RSPA New England Newsletter - Summer 2025

YANKEE PROSE The Newsletter of the RSPA New England Division

SUMMER 2025

Take a look inside: President’s letter page 1 Division Conference information, page 6 New members, page 10 State events, page 11

Certification information, page 14 Racquet sports business, page 16 Racquet sports career, page 28

RSPA New England Board of Directors Division President: Lisa Wilcott metennis@comcast.net Regional Vice President: Milan Kubala stowemiles@gmail.com

A MESSAGE FROM OUR PRESIDENT: LISA WILCOTT

Hello RSPA New England Members, I hope everyone has been able to get a good start to the busy summer season, although the spring weather has been hindering our outdoor activities a little bit. Many of our RSPA NE members are also certified in pickleball and tennis and are teaching and playing both sports now, so luckily there are many indoor sporting options for rainy days.

The Spring RSPA Annual Racquet Sports Conference, held in May in Waterville Valley, NH, included notable speakers and various activities Treasurer: such as a Cardio Tennis Competition and a pickleball serving contest.

Christy Bennett The event was attended by over 40 members, including many firstbennett@newengland.usta.com time participants, which allowed for the formation of new connections.

Attendees had the opportunity to connect with fellow racquet sports enthusiasts and professionals, fostering relationships and Secretary: collaborations. The new friendships and connections that were made Wilbur Shardlow at this conference were amazing. Video recordings of presentations shardlowtennis@roadrunner.com will be available for viewing in the next couple weeks, allowing flexibility in accessing valuable content.

Vice President: Kristen Gerety kdgerety@icloud.com Vice President: Mike Hill

michael_hill@alumni.brown.edu

Past President: Mike Kolendo mkolendo46@gmail.com

NE Executive Director: Pam Dodman pam.dodman@rspa.net

Members are encouraged to register for Tennis and Pickleball Certifications in August and the World Conference in Hawaii this September, emphasizing the importance of continuous learning and networking within the RSPA community. Due to limited hotel availability, register as soon as possible to secure your spot.

The New England Communications and National weekly newsletters provide valuable information, and we hope that you have had the opportunity to participate in some of the webinars, podcasts, and review resources available at tennisresources.com.

Consider joining our RSPA New England Board or becoming a State President in the near future. More information will be coming out about how to get involved and help your division grow. Please reach out to any of us on the Board or your State Presidents if you have any questions or would like to get further involved.

We are here for you! Happy Summer and enjoy!

RSPA New England State Presidents: Connecticut: Kent Chalmers chalmerstennis@gmail.com Maine: Chris Nordenson chrisnordenson@gmail.com Massachusetts: Stu Lehr stuartklehr@gmail.com & Vi Nguyen vnguyen734@gmail.com New Hampshire: TBD Rhode Island: Mike Michaud mike.mmtennis@gmail.com Vermont: Joyce Doud jdoud@edgevt.com

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Refer & Earn Refer a new applicant, earn a $100 Tennis Warehouse Gift Card for the month of June (normally, the amount is $50).

Scan the code to learn more.

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2025 Division Summit New Speakers, New Members, New Friends!

The White Mountain Athletic Club in Waterville Valley, NH was the venue for our 2025 RSPA New England conference. The club is owned and operated by the 2024 RSPA NE Large Facility Manager of the Year, Tom Gross, who was a generous host to our conference.

We had several new speakers at this year’s conference. Wayne Elderton was one of our featured speakers who is an internationally renowned speaker from Canada. First-time New England speakers included Wilbur Shardlow, Chris Nordenson, Kristen Gerety, and Hilary Ryan-McCarthy. New members and applicants included Andie Joseph, Barbara Delmondes De Oliveira, Jason Wen, Matt Kay, and Karen Rae. One of the most rewarding things to see were the new friendships being formed, and old friends getting together again! The relationships that can be made through the RSPA and in-person events is invaluable and often overlooked!

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2025 Division Summit

Wilbur Shardlow and Chris Nordenson

Level 2 Workshop “Graduates”: l-r: Justin Lew, Glenny Hay, Chundan Singh, Pam Dodman (CD/ED), Barbara Delmondes De Oliveira, Jason Wen, Matt Kay

Women’s & Diversity Round Table

RSPA NE Tennis Professional of the Year, Bill Aronson, and friend!

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2025 Division Summit

Membership Meeting

Wilbur Shardlow sporting his new RSPA NE hat, along with Milan Kubala.

Great color for Wilbur!

Tracy Almeda-Singian

Kristen Gerety, Bret Smith, Barbara Delmondes De Oliveira

Wednesday evening gathering.

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2025 Division Summit

Featured speaker, Wayne Elderton, from Vancouver, Canada, and Pam Dodman Wayne added international flavor to our conference!

RSPA New England tennis legend, Avis Murray

New member, Andie Joseph, with RSPA NE Board member, Kristen Gerety Yankee Prose / page 09

2025 Division Summit Cardio Tennis Feeding Competition

Cardio Tennis Feeding Competition preparation

Cardio Tennis Feeding Champion: Janet Khaemba (center), with RSPA NE President, Lisa Wilcott (left) and RSPA NE Professional and Cardio Tennis representative, Whitney Kraft (right).

Janet won a case of Dunlop tennis balls, the opportunity to compete in the national finals in Orlando, FL, and bragging rights!

l-r: Lisa Wilcott (RSPA NE President), Janet Khaemba (winner), Whitney Kraft (Cardio Tennis representative)

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2025 Division Awards Banquet

Congratulations to all our award winners!!!

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2025 Division Awards Banquet

Please click the image above to read about all our fantastic Award Winners!

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Certification Workshops Pickleball Workshop at our Conference

Congratulations to the following individuals who participated in the Pickleball Certification Workshop that followed the division conference. (l-r) Jason Wen, Jana Tanevska, Ethan Hutchinson, Happy Simbarashe, Karin Buchholz, Matt Kay, Barbara Delmondes De Oliveira, Courtney Gilman.

In front, Pickleball Coach Developer, Angelo Rossetti.

If you are not yet pickleball certified and want to be, signup for the certification workshop being held the beginning of August. If you know of others that would like to get certified, please pass this information on!!

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Certification Workshops Upcoming Workshops For those of you that have applied for the Level 2 Certified Professional certification and have completed your Level 1 Workshop and passed the Level 1 group lesson, DON’T MISS THIS OPPORTUNITY to attend a Level 2 Workshop. In this workshop, you can also do your Private Lesson in person rather than submitting a video for grading.

If you are a certified professional and want to upgrade to Elite status, you can register for this workshop as well if you didn’t score Elite on the group lesson, stroke production, and/or private lesson.

Please click on the image to go to the registration page.

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Racquet Sports Event Pickleball Tournament Raises Close to $5000 for the Make-A-Wish Foundation!

RSPA Elite Professional and Tournament Director, Whitney Kraft, ran a successful Pickleball Tournament in May to benefit the Make-A-Wish Foundation. This was a team competition where four states sent 18 players, with a team average DUPR of 4.5, to compete in Men’s Doubles, Women’s Doubles, and Mixed Doubles.

Teams present were from Massachusetts, Vermont, New Hampshire, and New York.

The tournament was hosted at the Southern Vermont Pickleball Club and the Brook Bound Inn. Vermont captured the Gold (homecourt advantage?), followed by New Hampshire, Massachusetts, and New York!

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Racquet Sports Career Tips For DREAM JOB Application Process

by Tom Daglis; RSPA Master Professional, CRSE, McMahon Careers Executive Search Consultant

So, you have found a job opportunity that piques your interest. What next steps can you take to assist you with the overall process?

Let’s begin with the obvious…the Cover Letter and the Resume!

Cover Letter: First, make sure your cover letter is representative of the job opportunity you are seeking, meaning that is should be customized with the club/facility name and the appropriate contact information (tailored to the General Manager name, Board Member name or Human Recourses Director’s name). A generalized salutation greeting often gives the impression that the applicant has simply blanket applied to multiple jobs!

Second, always check for spelling! An easy fix but a cover letter with misspelling can give the hiring entity an impression that you lack the detail to necessarily run a department.

Third, an effective cover letter should include key successes and highlights pulled from your resume that you want to accentuate and ensure are key representations of the job description. Align your cover letter with the requirements of the job you are seeking. Always remember, YOUR core strengths, values and unique selling points should be reinforced in every stage of the application process!

Resume: Try to avoid using the identical resume for every job application. Ideally you should have 4-5 resumes in your files that reflect exactly what type of job you are applying for, namely, Director of Racquets; Director of Tennis; Director of Pickleball; Director of Adult Programming, etc.

One- or two-page resumes work best…a resume that is less than a full page can give the impression that you do not have enough experience and conversely, a resume that is 3-4 pages may give the impression it is simply padded.

Be vigilant not to focus on only your past responsibilities but include more of your relevant accomplishments.

I always recommend comparing percentages versus just numbers because that is how club management thinks!

Most experts advise against including a photo of yourself unless it is requested.

Including a photo may open the potential for bias or discrimination!

Consider using fonts that are easy to read and deemed professional

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Racquet Sports Career Tips For DREAM JOB Application Process continued Your name and contact information should be included in every form of communication…make it easy for a potential employer to contact you!

With AI being a factor in today’s world, make sure you incorporate key words and phrases that you find within the job description.

Recruiting companies like Workday, ADP Workforce, SAP, Paycor, & Indeed, all use software that searches for key words and assists in narrowing down applicants based on what the job description is looking for.

Accuracy is important. If your resume states you are a certified professional, make sure you are current with your certifications otherwise list them as “formerly certified.”

General Managers do validate certifications and ensure they are up to date!

Finally, if there is a questionnaire associated with the application, make sure your answers demonstrate that you have given the questions enough thought. One-line answers give the impression that you have not spent enough time with your thought process and perhaps are rushing through the application!

Congratulations, you have been selected for an interview! How should you prepare?

First, we always recommend professional attire both for onsite and Zoom interviews. It is human nature for people who see you only in racquet attire, to view you as someone who is simply having fun and not in a “Real Job” or business environment.

If you are conducting a Zoom interview, choose your setting carefully. Conducting a Zoom interview from your phone inside your car gives the impression that you have not managed your time accordingly and are simply looking to squeeze the interview in between lessons!

Remember that Clubs and Facilities are hiring your personality and enthusiasm. You will become the face of the membership and members and clients should WANT to interact and be around you! SMILE and let your personality shine!

Keep your answers to questions relevant and concise while refraining from rambling or long-winded replies.

Prior to an interview, it is your responsibility to research the opportunity thoroughly.

Simple searches about the membership might include what types of memberships are offered? How large is the membership?

What is the median age of membership? And is there a seasonal component to the position?

Know the number of courts, types of courts, lighted courts and how many racquet sports are offered.

Number of employees and/or independent contractors…especially in the department you are applying for. Have an idea of the department budget and I think it is imperative to find out what is the percentage of your potential departmental budget compared to the overall club/facility budget. Sometimes that can give you a picture of how much your department is valued!

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Racquet Sports Career Tips For DREAM JOB Application Process continued What does the club/facility want from their new employee? Was there a particular weakness that the former employee had? Are there any recurring challenges the department faces?

Club personnel continuity should also be researched. How long has the former Director been at the club and has there been a lot of turnover? This can also be applied to the General Manager position.

Sometimes reaching out to club directors who have proximity to the club can be valuable. They might be able to give you insights into the job or have opinions that may be significant.

In conclusion, remember to highlight what separates you from the pack! Always have the mindset of what are YOU going to do for THEM vs vice versa. How do you fit into THEIR club culture? Every club has a particular culture, and you want to able to complement that.

Ultimately, you wish to become a VALUED TEAM MEMBER! Best of luck with your searches!!

Tom Daglis is certified as a RSPA Master Professional by the Racquet Sports Professionals Association, a certification that is shared with less than 1 percent of the RSPA membership worldwide. His extensive involvement with the RSPA has included serving as National President for the RSPA from ’09-‘13 and the Southern Division in '95-'96. He currently serves on the RSPA Executive Committee as a National Past President.

The RSPA has honored Tom with distinctions such as the George Bacso Tester of the Year, RSPA Southern Professional of the Year, RSPA Mid-Atlantic Professional of the Year, RSPA Maryland Professional of the Year, three-time RSPA Georgia Professional of the Year, threetime RSPA Southern Tester of the Year and the coveted Southern Pride of the South award. In 2006, he was awarded the RSPA's most prestigious national award, as the Alex Gordon United States Professional of the Year. In 2016 Tom was honored with the International Tennis Hall of Fame Educational Merit Award. Tom is a member of the RSPA Southern Division Hall of Fame. He has previously served as Director of Tennis at fine clubs such as Atlanta Country Club, GA; Concourse Athletic Club, GA; and Lakewood Country Club, MD. Tom is the former Director of the Professional Tennis Management program within the schools of business at both Ferris State University in Michigan and Methodist University in North Carolina. Tom’s most recent position was the Executive Director of the Rome Tennis Center at Berry College, the nation’s largest single-surface tennis center with sixty-three (63) tennis courts.

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