SMASHING TENNIS RETURN AT 84, COACH RESUMING HIS CAREER.Byline: Lisa M. Sodders Staff Writer After a dozen years in retirement, Paul Xanthos is ready to hit the courts again. And, as Pierce College's new tennis coach, the 84-year-old Xanthos just may be the oldest working collegiate col·le·giate adj. 1. Of, relating to, or held to resemble a college. 2. Of, for, or typical of college students. 3. Of or relating to a collegiate church. tennis coach in America. ``I still dream I'm coaching and teaching tennis,'' said the Hidden Hills residents. ``Sometimes I put a pad and pen near the bed so (when I get ideas) I don't forget. It's just in my blood.'' Xanthos previously taught tennis at Pierce for nearly three decades, starting in 1965, and achieved a record of 550 wins, 94 losses and 23 conference championships. At the end of 1993, Xanthos retired from coaching at Pierce - but he just couldn't stay away. He coached the team again in 1999 for one year, then retired again. The U.S. Tennis Association and the Intercollegiate Tennis Association The Intercollegiate Tennis Association is an organization of 1,500 coaches and 15,000 collegiate tennis players, encompassing more than 1,000 college tennis programs. Included in the membership are women’s and men’s head and assistant coaches at the NCAA Divisions I, had no statistics but said it is possible Xanthos is the oldest working tennis coach in the country. ``(Xanthos) looks great, and he's an energetic guy, and you don't get better than this in terms of knowing the game and teaching the game,'' said Bob Lyons Bob Lyon, an American politician, is a former Kansas State Senator from the city of Winchester. A civil engineer, Lyon is a graduate of the University of Virginia and George Washington University. , Pierce athletic director Athletic director (commonly, "athletics director") is a position at many American colleges and universities, as well as in larger high schools and middle schools, which oversees the work of the coaches and related staff involved in intercollegiate or interscholastic athletic who hired Xanthos to replace Sam Pitts, who left when his teaching duties at Reseda High School Reseda High School, established in 1955, is located in the Reseda section of Los Angeles, California, United States. The current principal of Reseda High is Alfredo Tarin. The mascot of Reseda High is the Regent, a lion welding a crown and a scepter. increased. ``He's a fabled instructor.'' Xanthos will be paired with former Pierce student and tennis star Rajeev Datt, 34, now a private tennis coach in West Los Angeles
Datt said his own teaching style includes video analysis of players and statistics, which he thinks will complement Xanthos' emphasis on discipline. ``He scared the living daylights out of me,'' Datt recalled, laughing. ``He's old school: You leave the court to get your water, and you get back to work. He was hard-core.'' Xanthos said the team can expect a coach who is slightly old-fashioned. He frowns on four-letter words four-let·ter word n. Any of several short English words generally regarded as vulgar or obscene. four-letter word Noun and expects team members to dress well on the courts, even for practice. At the same time, he can describe the physics of the game with ease and enthusiasm. ``Practice doesn't make perfect,'' Xanthos said. ``Purposeful pur·pose·ful adj. 1. Having a purpose; intentional: a purposeful musician. 2. Having or manifesting purpose; determined: entered the room with a purposeful look. practice makes perfect.'' Lyons is hoping Xanthos and Datt will boost the Pierce men's tennis team, which had a five-win, 11-loss record last year and was ranked 14th in the state. And Xanthos has the credentials for it. He was inducted into the U.S. Professional Tennis Hall of Fame in 1999, is a USPTA USPTA United States Professional Tennis Association honorary member master professional, and has written numerous books and articles about tennis. He received the U.S. Tennis Association Award of Merit in 1974, and was the California Coaches Association Tennis Coach of the Year in 1979 and the USPTA California Division Coach of the Year from 1981 to 1984. He also won the Intercollegiate in·ter·col·le·giate adj. Involving or representing two or more colleges. Adj. 1. intercollegiate - used of competition between colleges or universities; "intercollegiate basketball" Tennis Association's Community College Coach of the Year honors in 1988, and the National Teaching Excellence Award from the University of Texas in 1989. In 1994, he was named USPTA Coach of the Year and was also inducted into the Intercollegiate Tennis Association Hall of Fame. ``It's as if John Wooden came back to coach basketball; people in tennis circles know this guy,'' said Mike Cornner, director of marketing and public relations public relations, activities and policies used to create public interest in a person, idea, product, institution, or business establishment. By its nature, public relations is devoted to serving particular interests by presenting them to the public in the most for Pierce. ``Paul's coaching ability is legendary, and he is a great inspiration and role model, not only for college tennis coaches but for all coaches in all sports,'' said David A. Benjamin, executive director of the Tennis Association. Xanthos' love for tennis began when he was young, after his family emigrated from Greece when he was 2. He grew up in Boyle Heights while his father worked for an uncle in the grocery business as a butcher. ``If I hadn't taken up tennis, I would have gone into the grocery business,'' Xanthos recalled. One day, while helping one of his junior high teachers, he spotted an old tennis racket in the teacher's garage. She gave it to him, and since he couldn't afford private lessons, he taught himself how to play by reading a book. He eventually bought a better tennis racket with money he earned selling magazines. ``That racket has taken me all over the world,'' he said. ``Have racket, will travel.'' Looking trim and at least 20 years younger than his actual age, Xanthos said his fitness routine now includes weighing himself first thing in the morning and last thing at night, ``because I've always wanted to be an example to my students of a physical education teacher.'' He plays more golf these days than he does tennis, but he also likes to swim, garden and walk the hills around his home. ``Movement is essential to life,'' Xanthos said. ``If you stop moving, you've had it.'' Lisa M. Sodders, (818) 713-3663 lisa.sodders(at)dailynews.com CAPTION(S): 2 photos Photo: (1 -- color) Paul Xanthos has just been rehired as men's tennis coach at Pierce College In 2006 the Library won a national Excellence award. Academics Pierce College offers associate's degrees, mainly in the arts and sciences. There are also certificate programs in early childhood education, social services, dental hygienist, and others. , at the age of 84. (2 -- color) Xanthos practices his own game before his new tenure as men's coach at Pierce College. Michael Owen
|
|
||||||||||||
Printer friendly
Cite/link
Email
Feedback
Reader Opinion