The Saturday Shuffle: The Joy of Playing Tennis                    

Hi Everyone,

The joy of playing tennis again. I remember writing that just seven short weeks ago, May 1^st. We opened on May 4^th. To be able to come out and play again. Remember that? What a wonderful thing that was. On that first day, I remember a couple of members giving me a standing ovation for reopening the Club. So much joy!

On a day when the wind is perfect

The sail just needs to open and the world is full of beauty

Today is such a day

-- Rumi

And there are some people are just returning to the court now, and some have yet to return. We attempt to make playing as safe as possible, but with so many of our members in the vulnerable age, we all must decide when to return. And how we do that. 

Playing tennis can take different forms. Social games, league play, foursomes, singles, taking lessons, learning or practicing something new. We each find our own niche that works for us. Some of those niches have been limited by the pandemic. 

We have just heard that Fall and BALL leagues have been canceled for 2020, for example. USTA leagues are trying to restart, but the ever-changing pandemic landscape, in all different parts of the country, make planning anything difficult at best. Almost all clubs are still not allowing guests to keep their members and staff safe. That makes leagues impossible, as they involve a real mixing of playing communities. Something we may not want to be doing right now. 

How about the joy of swimming again? We are waiting to hear from CC Health about being able to open the pool. The current rules require supervision to ensure social distancing, and that is pretty much impossible for small pools like ours, with limited staffing available and the prohibitive added expense to all to staff the pools. Some counties have set up a system that works for HOAs, and we are hoping that CC Health will adopt those rules, but we haven’t heard yet. Our management company has inquired (repeatedly). So, hold on a bit longer for that first dip of the year. 

***

Over the course of the years, I have told many people what I do for a living. Most of the time, they say something like “That is a great job, career. You get to play tennis all day, outside in the great outdoors.” (Invariably, they have an office job, indoors)

Of course, I also manage the Club, which I also enjoy. And while Orindawoods Executive Tennis Director doesn’t pay as well as some of the other career options open to me, it is priceless to do something that you really love. That you believe in. But just because you have a really great job, doesn’t mean that you can’t mess it up. Overworking and long hours are certainly a potential problem in this career. From time to time, I’ve done my “best” in both these challenging areas. J  

The enlightenment you find on the mountain top,

is the enlightenment you brought up with you.

It’s not the mountain (job), it’s the trekker. And then there is change. It has been said:

“Change in inevitable, growth is an option.

So, the world changes, life changes, situations change. I started out as an English teacher but decided against that quite quickly. There were several reasons, homework every night (correcting papers), but one of the main ones is I didn’t want to be a policeman. Crowd control, classroom management. Me against them. That and the realization that the school system is largely about social control or learning how to behave in society. Now there might not be anything wrong with that, but it wasn’t what I wanted to do. 

I wanted to teach people, teach them how to perform, to learn, to be better versions of themselves. To build them up, expand them, not push them down. Build the spirit, not knock it down or bore it to death. Grind the soul into submission, into passive behavior. 

Teaching tennis seemed to be a way to lift people up, access their joy, show them the way. And from there, managing a club, creating a fun environment, bring joy to people’s lives. The lessons, the socials, the parties, the great facility, fun foursomes, leagues, and exercise classes. Bring different people together who enjoy tennis and create a fun mix and a great club. A place people want to hang out and spend their discretionary time. 

Orindawoods is a dream, it has been a dream for me for twenty-five years. A jewel of a club, with a wonderful membership, and we have all created something here that is very special. We have grown in membership over the years, to almost double in size, but never has the Club felt “big” or “crowded” or unfriendly. There are more fun people to play with, not others in the way. 

I have been at four different facilities in my career, in four different towns (Cal, Tiburon, Novato and Orinda) and interacted with, and visited many, many more, and I can tell you few are like Orindawoods. What a special place. You are amazing! 

Then came the pandemic, and things have changed a bit. We’ve never had very many rules, which is quite planned and intentional, other than the underlying rule (“treat others the way you would want to be treated”). Or the other underlying rule (“no stupid rules”). Most people just were very friendly and got along. Not a lot of need for rules or enforcement. Occasionally people will misbehave, or not “get it,” but they are soon brought into line by the will of the majority. We are social beings, and strive to fit in, be accepted, play along. 

When the Master governs, the people 

Are hardly aware that he exists.

Next best is a leader who is loved.

Next, one who is feared. 

The worst is one who is despised.

If you don’t trust the people,

You make them untrustworthy, 

The Master doesn’t talk, he acts.

When his work is done, 

The people say, “Amazing;

We did it, all by ourselves.” 

-- Lao Tzu, Tao, #17

Now, with the pandemic, there are lots of rules -- or really just five -- but they are pretty pervasive. And that changes the flavor of the Club some, and certainly my job. 

And why the change? A matter of life and death. I know COVID-19 hasn’t hammered California, but there are over 113,000 dead in the United States. That’s 7.5 times the population of Orinda. Every single person gone. Sobering.

So, we enforce the rules. People look at me differently, and if they catch my gaze, quickly check to feel if their mask is on. Or slip it on, if they momentarily forgot on their way in or out. 

For the first time since those English teaching days, I feel like a policeman again. Never knew I was so scary, or ever wanted to be. Not my style. 

Police have been in the news a lot recently. Like any group in society, some of the members of the police have acted criminally, and appallingly. And will be punished. And there is clearly a pattern of behavior here in a segment of the police population that must be stopped. Many others are doing what they were hired to do, “protect and serve.” I’m sure the vast majority “protect and serve”, but this needs to be 100%, and for all populations. No group left behind. No group not protected. No one left out. BLM.

***

So, things have changed at Orindawoods. It feels that way. 

But on the other hand, if we think about it, touch our hearts, nothing has changed. We still want to “treat others the way we want to be treated.” 

I don’t think anyone wants to get COVID-19. Or give it to anyone else. Even, or especially, by accident (before you are symptomatic). 

But the style of things has adjusted, and we have to do things a bit different to be safe. And people disagree on what safe is. What is needed. And certainly, on what is convenient. Somehow, for some, convenient became more important than a matter of life or death.

But we are all club members, all members of society, and all need to be included. No one is thrown away or written off. We support each other. The Tao offers this: 

What is a good man but a bad man’s teacher?

What is a bad man but a good man’s job?

If you don’t understand this,

You will get lost,

No matter how clever you are

It is the great secret.

--Lao Tzu, Tao te Ching 

There are CC County Health Directives, which are the law. Some people around town (other clubs, other players) choose to follow them, some do not, but they are the law, and the Club intends to follow the law (for the good of all). The Tennis Committee, Staff and Board have crafted the rules so that we can play tennis again – which is so exciting -- and so that we behave within the laws. That is the standard that has to be met to play at Orindawoods. 

The health directive says to maintain social distancing, and where that is not possible, masks are to be worn. 

In my “new role,” I have been watching a lot of doubles. And I will honestly say, during play, pretty much there is almost always social distancing. It is very rare that anyone gets within 10 feet of another player. During playing the point. 

However, on change overs, between points, switching courts, picking up balls, talking strategy with your partner, and switching sides social distancing is often not maintained. And certainly, entering and leaving the courts. Very little social distancing. We forget, we are distracted. Other things on our mind, like friendship, and communication. 

Interestingly, social distancing is often not maintained court to court, with people on the other court (other side of the fence) being closer than six feet during change overs, getting a drink. It makes me chuckle, like the wire fence was some magic barrier (it does stop the balls, right? – we have been well trained). I have been guilty of this one (but while wearing a mask, thank goodness -- I don’t want to get anyone sick). 

None of this is anyone’s fault, there is just a bunch of people in a small space, and it is very hard to maintain that 6-10 feet distance. Remember, the 6 feet is for people breathing normally, not people exercising. So, masks are an important part of playing doubles and fitting into the health directives. 

Having said all this, the important thing is, we are playing tennis again. And much more importantly, playing safely. 

Safely for each other. That’s the point of the rules, and the enforcement. 

And as I sit back and reflect, and write this Saturday Shuffle, I realize that for most people, most members of Orindawoods, the joy is still there. The joy is primary. There is a deep understanding of what is at stake. What needs to be done to maintain the joy. And for me as well. 

The joy is still there, we just have to access it. It is easy to get sidetracked on our losses, the inconvenience, what we can’t do, but…

We are still getting to play tennis. We are still mostly healthy.