How long have you participated in your league?
I've been in the league since 2022.
How did you first learn about it?
I've been wanting to play in a league for years and found
Portland Tennis after I became a stay-at-home dad and was looking for something
to help me get out, exercise and talk to other adults.
How often do you play?
I almost always play one match a week and do my best to schedule
two. On occasion I'll get three matches in, but that's rare.
What do you like most about the league?
The great people I've met. I've shared a lot of laughs and great
matches with the people I have met over the years. I also really enjoy how the
league is divided into divisions based on level of play. It's been fun to find
myself getting better and better and then eventually being promoted to a better
division.
Tell us about your most memorable match(es)
I played someone in the 40+ playoffs a few years ago who was in
the division above mine. After a few rallies, I didn't think I had a chance.
But three sets and many grueling rallies later, I won.
Who are your favorite rivals in the league? Why?
I love playing Eric Feldman. He's played over 500 matches and is
kind of the spokesperson for the league. He always has fun stories about the
other matches he's played and we tend to have close matches.
Do you have any other interesting comments about your experiences
with the league?
One thing I never really studied before joining the league was
strategy on where to be on the court in different situations. I've really
enjoyed getting better at playing the net this year. I used to fear it, but I
learned to love it. It's made my game better and it's a lot of fun.
How did you get started playing tennis?
I had a couple of friends in my early 20s who also played and I
just picked it up. Never played in school or had any lessons.
Mostly fun, but the competition adds to the fun. I have great
interest in looking at my different statistics after playing over 100 matches.
I find it interesting that I have a pretty strong record when playing a third
set, but do poorly when playing a 10-point tiebreaker after two sets. I think I
get in my head too much when it comes down to crunch time. I also play a lot
better when I'm not focused on the score and just enjoying myself.
What level of player are you? (NTRP rating or TLN Rating)
3.25.
Tell us a little bit about yourself, for example: What do you do?
Where did you grow up? What are your hobbies (besides tennis)?
I'm a stay-at-home dad of two kids under five years old. I used
to work for a bookstore in Portland, Oregon for nine years. I mostly bought
used books to put on our shelves. I love to read and it's very rare a day goes
by I'm not reading a book. I read a lot of literature, but can be easily
distracted by books about baseball and music biographies. I'm a big music fan
and love nothing more than listening to vinyl records while reading a good
book. Of course, as a stay-at-home dad, I also spend a lot of time at local
playgrounds with my kids.
