President’s Message
Suk Ong - USPTA Southw est President
I hope this message finds you well. I am excited for the upcoming busy season ahead. As we gear up for the end of summer, I wanted to provide you all with some updates from national:
1. Safe Play Compliance: I’m pleased to report that 75% of Southwest USPTA members are now Safe Play Approved. A huge shoutout to all of you! Whether you’re a tournament director, tennis director, instructor for adults or juniors, or a volunteer, getting approved is essential.
2. New Partnerships: USPTA has partnered with PlayYourCourt, TeamWorkOnline.com, and Break the Love (BTL). Be sure to explore the offerings they have for you!
3. USPTA World Racquets Conference 2024: Early bird registration is still open for current members only. This conference will feature tennis, pickleball, and padel sports - a fantastic opportunity to broaden your skills! Don’t miss out on the Division Olympics event with the Southwest Team. Stay tuned for more details. Additionally, the United States Racquet Stringers Association (USRSA) will be hosting a master racquet technician certification at the conference for those interested.
I’m thrilled to see facilities participating in the USTA Pilot Red Ball Program. This program is designed for beginner adults using red ball equipment and 36-foot courts to help them get into tennis quickly while enjoying a good workout. Encourage your members to try out this new activity! If you’re interested in running the pilot program, there are incentives available, including equipment and financial support up to $1,500. Visit the USTA website and search for Adult Red Ball Tennis for more information.
For those interested in pickleball and tennis certifications, Ryan Johnson is offering a pickleball workshops on 9/13, 10/18, 11/8 & 12/14, while Greg Prudhomme will conduct the level 2 workshop on 11/2-3. Feel free to reach out to them or the National Office for details.
Lastly, we’ll be hosting a “Town Hall Meeting” for Southwest members with USPTA CEO Brian Dillman. Look for more information on this event after the World Conference.
Thank you for taking the time to read the Southwest USPTA Newsletter. Please continue to share pictures of your events and news with our District Coordinatorswe love to hear from you! Hope to see you at the World Racquet Conference!
Southeastern Arizona
by Cameron Hamilton
Ronnie Smith and John Perry have been busy this summer with camps and events at Reffkin Tennis Center. They continued the yearly tradition with their Wimbledon Whites and Woods Wednesday, a fun day with white clothing, wood rackets and strawberries and cream. John traveled to Boston for the USTA National FatherSon Grass Courts, making the quarterfinals with his son Jared.
At La Paloma Country Club we started a brand-new summer camp for all of our junior players! With the sun cooking all day we moved our camp from our hard courts to the clay to beat the heat. This combined with daily splashes in the sprinklers led to a successful turnout filled with smiles all around and growing the game, even in tripledigit heat.
2025 Southwest Conference May 23-24
Paradise Valley Country Club
Paradise Valley, Ariz
Senior Moment
Amy Badger
Albuquerque, NM
USPTA Southwest
Past President
How did you get started in tennis as a career?
Teaching and coaching tennis arrived as a second career for me. I always had a hand in helping local pros, but a long corporate career allowed me to turn a true passion into a second career. My parents were strong advocates of playing sports. While in Middletown, Ohio, my father gave me the choice of golf or tennis. The lifelong sports. He played golf, so I chose tennis as a feisty middle schooler. I started playing on the school team. When we moved to Florida as a freshman in high school, my father said if I continued in tennis I might as well shoot for a college scholarship. That started the goal setting. When I first displayed poor sportsmanship, my father said that’s it, you will pay for everything from now on. So, I went to work at a tennis club in Orlando, cleaning toilets, picking up balls for the pros on court, running the café, front desk, whatever was needed. It was there I took lessons from wonderful teaching pros. I was a 3-sport high school varsity athlete. I faced so many amazing talented junior tennis players in Florida. Last name Evert for one. I met a University of New Mexico player, Leslie Holmquist, (Doug Brown’s wife) who recruited me to play for UNM. I loved the adventure of going west and had the great sense of satisfaction playing four years as a D1 scholarship athlete. After graduating from the UNM business school, my first job was as an assistant professional at Tanoan Country Club. But it was short lived as the corporate world came calling and provided the means I needed. This ultimately allowed me to get back to the game I love with middle school and high school coaching positions at the Albuquerque Academy. The next best gift was becoming certified with the USPTA.
Describe
your different positions in the tennis industry
I’ve been fortunate to have served in several teaching positions. From a local “helper” to the club pros in the summer as an independent contractor, to club staff pro, junior director, director of tennis and now director of racquet sports at the Albuquerque Academy. I have found great interest and drive in creating and building successful programming and helping make tennis available to more people. That includes being a tournament provider for the USTA Southwest and working as an IC. It’s been an honor to have presented at high school coaching workshops in the Southwest. I am currently the Past President of the USPTA Southwest, a member of the USTA Northern New Mexico Regional Council and the USTA Southwest board. I serve on several national committees including the USTA High School committee, as a high school committee liaison to the USTA Tennis on Campus committee, the USPTA Women’s Task Force, the USPTA Education Committee and the USPTA High School Task Force.
What are some major contributors to your success as a tennis professional?
My mind always goes back to the start, namely, a strong upbringing to stay curious and never settle. I’m ever grateful for the passion of the certified teaching professionals and school coaches who first taught me the game, who recognized my interest, invested their time in me and passed on that passion. Working for and learning from different clubs, their leaders varying teaching and management styles, has contributed greatly to the leader, teacher and coach I work to be. Solicited feedback from clients has always contributed to my growth as a professional. A consistent pursuit of education, attending industry conferences and workshops for the past 30 years has been invaluable along with the wonderful relationships, both personal and professional, that have developed from there and from teaching. I so admire the expertise in our industry. I’ve gained additional certification with the PTR and PPR. Of course, nothing is done successfully without the support of those at home. Last but certainly not least, my involvement with the USPTA Southwest and our professionals has without a doubt made me a better teaching professional.
Describe how you have given back as a volunteer or administrator of charity events?
I so admire those that have the passion and commit-
ment to develop and operate their own nonprofit organizations. It has been my joy to support several nonprofits in their missions. To highlight a few related to tennis, organizing and directing Serve For Tennis, a community tennis event, benefitting Share My Fortune, Inc. a nonprofit formed by one of my former high school students helping orphans in need; Rally in the Alley benefitting cancer recipients; Tournament Director for the Corley Cup, an annual fall tournament for NM high school varsity players, raising over $40,000 each year for NM charities. Monetary scholarships are presented as well, not solely for the winners but also sportsmanship.
Who are your mentors in and out of the tennis industry?
There’s a wonderful, loaded question. I love the line, “I am a part of all that I have met” from Alfred Lloyd Tenneson’s poem Ulysses. Many have given shape to my life and tennis path. Some fleeting but had a great impact, some more permanent. I lost my parents while I was a young adult, so I embrace mentors everywhere. My disciplinarian parents taught me how to be self-sufficient, resilient, have goals, purpose. It may have been tough love, but I’m very grateful for that early learning. My siblings are mentors whether I like it or not! My schoolteachers and tennis coaches were incredibly influential. Tiny, rather insignificant moments often had such meaningful influence. Billie Jean King, who I met while a teenager at a Virginia Slims event in Orlando. She signed my paperback of her book to read, “Stay loose, practice, but most of all have fun”. I needed that then and it remains in my teachings to this day. Julie Heldman took me under her wing as a young ball girl, during one pro tournament, speaking with me, answering questions. Julie left an indelible mark on never giving up. Linda Estes, UNM Athletic Director for investing in me with a collegiate scholarship. As a young athlete, she was a terrific mentor. Taryn Bachis, Athletic Director at the Albuquerque Academy, has been a valued mentor for 25 years on the pedagogy of young athletes, team coaching fundamentals, working with parents, etc. Linda and Dennis Ralston, always providing guidance and love to me and my daughter. I miss Denny. My USPTA Southwest family are truly amazing mentors. It’s wonderful how we help raise each other up. Jack Michalko has imparted so many wisdoms that I’ve been able to transfer to my various roles. Tracy Lawson has been a wonderful friend and colleague working with 10u tennis. Scott Mitchell has been a treasured mentor. I love talking shop with him. I learn so much. There are valued others and I’m grateful for everyone’s willingness to share their knowledge and expertise.
What advice would you give younger pros coming up in the tennis industry?
Stay curious. Keep seeking to improve yourself and you’re teaching. This is a service-oriented business. Consistently deliver your best by keeping your clients needs first and you will reap the rewards. The industry is growing with ever expanding career opportunities. Don’t hesitate to get involved. I did at a late age and have only the regret I didn’t do so sooner. Some of my most meaningful relationships have come from coaching, teaching and attending our USPTA conferences and workshops.
What is your definition of Retirement?
What’s that? Haha. Living a productive work life is a little too ingrained to think about being retired. However, I’d love to spend more time outside of work with my friends and family. I would like to do a few simple things, like take more trips, hikes, etc. My tennis and nontennis volunteer work will always play a role. Most people say they become busier in retirement than when they were working, so I’ll just keep doing what I love as long as I am able.
How have you benefitted from your involvement with the USPTA on a personal and professional level?
Oh gosh, where do I start! I am forever grateful to Dick Johnson for reaching out to me twenty-five years ago regarding certification. He later encouraged me to apply to the southwest board. Joining the USPTA has been a game changer in my knowledge, confidence and personal expectations for the level of service that should be afforded to all my clients. It’s a privilege to help add value to a client’s overall well-being. I would have never met the many wonderful, talented, incredible human beings without my involvement in the USPTA. The friendships made are priceless and the networking runs coast to coast.
Host a pilot this fall!
Click here to view this message from the USTA in your web browser.
Join the Adult Red Ball Tennis Pilot this Fall!
We’re excited to share that we’ve modified the Adult Red Ball Pilot Program to make it more flexible and adaptable to your needs!
- Include any combination of classes, mixers and events
- Stipends range between $300$720 depending on player surveys submitted
- Equipment package and USTA provider pullover included
Phoenix, Arizona
by Eusebio Sarabia
Tracy Lawson is an experienced tennis professional with over 20 years in the field, known for her dedication to fostering a love of tennis in young players while building strong athletic, technical, and tactical skills. Tracy is a leader in US junior tennis, currently chairing the USTA National Junior Competition Committee, the Southwest Section Junior Competition Committee, and the Southwest Coaches Commission.
USTA News
Certified by the USPTA, Safe Play approved, and as a Net Generation provider, Tracy has earned national recognition for her work with 10U players and is currently on the USTA Coach Developer team. She also served as a consultant for USTA Player Development for the Early Development Camps. As a tournament director, Tracy hosts events in the Phoenix area throughout the year including:
USTA Early Development Camps with competition
Junior Circuit -The Junior Circuit is what players should enter if they are 10 and younger or it is one of their first competitive experiences.
Level 7 singles and doubles– This is the first level of the tournament for ranking.
Level 5 & 6 doubles
Look for the Limitless brand on the tournament page for an event run by Tracy and her team. This summer, Limitless hosted two Level 7 and Junior Circuit doubles
tournaments to give the kids an opportunity to work on doubles and teamwork skills.
If you have players looking to enter tournament play and have questions about where they fit best, email Tracy at Tracylawsontennis@gmail.com <mailto:Tracylawsontennis@gmail.com>. Coaches interested in learning more about being part of Early Development Camps or other exciting programs should also reach out to Tracy for more information. Don’t miss the chance to be part of these dynamic events and contribute to the future of tennis!
Pickleball Workshop Dates:
Friday, September 13 | Noon-4pm
Paradise Valley CC
Friday, October 18 | Noon-4pm Paradise Valley CC
Friday, November 8 | Noon-4pm
Paradise Valley CC
Saturday, December 14 | Noon-4pm
Paradise Valley CC
Go to USPTA.com to register!
Southern New Mexico & El Paso
by Alex Mouquin
Hello all from the Sun City, the beautiful El Paso, Texas. Summer has been a great season so far. The heat hasn’t deterred many programs and camps bringing hundreds of children to the courts of our Southern New Mexico and Greater El Paso district area.
Among all these camps, The Boys and Girls Club of El Paso partnered with Tennis West and its teaching pros (including four from USPTA southwest) to host a free tennis camp and welcome 135 underprivileged children. Basic skills, rally games and lots of fun happened on court before jumping in the pool to cool down.
Congrats to Holland Snell. He is the son of our longest USPTA member in the El Paso area, Jonathan Snell. After a very successful junior career with rankings of USTA Top 10 and ITF Juniors #230. Holland will start his freshman year at NMSU this fall on a full scholarship. Great achievement from both the player and his father/coach.
Northern Arizona
by Andrea Meyer
NAZ pros are shining! May 1618, at the SW USPTA Conference, Elite Pro Nicole Chambers Williams was recognized with the Star Award for her numerous contributions to tennis, especially in Flagstaff where she has been instrumental in the expansion of pickleball courts and programs and the expected addition of two more tennis courts at Forest Highlands. She and USPTA Pro Garrett Lackey are at the center of the golf club’s energized expansion of racquet sports: A 4million -dollar pickleball venue and 1.8 million in a beautiful addition to a tennis court viewing deck, lounge, and related improvements. The club’s strategic plan is to construct two more tennis courts.
Nicole’s energy at the vanguard of the racquet sports improvements at FH has yielded national recognition. Forest Highlands has been awarded the USTA’s National Outstanding Facilities Award for Small Private Facilities. Nicole attributes the prestigious award to the inclusive embracing of community tennis and pickleball under her leadership. Although FH is a private club, Nicole and her general managers have welcomed high school players, junior programming, and USTA leagues. Garrett, now a permanent Flagstaff resident, plays an important supporting role in overseeing training for after-school tennis in Flagstaff Unified School District. When mid-May rolls around, he is back on the courts teaching a full schedule at FH.
The USPTA’s Proud Award went to Prescott Elite Pro Chris Howard for his feats as a player and coach. Chris is routinely a finalist if not champion in high-level regional and national tournaments. He also is a dedicated coach and champion for wheelchair tennis and Southwest’s rapidly ascending wheelchair player, Andrew Bogdanov.
Clarkdale Pro Andrea Meyer is NAZ’s third honored as the Laurie Martin High School Coach of the Year. “I respect Laurie’s inclusive vision for high school tennis. She truly understood and put into practice the truth that high school tennis is for anyone who wants to play,
“Andrea says. Andrea is “overwhelmed and thrilled” to also be chosen as Southwest’s USTA section winner of the Billie Jean King Champions of Equality Award Winner. She travels to the US Open Sept 2-5 for a photo op with 16 other section winners and Ms. King. A seat at the men’s and women’s quarters and women’s semifinals is also part of this generous award. Andrea coaches at Cottonwood’s Mingus Union HS and promotes the use of match journals for her team.
Adult Red Ball is making a start in NAZ. Prescott Pro Sterling Fetty has hosted his first red ball event along with good turnouts for his level 6 junior tournaments. “Sterling is a fireball, just a tremendous source of enthusiasm for tennis. He has ramped up a continuous pipeline of new tennis programming through Northern Arizona,” Andrea notes. Sterling and fellow pros Zach Hackerott, Dave Hibbs, Jake Worseldine, and Chris Howard worked to make Prescott’s Mile High Tournament and L 6’s a success this summer.
A brand-new tennis star was born in Sedona on August 3 to Jake and Leslee Worseldine. Their baby boy, Donovan, joins sisters Abbi, 5, and Lahni, 17 months. Jake is hosting an adult Red Ball program in the parking lot of a local brewery while Andrea is offering her 4week pilot adult Red Ball program in Cottonwood at Mingus Union beginning Aug. 23.
The 5th Oxendale Auto Group Championships (this time as a level 4 Indoor event, were held at the Northern Arizona University Indoor courts August 2-4, with proceeds benefitting tennis growth in Northern Arizona. Master Professional Larry Lineberry secured the sponsorship dollars, assuring a profit for the event. Seventy-eight players participated in this USTA-sanctioned event, which drew players from 7 states and as far away as North Carolina. USPTA professionals Andrea Meyer and Sterling Fetty were part of the event, Andrea as a player, and Sterling as the tournament director. The tournament was a success in every way and will likely be held again as another fundraiser for tennis growth in the region.
Larry will be the emcee for the 3rd consecutive year for the Southwest Section Annual Awards and Hall of Fame dinner in Scottsdale on November 2.
Larry and wife Elizabeth will attend the US OPEN in early September, then the USPTA World Racquet Conference in Rancho Mirage. In November, Hawaii, Australia, and Tasmania follow,” while we are young!” Larry adds.
A kiss for tennis’s newest champ. Sedona Elite Pro Jake Worseldine and wife Leslee welcomed baby Donovan on Aug. 3. Jake had to bow out of his match in the Flagstaff Open when Donovan’s arrival conflicted with his dad’s first round match.
SOUTHWEST OFFICERS
President
Suk Ong 602-881-0467
sukong.uspta@gmail.com
Regional VP
Greg Prudhomme 602-301-1394
pruperformance@gmail.com
Vice President
Ryan Johnson 480-267-0725
m.ryanjohnson@gmail.com
Secretary
John Perry 520-403-8290
jptennis25@gmail.com
Treasurer
Leslie Banks 419-302-7663
lesliealison16@gmail.com
Past President
Amy Badger 505-379-6728
badgertennis505@gmail.com
Executive Director
Jack Michalko 602-740-0126
jack.michalko@uspta.org
SOUTHWEST COORDINATORS
Northern New Mexico
Dick Johnson 505-507-6795
lctenniscamps@gmail.com
Phoenix
Eusebio Sarabia 310-292-2788
eusebio.sarabia@gmail.com
Southeastern Arizona
Cameron Hamilton 480-276-1123
chamilton8815@gmail.com
Northern Arizona
Andrea Meyer 928-300-4352 andreameyertennis@gmail.com
Southern New Mexico & l Paso
Alex Mouquin 575-571-0389
frenchtouchtennis@hotmail.com
Tennis Coach Developer
Greg Prudhomme 602-301-1394
pruperformance@gmail.com
Pickleball Coach Developer
Ryan Johnson 704-281-1713
m.ryanjohnson@gmail.com
The Southwest Magazine is the official Publication of the USPTA Southwest Division of the United States Professional Tennis Association.
Northern New Mexico
by Dick Johnson
USPTA Northern New Mexico District Coordinator Reports
It has been an exciting summer with the Summer Olympics going on now. The “Joker” has won the “Golden Slam.” What an accomplishment in our lifetime!
I was excited and honored to be the coach of our La Cueva Boys Tennis Team that recently won their record breaking 5-A 13th State Championship. I announced my retirement after 35 years, 406 wins, and 28 District Championships. Our School has had 19 State titles, 32 District Championships, with 10 Individual State Champions, 13 State Doubles Championships, and 24 appearances in the Team State Title Match.
My administration has always backed our tennis program, and I feel blessed to have been our school’s tennis coach.
Also, our dear friend, Dave Shambach of Rio Rancho has been seriously ill, but seems to be doing much better. We hope to see you on the court soon Dave and wish you all the best in your recovery.
I hope I will see you out in California in September! All the best everyone.
Joe Felice:
Joe Felice is back teaching and playing after hip replacement on Valentine’s Day. The Super Senior Tennis Program was again a great success with 65 participants (picture attached). Joe’s Annual Sierra Vista Grand Prix Doubles Tournament will be August 23-25. This is one of the most popular Tournaments of the year with great trophies for the main draw and consolation. Many door prizes from 20 Sponsors, lunch on Saturday and Sunday, and snacks and drinks all weekend. Joe will be attending the USPTA World Racquets Conference in September at the Westin, Rancho Mirage.
Doug MacCurdy:
GRASS
I was at Wimbledon this year from the first day through the quarterfinals, and, as always, enjoyed every minute of it. For me, the grass is probably the most interesting surface. Because they are difficult to get right, expensive to maintain, and rarely playable year-round, grass courts are a bit of a rarity these days. They exist, but are not common, or in any way easily accessible in the western US.
Few players, even most that have won Wimbledon, have had very limited experience playing on the surface in their formative years. There are a handful of international junior events, a few Challengers, and ATP/WTA events, and the ITF lists a total of six Futures tournaments held on the surface, two for men and four for women. Interestingly, however, Wikipedia lists 327 grass court tournaments at different levels in different parts of the world.
The USPTA World Racquet Conference is just around the corner in Rancho Mirage, California on September 14-20.
Grass is a real challenge to play on. The same court can play quite differently from week to week and day to day depending on the amount of moisture in the
ground, the amount of moisture on the grass, the length of the grass, how frequently it is rolled, etc. It is the truest surface in that if you hit the ball hard, either flat or with a slice, it will skid, play very fast, and stay very low. On the other hand, if you hit off-speed shots, the ball will die on the grass.
I have found grass courts to be a great asset in talent identification. On young players’ first encounters with the surface, there are often two very different reactions. One is very defensive and negative. Players will complain about a lack of solid footing, low and irregular bounces, and an inability to find any rhythm. Others embrace the opportunity, finding joy in experiencing a completely new take on the same game. If you get a chance, put your up-and-coming juniors on a grass court and see how they adapt. Assuming that a grass court is hard to come by near you just string up a net or string and make some temporary lines on a flat grass surface and run some training sessions. You will see significant gains in areas such as agility, dealing with adversity, and making quick adjustments. Players will also see for themselves the effectiveness of slice groundstrokes, drop shots, and drop volleys, a true slice serves that stay low and curve away from the receiver.
Amy Badger:
It has been a busy summer for tennis. It was a great privilege to have traveled to North Dakota and received the NHSACA (National High School Athletic Coaches Association) award for being selected as one of the top eight high school tennis coaches in the country. Presenting NM tennis to this organization was a joy. Middle school tennis is getting started and we are expecting another great group of 50-60 players. The season will run through midOctober. The activity at the Albuquerque Academy tennis courts is gearing up as we will be resurfacing all 14 tennis courts with generous help from the national USTA catalyst grant. In conjunction with this grant, we will be opening up the facility to the public with managed programming. We also have eight dedicated pickleball courts. In July, I was hired as the director of racquet sports at the now Albuquerque Academy Racquet Center. It’s exciting times to be literally working from the ground up and with our USTA Southwest section. This is a great opportunity for teaching pros to be a part of something special. Look for our hiring announcements soon!
Jean King Champions of Equity Award!
Editors Note:
Andrea Meyer, USPTA Southwest Pro and Northern Arizona District Coordinator will receive the Billie Jean King Champions of Equity Award at the U.S. Open this month. Meyer is one of 17 recipents of the award from across the country. Please read her winning essay below - it’s terrific!
Tennis set me free. More accurately, Title IX plus tennis set me free. Said even more precisely, tennis plus Title IX plus Coach Pat Vold, who never enjoyed the benefits of Title IX, herself, set me free.
In the fall of 1972, Title IX was two months old, and I was 13. I was 13, a 5’ 10” painfully shy tomboy with bangs cut too short by my father with a pair of sewing scissors. But I had a wild appetite for sport—any kind of sport – that would allow me to slide into a base or kick a ball into the outfield or feel the spring of a basketball under my palm. Anything, anything, but not another summer, not another school year of watching my brother on the Little League mound from behind a chain link backstop. I despised my pointy-toed girls’ Keds. I wanted deck shoes like the boys wore. I wanted to sweat and reach and snag a fly ball out of the air and tumble to the grass. I wanted a way out of my silent invisibility and my awkwardness. I wanted a chance to be what I was inside. And in September of 1972, I got it.
On my first day of freshman year at Cholla High School in Tucson, the announcement came over the PA : “ All freshman girls wanting to try out for the tennis team, report to the courts after school.” I was disappointed. I was irritated. I had promised myself that the first sport that was offered for girls, I would do… and here it was, the dumbest, cinchy-est, sissy-est sport there was in the universe, and I had to play it. Because I had promised myself. When 2:45 rolled around, my dismay turned to an indignant anger. Not only did I have to play this stupidest of all sports, but all the mean girls were there, Jana Jackson, Ann Troutner, Cathy Lowe, and Dorothy Timian. Mind you, I had never held a racquet. I just knew that girls who played tennis wore flouncy white skirts and bobby socks. They weren’t real athletes, and this wasn’t a real sport. This was White Gloves and Party Manners … with mean girls.
Well, with Coach Vold, a five-gallon bucket of white balls, and wooden Chris Evert Autograph racquets, we were in business. And in 20 minutes with an aching wrist, I was in love, and have been so, ever since. And by day three, the mean girls were gone.
All this is to say that as a tennis coach, I understand what it feels like to be on the sidelines, and to be so crazed with imagination and desire at what you could do if you could just get in the game— if you could just have a uniform and a team and a bus to get you there.
I have been a high school tennis coach for about 25 years and a high school tennis coach with a winning record for maybe four of those years—but I could be padding the W’s column a little.
Most of my girls don’t start playing until high school. They haven’t played at country clubs. They come to my nocut tryouts wearing cut up jeans, Crocs, and hightop Chucks. When they start to like tennis, they go to Big Five or Walmart and pick out a twenty-dollar racquet in their favorite color.
Their parents usually have not played tennis, either. Some are even disappointed that their daughters have chosen to play tennis instead of a real sport like softball. A good part of my job is to turn that disappointment into confidence that their daughter is learning so much more than a forehand. Like maybe forethought. Or making friends with the enemy across the net and maybe not becoming your enemy. Or perhaps learning balance in the feet and a balanced perspective on life. (As my boyfriend Roger Federer said in his graduation address to Dartmouth grads this year, “It’s only a point.”)
My job as a coach is so rewarding because I get to introduce this endlessly rich sport to people who have no clue, like I once had no clue at 13. It’s a thrill, not like a ride on a speed boat or jumping out of a plane, but the kind of thrill that makes you smile when a kid wears her first tennis skirt to practice, because she asked for one for her birthday; or the feeling that brings you close to bawling when all you are doing is introducing your seniors to their opponents for the very last time. And just today, watching a girl at summer camp who was not getting anywhere near her money’s worth out of her strings finally, finally connect with a ball, nearly hitting her brother in the private parts. So much more pleasure.
It would be hard to say that some kids are dearer than others, but some kids probably need tennis more than others. This year I taught tennis to a self-contained special education class of first and second graders. They were self-contained because at the tender age of seven and eight, they had been so traumatized that they could not be educated in a conventional classroom. They had been locked in closets, abused violently or sexually. Some of their parents were in jail. They knew food banks better than grocery stores. Officially, they were the eight kids in the Primary Intervention Program, or PIPS. I called them the Pipsqueaks.
During tennis lessons in the cafeteria they swore, they tattled, they played in the curtains on stage, they let loose more racquets than John McEnroe. They told me the rules.
But gradually, one step forward, two steps back, they came to love tennis. I had to divide my equipment into eight parts because each child wanted to carry something. The teacher was entrusted with the cookies I often baked. I prefaced contests by warning them that there was a decent chance they would lose, like a 50% chance. Did they still want to play? Their eyes grew solemn, and their mouths closed, but they promised, they did want to play, even with those unreasonable odds. We practiced saying kind things like, “I like your shot. I like your shoes. Please give me the ball.” In concert with their wonderfully skilled teacher, Carrie Fredricksen, and two perceptive aides, we worked on dealing with frustration, managing feelings when they lost, and impulse control. Same things I work on.
And speaking of poor behavior, cops do not always do the upright thing, especially when it comes to winning and losing on a tennis court. Two years ago, I designed a cardio tennis night for my local police department. None of the officers had more than high school- PE- class experience, but the smack talk was flowing. Manhood was questioned. I heard fat jokes. Forehands cleared the net and the fence. At the end of two hours of hitting a playground ball, playing Touch the Fence and Tennis Basketball, “Serve and Protect” pummeled the “Dirty Rotten Scumbags,” 78- 59. Soon I would like to put together a series of cardio tennis events for first responders in the Verde Valley so that they might enjoy the satisfaction, relaxation, and friendship that can be missing in their stressful work. Every weekend I give a lesson to an autistic teenager and his family. This family is special: The boys’ mother died just several years ago, and a new stepmom has had the serious work of creating her unique presence in the family. Teaching them (and three other autistic children recently) has been surprising, challenging, and enlightening, and has deepened my appreciation for what our sport asks of the human brain and body.
My autistic teen is bossy, boastful, kind, sometimes rude, delightful, demanding, distracted, thoughtful, patient, impulsive, smart, and deeply loved by his family. Watching this family work so expertly and patiently with autism is uplifting. It makes me know that we can be both firm in our boundaries and relentlessly forgiving. I watch them and I watch him connect with the little yellow ball (on his favorite thing, the Billie Jean King Eye Trainer). I look at all that concentration on his face, all the wild excitement of a solid smack on a ball that is not even moving, and I know that tennis keeps the gate for so much joy. It is a joy— without exception— for everyone, even Pipsqueaks, even cops and people with autism and athletes who roll in chairs, even for mean girls and for this girl with now a closet of flouncy skirts.
A Publication of the USPTA Southwest Division
Jack Michalko / editor
77 East Missouri Avenue, Suite 62, Phoenix, AZ 85012 602-740-0126 / e-mail: jack.michalko@uspta.org
The Southwest Magazine is published quarterly by the Southwest Division of the United States Professional Tennis Association. The opinions expressed in the Southwest Magazine are those of the authors and not necessarily those of Southwest Magazine or the USPTA Southwest Division.
Copyright© Southwest Division/United States Professional Tennis Association, Inc. 2024. All rights reserved. Reproduction of any portion of this newsletter is not permitted without written permission from the USPTA Southwest Division. Advertising information: All ads must be camera ready and in color if possible. Prices are per issue.
