By Juliet Hubbell
Any recreational sport probably has difficult, odd moments. Years of playing tennis will inevitably yield one or two embarrassing or funny or strange stories. It’s not funny when it’s happening. Sometime later, it could be just a few hours or as long as a few months, when you’re ensconced in the normalcy of work or errands you realize that what seemed to be happening in slow motion or what couldn’t be happening is actually really funny or even a watershed moment.
For instance, one of my Greenwood friends, who often plays long matches, was at a facility where there were no bathrooms. She tried desperately not to split sets with her opponent, but inevitably, she did. She thought about driving to a gas station but realized it would violate the 10 minute rule of rest between sets. She saw that the tennis courts abutted a residential area and stepped over a small brick wall to enter the large backyard to someone’s home. She found a large lilac bush that obscured her from the court and also from windows in the home and carefully and quickly started to relieve herself on the lawn abutting the wall. No more than three or four seconds into the whole process, she heard a lawnmower start up within just a few feet of her. There was no time to restore herself to decency. A fellow (who had been filling the mower’s gas tank and then restarted it) came zooming around the corner to find her there. They both shrieked, and he let go of the handle of the mower. It cut out immediately, and the best my friend could do was let out a shocked, “Oh, my gosh, I’m sorry!” while trying to pull her clothes back into place. She ducked back around the lilac and down onto the courts and, not surprisingly, had a difficult time focusing on finishing the match. It’s a game that can be humbling and very amusing at the same time.
Another friend, Eileen, told me that she was playing in a very important district playoff match at the 4.5 level and that the team they would be playing next had won nationals the year before. She was prepared to fight her finest battle, but when the opponents stepped onto the court, she couldn’t quite muster the spirit. “I took one look at our opponents and decided it was going to be a walk in the park. One woman was probably 15 years older than I was. I couldn’t be sure, but I thought she might be wearing nylons. Her earrings were big yellow coconuts that matched her necklace and her outfit. This was going to be like playing with my mother! I don’t think I have ever underestimated anyone since that match. Needless to say, we lost. It wasn’t even close. It wasn’t funny at the time but I’ve gotten over it.” Tennis reminds me often to never be surprised at how deceiving appearances can be, and I think it carries well into day to day life.
One time, early in my tennis experience, I suffered an incident that almost caused me to abandon the sport entirely. I was asked to sub in a league that involved a softer, more social game than I was used to. The older of my two opponents would never turn around or step off the court if she saw me or my partner raising our racket for an overhead. I should have understood that this was dangerous and made some sort of adjustment, but my skill level wasn’t that high. The first time I hit the older woman with an overhead, it hit her foot. She did a small jig saying, “Ow! Oh! Ow!” Play continued and not more than five minutes later, I hit her again with an overhead, dead center in the belly. This caused everyone much consternation, and play stopped for several moments. I did my best to be careful after that, but it was as unavoidable as any other fateful shift in life. A soft loopy ball floated over the net, and I rushed forward to take it out of the air. I hit the ball as hard as any I’ve ever hit, and I aimed for the ground in front of the net player. To my horror, she actually stepped toward the ball just enough to catch the ball squarely on the bridge of her nose which instantly erupted in blood. She fell to the ground. We all dropped our rackets and ran over to her. Paramedics were called. I think I’ve successfully repressed the other horrible details, but I do know that she went to the doctor to make sure it wasn’t broken. I know that I sent her flowers with a tearful apology note. I told my family I was giving up tennis. I might have wondered for awhile whether I deserved to live. But the happy ending is that her tennis skills were lacking, not her natural graciousness. She called and told me she knew it was an accident. “All three overheads,” she said with a sweet laugh. She agreed to let me take her to lunch and encouraged me to stick with tennis. And to work on my aim.
Some tennis stories become memories that are purely golden. Another Greenwood member, Doug Matlock, played as a junior and often played with his father in the father-son division. They won many titles, and his father was a nationally ranked player as well. His father was getting older and asked him if he wanted to play in the Houston Oilman’s tournament to be held in Lafayette. He knew that his father was slowing down, but he also realized how fun it would be to do one more father-son tournament with his dad. They did well in the first round and won. The next day, however, they were losing badly in the first set and his father kept demanding, in a gruff voice, “What’s the score? What’s the score?” He would tell him again and again, but when they were dangerously close to dropping the first set, Doug became frustrated with a father who had always insisted that he, as a young junior player, “never, never, ever lose track of the score”. As his father started to serve toward the end of the first set, he asked his son the score again. “C’mon, Dad! Get your head in the game!” he finally barked at his dad. Suddenly, he heard a voice and tone that he remembered clearly from his youth. “Son! Come here right now!” Feeling ashamed, he turned and walked toward his father at the baseline. His father lowered his head and said, “Listen! You keep track of the &*$! score and I’ll serve the &#!$ ball. Okay?!” He was shocked and nodded quickly. His father never swore. Never. They won that set with his father converting every match point. They won the next set, and they won the tournament. Just a few months later, his father was diagnosed with full-blown Alzheimer’s. They never played again, and his father died within a few years of the diagnosis. “It’s my absolute best tennis memory,” he said. “I’m so glad I have that.”
I often hear people remark, “Oh, it’s just a game.” But it’s really not; it’s way beyond that.
December 14th, 2008 in
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MAYOR HICKENLOOPER APPOINTS KERRY HADA
AS DENVER COUNTY COURT JUDGE
(DENVER) Mayor John Hickenlooper announced his appointment of Kerry Steven Hada as Denver County Court Judge. The appointment fills the vacancy created by the retirement of Judge Melvin Okamoto, who leaves the bench November 30.
“Denver is fortunate to have so many qualified and experienced judicial candidates from which to choose,” Hickenlooper said. “Kerry Hada brings a unique combination of skills and experience to the Denver County Court bench,” Hickenlooper said. “He will be a great asset to the Court and to the Denver community.”
Hickenlooper received a final list of judicial nominees for the vacancy last week from the Judicial Nomination Commission.
Hada, a private practice attorney with the Law Offices of Kerry S. Hada, P.C., has more than 20 years of experience in law. Following brief stints with the Johns Manville Corp. and Merck Corp. in 1988 and 1989, he launched his own firm in 1989, where he has specialized in criminal, family law and civil trial work. He is a strong proponent of Alternate Dispute Resolution (ADR).
Hada served as an Airborne Ranger infantry officer with the U.S. Army from 1971-1974. He is a founding member and past president of both the Asian Pacific American Bar Association of Colorado and the Minoru Yasui American Inn of Court. He is a faculty instructor for the National Institute for Trial Advocacy and a member and past president of the Arapahoe County Bar Association. Hada is currently the Denver Bar Association Board of Governor’s representative to the Colorado Bar Association.
Hada also serves as a mentor and companion to youth through the Big Brothers Big Sisters of Colorado.
Hada received his undergraduate degree in business marketing from the University of Colorado at Boulder, where he was a nationally ranked skier. He earned a master’s degree in business management from Colorado State University and his law degree from the University of Denver College of Law. He is also a graduate of Wheat Ridge High School.
Congratulations Kerry, we are all very proud of you!
December 4th, 2008 in
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We are very happy to announce that Chris Cooprider who has been swinging a racquet on the courts of Greenwood since he was nine years old has signed his college intent. Chris will be heading east to play tennis at the University of North Carolina Wilmington next year. Chris has been an Intermountain standout for several years and played three years of high school tennis at Cherry Creek. Chris, everyone here at Greenwood is proud of you and know that you will have a great college career. Congratulations!
By Theo Teryazos
When looking at the records of American players this year, most notably in the Slams, the results have been poor at best. Besides this recent Open, Roddick has failed to make it past the third round of a Grand Slam this year. Blake’s Grand Slam record has been only slightly better — making it to the quarters of the Australian Open (where he lost in straights to a half-speed Federer.) Since that loss, he has failed to make it past the third round at the French, Wimbledon or the US Open.
The top five men in the world at the moment (Nadal, Federer, Djokovic, Ferrrer & Daveydenko) all grew up learning to play on clay. Thus, as the game continues to move toward faster, more agile players, the Americans are being left further and further behind.
This is why every member at Greenwood has an enormous advantage over most players in Colorado and, for that matter, the rest of the US. Since our members (especially the juniors) are learning to play on clay, they develop a more well-rounded and thoughtful game.
The reasoning behind this is quite simple. Clay forces you to learn tennis the hard way by not offering up many free points. Clay court players develop strategic thinking and patience that can be devoid in players who only play on hard courts. Because you can’t hit winners as quickly or as easily, it forces players to construct points by learning how to open up opponents with a wider array of shots before finding that finishing ball.
Clay also increases a player’s physical fitness and ability to move. As the results in the professional ranks illustrate, it is far easier for clay courters to adapt to hard courts or even grass than the other way around. Not to mention, clay is a lot easier on the joints, keeping our members not only physically stronger but less apt to injure themselves.
So with all these advantages, it’s no wonder Greenwood consistently fields such strong USTA and Jr. Team tennis teams. Greenwood is ahead of the curve in developing all-around players who are more adept at competing on all surfaces. Hopefully, the USTA will build more clay courts in the States to give American juniors a fighting chance in this ever-evolving sport. In the meantime, we here at Greenwood can enjoy all the advantages that clay offers us.
November 27th, 2008 in
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The name Omar is not common in the U.S., and Greenwood’s Omar Parker is a very uncommon boy. Omar has been a member for close to two years and is currently ranked #10 in the Boys 12 and Under division. Omar is only 11 years old, and he started playing tennis at age five in La Jolla, California. “ He did a sports camp with lots of different sports like football and soccer, but when he came home, he said he only wanted to play tennis, “ his mom DeeDee says. Tennis is what Omar still concentrates on, and he attended every single tennis camp that Greenwood offered this summer.
Even more impressive is that Omar tried out for Team Colorado and made it the first time. According to Kavan, Greenwood tennis pro and Omar’s coach, making the team the first try is unusual. “Team Colorado took the top 12-year olds in the state, and that places Omar among the top fifteen, probably.” This level of play will pit Omar and his teammates against the best players in Texas, Utah, and other states. But Omar isn’t easily intimidated. “He has a list of players he’d like to beat,” his mom laughs. “He just beat the boy who was at the top of the list, the #1 ranked Teller Hoskins, 6-0, 6-4, and he was very pleased.”
Kavan paints the same picture of a very dedicated and passionate player. “His best asset is his mental game; he’s very confident.” When asked if it was typical to see this level of assiduousness in junior players, Kavan says, “No, it’s very surprising. I’ve coached college players who have that kind of determination, the love of the game. But not an 11 year old.” Omar probably got his excellent footwork from his mother who was a dancer, but otherwise, his parents don’t play tennis. Omar has a strong forehand, but “he’ll need to develop more of a power game,” says Kavan. “Right now he’s more of a retriever.”
Still, Omar is sure he’ll be 6 feet tall. Kavan points out that Roger Federer is one of the slimmest men on the tour and has held the #1 spot for years. “Tennis is such a timing game; you don’t need to have big muscles.” In fact, Omar won the prize for attending more tennis camps than anyone else at Greenwood and got to take home a life-size, cardboard cut-out of Roger Federer. His mom says, “His real idol is Nadal, but I had to get this huge thing in the back of my car for him.” Kavan gives a knowing laugh. “Yeah, that’s Omar. He’s quite a character, always a joy.”
At one point, my husband said to me, “You’re playing WAY too much tennis.” It’s a little like being told you might have a drinking problem, but I reassured myself with all of the ways tennis has embellished my life.
I count the majority of my long-term friendships as tennis-originated ones. Doubles partners are as solid a friend as you can get. The expression, “I’m glad I’ve got you on my side of the court,” has great resonance for me because it is no longer the literal, green tennis court, but life’s more difficult, virtual one. Tennis friendships don’t exist just within the walls of the Greenwood Tennis Club, either. They transform themselves into baby showers, sick meals, job leads. Some of the best psychotherapy I’ve ever not had to pay for was conducted across the net, between sets, or after a long match.
Clearly, tennis is a physical activity; I don’t deny that. Billie Jean King once said, “Tennis is a perfect combination of violent action taking place in an atmosphere of total tranquility.” The ball machine is an example of what a great outlet tennis is. There are more times than I’d care to admit where I have rented the ball machine for no other reason than to bash the ball. If I hit the back curtain more than the inside of the baseline, it really didn’t matter. Tennis allows you room for that. There’s very little swearing, certainly few fisticuffs, and no one is the wiser if you are envisioning the person who cut you off on the highway that morning as you whack at the ball.
My more epicurean friends say, “Oh, no, the best thing about tennis is the food after the matches.” It is true that the exotic appetizers and gourmet desserts we bring trying to outdo one another is a plus. And the camaraderie upstairs on the observation deck is easy and natural after an evening of play.
Fashion maven friends say, “No, it’s that I get to buy cute tennis clothes,” or my ever practical male friends point out that “…it’s a game I can always improve at.” These are true as well. However, my protestation to the spousal “WAY too much tennis” remark is categorical and unwavering. It’s not about tennis at all. It’s about the people.
Juliet is a long time Greenwood member and wrote this article for the “Pulse” newsletter a couple of years ago. I thought it was outstanding and worth replaying here. Look for Juliet to be contributing more member perspective articles in the future.
November 2nd, 2008 in
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A Typical “Spooktacular” Mixed Doubles Night!
Left to right are: Doug Matlock, Tanya Maierhofer, Rick Goebel, Peachy Goebel,
Cathy Stemper, Dan Washburn, Martin Nye, Susan Nye, Tim Radebaugh, Meg Satherlie,
Ken Woo, Jim Arneil, Fred Witsell and Judy Brand. Not Shown: Susan Brown and Kim Moorhead
October 31st, 2008 in
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Left to right are: William Lew, Greg Jensen and Sam Lin
October 29th, 2008 in
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From left to right are: Rose Desmond, William Lew, Joyce Lew, Charlie Hazlehurst, Joan Hazlehurst, Jim Scheper and Debbie Scheper. Not pictured: Gary Desmond.
October 28th, 2008 in
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Ever wonder why you’re wearing an elbow brace or rushing for a bag of ice after a good hitting session? I could summarize that answer best by stressing the importance of having good technique. Some may argue that the game has fewer injuries today than ever due to conditioning and strength programs. I would contend that although having a strong core helps, proper technique is the key to keeping club players enjoying tennis day in and day out without pain. Roger Federer excels because of the amazing balance and timing that is based on a foundation of perfect technique. You rarely hear of Federer pulling out of events due to injury, whereas Andy Roddick is falling off the map due to injury. Think back to the last time that you saw Roddick vs. Federer and ask yourself who looked like they were working harder on the court. Roddick, from the serve to his unreliable backhand, is putting in much more energy than the seemingly effortless Roger Federer. From footwork to racquet preparation, Roger Federer is hands down the smoothest tennis player to ever play the game. I didn’t say he was the best, but the smoothest, and it stems from good technique. Next time you watch tennis, close your eyes and think of Jimmy Connors or John McEnroe and the way they took the racquet straight back and low, versus Federer and Nadal who take the racquet back more upright. This is allowing players to hit the ball harder, with more spin and take more stress off your shoulder, elbow, and wrist. If it has been a while since you have taken a tennis lesson and you are looking for ways to increase performance or decrease pain in your body, talk to one of your Greenwood Tennis Pros and let them help you enjoy the benefits of good technique.
Thanks for listening,
Ryan Haith
Head Tennis Professional
October 28th, 2008 in
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