Belief

January 23, 2017

The next Roger…or Rafa? You just never know. Videos of Federer, Nadal, Austin, and Sampras at age eight show terrific promise and pure joy in playing the game. What separates them from the rest? Belief and the desire to make that belief become their story. Here’s hoping we’ll see this youngster on Center Court one […]

Joy

January 20, 2017

You know you’ve found the right tennis team when the spirit makes you want to jump for joy.

Gone fishing

January 20, 2017

There are no guarantees when going fishing. The weather can intrude…the fish can be hard to find or not attracted to what you’re offering. It pays to go with a buddy in case an emergency arises. Sometimes you get skunked while your friend hits the jackpot. It’s all good if your highlight is the picture […]

Petrified

January 20, 2017

Susan related a story after tennis class one day. She and her husband have a place near Kenosha Pass between Bailey and South Park, Colorado. A friend was taking her dogs for a walk when they startled a mother moose with calf ambling beyond the aspen trees. Moose are very protective and weigh around eleven […]

Kiss

January 18, 2017

What can you take from this picture into your next match? Brett Hobden is a pro from Australia who has a terrific term…’track it to the racquet.’ This player is surely following this advice. The question is why don’t club players watch the ball this intently? Vic Braden and Gideon Ariel discovered a couple of […]

Effort

January 18, 2017

The man on the top of the mountain didn’t fall there. Vince Lombardi

Proof positive

January 17, 2017

My wife travelled to California last year and was fortunate to see whales frolicking in The Pacific Ocean. I asked her, ‘did you see other animals too?’ She said that they saw dolphins, an octopus, and sea otters. I inquired if she had seen the report on the internet this week? She gave me a […]

Transformation

January 17, 2017

Colorado is a spectacular place to live. The Rocky Mountains never cease to amaze. Crested Butte is in the southwest part of the state and recently received over ninety inches of snow. How incredible that in three months time the mountains will be transformed to look like this?

Shine

January 16, 2017

If you have knowledge, let others light their candles in it. Margaret Fuller

Peace

January 16, 2017

The thoughtful soul to solitude retires. Omar Khayyam

Well coached

January 16, 2017

The late, great tennis coach Welby Van Horn referred to it as the significant other arm. One look at this youngster and you figure he is well coached. The soa is not dangling or bobbing or pointing out towards the net. Positioned across the body, it proves he’s been taught the importance of a significant […]

Growth

January 15, 2017

We could never learn to be brave and patient, if there were only joy in the world. Helen Keller

Creative doubles

January 15, 2017

What might you learn by playing six points using The Australian Formation in your next match? Maybe that your opponent’s blistering cross court backhand is tame by comparison when you force her to go down the side. Perhaps that your partner’s less formidable backhand volley is put in the back pocket as she plays more […]

The present

January 15, 2017

You know it’s important to live in the moment…not ruminating about the past or fretting about the future. You’ve tried yoga, meditation, and mindfulness. Yet the mind keeps racing. Sort of like a strobe light at a downtown dance club. Maybe spending more time with little children or dogs is the answer. Perhaps by osmosis, […]

Quick learners

January 14, 2017

Yes, it’s true…cats and dogs can be taught to excel in hide and seek.

Doubles communication

January 14, 2017

What percentage of college and professional doubles teams have brief huddles before serving points? If you answered 100%, you are correct. The natural second question is why. Actually, there are a number of reasons. It allows for the planning of the next point. Without planning, players are more strangers than partners. The server is the […]

Take time

January 14, 2017

The soul is healed by being with children. Fyodor Dostoevsky

Perspective

January 14, 2017

There are three musts that hold us back: I must do well. You must treat me well. And the world must be easy. Albert Ellis

Purpose

January 14, 2017

What do we live for, if it is not to make life less difficult for each other?’ George Eliot

Keep fighting

January 13, 2017

You are down 1-6 in the third set match tie breaker to ten points. Why should you keep fighting? Three reasons. You understand that the pressure is now on your opponent to close the deal and that can be a heavy burden. Because they have a big lead, their natural tendency is to play a […]