STUDENT SPOTLIGHT

Last week, we sat down with Lana and Lena Waterman ’25 to learn about their experiences as part of the U.S. Open ball crew this summer. Here’s what they had to say:

What an amazing opportunity! Were you nervous?
Lana: This summer my sister and I were chosen to be a part of the ball crew at the US Open. It was a great first-time experience! My favorite thing about it was just learning what to do and how being part of the ball crew works. The training involved included timing on running and speed. I definitely was nervous, but it was a lot of fun being a part of it!

Why did you decide to get involved? What was your favorite part of the experience?Lena: We got involved through our tennis program. Our coaches told us that we would be really good at it and that it would be good for when we apply to college. My favorite part of the experience was that we got to watch the professionals play if we were working on that court. We also got a discount on food because the US open food was so expensive.

What was the training like?
Lena: Some of the training involved seeing how fast you are so they can either put you at “net” or “back.” When you’re at the “net,” you stand on the ends of the net, and you have to run on court to grab the balls. If you’re at “back,” you have to give the players the balls when they need them after every point, and you also grab balls that go behind them. At first, I was a little nervous because so many people were watching the players, and they were also watching you to see if you did your job well. I felt calm when I was on court, but sometimes it was hard to stay completely still because the days were so hot!