Reflections on the Bullfrog

Everyone at Tennis Memphis knew the Bullfrog tournament was coming. April 12-14. The dates were burned into our brains. Some of us ordered the t-shirts. Others contacted businesses for donations. Everyone crossed their fingers that the courts at Leftwich would be done in time. All of the Tennis Memphis staff was put on notice to not make any plans for that weekend because they would have to help with something. I didn't mind that so much, except that I had heard so many horror stories about junior tournaments-- parents harassing officials, players throwing racquets, making bad line calls and generally acting like little punks. I was a bit nervous about getting in the middle of all that.

After working 24 hours at the tournament desk at Rhodes (12 hours on Saturday, 12 on Sunday), I can say that with regard to junior tournaments, stereotypes may not come out of thin air, but they are not always true, either. We did not have any trouble out of any of those kids or their parents. In fact, it was quite the opposite. The kids were polite and respectful. Some of them made a point to talk to us beyond asking if they were the next court up. The parents reassured us that we were doing a good job, and said over and over again how appreciative they were of our time and effort. Having to sit and/or play all day in the cold weather could have put any of us in a bad mood, but we all tried to keep our spirits up. I guess a bad day playing tennis is better than a good day . . . well, you can fill in the blank for yourself.

Certainly, I would not want to help run a tennis tournament every weekend, but next year, when the Bullfrog rolls around again, I'll be willing to lend a hand. Who knows, maybe we will see some of these kids on the pro tour in a few years, and we can say we knew them when.