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Volume 21 Issue 2
“Success Secrets”
Coach Arnold Bradshaw: Stories from a Lifetime of Mentoring An article from the Geneva Newspaper mid 90’s about Coach Bradshaw retiring ementos of Bradshaw’s 28 years as Geneva High School’s boy’s tennis team were on dis-play at the country club. After a social hour and fine meal, it was time to tend to business. First, Rick S announced the plans for adding to and re-furbishing the tennis courts in Arnie’s name. About $7,000 has already been collected for that purpose. Plans for the Geneva Area Tennis Expansion Fund include adding two new courts, repairing the four old ones and upgrading the fencing. lighting, bleachers, wind screens, nets and net posts. Phil D, one of Bradshaw’s former players acted as master of ceremonies, took his turn at “roasting” Bradshaw and introduced Pete R, who passed the microphone from table to table in a session entitled “Fry the ’Shaw.” Most of the participants had difficulty finding anything to “fry” Bradshaw about, however. Many of Bradshaw’s former players related incidents showing how Bradshaw taught them not only to play tennis, but how to live their lives. “He not only taught me how to win, he taught me how to lose,” said one of Bradshaw’s former players. “He teaches students lessons that they can use their entire life,” said another former player, Rob P. “There are so many things he’s taught me that I use in my life, my work and my family.” Doug B mentioned the notes Bradshaw always left his players after matches, notes that included tips on how to play belter and be a better sportsman, notes that his players have kept over the years. One of the notes in his racket cover was affixed to B’s racket and read, “Please don’t kick me,” a reference to one of B’s ways of showing his displeasure. “I haven’t kicked a racket since,” B said.
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A recent note from a former player to Coach Bradshaw. Names abbreviated for privacy. had dinner with KA, DS and BS last week to celebrate K’s 60th birthday and your name came up (names abbreviated for privacy) S and I were lamenting the fact that the GT Reunion got cancelled this summer because we were planning on attending. I was certainly looking forward to catching up with you and Coach K!
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I was checking in with others and I know JM had told me he was coming as well as J Mc and several others. I sure hope we can reschedule the event for next year and that we can again, all get together. That is one thing, among many that I learned from you, the strength that we have when we all come together. I think you know this, but I learned a great deal from you and the way you pulled a group together every season and created an atmosphere of family had an impact on me. I have been on many teams and I don’t want to take anything away from other coaches, but you were the first that talked to me like an adult when I was still a kid and you created a family atmosphere. You expected things from me and held me accountable, but I always felt the love and respect went both ways. I know that you showed me the path to becoming a good man, husband and father. You were just an incredible role model and I have tried to shape myself into the type of man that you exemplified to us all. I have built a small business with the structure that you showed me. No one person more important than the other and getting people to understand their individual role is critical to our success. We will exceed $15 million in sales this year and that is only happening because everyone on our team has buy-in, wants to be held accountable and more importantly, wants to win “the right way”. They actually get frustrated dealing with some of our supplier partners “because they just don’t seem to care as much as we do!” Sounds like A Tennis (just kidding; gotta take a shot at BW ha ha). Speaking of BW, I ran into him a few years back and we had a great conversation. He talked about how he loved my era of players and how easy we were to coach in tennis and basketball. He said what a great rivalry we had in tennis. I looked at him like I was shocked and I joked with him, “A nail doesn’t really have a rivalry with a hammer does it?!?” And then we both laughed and I told him how much we respected his school program and what a class act he was. I then reminded him that he was the man that started the name “Clean Vince” from Coach K’s Basketball
camp. He talked at length about how much fun those camps were. I remember sitting with my Dad during his last days and reflecting on my days in G and we talked about you. He said, “I hope you realize how lucky you are that you had such good men as coaches in high school.” He went on and said something like, “As a father, knowing that you were spending a lot of time with Arnie Bradshaw and BK after school made my job a lot easier.” To answer his question; Yes I know how lucky I am to have spent so much time with you. I believe you know how grateful I am for teaching me tennis, giving me my first racquet for like $10 so I could go to practice the next week and give tennis a try. I still have that magic wooden stick! Good ol’ Dunlop Maxply!!! But it is so much more than that, like our undefeated 7th grade basketball team when you made me your captain even though I was not the best player on the roster. You trusted me, I was 13 years old and you trusted me!!! And you taught me that I may be the most talented, but I could let others lead too. I miss not seeing you more often and I hope we can all get together next year and celebrate the institution that you started and nourished for so many years...G EAGLES TENNIS! Coach, I love you like family and I think of you often. You are one of a kind and as important in my life as my Dad was. I’m so grateful to have been touched, influenced and shaped by you and your impact on me has been so appreciated. By the way - in 30 years of coaching he compiled a career record of 485-44 and a conference record of 346-4 from 1966-1993. Arnold Bradshaw lived the Leading with Love way. Editors note: I was lucky enough to be a recipient of some of Coach Bradshaw’s special treatment. He gave me a hand written note at one of the past conferences, and it included a copy of a letter sent to Sports Illustrated, a sheet of quotes good for teaching, 2 sheets from the 1976 USPTA newsletter (and I have learned he keeps EVERYTHING), and a super special gift. Coach used Tennis Trading Cards as prizes for his players, and he gifted me a rare and old Roger Federer card. It listed his highest ranking as 6 in the world. Thanks Coach
