Passion brings teacher back to sport

Since Jack Carey Jr., held his first racquet at the age of 6, he's had a passion for the sport.

Even while he worked in the hospitality business for a number of years, his love of tennis kept surfacing.

Nearly four years ago, Carey redirected his career to satisfy his passion.

"When I decided to come back to tennis, I hit the ground running and went full time," Carey said. "It was tough at first and I was starving for a while. Now, I'm doing okay."

Carey earned his tennis-teaching certification and currently has contracts to teach at public courts in St. Petersburg, St. Pete Beach and Gulfport.

"When I teach, I like to maximize each client's potential and help them take their game to the next level," Carey said. "I always try to keep them moving and keep them happy."

Carey's students range from 4-year-olds to those in their 80s. Regardless of their age or level, Carey said he always is excited by the number of nice people he meets.

"I enjoy all age groups and especially like to help them get into match play when they're ready," Carey said. "The feedback I get from them is what keeps me going."

Longtime tennis player Jim Vuille of St. Petersburg was the first to put a racket in Carey's hands about 40 years ago.

While Vuille hit balls to Carey and one of his own sons, Chris, the two youngsters typically first tried to see who could hit the ball the highest and farthest. Later, trips to Bartlett Park evolved into sessions with teaching professional Dan Sullivan.

"Everybody lived at Bartlett Park," Carey, 50, said. "My mother played a lot of tennis there, too, so I really kind of crawled around there before I even held a racket.

"After taking lessons from Dan, I began to play some junior tournaments at places like Davis Island and Miami."

Carey played the No. 1 position for Lakewood High and later with the prep schools he attended in Miami and Virginia.

After a year in the No. 2 slot at Western Carolina University, Carey put tennis aside and began his career in the hospitality business.

"There's some similarity to what I did in the hospitality business and in what I now do in dealing with people in tennis," Carey said.

"Both careers are people-oriented and provide a service. The experience in the hospitality business definitely helped me later in tennis."

When an offer to help in tennis was presented to Carey about four years ago, the career change began.

"What really struck me was when one day while I was teaching a client and Dan Sullivan came out to the same courts to work with his student," Carey said. "It hit me that about 40 years ago, that student was me and now here I am standing beside Dan Sullivan teaching."

Carey has time to play only infrequently now, with a pretty full teaching schedule. He has hopes of increasing his own play from the current twice a month to a more regular schedule.

WOMEN BEGIN: Weekly women's doubles leagues have begun or will begin this month.

The first was Racqueteers with 16 teams of five doubles positions. Competition is on Wednesdays. Today, defending champion Bardmoor hosts the Royal Nets.

Fourteen teams participate on Tuesdays in both the Satellite Ladies Doubles League and the Suncoast Ladies Doubles League. Feather Sound Country Club is the two-time defending Satellite champion and Bardmoor is Suncoast's champion.

The 27-team Pinellas Area Doubles League begins Thursday with defending champion Bardmoor III playing the St. Petersburg Tennis Center squad.

The South Pinellas Doubles League begins later this month. The three-team doubles league for women includes the 3.0 to 3.5 and the 3.5 to 4.0 levels. The men's league offers the 3.0 to 3.5, 3.5 to 4.0 and 4.0 to 4.5. The cost for each team is $20.

Call the St. Petersburg Country Club, 867-9105.

UMPIRES AT OPEN: Among the more than 300 umpires officiating at the U.S. Open Championships in New York are Matt Fox of St. Petersburg, Roger White of Belleair Beach and Steve Ullrich and his wife Anne Lassere-Ullrich of Tampa.

In all, 30 umpires from Florida are involved.

COACHES WANTED: Volunteer coaches are needed for a free, inner-city grassroots program at the St. Petersburg Tennis Center.

The program will be offered 4:30 to 6 p.m. Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays. Training will be provided for the volunteers. Call 823-3225.

MARK THE DATE: State championships in boys and girls doubles and mixed doubles is slated Sept. 21-23 at the Florida Tennis Center in Daytona Beach.

Entry forms and information are available online at www.usatennisflorida.com or by calling Bobby Curtis, (386) 671-8949 before Sept. 16.

The 19th Annual Charity Pro/Am Tennis Tournament is Oct. 19-20 at the Treasure Island Tennis and Yacht Club. The event will benefit All Children's Hospital. Contact 367-4511.

COMING UP: The Racquet Club of St. Petersburg is the site for the Sept. 14-16 TPA Fall Classic. Hosted by the Tournament Players Academy at the club, junior singles competition with consolation draws are planned. Call tournament director John Haggar, 527-6553, by Sept. 11. ... East Lake Woodlands hosts a Rookie Tournament for junior singles players Sept. 14-15. Call tournament director Rick Workman, (727) 785-2212. ... The Ninth Annual Charity Tennis Tournament to benefit the Humane Society of North Pinellas is Sept. 13-15. Held since its inception at Royal Racquet Club, the event includes men's and women's doubles and mixed doubles. Call 791-8415. ... The K-Swiss Tennis League begins its fall season this month. For information, call 865-0615 or go online to www.ultimatetennis.com. ... Age-division adult singles and doubles competition is Sept. 20-23 in the SPTC Classic Championships in St. Petersburg. Call event director Al Sarmiento, 360-2643.

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