1. Where did you grow up? In a small seaside resort called Southport, 25 miles north of Liverpool, England.2. If not from NWA: The Marine Corps brought my husband and us to NWA from Gainesville, Georgia- 10 years ago.3. What is one thing that can be found in England and not found in the US – that you’d wish for? Good grocery stores. 4. Marital status, spouse’s name and children's names? Married to Steve. I have 2 boys, Matthew 25 and Michael 23 and a daughter, Jessica who is 10.5. How did you and Steve meet? On a blind date. My brother and Steve worked together at a Military Academy in Georgia. I was visiting him one summer and he asked Steve to “take me out”. 7 months later, after only spending approximately 5 weeks in each other’s company we were married. It took a year for us to get our visas and we finally got to the US in December 1998.6. Other than tennis what do you do for recreation, relaxation, hobbies: I don’t have much time left after my tennis commitments. I do love to read. I also watch too many dramas on TV. Not much into reality shows though.7. What is your current NRTP ranking? 3.58. How many years have you been playing tennis? 3 1/2 years9. What prompted you to play tennis regularly? We had just moved back to NWA after a 3 year Marine Corps assignment in New Orleans and Steve’s retirement from the Marines and I was determined to find a way to exercise that I would enjoy. I knew playing some kind of sport would be the answer so I went to look around FAC to see what I could do. The poor lady who showed me around must have wondered why I was joining FAC when I hated gyms, weights, exercise classes. In desperation, I’m sure, we went to the tennis center and spoke to a very pleasant lady called Rhonda (shout out!) who told me I would be very welcome at FAC tennis center and that they had programs for all levels of ability. I started with cardio tennis, which I still love and think it’s a great starting point for anybody wanting to take up tennis.10. What is your favorite thing, enjoyment about playing tennis? I love the camaraderie. I have met some great friends playing tennis. 11. What is your own favorite tennis shot and worst? I’m told I have a good, topspin lob. I hate my backhand!!12. What is your most memorable accomplishment playing tennis so far? Our FAC 2009 Women's 2.5 team going to Nationals in Indian Wells, CA, the first year I played. 13. Do you have a particular pet peeve that tennis opponents do that bother you? When someone tells how my shanked, down the line ball, which goes out, would have been a great shot! No it would not, it was shanked and went out of the court!! Or tell me “good serve” when they killed my serve for a winner – it wasn’t good – you killed it!14. Do you learn more from your wins or losses and why? I learn more from my losses as I will try and analyze what I did wrong and what I could have done better.15. What is one thing people would be surprised to know about you? While in England I was actively involved as a singer and actress in our local amature theather production company for over 15 years and participated in over 40 Broadway and Gilbert and Sullivan musicals (Annie, Oklahoma, etc) and was leading actress in The Mikado, Iolanthe, etc. 16. Favorite movies… Amadeus, Shawshank Redemption, Highlander to name just a few. Favorite band/musical artist: Not one, but a few.. Genesis, Stereophonics, Deacon Blue, George Michael . More current would be Keane, Coldplay, John Legend, Adele.17. The person I most admire is: Kind of corny, but it would have to be my husband. 18. One word to sum me up: Outspoken!
1. Where did you grow up? Georgetown, TX (Austin area)2. If not from NWA - what brought you here? Jay's job - formerly with P&G.3. Marital status, spouse’s name and children's names? Married to Jay Lefforge. 3 kids: Annie (12), Sam (10), Tillie (7)4. How did you and Jay meet? We went to high school together but didn't start dating until I ran into him at a bar in Dallas after college.5. Other than tennis what do you do for recreation,relaxation, hobbies:
photography, drawing, reading, a little jogging with friends6. What do you like most about your current job? What do you dislike? I do some copy editing for CitiScapes Magazine. I love being part of such a cool publication that really promotes our great part of the world. I get to work from home on a very flexible schedule. Can't think of anything NOT to like about that.7. What is your current NRTP ranking? 2.58. How many years have you been playing tennis? Played all the time growing up and played in high school. We even had a court in our backyard. Took a 20-year break and have been playing again for about 2 years.9. What prompted you to play tennis regularly? I used to love it so much so I thought I'd try it again. Most of you know that leads to permanent addiction!10. What is your favorite thing/enjoyment about playing tennis? I love that it's social and I've met so many great friends. But I also really just love hitting a tennis ball.11. What is your own favorite tennis shot/worst? Liking my forehand slice right now. Hate overheads.12. Is there any life lessons learned by playing tennis? Don't be afraid to push yourself out of your comfort zone and try new things. Even at age 40 or beyond, go for it!13. What is your most memorable accomplishment playing tennis so far? Winning 3.0 doubles tournament with Julie McClendon.14. Do you have a particular pet peeve that tennis opponents do that bother you? Taking themselves too seriously. 15. Do you learn more from your wins or losses and why? I think I learn from both. I can usually look back and see where it went right or wrong either way.16. Have you been to one of John Newcombe’s Tennis Camps and what did you like about it? Yes! Growing up in Texas, Newk's was a big deal. This summer my college roomate invited me to go down with her team from Dallas. That's where I learned my forehand slice! We had a great time and I loved getting to check off a bucket list item.17. What is your favorite NWA restaurant and why? Savor. I just love the food!18. What is one thing people would be surprised to know about you? Yikes... maybe that I have 3 tattoos. 19. When I was 10, I wanted to be… A TENNIS STAR! (for real)20. Favorite movies: Waiting for Guffman, Taladega Nights21. The last book I read was…. Mr. Popper's Penguins (I try to read what my kids are reading every now and then.)22. The guests at my fantasy dinner party would be…. ,
Will Ferrell, David Letterman, Bono, Stephen Colbert 23. I ‘ve been fortunate to…. marry a great guy, have 3 awesome kids, and end up in this fabulous part of the world. I love my life!24. One word to sum me up: ecclectic25. Where I spend most of my disposable income: tennis, of course26. Motto: Make 'Em Wonder ;)27. Favorite vacation spot: Disney World
1. Where did you grow up? I grew up in Dallas Texas but I spent most of my free time and weekends in Athens ( a small town in East Texas).2. If not from NWA – what brought you here? I came to Fayetteville because of School. In high school we had a Bible teacher that ran track for the Hogs and he really sparked my interest in the University of Arkansas and the SEC.3 .What is your wife’s name? My beautiful wife’s name is Mary Lauren Kirwan and we have a little dog child, Riley.4. Other than tennis, what do you do for recreation, relaxation, hobbies? I love to watch and in many cases immerse myself in almost every sport. I love the Cowboys, Mavericks(CHAMPIONSHIP), Rangers, Stars, Tennis, and golf. I also love to hunt and especially bow hunt. I primarily hunt deer and hogs, but do a little duck hunting also.5. What do you like most abut your current job and what do you dislike? I am currently the Assistant Tennis Pro at FAC and I love pretty much everything about my job. I love the interaction with the members, flexibility of hours, and being able to stay active. The one thing I can think of that I dislike is the heat.6. What is your current NRTP ranking? 4.57. How many years have you been playing tennis? Probably around 18.8. What prompted you to play tennis regularly? Well both of my parents and my grandparents played college tennis so I think it was inevitable that I started playing tennis.9. What about tennis do you like? I like that tennis requires so many different athletic and mental skills. Balance, Speed, Strength, Endurance, hand eye coordination, and mental toughness are all so important to being a good player. I feel like it is pretty easy to transition from tennis to other sports but that it is much harder to become a football player and switch over to tennis. 10. What is your most memorable accomplishment playing tennis so far? My doubles partner and I won the TAPPS 6A State Championship in 2004 down in Texas. That was probably my highlight up to this point.11. Do you have a particular pet peeve that tennis opponents do that bother you? I don’t really have one but I guess it bothers me if I feel like a team is stalling when they are down. Extra long changeovers or breaks in between sets sort of bug me.12. Do you learn more from your wins or losses and why? Definitely losses. I always feel like I reflect more accurately over my losses than I do my wins.13. What is your favorite NWA restaurant and why? I would say Theo’s just because they have the best mushroom soup in the area.14. If you could have a dinner with a famous person – dead or alive, who would it be and why? I think I would want to meet Dirk Nowitzki. I know I am probably still riding the high of the Mavs championship but he has been my favorite Dallas Sports team player for years now. He has been in Dallas since he was drafted in 1998 and will be there until he retires. That is pretty rare in sports today.
Where did you grow up? Larned, KS (on the prairie).
2. If not from NWA - what brought you here? I was hired as a faculty member by the University of Arkansas in the Biological Sciences Department. I moved from Florida where I was a researcher at the University of Florida. I love NWA, but I still miss being 45 min from the beach
3. Marital status, spouse’s name and children's names? I am married to Christine Daugherty (since 1992) and have two kiddos, Kyle (16) and Aaron (14). One kicks my ^&*% in tennis and the other could do the same in soccer if I played.
4. Other than tennis what do you do for recreation, relaxation, hobbies? I go to tennis and soccer tournaments around the South Eastern U.S. to watch my kiddos play tennis and soccer. There is little time to do more so my relaxation and recreation is socializing with other parents who do the same.
5. What do you like most about your current job and what do you dislike? I love to work with researchers and technical people like myself and with students to create useful products and information from basic research. It is the main reason I started a company with my colleagues at UAMS and direct a research group at the U. of A. I dislike the pressure of competing for federal grant funds that support my university research and technical staff…If I fail to get research grants, technical staff who have worked for me for years will lose their jobs…in that sense my job at the university is much like running a small business.
6. What is your current NRTP ranking? Having gotten bumped up last Fall, I have a ranking of 3.5, but I often feel like I am trying to rise to that ranking with my real level of play.
7. How many years have you been playing tennis? 4yrs
8. What prompted you to play tennis regularly? I was too old to keep playing men’s softball and had quit playing an organized sport by my early 40s. Watching my son Kyle play tennis and seeing people of all ages at the tennis courts reminded me of how much fun it was to be active in a sport. That said, I am still looking forward to playing ‘regularly’…summer is about the only time when I can say that I play every week at least once.
9. What is your favorite thing/enjoyment about playing tennis? There is always a new skill to learn and a new skill level to achieve. I can have fun just serving by myself for an hour. Then there are the people that I play with or against, who are almost always enjoyable and interesting. What’s not to like.
10. What is your own favorite tennis shot/worst? My favorite shot is a heavy topspin forehand from the baseline that accelerates and elevates after it hits in the opponent’s court. But just because its a favorite does not mean I have found consistency with this shot. I hate trying to hit a high backhand because the footwork and timing are difficult to coordinate.
11. Is there any life lessons learned by playing tennis? For me it is persistence and patience. I wish I was so good at tennis that I had to learn to be humble…but that lesson is not something I face often in tennis.
12. What is your most memorable accomplishment playing tennis so far? Believe it or not, there are too many memorable accomplishments to name just one…and they did not always involve winning the match…but I wish I had won them all 13. Do you have a particular pet peeve that tennis opponents do that bother you?Not yet…even the ‘scream’ breathing that some male opponents do (to imitate Sharpova) is not bothersome…but I have to keep from laughing.
14. Do you learn more from your wins or losses and why? To quote a friend who is a tennis coach, there are winners and there are learners. I am still learning a lot.
15. What is your favorite NWA restaurant and why? Bonefish…the menu and atmosphere reminds me of being near the ocean.
16. If you could have dinner with a famous person - dead or alive - who would it be and why? Steve Jobs of Apple Inc. He is a visionary in how technology can be used to change the way people interact or live there everyday life. I would love to brainstorm with this guy.
17. What is one thing people would be surprised to know about you? I don’t think I hold too many surprises…not after this interview.
18. When I was 10, I wanted to be… a professional baseball player.
19. Books I would suggest to a friend -The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks by Rebecca Skloot.
20. Favorite movies…. Indiana Jones (Raiders of the Lost Arc), Bull Durham, and Casablanca
21 The person I most admire is: Too many to name including my wife.
22. The last book I read was …..The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks by Rebecca Skloot.
23. The guests at my fantasy dinner party would be: The list is too long, but would include: Steve Jobs, Bill Clinton, Sandra Bullock, Rachel McAdams, Jennifer Garner, Don Tyson, Greg Allman, Kenneth Cline, Frank Broyles, my wife and many friends from NWA. This would be an eclectic gathering, but full of interesting people to talk with before and after dinner…and dinner would be a BBQ held outside in late September.
24. I ‘ve been fortunate to….be married to Chris, have two wonderful children, and find a job/career/friends that I enjoy most every day.
25. One word to sum me up……Optimist
