TENNIS NICK BOLLETTIERI – As many of you know, I was inducted into the International Tennis Hall of Fame on July 11 along with Lindsey Davenport, John Barrett, Jane Brown, and Chantal Vandierendonck. Receiving this award was a great honor and it had a big impact on me. I would like to use this month’s article to share my thoughts about my induction into the International Hall of Fame because I never thought this would happen. By Nick Bollettieri
I started teaching tennis nearly 60 years ago on two run down courts in Miami. I was a pretty good athlete and played many sports growing up but I didn’t play tennis until I was in college. I picked the game up quickly and made my college tennis team as a junior and senior. After college I enrolled in law school but quickly realized I did not want to spend my life in an office. I loved being outside and being in the sun. Because I needed to provide for my new family, I figured I would try teaching tennis. I didn’t know much about teaching the game but I was willing to work hard to learn. I also realized that I had an ability to relate to players, motivate them, and bring out their best. I dreamed about one day becoming one of the best coaches in the world.
Because of my brashness and bravado however, I had a tendency to rub the tennis establishment the wrong way. In fact, for most of my career I was considered a little crazy and a bit of a rebel. I guess to do some of the things in tennis that I’ve done, you have to be a little crazy. Because of the love and encouragement of my parents, I had the courage to follow my dreams and not be afraid of failure. My father told me what’s important is not that you fall down, it’s how you get up that counts. He said if you’re afraid to fail, you’re also afraid to be successful. With that encouragement I had the courage to do some crazy things like creating the first boarding tennis academy, believing that I could help players become top professionals, and working with 10 players who became number one in the world.
Many people have asked for my thoughts on the Hall of Fame honor and a copy of my speech. Here are some of the comments I made that day:
Wow, now I know exactly how it feels for those to reach the top of Mount Everest!! And, may I say the view from up here is amazing!
I’d like to start off by saying congratulations to my fellow members of the Class of 2014. It’s an honor and privilege to be in the same company as you Lindsey, John, Jane, and Chantal.
It’s not often that I am humbled – as those of you who know me will tell you – but, being honored a long side the four of you today is something I will cherish for a lifetime.
I’d also like to thank all of you who voted for me…(for a while I thought I was going to be the Susan Lucci of the tennis world!)…so, your vote means the world to me, it really does.
Now, I didn’t reach the top of this mountain by myself. In fact, we Italians don’t like to do anything by ourselves…. So, do me a favor, please….. If I, Nick Bollettieri, have ever yelled at you – either on or off court – please stand up now.
Wow…. We made it! Can you believe it? It only took 60 years…. But we made it! It is truly because of you that I am standing right here today. I wish I could name and thank each one of you individually, but we’d be here long after dark.
There is really no way I could ever thank you enough for making my journey such a great one. Just know that I love you…and I always yell at those I love the most…so you can expect to hear this old raspy voice hollering for many more years!
Okay…..now you can sit down….
It sure would have been a lot easier and faster if we had taken the well-worn path up the mountain…
But, when you were brave enough to follow me when I forged my own path which others found to be unorthodox and downright crazy….but, we made it and we sure had a whole lot of fun getting here! Thanks again to all of you!
I may not have been too good of a student, but I’ve always been pretty good with numbers…..in fact, I guess you could say I’m “A Man of Numbers”….
Let’s see… there’s
10 Numbers Ones
9 Lives
8 Wives
7 Amazing Children
Having a 6th Sense
5 o’clock …. The time my first student meets me on court
4 Beautiful Grandchildren
3 Years of Service to our Country
2 Great Parents
1 Passion
0 – The number of books I have read in my lifetime!
Whew…..try saying THAT three times fast!
Add in the rest of my family;
And friends, coaches, and players who are like family;
And the thousands of kids I have had the privilege of working with over the years
And you’ve got me in a nutshell….
The fuel that has sustained me to the summit is without a doubt my passion to help others become champions of life. Nothing makes me more happy than when I run into a past student or receive a kind note telling me of how I changed their lives…that they are better parents, lawyers, doctors, CEO’s PEOPLE because of ….
Their passion to try to reach their full potential…
To not quit when the going gets tough….
To know that when I was yelling at them what I was really saying was,
“I believe in you and I want you to believe in yourself because you can do it…you can do anything you are willing to work for”.
That’s how we made it up this mountain…by pushing each other, making huge sacrifices and being there for each other.
I will never be remembered for my business sense,
Or for my luck with marriages
Or for putting my family first…
What I hope I will be remembered for is
DARING TO FOLLOW MY PASSION AND HOPEFULLY IGNITING THAT SAME SPARK OF PASSION IN OTHERS!
Thank you again for this tremendous honor.
For Information on the Bollettieri Academy in Italy Contact Fiorella Bonfanti
Tel: +39 348 035 7450;
email: fbsports57@gmail.com
