Tennis Do-It-All Eyes Tour -- Victory String Stirs Competitive Fire In Mercer Island Club Pro

It took a lot of work, but Brian Joelson succeeded in taking all the glamour out of a glamorous job.

If Brian Joelson were a rock singer, he would have to pack and haul his own equipment, and sell music books door to door to help ends meet. If acting was his line of work, he would be his own agent, live off television commercials, and be asked to do clown acts at birthday parties.

It's not always tons of fun to be Brian Joelson, but since getting out of college, he has found one way or another to make a living by playing a game - tennis.

``It hasn't been easy, but if you love the sport you have to make some sacrifices,'' said Joelson, the head tennis pro at the Mercer Island Country Club.

Joelson has done just about everything a tennis player can do to earn a buck. He plays, teaches, strings rackets - even runs a pro shop. He works hard at it. Color his collar blue.

Now, at the age of 28, with much of his glory days behind him, he is making a comeback. He has been lulled back into a dream that he woke up from six years ago, to be a professional tennis player.

He is currently on a five-tournament winning streak, having won singles titles at the Western Washington Open, Oregon Clay Court Championships, Pacific Western Open, Rainier Classic and, most recently, at the Oregon State Championships, where he beat one of his students, Chet Crile. Meanwhile, he hasn't given up his day job.

Monday through Thursday, he teaches; Friday through Sunday, he plays. This year was the first since 1984 that Joelson has traveled beyond the Northwest to play. He even flew to England and tried to qualify for Wimbledon. His schedule is so tight these days, that he usually arrives back in town late Sunday, just in time to sleep before his 7:30 a.m. class at the country club.

His students include some of the best in the state. Many of his pupils move on to Mercer Island High, a perennial state prep power. He taught Crile and Matt Zisette, who are stars at the University of Washington and Texas A&M respectively.

``I really enjoy being able to play in tournaments and being able to go back to students,'' Joelson said. ``It helps me give them insight on competition, to make that bridge between competing and learning.''

Joelson, who won two state singles title at Aloha High School, in Beaverton, Ore., has been the head pro at Mercer Island for the past four years. He spent the first year out of college playing the pro tour, and the next teaching at the Willamette Racquet Club, in Gladstone, Ore.

He was recruited out of high school to play at Texas A&M, where he played No. 1 singles and was All-Southwest Conference during his junior and senior seasons.

After getting out of college, he gave the professional satellite tour a try, but lasted only a year because he ``wanted to settle down and make a living.'' Joelson was then engaged to his wife, Teresa, and didn't like the traveling life. He didn't achieve immediate success, and it became increasingly harder to concentrate on his game.

``I didn't have the staying power,'' Joelson said. ``Things always bugged me too much.''

So he moved back to Portland, got married and found that a steady job as a tennis instructor afforded a more comfortable lifestyle and a reliable paycheck. When he arrived at Mercer Island, he continued to compete, but only in local tournaments.

``That was part of my original deal,'' Joelson said. ``They knew I was going to be playing, and it makes the club look good when I win. But that's all I had in mind (just to play locally). I was going to quit altogether because it was getting too hard to train and teach. But now, tennis is taking up all my time.''

Joelson routinely puts in 16-hour days, teaching for half the day, spending another four hours training, and using the rest to work in the pro shop, which he and his wife own and operate.

``My wife has been really committed to helping me,'' Joelson said. ``Without her, I couldn't do it.''

Joelson had his change of heart last October when he reached the semifinals of the Smirnoff Challenge, a Grand Prix tournament in Vancouver, B.C. He lost to Chris Pridham, who was then ranked No. 143 in the world, 7-6, 4-6, 6-4, but was so encouraged by his performance he decided to make a serious attempt to get back on the ATP tour.

``Instead of quitting, it really rejuvenated me, rekindled the fire,'' Joelson said. ``It really did surprise me because I wasn't in shape. I think a lot of it had to do with the mental stuff I was working on.''

Last year, Joelson bolstered his mental game with help from a sports psychologist. These days, Joelson has fewer distractions and is more financially secure. But he also has a few more obligations, his two children, Brett, 5, and Ashley, 3.

Joelson now has a world ranking of 547, a number he would like to improve by about 400 spots.