USPTA Southern Standard - Feb 2019

USPTA Southern Division: Where Excellence is STANDARD

The USPTA Southern Division

Volume 20 Issue 1: February 2019

May 16th - 18th Convention

North Hills Country Club, Raleigh NC

INSIDE: Doubles situations with Gigi . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . pg 3 Convention wrap up & May info . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . pg 4-5 Data that changed how Capestany teaches . . . . . . . . . . . pg 7-8 One Good Idea from the Business of Tennis . . . . . . . . . . pg 12 Books billionares say you should read . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . pg 13

Page 2

Volume 20 Issue 1

President’s Message

P

ickleball…the mention of it is sure to generate comments from tennis pros.

Some are supportive of this increasingly popular sport while others are concerned about its impact on tennis participation and teaching pros. Here are a few thoughts.

I have had the chance to try Pickleball in Idaho, Louisiana and Alabama. In each location I have found Pickleball players to be extremely welcoming of new faces and very enthusiastic about their sport. In addition, I have seen players who have movement limitations be successful on smaller courts and using different equipment than traditional tennis. The welcoming nature and enthusiasm of Pickleball players combined with the ease of play create a powerful and positive first impression; it is no wonder that Pickleball is enjoying increasing popularity.

This popularity has led to the construction of new Pickleball courts and the conversion of ten-

nis courts to Pickleball courts.

This is where the risk to tennis is most acute.

Pickleball has achieved success in recent years from being a “free rider” on tennis infrastructure. If from the beginning Pickleball players had to build their own courts it seems very unlikely the sport would be as successful as it has become. While in some instances Pickleball players occupy tennis courts that are completely unused, that is not always the case. Increasingly, we are seeing Pickleball players attempt to compete with tennis players for use of tennis courts, demand Pickleball lines and even advocate for the wholesale conversion of popular tennis courts and even facilities into Pickleball courts. This is a problem.

In Alabama, we recently thwarted the conver-

sion of a 9 court tennis facility into a 26 court Pickleball facility, and it is not clear this particular battle will not have to be fought again. Other facilities are contending with vocal and persistent Pickleball players who are demanding the conversion of “just one or two courts” to Pickleball courts. Talk of working together and being accommodating seems to suit Pickleball advocates when they think that is the best approach, but they are not shy about aggressively pursuing their interests when they think they have the advantage.

I like Pickleball and encourage pros who see demand to consider getting certified through the USPTA’s partnership with the IPTPA. At the same time, I urge pros to watchful and leery when Pickleball enthusiasts begin talking about “working together.”

“Success Secrets” Michael Johnson

By Bill Riddle

S

uccess comes in many different forms but no one can argue the success Michael Johnson has had with his most recent facility is something we all would like to see and have happen. Michael has been a USPTA member for some 30 years, and like most of us who have been around, he has a variety of experiences in the tennis business and made a number of stops along the way. He is currently at the Snowden Grove Tennis Complex in Southhaven, Mississippi. Where is Southhaven you ask? Well it’s just a few miles over the state line of Tennessee south of Memphis.

Arguably, and as Michael will put it himself, this area is “baseball” country with that sport dominating the lives of kids and families for miles, but that doesn’t faze Johnson. Growing up like most of us he too played baseball and other sports until the time he realized size and speed may keep him from a pro baseball career and he found tennis. Despite being the home for “Dizzy Dean” baseball, Michael Johnson has tapped into the heart of the community and

pushes his brand of “family tennis” on anyone with a pulse. On the day I talked with him for this article it was cold and rainy, but you would have found him at the facility working away on his plans for tennis growth.

This new public facility started off small but has developed into a leader and tennis hub for the community boasting increased numbers of players in every program and event on 12 courts. When asked what are the keys to some of the success Michael shared the following: - Cardio Tennis which averages more than 15-20 people for every class offered.

- Tennis Apprentice which is the entry way for the community to try, learn and play tennis at the facility. The last session alone saw 72 new tennis players join the program and get on the tennis courts.

- Affordable pricing is one of the most important keys says Johnson as his goal is to expose tennis to the masses and from there grow the sport at the most basic grassroots level.

If you think the success Michael, the facility

and the community has had is enough, then you are for sure wrong. Plans are in the works for more programs, teams, activities and events like the USTA Pro Circuit Men’s Tournament that will now be played at the facility starting in August.

Having known Michael for some time I consider him to be one of the true complete professionals in our industry. One of the things that really stuck with me during our conversation was his take on the success of this new venture and facility. Michael said that true success doesn’t come from pushing the work load onto others but taking it on yourself to make things happen. Having an assistant to do the “grunt” work is not in his game plan. Teaching lessons, court maintenance or whatever the task at hand, you will find Michael there doing it right along with the rest of the staff. This is probably one of the reasons why he was selected as the recent USPTA Mississippi Pro of the Year. Our hats to you Michael and continued success to you and your community!

Standard

Page 3

Ladies Vantage 3 Potential Match Situations: from The Gigi Method

By Jenny Robb

I

often hear parents and players asking to be paired with better players for practice — always better players. I explain that yes, there is certainly benefit to practicing with stronger players, but if a player only practices with better players, training is incomplete.

This has been an ongoing discussion with my students and their parents for years. I have been fortunate to hear Gigi Fernandez speak at the USPTA Southern Convention, the WTCA Conference, The Tennis Congress, and the PTR International Symposium. She is fabulous. I was super excited when this topic came up, and she explained it so well.

According to The Gigi Method, “There are 3 match situations you will face every time you get on the court. Each requires a different mental approach and risk taking to help you win the match!”

does not mean you should be too relaxed because it is easy to get careless and suddenly find the match tighter than is should be.”

Your Team is Better than the Opponents If you are the favored team, the better team, it’s time to just be steady. If you play your game and the other team plays their game, chances are you will win because you are the better team. There is no need for risky shots. However, be careful not to fall into the trap of underestimating the opponent. According to Gigi, “Being the favorite

You are Even or Very Close with the Opponents When you are evenly matched in competition, you have to balance steady play and taking risks when the opportunity presents itself.

Tennis is a game of errors. In this situation, it is important to execute our shots in a way to coerce the opponent into committing an error.

The Social List

Your Team is Worse than the Opponents When you are the underdog, you approach a match very differently from how you approach a match as the favorite. In this situation, you need to be willing to take some risks and try various tactics. It is important to do anything you can to make the opponent uncomfortable, even if it means playing different patterns than you normally choose, and taking chances you might not usually take in competition – anything you can throw at the opponent to disrupt their rhythm. Gig went on the express the importance of positive energy, saying, “There is always a way to get yourself into a match and at least compete effectively.”

Big points are not the time to take risks. There is a very fine line between playing steady (not taking risks) and pushing the ball. Gigi’s advice in this situation is, “Stay mentally strong, focused, and positive on key points and that will help you seal the deal!”

Now, when players and parents ask to play with the better players, I explain that there are 3 match situations a player will encounter on court: the favorite, the underdog, and evenly matched.

Training should incorporate each of these situations to be prepared to compete in each successfully. If a player only plays against better players, how will he or she know how to win when they are favored? How will he or she know how to battle when evenly matched? There is less pressure when a player only competes against better players. It’s “ok to lose” because they are the better player. It’s much harder to perform when you are expected to win. And players need to develop the grit to battle against players of even or closely matched opponents. All 3 situations are needed to successfully imp[rove and compete!

12 Months of Tennis Social Part 1

By Tom Parkes January Kickoff the season Clubhouse Party A Saturday night event with karaoke, DJ, or band. Team up with 1 or 2 clothing companies and have a fashion show. Have a darts, ping pong or Corn hole tournament. Have heavy hors d’oeuvres, hot and cold. Use a cash or member charge bar. An event like this sets a positive tone for the coming year.

February Valentine’s Sweetheart Round Robin (I run this on a Saturday late morning and finishing early afternoon).

1 rose for every female present. This is one of the few socials I keep husbands and wives together for the whole event. Try and flight the event if you can (i.e. 6.5, 7.5, or 8.5 combination between husbands and wife).

Food and Beverage should be included in the cost of your event. Have prizes for best dressed couple, best dressed female, and male. A winner’s prize and runner up prize for each flight.

March St. Patrick’s Day (This is normally a Friday night event for me) Talk to your F & B manager so they have the correct food and beverages to match the event (i.e. green beer, corn beef and cabbage or some other Irish dish). Best dressed prizes a must. I give out a “Dead Ass Last” award for this event and a prize to go with it. Mix in Irish

music with contemporary music. I use the “Up and Down the river” format for this round robin. Top court bottom court, winners move up losers move down and change partners.

April BBQ Cook-off and Pro singles, doubles, and mixed doubles exhibition My members all brag about how good their BBQ is so this a chance for them to put up or shut up. We have judges and prizes. We have rib, Boston butt, and brisket competitions. We charge $20.00 with part of the funds covering pro cost and the other half covering beverage cost.

May Rackets & Rita’s Margaritaville Social Most important “Frozen Margarita machine”!!! You must dress up in Jimmy Buffett attire, with a prize to the best dressed. Use Jimmy Buffett and island music. Island F & B is a must. If you have a good chef this is right up his alley. I step away from the normal tennis social and run a Pop Tennis and Cornhole tournament.

June through December will be in the next Newsletter. If you have any great Social ideas, please send them to me at pvcctennis@gmail.com.

Until next time you keep smiling and making life fun for your members!

Page 4

Volume 20 Issue 1

Conventions Past & Future Tennis Haus – Covington, LA – Nov. 2018 from Lauren Irick - raffle winner for free registration & some travel The weekend of November 9-10 I was fortunate enough to attend the Tennis Haus conference at the beautiful Stone Creek Club and Spa in Covington, Louisiana. The weekend was filled with a variety of exceptional speakers ranging from former tour players, to lifelong teaching pros, to medical professionals educating on the physiological aspects of the game. Davor brought together a fantastic group of people.

Not only was the conference itself great, but it was the launch of the Tennis Haus app. This will prove to be an amazing tool for us teaching professionals. It’s an easy way to connect with other pros across the world and make more of a community among coaches. I look forward to seeing how Tennis Haus grows in the future.

Business of Tennis – Dunwoody, GA – Feb. 2019 A first for our division, and by all accounts, a SMASH. All the feedback is very positive. The only complaint is that we did not have more up and coming professionals attending.

First up was Joel Manby, and he was superb in presenting the Seven Timeless Principles for Effective Leaders. The show kept rolling with Tom Daglis, Chuck Gill, and Tim Buwick. After lunch Jeff Hawes stepped in to

moderate a veteran group on communications, and we ended the day with Jeff Chandley and Mark McMahon. This was truly a who’s who of tennis business people. The seminars will be on the usptasouthern youtube channel as soon as minor production is completed.

The plan is to hold a similar program in various parts of our division in the future. Details will be posted ASAP.

Standard

Page 5

May Convention – Raleigh, NC – May 16-18th Shane Wells and the North Hills Country Club will be our host this year.

Shane runs an amazing program on over 20 courts, and they have welcomed us to their town. The program is still being developed, but we know Jorge Capestany will be our key speaker. Other speakers will include Jenny Robb, Francie Barregan, Bill Riddle, Mark McMahon, Jorge Andrew, Todd Upchurch, On Court & Classroom Tennis Ted Talks, and a number of others that are being confirmed. There will be a court tract and a business tract. Plans are also being finalized for some FUN events. The basic schedule will be as follows: Thursday 2:30 – Specialty Course

7:00 – Welcome Dinner & FUN Friday

8:30 – seminars 11:30-2:30 – Trade Show 2:20-6:00 – seminars Friday Night Fun Night

PICKLEBALL at the conference You asked, it is being offered Many of our members are being pressed by their clubs and clients to teach pickleball. Here is the offer and details of the provider that USPTA has aligned with.

USPTA has entered into a three-year partnership with the International Pickleball Teaching Professional Association (IPTPA.) Under the terms of the agreement, the USPTA will work collaboratively with the recognized world leader in pickleball teacher certification to certify USPTA professionals in pickleball. Level I certification in pickleball. e pickleball certification course will include classroom sessions, on-court teaching sessions, and an on-court playing session. e cost for the five-hour workshop is $240, which includes the pickleball certification testing, access to the specialty course, and a one-year membership with the IPTPA. Certification at the Raleigh Convention, Sunday May 19th at 8:30 am (additional fee of $240)

Saturday 8:30 – seminars

12:00-2:15 – Awards/Hall of Fame Luncheon

2:30-5:30 – final seminars Registration site will be published soon. Pricing will be similar to past years. $135 for the full conference $70 for U30 members $35 for a new certified member since May, 2018 The host hotel is the Marriott AC, North Hills. Rates are $115 a night with our room block for this beautiful hotel that is 1 minute from the club.

Rooms are limited, but there are other hotels nearby.

Marriott AC 101 Park at North Hills Street Raleigh, NC 27609 marriott.com/rduar (919) 571-2500

Summer Conference This will return again on the first weekend of August, and will be held in Nashville at Richland Country Club. Another top end slate of speakers is being planned.

Page 6

Volume 20 Issue 1

USPTA Invited Guest

This Never Before Seen Data Changed the Way I Coach!

By Jorge Capestany Jorge’s Blog Tennis Friends, If you teach or play tennis, you’re gonna wanna read this.

I have some really cool data to share with you. My good buddy Craig O’Shannessy is the lead strategy analysts for theWTA and ATP tours. If you want to see his website it is at www.

BrainGameTennis.com. I recommend you check it out.

Craig has access to data from the pro tour that you and I will never see or have access to.

The information blew me away and has literally changed the way I coach and teach. I can guarantee you that you need to see these numbers.

I wanted to see if the data Craig revealed actually was accurate for my players, so I did some match charting of my kids at a USTA tournament and what Craig predicted would happen was spot on.

What am I talking about?

Rally Length This data had never really been analyzed before so Craig decided to take a deep dive into the stats and what he found was literally game changing.

Below is an article that he is allowing me to share from his website. Remember, Craig sells this type of data on his website, but has agreed to let me share it with you FREE so please do not distribute this email or post the info anywhere online.

From Craig …Rallies come in all shapes and sizes They can be short, medium, or long.

They can be grinding or attacking, and they are mixed up all over the place during a match.

Short ones follow long ones, with medium ones also surfacing at any time. The random nature of the length of the point creates a natural disguise that the length does not really matter that much. Rally length has flown under the radar for far too long. The length of a rally may seem unimportant, but that my friends, is just a beautiful illusion.

I (Craig) was the tournament’s analyst at this year’s Australian Open, and examined a wealth of analytics every day, looking here, there and everywhere for the real keys to winning and losing.

Rally length had been sitting there minding it’s own business all along – I had just not sat down and investigated it. How long a rally is REALLY matters. It is definitely the proverbial monster in the room, sitting there quietly, attracting very little attention, until you suddenly have a really good look at it, and then say to yourself – holy $%#@$@, there is a monster in the room! Get ready for your jaw to hit the ground.

As you will see from these revolutionary numbers below, shorter points completely dominate our sport.

Data is from the Men’s draw at the 2015 Australian Open 70% are First Strike (0-4 shots) 20% are Patterns of Play (5-9 shots) 10% are extended Rallies (10+ shots) Average Rally length… Remember all the rallying back and forth you love to do from the baseline? Forget about it…

Of all the information in Num3ers (that’s Craig’s course that he sells), of all the percentages that are uncovered that shed light on our great game, average rally length has got to be one of the most shocking. You would think since pro’s are the best in the our sport at hitting a ball in, that they would have long rallies with lots of mental, physical and emotional dueling out there on the court.

The best players in the world, playing at the most prestigious tournaments in the world. should be able to make a ton of balls. After all, isn’t that what makes them so good? Shot tolerance is a term thrown around a lot by coaches.

Is it overused? Overstated?

If you thought that the average rally length was longer because the players are better, you

need to think again. If you presumed that points last longer on the ladies tour because of slightly less power in their game, then you got that one wrong as well.

So let’s take this a step further, and go through the first 4 shots and plan out the primary and secondary tactics for each of them.

Remember the “zero” in zero to four represents double faults, just in case that number threw you off (like it did for me before I figured out what it was).

Shot 1: Serve: Remember, we are seeking to force errors first – make the opponent uncomfortable and off balance. Don’t worry about hitting aces – they are just the icing on the cake for right now. The primary location in each service box is to go wide to stretch the opponent off the court. Lots of return errors come from this location. Yes, you can also go body and T, but save those more as surprise serves, or when you are way up, or way down in the score.

Shot 2: Return: The best return you will ever hit is deep down the middle of the court right at the server. You want to target the groundstroke that has the biggest backswing so you can rush it and force an error. For example, if the server has a backhand that goes straight back, like Djokovic, it’s extremely hard to rush. If your opponent has a forehand with a big backhand like Lleyton Hewitt, then that’s the side you pick to attack. You can also go wide with the return and instantly stretch the server, but it’s best to run this secondary pattern after a lot of deep middle returns so the server is not ready for it.

Shot 3: Serve + 1: You want this to be your stronger side, so for nearly everyone it will be a forehand. Players like Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal are always looking for a Serve + 1 forehand, while players like Djokovic will mix backhands in more because the technique is so strong and simple and tough to rush. The primary location to hit this shot is DEEP. There are other qualities you can have on the shot,

Standard

such as spin, power, height and direction, but nothing beats getting the ball deep early in the rally to force the opponent back, place them in a neutral to defensive position, and receive a short ball back to attack.

Shot 4: Return + 1: This is something most players don’t think about, but the return needs to set up the next attacking shot. Another benefit of hitting a big return right down the middle is that you have a big target to hit an aggressive shot to, and the ball will naturally boomerang right back down the middle of the court, so there are no obvious angles for the returner to get hurt with. The returner does not have far to run to turn a backhand into a run-around forehand, and then take this shot DEEP to the opponent’s backhand and begin the process of kicking off a wide variety of Patterns of Play.

End of Craig’s data..

Jorge here… So I decided that if this data was true then the way I was having my students practice (always practicing long rallies) was exactly the opposite of what they experienced in actual match play.

So to make sure the data was accurate for club players and juniors, I decided to chart four matches that two of my students played in a recent tournament. What I found was very revealing and the numbers came in almost identical to what Craig said they would be.

In the box to the right, I have the results from all 4 matches I charted for my players.

For coaches and players alike. You need to address this information. Maybe it is not the best idea to try to rally long points and always try to outlast our opponents. I have already made the changes in our classes and we are focusing much more on First Strike Points (0-4 shots). After all, the numbers don’t lie.

Here is my personal position on all of this.

• The way you play tennis is based on your skill level. In other words… the higher the

Page 7

My first player = JP. Avila 1) JP vs. Player 1 (JP won 6-3, 6-3)

2) JP vs. Player 2 (JP won 6-2, 6-2)

My second player = Danny Kroeze 1) Danny vs. Player 1 (Danny won 7-5, 6-4)

2) Danny vs. Player 1 (Danny won 6-3, 6-1)

skill level the more you should be playing first strike tennis.

• The way you teach tennis is the exact opposite of how the pros play. In other words.

Since everyone starts out as a beginner, they might want to learn to play mostly consistent points, but as they get better and better, they need to transition towards first strike tennis.

Unfortunately, too many players never develop the attacking skills they need to beat really good players.

Perhaps a good model for development would be…

You teach Beginning players to play using extended points. (10+ shots) You teach Intermediate players may want to focus on patterns of play points (5-9 shots) You teach Advanced players should play mostly first strike tennis (0-4 shots) I hope this new data gets you thinking about what really happens the court and good luck on the courts.

Page 8

Volume 20 Issue 1

State News Alabama

We are thrilled to announce our expanding family – board member, Mallory Green, had her first child, daughter Emily Jaye, on January 22. Congratulations, Mallory and Drayton on the birth of your daughter! Board member Clete Browder and wife Molly welcomed their first children, twin boys Whit and Elis, this past fall on September 4. Congratulations, Molly and Clete!

We look forward to another great year of educational opportunities for our great Alabama pros and will be announcing workshop dates soon. Stay tuned!

Arkansas

“A leader is one who knows the way, goes the way, and shows the way” John C. Maxwell. As tennis professionals we need to continually boost our own abilities, so that we can better know the way, go the way, and show the way. Which is why it was so inspiring seeing all the new and old USPTA professionals attending the USTA Workshop in January. Walker Sahag was absolutely edifying. A huge shout out to Deanna Garretson, USTA director, and Chris Stuart, USPTA and Arkansas TSR, for making this happen.

Please remember our goal is to work together with USTA Arkansas and other professionals to support the growth and development of tennis. It’s my contention that having another USPTA workshop this year would give us an opportunity to learn from each other in that endeavor. Please contact me with any idea’s, suggestions and possible best times to make this happen.

Wishing you a busy and prosperous Spring. - Bob Wagstaff

Georgia

The Georgia Winter Workshop in December had two outstanding speakers, Gigi Fernandez and Frank

Giampaolo.

Gigi is a 17 time Grand Slam winner who spoke about what happens to players under pressure, how she detached from the outcome that helped her win Grand Slams, and becoming mentally tough winning titles with different doubles partners. Her primary topic was presenting the Gigi Method. It is a way to playing and teaching doubles that assures you and your partner are in the right place, can cover your area of the court, have reliable shot selection, and employ winning strategies. The Gigi Method is what has made her so successful as a player.

Frank Giampaolo is a successful writer, astute tennis observer, and has coached Pete Sampras. He has written a number of books including Tennis Royalty, Emotional Aptitude, Tennis Parent’s Bible, and Neuro Priming for Peak Performance which he used to present at the Workshop. He showed the pros how to customize their athlete’s physical, mental, and emotional scripts that go on in a player’s head in a match. He reviewed the causes of player performance anxiety. He said to overcome this the athlete needs to develop customized recordings and review solutions for complete performance by having pre-set solutions. Neuro priming is an athlete’s greatest ally against performance anxiety and self sabotage if one starts losing. Neuro priming builds on strategic planning and confidence prior to a match. The first 50 pros received his book, and we had 88 pros attend in total in ‘Atlanta.

South Carolina

Hello South Carolina USPTA Professionals and welcome 2019. This is Mark Schminke, your old president from years past. I wanted to give a big thank you to Kevin Jackson, your previous USPTA SC President, for doing such a great job the past two years. Kevin recently relocated to Texas for a wonderful new job opportunity and we wish him all the best in years to come. Since USPTA board terms are through the end of 2019, I am filling in as the acting president for the remainder of the term.

The SC board is working on putting together another workshop this fall/ winter. Since this is the last year that you have to complete your continuing education credits, this workshop will be an all day event that will fulfill all 6 hours that you need. We tried this idea three years ago and it was a big success, so hopefully we can make it a repeat event! Stay tuned to your state and southern newsletters for more information regarding the upcoming workshop.

Kentucky

I hope everyone is gearing up for the high school season! Board members David White and Bill Carey presented at the 3rd annual Kentucky High School Tennis Coaches Association meeting on January 27th. The meeting was well attended and there were several good ideas exchanged concerning improving high school tennis in Kentucky. The possibly of a joint workshop with USPTA pros and high school coaches was discussed. Sometime during the state high school tournament in May seemed to be the best time for most of the coaches.

We are still seeking a couple of people to serve on the state board. If you would be interested in serving or have suggestions for topics you would like to see at the workshop please contact David White at davidtennis55@gmail.com.

Louisiana

Happy New Year Louisiana!! I am excited so many of you took the opportunity to join us in Baton Rouge at LSU for the USPTA State Workshop on February 2nd! Before I dive into details of the presentations, a big thank you goes out to the Louisiana Tennis Association and their Board of Directors for their support of the event in covering the luncheon! The workshop kicked off with Bill Riddle presenting his specialty course, “The Business of Tennis Marketing, Management, Promotions & Growth.” After lunch Bill returned for a second presentation followed by former top 50 ATP Tour Pro, Dave Randall. It was fantastic hearing these gentlemen speak! To cap things off, we had our “Pros Teaching Pros” segment with each pro presenting for 20 minutes. Thank you to everyone at LSU, the LTA, lineup of speakers and everyone else who contributed their time and efforts to making this event a tremendous success!!

Lastly, for those of you looking to test/upgrade in-state this year, Bill Phillips will be testing in Lafayette at River Ranch on March 8th and in New Orleans at City Park on October 25th.

Mississippi

We started 2019 with our State Workshop held in conjunction with the USTA MS annual state meeting. As expected, we had great support from our USTA Office and our pros. We have seen an increase of 5% year over year in participation in the past 4 years. Good job Guys! Great speakers and weather made it special this year. I’d like to thank our USTA Board and the Executive Director Geoff Norton for being a great help during our event. Room and mileage were sponsored by MTA to all MS pros attending. On a different note, we would like to welcome our Ole Miss all American player and coach Keith Evans back to Mississippi as he is commencing his new endeavor in Oxford as director of tennis at Goose Creek Country Club. See y’all on the courts!

Tennessee

Meet TN Board Member, Travis Fields. Travis grew up in Maryville, Tennessee excelling in tennis at the high school level. He held the top spot for singles and doubles and was awarded team MVP during his junior and senior years. Upon graduation, Travis attended Maryville College where he was awarded all-conference and all freshmen team honors for tennis. After his freshmen year Travis transferred to NAIA Milligan College where he was awarded a tennis scholarship. He played in the varsity lineup for 3 years and helped the team reach a regional final during his time before graduating.

Travis began his coaching career under the guidance of his junior coach Steve Annacone at Smoky Mountain Tennis Academy. He has also coached at Gettysvue and Fox Den Country Clubs in the Knoxville area. Many of his adult and junior students have obtained state and sectional rankings during this time.

As a high school head coach Travis’ teams have won district, regional, and state champions at Christian Academy of Knoxville and Oak Ridge High School. He has coached numerous players to college scholarships during his 10 years of high school coaching. Travis is also certified as a USPTA Elite Professional, USTA High Performance Coach, and ITPA Tennis Trainer.

Travis lives in Knoxville with his wife, Julie, and their son, Landon. Currently, he works as a Tennis Professional at Cedar Bluff Racquet Club.

Standard

Page 9

OUTSIDE Your Business Is You — the LINES for Better or Worse Excerpt from Emyth Insider by Tricia Huebner

T

ake a moment to think about your business. Go ahead—picture your typical work day. What does that picture look like? Does it look like you clocking into a job, immersed in the technical work of your business? Does it look like you putting out constant fires, struggling to check a single task off your to-do list without adding five more? Or does it look like you running a team, delegating tasks and keeping the wheels turning? A well-oiled machine that seems to run without you pushing a single button? Or does it look like something else entirely? Whatever it looks like, this picture of your business defines how you’re doingbusiness. Let me explain what I mean.

The Three Personalities In the many years I’ve spent as an EMyth Coach and Trainer, I’ve met and worked with thousands of business owners. Each of them juggles—to different degrees—three distinct personalities: the Technician, the Manager, and the Entrepreneur. (You’ll know about them if you’ve ever read The E-Myth Revisited.)

Each personality has a different role in the business. Each has automatic habits and ways of being. Each has a different way of seeing the business. And depending upon which one is front and center, the results the business produces will vary dramatically. Take time and money, for example. Depending on which personality is operating at any given time, the business owner will perceive each of these major pieces of business management very differently: The Technician sees everything in the present. Their primary concern is getting things done. There’s no time to stop and think about how they’re spending time or money, to plan or analyze, or to look at the past or the future.

They’re focused on keeping the business alive right now and earning personal income.

The Manager, on the other hand, is living in the past, present, and future. When it comes to the work, the manager’s first thought is: How do I create a system by which someone else can get this done, so that I don’t have to do it? And how do we turn a profit? To answer those questions, they need past data, future vision, and day-to-day team management.

The Entrepreneur comes at time and money from a completely different perspective. Money is thought of as building value and equity through the business. They ask: If I were to sell my company in the future, what’s its value? Not only monetarily, but in terms of the promise or experience I’m delivering? They’re always thinking forward, and their job is to set forth a vision for what they want the company to become so that it’s worth more to a potential buyer or the next generation.

I’ve found that most business owners naturally orient or feel most comfortable with one of the three personalities. And whichever that primary personality is drives their actions, decisions, and behaviors. Think of it like wearing three different hats. The hat you’re wearing affects how you relate to the work you do every day. That hat defines everything. If you’re wearing your Technician hat most days, your business won’t grow beyond your capacity to get things done. It can only grow so much, it can only develop so far, because you’re doing it all—and you’re only one person.

In order to change how you do business, you need to change how you thinkabout business—change hats from that of a Technician to that of an Entrepreneur to establish a vision of where you want to be in three, five, or even ten years. Then, put on the Manager hat and begin to develop systems that you can teach and train others to use, so you can begin to move yourself out of the technical work. Simple—in theory.

Treat Your Business as a Thing of Value The challenge comes from putting the principle into practice. It can feel awkward, unnatural, and scary. I know—I’ve helped many clients through the transformation. One particular client stands out. Let’s call him George.

George owned a successful residential painting business in Chicago, and he’d always struggled with the whole idea of seeing his business in terms of building its value as an asset. Until one day, all on his own, he had an “aha” moment.

“You know,” he told me later, “I never really saw my business as an investment, like an insurance policy for my family. But it is. If something happens to me and I’m not able to run the business anymore, would it survive? Would there be

anything there that my family could sell?”

“What do you think?” I asked.“I don’t think so.

At most, they could liquidate the equipment and our trucks, which aren’t worth very much.”

George wondered if he’d created a business or had just bought himself a job to go to every day.

Was his business worth anything in the long run? He had always been proud to say he was “self-employed.” That now meant something entirely different. After he began relating to his business like an insurance policy, George could really see it for what it was: a thing of value; something to invest in and build up.

His painting company was small at the time, so he still needed to wear the Technician hat and work in the business. And he was a Manager, running his crew and teams of painters.

But after this «aha» moment, George put on his Entrepreneur hat and became an owner with an incredible vision that revolved around his love for craftsmanship. From that moment on, he diligently began to work himself out of each and every technical job, and to focus his energy on expanding and developing his team—and that changed everything.

So you see, how you think about business is how you end up doing business. To develop an entrepreneurial mindset, you need to work— day by day—to cultivate a conscious awareness of when each of your three personalities comes out; that is, you need to recognize when you’re thinking like a Technician, a Manager, or an Entrepreneur. Then do whatever you need to help yourself shift perspective to the personality your company needs you to embody at any given moment—even if that means buying three different hats, hanging them from your office wall, and switching between each of them throughout the day.

If you work at it, if you put on a certain hat (literally or figuratively) and engage from that place—wearing each hat every day—you’ll start to notice some things: The Technician’s hat will start to stay on the hook more and more; your vision for your business will grow; and the ways you work, think, and lead will never be the same.

Which hat are you wearing most often these days? Is it the hat your business really needs from you? Let me know in the comments below.

Page 10

Volume 20 Issue 1

Southern Spotlight Amy Bradley, Savannah Country Club, Savannah, GA Give a brief description of your tennis/other career: I grew up in a family of seven whose parents believed the most important things were to have a good character, strong academics, and athletic involvement. I played competitive tennis throughout my upbringing and was awarded a collegiate scholarship to Tulane University.

Upon my graduation, I pursued my career, my passion, and I became a tennis teaching professional. Tennis is my love so as the saying goes, “it has never seemed like work.” I have been a member of the United States Tennis Professional Associate for over 25 years. I was awarded the Female Player of the Year for the Southern Division. I also won the seminar contest of the Southern division. My greatest joy and what hopefully will be my legacy will have been to pass my love of tennis on to future generations.

When did you start playing tennis? I started playing tennis when I was about 4 or 5 years old. I am the youngest of seven kids, so playing tennis with my father became my favorite time. He would give me his undivided attention on the tennis courts. We participated in many father/daughter tournaments at Forest Hills.

What other sports did you play? In high school, I participated in multiple sports. I swam and played tennis, field hockey, and basketball.

What moved you to teach tennis? I started teaching right after graduating from college. I wanted to promote the sport that I love! Tennis is a life

long sport that is good for the body and mind. I teach all ages but my favorite groups are the young kids. My young students’ excitement after hitting a perfect backhand or forehand is contagious! I guarantee each one of my students they will get a skill, a drill or even a thrill from every lesson!

What is something people will be surprised to learn about you? I enjoy swimming almost as much as tennis. I checked one off of my bucket list by swimming 12 miles around Key West during hurricane force winds.

Probably not the smartest thing I have done but definitely the most challenging!

What is your favorite sports team? I was born and raised in New York, so of course I am die-hard New York Yankees fan. I have many great memories of my family attending games and cheering them on.

Who is your favorite player of all time? My favorite player is Chris Everett.

I admire her outstanding achievements both on and off the court. She is a class act!

What person would you most like to have lunch with? Billie Jean King What would you be doing if you were not in tennis? There is nothing else for me but tennis. Tennis is who I am!

If you had a “do over”, what one thing would you have done differently in your teaching career? I would have devoted myself exclusively to promoting youth tennis programs. My favorite part of my year is when I am teaching my “Lollipop Clinic” for kids ages 3-6. We have so much fun learning and playing and I love introducing the kids to the sport of tennis.

Creig Matthieson, St Ives CC, Johns Creek, GA Give a brief description of your career: I have been serving as Director of Tennis at St Ives CC since 1993 (26 years). Currently the Club hosts over five hundred active tennis players.

Prior to joining the St Ives CC Staff, I served as the Director of Tennis at Las Colinas CC a premier Club in Irving Tx. From 1988 – 1993. Prior to Las Colinas CC, as the Director of Tennis at the University Club of Dallas in Dallas Tx. From 1982 – 1988. In 1985 the University Club was recognized as having the premier tennis program of Clubs owned by Club Corp of America. I was an assistant professional years at the John Newcomb Tennis Ranch in New Braunfels Tx. And Bent Tree CC in Dallas Tx. As a junior and adult tennis player, I held state rankings in Texas and played collegiate tennis for the University of Texas/Dallas. In league competition in Atlanta, our team has won many consecutive AA ALTA City Championships, most recently playing AA1 Senior Men’s ALTA with 16 consecutive ALTA City Championships, and most recently the USTA Men’s 60 Doubles Ga. State Championships. A certified member of the USPTA as an Elite Professional since 1980.

When did you start playing tennis? age 7 What other sports did you play? I tried out for the Jesuit HS Team. Coach told me I look good in tennis shorts but worthless in pads.

What moved you to play tennis? My Father gave me a racquet What is something people will be surprised to learn about you? I have a double major in Finance/Marketing What are your hobbies? Skiing and Golf What is your favorite spots team? Any team from the University of Texas What person would you most like to have lunch with? My father Christian H Matthieson What would you be doing if you were not in tennis? Only tennis for me…

Playing Doubles with the late Dale Quigley “Quig”, Tom Smith, John Callen, Keith Banister and Larry Schnall If you had a “do over” what one thing would you have done differently in your career? Been a Cardiologist

n

Page 12

Volume 20 Issue 1

One Good Idea!

From the Business of Tennis Conference held at Dunwoody Country Club How do you want to be recognized? Work Joel Manby on Seven Keys to Leadership The Herschend Family Enterprises, headed to become an expert at a specific area. Could be Junior Development, Strategy Expert,

by Jack & Pete, asked Joel to take the CEO Doubles Expert, 10U Expert, Competitive position as Jack was planning to step down.

Player, etc.

He learned to lead in a different way, with Set your goals, and measure them. Write more caring and love. The turnover was them down for the next 6 months, 12 extremely low in this company, and a few months, 3 years, and 5 years. Each goal needs of the details follow. They ran the business at least 2 objectives and 3 steps. with these seven concepts - Patient, Kind, Do a SWOT analysis for your plan. Strength, Unselfish, Trusting, Truthful, Forgiving, and Weakness, Opportunity, Threats to your Dedicated. business PATIENT is to praise in public, admonish in private, but always expect results. KIND is to Tim Buwick on Energy, Excitement, Enthushow your appreciation. Joel received a very siam nice note in his early days with Herschend People buy for 1 reason only - to satisfy that thanked his family for sharing him with need. However, people reject on logic and the company. Jack Herschend wrote 100s buy on emotion. of notes each year. UNSELFISH is sharing Create excitement to get people to buy with others. Herschend had a Foundation to into your plan, and you. This will create positake care of others in need at the company. tive energy.

While we cannot expect to do that ourselves, Create a ‘Stick to Your Ribs’ moment. This is choose to help ONE. In order to TRUST somesomething that is so impactful that it will be one, you need to determine who is Responsible, who will Approve, who will Consult, and remembered. The first time seeing the movie Forrest Gump created a Stick to Your Ribs who to Inform. moment. Every time we meet people, we have the opportunity to create an impactful Tom Daglis on Business Plans for Success moment.

Everyone needs a Vision for what they Connecting with others is crucial. Be want to be or create. Director of Tennis, ColTransparent, Authentic, Approachable, Helplege Coach, High Performance Coach, Resort, ful, Human. Tim spoke on how good Roger Build a Club, etc.

Try It Out

L

Mark McMahon - The Purposeful Development of Your Career Pathway It is important to determine the skill set needed for the job that you want, then work on building the skill set within a timeline that you set. Do a career SWOT assessment. It may be a good idea to work this out with a good friend or a mentor.

Find the gaps and work to fill those gaps.

You may have to take an intermediate job before the final job.

Mark prefers a Brand Statement to an objective. Your brand is everything people see, hear, learn and discover about you. Much of what is presented and available about you today, and seen by others, is initially put forth by you. Your brand and career aspirations must align.

Your Personal Brand is online and on the ground. Includes how you dress - act - speak, how and where you communicate, how you see yourself and express yourself. BRANDING STATEMENT EXAMPLE I create an environment that promotes fun and camaraderie, together with providing and facilitating opportunities for members to learn new skills, compete and socialize together.

By Mark Schminke, USPTA Elite Professional

The OncourtOffcourt Multitube et’s start 2019 off with a product that’s both efficient and simple, the ball tube.

Let’s face it, picking up balls is the worst part of a lesson. If we didn’t have to do it, we wouldn’t. Doing so as quickly as possible is a priority, so ball tubes usually don’t make the cut because of their lack in capacity. Oncourt Offcourt has however come out with a solution to what I see as the only downfall of a ball tube.

The Multitube is essentially a double wide ball tube, allowing you to not only pick up double the amount of tennis balls, but able to pick up ALL the types of tennis balls, including pickle balls. That means red ball munchkins can

Federer is at taking time to really speak with people, and he does not just rush them away.

This is why so many people love him.

now use something other than a heavy basket to pick up their oversized balls. Translation, no more metal baskets being dragged across your newly resurfaced tennis courts. When it’s not windy I’m able to use the Multitube as a great court target since it’s double wide base is significantly more stable than the original single ball tube.

The Multitube is a great upgrade to a product that we didn’t even know needed one. It fixes the few problems that I have come across with a classic ball tube. Available for only $38 on www.OncourtOffcourt.com, the Multitube is definitely a worthwhile purchase.

Standard

Page 13

The Written Word

By Jeff Ostrowski from Getabstractlife

5 Books Billionaires Say you Should Read

F

ew of us can achieve the levels of business success attained by Bill Gates, Warren Buffett and Mark Zuckerberg. But their reading lists offer a bit of insight into their thinking. Here are five titles the world’s richest men have been recommending: 1. Bill Gates recommends: Evicted.

In this award-winning chronicle, academic Matthew Desmond explains that poor people in Milwaukee (and other cities) face a stacked deck: Steep rents and limited job opportunities mean they’re always on the edge of eviction. Once evicted, their plight worsens. Desmond details self-destructive decisions and social circumstances that doom his subjects to an endless loop of poverty. Evicted is a significant book that earned rave reviews and multiple awards. To his credit, the author gives equal time to black poverty and white poverty in Milwaukee. The maggots, cockroaches and fatal fires in black areas seem more severe, but poor whites hardly fare better. For instance, he describes an aging white woman who endures a brutally cold winter in an unheated trailer, owing to her inability to pay the gas bill. Since Desmond published his book, he has continued to study evictions, building a nationwide database of eviction trends.

2. Warren Buffett recommends: The Intelligent Investor.

Of course he does. Buffett began his career as a disciple of Benjamin Graham, author

of The Intelligent Investor. This classic tome of common-sense advice belongs on every investor’s bookshelf. The principles that Graham outlines are the very precepts that have guided Buffett and other titans, including mutual fund innovator John Bogle, the founder of Vanguard Group. First published in 1949, Graham’s text shows a few signs of age, most notably in its discussion of interest rates and savings bonds. Overall, though, Graham’s counsel on fundamental investing is timeless.

3. Mark Zuckerberg recommends: Portfolios of the Poor.

The scope of global poverty is truly staggering. The World Bank estimated in 2005 that 2.5 billion people subsist on less than $2 per person, per day. In this book, which won kudos from Facebook’s founder, researchers Daryl Collins, Jonathan Morduch, Stuart Rutherford and Orlanda Ruthven report a surprising conclusion: The poor rarely spend all the money they get.

After using financial diaries to track the dayto-day monetary activities of more than 250 households in Bangladesh, India and South Africa, the authors report that the poor are active money managers who handle relatively large cash flows and usually build savings into their “portfolios.” The authors believe international development efforts should provide poor households with better financial tools for managing their current incomes. The authors describe the challenges and strategies of impoverished households, and paint academically restrained – but still touching – portraits of individual families.

4. Gates and Buffett recommend: Business Adventures.

Get ready for a tour of the golden days of American corporations.

John Brooks’s collection of classic New Yorker articles offers gripping behind-the-scenes sagas of seminal moments in 20th-century business.

Originally published between 1959 and 1969, Brooks chronicles 12 business war stories. Among them: the meteoric rise of Xerox and the spectacular implosion of the Ford Edsel. Brooks’s elegant prose shines.

He eschews jargon for understated wit, vivid characters and restrained drama. Even though this 1969 anthology shows its age in spots, it remains an intriguing overview of stories that shaped the modern US economy.

5. Elon Musk and Gates recommend: Superintelligence.

Oxford futurist Nick Bostrom argues that artificial intelligence (AI) offers the promise of a safer, richer and smarter world, but that humanity may not be capable of achieving AI’s promise.

The more Bostrom deconstructs public assumptions about AI, the more worried the reader becomes. He suggests that humankind lacks the resources and imagination to shift from a world that people lead to one that some superintelligent AI agent could threaten or dominate. Bostrom explores the possibilities of – and the concerns related to – such a “singleton.”

He ponders the possibility that such an agent could develop into a one-world government with uncertain moral principles.

NEW LOOK. SAME DNA. The Official Ball of the USPTA sports a new look with Wilson’s premium tennis ball packaging. This durable ball remains a top option for club players, as high-visibility felt allows for easier ball tracking and penetrating ink provides excellent logo wear.

SKU

WRT109500

NAME

ULTRA USPTA BALL

SURFACE TYPE

ALL COURT

As the official equipment supplier of the USPTA, Wilson provides USPTA-certified tennis professionals with the best and most innovative equipment in theindustry to enrich teaching and playing experiences across the country. Through this long-standing partnership, Wilson and the USPTA share a renewed focus on bringing excitement back to grassroots tennis.

Standard

Page 15

Southern Officers The “Standard” is the official newsletter for the Southern Division of the United States Professional Tennis Association.

President Kevin Theos theos@sta.usta.com 205-790-7256 1st Vice President Kaitlin Flaherty-Bisplinghoff kflaherty07@gmail.com 832-656-4472 2nd Vice President Tom Parkes pvcctennis@gmail.com 910-233-4755 Secretary/Treasurer Bill Riddle tennisun@aol.com 615-243-6698 Past President/Regional VP Todd Upchurch tupchurch1@gmail.com 704-258-7220 Directors at Large Ken Andriano kandriano@theriverclub-ga.com 336-541-5876

Executive Director Pat Whitworth pat.whitworth@uspta.org 800-438-7782 (phone/fax) Head Tester Ron Gwyn rgwyn@haigpoint.com 843-341-8114 State Presidents ALABAMA Jenny Robb jennywrobb@gmail.com 205-902-1188 ARKANSAS Bob Wagstaff bwagstaff@hsvpoa.org 501-922-5054 GEORGIA Billy Uelze buelze@me.com KENTUCKY David White d.white@topseedtennis.net 859-361-1536

LOUISIANA Jason Hazley usptala@gmail.com 225-247-3028 MISSISSIPPI Bo Gard bogdangard@yahoo.com 228-243-3110 NORTH CAROLINA Darryl Lewis usptanc@gmail.com 828-964-8490 SOUTH CAROLINA Mark Schminke schminketennisacademy@ gmail.com 803-432-6711 TENNESSEE Meg Bandy mbandy@mccallie.org 423-593-5523

FAST FACTS “Home of Wimbledon” The All England Club Don Budge is the only male player in tennis history to have won six consecutive Grand Slam singles titles, from Wimbledon in 1937 to the US Open in 1938.

The first Wimbledon was played in 1877. It is also the first of the four “Grand Slams” to be founded. The US Open was founded in 1881, the French in 1891, and the Australian in 1905. These four major tournaments have been designated as “Grand Slam” tournaments.

The tiebreaker, or tiebreak, was invented

by James Van Alen in 1965.

The Davis cup first adopted the tiebreaker in all sets except the final set in 1989 and made amendments in their rules to adopt the tiebreakers for all five sets in 2016. The tiebreak was introduced in Wimbledon in 1971. The US Open is the only major tournament to use a standard tiebreak in the final set for singles.

USPTA Certification Tests & Upgrades Feb 17 Atlanta Athletic Club

USPTA Welcomes Our New Members Antun, Mauricio . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Nashville TN Baker, Coleman A. . . . . . . . . . . . Fayetteville NC Bermudez, Raul R. . . . . . . . . . . . . Little Rock AR Blackburn Jr., John R. . . . . . . . . Fayetteville NC Carroll, Casey . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Swansboro NC Casey, Kevin . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Bolivia NC Cobb, Hunter . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Baton Rouge LA Corley, Mitchell . . . . . . . . . . . . .Sharpsburg Geo D’Cruz, Garcian . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Chapel Hill NC Dashiell, Benjamin . . . . . . . . . . . Alpharetta GA Deutsch, Joshua . . . . . . . . . . . . . Fayetteville NC Harner, Trent . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Fayetteville NC Hedrick, Joshua . . . . . . . . . . . . . Fayetteville AR Hogewood, Robert . . . . . . . . . . Greensboro NC Jamieson, John . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Cumming GA

Kelly, Shane . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Fayetteville NC Lakey, Garrett . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Englewood FL Marotta, Michael . . . . . . . . . . . . Fayetteville NC Martin, Kaitlyn . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Fayetteville NC Parker, Tonya . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Franklin TN Powell, John Thomas . . . . . . . . . Brunswick GA Scarbrough, Jered . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Pelham AL Stewart, Anthony . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Greer SC Stuart, Chris . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Fort Smith AR Sullivan, Dillon . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Wilmington NC Tippen, Noah . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Trussville AL Vaval, Nesbert . . . . . . . . . . Marion Junction AL Wan, Peter . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Baton Rouge LA Wilfong, Charles . . . . . . . . . . . . . Fayetteville NC Williams, Robert . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Smyrna GA

Johns Creek, GA

Mar 02 Rome Tennis Center Rome, GA

Mar 08 The City Club at River Ranch Lafayette, LA

Mar 16 Bayou Bluff Tennis Club Gulfport, MS

Mar 23 Park Crossing Charlotte, NC

Mar 23 Green Island Country Club Columbus, GA

Mar 24 St. George’s Prep School Collierville, TN

Apr 5 Bayou Bluff Tennis Club Gulfport, MS

Apr 13 Atlanta Athletic Club Johns Creek, GA

May 18 North Hill Country Club Raleigh, NC

Jun 01 Haig Point Tennis Center Hilton Head Island, SC

Page 16

ALAN HENRY SOUTHERN PRO OF THE YEAR This award shall be presented for achieving excellence in performing the duties of a USPTA Tennis Professional. Areas of achievement might include teaching and coaching, management and administration, competitive play, research and publication, and community service. Relevant criteria for this award would include contributions to national, regional and local tennis organizations and programs as an officer, director, founder, committee member, project leader, speaker, participant and the like. Other criteria would be contributions as a teaching professional and coach in regard to innovative programming, notable students, continuing education, and player rankings.

FRED BURDICK USPTA PRIDE OF THE SOUTH This award is appointed by the awards committee and is not up for nomination.

U30 Pro of the Year This award shall be presented to the individual who has made an impact to the tennis industry. Relevant criteria should include contributions, notable accomplishments, and involvement in tennis activity throughout the state, the south, and nationally. This person should also be a member of the U30 team.

HIGH SCHOOL COACH, COLLEGE COACH, TOURING COACH ­­­ These three awards shall be presented for excellence in contributing to the notable accomplishments of your team(s) or student(s). Relevant criteria for this award would include competitive record, demonstrated improvement in skills and accomplishments, and other achievements and distinctions earned by your team(s) or player(s) in which the nominee is wholly or partly responsible, such as Scholar-Athlete and Sportsmanship Awards.

PLAYER OF THE YEAR This award shall be presented for excellence and achievement in competitive men’s and women’s play. Relevant criteria for all above competitive men’s and women’s player’s awards should include results and rankings from ATP, USPTA National and Division, USTA, STA, and/or District. Tournament record should be provided.

CHARITY EVENT OF THE YEAR This award is given to the Professional that raises money for a charity. Please verify the event on the letterhead of the charity or with a newspaper clipping.

SOUTHERN ASSISTANT PRO OF THE YEAR This award shall be presented for achieving excellence in performing duties of an Assistant Tennis Professional. Areas of achievement might include teaching and coaching, competitive play, research and publication, and community service.

Relevant criteria for this award would include contributions to national, regional and local tennis organizations and programs as a committee member, project member, or an active participant. Other criteria would be contributions as a tennis professional and coach in regard to innovative programming, notable students, continuing education, and rankings.

USPTA MANAGER OF THE YEAR This award shall be presented to the club manager who has shown dedication to the USPTA and its members. Criteria may include USPTA membership, hiring and supporting USPTA members.

INDUSTRY EXCELLENCE This award recognizes those USPTA-certified members who have done the most to promote tennis at the grassroots level and thereby increased player participation in the sport. Entrepreneurial initiative also is an important criterion.

TEACHING PROFESSIONAL AWARD This award is presented for having demonstrated excellence in teaching. Considerations include: use of the ROGY pathway for juniors and adults; consistent use of teaching aids such as ball machines, video analysis, as well as any other implements to help players grasp concepts; demonstrated ability to modify teaching styles based on the learning needs of students; and success in having inspired beginners of all ages to become lifelong tennis players.

Volume 19 Issue 1

2019 SOUTHERN AWARDS NOMINATIONS

Nominations are now being accepted for the USPTA Southern Annual Awards Program. The winning nominees will be recognized at the Awards Luncheon held May 18h at North Hills Country Club, Raliegh NC. You can either self-nominate or nominate others. You are the most familiar with your accomplishments, and the most likely have sole access to any supporting documentation for your nomination.

NEW-EASIER NOMINATION PROCESS!

We have made it easier for you to nominate other worthy candidates! The process is as follows:

NOMINATE A DESERVING CANDIDATE WE GET THE DETAILS • Email:pvcctennis@gmail.com the nominee’s contact information or complete and send us the nominee’s information on the right side of this page.

• The Southern Awards committee will contact that individual directly to have them send us their supporting documentation

It’s that easy!

The deadline is February 28, 2019 Any questions should be directed to: Tom Parkes pvcctennis@gmail.com

NOMINEE INFORMATION Nominee: Address: City:

State

Phone: (H)

(W)

Zip

Club/Facility: USPTA#: E-Mail: Nominated Award:

SUPPORTING DOCUMENTATION You must send in supporting documentation if you are self-nominating. If you are nominating others, we will contact that individual to have them send us their supporting documentation. The Southern Awards committee does not have the time or resources to research every nominee submitted by name only.

USPTA SOUTHERN AWARDS Tom Parkes pvcctennis@gmail.com

NOMINATION DEADLINE: February 28, 2019 It is to the best of my knowledge, all material(s) I have forwarded to the Southern Awards Committee is truthful & accurate.

Signature: Print Name: Phone: (H)

(W)

USPTA SOUTHERN DIVISION

NEWSLETTER 337 Rhodes House Court SUWANEE, GA 30024

The Standard is published every 60 days by the Southern Division of the United States Professional Tennis Association.

The opinions expressed in The Standard are those of the authors and not necessarily those of The Standard, the USPTA or Southern Division.

CopyrightŠ The Standard/United States Professional Tennis Association, Inc. 2019. All rights reserved.

Reproduction of any portion of the newsletter is not permitted without the written permission from the USPTA Southern Division.

Advertising information: All ads must be camera ready and in color, if possible. Prices are per issue.

Full Page......... $400 Half Page........ $275 1/4 Page......... $140

ULTIMATE CONTROL Nike Zoom Vapor X for Men and Women.

Preferred USPTA MEMBER Pricing online at uspta.fromuthtennis.com