USPTA Florida Baselines Winter 2020

Florida Baselines

BASELINES USPTA FLORIDA

Inside this Issue: A Message from President Joe D’Aleo 2020 USPTA Florida Award Winners Frustration in Tennis

by Luis Quintero

2020 Certification photos Overcoming Mental Roadblocks

by Lisa Simon

Professional Development Incentive Sweepstakes What can market volatility teach investors about the fundamentals?

by Bo Gard

Winter 2020

Florida Baselines

Bryan Brothers ~ Haas ~ Jensen Brothers ~ Opelka ~ Isner ~ Raonic ~ Nishikori ~ Tiafoe

Bryan Brothers ~ Haas ~ Jensen Brothers ~ Opelka ~ Isner ~ Raonic ~ Nishikori ~ Tiafoe

ATP Champions Tour Legends Team Event (Jan. 4 – 6) ATP World Tour 250 Event (Jan. Event 7 - 13) (Jan. 4 ATP Champions Tour Legends Team

ATP World Tour 250 Event (Jan. 7 - 13)

ATP Legends Event Sessions 1- 4 BOX & RESERVED

30% OFF

ATP Legends Event Sessions 1- 4 CODE: CHAMPIONS BOX & RESERVED

30% OFF

ATP 250 Event Sessions 5 - 14 BOX SEATS

10% OFF

ATP 250 Event Sessions 5 - 14 CODE: JINGLE BOX SEATS

10% OFF

– 6)

ATP 250 Event Sessions 5 - 14

RESERVED SEATS

20% OFF

ATP 250 Event Sessions CODE: BELLS 5 - 14

RESERVED SEATS

20% OFF

*Excludes Session 8 (Fri., Jan. 8 Evening) Log onto YellowTennisBall.com/Schedule for your Discount Tickets (valid until Dec. 31)!

CODE: CHAMPIONS

CODE: JINGLE

CODE: BELLS

GAME, SET, POUR. Fri. Jan. 8 (6pm). Featuring Local Breweries/Restaurants, to include Unlimited Beer, Food Sampling and a Stadium Court ticket (GA) to the ATP matches! Very limited availability – 100 VIP tickets *Excludes Session 8 (Fri., Jan. 8 Evening) available. $95pp. Sold Out in 2019!

Log onto YellowTennisBall.com/Schedule for your Discount Tickets (valid until Dec. 31)!

We appreciate all your support you have shown our event over the years and if you would like to receive information on our Senior Day BOGO (Buy 1, Get 1 Free) or Ladies Day Luncheon, call 561-330-6000 ext. 1 or log onto YellowTennisBall.com. We look forward to seeing you at ‘the Beach!’

As of 12.23.20

ME, SET, POUR. Fri. Jan. 8 (6pm). Featuring Local Breweries/Restaurants, to include Unlimited Beer, Foo (561) 330-6000 • 30 NW 1st Avenue, Delray Beach, FL 33444 • YellowTennisBall.com Baron, Tournament Chairman ling Ivan and aS. Stadium Court ticket (GA) to the ATP matches! Very limited availability – 100 VIP tickets able. $95pp. Sold Out in 2019!

ppreciate all your support you have shown our event over the years and if you would like to receive

President’s Message Florida Baselines

2020-2021 Board of Officers

U

A Message from the President

SPTA Florida Members, As 2020 comes to a close on behalf of myself, Executive Director Pat Anderson, Florida Board, and District Presidents, we want to thank you for your support during this pandemic.

Throughout Florida, USPTA professionals made adjustments and modifications to teach and run events to create a safe environment at our facilities. It was inspiring to see and hear during the year the many virtual Zoom conference calls of camaraderie, teamwork, and sharing of ideas within your district to help your fellow professionals. Through adversity, I am proud that our Florida Division could get back on the court and start teaching again because we know tennis is one of the safest activities during this crisis!

Moving forward in 2021, I am optimistic as a Florida Division that we have an opportunity to grow the game and our tennis business that has not been seen in years! The data shows with racquet and tennis ball sales

rising in 2020, many adults and children are looking to get lessons from a USPTA Certified Professional. Also, with our continued partnership with USTA Florida, we will have the support from USTA Florida Executive Director Laura Bowen and her team to provide the resources to run programs and events in your tennis community!

As for the USPTA Florida board, we will be meeting virtually in January to start planning our USPTA Florida Division Convention at the Hyatt Grand Cypress in Orlando June 3rd – 6th, 2021, and other events throughout the year. I look forward to seeing all of you next year at our convention and celebrating the best and strongest USPTA division in the country!

In closing, I hope and pray that all of you have a safe and healthy holiday season with your family and friends! Merry Christmas & Happy New Year! * – USPTA Florida President Joe D’Aleo

Save the Date!

USPTA FLORIDA AND SOUTHERN DIVISION CONVENTION JUNE 3 - 6, 2021 HYATT REGENCY GRAND CYPRESS IN ORLANDO Please watch for further details on our convention plans. The ideal scenario is to gather in person if we are able. Education – Networking Camaraderie

JOE D’ALEO President 850-267-9195 joe.daleo@vacasa.com RICH WALKER Regional Vice President 386-212-3989 rwalker@theiconteam.com MIKE CURRAN Vice President 239-444-3643 mcurran@gulfharbour.com

MICHELE KRAUSE Vice President 941-457-7880 michele.krause@me.com JIM MORTON Vice President 305-367-2611 x2188 jmorton@oceanreef.com JOSE PASTRELLO Vice President 239-269-2095 pastrellotennis@gmail.com

MILOS VASOVIC Vice President 321-987-0425 Milos77@gmail.com

GLEN HOWE Head Tester 850 891-4979 Tennismasterpro2004@yahoo.com PAT ANDERSON Executive Director 407-696-0515 pat.anderson@uspta.org Winter 2020

Florida Baselines - 3

PRO-READY PERFORMANCE WITH HERITAGE HITS.

The bold and breathable collection engineered to excel in changing conditions.

Earthy colors, technical details and bright trims are inspired by classic Nike styles.

The Official Distributor of Nike Footwear & Apparel to the USPTA. USPTA Members Receive Preferred MEMBER Pricing. uspta.fromuthtennis.com

Florida Baselines

H

USPTA Florida 2020 Awards

ow many times have you said or heard, “2020 is a year, unlike any other!” One thing that has remained consistent is our USPTA Florida members’ professionalism in their dedication to facilities/clubs, students, colleagues, and the tennis industry as a whole. We were not able to celebrate in person at the Division Convention.

Awards delivered by mail carry the same appreciation and recognition for outstanding accomplishments. Please join in celebrating our Florida Division Honorees!

Patrick Sheahan, The Oaks at Boca Raton — Facility Manager of the Year

and operations, or if you’re struggling with something, he will sit with you for as long as it takes. Patrick continues to show his staff every Bill Bradley once said, day what it means to be a leader and a boss.

“Leadership is unlocking He works through the challenging situations people’s potential to with his team, rather than leaving them out be better.” This could to dry. Standing up for your staff and putting not be a more accurate yourself last is the type of boss that Patrick is statement for Patrick and continues to be. I value being able to call Sheahan’s philosophy on Patrick, my boss, and friend. He continues to running his program. He leads not by speaking teach me new things every day, even when he but by showing and doing. He is always the doesn’t know it. I know I speak for everyone first to volunteer for what needs to be done on our team by saying we would not be the Milos Vasovic — Florida Division and the first to step back when the situation program we are without him as our leader.”

Professional of the Year calls for it. Patrick leads 11 professionals Milos currently through a marathon season and always has a Rita Dotson — Florida Division serves as a Director of smile on his face. When one needs a pick-meDiversity Honoree Court Sports at Quail up, he is there, and when one has strayed off Rita Dotson has West Country Club. the path, he’s the first to bring them back. been instrumental Just in the year 2019, Patrick has gone above and beyond to in developing young he transformed the make The Oaks at Boca Raton one of the most minds and potential tennis and pickleball successful tennis programs in south Florida. tennis athletes, and programs to reach great Through his leadership and innovation, an she continually gives success. He started online booking system was instituted by back to the community junior programs, several partnering with Mindbody. This allowed the with the help of her organized events, club to become more functional and increase non-profit Tennis-4and brought back the revenue. It also allowed residents to have Everyone program. Not only does her program club championships, access to clinics, privates, and club events in provide free tennis instruction, but it also helps including pickleball. The tennis facility was the palm of their hands. Another first was the young ones achieve greatness with their minds. improved, from the smallest things such installation of a video communication board “It’s always been more than just about as the logo in the windscreens (painted by in the pro shop. This board operates as the tennis,” Rita says. “Tennis was just a vessel hand) to new LED lights. Committed to the “departure and arrival” boards in airports. to reach and teach young minds. Tennis may highest standards of USPTA excellence, he has The board allows clients to see what court be the only self-regulating sport where you required his tennis staff to be USPTA certified. they are on for privates and clinics — and call your lines, you have to be honest, have Milos has volunteered as captain of a Naples eliminates the constant questions to the front integrity, and at the end of every tennis match, Pro League team, scheduling matches every desk and professionals. you shake your opponent’s hand. It’s a very week, and hosted a Pro League match with Meika Ashby, Director of Junior respectable sport; it teaches respectable skills.

400 attendees enjoying and watching exciting Development at The Oaks at Boca Raton, When we go into the community centers and tennis. Milos also supported local charities states, “Patrick pushes his staff to be their best offer homework assistance, it gives us another by playing on pro/am and tennis exhibitions. day after day. He always puts his staff first and chance to mold young minds and show the Serving as a Vice President on the USPTA emphasizes the importance of teamwork with importance of learning — and being polite and Florida division board, he is instrumental in a reminder that none would be successful respectable to teachers, parents, and coaches.” directing continuing education through the without the other. This type of culture is rare Here’s one of Dotson’s favorite quotes on division convention and regional education and one that we all value. Patrick never says volunteerism: “Volunteering is the ultimate days. As a CMAA member, he acts as Florida no when you are looking to better yourself exercise in democracy. You vote in elections division liaison in growing the relationship of as a professional. He will take time out of his once a year, but when you volunteer, you vote both organizations. day to sit and work with this staff, whether it every day about the kind of community you means teaching them more about the business want to live in.” — Unknown

Winter 2020

Florida Baselines - 5

Florida Baselines Christopher Champion — Florida Division Star USTA Florida has announced Christopher Champion as its newest head tennis professional, overseeing all public tennis sites in Gainesville.

In December, the not-for-profit finalized its contract with the City of Gainesville to deliver a wide range of programs for all ages and abilities. Champion brings a strong background in community tennis to the new role, serving most recently as director of tennis for First Serve Miami.

Champion will oversee four tennis sites in Gainesville. USTA Florida Director of Tennis Management, Frank Swope, states, “He is very knowledgeable, has a great background in the sport, is passionate about being of service in the community and enjoys working with people of all ages and abilities to enjoy the game. We’re extremely fortunate to have him lead the City of Gainesville operation to grow tennis in the community.”

He has been recognized as the USPTA Florida Division District Professional of the Year for the North Miami Beach/Aventura area and served as vice-president for the district. Champion is a USPTA-certified Elite Professional and a certified USTA High-Performance Tennis Coach. For 15 years, he worked with the First Serve Miami National Junior Tennis & Learning (NJTL) after-school tennis and education program in various roles, eventually serving as director of tennis where he managed two afterschool sites and eight elementary in-school programs, serving more than 500 children.

Dave Freiman — Florida Division Industry Excellence Naturally following an entrepreneurial pathway, Dave’s tennis career has used innovative programming to grow the game and support USPTA locally, statewide, and nationally. Attending numerous division and

6 - Florida Baselines

Winter 2020

national conferences over his 25-year USPTA membership, he has exchanged many valuable ideas with fellow professionals.

As Tennis Connection owner, he pioneered tennis programming management at Community Development District/Home Owner Association-based communities. Dave created a “tennis club” like environment offering group/private lessons, adult and junior teams and leagues, summer tennis camps, Friday night mixers, and more. As the number of those communities grew and business expanded, Dave recruited and hired coaches, guiding them to USPTA certification. The model was ideal for certified USPTA professionals offering convenient tennis lessons and programming within home communities. The added value in these residential developments pleased residents, developers, and coaches while growing a love for tennis.

By 2019, the Tennis Connection had grown to manage multiple communities of 700-5000 homes throughout the Tampa Bay area involving 1450 players per week in lessons and league play. Dave has helped pros build individual businesses by turning most of the community contracts over to those he brought into the business. At the same time, he concentrates on league play and one of his flagship communities. Tennis is growing exponentially through these efforts!

As a business person, real marketer, and passionate tennis teacher, Dave states, “I am doing what I love and creating and employing many new coaches, creating many new tennis players and instilling the love of the game, that has so many benefits.”

Tyler Manring — Florida Division Lessons for Life Tyler is one of the sons of former tennis pro, Tom Manring. In 2012, Tom passed away,

and to honor his father, he and his brothers created the Tom Manring Foundation. The foundation has partnered with Florida Gulf Coast University and in 2019 donated a tennis scholarship for the men’s team of $15,000. The foundation raises money uniquely and interestingly through a tennis Calcutta. FGCU appreciates The Tom Manring Foundation and has named their No. 1 court the Tom Manring Court. Raising money through tennis to benefit tennis — a great family tradition!

Meika Ashby — Florida Division Elevate Honoree USPTA Florida board member and founder of inTENNSity Fitness, Michele Krause, states, “Meika Ashby is an impressive young lady and very deserving of the 2019 USPTA Elevate Award. In her young career, I have seen her elevate not just herself but also others and the USPTA brand.”

She has served the USPTA brand by hosting and putting together very successful Regional Education Days. Her 2019 event had close to 90 registrations, which is a huge accomplishment from a number’s perspective. It results from all her hard work and dedication in putting together a superb educational agenda and all of her promotional efforts.

Meika has dedicated much time to volunteering and helping the “Love Serving Autism” program with curriculum, events, and coaching.

Her work ethic within her facility is of the highest level. Her skill in programming and growing programs is something special for someone of her young age.

She is a rising star and a true USPTA professional.

Florida Baselines Dede Allen — Florida Division High School Coach

Bobby Cashman — Florida Division College Coach

Currently, the Tennis Program Director and Girls’ Varsity Coach at Episcopal School of Jacksonville, Dede brings extensive career experience to her role.

She has earned Master’s degrees in Education and Sports Administration.

Allen was the women’s tennis coach and assistant tennis director at Wake Forest University in Winston-Salem, NC, and was named ACC Coach of the Year. She was with the USTA from 1988 to 2002 as the Administrator of USTA Junior Competition and the staff coordinator for the Collegiate Tennis Committee for the USTA. The Tournament Director of the U.S. Open Junior Championships for 14 years during her tenure, Dede organized and conducted the USTA National Junior Championship Tournament Directors Workshops and helped coordinate other special national and international events.

She has also presented seminars for players and parents at national events regarding the college recruiting process.

Episcopal School of Jacksonville, Director of Athletics, Andy Kidd, states, “During her tenure, our tennis program improved competitively as evidenced by their eight district championships, four regional championships, and three state final four appearances. Additionally, Dede has grown our numbers in the tennis program thanks in large part to her providing a middle school-specific team for our younger athletes.”

The team allowed the opportunity and more practice in preparation before entering the junior varsity and varsity levels. Dede’s genuine care for all the student-athletes going above and beyond to support them both as a tennis player and a person, is most outstanding. Her extraordinary attention and personalized projects indicate her dedication to provide them with the best possible experience. Kidd concludes, “As athletic director, I am thankful to have someone with Dede’s tennis pedigree combined with her care of student-athletes leading our program.”

Bobby Cashman has built the Eastern Florida State College women’s tennis team into a contender in two short seasons. In 2019, the Titans finished sixth in the FCSAA Region 8 Women’s Tennis Tournament.

Under Cashman, the men’s tennis program has finished in the top six in the nation in 2018 and 2019.

In 2019, the men’s tennis team tied for fourth in the national tournament and finished the season No. 5 in the Oracle/ITA national rankings with two ITA All-Americans (Frederik Oervad in singles — and Oervad and Adriel Azucey in doubles). Yuliana Monroy was the sophomore Player of the Year in Junior College on the women’s side in 2018.

Fred Oervad was the Freshman of the year ‘19. Since taking over at EFSC, Cashman has had two Player of the Year honors in each program.

Cashman came to EFSC after 17 seasons as the UCF head coach, where he enjoyed success both on and off the court. He won three Atlantic Sun Championships, and his teams had the highest team grade point average for men’s sports at UCF six times. Bobby has been a member of USPTA for 13 years and is also involved with the Fellowship of Christian Athletes while volunteering to provide a series of free clinics for inner-city children.

Jay Berger — Florida Division Touring Coach Before his quarterfinals match at the French Open in 1989, Jay Berger was asked what he would do after his career as a professional tennis player. Jay immediately replied, “Coach tennis!” Jay said his ultimate goal was to help players grow as people through the sport. True to his word, Jay has been coaching college, professional, Davis Cup, and Olympic tennis players for the past 25 years. Prior to his current role as Director of Tennis Instruction at The Club at Ibis, Jay

spent 10 years as the Head of Men’s Tennis for the USTA, developing the best American players and coaches. Recently working with — and contributing to the success of Reilly Opelka, he has also spent time coaching the US Davis Cup team for 13 years and captained the last three Olympic teams. “I bring the same passion, commitment, and desire to help, whether I’m coaching Andy Roddick at the Olympics or training our members at Ibis,” Jay added.

Kyle LaCroix — Florida Division Tester Assistant Director of Tennis at The Oaks at Boca Raton, Kyle LaCroix, is dedicated to excellence in all aspects of tennis. As a Tester and Site Director for the USPTA, he is conscientious in preparing applicants and delivering an exceptional testing experience.

After the test, he often maintains a connection with newly certified pros’ continued career development through his mentorship. All pros on staff at The Oaks are USPTA certified, and five full-time professionals were hired directly onto the team during the certification process.

Kyle assisted over 20 others in finding jobs after mentoring them through certification.

He has earned his Master’s degree in Education specializing in Educational Leadership at Stanford. Kyle’s extensive list of accomplishments includes Chief Education Officer of SETS Consulting, a USPTA Social Media Committee member, USPTA Mentor, USTA Coach Developer, and Ferris State University Professional Tennis Management Advisory Board. He was a Finalist for Stanford University’s Alumni Excellence in Education Award for Research on Failure in Athletics “Loser’s Edge: Why Success and High Performance Lies in The Dichotomy of Failure.” A generous volunteer, he is involved as a Love Serving Autism helping pro and tennis speaker at several events in Florida.

Winter 2020

Florida Baselines - 7

On-Site Applications Energy Solutions won my project after 5 years of research into upgrading our old lights here at North Hills Club. I vetted all the other vendors out there and I knew GEP had a superior product and a superior team from sales to install. GEP GEP understood the quality that I demanded and that of my members and they absolutely delivered. My members enjoy playing at night so much more now and I get asked all the time where we got our lights from their guests of other clubs. They instantly notice the difference and ease of picking up the ball, whether it is a high overhead or a driven ball from one of my highperformance players, you can pick up the ball so well. The last and arguably most important aspect of GEP’s suite of service was their install. Our install was planned for mid-April in the full swing of spring play and I knew I could not have courts down to put lights up. We had 176 lights to install and I was worried it would take 3 weeks and a lot of lost revenue due to courts being down.

They got the job done in 5 days and we were able to work around each other like business as usual! I could not believe it. If you are in the market for LEDs at your club and you want the best the tennis lighting industry has to offer from sales to install, you need to go with GEP Energy Solutions. You will not be disappointed.

Shane Wells North Hills Club Director of Tennis

Contact: Beau Summersill for a free estimate for retrofitting old lights or new construction of poles and fixtures: 910.358.9775-Beau@geplighting.com

iGENIE

GET A FREE DEMO! For sales and service Stan Oley’s Tennis Inc. 800.352.6878 www.stanoleytennis.com

TM

The Official Ball Machine of the USPTA

NEED DRILLS? Go to:

playmatetennis.com (800) 776-6770

Florida Baselines

Frustration in Tennis Luis Quintero, USPTA Elite Professional

How does frustration start?

Have you ever thought: I can’t make a serve today, I can’t make a volley, what’s wrong with me? Most of us have, and while it shouldn’t affect our tennis level, it does. It becomes a pattern affecting our ability to focus and enjoy the sport. Tennis is a game where players get frustrated easily. Frustration can cloud your view and limit your perspective, blocking you mentally and physically. Frustration prevents you from seeking different solutions and holds you back from performing at the level you would like to. Ultimately, frustration is the product of a conflict between our expectations and reality.

Managing expectations Do you always want to hit the ball in the strike zone and consistently put it where you want? Absolutely, but not even Roger Federer can achieve that every time. Do you know why you get frustrated? Is it because you lost a point? Most of the time, it’s because we have an immediate emotional reaction, which isn’t the best way to make the right decisions under challenging circumstances.

Behavioral patterns The critical question is, why do we keep making the same mistakes over and over?

Why spend months, even years getting frustrated over things that we shouldn’t!

More importantly, why do we keep adopting behaviors that don’t bring any positive results to our game? Can we change our mindset by focusing on the game’s fundamentals to save time and focus on real improvement?

This article will describe some basics of the mental tennis game, deal with frustration, and develop positive concentration.

Mental differences between tennis and other sports Let’s start with the nature of the game; tennis is an individual sport, but you always have an opponent trying to make things harder for you, which means your performance isn’t solely based on you. Your opponents are trying to bring you down, which means you must concentrate on your technique, your movement, your balance, your tracking skills, and your power, among others. You also must attempt to know what your opponent is planning. These conditions don’t appear in individual sports where you aren’t facing a rival in front of you. In golf, for example, the ball is static, and nobody can do anything to move or alter the position you want to hit it. In swimming, you know the distance you’re swimming and what stroke you are racing in without any change in the environment. On the other hand, in tennis, you don’t know where the opponent will hit the ball or how fast.

In team sports, athletes have the help of their teammates who can cover their mistakes.

In soccer, if you miss a pass, it doesn’t mean that the other team will score or that you are going to lose the game. The defense can regain the ball, or the goalkeeper can save it. Their coach, assistant coaches, or teammates can also talk to them, make corrections, and even anticipate something that is coming. But in tennis, this isn’t the case. In tennis, nobody will help you. You are fully responsible for every shot you hit and every point you face the possibility of failing. Considering this, tennis players need to be prepared with a different mindset where mistakes are typical.

If you are mentally stronger, understand the nature of the game, and deal with mistakes better than your opponent, you will have a noticeable advantage.

Important Statistics Craig O’Shannesy, the founder of braingametennis.com, is widely respected as the foremost strategy expert in the world. He is the strategy analyst for ATP (Association of Tennis Professionals), Wimbledon, Australian Open, Team Djokovic, and the New York Times. Between 1991 and 2016, O’Shannesy calculated the average number of points won in a season by the No.1 player in the world.

For example, in 2016, Andy Murray finished No. 1 and lost 45 percent of the points played over the season, but he still won 90 percent of his matches. This confirms that tennis isn’t a sport of perfection, but rather it is a sport of percentages and patterns. Once you learn the percentages of the critical patterns in the game, not only are you going to be okay with losing some points, but you will have a better chance of winning and will enjoy the game more. If the No. 1 in the world loses 45 percent of the points played in a year, perhaps, we can be more forgiving when we miss an easy volley at the net in a match. We can move the energy wasted in complaints or excuses into focusing on the important goal of playing good, high percentage tennis.

Winter 2020

Florida Baselines - 9

Find all your tournament gear at NetKnacks.

At NetKnacks, all we do is tennis.

And we've been doing it for the past 28 years, so when we say we'll help you find the perfect tennis products for your tournaments, we mean it. Stay ahead of the game by ordering early for your upcoming 2021 tennis events.

10% discount for USPTA members on all purchases greater than $500.

NetKnacks will make a 3% contribution to individual USPTA Supplemental Savings Accounts on qualifying purchases. Not a member of USPTA, but would like a discount? Mention this ad to receive 10% off your next order greater than $500 on regular priced items. Cannot be combined with any other discount or offer.

netknacks.com | 800.374.6153

Team Miami bonding in camaraderie to navigate through 2020!

We are Thankful to work with so many of the USPTA pros around the country. – Ashley and Tim Owens, Court Reserve

Florida Baselines Mindset

What to focus on:

It is imperative to acknowledge that getting frustrated over a specific point or a particular shot is counterproductive in a tennis match. A tennis match winner is the person or doubles team who manages mistakes better and plays the crucial points maturely. Individual shots or specific moments of a match shouldn’t affect the plan a player has decided to execute.

Depending upon your play level, these are the most important factors to be prepared for a tennis match. These fundamentals are more important than an individual shot or a feeling you might have during play.

• Court coverage and court positioning depending on the tennis situation 1. Serve 2. Return 3. Baseline to baseline 4. Attacking the net 5. Defending when your opponent is attacking the net • Personal strengths and how to use them • Your opponent’s strengths and how to neutralize

• Personal weaknesses and how to avoid • Your opponent’s weaknesses and how to take advantage of them • Your plan A, B, and C to win the match • Your ability to adjust to different situations Working on the fundamentals of tennis strategy will improve your competitive skills on the court. It will also make you aware of areas that need improvement and help you create a series of tangible goals to work towards. The amount of time you spend on these essential items won’t leave any time to look for excuses or be too hard on yourself.Never forget that you can lose close to 50 percent of points and still be No. 1 in the world. *

District President Information

DISTRICT 1 – PANHANDLE

DISTRICT 7B – ST. PETE

DIST. 13B -N. MIAMI BEACH/AVENTURA

DISTRICT 2 – TALLAHASSEE

DISTRICT 8 – SARASOTA

DISTRICT 14 – LEE COUNTY

DISTRICT 3 – JACKSONVILLE

DISTRICT 9 – VERO BEACH

DISTRICT 15 – MELBOURNE

DISTRICT 4 – CENTRAL FL

DISTRICT 10 – WEST PALM

DISTRICT 16 – N.DADE/S.BROWARD

DISTRICT 11 – BOCA RATON

DISTRICT 17 – GAINESVILLE

TRAVIS TRESSLER 407-496-7670 tressler@ustaflorida.com

ELIZABETH SEAY 850-544-6776 eaadkison@aol.com

MATTHEW BACON 704-609-1353 mbacon@timuquana.net

GREG HEARTT 386-793-8922 gheartt@isleworth.com

DISTRICT 5 – LAKELAND CY SMITH 828-850-0951 Cyspro3@gmail.com

MIKE BAUGH 812-259-0321 baughelite@gmail.com

ANTHONY GERACI 941-626-2771 swfltennis@gmail.com

JIMMY ROESCH 321-558-9390 jroesch@egyachtclub.com

JOSH STURGIS 561-635-5924 jsturgis@clubatibis.com

MEIKA ASHBY 269-365-8728 meika.ashby@oaksclub.net

TODD RUBINSTEIN 954-588-0609 Todd@sunshinestatetennis.com

ALEX HERMETO 239-839-6104 alex@cypresslakecc.com

JIMMY ROESCH 321-558-9390 jroesch@egyachtclub.con

FELIPE ALARCON 305-608-0530 felipealarcon28@hotmail.com

CHRISTOPHER CHAMPION 786-547-7522 champion.christopher@yahoo.com

DISTRICT 6 – DAYTONA BCH.

DISTRICT 12 – NAPLES

DISTRICT 18 – BONITA AREA

DISTRICT 7A – TAMPA

DISTRICT 13 A – S. MIAMI

DISTRICT 19 – KEYS

MICHAEL SANDERS 386-846-9718 mike@occ1907.com

BRANDON FELDMAN 813-419-3752 brandon.b.feldman@gmail.com

JICHAM ZAATINI 239-465-3019 jichamz@hotmail.com

PAULO BARROS 407-259-8944 pbarros@fisherislandclub.com

ADAM LANE 239-908-1554 adamlane10s@aol.com

JUSTIN ROMERO 505-352-4095 jromero@oceanreef.com

Winter 2020

Florida Baselines - 11

now offering Tweener LED Lighting the only patented linear LED lighting solution for outdoor tennis and pickleball courts!

- PROFESSIONAL LIGHTING - SIMPLE & FAST INSTALLATION - COST EFFICIENT SOLUTION - FULL COURT COVERAGE

CALL US FOR MORE INFORMATION!

10-s.com

800 - 247 - 3907

Official Court Equipment supplier of the Follow us! EQ @10stennissupply

Whatever your needs, we’ve got you covered!

Whether your club is looking for a Tennis Professional or a Director of Tennis, find quality candidates through USPTA’s network of Certified, Elite, & Master Professionals with USPTA DirectorSearch and USPTA Post-A-Job services.

www.uspta.com or call 407-634-3050

Florida Baselines

Industry Notes Caribbean Sol G A M E . S E T. M ATC H .

2o z es el Siz Tr av w No ab le!

Av ail

An All-Natural, Made in America, product to protect you and your loved ones during your favorite game!

Use your USPTA M ember Login @

csoluspta.com

For Exclusive Discounts & Free Shipping

Caribbean Sol has simplified the buying process for their line of Natural, Eco-Friendly, People-Safe Sun Care. Go to caribbean-sol.com, find the product you want, add it to your cart — and at check out, insert the code: USPTA in the ‘code’ slot at the top left of your shopping cart. This code will activate 20% off the already discounted price shown — AND you will receive FREE SHIPPING!

Theragun Theragun has partnered with the USPTA as the official recovery device. You can become an official affiliate with Theragun thru the Team Headquarters (TeamHQS.com) portal which will provide you with your own personal dashboard and affiliate links to send to your members. This portal also provides you with a 15% discount on all Theraguns, plus pays you a 10% commission on all sales that originate as a result of your referrals. You will also find other brands and products that will help your members in the areas of Recovery, Protection, Prevention and Performance. There is not another “one stop” website in the marketplace that focuses on these important areas.

We currently have many pros making over $2000 a month in commissions simply by referring their clients, friends and family members to TeamHQS.com.

“Theragun has changed the game for me.”

Amanda Anisimova Professional Tennis Player and Theragun Athlete

Massage Reinvented® Designed to improve the movement that helps generate power in a tennis player’s stroke. Theragun percussive therapy will help warm up your body as well as reduce soreness and relieve pain after and in between matches.

Daytona District Group Meeting Winter 2020

Florida Baselines - 13

One on One Doubles. On Feb. 27th, Jack Bailey and Ed Krass will be hosting the $3200 ST. PETERSBURG ONE-ON-ONE DOUBLES CHAMPIONSHIPS for the OPEN, 40s and 60s and 4.5 Division. Special 20% entry fee discount for USPTA members. This will be a fun event with music, cheering, on court coaching and good social distancing! To register for the tournament or for more information: Call Tournament Director Ed Krass at (813) 478-3384 or oneononedoubles@ yahoo.com or Tournament Chairman Jack Bailey, Tennis Director, St. Pete Tennis Center, at (727) 580-0098 or JBailey@ stpetetenniscenter.com For information about One-On-One Doubles, visit www.oneononedoubles.com

Florida Baselines

Variety in Racquet Sports As more and more clubs are including other racquet sports included, but not limited to pickleball, padel, platform and wheelchair tennis, clubs are changing their “Tennis Center” names to “Racquet Clubs.” Due to this evolution on the racquet sports industry, most clubs are looking to hire professionals with not only tennis certifications but also certifications from the other racquet sports.

The USPTA has entered into partnerships with the International Pickleball Teaching Professional Association (IPTPA), the Racquet Sports Padel Certification, the Platform Professional Tennis Association (PPTA) and Wheelchair Certification. Under the terms of the agreement, the USPTA will work collaboratively with these other recognized

teacher certifications to certify USPTA professionals in all the other sports. Please visit the USPTA website for more information on all these certifications.

The USPTA, the USPA, All Racquet Sports and adidas Padel announce a partnership to endorse and officially recognize PADEL-U by adidas. The support of two of the main Racquet Sports associations in the United States is a great step forward for adidas Padel. With this agreement, the PADEL CERTIFICATION program of PADEL-U by adidas becomes the first certification with official recognition and endorsement for Padel coaches in the United States. Padel came to the United States in 1993, when the first court was built in a luxury hotel in Houston, Texas. Since then and with

the support of the USPA and the guidance of the FIP (International Padel Federation), the sport has grown steadily. The objective of the United States Padel Association is to seek diversity in racquet sports, taking padel to all corners of the country and demonstrating, among other things, the social component that makes it so fun to play.

John Embree, USPTA CEO and Executive Director, welcomes Padel to the USA and firmly supports the growth of the sport.

“This Padel partnership supports our vision statement to deliver the highest level of educational tools and programs that enhance the livelihoods of our members and to create career opportunities within the racquet sports industry.”

THANK YOU! Winter 2020

Florida Baselines - 15

NIKECOURT SHOES

Up your game in the latest innovations for the court. New styles arriving for 2021.

The Official Distributor of Nike Footwear & Apparel to the USPTA. USPTA Members Receive Preferred MEMBER Pricing. uspta.fromuthtennis.com

Florida Baselines

News Volleys Congratulations, to The City of Palm Beach Gardens Tennis and Pickleball Center on being honored as 2020 USTA Member Organization of the Year.

The City of Palm Beach Gardens Tennis Center serves as one of Florida’s premier city-operated public tennis facilities, offering programming for all players of all levels, along with various USTA leagues and tournaments. The facility’s slogan, “We Are Family,” expresses the spirit of the Palm Beach Gardens Tennis Center. The center is known as an exceptional facility embracing diversity and inclusion for tennis players of all ages and abilities, serving as the main local tennis center for both children and adults with special needs in the City of Palm

Beach Gardens. The tennis center is the home to Love Serving Autism and Jamie’s Angels (for kids with disabilities) to host their programming as well as weekly wheelchair classes for youth and adults.

Under the leadership of operations manager Wendy Tatum, the City of Palm Beach Gardens Tennis Center has grown to 18 Har-Tru courts serving over 600 members.

The award-winning tennis center was recognized by USTA Florida in 2018 with the Member Organization of the Year Award and with the 2014 Outstanding Facility Award from USTA National.

“We are happy to recognize the City of Palm Beach Gardens Tennis Center with this award for the remarkable work they do on a

daily basis to promote and develop tennis for all,” said Craig Morris, USTA Chief Executive, Community Tennis. “They are an outstanding local tennis organization—or family, as their slogan states—that truly embraces diversity and inclusion for all tennis players no matter their age, level or background.”

Although Wendy Tatum had to cancel her wheelchair tournament, she still held a really great, friendly, social round robin and then organized able-body with wheelchair players for doubles. Here is a photo of most of the participants. Until the photo, all were wearing masks and social distancing but due to being out in the 85-degree sun, all felt safe. Thanks to Wendy Tatum and Jim Tierney for a job well-done! *

Beginning January 1, 2021, there are three requirements to keep your USPTA Membership in Good Standing. They are as follows: 1. Payment of Membership Dues 2. Compliance with Education Requirements 3. USTA Safe Play Approved (Safe Sport trained, Legal Agreement and Background Check cleared) Non-compliance with any one of the three requirements above will result in membership suspension. Should you have any questions or require any additional information, please contact our Membership Team by calling (407) 634-3050 or email membership@uspta.org. Thank you.

Winter 2020

Florida Baselines - 17

Florida Baselines Robert Gomez, standing with the Godfather of Florida Junior Tennis, the Bobby Curtis, states, “Bobby sold me my first USTA membership when I played my first tournament at Moore Park as a 16-year-old. As an adult, I had the honor of serving on multiple committees with Bobby. I learned so much from this man that I’ll never be able to repay him. His passion for tennis is unparalleled and everyone in Florida tennis has been touched by this great man.” #Legend #ustaflorida

COVID - 19

Congratulations and thanks to Robert Hollis for his leadership and guidance while serving on the USTA FL Board. He was presented with a steering wheel for his fishing boat with the inscription “Captain Robert Hollis, USTA Florida Board of Directors – Thank you for navigating Florida tennis toward fair winds and calm seas.” Presented November, 2020.

A recent study determined that the surface of sports balls, notably football, golf, cricket, and tennis balls, are unlikely to harbor SARSCoV-2 in a manner that is compatible with risk of developing COVID-19 from handling the ball during normal play. The International Tennis Federation (ITF) Sport Science and Medicine Commission, the USTA Sport Science Committee, and the USTA Medical Advisory Group support this conclusion.

Welcome New and Reinstated Members

Many thanks to our incredible Florida Division Testing Team led by Head Tester, Glen Howe, Ben Rakusin, Kyle LaCroix, Rich Walker, Kelvin Rivera and our National Testers Sid Newcomb and Ramona Husaru. Also thanks to our Host Sites: The Oaks at Boca Raton, USTA National Campus, Forest Meadows, The Biltmore, Lighthouse Point Tennis Center, Quail Creek C.C., Countryside C.C. and Palm Beach Gardens Tennis Center.

Erik Ah-Yuen Brian Akers Renzo Alcala Filip Aleksic Ernest Alford Melanie Allen Sandra Allen Daniela Alvarez Maria Alvarez Teran Sara Andrade Mosquera Nicole Aulet Martin Aviles Boris Bevanda Kara Borromeo Zephyr Brokaw Alicia Browne Kaitlin Brozovich Joey Burkardt Leonardo Caperchi

20 - Florida Baselines

John Chapman Andre Chow Peter Chow Keith-Patrick Crowley Shane Cummins Barbara Cytrynowicz Riva Da Silva Sandro De Bernardo Romain Deridder Silvia Disderi Ebony Evans-Molock Maria Francesa Nicole Frenkel John Fritts Aleksandra Gamarra Tomas Gattermayer Charles Golphin II Robert Gritmon Gyanna Grudzinski

Winter 2020

Gary Hartley, Jr. Bret Hinman Dane Houston David John Jourdan Kast Thomas Kelley Kristine Kraujina Robert Last Don Le Yuzhen Liu Bob Long Gerard Matze Dillon Mccartney Timothy Lane Colleen McNatt Josh Melton Marla Mesa Christophe Noblet Victor Oliveira

Archibald Orara Diego Osorio Charles Pittman Mitchell Pritchard Alfredo Procoli Vinod Reddy Mateo Ruiz-Naranjo Louis Saig, Jr. Valentina Sassi Xander Sioli Nathan Smiley Liam Smith Thomas Sommerville III Anna Tatishvili Rita Thiemann Teresa Thompson Larry Toomey Roger Torres James Tressler

Joe Ugolini Pavol Vasko Christian Villacis Keith Warner Warren Watson CJ Weber Dennis Weil Samuel Weinstein Lisa White Bonita Williams Delicia Williams Reubin Williams Joseph Wolf Lew Wolfe Ty Wolter Tim Wright Leonardo Zerpa Zihan Zhao

Florida Baselines

USPTA Florida Division Members 40+ Years of Service

70+ Years of Service Bob Stubbs

Vilis Cakans Fred Drilling

60+ Years of Service Norman Copeland Charles Eisenberger Don Kaiser Ed Garcia

40+ Years of Service Boot O’Brien Dave Kozlowski William Rompf Anne Griswold Ron Bohrnstedt Bertan Cikigil Christine Koutras Jim Heacock Spike Gonzales John Williams Joe Bouquin Benjamin Hanks Bill Frost Jim Stocker

50+ Years of Service Bob Sassano Al Varoski Ed Foster John Rountree Dave Beerman Trish Faulkner Charles Kinyon Ron Lague

Mike Roberson Yale Estrin Will Hoag Patrick Mason David Gill Steve Hibben Marvin Moriarty Tom Crosby Mike Sember Ron Woods Jim McCabe Tony Trabert Sherry Bedingfield Jeff Rothstein Janet French Gewan Maharaj Jak Beardsworth Ron Shapiro

David Kurtz Craig Petra Charlotte Primer Mike Baldwin Paul Adler Thomas Krukiel George Kosloff Fred Stolle Carl Poske Leo Vorwerk Joe Csandli Patti Burns Thomas Morlock Michael Hoctor Carlos Goffi Bob Grossman Jerry Borysko Vija Purs

Peter Eckhardt Kevin McCarthy Julio Moros Chuck Narvin Richard Hoover Jim Loehr Nick Bollettieri Vishnu Maharaj Richard Kobleur Sperry Lee Frank Swope Richard Cote Kathy Woods Richard Centerbar Mimi Roberson Hilde Manhardt Doug Welsh Chip Brooks

Saisnarine Maharaj Rick Workman Lewis Brewer Steve Diamond Richard Verzaal Jerry Murphy Susan Vinton-Chandler Martha Jones Gordon Jones Artie Guerin Jonathan Zolin James Tierney Ken Ouellette Ken McEwan Dean Kadera Jim Buck Tom McGraw

2020 Certification Group Photos

Lake Nona, February 2020

Palm Beach Gardens, August 2020

Boca Raton, 2020

Coral Reef, June 2020

Naples, August 2020

Lighthouse Point, September 2020

Coral Gables, June 2020

Lighthouse Point, November 2020

Lake Nona, October 2020

Winter 2020

Florida Baselines - 21

Florida Baselines

Overcoming Mental Roadblocks Using a Highlight Video Lisa Simon, USPTA Elite Professional

At my request, one of my students, Lisa Simon — a 4.0 player, composed this article to help us all through our life and difficult moments on the tennis court. Every pro has that student that possesses the drive and physical skills to excel in our game; however, they have a roadblock to stifle their continued growth. Adversity is good, and it challenges us to overcome the moment and allow us to grow as players and humans. Lisa found the key that will help everyone climb over the roadblock and continue the trek toward success. As coaches and teachers, we need to think outside the box to push our students to achieve success at all ages. – Ed Weiner, USPTA

L

eBron James is one of the best basketball players of all time, and I’m a 50-year-ole recreational tennis player, so a connection between us seems absurd. However, we both used a visualization technique — a personalized highlight video set to music — to improve confidence in our shots and optimize our performance.

Many people say that learning a sport as a child is a massive advantage for later in life. In my case, because I learned bad techniques, it created mental roadblocks that have taken 20 years to overcome. When I was 30, I started playing more tennis and learned a proper topspin forehand, but I never practiced it, mastered it, or trusted it. For years, forehands filled me with dread. Every time the ball came toward me, I considered hitting a topspin forehand, reverting to the level swing I learned as a kid, or playing it safe and lofting a lob. Often, my “inner voice” makes me change my mind at the last second. If I tried a topspin and it went long or into the net, I lost assurance and avoided them altogether. The good news is my backhands and lobs became enormous strengths.

Five years ago, I took my game to the next level — playing five times per week and taking regular private lessons. For the past few years, I’ve worked with Eddie Weiner, an excellent USPTA Professional Coach in Ponte Vedra, Fla. With his superb instruction and nurturing manner, my technique and confidence

22 - Florida Baselines

Winter 2020

improved significantly, especially during lessons and practice. If I had a good warmup and was “feeling it,” I’d start our hitting good topspin forehands during matches. As with earlier, if I hit a few shots long or into the net, my “voice of doubt” would question each forehand shot, and often I’d avoid topspin shots altogether.

My unreliable forehand affected my entire game. If my forehand was “on” during a match, it boosted my overall confidence and performance with other aspects of my game.

When I lost trust in my forehand and relied on less effective shots, the other team capitalized, and we lost more points, which thwarted my whole game. I realized that just as I had retrained my body to learn new shots, I needed to retrain my mind to trust in those shots and gain resiliency if I made an error.

Of the many performances and sports psychology books I’ve read, one of my favorites is The Rise of Superman: Decoding the Science of Ultimate Human Performance. Author Steven Kotler describes how extreme athletes (big wave surfers or free divers) get into a flow state, allowing them to perform at their peak.

Under a normal state, our conscious mind is in control, and we self-monitor ourselves — the voice of doubt, that defeatist nag, our inner critic. When we’re in a flow state, our unconscious mind takes over, that selfmonitoring switch is turned off, and decision making becomes automatic.

Learning about flow enabled me to identify the times I played in a flow state. I remember my first match in a member-guest tournament at my sister-in-law’s club, with about 20 people watching. I was nervous, played horrible, and we lost the first set 6-0. We then took a “what the heck, let’s have fun” attitude, and something clicked. I stopped thinking, started playing well, built my confidence, and couldn’t miss — topspin forehands, backhands, volleys, overheads. We won the second set and tiebreaker. What a great feeling!

Florida Baselines I wanted to find a way to bottle that feeling — to get into the flow from the beginning of every match and sustain it until the end.

How Champions Think by Bob Rotella is another favorite book of mine. As a Sports Psychologist, Rotella explains how athletes need to learn and practice a skill — “and then trust that skill, focus on the target and let the shot go without thinking about how to do it or be concerned about the result… The subconscious areas of our minds do the best job of controlling motor skills... Doubt has a way of turning on that conscious brain, which is why confident shooters are better than shooters who lack confidence. A great deal of my work with athletes revolves around teaching them how to keep the conscious mind inactive or quiet when they’re performing.”

Rotella was hired by numerous professional athletes, including LeBron James, who sought to improve his three-point shooting early in his career. Rotella told LeBron he’d benefit from visualization, a standard method of sports psychology. He suggested the Cavaliers’ staff make a highlight video of LeBron with a long-range shooting montage set to his favorite music. Feeding positive images to his subconscious and helping him attach the good feelings associated with the music to the act of shooting threes. At the same time, Rotella suggested James work with a shooting coach and hit hundreds of three-point shots every

day. LeBron’s three-point shooting improved dramatically with this two-pronged approach.

Coach Eddie and I talked about creating a highlight video to help me use the visualization techniques and give me a confident self-image.

His video recorded me hitting for 20-minutes during a lesson with another pro. I edited the content into a three-minute video, selecting the best footwork and shots based on feedback I heard from Eddie’s voice on the tape. I chose the whimsical song “Upside Down” by Jack Johnson for the background: Who’s to say / I can’t do everything / Well I can try / And as I roll along, I begin to find / Things aren’t always just what they seem / I want to turn the whole thing upside down.

Several times throughout the video, I kept Coach Eddie’s voice overlaid with the music, saying things like “good shoulder turn… the last four shots were long because of your good shoulder turn” or “move your feet!” or “looking great!” Because of his continuous positive reinforcement of my game, hearing his voice on the video gives me an additional boost of confidence and makes me smile.

A few months later, we recorded again, and I edited a second video that features twominutes of good forehand shots, Coach Eddie’s encouragement, and upbeat music. This time, I chose “I Love This Game,” an obscure hiphop song about an NBA basketball player. The lyrics remind me why I play tennis, and the

music always makes me smile, in part because it’s more to my teenage son’s taste than mine.

I made a routine of watching the highlight videos just before arriving for my match.

Hearing the fun, upbeat music puts me in a positive frame of mind. Listening to my coach makes me smile, and watching my competent forehand shots, and footwork builds my confidence. I step onto the court with self-assurance, have a good warmup, and let my subconscious take over during the match. I no longer focus on my forehand mechanics, enabling me to hit well — building my confidence even more.

The highlight videos have also helped me in between points. As I’m waiting for a serve, especially if it’s a critical point or error I made on the previous point, I’ll sing one of the songs in my head to invoke the good feelings associated with them. While singing, I also feel my feet on the ground, another mental trick I learned from Sports Psychologist Jeff Greenwald. These actions act as shields against negative thoughts and self-doubt and help bring me back to my subconscious mind.

Some final thoughts: The highlight videos were intended as a supplement to lessons and practice and were created for my own use — an audience of one. My mental game is something I need to continue to hone, which I’ve been doing with other visualization techniques, meditation, and breathing exercises. Creating and routinely watching the highlight videos were huge breakthroughs to overcome my mental roadblocks. *

Winter 2020

Florida Baselines - 23

Florida Baselines

Professional Development Incentive Sweepstakes for Districts A

s an organization USPTA and USPTA Florida continue to work hard no matter the situation and circumstances. The main focus is to continue to be the leaders in the tennis industry as a FL Division.

For this year since many things have changed due to CONVID-19 PANDEMIC, we came up with an Incentive Plan to develop and involve members that have not reached their professional development credits required to maintain their USPTA certification - as well for those who have.

Thank you to Jicham Zaatini, Florida District President – Naples for his vision in suggesting this great idea to the board!

This sweepstakes will consider all USPTA approved education courses that were taken from 01/01/2020 to 12/31/2020.

Minimum requirement will be 9 credits.

The winner of each district will receive a complimentary registration fee for the 2021 Florida Convention held at Hyatt Regency Grand Cypress Orlando, as well recognition at the convention for this achievement.

Credit Report Cards will be submitted by every member who wishes to participate by Monday April 12th 2021, to their own District President. Your DP will announce the winner on Monday, April 19th 2021.

District meetings are also eligible to earn credit. USPTA has extended free access to TennisResources.com through April 30, 2020.

Who can win?

The main focus of this sweepstakes is to involve and encourage members that are not doing USPTA education and for members that their facilities do not pay for continuing education.

Can you transfer the prize?

Thanks again to Jicham for his vision. All are encouraged to take advantage of the time available now and direct some attention to Professional Development. Our next Florida Division Convention will be a great celebration of tennis and hopefully being together again!

Questions: Contact Pat Anderson at pat. anderson@uspta.org , 407.696.0515 (office), 407.230.7576 (mobile); Jicham Zaatini at jichamz@hotmail.com *

No. Each DP will move to the next member that has the most credits and will evaluate and make the decision.

How can you get credits?

You can login to Tennisresources.com and log in with your USPTA member information for access to USPTA’s online education library. CPR course, Webinars from the USPTA, Regional Education Day (RED) and

Winter 2020

Florida Baselines - 25

Teach, Train, and Play with the Best

USPTA members: Get a 10% discount on all Har-Tru products when you order online.

Enter USPTA when completing your order to get your discount.

Har-Tru is the official provider of Teaching Carts, Ball Mowers, and Ball Baskets for the USPTA

hartru.com

877-4-HAR-TRU (877-442-7878) hartru@hartru.com

Put a positive spin on your event: Learn how ThanksUSA is taking care of our military families and Veterans, and how you can take part!

• Plan a fundraising event or tournament to benefit families of our Veterans.

• Read about Tennis Corps in ADDvantage/Racquet Sports Industry magazine where Veterans and junior players team up and bring this inspirational program to your community. Learn more at TennisCorps.org.

• Make a donation today to provide scholarships and educational opportunities for military families in need. *Ask your students to add an extra $2-20 donation to a lesson or clinic fee.

Military personnel across the country are on the front lines again, this time fighting the pandemic. Please join us in supporting our service members’ families, those who don’t wear the uniform but serve alongside in countless ways.

Tennis Thanks the Troops is grateful for our partnership with USPTA and all tennis professionals who have supported our efforts. Please join us in showing appreciation through education!

Florida Baselines

What can Market Volatility Teach Investors About the Fundamentals?

Bo Gard, USPTA Master Professional & Wells Fargo Financial Advisors

While market volatility can be painful, it can remind investors of the importance of sticking to the fundamentals.

Market volatility, painful as it can be, can provide an important lesson for investors about why it’s essential to stick to the fundamentals, such as having an asset allocation strategy and regularly reviewing your plan. With that in mind, here are suggestions for these turbulent times that may help you turn today’s worries into tomorrow’s good habits.

Remembering asset allocation When market volatility occurs after an extended period when the economy and markets have been on the rise, as they were over the last 10 or so years, investors have the opportunity to get back to fundamentals they may have forgotten. This is especially true for asset allocation — the strategy financial professionals return to time and again when investors want help dealing with volatile markets.

At its most basic level, asset allocation is how you diversify your investments across different asset classes (stocks, bonds, cash alternatives, etc.). This varies based on several factors, primarily: • What you want your investments to help you achieve (objectives) • How comfortable you are with market volatility (risk tolerance) • How long it will be before you need to access your investments (time horizon) The asset allocation model that best suits any given investor depends on where they land regarding the three factors above.

It’s important to remember that asset allocation offers investors a trade-off. During good times, a diversified portfolio’s return will lag the best performing asset class. On the other hand, it will do better during down periods than the worst-performing asset class.

It’s up to each investor to decide what’s more important — participating more in the good times by holding more stock or avoiding the worst of the bad by having less.

Reviewing your plan regularly If you have an asset allocation plan and still find yourself lying awake at night, this is a chance to revisit your strategy for possible adjustments. It’s possible you overestimated your risk tolerance when creating your plan.

Due to their potential for providing growth and, sometimes, income, stocks have an essential role in many programs. But with that potential comes the likelihood for more significant price volatility than is typically seen with other investments, such as bonds.

If concern about your investments is causing you stress, this may be your opportunity to see whether it’s time to scale back on how much you have allocated to stocks.

It’s also possible that market activity shifted your allocations away from your targeted amounts. Say you started with a hypothetical portfolio of 60 percent stocks / 40 percent bonds. Over the last several years, the rise in the stock market may have shifted it to, for example, 75 percent stocks / 25 percent bonds, which means you would experience more of the market’s volatility than you intended.

You may also want to consider rebalancing your portfolio regularly. Rebalancing is merely checking your investments to see whether the market activity has caused them to drift.

If they have, you can decide if you want to sell investments that have increased in value and use the proceeds to buy others that may have decreased. Doing this at least once a year — or allowing your investment platform to do that for you can keep your allocations and risk level — where you want them.

Asset allocation and diversification are investment methods used to help manage risk.

They do not guarantee investment returns or eliminate the risk of loss, including in a declining market.

All investment involves risk, including the possible loss of principal.

This article was written by/for Wells Fargo Advisors and provided courtesy of Bo Gard, Financial Advisor, Gulfport, MS. Tel: 228-8651195

Winter 2020

Florida Baselines - 27