You see, for me, tennis is not just about the fun of competition, but it’s in putting you through a mental and physical test and bringing out that person deep inside of you under pressure. I hope that the players learn as much mentally as they do physically. In fact, one of the things that we do before each practice is talk about character traits from the Character First program, and, also, pray before each practice. I want them to excel in tennis, but I would rather them learn life lessons in tennis. We have been fortunate to have numerous sponsors at various levels that have allowed us to purchase equipment and training materials for the players, further allowing us to advance at a quicker pace. It is very difficult for one person to train twelve players, with a limited amount of hours available from my schedule. I can’t thank these sponsors enough, which are listed on our website, and hope they will continue in the future to invest in these kids. My next big goal is huge and will require a lot of faith. I plan to raise twenty thousand dollars, which will enable us to obtain several tennis ball machines and other equipment, as well as allow us to travel to several cities throughout the state to play in more tournaments this year. So what if it doesn’t happen? Hey, you’re talking to the guy who whipped up on kids with the K-mart Wilson Sport racket! My goal is for these kids to go first class in their tennis experience. I know that if I can get them hooked and loving the game, then it will truly be life-changing. It will open doors that might otherwise be closed and give life lessons that might otherwise be missed in competition. If nothing else, it is a sport of a lifetime that can be played even in your senior years, unlike many other sports. There is no pay except for knowing that I am investing back into the youth, as Tim did for my brother and myself many years ago in Colorado - to a couple of kids called ‘sport.’ ú
Sophie, Erica, Kristen and
Amanda
Sophie (left) and Amanda (right) playing their first state tournament in Little Rock at the Rebsamen Tennis Center. 54 Your Hometown Magazine