Quarantine As the country realized COVID-19 was turning into a true pandemic and our lives would be hugely impacted, Tami Murphy had stressors coming at her from every which way: navigating virtual teaching, the fear of what could happen to a daughter working in healthcare, another navigating a pregnancy and the pandemic itself. Those are just a few of the many. So in the midst of a terrible pandemic, Murphy and a group of four other women banded together to not only improve as tennis players, but build a bond through a sport they love. It began as the Quarantine Quad but the group added another woman and the Quarantine Crew was born. The start of those days in early spring was playing with a core group of people and being extremely cautious. “In those early days, I played with the same ladies over and over again. We used Lysol spray on the balls, clorox
wipes on our racquet handles, and Eucalyptus Spearmint stress relieving hand sanitizer on our hands every time we changed sides,” Murphy said. Murphy said tennis was the only constant in a time with so many unknowns - how her teaching career would ultimately be impacted, her daughter’s health, her own health. Tennis has always been a source of motivation and a way to relieve stress. With so many unknowns with the pandemic, early on was particularly difficult. Murphy lives with her 25-yearold daughter who would come home from her job in healthcare and have to strip in the garage and go straight to the shower. Murphy’s teaching career was turned upside down, as well - going from teaching in a classroom for two decades to virtual instruction came with worry and a steep learning curve.
Tami Murphy
Entering her 21st year of teaching, Murphy finds herself teaching entirely virtually. Turns out, she has a knack for it. “When the school closure happened back in March 2020, I was literally losing my mind. I had to relearn how to teach,” Murphy said. “Now, the expectations are continually shifting and the bar sliding, so the stress never eases it seems.”
Now tennis - and that source of stress relief - is as important as ever.
“Tennis is my only release. Continuing to play tennis with a core group of friends outdoors was critical to releasing stress.”
Thank goodness for the Quarantine Crew. Murphy said each has their own strength on the tennis court. Additionally, the fun of being around a strong group of women cannot be unmatched - a group of women around the same age and struggling with the same issues in parenthood and navigating working from home or life now without work. Murphy noted there were too many good times to mention them all, but a few live with her always. Muurphy (back right) and members of her first-ever tennis team after the last match of the season. 44 44
During the warmer months, the crew met mainly at a court in a rural area where at times
SPRING SERVE 2021 USTA.COM/USTAMISSOURIVALLEY
