Recipe For Gumbo On The Court

DIFFERENT PERSONALITIES COMBINE TO FORM WINNING COMBINATION

By Amanda Tobin and Jennifer Pollack/USTA Southern

This Senior Women’s 4.5 team from Arkansas is not afraid of its differences. The members of this team consist of players between the ages of 50 to 61. Captain Meg Marion described her task, saying “captaining a team of women is not unlike herding cats.”

The women of this team don’t hesitate to help others in need. One member in particular has been known to not only use her washing machine to clean her tennis outfits but also to wash greens for meals that she prepares for charity events. It is not unusual for her to receive a call asking if she will cook a meal for multitudes of people. She has the reputation to cook a meal at the drop of a hat that tastes better than anything you could find in a restaurant.

Another player has the determined mind set to give 110% every time she hits the court. She played an entire match with a pin lodged in her shoe. She experienced some discomfort while playing but refused to let it distract her during the match. After winning the match she took off her shoes and realized what was causing the pain. Her teammates were astonished that she could compete and win with this foreign object residing in her shoe.

Flying under the radar this season, these uniquely individual women are able to put aside their different personality types and compete as one. Marion best describes her team as a recipe, which includes: “4 cups of talkers, 2 stalks of quiet folks, and several pinches of diplomacy. Throw in a bit of spice, balanced by a few cups of rice, and that's the recipe for our particular gumbo.”