Wilkommen bei den Schatten » that means delivering on the ice

NEW YORK -- When 55-year-old banking executive Vijay Parimoo told his friends he would be a rookie ball boy at this years U.S. Open, he expected, and got, a little teasing.They were like, `Isnt there an age limit? Shouldnt there be? he said.But the U.S. Open has indeed never put an upper limit on the age of its ball chasers, which tournament officials say sets Flushing Meadows apart from the other Grand Slams. Of the 275 ball people this year -- all of whom had to make it through grueling tryouts -- about 75 are 18 or older and more than 20 of those are over 30. Several are in their 50s. One who gave it up a couple of years ago was 63.Top players who make it their habit to thank the ball boys and ball girls in their victory speeches on tour have been seen giving double-takes when handed a ball or towel by grownups.I see many adults, says No. 1-ranked defending champion Novak Djokovic. I dont know if all of them are adults, but theyre doing their job very well.While the very idea of ball men and ball women has been lampooned over the years -- most notably on TVs Seinfeld when Kramer finds a way to bungle the great ball man experiment -- its a point of pride for the hardy few who have actually done one of the most coveted minimum-wage jobs in sports. And U.S. Open officials say there are plenty of wrinkles, so to speak, at this particular Grand Slam that make older ball people a sensible choice.For one, the two-week U.S. Open normally straddles the Labor Day weekend, when the school year kicks in and labor laws prevent kids from working extended hours, especially at night.The older ballpersons are gold in the night matches, says Cathie Delaney, a U.S. Tennis Association pro who manages the day-to-day court assignments for ball people who can be as young as 14. Some of these matches go until 2 a.m. We cant have a 14-year-old on the subway at 2 a.m.And then theres the U.S. Opens distinction of being the only major in which the ball persons move the balls around the court by throwing them rather than rolling them, which on changeovers can mean 80-foot, baseball-like guns from one end of the court to the other. Over the three weeks of work -- through the qualifying rounds, the main draws, junior, college and wheelchair events -- all that throwing can take a toll on young arms.Former college baseball player Yitz Liberman answered the call several years ago, not out of a particular devotion to tennis but because he knew he had a rocket arm. Now, the 34-year-old adjunct professor of Judaic studies at Yeshiva University has worked his way up to the position of crew chief in some of the top matches in Arthur Ashe Stadium.Theres a lot going on around you. Its my job to keep everyone focused and everyone in line, says Liberman, who high-fived his mostly teenage crew when they were assigned Venus Williams match in front of more than 23,000 fans.Dressed in identical blue uniforms, the six-person crew marches on and off the court like soldiers. In a choreographed flourish, they fan out onto the court to their assigned spots, the runners at the net who scamper for loose balls, and the throwers at the end who bounce the balls to the players and handle their sweaty towels.Tina Taps, who has been in charge of the ball persons since 1989, says she doesnt care about age, only a love of the tennis and the ability to make it through tryouts, which involve sprints, agility drills and throwing competitions. Each summer, about 400 people try out for just 80 rookie spots.Its a hard job, she said. More mature ball persons can deal with the heat and the various things that occur on the court and can teach the younger ones to persevere.One of those vets is Laray Fowler, a 32-year-old sales associate from Great Neck who has worked every U.S. Open since she was 14. She specializes in knowing and anticipating the on-court likes, dislikes and nuances of some of the games biggest stars, including Serena Williams.Its kind of like I know what she wants without her even having to ask, says Fowler, who, for reasons that have never been explained to her, ends up getting assigned to just about every Serena match.So will there ever come a day Fowler will give up being a ball person? No way, she says. Im going to do this until I cant walk anymore.For Parimoo, the 55-year-old rookie from Warren, New Jersey, taking his place on court is the fulfillment of a lifelong dream. It began in his native India when he watched Jimmy Connors, Chris Evert and Bjorn Borg at the Open on television and noticed the youngsters chasing the balls across the court. What do these kids have to do to be in this tournament? he wondered. They must be super smart or special.When his 15-year-old son, Shray, tried out this summer, he took his dad with him. Amazingly, they both made it.In one of his first assignments, Parimoo handled the towel in a doubles match for one of his idols, Martina Hingis. But his biggest honor came this week when he was assigned to work as part of the same crew with his son.It reminded him once again of the biggest advantage he has over younger ball people: perspective.This is a privilege, he says. I enjoy every minute I am here. I may not be able to do it tomorrow. TORONTO -- The early-season struggles of the Nashville Predators werent just about a team trying to find cohesion with new parts on the ice.It was just as much about Nashville redefining its leadership core following the departure of former captain Shea Weber as well as other veterans such as Barret Jackman, Paul Gaustad and Eric Nystrom.And what youre seeing now, perhaps -- as the Preds have picked up points in six straight games (4-0-2) heading into their game Tuesday against the?Toronto Maple Leafs?-- is a team that has defined its pool of leaders through that early adversity.When you lose a lot of players, not just Shea, guys are figuring out where their spot is early in the season, new captain Mike Fisher said on Tuesday after the teams morning skate. So its all kind of new on the ice as well as off the ice. I feel like we went through a stretch where we realized we were a lot better than we were but [figured], Lets learn through it. I feel like were coming out better on the other side. Were figuring out how we need to play, our identity.Added alternate captain James Neal: Everyone is going through the change with new roles, a lot of younger guys, and new faces. Thats part of it. But we knew wed come out of it. Its all part of hard work.Its also part of the legacy that a guy like Weber left behind. Go around the Predators room like I did on Tuesday, and youll see the players faces light up when asked to put into words what their former captain meant to them.He had an amazing presence, said winger Colin Wilson. Hes one of the best guys I ever played with, best leaders, thats what hes known for. He set the tone every single day.The way Weber handled his day-to-day approach still influences his former teammates.Just seeing him working hard every practice, every day in the gym ... he never took a day off. He was just a true professional, said defenseman Mattias Ekholm. It was a pleasure to grow into the league with a guy like that as a leader. You feel how blessed youve been to have had a guy like that to look up to, and try to be as good as him every day.As his?Montreal Canadiens teammates are learning, Weber sets the tone by what he does, not so much what he says.He wasnt a huge talker, Wilson said. Its more that he showed up, and when you have a leader whos dialed inn every single day, every practice .dddddddddddd.. . He never took any days off, he led by example. Hes an intense guy and hes somebody you wanted to play for. Hes also a lot of fun, he kept the dressing room pretty light.Added Neal: Sheas just a great guy, a great person, a great hockey player. He didnt need to say much. Thats the kind of leader he was and the kind of guy he is. When there were problems, he would be able to hide them. He put his work in every day, and if you didnt put the work in with him, you were falling behind. All great leaders are like that. He was a fun guy to play with.Talented blueliner Roman Josi, an alternate captain, is growing into a bigger leadership role.Its definitely kind of new for a lot of guys, said Josi. You just kind of grow into a leadership role and try to learn from the older guys. You try to get more comfortable with it.The player acquired for Weber, the dynamic P.K. Subban, is part of that group of guys who can each lead in their own way. For Subban that means delivering on the ice (the defenseman is tied for fourth in goals, with three, and points, with eight), but also trying, in times of adversity like the Predators had in the opening month (losing six of their first eight games) to keep the right frame of mind at the rink.It has been a challenge. I really believe that a lot of the outcome of whatever the situation youre in is determined by your attitude and how you approach it, Subban said on Tuesday. I always approach everything with a positive attitude. I seem to get more success doing that than anything else.Picked by many before the season as serious Stanley Cup challengers, the Predators are showing signs of becoming that team. And Ekholm said the early-season losses, while frustrating, might have been a blessing in disguise because they forced everyone in the room to understand what it was going to take.I think we can be a contender, but not unless everyone works hard and understands their roles and what have you, said Ekholm. We have strong leaders in this room still with a lot of the older guys. We got a lesson in the beginning and now were finding our stride. We just have to keep at it. ' ' '