Come Out And Play...

Hello on a rainy Saturday. It won't be a good day for tennis and it gives me an excuse to miss playing. I must admit, the weather has been perfect for playing recently but schedule and commitments have kept me away from the game I love. I promised myself that after age 50 (now 51), that I would get my game in shape and play some tournaments. Try to take some hardware from the old heads. I still want to make that happen. Yesterday I ended up on the court for the first of a series of  tennis related events, sponsored by Cadillac. The event is good news for a number of reasons. First of all, it's good to see that GM has recovered to the point that it can once again be involved with sporting events in the community. The economy had kept GM on the sidelines and away from involvement with golf tournaments. GM officials that I spoke with say that they want to aim at the tennis market and that Atlanta was the area that they wanted to start in. Of course I agree with them. When it comes to tennis there is "No Town Like The A"!  Cadillac Tennis Taste Drive was held at the tennis complex at the Lake Windward Community in Alpharetta and was an event that provided tennis instruction, food by Chef Linton Hopkins and test driving new Cadillacs. It was a great time and I got a much needed tip to help my wandering forehand.To watch for future events keep an eye on http://www.cadillactennis.com/.
If you have been playing and feel like you are up to playing in tournaments for a good cause, I have two for you: Baseball Hall of Famer Hank Aaron and wife Billye Aaron will host the 9th annual Golf and Tennis Weekend in support of the Morehouse School of Medicine. The tennis event will be played at Sugar Creek in Decatur and will be operated by the Coan Tennis Association. Play begins next Friday, April 30th and runs through Sunday, May 2nd. For more info go to http://www.coantennis.com/.
The other event is next Saturday at Horseshoe Bend. Tennis For CURE is a tournament to benefit CURE Childhood Cancer, and will be played in honor of 10-year-old Madie Dreesman, who suffers from "Rhabdoid Cancer." The doubles teams will be made up of an adult and teenager and play will begin at 2 p.m. For more info contact Melissa Anthony at 770-778-1715. 

Hopefully the rain will be gone next Saturday so that you can Come Out And Play.

Tiger Tracks In Augusta

What a week it's been here in Augusta. Before today's first round there had been more for the media to cover here than any time in my memory of working this event, which goes back to 1986. All the anticipation and hype of Tiger Woods' return from his troubled winter led us to arrive Monday morning at 6 a.m. I've been to the Masters many times, but it had always been after sunrise. I arrived before most of the folks who actually work here. That's okay, because when the grounds opened at 8 a.m. I was on the front row, as Tiger teed off his first official practice round. A security detail walked the entire 18 holes inside the ropes, while uniformed security and Richmond County (Augusta) law enforcement officers were walking among the spectators. I even peeked at a cheat sheet that security had with pictures of each of Tiger's alleged mistresses and famous attorney Gloria Allred. So far, haven't seen any of these fine folks. The press conference was special because I was one of only 205 members of the media who received a ticket to attend. I didn't get to ask a question, but that's fine. Just being in the room at a historic moment was good enough for me--this time. Thought after that everybody was ready to move ahead and play golf. Wrong. Masters Chairman Billy Payne blasted Tiger on the eve of the tournament. It sent shockwaves through the press center and left us wondering what would be next. That evening I met AJ Calloway from EXTRA, the tabloid TV show that airs on our station. He was in town for the Masters, but had tickets not media credentials, as the Golf Club would not grant media requests from the tabloid shows. Then on Thursday, it was time to play. Just as Tiger walks to number one tee to begin, a plane flies overhead with a banner reading, "Tiger: Did You Mean Bootyism??" Someone was making fun of Tiger's personal issues that threaten his marriage, and the fact that he has promised to return to his religious teachings. Tiger would later say that he never saw the plane, and I believe him. He attacked the Masters course and showed flashes of the form that has made him the world's best golfer, and very wealthy. All this and today's only Thursday. Tiger will start round two just two shots out of first place. Not bad for a man who really needed to play. The weekend should be great theater here.

Parks Sisters Update

As promised, this blog will keep you updated on Mikayla and Alycia Parks, the 9- and 10-year-old tennis phenoms who relocated from Henry County to South Florida two months ago. I have been in constant contact with their father, who tells me that the girls are enjoying the move. The opportunity to train with some of the nation's top tennis coaches is truly a dream come true. It didn't take long for word to get around the tennis camps in that area, and whenever Alycia and Mikayla hit the courts it just seems like other folks drift over to that court to watch them hit the ball. Remember, they started playing tennis in June of 2008, less than two years ago. They have spent a great deal of time with Rodney Harmon, who has led the USTA training center, and has consistently said he has "never seen anything like them before." Off the court, the girls are continuing to excel with their school work. For those who don't know, Alycia and Mikayla received their first tennis racquets for bringing home straight "A's." They also love riding their scooters, as the warm Florida climate has allowed them to play outside, while we were all bundled up here in Atlanta. One of the most important things about the move to Florida is all of the great players who live and train there. The girls have met and taken pictures with Hall of Famer Chris Evert, whose family runs a training center nearby. They attended professional tournaments at Del Ray Beach and Key Biscayne and were introduced to a number of the players. These are exciting times for the Parks family. It's a treat to speak with their father, Michael Parks, and hear the pride in his voice. Michael Parks has a right to be proud; he and his wife Erica are raising two girls who have a chance to touch the entire world through their incredible gift. A basketball star in his native North Carolina, Mr. Parks knows a thing or two about athletics--and about who has that special something when it's time to compete.The thing I hear in his voice is constant amazement. He knew his girls had something special, but is amazed at how they have taken to tennis and their determination to achieve a little bit more each day. He described to me Alycia using the overhead serving motion to hit a ball off of a wall with alternating hands without letting the ball hit the floor--nothing that he had to remind her to do, or even encourage her to do. The Parks sisters look for ways to make the game a challenge and fun, and are the ultimate self-starters.

D. Young Flies South, and a Good Time for a Good Cause

Since being named the "Future of American Tennis," Atlanta's Donald Young has shown that he could dominate the Juniors, but has consistantly had his struggles on the ATP tour. In the April edition of Tennis magazine, the picture on page 9 says it all. The folded arms of USTA Training GM Patrick McEnroe and tennis guru Nick Bollettieri reflect their frustation over Young's progress expressed in an article that blames his parents, Donald, Sr. and Illona, for the shortcomings. The Youngs have always taken great pride in the role they've played in Donald, Jr.'s development, that led to his becoming a professional at the age of 14. Now 21, Donald Young finds himself with a career high ranking of 73, two years ago, and is currently ranked 144. Some feel the window of opportunity to join the tour's elite players might be starting to close.

With the exception of occasional workouts at facilities in Florida, Young has been trained by his parents at South Fulton Tennis Center in College Park, but it seems like that may be about to change. Donald Young, Sr. says starting next week Donald, Jr. will go to the USTA training center in Boca Raton, Fla., to work with Director of Coaching Jose Higueras as he prepares for the US Clay Court Championships in Houston. Donald, Sr. says this arrangement should last through the US Open and is anxious to see the results of doing things with more involvement from the USTA. Young also added that the article that seems like a slam of the Youngs for shielding Donald, Jr. from outside help has actually been a plus for them. I predict that with Jose Higueras at the helm and the Youngs there for support of their son we will see Donald Young make a rise in the rankings and hopefully be ready to be a factor at the Atlanta Tennis Championships in July.
 
Speaking of the Atlanta Tennis Championships, tickets go on sale Monday, April 5, for the ATP event that's set for the Atlanta Athletic Club the week of July 19-25.

Tournament Director Bill Oakes of the USTA Southern Section was in the house last Thursday for the Racquet Rally Happy Hour at East Andrews in Buckhead. The event had two purposes.  One is to establish a local place for tennis fans to gather to watch their favorite sports whenever a tournament is being played. With a growing number of area players now on the pro tours, that sounds like a great idea to me. The other purpose was to raise funds for Special Pops Tennis--a program that supports tennis for children and adults who are mentally disabled. Many of these athletes participate in Special Olympics and several of them were there. Also present were USTA National Diversity Officer Kevin Clayton and USTA Southern Section Diversity Director Yasmine Osborn. Many thanks to Tiffany Grayson and Beth McCaskill for inviting me to be a part of the fun. Let's do it again real soon..

First Impressions

Hello and welcome to Sam's Passing Shots! This will be the place where I will leave my reflections on sports from my perspective. I am passionate about sports that impact our youth and make a difference on the playing field and off the field.  I am very passionate about tennis, so look for news and info on tennis players, tournaments and related events here. I will also be keeping track of the amazing Parks Sisters (Alycia and Mikayla). They are young tennis players from the metro Atlanta area, who are now living in Florida and training at the USTA Tennis Center. Watch for their progress reports here. There will also be observations of the minority community participating in sports that are not common to this community. I would like to perhaps open some eyes about sports like tennis, golf, lacrosse, swimming, even NASCAR. So join me and leave your thoughts...