A bond between Minneapolis teammates has inspired team leader Susie Neet to fight ovarian cancer and pursue her remaining tennis goals, working to get back on the court as a volunteer, mentor and player.
By Nicholas J. Walz, USTA.com
Susie Neet has lost her hair but not her laugh, a distinctive, slow chuckle that inspired many of her teammates out of the Minneapolis/St. Paul area to dub her the "Laughing Queen."
At the USTA League Super Senior National Championships in Arizona in April, Neet held court with the group from USTA Northern in a hotel room, trying on various wigs, hats and scarves. They all laughed at the impromptu fashion show – relieved after a day of competition and glad to enjoy another tour of travel with their beloved team leader.
Six months prior, six members of the team drove carefully through a Minnesota ice storm, seeing Neet to life-saving surgery. Doctors had found ovarian cancer, leaving Neet’s existence, and in very many ways the team’s world, as unstable as the conditions of the road outside the car. The wintry weather would subside soon after their arrival at the hospital, but no matter – the team would default their scheduled match the next day to see Neet through.
Through searing heat or cold, and through five rounds of chemotherapy – with a sixth on the way right after they returned home from the Super Senior Championships – the squad has stuck together.
"Some people might have a daughter or a sister, and I don’t have any of those," said the 66-year-old Neet, who lives on her own with a Cocker Spaniel named Buzz. "My tennis team has been my caregivers. They’ve spoiled me, even, staying with me when I went to the hospital for surgery and doing all the doctor care."
Neet was thankful to receive doctor’s clearance to go to Arizona, but she was even more grateful for the efforts of the Minnesota gang. Her group divvied up responsibilities to make the stay as comfortable as possible: Some monitored the time Neet can be exposed to the unforgiving desert sun, while Susan, a longtime friend and teammate, made sure Neet got on their plane home safe and sound. What’s more, they shared laughter at the circumstances cancer-patient care brings, again, easing the burden.
"She was very vulnerable and insecure, but she’s pulled through to continue at what she loves," said teammate Linda Oberpriller, a friend for nearly 30 years. "Susie’s a great sport. Her attitude, her outlook has changed nearly 100 percent in this fight."
A Tennis Legacy
Shortly before Halloween last year, right after a high school tennis banquet – Neet serves as a girls’ varsity coach at Minneapolis’s Southwest High School – her cancer diagnosis arrived without warning.
"It was a shock – I’ve never been sick in my life," said Neet. "As a tennis player, you think of yourself as healthy."
Neet balanced a 34-year career as a grade school teacher with racquet work. At one time a ranked singles player within USTA Northern, Neet expanded her roles outside the lines to become a USTA League captain, Jr. Team Tennis coordinator and high school coach, among various additional roles. She became the first National Junior Tennis and Learning (NJTL) volunteer at the Fred Wells Tennis & Education Center in St. Paul, working afternoons with at-risk youths in the area to enhance academic study and to introduce tennis as a way to stay fit and out of trouble.
Even after her diagnosis and during the subsequent treatment, Neet continued her work with the Fred Wells TEC, which was honored as the 2011 USTA/NJTL Chapter of the Year, and within her community. Knowing what the work means to their friend and captain, Neet’s teammates help now more than ever as she carries on her services.
"She has a legacy that she’s working on," said Oberprillar. "She wants to develop all these wonderful programs for young kids in tennis."
Part of that effort is setting in place a 2013 summer camp in a Minneapolis-based park, where Neet could coach and coordinate other coaches to guide inner-city children. As a longer-term goal, she would like to begin a Jr. Team Tennis program from scratch, uniting public school and parks and rec kids in the area and forming two teams, minimum.
Finally, there’s a literal burn to serve, to get back to the baseline and resume playing the game she cherishes. Neet’s days as an active USTA League player are all but over – any future play will be purely recreational.
Still, Neet knows she’ll always be part of the team.
"I tell [my team] every time that it’s their love, faith, support, all that which provides the positive spirit," said Neet. "I definitely will play tennis again, there’s no doubt in my mind."