From: The Racketeer 1, May 1993
Letter from America
by Ed Petryczka
Dear One & All,
You've probably all heard of my plight, but just to clarify things: 1 came over to America this winter for a quick trip to look around 2 Academies I'd written off to with a view to perhaps coming over later in the year to see how they did things. I'd offered my services for free, if I could perhaps study their methods & perhaps even help out on court. At the same time I'd have been staying with Sian. All the above was in a planning stage with no firm thoughts other than perhaps it would be nice to spend some time with Sian later on in the year.
Sian and I had agreed that I'd come over for 2-3 weeks to see these places, help her get established and come back to MPTC for coaching in April. Basically Immigration didn't believe a single word of my story and found the letter I'd written to an Academy and concluded I was coming over to work at his particular Academy. They found in my diary a note saying '$370/wk. instruction' under this place and told me that was my weekly wage. (In reality it was the money I would have paid them to train there for a week). And so on and so on. Finally they said I could stay, or go back on the next aeroplane, but if I stayed they'd keep my documents etc. and I would have to see an Immigration Judge and he would finally decide if I was telling the truth. I though I'd stay, get my contract from Mike Smith and sort the whole thing out quickly, speak to the Academies and everyone would bail me out. If I'd gone I might have had trouble getting in again next time. So I thought I would deal with it now. BAD MOVE - I have to appear in Miami on Sept. 9 for a hearing on my case. 'Til then I am not allowed to leave, and everyone I've written to except for Mike Smith has failed to tell the truth on paper and bail me out.
But I have been lucky also in that the Best Academy in the area has taken me in (run by an Aussie) and I am training and working daily with the best juniors in America, all world-class potential and nationally ranked #1 or 2 in their age groups 12, 14 or 16s. Also top collegiate players of a Division I standard. So basically I am busy and altho' I hate Florida and wish I was at MPTC coaching with no problems or hassle it is a valuable challenge for me and I am learning a lot over here that I hope you will allow me to put you through when I get back. Sian is well and busy too and as do I, sends her love.
Ed.