As tennis officials at every level of officiating there is one thing that is true and constant--we are called to be men and women of integrity. That means we do that which is right no matter what the circumstances and no matter who is watching or not watching...
We work in an environment where we see spectators, players, and coaches at some of their most stressful moments in life. We watch them during moments of elation and moments of defeat and frustration but through it all, we are still called to be men and women of integrity...
As officials, we quickly learn which players and which coaches are people of integrity. Sadly, we often see cheaters, liars, manipulators, and deceivers on full display--but even with that, we are still called to be men and women of integrity...
Integrity doesn't come about by simply learning the rules of tennis. It comes about by having a strong personal ethic and holding true to it no matter the circumstances. It may not always be popular but in the end, it will garner respect from your peers and those you work with.
Since I schedule over 300 matches a year, I am constantly looking for opportunities to enlist new officials--and especially new officials with integrity who will be an asset to our calling. When interviewing a prospective official, I always take them out to eat in either a one-on-one setting or with another experienced official. Most of that first meal is not spent in talking tennis--its spent in talking about them and their lives and families and jobs outside of tennis. Just listening to them share will tell you a lot about how they will be as an official. A key point to always observe is how they treat the person who is waiting on your table--its a fantastic gauge of their possibilities as a new official...
In our world today, there is an obvious lack of integrity--but its also a fantastic opportunity for men and women of integrity to stand and be counted. Will you be one of those???
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