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TRANSCRIPT
Nov. - Dec. , 2011
A Newsletter for USPTA Florida Division Tennis Professionals
ConventionreturnstoClubMedSandpiperBayinPortSt.Lucie
May28-June3,2012
Moreinformationonconventionschedule,registrationandresortreservationswillbeinthenextissueofBaselinesandsentbye-mail.Watchforthedetailsandimportantdeadlines.
USPTA FLORIDA DIVISION FAST DRY COURTS AND 10-S TENNIS SUPPLY GRAND PRIX MASTERS EVENT
Men’s Open Champion - Adrians ZgunsMen’s Open Finalist - Julien Link
FloridaDivision
A Newsletter for USPTA Florida Division Tennis Professionals
2
Thank you to all contributors in this issue:
Mike Baldwin, Ivan Baron, Richard Centerbar, Jeff Cohen, Joe D’Aleo, Trish Faulkner, Bob Heller, Glen Howe, Chris Kader, Henner Lenhardt, Brad Leu, C.W. Lewis, Keith Lipp, Ricardo Mendivil, Jim Morton, Ira Peskowitz, Ben Rakusin, and Rich Vach. Member contributions are encouraged. The deadline for the next issue is January 10. 2012. For advertising rates, or to submit articles, ideas or suggestions, contact the division office at [email protected] or 800 997-2766. Pat Anderson, editor
USPTA FLORIDA DIVISION
BOARD OF OFFICERS
DISTRICT PRESIDENTS
DISTRICT 1 – PANHANDLE
JOE D’ALEO
850 267-9195
DISTRICT 2 – TALLAHASSEE
STEVE LEROY
850 891-3920
DISTRICT 3 – JACKSONVILLE
RANDY JENKS
386 864-1224
DISTRICT 4 – CENTRAL FL
HENNER LENHARDT
407 671-0074
DISTRICT 5 – LAKELAND
ROBERT HOLLIS
863 860-4254
DISTRICT 6 – DAYTONA BCH.
RICH WALKER
386 445-0747
DISTRICT 7A – TAMPA
DAVE FREIMAN
813 855-9617 [email protected]
DISTRICT 7B – ST. PETE
PAGE BUCK
727 796-1136
DISTRICT 8 – SARASOTA
JACK STEYN
941 545-5173
DISTRICT 9 – VERO BEACH
CHRISTOPHE DELAVAUT
772 778-9100
DISTRICT 10 – WEST PALM
RICARDO MENDIVIL
561 625-5707
DISTRICT 11 – BOCA RATON
C.W. LEWIS
561 994-3593
DISTRICT 12 - NAPLES
DOUG WELSH
239 597 9725
DISTRICT 13-MIAMI
ROBERT GOMEZ
305 460 5360
DISTRICT 14 – LEE COUNTY
ALEX HERMETO
239 561 1422 (w)
DISTRICT 15 - MELBOURNE
STAN OLEY
800 352-6878
DISTRICT 16
N.DADE/S.BROWARD
CHRIS KADER
954 449 4410
DISTRICT 17 - GAINESVILLE
KEN OUELLETTE
DISTRICT 18 – BONITA SPRINGS
FRED HINDLE
239 898-7770
DISTRICT 19 - KEYS
JIM MORTON
305 367-6583
COMMITTEE CHAIRS
MEMBERSHIP GRAND PRIX AWARDS
GLEN HOWE MIKE BALDWIN PATRICK SHEAHAN 850 891-3920 561 789-7221 561 482-9828
[email protected] [email protected] [email protected]
DIVERSITY NOMINATING
TRISH FAULKNER KEVIN MCCARTHY
561 775-4777 954 344-1840
[email protected] [email protected]
12-10-11
JEFF COHEN
President
561-995-5213
RICHARD CENTERBAR
Regional Vice President
561-487-7070
BRAD LEU
First Vice President
772-231-3102
TRISH FAULKNER
Vice President
561-775-4777
MIKE BALDWIN
Vice President
561-789-7221
PAT ANDERSON
Executive Director
800-997-2766 407-696-0515
JASON GILBERT
Vice President
305 778-4574
PATRICK SHEAHAN
Vice President
561 482-9828
GLEN HOWE
Head Tester
850 891-3920
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President’s Message
Happy New Year!
It’s hard to believe that 2011 is already in the rear view mirror. I hope 2011 was everything that you wanted it to be and if not, good riddance 2011 and HELLO 2012!
I just returned from the USTA Florida Annual Meeting & Tennis Celebration weekend in Orlando, Fla. I can’t thank the USTA Florida Staff and Board of Directors enough for inviting me and the USPTA Florida Division Board to attend a great weekend full of workshops, meetings, parties, food, and awards. It was a celebration of the people who go above and beyond, that make a difference and continue to grow the game of tennis in Florida. Both
the USTA and USPTA Florida Boards met and worked on finalizing an agreement that will allow us to work more closely together and strengthen our partnership in growing the game of tennis in Florida and beyond.
2012 is here, have you thought of any New Year’s resolutions?
Here are some ideas to help get you started; learn a language, start a family, pay off debt, learn to fly, snowboard, climb Kilimanjaro, sail the Caribbean, play in a tennis tournament, get fit & or lose weight, stop smoking or drinking, save money or spend more time with your family; whatever you decide, the following tips will help see that your resolution actually makes a difference.
1. Be realisticThe surest way to fall short of your goal is to make your goal unattainable.
2. Create a PlanSetting a goal without a plan is merely wishful thinking. In order for your resolution to have resolve, it must translate into clear steps that can be put into action. Create your plan immediately.
3. Write Down Your Resolution and Plan. Write down your goals. When you put your resolutions into writing, you make them real. Put your goals where you can see them, in written form, so you won’t forget what you’re setting out to achieve this year.
4. Think “Year Round,” Not Just New Year’sNothing big gets accomplished in one day. Resolutions are set in one day, but accomplished throughout the year. New Year’s resolutions should be nothing more than a starting point.
And finally...
5. Be FlexibleNot everything is going to work out exactly the way you planned, so remain flexible in the goals that you set.Expect that your plan can and will change. Life has a funny way of throwing unexpected things at us, and flexibility is required to complete anything but the simplest goal. Just as a resolution isn’t accomplished the day it’s started, neither is it accomplished the day you reach your goal. Rather, it’s accomplished in many baby steps along the way. Just like any goal setting process, the key is to be realistic about your goals and the challenges you may face in trying to achieve them. The more realistic and flexible you are, the more likely you’ll be to achieve your goals.
I hope that you make one of your resolutions to get more involved within our tennis industry, volunteering, attending a district meeting, hosting a workshop, playing in a tennis tournament, attending the USPTA Florida Division Conference, etc. Believe it or not, the more involved you are, the further it will lead to more open doors and opportunities!
I look forward to seeing many of you throughout the year and wish you and yours a Happy and Healthy 2012!
Jeff F. CohenUSPTA Florida Division President
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FLORIDA SUCCESS AT SADDLEBROOK
Team Florida (in alphabetical order): Captain, Mike Baldwin, Aldo
Burga, Jonathan Call, Dave Cordrey, Emile De Cuba,
Nate Griffin, Anthony Hatori, Abdul Idi, Robin Keener,
John Koahou, Carolyn Lawver, Ben Rakusin, Patrick
Segfeldt, Jack Steyn, and Milos Vasovic
Facility Manager (Large) Derrick Barnett, BallenIsles Country Clubpictured with Trish Faulkner, Director of Tennis and Dave Moseley of Welch Tennis Courts
Women’s 35s PlayerRobin Keener
Georger Bacso Tester Ben Rakusin
Diversity Award Ira Peskowitz
Florida Division sweeps Southern for 2011 International Team Championship at Saddlebrook!
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Facility Manager (Large) Derrick Barnett, BallenIsles Country Clubpictured with Trish Faulkner, Director of Tennis and Dave Moseley of Welch Tennis Courts
Men’s 35s Player Kamil Kuchta
Men’s 55s Player Gewan Maharaj
60 Years of USPTA Service Ted Withall with grandson, J J McDonough
The Florida Division was proudly represented by over 150 attendees at the World Conference at Saddlebrook! Thanks to all attending for taking advantage of this exceptional educational and networking opportunity.
During the Awards Breakfast, Florida was recogized in second place for Division Growth – Greatest number of new members.
Individual honors went to: Derrick Barnett, General Manager of BallenIsles Country Club - Facility Manager (Large); Ben Rakusin - George Bacso Tester; Ira Peskowitz - Diversity; Robin Keener - Women’s 35 Player; Kam Kuchta - Men’s 35 Player and Gewan Maharaj - Men’s 55 player. The room erupted in applause in appreciation for Ted Withall’s 60 years of service. The division has been fortunate to benefit from his long-term leadership and expertise.
The division also excelled on court by sweeping the Southern division to be crowned victors of the International Team Championships. Congratulations to Samantha Ardenfriend for winning the National Feeding Shootout competition and finalists Jeff Diggs, Mike Lawver and Mark Palus.
Special thank you to Welch Tennis Courts for hosting our Division Party. The stormy weather could not dampen Florida Division spirit! George and Karen Todd and Dave Moseley kept the good food, conversation and camaraderie flowing. The division party is always a highlight of the World Conference thoroughly enjoyed by our members!
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In the midst of some real challenges, the 2011 World Conference at Saddlebrook was a robust buffet of tennis information and a vivid glimpse into the future. First of all, let me just say that, although there has been some political unrest and polarizing events in our organization, we are on the right track in moving past this period and striving toward common goals. It was clear that any con-troversies were placed in the out box and the conference moved front and center.So back to that social network question; as someone who writes articles and therefore observes the world, my verdict is still out on Twitter, Facebook and other such avenues of communication. But coming from that con-ference, one thing became crystal clear to me. Making contact with people, in this case, tennis pros, in their comfort zone is the key to the success of any and all new programs and products. Let’s point out a few examples of this from the World Conference.David Benzel is the founder of Growing Champions for Life. This is one of the best sources of strategies for pro-ducing successful, well-adjusted juniors that I’ve ever seen. Needless to say, there is a growingchampions-forlife.com site, making this resource available to great numbers of conscientious pros. Craig Jones is the face of 10 and Under Tennis. All you have to do is go to the USTA site and look for anything referring to Quick Start or 10 and Under Tennis. You can experience a sense of Craig’s enthusiasm with just a few clicks. Even my old Buckeye friend, Dave Kozlowski has ex-panded the reach of his long-time TV show by streaming most of his broadcasts. As a former national pro of the year, Dave understands that reaching an audience has become much more sophisticated than simply coming on after Jeopardy.Noted Midwest pro, Jorge Capestany, has started his tennisdrill.tv site which is another outstanding source for creative drills. If you are a teaching pro and are unaware of the amount of drills out there on youtube and the like, you might as well be playing with that old Davis Imperial racket.This brings me to a further who’s who of tennis teaching minds, heavily on display at Saddlebrook. Rick Macci, Ken DeHart, Feisal Hassan, Luis Mediero, Lorenzo Bel-trame, Martin Blackman and others; what do they have in common? Just go to old reliable USPTA.com and see how often you see such pros sharing their best advice. Unlike our TV show, “On Court with USPTA,”which is great, you can check out the site 24/7. Do you feel con-nected yet?
Lastly, we in the Boca Raton district had the pleasure to meet Nancy Biggs at our most recent district meeting. Nancy, who also appeared at Saddlebrook, co-founded CourtsideUSA. Without going into too much detail, this site will allow someone, anyone, in Florida to find out what is going on in tennis anytime, anywhere; regardless of whether they are a teaching pro, a junior, a 3.0 league player or a brand new beginner. This is huge. I can only hope that this site, along with all the other resources out there will be a shot in the arm to Florida tennis participa-tion.This takes us full circle to that political controversy men-tioned at the top of this article. The disturbing statistics in all this are that a tiny percentage of our members voted in or were even aware of the recent election of our new national officers. In the same pattern, a tiny percentage of our membership still attends conventions. I can only hope that all of these wonderful attempts to make us connected as pros, pay off with greater interest and par-ticipation on all levels. So this networking is much more than social; it’s critical.
What exactly is a Social Network?Ben Rakusin, USPTA
USPTA 2011 Years of Service AwardsFlorida Division Members
60 YearsTed Withall
45 YearsEd FosterJohn Roundtree
40 YearsSydney BrassDan CoxBob EcuyerJay GillifordDon Usher
35 YearsPaul AdlerDavid BuerklePatti BurnsJoe CsandliMike DickensCarlos GoffiDennis GraingerFernando Guarachi
35 Years (cont’d)Michael HoctorNancy Kirsten-BarnesGeorge KosloffTom KrukielThomas MorlockCarl PoskeFred StolleLeo Vorwerk
30 YearsFrank CarletonCurly DavisChristine EddyBill ForemanBill GerdtsRobert GomezJohn HeissC W LewisPete MinarichDan SmithymanAndrew StanfieldPaul SuszBob Watson
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Memorable Moments from Saddlebrook
More photos on Florida Division Facebook
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As a fellow USPTA member, it’s a privilege to host the 4th Annual USPTA FLORIDA FAST DRY & 10S SUPPLY GRAND PRIX CIRCUIT at the 2012 Delray Beach International Tennis Championships (ITC), the world’s only combined 10-day ‘ ATP Champions Tour’ event (Feb. 24 – 28) featuring Ivan Lendl, Michael Chang, Mats Wilander, Pat Cash, and Aaron Krickstein & ‘ ATP World Tour’ event (Feb. 27 – Mar. 4)featuring American stars Andy Roddick and John Isner. The exciting USPTA schedule for the week includes:
DOUBLES 3.5 & 4.0 CLUB CHAMPIONSHIPS. Mon., Feb. 27 & Tues., Feb. 28. 4pm. Call 561.330.6000to register your members‟ (men & women) doubles teams, limited to 12 per division… Sold out in 2011!
CLUB NIGHTS. Mon., Feb. 27 & Tues., Feb. 28. Call 561.330.6000 to reserve your discount group tickets.
USPTA GRAND PRIX. Wed., Feb. 29 - Fri., Mar. 2. Call Mike Baldwin (561-789-7221) for details.
USPTA ‘UNDER THE STARS’ PRO-AM. Thurs., Mar. 1. Tennis Directors/Pros play with an Amateurthroughout the round-robin. Call 561.330.6000 to register your doubles teams… New in 2012!
USPTA ADULT CLINIC. Fri., Mar. 2. 9 – 10:30am. CW Lewis (Call 561-994-3593 to sign-up yourmembers. Participants must have a ticket to enter the event grounds).
For additional information on the USPTA schedule of events, please call Jeff Cohen, USPTA Florida Division President, @ 561-995-5213. We appreciate all of the support you have shown the Delray Beach ITC over the years and welcome your friends and members to cheer you on at the USPTA Grand Prix. If you would like to be involved with the Delray Beach ITC’s Elite Team Member Group Discount Program, and/or would like to receive information on our Senior Day discounts or Ladies Day Luncheons, call 561-330-6000 or log onto YellowTennisBall.com.
With 60,000+ screaming fans rocking the house, millions more watching on TV, 15-plus parties andthrilling events, nightly pulsating concerts, glorious daytime and scintillating evening sessions in an ATP "Awardof Excellence" winning arena, we look forward to hosting you at “The Beach.”
Best,
Ivan S. Baron, Tournament Chairman
(561) 330-6000 • 30 NW 1st Avenue, Delray Beach, FL 33444 • YellowTennisBall.com
The Only Combined ‘ATP CHAMPIONS TOUR’ & ‘ATP WORLD TOUR’ Event in the World Showcasing Tennis Legends & Today’s ATP Tour Stars… Feb. 24 – Mar. 4, 2012
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Adding temporary or permanent USTA 10 and Under Tennis lines to claycourts has never been easier, as USTA Florida and the USTA national office are partnering to offer grant funding to dramatically reduce costs.
The face of junior tennis is changing in the U.S. for young children, and installing 36-foot or 60-foot lines on clay or hardcourts is the next step in creating permanency and attracting new junior players to facilities.
The USTA national office and USTA Florida are teaming to reimburse 75 percent of the costs for the permanent or temporary lining of Florida claycourts as well as hardcourts for 10 and Under Tennis, up to $4,000 if approved.
The USTA can also assist with advocacy, personalized concept plans, 36-foot and 60-foot court recommendations, construction and maintenance manuals, document and bid review, access to USTA partners within the industry, and programming assistance for maximum court utilization. Florida tennis facilities can fill out a USTA Facility Assistance Form online to be considered for grant assistance.
“In 2012 all USTA Florida tournaments for children age 10 and under are required to use the 10 and Under Tennis court sizes and equipment, so now is the time for facilities to put this in place with USTA assistance,” says USTA Florida Director of Community Tennis Linda Curtis. “The new format makes it easier for kids to pick up the
game, easier for teaching pros, and most importantly more fun, which keeps kids and parents coming back for more.”
USTA 10 and Under Tennis featuring the QuickStart play format is designed for children featuring smaller court sizes, racquet sizes, foam and low-compression balls, a simple scoring system, and net heights adjusted to ease kids into the sport. Similar mini-tennis formats have long been popular in Europe, where current stars such as Roger Federer and Kim Clijsters first learned the game with age-adjusted racquets, balls and court sizes. To see a video of 10 and Under Tennis in action or for more information, go to: http://10andundertennis.usta.com.
To access the form online go to http://ct.usta.com/pfa/ or for questions e-mail Linda Curtis at [email protected].
Florida Grants Available for 10 and Under Tennis Clay Court Lines, Temporary and Permanent Rick Vach | Communications Coordinator USTA Florida – ustaflorida.com
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USPTA/Florida Survey
Your USPTA/Florida Board is sending out this survey to better serve our membership. We value your opinion and want to offer you this opportunity to give us your input to better our organization. Although we would prefer you to respond to all the questions, some input is better than no input. The questions have been phrased in such a way to allow for you to elaborate on your answer if you prefer. Thank you in advance for your input as the board is committed to adding value to your membership. Please mark an “X” on the line for Yes/No answers and Rank 1- 2-3 for your first, second and third choice when appli-cable.
Information:
USPTA number_______
Position________________________
Do you have pro(s) who work under you? ___Yes ___No
If yes, how many____ How many are USPTA certified? ___
How many years have you been a USPTA member? _____How many of those in Florida?____
Are you seasonal? ___Yes ___No
What district/area are you in? ____________
1. ConventionA. Have you attended a USPTA/FL Convention in the past three years? ___Yes ___NoB. If yes,
Rank the three most important reasons for attending: (1 for most important, 2 for second, etc.)a. Education ___b. Trade show ___c. Grand Prix ___d. Parties ___e. Networking ___f. Vacation ___g. Other:
C. If no, Rank the factors that prevented you from attending: (1 for most important, 2 for second, etc.)a. Time of year ___b. Cost ___c. Quality ___d. Geographic Location ___e. Site ___f. Convention schedule ___g. Other:
D. Comments:
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2. Testing
A. Are you a P-1 or higher? ___Yes ___No
B. If you are a P-2 or lower, what would help you initiate your upgrade? Rank 1 for most important, 2 for second, etc.1. Mentoring ___2. more convenient upgrade times/opportunity ___3. lower cost ___4. know the advantages of being P-1 ___5. other:
C. Comments:
3. Education
A. Have you attended an educational seminar in the past 3 years? ___Yes ___No
B. If yes, rank 1 for most important, 2 for second, etc.1. The 3 most important reasons for attending:a. Convenience ___ b. The speaker ___c. Job requirement ___d. Master Pro requirement ___e. Other:
C. If no, rank 1 for most important, 2 for second, etc.1. The 3 main factors that prevented you from attending:a. Distance ___b. Affordability ___c. Quality ___d. Didn’t know ___e. No continuing education requirement ___f. Scheduling ___g. Other:
2. What educational topics would you like to see? Rank 1 for most important, 2 for second, etc.a. Under 10 initiative ___b. High performance ___c. Doubles strategy ___d. Mental game ___e. Expanding your business ___f. Round table discussions ___g. Social networking ___h. Other:
3. Comments:
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4. Grand Prix
A. Are you familiar with the grand prix schedule? ___Yes ___No
B. I have played in a grand prix: ___Yes ___No
C. If no, why? Rank 1 for most important, 2 for second, etc.1. No desire ___2. Distance ___3. Cost ___4. Time frame/format ___5. The pro/am ___6. Fear of injury ___7. Other:
D. Comments:
5. Florida Board and District Presidents
A. I know who my District President is: ___Yes ___No
B. I have been to a district meeting: ___Yes ___No
C. Are district meetings being held? ___Yes ___No
D. Do you feel the Florida Board is effective in their duties? ___Yes ___No
E. Comments on any of the above:
F. What would you like to see the Florida Board/District Presidents improve on?
Thank you for your time and valuable input. Return by January 31, 2012 to be eligible for Prize Drawing. Winner will receive one case of Pro Penn tennis balls.
Respond to: USPTA Florida DivisionE-mail: [email protected] Fax: 407 696-5376Mail: USPTA Florida Division, 1123 Arbor Glen Circle, Winter Springs, FL 32708
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USPTA Competitive Player Development Conference to take
place in FloridaThe United States Professional Tennis Association Competitive Player Development Conference will take place at Club Med Sandpiper Bay, Fla., from January 20-22, 2012. The conference will allow attendees to learn the Spanish method for developing players.
Featured speakers for the conference include Emilio Sanchez Vicario, Luis Mediero and Gabe Jaramillo. Sanchez Vicario, who is a USPTA Master Professional, is the former captain of the 2008 championship Davis Cup team for Spain and a former tour player ranked No. 7 in singles and No. 1 in doubles. He was also captain of Spain’s Olympic gold medal team in 2008. The Sanchez family is also well known for Emilio’s sister, Arantxa Sanchez Vicario, who won four Grand Slam singles titles, six Grand Slam women’s doubles titles, and four Grand Slam mixed doubles titles.
Luis Mediero is a USPTA Master Professional and the founder of Registro Profesional de Tenis (RPT) in Madrid, Spain. Mediero, who is also the president of the International Coaches Institute, has a lifetime of coaching experience that he has shared through courses, clinics and conferences in 80 countries, and he will provide invaluable insights to attendees.
Gabe Jaramillo is a renowned international tennis coach who developed some of the most well-known talents in the history of tennis. He was the director of the Bollettieri junior tennis program for 26 years. He trained such tennis greats as Andre Agassi and Monica Seles. Jaramillo, who is a USPTA-certified P-1 member and an RPT International Master Pro, is now the tennis director for Club Med Academies.
Early registration for the conference is $300 for USPTA members and includes all materials. The deadline for early registration is December 31. The conference will be presented in English. More information about the conference, including a detailed agenda, is available online at www.uspta.com, by e-mailing [email protected] or by calling 239-641-0010. For hotel accommodations email [email protected] or call 772-342-4217.
Having tested over thirty applicants during the past couple weeks in Florida, I had the chance to talk to the next wave of fresh talent. During the initial interview of the test, about forty percent of the applicants voiced that their tennis director, manager or owner expected a USPTA certification. This reminded me why I’m a USPTA member. We are known for having the highest standard of excellence in the tennis industry. Beyond the insur-ance, the tennis information and personal networking is unlimited. USPTA Florida has an initiative for the District President of each of the districts in Florida to call all new applicants and invite to their meeting or activity. This will further connect the new pro into our organization.
In addition, we have done more upgrades in the past five years. It needs to be understood that if you are looking at a job that is advertising for a P-1, the employ-er will not be considering a P-2 or P-3. Don’t wait till the possibility of a new job is within reach before upgrading. The next question is “how do I upgrade?” I would rec-ommend getting a mentor to assist in the practice of an upgrade. Our Florida testers mentor over ten applicants per year and would be happy to assist in the upgrade process.
And lastly, if you are not attending our Florida Conven-tion, shame on you! It is considered a mini World Con-ference and will be the best four days you have spent on your career. Not only are you going to stay at a world-class resort, there is plenty of education and fun to be had. Take advantage of why you joined the USPTA in the first place. Our organization will help you in your pursuit of excellence.
Happy Hunting,Glen HoweUSPTA Head Tester FloridaUSPTA Master Professional
Why USPTAGlen Howe, USPTA Master Professional
December 10-11 Oaks at Boca RatonJanuary 21-22 Oaks at Boca RatonFebruary 4- 5 Midtown Athletic Club, WestonFebruary 11-12 Tops’l Racquet Club, DestinFebruary 19 Bonita Bay Club, Bonita SpringsMarch 17-18 Oaks at Boca RatonApril 14-15 Lake Nona CC, OrlandoMay 5 The Villages, OcalaMay 8-9 Oaks at Boca RatonJune 2- 3 Club Med Sandpiper Bay, Port St. Lucie
Testing and Upgrade ScheduleRegister at www.uspta.com or phone 800 877-8248
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Educational Event in Central Florida
Allen Fox, USPTA Tennis: Winning the Mental Match
Isleworth Golf and Country ClubSaturday, February 18, 201210 a.m. - 2 p.m.
$40 discounted registration rate for USPTA professionals includes book, seminar and lunch
Registration information will be sent via e-mail blast.For additional details, contact Henner Lenhardt [email protected]
Save the Date Plan Now to Attend
2012 USPTA Florida Division Convention
Club Med Sandpiper BayPort St. Lucie, Fla.
May 28 - June 3
Resort reservation and convention registration forms will be sent by e-mail blast to the division membership in mid-January
Watch for the next issue of Baselines for more con-vention details and important deadlines.
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August 28 at The Oaks in Boca Raton. New members include: Hisham Abaza, Jay Ber-man, Luca Bonomi, Sean Harmon, Alex Herwig, Julie Howard, Taylor Kalister, David McNair, Danielle Nickerson, Rudy Nunez, Mathieu Soto, Mary O’Neill, Igor Pavlin, Sergio Rebolledo, Paul Segodo, Ben Wirth, and Christina Zgera. Testers were Kyle LaCroix, Robin Keener, Jason Gilbert and Ben Rakusin.
WELCOME NEW MEMBERS
November 12 at The Oaks in Boca RatonWelcome and congratulations to new members and upgrading professionals: Michael Arrigo, Marc Baudouin, Daniel Capote, Andrew Dun-leavy, Vernon Gettone, Ronald Gould, Connie Henley, Tanja Janssen, Robert Kowalczyk, Shane Lamely, Fred McCracken, Natalie Na-gli, Clifford Rizzi, Gary Roche, Christian Rojas, Armand Segodo, Victoria St. John, Joshua Sturgis, Kevin Zimmaro
Welcome to our Future Professionals
Congratulations to Mike and Maggie Baldwin and big sister, Ava on the arrival of Chloe Eizabeth.
Chris and Heidi Kader announce the arrival of Olivia Claire on Nov. 17, 2011.
DO YOU WANT THE LATEST NEWS AND UPDATES FROM USPTA FLORIDA?
MAKE SURE YOUR CORRECT E-MAIL ADDRESS IS ON FILE WITH THE USPTA NATIONAL OFFICE.
E-NEWS FOR SPECIFIC DISTRICT AND UPCOMING DIVISIONAL EVENTS IS SENT PERIODICALLY.
DON’T MISS THE BLAST !!!
KEEP YOUR E-MAIL ADDRESS UPDATED. CONTACT: [email protected]
Tuscawilla Country Club - November 6
New members and upgrading professionals: Verna Alduino, Sheen Cesare, Brian Demontfort, Stephen Drosdick, Denver Green, Darren Holt, Jill Mig-nogna, John Moss, Robert Pierce, Johann Saurbier, Oleg Sorokin, Erik Turnquist, Chelsea Underwood, Dimirar Vancov and George Wheeler Testers: Glen Howe, Robin Keener and Kelvin Rivera
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District News
District 10 - Ricardo MendivilUSPTA District 10, West Palm Beach, hosted a special pre-sentation at BallenIsles Country Club on Nov. 4. Featured speaker was Daniel Spatz on the topic “Taking a talented junior to the highest level.” The discussion centered on the secrets of success by the Argentineans in developing young talent with the right technique in the early stages.
C. W. Lewis, Director of Tennis at Seasons Swim and Rac-quet Club, and Lawrence Sagel, Director of Tennis at Delaire Country Club, organized a fundraiser and round robin for the pros in Districts 10 (West Palm Beach), 11 (Boca Raton) and 16 ( N.Dade/S.Broward) to raise money for Jeff Wernick’s wife, Joy, who has been battling cancer. Her medical expenses have been overwhelming for their family. Through the gener-osity of the area tennis pros and members of the Seasons Ten-nis Community, over $4000 was raised for Jeff and Joy from donations and entry fees. The event was held at Boca Pointe Country Club by host professional, Angel Rodriguez on Friday, June 17 and there was a tremendous show of family spirit by all who attended the round robin.
A note from Jeff Wernick“My fellow colleagues and friends – I am humbled and touched by your outpouring support and generosity during this difficult time for my family. I spend most of my days running to doctor appointments and caring for my wife. However, I would like to take the time to thank each and every one of you for caring so much and reaching out to my family. It is an honor to be part of the USPTA and to see how lucky I am to be a part of an or-ganization with such great members. Joy and I thank you from the bottom of our hearts.”
I would like to thank everyone who attended the round rob-in and helped out with the donations for the Wernick family. Since writing this article, sadly, Joy has passed away after a courageous fight. The Florida division extends sincere condo-lences to Jeff and his family.
C. W. Lewis,District 11 President
USPTA District Pros Raise Money for a Great Cause!
We had a great USPTA Pro Meeting Nov. 3rd at Country Club of Orlando. A special thanks to Jim Oescher for host-ing at his beautiful facility. Conrad Cowan, Director of Tennis at Interlachen Country Club, gave an entertaining and infor-mative talk on “Raising the Bar” in the Tennis Profession.The meeting was attended by Tobias Svantesson, Rich Schmidt, Len Simard, Marcelo Gouts and many other distinguished professionals in Central Florida. The Central Florida USPTA members need to “Save the date” of Sat. Feb. 18th, at Isle-worth Country Club, for a special educational opportunity with Dr. Allen Fox, author of “Tennis:Winning the Mental Match”.Also, be on the lookout for announcements of golf outings at some of the incredible courses in Central Florida. – Henner Lenhardt, District 4 President
DistrictMeetingandRoundRobinAugust19atBocaGroveCountryClub
District 16 - Chris KaderThe October 7 th District 16 USPTA meeting, hosted by Maury Bozman and the Midtown Athletic Club in Weston, was quite a show. Over 25 pros from 3 dif-ferent districts were in attendance to see the Midtown staff showcase their U10 programming and kids. Ev-eryone who was there left with very valuable informa-tion to bring back to their clubs. Maury gave a great explanation of the rules and man-date that will be upon us in 2012. He then put several of the pros through some U10 drills and games before turning it over to his staff. Then the kids stole the show. Their talents were on full display as they showed what can be possible through U10 programming. After a wrap-up Q&A it was time for the guys to play tennis.Congratulations to the prize money winners: (first – fourth place) Butch Martin, Tyler Shelly, Carlos Triana, and Keith Soifer.
Brian Newcomer USPTA from West Palm Beach Florida died on November 26th in an automobile ac-cident while on his way to work at the Ocean Reef Club in Key Largo, Florida. Brian was an outstanding Teach-ing Pro having trained under
the likes of past Florida Division President, Richard Centerbar and the past 3 summers for Past National USPTA President Harry Gilbert at Waccabuc CC in N.Y.
Brian’s ever present smile, his endless energy and enthusiasm will be remembered by his students and co-workers as well as his friends and family. An insightful teacher with a tremendous eye for seeing what was technically wrong with his students’ swing, Brian’s real gift was in his delivery of his message for change through positive reinforcement. A terrific group instruc-tor, Brian excelled at teaching QuickStart Clinics along with Cardio Tennis classes. Brian was 27 years old.
Messages of condolence may be sent to: Dr. and Mrs. Jack Newcomer, 534 31st Street, West Palm Beach, FL 33407. Memorial donations may be made at http://www.hydroassoc.org/how-to-donate-to-th e-hydrocephalus-association/
With deep regret
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Call Stan Oley800-352-6878
Addison Reserve - October 15-16, 2011Men’s Open Singles: Adrians Zguns def. Diego Brunicardi 6-2, 6-0Men’s 40 Singles: Dan Lepadatu def. Michael Baldwin 6-2, 6-2Men’s 45 Singles: Bruce Kurtz def. John Jerome 6-2, 6-1Men’s 50 Singles: Greg Neuhart def. Greg Wheaton 6-4, 2-6, 10-5 Men’s 55 Singles: Gewan Maharaj def. Stephen Shortridge 6-3, 6-2Men’s Open Doubles: Sven Goth/Osvaldo Benitez def. Jeff Bingo/Eleazar Magallan 4-6, 6-1, 10-6Men’s 40 Doubles: Jeff Bingo/Greg Wheaton def. John Jerome/Brian Lutz 6-1, 6-3 Men’s 50 Doubles: Greg Neuhart/Carlos Triana def. Dave Cordrey/Gewan Maharaj 6-1, 6-3Women’s 50 Singles: Susie Brown def. Frances O’ Sullivan 3-6, 6-4, 10-7Women’s 35 Doubles: Susie Brown/Frances O’ Sullivan def. Sandra Bell/Carolyn Franca 8-4
Masters - November 5-6, 2011Men’s Open Singles: Adrians Zguns def. Julien Link 6-1, 6-1Men’s 35 Singles: Diego Brunicardi def. Sven Goth 6-4, 6-1Men’s 40 Singles: Kam Kuchta def. Dan Lepadatu 6-0, 5-0 ret.Men’s 45 Singles: Horacio Rearte def. Jeff Cohen 6-4, 7-5Men’s 50 Singles: Greg Neuhart def. Greg Wheaton 5-7, 1-0 ret. Men’s 55 Singles: Frank Swope def. Stephen Shortridge 6-3, 6-2Men’s 60 Singles: Terry See def. Bob Grossman 7-5, 6-4Men’s Open Doubles: Adrians Zguns/Diego Brunicardi def. Paulo Barros/John Bougon 6-2, 6-0Men’s 40 Doubles: Kam Kuchta/Horacio Rearte def. Bruce Kurtz/Brett Kurtz 6-4, 6-1 Men’s 50 Doubles: Frank Swope/T.A. Niles def Greg Neuhart/Carlos Triana 6-2, 7-5Men’s 60 Doubles: Terry See/Bob Howell def. Bob Grossman/Robert Green 6-2, 5-7, 10-6Women’s Open Singles: Marine Spiegel def Andrea Schutte 6-3, 6-1Women’s 35 Singles: Sandra Bell def. M.J. Pachl 6-2, 6-0Women’s Open Doubles: Marine Spiegel/Andrea Schutte def. Jeanne Schwartz/Lindsey Schwartz 6-3, 6-0
Oceanside Country Club - September Men’s Open Singles:
Adrian Zguns def. Paulo Barros 6-0, 6-2Men’s’ 40’s Singles:
Tim Davis def. Mike Baldwin 6-2, 7-6Men’s 45’s Singles:
Jeff Cohen def. John Hudson 6-1, 6-1Men’s 50’s Singles:
Greg Neuhart def. Carlos Triana 6-0, 6-2Men’s 55’s Singles:
Gewan Maharaj def. Steve Shortridge 6-2, 6-2Men’s Open Doubles:
Barros/Zguns def. Dorian Porada/Aaron Brown 6-0, 6-1 Men’s 40’s Doubles:
Baldwin/Cohen def. Simon Firth/John Hudson 7-6, 6-3Men’s 50’s Doubles:
Neuhart/Triana def. Davis/Shortridge 6-1, 6-1
USPTA FL FAST DRY COURTS AND 10-S TENNIS SUPPLY GRAND PRIXTOURNAMENT RESULTS
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Grand Prix at Addison Reserve
Jeff Bingo, Director of Tennis and Esplanade Operations, hosted the sixth stop of the Fast Dry Courts and 10-S Supply USPTA Grand Prix Circuit on October 15th and 16th at the Addison Reserve Country Club in Delray Beach for the third year. Jeff and his staff planned another great tournament at his beautiful facility and made sure that his fellow USPTA Pros enjoyed the weekend as much as possible. For his members, Jeff offered a Complimentary Pro-Am on Saturday that was a big hit! The Player’s Party on Saturday night featured a delicious “Mediterranean” buffet at the beautiful Addison Reserve poolside Bistro Grill.
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Fast Dry / 10-S Supply USPTA Grand Prix Circuit finishes with a bang!Michael Baldwin, USPTA Florida Vice President
First, we must thank our title sponsor, Fast Dry and 10-S Supply, and our other generous sponsors, Welch Tennis Courts, USTA Florida Section, Stan Oley Tennis Equipment, and tennis balls courtesy of Pro Penn. Back in September, our Grand Prix Circuit resumed at the always delightful Oceanside Country Club. If you have not played this event, you are missing something special. Host Director of Tennis, Mike Sanders, put on a fantastic, event well-supported by his members and lo-cal sponsors. Staying at the new official hotel, the Roy-al Floridian, a beautiful resort hotel right on the beach, truly made this a “Play-cation!” Next stop on the Grand Prix Circuit was the always first-class Addison Reserve Country Club. Host Director, Jeff Bingo, rolled out the VIP treatment with access to his club’s top-notch amenities and a player dinner party that was nothing short of spectacular. And, then it was the grande finale, The Masters, at our new home, Williams Island Country Club. Host Direc-tor, Carlos Triana, hit it out of the park! Thanks to sup-port from the members and local sponsors, Wells Fargo and Pines Ford Lincoln, pros were once again treated to world-class facilities, fine-dining, and warm hospitality. This year’s Masters enjoyed one of the strongest and fullest fields, with 44 of Florida’s best pros competing for ranking points and over a $6,000 purse! I want to encourage all my fellow pros to participate in the Grand Prix Circuit. It’s no coincidence that the pros that participate, do so regularly.
You may have seen my recent “Top 10 Reasons to Play the Grand Prix’s” but in case you missed it, here I go again... 1. Prize Money - A minimum $4500 per event! 2. Pro Am Money - $90 for some fun customer tennis.3. Earn a state ranking - show your clientele you can do more than just teach the game.4. Business networking and idea-sharing5. A weekend with friends6. A break from the usual grind of teaching7. A family getaway8. Exercise!9. Support the clubs and fellow pros that support the USPTA Grand Prix Circuit!10. A shot at an invitation to the year-end Masters at Williams Island! Please contact me with any questions about or sug-gestions for improving our Grand Prix Circuit or if you interested in hosting a Grand Prix Event at your club. [email protected] Check out TA Niles’ blog about the Masters at http://tastennisblog.bogspot.com/. Check out more pictures from these events at the Of-ficial USPTA Florida Division Facebook page.
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USPTA FLORIDA FAST DRY COURTS AND 10-S TENNIS SUPPLY FINAL GRAND PRIX STANDINGS - 2011
Men’s Open Singles PointsT1. Adrian Zguns 375 Paulo Barros 3753. Julian Link 3254. Franco Mata 2255. Milos Vasovic 1656. Christopher Fletcher 1507. Mike Birzon 100T8. Diego Brunicardi 75 Sven Goth 7510. John Cook 65T11. Osvaldo Benitez 50 James Daly 50 Marco Herrara 50 Eleazar Magallan 50 Kurt Pessa 50 Dorian Porada 50 Eric Turnquist 50T18. James Grigo 25 Nathan Griffin 25 Eric Kent 25 Kam Kuchta 25 Tyler Owens 25 Tyler Shelly 25T24. Frank Acierno 15 Reda Azagar 15 Aaron Brown 15 Jay Grollman 15 James Kucera 15 Bruce Kurtz 15 Peter Mainelli 15 Paul Ramsey 15 Men’s 35’s Singles Points1. Diego Brunicardi 2502. Sven Goth 1003. Joe D’Aleo 1254. Richard Oswald 505. Leandro Gutierrez 25 Men’s 45’s Singles Points1. Jeff Cohen 4502. Horacio Rearte 3003. Stephen Bucar 2004. Bruce Kurtz 1505. Jack Steyn 1256. Todd Collins 75T7. Greg Dextraze 50 Jonathan Fisher 50 John Hudson 50T10. Joe Biedenharn 25 Ted Korbut 25 Jeff Timmer 25
Men’s 40’s Singles Points1. Kam Kuchta 4002. Frank Vermeer 3753. Dan Lepadatu 2004. Tim Davis 1755. Mike Baldwin 125T6 Mike Edge 75Patrick Eichhorn 50William Macom 50Ricardo Mendivil 50Ira Peskowitz 50T11. Adam Zastempowski 50Page Buck 25Christian Clark 25Darryl Fornatora 25Mark Palus 25 Men’s 50’s Singles Points1. Greg Neuhart 7752. Greg Wheaton 325T3. Arup Dutta 175Stephen Bucar 1755. Carlos Triana 150T6. Eric Ernstrom 75TA Niles 758. David Freiman 50T9 Greg Gadoua 25Ronen Graziani 25Glen Howe 25Steve Shortridge 25Keith Soanes 25 Men’s 55’s Singles Points1. Steve Shortridge 4002. Frank Swope 3753. Gewan Maharaj 2504. Jared Chase 755. Robert Davis 50T6. William James 25Butch Martin 25 Men’s 60’s Singles Points1. Gewan Maharaj 3752. Terry See 3003. Robert Green 1004. Harry Bentley 505. Bob Howell 506. Bob Grossman 25
Men’s Open Doubles Points1. Paulo Barros 5252. Diego Brunicardi 3753. Sven Goth 3504. John Bougon 2755. Adrian Zguns 2506. Osvaldo Benitez 2257. Eleazar Magallan 200T8. Christopher Fletcher 150 Franco Mata 150T10. Mike Birzon 125 Marco Herrera 125 Hamid Mirzadeh 125 Kurt Pessa 12514. John Cook 100T15. Nathan Griffin 75 Mark Harrison 75 Julien Link 75 Greg Neuhart 75T19. James Daly 50 Bill Cook 50 Shawn Hedrick 50 James Kucera 50 Scott Pukys 50T24. Aaron Brown 25 Hernan Garcia-Vivot 25 Jay Grollman 25 Keith Lipp 25 Dorian Porada 25 Alex Ringwald 25 Mike Rubner 25 Eric Turnquist 25
Men’s 40’s Doubles Points1. Jeff Cohen 5002. Bruce Kurtz 3753. Greg Wheaton 3004. Kam Kuchta 275T5. Horacio Rearte 250 Frank Vermeer 2507. Mike Baldwin 2008. Jeff Bingo 1759. Eric Godin 125T10. Brett Kurtz 100 Greg Neuhart 100T12. Joe Biedenharn 75 Tim Brueggeman 75 Richard Centerbar 75 Mark Harrison 75 John Jerome 75 Brian Lutz 75 Mark Palus 75 Cary Sochin 75
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USPTA FLORIDA FAST DRY COURTS AND 10-S TENNIS SUPPLY FINAL GRAND PRIX STANDINGS - 2011
Men’s 40 Doubles continued
T18. Page Buck 50 Steve Longley 50 Bill Macom 50 Ira Peskowitz 50 Mike Rubner 50T23. Joe Bouquin 25 Christian Clark 25 David Cordrey 25 Joe D’Aleo 25 Arup Dutta 25 Mike Edge 25 Patrick Eichhorn 25 Simon Firth 25 Darryl Fornatora 25 John Hudson 25 Dan Lepadatu 25 Ricardo Mendivil 25 Stan Oley 25 Richard Oswald 25 Anup Rashtrawar 25 Jack Steyn 25 Carlos Triana 25 Steve Yankello 25 Adam Zastempowski 25
Men’s 50’s Doubles Points
1. Greg Neuhart 7002. Carlos Triana 4003. Frank Swope 3504. Gewan Maharaj 275T5. Greg Wheaton 250 T.A. Niles 2507. Steve Shortridge 1508. Arup Dutta 125T9. Joe Bouquin 75 Tim Davis 75 Kendall Lyon 75 Jim Morton 75 Craig Wittus 75T14. Butch Martin 50 Terry See 50T16. David Cordrey 25 Emile DeCuba 25 Jonathon Fisher 25 Dave Frieman 25 Bob Heller 25 Jim Katterfield 25 Jeff Timmer 25
Men’s 60’s Doubles PointsT1. Bob Howell 125 Terry See 125T2. Robert Green 25 Bob Grossman 25
Women’s Open Singles Points1. Marine Spiegel 125T2. Amy Pando 25 Andrea Schutte 25 Women’s 35’s Singles Points1. Sandy Bell 150T2. Julie Farina 125 Robin Keener 1254. Carolyn Franca 755. MJ Pachl 50
Women’s 50’s Singles Points1. Carolyn Franca 1502. Susie Brown 1253. Frances O’Sullivan 1004. Judi Stiff 25
Women’s Open Doubles PointsT1. Andrea Schutte 125 Amy Pando 125 Marine Spiegel 125T4. Jeanne Schwartz 50 Lindsey Schwartz 50 Women’s 35’s Doubles PointsT1. Sandy Bell 150 Carolyn Franca 150 Frances O’Sullivan 1504. Susie Brown 125
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SPORTS SCIENCE FORUMApplications of “Surveys” for the Tennis Teaching Professional
Dr. Robert Heller, USPTA Boca Raton, Fla.
Simple surveys can be used in a number of ways for you and your facility to maintain a “winning edge” with your students and members. One type of survey is a “customer satisfaction” or evaluation survey. This survey can be given or mailed following a lesson, clinic or club event. It is a great way to
get feedback which can then be used as testimonials to interest both new and existing members/students and to use to promote future events. If the surveys are completed anonymously you are more likely to also pick up on criticism that you can use to improve future lessons or events.
There are two main ways to structure the survey. In the first instance you present a series of open ended questions:
What did you think of the clinic today?Are there any suggestions you can offer to improve upon the clinic?
In the second instance, you provide a list of categories that the responder evaluates according to a scale of some kind. For example: On a scale of 1-5 please rate your LEVEL OF SATISFACTION with 1 indicating LEAST satisfied and 5, MOST satisfied.
The level of instruction was suited to my ability level.The amount of material covered was adequate.The instructor communicated information effectively.
A second kind of survey is the “interest type.” Here you are looking to identify interests and needs of your members to aid in planning future events and programs.
Again, you can use either the open ended format, “What types of events would you like the club to offer in the coming season that we currently don’t offer?” , or the “select and rate” method: “On a 1-5 scale how much interest would you have in attending a mental skills for tennis clinic?, Cardio tennis program, etc.”
I have personally found that using survey’s of individual clients I have worked with and also following clinics and presentations has given me valuable information I would not otherwise have received and helped me to continue to grow and improve as a professional.
Dr. Robert Heller, is a psychologist, sports psychologyconsultant and USPTA tennis professional based in Boca Raton, Florida where he teaches peak performance strate-gies to individuals and groups. He can be reached at www.mentalskillstennis.com e-mail [email protected] and by phone, 561-451-2731.
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On Saturday, Nov.12 Roger Scott Tennis Center, Pensacola Fla., hosted a USTA QuickStart round robin / clinic in conjunction with the USTA $10,000 Futures Professional tennis tournament held at their clay court facility. This was a great event and fun was had by all who attended. I can start to see how the under 10 junior tennis program is growing throughout the Emerald Coast. The format for the morning was an 8 and under and 10 and under compass draw round robin using the 36’ and 60’ courts with the finalists in each given the opportunity to show off their skills in between the singles semifinals of the professional tournament. We also had some fun courts set up for any kids that had never played before. A big hit was a surprise visit from the Chick Fil-A “Eat More Chicken Cow” who was great with the kids and running around with a tennis racquet in hand. You can guess that lunch was awesome provided by Chick-Fil-A with plenty of chicken nuggets and strips for everyone involved with the event. Overall we had over 100 kids playing the QuickStart format with approximately 30 volunteers to help with the scoring and keeping everything organized.
After the round robin we had the kids hit for prizes donated by USTA FL and I would like to thank them for giving us the resources to make this a successful campaign throughout Florida. For the next event for the day, we took all the kids including parents and coaches, to watch the semifinals of the professional tournament so they could see some of our up and coming future stars on the tour. Another highlight was that some of the 10 and under kids were given the opportunity, after some quick training, to be ball boys and ball girls for the matches. After the first singles semifinal match was complete the 8 and under finalists got to play a quick first to five points match with the 10 and under finalists to follow with a first to seven point match. The kids could not wait to play in front of the crowd with me commentating and adding some color to get everyone cheering for them. We used this as an opportunity to show everyone that has not seen the 36 foot court and 60 foot court on how the game is changing in 2012 and how much fun the kids are having with the right size ball and racquet for their age group. I would like to thank Michael Edge, Head Tennis Professional at Roger Scott Tennis Center, for his phenomenal job in organizing this event and getting all the volunteers from the local high school tennis teams and Pensacola junior college students. Also a big thanks for the professionals who donated their time: Bruce Caton, Robert Fair, Erik Stenberg, Cameron Jones, Brian Sakey, Rita Dotson and Ingrid Hewette, Jessica D’Aleo, USTA JTT coordinators for helping make this a truly great event.
Junior Tennis in the Panhandle USPTA District President, Joe D’Aleo
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On Saturday August 20, we had a great USPTA District 1 meeting and lunch at Roger Scott Tennis Center in Pensacola with 17 professionals from the panhandle. We started the meeting with introductions around the room with some newly USPTA certified professionals present - Rita Dotson, Michael Mickelson and Kevin Dunworth - it was great for them to meet everyone. I congratulated Michael Edge on completing his 24 hours of teaching lessons that raised $2000.00 for breast cancer that started at 8 a.m. on Friday and ended 8 a.m. on Saturday before the meeting. I then talked about USPTA news with the upcoming election, membership, upgrades and who was attending the World Conference at Saddlebrook resort. I also updated everyone on upcoming fall events and workshops that will be in our area: the 10 and under tournament director workshop on Oct 27 and a Cardio Tennis workshop on Nov. 19 both hosted by TOPS’L. The rest of the meeting which was the highlight and great to see in our industry was a round table discussion on events in our area, the 10 and under initiative, and ways to grow the game in our district. The interaction with the pros sharing ideas of what they are doing at their club or resort and asking others how they run certain events and programs was great to hear. The information shared by everyone in the group was very informative and helpful especially with the 10 and under tennis and how it is growing the game for the kids in our area and the parents getting involved. It was great to hear the comments and feedback from Brian Sakey and Fernando Guarachi, long time USPTA teaching professionals in our area for over 30 years, and how they think the QuickStart.program is the best thing to ever happen and how teaching children has changed with this great new format. I want to thank Bruce Caton, Director of Tennis at Roger Scott, and Michael Edge, Head Professional at Roger Scott, for being the host site for the meeting and helping me get everything organized.
Group Photo- Back row – Bruce Caton, Fernando Guarachi, Jeff Overton, Paul Einhart, Sean Edwards, Michael Mickelson, Brian Sakey, George Cobia, Kevin Dunworth, Erik Stenberg. Front row – Michael Edge, Sam Vickroy, Joe D’Aleo, Rita Dotson, Kelly Baker, Cameron Jones. Not pictured Scott Harrison.
Destin Commons hosted a “Back to School Bash” Saturday, September 17 from 5 to 7 pm. At least a hundered children and their parents were introduced to 10 & Under Tennis in the streets of the favorite shopping center in Destin, Fl. Renee Broxson, Di-rector of Tennis at Hidden Dunes, coordinated the QuickStart Tennis format with the help of Joe D’Aleo USPTA Florida District 1 President & Director of Ten-nis at TOPS’L Beach and Racquet Resort, and Jes-sica D’Aleo, JTT LLC. For two hours kids came and went through the street tennis setup using the foam and red ball on the mini nets. With the extra help of Jr Team Tennis players Jacob and Ethan D’Aleo kids felt comfortable coming up grabbing a racquet and ball and hitting around. Even parents couldn’t resist getting into the action. It was a great night of Quick-Start tennis and a great way to expose the area of Destin to how children of all ages can be introduced to tennis in a very simple setup.
QUICKSTART TENNIS HITS THESTREETS OF DESTIN COMMONS
USPTA Rocks the PanhandleJoe D’Aleo, USPTA District President
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When most players think of doubles, they think of the number two, you and your partner. When teaching doubles, I believe “three” is the most important num-ber. Simplifying doubles requires that the pro break the game into parts. This holds true for stroke production as well as strategy. Players learn strokes through progres-sions, piece by piece. Doubles is more about decisions, tactics and execution. I personally deal mainly with an older clientele. The principles in this article relate to all doubles; ladies’, men’s, and mixed at all levels. Let’s explore the POWER of three.
The first “three” deals with errors. After all, tennis is a game of errors. Most players are crushed when I tell them that they just made three errors on that one point. The three errors are: 1. A position error such as being too close to the net, too far over in the alley, in no man’s land, etc. 2. A decision error such as hitting the overhead back to the baseline player, taking the high volley back deep, taking the low volley at the net person, etc. 3. An execu-tion error, such as missing the shot, whatever it was.
Classifying the error, and which error it was, is very help-ful. The worst error scenario occurs when the player is in the wrong spot, makes the wrong choice and misses the shot. The best error scenario is when the player is in the right spot, makes the shot selection, but misses the shot. The pro’s challenge is to get the players to be in the right spot and to know what the right choice is in each situation, so that they have the best chance of executing the shot. I emphasize using the court for your target and not the opponent’s position. I make the targets small and specific so that the decision is made quickly and that the proper execution to that target guar-antees success.
The second “three” deals with situations or basic dou-bles formations. Most doubles points have three basic formations that occur before and during a point. They are: 1. One up and one back, versus one up and one back. 2. One up and one back versus two at the net. 3. All four at the net. We all start drills in these different formations. I find that players do one of two things when they play out the point. Either they are in one formation and try to change it for good or bad, or they are in a formation from which they don’t know how to try to win the point. I emphasize that they recognize the situation first. Most points start one up and one back on both sides. The server serves; the returner returns cross court and comes in, making the formation one up and one back versus two at the net. At this point the server panics, tries to hit the ball
three times harder than normal, and runs towards the net, or, when panicked, throws the short lob and pro-ceeds to apologize. The server lacks two things: 1. An acceptance of the situation that they are in, one up and one back versus two at the net. 2. A plan for winning from that situation.
It’s OK to be in that formation as long as you have a plan for working the point from there, which includes using your partner to win. Only change the situation if your opponent’s shot changes it or the server successfully lobs over the opponents. Each of the three situations has different strategies for winning the point. My goal is for the player to be aware of the situation and have a clear idea of how to win from it.
The third “three” deals with shot recognition. There are only three types of shots in doubles that are coming at you when the player or team is at the net: 1. High ball 2. Low ball 3. A lob. The challenge for the pro is to have the players recognize the type of ball and have a clear answer for the shot. Decisions kill doubles players; the more choices, the more errors. My favorite is when the player dumps an easy high volley into the net and you ask, what happened, (s)he proceeds with a detailed ex-planation of how (s)he saw the opponent moving left and the last time they played, the opponent moved out wide and lob volleyed for a winner. (S)He further explains that (s)he thought that if (s)he hit the opponent’s left shoe (s)he would have difficulty and since the partner is a good lobber (s)he didn’t want to go in that direction. As well, the opponent has a brace on the left leg, and (s)he doesn’t like backhand volleys anyway. I would like to call that example an exaggeration, but I actually left out a couple more excuses. The bottom line is that if the ball is high, you hit the ball to “X”; “X” being a specific spot on the court regardless of where your opponents are. Unless your player is a lizard whose eyes work in-dependently of each other, (s)he is better off watching the ball, hitting to a target, and following the shot rather than trying to guess what the opponent is going to do. In the case of a lob; it is either offensive or defensive. Ei-ther way, you want the player to understand that a clear target, a plan for handling the shot, and knowing what to do post overhead is what is needed for successful play. Players like to try to outguess their opponents; “I thought (s)he would do this so I did that”. Instead, I work to get players to concentrate on their execution because most doubles points look the same as far as formations. As a player, you need to recognize the situation, know when the ball is coming to you and then hit it where you are supposed to. You will win a lot of points.
Continued—
Why “Three” is the Most Important Number in DoublesBrad Leu, USPTA, Florida Division First Vice-presidentDirctor of Tennis at Sea Oaks Beach and Tennis Club
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Junior Team Tennis in Palm Beach and Broward Counties
Over 200 juniors participate in the 7-week league offering an ex-cellent opportunity to hone their match play skills in a low key yet competitive environment.
continued from page 26
The last power of “three” deals with the player who gets trapped on the baseline while the opponents are at the net. This “three” deals with shot recognition also. There are three types of balls that come to the baseline player: 1. A deep ball within a couple of feet of the baseline. 2. A ball in the area between the service line and a couple of feet before the baseline. 3. A short ball landing well inside the service box. The challenge here is twofold; one is making the right shot selection and the second is incorporating your partner in your plan. Assuming the other team is at the net, the defensive team (one up, one back) has the chal-lenge of trying to win from this situation. Looking at the three types of balls, the baseline player faces how (s)he can best play from this position.
First, the deep ball landing within a couple feet of the baseline requires the player to “BUAL” (back up and lob). Many players try to volley this type of ball, often playing an out ball or they try to make a heroic shot off the half volley. Accept that the opponent hit a good shot and lob. Your best chance for an effective lob is if you move back.
The second type of ball is the one that lands in your ZONE, generally between the service line area and in front of the lob zone. This is a hittable ball, so Hit IT!
This is where your partner’s assistance is up to you. I like having the partner hug the center line looking for an op-portunity. That opportunity will only occur if the baseline player directs the shot down the middle or down the line. If you’re not that fond of your partner, hit wide. A well placed ball low in the middle or down the line can give your partner opportunities to cross and kill. Go wide and high, you die.
The last kind of ball is the short ball, a ball you HAVE TO run up to get. The objective here is to get the point to neutral. The situation now changes to having all four at the net. Unless the ball is sitting way up and you would like to give your opponent a free tattoo, the player’s job is to hit a short low ball that is not too hard to allow the point to get to neutral with all four players at the net. Now all four are at the net looking to drive the first high ball and close the net.
The job of a teacher is to explain things in a way that can be understood and remembered. We all teach doubles a little differently, using gimmicks and sayings, cones and french fries. The bottom line is that players need to know what the best choice is and can execute that choice which in turn builds confidence. The game should come down to one team’s execution versus the other team’s.
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