Courts of Cultures

The sport of tennis is played in over 100 countries and over 256 Division I collegiate programs across the United States. Each program contains 8-10 individual athletes for both men's and women's rosters. When first observing a roster from any Division I program, people will see that many of the athletes are international. Courts of Cultures is a documentary about the lives of five select tennis athletes of how they have adjusted to life in the United States, the shift in cultures and the transition into playing in collegiate tennis. Makey Rakotomalala (France), Pierre Louis Dodens (Switzerland), Thomas Wright (Great Britain), Lauryn John-Baptiste (England), and Tereza Kolarova (Czech Republic) all share their experiences of coming to Arizona State University and give insight into what life adjustments they have made not only for the college lifestyle, but international living as well. Head coaches Matt Hill (men's) and Sheila McInerney (women's) also speak to the recruitment of international students and how new technology has made the process simpler. In many countries, you either have to go professional in tennis out of high school, or toss away the racquet and just go to college for academics. Being able to play tennis and go to school benefits these athletes because they are able to improve on their skills and earn a degree. Each athlete featured in this film has a different story and a different background, but they all find commonality on the tennis court. A worldwide sport that has brought worldwide talent to Tempe. Courts of Cultures was directed, photographed, edited, and produced by Blaine McCormick along with narration by Scotty Gange.