The Champion's Pursuit

The Champion’s Pursuit

What does it take to be a champion? No matter the field of endeavor, it takes drive, determination, sacrifice, hard work, practice, knowledge, experience, and more. Man, that sounds like a tough row to hoe. Is it really worth it?

But take even a quick look at any of this year’s winners of RSI’s Champions of Tennis Awards, and you’ll know the answer. These people love what they do, and they are successful in proportion to that love.

But it is also more than a “labor” of love. It’s fun, too. Helping the game to grow, developing tennis programs for a local facility, running a CTA, designing and building court facilities, running a successful retail business — these folks simply enjoy what they’re doing.

Another commonality of this year’s champions is the belief that success is all about building relationships. Champions fulfill their dreams by helping others fulfill theirs. Each champion believes that what they are driven so naturally to do is of great value to others in their pursuit of what they do. In a sense, the relationship is the goal, not the means, of the champion’s pursuit. That’s why so many champions are so genuine, so nice, and so well-liked. Your day is better off having them in it than not having them in it.

So, to our 2005 Champions of Tennis, we say thank you for a job well-done — and well-loved.