issue for quite some time, and then when I subbed in as an instructor for the camp at my local club here on Long Island, I observed the youngsters and knew I had to write about what I was witnessing. I saw 10-12-year-olds not being able to focus on the instruction for more than 10 minutes, rushing to their phones at every turn during ball pickups as if the news of the world would stop if they didn't check their technological device. While this trend was already occurring prior to the pandemic, it seems to have led to more youngsters being out of shape and having a hard time focusing. While it might be counter-productive to say, “back in my day, we could run for what seemed like forever, the instructor
