Time to Rally: Is Playing with No Fans Better Than Not Playing at All?
April 22, 2020 | By Steven Kaplan
Photo courtesy of USTA
I’ve been thinking about the US Open this year and one line that I read that stands out to me in relationb to the event being unlikely to be played without fans. The USTA said that such a move was “not in the spirit of the celebration of the event.”
As an American, a tennis coach and a lifelong New Yorker, I couldn’t disagree more.
Our country, our sport and our local area is defined by our resiliency, our perseverance, our resourcefulness and our willingness to never give up.
Playing this event, even with no fans, if such an option can be done safely, is exactly in the spirit of the celebration of everything our country, sport and area represents.
It is who we are.
We adapt, we change, we move forward and we grow.
Steven Kaplan
Owner and Managing Director of Bethpage Park Tennis Center
Steve Kaplan is the owner and managing director of Bethpage Park Tennis Center, as well as director emeritus of Lacoste Academy for New York City Parks Foundation, and executive director and founder of Serve &Return Inc. Steve has coached more than 1,100 nationally- ranked junior players, 16 New York State high school champions, two NCAA Division 1 Singles Champions, and numerous highly-ranked touring professionals. Many of the students Steve has closely mentored have gone to achieve great success as prominent members of the New York financial community, and in other prestigious professions. In 2017, Steve was awarded the Hy Zausner Lifetime Achievement Award by the USTA. He may be reached by e-mail at StevenJKaplan@aol.com.
