OLYMPIC THOUGHTS!

As the Rio games approach, athletes from all over the world get ready for the trip of a lifetime. Much news comes from Brazil warning everyone about the disorganization and dangers surrounding these games. In 2008 I had the opportunity to coach at the Beijing games and before the games began the world scrutinized the Chinese for the low quality of the air and the many delays in the readiness of the venues.

 

The Chinese came through and the games were a huge success. I believe the same will happen in Brazil. In the Olympics, the athletes will forget the distractions and when the whistle blows the games will again provide the arena for some of the most memorable moments in sports.

 

The great thing about the Olympics is that when we watch our favorite athletes compete we become athletes ourselves and we feel the pain of the defeat and we cry with joy with the triumphs. When you watch an athlete with whom you identify you might find yourself singing along with them as they sing their national anthem and for that single moment you also feel like a champion. When I watched Fernando Gonzalez receive his third Olympic medal after losing to Nadal in the Beijing finals, I looked back at the two weeks we spent in China and I then understood that he was playing for an entire country. The Chilean flag was twice the size of his name on the scoreboard and when later on I asked him what he felt when standing on the podium he said that he was so proud to give the people of Chile something to smile about. I then understood what it meant to be an Olympian.   

Tennis Traditions

As Wimbledon gets ready to start I look back at the traditions that historically have dominated our sport. Traditions such as private clubs, exclusive clubs, and above them all - entitled members.
Tennis has changed a lot since its beginning. More people want to learn the game that they once watched on TV. They want to emulate the greatest players and the inspiration they left after lifting a silver trophy or signing an autograph.
Last time I was in Wimbledon it was clear to me that although we were the players and coaches we were constantly reminded that the All England Club belonged to its members, the patrons. There were Members Only signs everywhere. For the last two weeks I have been traveling in the U.S. coaching my son in futures pro tournaments. The first week I experienced that same old story of a private club where the tournament players were forbidden from practicing on unused courts because of "club policies". This week we are playing at a public park in Pittsburgh and although there are not many luxuries, we feel welcome. When we showed up this morning to get a practice court, a really friendly teenager told us to just go to an open court and share it if any other players came. The same smiley guy was later watering the courts and sweeping the lines that already looked perfect. When I offered to help him he said that he was happy working on the courts because he loved tennis.
At BTC we appreciate the history of tennis, but only the good parts. Good traditions such as respect for others, love for the game, honoring the game, but then we need to add the uncommon, modern twist which is accessibility to the public.
We want to be like the guy who swept the court because of his love for the game, not because a member asked him to do it.
Let's take care of this game that belongs to everybody, not just to the few lucky ones.