Living Proof
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94128_NWSLTR:SCTA Senior MAR 2/17/09 12:25 PM Page 1 SCTAwww.scta.usta.com Southernnews California Tennis Association FEBRUARY 2009 Living Proof Mark Winters nnually, in recognition of Black volved in tennis until 1969 when I History Month, a Diversity story is covered the ‘Handsome Eight’ in Apresented. In the past, those who Whitefish Bay, Wisconsin, (a suburb of have had an impact on the game in Milwaukee),” Greene recalled. “In Southern California, either as players, 1971, I covered the fourth Virginia instructors or organizers, have been fea - Slims tournament. After that, I moved tured. This year, the focus will be two indi - to Washington, DC, where I covered viduals – Bob Greene and Kurt Streeter – lots of professional tennis in the who both have been involved with the ten - District, Maryland and Virginia.” nis industry in another very visible capacity. Streeter became a player, and lover Green, though retired after an impres - of the game because of one individual. sive career with Associated Press, still “I owe my life in tennis to one person: covers a few events my father,” he says. “Mel Streeter was every year, includ - one of the best high school basketball ing the US Open. players in California during the late He also writes 1940s; a star at Riverside Poly High “Monday’s With who became one of the first African- Bob Greene”, an Americans to play basketball at the AP column that University of Oregon. He loved his focuses on inter- hoops, but he loved tennis even more. national tennis. I’m not sure how this came to be. It’s Streeter, a former not like black kids, in his day, had much co-captain and in the way of access to the game. And standout on the there weren’t any blacks among the Mel and Kurt Streeter the1983 Pacific Northwest Equitable Family Tennis Challenge winners. Bob Greene Cal tennis team, tennis greats back then. initially wrote for the Baltimore Sun, “But, my father, (who passed away three himself to play, first at public courts in where he was honored for years ago), always marched Riverside, and then by watching the best coverage of the inner city. He to his own beat. He didn’t players at Oregon. also has been recognized as a care that tennis wasn’t ‘cool’ “He learned well, becoming good documentary filmmaker and in his community, or that enough, by his early 30s, to win a round or radio producer. He joined the the tennis establishment, two in Open tournaments; and equipping Los Angeles Times staff, and during the 1940s and 50s, himself with more than enough knowledge wrote for the “California” didn’t exactly accept black to give me and my three brothers, (Doug, section. He moved on to players. He didn’t need role Jon and Ken), a head start in the game we become a Sports columnist models who looked like he would all come to love. for the newspaper. Over the did; his role models were “From the age of five, I regularly tagged years, both Greene and (Don) Budge, (Ellsworth) along with my father on his frequent trips Streeter have earned kudos Vines, (Rod) Laver and to his favorite public courts in my home for their tennis coverage. (Ken) Rosewall. Shut out of town, Seattle. At six and seven years old, I’d “I didn’t really get in- Leslie Allen Selmore the country clubs, he taught (continued on next page) 94128_NWSLTR:SCTA Senior MAR 2/17/09 12:25 PM Page 2 www.scta.usta.com shag balls for 90 minutes, and then get member of the National Indoor 15 minutes to hit with my dad. In awe Championship team in 1989.” after watching the power and grace of Greene added, “I never saw any of tennis played well, this was good the black players have problems, enough for me.” though I wasn’t happy with every - Greene, a five-time United States thing I saw at times. I felt Zina Tennis Writers’ Association President, Garrison’s coach John Wilkerson said, “I’m old enough to know that I kept her and Lori McNeil separate wouldn’t have been allowed to play in from everyone else. It was an ‘Us United States Lawn Tennis Association vs. Them’ type thing. I saw that in events if I had been a world-class play - Eastbourne once when some of the er as a youngster. But, I wasn’t, and my other players (read that, Wendy playing was done on local tennis Turnbull and her age group, who courts in Maine when I was growing were old enough to know the up, not in a league or any kind of media still counted) would invite organized play. So I didn’t suffer any me to join them at dinner. But, I ‘problems’ because of race, etc. never saw Zina and Lori out eating “I didn’t because I had a big reason: at the local restaurants, never the letters AP behind my name. No attempting to be part of the group. one with any sense would keep the AP “Looking back, I don’t really away from their tournament. But, I remember them at the barbecue never saw any discrimination against JD Morgan, UCLA tennis coach and NCAA winner Arthur Ashe party at Hilton Head that the play - any other writer of color. Sadly, there Photo: UCLA Sports Information ers and media were invited to, weren’t that many beside myself, since although I’m not saying they most black sports reporters covered the involvement with the game), did me a great weren’t there. I just don’t remember them. NBA, NFL or baseball, not tennis.” service by making me be the one to sched - At the Slims parties in New York City, I’ve He continued, “I covered the sport in a ule my own practices. If I didn’t do the sat with Jana Novotna, in her first trip to number of places, including Memphis, St. scheduling, I would have hardly played. It New York, and with many other players, but Louis and several places in Florida. Again, wasn’t uncommon for me, by age 12, to call never with Zina and Lori.” no problems. In fact, I played once at the up a middle-aged bank manager at his After he finished his college career, Memphis Tennis Club with Ed Fabricius (a work, asking if he could practice on a Streeter played a couple of years on the former USTA Director of Communica- Saturday morning. Looking back, I can see Satellite circuit, in a few Challengers, and tions) and two others. And I played the how this taught me a certain sort of confi- won several Open tournaments in press tournaments at Deerfield Beach dence and was one of the ways that tennis Northern California and the Pacific Club and many other places without prob - ended up shaping me as a person. Northwest in the early 90s. “Any African- lems. Again, I know the fact I was the AP “Tennis would become the prime focus American playing at that level will find him person was a damn good shield.” of my teens and early 20s. All through my or herself part of a very small group,” he Looking back, Streeter recalled, “As I junior days, I was one of the top handful of said. “It’s true now, and was even truer two edged toward my teenage years, I had my players from the Pacific Northwest, a clutch decades back. In most big tournaments, I dad to hit with; my dad to push me once I of end-of-the-tennis-boom kids that includ - was the only black player; almost always announced that I wanted to take the sport ed Pat Galbraith and Grant Connell, who the only seeded one. seriously. We lived a good walk from a pub - went on to fine pro careers. Compared to “Yes, because of this, there were tough lic complex that teemed with a motley our peers from California and Florida, we times. Moments when I faced down trash group of adult players who possessed all were a middling group, but we were proba- talk and on a few occasions fists nearly levels of skill. My father befriended these bly the first group from the Northwest to flew. There were also many moments, play - players. They were impressed by his pas - leave that region and perform well at major ing tournaments at country clubs that did - sion, and maybe because of this, they tennis schools and beyond.” n’t exactly cotton to folks like me. God, I always seemed happy to offer tips and add At Cal, Streeter said, “I walked on to the hated that. One of my favorite memories is me, as a fourth, during their doubles tennis team, earned a scholarship, and a steady march I made in 1990 to the dou - matches. Eventually, as my father’s architec - ended up having a very solid college career. bles final of a pro tournament played at a ture firm found its feet, we joined a club, I defeated my good friend and great team - stuffy, all-white club in Birmingham, and I found the same level of support from mate Woody Hunt, and then Jeff Tarango, to Alabama. My partner was Malcolm Allen, a the adults there. win the Northern California Intercol- dreadlocked African-American player from “Dad, (and my mom, Kathleen, though legiate singles; teamed with Carl Chang to Oakland. Every match we played we had a she did not play, was a big part of my capture the NorCal doubles; and was a dedicated group of fans: a small swell of old 2 94128_NWSLTR:SCTA Senior MAR 2/17/09 12:25 PM Page 3 www.scta.usta.com groundskeepers who never in their lives often-stratified society.