Broadstone Captain Enjoys Winning Ways
Winning matters, but it’s not everything for Eric Tate.
“I like to set a strategy and lead toward it,” Tate said of how he handles being captain of multiple tennis teams.
Tate has been playing at Folsom’s Broadstone RC for about eight years. Most of that time he has been the captain of a 4.0 USTA team and a 4.5 Sacramento Area Tennis Association team.
“I use him as a role model captain for many of our other captains. He’s really, really organized and really fun,” said Doug Atkinson, the club’s tennis director. “He is accommodating to his teams and players. He does an unbelievable recap of matches.”
USTA NorCal recently recognized Tate for his efforts as a USTA team captain. Most years his teams reach the playoffs, with one team making it to the district championships.
BC Transfer Winning Big at UC-Davis
When Michael Reiser transferred to UC-Davis as a sophomore, it was almost like returning home. Now a senior, Reiser was born in Sacramento, grew-up in Clayton and graduated from De La Salle H.S. in ‘05.
It’s no surprise this history major has done so well at the collegiate level. While in high school, he was twice named Contra Costa Times Player of the Year. He graduated with a record of 114-7. He also won the West Coast National Championships. At the same time he rose to No. 5 in the USTA NorCal rankings. The 21-year-old spent his first year at Boston College, where he was limited to three singles wins.
UC-Davis coach Daryl Lee is proud of how Reiser has grown as a player in the few years he has been an Aggie.
“He has an excellent feel for the ball. He can compete very well,” Lee said.
Reiser started making a name for himself the first time he stepped on the court for Davis. In October ‘06, Reiser went 6-0 during a three-day tournament in Santa Clara. Rotating at Nos. 1-6 as a sophomore, he had the second most singles wins of anyone on the team at 14-11. He compiled a 4-4 doubles record, playing with four partners. Last year, Reiser improved his overall record to 19 wins — six in singles and 13 in doubles. In ‘07-’08, he was able to accumulate more doubles wins because he partnered with Daniel Elephant in all 25 matches. For their efforts, they received All-Big West accolades. Reiser split his time that year between No. 1 and No. 2 singles. At 6-foot-2 he’s able to serve big and stretch far when an opponent pulls him wide.
“It’s hard to describe his style. It is more of a finesse type of style with his tennis,” Lee said. “He has really good court sense.”
WTT News: Chang Joins Capitals Roster
The World TeamTennis season may be five months away, but now’s the time to lock in season tickets to see the Sacramento Capitals in their quest to regain the WTT trophy.
So far head coach Wayne Bryan is counting on Mark Knowles, Sam Warburg, Tammy Hendler, Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova and Zi Yan to fill his roster for the July 2-23 season. And he’ll now be able to call upon recent Hall of Fame inductee Michael Chang, who will play one home match in Sacramento and one on the road in Newport Beach.
Benefits to being a season ticket holder include a savings of more than 40 percent off individual tickets, having priority when it comes to buying Capitals’ playoff tickets and being able to upgrade seats. Season ticket holders also get special pricing on individual matches as well as two free general admission tickets to a designated match, plus invitations to VIP parties.
To buy season tickets, contact Beth Willey at (916) 638-4001, ext. 113 or e-mail her at bwilley@gocaps.net.
Accidental Hero: SoCal Quadriplegic Inspires Local Team
Throw out any negative stereotypes you might have about teenage boys.
Rollingwood RC’s boys’ 18s team did something extraordinary last season. They dedicated the ‘08 season to a man they didn’t even know at the start of the season. To someone who has never played tennis. To someone several years older than them. To someone who doesn’t even live close to their Fair Oaks club.
Eric Doi, a Southern California resident, has changed the lives of these 15- to 18-year-olds, though it wasn’t intentional. Doi, 30, became a quadriplegic in July ‘07 in a work related accident. He requires around-the-clock care, regularly battles infections and has multiple medical complications. Don Britt who helps with the tennis team coached by Dave Wedstone is Doi’s attorney. Britt’s son, Daniel, plays on the Rollingwood team.
The connection between Doi and the team started when the boys were on a road trip to Fresno for Sectionals last year. Some of the guys asked Britt what he does for living, then about cases, and specifically what he was currently working on. At the time he was preparing for Doi’s October trial.
“Here we are in Fresno and they sit there and start talking about Doi. They end up winning Sectionals and are given a ribbon with a medal,” Britt said. “They said they need an extra one. They decided to make Eric an honorary member and dedicate the season to him.”
Winning Sectionals meant the Rollingwood team would become part of the North squad in the Gar Glenney Cup. The North won the August tournament in San Diego. Doi’s trial started two months later in Pomona. A week later, on Oct 14, a lunch was set up with Britt, his law partner, Doi, his caregiver, his parents, a few others and Britt’s son, Daniel. The teenager had not told his dad what he was going to say to Doi.
“He got up there and turns to Eric and said, ‘We had to fight very hard to win these competitions and receive these trophies, but we knew you were fighting every day and that thought made us fight that much harder. It is a pleasure to be able to share these with you.’”
While Doi and the younger Britt were all smiles, the rest of the room was drying their eyes. That night Daniel Britt told his dad that giving the trophies to Doi was better than winning them. The plan is to have as many from that selfless team as possible travel soon to meet Doi. Much of the team’s memorabilia sits next to Doi’s computer and bed.
Doi told Britt, “It’s the fist thing I see every morning and it gives me hope.”
In Brief
Copper River CC recently hosted the NorCal Combo Playoffs in Fresno. Over 1,000 players competed over three days on 36 courts. “The energy was was unbelievable,” said Copper River TD Coby Roberts. “Mixing players of all levels together is a terrific formula for growing the game.
