This article is written by an extraordinary member of our coaching community, here in San Diego, Ron Marquez. Ironically, Ron and I met for the first time when he was a ballperson for one of my matches in the late 80s. I cringe to think of what I muttered under my breath between points. We reconnected when two of my favorite students were fortunate enough to play on Ron’s high school team.

Ron Marquez was the girls and boy’s tennis coach at Cathedral Catholic High School for 20 years, Assistant AD at Cathedral, and is now working for the CIF. He has won many awards for everything he does in our sports community.

Ron has been involved with or in charge of professional tennis “ballpersons” here in San Diego for 30 years. Many professional players were ballpersons growing up. Yes, I was a ball girl too, and I loved it!

I reached out to Ron and asked him to share his experiences being a ballperson, what goes into being a ballpersons, and the benefits to being up close and personal with professional players.

Benefits to Being a Ballperson for Professional Tennis, by Ron Marquez

I have worked as or with ballpersons for professional events in San Diego for 30 years. I started as a ballperson at the Great American Tennis Classic at the San Diego Tennis & Racquet Club back in 1989. I found out that the tournament was run by Mike Harris down at Southwestern College, so I attended tryouts and training to become a ballperson. A big reason why I wanted to be a ballperson was Steffi Graf was playing the tournament for the first time. It was a big deal for San Diego tennis! Fortunately, I was chosen (not sure how many were not), and the rest is history.

My Ballperson Experience

My experience as a ballperson was awesome. I got to be closer than anyone in the stadium to the best professional tennis players in the world. I was able to see pro tennis in a way that not very many others get to see. I got to hear the sound of the ball coming off their racquets, the shuffling of their feet on the court, see their mannerisms and superstitions up close, and hear what they say to themselves between points & on changeovers. I got to experience their perspective of the match. Being a tennis player who loved the game, this was incredible!

“I got to be a guest on a big stage, experience it, and, most of all – learn from it.”

In my first year as a ballperson, I remember being on the court for the doubles final working in a corner. One of the things that impressed me most was the speed of the player’s serves. You could hear the pop off the racquet and see the speed on the radar gun. I was soaking up the great tennis but couldn’t resist looking into the crowd to see if I could see anyone I knew. I spotted a friend, and not paying attention taught me a lesson I didn’t want to learn…how to keep a smile on my face through pain. I took a ball right in the gut but could not go down since I didn’t want to draw any attention to myself. Ironically, I remember the player that hit the serve – Marianne Werdel – someone I have come to respect as a great coach to a few of the players I have coached in my high school coaching career.

The Ballperson Tryouts

I remember the tryouts at the SDTRC being like an NFL Combine. I had to run to different points on the court, chase down balls, roll them to either side, and throw on a dime. Adults with clipboards and stopwatches stood at all parts of the court, writing down critiques of each boy or girl. It was intimidating!

The Ballperson Team

The ballperson system used by Mike Harris & his crew was unique – there was the usual set up where a team consisted of six ballpersons: four on the corners and two at the net. But, Mike also assigned one more person, a “team leader” stationed next to the umpire chair. The leader was responsible for keeping the team on task, on time, and coordinated on the court. Most umpires loved having an assistant on the court to help them manage the ballpersons and the player’s needs.

Knowing the Players

I worked with the team leaders to recognize the mannerisms and tendencies of each pro player. Tennis players are known to be very superstitious. What superstitions do they have? Do they take the same ball each point, or do they make sure they always play with a different ball? Do they want you to give them all the balls and decided which ones they want? Do they only take the balls from a particular side? Do they like to towel off after each point?

Ballpersons have to be in great physical shape, standing and running for long hours in the heat. They have work quickly and quietly, know the score, and understand where the balls need to be at any given time – all usually within a span of a few seconds between points.

If a ballperson missed something and held up a match, it was embarrassing. Our mantra was “the best ballpersons always go unnoticed.”

Benefits to Being a Ballperson

1. You can almost learn by osmosis – just being up close, seeing, and hearing the pros – young tennis players can soak up everything.
2. Coaches, parents, peers can always share their thoughts and experiences, but nothing is a better teacher than going through an experience of being on the court with the pros yourself.
3. There’s a camaraderie that you find working as ballpersons – you are all part of a team working together to make sure the flow of a match goes efficiently.
4. You get to process all the moving parts of being on the court in a match.
5. You can feel the pressure players feel because you’re engaged in the match, as well.
6. You can learn what the players do between points to deal with the pressure.
7. You can see the physical work that goes into playing each point.
8. One of the side benefits of working at the tournament was sneaking on to the courts and getting to play at a pro event.
9. It helps with a player’s hand-eye coordination and speed It helps a player’s tennis IQ.
10. You learn how to compose yourself professionally on court.
11. When you are a ballperson, everyone around you loves tennis and wants to see & share experiences watching the pros on the court.

Working with ballpersons made me a better high school coach

1. Getting tennis players to work together as a team is a unique situation that doesn’t happen a lot in an individual sport.
2. Training ballpersons helped me learn how to build a team.
3. Some of the best times shared by former players were working as ballpersons at WTT, Fed Cup or Davis Cup matches.
4. I have been able to share my love for the game of tennis with young tennis players and provide them the same opportunity to find their love of the game.

I have seen ballpersons become pro tennis players (I even got to coach one at a professional event), a major league baseball pitcher, doctors, lawyers, politicians, military, pilots, etc. Many of them have said that being a ballperson showed them the importance of being on time, working hard at a specific task, being focused, comradery, and enjoying what you do. All great virtues to take with you as you go through life.

I would say working with ballpersons in San Diego over the last three decades has been something very special to me – I get to be a part of the tennis community/world. Most importantly, I was able to have the chance to create lifelong friendships and make some lasting memories. I have met so many of my closest friends because of working with ballpersons, and those friendships continue today. I would hope other tennis players get to have the same experiences and memories that would make them smile and share with others as well.

If you, your children, or any young tennis player, get the opportunity, give it a try. Find a tournament in your area, call the office, or check the website for an application. There are some great experiences out there for everyone. Just keep your eye on the ball! 😉

Thank you for reading and a big thank you to Ron Marquez for sharing his experiences!