Tom Farr, chairman of the Development Authority of Peachtree City, said Christian, now 37, had a youthful enthusiasm needed to get the fledgling tennis center off the ground. You want to grab the flag and storm the barricade. Christian is one of the founders of Redemption Fellowship Church in Fayetteville, and his religious faith appears to color his tennis philosophy. Becky Timmis, a tennis board member, said Christian helps build good human beings, not just good tennis players. There's a lot of competitive people, and they put so much emphasis on winning.
Tennis is a great sport, but it's still just a sport.
Sheila VanFossan, a member of the tennis center for four years, recalls marching into Christian's office to complain about having to compete against far better players in a tournament. It's better to play with people who are better than you. It makes you better. She didn't win. But she got off some good shots against one of the league's best players and realized Christian was right.