Happy Birthday Sarah

US Open, Flushing Meadow NY 2011

All reproduction rights reserved Wm. Greiner

Sarah plays tennis and she is really good. She was a starter on her high school team when she was just a freshman. In her sophomore year, the team won the state championship. Sarah is the fastest girl on the team!

When she heard about try outs for ball kids at the US Open , she jumped at the chance. Sarah was a natural, given her speed and understanding of the game.

The show courts are usually reserved for the veteran kids, in their second or third working the tournament. However, Sarah was so good she was regularly assigned to Arthur Ashe stadium. Ashe is the largest tennis venue in the world, seating almost 24,000 people. Just to be sitting in the place, during a match is electrifying. Sarah now stood on the court almost daily, in her designer Ralph Lauren uniform. She was proud, proud to play this great game and proud to be around such great talent.

Watching tennis on tv as a kid, she was inspired to play by watching Serena Williams. Williams has proven to be one of the greatest women players of all time; hard working, hard hitting and a killer instinct. Sarah wants to be the next Serena Williams.

Working the courts at the Open is hot and grueling, that is probably why they mostly choose athletic teenagers for the job. For the women’s quarter finals, Sarah was out there, out there with no other than Serena Williams! It also happened to be her birthday. What a great gift this was. Serena cruised in her match, beating her opponent in straight sets.

Serena dutifully signed autographs for fans, as the players are expected to do. As she walked off the court, with tennis bags in hand, she hesitated for a moment. She looked back at Sarah, and with a wink and a half smile, it was as though she was saying “you will be out here one day”, with not just the balls but a racket. Happy Birthday Sarah!