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by Jenna Wright
From L to R: , Ryan Gordon (11), Dominique Wade (12) and Ryan Jones (12)
Many of the visiting teams this weekend are from areas
consisting of only hard court surfaces. They are not familiar with the extra
maintenance involved with clay court facilities. This is why Cooper Creek
Tennis Center has brought in “The Crew.” Thanks to them, all players have
been able to play on smooth surfaces and clean lines throughout the
tournament.
Most people by now have
seen the crew clean off the lines and drag the courts. This job may look
easy, but not just any child is fit for the job. They are all fairly young
children that stay the majority of each day in the hot weather, with
absolutely no complaints. The job requires 100% of their focus, attention
and cooperation at all times. When a match has been completed, The Crew must
be ready to immediately drag the court and sweep the lines. In order to keep
the tournament from falling behind, it is up to The Crew to do the court
maintenance as quickly as possible.
In addition to
maintaining the courts, The Crew does a lot of “behind the scenes” work, as
well. They are responsible for keeping the facility looking great, even
though there are nearly 800 players present this weekend. They frequently
empty the trash, as well as both set up and clean up for events such as the
Player Lunch Saturday afternoon. Most importantly, they keep you hydrated!!
They are responsible for making sure coolers are filled with water and
Gatorade at all times. They do this so to keep you and your teammates safe
in the hot, summer weather of Columbus, GA! You could even say they help
keep the website going by delivering breakfast to our Director of IT!
CORTA volunteers and
staff members proudly said these kids have been a tremendous help and have
had great attitudes. Three Crew members were interviewed. All of them play
tennis and this was their first weekend on the job. They all agreed that
they liked working at Cooper Creek. It was been fun being around tennis and
their friends, while making a little extra cash at the same time.
As you have done for the volunteers and staff, please also
recognize these children for all of their hard work when you see them around
the facility. They really have been a huge contribution to the success of
this tournament. Thanks Crew!!
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