Rick is remarkable. He’ll be teaching an on court tennis clinic, and someone will walk by outside the court, and he yells, “Hi Beth!” Or it may be “Hey there, Larry! How’s your knee doing?” Or he’ll ask me about my father-in-law who he met once 20 years ago. “How’s Erni doing?” I don’t have an explanation for how the guy remembers everyone’s name, except for the possibility that he really cares.
This morning, the 15th of September, Rick led his last men’s tennis clinic, and then had one last private lesson. And with that, he’s through. His long storied run as a west county tennis teaching pro, will be over. Over two decades of inspiring high school students and us aging but forever hopeful players, is now history. He’s hanging it up. Closing shop. Moving on. End of an era.
Me: Where and when were you born, Rick?
Rick: Born in Columbus, Ohio. May 27, 1953. I’m 68!
Me: So were you a Cleveland Indians fan growing up? (I was/am.)
Rick: Oh yeah. We used to fill up a bus with Italian family members, and take stacks of salami sandwiches with us, and go up to Cleveland for games. Especially to see the Yankees.
Me: Sounds like a big family.
Rick: My mother had 15 siblings! Not all survived childhood, but the family was huge.
Me: How many cousins do you have?
Rick: I have no idea, but the family reunions are crazy huge.
Me: So do you identify as an Italian-American?
Rick: As I’ve gotten older, not so much. After I went to Italy a number of years ago, I realized I really couldn’t speak Italian. I started to feel more American than Italian.
But we were the dagos growing up. That only helped solidify my identity. My dad told us we had to stick up for our Italian heritage and show those jerks we weren’t going to take it.
Me: So did you pop anyone back in the day?
Rick: Oh yeah. All the time. Every time I was called a dago.
On the other hand, we were seven siblings and they didn’t name us Anthony or Luigi. We were Rick, Tommy, Johnny, Billy. Our parents really just wanted us to be Americans.
Me: I get it. That’s why I’m a Steve and not a Mordechai or Yossel. How many kids did you have?
Rick: Just one. Our daughter.
Me: We’ll get back to her in a minute. Let’s talk a little tennis.
How many years have you been teaching/coaching?
Rick: Since ’94 it’s been my main gig. I began coaching at Analy (West County) in ’99. I’ve really loved mentoring so many kids through such critical years of their development. I discovered that I was a teacher at heart. It has been a blessing for me.
Me: What did you do before you transitioned into being a tennis instructor?
Rick: I was in the restaurant business. I owned Lucinda’s in Mill Valley, and then we opened a Lucinda’s here in Sebastopol. It was where Ochoa’s is now (either across from Starbucks, or between Round Table and Solful, depending on taste). Ochoa’s bought the place from us.
Me: Do you have a favorite tennis player?
Rick: There have been many. I’m attracted to the creative players. Agassi was flamboyant, but McEnroe could do anything with his racket. He was creative. He had an amazing touch. Federer brought the all-court game back. Among the women, Billie Jean King. (Rick is on a roll at this point. Seems like he could talk tennis for a long time.) She did it all. Everet and Navratilova brought other elements. In today’s game Coco Gauff is someone to watch. Naomi Osaka is remarkable too.
Me: What do you say about Osaka’s struggle with the mental part of the game?
Rick: Hey, life is hard. The pressure these players put up with is huge. Osaka was just being honest about it. I have great respect for her.
This woman, Emma, the 18 year old who just won the U. S. Open, she had a panic attack in the middle of a Wimbledon match earlier this year. She was overcome by it, and simply couldn’t breathe, and had to retire from the match. Later, she admitted that it was just a mental thing … These are young women playing a very stressful sport.
Me: So now tell us why you are leaving and where you’re going.
Rick: Our only daughter, only kid, had twins 7 days ago. I’m now a grandpa! So I’m going out to New Hampshire to help them out with that, and also to reunite with my ex-wife, Ambra. Two very exciting developments.
Me: Wow! Okay, say no more. You’re excused from your tennis duties around here, no matter how much you’ll be missed.
Rick: Hey, I’ve done the tennis thing out of love and care, and I think people got it. It’s been a totally rewarding experience.
Not one regret.
Me: One last thing, Rick. If you had a spare $20, who would you donate it to?
Rick: Children with serious health issues. I give to St. Jude’s.
Me: Happy trails Rick. You have left a real mark around here.
St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital – (“Families never receive a bill from St. Jude for treatment, travel, housing or food.”)
www.stjude.org
