Breaking new ground: Deaf tennis player learns to coach
As USTA ramps up the number of Coaching Fundamental Workshops to find and train new tennis coaches, one player has a unique goal and opportunity.
DiMarco Pittman has been playing tennis since high school. Now, he wants to bring his love of the game and desire to teach to a whole new audience. His community. The Deaf community.
Pittman’s current goal is to grow his knowledge of tennis coaching. His ultimate goal is to become the first Deaf tennis coach.
“I started playing tennis in the 11th grade and I've been playing ever since. I started because it helped me with my footwork. I got addicted to tennis, and I've been playing ever since.”
Pittman heard about a USTA’s Coaching Fundamental Workshop conducted this summer in Atlanta. Allan Jensen, USTA Southern’s Manager, Hispanic Outreach & Training, was conducting the two-day workshop aimed at expanding the number of much-needed teaching pros.
Jensen said he was impressed with Pittman’s athleticism. More importantly, he was impressed with his skill as he communicated without talking to the others during training.
“I was very surprised. It blew my mind how well he did at the end of the two days,” Jensen explained. “He had to go out there and explain it to five people, show every single position on the court, and tell them what they needed to do. He was able to explain the drills. You don't need to talk. You can just demonstrate.”
Pittman was surprised that Jensen was so supportive.
“Allan was impressed with the way I communicated the important things we were teaching. Allan was saying, ‘Wow, there was no real interpreter, just DiMarco showing the movements.’ It didn't matter if I was a member of the Deaf community. He stressed how important it was for me to just show it.”
The workshop focused on teaching techniques and terminology, including rules for singles and doubles, to help a coach explain how to play to newbies. Southern will run approximately 10 this year in its nine-state section, with each workshop often having 10 to 20 participants starting their careers as professional, part-time or volunteer coaches.
Pittman had a new perspective on running a clinic. “Allan really gave me a lot of techniques and strategies to think about and structure and better ways to make adjustments.”
How was Pittman able to communicate without talking? Maybe that has to do with his day job.
Pittman is a reporter for Sign1News.com, where he covers sports and other stories. The website features reports and interviews with closed captioning and interpreters in American Sign Language.
Sign1News is an innovative award-winning media production company delivering news for the Deaf and hard-of-hearing community powered by CNN in American Sign Language (ASL), according to its website. Sign1News provides media production services and equal access to local, regional and national news and information to the Deaf and hard-of-hearing community via live-streamed and daily post-produced broadcasts.
Many in the metro Atlanta area know Karen Graham, co-founder and co-CEO of Sign1News. She was a longtime TV morning news host and weekend sports anchor. While at WAGA in Atlanta, Graham won three Southeast Regional Television Emmy awards in 2003 and 2006-07. She also loves tennis and has played for years. Graham was featured on the Oct. 26 episode of "Talking Tennis Southern Style."
DiMarco Pittman coaches with gestures.
USTA Southern's Allan Jensen, who led the workshop, with DiMarco Pittman.
Graham, an ASL translator, explained her company's founding. “I had done the research before and found that there was nothing (serving the Deaf community) with news and sports.”
Pittman and Graham made a quick connection with tennis. She said, “He came to my company. We were just chatting, and he mentioned tennis, and literally, my shoes fell off. I don't meet many people who love tennis as much as I do, and immediately, he and I were on the court with my (video) crew.”
Both Pittman and Graham cited their faith propelling them to connect tennis to the Deaf community.
Graham supports the next step for her colleague to become a professional coach. “DeMarco could be the first of everything in anything he does. I'm not joking here. He sets a goal and he just does it.”
Pittman expanded on his dream. “This is my opportunity to become a Deaf coach. They're not many people doing it in the Deaf schools, if any It’s my dream to do that.”
What’s the next step for Pittman? Jensen has an answer.
The Southern staffer is planning a three-day camp for coaches seeking more training. “My idea is for DiMarco have him attend a Level 2, which is coming up at the end of October. I'm going to help him out to get him ready.”
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