Andy Roddick - BOOM by Jeffrey Sparr *
Once upon a time, some lucky prophet found a boy named Andy on a Nebraska farm. So the story might have gone in baseball lore. No one had a live arm, a fastball like Roddick. Fastest serve at the time in all the grand slams: Wimbledon (143 mph), French Open (144 mph), Australian Open (148 mph), US Open (152 mph). Roddick could control it, too. He served consistently at about 70% on first serves while serving between 130-150 mph. Impossible for someone who was 6’2. Impossible, but mythology happens. Roddick as American a product as Walt Whitman. Not a graceful European dancer but “one of the roughs,” Roddick’s feet plowed the ground with firm, heavy steps while Roger Federer seemed to float just above the earth. What Whitman aspired to be—“no stander above men or woman or apart from them”--Roddick somehow realized in a career largely defined by his losses to Federer on the biggest stages (0-8 in grand slam matches: four finals, three semis, one quarter). How did it feel? “It was miserable. It sucked. It was terrible. . . . Except for that, it was fine.” Except for that serve, that blazing live arm, Roddick was one of us.
* About the Artist (taken from JeffreySparr.com):
A mental health advocate and self-taught artist, Jeffrey Sparr was a four-year starter and team captain on the Ohio State University tennis team. When he graduated in 1985, he was the 3rd winningest player in Ohio State History. Diagnosed with Obsessive Compulsive Disorder (OCD) in college, Jeff battled with this disease for many years before discovering, on a whim, that painting dramatically subdued the symptoms of his OCD, providing a creative outlet and sense of control. Sparr has been crowned the "Forrest Gump" of painting: Forrest didn't stop running, Sparr hasn't stopped painting. This discovery changed the course of Jeff’s life. Ever since then, Jeff has been on a mission to help others through the arts, founding, along with his cousin, the nonprofit organization PeaceLove. You can learn more about Jeff Sparr’s art and work as a mental health advocate on his website.
On Painting Andy Roddick:
Jeffrey Sparr writes: “In this painting I tried to use a sense of movement to capture the power that defined not only his serve but personality.”
About PeaceLove (from the PeaceLove website):
PeaceLove helps create peace of mind. Through expressive arts programs and storytelling, they empower individuals and communities to share their mental health stories and discover new tools for mental wellness. Their CREATORS Program equips frontline professionals to deliver ongoing expressive arts workshops to their diverse communities. CREATORS work directly with individuals, families and groups to help them achieve improved mental health through creativity. You can learn more about the great work PeaceLove does with its many partners on their website.
If you wish to make any comments on “Andy Roddick’s Serve,” feel free to leave them below or contact me. If you wish to see more artwork on tennis, you can follow me on Instagram. My other innovative short writings on tennis, along with free audio recordings to download, are available on my website.