Roz King

37 Years In The Game

This is a LOVE letter to all my NWTO “Sistas” who have lifted me up through the years with love and encouragement combined with some merging of biographical sketches to give you a picture of tennis experiences in my life's journey as a Black Woman.

A California native, I grew up in the small NorCal town of Oroville, where I attended the same grammar and high school as my mother. She was a major community leader who served on the election board for 50 years. In her 94 years, she never saw me play tennis and was appalled at the thought of anyone over 50 wearing a short skirt. My dad’s take was “Maggie (My middle name is Margaret), you are not playing fair” because I was not hitting the ball to the opponent. Needless to say, tennis was not a sport in my upbringing. I lettered in field hockey.

I became a licensed Registered Nurse in 1959 and have functioned in many roles: ER nurse, OR nurse for ENT specialist, Acute psychiatric nurse, Alameda County Hosp., a Licensed Nurse Practitioner (1982), Medical Care Provider of a Federal Government Pilot project to provide health care to several Indian reservations and migrant workers in San Diego County, Principal union contract negotiator for medical professionals, Healthcare administrator, Principal Union Contract Negotiator for management, MBA, Director of Primary Care Services over 100 mile radius and 16 medical office buildings, and retired after 31 years from Kaiser Medical Services. In the 60’s living in Berkeley, CA, I studied and engaged in master dance performances under Ruth Beckford.

Remembering being impressed while watching 4 senior players playing doubles at a public park and encouraged by Virginia Glass, I set out at age 50 plus to learn the game. I reserved my vacation time for national tournaments. In the late ‘80s, I played my first National tournament at Western Reserve in Tempe, Arizona, and the players were not a welcoming or friendly group and I had no competitive skills. I spent several years being an “Invisible Man” but I observed and learned the difference between curiosity and unwelcoming behavior. Long ago I learned to be comfortable with my own company. One of my several similar experiences was as a player at a National tournament in Texas. I was addressed as a locker room attendant and asked to provide a service even though I was dressed in my tennis attire. After two years of playing, the first person who reached out to me was Theo Sheppard. She was exercising in the hotel parking lot, and after a brief conversation, said "Join us at our table”. Those were the sweetest welcoming words. Later Theo and I played several tournaments as partners. I also had a less compatible partner who walked off the court after losing one set in singles because of my use of the drop shot and wrote me a letter decrying my tennis shots and firing me as a doubles partner. Though I lacked powerful strokes, my game’s success depended on endurance, drop shots, slices, and lobs. For years I did not know about the CUP or Intersectionals. My focus was to win the consolation draw and become a main draw seed, but no such luck...I still played the #1 player in the first or second round. However, my breakthrough came when the #1 had an injury which permitted me to move through the draw winning my first ball bronze and being told by my opponent at the net, “I don’t play that kind of tennis”. Ouch!! The TD did not accept the results until he rechecked with my opponent and grudgingly and unceremoniously handed me the bronze ball. There was no picture with the presentation as was performed with other players.

Irene Higbie, a senior player who never won a match, became president of the then NSWTA. She brought in a significant change in philosophy, being “make everyone feel welcome”. There were further issues as seeding and draws were still controlled by a few. It was the then NSWTA that appealed to the USTA and changes started to occur by having players on the USTA Adult Competition Committee. However, certain realities kept presenting themselves. Once in Croatia at the World Team Cup during the opening ceremony, a U.S. player standing behind me (the only Black player in the event) stated, “I hope nobody takes a knee here”. At the World Cup in Florida, I went to visit the site where I was to play the next day. While I walked around watching matches, I was aware of someone following me around and she finally approached me asking what I was doing there, saying “This is a private club”. “Watching tennis,” I said. She was very surprised the next day when I checked in to play. She was even more surprised when I ultimately won the event.

My journey (despite the bad and ugly) has been full of fruitful and rewarding experiences such as: 

…being asked by Nancy Reed for doubles and learning from all her experience

… years of competing, playing, and traveling with Dori Devries

…transcending social/political barriers by sharing housing with and arranged by Belmar Gunderson

… being invited to play down in age with Suella Steele winning 3 gold balls.

I am so grateful for my constant in-house coach and supporter, Tad Yamaguchi. Introducing and sharing the tournament experience with Gail Muriyama and inspiring new players from my section have added to my joy in the game. Thanks to Kathy Langer I had the experience of serving on the USTA National Committee. Thanks to Carol Clay I had ten-plus years of being a National seeder. Thanks to Carolyn Nichols for taking the interest to perfect lighting in photographing people of color, and my gratitude to Fran Wakefield Hunter for recommending me to be the Southern Cal Intersectional Coordinator for 10 years. Thanks to Leslie Murviet and Andrea Barnes for giving me a voice during the NWTO transition and new initiatives. And finally, thanks to Colleen Ferrell and The Balboa Tennis Club members who invite me to practice and text me when competing with words of encouragement.

Through the years, being of service to the tennis community has been a pastime, and as an original member and treasurer of The Greater San Diego City Tennis Council, a 501(c)(3) of 4 members, we have with the help of strategic partnerships provided funding for resurfacing approaching 1,000 public tennis courts in our County.

Though I have a number of GOLD Balls from championships on all surfaces in singles and doubles, 3x World champion, and have played in a number of World Cups and hear my tennis play described in many ways (some patronizing), my joy, my love of tennis and the competitive spirit and, yes, now, the NWTO sisterhood is rich. I walk on the courts with confidence and pride with my unconventional methods and strokes because, above all, ...I know how to WIN !!