USPTA MIDWEST WINTER NEWSLETTER

WINTER 2023

MIDWEST CONNECTION from your Midwest Board

TAKING A LOOK BACK PHOTO GALLERY

Matt Davis Mike Graff

Molly Card Beckmann

John Frausto Dan Oliver

This issue: President’s Message

Page 2

Dates that Rate

Page 4

USPTA Member Benefits

Page 5

Midwest Winter Forum

Page 6

Winter Forum Speakers

Pages 7,8,9

How Can I Increase My Value

Page 10

Level 2 Certification

Page 12

Wisconsin HS Coaches Clinic

Kirk Anderson (Center) with Team Midwest

Kirk Anderson, Cathy Thomas, Denny Schackter, Carol Anderson Don Martin

Coach Developers

Mike Lange & Amy Nestle

Summer Symposium

Page 16

Welcome 24-25 Midwest Board Members

Page 17

USPTA Certification Path

Page 20

Job Opening

Page 22

Congratulations Corner

Page 23

RJ Tessier

Awards Luncheon 2023

Pages 14, 15

Pages 24, 25

Tribe Game Pickle Coach Developer Scott Ficks in the CLE

Ferris State Level 2

Hall of Famers

USPTA MIDWEST EXECUTIVE BOARD

A MESSAGE FROM OUR PRESIDENT: MATT DAVIS

Dear USPTA Midwest Division Members, Division President Matt Davis tenace4@gmail.com Regional Vice President John Frausto johnefrausto@gmail.com Second Vice President Cathy Thomas Cthomas6@cinci.rr.com Third Vice President Matt Boughton zmboughton@ymva-cv.org Treasurer - Secretary Dan Oliver danohgb@aol.com Past President Mike Graff MPGraffx@gmail.com

Executive Director Greg Aten Greg.aten@uspta.org

I hope this message finds you in good health and high spirits as the Holiday Season is here. As the Midwest Division President of the United States Professional Tennis Association, I am writing my final Presidents Message. I am deeply honored to have served as your President for the last two years. I want to thank Greg Aten, our Executive Director and our Midwest Board for all of their hard work with moving the Division forward. I can say that the Division will be in great hands in 2024 with Mr. John Frausto as President and the new Midwest Board.

Looking back on the last few years our Division Board is proud of our accomplishments. We continue to lead the way with our strong Pickleball workshops and our top-notch tester Scott Ficks.

We now have our Tennis Coach Developers Mike Lange and Amy Nestle in place with many years of experience in the Midwest Division for Level 2 workshops. The plan is to have at least one Level 2 workshop in each state in the Midwest for 2024.

Also, you will see a Platform Tennis Workshop or two in the Midwest in 2024 and Padel Certification workshops. Incredible to now have 4 Racquet Sports for our members to learn and play.

We had two successful Winter Forums in the last two years with one in Michigan and one in Indiana.

In 2024 February get ready Wisconsin because we will be at the WAC with the Wisconsin High School Coaches on February 9th and 10th with featured

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speaker Mark Bey. You can find out more in this newsletter about the Winter Forum. First time in Wisconsin for many years for the Winter Forum so we are all looking forward to the event. Also, our Summer Symposiums were held in Cincinnati in 2022 and Cleveland in 2023. Both were well attended, attracting members from two different locations. Get excited to attend the 125th anniversary of the Tennis Tournament and our Summer Symposium back in Cincinnati for 2024.

We will have seminars, workshops and social gatherings for the few days of the conference.

More details to come in the next few months. Save the tentative dates for the Summer Symposium August 9 and 10.

Wishing all USPTA Midwest Members a wonderful Holiday Season with your family and friends. I’m proud of the Midwest Division and all of the passion and dedication so many of our members have on a daily basis. We are really fortunate to be involved with Racquets.

MIDWEST STATE PRESIDENTS

Wisconsin President Dan Oliver danohgb@aol.com Illinois President Andrew Coon Andrew.coonstl@gmail.com Michigan State President Kyle Warner Kwar8@gmail.com Ohio President Todd Wojtkowski Todd.wojtkowski@gmail.com

Midwest Strong Matt Davis USPTA Midwest Division President

Indiana President TBD

USPTA WORLD HEADQUARTERS uspta@uspta.org

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MIDWEST DATES that RATE 2023/2024

January / 24 26th-27th Michigan High School Coaches Workshop, Dewitt Tennis Center - REGISTER February / 24 1st-3rd Indiana High School Coaches Conference, IRC Dean Rd. REGISTER 2nd - Illinois High School Coaches Winter Workshop, Plainfield, IL. REGISTER 9th - USPTA Pickleball certification, WAC, Hartland, Wi. Click Here.

9th - USPTA Specialty Course, Mark Bey, WAC, Lake Country, Wi. REGISTER HERE 10th - USPTA WINTER FORUM / Wisconsin High School Tennis Coaches Clinic, WAC, Lake Country / 2 days, 15 Continuing Education Points REGISTER HERE 24th - Ohio Tennis Coaches Association, Specialty Course 25th - Ohio Tennis Coaches Association Clinic, Chagrin Falls, Oh. REGISTER March / 24 15th-17th USPTA Level 2 Certification Workshop, Aurora, IL. Click HERE

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USPTA Midwest - Winter Form Speaker Line-up: W i s c o n s i n A t h l e t i c C l u b , H a r t l a n d W i s c o n s i n , F e b r u a r y 9- 10 , 20 24

Mark Bey - USPTA Elite Professional Mark Bey grew up on the west side of Chicago in a neighborhood called K-Town. He was introduced to the game of tennis at 11 years old by his aunt, Ida Carter, and they played at Columbus Park. Katrina Adams served as a role model as he was growing up, showing him that other African Americans in Chicago were doing great things. He started playing in tournaments at the age of 13. He attended Kenwood Academy and graduated at the young age of 16. Mark was a member of the CDTA Super Excellence Team that, through the generosity of Midtown and its owner, Alan Schwartz, USPTA, traveled to Jamaica to play with that country's top juniors. Bey attended DePaul University on a full athletic scholarship and became nationally ranked by his sophomore year.

Mark has gone on to a celebrated coaching career working with many great junior players including Brienne Minor and Evan King. He spent years traveling on the pro tour working as an assistant coach for the Bryan brothers. Locally, he leads the CDTA Girls Super Excellence program and has coached the CDTA Girls 18s team to 6 straight Baird Cup titles.

Mark was inducted into the Midwest USPTA Hall of Fame in 2017. He has served as one of the lead analysts in college tennis for College Matchday on ESPN

Greg Aten , USPTA Elite Professional Greg has been the USPTA Midwest Executive Director since May of 2021. He is a USPTA Midwest Past President & member of the USPTA Midwest Hall of Fame class of 2012.

Greg has been the Managing Director of Racquet Sports at the Chagrin Valley Athletic Club in Chagrin Falls, Ohio for the past 23 years. Greg has coached both Boys & Girls High School teams (36 seasons) his players have won 8 Team State championships, 5 singles state titles (1 runner-up), 4 doubles state titles (4 runner-up).

Greg received the National Federation of High School Coaches Sectional Coach of the Year honors in 2019. Greg is the Girls Varsity Head Coach at Shaker Heights Hathaway Brown and has been to the Ohio State Team Tournament Final Four all 9 years (20152023), with 7 State Championships.

Greg was inducted into the Ohio Tennis Coaches Association Hall of Fame in February23.

Greg has coached numerous players that have achieved their goals and played professionally, played collegiately and others that have gone on to coach college tennis at the Division I level.

Greg has been married to his wife Sharon for 33 years and they have two boys Austin (Kimmy) & Gavin.

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USPTA Midwest - Winter Form Speaker Line-up:

Tim Cleland, USPTA Elite Professional Tim Cleland has 62 seasons of experience as boys’ tennis coach (34 seasons) and girls’ tennis coach (28 seasons) at Delta High School in Muncie, IN. A 2008 inductee into the Indiana Tennis Hall of Fame, he is the all-time winningest coach in Indiana HS Tennis history with 1,179 victories in boys’ and girls’ tennis and a career winning percentage of 85%. In his 62 seasons, more than half (32) have ended at the Indiana State Finals in team, doubles, or singles competition. Delta is the smallest public school in Indiana history to reach the IHSAA Tennis Team State Finals on 10 or more occasions. Cleland is a co-founder of the Smash Cancer tennis match between Delta and Yorktown high schools. Smash Cancer began in 2012 and annually raises money for local cancer organizations. The event has raised over $92,000 since its inception. Cleland has served as President of the Indiana HS Tennis Coaches Association since 1999. He teaches yearbook, newspaper and television news at Delta HS and has taught tennis to kids part-time at the Muncie YMCA since the 1980s

Timon Corwin , USPTA Elite Professional Timon is the General Manager of Western Racquet Club (WRC) in Elm Grove, Wisconsin, joined the Club in 2010 serving as the Managing Director of Tennis at Western Racquet Club until 2017. Taking on the additional role of General Manager of WRC in 2012, Corwin brings collaboration between tennis and clubhouse operations, guiding the vision of Western Racquet Club. Corwin previously served as the Senior Director for Junior and Collegiate Competition for USTA Player Development in Florida from May 2007-2010. Prior to joining the USTA, Corwin served as the Men’s Athletic Director, Men’s Tennis Coach, and USTA National Junior Championships Tournament Director at Kalamazoo College. Corwin serves on the board for both the Milwaukee Tennis Classic and the Milwaukee Tennis and Education Foundation. He served as the President of the Milwaukee Tennis and Education Foundation from 2014-2016.

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USPTA Midwest - Winter Form Speaker Line-up:

Denny Schackter , USPTA Elite Professional Denny has served as President of the Chicago and Madison, WI tennis associations.

Denny has served on the Chicago District’s Tennis on Campus Committee. As a USTA Midwest Section volunteer, Denny has served on Adult Recreation, Delegates at Large, and both served and chaired the Nominating Committee.

He has served on both the Section’s and USTA National Tennis On Campus Committee.

Schackter served as President of the Illinois USPTA District for 2014-2016. Currently, he serves on the USTA National Committee for High School Tennis and the USTA Midwest Section Collegiate Committee.

Denny coached men’s tennis at the University of Wisconsin-Madison from 1972-81 and worked as as Territory Manager for Wilson Racquets Sports for 22 years. He has spoken at a variety of tennis conferences, written articles for Racquet Sports Industry Magazine, PTR’s “Tennis Pro”, and the USPTA Midwest Connection.

Schackter was inducted into the Wisconsin High School Tennis Coaches Association in 2008. Denny is on the Boards of the Milwaukee Tennis & Education Foundation and Milwaukee Tennis Classic. He formerly coordinated a job placement program for the Salvation Army in Chicagoland and is an active volunteer for University of Wisconsin Alumni activities.

Schackter has been married to Patti Lock for 29 years.

Harry and Sally.

Together they have two cats,

Erick Martinez , USPTA Elite Professional Associate Head Coach D1 NCAA Marquette Men’s Tennis team. Ranked top #20 NCAA D1 doubles.

Won Midwest Regional title and qualified for the NCAA Indoor tournament. Currently Director of Junior Development at Western Racquet Club.

Eric was awarded the 2021 USPTA Wisconsin Professional of the Year.

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HOW CAN I INCREASE MY VALUE?

By Denny Schackter, USPTA Elite Professional, Waukesha, WI WOW! I have not experienced that kind of pain for a long time. I was demonstrating an overhead to my students, and I received a jolt of pain in my shoulder. I slowly brought my arm down, but the pain persisted. I managed to get through the lesson but knew I had done something wrong.

Gosh, I had 4 hours of lessons to go and could barely move my arm. feed some groundies and volleys, but this pain is severe.

It looks like I can

If that sounds like you, your immediate thoughts are, “what if I must take time off to recover? This sure is a hassle. What if my time off is longer than I think it will be?”

All these questions, plus many more you can think of, are items that should be part of your personal inventory as a teaching pro.

In most cases, your insurance may cover the cost of medical care, but does not cover the cost of paying bills like rent, feeding your family and the like.

Let’s take a step back. Most of us do not prepare for the day we cannot teach. Yet we feel we are very valuable members of the facility we are part of. The reality is that tennis teaching pros are one trick ponies! What have we done to prepare for the day, or days, when teaching lessons is not an option?

In most facilities teaching tennis, there are desk folks, membership people, accountants, directors, and owners or general managers.

What can you do to increase your value?

1 . Start working on an MBA OR courses that give you business experience. Your resume then has some strength on another side of the facility. Obtaining an MBA can be done online, and you can take your time based on your schedule and budget. Another good master’s degree is counseling and guidance which can be used within a school system or part of the Club you reside in, or human resources outside of tennis. Even if you do not pursue a master’s degree, taking some courses now and then increases your value.

2 . If you do not understand social media, it’s time to do so. Some facilities are way behind the times in terms of the current trends on promoting their business. If you increase your value with this knowledge, you’ll be ahead of the ball game.

3 . If your facility has a multitude of ethnic diversity, learning a second language increases your value. I often hear in the media about the courses that are available and how you can learn a language from the comfort of your car or home.

4. Work on a position in the Club that is not currently established, but you see a need to enhance the club business. An example might be public relations. If you are in a location with a great deal of competition, learning PR to give your facility an edge might be a ticket to your value.

5 . Related to this discussion, and overlooked a great deal, is a constant check on your financial health. Certainly, if you are incapacitated and cannot work, having a good cushion of savings, (6 months living expenses!) can not only pay the bills, but also give you confidence during a tough time. In addition, a good disability policy is very important. A ball in the eye can put a teaching pro on the sideline for a long time. A disability policy can aid in lost income.

I retired 16 years ago and had a plan on what I would be doing post working. I know that most tennis pros feel they can teach until retirement age, but do not think about the fact that an injury or illness might occur. I urge you to think about it and plan. Ben Franklin once said, “by failing to prepare, you are preparing for failure.”

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level 2

tennis certification workshops REGISTER TODAY AT USPTA.COM ®

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Wisconsin High School Coaches Clinic, November 11, 2023

By Dan Oliver, USPTA Elite Professional Rick Vetter, Master USPTA Pro, gave a workshop on Singles Technical/Tactical Development Drills. This was an informative highlight of the 2023 Wisconsin High School Tennis Coaches Association Annual Clinic. Overall, he broke the court down into five zones and had players demonstrating how to select shots based on placement — with an emphasis on foot movement and keeping the ball out of the middle of the court. He covered the 1-2 punch during net play (Zone 1) all the way up to baseline play in Zones 3, 4, and 5, emphasizing the importance of players practicing depth control.

Frank Barnes, UW-Whitewater Men’s & Women’s Head Coach, gave a presentation on “Bucking the trends of traditional old-school tennis strategy.” Coach Barnes brought three of his college players to demonstrate. He covered the value of players being able to hit the ball deep and keep the ball in play with greater margins. He emphasized the power of changes of direction at opportune times.

When a player is run off the court, he advised a firm, deep slice return through the court — crossing the baseline to avoid giving the opponent an advantageous angle. Thus, players learn to change the dynamics of the point by slowing down their opponents. Players may initially find this “boring,” but Barnes noted that boring wins by keeping players in the point longer.

John Frausto, incoming USPTA Midwest President, and Dan Oliver, incoming USPTA Midwest Vice President, gathered an eclectic crew of talented professionals to each demonstrate their own “Favorite Tennis Drills.” Each of the following professionals presented 2-3 of their personal favorite drills to the attending high school coaches: • Mark Goldin, UW-Milwaukee Women’s Coach • Costin Fink, incoming USPTA Wisconsin President • Greg Isermann, Head USPTA Pro at Hitters SportsPlex, Middleton • Aaron Kolz, USPTA Pro & Junior Coordinator at Green Bay Tennis Center • Kevin Lanigan, Teaching Pro at the WAC The drills covered both singles and doubles, both offensive play and defensive play. The hope of bringing these many perspectives together into one seminar was to help inspire coaches with new material — at least 60 coaches and pros were in attendance! Thank you to Mano Kehoss, Tim Hartwick, and WAC staff for facilitating this exciting event.

Thank you to the WHSTCA Executive Board members and Committee Chairs for their hard work in coordinating this event.

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SAVE the DATE: AUGUST 10-11,2024 USPTA Midwest Summer Symposium will be returning to Cincinnati Education Discounts/ Social Networking Hall of Fame Luncheon, W&S Tournament

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2024-2025 Midwest Executive Board (beginning January 2024)

J o h n Frausto D i v i sion Preside n t

C a t h y Thomas R e g ional Vice Pr e s i d e n t

M a t t Boughton S e c o nd Vice Pr e s i d e n t

D a n Olivier T h i r d Vice Presi d e n t

A n d rew Coon S e c r etary/Trea s u r e r

M a t t Davis P a s t President

K a t i Gyulai M i c h igan P r e s ident

L u c a s Waak In d i ana P r e s ident

S o n thana T h o nglisvong Illi n ois Preside n t

C o s t in Fink W i s c onsin P r e s ident

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JOB OPENING: WESTWOOD TENNIS CENTER RACQUET SPORTS DIRECTOR/ HEAD TENNIS PROFESSIONAL About The Tennis Center Located in Sterling, IL, the Westwood Tennis Center is a separate facility, part of the Westwood Fitness and Sports Center.

The Tennis Center was opened in January of 2017, and includes four Laykold Standard Cushioned Tennis Courts and a Sports Interior, Inc. Indirect LED Lighting System. A PlaySight Smart Court Interactive System is installed on one court and there is a small pro shop area located within the facility. There are also six outdoor hard courts on site. The Tennis Center is owned and operated by the Sterling Park District.

MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS • USPTA or USPTR certification required. • Pickleball knowledge/experience preferred. • Certified or ability to become certified in CPR, First Aid and AED. • A valid Illinois State Driver’s License (Class D). • Organizational skills and the ability to work independently. • Ability to maintain positive and effective working relationships with other employees. • Working knowledge of Microsoft Word, Excel, and Outlook.

EDUCATION AND EXPERIENCE • College degree, collegiate playing experience and at least one (1) year racquet instruction experience.

Compensation / Benefits This is a full-time position, with a base wage and a percentage of group and private lessons as well as a percentage of other racquet activities. Other compensation could include stringing and the pro shop operation. Total year-one compensation should reach $75,000 with a realistic potential growth to $100,000+. In addition, the compensation package includes a health insurance stipend, dental/vision insurance, retirement plan, professional development, Park District facility/ program access, as well as paid vacations, personal days, holidays, and sick days.

Application Process & Deadline To apply visit www.sterlingparks.org or click on “Join our Team” . The position will remain open until filled.

USTA Billie Jean King Tennis Center

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USTA Player Development Center

University of Illinois

IMPROVING THE INDOOR TENNIS EXPERIENCE

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Happy Retirement John from the Midwest Division!!!

Carol Anderson with Kirk Anderson

John Frausto, Cathy Thomas with John Embree

Congratulations! on receiving the Tennis Industry Service Award! Well deserved!!!

Corner

Congratulations Kirk Anderson from the Midwest Division on your Lifetime Achievement Award, there is nobody more deserving!!!

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R.J. TESSIER IS ACTIVE IN RE PROFESSIONAL TENNIS MANAGEMENT, ENGAGING INDUSTRY LEADERS AND STUDENT PROSPECTS •

FERRIS NEWS

R.J. Tessier R.J. Tessier, the second director in Ferris State University’s Professional Tennis Management program history, has returned to Big Rapids to lead the program, tapping skills he picked up while exploring other roles.

Tessier has wasted no time in his return, moving to spark even greater interest from industry leaders and students in PTM. He said the program’s founder, Scott Schultz, encouraged him to apply to succeed him in 1998 when he went to the United States Tennis Association.

“I was proud to join the nation’s first bachelor’s degree program to combine training in the sport and learning related to success in the business of leading tennis resorts and the like,” Tessier said. “Though I joined the United States Professional Tennis Association as director of certification and testing several years later, I always had a strong feeling for Ferris and am glad to be back in this role with the program.”

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Tessier has held an impressive list of sports management positions. Most recently, he served as the Dragon Ridge Tennis and Athletic Club general manager in Henderson, Nev. Tessier also hosted “On Court with USPTA,” a television program on the Tennis Channel.

“I am actively reconnecting with the USTA Midwest Board of Directors and attended the USPTA World Conference in Orlando in late September,” he said. “I also intend to be at and engaging participants and coaches at high school tennis events, so they know Ferris’ PTM program offers young people a chance to continue their passion and help meet the significant demand for professionals in this industry.”

Mike Janz, a 2014 Ferris PTM graduate, continues to work in the program as its assistant director. Tessier values this working relationship.

“Mike and I are collaborating well. He appreciates and understands our goals for promoting the legacy and stature of the PTM program,” Tessier said. “We look forward to our success in the work before us.”

Click Professional Tennis Management to learn more about this Ferris State College of Business program.

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Greg Aten Midwest Executive Director United States Professional Tennis Association 386 Kings Court Copley, OH. 44321

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