USPTA teaching professional helps student come back from cancer

Clay Parten, USPTA P-1, and student Jill Porter model what many teaching pros already know: Playing "Tennis - for the health of it!" can have life-changing results when experienced teaching pros and physicians are both focused on helping a student/patient overcome an illness or injury.

Jill Porter is the owner, director and trainer of CyPort Performance Tennis in Cypress, Texas, offering elite tennis players off-court training. She played tennis at the University of Arizona and coached a boys' high school tennis team. She has been a national-level athlete in six sports other than tennis, including powerlifting, Olympic lifting and Tae Kwon Do (she's a black belt). Porter also is a volunteer representative for Lance Armstrong's LIVESTRONG cancer initiative and an advocate for skin cancer screenings.

This is a shortened version of an article published in the 2008 Winter/2009 Conference edition of the USPTA Texas Division newsletter, The Texan. Porter gives a firsthand account of how Parten helped her stay on the court as long as she could, per her doctor's "orders," while undergoing treatment for cancer. With her health improved, they are once again working toward her goal of returning to national-level competition.

Clay Parten, USPTA Professional and director of tennis at Hearthstone Country Club in Houston, has been my coach (and friend) for almost two years. He has taken my game to the highest level by introducing new concepts for the full game and refined my stroke production almost to perfection.

In early May (2008), I was diagnosed with skin cancer . As an athlete, I wanted to know if I could continue my training, maintain the great condition my body had finally achieved and compete nationally. I was blessed with meeting and working with a world-renowned cancer specialist who scheduled radiation treatment for six weeks (30 sessions), once a day during the week with weekends off.

Clay kept my spirits up when I was able to get back on the court in the early phase. Treatment began and I thought it relatively easy at first so we continued to train as hard as possible in preparation to compete at the National Senior Women's Hard Court Tournament in September.

Side effects of radiation vary by patient and for some reason, I seemed to experience quite a few. As each new symptom developed, Clay would carefully plan and monitor workouts – endurance became the big issue.

At this point, Clay was making big decisions for my training. We could no longer complete much of the intense workouts, so he developed special drills and mental-focus exercises that I could do. This enabled me to have success at least in a few areas of my game and helped me keep a positive attitude when my body was declining quickly.

When my body finally succumbed to the extreme mental and physical fatigue, it put me in bed almost 24 hours a day the final two weeks (and the next two afterward). Even walking became difficult with balance issues. Clay stayed in touch by phone and continued his positive attitude and belief that I WOULD come back to my level of play when treatment was over.

Four weeks passed, then my husband took me to the courts to see if Clay and I could start back to training. I had so many fears to overcome, but Clay made these fears disappear as we gradually started at the beginning. He could only hit a few balls right to me for a few minutes before I would have to lie down to rest. But, his full conduct and attitude presented such a positive picture of success with each small step I could take.

In some ways time has passed so quickly as it has already been four months since treatment ended. I AM NOW CANCER FREE. I'm back to full training, but not in terms ever experienced. We were told no tournaments could be targeted until late spring/early summer, which makes the full down time almost a year. At least we can have a goal.

My husband, Michael, and Clay have been my strongest reason for returning and trying to meet this challenge to come back. Without Clay's unbelievable efforts and belief in me, I would not continue this journey. He has truly been and still is my inspiration. I hope someday to honor his hard work, patience and gift for being the most special coach I have ever had with a win at a national level.

I would like to personally thank Dr. Robert Behar, M.D., chairman and CEO of North Cypress Medical Center; Dr. Leslie Ledbetter, M.D., The Woodlands Dermatology Group; and Dr. Matt Hammit, M.D., Texas Orthopaedic & Sports Medicine, for leading me in the right direction for evaluation, diagnosis and treatment. Each one provided more than I can ever describe with caring professionalism and sensitivity to my personal situation. I cannot say enough about Dr. Behar's carefully planned and designed cancer treatment that has allowed me full opportunity to continue my quest for a national singles title in tennis.

When Jill Porter started her radiation treatments for skin cancer last spring, her doctor told this highly motivated tennis player that she needed to stay on the court and in the gym as long as she could.

"He wanted me to have the opportunity to keep my goal," said Porter, who two years before had defeated the No. 1 women's open singles player in the state of Texas and was preparing for a national tournament that fall. "He also knew I was going to try to do what I could get away with. He said be smart about it."

Her coach, Clay Parten, was ready to help her continue training - within limits.

"My motivation was to do whatever I could for her to keep her going ... to help her reach her goal," Parten said. "I think that's what a pro gets paid to do - take care of students' needs in terms of tennis.

"That's why I like to be a tennis pro," this 20-year veteran said. "My favorite thing is the relationship between myself and my students."

Every pro especially enjoys working with someone like Porter, "who loves tennis, loves coming to lessons, and just didn't want to lose all she had gained in the last few years," the USPTA Professional said.

"In the tennis business you work with all levels, all ages and you always have to tailor your lessons, especially private lessons, for every individual," he noted. "Her situation was sort of an extension of that.

"If someone has an injury (or illness) and goes to a doctor I find out what the doctor said, one way or another. I'm not going to hit with them if they're not supposed to.

"Jill and I talked about what she was released to do and what her stamina would allow her to do," he said. "I tried to be sensitive to when I saw her getting tired and we would take a break."

When she arrived at the club for her lessons, Parten would even walk to the parking lot to help her out of her car because she was so weak, Porter said. "I've had some tremendous coaches in my life . (but) I don't know one that would have stuck by me that way."