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Roscoe Tanner is new pro at club
By NATALIE BAUGHMAN © St. Petersburg Times, published October 1, 2000 TREASURE ISLAND -- It's Roscoe Tanner's turn to serve again. But the longtime tennis champion, known for his left-handed deliveries that cleared the net at better than 130 mph, won't be acing opponents. He'll be teaching students. Tanner was hired Sept. 21 as one of the tennis pros at the Treasure Island Tennis & Yacht Club. Officials are working out the details of his contract, but managing director Joe Meyer said Tanner's employment is a "done deal" because he stood out among the 15 candidates considered for the position. Meyer said he hopes Tanner will attract young families to the 450-member tennis club by teaching tennis, coordinating tournaments and creating after-school programs for children. Tanner, 48, moved to Treasure Island from Chattanooga, Tenn., in November to be with his fiancee, Margaret, whom he has since married. He expressed interest in the job when he learned that a former pro was leaving. "I want people to know that I'm not just a serious player," said Tanner, who ranked among the world's top 10 between 1970 and 1980. "I just enjoy the game for what it is -- a way to meet people and have a good time." He left behind his professional tennis career in the mid 1980s to spend time with his family and pursue long-term business ventures with Sports Illustrated and Pepsi Food Systems in Chattanooga. He also attempted to set up resort ventures, several of which faltered before they opened. In 1995, he planned to launch a mountain tennis and recreation complex on Lookout Mountain. More recently, he attempted to open 10 $3-million tennis, fitness and spa facilities throughout the country. Neither of those ventures worked out. In the meantime, Tanner has played tennis on and off, and he gave lessons for several years at the Sherwood Country Club in Los Angeles. He works part time at Westchase in Tampa, where he is in charge of adult lessons. He will continue to teach there a couple of times a week. Tanner has spent the past few weeks hanging around the Treasure Island pro shop, shaking hands and getting to know the adults and children whom he will be instructing. He also has been honing in on the serve and the volley -- two aspects of his game that helped him win the Australian Open in 1977 and reach the Wimbledon final in 1979. "Most people find the serve the most difficult stroke," Tanner said. "But that's something we can usually fix by changing the way they toss the ball." Tanner recommends paying attention to the racket head and how it makes contact with the ball, instead of worrying about positioning the feet. "I can sense fear in some of my players, especially at the net," Tanner said. "I'm excited to be at Treasure Island," he said. "The club has a long history of great tennis, which I intend to continue."
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