The Buzz Around Campus
Tennis was at a unique stage in its development as a sport at this time in history. There were no professional ranks until 1968; therefore the college circle was the biggest and fiercest competition. The top players in college would be invited to the elite national and international competitions, such as the U.S. open and Wimbledon, and Mabry would always be delighted if one of his players would go and play in these games despite these competitions overlapping with the college tournaments. Mabry did not mind that his team be depleted for those tournaments, he would take pride that the talent he developed would be flourishing overseas at the top of the tennis game.
Whenever Trinity were playing at home, they would be playing in front of hundreds, if not thousands of spectators every week. The fact that there was no professional tour meant that people would flock to wherever the best college players were, which at the time was Trinity University. “More than 1,000 fans turned out to see the Trinity Netters’ victory on March 21. When the Trinity Tennis Stadium, along with 600 extra bleacher spaces, filled to capacity, fans climbed atop the Storch Library and Murchison dorm, and anywhere else they could catch a glimpse of the action.
The players often felt like celebrities walking around campus, but Coach Mabry ensured that they keep their feet firmly planted on the ground, to make sure they remained level headed and did not flaunt their successes.