​The ball is in your court; this is my final serve.  Please enjoy Bob Caughey’s Gear Check and US Open bus trip report.

Member, Bob Caughey, coordinated the US Open bus trip.  Here is his article:

Who wouldn’t want to see Opelka, Berretini, Pliskova, Monfils, Sloane and the best tennis players in the world? That’s what we did on September 2, the morning after Ida dumped flood waters on our beautiful courts. Despite the weather, the late vaccination proof requirement, and the mobile ticketing requirement, thirty brave IHTC members and guests enjoyed a beautiful day at the US Open 2021. We returned home in plenty of time to rest up and play tennis the next day. Thanks to all who participated for arriving on time, with vaccination proof, mask, and good nature.  
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That's all from Our Tennis Life...my final blog.

Bob
OurTennisLife@idlehourtennis.com

​Our Tennis Life featured Nick’s Gear Check and Member Profile in April.  Nick talks about the impact Yoga has had on his life.  If you missed it, you can check it out here.

Idle Hour member Carol Marchand sent Our Tennis Life a message about her experience, “... Wednesday, I took the Yoga class at 8:00 am.  It was a wonderful class and it was very comfortable being on the shaded, pickleball court.

"​Nick is a great teacher and I enjoyed myself. After the class, I had a doubles tennis game and felt totally stretched out and agile. Yoga is great for one’s tennis.

​"Thank you, Nick."

​That’s all from Our Tennis Life.  I hope to see you in the next Yoga class.

Bob
OurTennisLife@idlehourtennis.com

Video 1.  George Ciccarelli - Gear Check

That's all from Our Tennis Life for now.  Would love to hear your comments and thoughts.

Bob
OurTennisLife@idlehourtennis.com

​Except this birthday fell on a Saturday and who would blame me for deciding to do something other than work?

My job that morning was to set up my table of tennis products at a tennis tournament, to market to the players who would benefit from playing in our footwear, using our racquets, and wearing our apparel. What a fun job to have, what a great career, more on this later.  This event was a father/son doubles national tournament with fathers ranging from their 30s to 80s and sons as young as 11 up to 50 plus. From all over the country they gathered to be the last team standing. The competition was intense, but the camaraderie was inspirational.  Soon I became more of a spectator than salesman interacting with the families who were there supporting their fathers, husbands, sons, spouses, and grandchildren.  How lucky these sons are to play with their fathers. And how proud the dads must be competing with their sons on the same team!

I found myself telling stories of playing with my dad who taught me how to hold a racquet at six years old. And all the memories of what my dad did for me growing up. And inspiring me to earn a living in the sport he and I both loved. And silently wanting to ask him many questions like why we never played in a father/son tournament together? Or where did he find all that time to be president of the Little League, or president of the Philadelphia Tennis Association, and founder of the Gold Cup Junior program? And father of three kids and devoted husband to Mom? And holder of numerous patents including inventing a tennis ball testing machine? Who in this day and age has time for a little bit of that?
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On this day of work, on my birthday, at a national father/son tennis tournament, I received a gift I never expected, to reconnect with my dad and have my own father/son lesson.​

​Please share your thoughts with us at OurTennisLife@idlehourtennis.com

Bob
OurTennisLife@idlehourtennis.com