H.S. Tennis part 2

The next Spring, when I showed up for tennis practice, we had a new coach. Mr. Rowe had some family problem with a sick or elderly Mother-in-law(?) So he gave up the coaching job to a young guy who was also the basketball coach named Stan Gooch. Gooch was more of a physical fitness guy than Clem was, but not too much more. We did some running drills across the courts a couple of times but when some of the guys kept falling down he gave up on that. However, we were all expected to increase our stamina by running a circuit of approximately three quarters of a mile each day. The entire circuit was visible from the tennis courts so if anyone tried to cheat Gooch could have them run again. Tennis players in general, at that time were not athletes, so this was a challenge. The thing we discovered was that after about three times your stamina was noticeably improved and after a week you could easily run the circuit, with the exception of Stuart Osher. Just kidding Stu. I think after two weeks we didn't run any more just the practice and play itself kept us in shape.



It was great practicing and playing out there on the old courts in the bright spring sunshine. There were several large oak trees in a grassy area on one side of the courts, some students walked home in that direction and all the spring sports teams would be playing or practicing there except golf. We had a fair team that year. I don't recall any championships but we weren't humiliated. The third year I was voted Captain of the team and we again were average. I played number one singles and lost every match. Numbers two and three didn't do too much better but at number four and five singles we were pretty strong with Osher and a kid, named Rick Moore, who Gooch brought over from basketball. The guy had never played tennis and looked it, but he could run around and get in position and kept the ball coming back. We discovered it was a great way to win. Doubles wasn't bad and we won quite a few matches 4-3 or 5-2. We had some great times as team mates and,we cared, but the rest of the school didn't as far as winning or losing. For many years after, every spring when March rolled around there was a strong desire to get out and hit the tennis ball and maybe even run a bit. Stuart plays in tournaments to this day and is one of the top singles players in Arizona. He has an uncanny ability to hit the ball in the sweet spot nearly every shot. Great for your game but you wear out your strings fast that way. I rarely wear out any strings. We have had a long friendship through the years.

Stuart lived in the Court Street area of Flint as did several of his friends. I met some of them in German Class and they let me in to their group. They already had a long history of playing on teams together and just neighborhood inter action, some going back to kindergarten. I was a bit of an outsider but I think Osher wanted me to be around so he could play me in tennis and eventually beat me. We, in the group, got together many times through the years for tennis or golf and then beer and cards. Several of those guys became doctors and one a lawyer. I remained a bum but we all started getting back together a few times,in recent years, and more great times. I'm the best fisherman of the group. You gotta have something.