STOCKBRIDGE - What's a local tennis pro and sports psychologist doing teaching Tai chi at the Berkshire Botanical Garden?
Expect the unexpected from Jena Marcovicci, whose career has gone from squaring off against Villas and Borg to teaching Tai chi-in- the-garden and "The Joy of Tennis" at conference centers across the United States.
Richmond-based Marcovicci, a tennis pro and sports psychologist in private practice, as well as a staff member at Canyon Ranch, has fused the tenets of Eastern philosophy with his love of sport. In the process he has created techniques to promote both the enjoyment of sport and the development of the individual player.
His warm-up includes both yoga and Tai chi, a martial arts form that involves a series of slow methodical movements. "Tai chi is good for strengthening the immune system, improving the digestion, and giving a person great balance," says Marcovicci, who has been teaching at the garden for nearly five years. Marcovicci has been featured in numerous newspaper articles, including Tennis Magazine and in this month's New Age magazine. A recent Time magazine cover story featured yoga as a chic form of fitness and stress-reducer among the rich and famous. Athletes are among the converted, some using yoga as a pre-game ritual.
Student Suzanne Levy of South Egremont says that her weekly Tai chi is "sacrosanct." Visiting relatives recently asked her to skip a session and go out to dinner. "I said, 'I'm very sorry, but I made this promise to myself'.
"Something happens every week if you don't carve that out for yourself," she adds. "[The workout] takes me to a higher level in my brain and in my body." Levy has been attending the sessions, which run from May to October on Tuesday evenings, for four years.
Marcovicci reaches beyond the stress and fitness benefits of his meditative approach in his "Dance of Tennis" and "Quiet Mind/Fluid Body" workshops. He encourages athletes to examine their conditioned responses regarding winning, and the concept of sport as conquest. According to Marcovicci, most people who play sports are locked into the conditioned response of needing to win to feel good about who they are. "I tell them, 'There's no such thing as failure. The score doesn't define who you are. The essence of you is much greater than any score'.
"That gets lost," he added, "because in our culture the only thing that matters is the score."
Marcovicci has brought his "Dance of Tennis" program to inner city communities in Miami, Boston, Washington, D.C. and Los Angeles. His goal is to teach the game, help kids enjoy it, and build self-esteem in the process. But his approach is not that of a typical high school tennis teacher's. He utilizes dance routines to teach footwork. He plays popular music on the tennis court. "Music is such a great intervention," he says. "It takes you out of that realm of tennis as you have known it, and it becomes something else. The person on the other side of the net becomes your partner, not your enemy."
Marcovicci warns of the danger of, "being attached to the outcome." His first love was skiing. He was a highly placed skier in high school, chasing an athletic scholarship, until an accident set him back. During a comeback attempt, after making an impressive start, he fell behind, and literally purposely crashed rather than face others at the bottom of the hill after losing. He was seriously injured, and when he recovered he moved to Miami and took up tennis. There, he studied Eastern philosophy, conquered some of his demons and developed strong enough game to play the professional circuit. He nearly qualified for Wimbleton.
And then he began to teach what he had learned.
In his adult workshops, Marcovicci encourages "weekend warriors" to examine their conditioned responses during play. Many complain that the fun has gone out of the game. The workshops offer a new perspective. "They give an alternative view of what sports can be. It creates a space where they don't have to use their defense systems. It also allows them to look at the person on the other side of the net differently. The real enemy is one's own responses and defense systems. When you're not in fight-or-flight mode, you're more relaxed. The more relaxed you are, generally speaking, the more you maximize your performance."
During the winter, Marcovicci travels to warmer climates to teach children's workshops.
His advice for aspiring athletes? "The greatest thing is for each person to redefine what winning is on a personal level. Don't get sucked into that behavior pattern that says that second place is nothing. Just stepping out makes you a winner in life. Sport, at its elemental level, is about well-being. It's about rhythm and balance and teaches you how to focus on things other than yourself. But it doesn't serve you if you focus on looking good. It doesn't serve you when you get locked into end results. Winning is staying in the moment."
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Berkshire County Homes Celebrating Holiday Cheer
By Breanna SteeleiBerkshires Staff
There's holiday cheer throughout the Berkshires this winter.
Many homeowners are showing their holiday spirit by decorating their houses. We asked for submissions so those in the community can check out these fanciful lights and decor when they're out.
We asked the homeowners questions on their decorations and why they like to light up their houses.
In Great Barrington, Matt Pevzner has decorated his house with many lights and even has a Facebook page dedicated to making sure others can see the holiday joy.
Located at 93 Brush Hill Road, there's more than 61,000 lights strewn across the yard decorating trees and reindeer and even a polar bear.
The Pevzner family started decorating in September by testing their hundreds of boxes of lights. He builds all of his own decorations like the star 10-foot star that shines done from 80-feet up, 10 10-foot trees, nine 5-foot trees, and even the sleigh, and more that he also uses a lift to make sure are perfect each year.
"I always decorated but I went big during COVID. I felt that people needed something positive and to bring joy and happiness to everyone," he wrote. "I strive to bring as much joy and happiness as I can during the holidays. I love it when I get a message about how much people enjoy it. I've received cards thanking me how much they enjoyed it and made them smile. That means a lot."
Pevzner starts thinking about next year's display immediately after they take it down after New Year's. He gets his ideas by asking on his Facebook page for people's favorite decorations. The Pevzner family encourages you to take a drive and see their decorations, which are lighted every night from 5 to 10.
In North Adams, the Wilson family decorates their house with fun inflatables and even a big Santa waving to those who pass by.
The Wilsons start decorating before Thanksgiving and started decorating once their daughter was born and have grown their decorations each year as she has grown. They love to decorate as they used to drive around to look at decorations when they were younger and hope to spread the same joy.
"I have always loved driving around looking at Christmas lights and decorations. It's incredible what people can achieve these days with their displays," they wrote.
The Wilsons' invite you to come and look at their display at 432 Church St. that's lit from 4:30 to 10:30 every night, though if it's really windy, the inflatables might not be up as the weather will be too harsh.
In Pittsfield, Travis and Shannon Dozier decorated their house for the first time this Christmas as they recently purchased their home on Faucett Lane. The two started decorating in November, and hope to bring joy to the community.
"If we put a smile on one child's face driving by, then our mission was accomplished," they said.
Many homeowners are showing their holiday spirit by decorating their houses. We asked for submissions so those in the community can check out these fanciful lights and decor when they're out.
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