It's tournament day! The counselors all love tournament day because we don't have to teach, we get to officiate the matches give tips afterwards, congratulate the winners and counsel the losers.
Mr. B gave a great speech about competition, that the best competitors are nervous and after the first ball is struck if you can lose yourself in the ball, you can get over the nerves. He talked about how when he played that he would never take his eye off the ball, if the ball went to the corner, or into the net FXB would fix on the ball and everyone watching and every sound and balls rolling on the court. He said that when things are going wrong its usually feet or concentration and both are and easy fix.
FXB told us about watching Bill Tilden one time in Orange in the late 30's and how he fixed on the ball and how close he kept track of the balls and he looked at the ball longingly before he served...how intently he watched the ball as the server bounced it, then lifted it, then struck it...how he watched it come up off the court and how he would try to see which way the ball was spinning. What a great tip, concentration on this clay is the toughest thing because of the patience and the bad bounces.
The kids had a ball in the big tournament, they played hard...the group of juniors all breezed through the early rounds, the last eight fought savagely but Rick Fanning pulled out the win in boys singles, he is good...all that hitting with Vrana paid off, there isnt a situation he cannot handle. He can handle topspin the sharp angles the drop shots and lobs...plus he has a tough serve and tougher service return.
Mr. B. came by this afternoon and we ran to the store to get coffee and stuff because of the Mrs. B visit, he's just like a school kid getting ready for the dance. He also wanted me to get Terence fixed up in a room with linen and a key...we have a camper that's staying over a session and we fixed him up in that room. Hes a good kid with surprising long hair, a big smile and easy disposition, he'll do fine.
We had a great dinner and all the kids were scrubbed and excited for the dance...all the girls seemed to be on one side of Ford Hall and the boys on the other as if they were scoping each other out. I ate with Bevin and Roger Dickinson and we talked about which campers would end up with whom at the dance, love is in the air.
Mike Kunz and I carried all the gear to the drying room in back of the gym, thats where we have all the dances. We ran the speaker wire, hooked everything up and went through the music tapes...soon the first kids started to arrive...the young ones first. They were running around and rolling in the grass and having a great time, an hour later the older kids showed, looking sharp.
By 11:30 we had all the kids rounded up, Tom Sheridan and I walked the grounds to pick up stray kids, we then had bed checks, then it was our turn. We sat up in the Lounge and Roger and Kenny and X, Sanderson and Lenny and Mike all stayed up until 1-am. We went out and caught some campers sneaking out. We are sooo good, Roger heard it was going down and we scooped the kids up 15 feet from the front door of Fowle.
Its after 1-am...I must get some sleep so I can play in the morning!
