Passion for competing might be full-time job

Chris Yemma

From tennis, golf, kayaking and skiing, to counseling, photography

and psychology, Corona del Mar resident Pat Parsons has a diversified

portfolio of life experience.

She holds a bachelor’s degree in the history of art, a master’s in

counseling psychology and a doctorate in human development, or

clinical psychology.

She more or less had three careers -- a high school guidance

counselor, a photographer and a clinical psychologist, the latter

being how she made a living the past 20 years.

And, at age 61, Parsons has set a December deadline for her

retirement. But she’s not going to Disneyland after going out on top.

“The nice thing about retirement is, I’ll be able to play tennis

in the morning and golf in the afternoon,” she said.

In the sporting world, Parsons is recognized most for her tennis

abilities. She has won numerous tournaments and most recently took

her doubles team to the semifinals in the national hardcourt

competition in Fulton, north of Sacramento. She played in the 55s in

that tournament because her tennis partners aren’t yet 60.

In the photography world, Parsons has done freelance work on the

side for various tennis magazines. She has even shot pictures of

superstar tennis player Lindsay Davenport for the Daily Pilot.

These last couple of days, she has been snapping pictures of the

WTA tournament at Staples Center in Los Angeles for Inside Tennis

magazine.

She also plans to shoot the French Open in May and Wimbledon in

June

Playing tennis is her main passion, though.

“I’ll be playing even more tennis when I retire,” she said. “When

you’re working full time, it’s hard to take more than a week or two

off a year.”

Parsons started playing tennis when she was 35 and regularly plays

now at the Palisades Tennis Club in Newport Beach. Every summer she

plays at the national grass-court competition in New York and every

few years she moves into a new age group.

“The nice thing about getting older is, with each time I move into

a new age division, I’m the new kid on the block,” she said.

In general, Parsons is a fitness guru. Aside from tennis and golf,

she kayaks, hikes, works out at the gym and she used to snow ski.

“But I’m saving my knees now by not skiing,” she said.

She kayaks in Newport Harbor and frequently paddles over to Balboa

Island to grab a cup of coffee. She said she can get there faster

kayaking than driving.

Parsons moved to San Francisco from Connecticut when she was 25

and was a high school guidance counselor in the rougher parts of the

Bay Area. She later moved south to attend Claremont Graduate

University for her master’s degree and one of her advisors talked her

into staying for her doctorate.

For the last 20 years, she has been making a living as a licensed

clinical psychologist at her own practice in Newport Beach.

But when she retires in December, a good portion of her time

previously spent working with people’s psychological issues, will be

spent psyching people out on the tennis court.

“I’m taking lessons now and I’m on a five-year plan to improve my

game,” she said. “Hopefully my legs will hold up and I can beat these

old ladies.”