Can you picture a place where tennis, camaraderie, and transformative experiences beautifully intertwine? Welcome to the world of the FGCU Collegiate Open at Bonita Bay Club. In this dialogue-rich episode, Paula Scheb, CJ Weber, Sam Munze, and club member Debba Pearce pull back the curtain on the collegiate tennis scene and the unique interaction between Bonita Bay members and participating athletes. They shed light on the tournament's format, the sheer magnitude of support from members, and the awe-inspiring experience it provides to the college student athletes. Not to mention the scholarship-backed support for the FGCU women's tennis team and the spirited cheering for all competing teams.
But what happens when a sport transcends geographical boundaries? College tennis has evolved into an international phenomenon. This episode brings you one step closer to understanding why. Through Sam's shared experiences, we delve into the tournament's entertaining atmosphere and how Bonita Bay members morph into surrogate parents for these athletes from all over the globe. We also delve into some heartwarming stories that highlight the extraordinary bonds formed between members and student athletes, as shared by Debba Pearce, CJ Weber, and Sam Munze.
Have you ever wondered about the rigorous preparation process that student-athletes go through? CJ Weber is here to enlighten us. From nutrition to fostering team spirit, the narrative covers all. Taking us further, the conversation underlines the potential learning opportunities for the club members from these young, diligent athletes. The episode finally touches upon the expectations set by the coaches for their players and the pivotal role it plays in building a robust team bond. So, sit back and join us as we unravel the intricacies of collegiate tennis and its profound impact on the community at Bonita Bay.
Can you picture a place where tennis, camaraderie, and transformative experiences beautifully intertwine? Welcome to the world of the FGCU Collegiate Open at Bonita Bay Club. In this dialogue-rich episode, Paula Scheb, CJ Weber, Sam Munze, and club member Debba Pearce pull back the curtain on the collegiate tennis scene and the unique interaction between Bonita Bay members and participating athletes. They shed light on the tournament's format, the sheer magnitude of support from members, and the awe-inspiring experience it provides to the college student athletes. Not to mention the scholarship-backed support for the FGCU women's tennis team and the spirited cheering for all competing teams.
But what happens when a sport transcends geographical boundaries? College tennis has evolved into an international phenomenon. This episode brings you one step closer to understanding why. Through Sam's shared experiences, we delve into the tournament's entertaining atmosphere and how Bonita Bay members morph into surrogate parents for these athletes from all over the globe. We also delve into some heartwarming stories that highlight the extraordinary bonds formed between members and student athletes, as shared by Debba Pearce, CJ Weber, and Sam Munze.
Have you ever wondered about the rigorous preparation process that student-athletes go through? CJ Weber is here to enlighten us. From nutrition to fostering team spirit, the narrative covers all. Taking us further, the conversation underlines the potential learning opportunities for the club members from these young, diligent athletes. The episode finally touches upon the expectations set by the coaches for their players and the pivotal role it plays in building a robust team bond. So, sit back and join us as we unravel the intricacies of collegiate tennis and its profound impact on the community at Bonita Bay.
Hey, I am so excited to be sitting here with three of the best people to represent the Bonita Bay Club Sports Department and the FGCU Bonita Bay Collegiate Open Lemon Air Ducar Group. My name is Paula Shebb and I'm the Director of Sports, and right across the table from me is Debba Pierce, who is one of our first members to embrace this tournament. She and her husband have been really great supporters. Thank you in advance. And CJ Weber is our Director of Instruction and he was formerly known as the head coach of FGCU Men's Tennis for 12 years and he's come to the dark side, or the really good side, being a team professional on the Bonita Bay Club Sports staff. And then our head professional, everybody knows Sam Muncie, who's been with us since gosh it seems like forever, you fit right in, but for four or five years now. Fifth season, fifth season and here we go. So we're going to talk a little bit about this FGCU Open. Are you all ready, ready?
Speaker 2:Ready.
Speaker 1:Let's rock it.
Speaker 2:Okay, let's do it, paula.
Speaker 1:Okay, let's do. I'm going to throw out a question. Whoever wants to answer it, answer it. Whoever wants to chime in, chimes in right. Perfect, thank you. I like being perfect, at least for a nanosecond. Could you say that again? Perfect, okay, cj.
Speaker 2:Just like the collegiate, open baby.
Speaker 1:Oh well, said Good sell there. Well said I like it, I don't know Like. I think CJ probably has some insight. Don't you all think about how this tournament started? What's the format, what's great about it, what's not great about it? Talk to us a little bit about it, cj.
Speaker 2:Well, this is a really fun tournament for me to talk about, because I was the Men's Coach at FGCU when we started it here at Bonita Bay. It was just a really unique opportunity. For you know, on that side, as I was a college coach, I'm just thinking about it. You know, what type of experiences do our players have? You know what, what types of new and exciting events can we, can we add to our schedule and how can we make the collegiate experience for the college student athlete unique? You know, unique, memorable, fun.
Speaker 2:And with Bonita Bay being basically the nicest club in the country, like, why would we not want to do a tournament here? And I just remember one summer Paula came up to Courtney and I Courtney is the women's coach and just presented the idea of having a college tournament at Bonita Bay and we both loved the idea and that was kind of the initiation of it. And to actually see it come to fruition is really a miracle in and of itself and it's it's incredible that it was able to to to all happen so, so smoothly and so successfully.
Speaker 3:And with so much support.
Speaker 1:Yeah, so much member support and so much support and enthusiasm, I think. Yeah, without the member support forget it Nothing could have happened.
Speaker 4:I think they embrace the college environment too.
Speaker 3:Oh, I agree, An exciting environment. It's young people.
Speaker 1:Yeah, who doesn't want to be? Around young people, so are you saying there's a fair amount of energy for this tournament.
Speaker 3:Absolutely, don't you think?
Speaker 1:I agree, you can feel it when people like walk on to the, to the sports center Veranda, and it's like they're just buzzing.
Speaker 3:They see those banners and they just absolutely.
Speaker 1:Yeah, just the banners being up.
Speaker 3:All excited? Oh, I think so.
Speaker 2:Yeah, and I will. I will also say that even the college student athletes feel the energy of Bonita Bay and the wow factor of Bonita Bay. As a coach, the, you know, we've recruited some of the nicest tennis programs in the country to come here. I mean on the men's side. I know that we've hosted Illinois, louisville, kentucky, arkansas, purdue, minnesota. On the women's side, they've hosted Notre Dame, purdue, minnesota.
Speaker 2:Memphis Yukon like major universities that are traveling all over the country. A lot of these student athletes get treated very well throughout their, throughout their collegiate travels. They stay in very nice hotels, they play very nice tournaments. And to see how an opposing college coach walks into those Bonita Bay gates and their eyes just light up and they're just like I can't believe this place. You know, this is really a very special place and I've never gotten feedback that just wasn't in complete awe and it didn't matter if, it didn't matter where the coach was from. So this really is a special tournament for for the members, I mean you. You guys obviously know it best from Bonita Bay side, but from a collegiate coach and student athlete standpoint, it was equally energetic and fun.
Speaker 3:Yeah, and the players feel that too. I mean the, the kids that we had were just their eyes, just bugged out. I just couldn't believe that they had landed in a place like Bonita Bay to be able to play in a tennis tournament.
Speaker 4:Yeah, you don't. You don't play at country clubs, no, and then you're playing at Bonita Bay club.
Speaker 3:Right, exactly Everything is high end. Yeah, yeah, so it's, it's just been, it's great.
Speaker 1:I think what was one of my funniest memories was after the first year in 2018, I was walking around and, as you all know, we have a contingent of members that support the FGCU women's tennis team with a scholarship and I was walking around and I was seeing members rooting against FGCU and I was like what the heck? And you know, with a couple of questions, you found out that, oh well, they were hosting the opponents of the FGCU kids. Were they alumni?
Speaker 4:Yes, or they were alumni Fair enough Good points, Sam or the children were alumni or whatever yeah.
Speaker 1:And then we had CJ and Courtney and we started to talk about it and, like all three of us said at the same time, the answers FGCU stays with our members and it's solved the whole problem. I mean, it was really fun now to watch the engagement with our members, with all the schools, all eight schools that are present at the tournament. So that was fun.
Speaker 2:Yeah, and I would also like to add when because the first year FGCU did not stay with the members then we came up with that idea and and both me and Courtney did like the idea, but we weren't sure if our players would like the idea, you know. So we actually pitched the idea to the players being like, you know, you're so close to home, would you prefer to stay, you know, in in your dorm, you know that's kind of your comfort zone or would you like to sort of get out of your comfort zone a little bit and spend a weekend maybe with, with a new stranger or, you know, hopefully a new friend, and things like that. But you wonder if a college student athlete is going to see it from that perspective, you know. And but when we pitched that to our teams they were just like, absolutely, we, we would love to spend the weekend with that.
Speaker 2:And sometimes, as a college coach I mean, sometimes you're just absolutely amazed by by your players and the maturity that they have, the experiences that they want to have, and and that was one of the moments that that I had as a college coach where I was like this is a great opportunity for them. And they saw that and and expressed immediate excitement at the opportunity of being able to stay in here for a weekend. For for yeah, for a weekend, yeah.
Speaker 3:And it's just such a win-win because the members just get the get the same experience, but in a totally different kind of way. Yeah, I mean again, to have young energy around is pretty exciting.
Speaker 4:You get to be a college athlete, mom or dad for the weekend, right, exactly, yeah, pretty cool, absolutely.
Speaker 2:And and how would you describe that experience a little bit, as you know from from the member side, the biggest perks of of doing it.
Speaker 3:Well, I guess for us it's just the relationship that we continue to have with these two students. I mean, we never expected to have to have anything like this. I mean, they're not. They're not from the US, they're from these foreign countries which we knew nothing about. So we got an education on their backgrounds, their situations, all of that. I just remember the first morning having breakfast with them and and just they were so interested in us, which allowed us to be so interested in them, so it was such a win-win going back and forth. It was really. It just hit both my husband, Rich, and myself as wow, this is, this is pretty unique. This is really really unique, yeah.
Speaker 1:I think that goes to one the college coaches, because, oh, I don't think there's any question. We kind of look at the coach. You know, you and I have had some conversations about it. By the way, sam's our most recent college graduate playing on a Tennessee, and we'll get to her experiences about that in a second. But you know, you know, sam, that that college coach I know mine was is so much more than just a coach.
Speaker 4:Oh yeah, they're a life mentor, a friend, a coach, a mentor, a life mentor for sure. I've been out since 2017 and actually this weekend going back for a wedding up to North Carolina that my coach was invited to. We're all playing tennis with my coach, so CJ just got to play pro league with one of his past players. It's a special bond and you know, to be able to share that with, yeah, people at Benita Bay is special. I mean, you guys get to see it, you get to feel it. They'll look at you as mentors and I think that's that's pretty neat. They they understand that adult connection, I think, and that, and being a mentor and what it's like to have a mentor, yeah, and so they look at all adults that way. Right, it's pretty special.
Speaker 1:Yeah, it's. It's interesting, cj, and people have asked a lot about this is the university makeup of a tennis team has become so international and lots of times they'll wonder, goodness, what happened to that All American team that we're educating our youth and now we're educating youth from other places. Talk to us why that happens. What you think are the good and the bad of that? I mean, it's a question we get asked a lot. I know you do, sam.
Speaker 2:Yeah, and I got asked that a lot as a as a college coach. You know, sometimes we had a heavy American team and I would still get asked like why we have so many international players. And so I think it's just something that it's very well known that in college tennis a lot of players come from all over the world and I, and I think that really the the reason for that is because tennis is truly a global sport. It's, you know, in America maybe, tennis ranks around fourth or fifth most popular. You know, in a lot of countries, you know, tennis ranks as high as number two, you know, maybe behind, behind soccer. So in a lot of these countries, I mean, players are growing up in tennis and tennis is extremely popular. So, just global, globally, you know, tennis is one of the more popular sports in the world.
Speaker 2:And so if you want to be able to, you know, from a coaching side of things, if you want to be able to compete, you know you have to recruit the best players that you can get. And as a college coach, I didn't care where a player came from, I just wanted to recruit kids that I thought would represent our program really well. That would be a lot of fun to work with and they're both here and I really learned to absolutely love that global nature about it. And Deba, you said it best Like you know, you're hosting a kid from another country, you're learning, you know that's. The beautiful thing about tennis is you can learn so much about the world. You can learn so much about different cultures, different people's backgrounds and upbringings and things like that. So so it really is a beautiful thing, I think, about college tennis.
Speaker 3:Yeah, I absolutely agree.
Speaker 1:Speaking of college tennis, sam, when you came and you saw your first Benita Bay Club FGCU open Collegiate Open, what were your thoughts? I mean, like you said, you'd sort of recently graduated what thoughts went through your mind?
Speaker 4:Yeah, I kind of felt like I was home. You've got all the players cheering for their own schools and their own players all next to each other. I enjoyed watching the members enjoy that environment. You know we have our league matches and everything's quiet and you know you have your team members that are there to support you. But then you walk into a college environment and I'm loving everybody yelling and screaming and cheering for their school and it was very cool to watch the members start to get into that. They start cheering. I've watched members go out who are hosting the kids go out on court carrying their bags, cheering alongside the team with the last court playing and I'm like this is so cool. I get to watch the members be a college parent slash athlete for three days straight and it was very cool. Like I wish my parents had that opportunity to kind of be at all my matches like that. So it's very neat to watch membership do that.
Speaker 3:Yeah, and to be able to, if your parents can't be there, have your surrogate parents, you know your surrogate adults, or whatever it is.
Speaker 1:Absolutely. The college tennis has changed so much from 100 million years ago when I went and we did have the Lady Gator boosters and they were like moms to everybody, but now there's much more strict NCAA regulations. But, debbie, you probably had some fun, memorable experiences. I mean, I always remember you. You'll never, ever get the memory out of my head. With you and Katie Volleynets and you offering this young girl had nowhere to do her laundry. She'd made the finals of our pro tournament and I didn't know who could do her laundry other than our pool attendance, which probably wasn't appropriate because she was a 19 year old young lady and they were young men. And you stepped up and volunteered and you're just magical in that kind of way.
Speaker 3:I mean, that's very kind, but I just remember that there was just a conversation and you said you know this girl, doesn't it was. It was when, I think, they were staying at they weren't staying here, correct, and she wasn't staying with us but they had no laundry facilities. Right, you just mentioned that you don't learn. I'm like, well, heck, I can do laundry, what's the big deal? So it was no big deal.
Speaker 1:Well, no, when you brought them back, wrapped in saran wrap, perfectly stacked, that was a big deal.
Speaker 4:You can come to my house anytime.
Speaker 3:That's my limit.
Speaker 1:That was a perk for our tennis team that we got our laundry done, but it never looked like that when we picked it up, so that was huge. So tell us what was kind of a memory that you have with the girls that you have that you are there.
Speaker 3:Honestly, there are just so many.
Speaker 1:What's your favorite?
Speaker 3:Tell us a good one. Probably one of my favorites is what? It wasn't tennis related. They wanted to go to the beach, so we went to the beach and you know I mean for them just to go to the beach and see the sunset and all of this. It was just, and of course they're taking you know 18, a jillion selfies and you know whatever it was, but just to see them be able to enjoy something that you know, sometimes I feel I take advantage of is pretty special. That was really special. And then Rich and I were on a trip, not this past September, but a year ago, and we were in Croatia and one of the girls who lives in Zagreb, croatia, drove four hours down to spend the day with us. So we wouldn't have that without the FGC tennis team. You know what I mean. Yeah, and that just is. It's just really unique. It's very unique or special.
Speaker 1:Same, and I were talking earlier about some members that have had really other nice experiences where they would travel somewhere and hook up with their, their students, from here, because it's so much easier to stay connected with social media so much easier. Cj, you guys encourage the kids to do that. How does that happen? Is it organically?
Speaker 2:it happens or, in all honesty, it's all organic and that's what you know. That's the best part.
Speaker 4:Probably right. Yeah, I mean I just think that it.
Speaker 2:you know, and I think, when it comes to college student athletes like maybe maybe our typical idea in our minds or what or what is communicated in media you know a lot of college student athletes, you know, maybe don't have the, maybe they get a bad rap sometimes, but but my, my experience as a college coach, especially with tennis players, is is just that you know they're, they're, many of them are just coming from backgrounds, they're raised and and we're in an environment to where people are, people seek out you know these great relationships. They they recognize the importance of networking and they value, they value. You know the people that they touch in their lives because they know that we're not, we're not on this world alone.
Speaker 4:Yeah, tennis is a lonely sport and I feel like when, when you're playing college tennis, you take any connections that you can get and you, you run with it.
Speaker 2:Yeah.
Speaker 4:So I think it's. That's why they see how special it is. Right In all the connections and CJ and I were talking the other day these kids they're in college they don't get home cooked meals all the time Like they. They don't have family there all the time. So now, with you guys hosting, they get a family for the weekend.
Speaker 2:Yeah, so that's what's also funny is there are there are many times that, as as the coach at FGCU, a member would come to me and they'll just be like oh, I'm so sorry, you know, I only have this, this bedroom, for them to sleep in. It's only, you know, it's only a queen size bed, and and things like that, and the member is, you know, kind of apologizing at what space they have available. Meanwhile, my player comes up to me five minutes later and they're they have shown up to the tournament like they've had the best night sleep that they've ever had and they're just like coach, you would not believe the place that we're staying at. This is incredible.
Speaker 2:Like this bedroom has this and this and and whatever, and so it's uh. So it's interesting getting that, that contrast, uh as well. And I just think from from the member side of of things, debba, I mean you know the, the student and athletes. I mean this is really a, a weekend that that they will remember and that they also always look forward to, as long as they're, you know, a student athlete and able to come.
Speaker 4:There's no other tournament like this in the country. Did that, was that part of the plan. I'm sorry.
Speaker 3:Sam, that's okay. Was that part of the plan originally to have to host and have the students the athletes stay with members?
Speaker 1:We did want that because we understood the unique relationships that could develop and how special they would be on both sides. I mean kind of going off of CJ's point is a lot of things have changed in the world of college and athletics and so forth and so on, but dorm rooms haven't changed much, right.
Speaker 1:They're still small, they're cramped and they're a twin bed. That's right. There is nothing home cooking about it. It might be popcorn for dinner, yeah, yeah, anyway. So we've got this tournament, which lots of people have said to me. Where do we find information about that? And so I do want to mention the fact that the tournament has a website and it's available to members. We're not promoting this event outside of the club, so the website if you'll pardon this moments of self promotion, you all is wwwfgcu Excuse me, wwwbbcfgcuopennet. So since I messed it up the first time, sam, repeat after me no, it's wwwbbcfgcuopennet. So if you have a chance to go there as members, you'll see the whole draw. But just in case you don't, sam's going to kind of talk about how the women's draw is playing out and any insight she might have into all of that kind of good stuff.
Speaker 4:Okay, so I'm going to read off a sheet, paula. So our first day of matches is going to start on Friday at 12 30 and then another round at four o'clock with FGCU playing at four. I think that's what everybody's going to be looking forward to. On Saturday, we've got another 12 30 start. Notre Dame is playing at 12 30. That'll probably be another popular one going on with FGCU and playing at four o'clock again. And then Sunday we've got a little bit of a time change. We're starting at nine o'clock and then the second round is going to be at 12 30 with FGCU and playing at that time too.
Speaker 1:So you know, talk about just one of the little details that the coach has thought of. You know they really, to Sam's point, thought that a lot of members might like to come out and watch FGCU. If they didn't, we wanted them to because that is the home school, we want everybody to get engaged, that the school is so open to us as a community. And again, not to bring up the pro tournament, but we do give the women's team a wild card into our main draw, which is, we think, great for tennis, great for the community. But they were very astute in saying FGCU should probably play second so we can get as many people out. And then on the last day they had him play at the hottest time of the day, but only because there wasn't going to be the travel from the FGCU team. So they try to be so considerate of all the other teams. Cj, how did the men's lineup match schedule work out for the weekend? Do you want to let everybody know?
Speaker 2:Yeah, so the men and the women play at the same time every single day. So I think that that's important for everybody who's interested in coming out and I think that that's another very unique thing about this tournament. Many tournaments in college the men's tournament schedule is separate from the women's tournament schedule. So this is a very unique event that you know. At 12 30 every single day, you can watch a men's match or you can watch a women's match. At four o'clock on Friday and Saturday, you can watch a men's match or a women's match. At 9 am on Sunday, you can watch a men's match and a women's match. But so at 12 30 on Friday, virginia Tech plays Purdue and at 4 pm FGCU plays Wichita State, and that'll be Wichita State's first time coming to this tournament. So that's a very nice addition for us. On Saturday, at 12 30 Virginia Tech plays Wichita State and at 4 pm FGCU will play Purdue and that'll be a fun. That'll be a fun matchup.
Speaker 2:A fun fact about Purdue University is their head coach. His name is Jeff Young and he actually came here a number of years ago I think about four years ago, when he was the University of Minnesota coach. So he was the coach at University of Minnesota and when they they had their, they came and he loved the tournament so much that he that he's like CJ, we're coming back every single year, we're, you know. And then the following year Minnesota got their program cut very, very sadly. And then, and then, ultimately Jeff landed the job at Purdue. We both connected again and that's how, that's how Purdue got into the tournament. For you know, on the men's side, and then on Sunday at 9 am Whichita State will play Purdue and the featured match on Sunday afternoon at 12 30 will be Florida Gulf Coast versus Virginia Tech.
Speaker 4:Yeah, I think the environment with the men and women playing at the same time is cool just from a Players perspective perspective. When the men were playing and we were playing at the same time, it was unbelievable. I know you've been through that, especially with your home matches when both are playing at the same time, it's, it's incredible. Now You've got that going on for three days straight.
Speaker 2:Right, that's cool absolutely, and and you'll get to experience some of the highest level of collegiate tennis in both genders and it's very interesting to watch both genders as well. You know there are many similarities between the genders but but also some some stark differences, and so and I think that that people enjoy enjoying both. So I would encourage anybody interested in the tournament to to come out and watch all of the teams. You're gonna be blown away at the level. You will be absolutely blown away. Doesn't matter if you know. It doesn't matter the name on the shirt. I mean, you might think that some school is bigger than another, or some school it has higher name recognition than another. It does not matter. These players are very good, every single participant other than how fast they can move.
Speaker 4:What should our members be looking at and trying to acquire?
Speaker 2:Well, that's. That's really interesting because, yeah, I've been here at Bonita Bay for about three months now and so so I'm learning a lot about about our membership here and and everything, and I I think there are three things that that I Would like the members to sort of pay attention to this weekend, especially the, especially the, the members that play leagues, but really anybody who who plays matches. But I would like for the members to pay attention to the Collegiate, to to the student-athletes preparation, what they're doing leading up to matches, how long they warm up, what they do to get their bodies prepared to play and if they're a host they get to really.
Speaker 2:Yeah, really see what goes on how much food they eat. That's right, that's right and deva could probably no pressure to make sure they have good meals at all right. So I mean, and without getting on too much of a tangent, but you're talking about, you know, these student-athletes.
Speaker 3:They care about the nutrition that they put in their body right and they should. So I mean I can remember our girls saying you know, do you think you could, is it possible to? And I'm like you just tell me what you need and we just do it. So yeah, I mean that's, you know, that's part of the deal, part of the day, or fuel.
Speaker 1:It's their fuel. Yeah, as a staff, we all say we want to stay at debba's house after season.
Speaker 4:Just do my laundry debba.
Speaker 2:So I would say so, yeah, so to talk about the preparation how they prepare for their matches, how they cool down and also how the teams compete as teams. Okay, and how do you turn an individual sport into a team sport and anybody who's a part of a league team? I think you can learn a lot from watching the college students Interact with each other all weekend long, how they communicate with each other off of the court. You know how they're talking about their matches. You know are they lifting each other up during, but, but especially during, matches to you know?
Speaker 4:Body language, high fives walking together. Yep in between points.
Speaker 2:Sam, you talked so much about how, how, how the league matches, you know, can be quieter and things like that, and league matches are gonna be quieter. I don't need to pay. That's not, I'm not, we're not trying to To turn our memberships into a bunch of collegiate student athletes.
Speaker 2:But but at the same time, you can learn how much do these Players communicate with each other Before points, during points, after points, from court to court. You know If they see one of their teammates hit a big shot, you know they're talking to each other, they're encouraging each other. They're not just only focused on their individual court and their individual shot. It's a team sport and that's something that I think the members can learn from but CJ, that has to really really start from the coach.
Speaker 3:Yes, yeah, and it does start from the coaches there they're the mentor expectation and how lovely that they get to sit back and watch that happen. But I guess you know from my standpoint I never standpoint. I never played collegiate tennis, I never did any of that to have the coach put that as the expectation or whatever. Right it has to start there.
Speaker 2:Yeah, right, yeah, and it and it does, and some, some college coaches value that more than others. I think the majority of college coaches really value that because that intangible nature of you know, needing to perform as a, as a team, it just in my opinion, it's a big difference maker and and honestly, that's something that I hope to In instill in some of our teams here at Bonita Bay. You know, use some of my background here to to learn how, to how to make those bonds even stronger for Us now here on the dark side.
Speaker 1:I was quoting you when we were interviewing, but you know, speaking of that, cj said that numerous times when we were talking about the job is that, hey, if this club has so many league teams, what's the culture? Are there things you want to improve? And both Sam and I talked about trying to create that team culture, which is strong here at Bonita Bay, but there's nothing wrong with it being even stronger and Debs, realizing that even croquet has got, which is your sport now. You used to be tennis, but but it's an individual sport until it becomes a team sport right Right, and or you have a partner and and and, as people are getting more competitive.
Speaker 1:You're seeing different things, yeah, definitely so it's fun to watch all of that culture in a sport grow day by day. So I think that's fun at least. So, deb, if you had to kind of deba, if you had to kind of Encapsulate this event, what do you think this event means to kind of the general membership is it important, is it cool to have? How could you encapsulate it If there was a paragraph or a slogan that we could attach to the event? Sorry, to put you on the spot, just some words, maybe, just some adjectives all thrown out. Okay, I mean it's.
Speaker 3:So my first reaction, my first thought is you know, my husband's a big tennis player. We've had tennis in our family and our I mean, our first date was a tennis date, so it's just part of who we are. So we're around tennis people so there's so much energy and support for that, if that makes making sense. On the other hand, people who aren't tennis players Just kind of don't get it. So I guess I see both sides if that makes sense, but I I don't have a phrase or a or a caption or anything. It's just something that we really really look forward to every year, you know really, I don't know that that answers your question.
Speaker 1:No, but it does, because it gives me something to even think about, because what we notice with the tournament is we have lots of golf members that don't even play tennis hosting the kids and people seeing the flags out in the circle when you pull into the parking lot and I believe, as CJ said earlier, alumni from schools coming and they'll come and watch. So to me it's really been just college athletics in general.
Speaker 1:Yeah, yeah, fans right, it's been a really great coming together Of the whole club. Yeah, you know, obviously you'll have people that are not as positive as others, but for the most part, the positive energy we feel from the membership is what really keeps us going with it, right? Yeah? So yeah, yeah, Sam from special from your perspective this year? Is it gonna offer anything different or anything happening this year that hasn't happened before? I mean, we've got our Trumpeter, we've got things, kind of happening.
Speaker 4:Jim Depke, he's gonna make his appearance again. He's been fantastic through the college tournament, the pro tournament. I just saw him at pro league last week and he's already excited. He not just to play the trumpet, he loves watching college tennis, so that's an exciting thing for him.
Speaker 1:Well, do you have tips that you might want to share, like CJ did with for some of our members coming out to watch? Yeah, yeah.
Speaker 4:I think a good comparison that CJ made with body language and how all the players are gonna be communicating on the court. All of our league players have seen the team that has played together for 35 years. They walk together, they, they probably talk the same, they. They move well together, like like they've been doing it for 30 years, and Some of the people that I teach come up to me and they're like well, they've been playing for 30 years.
Speaker 4:It's, it's hard to play against and I think some of the notes that that they can take from that weekend is these girls have only been playing together for maybe one or two and yet you would think they'd be playing together for 30 years. And how they communicate, how well they know each other, whether that's their game on the court, off the court, it's all bonding. So I'm gonna piggyback off of what CJ said with that in terms of learning, if you want to talk a little bit technical, with what they're doing. Looking at how they move at the net, I Think they're. They're not afraid by any means, especially on the men's side.
Speaker 4:You know there's some balls that are really being ripped oh no, they're being ripped and they're right up at the net ready to put it away. They're always hungry to win the point right there. They're not waiting for mistakes, they're ready to win, and I think that those two things are something that our members can look out.
Speaker 2:Well and one one thing. You're talking about doubles, partnership, relationship and how you know, I will say from my experience as a college coach I have sent players out here at Bonita Bay. They've never practiced together, they've never played a match together, never even had them warm up on the doubles court together and I let them know an hour before the match hey, you guys are playing together figure it out and they got to figure it out.
Speaker 2:Yeah and so that that is a skill that all tennis players need, need to learn. You know, sometimes you're thrown to the wolves and and one of my favorite phrases in all of competitive Athletics really is champions adjust. And if you keep that mentality in the back of your head, of Champions adjust. Anytime you're thrown a curveball, anything, anytime that you're thrown something that makes you feel a little uncomfortable. Well, if I want to be a champion, I Need to adjust, I need to learn, I need to be open. So so, yeah, you, you will learn so much by by watching these, these players play here in a couple weeks. I'm I'm really excited to see it.
Speaker 1:Yeah, I'm really ready right now to make some bets with you guys that are. All of our teams in tennis and in pickleball have winning seasons this year. Just because of the way you all are talking, I know I'm pumped now. Lots of energy, yeah. So I guess we'll kind of wrap it up. I wanted to ask Deva one more question. Deva, do you have any advice for any of the hosts that?
Speaker 4:you hold your laundry.
Speaker 3:All right enough with the laundry, just really enjoy, just just learn about them. They've got so much to offer and you know, I don't I don't know if again most of the students or the athletes that are coming or from other places, but I mean that to us was just such a unique experience to learn about other places of the world and and just relax and have fun. Just relax and have fun.
Speaker 1:Well, y'all it's been a blast. I can't imagine spending these last 20 minutes or so with anybody but the three of you. All right, we'll meet again sometime soon, Thank you but eat a big one.
Speaker 2:Yeah, thank you.
Speaker 4:Have fun this that weekend. Yeah, yeah, oh.