{"id":1435,"date":"2012-11-13T19:43:21","date_gmt":"2012-11-13T23:43:21","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/students.com.miami.edu\/~travelwriting\/?page_id=1435"},"modified":"2012-11-13T19:43:21","modified_gmt":"2012-11-13T23:43:21","slug":"sony-ericsson-brings-world-caliber-tennis-pros-to-key-biscayne-miami","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/students.com.miami.edu\/travelwriting\/?page_id=1435","title":{"rendered":"Sony Ericsson brings world-caliber tennis pros to Key Biscayne, Miami"},"content":{"rendered":"

Posted November 13, 2012<\/em><\/span><\/p>\n

By BRANDON LUMISH<\/p>\n

KEY BISCAYNE, Fla. — My whole body was shaking as I stood in the stadium court tunnel at the Sony Ericsson Tennis Tournament. I was getting ready to enter stadium court my first time as a ball person.<\/p>\n

At 14 years old, I was about to ball person a match between my two favorite professional tennis players, Andy Roddick and Roger Federer, with 13,000 people watching. Suddenly, my ball person teams captain Gerard Johnson yelled, \u201crun!\u201d This was our cue to enter the court and take our positions.<\/p>\n

\"Overview<\/a>

Overview of the Sony Ericsson Open tennis tournament (Photo by Brandon Lumish).<\/p><\/div>\n

\u201cTowel! Towel! Can I have my fricking towel?\u201d exclaimed Roddick. \u201cIs it so hard to get the tennis balls and the towel at the same time!\u201d<\/p>\n

Having Andy Roddick scream at the top of his lungs at me was not an ideal start to my stadium experience. Almost eight years later, however, I am still a ball person at my favorite event the Sony Ericsson Open. Held every year during March, the tennis tournament is host to more than 250,000 visitors each year.<\/p>\n

\u201cIn 2012 we set a record with over 320,000 people attending our tournament. People come from all over the world just to attend a tennis tournament in Miami,\u201d said Adam Barrett, vice president of the tournament for the last 10 years.<\/p>\n

\"Ballpersons<\/a>

Ballpersons walk to the courts at the Sony Ericsson Open (Photo by Brandon Lumish).<\/p><\/div>\n

Located at the Tennis Center at Crandon Park in Key Biscayne, the Sony Ericsson Open, known for its purple court surface, is an ATP World Tour Masters 1000 event.<\/p>\n

Participating in an ATP 1000 event is required by all the top professional tennis players and includes a large prize pool. The tennis tournament began in 1985 and many consider the Sony Ericsson Open to be the fifth-best tennis tournament in the world.<\/p>\n

\u201cThis is my favorite event. I absolutely love it. It\u2019s not just a tennis tournament but it\u2019s an event with all the festivities that go on throughout the tournament,\u201c Barbara Friedman, lifelong tennis fan from Miami said. \u201cI have gone to the tournament every year for the last twelve years with my children.\u201d<\/p>\n

Such a prestigious tournament requires a huge ball person staff. Each year the ball person program uses 400 volunteers, mainly teenagers, to work the event.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe are fortunate that so many ball kids want to work at the Sony Ericsson Open. Each year over 500 volunteers show up to participate. We then hold tryouts to see who will make the team. It\u2019s sad turning people down, but with so much participation we have no other choice,\u201d said Marc Adler, ball person president.<\/p>\n

\"The<\/a>

The ballpersons tent at the Sony Ericsson tennis tournament (Photo by Brandon Lumish).<\/p><\/div>\n

Once tryouts are completed, the ball person participants go through training to prepare for the tournament.<\/p>\n

When the tournament starts, each of the 12 courts gets assigned two groups of ball people.<\/p>\n

The more experienced people get stadium court and the court assignments trickle down from there.<\/p>\n

\u201cI got stadium court my first time during my third year as a ball person,\u201d said Rebecca Dulkow. \u201cI always came to the tournament as a fan but now I get to be on the same court as Rafael Nadal and other great tennis players I used to watch.\u201d Dulkow has gone to the tennis tournament since she was five years old. She applied the first day that she was eligible to be a ball person as a 13-year-old.<\/p>\n

As a ball person, I have always believed I have the best seat in the house to watch the tournament. Being that close to the action, I am able to see how hard these guys truly hit the ball. I can now understand why the tournament had to initiate instant replay on all the courts to nullify bad calls that are made by the referees.<\/p>\n

\u201cI was hit in the leg my first year by an Andy Roddick serve,\u201d said Andre Gonzalez, a Key Biscayne resident who has been a ball person for four years. \u201cThere was simply no way I could have gotten out of the way.\u201d<\/p>\n

Ball persons work in 45-minute shifts. When we are off the court, we are allowed to go to other tennis matches on the tennis centers grounds or take part in any of the festivities going on. We also get tickets to all the other matches during our off days. Being able to watch free tennis is one of my favorite parts of being a ball person. I love watching tennis and just being at the Sony Ericsson Open is a good feeling.<\/p>\n

The Sony Ericsson Open is such a prestigious tournament because of all the events that happen on the grounds besides tennis. Each night an event takes place such as a concert, a mixer, interaction with players and much more.<\/p>\n

\u201cI came to the tournament on Saturday night for the huge Nadal match and upon arriving saw there was a wine tasting event happening. It made my night even better!\u201d Erica Bohlen, a tennis fan from New York, said.<\/p>\n

\"The<\/a>

The ticket booth at the Sony Ericsson tennis tournament (Photo by Brandon Lumish).<\/p><\/div>\n

In addition, the landscaping on the grounds of the tournament is beautiful, which is why the tournament is such a fan favorite.<\/p>\n

Each year the tournament\u2019s landscaping is different, but a huge fountain at the entrance has been a trademark of the tournament since its initiation.<\/p>\n

\u201cJust driving through Key Biscayne is beautiful,\u201d said Angela Rhiodan, a resident of Miami who visited the tournament. \u201cOnce on site the big fountain in the front, the palm trees throughout and the magnificent landscaping make the tournament the place to be.\u201d<\/p>\n

Unfortunately, the facilities at the site have not been updated since 1994. But on Nov. 6, voters approved a $50 million upgrade to the facilities.<\/p>\n

The upgrade will be paid by the tennis center, tournament revenues and by private funding. Money will not come from the county\u2019s fund. The upgrade would include adding an additional three grand stands, renovating the current stadium, adding additional restaurants and improving the landscaping.<\/p>\n

\u201cSadly, I have been at this tournament from the beginning. Huge improvements were made in 1994, but that was 18 years ago. It\u2019s time for this tennis center to undergo a face-lift,\u201d said ball person President Marc Adler. \u201cThese upgrades are necessary and won\u2019t cost you a penny!\u201d<\/p>\n

The 2012 tournament begins March 18 and lasts until the men\u2019s final on March 31, 2013. \u00a0Last year\u2019s champions Novak Djokovic and Agnieszka Radwanska will be there defending their crowns. I know I will be there as a ball person, I hope to see you there as well!<\/p>\n

IF YOU GO<\/strong><\/p>\n

Sony Ericsson Open<\/strong><\/p>\n