Division President: Lisa Wilcott metennis@comcast.net
Regional Vice President: Milan Kubala stowemiles@gmail.com
Treasurer: Christy Bennett bennett@newengland.usta.com
Secretary: Wilbur Shardlow shardlowtennis@roadrunner com
Vice President: Kristen Gerety kdgerety@icloud.com
Vice President: Mike Hill michael_hill@alumni.brown.edu
Past President: Mike Kolendo mkolendo46@gmail.com
NE Executive Director: Pam Dodman pamela.dodman@uspta.org
Welcome to spring, and my first season as the President of USPTA New England. I am looking forward to working with all of you to help grow our membership and retain our members.
We have a very active board who has been hard at work since January. My goals include increasing our membership by trying to recruit more women and younger members to join the USPTA. I am hopeful that with our new membership and mentoring committees we can help our members continue to grow and to prosper in the racquet sports world. We also have new active State Presidents from all our states that are going to be instrumental in connecting with members from their areas. They are setting up social gatherings to connect, network, and discuss tennis and pickleball program ideas and job opportunities. Each state will have events this spring and they are looking to help retain and grow their state activities. Please feel free to reach out to your State President or any Board member if you have ideas, suggestions, or questions.
I want to thank our past Presidents and Board Members - Mike Kolendo, Mike Mercier, and Chris Stevens. They donated countless hours of time these past many years as Presidents, leaders, volunteers, committee chairs, and all-around great team members. I know their past experiences will help me and all of us going forward.
Obviously, we have had some big changes in our USPTA organization starting in 2024. We have a new CEO - Brian Dillman - who is leading us into the future and is already accelerating us into new territory. Trish Faulkner is our new National President and is only the 2nd female to lead the organization and has a wealth of experience in all aspects of tennis. Ramona Husaru has been promoted to Chief Development Officer and has done a great job with Education and Certifications these past few years. Change is good sometimes and we are heading into incorporating new certifications in all racquet sports in the future.
Please make sure you look at our USPTA New England website often. Pam Dodman is our Executive Director who keeps us all organized, updates the calendar, and sends out communications to our membership with relevant and pertinent information. Please make sure your profile and contact info is accurate.
We are very excited to be hosting our 2024 USPTA New England Annual Summit Conference at the International Tennis Hall of Fame in Newport, Rhode Island May 16-17. We have a full schedule planned and our key speakers are Tom Gullikson, Patrick McEnroe, Chuck Gill, Jorge Capestany, and Tracy Almeida-Singian. We are also honored to have Brian Dillman and Trish Faulkner at our event, so please make sure you mark your calendars and get your accommodations booked early. You will get a chance to play on the grass courts, visit the museum, network with other members, meet vendors at the happy hour/trade show, and learn from the best at this conference.
Sadly, we lost a very active and long-standing member, Bill Shardlow, from our USPTA New England Team. In mid-January, Bill and his twin brother, Wilbur, who is on the New England board, volunteered at the Lewiston Strong Tennis Event at Bates College. This was just a day before his sudden passing. He will be missed in Maine and throughout our large community of tennis friends.
Thank you for reading this letter and I look forward to meeting and working with all of you!
Lisa Wilcott
Connecticut: Kent Chalmers
chalmerstennis@gmail.com
Maine: Gavin Glider
gavin@apexrfc.com
Massachusetts: Stu Lehr stuartklehr@gmail.com & Vi Nguyen vnguyen734@gmail.com
Rhode Island: Mike Michaud mike.mmtennis@gmail.com
Vermont: Joyce Doud jdoud@edgevt.com
Connecticut
Kent Chalmers
chalmerstennis@gmail.com
443-823-1777
New Hampshire
Rose Cantlin
rcantlin@wentworthbytheseacc. com
802-922-4842
Maine
Gavin Glider
gavin@apexrfc.com
207-956-3640
Rhode Island
Mike Michaud
mike@conanicutyachtclub.org
401-450-4244
Massachusetts
Stu Lehr
stuartklehr@gmail.com
978-496-6621
Massachusetts
Vi Nguyen
vnguyen734@gmail.com
617-816-1913
Vermont
Joyce Doud
jdoud@edgevt.com
802-860-3343 x 126
Hi! I’m Rose Cantlin, and I am pleased to be your new USPTA State President for New Hampshire! For my first newsletter contribution, I wanted to let you know a little bit about myself, as well as let you know what some of your fellow NH pros have going on!
I grew up in Woodstock, Vermont, and went to Mount Holyoke College in South Hadley, MA, studying Art History and playing tennis all four years. This is where I started to teach my first tennis lessons to some local families but had no idea it would lead to a career as a teaching professional.
After graduating college, I “stumbled” into the USPTA with the encouragement of my old high school coach and then boss, Tom Hopewell. I currently am the assistant pro at Wentworth By The Sea Country Club in Rye, NH, and have been here for the past nine years.
When asked about my favorite USPTA memory, I think it would be the time that New England and Eastern had a joint conference at the Billie Jean King National Tennis Center in NYC. It was such a fun experience to be able to walk around the site of the US open with no crowds, as well as seeing some amazing speakers. I still show people the video of walking up high on the cat walk of the roof of Arthur Ashe Stadium!
Here’s what’s gone on in New Hampshire: Lynne Miller (USPTA Elite Professional) hosted a High School tennis coaches’ clinic on Saturday, March 2nd from 10:15 – 2:15 at the Newport Tennis Club in Newport, NH.
Phillips Exeter Academy Varsity boy’s head coach Ron Rodriguez (USPTA Elite Professional) is happy to report some amazing stats from last season when his “number one player”, Kirin Raval, won the NEPSAC Individual Championship A Singles Title without dropping a set. Also, David Dai won the Championship B Singles, and Clark Pearson won the Championship A Consolation. “This was the first time in history that all three Singles Champions came from the same school.” Congrats on the incredible achievement!
Dartmouth College women’s head coach Bob Dallis (USPTA Elite Professional) would like to let everyone know that there is a lot of great Ivy League rivalries coming up in April. April 5th at Brown. April 7th vs Yale. April 13th vs Columbia. April 14th vs Cornell. April 20th at Princeton.
On March 23rd at Wentworth, we had our 4th Annual Adult Sponge Ball Tournament and raffle fundraiser to benefit Type 1 Diabetes. I have been a type 1 diabetic since I was 7, so this holds a special place in my heart. We ran a raffle full of great prizes from all over the area, and, as always, it was a big hit with our members, and we raised $5000 for a great cause. Photos are on the right!
The state presidents have been tasked with offering state social gatherings to all tennis professionals in their area/state. This is being done to foster camaraderie, community building, and networking opportunities.
Rhode Island state president, Mike Michaud, hosted a “Meet and Greet” at the International Tennis Hall of Fame on Sunday, March 24th. Fun was had by all. (Pictures included) Stu Lehr, one of the MA state presidents, held a networking session at a Brewery in Peabody on March 27th!
New Hampshire:
SNHU Men’s Tennis Match, 1:00pm hosted by Rose Cantlin
Connecticut
Thimble Island Brewing Company, 6:00pm hosted by Kent Chalmers
Vermont: TBD
Maine: TBD
USPTA New England had great representation at the state high school coaches clinics held throughout New England! These clinics were sponsored and promoted by the USTA New England and most were run by USPTA professionals. Wilbur Shardlow ran four coaches clinics in Maine. Lynn Miller conducted the clinic in New Hampshire. Tammy Azur ran the Vermont clinic.
USPTA state presidents were present as well to support the event and to promote the USPTA!
USPTA New England held its first Level 2 Workshop in Portland, Maine at the Apex Racket & Fitness Center. Present were a very strong group of professionals from around New England and New York. Professionals learned from each other as they get numerous opportunities to practice the teaching methods and skills, which is a hallmark of the Level 2 Workshop. The workshop was led by USPTA NE Tennis Coach Developer, Pam Dodman.
The next Level 2 Workshop will be June 24 in Simsbury, CT at the Rackets For Life Club. These workshops are not just for new applicants. These workshops may be needed if you want to upgrade from a Tennis Instructor to Certified Professional. If you want to upgrade from Professional to Elite, you may have to attend a workshop if you didn’t score Elite in the stroke production or group lesson. Click the image below to register!
Running a successful department in this competitive environment continues to grow increasingly difficult. Quality leaders are more difficult to locate, hire, and retain as the job pool continues to shrink. Costs are ever increasing. Surely, we can count on the fundamentals of math to keep us grounded and find solutions to our greatest pain points – something as simple as 1 + 1 = 2.
But - what if what makes the good great involves suspending your belief in math? What if the answer lies in 1 + 1 = 3 ? Let me explain….
A few years back, I had the pleasure of seeing Bruce Springsteen in New York during his critically acclaimed “residence” on Broadway. During the performance, he suggests, in his tribute to the legendary E Street Band, that the concept of 1 + 1 = 3 is the essential equation of great music (specifically, rock and roll), great art, love, and the universe. As he talked about it, I found myself thinking that great leaders and their departments should be included in this list with music, art, love, and music.
You may be asking “in what universe does 1+1 ever add up to 3?” In concrete, tangible terms it doesn’t, but the concept of 1+1=3 states that it is the intangible, the secret sauce, the mojo; whatever you call it that takes something to the next level and makes it great; so much so that it is greater than the sum of its parts. What makes certain leaders, and therefore the departments they run better than the sum of their parts?
All organizations have warts, all leaders make mistakes, yet the best ones in the business are associated with organizations and people that produce results that are consistently better than their peers.
Do these leaders work harder, longer hours, or take unfair advantages? No. But, they do seem to have an ability to capture lightning in a bottle and create a culture superior to their competitors. How? They manage each person differently focusing on their strengths. They allow individual autonomy, while keeping everyone focused on the long-term goal. These are the leaders whose employees want to come to work and are fully engaged, because they are mentored and guided to succeed professionally, which we know is a key driver to intrinsic motivation. They create an environment where each department member can bring their unique attributes and greatest strengths and use them while successfully working within a team.
As Springsteen noted about this synergy, each member of his band, the E Street Band, is uniquely qualified to play their instrument; and as such all of them are accomplished musicians in their own right. But together – TOGETHER - as a complete band they are fantastic! The band - the sum of the musicians is greater than its parts. So, employees who are talented and have solid strengths can actually be elevated to their fullest potential as part of a team: 1 + 1 = 3.
How does a team achieve greatness while also maintaining employee individuality and autonomy? There must be individual practice to achieve team progress and consistent success. Individual practice relies on managers tapping into each employees’ strengths and placing them in a position to succeed alongside their coworkers —one team member’s strengths help others to see their potential blind spots. Thus, the one team member can overcome another team member’s weakness. A leader capable of managing the individual towards a common vision sets goals and expectations, outlining everyone’s role within the team and how they contribute to the greater good. There must also be hard work—these same successful leaders push their employees to be their best selves as a team and individually. If a leader is dedicated to helping their team reach their potential, they can challenge their team to become a little bit better every day. These leaders encourage open lines of communication and feedback; both across team members and up and down from team member to leader, and leader to team member. If all the pieces are in place, let the magic happen.
So, if The Boss says 1+1=3, who is going to argue?
Brian Armstrong, CCM, is a club industry leader with over 20 years of club general management experience running member-owned and for-profit private, city, and country clubs.
As the General Manager of the Country Club of Fairfax (VA.) Brian led the club through completing a $12 million Club Improvement Plan, which enhanced and modernized all of the club’s amenities, including tennis and racquets. Brian’s leadership included oversight of the strategic planning process and implementing a capital reserve study before the improvement plan’s approval by the membership and completion.
McMahon Careers offers career coaching and executive education programs for racquet sports professionals and executive search services for employers. The firm also manages USPTA Director Search. For more information visit: https://mcmahoncareers com or https://USPTADirectorSearch com
by Mark McMahon; President and Founder of McMahon Careers
What if we could empower high school students to pursue a career in racquet sports, and equip them quickly (within a year) with the knowledge, education, and initial experience to consider a wide range of careers, and take the first steps towards that career?
What if we determined that one of the most concrete and successful approaches to career identification is aspirational modeling? What if each of us were to take every opportunity to help create the coaches and directors of tomorrow by counseling our junior players to consider our industry as a viable career option?
What if we let these young players know that education is important and that industry-specific, targeted education that introduces the business skills needed to pursue senior roles within the racquet sports industry does not necessarily require a traditional, 4-year, on-campus degree program, or a significant and often debt-laden financial commitment?
McMahon Careers recently announced the launch of the Certified Racquet Sports Management (CRSM) Certificate program. The program was created to help develop the next generation of energized, entrepreneurial, and well-equipped racquet sports professionals. The CRSM program will help students take the first steps in preparation for a long and successful career, as well as help the industry become better resourced for continued growth, and sustainable, long-term success. Initially through launching the program, and over time as we celebrate CRSM graduates, the program will advocate for the amazing career opportunities in the racquet sports industry.
The CRSM Certificate program curriculum prepares students for introductory positions as Tennis, Pickleball, Platform Tennis, and Padel teaching professionals, as well as other entry-level racquet sports industry roles in operations, management, and administration.
The business skills introduced and developed through the program will also prepare students for other racquet sports industry positions that can include manufacturer sales representatives, pro shop and retail managers, college or high school coaches, tournament directors, and racquet sports industry administrators.
In addition to 270 hours of live virtual classroom learning over 9 months, each student will prepare for, and complete the Level 1 Instructor Certification requirements administered by USPTA and PTR. Students will also participate in and complete a 400+ hour, paid summer industry lab internship.
My hope is that those of you with a passion for our industry and a desire to see its long-term success and sustainability will start to share information about the new CRSM Certificate program with those whom you influence.
If you want to give your players the freedom and flexibility to play tennis or pickleball on their terms, you should offer a range of membership levels. Membership levels help you increase participation and signups They encourage more players to join as full-time members They help make sure your tennis and pickleball club appeals to a wider audience And they generate more regular revenue for your club. But how should you differentiate those membership levels? How should you structure the different tiers to engage as many potential members as possible… and effectively generate increased income for your club?
There are 5 key ways to create membership levels for your pickleball and tennis club:
By use 1.
By time 2.
By age 3.
By skill 4.
With a combination of the above 5
Which one could be right for your player demographics?
The most common way to create membership levels in your club is to think about how often your players want court access. At the lower end of the scale you have your visitors, irregular players who just turn up every so often. They won’t want to pay monthly or annually, but instead will have a higher hourly rate for court reservations.
Next, you have those semi-regular players who play occasionally. They might be happy to pay a small regular membership fee in return for better value open play, and court reservation fees
At the top of the scale, you have regular players who play weekly and want priority access to court bookings, tournaments, and everything your club has to offer. They will pay more monthly in return for preferential rates on courts and event fees.
Another popular option for membership levels is to split out peak and off-peak access. This is a great way to increase the value of your courts when they’re most in demand, while also encouraging more participation during quieter periods.
Use data from a club management system (like CourtReserve) to see when the most popular times are for court use at your facilities Look at daytime vs evening use, weekday vs weekend, and structure relevant membership levels around key times.
For example:
Off Peak – Play before 3pm weekdays
Peak – Play any time
Late night – Play after 8pm weekdays
Weekends – Play at weekends only
You could even consider seasonal memberships, lowering pricing during winter months and increasing fees during the more popular summer time.
Time-based membership levels attract a wider demographic including retirees, shift workers, and families, and can really increase court utilization
To directly appeal to a wide demographic, why not create membership levels based on age? This way you can use different membership types in your marketing to specifically attract key audience types, like under 18s or over 65s
Popular options include:
Junior Teen Adult
Senior
You might add a family membership option here, with discounts to attract everyone from a single household. The right membership management software can even link multiple memberships together. Membership levels by age also give you the opportunity to create age-appropriate lessons, competitions, and social events.
If your players want to play in competitive matches, you might want to think about structuring your memberships based on skill level.
When skilled players know they’ll have access to the top facilities and similar-level competitors, they’re more likely to sign up. And when beginners know they’ll be matched with other beginners, and don’t need to worry about feeling out of place, they’ll be more eager to try out your tennis or pickleball club.
Skill-based memberships also let you upsell training sessions, clinics, and one-to-one sessions with pros, run more exciting tournaments, and tailor different club offerings to different groups.
To give your members maximum choice, reach the widest demographics, and deliver value to every player, you might want to combine different membership options.
You might base your membership levels on court use, but add options for peak and off-peak, family or individual. Or you might use CourtReserve’s DUPR integration, to easily match players’ abilities to memberships based on access time.
The secret to creating successful membership levels is having the right club management software to support you. You need software that can easily create different membership levels at the click of a button, and clearly track all your membership types Software that makes it quick and simple for new members to look at their options and find the perfect fit (and easily switch when they want to!).
Ashley and her husband, Tim, are co-founders of CourtReserve. Tim is a techincal guy. Ashley is a marketing genius. They both LOVE tennis. So they decided to combine their strengths and create CourtReserve.
In loving memory of Jack Michael Dunmead, born on July 27, 1941, in Niagara Falls, New York. He peacefully passed away surrounded by his entire family on December 31, 2023. Jack's life was an extraordinary journey marked by a passion for sports, achievement, and a deep commitment to family.
Jack's life was defined by remarkable achievements. He earned a bachelor's degree from Springfield College and a master's from Bridgewater State University. He proudly served as a member of the Army National Guard for six years. A High School All American in basketball, he excelled in the competitive Cranberry League for years. Jack's love for tennis, discovered in college, led to a distinguished teaching career and a remarkable competitive journey. Ranked number 1 in New England for multiple years in both singles and doubles. He also earned several titles at the national level. He was an active and proud member of the USPTA and NELTA for years. Jack made a lasting impact on the tennis community on and off the court but particularly in doubles alongside his partner, David Brookfield.
For two decades, Jack shared his passion for education at Brockton High School, teaching physical and drivers education. Later, as the Director of Tennis at Dedham Health and Athletic Complex, he continued to inspire others. Honored in both the Niagara Falls Sports Hall of Fame and the USTA New England Tennis Hall of Fame in Newport, RI, Jack's contributions to the sports world were truly exemplary.
Excerpt from Kane Funeral Home.
October 11, 1950 - January 15, 2024
A teacher and certified tennis professional for nearly 50 years, Bill retired from the classroom and from the Yarmouth tennis courts last May, where he led the boys' team to four consecutive state titles.
ng mentorship and dedication to his players, Bill was honored in December with Racquet Sports Industry Magazine's National High School Coach of the Year.
During his retirement, Bill turned his focus to coaching education, creating workshops to develop more middle and high school coaches in Maine and New England.
Bill was also passionate about racquet stringing, running a successful business with his twin brother, Wilbur.
Bill's final days were spent doing what he loved - being on the tennis court with his Maine community with a smile on his face. He actively participated in the full-day “Rally for Recovery” fundraiser to benefit Lewiston families the day before his passing.
His immense impact will continue to be felt in Maine and beyond for years to come.
From USTA New England Facebook page
