The links below relate to three tennis issues tha affect American Tennis.
https://wordpress.com/post/littlegreenbookoftennis.com/5216
2. INTERNATIONAL ATHLETES AMERICAN COLLEGES AND UNIVERSITIES
https://wordpress.com/post/littlegreenbookoftennis.com/5221
3. PICKLEBALL
America loves teams. And teamwork. My Father played team tennis for Wake Forest college in 1928. I played on any team that would give me a uniform. Both sons played high school and college team tennis. My grandson played #1 for Boulder High School as a freshman.
I am passionate about teams, and North Carolina. Later I will examine where this comes from. And how organizations, and “worker bees” and “tennis angels” can make things better.
There are great organizations alrready functioning. The North Carolina High School Athletics Association (NCHSAA ) sponsors the North Carolina High School Tennis Coaches (NCHSTCA). Later we will provide access to national groups.
A part of the United States Tennis Association (USTA), NCTA houses any number of tennis programs. From youngsters to seniors, to referees, to wheelchair competition. All worthy of support. One relatively new group has been the growth of league play. One could conclude the leagues growth was a savior, nationally and in our state as well. Coupled with Title IX and some altered attitudes , Women provided leadership , volunteering with impressive results.
While high scool tennis is only one of our causes, it is the one I feel most inclined to help. In 2015 we provided 700 boys and girls THE LITTLE GREEN BOOK OF TENNIS . Then we made it freely available to over 4,000 varsity boys and girls.
Due to turnover of all those players, plus more than half of the coaches, we offered the book again , with updated instruction in 2022. Here is your free link to edition three: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1IstkubA3qBwoJITAtqa2j1l5TW8hc2Myx_6_ZIwGqOs/edit#heading=h.s32ld9zdi0v0
One way to help!
VISION, PLANNING,AND GOALS for growing NC high school tennis teams, coaches, and players.
WAYS TO HELP—
HOW?
Much is already being done. The NCTA , The USTA, The NCHSAA, The North Carolina High School’s Coaches Association are going hard to help. Where help is needed comes from several sources:
**** Pay for these jobs is meager compared to what is asked and expected.
****The pay will not attract top notch tennis coaches in most instances. Most of the very good ones are volunteers, or close.
*** The typical “assigned” staffer is often a football coach, one who knows nothing about tennis. Or some similar scenario.
****More and more are “adjunct”, or part time coaches, who don’t have even the academic background that teacher/coaches have.
WHAT CAN HELP?
One way to start is a “THINK TANK” or committee to examine what is possible. We have a tremendous group of fine players throughout the state. We have in place an organization of teaching professionals in NC. Many times the best source is a “tennis angel” who silently plays with youngsters. No one gives more than parents. The club pro benefits from high school families.
There is another largely untapped source in our state. The NC TENNIS HALL OF FAME members. There seems to me to be a group of old pros and young turks in our select group who could also help the coaches in their area. Many of the hall of famers and pros are the same people. Many already give or have given to tennis in many ways. There are so many ways these people could enhance the knowledge, confidence, and performance of particularly the beginning coaches. I can’t list them all. Believe me, you can help.
I would also suggest to these coaches to look for the local angels. My experience is these are great people who only need to be asked. It may be one afternoon a week, It may be a helpful phone call. Showing a drill, filling in for an emergency, play an exhibition, take them to a college match, gift of equipment—old or new, simply attend matches, etc.
I think a good place to start “thinking” would be the coaches, the Pros, the angels ,and the organizations to brain storm the how. The why is obvious. And I think there is ample evidence that this help is available. And I am convinced the link between high school and juniors and parents and these volunteers can thrive.
The first place to start is knowledge plus need. Our hall of famers and our professional tennis teachers are where to start.
Some years back I watched a clinic foe NC high school coaches and concluded “…there is a lot more CARE in that group than knowledge. Granted several of the coaches demonstrated good skill on the court. I have said all along that a high school coach who cares and drives the van properly is all parents can hope for. Now I think it time to help them. They , by virtue of their attendance and willingness to coach our children, have earned our assistance.
COLLEGE, KIDS. QUESTIONS
Consider these:
1. Teaching Pros can be helpful to these high school coaches, players and teams. Very often the pros are much more knowledgeable and specialized in tennis.
High schoolers and younger are a great source for the pro’s business. A nurturing of this relationship is mutually beneficial.
2. High school sports are more and more selective. Basketball and football are sports not all are fitted for. Youngsters will look more and more for alternatives. More and more teams means more coaches are needed. In North Carolina more than half of the players are girls . Hasn’t the LEAGUE EXPERIENCE created a large group that now have the ability to help in any number of these programs?
Some stellar athletes might consider tennis because there is now a good coach.
3. Many won’t.
4. Why? Since the early 70’s more and more tennis scholarships have gone to internationals. We are in the third generation of this reality. The skyrocketing of college costs has paralleled the number of internationals. And the number of grants for Americans have declined in a similar staggering proportion. Families invest tremendous amounts of money into their children’s tennis. It can be rewarded only two ways: 1.The extremely rare route of becoming a professional player and 2. College scholarships. And the scholarships grow more and more important annually.
5. One significant reason people are opting for sports other than tennis is that this third generation of parents and players have seen the scholarships shipped overseas.
6. This also manifests itself in the dearth of top pro players in America today. The obvious graph-like decline in quality of players in America coupled with the elimination of Americans selected for college scholarships should be grounds for new ideas.
7. Here is one. Is it not time to seriously study how to restore these opportunities and scholarships to our own?
8. Wouldn’t this benefit the hopeful high school or junior player in terms of motivation.
9. Much has been written about internationals in American college.
10. One last suggestion to high school coaches and tennis pros: Coach–talented players are protective of their games and practices. Work with the players and pros to allow meaningful practices, and still maintain team sacrifices. Meet and set up a plan; the kid misses high school practice for pro lessons or a match with a high level opponent and yet gives back to the team by helping less talented teammates. Both interact in the long run. PROS- encourage why team play may teach more than individual success. I wondered if a “prima donna “wouldn’t play for his/her high school , would they sacrifice as needed to be a good college teammate?
From Elie Wiesel:
“First I am a teacher.”
“If I am a witness (and your teacher ), you are a witness too.”
“Memory is the one thing that can save humanity.”
Student’s question : How do I help? Dr. Wiesel–“Start now! What do you see? What do you know?”
FINAL EDITION
The link at the bottom is to third edition of THE LITTLE GREEN BOOK of TENNIS. It is available to all, freely.
Several have asked why?
Upon retirement I asked my wife what’ s next ? ” I want to move to the beach!” Emerald Isle, NC for 17 years so far.
DIE BROKE by Stephen Pollan has four recommendations for retirees. Number 2 says DON’T RETIRE!: Meaning you should
have other meaningful plans.
In the off season at the beach you need that plan. Over time my plan evolved into “hobby writing”.
Motivation for this tennis book came several sources:
(Son, Dan Parham ) ” Dad–you know a lot about coaching tennis. You can put that stuff in the cloud, for everybody.
(Dr. Mildred Hartsock, late English Department Chair at alma mata , Atlantic Christian College .) ” You have some writing ability. You should major in English.”
( Jim Verdieck, late, great Redlands Tennis Coach). On my asking what happens to his tremendous knowledge? “When I die, it dies”. I told him I would try to prevent that.
(Jim Leighton, late, great Wake Forest Univesity Tennis Coach. ). Coach Leighton was the source of most of my knowledge of tennis. I took notes after our many sessions. He read a first draft of those attempts. “Tom, you have captured much of what we have covered. You can make a good book out of this, and if you do it will do more for tennis than all those National Championsships you have won.”
(Harvey Penick—THE LITTLE RED BOOK of GOLF author). “If you read this book you are my pupil. If you play golf you are my friend. “
( Jim Toney, late Economics Professor at Elon University and tennis angel )… A fine player and promoter of tennis, Mr. Toney and I zeroed in on High School tennis court construction. Later in his life he developed Parkinson’s. During our last conversation I told how much I appreciated the work he had done for tennis. He leaned forward, peering at me with those steely eyes, and said ” Don’t you quit.”)
https://docs.google.com/document/d/1IstkubA3qBwoJITAtqa2j1l5TW8hc2Myx_6_ZIwGqOs/edit?usp=sharing
(click link for the book )
Thinking ablout the last blog (FINAL EDITION ).
“FINAL EDITION ” REFLECTIONS
A Carolina (UNC CHAPEL HILL) football coach, commenting on my book THE LITTLE GREEN BOOK of TENNIS, suggested “…this is not just a tennis coaching aid, but for all coaches. ” High praise. I then realized I had mostly taken the methods of others, and the praise was theirs. What I also feel is these people showed us something even bigger than specialized coaching ; the whole process of teaching anything.
My Son, Dan, introduced the CLOUD’S possibilites.
Technology made my efforts possible. I hadn’t typed in fifty plus years. Never had cut a computer on. Wasn’t aware of self-publishing.
Looking back I am grateful there were so many good people and places to learn from. Looking forward I see many who could do similar sharing. So many have unique talent, backgrounds, and experience that could help others.
Information shared, data, truth.
PASSION
Recently I was described as “ passionate” about tennis. A real compliment. Immediately I thought of John Ormsby who wrote a quite thorough history of Six Man Football in North Carolina. I asked John where the drive to do this project came from? He replied, “…I wanted to know more about one subject than anyone alive!”
Life without passion and drive is unappealing to me. Certainly our children deserve no less.
One of my Sons made me aware of technology’s “cloud”. “Dad, anyone can easily make special knowledge available to all now.”
Being a coach often makes you almost surrogate fathers. Certainly you care about your players. My passion is care for American junior tennis players and their access to a fair share of our college and university tennis scholarships. I believe there is a direct link between awarding so many of our scholarships to internationals that we have run our own kids out of tennis, and other American sports as well.
Is this patriotic or xenophobic? Is it illegal to reserve state tax money for our state’s youngsters. Where is the fair “fine line” we can expect?
Passion number two: The model for successful American juniors has been the FAMILY not the ACADEMY model. No ones cares like the parents. Proper parental guidance, local teaching pros, community tennis “angels’, junior tournaments, high school team play, and on to college tennis. Examine our golden era of pros (Evert, Connors, McEnroes, Sampras, etc).
Below is a letter to me that states the position of NCAA President Mark A. Emmert on international athletes in American college athletics. And I agree with the content. However, I believe there is another tenable side to this issue. Therefore, in addition to President Emmert letter, I have shared what I believe is another salient side to the issue.
Dr. Mark Emmert
President, NCAA
PO Box 6222
Indianapolis, Indiana 46206
Dear Dr. Emmert,
I am appreciative of your letter of March 15, 2017. Earlier this winter I had a long conversation with Timothy Russell , CEO of the Intercollegiate Tennis Association (ITA). I have also pled my case to Paul Lubbers of USTA player development, the Southern district of USTA, (STA) and the North Carolina Tennis Association (NCTA).
And have done so with countless others since 1970. Your response ensures that I have been heard at our highest levels and that is truly fair.
Approaching age 77 with fifty years of coaching, teaching and administering in two small (Barton College) to mid size Division 1 (Elon University), I have watched this issue closely, and while I fully agree with diversity and inclusion and equitable participation, there seems to be more to the issue.
My teams rosters included fifty plus internationals. From about a dozen different countries. Roland Thornqvist, women’s tennis coach at the University of Florida just won the women’s D1 National team tennis indoor title, owning a handful of national titles. I recruited Roland to the USA and he is probably best known of my recruits who are in the athletics arena and have stayed in the country. No less known in the world of orthopedic surgery in America is Dr. Pramote Malisitt, a native of Bangkok, who remains in our country. Dr. Peter Lindstrom, is one of twenty nine Swedes whom I recruited, and who is nationally known as a vital computer expert with our defense department. Neither our schools, nation, nor I would wish they weren’t here.
Never have I suggested we shouldn’t have delved into internationals then or now. But it seems to me to be a half full/half empty issue. Not once have I ever said an international should be prohibited from participation. Or equal admittance. The elephant in the room is scholarships. Never have I suggested internationals should be exempt from a reasonable amount of money. I do believe that the NCAA has a legal right to provide aid to our citizens first. One link to follow allows that about 200 million American dollars go into international men and women tennis players.
Many parents and taxpayers question all foreign rosters, all with grants and many from state schools. (See enclosed latest rankings from Division II) I wouldn’t object to an all international team in any sport if they paid the bill. But to scholarship an all African team, rather than an African American team is bothersome, to say the least. What we have now is foreign aid, not trade. Not once in the many times I asked any international , “Would your native country do what we do?” was the answer yes. And the money is coming from the coffers of the only reasonable financial return for all the expenses encountered: Scholarships. Scholarships can easily amount to a quarter million dollars per student ,over four years. Not to mention the subsequent benefits of quality education. I don’t even mention the rarity of professional player rewards, as we all know the status of American elite players. That is another issue, but giving American college tennis to internationals via disproportionate scholarship is directly related to this demise (again link to follow).
Basketball, golf, and other international sports are making forays into the American college arena. As a young coach I quickly realized if they have a nuclear weapon or two, I had better find some to help me keep my job. This is true today. Witness Duke University’s meteoric rise in Women’s golf. Surely young coaches watched an all international roster ascend to the top. Is this the intent of Title IX for our women? The American college system is the best system in the world to train elite athletes. The best example is surely Women’s Soccer.
Soccer, the most widely played sport in the world ,has never been won by American men. Yet, since the advent of Title IX our women have won three world cups in soccer. All twenty three women were participants in American College Soccer. And I’d bet they all had scholarships. Some one asked me where was the national training center for women on the world cup team? Chapel Hill, I replied. (Anson Dorance’s UNC teams had six of the twenty three players). And his teams influenced all the rest.
Upon accepting the job at Elon University, the then president admonished me, “… we don’t want an all foreign team!” After ten years that included a national team championship, I was concerned that a walk-on international was good enough to shift our team balance to more than 50% international for the first time. A decided shift in attitude was “ Coach we’ve decided that we don’t care where they are from if they are the quality of people you’ve been recruiting.”
And, while this validates your position, I believe a compromise is the answer.
My internationals returned home at about a 90% rate. That money may have brought in any number of our own citizens, equal in every way, except talent in tennis, as a true 18 year old freshman . (see DAY DREAM BELIEVER) on addendum to follow. Without scholarship aid for many American tennis youngsters, the “…pathway to opportunity” does not currently exist.
I have shared a few opinions, mine and others, on Addendum 1.
I intend to include a copy of your letter, and valid position to several interested parties. Knowing I have had my say, I remain sincerely grateful.
Tom Parham
ON INTERNATIONALS . https://littlegreenbookoftennis.com/category/d-internationals/page/4/
https://littlegreenbookoftennis.com/category/d-internationals/page/4/
https://wordpress.com/post/littlegreenbookoftennis.com/2830
The southeast is experiencing lots of colleges dropping of sports. Men and women’s tennis teams are among the first to go it seems. The Intercollegiate Tennis Association is trying to stop the bleeding. Here are a few personal observations:
Scholarships: International college tennis players, men and women. are usurping the scholarships. College tennis sold its soul to winning.
Diversity: Coaches hitched on to the popular gravy train of “diversity”. Diversity in college tennis became an American with a large scholarship.
Facilities: The big question is why do athletics directors cut non revenue sports with tiny budgets and paying customers. In our area the schools who have cut tennis often need new, competitive facilities. The price tag has gone up for these. The schools in our area who have dropped tennis all seem to need new facilities. (Appalachain, East Carolina, Winthrop, High Point for a few).
In my active career as a tennis coach I found a sympathetic ear from my athletic directors about saving grants for Americans.
“I’m gonna bring that up at the convention!”) Post convention apologies went like this—“Tom, I’m sorry. The football and basketball problems are so big we forgot about tennis.”
2020 and the squeeze is on and the A.D’s and President’s may be thinking differently: ‘Wait a minute! We are giving eight women’s and 41/2 men’s grants to almost all foreign kids. They eliminate Americans who often pay the freight? Plus we don’t have a reasonable facility and we’ve promised them one for years. More and more are building larger more expensive, arms race courts. And my coach say we can’t be competitive without an indoor facility. What’s that 12 and 1/ 2 times 50k a year in foreign aid. Six hundred thou, plus? Then indoor and outdoor courts, another 3 million?
Conclusion: The only revenue of sizable amount from non-revenue college sports is when an American parent writes that checkto the schools.
PASSION
Being a coach often makes you almost surrogate fathers. Certainly you care about your players. My passion is care for American junior tennis players and their access to a fair share of our college and university tennis scholarships. I believe there is a direct link between awarding so many of our scholarships to internationals that we have run our own kids out of tennis, and other American sports as well.
Is this patriotic or xenophobic? Is it illegal to reserve state tax money for our state’s youngsters. Where is the fair “fine line” we can expect?
Passion number two: The model for successful American juniors has been the FAMILY not the ACADEMY model. No ones cares like the parents. Proper parental guidance, local teaching pros, community tennis “angels’, junior tournaments, high school team play, and on to college tennis. Examine our golden era of pros (Evert, Connors, McEnroes, Sampras, etc).
Academies are often filled by throw away kids, limited rich kids, and a selected few who get all the attention. More importantly it is questionable academically and personally.
FURTHER OPINION ON THIS ISSUE CAN BE FOUND (1) ON http://www.tomparham.wordpress.com and (2 ) this link ( https://littlegreenbookoftennis.com/2023/01/07/american-college-tennis-players ) hosts nearly 100 pages of collected writings on this issue.
“Senor, Senor–can you tell me where we’re heading, Lincoln County or Armaggdeon ?”
—- “People get all caught up in the coaching and all that stuff. Its Dudes ! You’ve got to have players, and these Dudes put in the work !” Kansas State Coach, Jerome Tang.
—Soon ? Concealed carry in the game?
—Coach Boeheim–on St. John’s hiring of Rick Pitino : “He has coached forty years. That is not a lot of trouble for that long.”
In 1952 I played on the elementary 6th grade basketball team. And every other year from 62 through 4 years of college play. I coached college basketball and was an adminstrator of college basketball . I saw Carolina beat Kansas in 1957. I ran the final four poll at Elon University until the NCAA stopped us. We had 30 coaches of various sports teams at Elon. I never won the poll. A coach never won. Always a Custodian or a student worker , etc. Our Senior secretary, Mrs. Doris Gilliam won twice. Once she picked Cleveland State’s win over Bobby Knight’s Indiana.
My only entry is now our 20 entry family poll. After 2 rounds I am Tied for 10th. Lennox, my 7 year old grandson is 2nd.
Charles Barkley would be tied for 12th in our poll.
 | |||
FINAL WORD
“You can’t get more nervous than nervous. You’re either nervous or you’re not. If you’re nervous trying to win your club championship, it’s the same feeling as Tiger Woods when he’s trying to win the Masters.” — Russell Knox.
The link beiow will take you to February 2023 articles published by TENNIS INDUSTRY.
Scroll down to the third article for the United Stayes Tennis Association’s “Guidance” for Tennis and Pickleball.
FINALLY. (Below there are a number of coments about pickleball. Maybe some progress.)
FEB. 2019
I heard a rumor that the USTA tried to buy the rights to pickleball. No deal.
.
2. “PICKLEBALL ” (FEB 2019 )
Pickleball could be an obvious first choice as the best lead-up game for our junior tennis programs. The mass of people are unaware of our current programs to address junior participation. Awareness of pickleball popularity grows daily.
Here’s a thought for young turks who want to work and make some money. Any condo developer will put a minimum of two tennis courts on his property. Has to. Why? Because the competition has as least two.
You ride by them daily. And no one is playing on them. Owners don’t keep them up. How about this: Learn how to line a Pickleball court on those two virgin courts. Go from hell to Dixie convincing owners to stripe them. Put some pickleball rackets and balls (they are inexpensive) and leave them at the courts. Get some volunteers who know how to play on your courts at prime times and watch. “If you build it they will come”.
PLAY IS WHERE LIFE IS.
Burn all the health books. Diet and Exercise, nuff said. Tennis? Fine, but don’t knock anything that keeps you going.
Pickleball could be an obvious first choice as the best lead-up game for our junior tennis programs. The mass of people are unaware of our current programs to address junior participation. Awareness of pickleball popularity grows daily
PICKLEBALL 2 (FEB 2019 )
Paragraph
SEE PICKLEBALL 1 (BLOG 149)
Just returned from the North Carolina Tennis Foundation’s TENNIS WEEKEND in Pinehurst.
I was shunned twice for mentioning pickleball. Tennis people are somewhat skeptical about pickleball.
When soccer exploded upon the American scene in the 70’s the football people reacted much the same way:”Soccer is taking away some of our best kids!” Russell Rawlings said soccer was football without linemen!
I had never seen or been to THE VILLAGES in mid-Florida. On a recent trip to Bradenton we stopped in to view the
“mecca of pickleball”. I think a new approach by the tennis people may be worth studying. Having observed attempts to teach tennis in public school physical education classes, maybe a switch to pickleball might be wiser. It is so much easier to learn (save the scoring system*). And, while the pickleball people will argue that their
game can stand on its own merits, perhaps there would be a “carryover” from mastery of pickleball to the more complex and expensive tennis process. And attract some audiences that shun tennis no matter how hard we try?
The easiest part of this is adaptation of existing facilities. Courts are the same size as a badminton court (44″ x 20″), needing only boundary lines on existing high school, recreation, or whatever tennis court. While these lines (and the different sound of the ball), bother the purists, these quickly become unnoticed.
A prediction, or a suggestion: This is already happening. Real estate often features two tennis courts that are for condominium villages. Most of these were built by an owner who, to compete, added two courts. Lonely and often in the front of the housing, most dwell out front, unused and unmaintained.
Why not line these courts for pickleball. Put out some rackets and balls in a container and watch what happens.
One last thought: Many tennis courts have been “left to seed”. A two court abandoned asphalt pad can be laid out to house 6 pickleball courts.
* Unfortunately pickleball also adapted a scoring system much like badminton. And, while this idea can be applied to colleges, I would go ahead and grant
a degree to any college student who can master the scoring.
A CRITICAL MASS ? OR PICKLEBALL ? (FEB 2019)
SOME THOUGHTS:
***Wouldn’t it be wise to use pickleball as a lead-up, or carryover game that will ultimately benefit tennis?
***Line school tennis courts for pickleball. Tennis purists will howl about the lines, but we are not talking about Wimbledon. Almost all GYMS have multiple game lines. No one notices. Ps–while tennis nets are a tiny bit higher, who cares.
***Pickleball has a funny name (after a dog), yet its players swear by the CARDIO benefits.
***PICKLEBALL IS FUN—IMMEDIATELY. Most youngsters aren’t sold on “Tennis is a lifetime game.” Or, it’s good for your health. Fun is the HOOK.
***Don’t some Pilot programs merit a try? This is bigger than tennis or pickleball. Obesity, health, video games, mental health, and again–fun.
Rather than fight the “tsunami” and be overrun, why not ride the wave? USTA AND PICKLEBALL leaders should join forces.
The Outcome? In the long run what are the possibilities? 1. Both games will benefit 2. Each will have their own people.
3. Both games will benefit the players. 4. Some people who would not have played either will have some fun.
JOINING HANDS FOR HEALTH
Historically the patrons of American tennis have been, and still are, the UNITED STATES TENNIS ASSOCIATION (USTA). And most of their efforts are youth directed.
Currently the USTA has launched a new youth program.
The purpose of this letter is to open the minds of both games leaders to the unique and growing value in incorporating pickleball into youth programs through both organizations, and specifically through the school systems.
Why pickleball? It is FUN. It is easy to learn. It is inexpensive. It yields great cardiovascular benefits. It causes less long range joint injury. The courts need only to be lined on existing tennis courts (many currently unused or mis-used).
While this is simply a suggestion from a citizen with no “skin in the game’, it seems a “no –brainer” to invest a little effort to a moment that has come with little downside and tremendous possibilities for both games.
I started writing this blog in 2008. Topics range from the easter bunny to Bob Dylan. “Hits” or visits to the site are recorded. The last pickleball article (187) had a daily total that was three times more hits than any one single day. There was still the fear that pickleball will damage tennis.
NEWS FLASH: Tennis and pickleball should not fight each other. They have a mutual enemy, video games!
THE ENEMY AT THE GATE
I started writing this blog in 2008. Topics range from the easter bunny to Bob Dylan. “Hits” or visits to the site are recorded. The last pickleball article (187) had a daily total that was three times more hits than any one single day. There was still the fear that pickleball will damage tennis.
NEWS FLASH: Tennis and pickleball should not fight each other. They have a mutual enemy, video games!
REAL ISSUES?
2. USTA line rules. Option or local suggestion—treat all the line rules the same. While the USTA prohibits sanction for featuring Pickleball lines, it allows sanction of courts with the lines of their own shortened game. 99% of school courts don’t host sanction play.
Many remember football fighting the growth of America youth Soccer. Opposition to Title IX or Girls and Womens sports, Intergration, Gay athletes, paying college athletes. etc. My belief is Pickleball will similarly serve us well.
Thinking ablout the last blog (FINAL EDITION ).
A Carolina (UNC CHAPEL HILL) football coach, commenting on my book THE LITTLE GREEN BOOK of TENNIS, suggested “…this is not just a tennis coaching aid, but for all coaches. ” High praise. I then realized I had mostly taken the methods of others, and the praise was theirs. What I also feel is these people showed us something even bigger than specialized coaching ; the whole process of teaching anything.
My Son, Dan, introduced the CLOUD’S possibilites.
Technology made my efforts possible. I hadn’t typed in fifty plus years. Never had cut a computer on. Wasn’t aware of self-publishing.
Looking back I am grateful there were so many good people and places to learn from. Looking forward I see many who could do similar sharing. So many have unique talent, backgrounds, and experience that could help others.
Information shared, data, truth.
The link at the bottom is to third edition of THE LITTLE GREEN BOOK of TENNIS. It is available to all, freely.
Several have asked why?
Upon retirement I asked my wife what’ s next ? ” I want to move to the beach!” Emerald Isle, NC for 17 years so far.
DIE BROKE by Stephen Pollan has four recommendations for retirees. Number 2 says DON’T RETIRE!: Meaning you should
have other meaningful plans.
In the off season at the beach you need that plan. Over time my plan evolved into “hobby writing”.
Motivation for this tennis book came several sources:
(Son, Dan Parham ) ” Dad–you know a lot about coaching tennis. You can put that stuff in the cloud, for everybody.
(Dr. Mildred Hartsock, late English Department Chair at alma mata , Atlantic Christian College .) ” You have some writing ability. You should major in English.”
( Jim Verdieck, late, great Redlands Tennis Coach). On my asking what happens to his tremendous knowledge? “When I die, it dies”. I told him I would try to prevent that.
(Jim Leighton, late, great Wake Forest Univesity Tennis Coach. ). Coach Leighton was the source of most of my knowledge of tennis. I took notes after our many sessions. He read a first draft of those attempts. “Tom, you have captured much of what we have covered. You can make a good book out of this, and if you do it will do more for tennis than all those National Championsships you have won.”
(Harvey Penick—THE LITTLE RED BOOK of GOLF author). “If you read this book you are my pupil. If you play golf you are my friend. “
( Jim Toney, late Economics Professor at Elon University and tennis angel )… A fine player and promoter of tennis, Mr. Toney and I zeroed in on High School tennis court construction. Later in his life he developed Parkinson’s. During our last conversation I told how much I appreciated the work he had done for tennis. He leaned forward, peering at me with those steely eyes, and said ” Don’t you quit.”
https://docs.google.com/document/d/1IstkubA3qBwoJITAtqa2j1l5TW8hc2Myx_6_ZIwGqOs/edit?usp=sharing
(click link for the book )
The Little Green Book of Tennis 