There is something unique about tennis: if you play it right, it’s fluid and gracious (vs grunting and bad forms), gentlemanly, physically demanding and can be glamours at times – they did come up with Anna K (okaaay, Kournikova never won anything but who cares, come on, she’s quite and beautiful), the top players travel in their own jets. But at the grass root level, I found people that associate with tennis are tend to be … I’m bit at loss for word. Incompetent is one. Disorganized is another. It becomes a fact that when you deal with tennis clubs/people, you’re not getting any services, you have to be on top of things.
A conversation with the woman A at my town’s club, whom I see from time to time, spoke countless times. Over the years, when she said she’ll call for something, either a piece of info or rescheduling my lesson, it would never happen. The last hiccups was when I showed up for a make up lesson, there wasn’t a space. Why do we have her around is a myth to me: there are young girls manning the front desk, answering the phone calls. Can those young beauty queens do what A is doing? I think so. But they’re not. She has trouble to coordinate with the pros or that’s the way tennis pros function: irresponsible and clueless, other than teaching forehand and drop shots.
I called A to enroll Pumpkin. For some reason, she began to pound on me. I thought for years of dealing, she’d remotely recognize my accented voice or even my name? Our club isn’t big. I’m perfectly fine with that she doesn’t know/remember me. But have problem dealing with her, like today she announced rather stoically:
“The summer camp is for intermediate to advanced players only, age 12-17 years…” pause.
“Can you child handle it?”
Well, let me see, the last session Pumpkin took there was lower advance with 3 huge boys.
I answered, “yes, she can.”
That didn’t seem to be enough. A won’t stop, went on to say
“If your child never played, it’s not going to work.”
I assured her that my child’s been playing.
“Has she played at this club?”
“Yes, indeed.” She started there. It’s a reputation as a farm. Once the kid gets better, they move on.
“We don’t take beginners.” Come on, A, you stated that already.
Would it sound over the top If I call her a dumb-axx?
Another conversation at Port Washington club. I called to ask about the try oout. The girl said “yes you need to be tested for the summer camp.” I know they do that on Tue/Thur at 6pm, hence I called.
“Do I need to make an appointment or just show up?”
“No appt necessary. But our head pro isn’t available today. He’ll be on the court.”
“Meaning?”
“There won’t be a test today. Can you come next Tuesday?”
“No. I have time today. Could some other pro do it?” After few seconds, she put on her manager on.
She introduced herself and said, “come at six.”
“Are you sure? Some pro is testing?”
“Oh, no, the head pro will be doing it.” I must have hearing problem.
..
Last March when I was in Scottsdale, I found a club where I could play tennis by taking lesson. So I booked one and left my phone, asking the pro to call me, making sure I could make it the following morning. Then Woodie changed the time for the class, I called their office to cancel, also left message on their website. The pro never got the call. Can they get their act together, from time to time?
Once my boss said to me when I was the administrator managing the 120+ people department, including the union, gotten frustrated,
“What do you expect those glass washers/secretaries whom only make 20k?” He has a point.
In large I agree, but don’t we all have to be responsible for what’s assigned to us, at work or in life, regardless the CEOs or the dishwashers?
Responsibility doesn’t require a college degree.
- 2012.06.26, balls at the club
- 2010, birthday
- 2007.07.30, the summer camp
