Long Island Tennis Magazine May - June 2019

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110 Long Island Tennis Magazine • March/April 2019 • LITennisMag.com

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litennis Long Island Tennis Magazine

MAGAZINE

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

MAY/JUN 2019 • Vol 11, No 3

Table Of Contents

Comeback Complete By Brian Coleman Petra Kvitova is back and stronger than ever, in the hunt for world number one spot, after a violent home invasion attack threatened her life and career. See page 20

Photo credit: Andrew Campbell/Wikimedia Commons

Joel M. Berman President (516) 409-4444, ext. 310 • joel@usptennis.com Eric C. Peck Editor-in-Chief (516) 409-4444, ext. 312 • eric@usptennis.com Brian Coleman Senior Editor (516) 409-4444, ext. 326 • brianc@usptennis.com Joey Arendt Art Director (516) 409-4444, ext. 307 Francine Miller Advertising Coordinator (516) 409-4444, ext. 301 • francinem@usptennis.com Emilie Katz Assistant Marketing Coordinator Scott Koondel VP of Operations (516) 409-4444, ext. 324 Sidney Beal III Staff Photographer

Lee Seidner Staff Photographer

Highlights 8 14 24 28 50

Features 4 5 6 12 16 18 26 31 32 34 35

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Subscriptions To receive subscription information, contact (516) 409-4444 or e-mail info@usptennis.com or check out our Web site: www.litennismag.com. Fax subscription changes to (516) 409-1600.

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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Tennis in the Hamptons 2019 2019 New York Empire: New Coach, New Home Court By Brian Coleman 2019 French Open Preview: What to Watch For By Brian Coleman A Look at the Mental Side of Tennis LITM’s 2019 Guide to Top Tennis Apparel Providers

38 46 48 54 55 56 58 60 62 63 64 66 68 69

Be True to Your School By Steven Kaplan Junior Team Tennis Continues to Grow on Long Island Across Long Island … News and Notes From Across the L.I. Tennis Community SPORTIME World Tour Stops Out West for Indian Wells-Themed Event in Syosset Tennis Therapy: A Story of Two Contrasting Experiences in a Single Day

By Tonny van de Pieterman The Jensen Zone: Doubles Alert! By Luke Jensen USTA Long Island Holds Annual Adult League Captain’s Meeting Celebrating 30 Years … Silent Partner Tennis Ball Machines: The Machine With Muscle The Four-Stage Model of Long-Term Athlete Development

By Daniel Bezman Setting Healthy Boundaries in Coaching By Vasco Antunes Tennis History Meets a Cutting-Edge Private Club Concept at The Hamlet Golf and Country Club USTA Eastern Long Island Region 29th Annual Awards Dinner Journal WIN: What’s. Important. Now. By Rob Polishook Court Six: Long Island Tennis Magazine’s Gossip Column Tennis Behavioral Baggage? Off My Court! By Barbara Wyatt JMTA Hosts Workshop, Adds Sports Vision to Training Regimen Ten Extremely Off the Radar Things That Can Help a Junior Player Reach Their Tennis Goals: Part II By Ricky Becker Get More Game: Tips to Avoid Injury and Discover Your Best Performance By Vincent Carvelli, RTS A Revolutionary Approach in Sport Psychology By Dr. Tom Ferraro Mental Toughness By Stefan Ilic SPORTIME Randall’s Island to Host Fourth Annual College Recruiting Combine Tennis’s Magic Pill By Lonnie Mitchel Developing Good Coaching Habits By Joao Pinho “Set” Your Racket for Volleys By Mike Puc USTA/Long Island Region 2019 Tournament Schedule

May/June 2019 • 2019 LITennisMag.com Long Island Tennis Magazine • January/February • LITennisMag.com Long Island Tennis Magazine is published bi-monthly by United Sports Publications Ltd. • Copyright © 2019 United Sports Publications Ltd.

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Be True to Your School

By Steven Kaplan articipation in high school tennis is not thriving on Long Island. That’s too bad because school tennis is not just an extracurricular activity, it’s an essential part of a well-rounded tennis experience for 98 percent of all young players. It develops teamwork, school spirit and socialization.

Participants learn cooperation and sacrifice and what is discovered on the tennis court can be taken to the classroom and onward to life. Furthermore, you get to practice and compete representing your school and community. The experience that most juniors dream about enjoying in college is the very same one they often shun in high school.

It should be noted that non-participation is not a universal practice. In fact, in many parts of the country, high school tennis is thriving. In Ohio, for example, it’s almost unheard of not to play high school tennis, and Ty Tucker, the renowned Ohio State Coach, will not recruit you from in-state to his top team if you don’t play for your school team.

The great Columbia Coach, Howard Endelman, who I am proud to say is a former long-time student and friend, spoke recently at my High School Coaching Clinic and said, in no uncertain terms, that he believes the high school tennis experience is “invaluable.”

Max Schnur, a recent Columbia graduate,

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was with Endelman at my annual High School Coaching Clinic. Schnur was ranked in the top 100 in the world in doubles last year and a New York State High School Tennis champion. As Coach Endelman explained, “I don’t just recruit on ranking, I look for personal qualities, and the willingness of a top player like Max to sacrifice for their school team shows character.”

While some terrific players still do represent their schools, it is becoming increasingly uncommon. So why the trend of high school tennis participation attrition on Long Island?

Let’s start with the short-sighted greed on the part of Long Island tennis clubs and private coaches. They sell to a trusting audience that often lacks a sense of history and they present a self-serving argument for not playing goes something like this, “Who are you going to play with? The competition is weak. It’s a waste of time, you will improve more if you take your lessons and clinics.”

Of course the irony is that this is a self-fulfilling prophecy because the competition is weak only because so many buy into this logic. If players were encouraged to play, then the competition would be great. From my personal experience as a High School State Champion over 40 years ago and as the coach of more than 18 State Champions since, I can assure you that the quality of high school tennis has been uniformly stellar, except for most recently.

High school coaches share a great responsibility to reverse this unfortunate trend.

Long Island Tennis Magazine • May/June 2019 • LITennisMag.com

They need to be flexible and accessible by reaching out to hear the concerns of private clubs and coaches.

The most informed high school coaches I know understand that private coaches and clubs are sacrificing in the short term by encouraging players to compete for their schools. If a private coach trains a player year-round, it’s unrealistic to expect there will be no push back if a high school coach cuts them out of the loop for two months. As such, enlightened school coaches recognize that to teach teamwork to players, they must first display teamwork by working with the players’ private support team. A good place to start is by both groups making compromises to encourage players to play with their year-round coaches, as well as their high school team.

Together, clubs and school coaches can make “High School Tennis Great Again.”

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 nationally-ranked junior players, 16 state high school champions, two NCAA Division 1 Singles Champions, and numerous highly-ranked touring professionals. 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.

Junior Team Tennis Continues to Grow on Long Island

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he Junior Team Tennis (JTT) tournament circuit continues to pick up momentum on Long Island, as the USTA Eastern Long Island Region hosted a number of different tournaments throughout the early spring season.

“We had a few new teams participate for the first time, which is a great sign that JTT is growing on Long Island,” said Neil Thakur, Tennis Service Representative for USTA Eastern Long Island. “Congratulations to all the players selected for the sportsmanship pins.”

In the 12U Division, the team from Christopher Morley finished in first place, while Eastern Athletic Blue was the runner-up. World Gym Setauket was crowned champion in the 14U Division, defeating finalist Eastern Athletic Team A in the finals.

The players who participated in the event also had the opportunity to compete in the New York Open Skills Challenge.

World Gym Setauket hosted an 18U tournament event. The host team would come out on top, as World Gym was the

winner, with Suffolk County Junior Tennis League Team 1 finishing as the finalist.

“A special thanks goes to Tito Perez and the staff at World Gym Setauket for being such wonderful hosts and for accommodating us at the last minute due to the change in weather,” said Thakur. “I was

very pleased with the turnout at both events and also pleased to have new players playing team tennis for the first time.

The level and sportsmanship was very encouraging. We already have interest in continuing Junior Team Tennis throughout the summer.”

LITennisMag.com • May/June 2019 • Long Island Tennis Magazine

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Across Long Isla Carefree Hosts Annual Egg Hunt

SPORTIME’s “Tennis for All” Tour Rolls On

The Tot Program at Carefree Racquet Club hosted its annual Egg Hunt, where children in the program searched for eggs filled with candy that were scattered across the Club’s tennis courts. Some of the Carefree instructors even dressed up as bunnies to join in the fun and provide the kids with a fun experience beyond playing tennis.

SPORTIME Kings Park continued its “Tennis for All” tour through many local Long Island schools, bringing tennis programming to physical education classes. The Tour’s latest stop was the R.J.O. Intermediate School in Kings Park, where instructors spent a week at the school teaching tennis.

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Long Island Tennis Magazine • May/June 2019 • LITennisMag.com

land

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

Stony Brook’s Carrion-Rodriguez Wins Chancellor’s Award

Terry Fontana Honored at USTA National Awards Luncheon

Ana Carrion-Rodriguez (pictured here on the right), a senior on the Stony Brook Women’s Tennis Team, has received the 2019 Chancellor’s Award for Student Excellence, which honors State University of New York students who have best demonstrated their integration of academic excellence with other aspects of their lives, including leadership, campus involvement, athletics, career achievement, community service or creative and performing arts.

“In my 20 years at Stony Brook, I don’t know if I’ve ever had a player that has meant more to the program than Ana,” said Stony Brook Head Coach Gary Glassman (pictured here on the left).

Terry Fontana, a Hicksville native and long-time Board Member of the USTA Eastern Long Island Region, was honored at the 2019 USTA National Meeting in Austin, Texas. Fontana received the Senior’s Service Award, which recognizes an individual for their service to senior tennis.

“When you talk about tennis being the sport for a lifetime, Terry truly epitomizes that, since she has been around tennis for over 65 years,” said Craig Morris, USTA Chief Executive for Community Tennis. “Terry continues to grow the game around Hicksville by bringing tennis to individuals of all ages and abilities.”

Photo credit: Stony Brook Athletics

Ross School JTT Team Succeeds in Inaugural Tournament USTA Long Island hosted the inaugural USTA Eastern Long Island Junior Team Tennis (JTT) 10U Orange Ball Tournament at Eastern Athletic Club in Blue Point, N.Y. The kids from Ross School Tennis Academy (pictured above) finished in second place, as the team from World Gym Setauket finished as champions.

Schorr Wins L1B Title Cooper Schorr, who trains out of Bethpage Park Tennis Center, took home the title at the L1B Cross String Tennis Academy March Championships in the 12U Division.

Schorr defeated the tournament’s top seed, 6-3, 6-3, in the finals to win the championship.

Sender Wins NY Tennis at Great Neck Men’s League The Winter Men’s League at New York Tennis at Great Neck recently completed its season, with Jeff Sender (pictured here left) finishing as the winner, and Tony Golden (pictured here right) finishing as runner-up.

Pursoo Wins Eastern Super Six Third-seeded Ariana Pursoo won five consecutive matches in straight-sets to win the Eastern Super Six Girls 14s at Cross String Tennis Academy, a L4 National tournament. Pursoo, who trains at Christopher Morley Tennis in Roslyn, N.Y., defeated Taylor Goetz, 6-3, 6-3, in the finals.

LITennisMag.com • May/June 2019 • Long Island Tennis Magazine

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TENNIS IN THE HAM n the summer, people from across Long Island and New York City flock to the Hamptons, to enjoy the sun, while sitting by the pool or ocean, and taking part in an array of outdoor activities. Each town in the Hamptons has its own unique feel, with a variety of activities available from simply going to the beach, to kayaking, biking, trips to the wineries or taking in the East End nightlife. Tennis may be the favorite activity of Hamptonsgoers and there is no shortage of the sport in Eastern Long Island.

There is no better way to spend a sunny morning or afternoon than getting some exercise on the court with friends. Below is a list of some of the locations to play tennis, as well as where to shop for the latest equipment and apparel, and where to stay.

Whether you are in Westhampton Beach, Amagansett or anywhere in-between, we look forward to seeing you on the courts and in the shops of the Hamptons this summer!

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Clubs/Programs Future Stars Southampton 1370A Majors Path • Southampton, N.Y. (631) 287-6707 • FutureStarsSouthampton.com Future Stars Southampton is located just a couple of miles north of the Village of Southampton in North Sea Park. Future Stars Southampton is a year-round training

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facility, with eight state-of-the-art outdoor tennis courts (four HarTru and four Deco Turf), for the spring, summer and fall outdoor seasons. In the summer, tennis camps offer the perfect mix of match play, drill work, strategy sessions and off-court activities to challenge players of all levels. The program is designed to improve every facet of the game, including technical, tactical, physical and mental components under the guidance of experienced and enthusiastic tennis professionals.

Future Stars Westhampton Beach 36 Aspatuck Road • Westhampton Beach, N.Y. (631) 287-6707 • FSCamps.com Future Stars Tennis Camp at Aspatuck Tennis Club will offer a premier tennis program that is individuallydesigned to methodically challenge players of all levels, ages six through 16. Throughout the week campers are encouraged to enhance their strokes and strategies via group lessons, skill building drills, organized play, individual attention, video sessions, target training and fitness routines.

Campers will receive three to four hours of top flight tennis instruction, including fundamentals, stroke production, point play with strategy emphasis, and match play competition. All campers are carefully grouped based on age and skill level.

Long Island Tennis Magazine • May/June 2019 • LITennisMag.com

AMPTONS 2019 Gotham Tennis Academy 91 South Fulton Drive • Montauk, N.Y. (631) 267-8525 • GothamTennis.com

Gotham Tennis Academy’s newest location in the Hamptons, Gotham Montauk, is on a beautiful nature preserve just minutes from the center of Montauk, its famous beaches, parks, restaurants and other attractions. Gotham Tennis Academy’s spring and summer offerings include Gotham Montauk Sports and Tennis Camp, home lessons throughout the Hamptons, private tennis parties, home lesson packages, leagues clinics and court rentals.

Peter Kaplan Tennis Academy 7 Beach Lane • Westhampton Beach, N.Y. (631) 288-4021 • WestHamptonBeachTennis.com Peter Kaplan’s Eastside Tennis Academy is the only tennis academy in the world that the USTA selected to be a part of the USTA members benefits program to both juniors and adults.

Located in Westhampton Beach, the facility features 12 fast Dri Courts, as well as a basketball court, and is offering discounted memberships, which include stringing services and private instruction, for the upcoming summer. The experienced staff has taught players of all levels and ages, and programs are tailored to fit the individual’s needs. Day camps and overnight camps, as well as nightly and weekend stays, at the beautiful Grassmere Inn are available to get the full Hamptons treatment.

Ross School Tennis Academy 18 Goodfriend Drive • East Hampton, N.Y. (631) 907-5162 • Ross.org/TennisAcademy The Ross School is a unique and dynamic tennis program for both national and international junior players. It combines an engaging and global curriculum with the highest level of

competitive tennis training. The school is the first in the New York City area to have a full academic program with a complete physical and mental conditioning program. The small, intimate program is designed for USTA/ITF players in grades seventh through 12th, and is tucked away in beautiful East Hampton.

Shinnecock Tennis Club 125 Sandy Hollow Road • Southampton, N.Y. (631) 283-3422 • ShinnecockTennisClub.com Shinnecock Tennis Club offers a variety of lessons, clinics and services from beginners through seasoned players. From an array of lesson options, weekly mixers and clinics to game-matching and the popular Cardio Tennis workouts, Shinnecock Tennis Club can create a custom tennis program that is a perfect match to your needs.

Sportime Amagansett 320 Abrahams Path • Amagansett, N.Y. (631) 267-3460 • SportimeNY.com/Amagansett Located in the heart of the Hamptons, Sportime Amagansett has it all.

Sportime Amagansett features 33 outdoor HarTru tennis courts, one Deco-Turf tennis and multi-sport court, a 1,500-square-foot outdoor swimming pool, a mini-basketball court and playground, three natural turf sports fields, two club houses and a camp house, in addition to a pro shop and snack bar. Sportime Amagansett offers dynamic programming and instruction for both juniors and adults, as well as a wide range of tennis and social events.

Sportime Quogue 2571 Quogue Riverhead Road • East Quogue, N.Y. (631) 653-6767 • SportimeNY.com/Quogue Sportime Quogue is a year-round, full-service tennis, fitness, summer camp and sports facility located in East Quogue, N.Y., but serves the surrounding towns of Westhampton, Remsemberg, Quogue,

LITennisMag.com • May/June 2019 • Long Island Tennis Magazine

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TENNIS IN THE HAMPTONS 2019

continued from page 9

Southampton, Hampton Bays, Eastport, Riverhead, the Moriches and the North Fork. The facility features four indoor Har-Tru clay courts and 22 outdoor Har-Tru courts, in addition to an outdoor pool, full-service health and fitness club, a multi-sport court, child care, locker rooms, a full-service spa and wellness center, and café. Sportime Quogue serves tennis players starting at the age of three, and features junior pathway programs, as well as adult tennis.

Shopping Tennis East 73 Main Street • Southampton, N.Y. (631) 283-9535 • TennisEast.com For nearly five decades, Tennis East has been a staple of the tennis community on Long Island’s East End. Tennis East offers an extensive selection of men’s, women’s and junior’s rackets, apparel, sneakers, strings and accessories. Tennis East keeps up to date with the latest and most popular products to make sure its customers are always up to date with the newest gear, and it even features a complete line of 10 & Under Tennis equipment, as well as a line of other racket sports, such as paddleball or pickleball. Stringing services and demo rackets are also available.

Places to Stay Baron’s Cove 31 West Water Street • Sag Harbor, N.Y. (844) 227-6672 • CapeResorts.com/Barons-Cove The newly-renovated Baron’s Cove Hotel is the Hampton’s preeminent All-American resort destination.

With 67 charming village and harborfacing guestrooms, gorgeous lofted suites boasting sweeping harbor views, village rooms featuring intimate private gardens, and cozy dog-friendly accommodations, Baron’s Cove caters to every discerning traveler seeking a relaxing getaway on the East End.

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Grassmere Inn 7 Beach Lane • Westhampton, N.Y. (631) 288-4021 WesthamptonBeachTennis.com/accommodations.html The Grassmere Inn is open year-round in Westhampton Beach and prides itself on having the neatest, cleanest, safest and most service-oriented accommodations possible. The Grassmere Inn is located less than one mile from the beach and a short walk away from the center of the Village of Westhampton Beach, which includes numerous shops, restaurants, a movie theater, the Performing Arts Center and much more.

Gurney’s Montauk Resort & Seawater Spa 290 Old Montauk Highway • Montauk, N.Y. (631) 668-2345 • GurneysResorts.com/Montauk Gurney’s Montauk Resort & Seawater Spa is a Hamptons icon and the only year-round resort in Montauk. Providing guests with direct access to a 2,000foot private sand beach, Gurney’s features 146 rooms, suites, and beachfront cottages, all delivering dramatic ocean views. With five unique dining and drinking venues, Gurney’s presents an array of food and beverage options, from elegant seasonal cuisine to casual fare to craft cocktails. Gurney’s also offers over 25,000-squarefeet of meeting and banquet space, for hosting a wide range of business and social events. Its acclaimed spa is renowned for its healing treatments and ocean-fed seawater pool, the only pool of its kind in North America.

Long Island Tennis Magazine • May/June 2019 • LITennisMag.com

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Credit all photos to: Brian Coleman

an

SPORTIME World Tour Stops Out West for Indian Wells-Themed Event in Syosset s the tennis season on the ATP and WTA Tours heats up in the professional ranks, the SPORTIME World Tour continued to make its way through the top tournament destinations around the world. SPORTIME Syosset hosted an Indian Wells-themed event featuring players from all the various SPORTIME facilities on Long Island. It was the largest group to ever come out for a World Tour event, and the courts were packed all-day long.

“This was by far the largest World Tour event we’ve had company-wide,” said Jared El Gayeh, SPORTIME Syosset’s U10 and Camp Director. “We were able to open up the full building and use all 11 courts,

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multi-sport court, and allow players from every SPORTIME club to come play and compete. As a whole, we were extremely happy to see such a huge turnout of children that came to our Indian Wells World Tour.”

The players were scattered across both the hard courts and clay courts, as instructors helped to teach drills and also engaged the players in games such as King of the Court. Inside the event’s party room, DJ CM entertained the crowd with music and games, including a dance contest and conga line, while food and drinks were served to the players and parents waiting to go out onto court.

“The coaches were excited, the children were pumped to show off their skills, and

the parents were amazed with the setup and execution of the whole event,” said El Gayeh. “Our youngest players are now itching to play multiple times a week!

They are inspired by our high level players and want to keep improving so they can eventually join the John McEnroe Tennis Academy.”

The next stop on the World Tour will be June 1 at SPORTIME Randall’s Island, the home of the John McEnroe Tennis Academy.

“It is such a great experience for all of our players to get to go to our flagship location and have a chance to meet John and Patrick McEnroe and play against some of the best kids in the L.I. and Metro Sections,” said El Gayeh.

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2019 New York Empire: New

Coach Luke Jensen will lead the New York Empire into the 2019 season at its new home, The Cary Leeds Center for Tennis & Learning ntering its fourth season in World TeamTennis competition, there will be a fresh look for the New York Empire in 2019.

The Empire will have both a new head coach and a new home court later this summer, as Luke Jensen becomes the third Head Coach in franchise history, and will oversee the team’s move to The Cary Leeds Center for Tennis & Learning in Bronx, N.Y. “I’m very excited to be named the new Head Coach of the New York Empire and

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can’t wait for the season to begin,” said Jensen. “Everyone knows how electric and exciting a tennis match in New York City can be, and we look forward to bringing that energy for each of our home matches this summer.”

The Empire will compete on the Cary Leeds Center’s Victor Kiam Stadium Court this season, the team’s third venue since entering World TeamTennis.

“We are delighted to work with the New York Empire of WTT to provide aspirational experiences for our juniors, bring in a dy-

namic event for the community to enjoy and utilize the world-class Victor Kiam Stadium at the Cary Leeds Center,” said George Guimares, New York Junior Tennis & Learning’s CEO & President.

Liezel Huber, Executive Director of Tennis at the Cary Leeds Center, added, “I will be cheering louder than ever for my team, and I would like to thank WTT for this amazing opportunity in the heart of the South Bronx!”

Jensen and the Empire began the quest for a title in 2019 at the WTT Draft in Indian

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Long Island Tennis Magazine • May/June 2019 • LITennisMag.com

John Isner will season of Worl

ew Coach, New Home Court

By Brian Coleman

n Isner will join the NY Empire for another son of World TeamTennis action

WTT 2018 Rookie of the Year Maria Jose Martinez Sanchez returns to the NY Empire this summer

Wells, Calif. during the BNP Paribas Open, first protecting and bringing back John Isner, last year’s Wimbledon semifinalist and recent Miami runner-up.

With the first overall pick in the draft, the Empire took Belgian Kirsten Flipkens, who returns to the Empire following a year off from WTT in 2018. The Empire then selected young American Ulises Blanch, a former world number two ranked junior, to add a splash of youth to its roster.

Neal Skupski will be a key member of the Empire roster, once again serving as the

Neal Skupski and John Isner will lead the charge for the 2019 NY Empire as they begin their 2019 campaign this summer

team’s double specialist. Skupski has been on the Empire since the team’s inception four years ago. WTT Rookie of the Year last season, Maria Jose Martinez Sanchez, will be back with the Empire this summer to round out the team’s roster for 2019.

“We wanted to pick a team of players who could play in this format, which is fast, furious and pressure-packed,” said Jensen.

“We wanted to protect our veteran players and we did that with Flipkens. When you get the highest-ranked WTA player available, you’ve got an anchor. To fill the rest of the

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roster with successful, veteran tour players and then to go young with Ulises is just really exciting. He’s got a lot of firepower and he will learn from our other veteran players.”

The Empire season will begin with a home match against the San Diego Aviators on Sunday, July 14, the first of five home matches in eight days to open up its 2019 campaign.

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 • May/June 2019 • Long Island Tennis Magazine

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Tenn

By Tonny van de Pieterman ou are not as good as you think you are, and you are not as bad as you think you are.

This paradoxical statement is as true in life as it is on the tennis court. I consider it the balancing bar a tennis player must stay on to remain motivated and inspired to keep on improving and growing. If you lean too much to one side, you will fall off and hurt yourself.

A few years ago, I was coaching a highly-ranked junior player and accompanied him to an important Sectional event at the USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center. In the semi-finals, my student, “Ernie,” was a clear favorite to win his match. He was the second seed in the tournament, and he had never lost to his opponent. He faced him numerous times throughout his junior career, so he was very confident he was going to win. In fact, he was already looking forward to the

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final, to be played later that same day. In the final, he would most likely face “Bert,” the number one-seeded player, a player he had never faced before. Ernie had his hopes set on facing Bert, and was very excited to get a crack at him. I’m sure you can already picture what was about to unfold. When you look too far ahead it is easy to trip on something right in front of you.

Believe me, I tried my best to keep Ernie in the present, and to keep him focused on the task at hand, the semifinal match.

Ernie assured me he was ready, and I believed him. As soon as the match got started, I knew it was going to be a struggle. Ernie appeared nervous, and played very tight. His opponent on the other hand was playing very well. To make matters worse, in the first set tie-break, Ernie made a slide, snapped his shoe laces, and his shoe broke open. Ernie tried to “MacGyver” his shoe together the best he could as the umpire gave him a time violation and a point penalty. Ernie ended up losing the match, as his poor play while dealing with unexpected shoe problems and an

Long Island Tennis Magazine • May/June 2019 • LITennisMag.com

unforgiving umpire proved to be too much for him to overcome. When he came off the court, he was devastated. He had been completely blindsided by his bad luck, poor play, and this lousy umpire. He called it: “The worst match of my life.”

On this day, however, the universe provided Ernie another opportunity. Bert, the first seed, had also surprisingly lost his semifinal match. Ernie was going to face Bert after all, in a match for third and fourth place. We had a little over an hour to prepare for it. During this hour, Ernie, normally not known as much of a talker, spoke almost uninterruptedly. All of his frustrations about his first match came out in a neverending waterfall of words. I couldn’t get a word in, so I remained silent and allowed him to carry on. It turned out to be some of the best coaching I ever did.

When I sensed he was finally ready for some input, I gently reminded him of his previous excitement over facing Bert, his next opponent. I also reminded him to be courageous, to step up into the court and to try and dominate him with forehand to

nnis Therapy: A Story of Two Contrasting Experiences in a Single Day

forehand exchanges. I tried to make him aware of how much faith I had in him, and in his ability to bounce back from a defeat.

After just a few games I could tell that this was going to be a great match. Ernie appeared confident, relaxed and inspired.

Bert, on the other hand, seemed a little flat and perhaps a little confused by Ernie’s bold strategy of attacking his forehand.

The match ended up being a straight set victory for Ernie, and he came off the court with a proud smile and said, somewhat incredulously, “That was the best match of my life!”

When I left the National Tennis Center

that day, I remember marveling at the extremes of the day. As a coach, I had first tried to warn my player for his overconfidence (you are not as good as you think you are). Even though I was unsuccessful, I am certain that Ernie learned the lesson.

Later, I tried to show my faith in him by allowing him to express his frustrations, and fears, and then gently nudging him in the direction of courage (you are not as bad as you think you are).

It was a memorable day to experience both sides of this paradox so obviously displayed to me. Coaches and parents can be very helpful by restoring the balance

when the player has lost perspective. I believe I was helpful to my player that day, and I cherish that memory … I do some of my best coaching when I get out of the way.

Tonny van de Pieterman is director of tennis at Point Set Indoor Racquet Club.

He was recently named USTA Tennis Professional of the Year for the USTA/Eastern-Long Island Region and helped the Eastern Section win this year’s Talbert Cup. He may be reached by phone at (516) 536-2323 or e-mail Tonny@PointSetTennis.com.

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Doubles Alert!

By Luke Jensen here are you positioned before every point in your doubles matches? The daily doubles observations I make at my full-time job as Director of Racket Sports at The West Side Tennis Club is very interesting as I see all kinds of various formations and set ups.

A player’s pre-point position is mission critical in successful doubles play. Each player has a responsibility to cover certain areas of the doubles court: From covering the line, to looking to intercept the high percentage cross-court shots. I always want to see my West Side players in what I call “The Jump Seatâ€? ‌ standing in the middle

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of the service box right in-front of where their partner is serving. This is a sound starting position to cover both the down the line and cross-court returns, while far enough back to cover most lobs. I often see players are not aware of a proper starting point, and that leaves the middle of the alley wide open for the other team.

When teams return, I want to see the off partner (player NOT returning serve) in what I call the “Hot Seat,� right next to the T on the service line. Your number one priority is to call the serve for your partner returning serve to allow your partner to concentrate on playing a great return. The second priority for the Hot Seat player is to watch the Jump Seat player on the other team. If the Jump Seat player crosses their number one option and is down the middle, then YOU should be there to take that

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option away. Tennis is a series of moves and counter moves. The doubles game, with all the complexity of multiple players and bigger court dimensions, creates a tactical advantage for the team that sets up the pre-point properly.

Take advantage of opponents’ poor prepoint positioning. If an opponent is too far to the sideline or too far back from the net when their partner is serving, most times it tells me they do not like to volley. That is a GREAT opportunity to feed them a constant diet of volleys. If your opponents prepoint position is extremely close to the net than a lob is the answer to the aggressive net player.

Move and counter move should be your competitive mindset to everything, not just in doubles but singles as well. Don’t forget to communicate properly to your partner that is not in the right position. Encourage them to see why you want them to be in either the Jump Seat or the Hot Seat.

Enjoy your tennis and always look to improve your positioning.

Go for winners!

Raised in Ludington, Mich., Luke Jensen’s resume includes 10 ATP Tour doubles titles. He was also a member of the U.S. Davis Cup Teams that reached the finals in 1991 and won in 1992. His ambidextrous play, including his ability to serve the ball with either hand at 130 mph, earned him the nickname “Dual Hand Luke.� Luke is currently Director of Racket Sports at West Side Tennis Club in Forest Hills, N.Y. He may be reached by phone at (315) 4030752 or e-mail LukeJensen84@yahoo.com.

LITennisMag.com • May/June 2019 • Long Island Tennis Magazine

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Comeback Complete Kvitova returns to form

By Brian Coleman

I

n mid-March, Petra Kvitova made her way to the podium inside Hard Rock Stadium, the new home of the Miami Open.

She sat in front of the press following a hard-fought, three-set defeat to Ashleigh Barty, the tournament’s eventual champion. But Kvitova wasn’t there to discuss break points or first serve percentages.

Instead, she addressed a verdict in a court case more than 5,000 miles away in her native Czech Republic that had been rendered earlier in the day, as 33-year-old Radim Zondra was sentenced to eight years in prison. Zondra had stabbed Kvitova two years prior, in December 2016, in a home invasion.

“Yeah, I heard that, for sure, I heard that this morning,” said Kvitova. “I accepted the news.

I’m happy for the news and I’m glad it’s over now.”

For Kvitova, she was glad to put the horrific ordeal behind her. Just a month prior, Kvitova entered the courtroom and relived the encounter, saying that there was “blood all over the place.” She sustained substantial damage to ligaments and tendons in her wrist, and required four hours of surgery to repair them following the attack.

Kvitova testified that her doorbell rang, she opened the door and saw Zondra, who she initially thought was there for a drug test. He claimed to be there to inspect her boiler. Kvitova’s positive identification and DNA evidence led to the conviction.

“She’s satisfied with the verdict because she identified the convicted person as the attacker,” said Karel Tejkal, Kvitova’s spokesman.

Initially, doctors feared that her tennis career may be over, and she may even lose fingers, but the two-time Wimbledon champion did not let her career come to a halt as a result of the attack, and returned to action in May 2017 at the French Open.

“I’m really happy that I’m here, that dreams come true,” Kvitova told WTA Insider at the time.

“I’m here in the draw and I’m playing tennis again. It wasn’t easy, but I’m happy that I worked through this. I know my hand is not perfectly ready, and it’s still not 100 percent, so we will see how everything goes, but I’m happy that I’m able to play again.”

She won her opening round match against American Julia Boserup, but fell to another American, Bethanie Mattek-Sands, in the following round. Despite that early defeat, Kvitova had already accomplished more than most people thought was possible just a few months prior.

“It will probably take more than a year to get full movement back, I’m not sure,” Kvitova would later say. “For tennis and for life, it’s good. I’ve done everything that I could but there is 20 20

Long May/June 2019 LITennisMag.com • LITennisMag.com continued on page 22 Long Island Island Tennis Tennis Magazine Magazine •• January/February March/April 2019••2019 LITennisMag.com

Credit photo to USTA/Tracy Awino

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comeback complete continued from page 20

Credit photo to Brian Coleman

still some space to improve it. I hope that with more time I will be even stronger. I am happy that I was always looking forward to the better tomorrow.”

Kvitova would go on to say that without tennis, she doesn’t think she could have handled this adversity with the same positive outlook. She was told by many

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people that her chances of playing professional tennis again were not likely, but she refused to let others, most notably her attacker, write her story.

“I was like, ‘Why are they saying this?’ It was very painful for me … it felt like they didn’t believe in me,” Kvitova recalled. “Of course, at that time, I probably didn’t know

Long Island Tennis Magazine • May/June 2019 • LITennisMag.com

Credit photo to USTA/Mike Lawrence

how bad it was because nobody told me— and I am happy for that now. My doctor told me that many other experts thought that I would never ever play. He didn’t want to tell me—and that was a good decision for my mental state of mind. The week after surgery I asked my doctor, ‘Do you think I could play in Wimbledon this year?’

He didn’t answer for a while and then he said, ‘We are going to work on it and blah, blah, blah.’ I understood then that it wasn’t going to be easy.”

And she has exceeded even her own expectations. Kvitova has done more than just return to the court, she has excelled.

Last year, she won titles in St. Petersburg and Doha, before heading home to the Czech Republic to compete in the J&T Banka Prague Open.

She defeated Romania’s Mihaela Buzarnescu in the finals, taking home the title in her home country just over a year after her attack.

“Last year, I was sitting here during the final supporting Kristyna Pliskova,” Kvitova said. “I believed I could play this year and I am very happy for that.”

Her incredible return to form in 2018 in

ence

such a quick period of time is a true testament to her perseverance, positive outlook, and more simply, her sheer talent as a tennis player. Kvitova was one of the eight players who qualified for the end-ofthe-year WTA Finals in Singapore. And while she would drop all three of her roundrobin matches, the fact that she was even able to finish the year as one of the world’s best players was a remarkable achievement as she embarked on what she called her “second career.”

So those results laid the foundation for what could be even more improvement for Kvitova in 2019, and she wasted no time in getting her year started. She powered her way to the Sydney title, taking out Aryna Sabalenka, Angelique Kerber and Ashleigh Barty en route to the championship. That set her up for a deep run in Melbourne at the Australian Open, a tournament where she hadn’t advanced out of the third round since 2012.

Kvitova compiled 11 straight victories dating back to the beginning of the Sydney tournament to reach the finals of the Australian Open, her first Grand Slam final

since she won Wimbledon in 2014.

“I don’t think that many believed that I could do that again … to stand on the court and play tennis at that kind of level,” said Kvitova after she defeated American Danielle Collins in the semifinals. “It was just a few of them, I think. I’m very happy to have those few around me. And it definitely feels great—I hope for them as well, and for my family and everyone who was there when I needed it. It’s been five years. That’s why I worked hard to be back here. It tastes great.”

In the finals, she took on Naomi Osaka, and the two put on a fantastic final.

Unfortunately for Kvitova, Osaka was able to win her second consecutive Grand Slam title with a thrilling 7-6(2), 5-7, 6-4 victory.

While it was a tough loss for Kvitova to swallow, her fight and performance were indicators of what we can expect from the second half of the Czech’s career.

“It’s hurting a lot today,” she said. “I wanted to win and have the trophy. But I think I already won two years ago. For me, it’s amazing. I think I still don’t really realize

that I played the final. I think I’ve been through many, many things, not really great ones. As I said on the court, I didn’t know if I was going to hold a racket again … I’m holding it, so that’s good. I feel great to be playing great tennis. I don’t think that I could really imagine the time to be kind of this player again. I wanted to be back stronger, that’s for sure. I was pretty close, but pretty far. So I need one more step to hold a major trophy.”

As we approach the middle two Grand Slams of the year, Kvitova has a clear goal in mind, and with the level of tennis she has risen to, she has to be considered a favorite at the French Open and Wimbledon, the latter of which she has won twice in her career. With a new outlook on her playing career, a more determined attitude and, most importantly, her health, Kvitova’s return to form is one of the best storylines in tennis.

Brian Coleman is Senior Editor for Long Island Tennis Magazine. He may be reached by e-mail at BrianC@USPTennis.com.

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2019 FRENCH O

WHAT TO W

BY BRIAN CO Credit all photos to: ATP/WTA

Can Nadal win 12th French Open crown?

If Rafael Nadal is in the French Open draw, he generally becomes the undisputed favorite to be the final one standing when all is said and done.

That has been the case for nearly two decades, and will be the same in 2019.

But at 32-years-old and with injuries stalling the first few months of his year, he’s only competed in three tournaments as of early April, and Nadal certainly seems more vulnerable this year than in year’s past. A knee injury forced him to withdraw from the BNP Paribas Open with the goal of returning for the clay-court swing. He is an 11-time French Open champion and, despite the wear and tear on his body, Rafa will be a strong favorite to capture his 12th French Open crown.

Halep’s encore

Thiem’s time?

Last year, Simona Halep finally captured her maiden Grand Slam title by toppling American Sloane Stephens in the French Open final. It was her third major final, and her third trip did prove to be the charm. She has yet to win a title in 2019, but it will be interesting to see how her game turns around when she hits the clay.

“Honestly I cannot believe it. I was dreaming for this moment since I started to play tennis,” Halep said after last year’s Roland Garros triumph. “I’m really happy that it’s happened in Roland Garros in Paris. My special city.”

We’ll see if Halep can once again channel that Parisian magic.

Dominic Thiem broke through to his first Grand Slam final at Roland Garros a year ago, but could not overcome the dominance of the aforementioned Nadal. But at just 25-years-old and currently ranked fifth in the world, Thiem’s time to hoist a major trophy shouldn’t take much longer. His game is suited for the clay surface of Roland Garros, and his run to the finals came after back-to-back semifinal showings in 2016 and 2017. Those results indicate that he is trending upwards, and he can be considered a true contender at this year’s French Open. Eight of his 12 career titles have come on a clay surface, so look out for Thiem to be competing well into the Paris fortnight.

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Long Island Tennis Magazine • May/June 2019 • LITennisMag.com

OPEN PREVIEW

WATCH FOR IAN COLEMAN The young stars of 2019 … how will they fare?

One of the biggest storylines on the WTA this year has been the sheer parity that has existed. Through the first 16 tournaments of the season, there have been 16 different champions. With that, there have been a lot of young players on the tour who have been able to find success.

Most notably, Canada’s Bianca Andreescu (pictured here). The 18-yearold has burst onto the scene in 2019, capturing titles in Indian Wells and Newport Beach, and reached the Auckland final to start the season. Other young stars such as Amanda Anisimova and Belinda Bencic, who has returned to form after a couple of years battling injuries, have been successful in the first few months of the year, and helps to create a deep and dynamic field on the women’s side of the French Open.

Keys recent success on clay … can it continue?

It’s no secret that American players, both male and female, have not been very successful on clay. But that could change this time around.

Madison Keys, who has been a top-ranked American for a number of years now and reached the U.S. Open finals two years ago, did reach the semifinals in Paris last year,

and could be due for a deeper run this year. She won her first ever clay court title with a win at the Volvo Car Open in Charleston in April, which should inspire some confidence in the 24-year-old.

“I feel like because it was such a rocky start for me all of those years ago, I’ve held a little bit of a grudge,” said Keys. “I guess now, I kind of have to let that go. Maybe I’m a clay court specialist now!”

That statement will be put to the test at Roland Garros.

Can Djokovic continue his dominance?

The last year or so on the ATP World Tour has belonged to Novak Djokovic.

He is the winner of the last three Grand Slams, and will be

attempting to win the Novak Slam for the second time in his career. From 2015-2016, Djokovic won Wimbledon, the U.S. Open, the Australian Open and the French Open in one of the most remarkable runs in the Open Era. He has an opportunity to do that once again as he descends on Paris. A year ago, he lost to unknown Italian Marco Cecchinato in the quarterfinals, but you can be sure that the Serb will be laserfocused this time around. The French Open has been the tournament where Djokovic has had the least success over his career, but this rejuvenated version of one of the sport’s all-time greats seems primed to win his fourth straight major title.

Brian Coleman is Senior Editor for Long Island Tennis Magazine. He may be reached at BrianC@USPTennis.com.

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USTA Long Island Holds Annual Adult League Captain’s Meeting

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he annual USTA Eastern Long Island Region Adult League Captain’s Meeting took place recently at Crest Hollow Country Club in Woodbury, N.Y., as team captains from all across Long Island gathered together for dinner and to look ahead to the upcoming season.

Adult League Coordinator Kathy Miller, who has been coordinating the Adult League for 32 years, spoke to the captains about the new rule changes that will be enforced in the upcoming season, and pre-

sented the teams with their respective schedules. USTA Eastern Senior Manager for Adult Leagues, Lauren Bull, also discussed the upcoming season with the team members.

The event featured an array of guest speakers, as the community looks forward to another great year of tennis in our area. Luke Jensen, former Grand Slam Champion and the new Head Coach for the New York Empire, was on hand, as well as Empire General Manager Michele Cope, and spoke to the audience about

the upcoming World Team Tennis season.

Recent New York Open finalist, Brayden Schnur, was in attendance alongside CoTournament Director Peter Lebedevs, to discuss the third year of the New York Open, which will return next February.

The Captain’s Meeting kicks off another season of Adult League play here on Long Island, and be sure to check out the July/August 2019 issue of Long Island Tennis Magazine for a league update with results and news.

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A Look at the Mental Side of Tennis ometimes, as a tennis player, you exist on an island. Alone, solo, under the lights of your local club or drenched in the sun, there you are … between the lines, either gaining the accolades of glory hitting the winning shot or facing the weight of defeat. There are no teammates to pass to, no backup in case you throw a bad pitch or have a bad shift, no defense to pick you up after the offense turned the ball over … it’s just you who must deal with the adversity of this individual sport.

Due to the singular nature of the sport, one must develop nerves of steel and be able to pick themselves up when knocked down. Sure, you may have a strong support group of parents, family, school teammates and a coach, but in the heat of the

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battle, just one spotlight shines and shines brightly on YOU! This is where one of the most important people on your support team can come into play in helping you develop those aforementioned nerves of steel and the will to push onward, experts in sports psychology.

Mental toughness is what gives top players a competitive leg up over the opposition. Training one’s mind to deal with nerves, anxiety and quickly move onward past mistakes can be the difference between being crowned “champion” and “finalist.” These individuals help players focus, find their groove and enter the zone to success. It’s the ability of the player to quickly get back on track once rattled that can make the difference between bowing out in the first round of a tournament or

Long Island Tennis Magazine • May/June 2019 • LITennisMag.com

hoisting the trophy at the end of the day.

Long Island Tennis Magazine was fortunate enough to sit down and chat with two experts in the field of sports psychology, Dr. Tom Ferraro and Rob Polishook, to pick their brains and gain insight into their role as one of the most vital members of a tennis player’s support staff.

Dr. Tom Ferraro is a sport psychologist with a Ph.D. from SUNY Stony Brook, with more than 25 years of experience working with professional teams, coaches and Olympic athletes across a broad range of sports. Dr. Ferraro is a board-certified psychoanalyst, which allows him to properly diagnose and treat the symptoms an athlete may bring to him and help them understand any underlying reasons for self-defeat. He has been published inter-

nationally and has been featured in the New York Times, The Wall Street Journal, The London Times, and is a regular contributor to this publication.

As a mental training coach, Rob Polishook works with athletes and teams in all sports and at all levels, from middle school to professional athletes, teaching cuttingedge mental training skills and techniques, and providing the tools necessary for athletes to compete in high level pressure situations. Polishook’s unique approach recognizes that life events, such as stress, injuries, fears and emotional/physical trauma-like experiences can impact an athlete’s self-esteem, confidence and performance during competitive situations, assisting his clients to leave mistakes in the past and moving forward to reach their peak performance. Rob has earned a Master’s Degree in Psychological Studies with a concentration in Sport & Exercise Psychology at Seton Hall University, and has completed his Certification in Sport Psychology from Seton Hall. Rob is a Certified Professional Coach from IPEC, an International Federation Coaching Affiliate.

Both of you have worked with a number of athletes. Do you recommend that they play multiple sports in order to avoid burning out and losing their interest in tennis?

Dr. Tom Ferraro: The right amount of focused work always needs to be balanced with rest and other play activities. Most

Dr. Tom Ferraro

“Players must be trained to expect mistakes and setbacks of all kinds, including missed shots, weather delays, nasty remarks and bad calls. They must be taught to have a mental mantra which they use to stay focused and positive, no matter what happens during the course of play.”

professional tennis athletes do get involved with other sports. Tennis players often turn to golf as in the case of Ivan Lendl or Pete Sampras. Golf is a relaxing sport, which does not strain the body and can be fun to do.

Rob Polishook: The key is to find balance. Either approach may work … it depends on the individual. Some athletes balance their tennis training with multiple sports and activities. Certainly, this approach is beneficial in regards to footwork, movement and working with others.

Others may focus mainly on tennis, and in this case, the balance will have to come from another area.

What are some pre-match activities that can help a player be as fresh as possible for their upcoming competition?

Dr. Tom Ferraro: The best thing to do is to conserve energy and socialize in easy, nonstressful ways, get a full eight hours sleep, avoid alcohol or marijuana, and to “taper” all training for the three-day lead-in. This is done with all athletes. My family has owned

many thoroughbred horses, and I have been able to watch some of the world’s greatest trainers prep the horses for big races. They always give them leisure time and do not run them in any vigorous way for three days leading up to a big race. I also learned that a horse runs best when rested prior to race day. That may go for tennis players as well.

Rob Polishook: Ultimately, the athlete wants to do whatever relaxes them. This question is player-specific. However, one should always go back to basics! What I recommend is banking at least eight hours of sleep per evening. Sleep is under-rated, and is so important to proper recovery. Additionally, drinking eight cups of water per day is important. Supplement this with some quiet time, which can come in the form of a 10-minute walk, meditation or stretching exercises. I recommend turning off all social media, emails and texts at least 90 minutes prior to a match. continued on page 30

LITennisMag.com • May/June 2019 • Long Island Tennis Magazine

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a look at the mental side of tennis continued from page 29 How would you advise a player who feels they are being cheated by the umpire or is dealing with a controversial call?

Rob Polishook: Being able to deal with adversity is imperative for any player. It’s not a question whether bad calls or let courts will happen, but rather, how a player is able to recognize these situations and take a step back to refocus. Certainly in the case of a bad call, I like players to speak to their opponent or umpire and be able to state their case. However, if this doesn’t work, the player must reset and bring their focus back to what they can control. My players have an adversity management routine, a short routine specific to the individual that helps them recenter for the next point.

With the prevalence of social media today, do you find it more difficult for players to maintain mental strength and stability in tennis?

Dr. Tom Ferraro: Social media of all kinds usually distracts and adds unnecessary pressure to a player. Rory McIlroy, a top five golfer in the world, made an important statement recently about the media following his win at the Player’s Championship. He stated, “If I see that the Golf Channel is on when I am in the locker

“Being able to deal with adversity is imperative for any player. It’s not a question whether bad calls or let courts will happen, but rather, how a player is able to recognize these situations and take a step back to refocus.”

Rob Polishook

room prior to tee time, I tell the staff to turn off the sound. It is always possible that a TV person’s comment will be placed in the back of my mind and may influence me and my game plan.” This is a wise comment by McIlroy. It is best to avoid hearing or seeing anything at all about other players’ rankings or about yourself prior to game time in tennis.

Rob Polishook: Again this is player-specific. However, social media can certainly distract from tasks at hand. In fact, there is even a mental health term called FOMA, “Fear Of Missing Out.” This happens when individuals are always checking their devises because they don’t want to miss out on a conversation, thread or activities among others. I recommend turning all sounds and vibrations off on the phone.

This allows the nervous system to settle and the player to check their devices only when they want to, not when someone else wants their time. It’s best to leave phones

and all social media interactions to after a match.

When negative thoughts begin to enter a player’s mind, what are some tricks or techniques to keeping their mind positive, despite the score or the way a match may be going?

Dr. Tom Ferraro: This process must be established long before match time. Players must be trained to expect mistakes and setbacks of all kinds, including missed shots, weather delays, nasty remarks and bad calls. They must be taught to have a mental mantra which they use to stay focused and positive, no matter what happens during the course of play.

This is called “Murphy’s Law,” which means one must be prepared for glitches along the way and have an answer for that moment. Lots of time is spent on this in my practice because surprises always happen.

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Long Island Tennis Magazine • May/June 2019 • LITennisMag.com

Celebrating 30 Years ‌ Silent Partner Tennis Ball Machines: The Machine With Muscle

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ilent Partner Tennis, a division of Deuce Industries Ltd., was founded in 1989 by Dr. John Bassili. A recreational tennis player and psychology professor, Dr. John had a dream. He sought a reliable tennis partner. One that would play on his schedule and help improve his game. Meanwhile, John’s son was progressing through the ranks as a junior. His son needed a partner that could amp up the pace, but was also consistent enough to groove his strokes. So John built a tennis ball machine.

Today, Silent Partner Tennis is a leading ball machine company in North America. It has served the U.S. from Buffalo, N.Y. for 30 years. The company remains independent, family-owned and operated, and takes great pride in the quality of its machines and the service to its customers.

With advanced features catering to all levels, from beginner to pro, the machine’s portability allows players to put them in

their cars and bring them to their local club or court. The machine provides an excellent practice session and workout. The machines are also great for clubs and coaches, who can position themselves right beside their students and control the machine by a remote. The machines are especially useful for group lessons, as several lines of players can be fed at once.

Some machines come with programmable sequence settings and even match simulation.

Because Silent Partner only sells factory direct, it offers a wide selection of machines for the best deals on the market, and service is provided by the people who know the machines best. Â What are you waiting for? Check out SPTennis.com! They have great deals and offers all year to celebrate their 30th anniversary!

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LITennisMag.com • May/June 2019 • Long Island Tennis Magazine

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The Four-Stage Model of Long-Term Athlete Development

By Daniel Bezman n order to maximize the development of players over the long run, the best plan is to adopt a four-stage training model developed by Dr. Istvan Balyi. The four stages are:

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1. FUNdamental Stage 2. Training to Train Stage 3. Training to Compete Stage 4. Training to Win Stage Stage 1: FUNdamental Stage (ages: 5-10) The FUNdamental Stage should be wellstructured and fun! The emphasis is on the overall development of an athlete’s physical capacities, and fundamental movement skills (The ABCs: Agility, Balance, Coordination and Speed). From the ages of five to 10, the emphasis is on structure and fun. Participation in as many sports as possible is encouraged.

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Speed, power and endurance are developed using FUN games, and the correct running, jumping and throwing techniques are taught.

The use of a child’s own body weight games, medicine ball and Swiss ball exercises are encouraged, and athletes are introduced to the simple rules and ethics of sports. No periodization training takes place, but all programs are structured and monitored.

Tennis is part of this overall program.

But again, the structure and emphasis is on playing games, having fun and physical development. Age-appropriate racket and balls are important in the FUNdamental Stage.

Stage 2: Training to Train Stage (ages 10-14 for males/9-13 for females) The Training to Train Stage is similar to the bamboo tree. In the first four years, the bamboo tree grows three feet and develops it root structure. In the fifth

Long Island Tennis Magazine • May/June 2019 • LITennisMag.com

year, it grows 30 feet! Adopt the mindset of maximizing this developmental stage.

Go slow, expose the player to a wide range of athletic experiences and build a sense of joy and adventure in everything you do. During the Training to Train Stage, young athletes learn how to train systematically. They are formally introduced to basic tennis skills, as well as technical/tactical skills and ancillary capacities such as: Warming up and cooling down, stretching, hydration and nutrition, recovery and regeneration, relaxation and focusing, taper and peaking for competition.

During this Stage, they can begin tournament play. During competition, athletes definitely should try to win and to do their best; however, the focus of training is on learning the basics. Competing is secondary and it is important to not put too much importance on results, whether good or bad.

Training and competition ratios are important. Too many competitions will

waste valuable training time. Conversely, not enough competition will inhibit the practice of technical skills and the ability to face the physical and mental challenges presented during competition. A ratio of 75 percent training to 25 percent competition is recommended by experts during the Training to Train Stage, but these percentages will vary according to a player’s individual needs. The focus at this Stage should be on skill development, not outcome.

The underlying attitude of the coach, parent and player during this Stage is to focus on the process (training and performing to one’s actual best capacity), rather than the outcome (winning). We believe that athletes undertaking this type of preparation are better prepared for competition in both the short and long-term than athletes who focus solely on the rankings and tournament wins during these years. It is important to note that the 25 percent competition ratio refers to actual tournament play. Players in this stage still compete daily, in the form of practice matches and competitive games and drills.

The Training to Train Stage addresses the critical period of physical and skill development. If an athlete misses this Stage of training, they may never reach their full potential. The reason we see so many athletes plateau during the later stage of their careers is primarily due to an over emphasis on competition instead

of training during this critical period in their athletic development.

In this Stage you can institute a single annual periodization training framework with one major competition (a sectional or national tournament) for every 10 to 23 weeks of development.

By the age of 13-14, two distinctive competitive seasons are planned and implemented.

Stage 3: Training to Compete Stage (ages 14-18 for males/13-16 for females) This phase of development is introduced only after the goals and objectives of the Training to Train Stage have been achieved. During the Training to Compete Stage, high intensity, tennis-specific training is introduced on a year-round basis.

Athletes learn how to perform skills under a variety of conditions and are exposed to all possible competitive situations during training. Fitness programs, recovery programs, psychological preparation and technical development should now be individually-tailored to a greater degree.

These activities are organized above and beyond group preparation to address each player’s individual strengths and weaknesses.

The training to competition ratio now changes to 50:50. But this will again vary according specific needs. During this phase, you can adopt a double periodization framework. This means two

competitive seasons for every 14-16 weeks of development.

Stage 4: Training to Win Stage (ages 18-plus for males/16-plus for females) In Stage 4, the Training to Win Stage, the shift is to optimize competitive performance. At ages 16-18, this can shift to a triple periodization framework that allows players to compete at the highest level and still address continuing development needs. All of the athlete’s physical, technical, tactical, mental and ancillary capacities are now fully established with the focus of training shifting to the optimization of performance. Athletes are trained to peak for major competitions. The training to competition ratio shifts again in this stage to 25 percent development training to 75 percent. Included now in the 75 percent are a wide variety of competition-specific training activities. A multiple periodized framework (three or more competitive seasons) is adopted for an athlete’s playing calendar.

Daniel Bezman is an internationallyrenowned professional tennis coach who has worked with some of the best players in the world at academies like Mouratoglou Tennis Academy in France.

Daniel is currently a coach at Christopher Morley Tennis, and can be reached by email at DanielBezman@gmail.com.

www.inphormnyc.com LITennisMag.com • May/June 2019 • Long Island Tennis Magazine

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Setting Healthy Boundaries in Coaching

By Vasco Antunes In my career as a tennis coach, I’ve learned that when you start working with a young tennis player, it’s not enough to just focus on the quality of the technique, you must also take into account what happens outside the court.

Children play many roles … they are sons and daughters, students, friends and so on.

All of these different social roles they play and social environments they live in affect each other so understanding your player’s overall state of mind will allow you to better guide their performance as a tennis player, and more importantly, it will help you make sure they have a positive relationship with the sport and help them leave the court feeling happy.

Since the performance of the players is linked to these three environments (home, school and the court), I begin by establishing a complete picture of their life by asking them how they’re doing at school and I talk to them and their parents to try to understand the family’s dynamic.

After you get to know the player better you become more sensitive to certain signs he or she might be showing and the possible forces that are colliding inside that players mind causing them to act in a certain

way, this awareness will empower your decisions and help ensure better outcomes.

Even though understanding your players’ life outside the court is very important, it’s also essential that each role they play and each environment they interact in is kept separated. When they enter the court, they should leave behind the stresses of their school day or family disagreements. This separation is important because sports, in particular, are an amazing way to help kids (and adults) deal with the stresses of daily life.

This brings us to a very important point which is that one of the coaches jobs is to establish himself at the top of the hierarchy inside the court space and sometimes this can lead to all sorts of problems within the parent/coach/player relationship.

My experience has shown that in order for the player and coach relationship to work, the parents should not interfere with the practice sessions and give room for the coach to perform his job. The first reason is very obvious … parents do not have the technical knowledge nor do they necessarily understand the best methods to deliver certain messages to the players.

The second reason, and the most important one for me, is that when the boundary between the family and court environment begins to fade, the player loses an incredible opportunity to become more au-

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Long Island Tennis Magazine • May/June 2019 • LITennisMag.com

tonomous and learn to interact productively with others, therefore becoming more selfconfident.

I see this happen all the time, and often the result is that these young players start taking to the court with anxieties from their family life and that time of the day stops being their “safe harbor,” where they only have to focus on the process of learning a set of skills that are already very demanding.

More often than not, in these situations, the players end up losing interest for the sport because it becomes another source of stress for them.

Parents have the best intentions when they choose to be present and comment on the practice sessions, but I believe they do not understand that this might actually work against theirs kid’s best interest. Their presence will disrupt the coach’s authority and possibly intimidate their child, that will now also have to deal with their parents expectations. For example, when a coach points out a mistake the player obviously feels bad, frustrated and even embarrassed, especially if there are other young players present, if you add to that the parents presence those feelings will only be exacerbated and it will be more difficult for the kid to let them go.

So how should these situations be handled? I recommend that all coaches set healthy boundaries like not allowing parents to be inside the court, and communicate with parents the reasons behind that need for separation between the “Family” and the “Tennis Environment.” Parents can and should be engaged in their children’s athletic life, but they should do so in a way that is helpful to their personal and athletic growth.

Vasco Antunes is currently a teaching pro at Glen Head Racquet Club and also serves as the facility’s Tournament Director. He specializes in high-performance students, and has previously served as a hitting partner for Victoria Azarenka in addition to being a former coach of Pedro Sousa. A former ATP Player himself, Antunes reached a career high singles ranking of 1,091 in the world.

Tennis History Meets a Cutting-Edge Private Club Concept at The Hamlet Golf and Country Club

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une 2019 marks eight years since ClubCorp, “The world leader of Private Country Clubs,” purchased the Hamlet Golf and Country Club in Commack, N.Y. and immediately began a multi-million dollar renovation, including improvements to the clubhouse, golf course, tennis courts, fitness center and pool area. Renovations to the Club’s bar, dining area and new patio are complete, and the new beautiful Empire Grille recently opened, offering an upscale, cutting-edge menu in an inspired atmosphere. ClubCorp’s refreshing philosophy of what the modern Country Club looks like is drawing attention from Manhattan to Montauk.

The Hamlet’s tennis history is a rich one. For years, The Hamlet hosted the prestigious Hamlet Cup Tennis Tournament, the event that was used as a warm up for the U.S. Open for more than 16 years. The eight Hamlet tennis courts have been graced by such world renowned players as Martina Navratilova, Pete Sampras, Stefan Edberg and Michael Chang, to name a few.

Though the Hamlet Cup Tournament is now a fond memory, The Hamlet can boast new exciting traditions that are being cultivated today through programming for its members and their guests. This programming includes weekly Adult Cardio and Tennis Zones, Saturday morning Kids Tennis Zones, a new Tuesday Night Tennis Ladder and Sunday morning Concierge Tennis. Men’s and Woman’s USTA tennis teams have been added for 2019, as well as fabulous holiday events and tournaments and finishing the season with the annual and highly anticipated Club Championships.

All these programs and events will be played on the Club’s six im-

maculate hard courts, as well as the two HarTru courts, all of which are lit for evening play. The Hamlet is pleased to announce that Pickleball will be a new featured addition at the Tennis Center.

As if The Hamlet’s members do not have enough programming to choose from, the Club is also the host site for some of the most exciting tennis events that are happening on Long Island. The Long Island Tennis Challenge, featuring local amateur and pro players, will be held at The Hamlet on Saturday, June 8. The Long Island High School Championship, where the best Suffolk County Boys High School Tennis Team will face off with the best Nassau County Boys High School Tennis Team, will be played in May. Other events scheduled include the Boys High School Tennis “Play for Autism” and Girls High School Tennis “Play for Pink” fundraisers and Suffolk County’s USTA Kids Day. The Hamlet’s history and current tennis programming make it one of the most popular destinations for tennis enthusiasts looking for great amenities in a private country club setting. With such a beautiful environment in which to enjoy the game in mind, The Hamlet has developed new Social Memberships, catering to tennis and pool enthusiasts, as well as young professionals who are just starting to add golf to their busy lives. The Hamlet continues to be top of mind for the most discerning golfer of every skill who are looking for the Country Club lifestyle.

If you are interested in learning more about the new, exciting Hamlet Golf and Country Club, please contact Membership Director Hillary Epstein by calling (631) 499-5200 or e-mail Hillary.Epstein@ClubCorp.com.

LITennisMag.com • May/June 2019 • Long Island Tennis Magazine

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SCHEDULE 5:00 p.m. — Registration & Photos 5:30 p.m. — Cocktails & Hors D’oeuvres 6:30 p.m. — Awards Ceremony 7:45 p.m. — Dinner Want to see photos from tonight’s awards or events from past years? Need more information on our fabulous honorees and past awardees? Inspired to nominate someone for a 2020 award? Visit LongIsland.USTA.com for all you need to know about our Long Island Regional Awards Dinners from past to present!

REGIONAL DIRECTOR’S LETTER Dear Award Winners, Family, Friends & Supporters: elcome to the 29th Annual USTA Long Island Region Awards Dinner!

We have had quite a year in Long Island tennis. We are excited to honor this evening’s wonderful awardees and share our successes with you.

This past February saw the return of professional tennis to Long Island with the 2nd Annual New York Open. This ATP Tournament was back, bigger and better than its first iteration last year.

The event took over NYCB LIVE, home of the Nassau Veterans Memorial Coliseum, and brought tennis greats and legends, amateurs and fans to the Island for a week of competition and fun.

The USTA Long Island Region, along with event sponsor USTA Eastern, was proud to support the NY Open with volunteers throughout the week. We look forward to the 3rd New York Open, scheduled for Feb. 8-16, 2020.

The year 2018 was a big year for USTA League Team play on Long Island, as 10 of our teams were crowned Eastern Sectional Champions. Winning league teams represented all ages in both men’s and women’s play, as well as mixed and Tri-Level Leagues.

Our 40 & Over 4.5+ Men’s team, captained by Lionel Goldberg, finished fourth in the country. Way to go USTA League Teams! Last year, we also welcomed a brand new 65-and-Over Mixed League, the first (and only) one in the Eastern Section. Teams play mostly at Hempstead Lake State Park and the group is looking forward to its second season. If you would like to join a team, please contact us.

We hosted nearly 500 children at our Annual Summer Kids Days, coordinated with Long Island Tennis Magazine. Nassau Kids Day was held at Crest Hollow Country Club in Woodbury, while Suffolk Kids Day took place at the Hamlet Golf & Country Club in Commack. This past summer, we added a third event, in Eastern Suffolk, at the Shinnecock Tennis Club in the Hamptons. Long Is-

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land pros volunteered their time at these events to teach tennis basics and run clinics, while the kids also were able to dance to music and play games. Thank you to all the volunteers whose hard work made these events a success.

Community service is an important part of our commitment to helping others through tennis. Many of our clubs and teams participated in fundraising and service or awareness programs supporting important causes.

In New York State High School Tennis competition, Long Island was proud to be home to both the boys and girls New York State Singles Champions, Patrick Maloney and Rachel Arbitman.

The USTA Long Island Regional Council was pleased to present all the Nassau and Suffolk boys and girls competing at the New York State Tournament with sweatshirts. In addition, in support of our No Cut High School Initiative to create well-rounded student athletes, all No Cut team members received blue “No Cut Tennis” wristbands during the spring season to coincide with Autism Awareness Month (previously, we have given pink “No Cut Tennis” wristbands to girls’ team members in recognition of Breast Cancer Awareness). This is in addition to the many high school tennis programs that undertook charity events or hit-and-plays with younger children in their communities.

I’m so proud to be part of the Long Island tennis community and want to personally thank all our volunteers, players, clubs and supporters for making our Region the best in the USTA. Tennis is a game of a lifetime and our Council is honored to recognize our winners from under the age of 12, to over 90 years young! Enjoy the evening and celebrate the game we love with your friends, family and teammates. Everybody is a winner tonight!

Sincerely,

Jonathan Klee, Long Island Regional Director (volunteer) USTA Eastern Long Island Region

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GUEST SPEAKER Aranxta Sanchez-Vicario Aranxta Sanchez-Vicario, a 2007 inductee in the International Tennis Hall of Fame, has a storied tennis career. She was world number one in 1995 and is a 14-time Grand Slam champion and 17-time finalist, with 102 career titles. She is a two-time WTA World Tour doubles champion and has won several Olympic

Medals: Silver Medalist in Women’s Doubles and Bronze Medalist in Women’s Singles at the 1992 Barcelona Olympic Games and Silver Medalist in Women’s Singles and Bronze Medalist in Women’s Doubles at the 1996 Atlanta Olympic Games. She was a member and captain of the Spanish Federation Cup team. The USTA Long Island Region is pleased to welcome Aranxta to our dinner and looks forward to hearing from her.

AWARDEES 2019 Prestigious Awards Hy Zausner Lifetime Achievement Award: Karen Cadorette Vitas Gerulaitis “For the Love of Tennis” Award: Bruce Moodnik Arthur Ashe Multi-Cultural Award: Nicholas Haridopolos Rose Buck Scalamandre Tennis Family of the Year Award: The Perri Family

Sportsmanship Awards Birdie Tarulli League Captain Sportsmanship Award: Geri Verola Blane Magee League Captain Sportsmanship Award: Lionel Goldberg Anuj Agarwal Junior Sportsmanship Award: Nicholas Wernink Jennifer Sherry Junior Sportsmanship Award: Lauren Zola

Excellence Awards Adult Volunteer of the Year: Michelle Stoerback Charles Karp Memorial Award for Overcoming Adversity: Maddie Germano Corporate/Retail/Press Service Award: Gene Morris (Newsday) Good Samaritan Award: Carl Barnett Innovative Tennis Program: Sue D’Alessandro & Al Silverstein Junior Team Tennis Award: Steve Abbondondelo Special Service Award: Joe Arias Junior Volunteer of the Year: Brooke Schwartz Madeline Zausner Junior Tournament Director Award: Alex Alcantara Tennis Professional of the Year: Keith Kambourian Community Service Award: Commack Girls Varsity/Junior Varsity Team (Coach Jackie Clark) Outdoor Tennis Site of the Year: Shinnecock Tennis Club 40

Private Club of the Year: Pine Hollow Country Club Tennis Club of the Year: Glen Head Racquet Club 10-and-Under Tennis Award: Tim Van Epps USTA School/Child Care Tennis Program: Old Mill Road School College Coach of the Year: Jason Pasion (Hofstra University) Long Island High School Team of the Year: South Side High School (Coach Chris Colesanti, Players Philip Frank & Justin Seplowe)

USTA Leagues Eastern Sectional Champions/Team Captains 18 & Over League 5.0 Women: Tina Buschi & Hali Katz (Sportime Lynbrook) 40 & Over League 3.0 Men: Mike Sloan (World Gym Setauket) 4.5 Men: Lionel Goldberg (Robbie Wagner’s/Point Set) 55 & Over League 8.0 Men: Richard Pashayan (Garden City Rec) 9.0 Men: Donald Wall (Carefree Racquet Club) 18 & Over Mixed League 7.0: Suresh Patel & Shane Lefebvre (Deer Park Indoor) 40 & Over Mixed League 7.0: Dawn Schosberg (Sportime Syosset) 9.0: Roslyn Chua-Mcalonie (Deer Park Indoor) Tri-Level League 18 & Over Women: Jill Markowitz (Sportime Lynbrook) 18 & Over Men: Ian Shapiro (Sportime Syosset)

Long Island Tennis Magazine • May/June 2019 • LITennisMag.com

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AWARDEES 2019 Girls 14s 1) Thea Rabman 2) Ariana Pursoo

2018-2019 High School Champions New York State and Nassau County Boys’ Singles Champion: Patrick Maloney (Oyster Bay) New York State and Nassau County Girls’ Singles Champion: Rachel Arbitman (Hewlett) Nassau County Boys’ Doubles Champions: Eli Grossman & Preet Rajpal (Syosset) Suffolk County Boys’ Singles Champion: Jack Flores (Huntington) Suffolk County Boys’ Doubles Champions: Andrew Lim & Sol Yoon (Commack) Nassau County Girls’ Doubles Champions: Julia Gentile & Lauren Zola (South Side) Suffolk County Girls’ Singles Champion: Rose Hayes (Westhampton Beach) Suffolk County Girls’ Doubles Champions: Alexis Huber & Lauren Cherkin (Half Hollow Hills East) Nassau County Coach of the Year: Brian Hoffner (Roslyn) Suffolk County Coach of the Year: John Czartosieski (Westhampton Beach) Junior Champions Boys 18s 1) Neel Rajesh 2) Logan Chang Boys 16s 1) Kabir Rajpal 2) Alexander Karman Boys 14s 1) Mark Taranov 2) Daniel Kong Boys 12s 1) Jordan Reznik 2) Dillon Beckles Girls 18s 1) Lina Mohamed 2) Rachel Arbitman

Girls 12s 1) Ariana Pursoo (#1 Eastern) 2) Christasha McNeil

Adults–Final Eastern Rankings NTRP Rankings/Women 3.0 Singles: #1 Agne Rakauskas 3.5 Singles: #1 Laura Cassella 4.0 Singles: #1 Laura Cassella, #3 Tracy Gottlieb 4.5 Singles: #1 Tatiana Rosamilia, #2 Susan Bacey NTRP Rankings/Men 3.0 Singles: #2 Cory English, #4 Michael Schlam 3.5 Singles: #1 James Avallone 4.0: Singles: #8 tied Malik Bass & Eliot Rosenbaum 4.5 Singles: #1 - tied Michael Flaherty #4 tied - Mclane Green & Barry Hoffman Eastern Section Rankings (LI Finishers)/Women Singles Open: #1 Alexa Graham, #4 Joan Manfredi-Carter 30s: #1 Elizabeth Kobak 50s: #1 tied Caroline Garvey 60s: #1 tied Lydia Eitel 70s: #1 Peggy Gluck Eastern Section Rankings (LI Finishers)/Men Singles Open: #2 tied Mark Julian Baker, #4 Andrew Adler 25s: #1 Rodolfo Novello 35s: #1 David Fischbach, #6 Jeffrey Snow 50s: #1 Jonathan Klein, #2 Gary Fazah 60s: #2 Rich Adler 65s: #3 Steven Brill 85s: #1 Lee Roth

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U S TA E A S T E R N L O N G I S L A N D REGIONAL COUNCIL Executive Committee Jonathan Klee, Regional Director Michael Pavlides, Past Regional Director Sunny Fishkind, Vice Regional Director Randi Wilkins, Secretary

Committee Members Terri Arnold-McKenzie, Diversity & Inclusion Committee Scott Axler, Past Regional Director, Junior Competition Committee Shanon Blue, USTA League Committee Liaison Hilary Bressler, Events Planner, Awards Dinner Committee Daniel Burgess, Past Regional Director, Community Tennis Committee Steven Cloughen, Awards Dinner Committee Chris Colesanti, Adult League Committee Craig Fligstein, Veterans and Community Service Liaison Wayne Freeman, USTA League Committee Liaison Herb Harris, Grant Committee, Community Development Liaison Eileen Leonard, Competition Training Liaison Tito Perez, Diversity and Inclusion Committee, Junior Team Tennis Committee Fabiana Rezak, Community Tennis Liaison Clark D. Ruiz II, Nassau County Delegate Denise Schmidt, Events Planner, Awards Dinner Committee Michelle Stoerback, Awards Dinner Committee Jason Wass, Suffolk County Delegate

THANK YOU! e are grateful to all our supporters for helping to make the 29th Annual USTA Long Island Region Awards Dinner a success!

Special thanks to our guest speaker, Arantxa SánchezVicario, for joining us this evening, and to USTA Long Island Council member Tito Perez for his support and assistance

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in coordinating Aranxta’s appearance here.

Thank you to our fabulous Awards Dinner Committee, headed by the incomparable event planners Randi Wilkins, Hilary Bressler, Denise Schmidt and Steve Cloughen, and featuring the hard work of our Long Island Regional Council.

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C O N G R AT U L AT I O N S to All Award Winners from The USTA Eastern Long Island Region’s 29th Annual Awards Dinner Congratulations Bruce!

We are so proud of you!

Love, Margot, Rick, Julie, Josh, Sammi and Austin

Congratulations Michelle Stoerback on winning Adult Volunteer of the Year.

Well deserved!

Lionel Goldberg, your efforts are always appreciated!

Congratulations on the Blane Magee League Captain Sportsmanship Award.

SPORTIME/JMTA Congratulates this year’s Awards Recipients Tim Van Epps Jason Pasion Tina Buschi & Hali Katz Dawn Schosberg Roslyn Chua-Mcalonie Jill Markowitz Ian Shapiro Rachel Arbitman Preet Rajpal Jack Flores Kabir Rajpal Alexander Karman Lina Mohamed Rachel Arbitman Thea Rabman Laura Cassella Peggy Gluck LITennisMag.com • May/June 2019 • Long Island Tennis Magazine

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C O N G R AT U L AT I O N S to All Award Winners from The USTA Eastern Long Island Region’s 29th Annual Awards Dinner

Carefree Racquet Club congratulates the Perri Family for receiving the USTA Long Island Family of the Year Award.

A wonderful tennis family receiving an award well deserved.

Hofstra University and the Department of Athletics congratulates Pride Head Tennis Coach Jason Pasion on being named the Long Island College Coach of the Year by the United States Tennis Association.

Bruce Moodnik “The Vitas Gerulaitis For the Love of Tennis Award” Congratulations to Carefree's 55 & Over 9.0 Men's team for representing Long Island at the League National event!

Job well done!

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After more than 40 years you’re still putting your heart into everything you do, on the court and off.

I can’t think of a more appropriate award or deserving recipient!

Congratulations!

Love, Colette

Long Island Tennis Magazine • May/June 2019 • LITennisMag.com

US TA EA S T ER N LO NG ISLA ND R E G IO N

2 9 T H AN N U AL AWA R D S D I N N ER J O UR N A L

C O N G R AT U L AT I O N S to All Award Winners from The USTA Eastern Long Island Region’s 29th Annual Awards Dinner Congratulations Brooke Schwartz on winning the Junior Volunteer of the Year Award!

We Love You! Mom, Dad and Courtney

LITennisMag.com • May/June 2019 • Long Island Tennis Magazine

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WIN What’s. Important. Now.

By Rob Polishook, Mental Training Coach MA, CPC A few months ago, I was listening to John O’Sullivan’s Way of Champions’ podcast when he interviewed his colleague, renowned mental training coach Dr. Jerry Lynch.

They were talking about how all athletes want to win, but the path to winning is not so much about wanting to win, but understanding how to W.I.N. You may be wondering: What’s the difference between win and W.I.N.? A lot! In fact, it can be the difference between actually winning and losing. In the podcast, Dr. Lynch explained,

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“W.I.N. is an acronym for What’s Important Now.” W.I.N. got me thinking … I loved the acronym and then decided to respectfully add my spin to Jerry and John’s conversation. I believe the way to win in the context of W.I.N. are the three C’s: Controllables, Compete and Challenge. Let me explain with an example …

Years ago, I was a high school tennis coach, and Joe was my number one singles player. Prior to each match, Joe would boldly proclaim, “Coach, I’m going to win today, I’m going to crush this guy!”

“How do you plan to do this?” I would ask him.

Long Island Tennis Magazine • May/June 2019 • LITennisMag.com

He would reply, “Don’t worry coach, I got this!”

Sure enough Joe won just one match and lost 19 during the season.

Joe had no understanding of how to W.I.N. (What’s Important Now), only of the desire to win. If he had, Joe would not have been focusing on the outcome, he would not have been promising with false bravado, instead he would have been breaking the task down into W.I.N.: What’s Important Now. 1. Controllables: In the instance of Joe, the match had not even started and he was focusing on the outcome. Certainly, the outcome is

something in the future, something he cannot control. Imagine if he shifted his attention to what he could control? He could have focused on positive energy, centering himself with breathing exercises and strategizing what his game plan would be to counter his opponent’s game.

Like clockwork, Joe usually lost the first set pretty quickly. This is because he had one eye on winning, which is an uncontrollable, and the other eye on what he needed to do. Metaphorically, he was playing “cross-eyed tennis.”

Nonetheless, it was only the first set, I encouraged Joe to focus on W.I.N. 2. Compete: Now down a set, Joe needed to refocus his energy to simply competing. This would mean letting go of the first set and starting fresh, shifting the focus to bouncing back, and trying to find a rhythm that would stop the oppo-

ing to protect you from looking bad or what others think. Rather recognizing the adversity as a challenge.

nent’s dominance. It would also entail slowing things down, getting back to rituals, and playing to his strengths both in point construction and shot selection. It would also include letting go of expectations.

By this time, Joe usually did find his game; he slowed things down and started to get back into the match. Hypothetically, the score was 3-4 in the second set. Joe would sit down at the change over and proclaim, “Coach, I’m working hard, doing everything I can!” It was here we would discuss the third “C,” Challenge.

It’s imperative to remember that it’s natural to want to win. We all do! However, the key is to ask “What’s Important Now?” In answer to this question, I’d like to offer three, the three C’s. By reframing adversity through one of the three C’s (Controllable, Compete, Challenge), the player will be more proactive, calm and present. Through this lens, they will be better able to manage adversity and bounce back throughout a match.

3. Challenge: This match and any competition must be viewed through the lens of “Challenge” and not a “Threat.” When adversity gets reframed into a challenge, it allows the player to focus on the process.

We all have had challenges and been able to bounce back. This is the time to bring up those instances and get back to the match. Not try-

Rob Polishook, MA, CPC is Founder and Director of Inside the Zone Sports Performance Group. As a Mental Training Coach, he works with athletes and teams, focusing on helping athletes gain the mental edge. Rob is Author of Tennis Inside the Zone: Mental Training Workouts for Champions. He may be reached by phone at (973) 723-0314, e-mail Rob@InsideTheZone.com or visit InsideTheZone.com.

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www.hartru.com LITennisMag.com • May/June 2019 • Long Island Tennis Magazine

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By Emilie Katz Will Smith to Play Richard Williams in New Movie

Martina Hingis Gives Birth to Baby Girl

Photo credit: Gage Skidmore

Will Smith will play Richard Williams, father of tennis legends Venus & Serena Williams, in an upcoming movie titled “King Richard.” The movie will focus on Richard instructing his daughters on the sport of tennis in Compton, Calif., despite his own inexperience with the sport.

Over the course of their respective careers, Serena has won 23 Grand Slam singles titles, while Venus has seven Grand Slam singles, and the duo has combined for 14 Grand Slam doubles championships.

world. We are already so in love,” Hingis told her followers via Twitter.

Hingis is the latest of active and recently retired mothers on the WTA Tour, joining the motherhood ranks of Victoria Azarenka, Casey Dellacqua, Elena Vesnina and Serena Williams.

Federer’s Foundation Aids Cyclone Victims in Malawi

Photo credit: Twitter/@mhingis

Martina Hingis, a five-time Grand Slam singles title winner, and her husband, Harald Leemann, have announced the birth of their daughter, Lia. “And then we were three! Harry and I are excited to welcome our baby girl Lia to the Photo credit: USTA/Darren Carroll

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Long Island Tennis Magazine • May/June 2019 • LITennisMag.com

The Roger Federer Foundation’s work in Malawi is providing assistance to thousands of individuals displaced by Cyclone Idai, a storm that killed more than 600 people in Southern Africa.

“Cyclone Idai is a unbelievable disaster,” Federer said. “And it hit the most vulnerable ones in Malawi, Mozambique and Zimbabwe. It will take years for people to recover. My thoughts and solidarity are with the thousands of displaced people and families who lost their loved ones.”

All of the Roger Federer Foundation’s six model preschools have been converted to evacuation centers, aiding the more than 9,000 families in the district have been displaced, including 77 of the Foundation’s kindergarten teachers.

Osaka Sued by Former Coach

Serena Sells L.A. Mansion for $8 Million-Plus

Photo credit: The MLS/Trulia

Photo credit: USTA/Darren Carroll

Current world number one Naomi Osaka has been sued by her former coach Christophe Jean, who worked with both Osaka and her sister Mari in 2011, claiming that he is entitled to a 20 percent cut of their prize money for an “indefinite” period in an agreement he had with Osaka’s father, Leonard Francois.

According to the South Florida Sentinel, Jean is seeking $2 million in compensation from Osaka.

Arthur Ashe Stadium to Host Fortnite World Cup Finals

Serena Williams has sold her Bel-Air mansion in Los Angeles for $8.1 million. Listed initially for $12 million in late 2017, Serena purchased the sprawling home in early 2006 for $6.6 million.

The home features six bedrooms, seven bathrooms, marble and hardwood floors, a full-scale salon, a pool house and many more amenities.

Serena, along with her husband Alexis Ohanian, and daughter Olympia, reside on the Westside of Los Angeles in Beverly Hills.

ATP Stars Honor Retiring NBA Stars Wade and Nowitzki

Photo credit: Getty Images/Moses Kinnah

As the NBA’s Dwyane Wade and Dirk Nowitzki called it a career recently, some of the

ATP’s top stars, including Alexander Zverev, John Isner and Andy Roddick, took to Twitter to share their memories of the duo.

Zverev cited Wade as his favorite athlete and had the chance to meet him during the 2018 Miami Open: “Thank you @dwyanewade for everything you have done not only for the sport of basketball, but the world of sports in general. Showing the way for so many young kids from all over the world [and] that if you have the determination, the passion, the will and the hard work, you can achieve anything no matter where you come from … I just want to say thank you as a fan, as a fellow athlete and as a kid who always admired you and followed you your whole career.”

Roddick tweeted: “Tip of the cap to @dwyanewade. Was my favorite player for most of my adult life…cheers, and happy post-career my friend!”

Isner, a friend of Nowitzki, tweeted video of the German’s last shot and wrote: “What a freakin’ legend!”

litennis Long Island Tennis Magazine

MAGAZINE

Photo credit: USTA/Jennifer Pottheiser

This July, the USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center’s Arthur Ashe Stadium will play host the inaugural Fortnite World Cup Finals, with $30 million in total prize money for the taking, some of the highest stakes in eSports history. The U.S. Open’s current prize money is in the $50 million range, as the Fortnite World Cup Finals winners will collect $3 million, while everyone else will make at least $50,000 just for advancing to the World Cup Finals.

Australian tennis star and Fortnite enthusiast Nick Kyrgios took part in a Fortnite Pro-Am at Margaret Court Arena during the Aussie Open. Epic Games, developer of Fortnite, added a female tennis character dubbed “Volley Girl” to the game ahead of the Australian Open.

Congratulations to Ricky Becker and Pine Hollow Country Club for receiving the 2018 Private Tennis Club of The Year Award

www.pinehollowcc.org I 516-922-0300 LITennisMag.com • May/June 2019 • Long Island Tennis Magazine

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High Country Ski & Tennis 465 West Mount Pleasant Avenue Livingston, N.J. (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.

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Long Island Tennis Magazine • May/June 2019 • LITennisMag.com

PGA Tour Superstore 1254 Corporate Drive Westbury, N.Y. (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.

Located at 1254 Corporate Drive in Westbury, N.Y., 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.

SPORTIME Pro Shops Locations across Long Island and New York City (888) NY-TENNIS SportimeNY.com From Randall’s Island to Amagansett to Roslyn, Lynbrook and Syosset in between, SPORTIME is host to state-of-the-art Pro Shops with staff dedicated to helping you find all the gear you need to make us a great match! While each store has its own identity catering to its local clientele, every store has a huge selection of racquets, strings, bags, grips, apparel, footwear, and other accessories from the best brands: Head, Wilson, Babolat, Yonex, Solinco, Luxilon, Tecnifibre, Nike, Asics, Lucky-in-Love, Sofibella, Lija and more.

SPORTIME’s knowledgeable staff is standing by to help you find whatever you need to get you playing your best tennis. In the rare instance that they don’t have an item in stock, they will get it from another SPORTIME location. However, in the event that SPORTIME does not have the item, they will do our best to order it for you.

When it comes to five-star service, SPORTIME provides 24-hour stringing, grommet replacement and racket re-gripping. While at any of SPORTIME’s clubs, you are more than welcome to demo rackets for free or for a small fee that will apply towards the purchase of a new racket depending on the club.

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

Tennis East 73 Main Street Southampton, N.Y. (631) 283-9535 TennisEast@optonline.net For more than 48 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 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.

LITennisMag.com • May/June

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TopSpin Tennis & Fitness 218 Jericho Turnpike Syosset, N.Y. (516) 364-9470 TopSpinTennisLI.com TopSpin Pro Shop at Christopher Morley Tennis 500 Searingtown Road Roslyn, N.Y. (516) 484-4200 TopSpinTennisLI.com 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. The second shop is located at the new “State-of-the-Art” tennis complex at Christopher Morley Tennis at the park in Roslyn/Manhasset.

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. You will find all the premier tennis brands, including Nike, Adidas, K-Swiss, Asics, Babolat, Wilson, Head, Prince and many more.

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

TopSpin carries a full line of fitness and workout apparel and running shoes, so you can go from the court to the gym in style.

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.

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Tennis CHALLENGE Long Island Tennis Magazine

Presents

The Long Island

Saturday, June 8th

(Rain Date: Sunday, June 9th)

The Hamlet Golf and Country Club One Clubhouse Drive, Commack, NY 11725 Men’s and Women’s Amateur Check in: 8:30 a.m. • Tournament: 9:00 a.m.-1:00 p.m.

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Participants will be able to win great prizes including tennis tickets, apparel, gift bags, gift cards and much more. Winners will receive a spotlight article and photo in Long Island Tennis Magazine

For more information, contact Info@usptennis.com or call 516-409-4444 Long Island Tennis Magazine • May/June 2019 • LITennisMag.com

C O M I N G I N J U LY

Distribution scheduled for 07/01/19

This edition will feature: • A Look Ahead to the 2019 U.S. Open • Guide to the Top NY Sports Medicine Practices • 2019 Boys High School Season Recap • Long Island Tennis Magazine Summer Series • NY Empire Season Preview

Distributionacross Long Island at 300+ locations: • Indoor tennis clubs • Country clubs • Tennis camps • Retail stores • Gyms • Restaurants and health food stores • Many more!

Don’t miss the advertising opportunities in the next edition of Long Island Tennis Magazine July/August 2019!

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Submissions for both advertisingLITennisMag.com and editorial• May/June are due2019 by•June 1, 2019 Long Island Tennis Magazine 53 For more information, please call 516-409-4444 or e-mail Advertise@LITennisMag.com

Tennis Behavioral Baggage? Off My Court!

By Barbara Wyatt hizu, my tennis captain, asked me to play with a new 4.5 partner, Nathan, in an upcoming match. I agreed and asked if she would arrange a practice.

Silly me, I like to meet new partners and play at least one practice match before a tournament. Nathan and I met at a centrally-located tennis club for the practice.

We hit it off immediately. In warm-up rally, I discovered his pace-driven strokes, wicked topspin, ability to run like the wind, and most important, an engaging spirit.

Chizu is obviously a talented captain to recruit this player! Our opponents, Liana & Matt, joined us. We did not know them, but we knew of them. Nathan and I were pitted against an experienced doubles team.

Balls whizzed over the net and back

C

again at double-speed; at least it seemed twice as fast. The court resonated with players’ comments such as “nice shot,” “great rally,” and “amazing get.”

During one point, the ball hung sweet and juicy in the air. I lunged forward to drive a mighty down-the-line shot into the alley on the ad side. My racket had a different idea. I shanked the ball and a wimpy drop shot dripped over the net and onto the deuce side of their court. Matt said, “Never seen THAT before.” Empathic compassionate smiles broke out on everyone’s faces.

At the conclusion of our practice, Nathan and I walked off the court filled with pride on the balls we did keep in play and an admiration for our winning opponents. Later, I reflected there was no behavioral baggage on the court.

Have you played with players laden with baggage? They bring suitcases full of behavioral issues, little concept of courtesy and a

misunderstanding of many tennis rules.

Baggage players can dissolve a friendly practice game into a show of narcissism when they slam the ball because of their unforced error. They cry out with a venomous yell that makes even their mother cringe when their groundstroke hits the bottom of the net. They deliberately drop their racket and growl like a wounded Wookie when they double-fault their serve.

When Liana, Matt, Nathan and I stepped inside the 78-x-36- foot rectangle outlined in white court paint, we practiced the true game of tennis with its rules and courtesies.

Each player was scrupulously honest on line calls. Courtesies were granted when a stray ball interrupted a serving motion. Compliments were given on sharp-angled shots and superior serves. Empathy resonated when a player made an unforced error.

When faced with a baggage player, I reflect on the first phrase of the Serenity Prayer, “God grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change.” Because we cannot change those players, we must ignore their antics, focus on our tennis strengths and make decisions based on the rules and courtesies of the game of tennis.

Still, if you simply must try to change the behavior of a baggage player, try this: draw a big circle around this article, drop it in their tennis bag, then hot foot it out of there.

The wounded Wookie will cry out again.

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 e-mail at BarbaraW@iKnowTennis.com.

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Long Island Tennis Magazine • May/June 2019 • LITennisMag.com

JMTA Hosts Workshop, Adds Sports Vision to Training Regimen

In order to be a top tennis player in today’s day and age, it’s imperative that you have a well-rounded training regimen that goes beyond simply practicing on the court.

With that in mind, the John McEnroe Tennis Academy (JMTA) has begun hosting Sports Vision Workshops at its facility, and has brought in Dr. Anne Hanna OD, FCOVD as its Official Sports Vision Doctor.

“There are a lot of positives,” Dr. Hanna said of doing visual training. “One is performance on the court or field, and the other positive is that the visual skills necessary to perform in your sport are also necessary to perform in the classroom. So by training your visual system for optimal performance in your sport, you also stand to improve your performance in the classroom.”

Hanna oftentimes said people conflate eyesight and vision, which can be misleading.

“I have kids who show up and say, ‘I don’t need to do this, I have perfect vision.’

But what they mean is they have 20-20 eyesight,” said Dr. Hanna. “There are more than 20 visual skills you need to perform at your peak. That 20/20 number is only a small portion of the whole picture. In the athletic world, we’re very good at trying to fortify and strengthen modifiable factors.

It’s just that vision is often overlooked as one of those factors. With 85 percent of our input in sports being visual, it’s a huge overlook to not say ‘let’s strengthen our visual systems’ for us to perform better.”

The students participating in Dr. Hanna’s workshops have already begun seeing improvements on the court, according to Mike Kossoff, JMTA’s Long Island Annex Director.

“It’s really important that we be at the cutting-edge, and give our kids the opportunity to be the best they can be. You look at any other sport whether its hockey, basketball, football, etc., they’re all doing this. And now it’s coming into tennis more, with Djokovic and Serena very involved with eye vision training,” said Kossoff.

“John [McEnroe] was very adamant that we

get involved in this. I think it’s something that’s really important. To have Dr. Hanna, who is the best at her craft, right here in our backyard, we’re so fortunate to be able to take advantage of that.”

And the players have enjoyed being able to enhance their games through the use of sports vision training.

“They love it,” Kossoff said. “Any chance they have to get an edge on the court, and also improve in the classroom, it’s a winwin for them. Some of our best players have been doing this since September and we’ve already seen drastic changes.”

Tennis Court Equipment & Material Tennis Posts & Nets Court Accessories Windscreen Netting & Hardware (631) 427-5904 velvetop.com

1455 New York Ave Huntington Station, NY LITennisMag.com • May/June 2019 • Long Island Tennis Magazine

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junior tennis spotlight

Ten Extremely Off the Radar Things That Can Help a Junior Player Reach Their Tennis Goals: Part II

BY R I C K Y BE C K E R

By Ricky Becker n the March/April 2019 issue of Long Island Tennis Magazine, I discussed my formula on junior tennis success. In short, it goes like this …

Ten percent of junior players walk onto the tennis court for the first time with clearcut talent; 80 percent of junior players walk onto the tennis court for the first time and will go as far on the junior or collegiate circuit as their effort, commitment and proper guidance takes them; and 10 percent of junior players walk onto the tennis court for the first time and just find tennis extremely difficult.

Any well-educated coach will tell you

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that you need to learn good technique, develop a weapon, think on the court, control your emotions and get into good shape. This is all true. From my 30-plus years of being around junior tennis, there are many other things that come into play when it comes to a player reaching their potential. In the last issue, I expanded on five of these factors, which were Athletic Confidence, Flexibility, Parents’ Commitment, Sibling Influence, and Social Distractions. Below are five more: 1. Environment: Winning culture It’s no surprise that talented players from different countries come in waves. Americans dominated in the 70’s, then there was

Long Island Tennis Magazine • May/June 2019 • LITennisMag.com

the men’s “Swedish Invasion.” Then came a wave of good men’s Spanish players as well as a bunch of good of men’s French players. The last decade or so has seen a bunch of good Russian women’s players. The last few years we have seen a nice wave of American women’s players. Success breeds success. When you see a peer have a good result, it gives you belief that you can do it too. This doesn’t just apply on the macro level of country versus country, but also intra club. When you see players at your club that are on your level have a good result, it gives you the belief that you can do it too and gives life to your goals. This probably breeds more success than a particular coaching formula any one club may have.

2. Decision-making on the fly How fast can the wheels turn in your head mid-point? The ball is really dropping, do I need to slice it or can I still roll it? My opponent is really covering crosscourt, do I have time to set up and hit down the line? That ball is coming deep … do I take it on the rise or back-up? The amount of decisions one has to make in a tennis match is remarkable when you really think about it.

3. The ability to see the big picture at a young age It is important that while a young child might hate losing, they are open and willing to develop their long-term game.

Two specific examples are not pushing the ball and working on volleys at a young age. I remember a 10-andUnder-tournament where the number one kid in the East was practicing drop overheads with a coach before a match. Yes! Hitting a drop shot when they had an overhead at the net! At the time, all the parents watching in the window thought it was brilliant because

after-all, the kid was number one in the 10’s! However, this was the epitome of working on things that only work at younger age groups and his ranking dropped tremendously once he reached the 14’s.

4. Core strength This is an area that is fortunately getting more and more recognized in tennis training over time. If you look at pro tennis players, some have strong arms and some are almost scrawny. Some players legs are very chiseled (usually the counter-punchers) and some just look athletic. All successful tennis players have that six-pack. The core moves your kinetic chain along more efficiently, as well as prevent getting low with your shoulders (a no-no), prevent injury and even help you breathe better.

5. Perceived needs versus wants The old coaching adage is “How badly do you want it!?” Really, the more apropos statement would be “How badly do

you need it!?” Ask an international junior player. If they want to go to an American college and they cannot afford to go without a tennis scholarship, they will run through a wall in their training to get better. A junior player who wants to get better, but doesn’t need a scholarship or will hit their college of choice solely through academics, just won’t have that same “Eye of the Tiger” approach. This perceived need will intrinsically motivate more than anything else.

Ricky Becker is the Director of Tennis at Pine Hollow Country Club. He independently coaches high-performance juniors and adults of all-levels yearround at Bethpage Park Tennis Center.

He has coached hundreds of ranked junior players. As a player, Becker was awarded Most Valuable Player for the 1996 NCAA Championship Stanford Tennis Team and 1989-1992 Roslyn High School Tennis Teams, and was ranked number four in the United States in the 18 & Under Division.

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Get More Game: Tips to Avoid Injury and Discover Your Best Performance

By Vincent Carvelli, RTS n estimated 17.9 million people play tennis in the United States, according to the Tennis Industry Association (TIA), making it one of the most popular sports in the country. Unlike many sports that have set duration times, tennis matches can go several hours. The sport demands much from its athletes, with repetitive strokes and movements that can stress muscles, joints and more, and make individuals susceptible to injury. So what can a devoted tennis player do?

As a Resistance Training Specialist (RTS), President and Director of Education at the Academy of Applied Personal Training Education (AAPTE), the key is be mindful about the frequency of playing, intensity of effort and recovery. Muscle

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spasms, continued soreness, joint aches and pains, and muscle tightness are all potential indicators of overuse, as well as a change in performance is a strong indicator that the athlete needs a break.

Unfortunately, more times than not, athletes tend to ignore their bodies method of communicating and continue training and playing as the nervous system finds solutions and often creates compensatory movement patterns which may lead to further musculoskeletal concerns. Soreness is a sign of overuse. The human body cannot differentiate a “good soreness” from a “bad soreness” as many people believe; this is just not true.

The longer recovery takes can be an indicator of just how much trauma the tissue has been subjected to. Little to no soreness is a fair determent of efficient training, as opposed to the mindset of no pain no gain.

Long Island Tennis Magazine • May/June 2019 • LITennisMag.com

Returning to sports after injury All injuries have unique characteristics–if you get hurt and you’re not seeing a reduction in pain and return of function, it’s essential to be evaluated by a healthcare practitioner (chiropractor, physical therapist, and orthopedist) and then follow the treatment protocol. Recovery is essential to an effective comeback. An athlete must understand that an interruption is better than a termination. An athlete should be prepared that this is part of playing a sport—sometimes suspending activity so you can resume with less chance of reoccurrence.

When an athlete gets injured, there is a fear of losing one’s skill(s) because he or she is not practicing. But your skill will not go away. You may need to work to return to your previous levels of strength and endurance, but the skill is some-

thing that is nervous system related, mapped and patterned in you neuromotor memory. Additionally, there is much research that points to the benefits of visualization training during recovery.

Although there is not a single program for success that works with every individual, sometimes an athlete doesn’t reach their peak performance because they’re over-trained, over-stressed and potentially not receiving adequate nutrient load. He recommends avoiding preservatives, processed and fast foods. Being mindful of not only physical stress, but emotional stress as well. The addition of the practice of mindfulness and meditation are very helpful and effective.

The static stretching myth There is a difference between stretching and warming up … toe touches and shoulder circles have nothing to do with preparing for your sport. The best activity preparation is the activity. It actually prepares the body for the activity; in addition you’re training the nervous system in skill acquisition as you are increasing tissue

temperature, circulation and joint lubrication. Start slow and be thoughtful as the intensity of activity is increased. Modulate the intensity based on how the body feels.

Perfect your practice Practice makes perfect is not really the whole story. Skill acquisition and proficiency from a practice perspective is based upon perfecting the practice. Without identifying the inefficiency of a movement pattern and the cause(s) of it, practice will only reinforce less than desirable adaptations. There are three phases of skill acquisition according to Attention and Motor Skill Learning (1964; Fitts and Posner, 1967): “The cognitive, associative and autonomous stages. The cognitive stage is characterized by the exerciser trying to figure out what exactly needs to be done. Considerable cognitive activity is typically required in this stage, in which movements need to be controlled in a relatively conscious manner. The associative phase is characterized by ‘more subtle movement adjustments.’”

The movement pattern becomes more

consistent from trial to trial and due to neuromuscular adaptations, the movement becomes more economical. Lastly, the autonomous phase, after repetitive execution, the individual reaches the autonomous phase (termed “motor stage”

by Adams, 1971), characterized by smooth, synchronized and seemingly effortless motions, with few variances or errors. During the skill development phases, it is essential that the “input” be precise and accurate. When practice or play isn’t proving to be efficient, sometimes it’s beneficial to take a step back and take a break. With a little less expectation of the performance you might enjoy the process more.

Vincent Carvelli, B.S., R.T.S., C.P.T. is President, Director of Education and Resistance Training Exercise Biomechanics Instructor at the Academy of Applied Personal Training Education (AAPTE), an education, continuing education and nationally-accredited personal training certification organization. For more information, visit AAPTE.org.

LITennisMag.com • May/June 2019 • Long Island Tennis Magazine

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A Revolutionary Approach in Sport Psychology

By Dr. Tom Ferraro ll competitive tennis players understand that it’s an emotional and pressure-filled game. The extreme “Mono e Mono” nature of the game introduces “the thrill of victory or the agony of defeat.”

Every tennis player alive has felt the tension at the doorstep of fame or shame.

These circumstances must be managed for the player to obtain victory. The emotions felt in tennis are often extreme which explains why sports psychologists are employed by professional players. The intensity of emotions also explains why poorly-trained mental coaches so often fail in their earnest efforts to help the player remain calm while under pressure.

Sport psychology is a relatively new field with the bulk of the research and applied effort taking place since about 1950. The field has been shortsighted by choosing to employ behavior mod type

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treatment such as positive self-talk, goalsetting, visualization, focusing tips and a variety of the so-called relaxation therapies like progressive relaxation. These techniques are hastily turned to in search of the quick fix and out of fear that the athlete will be afraid to explore more deep rooted issues. The field has joined the resistance of the player and thereby taking a superficial approach which fails to address the underlying dynamics that all athletes struggle with. My favorite example of this is Tiger Woods who was treated with standard behavioral techniques and without addressing his more deep-rooted issues. And alas, the deeprooted issues inevitably arrived in the form of sex and drug addictions which derailed his career and destroyed an otherwise stellar reputation.

The field is now beginning to turn to the founding fathers and mothers of psychotherapy to learn more.

Here are but six of the more obvious theories from the past that have wide and

Long Island Tennis Magazine • May/June 2019 • LITennisMag.com

powerful effectiveness for tennis players and their woes: 1. Sigmund Freud, guilt and secondary gain: Freud is a name that every educated person is aware of and is widely considered to be one of the great thinkers of the 20th Century, having an impact on much of Western Culture. His theory of unconscious guilt goes a long way in explaining why some athletes reach the top and then give it all away.

His theories of secondary gain states that both illness and losing can sometimes be desired in order to gain sympathy from others. A good example in golf is when Greg Norman choked during the Masters many years ago. Norman received hundreds of thousands of fan letters following this loss, which provided him with love and a sense of goodness.

2. Carl Jung and the Shadow Side: One of the founders of psychoanalysis was

Carl Jung, best known for his work on the collective unconscious and archetypes in the mind. An example of a Shadow Archetype is a character like Darth Vader in the film Star Wars, who is a sinister but powerful force. Jung would say that our Shadow Side or our Anima and Animus is our disowned and repressed nature. I have spent much time helping my athletes get in touch with their Shadow Side so that they can become more aggressive and more powerful on the court.

4. Margaret Mahler and her Theory of Separation/Individuation: Mahler’s Theory of Separation/Individuation is based upon her research with infants and toddlers. She discovered that all children go through this phase of symbiosis/separation/individuation as they grow up. I use this theory to help my athletes separate from distractions and human interactions in general in order to enter the zone where by the only thing that exists is their own power and will to win.

3. Alfred Adler and inferiority complex: Adler’s Neglected Theory is actually quite brilliant. He stated that all of our pain and shame from the past is the source of our ambition and our drive.

The source of the champion’s perseverance and drive derives from this pain and emptiness. Good examples of this are the Williams Sisters, who were raised in poverty and this sense of inferiority gave them their incredible will to win.

5. Kohut and narcissism: Heinz Kohut’s theory of narcissistic injury states that if one has a fragile self-image any insult or failure can produce rage and despair. If you have ever watched a young player implode on the court after a missed point you may be observing a narcissistic injury wreak havoc. This theory helps guide my work with this kind of player so that they can be helped with self-image and ego strength in order to manage setbacks more easily and control anger.

6. Comparative Psychology and Alpha Animals: Comparative Psychology is the study of animals to learn more about humans. Pavlov studied dogs and discovered classical conditioning. Harlow studied chimps and learned how important physical contact is. The folks that study wolves taught us that there is only one wolf in charge of the pact and that when dominance is established it tends to stick. I use this knowledge to teach the tennis player all about body language before and during the match in order to trigger their own dominance response and to elicit a submission response in the opponent.

These are but a few of the valuable lessons that sport psychology needs to reacquaint itself with if it wants to keep up with the times.

It’s back to the future all over again.

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.

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Mental Toughness

By Stefan Ilic believe there are three main components that must be present in a tennis players arsenal in order for them to say they are “Mentally Tough.”

The first of these components is the toughest to obtain and maintain: Awareness. What I judge awareness to be is the ability of a player, in any moment during a match, whether winning or losing, to be aware how they got themselves in that position. More often than not, people think being in the winning position may relieve them of some pressure to win. I think it’s just as difficult to maintain good judgment while winning as it is when you are losing, in which case you have the score to consistently remind you of the importance of every point and gets you focused on a goal.

While winning, a player may enter a “Relaxed State.” This can be very dangerous.

A player who is winning should be aware that their opponents may be more willing

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to try different things in the match to win.

They may also feel less pressure to play their ideal kind of point, and “Go for broke,” which may throw the winning player off balance. The point is that, regardless of position in a match, every and any player should know how and why they are in the position they find themselves in.

This brings us to the second of the three main components: Confidence. It’s common to hear people comment on a player who hits the ball hard and goes for risky shots when it’s not necessary to be a confident player. I don’t think that’s what “confidence” should be considered. I see “confidence” as the ability of a player to act calm in pressure situations, and to be calm before a match even begins. This confidence should be like a support system for a player … the catalyst to play your best. You know for a fact that if you go in a match thinking‚ “I don’t have a good slice or my second serve is weak,” and think for a second that you cannot do something about it, then you leave yourself vulnerable. What helps, naturally, with developing

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confidence is practice. I don’t think any player can hear enough times that practice is the key to being the best, both on and off the court. So, the more we practice, the more we mature as players and learn to depend on our shots to help us win matches. Displaying negative emotions towards yourself is not a good thing and is a waste of time. Believe in your ability, it shows.

The third and final piece to mental toughness is “Strategy.” By strategy, I mean the ability of a player to measure risk, know their own capabilities, and read their opponents as best they can. Together, these observations can provide a picture of how you can win a match … a blueprint of your tennis match which can show you what your best way of winning any situation in the match is.

Although the three components of mental toughness I discussed, Confidence, Awareness and Strategy, are separate, it seems they are equally as necessary as the next one. Of course every player is different, but it’s safe to say that without awareness, a strategy would be hard to come across and make up, and without confidence, your match might end sooner than you think. And of course, without a strategy, your confidence might go down the drain and leave you saying‚ “But I hit a million backhands cross-court this past week getting ready for the match.”

Be mentally tough … be yourself … be good!

Stefan Ilic is a Staff Professional and Associate High Performance Coach at New York Tennis at Great Neck. As a junior player, Stefan was ranked as high as top 10 in the USTA Eastern Section, won a PSAL Singles Title while at Forest Hills High School, was a member of a Junior TeamTennis National Championship team in 2010, and finished as four-star recruit.

SPORTIME Randall’s Island to Host Fourth Annual College Recruiting Combine

PORTIME Randall’s Island and the John McEnroe Tennis Academy will host the 2019 John McEnroe Tennis Academy College Recruiting Combine, the weekend of June 22-23, bringing together college coaches and high school players for the fourth consecutive year.

The Combine, a big success in each of the past three summers, will again give select rising high school sophomores, juniors and seniors, from around the country and beyond, JMTA students and non-JMTA students, the opportunity to showcase their technical and tactical tennis skills, as well as their athletic abilities and mental toughness, in front of coaches from top colleges and universities.

“One of the driving forces at JMTA is our commitment to preparing our players for college tennis, and helping them to find their best college fit,” said John McEnroe.

“After an amazing first three years of the JMTA Combine, we are excited to be expanding the JMTA Combine in 2019 to include more coaches and more students, and we are confident that it will be a great resource for both.”

Just as in the past three summers, coaches representing all three NCAA Divisions are expected to attend, and this year’s commitments have been more impressive than ever, including coaches from Brown, Baylor, Cornell, Dartmouth, Penn State, William & Mary, Wake Forest, and many other top programs, with many more coming. Representatives from prestigious leagues including the Ivy League, ACC, Big East, SEC, Big 10, Patriot League and

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NESCAC attended last year, and are expected again this year.

Interested players can get more information and apply to participate in the Combine at SportimeNY.com/JMTACombine. Combine applications will be accepted through June 1 for the 120 Combine spots available, for 60 boys and 60 girls. The Combine Selection Committee will evaluate each application based upon objective criteria, and applicants will be informed of their status as “Admitted” or “Wait-Listed.” Those who are wait-listed will be contacted if they are, subsequently, admitted.

Player check-in will begin at 8:00 a.m. for all players on both Combine days. Participants will compete in singles and doubles match play with tracked results.

Players will also receive athletic performance assessments, and will be invited to take part in the Sports Vision Testing and in a College Coaches’ Panel Discussion.

One of the Combine partners, Tennis Analytics, will be recording all matches and will offer participant video packages, including match videos with detailed analytics, that will be available for participants to send directly to college coaches. Included for each Combine participant is an integrated recruiting package, available, digitally, to both participants and the coaches, at the touch of a button on their personal Player Portals.

For more information, visit SportimeNY.com/JMTACombine or e-mail JMTACombine@SportimeNY.com.

LITennisMag.com • May/June 2019 • Long Island Tennis Magazine

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Tennis’s Magic Pill

By Lonnie Mitchel

W

hen tennis became a sport and was developed, it was always a game that had two people competing against one other using their tools, talents and mental know-how to solve problems on the court to achieve goals. Coaching was done prior to the matches and the players were off to solve the challenges that lie ahead. In the last several years, the USTA has explored ideas on how to make coaching allowed during the competition of a match itself.

As a collegiate coach, I wrestle with this dilemma quite often. I have the title of “Coach” and the players in a match often look to me to solve their challenges to hopefully win their match, confusing my title with that of a personal trainer/teacher.

They look to me to provide them with “The 64

Magic Pill” at that very moment they need it. Well, after years of coaching and trying to analyze three doubles matches and six singles matches in the time span of three hours at a dual tennis match, here is what I figured out and there had to be a better way …

On-court coaching is not The Magic Pill.

I often butt heads with my players as to why I just let them play? They like to imply that maybe I am not doing my job. The preparation I spend as a coach is broken down into hours upon hours managing a group of young women and men, impressing upon them the hard work it takes to succeed. This happens when practices are carefully planned and implemented, which may be very different from what a player’s expectations are. This is what I learned about The Magic Pill ... preparing for colle-

Long Island Tennis Magazine • May/June 2019 • LITennisMag.com

giate matches that take place on the weekend when there is no scouting reports or film like a football, basketball and lacrosse team receive comes down to PREPARATION! There are two quotes, one by Confucius, that says this: “Success depends upon previous preparation, and without such preparation there is sure to be failure.” Another unnamed quote I read recently was: “The best preparation for good work tomorrow is to do good work today.” Working in the corporate world for many years, one of my directors early in my career often referred to the “5 P’s” (Perfect Preparation Prevents Poor Performance).

What I realized in this quest to teach tennis players the art of preparation is the best Magic Pill to success. At various times, the players on my team on a court change might be looking around to see where I am.

Maybe I am trying to dissect another person’s game, maybe I am talking to my assistant about what needs to be done for future practices and a plethora of things that can give the illusion that a player at the moment feels that they are not being paid attention to. However, if I can teach a player throughout the course of the season that the responsibility is their own—to be on time for practice, to find that internal fortitude that practice is your best assurance of good performance, I have done my job.

As coaches, we need to teach young men and women the all-important skill of problem-solving and critical thinking. There is an expression “Give a man a fish, and you feed him for a day. Teach a man to fish, and You Feed Him for a Lifetime.” Coaching is similar, I would rather not give the fish soto-speak to a player when he/she is looking for the Magic Pill in the match. Rather, teaching the player to work hard all week and throughout the school year will ensure they are successful both on the court and off. The success of a tennis team in the very longest of terms comes to reality with a much stronger foundation that we can succeed if we do the right things often, not just on match day.

There are coaches that I compete against that look to be more interactive on game day and from a short body of work can look as though the coaching is good.

What we do not know is what kind of coach they are the 99.9 percent of the time when we do not see what they are doing in

practices and preparation. Players can be confused. To me, there is no confusion what I must do 99.9 percent of the time away from matches and during practice; implement the Magic Pill of the Five P’s (Perfect Preparation Prevents Poor Performance). In this case, the foundation is rock solid. This way in a collegiate match, I am assured that the player who feels like they are not being paid attention to on that one particular moment has a bank of preparation tools to withdraw from and has the confidence to perform. That is something that will resonate in life and preparation for the real world and beyond.

I have been conflicted on this matter for a very long time because collegiate tennis players can challenge you on philosophy on almost anything. I might have a crack in my armor and just a little self-doubt that maybe I should change my philosophy completely. After all, they know everything and I know nothing (tongue and cheek). I came across an article on the Internet from Nick Saban, one of the most successful collegiate football coaches in history.

Saban had Bill Belichick as a mentor, and while coaching Division I football is different than coaching collegiate tennis, Saban does coach young men the same age as the players I coach. The article jumped out at me as the advice Belichick gave to a young Nick Saban years ago was, “Let the players play.” To paraphrase the article, as Belichick often says, “Do your job. “ Make the players responsible

once taught and then, “Do your job.” The players know what their job is and they do it well because they are trained to do it and are held to a higher standard of responsibility. How has that worked out with the New England Patriots and the University of Alabama?

Back in my little world of coaching tennis in Division III … the skill level is not as high as in those professional ranks like the New England Patriots or University of Alabama, but the philosophy can be transferred and the culture in both those places are cemented and recorded. Players are held responsible to a higher standard, and the success is undeniable.

The 5 P’s (Perfect Preparation Prevents Poor Performance) is The Magic Pill. Once a coach adapts this philosophy and sticks with it, it is undeniable that the seed you plant over time will sprout the best fruit ever.

Lonnie Mitchel is Head Men’s and Women’s Tennis Coach at SUNY Oneonta.

Lonnie was named an Assistant Coach to Team USA for the 2013 Maccabiah Games in Israel for the Grand Master Tennis Division. Also coached for Team USA in Berlin and Chile in 2015 and Team USA Maccabiah for the Open Division working with Division I players and professionally ranked in the Israel Games in 2017. Was also named Coach of the Year in 2015 for State University of NY Athletic Conference. Lonnie may be reached by phone at (516) 4147202 or e-mail LonnieMitchel@yahoo.com.

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Developing Good Coaching Habits

By Joao Pinho As coaches and teaching professionals, we are constantly trying to help our players develop good habits, but how often do we look at our own habits as teachers? This article will portray simple actions and behaviors that can make us better professionals.

On-court teaching As someone who spends most of my working hours on-court, it is of utmost importance that my teaching skills are highly-developed and adaptable to the player(s) I have. Here are some characteris66

tics that have a big impact on the quality of a lesson … l Have you identified the main aspect that you want to highlight for that moment or day? Everything starts there.

Once you pinpoint your theme, then creating a series of progressive drills becomes simpler. It should be clear to you and the player what the main elements being worked on are. l Creating a progression that ranges from hand-feeding, to racket-feeding, then to live ball, is often a great way for players to build their skills and be able to focus on one aspect at a time, before opening the scenario to more variables (like in rallies or points). When

Long Island Tennis Magazine • May/June 2019 • LITennisMag.com

using any of the methods mentioned above, it’s important to consider the following: 1. Am I giving a realistic ball trajectory on my feeds?

2. Am I feeding at a speed that challenges the player, but still allows him/her to maintain proper technique?

3. Am I providing a sequence of shots that is realistic and appropriate for the player? l There’s a fine line between being a demanding coach and a negative one.

While some players may react well to harsher coaches, I try to err on the side of positivity. This is where the art of

coaching comes into play … how can a coach be demanding, but still positive? This can vary greatly depending on the age group and commitment level of the player, but here are some guidelines I like to use: 1. Create a 3:1 ratio in terms of reinforcement of positives versus correcting “problems.” We often forget that players learn just as much, if not more, by copying the good things they already do, rather than by trying to “fix” the ones they struggle with. Ask yourself, how often do we see players hitting 10 good shots in a row with no feedback, to then have the pro “jump” on the player after a bad one? I’d recommend reversing that and make a big deal out of the good ones, while still pointing out areas of improvement on the mistakes.

2. Be very specific with the feedback.

Tips like “great shot.” and other similar ones, can still be used, but can be more powerful if they pack more content. For example: “Great extension on that last shot,” “I like that cross-over step!” Adding more specificity to your comments will allow players to learn more as they’ll be more certain of skills being looked for and they’ll know once they actually do it the way you want it!

Developing a connection with your player It’s been said that kids don’t learn as well from people they don’t like, and I believe that is applicable to all ages. Developing a positive relationship with your players is a key skill that pros need to nurture. This doesn’t only boost the learning curve, but also improves the pro’s retention rate. Here are some simple concepts that I try to incorporate into my teaching style to develop a real connection with the player: l What are the appropriate topics that you can engage with the player during some small breaks? These can be important to get the player to relax and sometimes forget a less than ideal performance. Show curiosity for that interest and that can create a stronger bond. While this is helpful, it’s impor-

tant to keep it under control so a significant portion of the lesson is not dedicated to side topics. l While we want our players to continue to develop and become as good as they can, it’s just as important to make tennis a tool to develop the individual as a whole. Character traits such as work ethic, sportsmanship, team work and discipline are concepts that should be part of your lesson plans. Using creative ways to incorporate these elements into your teaching can make your classes and programs more robust and attractive. Knowing that you helped someone to develop a better backhand is rewarding, but impacting someone’s self-image or work ethic are much stronger contributions.

Monitoring progress With the recent technological advancements, tracking one’s progress is easier than ever before. From apps that provide daily feedback, to others that empower you to utilize video analysis to track technical development, it’s important to find the right mix for your players. Here are some methods I use: l We often hear many stories that can lead us to think that “parents are difficult.” While this can be true in some instances, from my experience, most parents are fine, but simply don’t understand the complete journey of developing a competitive player. Unless they were a competitive player themselves or went through the journey with another child, they won’t know what it takes and the ups-and-downs involved with the process. It’s our job to be a facilitator in this process. Over the past two years, I’ve probably held more than 50 parent sessions. Given that most parents take information from other parents, often who are not knowledgeable, I often start my meetings with a series of questions, including: 1. Who has played professional or NCAA DI tennis?

2. Who is a certified pro and teaches for a living?

3. Who has had a child go on to play competitively at the national level?

As you can imagine, in a room with 4050 parents, I often get one hand up for such

questions. The feedback from these parent sessions has been positive and has led to less issues and requests to their child being “moved up.” l Based on the player’s level, develop a series of competencies in order evaluate them at the end of the session.

These should be pretty specific and it’s important to practice with your staff on how to “grade” them to minimize inconsistencies. Net Generation has a nice framework of competencies, and I use them as a base for mine, adjusting the content to fit my player’s level. l If you have players who you work with as a primary coach, doing privates on a regular basis, I recommend adding video analysis and individual parent meetings to your mix. The frequency of it should be based on your ability to use that analysis, as well as the player’s needs. Doing a full recording of all strokes using an app like Coaches’ Eye twice a year is sufficient to capture major technical changes.

For higher-level players, I conduct individual meetings with parents at least twice a year, quick 15- to 20-minute conversations to ensure that we are all on the same page.

Developing good habits should start with us as coaches. We have to use these good habits on a daily basis in order to become more effective teachers, develop a strong bond with the player, and ensure that strong communication with the parents and players is maintained. While there were many other important habits to develop, this simple list can serve as a good starting point. Incorporating some of these tips occasionally is fairly easy, though it’s the long-term application of these positive actions that will have the biggest impact on your players’ journey and your teaching career.

Joao Pinho is the Head Professional of 10U and High-Performance at the USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center. He is a USPTA Elite Professional, a former NCAA DI coach and player, and has specialized in developing competitive junior players over the past decade. Currently, he is the private coach of three national champions and a WTA touring pro.

LITennisMag.com • May/June 2019 • Long Island Tennis Magazine

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“Set” Your Racket for Volleys

By Mike Puc here is a magical position to “set” your racket for volleys to produce the best results. Before we reveal this position, let’s discuss a few elements of a good volley. Technique is paramount to success. If you have not dedicated the time and effort to perfect a Continental Grip, then read no further … it is required!

Placing your “V,” created by your forefinger and thumb, on the top left bevel of the racket for righties, and down the top right bevel for lefties, may seem difficult

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and weak, but it is essential to create underspin and retrieve both low and high balls, while allowing for quickness between forehand and backhand volleys.

Refusing to perfect the proper grip is one of the major shortfalls that prevents club players from advancing to the next level!

You must still be relatively sideways in striking the ball and use your legs for momentum and to absorb shock. Hitting on the move is not only allowed but encouraged as this creates energy and minimizes the swinging disconnect with the upper body.

Finally, volleys are designed to bite and stay low with direction winning the point rather than power. On a scale of one to 10 with 10

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being your hardest shots, volleys should be hit between two and five power level. Incidentally, your dependable rallying shots are hit at five to seven power level.

Now, back to the magical “set” position.

Whether you are hitting a stroking deep volley from inside the baseline (where the grip may be adjusted to the forehand for this specialty volley), mid court drive volley or soft drop volley, place or set your racket forward and slightly to the right for righties on the forehand. From this position you may now pull the racket back on your backswing judging the distance to equal the pace you desire. Do not pull the racket to your backswing before setting the head. Your feet will carry you to the ball with your non dominant hand near the throat to steady the shot and you will create a solid compact hit.

“Keep the plane the same” throughout the shot imagining balancing a quarter on the beam of the racket from start to finish.

Work with your pro on grips and technique with an emphasis on setting the head of the racket for crisp accurate volleys.

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Mike Puc has been the Director of Tennis at Gleneagles Country Club in Delray Beach, Fla. since 1998. A winner of 15 national titles and an ATP world ranking, Mike directs 25 teams with 350 players in nine leagues, while offering the most extensive Calendar of Events in South Florida that includes tournaments, lectures and social round-robins.

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Friday-Sunday, May 17-19 L2 GHRC May Open Glen Head Racquet Club 95 Glen Head Road • Glen Head, N.Y. Divisions: Intermediate Boys' & Girls' Singles: 78' Yellow Ball 12 (FMLC) Surface Type: Hard Indoor Entry Fee: $54.25 per player (deadline for entries is Monday, May 13 at 1:00 p.m.)

For more information, e-mail Vasco.D.Antunes@gmail.com or call (516) 759-0505.

Friday-Sunday, May 17-19 L1B PTST May Challenger Point Set Tennis • 3065 New Street • Oceanside, N.Y. Divisions: Challenger Boys' & Girls' Singles: 78' Yellow Ball 12 (SE) Surface Type: Hard Indoor Entry Fee: $54.25 per player (deadline for entries is Sunday, May 12 at 1:00 p.m.)

For more information, e-mail Ruiz.Clark@yahoo.com or call (917) 991-0088.

Friday-Sunday, May 24-26 L1B Memorial Challenger Long Beach Tennis Center 899 Monroe Boulevard Long Beach, N.Y. Divisions: Challenger Boys' & Girls' Singles & Doubles: 78' Yellow Ball 14-16 (SE) and Challenger Mixed Doubles: 78' Yellow Ball 14-16 (SE) Surface Type: Hard Indoor Entry Fee: $54.25 for first singles, $28 for first doubles, $28 for additional doubles (deadline for entries is Wednesday, May 22 at 1:00 p.m.)

For more information, e-mail Andrew@LongBeachTennisCenter.com or call (516) 432-6060.

Friday-Monday, May 24-27 L1A World Gym Memorial Championships World Gym Racquet & Sports Arena 384 Mark Tree Road East Setauket, N.Y. Divisions: Championships Boys' & Girls' Singles: 78' Yellow Ball 14 (SE) Surface Type: Unknown Entry Fee: $54.25 per player (deadline for entries is Monday, May 20 at 1:00 p.m.)

For more information, e-mail VTAPR@hotmail.com or call or call (631) 751-6100.

Friday-Monday, May 24-27 L1A Park Ave Memorial Championships Park Avenue Tennis Club 100 Partridge Lane • Huntington, N.Y. Divisions: Championships Girls' Singles: 78' Yellow Ball 12 (SE) Surface Type: Hard Indoor Entry Fee: $54.25 per player (deadline for entries is Monday, May 20 at 1:00 p.m.)

For more information, e-mail Caddy44@aol.com or call (631) 271-1810.

Friday-Monday, May 24-27 L1A SPORTIME Quogue Memorial Tournament Sportime Quogue 2571 Quogue Riverhead Road • East Quogue, N.Y. Divisions: Championships Boys' & Girls' Singles: 78' Yellow Ball 16 (SE) Surface Type: Clay Entry Fee: $54.25 per player (deadline for entries is Sunday, May 19 at 1:00 p.m.)

For more information, e-mail TVanEpps@sportimeny.com or call (631) 653-6767.

Friday-Monday, May 24-27 L1A Memorial Championships at Ross Ross School Tennis Academy 18 Goodfriend Drive • East Hampton, N.Y. Divisions: Championships Boys' & Girls' Singles: 78' Yellow Ball 18 (SE) Surface Type: Clay Entry Fee: $54.25 per player (deadline for entries is Monday, May 20 at 1:00 p.m.)

For more information, e-mail CSidor@Ross.org or call (631) 907-5162.

LITennisMag.com • May/June 2019 • Long Island Tennis Magazine

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USTA/Long Island Region 2017

TOURNAMENT SCHEDULE For detailed information on these and all USTA tournaments, visit tennislink.usta.com/tournaments.

Friday-Monday, May 24-27 Eastern Super Six Section Championships at GHRC (National L4) Glen Head Racquet Club 95 Glen Head Road • Glen Head, N.Y. Divisions: Super 6 Event Boys' Singles: 78' Yellow Ball 16 (FIC-R16) Surface Type: Hard Indoor Entry Fee: $134.88 per player (deadline for entries is Tuesday, May 14 at 1:00 p.m.)

For more information, e-mail Vasco.D.Antunes@gmail.com or call (516) 759-0505.

Saturday-Monday, May 25-27 L1B Sportime Amagansett May 2019 Challenger Sportime Amagansett • 320 Abrahams Path • Amagansett, N.Y. Divisions: Challenger Boys' & Girls' Singles & Doubles: 78' Yellow Ball 12-18 (SE) Surface Type: Clay Entry Fee: $54.25 per player (deadline for entries is Thursday, May 23 at 1:00 p.m.)

For more information, e-mail HSromova@SportimeNY.com or call (631) 267-3460.

Friday-Sunday, May 31-June 2 L1B Ross June Challenger Friday-Monday, May 24-27 Ross School Tennis Academy L1A Memorial Championships at Sportime Bethpage 18 Goodfriend Drive • East Hampton, N.Y. Sportime Tennis Bethpage Divisions: Challenger Boys' & Girls' Singles: 78' Yellow Ball 12-18 (SE) 101 Norcross Avenue • Bethpage, N.Y. Surface Type: Clay Divisions: Championships Boys' Singles: 78' Yellow Ball 12 (SE) Entry Fee: $54.25 per player (deadline for entries is Monday, May Surface Type: Hard Indoor Entry Fee: $54.25 per player (deadline for entries is Tuesday, May 27 at 1:00 p.m.)

For more information, e-mail CSidor@Ross.org or call 14 at 1:00 p.m.)

For more information, e-mail KSorokko@SportimeNY.com or call (631) 907-5162.

(516) 933-8500.

Friday-Sunday, May 31-June 2 L2 LBTC Welcome to Summer Open Saturday-Sunday, May 25-26 Long Beach Tennis Center • 899 Monroe Boulevard Youth Progression Green L1 Sportime Amagansett Long Beach, N.Y. Sportime Amagansett Divisions: Intermediate Boys' & Girls' Singles: 78' Yellow Ball 12 320 Abrahams Path • Amagansett, N.Y. (FMLC); Intermediate Boys' & Girls' Singles: 78' Yellow Ball 14-18 Divisions: Green Level 1 Boys' & Girls' 10 and Under Singles: 78' (SE) and Intermediate Boys' & Girls' Doubles: 78' Yellow Ball 12-18 Green Ball 10 (NEF) (SE) Surface Type: Clay Surface Type: Hard Indoor Entry Fee: $48.88 per player (deadline for entries is Sunday, May Entry Fee: $54.25 for first singles/$28 for first doubles (deadline 19 at 11:59 p.m.) for entries is Wednesday, May 29 at 1:00 p.m.)

For more information, e-mail HSromova@SportimeNY.com or call For more information, e-mail (631) 267-3460.

Andrew@LongBeachTennisCenter.com or call (516) 432-6060.

Friday-Sunday, May 31-June 2 L1B RWTT Summer Singles Challenger Robbie Wagner Tournament Training at Glen Cove 60 Sea Cliff Avenue • Glen Cove, N.Y. Divisions: Challenger Boys' & Girls' Singles: 78' Yellow Ball 16 (SE) Surface Type: Clay Indoor Entry Fee: $54.25 per player For more information, e-mail Superscoot@aol.com or call (516) 759-0505.

JUNE 2019 Friday-Sunday, June 7-9 L1B World Gym June Challenger World Gym Racquet & Sports Arena 384 Mark Tree Road • East Setauket, N.Y. Divisions: Challenger Boys' & Girls' Singles: 78' Yellow Ball 14 (SE) Surface Type: Clay Indoor Entry Fee: $54.25 per player (deadline for entries is Monday, June 3 at 1:00 p.m.)

For more information, e-mail VTAPR@hotmail.com or call or call (631) 751-6100.

Friday-Sunday, June 7-9 L2 LBTC Early June Open Long Beach Tennis Center • 899 Monroe Boulevard Long Beach, N.Y. Divisions: Intermediate Boys' & Girls' Singles: 78' Yellow Ball 12 (FMLC); Intermediate Boys' & Girls' Singles: 78' Yellow Ball 14-18 (SE) and Intermediate Boys' & Girls' Doubles: 78' Yellow Ball 12-18 (SE) Surface Type: Hard Indoor Entry Fee: $54.25 for first singles/$28 for first doubles/$28 for additional doubles (deadline for entries is Wednesday, June 5 at 1:00 p.m.)

For more information, e-mail Andrew@LongBeachTennisCenter.com or call (516) 432-6060.

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Long Island Tennis Magazine • May/June 2019 • LITennisMag.com

USTA/Long Island Region 2017

TOURNAMENT SCHEDULE For detailed information on these and all USTA tournaments, visit tennislink.usta.com/tournaments.

Friday-Sunday, June 7-9 L1 Point Set Start of Summer Championships Point Set Tennis 3065 New Street Oceanside, N.Y. Divisions: Championships Girls' Singles: 78' Yellow Ball 16 (SE) Surface Type: Hard Indoor Entry Fee: $54.25 per player (deadline for entries is Monday, June 3 at 1:00 p.m.)

For more information, e-mail Ruiz.Clark@yahoo.com or call (917) 991-0088.

Friday-Sunday, June 7-9 L1 Sportime Syosset Start of Summer Championships 2019 Sportime-Syosset 75 Haskett Drive Syosset, N.Y. Divisions: Championships Girls' Singles: 78' Yellow Ball 12 (SE) Surface Type: Unknown Entry Fee: $54.25 per player (deadline for entries is Monday, June 3 at 1:00 p.m.)

For more information, e-mail KSorokko@SportimeNY.com or call (516) 364-2727.

Friday-Sunday, June 7-9 L1 RWTTC June Championships Robbie Wagner Tournament Training at Glen Cove 60 Sea Cliff Avenue Glen Cove, N.Y. Divisions: Championships Boys' Singles: 78' Yellow Ball 16 (SE) Surface Type: Clay Indoor Entry Fee: $54.25 per player For more information, e-mail RWagner968@aol.com or call (516) 759-0505.

Friday-Sunday, June 7-9 L1B Huntington Summer Challenger Huntington Indoor Tennis 100 Broadway • Huntington Station, N.Y. Divisions: Challenger Boys' & Girls' Singles: 78' Yellow Ball 12, 18 (SE) Surface Type: Unknown Entry Fee: $54.25 per player For more information, e-mail hitennis@myway.com or call (631) 421-0040.

Saturday-Sunday, June 8-9 Youth Progression Green L1: Ross School Ross School Tennis Academy 18 Goodfriend Drive • East Hampton, N.Y. Divisions: Green Level 1 Boys' & Girls' 10 and Under Singles: 78' Green Ball 10 (NEF) Surface Type: Clay Entry Fee: $48.88 per player (deadline for entries is Sunday, June 2 at 11:59 p.m.)

For more information, e-mail CSidor@Ross.org or call (631) 907-5162.

Saturday, June 8 Youth Progression Orange Level 1 Quogue Sportime Quogue 2571 Quogue Riverhead Road East Quogue, N.Y. Divisions: Orange Level 1 Boys' & Girls' 10 and Under Singles: 60' Orange Ball 10 (NEF) Surface Type: Clay Indoor Entry Fee: $48.88 per player (deadline for entries is Sunday, June 2 at 11:59 p.m.)

For more information, e-mail TVanEpps@SportimeNY.com call (631) 653-6767.

Sunday, June 9 Youth Progression Orange Level 2 Quogue Sportime Quogue 2571 Quogue Riverhead Road East Quogue, N.Y. Divisions: Orange Level 2 Boys' & Girls' 10 and Under Singles: 60' Orange Ball 10 (NEF) Surface Type: Clay Entry Fee: $48.88 per player (deadline for entries is Sunday, June 2 at 11:59 p.m.)

For more information, e-mail TVanEpps@SportimeNY.com call (631) 653-6767.

Friday-Sunday, June 14-16 L2 Park Ave June Challenger Park Avenue Tennis Club 100 Partridge Lane Huntington, N.Y. Divisions: Intermediate Boys' & Girls' Singles: 78' Yellow Ball 12 (FMLC) and Intermediate Boys' & Girls' Singles: 78' Yellow Ball 14-18 (SE) Surface Type: Hard Indoor Entry Fee: $54.25 per player (deadline for entries is Monday, June 10 at 1:00 p.m.)

For more information, e-mail Caddy44@aol.com or call (631) 271-1810.

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djcmnyc@gmail.com LITennisMag.com • May/June 2019 • Long Island Tennis Magazine

71

USTA/Long Island Region 2017

TOURNAMENT SCHEDULE For detailed information on these and all USTA tournaments, visit tennislink.usta.com/tournaments.

Friday-Sunday, June 21-23 L1 Ross June Championships Ross School Tennis Academy 18 Goodfriend Drive East Hampton, N.Y. Divisions: Championships Boys' & Girls' Singles: 78' Yellow Ball 14 (SE) Surface Type: Clay Entry Fee: $54.25 per player (deadline for entries is Monday, June 17 at 1:00 p.m.)

For more information, e-mail CSidor@Ross.org or call (631) 907-5162.

Saturday, June 22 Youth Progression Orange L1 Sportime Amagansett Sportime Amagansett 320 Abrahams Path Amagansett, N.Y. Divisions: Orange Level 1 Boys' & Girls' 10 and Under Singles: 60' Orange Ball 10 (NEF) Surface Type: Clay Entry Fee: $48.88 per player (deadline for entries is Sunday, June 16 at 11:59 p.m.)

For more information, e-mail HSromova@SportimeNY.com or call (631) 267-3460.

Friday-Sunday, June 21-23 L1B LBTC Early June Challenger Long Beach Tennis Center Friday-Sunday, June 14-16 899 Monroe Boulevard L2 Sportime Syosset June Open Long Beach, N.Y. Sportime-Syosset Divisions: Challenger Boys' & Girls' Singles & Doubles: 78' Yel75 Haskett Drive low Ball 16-18 (SE) and Challenger Mixed Doubles: 78' Yellow Syosset, N.Y. Divisions: Intermediate Boys' & Girls' Singles: 78' Yellow Ball 12 Ball 16-18 (SE) Surface Type: Hard Indoor (FMLC) and Intermediate Boys' & Girls' Singles: 78' Yellow Ball Entry Fee: $54.25 for first singles/$28 for first doubles/$28 for 14-18 (SE) additional doubles (deadline for entries is Wednesday, June 19 Surface Type: Unknown Entry Fee: $54.25 per player (deadline for entries is Sunday, June at 1:00 p.m.)

For more information, e-mail Andrew@LongBeachTennisCen9 at 1:00 p.m.)

For more information, e-mail KSorokko@SportimeNY.com or call ter.com or call (516) 432-6060.

(516) 364-2727.

Friday-Sunday, June 21-23 L1 Point Set June Championships Friday-Sunday, June 14-16 Point Set Tennis L2 RWTTC June Open 3065 New Street Robbie Wagner Tournament Training at Glen Cove Oceanside, N.Y. 60 Sea Cliff Avenue Divisions: Championships Boys' Singles: 78' Yellow Ball 18 (SE) Glen Cove, N.Y. Divisions: Intermediate Boys' Singles: 78' Yellow Ball 14-18 (SE) Surface Type: Hard Indoor Entry Fee: $54.25 per player (deadline for entries is Monday, Surface Type: Clay Indoor June 17 at 1:00 p.m.)

Entry Fee: $54.25 per player For more information, e-mail RWagner968@aol.com or call (516) For more information, e-mail Ruiz.Clark@yahoo.com or call (917) 991-0088.

759-0505.

Sunday, June 23 Youth Progression Orange L2 Sportime Amagansett Sportime Amagansett 320 Abrahams Path Amagansett, N.Y. Divisions: Orange Level 2 Boys' & Girls' 10 and Under Singles: 60' Orange Ball 10 (NEF) Surface Type: Clay Entry Fee: $48.88 per player For more information, e-mail HSromova@SportimeNY.com or call (631) 267-3460.

Friday-Sunday, June 14-16 L2 Long Beach June Open Long Beach Tennis Center 899 Monroe Boulevard • Long Beach, N.Y. Divisions: Intermediate Boys' & Girls' Singles: 78' Yellow Ball 12 (FMLC); Intermediate Boys' & Girls' Singles: 78' Yellow Ball 1418 (SE); and Intermediate Boys' & Girls' Doubles: 78' Yellow Ball 12-18 (SE) Surface Type: Unknown Entry Fee: $54.25 for first singles/$28 for first doubles/$28 for additional doubles (deadline for entries is Wednesday, June 12 at 6:00 p.m.)

For more information, e-mail Andrew@LongBeachTennisCenter.com or call (516) 432-6060.

Friday-Sunday, June 14-16 L1B SPORTIME Quogue Summer Kick Off Sportime Quogue 2571 Quogue Riverhead Road East Quogue, N.Y. Divisions: Challenger Boys' & Girls' Singles: 78' Yellow Ball 12-16 (SE) Surface Type: Clay Entry Fee: $54.25 per player (deadline for entries is Sunday, June 9 at 11:59 p.m.)

For more information, e-mail TVanEpps@SportimeNY.com call (631) 653-6767.

72

Saturday-Sunday, June 22-23 Youth Progression L1 Green Ball-Robbie Wagner's Robbie Wagner Tournament Training at Glen Cove 60 Sea Cliff Avenue Glen Cove, N.Y. Divisions: Green Level 1 Boys' & Girls' 10 and Under Singles: 78' Green Ball 10 (FMLC) Surface Type: Clay Indoor Entry Fee: $54.25 per player (deadline for entries is Monday, June 17 at 11:59 p.m.)

For more information, e-mail Stephenaalcala@gmail.com or call (516) 759-0505.

Long Island Tennis Magazine • May/June 2019 • LITennisMag.com

Friday-Sunday, June 28-30 L1B Sportime Amagansett 2019 Challenger Sportime Amagansett 320 Abrahams Path Amagansett, N.Y. Divisions: Challenger Boys' & Girls' Singles: 78' Yellow Ball 14, 18 (SE) Surface Type: Clay Entry Fee: $54.25 per player (deadline for entries is Wednesday, June 26 at 1:00 p.m.)

For more information, e-mail HSromova@SportimeNY.com or call (631) 267-3460.

Friday-Sunday, June 28-30 L1B Ross June Challenger Ross School Tennis Academy 18 Goodfriend Drive East Hampton, N.Y. Divisions: Challenger Boys' & Girls' Singles: 78' Yellow Ball 12, 16 (SE) Surface Type: Clay Entry Fee: $54.25 per player (deadline for entries is Monday, June 24 at 1:00 p.m.)

For more information, e-mail CSidor@Ross.org or call (631) 9075162.

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112 Long Island Tennis Magazine • March/April 2019 • LITennisMag.com