Great effort spreading “Goodness”
At first blush, it would seem impossible to answer with authority who was the biggest winner at the recently concluded 119th annual Ojai Tennis Tournament. After all, new champions in 25 different divisions joined a legendary roll call that includes Jack Kramer and Arthur Ashe, Billie Jean King and Tracy Austin, and five-time doubles champs Mike and Bob Bryan.
Upon further consideration, however, the biggest winners were a few draw sheets worth of kids who didn’t even play in the prestigious tournament. Specifically, disadvantaged youth from local programs taught by Walter Moody, as well as the Santa Paula High girls tennis team and Pacifica High’s boys team.
Judging from their smiles you would think each young player had just won match point upon receiving top-flight rackets, apparel and new shoes, and tennis balls.
The biggest champion of all, therefore, was Rhiannon Potkey. Her official nonprofit organization Goods4Greatness made the grateful smiles happen by collecting equipment donations from college teams and junior players at The Ojai.
If you are a local sports fan, Rhiannon’s name may ring familiar. She was a gifted sportswriter at The Star beginning as a night intern straight from high school graduation in 1998; as a stringer while attending UC Santa Barbara; and eventually joined the staff fulltime. In 2016, Rhi departed for stints at The Salt Lake Tribune and Knoxville News-Sentinel.
A year ago, Rhi took a brave leap from newspapers to freelance in order to have time to start Goods4Greatness.
“I reached a point,” the 39-year-old Knoxville resident notes, “where I needed to make a decision because my passion is helping others. I wanted to start this (G4G) for years and years, but needed to get to a point in my life and career when I could make the time to do it.”
Growing up, sports were Rhi’s life. She played on whichever club was in season, tennis year-round, and as a point guard at Ventura High made the All-County Team.
“I loved assisting others,” Rhi shares, an attitude that extended off the hardwood and planted the seeds for Goods4Greatness. “Seeing teammates who rarely could afford equipment, I always wanted to give them my ‘old’ stuff that was still in good condition.
“Then as I began reporting, I covered high schools from drastically different socioeconomic areas and wondered why I couldn’t just take some of the richer program’s equipment and bring it down to the less fortunate programs. I knew there was a void that needed to be filled.”
Rhi has made it her mission to help fill the void with all manner of sports equipment.
Some of the gear donated at The Ojai Tournament this year.
“I want every kid to get the experience I received without economics preventing them from playing,” she allows. “Every time I see a kid’s face light up is meaningful.”
An especially meaningful example: “I had a single mom start to cry because she wasn’t going to be able to afford to have her son play baseball, but the bat, helmet, pants and cleats I gave them enabled her to afford the registration fee.”
John McEnroe never threw as many tennis rackets in anger as players at The Ojai happily tossed to Rhi and the kids Goods4Greatness serves. Other benefactors made financial contributions, including a check from the Bryan Brothers so generous it gave Rhi “tears of joy.”
(Financial donations can be made at www.Goods4Greatness.org or checks payable to “Goods4Greatness” mailed to 312 Chestnut Oak Drive, Knoxville TN 37909.)
“There’s no better role models on and off the court in professional sports than the Bryans,” Rhiannon says of Mike and Bob. Rhi likewise is an exemplar of great goodness.
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Woody Woodburn writes a weekly column for The Ventura County Star and can be contacted at WoodyWriter@gmail.com. Follow him on Twitter and Instagram at woodywoodburn. His books are available at www.WoodyWoodburn.com.
Check out my memoir WOODEN & ME: Life Lessons from My Two-Decade Friendship with the Legendary Coach and Humanitarian to Help “Make Each Day Your Masterpiece” and my essay collection “Strawberries in Wintertime: Essays on Life, Love, and Laughter” …
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