Archive for April 22, 2007

The Poacher

Martin came to teach at the Parkwood Sports Center due to an emergency few weeks ago and know on the staff regularly.  He teaches at the the court next to me.  After today’s the lesson, he came over asking me if I know Justin’s dad. 
“Who?” 
He explained Justin’s Sharon’s kid bro.  Sharon is close friend of Pumpkin and an excellent tennis player.  I thought their dad is at the center all the time .. well, but today. 
“I’d like to coach him.  He wants to make the team.  It only takes a summer. .. Justin’s uncle is here.”  He said.
Then ask Justin’ dad next week. I suggested.
“I won’t be here next week.”  He replied.
Seriously, I don’t have Sharon’s number and felt it’s bit blatantly inappropriate, let alone poached it openly.  While I was sitting at the Craig’s court watching, Martin came in, sat down and chatted loudly.  Given the fact the two coaches don’t really know each other. 

In contrast, Craig had his left thumb and index finger banded together, “I sprained it playing baseball this morning … picking up the ball is hurtful …” but he managed to teach, at least 3 solid lessons.  During our lesson, when there were 10 minutes left, we told him that we’ll play doubles, trying to relief him: we love a solid lesson, but we also very appreciative of a good coach with great work ethic.

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Brotherly love

Craig is kind of coach who takes his coaching rather seriously: 15 minutes into the 1-hr lesson, two brothers showed up (the coach/student ratio is 1:4). 
“How nice to see you after 2 months!  Or was it 3 months?”  Craig exclaimed. 
The taller one couldn’t be more than 10 years old, and both of them are demanding and vocal, dressed with oversized t-shirts and long pants.  Oddly, they both have the figure as a bit of out of shape 50-year old.  The younger one said he didn’t like his racket and wanted to use Craig’s. 
He got his wish. 
When the kid complained again, Craig told him …
“It’s not the racket, it’s the hand holding it…” – We teased Waldo all the time that he should buy a left hand racket, lol  or better yet, buy a game 🙂 … –

The older one complained that he can’t hit back hand. 
“Well, then you should have come often, so I can teach you.”  Craig told him. The brothers can’t play.  But apparently Craig took it perhaps as an insult that his students didn’t come.  
Many coaches would have been happy or careless that 2 of his lousy students absent for a long period of time.  As soon as they walked in, Craig whispered to me ..
“You’ll enjoy this…” 
I did. 
The brothers appear to be brat, but they were really sweet to each other.  The younger one fall, and the older one picked him up and dusted him off.  They each told Pumpkin when one of them is teamed up with her ‘to hit the ball to his bro …” I cheered for all of them.  
When it was 4:4 and the bros were in the same team, they would each shout to other,
‘Are we losing?’ 
“4:4” .. Craig repeated. 
“Are we losing?” they shouted again. 
Another kid AJ said across the court,
“It’s 4:4” 
“So we’re winning then?” The older bro insisted ..
LOL …

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Did I get dumped?

By Sunny?  You bet. 
He dumped me so fast, that I didn’t even get a chance hitting a single shot with him.  When I got to the court, he and Waldo were playing.  As I put down my bag, tied my shoe laces, Kai showed up.  So Sunny told me as matter of factly ‘to play with Waldo’.  Sure.  I haven’t seen Waldo for a while too :-((… lol.  His European tour was quite a success, he banded up with a group of Belgian kids, and did it cheaply. 
Not the Japanese kids? 
No, he said, it would have been too expensive.  He let the Belgian kids use his name to advertise and was able to bring ‘some money home’.  Profit only?  Wait a second, didn’t your golfing buddies ask for pretty blonde groupies?  Nein, the Fraulein are eating too much sausage and drinking way too much Bier…

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