Good Get Gus

SUPERSTITIOUS TOY MOUSE IS ONE KEY TO TEAM’S SUCCESS

By Jennifer Pollack and Amanda Tobin/USTA Southern

This team's tale is about a mouse named Gus.

Tennis players are known for having superstitions that range from odd to intriguing whether it is a certain lucky outfit or eating at the same restaurant every meal after subsequent wins. For the 12 team members on one Women’s 3.5 team from Knoxville, TN, their new good luck charm is a toy mouse named Gus.

Gus, the mouse from the Cinderella Story, was originally one of the player’s daughter’s toys that found its way into her mother’s tennis bag. Although the origin of Gus’ reign as the new official team mascot is unknown, the mouse has become a loyal spectator at all of the team’s matches. At the recent state tournament, Gus was almost kidnapped when a lady, who thought the toy belonged to a child that had been playing near the benches, took Gus from the bleachers during the final match. Luckily, the team found him, and he was happily returned to his rightful owner.

Gus’ good luck must have rubbed off on the team in the state finals when one of the team members, Jenn Morgan, passed out during the decisive match. She suffered heat exhaustion during the second set. Morgan managed to get up and play one point to finish the second-set tiebreak. Her and her partner lost the set and had to play a third set super tiebreak to determine their team’s fate. Against captain Sharon Reynold’s wishes, Morgan continued to compete despite being delierious and confused about what was happening. Somehow, they were able to keep their composure and perservre to capture the State Championship title for their team and give them the opportunity to advance to the 2009 USTA League Southern Section Championships.

With a lot of hard work and a little luck from Gus, this team has managed to get through the hurdles and obstacles during the season. And as they battle their way through the top teams in the section, these women, using their favorite phrase, hope to “Git'r done.”