Meet the Member: Christy Cooley

Where are you from? If not from Reno, what brought you here?

I grew up in San Jose, but was living in Marin County (suburb north of San Francisco) before we moved to Reno. I wanted to raise my son in a more sensible, less hectic place, and we also do a lot of skiing and mountain bike riding, both of which Reno is well suited for. But don’t worry, I don’t vote like most Californians!

How long have you been a member of WTC?

 I think I joined WTC two years ago, when Chad recruited me to join the singles ladder.

 What WTC or USTA activities do you participate in?

I still dabble in the singles ladder, but I mostly play on and captain USTA teams. Every now and then I might do a USTA tournament.

What’s your tennis story? How did you get started and what keeps you playing?

When I was 13, it occurred to me that I’d like to be competent at a variety of sports. I could already play softball and basketball, but I wanted to try tennis.

I fell instantly, immediately, in love. With each tennis ball I hit, I found I could perfect my life a little bit at a time. The pursuit of a perfectly struck tennis ball, plus the calorie burn of running around for two hours, was the perfect medication for my anxiety.

And then there was Andre Agassi. Again I fell instantly, immediately in love, as only 13 year old girls can do. This crush definitely added fuel to my tennis fire.

Even in high school I had a lot of trouble with injuries, particularly my lower back. I managed to play D3 college for four years, then quit tennis when I graduated.

I got into a lot of extreme sports in my thirties, like motorcycle racing, road bike racing, and mountain bike racing, but I came crawling back to tennis two years ago after suffering many of the injuries that come with such activities. It was like I finally gave up the abusive boyfriend and went back to the nice guy.

Except that I still ski, and had the worst accident of my life on January 21, 2023. I accidentally skied off an unmarked, unseen cliff and broke both my legs. I still put together a 4.5 team for the spring season, largely from the hospital bed and a wheelchair, and even managed to play in six of our matches.

And yes…I skied again. 37 days on the mountain this past season.

Do you have any tennis goals for 2024?

 I really favor systems over goals, like doing something consistently, every day, that makes your life better. I just want to keep pursuing a perfectly struck ball. A well-constructed point. Fewer errors. More winners. Less grumbling over my mistakes and more kindness towards myself.

What is another favorite hobby other than tennis?

Well, I still ride mountain bikes and ski. My son and I want to ride every segment of the Tahoe Rim Trail this summer. We also like dirt bikes and taking my Can Am out for a rip.

I also started a project when I was recovering from my ski accident: to watch every Academy Award best picture winner. Still working on that one, but I’m almost halfway through. Patton, The King’s Speech, and The Godfather Trilogy were all ones I’d never seen before and absolutely loved.

Would you like to share anything about your family?

I have a ten-year-old boy and a very large, brown dog. Sometimes you’ll see one or both of them with me at Washoe.

 Would you like to share about your occupation?

I started working at Google in 2002, and Sheryl Sandberg was my first manager there. We had 406 employees when I joined, and over 20,000 when I left in 2008. I did some consulting for a few years after that and then retired when my son was born.

Who is your favorite tennis player? Why?

Aryna Sabalenka. She’s so relatable, and personable, yet so ferocious on the court. I feel like the sound she makes when she hits the ball is how I feel when I hit mine. I just try to be a little quieter.