More on the Boot Camp
One of the junior stories that has gotten a lot of attention in the mainstream tennis press is the "Boot Camp" that was conducted by the USTA back in February near San Diego. USA Today and Tennis Magazine have had stories about it and in the current issue of SMASH, one of the participants, Jeff Dadamo, writes a diary style entry on his experience there.
I had an opportunity to talk with Sgt. Major Keith Williams at the US Open, and he was a bit chagrined by all the publicity he's gotten for this one short camp, but I've seen him at enough junior tournaments to know that he's ready and able to assist any of the boys who might need a reminder of those lessons many months ago.
Bonnie Ford at ESPN.com, did her usual fantastic job with this story (complete with video) on the camp, how it happened and why.
Although he wasn't in this group, Kellen Damico was asked about his dog tags in Kalamazoo, and he explained to the reporter that having earned them back meant a great deal to him. He also took pains to credit the Sargent Major, as he's known to all the boys, and having watched the video, I can now see that he was following orders.
Rhyne Williams no longer has his dog tags, and as he says in this brief post by Charlie Bricker, he wants them back.
8 comments:
Hey guys, i happened to be told about this post, and to add on to what Mrs. Lewis has said, I would like to say that Srgt. Major Keith Williams is by far the best thing that has ever happened to my tennis career. His hardwork and dedication to american junior tennis is exactly what this country needs. If anyone has any questions that would like to be answered, I would love to answer them on here.
Thanks
Do you still throw your racket?
What was the one thing that he helped you the most?
Kellen, why aren't you playing Tulsa?
Not only has Srgt Major helped me as a person but he has helped tremendously with my focus... I still occasionally get upset, but whenever I worked with him I got better everyday. He has a special way of referring to things on the tennis courts as they are in real life, and obviously having someone of his status is extremely motivating to have on the court with you. About tulsa, Coach Center and I have chosen not to play because I would be missing too much school. As my grades right now are very good, I do not want to get caught behind in school and have to play catch up and unfortunately tulsa is a very long tournament that we figured we could skip without big reprecussions.
and about the racket throw, he is not a miracle worker, he is however the best at his job!!
Hey, a good racket throw makes the game a little more exciting. Profanity can also add a little color. Not to mention that it's a sign of being human and not some robot out there just hitting tennis balls.
signed,
an anonymous parent
agree 100% about racquet throwing, and showing some emotion out there. I feel the usta is much too strict in this regard..wanting the players to be robots out there. Yes, it would be nice to be Stefan Edberg, or Pete Sampras out there, but not everyone is wired this way. Part of what makes tennis so exciting is the clash of personalities...its a war out there basically, just like the movie "Gladiator", but with racquets instead of weapons. I have seen usta events, where two players are playing one another, and they are both as quiet as mice..yet there is still cheating going on, and gamesmanship (bathroom breaks etc..)..yet the player that may be screaming on a miss, or tossing a racquet is the one being penalized on the next court over! Let the kids play for goodness sakes! Kellen..(and Rhyne Williams)...please continue to be yourselves out there, and battle the way God intended YOU to do it!
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