Madelyn Robinson (’13) and I hopped on a plane and headed to the great state of Texas to complete an internship with the US Men’s Clay Court Tennis Championship. Bronwyn Greer (’06), tournament manager, hosted us and from the very beginning exemplified what it means to be part of the Ohio University family. We hit the ground running as Greer gave us a tour of River Oaks Country Club and walked us through what our duties would be throughout the tournament. Across the ten-day event Madelyn and I managed volunteers, ensured that all drink coolers were full of product and ice, updated the scoreboard and occasionally dropped in to help the ticket office.
Armed with our cell phones, walkie-talkies and a golf cart (which is buggy in Texan speak) Madelyn and I developed a system that combined effective time management with a little fun. Every day upon arrival we would snag a golf cart, load it up with ice and hit the ground running refilling coolers on the courts, in the locker room, players’ lounge, officials area and various tournament offices.
Prior to match start we would meet with the volunteers and place them around court. Though some were recent additions, others were true veterans having volunteered at the tournament for more than five years! Regardless of tenure, they shared one thing in common, an undisputed love for tennis and cheered on all players.
With great Texas hospitality and panache, River Oaks Country Club hosted thousands of spectators and over 60 tennis matches. Among the highlights were John Isner’s win in the finals over Spain’s Nicolas Almagro and watching American doubles sensation team Bob and Mike Bryan record their 800th win. Yet nothing compares to witnessing the traditional cannon ball jump into the pool by the winners of both the singles (Isner) and doubles (Murray and Peers) matches.
The US Men’s Clay Court Championship at River Oaks combined a phenomenal event with a fantastic learning experience. Greer welcomed us with Canadian warmth, mixed with Texas hospitality and quickly demonstrated that regardless of year graduated, we are still one family.
