Doreen Gonzales article

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Cheviot Hills pro

Don,
When I was 7-9 years old in 1952-4, I lived at the Park La Brea towers, and remember the tennis courts there. Never played there, though. I, as a kid, would play against a tennis wall (a high, green wooden wall) in the Park La Brea playgrounds with a buddy. We both had old rackets given to us by our respective Dads.

We then moved close to the Beverly Hills tennis club, where Sam Match had a little tennis shop, and my Dad used to play tennis with friends, and, also mixed doubles with Gussie Moran (Mom didn't care for that particularly.. especially because Dad would ignore us - saying "I need to concentrate... .)

I would play across the street with friends on public tennis courts, but would now and then with my Dad watch the two Panchos train...

My Dad and I played mostly afterwards at the public courts at Cheviot hills. Trying to remember the resident pro's name... His son, a couple of years old than I, was the top player..

We went back to our native Switzerland in 1964... but love the memories of the old days in L.A., and Malibu and Zuma beaches...

Phil,

Until about a year ago, I was playing at those Cheviot Hills courts most Tuesday mornings from 7 to 9. The pro there in those days was Jerry Teeguarden. His son, Ron, was a year older than me (I believe) so he would have been born in 47. Maybe he had an older brother. More famous was his younger sister who did make it as one of the first successful Virginia Slims players, Pam Teeguarden. She was a great doubles player.

Small world indeed.

don

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Phil,

Until about a year ago, I was playing at those Cheviot Hills courts most Tuesday mornings from 7 to 9. The pro there in those days was Jerry Teeguarden. His son, Ron, was a year older than me (I believe) so he would have been born in 47. Maybe he had an older brother. More famous was his younger sister who did make it as one of the first successful Virginia Slims players, Pam Teeguarden. She was a great doubles player.

Small world indeed.

don

Hey Don,
Right Teeguarden! Maybe it was Ron after all. Thought he was older, but maybe he was about the same age. Used to admire his game... Played doubles with him once or twice.. I was playing there from 1956-1964. Were you there too at that time?

[llll]

to don and phil
i have enjoyed your reminiscing
thank you for sharing your stories with us.
larry

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Cheviot Hills courts

Hey Don,
Right Teeguarden! Maybe it was Ron after all. Thought he was older, but maybe he was about the same age. Used to admire his game... Played doubles with him once or twice.. I was playing there from 1956-1964. Were you there too at that time?

Phil,
I didn't start playing tennis until my freshman year in high school (62-63). We moved literally across the street from those Griffith Park courts in May on 1963. I was the batting practice catcher for the varsity at Loyola High (and bat boy for games!) Didn't go out for the tennis team until my junior year, and I got cut from the jv's! But by my last year in the 18's I was beginning to play better and I played the Xmas tournament at Cheviot Hills. It was a big event in those days. I drew one of the top seeds who came in from Texas, Mike Estep. I think I got 2 or 3 games total. Mike was a decent journeyman pro later, but he really became well known as Martina's coach in the late 70's or early 80's.

In those days, most of the top 5 and half of the top 20 in the country were from Southern California. Perry Jones was the czar. And the likelihood was that if you were one of the top 3 juniors in Southern California, you could make it as a world class player. Now, the whole world is stronger and being top 3 in the US doesn't even mean you will ever make the top 200 in the world, men or women. Right now we have 6 in the top 100 and Sam Querry is the only one younger than 25. There are 10 more in the second 100 and Donald Young (21) and Ryan Harrison (18) are the only young guys there. On the other hand, Spain has 14 in the top 80 and 5 more in the second 100. Even your little Switzerland with only about 8 million people has 4 men in the top 123. On half that ratio, we would have 80 Americans in the top 120. What are they doing in Switzerland? It is not a poor country so I don't think you can say they would be motivated like the kids in Serbia, or Argentina, or the girls from Russia.

A lot has changed since we played at those Cheviot Hills courts in the 60's!

don

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Don,
I went to Saint John Vianney High School (it was near Park La Bre and the Farmer's Market...), and when I was in my senior year, Bob Lutz and his brother were juniors and on the tennis team and racking up one victory after another. They helped our school become the Camino Real champs...

Here is an old photo of Bob Lutz serving during a school match (he was 16 years old...). Looks like a great finish to a kick serve....



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St.John Vianney

Don,
I went to Saint John Vianney High School

One of the motivations for me to get serious about tennis was a letter awarded by John Vianney. One of your teamates was Larry Demos, a friend of mine. He got a varsity letter his sophomore year. I had just gotten cut from the jv baseball team a second year in a row.

In the fall of 1964 I realized it would be "cool" if I could earn a letter in tennis. My buddy, Larry, got one. I could beat him. Maybe I could get one too!

I spent almost an hour writing a very nice post about all that entailed(and I lost it), but bottom line was I became a ball boy again and still didn't make the team, but it was probably a good thing. I didn't miss a day for the next couple of years. Played 2 on the varsity the next year and even won most of my matches.

Do you remember Larry? Big guy about 6'2", pretty thick (not fat, just a big guy). I never heard from him again after we went to college, but I remember talking to him about Don and Bob Lutz. I had forgotten what a key role he played in making me think about going out for the tennis team at Loyola High.

Just thought you would get kick about the "one degree of separation".

don

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Don,
Larry Demas was a freshman when I graduated. Is this him? Found him in the John Vianney Yearbook....



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That's him

Don,
Larry Demas was a freshman when I graduated. Is this him? Found him in the John Vianney Yearbook....



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That's Larry. He got bigger later! We were both class of 1966.
don