For anyone who is interested in my writing, here are links to free versions of all of my books. Just tap the book title to access a free PDF file on Google Drive.
Little Green Book of Tennis (3rd edition) A new 2023 digital-only version of the Little Green Book edited to only tennis related writing, including some new chapters from the past few years. You can also download the3rd edition— a revised edition. Play is Where Life is is the first book I wrote.
Em Ole Coaches Lessons learned from my family, friends, and colleagues over my career. This book is a personal collection of insights from some of my favorite people.
A Level of Thinking A collection of essays on a wide variety of subjects including sports, politics, and American culture.
Helping A collection of essays on tennis and coaching, many of which are posted here on the blog. The second half of the book chronicles the impact of international players on college tennis.
Thanksgiving A collection of personal thoughts, stories, and pictures. Many of the essays were also posted here on my blog.
Nearly Fifty For almost fifty years, my closest friends gathered once a year for a men’s weekend. This book collects some of my favorite stories and pictures from this tradition. If you would like a copy of this book, please email me.
Make/Model: AMI Model F40 F80 F120 Year: 1954 Selections: F40 – 40 78 RPM / F80 – 80 45 RPM / F120 – 120 45 RPM Amplifier: R145 Stepper: 40 Select uses S40 Stepper, 80 select used S80 Stepper for W80 wallbox, 120 select used the S120 for the w120 wallbox
AMI Model F was offered both with the older mechanism 40 select 78RPM, but also with their new mechanism supporting 80/120 selections for 45 RPM only. the S120 and W120 wallboxes can be used with the 80 select unit but the higher selections wont do anything and the stepper might be a tight fit with the extra connections. This year saw an update the the mechanism carriage to a more robust turntable and tone arm system. Was also the last known year for the 40 select 78 rpm, even though 1955 advertised it, no known are to exist.
ITS HISTORY (From PLAY IS WHERE LIFE IS by Tom Parham )
The Juke Box
My first job paid $4600 a year in 1964. The only affordable housing I could find was a back room at Mae Hollowell’s Beauty Shop. A plumber named Luther Gott occupied the other rented room. Luther like philosophy aided by ancient age; “Sex won’t kill you, but running after it will wear you down.”
Joe Robinson, Carolina tight-end in the 1963 Gator Bowl, was rooming with a Tar Heel family. They charged him $5 a week. Joe and I decided to look for an affordable bachelor’s pad.
I found one. In a new concept for Wilson, North Carolina, Briarcliff Apartments were new and quite nice. My good friend, Jean Peake, suggested I move in with a guy named Phil Nordan. Phil was a liquor salesman.
We were having a great time, car, Briarcliff, twenty-six years old and coaching. I was paid little. Sometimes that bothered me, but mostly I was doing okay.
Then a bump. Joe got drafted. Phil got married. I was back on the street.
I moved into all I could afford. Varita Court, downtown Wilson. I slept on a chaise lounge until Jean heard about me. She sold me two single beds for $12.50 each from hospital storage. The beds and the jukebox were my only furniture.
The juke box featured a green light bulb. I located it so I could sit on the fire escape an throw beer cans at the Shell Station chimney located below me. “Like a Rolling Stone” was #1, “ A Whiter Shade of Pale”, “Since I Lost My Baby,” “Mr. Tambourine Man” and other great 60’s music were my roomies. I was lonely. The total utility bill was $3.48 one month.
I was the only male in the three story building, in apartment “R”. There was an elevator with a stroke-ridden black man named Jesse sitting in it all day. Most of the tenants were widows. They peered out their doors as I put the jukebox on Jesse’s elevator. Jesse giggled.
Everyone ought to live alone for some period in their lives. It’s not all bad, but I didn’t like it in Varita Court.
Excerpt from “Play is Where Life Is”
The jukebox mentioned in this passage was a “god-send” of sorts.
One of the basketball stars was a young man named Larry Jones. Jones was called “Chief” because he was a handsome, “Indian-looking,” 6 foot 5 inch, 210 pound stud from Mt. Olive. I casually mentioned that I would like to find a jukebox. Maybe that would help with my loneliness in Varita Court. Jones said, “I’ll find you a jukebox.”
A week later he said he’d found one. “How much do they want for it?” I asked.
Surprised he asked, “You want to pay for it?!”
We did find one, to buy, for $100 from a black guy named Kay Wooten in Fremont, North Carolina. It was a 1954 AMI Wooden. Not the Wurlitzer Double (?) Circler (?) but it would play. Loud. It was too big to mount in a Corvette, but I do believe that I could have competed with the Wilson “Boom Boxes of 1968”.
I painted it red and kept it throughout my kids’ stay with us. When they left, I sold it to my good friend Bill Morningstar, the golf coach at Elon. “Star” is a pinhook, he’ll buy anything. Mostly old cars. He painted it black. Macho. And he still has it.
You could rotate 40 records. The list below are some of the AMI Selections of 1968-1988.
1. Like a Rolling Stone-Bob Dylan 2. Cleo’s Mood-Jr. Walker and the All-Stars 3. Whiter Shade of Pale-Procol Harem 4. SInce I Lost My Baby-The Temptations 5. The Night They Drove Old Dixie Down-Joan Baez 6. Yesterday-Ray Charles 7. The Weight-Jackie DeShannon 8. Light My Fire-Jose Feliciano 9. Any Day Now-Chuck Jackson 10. Ain’t That Loving You Baby-Jimmy Reed 11. Silver Threads and Golden Needles- 12. Walk On By-Dionne Warwick 13. I’ll Be Doggone-Marvin Gaye 14. Hey Joe-Jimi Hendrix 15. Sweet Baby James-James Taylor 16. Rescue Me-Fontella Bass 17. Baby Love-The Supremes 18. Good Golly Miss Molly-Little Richard 19. Don’t Be Cruel-Elvis Presley 20. Fire Lake-Bob Seger 21. What Kind of Fool Do You Think I Am-The Tams 22. Born to Run-Emmylou Harris 23. Get Rhythm-Johnny Cash 24. Get Back-The Beatles 25. Honky Tonk Women-The Rolling Stones 26. I Still Miss Someone-Emmylou Harris 27. He Stopped Loving Her Today-George Jones 28. Knock On Wood-Eddie Floyd 29. Take Out Some Insurance-Jimmy Reed 30. Little Help From My Friends-Joe Cocker 31. Lay, Lady, Lay-Bob Dylan 32. Roll Me Away-Bob Seger 33. Still the Same-Bob Seger 34. Stand By Me-Ben King 35. America-Ray Charles 36. Georgia-Ray Charles 37. Busted-Ray Charles 38. Maybeline-Chuck Berry 39. Somewhere Over the Rainbow-Jerry Lee Lewis 40. I’m Walking-Fats Domino 41. Jim Dandy-Lavern Baker 42. Rave On-Buddy Holly
“Music can save your very soul.” -Don McLean, “American Pie”
“IF YOU EVER CHANGE YO MIND ABOUT LEAVING, LEAVING ME BEHIND,
THEN BRING YO SWEET LOVING, BRING IT ON HOME TO ME” eddie floyd
This has been a lot of fun. It is TOUCHY and not many can fix it. I know such a person and have the manual that goes with it.
Today’s interesting news includes two Cornell University students who quartered a 200 pound Black Bear in their University dorm room. Legit hunting by the two.
This reminded me of a late coaching friend in ihe 1960’s. Unnamed, a college linebacker of note, duct taped his dorm room and turned on all water sources. Once the room filled he went ” scuba diving” in West Dorm–Room 221.
The tape around the door frame gave way and all the hallway flooded.
The coaching staff found “off campus housing” for #32.
IT’S NICE TO KNOW THERE’S STILL A FEW OLD COUNTRY BOYS AROUND
BELOW ARE SOME EXCERPTS AND ARTICLES FROM MY BLOG, THAT SHOW A PATTERN OF DEVELOPING BELIEF IN THE DROP SHOT , AND AN AMERICAN TENNIS NEED ( WWW.TOMPARHAM.WORDPRESS.COM):
(2016)
2. In pro tennis both men and women have learned the virtues of the drop-shot. One–it tires opponents quickly. Secondly, it has a subtle psychological effect that discourages opponents.
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Take heed. Develop your drop-shot. And your DEFENSE AGAINST THE DROP SHOT. That starts with conditioning and footwork/posture.
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I would remind all players that you have to develop defensive quickness, and movement patterns and postures that offset this demon.
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One thing that does seem to be growing in effectiveness is the drop shot. The old adage that “you can’t drop shot on a hard court” is being tested more at the top level.
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. Maybe there is someone coming along with this unique touch, who combined with the other tennis skills needed, will produce the next level in the never ending evolution of tennis.
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To follow up, or evolve, as a teacher/coach, it then seems we must learn defense against the drop shot. In addition to the basic strokes of tennis there are auxiliary shots (returns, approaches, passing shots, etc. ) with different techniques to be mastered. Drop shots are one of these now more than ever. There are also an unlimited “awkward” shots in tennis (for example a backhand overhead, or running down a “shanked shot”). These shots, including defending against drop-shots, must be identified, the proper techniques practiced, and implementation mastered. Please remember, players and parents, that this isn’t easy work.
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2026 –10 years later
SOME HAVE –SOME HAVEN’T !
But the best have.
The BASIC UNIT OF PLAY is 1. approach on short balls 2. they hit a passing shot 3. you volley away from them. You have to practice the approach shots, the passing shots, and the many volleys. And there are any number of other patterns. Including drop shot execution and defense against this tactic.
You must practice proper forehand and backhand drop shot technique.
You must practice how to defend against drop shots: Drop shot return of their drop shots, or down the line passing shot, or the extreme cross court pass.
The PATTERN most are using on drop shots seems to be : A. the drop shot. B. defense hits a delecate cross court pass. C. Then the drop shot player recoils and volleys the cross court “floater” away from opponent.
Sure- there are other options. But the fundamental skills ( running to get there, foot work and posture) on these unique and, new to many, must be practiced properly.
Coaches: Many players don’t like anything about practicing these awkward and toug and different skills.
Insults, Expletives and Fat-Shaming: Vance Trolls Critics on the Right and Left.
CLIPS
It was hardly the first time that someone on social media called someone else fat. But it may have been the first time that a vice president of the United States did so.
Mr. Vance also appears to have a natural appetite for conflict, the product of a generation that grew up with gladiatorial political instincts. It is not enough that someone else may be wrong about policy or politics; they must be stupid, mendacious, vile or, yes, even overweight.
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Comedian Ron White, who said “F— you ! “, to his debate opponent, concluded : I THOUGHT I’D WON !
Last night Bob Dylan played in Richmond, Va. July 28 he is to be in Raleigh, NC, July 29, Wilmington, N.C.– as he finishes another tour segment. In October he starts the 31 site next tour. Shows in 11 European nations. Goggle Bob Dylan.com for details, tour stops, set lists.
In February 2018 I spoke at Barton College. On Dylan . And how this small college and a special teacher fit in with my appreciation of the Artist.
Unfortunately two vital video supports failed. One was Stellenbosch University (South Africa ) on graduation day, scored by Dylan music. The other video was MY BACK PAGES, done as a tribute to Bob and including George Harrison, Eric Clapton, Tom Petty, Neil Young and Dylan.
Stellenbosch
My Back Pages:
All this now is on You tube, Google and such. Links below I hope work this time.
Today, almost 10 years later. I marvel that this man is touring at this level.
Today I found this video about Bobfest, or the tribute mentioned.
“The author argues that these early edits reveal the Founders balancing the roles of reason and faith in defining American rights. The final sentence declares that all men are created equal and possess unalienable rights to Life, Liberty, and the Pursuit of Happiness. Isaacson presents this sentence as one of the defining statements of the American founding.”
When Jimmy Carter was elected, my Mother rationalized “…Well – at least we now have one who doesn’t have an accent.”
Recently I have spent some time watching interviews with the late Shelby Foote. I particularly liked the graduation ( “commencement”) address. Shelby’s voice MADE the Burns’ PBS series on the Civil War.
All Southern Americans wrestle with the race issue. Mr. Foote is a peer of great delta writers. All have dealt with the past. Or tried to.
The link below, beginning at about minute twelve, caught my attention. The moderator, who is Black, solicits Mr. Foote’s comments on the issue.
Almost with deep anguish Shelby started with “…it is difficult to talk about”, or a similar “…you had to know what it was like back then.”
As if talking to himself. he tried to defend his beloved South while unable to justify the horrors.
The Little Green Book of Tennis 