King of His Court

LAKEWOOD RANCH — With roughly 30 members of his congregation gathered court side, Harvest United Methodist Church Pastor Steve Price approached the net and delivered the day's message.

It was a bullet of a return that left his competitor's helpless.

Price's doubles partner, Erik Luxembourg, acknowledged another in a long line of winners.

Playing at Bath and Racquet Club in Sarasota, the pair defeated Ned Caswell and Zan Guerry 6-3, 6-4 on Oct. 18 to earn the coveted gold ball that went with the National Men's 50s Clay Court Doubles Championship.

It marked the first time that Lakewood Ranch's Price, who has competed in several different types of national tournaments, had won a gold ball. Adding to Price's enjoyment was the fact the win came against Caswell, his former Furman University doubles partner and a groomsman in his wedding.

Luxembourg, who lives in Sarasota, won a national championship about 14 years ago with his father, Bob Luxembourg, but it was the first time Price and Luxembourg had combined to win a national title together. 

Nobody in the crowd was happier than Price's wife, Catherine Fluck-Price, who also serves as a pastor at Harvest. “To see him go all the way and receive the coveted gold ball for a USTA National title was fabulous,” she said. “It was also a real treat to see him compete against Ned. I’ve watched them play together many times. It was fun to see them compete against each other.” 

While Caswell was the former partner, Luxembourg has filled that void.

“It’s such a nice feeling to win the game we love and have played our whole lives,” Luxembourg said after the finals match at Bath and Racquet Club. "When you’re playing with a friend, there’s a different dynamic.” 

Price and Luxembourg first met during their collegiate playing days. Price attended Furman while Luxembourg played for Appalachian State University. The two schools were both in the Southern Conference and played against each other every year, but Price and Luxembourg never actually played head-to-head in college. 

It wasn’t until Price moved to Florida in June 1997 and was looking for practice partners that the two reconnected. They began practicing together at Bath and Racquet Club and have been practicing and playing doubles together ever since

Their friendship blossomed around tennis.

“We see each other every week, which is more than most friends do,” Luxembourg said. 

Having spent nearly 20 years playing together on the same side of the net, Price and Luxembourg share an unspoken bond on the court, which allows them to remain focused and relaxed. 

“As a team, we played pretty well together,” Luxembourg said. “We both understand doubles and we understand each other’s feelings and motivations out there.” 

Their ability to strategically communicate paid dividends in their national championship as they knocked off the tournament’s No. 1, No. 3 and No. 4 seeds in the quarterfinals, semifinals and finals, respectively. 

“Our styles compliment each other really well,” Price said. “We know each other so well and we have really good synergy on the court.” 

A native of South Carolina, Price began playing shortly after he learned how to walk. A left-hander, Price would spend hours hitting balls back and forth with his father, Milburn. 

Competitive by nature, Price took to the game right away and thoroughly enjoyed being out on the court in large part because his father, a former collegiate tennis player who still plays competitively now at the age of 77, allowed him to come to terms with the sport on his own. 

“I was never pressured to play,” Price said. “With my dad, he always told me ‘I'll be here to support you, to encourage you and to coach you.’ But he never would make me feel like I had to play.” 

Price played tennis in high school before landing a scholarship to play tennis at Furman. Price played both singles and doubles for the Paladins from 1982 to 1986 where he was named a NCAA Academic All-American and helped lead Furman to a Southern Conference Championship his senior year. 

It was during college that Price also met Fluck-Price and introduced her to the sport. Fluck-Price had never watched tennis prior, but it didn’t take long for her to become Price’s No. 1 fan. 

“He’s always been a big serve and volley player, so he’s lots of fun to watch,” Fluck-Price said of her husband. “He also has humility and great sportsmanship and that’s more fun for me than watching players who are volatile.” 

There was a point when Price thought about taking tennis one step further and turning it into a career, but by the end of his senior year Price felt a calling and his priorities shifted. 

“I also knew I was getting married a couple weeks after graduation, and the thought of being a journeyman didn’t sound like a good plan for starting a marriage,” Price said. 

He has used tennis as a way to get to know others in the community. 

“There are a number of avid tennis players in the congregation,” Price said. “There have been people I’ve met on the tennis courts that have come to Harvest. I call it tennis evangelism.” 

Lakewood Ranch Country Club resident Jerry Pujol met Price several years ago while Pujol and a friend were playing tennis at the Lakewood Ranch Athletic Center. 

“We were average for our age, but we spent more time picking up balls than we did hitting balls, Pujol said. “We just couldn’t follow a ball coming at us 100 miles per hour.” 

While the session didn’t go quite as planned, Pujol found a new friend in Price and a new home at Harvest. Pujol and his wife, Carolyn, began attending Harvest about seven years ago, and have been avid fans of Price. 

“When I can catch his play, it’s always a thrill,” Jerry Pujol said. “He’s a modest guy, but he’s a really good player. He’s got a lot of talent.

“It’s a joy to know somebody like that. It’s like knowing a pro ball player."

Carolyn Pujol agreed. 

“It’s always upbeat,” Carolyn Pujol said. “Whether he’s winning, which he so often does, or not winning, he’s the same person. He’s a delight to watch. There’s always wonderful sportsmanship and it’s always a fun experience.” 

Contact Jen Blanco at [email protected].