Junior Tennis Documentary 50,000 Balls To Air on ESPN Classic This Sunday Evening June 21
Set your Tivos and DVRs for 11 p.m. EDT Sunday night, when ESPN Classic will broadcast the junior tennis documentary 50,000 Balls.
I've seen the film many times in several versions, but I'll be recording it to see the one hour television edition, the airing of which represents the diligence and determination of TJ Pura's mother and Tom Pura's widow, Sara Weinheimer.
Tom's untimely death, just under a year ago, left Sara with the task of seeing the film get wider distribution, as Tom had just begun to shepherd it through the film festival circuit. That she was able to accomplish this while dealing with her own and her family's grief is a testament to her inspirational strength and her commitment to the project.
Centered around four boys--Joe DiGiulio, Mitchell Krueger, Mitchell Polnet and TJ Pura-- who are preparing for the 12s National Hard Courts in Arkansas in 2006, the film is a very authentic look at the subculture of junior tennis in its earliest stages. I spoke with Tom a couple of months before his death for this Tennis Recruiting Network interview, and as I reread it, the question about a sequel made me very sad, coming as it did with the realization that is unlikely to happen now.
The film he did make is an important and substantial legacy, however, and it is both entertaining and instructive. I truly enjoyed the extended interviews with Tom Gullikson, Jay Berger, Gilad Bloom, Billy McQuaid, Dave Licker, Chris Lewis and Al Parker that most certainly will not be in the version shown Sunday, Father's Day, but they are available on the DVD, which can be purchased on the website. The film will also air on ESPNU on July 3 at 10 p.m. EDT, but those are the only two air times scheduled.
The press release I received this afternoon had this quote from Mary Carillo, the respected longtime tennis commentator.
"This film takes a good, hard look at the rigors and sacrifices that are made in the name of junior tennis, not only by its young players but by their entire families. I'm the mother of two strong, athletic kids who both chose team sports over tennis. They quickly came to understand what it would take to be among the elite, and gravitated to other sports. I never tried to stop them, either--it takes a special kid to go towards such a lofty standard and goal. '50,000 Balls' gives good insights into both the joys and tribulations of junior tennis."
3 comments:
I had the fortune of randomly coming across the 50,000 Balls website about 3 years ago. At the time, I sent an e-mail to Tom to inquire about the status of the movie. At that time, he was still filming and not yet to the editing process.
While I never had the opportunity to meet Tom, we conversed via e-mail several times and he was kind enough to send me one of the very first copies of the DVD (still with some things he needed to fix/edit/change).
For those who have not seen it, it is a worthwhile way to spend your Sunday evening. Watch it!
I also saw the documentary, decent show. But in the end it is not only about hard work...the stone, cold, hard facts are that America's best athletes do not play tennis. As angry as that makes tennis parents, it is fact. These boys in the show were nice kids and worked hard, but are not elite athletes like top skill position basketball and football boys. If the very top school boy point guards and wide receivers played tennis as kids, the vast majority of today's junior boys would not even be in the conversation.
Jon King, You sound like you work for the U.S.T.A. The kids are not multi-cultural so they must not be good enough athletes is what you were really saying. For you to say these boys are not elite athletes like top skill position basketball and football players is crazy. That way of thinking has clouded the judgement of far too many of you that think you know talent. Look at Timothy Neilly,Phillip Simmonds,Donald Young, Marcus Fugate to name a few. What do they have in common. All were going to be the next big thing. Why? Because they were supposed to be better athletes because they are multi-cultural. This is your same line of REASONING with comments like you made. It is why Nathan Pasha and Evan King get hyped so much. They are great kids but this line of thinking is absurd and completely biased against white kids. Jon King, I would bet my life you are multi-cultural with statements like that.
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