Five Questions for…Omar Shanndoah, Maintenance Tech at the Goldman Tennis Center


Summer Verhoeven

Omar Shanndoah joined the Lifetime staff as Maintenance Tech at the Goldman Tennis Center in November. Since then, he’s been a consistent and comforting presence around the courts, making sure they’re in playable condition for the hundreds of people who use them every day.

Omar was born and raised in San Francisco; he grew up in the Fillmore district and graduated from Galileo High School. He remembers the courts as a kid and understands the value that the new Goldman Tennis Center provides for the community.

1.Do you play tennis?

No. I plan on learning though. But everytime I try, I seem to whack the ball over the fence. I’m athletic, but tennis is hard.

2.You’ve had a wide range of jobs over the years, from managing nightclubs to working as a custodian at a school district. How does working at the Goldman Tennis Center compare?

I’ve fallen in love with this place. The people are nice and as a San Franciscan, I like that the people I work with represent different cultures. I also feel a sense of pride trying to keep the Goldman Tennis Center nice for the people of this city that I was born and raised in. I’m just one man. I can’t do everything, but I do what I can, day by day.

3.What is the most challenging part of your job?

The wet days. The wet days are really hard, especially when that morning mist covers all the courts and I have to get it ready because there’s a camp at 9 o’clock. We only have two hours to get all 18 courts dry.

4.What are your observations of the tennis playing community at the Goldman Tennis Center?

We have some good players here. We also have beginners. I just like the fact that anyone is able to play here, young to old . There’s no membership or anything like that.

5.What do you do in your spare time?

I spend time with my family and do a lot of work around my house. I have a long list of household projects.