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November 26, 1999/17 Kislev 5760, Vol. 52, No.13
Tennis pro 'connects' with kids
TAMI BICKLEY
Staff Writer
On any given afternoon, there is reason to envy Seth Korey.
Who wouldn't, after all, rather be playing tennis beneath a cloudless sky, amidst towering palm trees and sprawling bougainvilleas at the Scottsdale Plaza Resort?
"Yeah, I know, it's really nice," Korey says of his job, after just having finished coaching a middle-aged man on one of the resort's manicured courts.
At 27, Korey has already figured out what it takes to keep himself happy.
"It's all about working with kids and keeping them on the right track," he says.
A full-time tennis coach and head pro (highest ranking of coach) at the resort, Korey teaches children as young as 5 who are just beginning to learn the sport, up to people in their 80s who are looking for ways to keep in shape. He teaches people one-on-one - which he says is most effective - and in groups, called "clinics." Although adults are more serious about their game, Korey says he looks forward most to working with children.
"Some kids are forced to be out there (on the court, by their parents)," he explains. "So I try and relate to them and make it fun for them. I'm not just their teacher; I'm their mentor and friend. And when I do that, they'll like the sport. ... It's a great communicative sport, and I played it (as a child) because it kept me out of trouble."
Korey, who lived in Lincolnwood, Ill., a suburb of Chicago, until his family moved to Scottsdale in 1980, began taking private and group tennis lessons two years later. He quickly advanced in the sport, competing in junior tours, ranking second in the Southwest and No. 1 in Arizona when he was 16. He was a two-time high school Prince All-American while attending Sahuaro High School.
In 1989, Korey, who is Jewish, was a finalist in the Jewish Community Center Maccabi Games, held in Chicago. He entered through the Los Angeles JCC because Phoenix did not have a delegation then.
"The experience was unbelievable," he says of the games. "It was the best time of my life, meeting kids from around the world."
One of his goals is to take a dozen of his students to the next Maccabi Games. The games, held in Houston last August, saw only two tennis players from the Phoenix area -- neither of whom were Korey's students. Korey wants to see the games become a staple for young Jewish athletes from throughout the Valley.
"The interest is definitely there," he says of his students. "I am willing to do anything (so Phoenix kids can go). I'll even coach baseball because baseball and tennis are similar in that they're about hand-eye coordination."
After high school, Korey attended the University of Kansas, during which he was crowned Big Eight champion. He is glad, however, that he majored in psychology, he says, because that skill has come in handy during his teaching career.
"I use psychology to help people improve their game by determining their strengths and weaknesses, especially with kids," he explains.
Korey played competitively as an amateur for 12 years. Eventually, he says, he grew tired of practicing tennis 25 hours a week and working in jobs that didn't thrill him - selling real estate, running a small concierge business, and selling Land Rovers. His first job as a full-time coach was at the Gainey Ranch Estate Club in Scottsdale, where he worked for a few years before moving on to Scottsdale Plaza resort five months ago. He also teaches privately at people's homes.
The toughest part of his admittedly fun, relatively cushy job, he says, is the Arizona heat and the lack of indoor courts.
"In the summer, if you're not finished before 10 a.m., forget it," he says. "It's not worth jeopardizing someone's health. ... An indoor facility is a big need here."
But even in the summer months, when his young students have one eye on the ball, and the other on the swimming pool adjacent to the court, Korey says he finds some way to connect with them, some way to keep them focused.
One way is through group trips. Last week, he and eight of his students traveled to Palm Springs to compete in a juniors match. Korey also plans to start a tennis summer day camp next year.
And Korey also connects with students in other aspects of their lives, such as their religious faith. At least half of his clientele are Jewish. Some of his pre-teen students are preparing for their bar or bat mitzvah ceremonies - something Korey did as a Hebrew school student at Temple Solel.
"It's great to work with these kids and be challenged by them," he says. "Every lesson teaches me something new. ... But the (most rewarding) part is seeing these kids improve and putting smiles on their faces. If not for me, who knows what they would be doing? ... In this sport I get to meet great people who are friends for life and know that I'm making a difference in these kids' lives."
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