Love Is a Score in Tennis
December 5, 2008 by Christian Business Daily
By Zig Ziglar
Love is also something you do for other people. It’s an active verb. Speaking of active, at age 75, despite two knee operations, James Lewis continued his life-long practice of teaching Alabama youngsters to play tennis. Sports Illustrated told his story in a special feature. He was a black retired steel worker who grew up in segregated Birmingham, Alabama. He was not allowed to play tennis in the public parks as a child. However, the old saying, “Where there’s a will, there’s a way,” held true. James played under circumstances he created. He did things like carving out a red clay court on a vacant lot and painting lines on vacant concrete wherever he could find it.
Long since retired and more than just a legend in his own time, James Lewis taught generation after generation of Alabama youngsters to play tennis. He thoroughly enjoyed teaching kids how to solve the mysteries of the game. In the process, he taught them a lot more than tennis; he led by example, taught them sportsmanship, how to compete successfully against all odds, and that tennis is fun.
As a youngster he loved to hit tennis balls and seemed to have a natural ability for the game. He taught himself to play and immediately started teaching others. He taught that tennis is a step-by-step progression, “Forehand, backhand, volley, serve.” Once students learned that, he would let them try to put it all together, “just like a jigsaw puzzle.” “He truly was one of the most loving, unselfish men you will find, sharing everything from his time and knowledge to his equipment and even his food,” says Louis Hill, director of tennis in suburban Fairfield, Alabama.
Several of his students have won college scholarships. There is a scholarship named after him, The James Lewis Tennis Scholarship Foundation. He was a real go-giver who won in life by creating winners. Try James Lewis’ approach to life and I’ll SEE YOU AT THE TOP!
Zig Ziglar is a motivator and teacher. He is the author of 27 books and loved by millions of people world wide for his practical wisdom and his gift of hope.
Popularity: 1%
Comments
Comment Using Facebook:
Feel free to leave a comment...
and oh, if you want a pic to show with your comment, go get a gravatar!