Sunday, June 22, 2025 (Court Day #818)

As I walked out the door at about 8:40 a.m., it was sunny and already in the mid-60s. It was going to be a nice day, though I was hoping it would not be too warm for my classes in the afternoon.

I forgot to wear my right knee brace for my last outing, but I remembered this morning. Last night, as I was laying in bed trying to get to sleep, there was a sensation in my right knee equivalent to a very mild bee sting, depending on which position I was in.

Mini Tournament

Last night, Tony Sloss texted me asking if I wanted to participate in the mini tournament at Derby Park on Saturday that is being coordinated by Frabrizio. Coincidentally, I’ve been musing who I could invite as a partner to that event. Tony is a good match. He has a good personality and we have a similar skill level. Staff scheduling at work looks solid and the event is supposed to be over by noon. It will be easy for me to get to work by 2 p.m. at the latest.

Brommer

I pulled into the Bromer parking lot at 8:55 a.m. and the parking lot was surprisingly sparse.

As I was sitting on the wall waiting for a game, Dean arrived. I asked if he wanted to warm up. He agreed, so we popped onto a permanent court and started drilling. A tall guy in his mid-30s came over. Cameron. I recognized him, though he said he’d been living in Carlsbad (near San Diego) the last 4-5 years. He said he’s back for a short time. Too bad, he’s a strong player. We continued warming up until Marco arrived. Marco became our fourth

Games

Dean and I teamed up against Marco and Cameron. This was a back and forth tight game that lasted a LONG time. We had a great game. Eventually, we lost 14-16.

We played another 1-2 games. These were more troublesome. My drops were inconsistent, sometimes too low. Dean was complaining about his own drops, but his were too high and getting attacked off the court. I believe we lost those rematches.

Dave Ryan appeared and we played a game against Marco and Cameron. Another very strong and close game. 

Dave suggested, as we switch sides for a rematch, that I be more patient on my fourth shots then to go ahead and try to get into a dink rally. Did I heed his advice? Not consciously. I need to pay more attention!

Unfortunately, we lost the rematch 4-11. Dave was not his sharp self and I was not playing my best either.

A couple of players asked to take on the winners so Dave and I bowed out.

My next last game was with a 3.0 level woman whose name I don’t know against Art and little Linda S. My partner started serving and I didn’t even touch the ball until the fourth rally. Our opponents were working hard to avoid hitting to me. I did make a few mistakes. Driving a ball into the net, attacking a ball down the middle that flew long, drop volley into the net. I was playing that game very lazily. Another close game but we lost that one. That was my next to last game.

Last Game

After I finished that game, Dave was still waiting on the wall.

Dave Ryan and I played against Kim and Marco. I was pretty beat and Dave, with a new one-week-old baby named Tommy (born 8 pounds), was running on a lack of sleep. We lost 5-11. I’ve played batter. Dave has played better. 

I checked the time and it was 12:02 p.m. and it was time to head home get ready to go teach. As I left, I gave Dave another round of congratulations on his new baby and I wished him good sleep.

And?

How do I feel about my play today? Not great. It was a mixed bag. It was a combination of really, really good shots and amazing defense but also lame shots by hitting returns too long or hitting serves into the net. I was hitting an unusual number of my dropshots into the white tape or into the net. The word of the day: inconsistent.

It was sunny and 70°F when I left.

I generally don’t sweat a lot, but today I certainly was.

This was the second Sunday in a row with a very light attendance at Brommer Park. I didn’t look, but perhaps there is another tournament going on.

Other Activity Risks, A Pro Speaks!

Pro player Anna Bright explains her self-inflicted challenges going into a tournament this past weekend:
https://www.instagram.com/reel/DLN9BHCBau-/

Number of days on a court: 818
Number of total hours: 3,196.5
Number of paid coaching hours: 147.5

To start at the beginning of this blog click on “1st Post” in the menu above.