From the “Tennis Served Fresh” Blog
He looks scared. And he should be. Tina Taps runs a tight ship. And rightfully so. As head of the U.S. Open ballperson operations at Flushing Meadows, Taps employs nearly 300 people each year to make sure that the matches of the Open not only operate well, they do so almost flawlessly. And her end result? Usually perfection. Sure, there’s a mis-thrown ball here or fidget there, but these are the best of the best. And when you’ve had the chance to experience the vigorous tryouts that Taps puts on, you’re going to do the job just fine.
A couple of weeks ago I headed out to the National Tennis Center in Queens to survey the scene of tryout day. Last year I had done a mock (or was it real?!) tryout myself, getting put through the ordeals of running and catching and sprinting my way through Court 7. With ball people, it’s really all about timing. If your timing is off coming to grab a netted ball, you could delay a match. And if you’re a little early, well, just ask this French kid what happens.
But this year I was simply observing, something I was happy to do. I also was able to corral a few veterans of the U.S. Open ballperson world to talk with me for a few minutes about a few things you should absolutely do, and a few things you should absolutely never do while on the court, providing TSF with 10 do’s (and don’ts) from the uso ball person tryouts.
See the 10 Do’s and Don’ts HERE
