A view of the local San Jacinto mountains from Mission Hills Country Club, home to the Babolat World Tennis Classic.

This week we are hosting the Babolat World Tennis Classic, a large event seeing some of the best senior tennis players from across the country in action.

This annual event has grown in size since its inception but one thing has remained constant; the need for volunteers to assist in the running of the event.

My thought for the week is around those who donate their time and energy to helping others, whether it be for a tennis tournament, for charity or during a disaster, such as the recent floods in Australia. A few people may be recognized as the organizers or directors, but it does take a village of people for things to run smoothly.

I hold a deep sense of gratitude to all the people who step up this time of year and assist in making our tennis tournament possible. I have always held a strong sense of independence. So strong, that asking for help from someone else was always difficult as I felt it was either a weakness of mine or an imposition on someone else.

The great lesson that our volunteers have taught me over the past seven years is that THEY get enjoyment out of the process as much as I need their helping hands.

I try to apply this idea outside of the annual tournament in allowing myself to ask for help when I need it, and in asking others to help in relation to causes that are more dramatic or emergent than tennis. It IS ok to not be superwoman and able to do it all by myself. Besides, that can get lonely…

Thank you many times over to all who support us, now and throughout the year. We really couldn’t do it, without you.