My sister, Sara, was an excellent player. At age 16 she was fourth in the State of Wisconsin in her age group. In those days, high schools did not set up any sports for girls. It was only during the summer that Sara had the opportunity, and she was skilled in both tennis and swimming.
When I was 15 years old and Sara was 14, we entered, for the first time, the club championship for mixed doubles. On Labor Day we played the club finals against the previous champions (our female opponent was the frequent women’s club champion). Sara had not played against adults in the club championships, and she was both anxious and timid. However, the male opponent hit the ball right at her, with power, and her mood changed. She then played very well, performed more aggressively, and we beat them. I would cover much of the court, and Sara was at the net; when they finally hit a short ball, she would put it away as a winner. Our male opponent was so angry that he threw his racket, and avoided shaking our hands. Sara and I hugged each other.
Carl, my son, took up tennis, and was one of the top players in Minnesota for his age group. He often performed better when I was watching. I was excited when he and his partner won a key doubles match, which helped his high school team win the State Tennis Tournament.
Carl and I often played tennis against each other, and he was 13 years old when he finally beat me. I had read about father-son competition, and was determined to be a good loser. Sure enough, it went well, and then we became a happy doubles team. We later did very well in the State of Minnesota Father-Son tournament.
Carl and I enjoyed playing as partners in a men’s doubles match. If we were about to serve for a crucial game, such as winning the set or the match, Carl would approach me. Common literature emphasized the positive mental approach to playing good tennis: “Always support your partner”. Instead, Carl would say, “Dad, just don’t fuck up!!” Of course, we laughed at the silly aggression, I was able to relax, and we usually won.