Sports fans and tennis fans are familiar with the fact that Roger Federer holds the record for the most Wimbledon titles with eight of them. He will be competing for his ninth against Novak Djokovic on Center Court in the 2019 men's final. But do people know that Roger's mom, a coach—never coached him? Or that when his instructor decided to move him up to play with older, more talented players, he asked to move back so he could stay with his friends? He said "I was just dreaming of just once meeting Boris Becker or being able to play at Wimbledon some time." His mother admitted "we had no plan A, no plan B." I suppose Plan AB, or C or Z that we are seeing today. For nearly twenty years, tennis and sports fans alike have been privy to watch an athlete who is an artist. He is certainly a master and his masterpiece is Wimbledon. Enjoy.
For the past few years, I have wondered how long Federer can and will continue to paint, I mean play tennis on the tour. At 37 years of age (almost 38), to remain so dominant in a sport as physically and mentally demanding as tennis is remarkable. He is one of the game's all time greats, a consummate professional and sportsman. NB: he has not earned Sports Illustrated's Sportsman of the Year title to the chagrin of many fans and postings. And to me, the beauty of sport is all we can learn from the legends. Range: Why Generalists Triumph in a Specialized World by World by David Epstein offers a unique perspective on what we can learn from The Maestro/Darth Fed/Fed Express (take your pick!). According to Epstein's website:
Plenty of experts argue that anyone who wants to develop a skill, play an instrument, or lead their field should start early, focus intensely, and rack up as many hours of deliberate practice as possible. If you dabble or delay, you’ll never catch up to the people who got a head start. But a closer look at research on the world’s top performers, from professional athletes to Nobel laureates, shows that early specialization is the exception, not the rule.
David Epstein examined the world’s most successful athletes, artists, musicians, inventors, forecasters and scientists. He discovered that in most fields—especially those that are complex and unpredictable—generalists, not specialists, are primed to excel. Generalists often find their path late, and they juggle many interests rather than focusing on one. They’re also more creative, more agile, and able to make connections their more specialized peers can’t see.
Two of the athletes Epstein profiles include Roger Federer and Tiger Woods. Epstein writes "the Roger path to sports stardom is far more prevalent than the Tiger path, but those athletes' stories are much more quietly told, if they are told at all."
Woods' story was familiar to me. I knew he was a child prodigy, holding a golf club at the age of two. I knew that his father, Earl believed "Tiger will do more than any other man in history to change the course of humanity," Even Buddha, Gandhi and Nelson Mandela. I have also read about the "10,000 hour rule" which we now equate with expertise, in conjunction with Tiger's as he "was not merely playing golf. He was engaging in deliberate practice." But, the contrarian in me longed to hear another story. Enter in Fed's...it's worth exploring. I find it encouraging. I love to opt out...but this might be a case to opt in...to something different. So many athletes, especially tennis players, tend to put their tennis balls into one basket at an early age. Fed however, credits a wide range of sports, such as played basketball, handball, tennis, table tennis, soccer for developing his athleticism and hand eye coordination. Furthermore, his parents were far from pushy. A Sports Illustrated writer noted that "if anything, they were "pully." Epstein adds, Nearing his teens, the boy began to gravitate more toward tennis and if they nudged him at all, it was to stop taking tennis so seriously. When he played matches, his mother often wandered away to chat with friends. His father had but one rule: Don't cheat. He didn't and he started to get good." Really good. They never wrote or followed a manual to make him the number one player in the world. Today he is ranked third.
I encourage you to read "Range" for yourself and develop your own conclusions. Do we need more Fed? Less Tiger? Please share your thought. Regardless, Epstein's work is thorough and it's thoughtful and it offers evidence and story to support that there is always another way. I hope you will watch Fed with a deeper appreciation knowing more about his personal story and his artwork. Photo Credits Fed's 8
If there's a spring in my step, it's because it's a great week in sports. I have been feasting on outstanding athletics and exciting competition. It started with Breakfast not only at Wimbledon but in Paris, with the Women's World Cup Final at 8:00 a.m. PDT on Sunday. While most of MLB enjoys some respite, I still delight in the All-Star break and all its festivities. I check in on the Home Run Derby and still cheer for the National League to defeat the American League. No such luck (AL 4- NL 3). I am already licking my chops as the the fourth and final major of the year in golf, The Open, which will commence next week at Royal Portrush in Portrush, Northern Ireland. It's a great time to be a sports fan.
Not all great sports weeks deliver great sports. I have anticipated and awaited these critical junctures and been left unaffected and disappointed. I do believe however that the joy of sport is that you just never know. Yes, you will get the good, not great. Things will go flat and our teams will fail. But you will also get what surpasses expectation. You will see what you've never seen, witness what has never be done. Similar to a great meal, these "wow!" moments are special—savor them. You can compare and contrast them to other feats and meaningful memories—that is what we sports fans do best—but I try to enjoy each one for what it is. And, Serena Williams' quarterfinal win at Wimbledon reminded me why I love her and I love sports so much. In the article "Wimbledon 2019: Serena Williams, Simona Halep Wins Highlight Tuesday's Results" Christopher Simpson writes:
Riske's meeting with Williams was their first singles match against one another. It was also the former's first Grand Slam quarter-final, whereas the latter is in pursuit of her 24th major singles title.
Williams was twice a break down in the opening set, but she battled back to take it 6-4.
A strong start from Riske made it a competitive contest from the outset, and she fended off some strong serving from Williams to draw first blood, per SportsLine's Mike McClure:
The 29-year-old responded immediately when Williams leveled proceedings at 3-3, but after the seven-time Wimbledon champion broke back a second time for 4-4, she used that momentum to take the set.
Both players found breaks more difficult to come by in the second set, and Riske kept Williams on her toes with some neat shot variation, catching out her illustrious opponent with a well-executed drop shot.
Riske took the set 6-4. I wondered what Serena, under duress, would do with the deciding one. After going up 3 games to 1, Williams dropped two games in a row to fellow American, Riske. When that happened, rather than lose it or get overly down on herself, Williams went inside. Her focus was visible...audible...downright palpable. She started to hit the ball with brute force. She didn't let one return go soft. She served the ball at 116, 118 and even 125 miles an hour. I must admit, Riske was unflappable. She responded with her own velocity. However, Serena was too good. At 30-all, up 5-3 in the third, Williams served up an ace and on match point, Riske returned the serve. It was out. Serena knew it and offered a primal yawp. A clutch win. A valiant fist pump. Just over the sound of the cheering crowd and Serena's entourage, I heard the chair umpire announce: "Game, Set, Match Williams."
God I love that phrase. What an awesome way to conclude an athletic contest. Summary statement to end all. El Fin. Muy bien. Those three words got me thinking about other great terms in Sports and Spirituality. I have a feeling that will be a future blog posting.... I'll concoct some sort of recipe that will outline criteria....but in the meantime, my belly is full. I do however, always leave room for dessert. Dessert came by way mixed doubles at Wimbledon. Serena Williams has teamed up with Andy Murray and they defeated Fabrice Martin and Raquel Atawo in a match that had me smiling, yelling, clapping and standing. Too good! Five star rating. Unfortunately, they just lost in the third round, to the top seeds, Bruno Soares and Nicole Melichar. Enjoy the rest of the week....Bon Appetite! Photo Credits Murray and Williams Serena getting after it
The first reading at Sunday Mass on July 7, 2019 tells us to Rejoice! The Responsorial Psalm is no different. It proclaims: Let all the earth cry out to God with joy. We can and we should. In his reflection on the Sunday readings, the priest asked the congregation What in your life brings you joy? What makes you happy? When do you rejoice? I was touched by how quickly people answered the question with thoughtful responses; they said, my family, my friends, and my health. Father confessed that his answer, especially on a weekend morning is "bacon." I was waiting for someone to say "the US Women who won the 2019 World Cup!" No one did...maybe I should have for just one half hour prior, the United States defeated the Netherlands 2-0 in the Final. It was awesome, inspiring and exciting. Certainly a cause to rejoice. Here's why.
1. Soccer brings people together. This first point is so obvious I'm almost ashamed to write it. However, I joined two former co-workers at 8 a.m. at McTeague's sports bar in San Francisco for the game. The place was packed—NOT something to take for granted given that a whole lot of people are not out of bed and in a bar on a Sunday morning, especially on a long holiday weekend. Entire diatribes have already been written, shared and discussed on this point. I've used the article "What the World Cup can teach us about everything" as an opening read in Sports and Spirituality. Enough said. 2. Thoughtful viewership I watched the game with two men—former co-workers—both of whom have coached soccer for years. One was the beloved varsity girls' coach and the other has not only coached at every level but has a wife and daughter who play. Upon seeing my past three reflections on the Women's World Cup, he invited me to join them to view "The Beautiful Game." I'm so grateful I did. I love nothing more than a smart sports fan. I don't watch sport for pure entertainment, I am always hoping to learn something about the game, strategy, athleticism, culture and history. Carlos and John provided that and much more.
As former players and as coaches, their insights into the game were fascinating to me. They didn't agree on every call or how every play was executed, but for 50 minutes, I stood as a sideline reporter and fly on their wall. Fan viewership can make or break an experience for me. Some want to tell you how much they know, others are don't care that they know so little—their opinion is still given liberally. However, with these too, I leaned left and then right to soak it all in. Thanks guys!
3. Thinking More about Sports Seems that the only difference between men and women's soccer is what the athletes are paid. Should be interesting to see if that changes...and when. In most sports, there is a slight nuance, a difference between the men's and women's game, even at the highest level. For example, female basketball and water polo players use a ball that is slightly smaller than the ball that men use. The LPGA play from tees that, though still challenging, are not the same distance as those the PGA uses. The Grand Slam finals for tennis ask men to play the best of five sets and the women to play three (many pro women have said they could play five and outside of the majors most men play three). Women's volleyball plays with nets that are lower than in the men's game. Though there has been some talk of playing with a smaller soccer ball (the argument being that women's feet are smaller, so this would made an anatomic accommodation) as well as a smaller net, no change has been made. I love thinking about sport, its evolution and its nuance. Some sports require women and men to undertake the same challenge—track, cross country, swimming, etc. and some are slightly different. What do you think of the difference? The similarities? It's just fun fodder. 4. Thinking More About Social Norms Thinking more about sports sent the synapsis flying. My brain was feasting on new information, I knew enough about a lot of the players to know that several of them are married. However, all of these women, minus one, keep their maiden name on their jersey. I wondered if players like Carli Lloyd or Alex Morgan kept their names because their fame started before they got married. I wanted to know if Julie Ertz played with just "Ertz" because her fame came after her nuptials. I noticed there were no hyphenated names either. This observation led me to ponder what percentage of American women now change their name when they marry. Was the US Women's soccer team reflective of the larger population? How many women keep their name for professional reasons/in that domain? How many don't? I can't say I did a thorough search, but what I did find is interesting.
5. An Excellent Reason for Playing the Game There is no shortage of reasons why we should encourage young men and women to play sports. The Women's Sports Foundation believes it is important for us to know that
High school girls who play sports are less likely to be involved in an unintended pregnancy; more likely to get better grades in school and more likely to graduate than girls who do not play sports.
Girls and women who play sports have higher levels of confidence and self-esteem and lower levels of depression.
Girls and women who play sports have a more positive body image and experience higher states of psychological well-being than girls and women who do not play sports.
And, what I learned about Megan Rapinoe from the most basic of resources, Wikipedia, spoke truth to power. It reports, "For both Megan and Rachael (her fraternal twin) soccer was a means to get away from the drug abuse that is widespread in rural California." Their world is no different than countless others' in our state, country and world. To read her story is to remember how important it to teach young people to play sports. Help them to love sport and make the most of their physical, mental and spiritual selves in the process.
During halftime, Carlos found out that the 2023 Women's World Cup will be in China. The US team will most likely be different—and who knows in what ways....new coach? how many new players? new ball? new net? new salary? new fans?!!! In the meantime, REJOICE with their victory. The United States of America Women's Soccer team are World Champions.... again!
They say you can't be what you can't see. Another way of saying this might be "you can be what you can see." The first round of the 2019 Wimbledon tennis tournament revealed this truth and and much more as the 15-year-old Cori "Coco" Gauff beat Venus Williams in straight sets.
Gauff's victory makes her the youngest player to win a match at Wimbledon since 1991. Williams is the oldest female in the tourney; she will stay at the All-England Lawn Tennis Club to watch her sister Serena play singles and mixed doubles with Andy Murray. I was disappointed that Venus and Serena, who have won 14 doubles titles together will not play in the women's division. Venus, a five-time Wimbledon champion won four Grand Slam titles, including two at Wimbledon before Gauff was born. Gauff said "I wouldn't be here if it weren't for her. She is so inspiring and I've always wanted to tell her that." Her chance came when they shook hands at the net after the match. From the look on each of their faces, it's safe to say that feeling might be mutual.
If a female tennis player is to serve as a young athlete's inspiration, I'm not sure I can make a stronger argument for anyone in today's game other than Venus Williams. Teaching about her life in my Ethics, Morality and Justice course through the Nine for IX video "Venus Vs." and the resources available through ESPN W this year was a true highlight. My students, both male and female felt the same way. Here is one student's impressive summary of what he learned:
Throughout the late 1990’s and early 2000’s, Venus Williams and her sister Serena were among the most popular and dominant female tennis players in the world. Both won major tournaments, braced magazine covers, and received massive endorsement deals from companies such as Gatorade and Nike. However, Venus Williams’s biggest achievement did not come on the grounds of Wimbledon or the US Open. Instead, Venus’s biggest victory came in her battle against the wage gap, as Venus, along with help from the WTA and other female players, finally gained equal pay for the 2007 Wimbledon tournament.
Equal pay, or the desire for it, is the central issue of this case of social justice. Our society has (and still does) struggle with equal pay between men and women, as men have consistently made more than 20% more than their female counterparts over decades in American society, and beyond.
In this case, Williams saw that although the television packages and ticket sales grossed the same amount of money for both men and women, men received more prize money at Wimbledon. Other tennis tournaments such as the US and Australian Opens paid women the same amount of prize many stretching back decades, yet Wimbledon, The Masters of tennis (definitely not trying to appeal to you), refused to pay women the same prize money.
Venus Williams’s story has also inspired me to watch WNBA basketball this summer while the Nationals sit deep below .500, as WNBA athletes also face a similar financial struggle to Venus. Venus’s story can be translated into the stories of women around the world who fail to see equal pay for the work they put in daily.
What an excellent reflection upon a social justice issue and the role that Venus Williams played in advancing the cause. For three young women, she was named the person they enjoyed learning about the most! Here is what they wrote:
My favorite person we studied this year was Venus Williams because of her inspiring efforts regarding women’s equality in sports. I thought Venus’s story was especially inspirational because, despite the racial discrimination she already had to face in her career, she continued to fight to make a voice for women’s tennis and demand the equal pay women deserve –– even if it meant sacrificing her reputation. I believe that all people have the responsibility to fight for their beliefs regarding gender equity, but only some people will have the courage to do so –– and Venus Williams is the perfect example of a leader who is willing to take action to achieve what is truly right.
The person I found most influential in understanding myself again this year was Venus Williams. The film Venus Versus film did not only tie into race and equality but tied into my favorite part of the year Jan Term. Through this class, I found how passionate I am about women's athletics and female athletes. Before this class, I knew what title IX was but that was it I didn't know any statistics, how unequal women are still treated. After watching Venus struggle it fueled my fire even further, her perseverance and persistence does not only make her a great athlete but an amazing person. I find Venus as in inspiration as a face for the movement of women's sports equality. Venus has even gone as far as inspiring me to possibly pursue a further investigation into this cause and maybe one day even properly join the movement. ;)
My favorite person we studied this year was Venus Williams in our studies about sexuality and culture. Tennis has been a huge part of my family as nearly everyone on my mother’s side has played. I have grown up watching the William sisters for as long as I can remember, and I appreciate learning more in depth about their impact on prize money equality and on changing the face of tennis.
I believe the Williams sisters share an important ideal of fighting for what you believe in. Throughout their lives, the Williams sisters overcame adversity and made great strides toward eliminating the prize money gap at Wimbledon. The Williams sisters also share the lesson of representation. Two strong black women dominating the typically white and proper country club sport, give inspiration and encouragement to many young aspiring athletes. I believe their story is important because, today the wage gap still exists, and their effort encourages all women despite race and socioeconomic backgrounds to take a stand and make efforts toward gender equality.
I have always said that Serena Williams is my favorite female athlete. However, since teaching about Venus Williams, I now think I do not have one, but two. I admire and respect the Williams sisters for different and overlapping reasons. While I love Serena's style of play, I value Venus' with a new eye. To see her congratulating Coco Gauff at the net was to witness sportsmanship at its best. Time and again, Venus Williams has offered that to fans with her game, her plight and her victories on and off the court. Women's tennis won, yesterday. Congratulations all around. Photo Credits Venus and Coco Champs Interview Photo
Society's
interest in women's team sports does not garner the same attention as it
does for individual ones, such as tennis, swimming, gymnastics and
golf. I've never been able to figure out why. So many men and women grew
up playing (traditional) team sports like basketball and soccer,
volleyball and baseball/softball—so we certainly understand the game(s). I
am comfortable that there are differences in the way men and women play the
game and understand we may have our own preferences. However, when I
look at the 2019 Women's World Cup Soccer team: all I see is strong
women, women of strength.
On Friday, June 28, 2019 the US Women's Soccer team defeated France in what was the most anticipated World Cup game in 20 years. The defending champions, the United States punched their ticket to the semi-finals against the host nation with an emphatic 2-1 win in Paris! They will play against England in the semi-final match. I have loved the hype, conversations, and energy around these strong women, women of strength.
I realized that morning, my tee time commenced at game time, and 90% of the time, I do not play golf with my cell phone. I cannot handle the distraction. That being said, most people I play with can and do. Four holes in, I noticed one man was checking his phone regularly. When the US women scored, he announced the feat and everyone in our group cheered. Two men wanted to know more. What minute? Who made the goal? Who had the assist? As our round progressed—this makeshift, spirited group of four male golfers and I discussed the tournament, and the team. John continued to relay updates and the score in real time. I couldn't help but savor this moment: enthusiasm and appreciation for a women's sports team. We've come a long way baby. Men, women and children were following and excited about Women's World Cup and Team USA in 2015 as well, but I wish an instance like this didn't happen once every four years. I'll take what we can get.
After the round, I asked one of the men a leading question. I said "Do you think Megan Rappinoe is good for women's soccer?" His response was as emphatic as the women's win. "She is outstanding. What a great player. Her fitness level is remarkable. She doesn't stop. She's strong, too. I want to be sure I see the two goals she scored in today's match. Yes, I think that's an asset to the team and to the game."
His response could have gone in any number of directions. Some have applauded the team captain for her outspoken political remarks—they have certainly drawn attention to her and to the game. I know others who are refusing to watch because of them. He kept his response to her athleticism and talent on the pitch. He said nothing about her hair color, her appearance, sexual orientation or even her hometown. I have to say—I savored this moment as well. Athletes are always more than just how fast they run, jump, swim and execute....but that's certainly why we know who they are.
I thought I would conclude with this poem? prayer? that I found while cleaning out to my classroom. A former student or athlete gave it to me. I think it profiles who and what I see on Team USA. Enjoy the rest of the World Cup!
A strong woman works out every day to keep her body in shape. But a woman of strength kneels in prayer to keep her soul in shape. A strong woman isn't afraid of anything, But a woman of strength shows courage in the midst of her fear. A strong woman won't let anyone get the best of her, But a woman of strength gives the best of herself to everyone A strong woman makes mistakes and avoids the same in the future, But a woman of strength realizes life's mistakes can also be God's blessings and capitalizes on them. A strong woman walks sure-footedly, But a woman of strength knows God will catch her when she falls. A strong woman wears the look of confidence on her face, But a woman of strength wears grace A strong woman has faith that she is strong enough for the journey, But a woman of strength has faith that it is in the journey that she will become strong. Photo Credits
