By Steve Smith, Director of the Lake Norman Tennis Centre in North Carolina – www.tennissmith.com
Russell Seymour, at the age of 86, is still winning tennis matches. The classy, soft-spoken gentleman from South Africa still loves to compete. We recently crossed paths, and I asked him how many gold balls he was up to? He responded, “Seventy-nine, but I should have more because I have found a way to lose in the finals 49 times.“
Every time one wins a USTA national title, he/she is honoured with a gold ball. The runner-up wins a silver ball. Congrats, Russell, that’s a lot of finals.
In 1948, he was the South African junior champion. Seven years later he won the South African Open, and between 1953-55 he was a member of his country’s Davis Cup team. Russell has some stories to tell. For starters, he played Lew Hoad at Wimbledon and Ken Rosewall at Queens.
Russell and I both lived in Tyler, Texas, in the 80’s. He moved to town to direct one of the local country clubs. I remember him calling me and asking to meet. He had seen some of my students on-court and complimented me on their standard of play. He had two requests. He wanted to send me beginning players from his country club who were serious about their tennis, and he wanted to give my players playing lessons. It was a win-win situation.
Unfortunately our working relationship in Tyler was short lived. Russell had to return to Johannesburg, where the medical costs were lower for him to fight cancer. He won that battle.
Upon recovering, he was named director of South African Tennis. Together we created another win-win situation. He sent top junior prospects from his homeland to be coached by us in Texas. Among the small group of players were John-Laffnie de Jager and Jeff Coetzee. Both went on to have significant roles with SA’s Davis Cup squad.
Another South African, deservingly, benefited from the arrangement. Craig Tiley, one of the hardest workers in tennis, spent more than a half-dozen years in Tyler, Texas. He started as a student at Tyler Junior College, where I directed a comprehensive curriculum and degree plan for tennis teachers. Our connection with Russell created a connection for Tiley that eventually led to him serving as South Africa’s Davis Cup Captain. Tiley once had the goal of leading South African Tennis but is now leading tennis in Australia; he is the CEO of Tennis Australia.
The new CEO of South African Tennis is Richard Glover. Richard said in a recent interview that he has been doing some homework for his new position. Part of his research should be knowing the work of one of his predecessors, Russell Seymour. He should talk to Raven Klaasen, one of his country’s marquee players. Raven, like Tiley, was taught to teach and has a wealth of information we now call the “Great Base.” Raven rebuilt his game under my tutelage between the ages of seventeen to twenty-two.
Additionally, Mr. Glover should talk to Petrus Koekemoer. Petrus, unlike Raven, is not travelling the world playing tennis. He is living and teaching in South Africa. He has done the hard yards and has an in-depth, thorough understanding of our Great Base curriculum.
The Great Base is a lifetime of work connected with other lifetimes of work. It is a system based on systems. Mr. Glover would be wise, like Australia, to have a fact-based instructional program that is designed for long-term development.
Connections are needed to transform a tennis culture. Information is needed to educate coaches and to accelerate the development of players. A group, “South Africans for South African Tennis,” needs to be established. I am confident that if Mr. Glover and his organization embrace the Great Base project they would be able raise much-needed money from outside SA.
I hope this post intrigues the new SA tennis leader and he follows up. The recommended connection would prove to be one of his best decisions.
New South African Tennis CEO Richard Glover Speaks With SABC News
