Words by Linley Allred | Images by Al Blanton
An unidentified tennis student once told Grant Rolley, “The Lord is not done with you yet, Grant. You could have died recently with that stroke, and probably many times during your drinking days, but you didn’t. Write a book and share your story. It will be good for you and a blessing for others.”
And so, Musgrove Country Club tennis pro and local legend Grant Rolley has put pen to paper and told his life story (at least up to now).
Grant’s childhood was marked by frequent moves and the search for a consistent father figure. While those early years were difficult, they played a key role in shaping the man he would become.
Interestingly, his first love wasn’t tennis, it was basketball. He didn’t even attend a school with a sanctioned tennis team until his senior year. That year at Wayland Academy, he received his first formal instruction from Coach Wolfe, whom he credits as one of the most influential figures in his life. “He had more influence over me than my mother, father, or any future coaches,” Grant says.
Before that, Grant had been mostly self-taught. Under Wolfe’s guidance, he went on to win the 1976 Wisconsin State Championship in doubles.
That night, he says, he “got drunk and stayed that way for the next three weeks.”
Much of Grant’s book details his long battle with addiction to alcohol and drugs. Recovery didn’t come easily or quickly. “This is what we tell ourselves, ‘I have it under control this time,’” he says. The truth was – he didn’t. But through a series of events and failed attempts at sobriety, he eventually found lasting recovery. July 8, 1985 is the day he turned the corner. He hasn’t looked back since and credits Alcoholics Anonymous and the 12-step program with saving his life.
Not long after getting sober, Grant found himself in a rather unexpected chapter coaching a team of women to the finals of the Nudist Tennis Championship of Florida. (Yes, really. For further details, you’ll have to read the book.)
Soon after, he accepted a position at Musgrove Country Club in Jasper, and has been there ever since. Forty years and counting.
Over the course of his career, Grant has won 57 tennis tournaments – singles, doubles, and mixed doubles combined. His students have earned 13 state championships, and more than 30 have gone on to receive college tennis scholarships. In 1982, he was ranked 32nd in singles by the USPTA and, in 1986, 18th in doubles. In 2018, he was inducted into the Alabama Tennis Hall of Fame.
His memoir reflects on his journey and the many friendships he’s formed along the way, including fond memories of those who are no longer here, such as Haig Wright, Al Blanton, Jerry Gardner, and Charlie Bush.
Whether you’ve heard him utter the signature phrase “Learn to volley with Grant Rolley,” or you’re simply looking to learn more about a beloved figure in the local community, now’s the perfect time to pick up a copy of Gran’t story and take the ride. WL
Life Is Best Served Sober is available for purchase at the following retailers:
Amazon
