Long Island Tennis Magazine July / August 2021

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COMING IN SEPTEMBER

Distribution scheduled for 08/23/21 This edition will feature: • 2021 U.S. Open Preview • Girls’ High School Preview • LI Tennis Magazine Challenge Recap • And Much More!

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July/August 2021 • Volume 13, Number 4

litennis Long Island Tennis Magazine

Table Of Contents Djokovic’s Destiny

MAGAZINE

World numbert one moves closer to G.O.A.T. title By Brian Coleman—See page 12

Long Island Tennis Magazine 1220 Wantagh Avenue Wantagh, NY 11793-2202 Phone: (516) 409-4444 • Fax: (516) 409-4600 Web site: www.litennismag.com

Staff David Sickmen Publisher (516) 409-4444, ext. 309 david@usptennis.com Brian Coleman Senior Editor (516) 409-4444, ext. 326 brianc@usptennis.com Joey Arendt Art Director

Photo credit: USTA/Darren Carroll

Highlights 6 18 30 43 50

LITM Challenge Series Kicks Off With Men’s, Women’s Doubles Event Beyond the Baseline: Parsa Samii By Brian Coleman 2021 Long Island Boys’ High School Recap Long Island Tennis Magazine’s Literary Corner: The Art & Science of Ball Watching By Dr. Paul Hamori 2021 Guide to the Top Tennis Apparel Providers

Francine Miller Advertising Coordinator (516) 409-4444, ext. 301 francinem@usptennis.com Emilie Katz Assistant Marketing Coordinator Barbara Wyatt Contributing Writer Rob Polishook Contributing Writer Luke Jensen Contributing Writer

Sidney Beal III Staff Photographer

Lee Seidner Staff Photographer Interns

Tyler Cohen Alex Drossman Phoebe Warshauer

Joanne Salloum Alexa Brecher Taylor Bracone

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Statements of fact and opinion in Long Island Tennis Magazine are the responsibility of the authors alone and do not imply an opinion on the part of United Sports Publications Ltd. Long Island Tennis Magazine reserves the right to edit, reject and/or postpone the publication of any articles, information or data.

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Features 4 10 16 22 24 26 36 39 40 42 44 45 46 49 53 54

Across Long Island…News and Notes from Across the L.I. Tennis Community Underground Evolution: Beautiful Courts Built From the Ground Up Matos, Tannenbaum Sisters Win Long Island Titles Problem Solving By Steve Kaplan Adult League Wrap-Up By Kathy Miller USTA Eastern Long Island Region Update Why Does My Kid Have Bad Technique? By Chris Lewit The Importance of Making a College Recruiting Video College Tennis Exposure Camp Comes to Long Island You Are Good Enough By Rob Polishook The Tennis Guru: The Meeting By Dr. Tom Ferraro Tennis Bubbles: A Grand Slam Victory Over the Elements Mythbusters: Washed Up at 19? Not This Guy By Ricky Becker Optimal Intensity and Breathing Techniques By Farhad Roshanaie A Phone Rings on Court By Barbara Wyatt When Perfectionism Hurts By Adam Lee

Long Island Tennis Magazine is published bi-monthly by United Sports Publications Ltd. • Copyright © 2021 United Sports Publications Ltd.

LITennisMag.com • July/August 2021 • Long Island Tennis Magazine

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Across Long Isl Wygodzki Wins Title in New Jersey Paige Wygodzki (pictured right), who trains at the Bethpage Park Tennis & Education Center, captured the title at the L3 Easter Sectional Super Six Challenger at the Bogota Racquet Club in New Jersey. Wygodzki did not drop a set throughout the entirety of the tournament.

Adelphi’s Attride-Sterling Earns ITA Arthur Ashe Award Adelphi senior Luke AttrideStirling was honored by the Intercollegiate Tennis Association in its year-end regional awards. Attride-Stirling was selected for the Arthur Ashe Leadership & Sportsmanship Award in the

East Region for Division II players. "I am thrilled to be the recipient of the Arthur Ashe Leadership & Sportsmanship Award," Attride-Stirling said to AUPanthers.com. "This season was truly the most memorable for me in terms of what we accomplished as a team and I am happy to know that my efforts as a senior player and captain have been recognized by the collegiate community."

Freeport Courts Named in Honor of Burgess Last fall, the Long Island tennis community lost one of its best people when Danny Burgess, Sr. passed away in September.

To honor his memory, the courts at Northeast Park in Freeport, where Burgess taught and mentored countless young kids for more than three decades, were named after him in a ceremony on Father’s Day.

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Long Island Tennis Magazine • July/August 2021 • LITennisMag.com

land

… News and notes from across the L.I. tennis community

Glowacka Reaches Super Six Finals Tola Glowacka (pictured right), who trains at Glen Head Racquet & Fitness, put together an excellent run of play in the Girls 18s Division at the L3 Closed Eastern Super Six Challenger in Oceanside. Glowacka powered her way into the finals, and as a result moved up to #2 in New York in her class in the TennisRecruiting.net rankings.

moved up the rankings thanks in part to him winning the back draw at the USTA National Level 2 Championships at the Cobb Tennis Center in Marietta, Ga.

Chandler Takes National Doubles Title John McEnroe Tennis Academy (JMTA) player Summer Chandler paired up with fellow New Yorker Agnia Vuststina to win the doubles title at the USTA Nationals Level 2 Girls 14s in Cincinnati, Ohio.

"This weekend was a tough tournament for me as I am working and playing through an injury but my partner and I both fought against the number 1 and 3 seeds and pulled

Collins Wins Back Draws at Georgia Nationals Kai Collins, who has trained at the USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center for several years, has moved up to 29th in the country in the Boys 12s rankings. Collins has

it out!” Chandler said.

LITennisMag.com • July/August 2021 • Long Island Tennis Magazine

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THE LONG ISLAND

CHALLENGE 2021

LITM Challenge Series Kicks Off With Men's, Women's Doubles Event ore than 100 players hit the courts at Sportime Quogue to compete in the first installment of the 2021 Long Island Tennis Magazine Challenge event series. The players were spread throughout eight divisions of play across the beautiful 20 outdoor courts in the Hamptons, enjoying friendly yet competitive tennis and delicious food and drinks in a one-of-a-kind atmosphere.

"I have been running the LI Tennis Magazine Challenge for eight years now at various locations, but I think

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this was our best tournament!” said David Sickmen, Tournament Director and Publisher of Long Island Tennis Magazine. “The Challenges have continued to grow each year, which is a tribute to the players, staff, organizers, community, sponsors, and everyone involved. We were always selling out the tournaments, but by moving the Summer Challenges to Sportime Quogue last year, we are able to allow for a bigger draw.”

“The amount of people who showed up to play was amazing,” said

Long Island Tennis Magazine • July/August 2021 • LITennisMag.com

Morgan Milleisen. “The camaraderie of all the players was

great and it made for a fun atmosphere to play in. It was just a cool environment and a wellorganized event.”

Milleisen was one of the eight championship teams to be crowned as she paired with Jordan Lite to win the Women’s 8.0-8.5 Division.

Tanya Mattera & Anne McConville, the winners of the Women’s 6.0 – 6.5 Division echoed that sentiment.

“The people here were so nice, and there was great competition,” said Mattera. “The food was amazing, and there was delicious rum punch at the bar, so it made for a fun afternoon.”

In addition to the tennis on court, players had access to catered wraps, salads and desserts from Town Bagel as well as hot food prepared by chefs from Plado Tasting Bar, Vite Vinosteria and L’Antista Italian Kitchen & Bar. The tournament had an open bar featuring beers, sangria, margaritas and other cocktails. All of this combined to provide a competitive tournament with a social atmosphere as players from all divisions could hang out and enjoy themselves when not on court.

“There was excellent tennis, and a lot of great people,” said Jared Kaplan, who paired with Jeff Snow to win the Men’s 9.0-9.5 Division. “We had a wonderful time here today.”

Coming out victorious in the Women’s 7.0-7.5 Division was the Aunt-Niece pairing of Nancy Halpern & Lauren Slutsky.

“The last time we played together was when she was 10-years-old, so it’s been awhile,” said Halpern. “She is staying with me for the weekend, and we decided to play.

We just tried to stay positive throughout the event and have fun. It worked, we won, and I think we’ll be back next time to try to keep it going.”

Courtney Kowalsky & Samantha Galu, two recent college graduates from Brown and Marist, respectively, teamed up to

come out on top in the Women’s 9.09.5 Division.

“It was a lot of fun, we had a great time,” said Kowalsky, a two-time New York State doubles champion. “The courts were excellent, and it doesn’t get any better than playing a fun event like this out in the Hamptons.”

Stephen Weiss & Jorge Reilley only met for the first time on the day of the event, as an injury to Weiss’ original partner opened up a spot, and Reilley stepped in. The pairing quickly developed a rapport on court, and took home the title in the Men’s 7.0-7.5 Division.

“My partner got injured right before the tournament, but I was able to get paired up with Jorge and we won!” said Weiss. “He was great and we really developed a good chemistry.” continued on page 8

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litm challenge series kicks off continued from page 7

“We tried to play consistent. Our goal was to make one more shot than the other guys,” said Reilley.

“We fell behind twice, both in the semifinals and the finals, but we just kept plugging away and came back.

We knew we could to it.”

For Arrwin Yip & Junji

Nakamura, the duo used their experience together to play well, winning the Men’s 8.0-8.5 Division.

“We’ve been playing together on and off for about five years. I thought our groundstrokes and volleys were solid today,” said Nakamura. “It was a great event, with lovely facilities.

Just a ton of fun and the weather was ideal.”

Last but certainly not least was the Men’s Open Division, which featured an array of current and former top collegiate players. In the end, it was the duo of current St. John’s player Charlie James and Red Storm alum

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Long Island Tennis Magazine • July/August 2021 • LITennisMag.com

Gustavo Loza, who won a tightlycontested final to capture the title.

“I think Gustavo is solid at the net.

He is going to put away anything in his range, and my serve and forehand were working well today,” said James.

“It was a tough final, they played really well. The goal was just to play solid doubles, and we managed to do that.”

Loza, the four-time LITM Challenge champion added: “It’s always a great level of play at this tournament. I’ve played in a few of them now, and it’s always a lot of fun.”

The first LITM Challenge of the summer was made possible due to the support of all the players, plus our sponsors: BTIG, Chris Savino, Compass, Cowen, inPhorm, KeyBanc Capital Markets, L’Antista, Plado Tasting Bar, Sportime/John McEnroe Tennis Academy, Town Bagel, Virtu Financial, Vite Vinosteria and USTA Eastern.

“The format being pool play ensures

everyone a lot of matches, win or lose,” said coTournament Director Michelle Stoerback.

“Everything went smoothly, and I look forward to teaming up with Long Island Tennis Magazine to run the Mixed Doubles.”

The next installment of the Challenge Series is set for Saturday, July 17 at SPORTIME Quogue. This tournament will be a Mixed Doubles event.

“While this was an Adult Tournament, we also had 10 high school and college-aged tennis players helping with media at the event, so the event had something for all ages,” Sickmen added. “I certainly need to thank our amazing sponsors. When

we do any of our events, we want to make them special. With an open bar, chefs making food on-site, catered food, a Hamptons setting, great people and great tennis, I'm confident we did that. The best part was seeing everyone in the community return to some normalcy and enjoy each other's company. I'm looking forward to seeing everyone on July 17 for the next one!”

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LITennisMag.com • July/August 2021 • Long Island Tennis Magazine

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Sports Surfaces’ Underground Evolution Beautiful courts built from the ground up ave you ever looked at a perfectly groomed court and wondered how it stays so pristine? Often the answer is buried beneath your feet.

In the late 80’s and early 90’s, clay court tennis underwent a revolution with the introduction of sub-surface irrigation. The self-regulating systems used a capillary action to continually draw water to the court from under the playing surface.

Water usage, daily maintenance, and time spent grooming the court were all greatly reduced.

In 2000, Har-Tru engineered its first Modified HydroCourt — making it easier to build and install. Two years ago, they introduced yet another breakthrough in irrigation with the HyQ Court.

HyQ (pronounced High-Q), brings sub-surface irrigation technology into the 21st Century. The system fills faster and responds to adjustments much more quickly, and its control center is completely digital. Appealing to the next generation of tennis court maintenance personnel, HyQ features fine-tuned controls on a digital touch pad that makes responsive adjustments to within a 10th of an inch.

The HyQ Court’s intelligent design optimizes the amount of water on a court to help achieve desired playing conditions. Four preset controls allow users to save

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preferred settings for Hot & Dry, Cool & Wet, or any other conditions regularly encountered on a court. The digital control panel allows for further advancements such as Wi-Fi connectivity that enable control of the system from an app that can be accessed from a phone or tablet anywhere.

Perfect playing conditions 24/7. That’s the goal of every court owner. HyQ Courts stay uniformly moist, smooth, and firm for a consistent bounce, exceptional footing, and beautiful court. The court irrigates automatically and uses approximately 40% less water.

With a HyQ Court, it’s easy to see and understand the entire sub-surface irrigation process at a glance, and quickly act to adjust water levels to the perfect level every time. “Our HydroCourts really changed the industry,” said Tracy Lynch, Vice President of Sales & Marketing for HarTru. “And many customers still rely on and prefer the HydroCourt system. But HyQ, with digital real-time control, is going to be the industry standard of the future.”

So the next time you see an impeccably groomed clay court, take a minute to appreciate the unseen technologies that make for ideal playing conditions. Then get out there and play!

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LITennisMag.com • July/August 2021 • Long Island Tennis Magazine

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Djokovic Moves Closer to G.O.A.T. Status

By Brian Coleman

n 1980, when the United States Olympic hockey team did the impossible and knocked off the previously infallible Soviet Union in what is regarded as the greatest upset in sports history, their job was not complete. The Americans had to come back and defeat Finland to win the Olympic Gold Medal.

And while not completely analogous, with Novak Djokovic a little more of an established success compared to that young American hockey team, the Serb faced a similar scenario at this year’s French Open. Meeting up with 13-time champion Rafael Nadal in the semifinals, the two players battled through fourplus hours in a match that had the quality worthy of a championship.

“Definitely the best match that I was ever part of at Roland Garros for me, and [one of the] top three matches that I have ever played in my entire career,” Djokovic said. “Considering the quality of tennis, playing my biggest rival on the court where he has had so much success and has been the dominant force in the last 15-plus years. The atmosphere was completely electric. For both players, a lot of support. Just amazing.”

After falling behind 0-5 to start the match and losing the opening set, Djokovic rebounded in the second, and then the two greats played one of the most competitive sets of tennis ever in the third. Djokovic would take it in a tiebreaker, and then eventually pull away in the fourth set to win the match and advance to the finals.

“It’s just one of these matches that I really will remember for a very long time,” Djokovic added. “Not just because I won the match, but [also] because of the atmosphere and the occasion. It was very special.”

But much like the American hockey team more than forty years ago, Djokovic had to quickly come down from the high of that semifinal victory and prepare for the championship match, where he was playing an in-form Stefanos Tsitsipas.

The 22-year-old from Greece was competing in his first major final and came to play. After an hour-long opening set, Tsitsipas won it in a tiebreaker, and then

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Long Island Tennis Magazine • July/August 2021 • LITennisMag.com

Photo credit: USTA/Darren Carroll

LITennisMag.com • July/August 2021 • Long Island Tennis Magazine

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djokovic moves closer to g.o.a.t. title continued from page 12

played a dominant second set to take the commanding two-sets-to-love advantage.

It was then time for Djokovic to channel the fight that has made him so great over the years.

“There’s always two voices inside: there is one telling you that you can’t do it, that it’s done, it’s finished,” he said. “That voice was pretty strong in the second set. So I felt that it was time for me to actually vocalize the other voice and try to suppress the first one that was saying I can’t make it.

I told myself I can do it, encouraged myself. I strongly started to repeat that inside of my mind, tried to live with it with my entire being.

Once I started playing in that third set, especially in the first few games, I saw where my game was at, it kind of supported that second voice that was more positive, more encouraging. After that, there was not much doubt for me.”

And from that point on, Tsitsipas was in trouble. Djokovic completed the epic comeback, and became the first player ever to come back from two-sets-to-love down twice en route

Play.

Di over.

Disc Create.

Photo credit: USTA

to a major title, after he also came back against young Italian Lorenzo Musetti earlier in the tournament.

His victory was the latest exhibit entered into evidence in his case to be considered as the greatest player of all-time. It was his 19th major

overall, and his second French Open title, making him the first male player to ever win each of the four Grand Slams multiple times. The other two players in contention for the title of the greatest male player of all-time are Roger Federer and the

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Long Island Tennis Magazine • July/August 2021 • LITennisMag.com

aforementioned Nadal; and Djokovic holds a winning record over both of them.

Just one major title behind Federer and Nadal’s record of 20, Djokovic has closed that gap in a fury. The Serb didn’t win his first major title until the 2008 Australian Open, and by that time Nadal had three majors to his name, and Federer had 12.

With the way Djokovic is currently playing, it’s only a matter of when, and not if, that he will surpass their mark.

“I never thought it was a mission impossible to reach the [amount of] Grand Slams as these guys,” said Djokovic. “I mean, I’m not there, it’s one less. But they are still playing.

We still have opportunities at Wimbledon and all the other Slams.

You have four Slams a year, so we’re all competing for this amazing achievement and amazing trophies.

I’ll keep on going. I’ll keep on chasing. At the same time, I’ll keep paving my own path, which is my

own authentic path. All three of us have our own journeys, and that’s it.”

While Djokovic, as you’d expect, won’t discuss where he sits on any all-time list, it is clear that you can’t have any discussion about the history of tennis without him being a focal point of the conversation.

The Serb has now set his sights on #20, and is the favorite at the Wimbledon Championships. He will also most likely be the favorite at the U.S. Open later this summer, and the Serb has a legitimate chance to achieve the Calendar Slam. With it being an Olympic year, the Golden Slam is a possibility as well.

“Everything is possible, and I did put myself in a good position to go for the Golden Slam,” he said. “But, you know, I was in this position in 2016 as well. It ended up in a thirdround loss in Wimbledon…So,

obviously I will enjoy this win and then think about Wimbledon in a few days’ time. I don’t have an issue with saying that I’m going for the title there.”

It is precisely that mentality that is at the core of Djokovic’s greatness.

He is confident, but never looks too far ahead, and always remains in the moment. That sort of perspective is part of why he can come back from two sets down to win a major final, and why there still remains a gap between himself and the Next Gen of players on the ATP Tour.

Federer fans will have their say, as will Nadal fans, when it comes to who the greatest male tennis player of all-time is. But when it is all said and done, Novak Djokovic seems like he will surpass both players, if he has not already, and stand alone at the top of the history of men’s tennis.

Brian Coleman is the Senior Editor for Long Island Tennis Magazine. He may be reached at brianc@usptennis.com.

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LITennisMag.com • July/August 2021 • Long Island Tennis Magazine

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Matos, Tannenbaum Sisters Win Long Island Titles hile there was no New York State tournament this season, high school players from Long Island still had a chance to compete beyond the normal county tournaments, as USTA Long Island hosted the Long Island Girls High

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School Championships at Hofstra University.

“It definitely felt weird at first not having any states, because that’s what you always look forward to throughout your school tennis season,” said Victoria Matos. “But this tournament was

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something nice for me because I was able to continue to compete with other girls from other schools beyond counties. The competition is always fun for me.”

Matos would capture the singles title at the Long Island Championships, defeating Nyla Gershfeld in the finals.

She bounced back from a tough defeat to Rose Hayes in the Suffolk County finals to close out her season with a victory.

“The final match was tough because Nyla was a real fighter, but after my win I felt super confident in my tennis,” Matos added. “I was able to prove to myself that despite my loss, I’m able to still play with determination. I really want to try to bring this confidence into next season and hopefully be able to see the county finals again.”

In doubles, the sister duo of Emily & Kady Tannenbaum completed their run of dominance, following up their Suffolk County title by capturing the title at the Long Island Championships. The win capped off an excellent senior season for Emily, who was able to accomplish one of her major goals.

Credit photos to Taylor Bracone

“It was very special because we’ve been wanting to play with each other for a long time, and I know my parents have wanted to see us play together since we started tennis,” she said. “So I think we created some great memories with each other and for our parents.”

Emily & Kady defeated Dasha Perfiliev & Ellie Ross in the finals.

“Being able to play with Kady, and winning Divisionals, Counties and the LI Championship together was just an amazing experience, and only losing one game throughout the whole thing made it even better,” she added. “I’m glad we were able to play the Long Island tournament because it gave us another opportunity to play with each other, and create more amazing memories

for ourselves and Commack tennis.”

“With the cancellation of the NYS High School Championships, our Council was proud to organize and sponsor a USTA tournament which allowed our All-State and All-County players to compete for LI High School

supremacy,” said USTA Long Island Region Council Chair Jonathan Klee.

“It was a beautiful day, the competition was fierce with a full draw, and for our seniors and their families, a fitting conclusion to their high school and junior careers.”

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BEYOND THE BASELINE

BEYOND THE BASELINE BEYOND THE BASELINE

BEYOND THE BASELINE BEYOND

beyondthebaseline

Parsa Samii

By Brian Coleman

ennis is a sport that has an impact beyond the wins and losses on the court. It’s a sport that demands dedication and instills a work ethic, helping young people develop character traits that can be utilized in all walks of life.

Embodying this mantra is Parsa Samii, a former collegiate and professional tennis player from Long Island who now works as a Licensed Real Estate Salesperson for Compass, a national real estate agency.

“Tennis and coaching tennis were my

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passion, it was who I was and what I loved most, and so I used that same mindset when I entered real estate,” he says. “It’s highly emotional, there is lots of pressure, and you have to be able to find solutions to problems that arise.

In comparing coaching tennis to finding the right home for a client, it’s about bringing someone from Point A to Point B. You have to be able to move them forward, and there are often land mines and challenges along that path.

You have to be calm, figure out problems as they arrive, and also learn

Long Island Tennis Magazine • July/August 2021 • LITennisMag.com

from each experience; therefore you are prepared for any pitfalls when dealing with your next client or next player.”

Samii began his tennis career at the age of 13, when he traveled out to California to visit family. One of his uncles gave him a wooden, John McEnroe-model Dunlop racquet, and while his two uncles hit with each other on court, a young Parsa went over to the wall and hit against it.

It was his first tennis experience, and he was hooked.

Upon returning home, he joined a few

OND THE BASELINE

BEYOND THE BASELINE BEYOND THE BASELINE

of his friends for a class at Glen Head Racquet Club. Despite having just started and his friends being more experienced, Samii held his own.

“It was almost right off the bat, and I said to myself, ‘I’m pretty good at this sport. I don’t know why, but I am,’” he recalls. “So I just continued to play. A few months later, I started taking regular lessons at Port Washington Tennis Academy, and from there I was playing for three hours a day, seven days a week.”

Because of his late arrival to the junior tennis scene, it took a little while for Samii to climb up the rankings. He was not highly ranked in the 16s, but by the time he joined the 18U ranks, he became one of the higher ranked junior players, which helped him land a spot on the University of Massachusetts-Amherst. He was drawn

to Amherst due to its Division I tennis program and the fact that it had one of the nation’s top Sports Management programs, a field he was interested in

BEYOND THE BASELINE BEYOND THE pursuing.

Just like his junior career, it would take a bit for him to be successful at the Division I level.

He sat much of his freshman year, but when a starting lineup spot opened up after an injury, Samii pounced on his opportunity: “Our coach, Judy Dixon, looked over at me and said, ‘hey, you’ve been working hard.

Here’s your chance.’ I went out there and gave it my all, and playing in the sixth singles spot, I didn’t lose the rest of the season.

After winning some college events heading into my sophomore year, I moved up to the fourth singles spot.

“The trajectory started right from the beginning, I continued to improve each year and kept moving up. I was very motivated, and once I continued on page 20

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beyond the baseline... parsa samii continued from page 19

set my mind to something, my plan is to achieve it.”

This progression continued, and by the time Samii was in his senior season, he was competing in the top singles position for Amherst.

Samii would go on to compete on the pro tour in the years following college, but he began to get bit by the injury bug, which halted the professional tennis dream.

“I started to get injured quite a bit, but I was very determined to make the impossible, so to speak, happen,” he said. “I pushed myself to the limit, but my body started to fail, and continued to fail. After a couple of shoulder surgeries, I stopped playing pro tennis when I was about 25-years-old.”

That’s when Samii made the 20

transition into coaching here on Long Island, something he would do for nearly two decades, coaching some of the top junior players including multiple national and international titlists.

But in what was becoming all-too commonplace for Samii, he was injured again, this time hurting his elbow, leading him to make a difficult decision.

“This theme kept happening, and I felt like I needed to make a transition in my life. Tennis had taken me so far, and I felt like I could use what I had learned from it and apply it to something else. I approached real estate with the same mindset I did tennis.”

In tennis, it’s imperative that you adapt and make changes on the fly,

Long Island Tennis Magazine • July/August 2021 • LITennisMag.com

whether that’s preparing for a different opponent or making adjustments during a match. And that adaptability is something that also occurs in real estate, as Samii can attest to. That was no more evident than over the last 18 months, when the global pandemic swept across the world, flipping many industries on its head.

“What ended up ensuing was a lot of people started to value their home even more than they already did. And what I mean by that is people wanted space: more outdoor space and more rooms. With everyone being home so much during the lockdown periods, it became a change of mindset in people’s psyche,” said Samii. “They started to say, “I’m in a gorgeous New York City high rise, but I have no

room to roam. I have a two-year-old kid but we can’t really go outside.’ It changed how people viewed what ‘home’ meant, and it created a rush of people wanting to purchase properties.”

Samii says there are typically two types of buyers and sellers: those who need, and those who want. During the pandemic, a lot of the business shifted to focusing on those who “needed” to move, which created a competitive market.

“Everywhere, at all various price points, homes have been selling for record numbers and in record time,” added Samii. “It’s been largely based on need. Those people fueled the market to record highs.”

Business has been good for Samii and Compass over the last couple of years, and therefore takes up much of his time these days. But his love for tennis is still there, and he tries to find time each week to get out on court and hit. No longer the competitive player he once was, he plays just for

fun now; because he loves it.

“I do it because I love it. When I was 13 and picked up that racquet for the first time, a switch went off, and I had a drive to become the best player in the world. That’s what it always was, and I enjoyed the process and enduring the ups and downs that tennis brings. But this year I went out to hit just because I wanted to hit. I wanted to feel the ball on the racquet again, and I really enjoyed it. I don’t get to do that too often, I’m very busy and don’t have the amount of time I would like. As soon as the market and business goes back to normal, I think I’ll have more time to play and I look forward to that.”

As someone who got his start in tennis at a later age than many junior players, he can attest to the idea that there is no cookie-cutter approach to finding success, and has advice for young players who may feel as if they were falling behind or having to catch up to their peers.

“Starting at a later age, you’re

going to essentially be playing matches and learning the game at the same time. You have to be willing to work through those tough times,” he said. “I did a lot of losing growing up, to be honest with you, but it made my skin very thick, and you have to stick with it when you are hardest hit by adversity. Have an end goal in mind, and work every day on improving. All you have to do is improve one thing every day, and eventually you’ll get there.”

Samii personifies the impact that tennis can have on a person beyond the wins and losses on court. The work ethic, dedication, ability to overcome adversity, problem-solving skills and trust in the process are all attributes tennis players must have that can be carried into other aspects of life. Through that, Samii has gone from a successful player and coach to a successful real estate agent, often leaning on the skill set he developed from tennis to help him connect home buyers and home sellers.

Photo: Ryan Loco

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LITennisMag.com • July/August 2021 • Long Island Tennis Magazine

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PROBLEM SOLVING once had the chance to watch Martina Hingis, who was the topranked player in the world at the time, practice up close while coaching several players at the 1997 U.S. Open.

Superficially, Hingis was solid, but not great. She was fast, but not the fastest.

She struck the ball well, but half the women in that year's draw hit as well or better. Her serve was good, but not great. She was strong in so many ways, but not incredible, with one notable exception.

Hingis was a terrific problem solver. If you closed to the net just a moment too soon, you would be lobbed. If you didn't close the net enough and gave her just

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By Steve Kaplan

the slightest passing angle, you were toast. She could make split-second decisions and execute with adaptive skill accuracy, consistency and remarkable disguise. The end result of these qualities was that her opponents had very little time to adapt to her shot choices.

The million dollar question here is not, "how did she do that?" but "how can you do that?”, and the answer is simple: Practice With Purpose Problem solving is a highly specialized skill and, like any skill, requires highly targeted practice that emphasizes performance in context. For example, if you want to serve better, just practice your serve, but if you want to serve

better in a match, practice your serve after doing a sprint to raise your heart rate and always include a recovery movement after the serve. Most players will attribute serving great in practice and poorly in matches to nervousness, and while they might be right, their reaction is not surprising. Who wouldn't be nervous if they wanted to succeed but spent very little time preparing the exact skills that make you successful?

Here are five of the many problem solving skills that players can learn for better performance with examples of each.

1. Risk-Reward Tactics Let's say that you are run very wide in the back court by your opponent. You could go for a shot that you will make nine out of 10 times, but it will not be very strong. As a result of your opponent’s superior position, you win one third of those points, or three out of 10 total . If you go for a riskier shot and you make just half of those, you win four out of five because your shot will be stronger. Your winning percentage now will be greater than it was, or four out of 10.

In this case the risk-reward of a less frequently made shot is more favorable than a more frequently made shot.

2. Skills adoption Let's suppose that you don't love to

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Long Island Tennis Magazine • July/August 2021 • LITennisMag.com

come to the net and would much prefer to try to win with rallies from the baseline. Your opponent, however, loves to come to the net and does it well. You could try to hit with greater penetration but that might not be enough to keep your opponent from attacking. The question you will need to address is, which position would you rather be in? In the back court with your opponent up, or up with your opponent back? The old saying, "the best defense is a good offense" in this case is spot on.

3. Weakness exploitation Back in my high school tennis days I played a very good player from Great Neck South High School.

He was known to have a weak backhand and a powerful forehand. I did the obvious and played his backhand. I lost 2 and 2. It turned out that everyone played his backhand and he was really good at running around to hit forehands. It also seemed that the more backhands he hit the more confident he got with that shot. I

played him later that season, but this time I went strong to his forehand side first, and found a better opening to attack his backhand. I won 3 and 2.

4. Suitable styles Steffi Graf had three qualities that, at her best, made her just about unbeatable. She was fast, she had a wicked low slice backhand and she had one of the best high forehands in tennis history. She used these three strengths perfectly, slicing low to make her opponent hit "up" and then using her lightning fast speed to find high forehands. The best style for most players is one in which the "whole" of their game is greater than the sum of their parts.

5. Perfect intensity I once coached a very high-ranked player whose father told her to compete like she was the fictional boxer "Rocky" and play with extreme intensity. She had high energy like Rafa and it worked for her. An equally successful boy I coached looked like he might take a nap on changeovers much like the great Pete Sampras.

Bjorn Borg was stoic like ice. John McEnroe was explosive like fire. Their genius is that they found what worked for their personalities.

Each match is a unique problem solving exercise, forcing you to learn to perform your best and to challenge your opponent’s ability to perform their best. It takes targeted practice.

Steve Kaplan is the owner and managing director of Bethpage Park Tennis Center, as well as director emeritus of Lacoste Academy for New York City Parks Foundation, and executive director and founder of Serve &Return Inc. Steve has coached more than 1,100 nationallyranked junior players, 16 New York State high school champions, two NCAA Division 1 Singles Champions, and numerous highly-ranked touring professionals. Many of the students Steve has closely mentored have gone to achieve great success as prominent members of the New York financial community, and in other prestigious professions. In 2017, Steve was awarded the Hy Zausner Lifetime Achievement Award by the USTA. He may be reached by e-mail at StevenJKaplan@aol.com.

LITennisMag.com • July/August 2021 • Long Island Tennis Magazine

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Adult League Wrap-Up

By Kathy Miller

he USTA Adult 18 & Over, 40 & Over, 55 & Over and 65 & Over Leagues are back! After more than a year with all of us dealing with the pandemic, it is wonderful to see so many of our tennis friends back on the court and competing once again. We are running about 80 percent of the leagues we were before the pandemic, with more and more people returning to the league and many new players getting involved!

The 18 & Over Mixed Doubles league had their Sectional Championship the weekend of June 11.

The Long Island 6.0 7.0, 8.0 and 9.0 teams had great competitive matches with the 6.0, 7.0 and 9.0 teams

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coming in second place, and the 8.0 team coming in third. Great job by all!

The 18 & Over, and the 40 & Over Men’s and Women’s Leagues started play mid-May with playoffs approaching: 18 & Over Women • 2.5: No Playoffs • 3.0 Day: Monday, July 26, 11:00 a.m. at Glen Head Racquet & Fitness • 3.0 Night: Tuesday, July 27, 7:00 p.m. at Eastern Athletic ClubDix Hills • 3.5 Day: Tuesday, July 27, 11:00 a.m. at Point Set Racquet Club • 3.5 Night: Wednesday, July 28,

7:00 p.m. at Sportime Bethpage • 4.0 Day: Friday, July 23, 11:00 a.m. at Sportime Syosset • 4.0 Night: Saturday, July 24, 9:00 a.m. at Sportime Bethpage • 4.5: Thursday, July 29, 7:00 p.m. at Sportime Bethpage • 5.0 & Open: No Playoffs 18 & Over Men • 3.0: No Playoffs • 3.5: Thursday, July 29, 9:00 p.m. at Carefree Racquet Club • 4.0: Tuesday, July 27, 9:00 p.m. at Sportime Bethpage • 4.5: Monday, July 26, 9:00 p.m. at Sportime Syosset • 5.0: No Playoffs

Enjoy Tennis, e Pickleball, Swim mming and More at Long Island’s pre emier private club, The e Hamlet Golf & Countrry Club.

New Members enjo oy access to the follow wing amenities: • • • •

Pickleball - the fun new paddleball sport Six lighted outdoorr hard courts Two lighted outdoo or Har-Tru courts Leagues and tournaments

• • • • •

Tennis lessons Al fresco dining Poolside cabana bar and cafe c Kids’ poolside programmin ng Poolside beverage and tow wel service

Join the fun to oday!

Hillary Epstein, Membersh hip Director 631.499.5200 | hillary.epsttein@clubcorp.com | One Clubhouse Drive Commack, NY 11725 ©ClubCorp USA, Inc. All rights reserved. 47928 0320 AC

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Long Island Tennis Magazine • July/August 2021 • LITennisMag.com

40 & Over Women • 3.0 Day: Thursday, July 29, 1:00 p.m. at Eastern Athletic ClubBlue Point • 3.0 Night: Wednesday, July 28, 7:00 p.m. at Sportime Lynbrook • 3.5 Day: Monday, August 2, 11:00 a.m. at Glen Head Racquet & Fitness • 3.5 Night: Tuesday, August 3, 7:00 p.m. at Sportime Bethpage • 4.0 Day: Friday, July 30, 11:00 a.m. at Sportime Syosset • 4.0 Night: No Playoffs • 4.5: No Playoffs 40 & Over Men • 3.0: No Playoffs • 3.5: Thursday, August 5, 9:00 p.m. at Point Set Racquet Club • 4.0: No Playoffs • 4.5: No Playoffs Regional Championships: Day Winners vs. Night Winners • 18 & Over, 3.0 Women: Saturday,

•

•

•

•

•

July 31, 11:00 a.m. at Carefree Racquet Club 18 & Over, 3.5 Women: Saturday, July 31, 9:00 a.m. at Carefree Racquet Club 18 & Over, 4.0 Women: Tuesday, July 27, 9:00 p.m. at Carefree Racquet Club 40 & Over, 3.0 Women: Monday, August 2, 7:00 p.m. at Carefree Racquet Club 40 & Over, 3.5 Women: Monday, August 9, 7:00 p.m. at Carefree Racquet Club 40 & Over, 4.0 Women: Monday, August 2, 7:00 p.m. at Sportime Bethpage

Sectional Championships: Men & Women The Sectional Championships will be played in Schenectady and Greenberg

(Westchester). Which levels are playing at which location is still TBD: • Weekend of August 6-8: 18 & Over 2.5, 3.0, 4.0, 5.0 AND 40 & Over 3.0 • Weekend of August 13-15: 18 & Over 3.5, 4.5 AND 40 & Over 3.0 • Weekend of August 20-22: 40 & Over 3.5, 4.0, 4.5 The following Sectional Championships will be played in Schenectady: • Weekend of September 17-19: 55 & Over 6.0, 7.0, 8.0, 9.0 • Weekend of September 24-26: 65 & Over 6.0, 7.0, 8.0, 9.0 AND 40 & Over Mixed Doubles The dates for the National Championships can be found of the USTA site.

Wishing everyone a great season of USTA League Tennis!

Kathy Miller is the manager at Carefree Racquet Club and is also the Adult League Coordinator for USTA/Long Island. She may be reached at kathym65@aol.com.

LITennisMag.com • July/August 2021 • Long Island Tennis Magazine

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USTA Eastern Long Island Region High School Tennis Championships

The USTA Long Island Regional Council was pleased to provide a high school individual tournament for the girls in June. Although the COVID-19 pandemic cancelled the New York State High School Championships this year,

the Council wanted to give players the opportunity to compete as individuals. The tournament allowed Nassau and Suffolk County’s best to compete in singles and doubles.

Celebrating Kids and Tennis

The USTA Long Island Regional Council is excited to announce the return this summer of its Long Island Kids’ Days, held in partnership with Long Island Tennis Magazine. Three Kids’ Days are scheduled in July and August and will feature tennis instruction, games and drills plus other fun activities. The three events are scheduled for: l July 14: LuHi Summer Camps in Brookville l August 2: North Hills Country Club in Manhasset l August 5: The Hamlet Golf & Country Club in Commack Children are invited to participate as part of a summer camp or other group. All children must preregister to attend. For information on any of the three events, please 26

contact ustaonlongisland@gmail.com “Our summer kids’ days are a highlight of the annual USTA Long Island Regional calendar; it’s so gratifying to share our love of tennis with newcomers to the sport who otherwise might not have the opportunity to pick up a racquet,” said Jonathan Klee, USTA Long Island Regional Director (volunteer). “Last year, with the Covid-19 pandemic, we weren’t able to hold these special events, so it is with great excitement that we can safely return to the courts to introduce local kids to tennis. We are grateful to our hosts, LuHi Summer Camps, North Hills Country Club and the Hamlet, and to our partner Long Island Tennis Magazine, for helping us get back on the courts with the kids this summer.”

Long Island Tennis Magazine • July/August 2021 • LITennisMag.com

USTA Eastern Long Island Region Recognizing the Best

A global pandemic couldn’t stop tennis players on Long Island from finding safe and fun ways to enjoy their favorite sport during the past year. Now, the USTA Long Island Regional Council is thrilled to recognize the best and brightest at our 31st Annual Awards Dinner.

The sit-down dinner has been scheduled for Wednesday, September 22 at Chateau Briand Caterers in Westbury.

Awards will be presented in many categories including for tennis play, innovative programming, community service and much more. A highlight this year will be the inaugural presentation of the Daniel Burgess Sr. Community Service Award, which will be given to an individual, group or organization whose dedication to serving the tennis community is outstanding and unique. The award has been renamed in memory of longtime USTA Long Island volunteer, board member and three-term president Daniel Burgess Sr. Daniel was a fixture on the local courts for many years and devoted his life and career to helping his community

through tennis. He passed away in the fall of 2020.

Additional awards include the Hy Zausner Lifetime Achievement Award, recognizing a lifetime of achievement both on and off the court; the Vitas Gerulaitis “For the Love of Tennis” Award, honoring an individual who demonstrates his or her love of the game through volunteering, supporting tennis programs and helping grow the game; the Arthur Ashe Multicultural Award, given to a tennis player who embraces diversity, serves as an ambassador for the game of tennis, exhibits unmatched sportsmanship and shares his or her love of the game with others; and the Rose Buck Scalamandre Tennis Family of the Year Award, recognizing a family whose members foster the love of the game among new generations.

For information on the awardees and the awards dinner, please visit www.longisland.usta.com or follow our Facebook (USTA Long Island) page and group (USTA Eastern Long Island).

USTA Eastern Long Island Regional Council Executive Committee • Jonathan Klee, Regional Director • Michael Pavlides, Past Regional Director • Sunny Fishkind, Vice Regional Director • Randi Wilkins, Secretary LITennisMag.com • July/August 2021 • Long Island Tennis Magazine

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2021 Long Island Boys’ High Syosset Edges Roslyn for Nassau County Title

n the latest installment of the Syosset-Roslyn rivalry, the two notoriously dominant programs met in the Nassau County Championship at Eisenhower Park.

After seven intense flights of tennis, it was the Braves of Syosset who claimed the county championship by edging the Bulldogs 4-3. Syosset has now won five of the last six county titles.

“Roslyn’s a great team.

Awesome depth, top-heavy singles players and great doubles players. We knew it wasn’t going to be easy,” said Syosset head coach Shai Fisher. “I’m just proud of our boys. This is an extremely young team, and they just kept improving. Our singles lineup was pretty solid, but it was the depth and the improvement of our doubles that really carried us through the year.”

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It was the doubles teams that would push Syosset to the early lead.

Chris Vallone & Devan Melandro won 6-1, 6-3 at first doubles, and Evan Lee & Nikhil Shah posted a 6-2, 6-4 victory at second doubles to give their team the advantage.

Roslyn’s Eli Levitt & Matt Stone put the Bulldogs on the board with their 7-5, 6-3 victory at fourth doubles, but Jeremy Levine brought Syosset within one win of the county title after he won 6-1, 6-3 at third singles.

Soon after, the third doubles duo of Spencer Keschner & Dylan Apfel completed their 4-6, 6-4, 6-4 comeback win to clinch the championship for the Braves.

“We didn’t want to think about the score too much because we wanted to remain calm, but we had an idea of what was going on,” said Keschner. “After months of

Long Island Tennis Magazine • July/August 2021 • LITennisMag.com

h School Recap practice, and going through the whole season, it means a lot. And we won 4-3, which means we needed contributions from everyone…the atmosphere here today was great, and everyone was so excited. It means everything.”

With two matches remaining despite the county title already being clinched, Roslyn continued to fight on the first and second singles courts. Ethan Solop completed a comeback from 1-5 down in the third set to win at second singles, while Mikey Weitz won in three sets at first singles to round out the Bulldogs’ three victories.

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LITennisMag.com • July/August 2021 • Long Island Tennis Magazine

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2021 long island boys’ high school recap continued from page 00

Commack Completes Undefeated Suffolk Season, Wins County Title fter not having a season last spring, the Commack boys’ tennis team came out motivated in 2021. That mentality helped guide the Cougars to an undefeated regular season, which it capped off with a county championship after defeating Ward Melville 6-1 at Shoreham-Wading River High School.

“We’re really happy. These kids worked exceptionally hard,” said Commack head coach Jimmy Delevante. “Every day at practice, we pushed them, and they would challenge me to push them even harder. No complaints, just the most polite, hard-working kids I could ask for.”

After defeating Hills East in the semifinals, Commack aimed to push its season record to 17-0, but it was Ward Melville who jumped out to the early lead in the county final.

The first doubles duo of Matthew Kronenberg & Gabe Bursztyn, who won the county doubles title the previous weekend, put the Patriots ahead with a 6-1, 6-0 victory.

But the county singles champion, Commack’s Eddie Liao, evened things up with a 6-2, 6-1 triumph at first singles.

“It’s both his skill set and the energy he brings,” Delevante

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said of Liao. “I think knowing that he is on the team gives everyone a little extra confidence. They look to him as a leader, and he sets the example every day. He’s such a team player and is always supporting all the guys; he is such an asset to us.”

After Liao’s win, Commack began to rattle off more wins and started to pull away. Soon after, Matthew Strogach notched a 6-0, 7-6(5) win at third singles, and Eric Benderly won 6-1, 6-2 at fourth singles to put some separation between the two teams.

The clinching victory would come from the second doubles tandem of Joe Romito & Ryan Burke, who won 7-5, 6-4 to seal their team’s title.

James Yu notched a 6-3, 6-2 victory at second singles, and Saharsh Peddireddy & Avi Gupta rounded out Commack’s six points with a 1-6, 6-0, 6-2 comeback at fourth doubles.

“It means so much. I’m happy with how hard this team has worked all season,” said Strogach, who is the lone player remaining from Commack’s 2018 county title. “From the first day of tryouts, our goal was to play tennis on June 18, in the Long Island Championship, and I’m really excited that we fulfilled that goal.”

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Long Island Tennis Magazine • July/August 2021 • LITennisMag.com

Hewlett's Gershfeld Wins Nassau Singles Title Syosset's Gao & Levine Capture Doubles Crown

ennis is often a battle of attrition. In order to win, you have to fight through adversity and often times tough conditions to come through victorious.

That was the case on a brutally hot afternoon at Eisenhower Park where the top singles and doubles players competed in the final rounds of the Nassau County Boys’ Individual Championships.

“The heat was rough but being here with teammates, family, friends and coaches really got me through it,” said Hewlett sophomore Stephan Gershfeld. “The environment was amazing.”

Gershfeld captured the Nassau County singles title as he defeated Roslyn’s Mikey Weitz 6-2, 6-1 in the championship match. That victory came hours after Gershfeld downed Great Neck South’s Albert Hu 6-3, 6-1 in the semifinals.

“This has been my dream. I’ve been playing high school tennis since seventh grade and I’ve always wanted to be a county champion,” said Gershfeld. “I had a lot of adrenaline coming into this tournament, and I was really motivated so it means a lot to me.”

Hewlett head coach Joyce Narciso-Raikos talked about Gershfeld’s prowess on the court, but also the impact he had on the Hewlett team.

“He’s a great kid with a great work ethic,” she said. “He showed up to practice and always gave it his all. He

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helped me a lot with our team, not only as a top singles player but also helping develop our doubles teams as well.

In the first match, he came out tight. He was beating himself and missing shots he normally doesn’t. We went back to focusing on high percentage shots until he started feeling the ball again, and he was able to do that well.”

Hu finished in third-place in the final singles draw as Jericho’s Michael Safir was forced to withdraw before the match.

The Syosset senior duo of Brian Gao & Jeremy Levine claimed the doubles title by defeating Ethan Solop & Gavin Koo of Roslyn 6-2, 6-2 in the finals. Despite not playing doubles together prior to this event, Gao & Levine used the chemistry they have developed over the years as the two have been on the Syosset team since they were seventh graders.

“It’s amazing,” said Levine. “And it’s a great feeling being able to do with my fellow co-captain.”

In regards to battling through the heat on a long day, Gao added: “I cramp very easily, and I drank like four bottles of Pedialyte throughout the day. I think the key was just remaining focused throughout the day. We were confident coming into the tournament and managed to pull through.”

After being without any season last spring due to the pandemic, the Syosset pair came out this year with added motivation and put it into action this past weekend.

“They have been our go-to leaders for two years now, and it started last year during the pandemic. They were on a mission this year, having not been able to play last year, and came into this tournament laser-focused. Even though there was a lengthy downtime in between matches, they knew what they needed to do to get themselves ready. They took everything in stride and made the best of the situation.

I’m extremely proud of them.”

In the third-place doubles match, Hewlett’s Alexander Sherman and Benjamin Grushkovskiy defeated Great Neck North’s Damien Chafe & Luke Hakimian 7-5, 6-2.

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2021 long island boys’ high school recap continued from page 00

Commack's Liao Takes Suffolk Singles Title Ward Melville's Kronenberg & Bursztyn Capture Doubles Crown Photo credit to Stefen Rosner

ommack’s Eddie Liao put a bow on his dominant freshman season on Saturday, winning the Suffolk County singles title by way of a 6-4, 6-4 victory over Harborfields junior Chris Qi at Smithtown East High School.

“It feels amazing,” said Liao. “I’ve always wanted to win this tournament, and so to finally be able to do it feels great.”

Liao had not dropped a match all season long as he helped guide his Commack squad to an undefeated regular season and the top-seed in the playoffs. He was tested in the second set by Qi, who took a 4-3 advantage, but Liao rattled off the next three games of the set to close out the match in straight sets.

“I think the key was just being patient, and my serve was

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a big weapon for me today,” Liao added. “[Christopher] is a very good friend of mine and we know each other pretty well, so to play against him was a nice rivalry I guess.”

In the doubles final, the Ward Melville duo of Matthew Kronenberg & Gabe Bursztyn knocked off Hills East’s Michael Han & Atreya Rawat, the event’s top seeds, 6-2, 7-5.

“I think it took a lot of focus and concentration to stay in the match and keep our energy levels up,” said Kronenberg. “After you win a set, it’s easy to let your focus slip a little bit so it was really important that we were able to stay within our game and continue doing the things that were working. It was difficult, but we pulled through and that’s what it matters.”

After playing a dominant first set, the Ward Melville pair let its guard down a bit which allowed the Hills East duo to work its way back into the match.

“They started playing well in the second and started to come back, which got us frustrated and we started missing more,” added Bursztyn. “But we were able to pull it out, put our heads down and just focus on finishing.”

Ward Melville head coach Erik Sussin echoed those sentiments, and was proud of the way his players responded to close out the match in straight sets.

“They dominated that first set quite well. They stepped into the net when they needed to and served really well. The second set was much closer, they really stepped up their game, and I think we saw the finish line way too early,” said Sussin. “But our guys were able to close it out. In the end, we were the better team and we were glad to come away with the win.”

Long Island Tennis Magazine • July/August 2021 • LITennisMag.com

Syosset Defeats Commack to Claim Long Island Championship

oming into this season, there were some questions surrounding the Syosset Braves. With just three returning seniors in the starting lineup, and eight new starters to integrate into the lineup, the Braves had its work cut out for them.

And the Braves put in that work, and it resulted in a dominant campaign which led to an undefeated season, a Nassau County championship, and finally, a Long Island title after it defeated Commack 5-2 in the Long Island Championship at Eisenhower Park.

“I’m speechless,” said head coach Shai Fisher. “If you asked the captains before the season where we would be at this point in the season, I’m not sure they would say this. We knew we could be good, but the guys continued to improve throughout the year, and our leaders did a great job of bringing all the new guys along. All the credit goes to them, and it’s a testament to how hard they worked.”

One of those captains, senior cocaptain Jeremy Levine, put Syosset ahead early in the Long Island title match as he notched a 6-0, 6-0 win at third singles. To bolster the Braves lead, Clay Jeon & Ryan Jiang won 6-1, 6-1 at fourth doubles to push the lead to 2-0.

Commack would get on the board thanks to Joe Romito & Ryan Burke’s 6-3, 6-3 triumph on the second doubles court.

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But Syosset began to pull away. Chris Vallone & Devin Melandro held on to win 6-1, 7-5 at first doubles, and needing one court to clinch the win, Dylan Apfel & Spencer Keschner delivered the goods with a 6-4, 6-3 win at third doubles.

“This time we were definitely more aware of the situation,” said Apfel, referring to their clinching win in the Nassau County championship.

Keschner added: “It’s crazy to come into the year and not even know if you are going to make the team, but then to become such a vital part of the team and get a win like this. It’s just amazing.”

Commack’s Eddie Liao would win 6-3, 6-2 at first singles, but Brian Gao completed the scoring with a 6-4, 6-4 win at second singles for Syosset.

“I think this team just got along so well, and I don’t know if there is a specific reason for that,” said Gao, one of the other senior co-captains. “For me, this team is the closest one I’ve been on in my time here at Syosset. It’s been a great adventure. You could see from the first practice that everyone was buying in and we were developing that chemistry.”

Vallone, the third senior on the team, who contributed a big win at first doubles, added: “We wanted to make the most out of this season, and I’m glad we were able to finish it off with a W.” Syosset finishes the season at 15-0, and brings both county and Long Island hardware back home.

“A lot of credit goes to the Syosset community,” added Fisher. “We were afforded the ability to do intramurals back in December and January, and the guys took it upon themselves to put the work in, and the leadership welcomed everybody new into the team. That really set the tone from the beginning.”

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Why Does My Kid Have Bad Technique?

By Chris Lewit

t can be very frustrating for parents when their kid’s technique is poor or the player is struggling to make and retain important technical changes.

More often than not, the failure is due to either the fault of the coach, player, or parent—or a combination of the three. Over the last 20 years that I have spent building and rebuilding technique in the trenches, I’ve seen just about every situation and have learned many lessons about how to unlock technical progress. I love building technique. I like the intellectual challenge, the science and biomechanics, as well as the creative process of technique building. Developing world- class technique is an alchemy of art and science.

Here are the most common reasons that a player struggles to learn a technical skill, including footwork, which I consider technique too:

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1. The coach is teaching outdated or incorrect 36

technique that is not evidence-based or following accepted biomechanical principles It’s is important that parents ensure their child is learning good and modern form. Some coaches are teaching the same techniques as they did 30 years ago! Watch out for old school technique!

2. The coach is not connecting and building trust with the player during the technique building process Altering or rebuilding technique is as much a psychological process as it is a physical process. The coach must wire—but he or she must also inspire. The coach has to build trust and develop confidence in the player. It reminds me of a sales job.

The coach must be a master salesman, convincing the player of the value of the changes and supporting the player emotionally during the technical development process.

Learning a new technique is

Long Island Tennis Magazine • July/August 2021 • LITennisMag.com

hard. The coach must have empathy and be charismatic and persuasive. The best technical coaches have these qualities. Some coaches just don’t understand this aspect. They may have the right knowledge, but they fail to communicate the knowledge in a way that connects with the player and they may not support the player emotionally enough during the process.

Learning new technique is anxiety provoking for many players.

Players need a lot of emotional support. Even if the coach is teaching the right skills, players may not have the belief or will to make the important changes—or they may not trust the coach enough.

Some coaches have neither the right biomechanics knowledge nor the salesmanship. Parents have to do their due diligence. It’s hard to find a brilliant technical coach in the tennis world. I only know a handful of coaches whom I would trust to build the hardware of my son or daughter.

3. The player does not believe what the coach is saying If the player doesn’t trust the coach implicitly, if there is no bond between them, the technical project is going to fail.

4. The player is not motorically gifted Let’s face it, some kids can watch great technique and have the uncanny ability to mimic and learn a skill very easily. Many kids, however, are not so motorically blessed. It’s important to identify if the player is not that coordinated because at the end of the day this type of kid will require more emotional support and more repetitions. Sometimes all parties including parent, coach and the player himself get frustrated and impatient. This usually happens when the player is not as gifted and just needs more repetitions than

some others. Less coordinated players will always need more emotional support because the technical process will be longer and harder for them!

5. The parent is interfering in some negative way Parents can be a great asset in helping to reinforce the right habits and assisting the technical coach during the building or rebuilding process. However, parents can also be a hindrance and block the progress of a player. The parent could undermine what the coach is teaching by not giving the same advice to the kid. Or the parent could undermine the bond and trust between the player and coach. It’s important for the parent and the coach to realize how traumatic and anxiety provoking learning a new technique is for many players. The parent and coach have to work cooperatively as a team to instill

the player’s confidence in the new skills and to support the player when he or she is feeling anxious and has doubts.

6. Other coaches can also be a hindrance During the technique building process, it’s essential that the player not receive any mixed messages. Sometimes other coaches—well-meaning or not— give contradicting advice to the player—and this will ruin the technical process.

7. Sparring with players at too high a level After the initial learning of the new skills, it’s important to rally and spar with hitters who play softly and without too much pace. Many times, I see the technique being lost in the process of starting to play continued on page 38

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why does my kid have bad technique? continued from page 37

points and in live ball situations because the player is thrown in with other kids who are hitting hard and too big. If you throw a kid into fast points who has not fully ingrained a new motor pattern in the neuromuscular system, he will inevitably panic and revert back to his old strokes and comfort zone—and the new skills will be lost! This happens frequently and it’s a shame!

8. Match play and tournaments In the same vein as the above mistake, playing high level tournaments or match play too soon, before the motor patterns are wired deeply enough, is a sure fire way to undermine technical development.

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Players who are thrust into high level competition with newly learned skills have a high likelihood of reversion—going back to previously learned motor skills. It’s paramount that players who are learning new skills apply those skills correctly under pressure in match play and sparring so as to further ingrain the new motor program and myelinate those neuro-pathways rather than reinforcing the old motor programs.

Conclusion As you can see, there are many blocks to progress that can occur when building or rebuilding technique. Player, coach, and parent all need to work together to understand the nuances of the technical development process and to support the player from start to finish. Even the least talented kid can learn beautiful world-class technique if they have good training and avoid these pitfalls.

Good luck amigos!

Chris Lewit is a former number one for Cornell and pro circuit player. He is a highperformance coach, educator, and the author of two best-selling books: The Secrets of Spanish Tennis and The Tennis Technique Bible. He has coached numerous top 10 nationallyranked players and is known for his expertise in building the foundations of young prodigies.

Chris coaches in NYC and year-round at his high performance tennis academy in Manchester, VT, where players can live and train the Spanish Way full-time or short-term. He may be reached by phone at (914) 462-2912, e-mail Chris@chrislewit.com or visit ChrisLewit.com.

Long Island Tennis Magazine • July/August 2021 • LITennisMag.com

Why Create a College Recruiting Video?

Credit photos to USTA

Target audience If you are a High school or a USTA Tournament player and are preparing to start the recruiting process, then this article is important in helping you determine whether a college recruiting video is worth your time and effort.

Familiar story You have a passion for tennis and have competed in USTA Tournaments and/or on your High School Tennis team with great achievements or a fair amount of success.

You invested time, made many Being part of a team is fun and provides lifelong experiences. Creating the right college recruiting video is sacrifices, and now want to play essential for any aspiring college tennis player college tennis.

First and most importantly, you need to create a list of schools that meets both qualifications for academics and athletics.

Second, you need to contact coaches on your list. This can be both exciting and frustrating at the same time. Coaches are busy, and it is important to make a good first impression.

Two references that can assist in achieving playing college tennis: • S-ACE-Tennis – to create your college recruiting video • Donovan Tennis Strategies (DTS)— a college recruiter to assist you in College tennis is a one-of-a-kind experience, and finding the right place to play is a key decision for any athlete the college recruiting process.

Benefits of a video • Provide coaches a way of assessing your talents, playing ability and athleticism if they are unable to see you play in person.

• Enables you to contact coaches on your list that you may not be able to visit.

• Allows a coach to judge where you may fit into a future line-up where ranking and other data do not provide a complete assessment of your abilities.

• Puts a face to a name that demonstrates your commitment by making a recruiting video.

S-ACE-Tennis Consulting • Determine the appropriate video length, angles for live ball hitting and match-play tips.

• Demonstrate other abilities such as: type of player you

are, energy level, and positive physical presence.

• Provide a collegiate resume with your scholastic and athletic achievements.

• Ensure the following points are NOT in your video: sloppy appearance, feed balls, staged match-play where you win every game, playing a weak player and negative body language; an overly slick or clearly expensive “production” to distract a coach from focusing on your tennis.

S-ACE-Tennis feature tennis consults on how to create the right college recruiting video for you. Learn more by visiting S-ACE-Tennis.com, or visit DonovanTennis.com to learn more about college tennis recruiting, and sign-up for tennis showcases and general tennis consulting services.

LITennisMag.com • July/August 2021 • Long Island Tennis Magazine

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College Tennis Exposure Camp Comes to Long Island he 33rd Annual College Tennis Exposure Camps got it start right here on Long Island this summer, as Long Island Health & Racquet Club in East Setauket hosted the first one of 2021.

“It was great to be able to hold our very first College Tenis Exposure Camp on Long Island!” said founder and director Ed Krass. “I think there was an excellent mix of players from the local area, including players from eight different states.

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The players were very enthusiastic to work hard with our staff of head college coaches.”

The Camp featured an array of college tennis coaches across all divisions working with high school players, some of whom were from Long Island and New York, and some who come from other states such as Delaware, Maryland and Massachusetts to participate. The coaches work the players through various drills, match play and more,

Long Island Tennis Magazine • July/August 2021 • LITennisMag.com

which not only prepares them for the types of practices they will have when they get to college, but also allow them to showcase their skills in front of the coaches.

“The College Exposure Camps are unique in that all of the coaches there are currently head coaches,” said Binghamton head coach Nick Zieziula. “There is a depth of coaching experience and expertise that is really special at these camps, and it is great for the students to

have coaches there from D1, DII and DIII schools.”

The camps, founded in 1989, are designed for players aged 14-18 and have a mission of making the transition from junior tennis to college tennis a reality for players. In addition to the oncourt coaching, players at the camps learn about the college recruiting process, learn how to conduct a college tennis search, understand the various levels of college tennis and network with head coaches from across the country.

“The camp stood out from other showcases for me because every single coach took the time to interact with every player,” said

meet my future college coach. Overall, it was a great weekend and I recommend this camp for anyone who wants to get ahead in their recruiting process.”

The Camps will also be held at the Mercer County Park Commission Tennis Facility in West Windsor, N.J. from July 23-24, and at Brandeis University in Waltham, Mass. from August Aron Bursztyn, who just completed his junior season at Ward Melville.

“It was a fun and friendly environment which I enjoyed very much. My goal coming into the event was to learn more about the recruiting process and potentially

21-22.

“This camp was an excellent springboard for the players’ college tennis recruiting process,” added Krass. “Thanks to Tito Perez and the Long Island Health & Racquet Club for hosting the camp.”

SUMMER JUNIOR TENNIS CAMP DIRECTED BY LOUIS VALLEJO

JUNE 28th - AUGUST 20th 1:00 p.m.-5:00 p.m.

Featuring:

• Tennis • Wallyball • Half Court Basketball • Pickleball Includes: • Instruction Drills • Cross Training

1414 Jerusalem Avenue, North Merrick, NY 11566 • 516-489-9005 LITennisMag.com • July/August 2021 • Long Island Tennis Magazine

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You Are Good Enough

By Rob Polishook

magine this…you just turned pro.

You play a few tournaments, and in your first year, your record is 2-3.

Okay, fair enough, as you’re just getting into things.

In your second year, your record is 12-14. You play two Davis Cup matches and lose both and then lose in the first round of all seven outdoor tournaments you entered. You also fail to reach the main draw of the U.S. Open and Australian Open Grand Slams due to losses in the qualification rounds. Okay…so this is going to be hard.

Then, in your third year, you lose in 21 out of 38 first round matches! Your season ending record is 27-30.

In your first three years as a pro, you compile an overall record of 4147. Hardly what you expected.

If this happened to you, how would you feel about your game? What would you think of your prospects in terms of making a living as a pro tennis player? What would you think about reaching your goals?

As a mental training coach, when I ask kids these questions, most say, “It would be rough!” others have even said, “I’d look for another job!” Well, thankfully, the fellow I am talking about above didn’t look for another job. This is the story of how Roger Federer began his professional career.

Roger and his camp must have known or believed what others didn’t: That he was “good enough” to do this. Clearly, early in his career, he was not good enough as a tennis player, otherwise he would have been winning more matches. But while it would take time and experience to get traction, he must have had an intrinsic feeling that, regardless of the mounting losses, he was good enough

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to keep going. This spirit would act like fuel in a car. It would allow him to persevere, learn from adversity, not overreact to losses and not judge every match as an indicator of his future or if he was good enough.

Certainly the rest is history. Federer continues to amaze. It seems at every level he plays, whether he wins or loses, he seemingly doesn’t define himself by the outcome. Rather, his focus is on what he can control: Doing the best he can, bouncing back and improving.

Similarly, if we look from the outside in at Stephen Curry and Tom Brady, both of them were not good enough early in their college careers.

If people only looked at the stats, no one would ever have predicted the greatness they have achieved. It took time for them to be the superstars they are recognized as now.

Somewhere deep inside, they must have believed, “Hey, I can do this.”

Seemingly, they were comfortable where they were, being good enough at the present time as a person and athlete, not trying to rush the process to be something they weren’t. Their real game was about learning, improving, working hard and cultivating a spirit of courage, confidence, humility, resiliency and purpose under pressure, especially when others didn’t believe. Coming from this place, even if they found they were

not good enough on the athletics field, they could walk away knowing they gave 100 percent. Their score did not determine their worth, and, as people, they were good enough.

I know, you’re not Roger, Stephen or Tom … so what does this mean for you? Just like them, you are good enough! No matter what level you are currently playing at, or whether you win or lose in your next tournament, you are good enough. Don’t let others or the results be an indicator of the future. You are more than an athlete.

Knowing this will provide the freedom you need to let go of the results, so that you can stop feeling like you have to prove anything to anyone, and instead, focus on what you need to do to continue progressing and bring all the attributes of who you are to the court.

That’s what the players and commentators mean when they say, “So and so is playing within themselves, they are letting the game come to them and are not forcing things.” This is the point where the magic happens. When you bring your spirit, your whole self, and your heart to the competition, the results begin to speak for themselves. Then, even if you lose on the court, you still know you are good enough!

Trust your process. Trust in that little voice that says: “I can do this.”

Federer, Curry and Brady were good enough and so are you!

Rob Polishook, MA, CPC is the founder of Inside the Zone Sports Performance Group. As a mental training coach, he works with the whole human athlete helping them to unleash their mental edge (heart.energy.spirit) through mindfulness, somatic psychology, animal wisdom and mental training skills. Rob is author of 2 best-selling books: Tennis Inside the Zone and Baseball Inside the Zone: Mental Training Workouts for Champions. He can be reached by phone at (973) 723-0314, by e-mail rob@insidethezone.com, by visiting insidethezone.com, following on Instagram @insidethezone

Long Island Tennis Magazine • July/August 2021 • LITennisMag.com

LONG ISLAND TENNIS MAGAZINE

"The Art and Science of Ball Watching" By Dr. Paul Hamori MD

By Bill Simons n life we often take for granted the simplest things–like sight. It is a vastly underrated aspect of tennis. Ash Barty says that basically the key to every point is, "see ball, hit ball."

Dr. Paul Hamori has written a revealing, groundbreaking book: The Art and Science of Ball Watching–learning to see contact.

The book teaches us the neuroscience of hearing, vision and touch–and how to apply it to playing better. Hamori offers an intriguing study of the greatest of all ball watchers, Roger Federer, and gives us a bounty of brain exercises.

Even though light travels faster than sound, our brains process sound faster. We do not actually see the ball contact the strings in real time. The process is too fast.

So technically we cannot see contact in real time. We perceive it "in delayed perceptual time."

Rather than keeping your on the ball, Hamori suggests taking your eye off the ball at certain points in the hitting cycle. He gives us fascinating specifics on turning your head to your racquet side, narrowing your eyes, focusing and resisting the urge to follow your shot.

Hamori reflects on the plasticity of the human brain. In many ways an instructional manual, the book

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contains a compelling collection of tips, a 50-minute power drill, workouts with ball machines, suggestions for match play and comments on lines-persons.

Filled with fabulous facts (in a two-hour match, we're blind for 19 minutes), the Art and Science of Ball Watching is a deep dive surprise and a fascinating read.

You can learn more about Dr. Hamori and his new book by visiting www.DrPaulHamori.com.

Bill Simons is the Editor and Publisher of Inside Tennis. You can read all of Simons’ work by visiting InsideTennis.com. He may be reached at simons@insidetennis.com.

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The Tennis Guru: The Meeting his is the 10th and final installment of Dr. Tom Ferraro’s “The Tennis Guru” series. To read the first parts, visit www.LITennisMag.com.

When Yin entered the castle, he was amazed at all he saw. The Tennis Guru had created a magnificent Mecca for tennis. There must have been fifty courts in all, with lots of talented players of all ages hitting balls, playing matches and doing drills under the careful eye of instructors.

Some courts were grass, some were Har-Tru, and some were clay, and all were groomed to perfection. He recognized some professionals as well.

All in all, this was what you would call tennis heaven.

The he saw a tanned tall man walking toward him and was sure it was The Tennis Guru himself. When they approached, the man said to Yin: “Why, welcome my young friend, you must be Yin. We’ve been waiting for you. How was your journey up the mountain?”

Yin seemed a little bit in awe of the man but got over his fear and said: “You have no idea what it was like getting here. Does everyone go through such a trial of twists and turns to get to these hallowed heights?”

“Well, Yin” said The Tennis Guru.

“I’m afraid that they all must. You see, before anyone gets here, we want to separate the boys from the men. And you have passed the test. Tell me what you have learned along the way up.”

Yin began, “Well I first met Virgil who taught me patience above all

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things. He told me that there was no easy way up to the top and that I would need courage along the way. I got a ring from a guy named Charon and I even faced a demon that seemed to have magic powers. I met a beautiful girl named Rebecca who seemed to give me strength the more I was with her. But she was so charming that I nearly forgot myself and almost drowned in a flood. Virgil told me to learn to be ready for all surprises, and to expect and resist all temptations.”

By Dr. Tom Ferraro

“Well Yin,” said The Tennis Guru. “You seemed to have weathered many a storm on this trip. How did you get past The Oracle? She is often difficult to pass.”

“Well I gave her my golden ring and she then told me an odd poem to memorize.”

The Tennis Guru smiled and asked “Well, do you recall the poem by any chance?”

“Yes I do. It went something like this: Many ask for my counsel, so to you I shall say, Practice and focus and often do play, But the tried and true secret all heroes possess, Is an inner belief they hold fast to their chest.

“Well now,” said the Tennis Guru. “What does that little poem mean anyway?”

Yin thought for a while and said, ‘I think it means that no matter what occurs along the way, always know that I am good and strong, and brave and courageous. And it also means that hard work eventually pays off.

And that I am well-loved and should always be faithful to myself, my friends and my family.”

“WOW!” said The Tennis Guru.

“You have learned many things on the way up. My work with you will be easier than I had first thought. Let’s go hit some shots.”

And off they walked, straight into Yin’s big, bright future in tennis.

The End.

For consultations, treatment or on-site visits, contact Dr. Tom Ferraro Ph.D., Sport Psychologist, by phone at (516) 248-7189, e-mail DrTFerraro@aol.com or visit DrTomFerraro.com.

Long Island Tennis Magazine • July/August 2021 • LITennisMag.com

Tennis Bubbles: A Grand Slam Victory Over the Elements rying to figure out a way to maintain your tennis training momentum throughout the offseason?

Indoor tennis is a lot more viable than you might think.

New York’s harsh winters make outdoor tennis strictly a seasonal sport—unless you can move it indoors. And while indoor tennis may seem like an expensive luxury, The Farley Group keeps the game going year-round by manufacturing, installing and maintaining tennis bubbles.

Bubbles are the ideal solution for indoor tennis—both economically and practically.

Tennis has always been a big deal in New York, which has driven the demand for indoor playing spaces for several decades now. With more than 20 bubbles in New York City and the Long Island area, Farley tennis bubbles have helped solidify New York as one of the top places to train and develop tennis talent. By providing a way to train throughout the winter, tennis becomes much more accessible to those that don’t have the means or desire to travel south for the winter.

Compared to other construction methods, bubbles have a relatively short history. Bubbles first made appearances in North America in the early 1970s, and have since evolved into a top solution for sports like tennis. Ralph Farley, founder of The Farley Group, saw how well the concept worked in Europe, and brought it back with him more than 40 years ago. Since then, The Farley Group has built dozens of tennis bubbles around the world.

Stepping into a tennis bubble for the first time can be awe-inspiring. No other structure can provide as much space without any support beams or

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walls. It’s almost counter-intuitive at first sight: “What’s holding up the roof?” Intriguingly, bubbles require nothing but air to do that. Fresh, filtered and conditioned air flows in, giving the bubble its rounded shape, protecting the playing surface and players underneath.

A wonderful added benefit is that tennis bubbles can be either seasonal or permanent.

Permanent bubbles have the advantage of full protection from the weather throughout the year—cold and snow during the winter, and rain or high winds in the summer—while seasonal domes can go up in the fall and come down in the spring.

They represent the perfect solution for outdoor courts.

And best of all? Tennis bubbles can be installed for a fraction of what other indoor tennis courts cost.

To learn more about how Farley tennis bubbles can help your club members practice their swing 365 days a year, visit TheFarleyGroup.com or call (888) 445-3223.

LITennisMag.com • July/August 2021 • Long Island Tennis Magazine

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Mythbusters Washed Up at 19?

Not This Guy

By Ricky Becker

“I could have had it all. So many doors were open to me and I blew it. I hope I didn’t mess up my life forever.”

This is something that middleaged people might say aloud. But I wasn’t walking and talking with an adult my age. I was with a 19-year old who was a top-nationally ranked tennis player who hadn’t even stepped onto a college campus yet.

The cycle of a top national junior tennis player from Long Island usually follows a straightforward path.

It goes like this: Earn a high national ranking and either get a college scholarship or go to a very strong academic school; sometimes even go professional early. After that phase ends, the player “gets a real job” and either lives in New York City or the home state of where they went to college.

Or the player might go back into tennis in some capacity.

Kabir Rajpal had these doors open to him, made some mistakes, has owned up to these mistakes and is ready to make amends. Mainly, make amends to himself.

I knew Kabir a little bit ten years ago when he was nine-years-old. He 46

Kabir Rajpal

took lessons on the court next to where I was teaching. We would sometimes joke around with his coach. I knew him as a good kid who had a lot of talent. We went separate ways but I came across his success in different ways through Long Island Tennis Magazine, Newsday, and feature articles in the Jericho-Syosset Tribune.

Kabir reached the top ten nationally on TennisRecruiting.net, won national level tournaments and went undefeated on Long Island in two years of high school tennis.

One night during the week while watching an Islanders game in March, a mutual friend called me from Lifetime gym.

“Yo, Ricky! A buddy of mine wants

Long Island Tennis Magazine • July/August 2021 • LITennisMag.com

to teach for you this summer at Pine Hollow. He’s a D1 player. His name is Kabir Rajpal. He’s ready to start now. He’s working at Chipotle but he wants to go out and teach so he can make more money.”

I replied, “Kabir Rajpal!?”

But in my mind, I was thinking, “What’s this backstory?” I mean we are talking about a 19-year old kid who was a local tennis star, has his life ahead of him and is working out not with a college team at a worldclass facility, but at Lifetime gym.

Not playing college or money tournaments, but working at Chipotle.

I’m not going to lie. When I spoke to Kabir, I was a little taken aback. We hadn’t spoken in about ten years and this was kind of a like a job interview.

We are talking an expletive every 20 seconds and him trashing a previous supervisor. His past experience didn’t completely connect. I got this all within the first three minutes of talking. Not exactly who one would hire to teach at a high-end country club. I don’t think he read too many job interview books.

The first time I unexpectedly ran into him after our conversation, Kabir looked at the guy he was with and whispered, “Who the hell is this guy? I have no clue.”

Maybe his playing credentials and

his availability blinded me to all of this. But I saw a kid who had a good heart. I also saw someone who, if filtered, had a confident, fun personality, and could be an asset to the Pine Hollow Tennis Program. I’m always short on coaches early in the season and if it didn’t work out, I always had my mainstay pros coming in six weeks. But in my mind, I am thinking how is this guy, months after high school graduation and with his playing credentials, in a spot where a local Country Club Director like me is thinking there is a good chance he won’t be able to hold a position at a local club and is probably better suited for Chipotle?

How Kabir got to that spot is interesting, and how he is on his way out of it is uplifting. And he is not looking for any sympathy.

By other people’s accounts, as a junior player, Kabir had world-class talent but no work ethic. By his own account, he won’t come out and say

he is talented but he would admit to the work ethic part. While talking with him now though, and seeing him succeed immensely months later at the country club, I am not at all convinced that it’s laziness. I am not a psychologist but I think the pressure of it all was too much to handle, combined with the fact that Kabir probably never had a passion for tennis. It’s easy to try and read a book by its cover, but it isn’t always accurate.

While in high school, Kabir was being recruited by Ivy League, SEC, Pac 12 and Big 10 schools. He skipped Kalamazoo, the biggest national tournament of the year, to party with his friends. He had matches with 20-25 college coaches watching him, and he didn’t even try in front of them. The recruiting calls went quiet. He didn’t particularly care either. At some point, a friend told him about the coach at the Air Force Academy being nice. Kabir reached

out to him. The coach flew from Colorado to Syosset just to meet Kabir and his family. He made a casual verbal agreement with Air Force just get people off his back and to possibly ease the pressure and expectations.

With a little bit of the stress gone, Rajpal alternated from working hard to finding excuses not to play tennis. He had enough good results in the tournaments that he played that the University of Wisconsin, a Big 10 school, started pushing for him. Rajpal decided that was the place for him.

Then the pandemic hit. Not a good scenario for an 18-year old that has a family member with a pre-existing condition or for an 18-year old who has a love-hate relationship with tennis. He now had a reason to stop playing even after things started opening up last summer. The tennis training stopped and weight lifting time in the basement increased. With continued on page 48

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mythbusters continued from page 47

COVID-19 causing havoc on college campuses, Rajpal and the Wisconsin coach decided it would be best to take a gap year which wasn’t necessarily the best thing for someone prone to procrastinating to have in front of him. He pretty much stopped practicing and completely stopped competing. When Wisconsin was hit with budget cuts, Wisconsin told Rajpal he wasn’t welcome anymore.

They knew that he wasn’t training and they didn’t want someone who hadn’t been training to just join the team.

With his free time, Rajpal took some classes at Nassau Community College and started working at Chipotle to fill his time. He felt the vibe of the whispers and others thinking he was lazy, had no work ethic and were wondering what he was doing. He didn’t like telling people that he went to Nassau and hoped that he wouldn’t see anyone at Chipotle from tennis. When his co-workers at Chipotle in Huntington Station Google’d his name and saw what came up, they were shocked to hear about his tennis career.

This brings us to Rajpal’s tenure at Pine Hollow. It started well enough.

The members seemed to like him, I

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saw right away he was a good tennis coach and fortunately his interview persona didn’t infiltrate to our tennis courts. I also admired that although he was able to make more money teaching tennis, he was still loyal to his bosses at Chipotle and did not want to leave them high-and-dry. He also cultivated lessons on the outside and started them at 7:00 a.m., and often ended them around 10:00 p.m. without him telling me. This was in addition to working at Pine Hollow, two other clubs I put him in touch with, and making sure that he left Chipotle on the right terms. I was becoming a fan. And I wasn’t the only one. The members of our club loved him. They wanted to take lessons with him, they liked talking with him and they always requested to be on his court. The work ethic was second to none.

Then Rajpal hit me with the news.

He decided that he was going to go to Air Force, play for their tennis team and he had to leave earlier than I

originally anticipated. He wanted to move forward with his life. He was enjoying the coaching and he appreciated the opportunity, but it was time to see what he can do in the world. Now I didn’t know Rajpal for very long and we never spent time together away from the club, but seeing him mature in front of my eyes was awesome.

I will miss Kabir and as one of the most loved pros we ever had, I know his presence will be missed. But hearing him, a 19-year old, casually say to me that he knows he made mistakes, hearing him own up to those mistakes and seeing him go off to a place like the Air Force Academy, where he was craving the hard-work, Kabir Rajpal is very easy to root for.

Writer’s note: I want to thank Kabir for approving this article. I have all the respect in the world that he agreed to let me tell his story in the hope that it will help someone else.

Ricky Becker is The Director of Tennis at the prestigious Pine Hollow Country Club for his tenth year. He also coaches high-performance juniors throughout the year and has been the Director of Tennis at three of Long Island’s biggest junior programs. As a player, Becker was the Most Valuable Player for the 1996 NCAA Championship Stanford Tennis team and ranked in the top-five nationally as a junior. He can be reached at rbecker06@yahoo.com, 516-359-4843 or via juniortennisconsulting.com.

Long Island Tennis Magazine • July/August 2021 • LITennisMag.com

Optimal Intensity and Breathing Techniques

By Farhad Roshanaie here are different methods to estimate the intensity in sport such as using heart rate, VO2, blood lactate concentration, and Rated Perceived Exertion (RPE). Breathing techniques have an effect on the Nervous System, and the heart rate and is a good method to measure the athlete's optimal intensity.

Professional athletes try to reach the optimal intensity in order to have their best performance. Optimal intensity is an equilibrium state where one is in control of mind and emotions and is as prepared as possible to fight, the past and the future disappear and the focus is on the present moment. This state of mind can be affected if one feels threatened by the situation and/ or the outcome, or if they feel very relaxed so they don’t care about the competition.

The Autonomic Nervous System consists of Sympathetic (fight or flight) and Parasympathetic (relax and digest) nervous system. Different types of breathing can impact each of these systems. Being aware of breathing and applying breathing techniques are game changers for any athlete so the tennis coaches should strive to show their players how and when to apply these techniques. If one is a bit too chill before the match, they need to activate their sympathetic nerves and increase their heart rate by taking quick and shallow breaths. In this scenario one should use Rapid Breathing: inhale rapidly and shallow 10 times through your nose, do it two to three times. On the other hand, if one is stressed out they should breathe slowly and deeply to decrease their heart rate. In this case, one could use Triangle Breathing: inhale through the nose slowly and deeply for four seconds, fill your lungs and stomach and hold your breath for four seconds,

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then exhale slowly through your mouth for four seconds (4x4x4). One should do it two to three times between the points when you need to calm your mind and release all those negative emotions and fears.

In order to train your athletes to become aware and control their breathing you need to put them in an adverse situation. The coach also needs to measure their heart rate beat with a heart rate monitor like a chest strap. Set up a match against a rival and put your athlete in a pressured situation by asking him/ her suddenly at an important point to have only one serve for each point, or ask him/ her to start the game 0-30 down, or ask him/her to do serve-and-volley on both serves. When the heart rate

monitor shows the athlete is psyched up, remind them of the breathing technique and expect a drop to lower than 80 percent of the maximum heart rate beat within 20 seconds which is the rest time between the points. If the athlete couldn’t calm his/ her heart rate, give them more time to do it. The athlete can mix these breathing techniques with positive self talk and self affirmation, also having the eyes closed while breathing helps to bring down the heart rate beat.

The coaches should be careful with interpreting heart rate because some other factors besides stress such as dehydration and thermal stress can increase the heart rate. Sometimes heart rate does not reflect the oxygen uptake (VO2 max).

Farhad Roshanaie is a USPTA Competitive Junior Developmental and a USPTA Tennis Fitness Specialist. He is a graduate from the USTA High Performance Coaching Program. Farhad is also a USPTA Elite Coach and a USPTA Professional Tester, and is the USPTA Eastern Section Elevate Chairperson. Farhad has developed multiple top junior players; he coached in the US Open 2019 and the Australian Open 2020 Junior Championship. As a former collegiate coach, he worked with both D1 and D3 schools. He was born in Tehran, Iran, he was ranked number 1 in most of his junior career, and he still practices and competes.

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USPTA Eastern Division's Annual Conference (In person!)

Friday-Saturday, November 5-6 Sportime l Quogue, NY Registration: $80.00 For more information contact Paul Fontana at (914) 656-0614 or eastern-ed@uspta.org LITennisMag.com • July/August 2021 • Long Island Tennis Magazine

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Guide to the

Top Tennis Apparel Providers High Country Ski & Tennis 465 West Mount Pleasant Avenue l Livingston, N.J. l (973) 994-3630 HighCountrySkiAndTennis.com High Country Ski & Tennis is one of New Jersey’s premier tennis specialty shops. In existence for more than 30 years, High Country has New Jersey’s largest tennis showroom from March through September, and it is shrunk down in the winter months to focus on skiing and snowboarding.

High Country prides itself on providing the best in clothing, equipment and customer service. As Owner Bill Silverman says, “Our philosophy is to promote the game of tennis as much as our own company.”

High Country carries the top manufactures and clothing providers in tennis, including Wilson, Babolat, Head, Nike, Adidas and many more.

High Country offers 24-hour racket stringing, grommet installs, re-gripping and free demos. With great customer service and competitive prices, High Country continues to grow each year.

For more information, call (973) 994-3630 or visit HighCountrySkiAndTennis.com.

PGA Tour Superstore 1254 Corporate Drive l Westbury, N.Y. l (516) 824-3000 PGATourSuperstore.com/Tennis PGA Tour Superstore is more than just a hub for golf lovers and is quickly making its tennis presence felt on Long Island.

With locations in Westbury and White Plains, PGA Tour Superstore has everything tennis players and fans are looking for, carrying all of the latest tennis rackets and equipment from the top names in tennis, including Prince, Babolat, Head, Wilson and more. They also carry a wide selection of tennis apparel and footwear from leading brands, such as Adidas, Asics and Nike, as well as grips, strings and other accessories PGA Tour Superstore offers on-site stringing and its expert staff are players just like you, so they can help you out with any questions on stringing and products, and make sure you walk away with the product that is right for you.

PGA Tour Superstore hosts in-house events and fundraisers year-round, and can help customize your event or tournament by offering gift cards, products, memberships and much more.

For more information on the products and services the PGA Tour Superstore offers, call (516) 824-3000 or visit PGATourSuperstore.com/Tennis.

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Long Island Tennis Magazine • July/August 2021 • LITennisMag.com

Guide to the

Top Tennis Apparel Providers SPORTIME Pro Shops Locations across Long Island and New York City, Westchester and Schenectady (888) NY-TENNIS l SportimeNY.com From Randall’s Island in Manhattan, to Westchester, to Amagansett, to Lynbrook, Roslyn and Syosset in between, SPORTIME features state-ofthe-art Tennis Pro Shops with staff dedicated to helping you find the gear you need to make a great tennis match, on and off the court! While each store has its own identity to cater to local clientele, most have a selection of tennis apparel, and all have equipment and accessories including racquets, strings, bags, grips, footwear from the best brands: Head, Wilson, Babolat, Yonex, Solinco, Luxilon, Tecnifibre, Nike, Asics, Lucky-in-Love, Sofibella, Lija and more.

When it comes to five-star service, SPORTIME offers demo rackets, and provides professional, 24-hour stringing, grommet replacement and racket re-gripping.

SPORTIME’s knowledgeable staff is always available to help you find whatever you need to get you playing your best tennis. And, if SPORTIME doesn't have a particular item in stock, they will get it from another SPORTIME location or order it for you!

For more information about SPORTIME Pro Shops, or to inquire about membership, programs, lessons and court time, call (888) NY-TENNIS.

Tennis East 73 Main Street l Southampton, N.Y. l (631) 283-9535 TennisEast@optonline.net l TennisEast.com For almost 50 years, Tennis East has been the year-round, full-service tennis store of choice for East End racket sport enthusiasts. Tennis East offers an extensive selection of men’s, women’s and junior’s rackets, apparel, sneakers, strings and accessories for players of all ages and skill levels.

More so, Tennis East carries a complete line of 10 & Under Tennis equipment, so that kids will have more fun playing tennis.

Tennis East carries the most popular and latest product arrivals, so that its customers can use the same gear that the top tennis pros are using. The store stocks a full line of Nike, Adidas, FILA, Babolat, Wilson and Head products. In addition, Tennis East has expanded its women’s apparel continued on page 54 LITennisMag.com • July/August 2021 • Long Island Tennis Magazine 51

Guide to the

Top Tennis Apparel Providers offering to include several new fashion designers.

Allow Tennis East’s knowledgeable and friendly team members to assist you choose the proper new tennis, paddle or pickleball racket to elevate your game. Tennis East has an extensive selection of rackets to demo and all daily fee charges will be credited towards your new adult racket purchase.

Tennis East continues to string all customer and demo racquets on the Wilson Baiardo, which is the state-of-the-art stringing machine on the market.

Tennis East is the conveniently located, one-stop shop for all your racquet sport needs, and is committed to providing personalized service, professional advice, competitive pricing and a unique shopping experience. Please look for special offers on Tennis East’s social network sites. For more information, contact Tennis East by phone at (631) 283-9535 or e-mail TennisEast@optonline.net.

TopSpin Tennis & Fitness 218 Jericho Turnpike l Syosset, N.Y. l (516) 364-9470 TopSpin Tennis & Fitness is Nassau County’s top tennis specialty shop.

TopSpin relocated five years ago and is now centrally located at 218 Jericho Turnpike in Syosset, N.Y., directly across from Syosset Hospital.

TopSpin provides one-hour expert stringing at both facilities. Known as the home of “Clothes for the Pros,” TopSpin has been serving Long Island tennis pros and players with equipment and the top fashion in the sport for more than 30 years. TopSpin’s staff is known for its expertise and high-quality service. You will find all the premier tennis brands of equipment, apparel and shoes at TopSpin for the whole family, including Nike, Adidas, K-Swiss, Asics, Babolat, Wilson, Head, Prince and many more. The store now carries Pickleball equipment, America’s fastest growing sport.

TopSpin carries the actual outfits and footwear worn at the U.S. Open and other major events by Rafael Nadal and Roger Federer.

Their racket wall contains a large selection of frames, bags and accessories at great prices. Your racket can be strung while you wait. TopSpin’s staff will ensure that, with the right equipment, you will reach your highest potential as a player and just as importantly, look great too.

For more information, visit TopSpinTennisLI.com.

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Long Island Tennis Magazine • July/August 2021 • LITennisMag.com

MAGAZINE

A Phone Rings on Court made a mistake. I tossed a rule away because I wanted to be kind.

I’ll never do that again.

A muffled ringing resonated during a USTA match. Four tennis bags lay on the bench; one was guilty.

All four players stood frozen. Who left their phone on? The ringing stopped.

Rule 36 in The Code states, “If an opponent’s cell phone rings during a point, the player may immediately stop and claim the point.”

We were not in play because Amalia, my partner, was retrieving a ball from the back curtain for her serve.

The rule says the player may immediately stop. That word, “may”, gives me and others the responsibility to respect our opponents, play fair, and keep fun in the game. In this case, the word “may” means to determine if the noise was truly disruptive.

It wasn’t disruptive. It rang twice then stopped.

Amalia began to serve. The phone rings again. She had not tossed the ball, but play had started because she had parted her hands for the serve.

I ask, “Whose phone?” No one moves. The phone rings on, oblivious to the growing irritation. Players on the adjacent court snarl.

Like a hound dog on the search, I leave the court and stand by the nearest tennis bag and listen. The noise was not from Amalia’s bag. I take another step and stand near my bag. The phone calls out. Whew! Not mine. I spy a blue bag and stop abruptly in front of Grace’s, one of our opponents. The phone chimed out

I

By Barbara Wyatt

from deep inside. Grace had left her phone on.

“I can’t believe it,” she said. “I know I turned it off.”

The phone answered her wail with another ring as she unzips her bag. Its full volume echoes throughout the indoor courts.

Grace made a mistake. It stopped the match. It is against the rules.

I said, “No worries. We won’t take the point. It’s a simple mistake.”

What on earth was I thinking? The mistake was mine; I should have followed the rules and taken the point.

My reasoning at the time was understandable. We were friends. I didn’t want to be contentious. But if I arbitrarily decide to toss that rule

aside, which other rules should we toss? The rules are provided to ensure a fair and enjoyable game of tennis.

A fellow official mentioned that if she was the offender with the ringing phone, she would have refused to accept my offer of a re-do. She would have insisted the penalty be upheld.

“Because I know the rules, and because I wouldn’t want my opponent to feel our friendship was in jeopardy if they imposed the penalty.”

That is an example of sportsmanship.

Learn from my mistake. Show your sportsmanship by relishing in friendship, enjoying the game, and abiding by the rules.

Barbara Wyatt is a Writer, Photographer, USTA Official, and Mobile App Developer of iKnowTennis!, the tennis rules app. Her poem, Ode to Tennis, an amusing poem on the joys and frustrations when learning tennis, is available at Amazon. She can be reached by email at BarbaraW@iKnowTennis.com

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53

When Perfectionism Hurts

By Adam Lee

or most, perfectionism as a trait can be perceived as a blessing - always striving to complete tasks to the highest standards and come out on top. For others, it is a bit of a curse, leading those who cannot check their perfectionist attitude to get so caught up in achieving the impossible, that they never achieve anything. In tennis, there is a fine line and while being goal-oriented, always seeking improvement, and having high standards are generally positives, a constant and lurking

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focus on seeking perfection can be unattainable and ultimately be harmful to one’s emotional and even physical wellbeing.

In this article, I will talk about why being a perfectionist can work against you, how you can avoid harmful behaviors and mindsets associated with chasing perfection, and how winning just 52 percent of points will steer you on the road to success. If the best players in the world occasionally slip up due to their calculated risks, why should we dwell on the occasional mistake?

The Retail Choice for Racquet Sport Enthusiasts!

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Please call or email us at tenniseast@optonline.net to place orders

SOUTHAMPTON l 73 Main Street l (631) 283-9535 www.tenniseast.com 54

Long Island Tennis Magazine • July/August 2021 • LITennisMag.com

Why being a perfectionist can work against you Every tennis player knows there are myriad single actions, that if all go perfectly could result in a perfect match, but almost every tennis player also knows that all these single elements going perfectly as planned is not realistic. It is impossible to have that perfect serve, to never double fault, or to hit every forehand inside the line. Oftentimes you find players reminiscing fondly on an incredible win from 13 months ago or an amazing practice match they played.

Sure, some will inevitably consider areas of improvement, but those in the proper headspace know that they have to focus on the victories and how to implement those into their game play on a go-forward basis, instead of dwelling on the pain points of the past. They take those pain points from the event into consideration and move on. Tennis players who opt to dwell on their mistakes due to their urgency to be perfect often feel frustrated during practices, extremely anxious prior to competition, devastated after performances and relive their slip ups on a daily basis and allow them to consume them.

As coaches, we sometimes hear players berate themselves after mistakes or losses, which oftentimes

leads them to suffer in competition because instead of focusing on the next match, they are caught up in how perfection slipped through their fingers and can be distracted. If you’re one of those players who spend significant time attempting to be perfect on the tennis court, it could actually be working against you.

How can you avoid being a perfectionist?

As coaches, it is important to recognize when perfectionism is creeping towards the negative side for a player, but also be mindful that some can have that perfectionist personality and execute brilliantly.

For some, we should embrace the drive to be perfect without demanding it of our players. As players, you should focus on your development in practice over a period of time as well as learning from losses in tournaments. With this growth mindset, you will learn to center yourself on your own development instead of the result. A loss or a mistake in practice will help shape your success over time instead of leaving you with nothing but doubt and failure in the back of your mind.

Grigor Dimitrov, who entered the pro circuit after being the number 1 ranked junior player in the world once said, “for me right now is just

all about going step by step and just building up not only my confidence, my game…But not only that, I just kind of want to make sure that I’m going in the right direction.”

Another way to help you overcome perfectionism is to watch tennis on TV, but don’t look at the winners or the aces. Pay keen attention to the shots where they aren’t able to set up, the footwork errors, and the risks that didn’t quite pay off. You’ll realize that you don’t need to be perfect to become the best player in the world.

Some books that have earned permanent spots on my bookshelf are Winning Ugly by Brad Gilbert who speaks highly on how to win without playing well and the strategies behind it, and Roger Federer’s biography, The Quest for Perfection, which outlines Roger’s path from exceedingly high expectations placed on himself to make every single shot to a more realistic approach of errors being acceptable.

Winning 52 percent of points To some this sounds obvious, but to most players not so: you don’t need to

win every point to win a match. The amount of points needed to win a tennis match is surprisingly small.

Juniors tend to have the false idea that winning 60-70% of points is the minimum required to win a tennis match. In reality, to win a tennis match you need to make sure you’re winning the important points, as a match is won across small margins.

From 2015-2019, only six players finished the season winning more than an average of 52 percent total points and Rafael Nadal, Novak Djokovic and Roger Federer are the only players to average more than 54 percent of total points won. Put that into perspective. The three best players in the world are losing an average of 46 percent of points. The next time you go out and compete and lose just under half the points, whether in a match or on average during the year, know that that type of performance will lead you to being very successful as a tennis player.

Let the errors go, learn from them, move on, and understand that to win a tennis match, it only takes 52 percent to be a great success.

Adam Lee is the Director of Junior Development at Glen Head Racquet and Fitness. He was a three-year captain at Wake Forest where he still holds the program record for singles victories, and achieved an ATP ranking. He has worked with Top 500 ATP Tour players as well as top nationally-ranked juniors, and has USPTA, ITPA, Certified Tennis Performance Specialist and GPTCA coaching certifications.

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MAGAZINE

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THE LONG ISLAND

CHALLENGE 2021

SATURDAY

JULY

17 2021

(Rain Date: July 18th)

Sportime Quogue 2571 Quogue-Riverhead Rd. East Quogue, NY 11942

Mixed Doubles Tournament Check in: 12:30 p.m.

Tournament: 1:00 - 5:00 p.m.

Tournament will feature a round-robin format followed by knockout rounds Mixed Categories 6.0 - 6.5 (combined) 7.0 - 7.5 (combined) 8.0 - 8.5 (combined)

9.0 - 9.5 (combined) 10.0+ (combined)

Post Tournament Happy Hour Complimentary for players

Catered Lunch Included!

Winners receive prizes and are featured in LI Tennis Magazine!

Chris Savino

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To register, go to LITennisMag.com/LITMSummerMixed For more information, contact info@usptennis.com or call 516-409-4444

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