USTA Southern California is pleased to welcome US Open ballperson Jason Maikis to our coverage of the final Grand Slam of 2019. A native of New Jersey, Jason comes to UCLA this fall and will keep an eye on the SoCal collegiate tennis scene. Before he heads west, Jason will give us a first-hand look at the US Open experience through the eyes of a tournament ballperson. Just don’t call him a “ballkid”. It’s ballPERSON, and it’s one of the great opportunities for tennis fans of all ages to become part of the nation’s most prolific tennis event.
Monday, August 26: Meet Jason!
Hi everyone! I’m Jason Maikis, a new USTA SoCal contributor, and for the next few weeks, I’ll be giving a look into my experience as a ballperson at the US Open.
This will be my second year in Flushing Meadows as a ballperson, although I have spent my fair share of years prior roaming the concourse as a fan. Growing up in New Jersey as a tennis fan, the US Open has always been the destination, so after my senior year of high school last year, I decided to try my hand at the only way I could be a part of the action — which certainly wasn’t playing my way in.
The ballperson tryouts are open to the general public and require a quick testing of a person’s ability to anticipate, run to retrieve a ball, and roll the ball quickly and accurately. For a good laugh, check out this year’s ill-fated, comedic attempt by a sportscaster trying out to be a ballperson.
After a few rounds of callbacks, the final group is chosen to go along with the ballpeople returning from the year before. In the weeks leading up to the Open, each ballperson is required to go through a series of trainings to re-up their skills and learn the updated facets of ballpersoning. For instance, in my first year, the US Open was transitioning to rolling the ball from one side of the court to the other instead of throwing the ball.
All in all, the ballperson experience is unlike anything I can really describe. Being on court with the players and seeing the nuances of how they behave and perform is an experience that would delight any tennis fan. I have a lot more to share as the tournament goes on, and I hope you all enjoy reading my experiences as much as I enjoy living them!
Look for Wednesday’s next update…