Professional and highly ranked guest tennis players are helping San Quentin inmates improve their game.
“The guys really are getting better. It’s a unique experience and I love to play here, even though it’s only for an hour or two,” said Evan Cox, who played four years of college varsity and studied with pros.
The latest stats show a marked improvement. In the past, the guests usually won, but now inside pairs such as N. Young and Nyugen, and Paul Oliver and Paul Alleyne, have been winning. In fact, on July 20, San Quentin inmates won all the matches.
The visitors have included Olympic Gold Medalists Bryan Brothers, people from Stanford, the University of California at Berkley, Michigan State, University of San Francisco and St. Mary’s.
There was also Brad Gilbert, Past Cash, plus the likes of Jennifer Mills, Evan Cox and his son, Ryan, Ted Saltviet, David Neagle, Yvonne Madden plus many others who enter the prison on Saturday morning to play the inmates in tennis.
Evan Cox said he has wanted to see the inside of San Quentin since hearing about it from an oil crew co-worker called “Dutch,” who did time in the Q back in the 1970s. He said he likes seeing how inmates are “dedicated to getting better, and the healthy attitude we can all learn from.”
Yvonne Madden decided to play at San Quentin because she heard “from Harbor Point members it was a good experience” and she has “enjoyed everyone I met.”
Visiting netters were invited by staffer-coach Don Denivi. Inmate team captain Ronnie Mohamed said the prisoners come up with a name for the team: Inside Tennis Team.
The visitors have taught the prisoners “to be patient, have courtesy and respect for all people and to reestablish communication and social skills with people so that we can groom ourselves back into society upon our release,” said Mohamed.
Results as reported by ITT Commissioner Jason Taylor: N. Young and Nyugen lost 4-0 to Ryan and Evan Cox, who also beat Slaughter & Barrows 3-4 and Young & Nyugen again 4-1 on June 29.
Tim Thompson and Oliver beat Mills and Chris Morgan 4-3.
Chris Schuhmacher and Calix lost to Mills and Morgan, 4-0 on June 29.
Oliver and Alleyne lost 3-4 to Evan Cox and Saltviet; Young and Orlando Harris lost 2-4 to Eddie and Steve; Young and Nyugen beat Eddie and Steve 4-3; and Calix and Barrow beat Eddie & Steve 4-2 on July 13.
ITT players went undefeated against the guests on July 20 as follows:
Oliver and Alleyne beat Neagle and Tom 7-5; Young and Nyugen beat Mills and Saltviet 4-0; Thompson and Barrow beat Madden and Neagle 4-1; Calix and Taylor beat Saltviet & Tom 4-0.
–Aaron “Imam Harun” Taylor contributed to this story