Wolverine (Tennis) Avoids Extinction at Sierra
The mood was tense as more than 500 people filled Sierra College’s theater in Rocklin on Feb. 2 as trustees debated the fate of six athletic programs — men’s and women’s tennis among them — as the school faces an $11.2 million budget deficit in the coming year.
Trustees then decided not to vote on shutting down six sports programs slated for closures, at least when coaches and athletes said they would raise private money to keep their teams alive. Led by singles players Brittanie Miller and Mackenzie Martin, the Wolverines captured their third NorCal championship in five seasons last spring.
Hard Work is What It’s All About at Maggio Academy
Until Flavia Pennetta went on tear last summer, no Italian woman had ever been ranked among the top 10. And Italy hasn’t produced a Grand Slam win since Adrianao Panatta won the French Open in 1976.
Italian expat and Sacramento area instructor Roberto Maggio has a theory on why his former homeland lacks in on-court savvy. A USTA-certified teaching professional who also operates his own youth academy in Carmichael, Maggio hopes to instill the kind of ardor in his players that he believes Italians don’t have.
“Tennis takes a certain kind of hard work and dedication. Italians find success, and the first thing they do is want to grab their entourages and enjoy the good life,” said Maggio, who also serves a college scout for a number of NCAA Division I programs. “They like to be comfortable.”
Maggio, 50, will soon begin his fourth season as the women’s 2.5 USTA team at Glen Oaks Racquet Club. He served as the director of tennis at the Gorin Tennis Academy in Granite Bay — which produced Dmitry Tursunov — before he become the namesake of his own youth hub five years ago. His own pro carrier never peaked higher than reaching the Tel Aviv Open (“No direction, no personal drive” was his rationale for the low level of accomplishment).
Maggio’s approach today is no-nonsense. He wants his young charges to think of reasonable personal goals, as opposed to longshot hopes of life on the ATP or WTA Tours.
Maggio’s 2007 Glen Oaks 2.5ers won the USTA District Championship. His success with adult players is especially impressive at Glen Oaks, which is more known for its successful Sea Lion youth swim club.
The names of note are young and promising. Maggio counts among his ranks 12-year-old Vincent Tabotabo, a Sacramento resident who recently moved with his family from the Philippines. Lovdeep Singh, a 15-year-old Sacramento high school student, regularly wins USTA 16s tournaments.
“I want to show them what hard work is about,” Maggio said. “They find out in a hurry.”
