Midwest

USTA Midwest League Spotlight: Mike Killian

August 17, 2020

USTA League tennis means many things to different people in the tennis community. For some, it is a chance to stretch their competitive muscles once more. For others, the draw of comradery and working towards a shared goal is the big pull. And still for others, it is a combination of the best part of the game that get them hooked. 

 

Mike Killian of the Detroit area will be the first to admit that he has caught the League bug. Killian, a retired police officer, did not find tennis until very recently. Following a stroke that left him unable to participate in softball or hockey, Killian looked to tennis as a means to keep himself active and to meet new people. What he did not count on was the immediate attraction he would feel for the game and an unbreakable bond with his amazing teammates.

 

“It’s a great game and certainly it is as advertised, a game for life,” said Killian. “It’s been my good fortune to not only enjoy the game but to have made several lifelong friends, and there are just a lot of terrific people in the game.”

 

Killian missed the competitive nature of both softball and hockey, so when he learned about League and how he could compete in a new space, he was sold. For four years, Killian has been a part of League teams coming out of the Southeastern Michigan district. 

After his first year, though, Killian thought he could give back in a small way to his teammates by taking on the responsibility of captain. Killian is a team player through and through, so to be able to help his teammates in any way is what he lives for. He had the time to devote to his team, so he wanted to make the most impact he could for his tennis family. 

 

“It’s been my good fortune to be able to surround myself with some great guys who like to play competitive tennis,” said Killian.

 

Killian says that each year of his League experience has been better than the last, culminating in a second-place finish at the National tournament in Phoenix, Arizona for his 55 & Over team and a trip to Nationals with his 40 & Over team. 

 

 

 

With all of the success Killian has seen over the short time he has been associated with League tennis, he assures that his teammates have been his rock and the real stars of the show. 

 

“It’s been a terrific experience, and the guys on my team have made this such a wonderful experience,” said Killian. “We are more like brothers and family than just guys who hang around and play tennis.” 

 

Killian was named USTA League Captain of the Year for the Midwest Section in 2019 and hopes that his teams will have the chance to make the National tournament this year. He is also in the process of forming a 65 & Over team to compete in the upcoming League seasons.

 

For Killian, team is everything, and he says that he would not be even close to where he is today without the lifelong friends he has made through League tennis. In the coming years, Killian is excited to see where tennis will take him next.

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