The Journal of a High School
Tennis Coach
(or How I Quit the Movie Biz and Found Out
They're Basically the Same Thing)
By Rocky Lang
"I'm Gonna Make Him an Offer He Can't Refuse." After nearly 45 years in the movie and TV business as a producer, director, and writer, I started teaching tennis during the pandemic. As a lifelong player and a RSPA-certified tennis pro, I realized this was the life—no stress, no conflict, and no worrying about selling the next project. I soon had nearly 50 students on my home court and was having the time of my life.
Then, a dear friend, Marty, and his wife, Steph, who coached the women's varsity tennis team at No Name High School, wanted to spend more time on her boat. She also coached the boys' team and decided she had too much on her plate and suggested I take the job. My first thought was of Robert Duvall walking through enemy fire in Apocalypse Now, bombs blowing up right and left, yelling, "I love the smell of napalm in the morning." I thought, Why the hell would I take a job like this?
My life was my own, and I liked it that way. But after some convincing from the athletic director and my wife, I agreed—just for one season. Just one Tour of Duty – after all, it could be one of The Best Years of Our Lives. I was already coaching a couple of the kids on the team, and they were great players. Plus, as a father of daughters, I understood a lot about what young women go through. Maybe I could be a mentor, not just a coach. Hey, it could be fun. As Jason Siegel said in the 2008 film Forgetting Sara Marshall..."What could go wrong?
