WHAT WOULD YOU SAY, ...?

I want to make real
something imagined,

A painter's vision is not a lens.
It wants to limn the images

to give them life. 

Sometimes, however, everything I write
seems a thoughtless snapshot,
lurid, rapid, garish,
reaching for life,
yet paralyzed by fact. 

The people I like the best
jump into life head first!
No twaddle in the shallows,
they swim off with sure strokes, out of reach.
They seem born to that element,
knowing the path, seeing the destination as if without looking.

I like people who harness themselves, to the weight,

who pull like water buffalo, with massive patience,

who strain in the mud and the muck to move things forward,

who do what has to be done, again and again.

I want to be with people who immerse
in the task, who go onto the stage to play
and work in a row and share the heft,
who stand in the line and haul in their places,
not parlor generals and field deserters,
but movers in a common rhythm
when the flame is needed or the fire be put out.

The work of my team is common as mud.

Botched, it smears the hands, crumbles to dust.

But crafted to the thing worth doing -- well done

It has a shape that satisfies, clean and evident.

An amphora for the memories,

Gold crowns that fit the heads

we know were made for them.

The pitcher demands water to carry;

Giants breathe for goals that are real.

(Thanks to Marge Piercy and Robert Lowell for words and ideas to make a poetic image of the experience which is our tennis team.)

Revere visited us today at the Middle School Courts.

The warm sun we enjoyed for most of the day was veiled for a time by that Spring afternoon fog and the chill of moving air from the nearby ocean. It was not so strong today and the sun maintained some presence with us. Coach Flynn and his young men arrived early and with efficiency we all were soon ready for the contest.

They are obviously in process of developing – they need more time and experience to realize the potential that their talented players bring to the courts. They were competitors and gentlemen, all, but the outcome this year was revealed early.

Matt Jacobs continues to dominate his opponents at 1^st Singles. It is interesting to observe the variety of styles of those who play against him, for me, as coach, because I see the weight, as does Matt, and the way he accepts it, takes onto his shoulders the harness, and designs the measures to create another artistic victory.

…, to Jacobs:     6 – 0     6 - 0   

Val Temin provides confident strength at 2nd singles. He has built the platform upon which Matt Jacobs performs at 1st singles on his broad shoulders, and he consistently finds opportunity to raise, by encouragement, the players below him in the line-up, as well. Val pulls like a buffalo, with massive effect, the vehicle of Big Blue Tennis. And again, today, he kept it simple. As his match developed, another talented opponent found his defense impenetrable and his offense too strong to be countered. Ryan Tran, of the Revere Team, made a game, competitive effort, he even drew sporadic cries of frustration from Val, but through the match there was no doubt of the outcome, and at the end it was victory to Temin:   6 - 0    6 - 2

Val remains undefeated, and, one might say, under the radar, but he is integral and irreplaceable.

Our ranks were absent some important members today. I had to venture into the uncertain when setting the line-up. In it there is no lack of confidence, but rather, the unknown possibility that always resides in untested players and situations. Ian Crimmins was asked to, and ably stepped into 3^rd singles. As his match progressed, he seemed to be a bit uncertain how to manage his opponent. He was broken early and struggled through a few games attempting to regain "on serve" status. During the change of sides at 3 – 4 against him, we talked about an adjustment to his strategy. He quickly implemented it, regained the lost break of serve, and closed out the set, 6 – 4. On a roll with renewed focus, he finished the match comfortably.

Victory to Crimmins:     6 – 4     6 – 1

Our 1^st Doubles team, Sam Crimmins and Matt Gilberg, seem destined to meet every challenge before them. Sometimes, as it was today, it is to maintain focus and complete the simple task at hand. They did so, and very well, you could say:

Victory to Crimmins and Gilberg:     6 – 0     6 – 0

I am especially pleased to report that our dedicated alternates so capably stepped up to the challenge of 2^nd Doubles today. Erick Eaton and Tyler Gateman, synthesized the skills and strategy we have worked on this season and produced a solid win:

Victory to Eaton and Gateman:     6 – 0     6 – 4

Thanks to Heather Gold for nourishment.

Thanks to you who come to the matches; we need your support.

Thanks to some special visitors who traveled far to see their efforts validated.

We expect to visit Peabody, Wednesday, "No rain, No rain, …!"

We are 10 - 0 and the first team in the conference to qualify for this post-season.

www.necscores.com

CW