I grew up in a small Connecticut town (Roxbury) where the primary sports were fishing and baseball. No tennis courts in Roxbury back then (there are two now!). We did play an animated game of badminton in our farm backyard (7 brothers and sisters!) and ping pong in the basement.  My sports experience expanded to basketball in high school and college. There was a tennis team in high school but it was not a mainline sport. Much of my sense of principles and team play (sports and otherwise), I owe to influences to my dad, Lewis, and my high school coach. I joined the US Air Force after college and served 5 years as a fighter pilot, flying F-4 Phantoms in the US, Germany (first son born there) and wrapping up my military career with a year in Korea where I got my first introduction to racquetball (as well as a comeuppance in ping pong from my Korean friends!). After my stint in the USAF, I got an advanced degree in mathematics and pursued a career in Information technology. I worked for several firms in US locations (Connecticut, Louisiana and Ohio) before coming to work with Kaiser Permanente in Oakland in 1995. Due to the northeast winters, my athletic focus turned primarily to racquetball. However, once my wife, Maryn, and I moved to Oakland, I was able to reunite with my younger brother, David, and get outside year round, playing tennis. All I had to do was get rid of all that wrist action from racquetball!! David and I joined the Montclair Tennis Association (MTA) to hook up with other players for local tournaments, interclubs and away events. I have served as Treasurer and Membership Chairman for MTA. David and I also joined the US Tennis Association (USTA) Laney College – Oakland teams, playing on a number of men and mixed teams. I was on the mixed team that won the NORCAL tournament in 2003. I retired from my position of COO of Kaiser Permanente Information Technology in 2009 and we moved to Point Richmond. I retained my affiliation with MTA and the USTA Laney teams while looking for teams and places to play in the Richmond vicinity. Surprise, surprise – very little opportunity! Maryn and I have become active in renovating out of shape tennis facilities (and programs) in Richmond. I have joined the USTA NORCAL Advocacy Team with the intent of rejuvenating the tennis courts and programs for our youngsters and oldsters (and everyone in between).