Before CoCo Vandeweghe turned to tennis, team sports were a way of life. She was playing basketball before she could ride a bike, and she listened to stories of her mother, Tauna, playing volleyball and swimming on two United States Olympic teams.
Vandeweghe, now 25, played backyard football with her whole family in Southern California, learning the hard way that one had to throw quickly or risk getting tackled.
While she was doing homework, her grandfather Ernie, a guard with the Knicks from 1949-56, would suddenly and sneakily throw things at her, ensuring that she was always on her toes.