How cool is my Mom?

Dave and I have been playing tennis at the Oklahoma City Tennis Center instead of the ghetto neighborhood courts I mentioned here. Last night when we played I noticed a new plaque on the wall listing all the former Oklahoma State High School Tennis Champions. Whose name did I immediately look for? My Mom's duh!
There it was! She's so cool! Debbie Cunningham, for those who are interested.

I called to tell her about it and that's when she told me an article was just published about her for the State High School Tournament program this year!

My Mom was an amazing tennis player. Her Dad, my grandfather, was the tennis pro in Tulsa at several of the tennis clubs. Chances are if you played tennis from the 70's to 90's in Tulsa you had a lesson from him. It was their love of the sport that encouraged me to start playing competitively. At the ripe age of 10 I entered my first tournament. I still remember the night before the tournament, my Mom spent hours making sure I had everything I needed. Water jug? check. Extra racquet? check. (I actually think I used her racquet as my back up for this first tournament.) Sweat towel? check. super cool visor? check. Abundance of hair clips? check.

Then she remembered that I hadn't ever played an actual match, I'd just been going to lessons. She spent the next hour explaining to me how to keep score and which side of the court to stand on.

I remember thinking, "This is easy, I got this"

Jump ahead to the next day - I've won the first two points of the match and call out the score, "15 All".

She had taught me how to keep score, but not how to pay attention... oops! She corrected me and from then on I think I got it right... Either that or she was too embarrased to correct me again.

(Click to make it bigger and zoom to read)

 

Thanks for teaching me my favorite pasttime, Mom.

If only I could have been as good as you were, my name could have been up there with you!

(Don't ask me about highschool state, it's a sensitive subject, still. )