kitchen table math, the sequel: Melanie Oudin

Monday, September 7, 2009

Melanie Oudin

wow

from the WSJ:
Melanie Oudin, 17, stunned another high-ranked opponent Monday and became the youngest woman to reach the U.S. Open quarterfinals since Serena Williams in 1999. "That's amazing," Leslie Oudin, Melanie's mother, said. John Oudin, who flew in Sunday from a sales meeting in Atlanta to watch his daughter defeat Nadia Petrova in three sets, marveled at his daughter's toughness. "She doesn't seem nervous out there," he said. "I don't know where that came from."

—Tom Perrotta

She was homeschooled:
Making a stab at normalcy within the bubble of youth tennis, the Oudins could not bear the idea of sending a daughter away to some academy to be raised by a coach. It even took Melanie the better part of a year to persuade her mother to begin home schooling her in the seventh grade.

It was the only way to accommodate the minimum of four hours a day devoted to hitting and conditioning.

The Career Path to Pro Tennis Often Passes High School
By DAVID V. JOHNSON
Published: August 30, 2009
New York Times

5 comments:

orangemath said...

Home schooling is common for top athletes or young entertainers. Online schooling or Alternative Ed public schools are another option.

I've taught several.

Catherine Johnson said...

Interesting!

Tell us more if you have time ----

California has such schools.

Isa Lube said...

I love the shoes and her tennis games as well

orangemath said...

Alt Ed is offered by every school district of which I know. It's simply structured independent study. Online education would be similar. A student shows up once per week with completed assignments and stays for two hours.

In Newport Beach, our "clients" are models/actresses and horse riders interestingly. We had a pianist several years ago. Strangely, not many athletes lately. People like Alexa Glatch have pushed home schooling.

Lisa said...

Congratulations to Melanie, she is doing great!