it all begins with love

I see it, I feel it. Football fever is gaining momentum. We live about a mile from the high school and can always hear the band on Friday nights. It's a huge deal for the community.

When I was in high school and would head off to games, my dad would say, "are you going to see, or be seen?" I have to admit, he had a point. Go to any high school football game and you'll see little pods of kids wandering, talking, laughing, flirting. They rarely seem to get around to watching the game.

Anyway, the Haller kids pursued other sports. Baseball, of course, for David. Soccer for Dan and golf for Mark. And then, they discovered the best-kept secret at our high school: tennis. The program is run by two now-retired teachers, Dan and Bob. Dan coaches varsity boys in the spring and Bob covers JV. In the fall, they switch for the girls. As a freshman, our son Dan had barely ever picked up a racket. But coach Dan said, "wear tennis shoes and bring a racket. We'll teach you to play tennis." No drama, no politics. Just learning the sport in a relaxed atmosphere. Dan and Bob also demanded good sportsmanship and discipline, but their specialty was creating a welcoming and fun environment.

Dan, Mark and Katie all played high school tennis. They were never ridiculed or disrespected. The coaches were serious about tennis, but they were more serious about helping the players have fun and grow as young people. It was one of the best experiences of their high school years. And ours. A small but enthusiastic group, we enjoyed a comraderie with tennis parents, traveling to matches and providing snacks and gatorade.

Maybe there's a reason that tennis scoring begins with "love." There's plenty of it here in Delaware for the tennis team.