Backyard beginnings shape Mark Blume's enduring tennis legacy

When you add the word “backyard” to a sport, it brings on a totally different meaning. It speaks of a looser, less structured setup. Mostly, it speaks of a passion for the game; you’re not playing it for the roar of the crowd or the riches that can come from it.

Backyard football is less about the designed play and more about just getting open and the quarterback will find you. Backyard basketball is playing half-court hoops, bouncing off each other and talking trash, where it’s not a foul unless blood is shed.

But for Mark Blume, “backyard tennis” is different. It’s certainly about his love of the sport, but it’s also a very literal term.

“We were fairly well off when I was growing up, and we lived just outside of town,” Blume said. “We had some land, and my dad built a tennis court on the property. There were families near us who said, ‘If you build a couple more tennis courts, we could do a summer membership, like $150 for the summer.’ So we had three tennis courts on our property.

“There was no reason for me not to play tennis.”

Volunteer to Executive Director

Blume took his passion for tennis and turned it into a career. He played junior tennis and in high school. After graduating from the University of Iowa, he started working in tennis administration and has coached tennis for many years.

For the last 13 years he’s been the executive director of USTA Iowa, a post he moved on from on March 31.

Blume was diagnosed with Stage 4 cancer in his lungs and liver. He’s doing well with it, handling it like he’s charging the net to smash a shot. He said his life right now is mostly about managing the treatments, including chemotherapy.

“It’s a little bit of a battle week to week, mainly fatigue,” he said. “There are times when I just need to go home and sleep or just rest. The more I rest, the more my legs don’t want to do jack squat. Now I’m battling a little bit of atrophy with my legs. I’m just trying to manage that.

“My happy place is on the tennis court. I don’t want to be stuck at home. It feels like jail. I feel I can still make a difference on the tennis court.”

He’s been making a difference with USTA Iowa far longer than he was the executive director. He served as a volunteer for 13 years prior to taking over, helping with NTRP player ratings. He then took over the adult competition chair to help grow tournaments.