Commentary

Summerlin Junior Tennis Tournament Results

By Ryan Wolfington

VegasTennis.com

On a perfect sunny day out at the Summerlin Tennis Club, there were basketball games, cookouts, and tournament tennis. Sunday was the finals of their first tournament this year where they had a record 115 person draw for the men's and Ladies 10, 12, 14, 16, & 18 under. The tournament featured a back Draw which allowed all participants 2 losses before being eliminated. The club pro, Gordon Hammond was very much involved, chatting with each player, setting the line up, presenting trophies and even umpiring a few games. All in all, Las Vegas Junior tennis is thriving, with people willing to embrace a well run tournament like this to test their metal.

Watching the matches my first impression was at how well the players hit, in all the age groups. Having played often and at many levels down at Baskin Park, I would put many of the "Teens" I saw today up against any of them. They hit hard and place the ball well.

The only downside? A few(2) of the players, just like a few of the adults and poor mannered "Pro's" on the tour, have not chosen to be in control of their game. For some reason they have believed the false notion that losing control by giving into the voice of frustration will help their game. If doing so helped a person's game or life for that matter, I might try it myself. But it does not. It only sucks dry a person's character while posing as fuel. But this fuel backfires. We see time and time again players who try rage as a tool, it  tools them, by bringing them a difficult life or by taking down their focus in the match. This type of behavior is not only accepted by some fans and parents alike, but encouraged. This is weakness, and regardless how powerful the ground stroke, if a person is fooled into believing that which drains them is giving them energy, then they can be fooled into anything. For those who are playing against this kind of behavior you must use it to your advantage by not following suite.

Apart from the very few incidents of this "Safin"(See relevant article) like behavior, the other 99% of the participants displayed perfect character far beyond what I am accustom to in the "Adult" tournaments. There were numerous sign of goodwill, showing that participants at this tournament were by and large, gentleman and ladies.  I noticed the ease in which those who had just lost spoke to the person who just defeated them. There was no sign of upset or resentment. I saw players who commented on and enjoyed great shots by other players as if they had made the shot themselves. In many ways these players, by having the right attitude, embodied what the game is about.  Not only in their actions but in their lack of reactions.

And that is what the joy of life is...to do it with class, and at the end have no regrets.

This is the first junior tournament I have seen since I played a few when I was younger, and it was insightful to see that things have not changed at all.  I guess they never do. There will always be the gentlemen and ladies and there will always be the children. The choice is which will you be?

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Bad calls. What is a bad call? A bad call is a wrong call. Do you realize calling a ball in that is out is a bad call?

I've been told "I'll give it to you"? And I replied, "I don't want it"?

I will take what is mine and I want no "Gifts." Not to mention, I am not interested in being a party to a players bad call in the name of "generosity."

It is not "Generous' or an act of a "Gentleman" to "Give" a call. If the ball is out, it is out. Just yesterday I was playing with a man who called numerous balls "In," when he knew they were out. I will explain.
 

I lob. He is at the net. He figures the ball will go in, even says great shot as he turns around to chase it, but then on seeing it land he realized it landed out. He was shocked because he thought by how it originally looked that it was going to be in. He did a double take, looking at me, then the line, then me, then the line, and then signaled in, with a sigh.

It was clearly out, he knew it was out, but for some reason he chose not to say what he knew, he doubted. Is this the right thing to do? The rule is , "If you do not know for sure, then the call goes to the other party." But if you know it is out, then it is out.

So how is calling a ball in that you know is out of good call? ...........It isn't.

It is a bad call.

The notion that because I gain a point I should "Thank" him is false. The game is not about gaining the most points. If it were then one could justify doing anything to gain those points. The game is to do what is right, to do what you know, and not doubt what you know.

 

All conflict a player comes to within the game of life is from doubting oneself. If you know something why doubt it?

It goes something like this, and this happened yesterday with the same man...... I served...it passed him down the center line....it was clearly out....He saw it was out....he looked at me and I was already in motion from serving and he mistaken that as me believing the serve was in.....and some lie came to him explaining why he should just call it in....He knew it was out...but the lie explained that for some reason he should doubt what he knew.... He called it in....He eventually won that game, but that is not the point.

He knew the ball was out...he called it in.... and as all persons who doubt do..., he then tried to turn it into a virtue claiming he will "Give it to me.".........

I don't want your doubt call.....I will take what is mine and if a ball is out, it is out. I told him at the end of the game he made two bad calls.... and that bad calls are when you know a ball is "Out" ... but you doubt this knowing and call it in.....

At first he claimed it was "Too close to call..." But when I pointed out the exact points he admitted he knew they were out... and shrugged. It is this type of person that will carry with them after the game the fact that they doubted themselves, and to avoid facing they doubted themselves they try and turn it into a virtue as if they were a nice guy for "Giving" me the call. I don't want your gifts...I will take what is mine.. If a ball is out and you call it in....this is a bad call...If a ball is in and you call it out...This is a bad call.

A couple games later he was serving to me, and he hit a serve that at first looked like it was going in. Then I saw it was out. The same lie came to me...."Maybe it was in"... and doubt began to creep into me...but I knew it was out...If I had to bet $100.00 on the call, I would lay even money on "Out." But for some reason this doubt comes...but I made the right call...."Out"....

Two games later it was my add. He is serving to me again... and serves a passing shot that looked almost exactly like the last one....almost....and I immediately called it out..... but I knew the ball was in, and was not like the last one...But he served the second serve already and we were playing the point, I won that point giving me the game. But I knew his original serve was in and I told him so, and that it should now be deuce. He did not hesitate... He knew it was in too...and went to serve the deuce...He did not say "Thank you"...I did not say "I will give that to you..." Because those words are not needed when you make the right call.

I have seen players who both see the ball is out. The receiving player calls it in, and the other player says "Thank you," because he knows the ball was out. And both seemed to believe in some peculiar way they were being magnanimous. It is a pretty simple game. If the ball is out...you call it out...If the ball is in you call it in...There may be a doubt that comes to you... and you have the choice to go with the doubt or to do what you know.

There is no such thing as "Thank you" for making the right call. There is no such thing as "Giving" a person a call.

You either know the call and you say what you know...or you know the call and you choose to doubt this knowing for a lie...your call.

All the troubles of man comes from his unwillingness to do what he knows....

Out,

Ryan

Ryan Wolfington

VegasTennis.com

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