Have you ever had an interaction with a kid and left it scratching your head? Wondering how ill-mannered and apathetic “the next generation is?” How many times have I politely asked for a smoothie, thanked the kid making it and taking my money, thrown a few dollars into the tip jar, and got nothing in return? And when I say “nothing,” I’m not asking for a drop-to-your-knees-giant-thank-you, I’m merely asking for an acknowledgment that we’re both on this planet and a cheery “thanks!” would do. Well, if you want your faith restored in the people who will take over for us one day, just go to West Point and spend a little time with the cadets.
If you’ve never been to West Point, you need to put it on your bucket list. Nestled in the Bear Mountains and surrounded by trees and cliffs, it is breathtaking. Winding roads lead to the fortress on the Hudson, where the structures are so magnificent, it’s rumored that some scenes from the Wizard of Oz were filmed there. Think castles and bridges and a fortress against a vast and dark sky (que flying monkeys, please!) The Academy is a military base as well. The grounds are littered with statues, cannons, “Beat Navy” signs, and beautiful brick and stone homes overlooking the bluffs of the Hudson River. For the aesthetics alone, I’ll gladly pay my taxes.
Every year approximately 1,300 cadets enter West Point and by the end of the year, only 1,000 remain. That’s rough. There are fifteen men’s and nine women’s National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) sports teams. Cadets compete in one sport every fall, winter, and spring season at the intramural, club, or intercollegiate level. Let’s not forget that the cadets are expected to maintain excellent grades as well. While getting into West Point is a difficult endeavor, I’d imagine staying enrolled there is even harder.
When Boots on the Court rolled onto campus for our second event at the USMA, it was a beautiful August day. Partially sunny skies, high temperatures and humidity made for interesting conditions for the participants. Paul Peck is the Women’s Tennis Coach. He and his two assistants, Taylor Gaff and Volunteer Brayden were on hand to see that we got started on the right foot. Coach Peck had four shifts of three cadet players to help with on the court duties.
The cadets were engaging, uber- polite and respectful. My sister Joy, Mary Evelyn and I were impressed with the candor of the cadets. While they were humble, some shared their struggles about adjusting to life as an elite recruit at the Academy. It sent chills down my spine and my heart went out to the girls as I wondered if I could do what they do. Of course, I know that I couldn’t. It seems like a lifetime ago that I competed against USMA when I played for Fordham University. And before my kids yell, “Close the yearbook, Mom!” know that I bring up this memory not to brag and talk about me, but because as I listened to these girls, I realized that I didn’t give my counterparts so many years ago enough credit.
I can remember pulling onto the campus after an hour drive from the Bronx, stumbling off the bus with bed head, imagining that I was ready to compete. I probably had some crappy breakfast, McDonald’s no doubt and had minimal hours of sleep. The cadet tennis players, on the other hand, were fresh, creased and in better shape than all of us put together. The magnitude of what they had done to get there and what they did to stay there was lost on my egocentric twenty-year-old self.
As I sat at the Registration desk last Saturday, as a mom of kids not that much older than these cadets, the things that impressed me the most, are so different now. While not appropriate, I want to hug each and every one of the chica cadets and tell them that everything will be ok. That sometimes your individual journey is so much different from that of your teammates and classmates. I wanted to tell each one of them to know when to stay in their lane, and know when to think outside the box. Mostly, I wanted them to believe in themselves, because just the mere fact that they made it to West Point, means that they’re something special, and maybe a cut above the rest. As a parent myself, I want to be Holden Caulfield and catch each one of them when they fall off the cliff in the rye, because there are times, no doubt, when they will stumble. But I settled for shelling out unsolicited advice and corny clichés. Eye roll here from my own kids.
What does it take to volunteer for a cause greater than anything you can do for yourself? What drives someone to agree to put themselves in harm’s way to protect people she doesn’t even know? Ask a cadet and the answers are mind-boggling. I don’t even have the words to describe what drives these brave young men and women, but I do have the vocabulary to thank them. So, my husband and I loaded up The Beast and brought tennis to the West Point community, as our way of thanking them for all that they do.
We had a total of 90 participants for the clinics and games. The players were so thankful and grateful for the clinics. It’s amazing to me that these families thank us! So, let’s be clear, what we do pales in comparison to what they do on a daily basis. Rita Ann Jana was a repeat participant form two years ago. She took pictures then and did it again this year. We thank her for her talented eye that captures incredible moments. She is a warm and sunny individual and she makes it hard to be crabby around her. Thank you Rita Ann! We are so looking forward to seeing you and your family next year!
Of course, we would like to thank all our pros and volunteers for helping with the event, because they are what make everything happen. So here goes a list of everyone:
Mark Yancey
Bob and Mary Evelyn Raedish
Donna Bernstein
Jim Timmins
Steve Goldman
Howard Dorman
Dave Kozlowski aka “The Koz”
Braden Baker, Women’s Volunteer Tennis Assistant Coach
Paul Peck, Women’s Tennis Head Coach
Martha Rowley, Women’s Tennis Assistant Coach
Joy Scalisi
PJ and Matthew Scalisi
Members of both the men’s and women’s Army tennis team
As a giant aside, I would like to point out that this is the 50th anniversary of Arthur Ashe winning the very first US Open. Let’s all take a moment to remember what he stood for and what he so eloquently fought for as well. He was dignified in the way he chose to take a stand against social injustice. Thank you Arthur Ashe. You’ve brought the dialogue a long way and I only hope we can continue it today.
It would only be fitting to end this blog by calling upon the image of one of this country’s greatest statesman. On Friday morning, Senator John McCain announced that he was stopping treatment for the aggressive form of brain cancer that he’d fought for the last year. By Saturday, we had lost one of our greatest war heroes and politicians. Flags all over the country were lowered to half-mast, and it was no different at West Point. On base, Old Glory hung motionless amidst the ancient cannons, guns, statues of soldiers on horses and tanks as a somber reminder that one of the last bi-partisan holdouts was gone. We weren’t there when the cannons were shot off at 5:00, flags were lowered and Taps was played, but I know everyone standing on that campus was thinking of, and thanking Senator McCain for all that he’d done for this country. It was an honor to be at West Point the day after his passing. Thank you Sir, and may you rest in peace.
Until next year, USMA!
As civilians, so much of what goes on in the military is completely lost to us. It’s not until you spend time with the families whose loved ones are deployed, do you get an understanding of what they go through, so we civilians can live the lives we do.
The Boots on the Court crew arrived at MacDill Air Force Base on a chilly Friday night. After our traditional dinner at Qdoba off base, we went to bed looking forward to the next day of fun and clinics.
This event was our 4th trip to MacDill, and while Dickie, JoAnne Russell and I felt like old hands, this event ushered in an entirely new crew. Katie Hamilton, our very own tennis shop receptionist made the trip with us and worked registration with me. Robert Korszeniewski, my co-worker at the Wellington Tennis Center was on the court with Dickie and Jo all day. Robert’s wife, Tommisa was a trooper at the registration table, bring the chill in a puffer coat- thanks Tommisa! Good thing we came prepared for the elements. Jim Tierney and his son, John, also joined us. Once again, Lt. Farrah Smoke brought her parents Jill and Alan along with their adorable Yorkie, Coca. Coca worked the registration table and was able to keep everything moving along smoothly. Thanks, Coca. The new crew was lights out, but we definitely missed all the “old” regulars and look forward to merging the two!
The kids clinics were well attended and so much fun. Twenty-five participated in the little ones (ages 4-8). The clinic ended with a very tightly contested “Spider Race.” I believe Robert’s team took the title, and they look forward to defending it next year.
Thanks as well to Sandra Kobelia, Lt. Smoke and Airman Vashema Bourne for all your hard work. It’s thanks to your professionalism and dedication that we were able to pull off all of our events at MacDill over the last three years. 
Approximately 15,000 people work at the MacDill Air Force in Tampa, Florida. Of those 15,000, a significant percentage of military personnel and their families live on base. For those who choose not to live on base, they make Tampa and surrounding areas their home. The base sits on the Hillsborough Bay, with charming homes lining Bay Shore Boulevard. The homes face the bay, are built up so the view is accessible from the back. It’s not uncommon to see dolphins frolicking in the bay. The area directly in front of the homes is a designated No Boat Zone. There is no fishing and no recreational use of that part of the bay. Twice a year, people can apply for a permit and fish there for one day. You can imagine the size of the fish they catch. I was told that the applications sell out in a few hours.
As always, an event is only as successful as the volunteers that help run it. This time, we were so fortunate to have Mr. and Mrs. Alan Smoke help us throughout the day. It should be noted that the Smokes are the parents of the amazing 2d Lt Farrah Smoke- one of our points of contact and Amazing Organizer. Between 2d Lt Smoke and Sandy Kobelia, Deputy, 6th Force Support Squadron at 6th Air Mobility Wing, MacDill AF Base, we had everything we needed to just roll in and get ready to go. Vashema Bourne was not only an enormous help, but she also won a pair of New Balance tennis shoes (along with Sandy and Farrah….what are the chances??!!). Thank you all!
I am always amazed at how much the parents support our events. Many parents start the day watching their kids in the junior clinics, then come back and participate in the adult clinics. They bring their dogs, snacks, toys, cameras and enthusiasm that’s unmatched anyway. Thank you to all parents everywhere.
Any tennis event is only as good as it’s pros, and we are so fortunate to have the best pros in the business. Making their third appearance at JBSA, Mario and Steve Contardi took time away from the John Newcombe Ranch and the insanity that pre-fantasy camp must certainly be, to help us. We cannot thank you enough guys.
This marked our very first sortie to a service academy. Boots on the Court arrived at West Point on Sunday, August 28, 2016 where 121 participants eagerly joined us in the Lichtenberg Tennis Center.
In less than 36 months, Boots on the Court has brought our program to Joint Base Andrews 4 times. Let that sink in for a minute or two….4 events in less than 3 years. For the first 2 years we held the event on the tennis courts across from the West Fitness Center. The last two years, we have put on the event at Liberty Park, a beautiful little park in the middle of base housing. Anyone lucky enough to live nearby the park is treated to two playgrounds, one for little ones and one for the older kids, two tennis courts, a clubhouse and a swimming pool. Paths all around the base lead up to the park, which is surrounded by gorgeous homes.
Colonel Brad Hoagland and his wife Jill were once again the consummate hosts, not only volunteering, but bringing their kids to play as well. THANK YOU! Colonel Hoagland has been very proactive in making sure tennis remains on base at Andrews. He is one of the few “higher ups” who see the value in a continuing tennis program on base. So many of us don’t understand what it’s like to have one or more family members stationed over seas for extended periods of time. For the parent left at home taking care of the family, it can be a very difficult time. If that family has more than one child, it can be a huge struggle to get the children from one activity to the next. Having an event like Boots on the Court right there on base is a huge plus for these over-extended families. Most times, kids will show up for a clinic on their bikes. We are so grateful to Colonel Hoagland that he is willing to bring us back year after year. Thank you to you, Jill and your family for all you do for us!
I lamented the day our photographer Trevor Chan told me that he would no longer be able to come to all our events…..I am not very good with the camera and he is. Well, how lucky were we that he was able to come to Andrews to not only record the day in pictures, but that he brought my favorite little girl with him, his daughter Skye. Skye and I had an incredible playdate and I miss her already! Thanks for your pictures and for Skye!
You would think that after 4 years volunteers and some people begin to feel like family, and you’re right. That’s how we feel about the Hyun family. Helen Hyun brought her son and daughter Tyler and Kaitlyn to the second event and every one thereafter. They are both wellrounded, extremely accomplished kids who are respectful and well-mannered too. Helen has taught them from an early age the importance of giving back and we are fortunate to have them at our events. This year Helen worked registration with me and Tyler helped out on the courts. Sadly for us, Kaitlyn was attending a prestigious seminar for a select few high school kids in San Diego. We look forward to seeing her again soon. Thank you Hyun family!
If the ever present Mark Wirth (aka #HotChoklit) doesn’t come to an event, he will be receiving a non-posting fine in the million dollar range. His efforts are nothing short of remarkable and while I tease him no end, I couldn’t imagine an event without him. Thank you Mark!
How incredibly lucky were we to have Rear Admiral Sean Buck join us on court this year. Not only is he a good player, but he is an amazing raconteur as well. Rear Admiral Buck is a graduate of the Naval Academy, played on the varsity tennis team while there and is a naval aviator by trade. He is presently the commander of the 4th Fleet out of Jacksonville, Florida. He and his wife invited us back to their house at the United States Naval Observatory that night. There are only five homes located there, one is the Vice Presidents, and the others are occupied by naval officers. The world’s atomic clock is located there, as well as a telescope that was used by President Abraham Lincoln. We climbed the stairs at dusk to where the telescope was housed and were treated to the most incredible view of Washington DC as well as Alexandria, Virginia.
