Rackets and Rallies
The Club’s tennis pros are helping Members of all ages embrace the sport.
Sally Sheridan looks surprisingly fresh and coifed for somebody who fell asleep while watching the Madrid Open and woke up in the wee hours still wearing her headphones.
On top of that, she played three hours of tennis later that morning. “It’s the only sport I do,” says Sheridan, 48. “I hate going to the gym. If I didn’t have tennis, I would be totally unfit.”
Growing up, the Londoner would devotedly follow Wimbledon for two weeks each summer, captivated by tennis legends like John McEnroe, Björn Borg and Chris Evert. For the past 15 years, she has taken in the grand slam tournament from the stands.
When she joined the Club four years ago, the self-described math geek grabbed the opportunity to take up the sport for the first time. Both she and her 11-year-old daughter, Sarah Watson, take lessons in the Gymnasium with the professional coaches from the Krissman International Tennis School.
Sarah, sitting next to her mother on a bench outside the Squash Courts, began lessons in London at age 5 “because my mom told me to.” She now takes three lessons a week with coaches Allen Krissman and Cory Grove. Under their tutelage, her enthusiasm for tennis has grown.
“[Cory] is quite active. He’s always getting you to concentrate on the games. Allen, he always shows you how to do the proper swing and the proper grip,” says Sarah, whose favorite player is two-time Wimbledon champ Andy Murray.
Grove, who joined Krissman last December, coaches the Club’s new summer program for juniors and initiated a Cardio Tennis class. While the Gymnasium is smaller than a regular court, Grove says students can still improve their technique.
“I am always talking to the students about watching what the others are doing. There is constant learning and constant feedback,” he says. “With Tokyo American Club, since we don’t have the space, the cooperative learning aspect is important.”
Sheridan, who plays in a local friendly doubles league twice a week, says Grove has helped her with her game strategy.
“I thought with doubles, ‘Well there’s two of you on the court, it’s going to be easier, isn’t it?’ But bizarrely, it can be more complex,” says Sheridan. “It is kind of like a game of chess. You are thinking two shots in advance.”
Sheridan says she is happy to have a new skill to take back to London and a hobby to play for the rest of her life, not just watch on TV.
Sarah says her goal is to play as well as her mom. “I need to get stronger with tennis,” she says. “So we then can play games together.”
“Is that your goal?” Sheridan says with a laugh. “To beat me?”
Summer Junior Tennis begins June 27. Adult classes are held every Wednesday.
Words: Nick Narigon
Image: Yuuki Ide
