Addvantage 2016 November/December

Inside this issue USPTA World Conference – 40 Education, Encouragement Keys to a Successful Career – 48 The Advantages of Serving American Style – 56 Departments: 36 38 40 48

CEO’s Message Past President’s Message USPTA World Conference Beyond the Court

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Endorsee News Master Pro Corner Career Development Member News

Read more articles online at www.ADDvantageUSPTA.com On the cover: Kirk Anderson of Portland, Ore., was honored with the 2016 Alex Gordon Award for the USPTA Professional of the Year.

CEO’s Message

Home Run!

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ctober is such a wonderful time of the year if you are a sports fan: college football is in high gear, the NFL is rockin’, professional basketball and hockey are getting under way and the baseball playoffs are at a fever pitch. Thus, using a baseball analogy to describe the events of our recent World Conference in Indian Wells is not out of line because it was truly a home run.

Much of this issue is dedicated to the wrap-up of the World Conference. But, here is a recap from my perspective: 1) The PAID attendance numbers were the second highest since 2008, only surpassed by last year in New ­Orleans, which was a huge hit.

2) Moving the Buying Show up to the first social event of the week instead of being at the tail end (as has been customary) was fortuitous, increasing the traffic significantly more than in years past. As a result, our vendor community was very pleased. Witness the fact that we had 19 more vendors present than last year, we remain the only and certainly the most viable tennis industry trade show that exists during the year.

3) The Hall of Fame panel on Tuesday with Rosie Casals, Pam Shriver and Lindsay Davenport (with International Hall of Fame CEO Todd Martin moderating), exceeded everyone’s expectations. To hear these all-time greats talk about their coaches and the influence that they had on their lives, both on and off the court, was inspiring. The bar was set awfully high for any such panel at future World Conferences to surpass. And, this session was streamed live to members of the International Tennis Hall of Fame worldwide.

4) The Awards Luncheon on Tuesday may well have been the highlight of

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by John Embree the week. We scrambled at the last minute to add 10 additional tables to accommodate the more than 500 people who attended. To see six new Master Professionals be recognized, to understand the impact that the USTA/USPTA Community Service award winner (Aki Wolfson) and the George Bacso Lifetime Achievement Award Winner (Ben Press) had on their respective communities, to honor the lifetime of work that Kirk Anderson has had in the industry with the Alex Gordon Pro of the Year award and to be awed by the 43-year career that Peter Burwash, who was inducted into the USPTA Hall of Fame, made for a moving celebration.

To top things off, Todd Martin then delivered a provocative key note address that gave perspective to all of us as to why we are in this game.

5) Because our Masters tournament was opened to all conference registrants, we had 65 unique players who played. Hats off to Joe D’Aleo and Jim Sciarro who worked extremely hard behind the scenes to create an outstanding event. The Indian Wells Tennis Gardens proved to be a terrific facility and kudos goes to Director Tom Fey and his team for assisting.

6) We introduced the Crowd Compass app last year in New Orleans to rave reviews. So, we expanded our partnership with the vendor, CVent, to include a paperless registration process. It could not have gone smoother and it demonstrated the commitment that the USPTA has to always improving and using technology to be cutting edge.

7) The Grand Hyatt Indian Wells proved to be an awesome destination this year. The food for all of our functions was delectable and the staff went out of their way to make us feel welcomed. To be able to host our event at

such a quality property at the room rate that was negotiated was fantastic. I only wish the airline fares could have been more reasonable, as they kept many away from joining us because of heightened costs.

8) Congratulations to the Education Committee for putting together a wonderful roster of speakers. Particularly noteworthy was the leadership track that offered a series of subjectmatter experts to impart their wisdom. It is too bad that so many people had to leave before Thursday, thereby missing our final key note speaker, Gerry Faust, Ph.D. Engaging yet on message, his talk about how one can build their own business at a club or facility was compelling.

9) Using our conference to launch two new partnerships with both Wilson, as the official equipment supplier of the USPTA, and Setteo, the official tournament and club platform, brought a level of energy and excitement not seen in several years.

There was a palpable buzz throughout the week as both of these companies embraced the opportunity to support our professionals. I look forward to working with them in the years to come.

There is so much more on which I could comment. But, I cannot finish without recognizing the incredible commitment of the staff to put on a terrific event. Months of preparation goes into planning and execution and they do so with little fanfare or appreciation. I know what is required of this group and I express my heartfelt thanks for a job well done.

So, what do we do for an encore?

Come to Orlando next October to see what we have in store for you at the Home of American Tennis and our new corporate offices. The 2017 World Conference should be a Grand Slam! h

Past President’s Message

Industry Partnerships, Professional Development Help Grow Tennis Industry

by Tom McGraw

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s I reflect back on the 2016 World Conference it amazes me what a true ­extravaganza of education it offered. The various seminars help us stay sharp, improve our skill set, and prepare us for all of the hats that we wear each and every day. Professional development is the cornerstone of the USPTA and ­continues to be a priority. Thanks to the national staff and the education committee for making it all happen.

We have tremendous support and representation from all of our industry partners at the conference each year.

Tennis manufacturers, USTA and CMAA are some that the USPTA collaborates with on many fronts to help our members and the industry. As with all team work there are certain expectations on what each partner brings to the table. Tennis professionals share a love of the game and benefit from careers in tennis and have a personal responsibility to do our part for the long-term health of our sport. We need to stay engaged and be supportive of our allied associations and industry partners more than ever.

Despite overall tennis participation numbers being flat, sales reports from tennis manufacturers have been significantly down. They need us to have a better understanding of new racquet and string technology and how it benefits players’ games. Most of us represent one of the companies as an Advisory Staff Member. We become their spokesperson to make the con-

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nection with the consumer. They need our assistance organizing demo days, building brand loyalty, and promoting sales in pro shops. This is critical for a successful relationship and a win-win for everyone involved.

to develop and expand. The CMAA has a strong history of professional development and they recommend USPTA members seek education that provides a balanced approach between on court and off court. Their members are usu-

The respect and the cooperation has never been stronger among our allied associations and industry partners ... Working together will ensure that we enjoy a healthy industry now and in the years to come.

USTA works with the USPTA to “elevate the standards of tennisteaching professionals and coaches.”

We share a common belief that we need more professionals who are well trained in tennis to enter the work force. Together we can market to high school and college-age students that working in the tennis industry is a viable career. Established pros should embrace professional development as well and be open to change on how we deliver our sport to our consumers.

Never has there been a time where the consumer has had so many options on how to spend their disposable time and income. Introduction of tennis to juniors and adults should change with the consumers’ needs and desires.

Better programming with easy access, shorter formats, appropriate use of graduated equipment for juniors, and most of all, a positive first-time experience is key to growing our sport!

Without this, the consumer will look elsewhere for another activity to fit their lifestyle needs.

Our CMAA relationship continues

ally part of the hiring process of our members. They typically look for directors of tennis that are business oriented. Their preferred skill set includes budget experience, programming for competitive and social play, problemsolving skills, service expertise, and good communication skills. Playing and teaching skills are important but take a back seat to the above mentioned skills.

The respect and the cooperation has never been stronger among our allied associations and industry partners. It’s clear that the industry has to continue to work in unison to promote tennis and attract a new wave of players into the game. A well-educated tennis professional is one of the keys to the equation. We deliver the sport all across the country in our clubs, parks and commercial facilities. The USPTA’s role is to provide you with educational opportunities so you will have the tools and skills to handle the job. Working together will ensure that we enjoy a healthy industry now and in the years to come. h

USPTA World Conference

That’s a Wrap

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he boxes are unpacked, reports have been run, surveys reviewed and another World Conference is behind us. Indian Wells was a beautiful location and the 2016 conference was one of our highest attended in recent years with 840 registered attendees.

The self-check-in kiosks at registration were a huge success, for both staff and conference attendees. It both sped up and simplified the process, using much less paper than in previous years.

The Hall of Fame panel discussion was a hit, with the panelist discussing topics such as junior tennis, playing at the highest level, and more. On junior tennis, Davenport had these c­ omments:

“I believe in not putting kids in too high until they learn how to win and they learn how to lose, how to win when they’re seeded No. 1 and when they’re unseeded,” she said. “All of those things help you handle pressure down the line.”

Another well-received session was “Are You Paying Enough” with David Mulé. One conference attendee said:

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“Great information. Relevant and well delivered! I would love to see more courses like this offered. It was delivered in a simple way and specific to most professionals who are in managerial positions.”

Several of the sessions were recorded and are available on demand on tennisresources.com.

USPTA Master Professional Kirk Anderson was named USPTA’s Professional of the Year during the Awards Luncheon. During his acceptance speech, he shared the keys to his success: love, service and sacrifice.

In addition, Peter Burwash, ­USPTA Master Professional, was inducted into the USPTA Hall of Fame, and Ben Press was posthumously honored with the George Bacso Lifetime Achievement Award, which was accepted by his son Paul Press. Dur-

ing the general membership meeting, several more awards were presented, including the USPTA President’s Paul Waldman Award to USPTA Director of Professional Development Fred Viancos. Read about these and more on page 44.

The Masters Invitational tournament, which was opened up to all professional-level members in good standing, had 70 participants this year.

Stefano Ianni of Miami won men’s open singles and Agata Cioroch of ­Atlanta won women’s open singles.

Other divisions played were men’s open doubles, men’s singles and doubles in 35s, 45s and 55s, and women’s open doubles. Read about more results on page 47.

The Silent Auction and other fundraising efforts brought in more than $8,300 for the USPTA Foundation.

Winners walked away with prizes ranging from Disney tickets to court equipment. A special thank you goes out to those who donated.

The 2017 World Conference is scheduled for Oct. 10-15 at the Renaissance Orlando at SeaWorld®. We hope to see you there! h

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USPTA World Conference

From Touring Pro to Teaching Coach

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ormer professional tennis player Mark Woodforde was one of many USPTA members who attended this year’s World Conference. He’s best known as one half of “The Woodies” in his doubles partnership with Todd Woodbridge. Together they were the ATP Doubles Team of the Year four times and won 61 ATP doubles tournaments, with Woodforde winning a total of 67 in his career. Woodforde won 12 Grand Slam doubles titles, including one French Open, two Australian Opens, three US Opens, and a record six Wimbledons.

Eleven of these victories came as a member of the Woodies, and the 1989 US Open doubles with John McEnroe. In November of 1992, he reached the World No. 1 doubles ranking. Woodforde’s other career highlights included a gold medal at the 1996 Atlanta Olympics, and a silver medal at the 2000 Sydney Olympics.

Woodforde played for the Australian Davis Cup Team in three Davis Cup finals, including teaming with Woodbridge to clinch the 1999 win to give Australia its first Davis Cup victory in 13 years.

Why did you want to attend this year’s World Conference? Geographically it made a lot of sense. With it being held within 10 minutes from where I live it was convenient. I’m still involved in the sport quite heavily, but it was my philosophy when I was playing that a tennis player never stops learning. As a youngster you’re taking on board and soaking up all this information. Even when you get to various levels as a professional tennis player, you’re still taking on board more information. I think the next position that I aspire to, I’ll be a jack of all trades and do some part-time coaching, and that’s why I want to keep educating myself and keep being open to different styles, ways and beliefs on how to go about playing the sport and trying to improve. I’ve been a member since a couple of years after I retired from playing, so why not tap into it?

What do you feel like you’ve gotten out of it? I wasn’t aware of the magnitude of the conference and how extensive it is. This is

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not a one- or two-day conference – it’s a full week, and to hear the number of members that had signed up in advance surprised me. It’s interesting to arrive and go to the different seminars and actually see the spirit of the coaches. It’s like tennis players, some have very unique styles of playing and I’m sure there are very unique styles of teaching tennis. There’s a strong connection with everyone. We’re all really in the same boat of wanting to educate ourselves and pass that information on to other players, from youngsters, to social, to pro level.

That’s what I think I’ve also gotten a kick out of with some of the different seminars I’ve gone to. You have a mix of someone coming from a player development side and then someone else asking, “so how can I do that with a 4.0 level?” You take out what you can. For me it’s more for pro players and what I can learn and pass on.

Why do you feel professional development is so important, even for someone of your status in the game? Coming here for the first time, I’ve made that first step of looking up the information and attending, and it’s not really a stop here.

If it encourages other players like myself that come from a pro background, then hopefully it helps them see that if I can do it, then they can do it. It’s not like you come here once and think okay, that’s it.

It’s really just tweaking and continuing to move forward with it. The big thing is providing enjoyment for others to learn about the game and to stick with it.

How has your transition from a pro player to teaching been? I think it’s a natural assumption that if you get to a certain level that you know it and can teach it, but it’s very different. What I’ve found, and I’ll admit to it, is that sometimes you say to the players you’re working with to “just get it in.” I know myself how to get it in because after years and years of playing, it is instinctual and automatic to just feel it and know what to tweak for me. But to actually explain it to someone else is different. So that’s key for me – to watch how the presenters speak. The way that a coach spoke to me was always important to me. We all want to be told a certain way, but I want to be able, when the time is right, to adjust the intensity. I’m very curious how the presenters are presenting, speaking and what their keywords are. Sometimes less is more.

What has been your favorite seminar so far and why? In my mind I always think you’ll be locked indoors in a seminar or stuck in a board room waiting to leave, but the combination of seminars, on-court instruction and options makes the difference for me. Some learn verbally and some more visually, but you can get the variety and options here. It’s not just catering to the pros.

I went to one course that was geared more toward junior development, but I still got something out of it. It’s a real cross section of who the USPTA is catering to. So short answer, they’ve all been excellent.

What would you say is the biggest benefit of attending the World Conference? Being educated by qualified teaching professionals. I know that as a player, I wanted the coaches I aspired to work with to have experience. I wanted that trust value, because under those pressure moments it’s easy to doubt yourself, but I felt comfortable that if my coaches had been in those situations or backed themselves up with that knowledge, it gave me 100 percent trust. If it’s product that you’re after, the trade show might have taken the cake for me. It was terrific to meet the exhibitors who provided everything from video analysis, court equipment, ball machines and racquets. h

USPTA World Conference

2016 Honorees

USPTA honored those who stand out and go above and beyond in all aspects of the tennis industry at the 2016 USPTA World ­Conference. USPTA, the world’s oldest and largest association of tennis-teaching professionals, recognized tennis coaches, ­industry leaders and volunteers during its annual national awards presentations at the Hyatt Regency Indian Wells Resort & Spa. Peter Burwash (Carmel Valley, Calif.) joined the ranks of only 18 others when he was inducted into the USPTA Hall of Fame. The association’s highest honor recognizes excellence in the tennis profession and commitment to USPTA.

Ronald Elizondo (Corpus Christi, Texas) received the association’s Diversity Award for his work to increase diversity within the USPTA.

Kirk Anderson (Portland, Ore.) received the USPTA Alex Gordon Professional of the Year Award, the association’s top annual member award.

Dion Crupi (Irving, Texas) is this year’s recipient of the Tim Gullikson Touring Coach of the Year Award. His coaching experience includes serving as a development and travel coach for juniors and professionals at both national and international levels.

The George Bacso Lifetime Achievement Award went to Ben Press (Coronado, Calif.), the second time the award has been presented since 2008.

Dick Johnson (Albuquerque, N.M.) was named the High School Coach of the Year. As the head boy’s tennis coach at La Cueva High School in Albuquerque, N.M., Johnson led his players to the state championships in 2016, winning several state titles.

Fred Viancos (Lake Nona, Fla.) was honored with the USPTA Paul Waldman President’s Award. This award is given by the USPTA President for lifetime achievement as a member of the association.

Aki Takayama-Wolfson (Flushing, N.Y.) received the USTA/USPTA Community Service Award for her contributions to her community through tennis, presented annually by the United States Tennis Association as part of the USPTA’s awards program.

In recognition of his business acumen and advancing the sport of tennis in his community, Jeff Bearup (Duxbury, Mass.) received the USPTA’s Industry Excellence Award.

Patrick LaSalle (Coventry, R.I.) was awarded the USPTA Star Award for his efforts to bring tennis to socioeconomically challenged communities as the tennis program director with the Town of Coventry Parks and Recreation.

Josh Jorgensen (San Diego, Calif.) was named the Top Education Credit Earner for 2016 after earning an outstanding number of education credits as part of the USPTA Career Development Program.

Angelo and Ettore Rossetti (Hamden, Conn.) are the recipients of the Lessons for Life Award for their extensive contributions to their community. In 2015, they helped raise more than $104,300 for the Save the Children charity organization through tennis.

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Kim Gidley (Colorado Springs, Colo.) was named the Steve Wilkinson College Coach of the Year after leading the Air Force Academy’s women’s tennis team to an 18-9 overall mark last season, its sixth consecutive winning season.

J. Weston Reese (San Francisco, Calif.) was named the George Bacso Tester of the Year. Reese is a USPTA Elite Professional and has been a te­ster for 35 years, 33 of those as a head tester. He

administered the USPTA certification exam to 68 people over the last year.

Dan Miles (Bonita Springs, Fla.) was named the Facility Manager of the Year. Miles has been the general manager of the Bonita Bay Club in Bonita Springs, Fla., for more than 25 years and has continually made the commitment to support tennis and tennis-teaching professionals.

Ryan McDaniel (Evansville, Ind.) is the second recipient of the U30 Award, new to the awards program in 2015. The U30 Award recognizes a USPTA Professional aged 30 or under for his or her contributions to tennis.

USPTA World Conference

2016 Honorees Master Professionals Jack Foster, Paul Marcum, Michael Mercier, Larry Dupleich Puña, Mark Rearden, Mark Savage (pictured from left to right)

Division Awards Division of the Year – Texas Newsletter of the Year – Midwest Lessons for Life™ Most money raised – 1. Southern 2. Texas Most money raised per capita – 1. Southern 2. Texas

Specialist Degrees USPTA Specialists in Competitive Player Development Brandon Arradaza Matias Marin

Michael Baugh Brent Mazza Dan Beedle Bond Minard Branden Beets Tony Mule Kenny Callender Todd Piker

Jeremy Carl Ferdinand Redelijk Scott Carson Gira Schofield Chris Cuna Alex Shusis Jeffrey Etterbeek Bryan Smith Boris Fetbroyt A. Tyler Stephen Tyler Fraser Eric Taino Jeremy Jack Marianne Werdel Stoyan Kirkov

USPTA Specialist in Sport Science Feisal Hassan

USPTA Specialist in Facility Management Eric Winn

Education Awards Top education participants – 2015

Josh Jorgensen – Top credit earner Levander Kelley Michael Baugh Angela Leong Bill Riddle

Todd Upchurch

Eric Striesfeld

Brenton James

Stan Carter

Education merit award for 10 years of continuing education participation Nelson Alapi Doug Eng Trish Faulkner Mike Gennette

Marc Majdick Ajay Pant Patrik Segfeldt Charlotte Wylie

Education merit award for 20 years of continuing education participation Rosie Bareis Bunny Bruning Alan Cutler

Stan Oley Anne Pamplin-Everson Fred Viancos

The USPTA National Awards program is conducted annually. Nominations are submitted by the organization’s 17 divisions and by individuals. Recipients in each category are decided by the USPTA Awards Committee. 2016 Awards Committee: Diane Selke (chair), Craig Bell, Mark Faber, Terence Killen, Conan Lorenzo

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Years of Service 30 Years Gary Agardy Brad Albert Greg Amaya Arthur Anastopoulo Bill Arick William Aronson Steve Bailey Chris Barbe Rosie Bareis John Barker Doug Barthel Lee Basey Brett Beattie Jim Bedilion Viktoria Beggs William Belser Lindsay Benton Michael Bergeron Bradley Blume Sergiu Boerica Rick Bontrager Doug Bradley Jeff Brenner Beverly Buckley Bill Busiek Mark Campanile Walter Campbell Jorge Capestany Andres Castro Bonita Clark Jeff Cohen Maryann Colville Patti Crane Randy Crawford Lisa Culp Barry Curley Boris Damjanovic Marty Devlin Peter Dietrich Jai DiLouie Debbie Dotson Swindoll Ross Dubins Tara Dunne Raymond Durack David Dvorak David Earlewine Brian Edwards Doug Elsass Claude England Dale Eshelbrenner Barbara Fain Mickey Ferguson Kevin Foster Barbara Fowler J. Howard Frazer Peter Freischlag Barry Friedman Yoshio Fukuoka Nicolaus Getz David Glackin Farrell Graves Robert Greene Bill Gregg

Tom Greider Geoff Griffin Frank Guengerich Bernard Gusman Michael Hancock John Harden Robin Harris Tom Harrison Masakiyo Hatamori Tom Hawkins Brett Hobden Randy Houston Keith Hubbard Takeshi Ichikawa Ali Ismail Mike James Richard Jimenez Randall Jobson Gordon Johnson Rose Jones Dawn Jupin Masataka Kageyama Larry Kahn Lanny Kalpin Larry Karageanes Brad Karen Masaki Kato Kenji Kawamura Ed Kelly Catharine Kelly Rajan Keswani Bill Kirsch Kathy Kolankiewicz Urszula Krzyzowski Chuck Kuhle Shogo Kuroda Claudette Laliberte Nancy Lally Michael Lanahan Bob Langer Toby Larson John Lerch Bradley Leu Bruce Lipka Brian Loomis Judy Louie Paul Lubbers Jean Luetschwager Patsy Lukas Paul MacDonald Sabita Maharaj Reiny Maier Roger Mark David Markin Yoshitaka Masuda Rob Maxwell Bill McCormick Daniel McCormick Liz McDonald Kevin McGlynn Bill McGrath Mark McGuire Connie McHugh Dave McKinney Jim McLennan

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Luis Mediero John Miglionico Anni Miller Jerry Morse-Karzen Janice Mott Albert Murata Scott Murphy Shinji Nagasawa Yasuhiro Nakajima Hans Neufeld Brian Newhall Judy Newman Bryan Nibert Cathleen Nicoloff Cecil North Guillermo Oropez Jeanette Paddock Kevin Page John Panizzo Steve Paper Ron Parlman Dan Patterson Paul Pautsch Scott Perlstein Armor Persons David Porter Bruce Proctor Mike Puc Ann Quinn Ralph Rabago Frank Raddi Felicia Raschiatore Mario Rauch Mike Richards Kenny Ross Todd Ruedisili Doug Ruffin Mark Russo Edmond Sahag Richard Saunders Peggy Schick Joseph Scholtens Alan Schwimmer James Scott Daniel Shoop Sue Shrader Cheryl Shrum Mark Sieving Len Simard Pravin Singh Alan Smallwood Ronnie Smith David Smith H.A. Smith Elizabeth Sortland Helle Sparre Dan Stablein David Steinbach Don Stevens Forrest Stewart Eck Stone York Strother Kurt Thein Harrell Thomas Jack Thompson

Todd Trombetta Masanori Uesugi Toyohiko Ushiyama Michael Van Dusen John Van Handel Steve Vaughan Andrew Veal Michael Velasco Donnie Wallis Steve Walters Tom Wangelin Glenn Williams Scott Williams Francisco Williams Jeff Wood Kaz Yamanoha Bryden Yemm Fumitoshi Yoshida Glendale Zell Leigh Zimmerman

Dan O’Connell Dennis Oricchio Richard Palmer Becky Plowman-Hahn David Ray Weston Reese Dave Schobel Mike See Bernard Sewell John Shelander Kirk Shoemaker Dan Smithyman Bob Spilman Matt Stiltz Barry Stout Russ Tapper Ross Walker Paul Waltz Marceil Whitney Tim Wynne

35 Years Ray Anders Doug Atkinson Scott Barr Jerry Baskin Ben Bishop Philip Blackwelder Carey Brading Mark Brown Frank Carleton Steve Chapman Tom Cuming Curly Davis Lee DeYoung Ralph Drumheller Mike Duncan Christine Eddy Roy Emerson Bill Foreman Steve Gallagher Dick Gould John Guevara Dan Halvorsen Jon Hardman Sarah Hatgas Doug Hofer John Holladay James Hunt Arun Jetli Andrew Johnston Ted Kopren Rod Laver Mike Lewis Larry Lewis C.W. Lewis Mike Lewitt Lee Libby Rodger Lolley Omar Lopez Gregg Manning Brian McCoy Ted Meyer Peter Minarich Cheryl Moore

40 Years John Adams Paul Adler Jonathan Bailin Dale Balun Skip Bishop Scott Buell Patti Burns Tim Butorac Sandy Cadel Gordon Collins Art Cramp Geoffrey Crawford Jim Crouse Joe Csandli Jim Davis Elizabeth Derry Mike Dickens Vicki England Patton Brittin Feldhausen Scott Ford Roger Furman Paul Gagon Florin Giuglescu Carlos Goffi Dennis Grainger Fernando Guarachi Jake Hannas Michael Hoctor Norman Kalkhoff Jeff Kefalos George Kosloff Tom Krukiel Joseph McGurrin Mark Medow Andrew Moffat Thomas Morlock Peter Moss Barbara Ann Mueller Ted Murray Karen Neuman Carl Poske Celeste Pregracke Roy Riley

Phyllis Roach Steven Sarver Susan Selke Raymond Smith Tim Smith Fred Stolle Joseph Thompson Michael Tiberg Steve Tidball Leo Vorwerk John Waltz Holly Weitendorf Wayne Wookey John Worley 45 Years Lee Adams Bob Bayliss Stephanie Bird Sydney Brass Bob Ecuyer Paul Fein Joe Felice David Fowler Jay Gilliford Bill Guilfoil David Howell Brad Humphreys Dave Kozlowski Hilary McGuire Avis Murray Boots O’Brien Chuck Pate Andrea Rains Lenny Schloss Jeff Unger John Verde Charles Zimmerman 50 Years John Bregin Ed Foster Ty Fuller Edward Gordon Don Henson Robert Luedtke John Rountree 55 Years Joseph Pizzat Frank Schuler Dennis Van der Meer 60 Years Carlton Buerger Neil Chase 65 Years Ted Withall 70 Years Pancho Segura

USPTA World Conference

Top Players Take Home Honors in USPTA’s $7,500 Masters Invitational

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he best of the best were on dis­ SPTA Masplay last week at the U ters Invitational, with several of the USPTA’s top Surface Championship winners taking home a portion of the $7,500 prize money. The second annual USPTA Masters Invitational was held during the USPTA World Conference at the Hyatt Regency Indian Wells Resort & Spa in Indian Wells, Calif.

This tournament, which replaced the International Championships, gave USPTA-certified Professionals an added opportunity to showcase their skills and earn more prize money.

Stefano Ianni of Miami earned the men’s open singles division title after defeating William Noblitt of Raleigh, N.C., by a final score of 6-3, 6-3. The pair partnered up later in the week to take home the top prize in the men’s open doubles division.

Agata Cioroch of Atlanta, was the top woman in the tournament after earning the women’s open singles division title with a decisive victory over Ekaterina Morozova-Pomier of Houston, 6-2, 6-3.

Floridians had a strong showing at the tournament. Franco Mata of Naples, Fla., won the men’s 35 singles division after a close match with last year’s title winner Paulo Barros of Fort Myers, Fla., with a final score of 4-6, 7-5, 7-6.

Longtime tournament participant Jeff Cohen of Boca Raton, Fla., won the men’s 45 singles division crown after edging Frank Vermeer of Jacksonville, Fla., 6-3, 1-0.

Rob Horsch of Laguna Niguel, Calif., and Kevin Gillette of Meridian, Miss., paired up to earn the men’s 45 doubles division title when Cohen and Vermeer withdraw in the finals.

Mike Fedderly of Palm Desert, Calif., went down to the wire with Kie ­Foreman of Pebble Beach, Calif., but came up victorious with a win 6-2, 6-0 for the men’s 55 singles division title.

The USPTA Masters Invitational featured the top point earners from the four USPTA Surface Championships in 2015-16 who were selected to compete based on their finish. After an early registration period, registration was opened up to all certified members in good standing. Divisions included men’s open singles and doubles, men’s 35 singles and doubles, men’s 45 singles and doubles, men’s 55 singles and doubles, and women’s open singles and doubles.

The total prize money for the event was $7,500.

For more information on the ­USPTA Surface Championships and the Masters Invitational, visit ­ uspta.com/ tournaments. h

2016 USPTA Masters Invitational Winners Men’s Open Singles – Winner: Stefano Ianni (Miami); Runner-up: William Noblitt (Raleigh, N.C.) Women’s Open Singles – Winner: Agata Cioroch (Atlanta); Runner-up: Ekaterina Morozova-Pomier (Houston) Men’s Open Doubles – Winners: Stefano Ianni (Miami)/William Noblitt (Raleigh, N.C.); Runners-up: Franco Mata (Naples, Fla.)/Jicham Zaatini (Naples, Fla.) Men’s 35 Singles – Winner: Franco Mata (Naples, Fla.); Runner-up: Paulo Barros (Fort Myers, Fla.) Men’s 45 Singles – Winner: Jeff Cohen (Boca Raton, Fla.); Runner-up: Frank Vermeer (Jacksonville, Fla.) Men’s 45 Doubles – Winners: Rob Horsch (Laguna Niguel, Calif.)/Kevin Gillette (Meridian, Miss.); Runners-up: Jeff Cohen (Boca Raton, Fla.)/Frank Vermeer (Jacksonville, Fla.) Men’s 55 Singles – Winner: Mike Fedderly (Palm Desert, Calif.); Runner-up: Kie Foreman (Pebble Beach, Calif.)

Men’s 55 Doubles – Winner: Craig Koessler (Wilsonville, Ore.)/Sal Castillo (San Antonio); Runner-up: Michael Smith (Fair Oaks, Calif.)/Ken DeHart (San Jose, Calif.)

Women’s Open Doubles – Winner­­: Miranda Rodriguez (Skokie, Ill.)/ Ekaterina Morozova-Pomier (Houston) Runner-up: Cari Buck (Manhattan Beach, Calif.)/Sara Morse (San Diego)

From left, tournament director Joe D’Aleo, Men’s Open Singles finalist William Noblitt, Winner Stefano Ianni and tournament director Jim Sciarro.

Men’s 35 Doubles – Winner: Juan ­ artinez-Arraya (Old Greenwich, M Conn.)/ Patricio Misitrano (Darien, Conn.) Runner-up: Juan Garcia (San Diego)/Francois Castejon (San Diego) Full results are available on setteo.com.

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Beyond the Court

Education, Encouragement Keys to a Successful Career

By Mark Rearden, USPTA Master Professional

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n January of 2015, I wrote an article that appeared in Tennis Industry magazine titled “50 and Fired.” The article chronicled the travails of being fired from a job I had held for more than 21 years. Some of the territory covered was purely cathartic, but the bulk of the article attempted to do what I have tried to do my whole life, which is to teach others what I have learned.

There were bits and pieces about handling the heartache of losing one’s job, how one can take a philosophical approach to what an employer can actually take from you, and some very practical advice about how to financially prepare for a worst-case scenario. I felt, however, that a follow-up article might offer a bit more insight into how a career tennis professional can arrive at some not-so-healthy attitudes about how his industry actually works.

Let’s start with what my professional moniker has looked like for most of my life. I have been what might be called a full-service, blue-collar pro most of the way. That is to say, I have spent most of my career taking care of my members, running tournaments or member events, and helping to raise the next generation of young tennis players. In most instances I have been in a position of leadership at the clubs where I have worked. I believe this to be representative of many of the tennis professionals in our industry. I have always been proud of how conscientiously I worked and that I was willing to stay at work as long as it took to get the job done.

As a young professional, I was fortunate to land a job with an education allowance and a general manager who encouraged me to continue to fine tune my craft. I dutifully attended as many conferences and education seminars as the schedule would allow. One of the things I discovered was that many of the speakers seemed to be on the “clinicians circuit” or speaking at most of the medium to large events. And many of these speakers were “working” at some very impressive places.

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Go out of your way to encourage a fellow pro.

Even as educators we still need for people to believe in us as well.

Our industry and our organization need the best and brightest in leadership roles. Make it your mission to inspire someone to go further than they would have. Take the time to tell someone they inspired YOU and then pay it forward by inspiring someone ELSE.

This is where my otherwise non-judgmental attitude began to go astray. I reasoned that if these pros were really as good as they thought themselves to be, they would be spending more time at their facility taking care of their membership. How could they have the audacity to speak to a group of go-getters whose programs were in some cases better than theirs. The reality of this mindset was that I was envious of the respect they were getting for having the courage to get up in front of their peers and share what they had learned. At the time however, I was too emotionally immature to understand that about myself. I reasoned that if they were not doing it like me, they were not doing it the right way.

For more years than I care to admit, I attended many of these conferences but rarely learned as much as I could have, except on the occasion when I would categorize one the speakers as a good guy, you know, like me. It never occurred to me that these hard-working professionals were doing the same thing for our industry that I was doing for my club, teaching what they had learned.

My attitude from those days is embarrassing to even think about now. Thankfully, I was at least intuitive enough to not speak those thoughts publicly.

Many years later I have righted the ship and no longer look scornfully at those professionals who are more driven than I am or maybe are just driven differently than I am. I regret not learning as much as I should have, because I was fearful to ask questions about things I thought I should have already known. And so, rather than soaking up as much as I could, I missed out on some good conversations with some of the best minds in our business.

The good news is if you are an educator, whether it is tennis or some other discipline, you can keep on learning and keep on pushing your career forward. You just have to be willing to open your mind to the information being packaged differently than you expect or prefer. As tennis pro-

www.ADDvantageUSPTA.com 47

fessionals, we are a cocky breed, and if you are guilty of selling bravado in place of are waiting for the information to come a better understanding of our industry. from a once-in-a-lifetime humble source The great news is the USPTA now has type like John Wooden, you may miss out an under 30 category where young pros on some really good stuff. have a safe place to learn and share ideas About three or four years ago the in an environment where they can be facility where I worked hosted one of themselves, offer up new ideas, and ask the USTA’s stops for the 12s Zonals. The questions without being fearful of being coaches that show up for these events judged by their older, sometimes more are typically a great group of pros who knowledgeable counterparts. are fun to be around and are good at Another is naively thinking that as what they do. long as you work hard, keep your nose The first year we hosted the event I clean, and take care of your patrons everything will be fine. That is certainly a met a fellow USPTA Pro named ­Darryl good starting point and should act as the Lewis from Winston-Salem. Because of his easygoing way with the kids, I liked him right away. I had known Accept learning opportunities of Darryl by reputation, since he from every source ... seek out had spent quite a few years in that knowledge from the best Georgia, as had I. and brightest in our industry Running a Zonals event really and then put it to work. forces your hand, in that it makes you get to know the coaches, because there is a vast amount of communication necessary in order to do a good job. Darryl and I hit it off right away and chatted easily about family, careers and the kids. One of the early questions he queried me with was, “Have you considered applying to the Master Professional program?” My answer was an easy unapologetic no.

“Why not?” came his reply.

“You know Mark, as long as you foundation for your work life, but you have been in the tennis industry and need to do more. You have to continue based on the different types of positions educating yourself to the newest things you have had, I’ll bet you have done going on in tennis and USE the resources much of what is required to qualify.” the USPTA has made available to you.

After a bit more conversation I discovered that he was a Master Profession- Even if you land that perfect job, al and counted it as one of the crowning holding on tight is not enough. No matter how good your show is, it can be canachievements of his teaching career. He celled right away if they get a new procontinued to offer encouragement, his ducer. Maintaining your certification by knowledge of the process, and a final, completing the minimum requirements “It’s a ton of work, but you will never regret trying.” is no longer enough. Do you want a doctor who does the minimum, a financial So what is the take-away from many adviser who has no acronyms after his years on the court and now looking in name, or any contractor who never atthe rear view mirror of a long teaching tends any of his trade shows? career? One thing is for sure. I could not Accept learning opportunities from begin to summarize it all here, but I do every source. Do not limit yourself want to share a few of the gleanings that to like-minded instructors or people are most obvious to me. In my opinion, whose personalities you approve of. Our many young tennis pros, like the younger version of myself, tend to be wired industry is not like the forums in ancient Greece where one could sit at the similarly in one regard. We tend to think feet of Plato and Socrates where knowlwe know more than we do and often edge and ideas flowed freely. We have to don’t learn as much as we should during seek out that knowledge from the best the early stages of our career. Instead we

and brightest in our industry and then put it to work. The USPTA offers those opportunities all over the country. And if your travel opportunities are limited, DVDs and webinars abound all tied to education points, but more importantly an opportunity to learn.

My third take away is this; don’t procrastinate. It doesn’t matter what it is. Just do it now. I never realized how big a procrastinator I was until my wife came to work with me and took control of running the pro shop. She called me out immediately. To my way of thinking I thought I was doing a great job of triage, taking care of the important things first, secondary items later, and blowing off the things that were obviously too far down the list to receive consideration. In reality, I was doing the things I preferred and putting off the things that took me out of my comfort zone. When you do something long enough you can get pretty good at justifying your position on most anything. Suffice to say, there is no time like the present, particularly where your career is concerned. Start moving things forward today.

My final point here is that you need to encourage someone, especially if someone has done that for you. I know encouragement is a large part of what each of us does every day, but I am not talking about students. Go out of your way to encourage a fellow pro. Even as educators we still need for people to believe in us as well. Not so long ago, a fellow pro did that for me. And because he did, I was fortunate to join the ranks of other USPTA Master Professionals in Indian Wells this September. I have made it my mission to encourage other pros to keep going with their careers. I hope you will do the same. Our industry and our organization need the best and brightest in leadership roles. Make it your mission to inspire someone to go further than they would have. Take the time to tell someone they inspired YOU and then pay it forward by inspiring someone ELSE. h Mark Rearden is a USPTA Master Professional who has spent his entire work life in the Southern Division. He recently moved to the Midwest Division where he serves as Racquet Sports Supervisor at the H F Racquet and Fitness Club, learning another facet of the tennis industry.

www.ADDvantageUSPTA.com 49

Endorsee News

Setteo Supports Grassroots Tennis Business

T

echnology and digitization have heavily impacted the professional tennis industry, but this is smoke and mirrors. According to a recent study from MIT, amateur tennis is the second worse digitized sport in the world. In other words, those that really make tennis – the clubs, the coaches and the amateur players – have not benefitted from the millions generated by the TV rights of the great tennis events. The grassroots of tennis have been abandoned for years. It is time for technology and digitization to come to the rescue of tennis. It is time to finally bring the change that 650 million racquet sports players, 500,000 clubs, 450,000 coaches, and 600,000 tournaments organizers are looking for.

Setteo, the racquet sports social network (www.setteo.com), is a very new and good example of how technology can support the grassroots tennis business. Here is an overview of five Setteo features that can lead the transformation to Tennis 3.0, answering the key challenges our industry faces: Interactivity, fun, mobility, club management enhancement, and integration of new emerging racquet sports.

1. A platform connecting all players, coaches, clubs and associations globally – One of the main consequences of the lack of digitization in tennis is the fragmentation of the community. There are groups of players organized randomly but they are very small and not connected with each other. It is very difficult to access these groups, especially for newcomers, turning clubs into very hermetic entities.

Now imagine a world where all the racquet sports players, coaches and clubs are connected in one single platform. That is what Setteo is doing. Players cannot only find new hitting buddies but also coaches or clubs anytime, anywhere. Coaches

52 www.ADDvantageUSPTA.com

Setteo, the racquet sports social network, is a very new and good example of how ­technology can support the grassroots tennis business.

can do their promotion exactly like on LinkedIn with skill endorsements and recommendation. The network is made of players and they can also be “booked” online. Clubs become more visible and members finally have the opportunity to play together again with ease.

2. New competition formats – Playing in competitions can end up being expensive and time consuming. Losing early in a tournament can seem like a waste of time and money, not to mention very inflexible schedules that don’t really match with today’s lifestyles. See how Padel took over tennis proposing new competition formats: new types of ladders, local private circuits, etc. Most Padel players don’t have a national ranking – they have fun instead. Today, it is estimated that there are 4.5 million Padel players in Spain for just 2.5 million tennis players.

Of course everything from Padel cannot be adapted to tennis and tennis must keep its essence, but Setteo integrates free software solutions

that facilitate the creation of circuits and competitions of all kind of formats. Anecdotally, the most popular club competition format in Spain is a type of ladder with mini groups of four. The player ranked No. 1 in the group moves into the higher group while the player ranked No. 4 moves in the lower group. Then a new phase starts again.

3. Powerful and interactive tournament software – Besides the competition format that is used, there was also some kind of resistance in using new tools to better manage and broadcast tournaments. It is now possible to abandon paper, pencil and maybe even phone calls, and enhance participants’ experience at the same time.

From the smallest clubs to the National Tennis Cup, the biggest amateur tennis competition with more than 30,000 participants, organizers have started using the Setteo software. The reasons are numerous: it saves a lot of time, it boosts the overall player satisfaction, it

is fun to use, and it gives players a platform to remark on matches. Last but not least, players and organizers can enjoy live scoring and beautiful interactive draws enhancing the player’s social experience and generating far more engagement from the community on social networks and on Setteo. Monetization of the tournament through sponsoring and its visibility are increased accordingly.

4. Cost effective management software for clubs and associations – Although they are not very well spread in the tennis world, there is no doubt that software can facilitate a lot the work of club managers and employees offering online management tools for memberships, court bookings, lessons, competitions, payments and finances. But this is just one side of it. A concept like Setteo that merges software solutions with a social network brings it to a completely different level.

First, it is user friendly and it is as easy to set up as creating a Facebook account for a club. Benefits are im-

mediate for managers and members.

Secondly, it brings fun and satisfaction to the members. Players can easily find partners from the club, meet, keep track of their results, use live scoring even for their training matches, and share them live with their friends on other social networks. They can organize their own competitions and rankings and book courts in a very interactive way.

Thirdly, in a time where there is a huge offer in terms of leisure, marketing and communication must be a focus for the club managers. Setteo turns any member into an ambassador of the club. Playing matches, booking courts, and participating in tournaments generate posts that clearly indicate the location of the game. Communication with members is simple and interactive. Clubs’ and coaches’ SEO is easy and free, exactly like searching your name on Google will return your LinkedIn or Facebook page as a first choice. Websites generate very little traffic and interaction versus Setteo pages. If you want to be convinced, ask yourself why you

use Facebook in spite of a personal blog. By the way, users spend 86 percent of their time on apps versus 14 percent on mobile browsers.

Last but not least, Setteo can help clubs save money. The basic version for clubs is free and the Premium membership is cost effective compared to usual solutions. The possibility of managing advertising banners will cover the cost or even better, generate benefits, not to mention that a Setteo profile can replace a website.

5. A global, universal and unisex rating system – This is Setteo’s big dream after connecting all the players. This is not a reality yet, but the team is working hard toward that goal with the official launch in the United States this year. The idea is that players can not only find hitting buddies anytime, anywhere, but also play a match that counts for an accurate universal ranking and where men and women compete together. As per the tag line of Setteo, “Make the world play together.” Game on! h

www.ADDvantageUSPTA.com 53

Master Pro Corner

The Advantages of Serving American Style

By James R. Shaughnessy, USPTA Master Professional, CSCS

T

he sport and science of tennis has been my passion from earliest youth – as a competitive player, a professional coach, an adjunct university instructor of biomechanics and a tennis research scientist.

It is my experience that every tennis professional, myself included, can benefit from ongoing education. In 25 years of gathering and analyzing the only 3D motion analysis library of the world’s highest ranked professional tennis players in live tournament play, I have discovered that science can reveal hidden information that cannot be detected with the naked eye or with the slowest motion video.

Sometimes this quantitative data contradicts conventional schools of thought.

It has been my honor to share the findings from my laboratory with universities, in private consultation with some of the world’s greatest tennis coaches, with professional athletes, and at USPTA World Conferences and ITA Release Stage – from the start stage until ball is released

Career Service Points Played and Won Player

Won

Played

% Won

Style

1

Roddick

41561

58486

71.06

American

2

Sampras

46271

66629

69.45

American

3

Federer

67179

97018

69.24

Trophy

4

Nadal

44605

66479

67.10

American

5

Djokovic

42073

62727

67.07

American

conferences. By continually educating ourselves, tennis professionals can consider adapting our practices to benefit from quantifiable technique differences and commonalities that cannot be revealed by our gut, our eyes or the slowest motion video.

Here is a study of a 134 mph ace from Andy Roddick and a 130 mph ace from Roger Federer from my lab that may benefit USPTA professionals in their coaching practices. The study indicates that serving American Style generates a more

Loading Stage – from the release stage until maximum knee flexion and the hitting elbow has reached its lowest vertical position

Cocking Stage – from the end of the loading stage until maximal external shoulder rotation coinciding with the tip of the racquet head point to the ground.

efficient use of the stretch reflex, creating more ball speed and spin.

American Style vs. Trophy Style

The majority of the top-50 ranked ATP players are Trophy Style servers.

American Style servers are rare. However, if we compare statistics of players reaching the No. 1 ATP ranking since the year 2000, based on their percentage of career service points played and won, we see that four of the top five players are American Style servers (see chart above).

It is perhaps notable that Novak Djokovic, traditionally a Trophy Style server, changed his serve to the American Style in 2010. He did not reach the No. 1 ranking until switching to American Style, and most recently, serving American Style, his percentage of service points won is 71 percent.

How to recognize American Style

American Style servers, like Andy Roddick, Novak Djokovic, Pete Sampras and Rafael Nadal, end the loading stage and start the cocking stage with the medial epicondyle of the hitting elbow pointed at the ground (see arrow in middle picture left). The medial epicondyle is a good marker for a coach to see how far the humerus (upper arm) has rotated. The medial epicondyle, a part of the humerus bone, is the bump on the inside of the elbow.

Release Stage End of the Loading Stage and End of the Cocking Stage Unlike Trophy Style servers, in the beginning of the Cocking Stage. cocking stage of the service motion, Note: The center image shows the medial epicondyle of the humerus (upper arm) is pointed at the American Style servers rotate the humerground at the beginning of the Cocking Stage.

56 www.ADDvantageUSPTA.com

us through the trophy position without stopping or slowing. This generates the opportunity to build up angular velocity of the humerus through an additional 90 degrees of external rotation of the humerus (upper arm). The external rotation stretches the internal rotator muscles in the end on the cocking stage (image to the far right previous page).

This is important because when the internal rotator muscle fibers get stretched rapidly enough and in a large enough range of motion, the spindle embedded in the internal rotator muscles triggers an automatic reflex action that has been scientifically proven to cause more potent and forceful contractions. This is called the stretch reflex. The velocity and magnitude of the stretch is best measured in live match 3D analysis by maximum downward velocity of the racquet tip in the cocking stage. Charles Dillman, Ph.D., has shown that this rotation of the humerus is “one of the most dynamic movements in the human body.” Powerful internal rotation of the humerus is a key to large racquet velocities, side-

spin, topspin and forward ball speed.

How to recognize Trophy Style

Nick Bollettieri explains the Trophy position as the “ready to launch position.” Paul Roetert, Ph.D., calls this the “preparatory or throwing position common to elite players.”

Trophy Style servers end the loading stage and start the cocking stage with the medial epicondyle pointing in a straight line to the side fence at an angle parallel to the ground.

Trophy Style servers stop or slow down at the end of the loading stage and/ or the beginning of the cocking stage.

At this point Trophy Style players have already rotated their humerus 90 degrees externally. Therefore, Trophy Style servers have 90 degrees less external humerus rotation with which to build up angular velocity to stretch the internal rotator muscles. This is less efficient use of the stretch reflex than American Style.

Here is what the study showed

Using the extra 90 degree of humerus rotation to stretch the muscle spin-

dles of the internal rotators more effectively contributes to key biomechanical features of the serve that create more ball speed, topspin and sidespin in serving. Additional studies at the SCiO 3D Sports lab show the same trends with other American Style servers, e.g., Pete Sampras and Novak Djokovic when compared to Roger Federer, the No. 1 Trophy Style server.

Players encouraged and trained to develop the American Style will achieve more ball speed and spin than Trophy Style. To do so, USPTA Pros should observe whether the medial epicondyle of the hitting humerus is pointed perpendicular to the ground when maximum knee bend is reached and the point of the hitting elbow is in its lowest position. h James R. Shaughnessy is Director of Tennis at Oakwood Country Club in Enid, Okla. He is an award-winning professional with 27 years of experience as a speaker, researcher, analyst and consultant in sports biomechanics, specializing in the applied science of tennis. He has a Bachelor of Science degree in exercise science from Oklahoma Baptist University and a master’s degree in sports science from the United States Sports Academy where he is a doctoral candidate.

www.ADDvantageUSPTA.com 57

Career Development Exams, Upgrades Coach Youth Conferences/ & PTCA I Tennis Workshop Activities (4 credits for PTCA I segment) Nov. 11-12 Nov. 12 Nov. 12-13 Nov. 12-13 Nov. 12-13 Nov. 12-13 Nov. 13 Nov. 18-19 Nov. 18-19 Nov. 19-20 Nov. 28-29 Dec. 3-4 Dec. 4 Dec. 4 Dec. 5 Dec. 7 Dec. 8-9 Dec. 10-11 Dec. 10-11 Dec. 10-11 Dec. 10-11 Dec. 11 Dec. 16-17

Westwood, Kan. Mequon, Wis. Tallahassee, Fla. Big Rapids, Mich.

Beaverton, Ore. Rye, N.H. Mobile, Ala. Houston* Westminster, Colo.

Tucson, Ariz.

San Francisco Huntington Beach, Calif.

Nashville Midlothian, Va. Carlsbad, Calif.

Minneapolis Port Washington, N.Y. Atlanta Dallas Paradise Valley, Ariz.

Boca Raton, Fla. Hilton Head Island, S.C. Houston*

(2 credits)

(Division Conferences – 6 credits)

Nov. 6

Aurora, Ill.

Nov. 12

Beaverton, Ore.

Nov. 19

Freemont, Calif.

Nov. 4

Middle States Division Convention Princeton, N.J.

Jan. 27

Southwest Division Convention Phoenix

For more workshops, visit coachyouthtennis.com.

Cardio Tennis Nov. 20

Cardio Tennis Training Course Level 1 Cherry Hill Health & Racquet Club, Cherry Hill, N.J.

Nov. 20

Cardio Tennis Training Course Level 1 Methodist University, Fayetteville, N.C.

Dec. 10

Cardio Tennis Training Course Level 2 Midtown Athletic Club, Chicago

Please visit www.cardiotennistraining.com to register.

Webinars (.5 credits) Dec. 31

* This course is held at the USPTA World Headquarters.

Exam reservations must be made at least 21 days prior to the dates listed. Each date includes an exam, upgrade and PTCA I unless noted. Exam cancellations must be received no later than 14 days before the exam, or a cancellation fee will be charged accordingly.

USPTA Webinar Library

Watch all recorded webinars at tennisresources.com.

For more information visit uspta.com/Education.

Applicant: late cancellation fee – $95; 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.

Accredited Professional Coach Register your Accredited Professional Coach (APC) and specialty course credits earned with the USPTA SmartCode Education System. This uses your smartphone to instantly register your attendance to all seminars and specialty courses earning APC. To use the system at a seminar, general session or specialty course, you must scan two QR codes. One QR code is on your conference badge. The second QR code will be in your conference notebook and cannot be scanned until the end of the session or the beginning of the next session. If you do not have a smartphone, you may use someone else’s. Forms are available upon request.

58 www.ADDvantageUSPTA.com

Education requirements All USPTA-certified Professionals must earn 6 education credits in a three-year period to remain current. Go to USPTA.com/Education for a partial list of eligible activities. Please send verification (email, letter, certificate, receipt, etc.) that shows you attended the event/activity and submit it along with the date and agenda to education@uspta.org to receive your credit. (International members, Recreational Coaches and those over the age of 65 are exempt.) ­Questions? Write to education@uspta.org or call 800-877-8248, ext. 147.

Member News • USPTA Professionals Fred W. Layman, Chuck Gill and Dick Stockton are pictured here in the BeyondTheCourt.US booth at the USPTA World Conference in Indian Wells, Calif. Layman, a 23-year-member of the USPTA, is the Founder and Chief Operations Officer for BeyondTheCourt.US., the first digital fundraising platform designed by a tennis pro for the tennis industry. By capitalizing on the “Give and Save” fundraising methods of the past, BeyondTheCourt.US partnered with coupon giant, Entertainment Group, to develop the first tennis industry mobile fundraising app. This platform offers deep discounts in 100 percent of the top markets in the U.S. with a trademarked compound giving, passive, residual and renewal income stream. “BeyondThe Court.US is a revolutionary fundraising platform that has an ongoing impact on the community and its ‘Chain of Use Participants’,” says Stockton, Founder of Blue Sky Foundation. Stockton comments further, “By taking the tracking, financial responsibility and inventory out of the hands of the players, parents, coaches and facility administrators, and placing it in an easy-to-manage web portal that acts as a social media sales machine, fundraising has never been easier.” Raise money and awareness day in and day out while giving your supporters thousands in savings year around. Start your campaign today at www.BeyondTheCourt.US. In order to get the app, text “Tennis” to 313131 or find it in the Apple or Google store.

• Davis Cup Family Day was the beginning of an exciting week for Pacific Northwest tennis fans, as more than 1,000 enthusiasts attended the July 11 event hosted by the USTA. Mothers, fathers, daughters and sons participated by playing games and hitting balls on six different courts alongside U.S. Davis Cup team members and top college players. Court hosts included USTA’s Recreation Program, Tualatin Hills Tennis Center (host site), NW Wheelchair Assn., Wilson, USPTA/PNW, and Portland Tennis & Education, a local award-winning program for disadvantaged youth. In addition to the USPTA/PNW members and club players who staffed the court, participants on the USPTA court got to hit with Davis Cup player Jack Sock. Photo: Front Row L-R: Amy Leahy, USPTA; Jack Sock, USA Davis Cup; Niren Lall, USPTA; Brian Board, USPTA; (N/A); Back Row L-R: Don Patch, USPTA; Roger McKee, USPTA. • Don Hebert, 86, of Groveland, Mass., passed away peacefully on Friday, August 5, with his family around him. Born in New Jersey, Hebert moved his growing family to Lynn, Mass., where he worked for General Electric for 33 years. He retired early and spent time teaching tennis and skiing, each in its season. Hebert and Carol, his wife of 66 years, raised six children. The family has grown and now includes seven grandchildren and six great grandchildren. In 1975, he joined the USPTA teaching tennis to GE workers after the normal work hours. He also joined the Professional Ski Instructors of America (PSIA) allowing him to start teaching at the Bradford Ski Area which was close by for many years. Until his death, he maintained memberships in both associations. For online guestbook and to learn more about Hebert’s life, please visit www.driscollcares.com.

ADDvantage magazine editorial offices USPTA World Headquarters 3535 Briarpark Drive, Suite 202 Houston, TX 77042 Phone – 713-978-7782 / 800-USPTA-4U Fax – 713-358-7794 email – magazine@uspta.org

60 www.ADDvantageUSPTA.com

Managing editor Circulation

Kimberly Forrester Kathy Buchanan

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

• Elizabeth “Bailey” See, age 54, died peacefully at her home in Beverly Farms, Mass., surrounded by her loving family. The cause of death was complications following Goodpastures Syndrome which she had courageously battled for two years. Born in Greenwich, Conn., she was the daughter of Mrs. Samuel Thorne and stepdaughter of Samuel (Spike) Thorne of Bedford, Mass., and the daughter of the late Alva B See, Jr, of Atlanta, and stepdaughter of Nancy Quarles. See, earned a bachelor’s degree from the Mass College of Art and her master’s degree in education from Lesley College. She was a tennis professional and a member of the USPTA and PTR. She received the Al Rogers Award for Education in 2015. For the past seven years See ran the summer tennis program for the Town of Rockport. She taught at the Indoor Court in Hamilton and taught privately. A resident of Beverly Farms for the past 20 years, she will be remembered by her many friends for her joyful spirit, her generous nature and her deep love of and loyalty to her family and friends. She was strong till the end. In addition to her mother and step-father, she is survived by four brothers and her nieces and nephews.

Information, directions, condolences at www.campbellfuneral.com.

NATIONAL BOARD OF DIRECTORS President First Vice President

Chuck Gill Gary Trost

Vice Presidents

Past President CEO Legal Counsel

Alan Cutler Feisal Hassan Ken McAllister Jack Michalko Diane Selke

TM

Tom McGraw John Embree George Parnell

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. 2016. All rights reserved.

Reproduction of any portion of the magazine is not permitted without written permission from USPTA.

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