I know, I know… I am a day late on publishing the May Introspection. The tardiness was necessary due to the last day of the month falling on a Sunday, which is also the day that I publish the weekly update on my “Six Weeks to a Higher Level of Court Mobility” project.
For anyone who is new to Fiend at Court, this is really just a public accountability mechanism for a goal I set for myself in 2020. I am writing a every day this year. My daily streak remained unbroken through May and I feel like I am rolling into June with a lot of momentum.
Per tradition, on the last day of the month I hit the pause button to reflect on the project. I drafted a few paragraphs on my feelings along those lines this morning and then promptly deleted them because they seemed forced and hollow. I came to the realization that what was really on my mind is the “new normal” rather than my own experience.
Fiend at Court has passed an inflection point. I am starting to look more outward than inward.
I have been thinking a lot about what the “new normal” will be when competitive tennis resumes. Tentative plans for flex singles leagues and tournament announcements are starting to emerge. Will tournament swag bags contain a mask to wear in the pro-shop and a bottle of hand sanitizer?
I both hope and wonder if the USTA is considering guidance to tournament organizers on things that need to be shored up when play resumes. Front of mind for me is improving scheduling and tournament communication so that players do not have to congregate in the vicinity of a tournament desk.
It might be an opportunity for the USTA to take the COVID-19 crisis as the impetus to create some strategic initiatives that will transcend the moment and position tennis for a better future. I have a lot of ideas. Probably within a week an open letter to the USTA with some of my ideas will make an appearance in this blog. I am trying to figure out a seamless way to work it in.
As an example, I do think that now there is a very compelling reason to consider shortened formats under certain conditions. In addition to Fast4, which I have written about extensively, Thirty30 is a promising alternative to consider. Mark Milne, the creator Thirty30 has been a consistent and positive voice throughout my own project, and genuinely appreciate his encouragement.
Reading back through this reflection it seems more somber than my actual mood. I think that inserting COVID-19 into the mix just naturally does that. I am having a lot of fun with this little project. In June I will work on projecting the enjoyment a little better.
