Tennis : Camarillo’s Bryan Takes Steps to Help Son Rescue His Match

Wayne Bryan of Camarillo doesn’t hunker over his 10-year-old twins, Mike and Bob, while they play tennis. Nor does he lambaste his offspring after each missed shot or incessantly scream instructions from the sidelines. Unlike some hounding parents, Bryan, co-owner and pro at Cabrillo Racquet Club, prefers a laissez faire approach.

Usually.

There are times, however, when a match has gotten so out of hand that he feels compelled to intervene.

Case in point:

Mike, who was ranked 96th in the nation in the 12-and-under division last year, won the first set, 7-5, over San Jose’s Ryan Wolters last week in a U. S. Tennis Assn. match that pitted teams from Northern California against teams from Southern California. Wolters is ranked No. 1 in the nation.

At that point, Wayne left for about 15 minutes to watch another match. When he returned, the second set was over and Mike, a victim of a 6-0 pounding, was sulking.

“He was kind of whimpering. There were a few tears in the eyes,” Bryan said. “I was down watching some other kids play and I come back and boom-- he’s off the court.”

Considering that Mike has won more than 100 trophies in five years of competition, Bryan intended to motivate rather than instruct his son when he spoke to him. Besides, he reasoned, his instructional talks usually backfired. “If I say, ‘Hit a few drop shots.’ I’ll look over and every shot will be a drop shot,” Bryan said.

He took Mike to the top of a staircase and delivered the speech. “I said, ‘The match is going to be won or lost on your way down the stairs. He’s Ryan Wolters, the No. 1 guy in the nation, but you’re Mikey Bryan and you’re a champion. . . Understand the pressure he’s under and get down and kick his butt.’ ”

Mike took the advice and the the final set, 7-5, to win the match.

Although it was the first time that Mike had beaten a player ranked as high as Wolters, his father is trying to keep the match in perspective.

Said Wayne: “It’s fine to have the Lakers beat the Pistons in the regular season, but you’d much rather win in the seventh game of the World Championships. You’ve got to choose your spots.”

This week is a spot to choose--Mike and Bob are playing in the USTA 12-and-under national championships in San Diego. Mike was eliminated from the singles competition round of 32 Wednesday, losing, 6-1, 7-5, to Justin Gimelstob of Eastern Falls, N.J. Bob defeated Brandon Kramer of Reno, 6-0, 5-7, 6-3.

The twins are seeded fifth in doubles and advanced to today’s round of 32 teams by upsetting the fourth-seeded team Tuesday.

Tour of duty: Karen Shin of Woodland Hills qualified for the $300,000 Virginia Slims of Los Angeles at the Manhattan Country Club before losing Monday in the first round to 10th-seeded Patty Fendick, 6-4, 6-3.

Shin, who graduated from Cal in June, was the 1985 Southern Section singles champion while attending Chaminade High.

She has found the transition from collegiate to professional play easier than she anticipated.

“I thought the whole life style would be harder,” said Shin, who stays in luxury hotels and plays in top-notch facilities on the circuit. “In college it was great, I had the team, the coach, the whole school supporting me. Now, I’m playing for me.”

Volvo sectionals: The USTA Volvo League Sectional Championships will be played Aug. 12-13 and 19-20 at the Los Angeles Tennis Center. The 2.5, 3.5 and 5.0 matches (according to the National Tennis Rating Program, which measures players on a scale of 1.0 to 7.0) will be played Saturday and Sunday. The 4.0 and 4.5 matches will be played the following weekend. Admission is free.

The captains of the women’s Valley-area teams, which are composed of between eight and 14 members, include Marion Hill (3.0), Jeanie Reed (3.5), Pauline Avery (4.0) and Debbie Pittinger (4.5). Men’s captains include John Lazetic (3.5), Jesse Valente (4.0) and Phillip Kent (4.5).

Head games: For those who find their toughest competitor is between their ears, Adidas has reprinted Allen Fox’s book, “If I’m the Better Player, Why Can’t I Win?” The $8.95 paperback is available to the public and is also distributed at Adidas tennis camps.

Fox, a resident of Calabasas who will begin his 13th season as men’s coach at Pepperdine in the spring, says the cerebral aspect of tennis is often overlooked. “You can get further with a bad game and a good head than you can with a good game and a bad head,” he said. “There are a number of things a successful competitor does that people are not aware of. This book goes through those techniques.”