Winston-Salem Open to Hold Ball Person Tryouts July 21 and 23

Written by: Staff on 20th July 2011

Winston-Salem Open to Hold Ball Person Tryouts July 21 and 23 |

The Winston-Salem Open will hold tryouts for ball persons July 21 from 6 to 7:30 p.m. and July 23 from 9 to 10:30 a.m. The tryouts are open to the public and will be held at the Wake Forest University Indoor Tennis Center at 100 West 32^nd Street (adjacent to BB&T Field).

Applicants are asked to wear appropriate athletic clothes to the tryouts and cannot wear shoes with black soles. Ball persons serve as volunteers, and there is no fee to apply.

Candidates for ball persons must know how to keep score of tennis games, be able to move quickly, be willing to endure lengthy tennis matches in the sun and work well with others on a team. Ball persons must be 13 years old by August 20, 2011 (proof of age required) in order to qualify. Additionally, all applicants must attend a one-hour training session on August 6 from 9 to 10 a.m. at the Wake Forest University Indoor Tennis Center and be available for the entire Winston-Salem Open tournament and qualifying rounds August 20 through 27.

“The primary role of ball persons is to retrieve tennis balls when they are out of play. Ball persons play a very important role in the overall operation of each match,” said tournament director Bill Oakes. “Serving as a ball person is one of the greatest jobs in the world. It’s a fun job for anyone age 13 and over, but it’s also a serious commitment of time and hard work.”

“All applicants must be mature, have good hand-eye coordination and exhibit good citizenship,” Oakes added. “I also want to stress that ball persons must be willing to attend the training session from 9 to 10 a.m. on Saturday, August 6, and be available for possible work during the entire tournament. There are no exceptions to these rules.”

Ball person applicants should complete a waiver and bring it with them to the tryouts. Please Click here for waiver release form.

About the Winston-Salem Open

The Winston-Salem Open, an ATP World Tour 250 event with a total purse of $625,000, will take place from August 21-27, 2011, with qualifying set for August 19 and August 20. The tournament will be the final men’s event of the Olympus US Open Series. The tournament will receive national television exposure via Tennis Channel and ESPN2, including the singles final broadcasted by CBS. The Winston-Salem Open offers a text update program to keep fans informed about the tournament. To enroll in the free service, text WINSTON to 55333. For more information or to purchase tickets to the Winston-Salem Open, please go to www.winstonsalemopen.com.