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Tut's Take Vol. 1, No. 7: TCU men’s coach David Roditi... |
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Written by Tut Bartzen
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Q: Has TCU men’s coach David Roditi introduced you to his new players yet, and if so what did you tell them? Have you seen them practice?
A: Yes, we got together this early this week, and I gave them a little speech. I gave my talk in the men’s locker room, because it’s quiet, and there are no interruptions. Also, we didn’t want to hold it in the hot sun, because, even with a tarp, it was 106 degrees, according to my good thermometer.
“I just told them about what it was like when I first started coaching at TCU, which is how it pretty much is for them right now. I say that because I had only about seven players, and they have seven new players right now, along with maybe three others. I had only one-and-a-half scholarships at the time, and the legal limit I think was eight, but there was so much de-emphasis on tennis at TCU at the time. I didn’t have much talent there.
 “[TCU coach] David [Roditi] has four-and-a-half scholarships, but I’m not sure how many he had to work with for the recruits. But he got these guys to come here, and that says a lot about the program and about David. To get a top player, you’ve almost got to have a full scholarship or he’ll go someplace else. David thinks he’s got some talent there, which is exciting.
“I haven’t seen them play at all, because until now I don’t think they’ve been able to have a legitimate full practice, because they [the NCAA] have these practice limitations about how many hours or days you can have the full team practicing as a unit.
“It’s the same in every sport. Like football, they have only so many days that they can practice in the spring before they can get into full drills and pads. In tennis, the coach can take one player at a time out there and work with him. The rules are strict.
“Also, fall competition is only individual competition. Every man for himself. Team competition is in the spring: six singles and three doubles. I attend as many matches as I can.
“As far as what I told the players in my locker-room talk, they didn’t know me, for one thing. I hadn’t met them formally. So this was an opportunity for them to see who I was, and I got to shake hands with each one of them to really say we met each other.
“David introduced me and told them a little bit about me. Then I did my spiel about how I started and where it took me. I think I held their attention, because I didn’t have any of them falling off the stool asleep.”
Tut Bartzen, the legendary TCU coach whose 16-0 record in Davis Cup play remains unequalled among Americans,  lives in Fort Worth. He coached TCU tennis for 25 years, and the varsity courts are named after him. Send your questions for Tut's Take to
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Last Updated on Saturday, 20 October 2012 11:33 |
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Tut’s Take Vol. 1, No. 6: Kalamazoo is a huge event for Boys 16s and 18s Nationals... |
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Written by Tut Bartzen
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Q: Kalamazoo is a huge event for Boys 16s and 18s Nationals. What makes the Zoo so popular?
A: I'll tell you what, the first year I played in the national junior boys, which was then the 15-and-under and 18-and-under divisions, it was held in Culver, Indiana, at the military school there. It was a nice site with clay courts and dormitories, but the next year, 1943, it went to Kalamazoo, and it's been there ever since. The reason it stays there is they do a fantastic job with it. The whole town gets into it. They must have at least 200 volunteers for it. They have a backlog of volunteers. They probably work year-round on it. It's a big thing, because you couldn't pay that many people to work. They do it for the good of the city.  What separates this tournament from the rest? Well, everything is first-class. They just make them feel real welcome. The matches are all officiated. I'm pretty sure they all have ballboys. Also, when I played, they had a picnic for us, and they used to have a party at the lake for the boys, held by one of the wealthy people in town. I loved it there. I made the finals twice, in 1943 and '44, but I lost to Bob Falkenburg and Herb Flam, who went on to great Grand Slam careers. Every college coach in the country will be there to recruit these guys, and there'll be a lot of agents there, even though they are forbidden to talk to these guys. Some of these kids are gonna be good enough to turn pro soon, and the agents want to be in on the ground floor. The winners at Kalamazoo get U.S. Open wildcards, just like NCAA winners, so that's a big deal, too. Remember, this is a boys-only tournament. If the girls were there, that would be a zoo, for sure--on more than one level. That would get out of hand real quick.
Tut Bartzen, the legendary TCU coach whose 16-0 record in Davis Cup play remains unequalled among Americans, lives in Fort Worth. He coached TCU tennis for 25 years, and the varsity courts are named after him. Send your questions for Tut's Take to
This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it
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Last Updated on Thursday, 07 February 2013 11:45 |
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He’s tightened up his game to where he doesn’t have the mental lapses. For a while, the players felt he was a little bit weak mentally when the going got tough. Well, somewhere a long the line he got tougher mentally. He doesn’t freak out or do screwy things mentally. He doesn’t make errors. 