Addvantage 2009 September

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ADDvantage/ September 2000

contents departments

the total professional – enhancing your career 9 WhyMentor? Make the most of your professional and personal experiences – by Chris Chopra, USPTA

3 CEO’s message 5 Vice president’s message 8 Classifieds

16 USPTA drills

ews n

21 Career development

2 Taking Tennis–For the health of it!SM a step futher

22 Industry action

7 Spotlight on USPTA benefits

14 Father and son USPTA members place sixth in national tournament 17 Texas Divisions uses coaches workshop to hone skills, recruit members 15 Tennis ambassador enlists community partners 24 Tennis adds tomorrows at The Greens Symptoms of cystic fibrosis are eased by cardio activity 26 Nonagenarian still teaching – and protecting – beloved game

On the cover – The No. 4 seed, Novak Djokovic, competes at the 2009 U.S. Open. He plays with HEAD’s YouTek Speed Pro. Cover photo by Harvey Rubin, USPTA.

volume 33 • issue 10

www.ADDvantageUSPTA.com ADDvantage magazine editorial offices USPTA World Headquarters 3535 Briarpark Drive, Suite One Houston, TX 77042 Phone – 713-978-7782 800-USPTA-4U Fax – 713-358-7794 e-mail – magazine@uspta.org

Editor

Managing editors

Circulation

Advertising

www.ADDvantageUSPTA.com

Shawna Riley Kimberly Forrester Kalin Cogar Kathy Buchanan John Dettor

Office hours: 8:30 a.m. - 5 p.m. Central time ADDvantage is published monthly by the United States Professional Tennis Association.

The opinions expressed in ADDvantage are those of the authors and not necessarily those of ADDvantage or the USPTA. Copyright© United States Professional Tennis Association, Inc. 2009. All rights reserved.

Reproduction of any portion of the magazine is not permitted without written permission from USPTA. ADDvantage/September 2009

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Taking Tennis-For the health of it!SM a step futher

T

ennis – for the health of it!SM continues to be received with enthusiasm within and outside of the tennis industry. We continue to make strides and expand the reach of this tennis initiative by solidifying existing alliances and building new ones. Here are some exciting updates about what’s been happening with Tennis – for the health of it!

On Capitol Hill Tom Daglis had the opp-ortunity to represent the USPTA on Capitol Hill to lobby for key health promotion legislation when he was invited to be a part of the seventh Annual IHRSA Summit for a Healthier America on May 6 and 7. One of the key goals of the partnership between the USPTA’s Tennis – for the health of it!SM and the International Health, Racquet and Sportsclub Association’s Campaign for a Healthier America is to promote the preventive health benefits of exercise on Capitol Hill. Daglis, along with Tom Richards, IHRSA’s senior manager of public policy, and IHRSA’s team did just that as they promoted two bills, the Workforce Health Improvement Program Act and the Personal Health Investment Act, both of which speak to the preventive health benefits of exercise.

Daglis spent time lobbying several senators and congressmen, including Congressman Joe Barton from Texas, Senator Kay Bailey Hutchinson from Texas, Senator John Cornyn from Texas, Congressman Frank Kratovil from Maryland, and Senator Barbara Mikulski from Maryland.

The main topics of the lobbying session were: recognizing the high obesity percentages of high school students, and understanding that both of these bills would be an investment in prevention and that both would lead to a change in behaviors and lifestyles. Considering that Americans work the longest number of hours and have the longest commutes, bills such as these could have a significant impact on health and wellness. Also, recognizing that our senior population is the highest line item when it comes to paying for healthcare and this segment is the most inactive, the WHIP and PHIT Acts could provide preventative wellness

opportunities for this population and save money in the long run.

“As a representative for the USPTA, I felt I was able to bring another perspective to the lobbying table, as tennis is indeed a great exercise activity and certainly a sport of a lifetime,” said Daglis.

Alliance with TennisMD.com We have also taken steps to revamp tennis-health.com by joining forces with TennisMD.com in an agreement that will make TennisMD a health and fitness content provider for tennis-health.com.

TennisMD will supply USPTA with articles and video for the Tennis – for the health of it!SM Web site as part of the yearlong agreement.

Both TennisMD and USPTA will also provide advertising on, as well as links to each other’s sites. The USPTA will also promote TennisMD’s new content through press releases, newsletters, etc., so that USPTA members and tennis-health. com users have access to the most up-todate information from TennisMD. In addition to the interactive portion, tennis-health.com will now have new content updated regularly, so users are encouraged to visit the Web site often for new videos and articles on health, fitness, nutrition, wellness, injury prevention and much more.

“TennisMD.com is committed to keeping tennis players, and their games, healthy and strong,” said Tom Carter, CEO of SportsMD Media, Inc., the owner and operator of TennisMD.com.

"The partnership with the USPTA will help further educate the tennis community that improving your health and fitness will lead to fewer injuries and better tennis performance."

“We feel that this is an excellent collaboration, especially since the pri-mary mission of Tennis – for the health of it! is

Tom Daglis at Capitol Hill

wellness and prevention, and that runs parallel with what TennisMD.com is trying to accomplish,” said USPTA CEO Tim Heckler. “This is a relationship that tennis enthusiasts can really benefit from globally.”

TennisMD.com, launched in 2008 by SportsMD Media, Inc., provides specialized health information and the ultimate resource for tennis players everywhere. A trusted brand for anyone looking to improve their health and their game, TennisMD.com is one of the most comprehensive online tennis health communities – 100 percent dedicated to injury prevention and treatment specifically for tennis.

Through insightful articles, expert-hosted videos and an ever-growing community of tennis players sharing information, TennisMD.com helps educate, enlighten and empower tennis with solution-focused content. TennisMD.com has assembled leading health and fitness experts – each sharing valuable, practical advice to keep you playing injury-free. Their overall experience translates to your overall wellness.

Keep your health on court.

Tennis-health.com, which was created in support of Tennis – for the health of it!, is a free, interactive Web site that targets teaching professionals, tennis consumers, health-care professionals, and non-tennis playing consumers.

CEO’s message Tennis, a sport for the whole family I recently was interviewed by a producer with the tennis a family sport?”

Lifetime network show “The Balancing Act.” It is Tennis time is family time a half-hour, magazine formatted series that targets First, it’s important to know that tennis is the busy women with a variety of topics, including fastest growing traditional sport in the United States, health, family, finances and lifestyle. The question according to the 2008 SGMA Sports Participation they posed to me was, “How is tennis a family Survey. It probably earned this distinction because it’s something a family can do together. Most tensport?”

I was very excited about spreading the word nis facilities offer activities that target all ages and about tennis for this particular show because it has ability levels. Each family member can take lessons, and families can socialize with others by participatand always will be a family sport for me. ing in husband-wife or parent-child When I was introduced to tennis competitions and other fun events. at age 3, it was because my own family played the game, and my mother Practice makes perfect probably believed it was more convenient to push me onto the tennis Even if you’re not a tennis teacher, court instead of finding someone to you can help your children improve watch me while they went to the tentheir tennis skills and prepare for nis club. their competitions. If you’re a player yourself, it’s easier to help your child Back in the 1970s, I realized that practice, but every parent plays an exif I promoted lessons and other actremely important role as the support tivities for the youngest players, that mechanism for their children. So, I would entice both moms and dads Tim Heckler even if a parent doesn’t play the game, to the courts, my pro shop and to the they can support their children’s tenclub’s restaurant. I knew that getting the family involved in tennis was as good for business nis dreams and help them plan and execute effective practice sessions. as it was for the family.

When I had my own children, there was never any doubt they’d play the game. I coached one of Competition for the whole family my stepsons to several national championships (12s, Speaking of competition, I know first hand that 14s and doubles), and introduced my three youngest traveling to tournaments, whether they’re local or children to the game through Little Tennis, which across the state, is a great bonding experience for was introduced by USPTA in 1994. They learned the whole family. Players have a built-in cheering the motor skills and basic strokes through Little section, and siblings who play the game will enjoy Tennis and played matches on small courts with the environment and look forward to their own smaller racquets and low-pressure balls (at the time tournaments. Families usually make friends with the Pro Penn Star). other families who travel the same tournament Today, my son David is playing college tennis, circles, which presents other social opportunities.

Chelsea plays for her high school team and competes in USTA junior tournaments, and my youngest Tennis crosses gender boundaries daughter Mia takes lessons and is preparing for While I know there are always exceptions, it’s not tournament competition. likely that many dads are hanging around the dance So, here’s how I answer the question, “How is studio and assist their daughters with ballet skills.

I was very excited about spreading the word about tennis ... it has and always will be a family sport for me.

continued next page www.ADDvantageUSPTA.com

ADDvantage/September 2009

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from previous page And, I haven’t seen many moms eagerly helping their sons improve their football or baseball skills.

On the other hand, tennis is different.

Moms and dads can participate equally in the job of providing both on-court help and support for player development, regardless of the level. In tennis, children don’t automatically have a preference for one parent over another when it comes to playing or practicing the sport. In fact, in tennis, the parents provide coaching for everything from life skills, to high-level competition. (Read more about this topic at www.tennisparentcoach.com).

Equipment makes it accessible to everyone Whether it’s a small racquet and lowpressure balls for the beginners or clay courts for older knees and hips, tennis provides a huge variety of equipment and court surfaces for everyone – from 3- to 100-year-olds! Even adults enjoy using

low-pressure balls, like the Pro Penn T.I.P. 2 balls, which allow even the youngest or newest players to more quickly enjoy rallies.

Tennis – for the health of it!

As the subhead suggests, no sport offers as many health and fitness benefits as tennis with as much fun. Running and gym workouts are popular, but these forms of exercise can be monotonous, while tennis offers fun, easy exercise. It provides stress relief, improves gross and fine motor control and enhances coordination. Regular play also results in a better immune system and improved aerobic and anaerobic fitness. Every member of the family can benefit from playing tennis. For an entire list of family health benefits, check out www.tennis-health.com.

I think I proved my point. There’s no doubt that tennis is a family sport.

Sports Tutor ad

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ADDvantage/September 2009

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Vice president’s message Junior Circuit opens tournament world to young beginners

President

Harry Gilbert

First Vice President

Tom Daglis

Vice Presidents

Mark Fairchilds Jack Groppel Randy Mattingley Tom McGraw

Secretary-treasurer

A

10-and-under events. We had great participation s tennis teachers, there are many ways we this first season and many of these new tennis playcan help develop players. Providing great ers are now very committed to continuing this fall. playing opportunities for our students is These young kids who are very new as important to their development to the game now consider themselves as the strategies, tactics, and the “tennis players.” techniques we teach. Players who get Here are a few keys to the Junior frequent opportunities to compete Circuit’s success. First, in the 8-andlearn how to “play the game” and not under lessons, we used the new red just learn textbook methods. This is and yellow low-compression ball that one of the many reasons we should is slightly larger than a regulation be involved in developing programs tennis ball and approximately 35 for our students. percent the speed on a 36-foot court.

There are several USPTA sports The balls, nets and lines are available marketing programs that are designed at OncourtOffcourt.com for a very specifically for you to create more reasonable price. With the 10-andcompetitive outings. The USPTA Randy Mattingley under classes, we practiced with the Junior Circuit continues to gain orange and yellow low-compression popularity across the country, but ball that is approximately 50 percent the speed of now is the time to take a new look at the oppora regulation ball on the 60-foot court. The lesson tunities that could drastically impact your business plans focused on development of hand-eye coorand the tennis industry. dination and the skill to consistently make contact QuickStart Tennis Play Format has added with the ball. We helped them develop the skill to new dimension, energy, and excitement to what bounce and hit the ball over the net within the is already a tremendously successful program. It first couple of hours. Remember that every small ties into the USPTA Little Tennis® program (desuccess is an opportunity to recognize the player’s veloped 20 years ago) and to the USPTA Junior improvement and to help that child gain confidence CircuitTM perfectly. We have offered Little Tennis and joy in the game of tennis. classes for years, but never emphasized a starter Second, we started on the first day of every tournament environment. The USPTA Junior new class explaining that we were going to help Circuits have consistently drawn good numbers them prepare for a tournament. For many, it was for the 12s, 14s, and 16s divisions, but not in the their first tournament of any kind. On the first 8s or 10s divisions. day, there wasn’t much interest from the kids and This summer, we incorporated the QuickStart considerable skepticism from some of the parents, playing format in our USPTA Junior Circuit with but we kept encouraging them. Once they (and tremendous success. We tailored our Little Tennis their parents) realized that they would be competing class to quickly get the youngsters to learn simply utilizing their new skills and playing against other to develop the hand-eye coordination to return players in their class, they quickly began to gain the the ball either into the 36-foot court for the 5confidence to enter a tournament. to 8-year-olds or the 60-foot court for the 9- to These kids would come to the tournament and 10-year-olds. Then, we encouraged each player check in just like all the other players. The scoring to enter a Junior Circuit tournament to compete format we used is very similar to that suggested in in the QuickStart 8-and-under and QuickStart continued on next page

www.ADDvantageUSPTA.com

National Board of Directors

Paula Scheb

Past President

Ron Woods

WORLD HEADQUARTERS CEO

Tim Heckler

Director of Operations

Rich Fanning

Administrative Director

Marty Bostrom

Director of Communications

Shawna Riley

Creative Services Director

Julie Myers

Publications Manager/ Managing Editor

Kim Forrester

Director of Public Relations

Poornima Rimm

Communications

Jill Phipps

Director of Marketing

John Dettor

Sports Marketing Coordinator

Rick Bostrom

Digital Asset Director

Timothy Heckler

Digital Asset Coordinator/ Ramona Husaru Tennis Multimedia Management Video Production Director

Joe Birkmire

Video Editor

H.R. Topham

Video Editor

Nick Warwick

Director of Fred Viancos Professional Development Corporate Janice Stollenwerck Services Administrator Receptionist

Erin Ortbal

Director of Information Technology

Dan Wilson

Information Technology/ Multimedia

Scott Bucic

Divisional Executive Administrator

Kalin Cogar

Director of Computer Service

Kathy Buchanan

Membership and Certification Manager Membership Membership/ Insurance Assistant Director of Finance Payroll/Benefits Controller Merchandise/ Accounting Assistant

Vicky Tristan Sylvia Ortiz Melony DeLoach Kathy Ladner Renée Heckler

Ellen Weatherford Shelina Harris

Legal Counsel Attorney-at-law

Paul Waldman

For information, write the USPTA World Headquarters 3535 Briarpark Drive, Suite One Houston, TX 77042 Phone 713-97-USPTA 800-USPTA-4U Fax 713-978-7780 uspta@uspta.org www.uspta.com Office hours: 8:30 a.m. - 5 p.m. Central time

ADDvantage/September 2009

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from previous page the QuickStart Program. The 8-and-under division played first to 7 points, win by 2 for each game, with best two out of three games to win the match.

were having so much fun they all wanted to play a couple more rounds.

The next tip is very important. After the competition and

The excitement in the eyes of these kids will quickly let you know you are on the right track.

In the 10-and-under division, the victor was the first to 7 points, win a game by 2 points, with first to four games to win the match.

Both age divisions put the ball into play with a bouncehit. It is important to have someone, including parents, help with the scoring. In the first tournament, the 8-andunder division was scheduled for 2 p.m. in the hot summer sun. We planned for them to play two rounds. They completed those two rounds and

during the tournament, we hold an awards presentation for each of the two QuickStart divisions where we gave a trophy to every player. This reduces emphasis on winning and emphasizes “play,” “having fun,” and successfully completing their first tennis tournament. The firstplace trophy was the only one with a place designation.

The excitement in the eyes of these kids will quickly let you know you are on the right track. The enthusiasm for the events was outstanding. Often,

there were more parents, grandparents, brothers, and sisters watching the QuickStart events than were watching all the other events combined. The photo opportunity is enormous. The biggest gauge of success from our summer program is that almost 100 percent of the kids who played in the USPTA Junior Circuit QuickStart events have signed up to continue in our junior development program this fall. There is no better testament.

The USPTA Ju-nior Circuit has been tremendously successful. If you are interested in starting one in your area, go to uspta.com to get more information. You can be instrumental in helping players have more competitive playing opportunities, making you a more valuable asset in their tennis life.

You should be directly involved

in running these programs. If you don’t provide programs for your players, someone else will.

Good luck and have a great fall season.

Playmate ad

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ADDvantage/September 2009

www.ADDvantageUSPTA.com

Spotlight on USPTA benefits: How our USPTA benefits helped me land my dream job

by Gerald Winder, USPTA

D

o you use all – or any – of the benefits of your USPTA memberships?

Do you even know what they are, or at least where to find them?

I, for one, am very aware and appreciative of all of our benefits, and definitely use all that I can to become a better, more informed tennis professional.

I thought I would give you a personal example of what I mean.

I recently was offered a position that I had my eye on for more years than I can remember. In time I was given the opportunity to interview for the position, so now I had to prove my mettle and go for it! But, not having had to interview for anything in almost 20 years, I quickly realized that I was going to be at a very big disadvantage.

After thinking about several possible plans for a couple of days, I thought about what I had seen in the Career Center of the USPTA Web site. Lo and behold, I remembered seeing a section on tips for the interview process. Wow! I stumbled on

just what I needed, and it was on our Web site – for free. Hard to beat that!

Now, I am sure that there are other professional sites out there somewhere with interview information, but ours is geared to what we are – tennis professionals. I promptly read through all of the information, made a few preliminary notes, and left it alone for review in my head overnight.

The next morning, I had basically developed a plan based on the USPTA interview procedures recommended for tennis professionals. I have to say that this saved me immediately from running in circles and wasting valuable time while someone else could have undercut me in their quest for continued next page

www.ADDvantageUSPTA.com

ADDvantage/September 2009

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from previous page this opening.

I have, for many years, used my USPTA Report Card to promote myself as a teaching professional who is current on as many things relevant to the tennis industry as I can be. I believe that keeping a copy of my current credits – almost 350 to date – gives me an edge over those professionals who simply don’t see a need to be that up-to-date. To my knowledge, I lead my division in educational credits, and was in the first group of professionals to be listed in the USPTA Hall of Fame for Level IV Educational Credit years ago along with approximately 25 other professionals.

So, this was my second benefit to use in chasing this open job position. I printed out a nice, fresh, current copy of my education credits to include in the material that I planned to take along to my interview. Looking back, this was the knockout punch for me.

My interviewer said, “Wow! You did all of these!”

Again, this is a benefit that we are all entitled to if we simply want to seize the opportunities given to all of us by our association.

Anyone can pick up more educational credits, and related knowledge of our sport, by utilizing these opportunities for professional growth. This is even more true now since the USPTA has so much directly online that certified professionals can use to become better, and new DVDs are constantly coming out in so many subject areas by so many of our top professionals. You don’t even have to travel nowadays to improve yourself ... how easy is that! Of course, I actually believe that the greatest benefit to traveling for education is networking, and I can tell you that my last three tennis positions were obtained by networking, not listed ads for open positions.

I will close this article with what I believe cinched the deal on my recent interview. I have conducted seminars in marketing at four World Conferences and five divisional conventions, and one thing I try to impress on fellow professionals is to collect each and every letter of commendation from clients, staff, managers, and players who have been happy with your work. I have kept such a “book,” quite thick now after many, many years of filling it up.

My interviewer was apparently quite impressed with my interview, on top of all the qualifications that I presented. So they gave me the chance to be the new head tennis professional at Loew’s Ventana Canyon Resort in Tucson, Ariz.! 

Classifieds books and videos www.netprofittennis.com

Log on and see why NETPROFIT: The Business Program for Club ­Tennis ­P rofessionals by Dave ­Sivertson is a must for the career development of all tennis professionals or call 805-222-5397.

Drills NEED TENNIS DRILLS? USPTA Master Professional Jorge Capestany’s new Web site has more than 700 videos of tennis drills and tips. Log on to www. tennisdrills.tv to see (and print) more than 18 free samples.

Employment USPTA’s Find-a-Pro. The best job-posting service so you can find the best jobs, free. For more information, visit uspta.com.

Subscriptions “Where The Tennis Jobs Are,” a daily list of who is hiring tennis people for only $10 monthly. bob@tennisnews.com 952-9208947.

Tennis Drills SUMMER IDEAS: Save time, energy and money! New drills, programs, lesson plans, handouts, games and sections. One- and three-month subscriptions now available at www.jobeasier.com.

Enter s-uspta for discount.

Tennis products PRO/COACH PRICING on racquets, apparel, shoes, bags, balls, strings and accessories. Get baskets, carts, training equipment, books, videos and more. www.TennisExpress.com/800833-6615.

SLINGHOPPER DRILL BAGS Endorsed by Nick Bollettieri and Brad Gilbert. Offering a special $20 rate to USPTA Professionals.

Visit www.slinghopper.com and enter “USPTA” in the promo code at checkout.

VACATION OpportuniTIes Vacation opportunities for t­ ennis professionals at the No. 1 all-­ inclusive Sandals and Beaches ­resorts in Jamaica and St. Lucia for you and your partner. Certification required. For information contact Mike ­Romisher at 847-207-9475 or ­­­­­e-mail Vis10sPro@aol.com.

Vacation/Exchange Program.

Stay at the Iberostar in Mexico in exchange for tennis lessons. www.vacationingcoaches.com.

Telephone 937-885-0468.

Five-Star Caribbean Resorts are Waiting for You! Working ­vacations available for certified tennis professionals. Family and couple resorts available. ­Contact: www.fitbodiesinc.com or call ­Denise Cox, 678-778-4673.

Gerald Winder, USPTA, is currently the head tennis professional at Loew’s Ventana Canyon Resort in Tucson, Ariz., a four-diamond facility. He is the immediate past president of the Southwest Division, and past Professional of the Year for the Southwest. In a career spanning 40 years, he has run programs for all levels in municipal facilities, country clubs, and resorts in 20 states and six foreign countries. Winder is a member of the HEAD Advisory Staff.

Know your benefits Career Center – Job search tools Need to brush up on your interview skills and update your resume? You can get help with these job search issues and much more through the USPTA Career Center. Just log in to the members-only site at uspta.com and click “Career center” in the top menu. 

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ADDvantage/September 2009

Rates: $30 for 20 words, minimum per issue. 50 cents per word thereafter. Pay by check, money order, Visa or MasterCard. Prepayment is required. Supply typed copy and include full name, telephone number, credit card number and expiration date. (No agency or cash discounts.) Issue closes 15th of month, two months preceding cover date. Fax to 713978-7780, attn: ADDvantage classifieds. No classifieds will be accepted by telephone.

No exceptions are made. USPTA cannot verify nor be responsible for the contents of any advertisement. The USPTA is committed to the policy that all people have equal access to its programs, facilities, employment and membership without regard to race, color, creed, religion, national origin, gender, age, disability, marital or veteran status. USPTA is an equal opportunity employer. USPTA reserves the right to reject any advertisement at its discretion, or to edit the advertisement to be certain that any employment requirements set forth in it conform with the law.

www.ADDvantageUSPTA.com

Why mentor?

Make the most of your professional and personal experiences

by Chris Chopra, USPTA

M

otivation, support, inspiration, and a long-term commitment are what we as USPTA teaching professionals provide to our students.

We motivate them to achieve their short-term and long-term goals.

We support them when they falter and give them someone in whom they can confide. We inspire them to think big and reach for the stars. Finally, our longterm commitment to their needs as students gives them confidence and stability through our teacher/student relationship.

As teaching professionals our greatest reward is the satisfaction and joy we receive in helping our students succeed on the court and in life. How can we use these everyday job skills to help our fellow teaching professionals and members of our local community? The answer is simple: We can use our experiences and knowledge of the profession to help as a mentor.

What is a mentor made of?

What does it take to mentor a novice teaching professional? It takes the same commitment and interest that it takes to mentor your students. What makes a mentor different from an average contact is he or she has a long-term commitment and interest in helping you achieve your long-term goals. The relationship is also built on the respect that the mentee has for the mentor. The one being mentored must be able to accept constructive criticism and guidance for the relationship to be successful.

Who should become a mentor? If you are in a position to impart the knowledge of your experiences to someone else and help them advance professionally, you should consider it. Throughout the country, new instructors are becoming certified, and eager to learn. With your knowledge, patience, and guidance you can help educate them in all areas of the industry so that they can be successful and pursue this profession as a career beyond just a job. This is how we can raise our profession to the next level – by cultivating the knowledge and

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ADDvantage/September 2009

experience of our certified professionals and passing it on to the next generation of teaching professionals.

What to pass on to fellow teaching professionals It is important for mentors to focus their efforts in four areas: improving their mentees’ weaknesses, enhancing their strengths, developing a vision, and sharing new knowledge that will benefit these new teaching pros. Think of it just like you would in planning your lessons and progressions with your students. After your initial meeting you will have an idea of what your mentee’s goals are and what direction that person would like to go. In your meetings and observations, continue to adjust your plan to suit his or her needs and vision. Continue to share new knowledge when it is appropriate and continually work on improving your mentee’s weak areas. Below are some key areas: 1) Teaching and coaching methodologies Share your coaching philosophy and teaching progressions. Have your protege observe your lessons and other more experienced teaching professionals’ lessons in order to see different teaching styles. Also, encourage the reading of instructional material, which can help develop one’s own style of teaching. A great first read is Successful Coaching, by Rainer Martens.

experiences with your students and how you have handled some difficult situations.

These talks will provide your mentee with insight for future career decisions.

3) Professionalism This is such an important topic and it is what sets teaching professionals apart from each other. Stress the importance of being on time and prepared for lessons, being well groomed, and having timemanagement skills. Show by your actions and examples what it means to be a true professional.

4) Goal setting If you are in a position to mentor someone you understand how to set and reach your own personal and professional goals. Demonstrate how setting goals has impacted your career and how he or she can get started setting goals. It is important to set goals that he or she would like to improve upon. Having a goal will make it easier to plan your protege’s development and also keep that new pro motivated. With both of you working toward the same goal, your relationship will become stronger and you will see results faster.

5) Career path and/or specialty In our industry there are many career paths and specialties for the choosing. It is important to meet with your mentee and help match his or her strengths and personality to the right path. Help that teaching pro choose whether to work in a commercial or private club setting, or focus on working with juniors or adults. By helping your mentee explore and evaluate these areas you can increase the level of success and satisfaction.

2) Instructor and student relations Spend some of your time sharing your www.ADDvantageUSPTA.com

6) Tennis club operations Share your understanding of club operations and business practices with your mentee. Also, provide resources for gaining knowledge in areas such as marketing, personnel management, budgets, pro shop management and operation management.

It is important not only to assist in the area of coaching knowledge, but also in business practices so that person can one day become a head professional or director of tennis.

Ways to mentor fellow teaching professionals 1) One-on-one meetings Two-person meetings are the most convenient and intimate way to mentor someone. Make sure to set up at least a 30-minute to one-hour meeting with your mentee every two to four weeks. Try to use a variety of ways to promote growth such as asking open-ended questions, sharing stories, suggesting study material, and giving specific feedback. After your meeting, remember to set a date for your next meeting so your mentee will be motivated to work on what you met about. Meetings should be set on a regular basis at least once a month, and remember to discuss short-term goals for the time between meetings.

2) Observations By observing your mentee on court during a lesson, clinic, or interacting with other staff or club members, you can better evaluate performance. You will be able to give constructive criticism on areas that need improvement and remember to always share some positive points. Two tools that can enhance your observations are a video camera or a cassette voice recorder. Seeing and hearing oneself on court with students is a tangible and immediate way to improve performance.

3) Topic Discussions These mentor sessions are great if you are in a position to mentor a group of teaching professionals. Remember to provide some examples of how the topic has influenced your personal career. This will help get everyone’s attention. Surprise them during a staff meeting with a topic that will benefit all of them, and remember to make the discussion as interactive as possible so www.ADDvantageUSPTA.com

that everyone can learn from one another.

4) Workshops On-court workshops are a great way to share your teaching methodologies with a group of professionals. You can share progressions and drills that you use and why you feel they are important. Always allow the participants to ask questions so that they can understand the progression or drill better.

Becoming a mentor outside of your club Nothing is more rewarding than touching people’s lives in a positive way. As teaching professionals we get to experience this at our clubs every day with our students and colleagues. It is easy to stay focused on just taking care of our own club, but to help the game and the profession it is important that we share our ideas and experiences with everyone. The USPTA and your communities have several platforms with which you can share your ideas, experiences, and opinions with others. Below are ways in which you can become a mentor and influence others outside of your club.

1) Writing an article By writing an article you can influence various people locally, regionally, or nationally.

If you have an idea, innovation, or opinion that can bring positive change to the way people do things, you should share it. You can write an article and submit it to your local newspaper, USPTA division newsletter, ADDvantage magazine, or other publications. Your article could be the catalyst to change the way people think and act.

2) Online forums Online forums are a great way to share with others. The USPTA has a great online forum where you can interact with other USPTA pros from all over the country.

This is a very powerful tool that can help in creating solutions to issues and assist in helping others by sharing information nationwide.

or community organizations. Your topic, passion, and ideas can inspire others to learn and improve. Another great benefit to presenting is that attendees at your presentation can ask questions and get immediate feedback from you.

4) Community organizations There are always opportunities to become a mentor. Check with your local community organizations to see if you can volunteer your time to help someone. An example is mentoring a youth in your community through the Big Brothers Big Sisters organization. Just by meeting with someone once a week you can help inspire them to make a better life.

I am fortunate enough to have had – and still do have – an invaluable mentor for my career. My mentor has motivated me to do my best work and keeps me looking for ways to improve. I have defined my career goals and a path to reach them.

The guidance I have received has given me direction and insight into the industry that would have taken me an entire career to understand. It is individuals like this who make this such a great profession.

With the great experience I have had with my mentor, it has been rewarding for me to give back to the profession and my community as a mentor myself. Nothing can match the joy I get from sharing my experience with others. Although we mentors will not receive any awards, we will have gained the satisfaction of doing an important job and making our profession and organization a better one.  Chris Chopra is a USPTA P-1 teaching professional at the Indiana University Tennis Center in Bloomington, Ind., where he directs the junior tennis program and assists with the training program for career professionals. His role in the career program is to train and mentor staff members who want to enter the tennis industry. Chopra also serves as the Indiana USPTA president and as a USPTA Tennis Ambassador.

3) Speaker/presenter If you enjoy presenting or speaking, consider putting together a presentation for your state’s high school coaches workshop, USPTA divisional conference, local high school coaches and teaching professionals, ADDvantage/September 2009

13

Father and son USPTA members place sixth in national tournament

U

SPTA Professional Scott Enge and his son, Arin Enge, a new member of the Association, finished sixth in the national Father and Son Grass Court Championships.

The USTA National Father & Son and Grandfather and Grandson Grass Court Championships were played July 20-22 at the Longwood Cricket Club in Chestnut Hill, Mass., a Boston suburb. Sixty-four teams from all over the country competed.

Above: Scott and Arin Enge at the 2009 national Father & Son Grass Court Championships. Below: Charles, Arin and Scott Enge, three generations of USPTA pros.

Scott and Arin Enge, of Olathe, Kan., have won many local father-son tournaments in the past and wanted to try a national tournament, the elder Enge said.

The pair beat other two-generation doubles teams from California, Virginia, Florida, and New York, finishing 4-2 in the tournament and receiving sixth-place silver cups.

Scott Enge said that playing with his son on grass courts at one of the oldest tennis clubs in America (after Wimbledon’s All England Club) “was a dream come true!”

Longwood Cricket Club, established in 1877, was the site of the first Davis Cup competition.

Scott Enge, USPTA P-1 and a 20-year member, is president of ACT Sports Ser-

vices, a tennis instruction company. He also is an educator with Ottawa University in Ottawa, Kan., and the Blue Valley School District.

Arin Enge is a graduate of Olathe East High School and finished seventh in the state tennis tournament this year. He will be attending Ferris State University in Big Rapids, Mich., on a tennis scholarship and will be majoring in Professional Tennis Management.

Arin is the third-generation USPTA member in the Enge family. He joined in July and will become certified in conjunction with his tennis training at Ferris State.

Arin’s grandfather, Charles Enge, of Downers Grove, Ill., is a P-1 and 44-year member of the USPTA. 

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ADDvantage/September 2009

www.ADDvantageUSPTA.com

Texas Division uses coaches workshop to hone skills, recruit members

U

SPTA Professional Jack Foster recently conducted an oncourt instructional workshop for Houston area secondary school coaches.

Fourteen middle and high school coaches attended the three-hour workshop on July 20 at the USPTA World Headquarters. USPTA Professionals Tom Zapp and Nancy Vivero assisted with the workshop.

Foster organized the workshop, which had Hispanic, Asian and Anglo participants, as a multicultural effort. He chairs both the multicultural and education committees for the USPTA Texas Division, which charged each participant $10 to help cover expenses.

The purpose was to provide the coaches with helpful tips and drills. “A lot of middle school coaches, especially, don’t have a lot of training,” said Foster, who is director of tennis for the First Colony Community Association in Sugar Land.

The workshop covered corrective techniques, grips, singles and doubles strategy, and singles and doubles drills for all levels of play.

“The coaches participated in all the drills and had a very enjoyable time,” Foster said.

The workshop also included indoor time for discussion and a question-and answer period. The main topic was the problem of cheating among junior players.

Finally, Foster discussed the benefits of USPTA membership

and showed the coaches the various online resources, including instructional videos, tennis tips and personal Web sites.

“We want them to join USPTA and become Recreational Coaches,” said Foster, who is a USPTA tester. He plans to make the workshop an annual event. 

Jack Foster, left, leads drills during a multicultural coaches workshop sponsored by the Texas Division.

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ADDvantage/September 2009

17

USPTA drills Three return drill

Type: Singles Levels: All levels

prepared by USPTA

Description and goals: The goal of this drill is to work groundstrokes, approach shots, volleys and overheads helping players move to the net and finish off the point.

Organization: Pro hits serves (both first and second serves) to Player A. Player A returns the serve to one of the three areas of the court. Aggressive returns should be played crosscourt or down the line, while more defensive returns should be played deep into the middle of the court. Players should recognize the type of serve (i.e. weak, powerful, first, second, etc.) and let the serve dictate into which area of the court the return should be hit. Switch to ad court after appropriate time.

Six-ball drill

Category: Return of serve, Service Return Time/players: 15 minutes 1-4

Variations: Hit only first or second serves. Play it as a game and keep score to 7. Do the drill for doubles and have two areas only (crosscourt and down the line).

Key points: Players must recognize the type of serve and adjust the return accordingly. Keep players off balance by making them hit forehand and backhand returns to specific areas.

Type: Singles Category: Strategy and tactics Levels: Intermediate/adv.

Time/players: 15 minutes. 1-6

prepared by USPTA

Description and goals: This drill will work groundstokes, approach shots, volleys and overheads, helping players move tot he net and finish off the point, as well as on a pattern of shots that can help win points.

Organization: Player A starts in the middle of the court. Pro will feed six balls from the other side. Player A hits backhand groundstroke crosscourt, forehand groundstroke down the line, creating a short-ball response, then backhand approach shot down the line, backhand volley crosscourt, forehand volley crosscourt and then overhead, either angled off to ad or deuce court (as lob dictates). Next player rotates in and begins same sequence.

Variations: Start feeds to other side of the court to get different approach shot. Change direction of shots. Add to the number of feeds depending on player ability and number. Do it as a live-ball drill by having player(s) on the other side playing out the point (players should feed next ball in the sequence on a missed shot).

Key points: Focus on pattern of shots to get a short ball to come in on and finish point.

Generated by iTennisSystem – www.InterTennis.com

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ADDvantage/September 2009

www.ADDvantageUSPTA.com

Tennis ambassador enlists community partners

by Jill Phipps, USPTA staff writer

M

ike Andrews was born to be a tennis advocate in his community.

Now he’s got the official title – USPTA Ambassador – to prove it.

“I volunteered to be an Ambassador for Tennis – for the health of it! because I have a great passion for the best sport and game in the world,” said Andrews, a USPTA Pro 1 and past president of the Midwest Division.

Mike Andrews, USPTA Tennis– for the health of it! ambassador.

www.ADDvantageUSPTA.com

“I share that passion and express those benefits to anyone I can,” said Andrews, who joined the program in October 2008.

“It was very, very easy to sign up to help and to be an Ambassador.”

Even before he filled out the brief form provided on the USPTA Web site and submitted it with his resume, Andrews was fully committed to serving.

“I called Dr. Jack (Groppel) and said, ‘Jack, I want to be an Ambassador for Tennis – for the health of it!’ ” he recalled.

While he hoped for a positive response, he didn’t hide the fact that he was already prepared to serve in his new role.

USPTA Vice President Jack Groppel, Ph.D., is a member of the Tennis for the health of it! committee that reviews applications submitted by members who would like to serve as Ambassadors. The application is available at uspta.com (click on the red “Become a USPTA Ambassador” link on the right-hand side.)

“Mike is demonstrating what an Ambassador does,” Groppel said. “His passion shows in his community leadership. It’s very often easy for us to get stuck in our own little niche in tennis. Mike is showing how we can branch out beyond tennis and use tennis to lead in our communities.”

Andrews, the managing profess-ional at Wildwood Racquet Club in Fort Wayne, Ind., has made a career of community involvement and charitable contributions through tennis.

For many years, he has volun-teered with the Vera Bradley Classic, a women’s golf and tennis tournament that benefits

the foundation. As one of several host sites for the annual fundraiser, Wildwood Racquet Club registers its event through USPTA’s Lessons for LifeTM. Since Andrews became a USPTA Ambassador, Wildwood Racquet Club and its USPTA Professionals have become even more involved by hosting a series of free lesson “blitzes.”

Wildwood has established corporate partnerships with a variety of entities, including the YMCA of Greater Fort Wayne, Coyote Creek Golf Club, local hospitals associated with the Lutheran Health Network, and the Vera Bradley Foundation.

In August, the club held a Tennis – for the health of it! free-lesson “blitz” – its second this year – to benefit the Vera Bradley Foundation for Breast Cancer. Twenty-five people attended.

Andrews and his fellow USPTA Professionals at the club held their first blitz in May specifically for members of the YMCA of Greater Fort Wayne. A free one-hour lesson was offered every day for four days.

About 45 people took part over the four days.

The YMCA spread the word at its Fort Wayne area facilities that members could attend one or all of the sessions. “Most of our advertising has been done through email blasts to our corporate partners – so no costs are really involved,” he said.

“Our approach was to offer tennis to as many people as we can,” Andrews explained. “If they continued with it – great. If they did not, for whatever reason (financial, schedule, etc.), well, at least we ADDvantage/September 2009

19

got the tennis seed planted.”

Some participants were comp-letely new to the sport while others had some playing experience. But it was all abut fun and learning, rather than skill level. “They had a blast,” he said.

“For those who had played tennis before it was good to get pro-fessional advice from USPTA-certified professionals, which all our full- and part-time professionals are (11 of them),” Andrews said. “And for those who had never played, it was good to start off on the right foot.

“The experience was absolutely fantastic” for the teaching professionals who donated their time. “To get new people introduced to the tennis is a great feeling,” Andrews said.

“Our goal is to offer a free tennis blitz every eight weeks to the general public and/ or corporate partners … to get some new or returning faces. We do have a pathway into membership.

“Wildwood Racquet Club is a prime example of the lifelong benefits of tennis – from our USPTA Little Tennis children to our very active senior group and everyone in between,” Andrews noted. “We have a gentleman in his 90s who plays in our senior group.”

Andrews, a former college tennis player, doesn’t have to be sold on the sport that has shaped his life and career.

“The health benefits are unreal,” he

said. “You can stay in great shape play-ing, meet new people and catch up with people you have not seen in awhile. I can play with my wife, daughter or sons and we all can play together.”

This tennis and fitness am-bassador, who also is a QuickStart Tennis National Tennis Trainer with the USTA, enjoys practicing what he preaches.

“As for my personal fitness, I lift weights six days a week, do some type of cardio activity three to four days a week and I am on court teaching 25 to 30 hours a week,” Andrews said. “I get up at 4:30 a.m. to hit the gym. I play tennis and basketball, and ride a bike for my cardio activity.”

And if that’s not enough, he goes to his job and gets another good workout.

“Teaching Cardio Tennis has been great,” Andrews said. “Where else do you: 1. get to beat the heck out of people; 2. get compensated for it; and 3. They thank you at the end. It doesn’t seem right.”

For more information, con-tact Mike Andrews at MAndrews@wildwoodracquetclub.com or 260-432-0502.

Our approach was to offer tennis to as many people as we can.

Players get a tennis workout at Wildwood Racquet Club, in Fort Wayne, Ind., where Mike Andrews and his staff of USPTA Professionals are holding a series of free-lesson blitzes.

20

ADDvantage/September 2009

www.ADDvantageUSPTA.com

USPTA Player Development Conference December 10-12 Naples, Fla. Academia Sanchez-Casal & Spain’s Registry of Professional Coaches present The Spanish way to develop players

Hear Spain's leading coaches speak on how they develop top players.

Registration: $250 – USPTA members / $300 – nonmembers

Conference accommodations: Naples Tennis Club and Resort

Location: Academia Sanchez-Casal 4995 Airport Road, Naples, FL 34105

For more information and to register:

Contact Academia Sanchez-Casal 239-261- 5777 / e-mail: florida@sanchez-casal.com / www.asc-florida.com

Act now for this informative and entertaining tennis event!

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Call 800-USPTA-4U or visit www.usprotennisshop.com

Career Development conventions (division conventions, 5 credits; World Conference, 8 credits)

exams, upgrades & certification review courses (4 credits for CRC segment)

Sept. 21-26

USPTA World Conference on Tennis Marco Island, Fla.

Oct. 23-24

Southwest Division Scottsdale, Ariz.

Sept. 8 Sept. 11 Sept. 12-13 Sept. 13 Sept. 13 Sept. 21-26 Sept. 26-27 Oct. 3 Oct. 3 Oct. 4 Oct. 4-5 Oct. 10 Oct. 10 Oct. 10 Oct. 10-11

Hamden, Conn.

Minneapolis Aurora, Ill. Lexington, Ky. Midlothian, Va. Marco Island, Fla. Jackson, Miss.

Maui, Hawaii Rochester, Mich.

Hilton Head Island, S.C. Los Angeles Oklahoma City Seattle San Diego Atlanta

Oct. 10-11 Oct. 10-11 Oct. 11 Oct. 19-20 Oct. 19 Oct. 23 Oct. 24 Oct. 24-25 Oct. 25-26 Nov. 7 Nov. 7 Nov. 8 Nov. 8 Nov. 8

Boca Raton, Fla. Flushing, N.Y. Fort Worth, Texas Houston* Pensacola, Fla. Phoenix Brunswick, Maine College Park, Md. Fayetteville, N.C. Napa, Calif.

Mequon, Wis. Birmingham, Ala. Orlando, Fla. Indian Wells, Calif.

* This course is held at the USPTA World Headquarters.

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Exam reservations must be made at least 21 days prior to the dates listed. Each date includes an exam, upgrade and CRC unless noted. Exam cancellations must be received no later than 14 days before the exam, or a cancellation fee will be charged accordingly. Applicant: late cancellation fee – $75; failure to cancel – application fee is forfeited. Certified members: late cancellation fee – $25; failure to cancel – $25 plus the upgrade fee is forfeited. Registration for another exam will not be accepted until cancellation fees are paid.

specialty courses Maximizing your earning potential as a tennis entrepreneur, Sept. 22, Marco Island, Fla., G. Howe

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CPD (Competitive Player Development) – Gained through the USA ­Tennis High Performance Coaching Program a ­ dministered by the USA Tennis Coaching E ­ ducation Department.

For more information about USPTA’s specialist degrees, including applications, please visit our Web site at www.uspta.com or contact the USPTA Education Department at 800-USPTA-4U or education@uspta.org.

cardio tennis

Taking sports psychology to the court, Sept. 22, Marco Island, Fla., R. Heller, Ed.D. Management: a learned skill, Sept. 23, Marco Island, Fla., A. Pant The essentials of shot making, Sept. 23, Marco Island, Fla., F. Hassan Creating a total-service tennis facility, Sept. 25, Marco Island, Fla., J. Hawes, P. Whitworth Developing players: the Spanish way, Sept. 25, Marco Island, Fla., E. Sanchez Vicario, L. Mediero Clay court maintenance, Sept. 26, Marco Island, Fla., P. Hanssen Coaching doubles: drills, buzzwords and visual aids, Sept. 26, Marco Island, Fla., S. Behne TBA, Oct. 24, Scottsdale, Ariz., T. Daglis

Please visit www.growingtennis.com (workshops) to register online.

The deadline to register and/or cancel a course is 15 working days before the event. Anyone canceling late or failing to cancel will forfeit one-half the course fee. Schedule is subject to change.

Call the USPTA Education Department for more information or e-mail education@uspta.org.

Earn education credits from World Conference DVDs (Seminar DVDs, ½ credit/specialty course DVDs, 2 credits) Receive your education credit report card via e-mail by visiting the members-only section of uspta.com. www.ADDvantageUSPTA.com

ADDvantage/September 2009

23

Industry action Member Sean Sloane, men’s tennis coach at Haverford College in Haverford, Pa., was recognized as the 2009 Centennial Conference Coach of the Year for men’s tennis, and was recently named the USPTA Middle States men’s tennis Coach of the Year. Sloane led his 2009 Fords to a 12-5 dual match record and into the semifinals of the Centennial postseason tournament.

Over the past four seasons, Sloane’s squads have twice reached the tournament finals and twice played in the semis. Sloane has amassed a 109-72 record as head coach at Haverford since 1997. Combined with his record as head coach at Williams (Mass.) College, he has compiled a 227151 record over 29 years of collegiate coaching.

Sloane is a USPTA Master Professional and was named the USPTA Pro of the Year in 1986.

Dennis “D” Conroy, head tennis professional at the Hale Koa Hotel in Honolulu, Hawaii, has been appointed executive director for Hawaiian Isles Tennis Foundation. HITF is a 501(c) (3) public charity formed in 2003. Conroy plans to focus on the foundation’s

Hit for Health program, which provides free tennis lessons and mentoring for underprivileged and physically or mentally challenged children. HITF involves children in every level of tennis activity, from beginning lessons to junior tournaments.

Scott Coleman, general manager at the Bremerton Tennis and Athletic Club in Bremerton, Wash., received the 2009 USPTA Facility Manager of the Year Award for the Pacific Northwest.

Manufacturers Lee Tennis Court Products installed the first permanent QuickStart HAR-TRU®

Bill Mountford, left, Senior vice president of World TeamTennis, congratulates USPTA President Harry Gilbert at the 2009 U.S. Open. Gilbert was the leading ticket sales ambassador for the WTT franchise, New York Sportimes, for the recently completed 2009 season. Gilbert is director of tennis at Waccabuc Country Club. Mountford and Gilbert said they are pleased with the contributions from USPTA members in the Boston, New York, Philadelphia, and Washington markets. USPTA pros take advantage of the sales ambassador opportunity to earn commissions and promote professional tennis in their respective communities.

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ADDvantage/September 2009

Paul Cass and daughter Julie Cass, both P-1 members of USPTA, won first place at the Senior Father/Daughter Grass Court Championships. This is their third title in a row in the senior division in addition to three titles in the open division.

They are the first team to win three in a row and a total of six titles. Julie is a teaching pro in Austin, Texas, and Paul teaches in Corpus Christi, Texas. courts at the Farmington Country Club in Charlottesville, Va. The LTCP leadership and Patrick Kearns, head tennis professional at the club, saw an opportunity to convert an existing HAR-TRU court into four 36-foot clay courts to allow children under the age of 10 and older seniors to play tennis on a learning and forgiving surface.

Farmington Country Club plans to hold QuickStart tournaments for children throughout the rest of the year. For more information on this initiative, visit www. playtheclay.com.

The innovative line of Hop-ARazzi™ ball baskets just got bigger with two new models that are perfect for teaching pros, dedicated players and kids. The new Hop Pro and Hop Junior baskets offer lids for hassle-free transport and telescoping legs for easy height adjustment for feeding balls. And just

like the original Hop-aRazzi, they have adjustable handles and built-in wheels that make ball pick-up quick, easy and fun.

Inventor and teaching pro Christi Turdo created the Hop Pro and Hop Junior. All models, made in the USA, are available in 12 exciting colors at www.hoparazzi. com.

The Web site www. randslamfantasytennis. com is an exciting new fantasy tennis site with a fresh approach. There are two parts to this fun competition. Before the tournament starts, players create a team of eight male and female singles players who they think will do well in the tournament. They also predict the tournament finalists and the winner.

Then, starting with the fourth round, players predict the winner of each match before it begins.

Players gain or lose points depending on how far their team advances and the www.ADDvantageUSPTA.com

Industry action outcome of the matches they predict. The Web site sends e-mail reminders about selecting winners and a daily e-mail with current results and point totals.

The site also has a tennis blog and a forum where fans discuss matches and players throughout the tournament.

Miscellany Juandell Brunner, a teaching pro in Finland, has written a children’s book titled, “Beefy’s First Lesson.”

Brunner says he wrote the book, drawn from his own life story, “to teach kids that there is still family value in sports.” It is intended for kindergarteners through third-graders. Ten percent of the proceeds from each book sold goes back to schools to help with art supplies and physical education.

Brunner has spoken to school kids “about my life and how tennis saved

me,” and read his book to them. “Beefy’s First Lesson” can be ordered on amazon.com. More information is available by e-mailing Brunner at juandellbrunner@yahoo. com.

The East Bank Club in downtown Chicago hosted the sixth annual John Mansueto Memorial Tournament Aug. 12-16.

John Mansueto was a former Kalamazoo (Mich.)

College tennis player.

When he passed away in 2001 at the age of 41 due to complications of the West Nile virus, his former teammates started this event in his memory.

This year’s tournament had 48 singles players and 24 doubles teams. In the singles final, Ashwin Kumar of Stevensville, Mich., prevailed over Nicholas Edlefsen of Minneapolis and received $2,000 in prize money. Kumar and

Kent Parrot, tennis director at South Shore Country Club in Hingham, Mass., captured a rare photo opportunity when two sets of triplets, a set of girls and a set of boys, attended his first tennis class of the summer season. Pictured are the Garveys: mother Katleen with 6-year-olds CeCe, Anna, and Lilly. Another Hingham family is the Macdonalds: mother MiMi with Ned, Luke, and Mark, all 5 years old. Shown on back row is Jack Barclay, 6-year-old acting “referee” for the tennis clinics. Far left is Scooby Doo, Cartoon Network tennis advocate. www.ADDvantageUSPTA.com

Teaching pros from the USPTA New England Division took part in a Lessons for Life fundraiser called the Greendale Tennis Extravaganza. The event, held earlier this year, raised $3,000 for the YMCA Strong Kids Charity, associated with the Greendale Family Branch YMCA in Worcester, Mass. More than 60 people attended. The fundraiser included a racquet demo day, round robin, Cardio Tennis drills, a silent auction, raffles, games and prizes.

Ryan Rowe of Moline, Ill., won the doubles and received $1,000. The event was supervised by USPTA Pros Tom Wangelin, Bruce Franks, and Jaime Tannenbaum. Portofino Island Tennis Marathon Michael Edge, director of tennis at Portofino Island Resort in Pensacola Beach, Fla., successfully taught tennis lessons for 24 straight hours May 15-16, 2009. Through contributions from all the players taking lessons and the local tennis community, Portofino Island raised $2,300. All of the proceeds were donated to the American Cancer Society’s “Making Strides for Breast Cancer.” More than 80 local tennis players took lessons throughout the day and night, including an evening clinic during which local tennis pros Krysta Edge, Jean Lee, Allison Pfeifler, Rob Fair and Vivian Chhetri helped run 40 players through drills and games.

Passing John Ebie passed away, surrounded by his family, on Aug. 5, 2009. The 58-yearold Ebie was an active member of USPTA for 13 years. His last position was as regional vice president of USPTA Nor Cal. He was High School Coach of the Year in 2006, when his girls’ team won the Northern Nevada state championships. Although he was very sick, Ebie worked on a fundraiser for breast cancer just a few months before his death.

He is survived by his wife of 35 years, Ellen; two daughters, Mora Nichols and Meredith Freed; sonsin-law, Christopher Nichols and Eric Freed; and two sisters, Gail Orozco and Molly Resetar. He also is survived by numerous nieces and nephews.

Donations may be made in his name to the Reno Cancer Foundation at 1155 Mill Street Reno, NV 89502.

ADDvantage/September 2009

25

Tennis adds tomorrows at The Greens Symptoms of cystic fibrosis are eased by cardio activity

by Lisa Janssen Janssen works for Saxum|PR, which represents The Greens Country Club.

S

iblings Lauren and Will Harvey, 9 and 13 years old, are just like any other kids in many ways.

They attend school, have a group of good friends and enjoy certain hobbies. Will is independent, academically gifted and races mini sprint cars competitively with his father. Lauren is a social butterfly who loves to tease and play. But when it comes to everyday things most kids and even adults don’t think twice about, such as eating three meals a day and breathing easily, the Harveys are different.

Lauren and Will were diagnosed with cystic fibrosis as infants. CF is a chronic disease that affects the lungs and digestive system. A defective gene and its protein cause the body to create unusually thick, sticky mucus that clogs the lungs and makes it difficult to breathe. Mucusproducing cells also line the stomach and pancreas, clogging passageways and interfering with the digestion of food and the intake of necessary vitamins and nutrients.

Physical activity was once considered dangerous for people with cystic fibrosis,

due to breathing problems. In fact, the opposite is found to be true. Cardio activities like running, swimming and tennis are beneficial to the overall health of CF patients.

The movement involved in tennis – running, swinging, etc. – acts as a natural form of chest physiotherapy, and helps to break up mucus in the lungs so that people can breathe easier. It also stimulates coughing to clear airways and improves heart health by lowering blood pressure and strengthening the heart.

Lauren and Will Harvey, who have cystic fibrosis, are active members of the tennis family at The Greens Country Club in Oklahoma City.

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ADDvantage/September 2009

In addition to taking daily medications and doing breathing treatments, the Harvey children find relief from their symptoms at The Greens Country Club in Oklahoma City, where they play tennis several times a week.

Parents Diane and Mark Harvey, say the sport provides Lauren and Will with not only physical benefits, but – perhaps more importantly – the emotional and mental well-being that comes from participating in regular activities. This is especially true for children; being able to play sports with others allows them to feel like part of a team – to feel normal.

“From young ages we’ve tried to always encourage them to be physically active,” said Mark Harvey, who is a medical director. “If you saw them play tennis, you would never have any idea that they have any kind of illness.”

Suzanne LaBelle, tennis director at the Greens and a USPTA Professional, met the Harvey children in 2005.

LaBelle said she was so moved by their disease that she decided to dedicate an annual adult tennis tournament to benefit the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation. At the end of 2009, The Greens’ CF tournaments will have raised more than $50,000 over the past four years, and participation has more than doubled since the first event.

“The Greens is all about family and supporting each other in times of need,” LaBelle said. “This tournament is a way for us to give back to the Harveys and let them know that we care, all while having fun playing tennis.”

Interest in the CF tennis tournament at The Greens is so great, LaBelle said, she organized another tennis tournament just for junior players to benefit the foundation.

This inaugural junior tournament took www.ADDvantageUSPTA.com

place the last weekend in August.

“Suzanne has such a heart for this and such enthusiasm,” Dr. Harvey said. “We could not have asked for a better champion of our cause.”

Cystic fibrosis affects about 30,000 children and adults in the United States and 70,000 people worldwide.

“Living with cystic fibrosis is very challenging,” said Celia Palmer, executive director of the Oklahoma City Sooner Chapter of the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation.

“Families and patients with CF put a lot of time, money and emotional energy into treating the disease.”

While no cure has been found yet, medical advances have extended and enhanced the lives of CF patients. The disease is life-threatening, but many people can now expect to reach middle age.

Dr. Harvey said it feels great to be able to see his children participate in activities like tennis when, at one point in time, kids with CF didn’t live long enough to even attend school.

Another promising development is that Lauren and Will both have normal lung function at this time. Dr. Harvey

Lauren and Will Harvey (front) battle cystic fibrosis with help from their parents, Dr. Mark and Diane Harvey, and USPTA Professional Suzanne LaBelle, whose tournaments have raised $50,000 to benefit the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation.

said he credits breathing treatments and medicines that have allowed the children to stay physically active and therefore play tennis.

“For us, the great part is that we can do

something to try to prevent the progression of cystic fibrosis,” Dr. Harvey said.

“Every day we delay it, it gets us one day closer to the hope of an effective treatment or cure.” 

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ADDvantage/September 2009

27

Nonagenarian still teaching – and protecting – beloved game

by Jill Phipps, USPTA staff writer

A

lbert “Allie” Ritzenberg has helped define an industry with a history as dynamic as his own 70-year career.

“I have seen the transformation of tennis from an elite sport into a big business reaching a very wide and diverse group of people,” Ritzenberg wrote in his 2004 autobiography, “Capital Tennis: A Memoir.”

Ritzenberg, now 90, sees “both the good and bad aspects of the changes that have occurred.”

He has long spoken out against poor sportsmanship, cheating, and attempts by parents, coaches or others who would seek to profit at the expense of young players.

“In order for tennis to continue to be the great sport that it is, those of us who love the game must exercise diligence and address the excesses in the sport when they arise,” he wrote in his book.

general, “New clubs and new owners are in it for the money,” he maintained.

So how can pros best protect their own interests (without getting fired)? “The way I did it was try to be my own boss the best I could; you have to be creative,” he said.

“But most people cannot afford to be their own boss.”

Ritzenberg has made the most not only of his teaching and management skills, but his entrepreneurial ability as well. He and fellow USPTA member Pauline Betz Addie

I always felt it was nice to have champions, but that to me was not the sign of a great pro.

Ritzenberg, a USPTA Master Professional and member for more than 50 years, is especially concerned about the precarious state of tennis professionals’ salaries, benefits and responsibilities.

Over the years, he has seen appreciative club managers handsomely reward successful tennis directors in terms of salary and resources. But he’s also watched tennis programs and staff take a back seat to more profitable operations, such as golf or food and beverage. “I remember when pros ate in the back room and did not consider themselves professionals,” he said.

A lot of pros today “have no perks and no future and burn themselves out in 15 or 20 years, especially if they don’t have a top job at a club or school.”

Ritzenberg would rather see individual teaching pros, rather than management companies, running tennis programs. In

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ADDvantage/September 2009

started an indoor facility in Cabin John, Md., in 1961. Ritzenberg and Addie, who holds five Grand Slam singles titles, also played many tennis exhibitions together.

He also served for 43 years as manager of St. Albans Tennis Club and as tennis coach at St. Albans School, a private school for boys located just blocks from the White House.

Ritzenberg, who played in the parks and playgrounds of Washington, D.C., from the age of 9 and had only one tennis lesson in his life, was running no-cut tennis programs at St. Albans School in the early 1960s.

“I always felt it was nice to have champions, but that to me was not the sign of a great pro,” he said. His emphasis has always been on promoting long-term enjoyment and healthy exercise. “The other day I was sitting at a restaurant and a woman walked over to me and said, ‘I took lessons from

Allie Ritzenberg has been a USPTA member for more than 50 years.

www.ADDvantageUSPTA.com

Allie Ritzenberg, shown on court years ago, taught tennis full time until the age of 85 and still competes in senior tournaments at 90.

you and it changed my life’. … That is very satisfying.”

His defining role was at the exclusive St. Albans Tennis Club, which he founded in 1962. Not everyone at St. Albans was a celebrity or Washington insider, but many were, includingGeorge H.W. Bush and various presidential cabinet members, such as Madeleine Albright. It all started with the Kennedy administration, and Ritzenberg also taught first lady Jacqueline Kennedy on the White House tennis courts for two years.

Sports Illustrated once credited his trend-setting program as a driving force in the tennis boom. Potential members of St. Albans could sometimes wait as long as 8 to 10 years for their name to come up on the list.

At a time when most clubs were totally restricted by race or religion, this tennis director had no part of it. Ritzenberg, who is Jewish and whose father was a Russian emigrant, integrated club membership and tournaments and hired an African-American teaching assistant, USPTA Professional Bob Ryland.

In 1967 the U.S. State Department – a division called the International Educational Exchange Service – asked him to serve as a goodwill ambassador to Haiti. So he spent six months there on special assignment, teaching tennis to the people of that poverty-stricken country.

Ritzenberg returned to Washington, D.C., as he had after being drafted during World War II. The former University of Maryland tennis player, who lost only four matches in four years, continued to play and teach tennis while serving as an Army Air Corps officer in the Pacific. He and his wife, Peggy, were marwww.ADDvantageUSPTA.com

ried in 1942, while he was in the service. They have raised four children together.

Ritzenberg spent more than 40 years assembling the largest tennis art and antiquities collection in the world – about 3,000 pieces. His historical treasures include the first book to show people playing tennis – published in 1530. The International Tennis Hall of Fame in Newport, R.I., acquired the entire collection in 2004. He currently serves on the ITHF museum committee and planned to attend its meeting during this year’s U.S. Open.

As a volunteer with various charitable organizations, Ritzenberg has helped raise funds by auctioning off fine artwork and has even donated pieces from his own tennis art and antiquities collection as prizes and awards at various events.

He also still has a heart for competition. Ritzenberg has played in almost every major national and international seniors tournament, winning many singles and doubles titles. In 2003, he was ranked No. 1 in the world in 85s by the International Tennis Federation. And he just recently – in early September – won the National Grasscourt 90 doubles at the Longwood Cricket Club (with partner Tudor Apmadoc).

As he wrote in his memoirs, tennis has been good to him.

When he retired from full-time work at St. Albans in 2005 – at the age of 85 – Ritzenberg bought a house with tennis courts and still teaches a few mornings each week (“one or two old friends”).

“I enjoy teaching very much,” said Ritzenberg, who also gives lectures on tennis history at assisted-living centers. “It gives me some discipline in life and gives me some exercise.”

Ritzenberg may be contacted at peggyallie@aol.com.

A note from Tim Heckler, USPTA CEO: “I asked Allie to consent to this article due to the occasional conversations I enjoy having with him. It’s not often I can spend an hour or more in one setting speaking on the telephone, but somehow whenever I get to talking to Allie I find myself deeply involved in a story that takes me through eras of tennis history. He is truly a remarkable member of USPTA and I am very proud he was willing to share some of his history with our staff writer, Jill Phipps. In light of his outstanding playing, teaching and social background, Allie is one of the most humble and interesting individuals to speak to. Hardly ever does the word ‘I’ pass his lips, but instead he most often uses my favorite word, T-E-N-N-I-S.”

ADDvantage/September 2009

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