Guy had a great career...Another hustler who tried to run down everything..
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Guy had a great career...Another hustler who tried to run down everything.. -
Tried to go look at his bio on atp and they already took it down haha.
I would play tennis forever if I could win a match or two a year. Get to travel the world, make money, and get free stuff. I guess once you have all the money you need and get to his place in life you might get sick of traveling though and want to settle down.
If my kid has an inkling of athletic ability I am teaching him how to play tennis, or golf. Seems like a nice life either way. Wish I played tennis growing up. Wasted my talent on soccer, and basketball. Was always more of an individual player and usually best player/scorer on any team I played on. Had the skills but not the motivation to deal with team b.s.. Turned down chance to play D1, to party in college. Happy how my life turned out, and that I'm not playing soccer in like Englands 3 division down which is where I would have ended up. Tennis though - now i think I would have enjoyed that.
Sure you really wanted to hear my life story, lol.
I know a lot of former players gamble, because it offers the same "rush", so maybe some other guys here relate
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Pharaoh, I played Soccer from age 8 to 15 and was dam good.Got to high school and had a prick coach and fellow teammates.My eye sight started to get bad and my parents did not have the money for sports glasses(Kareem style).Thomas Rongen was going to be my coach my sophomore year if I had decided to play.Wish now that I had.I think i could have at least got a D-1 S'ship.Hell I would have played for the fukking up the Hyman(Ryman league in England and tended bar in Yorkshire to make ends meet) I loved the game so much.Still remember my last Under 15 game at some BIG tourney double elimination we lost to the same team twice, the first in Penalty's made mine hell yes) and then we played them again and lost in the 90th min 1-0.Pissed me off so bad I wanted to kick the shit out of anybody.I was a sweeper or stopper, was made to man up on our opponents best player.Ran up to take corners and long free kicks.
But yeah tennis is the way to go if you can retire early enough to have your health and have a couple million in the bank.Hell I would take being a career challenger level player and to go all over the planet scrapping for 80 points just so I could Q for some shit bag ATP 250 when the highest ranked player is Brian Baker..Comment -
Another thing is once you retire, theres always an academy or Country club that will hire you. Playing pro tennis def seems like the way 2 go!Comment -
Yeah soccer is really frustrating when you are young and good and your parents don't have the money to put you on an expensive club team. I spent ten years averaging like 4-5 goals a game in travel soccer, but it was never against the top talent. I didn't get noticed until my senior year in high school our coach got a tip from guys who had seen me play travel to give me a shot. Ended up leading team in scoring and getting a couple d1 offers. Never took it because it wasn't something I had planned for, and I also saw college as a place to make friends, party, get my degree and get a real job. A sport like soccer is too dangerous. One injury and you are done. I felt like I had a career ahead of me and didn't want to sacrifice that. How many guys pour their heart and soul into a sport, just to not make it, or suffer a career ending injury and end up getting no real life skills along the way.
Another good thing about tennis is the career ending injury risk is low. That and you don't have to rely on teammates to let you down by missing a PK or what not like in your situation.Comment -
Guys I used to play both soccer and tennis...as for the soccer I was a GK, captain of local team, kinda individuality too. Then I dropped soccer and started playing tennis. However, I started too late (like 7 or 8) and my parents could not afford trainings more often than like 3 or 4 times a week. Still I was pretty good, but I always felt like I was not going to be the best. I eventually dropped even tennis, cos of the people in the bussiness. It was just a bunch of pretentious dumb kids with their rich and even dumber parents who were pushing their offspring against their own will. The atmosphere on the tournaments (even at age of like 13) was awful, too much hate, parents of competing kids always in argument with each other over the match etc etc. Not even a hint of fairplay or something, kids getting picked in tennis team due to their parents paying considerable "fee" to the coach - just too much money in the sport to put it simple.
Don't get me wong - tennis itself is a beautiful sport and I still play with my father from time to time.Comment -
I played Div II in college. Played soccer my entire life. Didn't start tennis till 25. I am currently a state ranked player, top 5 every year, in men's singles 4.5 Texas section. I teach tennis & sure as hell wish I would of been pushed into tennis instead of soccer. I love soccer, but tennis is an unbelievable rush.
With that being said, I have watched J I Chela play almost his entire career. I got to meet him & hang out in the locker room at River Oaks. Thank God my girlfriend spoke Spanish, LOL. He was very polite & quiet. I have watched him play many times. I have always had respect for Chela bec of the way he just went about his business. Hustling for every shot. Never quitting in a match. When he won River Oaks a few years ago, he so deserved it. I watched that tment & he couldn't even serve over 100mph. But he never stopped digging balls out.
I hope he has a great retirement & finds the peace he so deserves. Thanks Juan for showing us to never quit & to put it all on the line for so so many years. He wasn't the best or strongest or flashiest, but he loved the sport & to me, it always showed.Comment -
Trained by Fernando Gonzales, another great player I will miss.Comment
