34 JULY 2026 By Sherry Sklar When Brian Cheney talks about his family’s relationship with tennis, the story reaches far beyond his own career. He is tracing a family history that shaped the sport across generations. For Cheney, tennis professional emeritus at Village Health Clubs & Spas, tennis has been his life’s work for nearly five decades. Now in his 47th year teaching at the Camelback and 44 th Street location, he has helped generations of Arcadians pick up a racket and work toward their personal best. Cheney comes from a Southern California family of champion players. His grandparents, May Sutton and Tom Bundy, competed at the sport’s highest levels, as did great- aunts, cousins and members of his immediate family. “The story I get from my parents was that when I was in the crib, they hung a tennis ball over me,” Cheney said. His mother, Dorothy, became one of his earliest models. A prolific tournament winner and the first American to win the Australian Championships, she introduced him to the game as a child. “My first tournament was at 7, and I’ve been playing in tournaments ever since,” Cheney said. He also credits his mother with shaping his competitive spirit by making everything a game. “If we were peeling potatoes, it was a contest as to who could get the most potatoes done,” he said. Although his parents never pressured him to play competitively, a tournament encounter with Perry Jones, then president of the Southern California Tennis Association, helped him begin to see tennis as a more serious path. Cheney went on to the University of Arizona, where he earned All-America honors, played at Wimbledon and traveled across Europe one summer with four classmates, sponsored by the Tucson Conquistadores, a civic organization that supports amateur athletics. After college, Cheney served for five years as an instructor pilot at Williams Air Force Base during the Vietnam War. When his military service ended, he and his wife, Ann, had two young children and wanted to remain in Arizona. While playing at the Tempe Racquet and Swim Club, Cheney was invited by an interim pro to begin teaching, a role that let him support his family and build a career around the sport he loved. In May 1976, Cheney joined Village Camelback, which had opened only months earlier. The setting quickly made an impression. “It was a wonderful opportunity,” Cheney said. “You can’t get tired of the view from the Village courts, looking up at Camelback Mountain.” Cheney helped develop a tennis program and a culture at Camelback Village. The club, he said, became “like a family,” with members who were friendly, active and happy to be on the courts. As tennis director, Cheney ran tournaments, worked with other pros and focused on making the club welcoming for players of different ages and skill levels. What once may have drawn about 120 players to a tournament can now draw more than 200, Cheney said. As adult play expanded, the level of competition rose, bringing former college players and highly skilled club players onto the courts. In 2015, he became a tennis professional emeritus, stepping away from the director role while continuing to do what he enjoys most: teaching. “I played with a wood racket until 1989,” he said. “I was one of the last ones to ever switch from a wood racket. You have to adjust your teaching to the new technology.” The move from wood to modern rackets changed more than the feel of the game. Cheney said larger frames, new strings and improved technology have allowed players to hit harder, move faster and use different techniques than earlier generations. The evolution of the game also shaped Cheney’s teaching. Early in his career, he focused heavily on mechanics: grip, stance, swing and contact point. Over time, he came to see that tennis is as much mental as technical. If players think too much about their bodies while the ball is coming toward them, he said, they can lose sight of the point itself. “What’s most important when you play is where the ball goes,” he said. That means teaching players to think beyond the stroke: where the ball is coming from, where it should go, how it should bounce and what the opponent may do next. Today, he continues to teach at Village Camelback, Village Ocotillo and his home court in Chandler, often logging 15 to 25 hours a week. villageclubs.com By Mark Hays Elijah Knox will take over the varsity basketball program at Xavier Prep this August, bringing a background spanning youth development, professional training, and WNBA player development. Knox, a Chicago native and former collegiate player at Iowa’s Simpson College, has a foundation in the game that was shaped early and carried through his playing and coaching years. He began with youth basketball in 2011 and later expanded into professional development roles, including work with the Phoenix Mercury in 2021. Alongside that role, he has operated Arizona Athletics, a youth development program focused on training athletes across multiple sports. At Xavier, Knox said his approach will center on physical effort and efficiency on the floor. “Defend and rebound better than everyone,” he said of his goals. “Get high percentage shots off two feet in the paint, free throws, and wide open threes.” The upcoming season, he added, will feature a young roster and a learning-heavy environment as the program adjusts. Still, he said it “should be a lot of fun.” “The majority of the roster has no varsity experience and will be underclassmen,” he said. “We will all learn a lot and try to be disruptive toward the end of the year and into the playoffs.” Beyond wins and losses, Knox said he is focused on building a stronger connection between the program and the school community and on setting personal development goals for his players. “I want the students, alumni, and businesses to be involved more than ever because of the product we put out on the floor,” he said. “I want to partner with Brophy’s basketball team as much as possible to play games on the same nights at the same venue.” Encouraging st rong academic performance among athletes, he added, is a key goal. “If we have the highest GPA on campus and all my seniors achieve the personal goals they set, I’ll call it a successful season,” Knox said. Knox succeeds longtime coach Jennifer Gillom, who also made a lasting impact on the school. Gillom, a former WNBA star with the Phoenix Mercury, two-time Olympic gold medalist, and a Women’s Basketball Hall of Fame inductee, returned to Xavier to coach the varsity basketball program in 2017, after beginning her coaching career there in 2004. Director of Institutional Advancement Lisa Zuba said Gillom’s tenure included a historic achievement for the program, taking the school to its first-ever state basketball championship. Zuba also noted Gillom’s connection to students beyond athletics, as well as her ability and influence on players. “She is loved, including by students not on athletic teams,” Zuba said. “She was an excellent coach, an excellent PE teacher, and was able to scope out talent and inspire players to success.” As Knox steps into the role, he will inherit a program built on past success and an established culture. He also looks ahead to a younger roster and a development- focused approach. New leadership, same title hopes for Xavier’s Gators Coach Knox with Jayda Lange, Ellie McLaughlin, Neeya Nuez, Gabrielle Doss, Sophie Cloud, Abigail Neal and Evania Maas. PHOTO COURTESY OF XAVIER PREP Brian Cheney teaches at Camelback Village Health Clubs. PHOTO COURTESY OF BRIAN CHENEY Village tennis pro still serving after 47 years

35 JULY 2026 The Phoenix Public Library is encouraging residents of all ages and abilities to participate in its annual Summer Reading Program. The free initiative challenges participants to read for at least 20 minutes each day while completing literacy activities that earn points, unlock digital badges and qualify readers for prizes. Participants who reach 1,000 points are eligible to receive a free book and additional rewards. This year, readers can also take part in the Robinson Summer Reading Challenge, which encourages participants to select books with covers representing each color of the rainbow. Along the way, readers can complete online challenges, attend events at libraries throughout the city and enjoy special experiences. Registration is now open, and residents are encouraged to sign up and begin logging their reading minutes. More information is available at Phoenix Public Library’s Summer Reading Program website.  Summer temps are here, so Phoenix officials are reminding residents to prioritize safety when exploring the city’s desert and mountain parks and preserves. More than 200 hikers are rescued from Phoenix trails each year, often due to heat-related illnesses and lack of preparation. Officials recommend hiking during the cooler hours of the day, such as early mornings or evenings, and checking weather conditions before heading out. Proper footwear, lightweight clothing, hats and sunscreen can help reduce the risks associated with extreme heat. Hydration remains one of the most important safety precautions. Hikers should drink water before beginning a hike, carry more water than they expect to need and turn back before supplies run low. Carrying a mobile phone, hiking with others and informing someone of planned routes and expected return times can also improve safety. Residents are encouraged to be mindful of their physical limitations and any medical conditions that could be affected by strenuous activity or extreme temperatures. Staying on designated trails helps protect both hikers and the Sonoran Desert landscape. Officials emphasize that preparation and personal responsibility are key to ensuring a safe and enjoyable outdoor experience.    The City of Phoenix has also launched a new multilingual reporting platform as part of its Community Transparency Initiative. The Federal Enforcement Complaint Reporting Portal is designed to strengthen transparency and support civil rights protections within the community. Residents seeking information about the initiative or the portal can visit the Community Transparency Initiative webpage at phoenix.gov/cti. This summer: Read, explore and stay informed ARCADIANEWSARCHIVES.COM Councilman District 6 602-262-7491 District6@phoenix.gov KEVIN ROBINSON  Hello neighbors, Amy and Jim Gieszl here! Well, 30 years later and we still call the Arcadia area home, having downsized from our Exeter house to living in a patio home near The Village. And yes, we still have a great view of Camelback Mountain! Collectively, we have lived in the Arcadia neighborhood for 150 years… Old Timers and Arcadia Titans for sure. We are celebrating our 45th wedding anniversary as I write this. Our family has spread out a bit over the years. Daughter Nancy (not in 1996 photo as she was away at U of A) is a physician, living in north Phoenix with her family and many horses. Katie is a teacher, and lives with her family in a suburb of Raleigh, North Carolina. Matt is a financial advisor with Edward Jones, also living in North Carolina, very near Katie. We enjoy several visits a year to catch up with kids and grandkids, and usually are able to catch some beautiful fall leaves as well. Jim is active with his business, Maricopa Land & Cattle Co. Amy helps out with the business as well as volunteering with Delivering Dreams of Arizona (formerly Assistance League of Phoenix). Summer weekends will find us headed north to our home in Flagstaff. We are always amazed at the incredible changes to the Arcadia area. We’ve built so many friendships over the years, and it is great to run into familiar faces at our favorite haunts…Wally’s, TeePee, or even the aisles of Safeway! What a privilege it has been to live and work in such a wonderful community! 30 YEARS AGO WHERE ARE THEY NOW?