My first pro! Many people do not know this story so bear with me.
The year was 1975 and into my classroom came this little kid. I was teaching 7th grade and he was in 6th grade. He told me he was going to beat me in racquetball. He had never played. I met up with him at the JCC and played 2 games, then 3 and then 4. The kid would not leave the court. I knew he was going to be good. His name was Mike Levine. By his sophomore year in high school he had beaten me and a host of others. He was a national junior champion in 1978 and by age 14 he had won open tournaments and he was an amazing player.
We learned the game together and that is where I learned what I still teach today about the drive serve. Deception, power, speeds, and angles were all dissected and examined over and over on reel to reel Video tape.
Fast forward today-I sent a video to Mike of two pros playing in early rounds. He nailed it with an great analysis.
“Both players are hitting down on the ball and should be lower. Both seem like nice guys. Where’s the fire? I expect them to have tea together after their match. Nobody looks like they really want to win!”
This is why I love to get fresh perspectives on the matches I coach. Yes, I see the same things but I want to make sure I see the same things someone removed from the fray of racquetball wars and personalities would see.
Below: Mike Levine, as a teenager–The original Pro from Winterton Nation!
