When the Sharks Start Circling

In the blink of an eye, we went from the tennis tour off season to being past 1 grand slam and in full spring swing! One of the biggest stories so far post Aussie Open has been the return of Rafa Nadal. He came back at a couple low level clay tournaments in Chile and Brazil and is currently through to the semis in Acapulco. Based on what I've seen, if I were any of the other sharks in the top 5, I'd smell blood on the clay for sure. Here's why:

1. Movement- Rafa has yet to show the same level of movement he typically has. He has looked a bit lethargic and has had a tendency to let many shots go that, in years past, he would have run down and smacked winners off of. He has even publicly acknowledged that he feels he lacks power and explosiveness in his legs.

2. Power- Just doesn't look to be hitting with the same power yet. Lots of shots landing short in the court. You might be able to get away with it at Masters 250 tournaments but Djokovic , Murray and Fed will eat those shots up and order seconds. Rafa's clay game is predicated on using his forehand to hit deep in the court and get the ball up high in order to setup winning shots. If he is unable to consistently do this, that does not bode well. He already struggles to keep his backhand deep consistently so if he is now struggling to do so on the forehand side, his weapons become limited even more.

3. Mental- You might as well spin a wheel each day if you are trying to get a read on his mental state. It is a constant stream of comments about how he is happy to play and improve, coupled with statements about how his knee still hurts and how he doesn't know day to day if he'll be up to the task. His camp has always been secretive and shifty with their comments to the point of fueling conspiracy theories. If you have been living under a tennis rock, the rampant theory is that Nadal has not been injured and has been serving a "silent ban" for doping the last few months. His last minute withdraws and vague statements this spring have done nothing to dissuade the proponents of the theory either.

4. Diminished Aura- He is just not coming off as the "King of Clay" right now. He lost in Chile to a journeyman and has dropped sets to several others. Opponents just don't look scared of him right now. Of course I'm sure he still mentally owns the rest of the Spanish Armada. If he can dismantle Almagro and Ferrer over the weekend, he might get a bit of swagger back.

I'll be surprised if Nadal plays Indian Wells and Miami. He was non-committal earlier this week and I would assume he'd prefer to stay on clay. It saddens me to think he may transition to only playing around 4 hard court tournaments a year. I could see him playing Aussie and the US Open with a warmup tourney before each. As of right now, he seems to be focused on getting ready for the French. Hopefully he knows those other guys are circling, ready to snatch Roland Garros. It's shaping up to be an intriguing spring!   

Budgets, Bottom Line and the Baseline

Need to vent about something today. I spent some time in another part of the valley yesterday and got the chance to make the rounds at a couple schools. As a lot of you know, spring tennis season is about to get underway at many schools. The middle school I visited informed me that their district has instituted a new $25 per player travel expense for their spring sports this year to offset transportation costs. To be honest this was heartbreaking to hear. Tennis already struggles at many schools and this could crush participation. I coached at the middle school level for a few years and we routinely had 110-120 kids at tryouts. Since it was No-Cut, that meant 22 kids on A team and around 70-80 on B team when it was all said and done. That's tough to coach but is fantastic for tennis! The school I was at yesterday had maybe 35 kids on their signup sheet.

I understand the need to offset the busing costs, but this could kill tennis in some of these schools. If the prevailing thought is that the kids who participate in tennis are going to be able to afford the fee for the most part, that thinking is incorrect. I had many kids who were just good athletes that needed something to do in the spring. They were not necessarily big into tennis and having to pay $25 would have been something that many were unwilling/unable to do. It shouldn't be discounted that many kids discover a love of tennis by "accident." I started playing tennis because it was the only school sport offered for 7th graders when I was in middle school. It started as something to occupy my time and became a lifelong passion. We should do everything we can make to make this possible for kids, not put more obstacles in their way! By high school, yes it probably does filter down to kids who have families that can afford it. That is not the case at the middle school level!!!

Middle school is a pipeline. Kill those programs and high school tennis will die with it. Tennis is already probably at the top of the list for "expendable" sports at schools. Instituting policies that hamper participation does nothing but ensure the steady decline and removal of tennis from the slate of offerings over time.

I encourage all of you that read this to find a way to give back. Donate to your middle school and high school booster clubs. Donate to our foundation that sponsors junior tennis participation. Donate your time. I am more motivated than ever to do everything possible to keep racquets in kids hands and provide the opportunity for as many kids as possible to find their passion!

"From what we get, we can make a living; what we give however, makes a life."
                       -Arthur Ashe

Happy Black History Month!!

My Cup Has a Name and It Is Davis

Well after a weekend spent anxiously watching the US Davis Cup opening round match with Brazil, it is official. The Davis Cup is coming to Boise in April! We knew we had a shot at getting it if they won, but after the Bryans lost and then Isner lost in 5 sets, I was sweating bullets. Props to Sam Querrey for dropping the first set, but holding his composure and closing it out when we needed it. And what is the reward for all their hard work? Why a date with the world #1 and Serbia of course! I am so excited to be a part of bringing the Davis Cup here and to build the excitement for it. This truly is a milestone and historic opportunity for tennis in Idaho. On top of all that, I have so many new friends since the news came out! I imagine that this is the tennis equivalent of what it is like when you win the lottery or become a famous musician all of a sudden. Friends you never knew you had come out and I am waiting to hear from a supposed long lost sibling or something like that. All jokes aside, I urge everybody to get excited and help spread the word. Let's turn Boise into tennis central come April!