Net News May June 2024

2024 GEAR GUIDE

THE BEST NEW RACQUETS, STRINGS, SHOES, BAGS AND MORE!

DROP SHOT, HOT SHOT, BIG SHOT

IMPROVING YOUR GAME

SSummertime Fun

ummer, summer, summertime! I’m so ready for it, and I hope you are as well. After a rainy winter, and a pollen-filled spring, I can say there is bound to be an increase in our activity levels this summer. I suspect there are a lot of plans amongst you to celebrate the end of the school year and graduations. Much attention is being poured into your annual summer cookouts, planned vacations, and of course, time with your teams on tennis and pickleball courts. It’s time to enjoy being outdoors. We have all been patiently awaiting our season of sun and fun, and that time is almost here.

I don’t know about you, but regardless of my age, summer will always mean free time for more activities.

Although, I have been counting down since January 1, the shift to daylight savings time always prompts me to anxiously anticipate the coming of summer. My youthful days have passed, but I’m still a kid a heart, and I realize how special summers are and have always been. I don’t know about you, but regardless of my age, summer will always mean free time for more activities. When I was younger, that meant eight straight weeks of freedom. These days, that has been compressed into about two or three weeks of scheduled vacation. Regardless, I’m happy to have those weeks because this free time

provides me with more access to my family, team, and a host of projects that have been on hold. My summer activities allow me to become more engaged with tennis and my friends. The longer days initiate my desire to fully delight in the extended brightness and warmth of the sun. The vivid, colorful scenery adds a visual layer that further piques my interest. The release of spring league schedules exerts that tiny bit of force needed to coerce me outdoors. Upcoming holidays, summer leagues, and my teammates will encourage me to hang out and continue working on my game. Camaraderie and sportsmanship act as the icing on the cake. Experiencing both validates my decision to fully engage and partake in ALTA tennis. Despite the heat that will be ever increasing with each passing week, there is nothing like ALTA in Atlanta. I encourage you to use your summer to find the sun and enjoy the fun that can be found on a court near you.

Chequetta L. Allen 2024 ALTA President

ROLAND-GARROS 2024 COLLECTION

Grab a piece of Roland-Garros, no matter where you’re watching from with an exclusive collection inspired by the textures, details and colors of the only clay-court grand slam.

Available now at select retailers and Wilson.com

2024 ALTA EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE

300 Colonial Center Parkway, Suite 140, Roswell, GA 30076

Phone: 770.399.5788 Website: altatennis.org

President Chequetta Allen

First Vice President Rita Maloof

Secretary Keri Beck

Treasurer Susan Levin

VP Men’s League Greg McAfee

VP Thursday Siobhan Schaeffer

Women’s League

VP Sunday Loretta Phillips

Women’s League

VP Senior Day Leagues Joan Marcinko

VP Senior Leagues Seth Appelbaum

VP Mixed David Rowe

Doubles League

VP Junior Leagues Wendy Fee

VP Junior Gina Woods

Challenge Ladder

VP Special Programs Mark LaRotonda

VP Events & Tournaments Marla Michalewicz

VP Pickleball Jerry Niemeyer

President’s Appointee John Lowell

2023 President Linda Shepherd

2022 President Lamar Scott

ALTA Foundation Rep Karen Harris

2024 ALTA BOARD OF DIRECTORS

Chair Debbie Gaster

2022 ALTA President Lamar Scott

2023 ALTA President Linda Shepherd

2024 ALTA President Chequetta Allen

The ALTA Foundation Cameron Turner

President

2023 Elected Member Mike Wright

2024 Elected Member Stephen Murray

Treasurer Susan Levin

Secretary/

First Vice President Rita Maloof

2024 THE ALTA FOUNDATION BOARD OF DIRECTORS

President Cameron Turner

Treasurer Susan Levin

Secretary Karen Harris

NEW SOUTH PUBLISHING, INC.

9040 Roswell Road, Suite 210, Atlanta, GA 30350 Phone: 770.650.1102

President Larry Lebovitz

Vice President/Publisher John Hanna

Net News Editor Emmy Powell

Features Editor Cory Sekine–Pettite

Art Director Tracy Stalling

Advertising & Megan Willis

Production Manager

Account Executives Jennifer Gonzalez

Sherry Gasaway

Circulation Manager Amy Fine

Accounting Marilyn Walker

Copy Editor Jena Pace

Copy Editor Michelle Camay

WAVE ENFORCE TOUR AC ™

2024

MAY

1 Senior Day Men – Spring playoffs (rain date 5/3)

2 Thursday Women – Spring City Finals for AA levels (rain date 5/7)

Thursday Women – Spring playoffs (rain date 5/7)

3 Run/Roll – Roster registration begins

4 Juniors – Spring City Finals (rain date 5/5)

Juniors – Spring playoffs (rain date 5/7)

Men – Spring playoffs (rain date 5/5)

Sunday Women – Spring playoffs (rain date 5/5)

5 Men – Spring playoffs (rain date 5/11)

Sunday Women – Spring playoffs (rain date 5/11)

6 Senior Day Women – Spring playoffs (rain date 5/8)

7 Thursday Women – Spring playoffs (rain date 5/9)

Wheelchair – Spring Clinic

8 Senior Day Men – Spring playoffs (rain date 5/10)

9 Thursday Women – Spring City Finals for A, B, C levels (rain date 5/16)

11 Juniors – Spring City Finals (rain date 5/12)

Men – Spring City Finals for AA levels (rain date 5/12)

Men – Spring playoffs (rain date 5/12)

Sunday Women – Spring City Finals for AA levels (rain date 5/12)

12 Sunday Women – Spring playoffs (rain date 5/14)

13 Senior Day Women – Spring City Finals for all levels (rain date 5/20)

14 Wheelchair – Spring clinic

15 Senior Day Men – Spring City Finals for all levels (rain date 5/22)

16 All Summer Tennis Leagues – Schedules post online

17 All Summer Leagues – team add-ons begin (up to 6 players)

18 Men – Spring City Finals for A, B, C levels (rain date 5/25)

19 Sunday Women – Spring City Finals for A, B, C levels (rain date 5/26)

21 Wheelchair – Spring Clinic

27 Office Closed – Memorial Day holiday

28 Run/Roll – Roster registration ends

Wheelchair – Spring Clinic

30 Senior Women – Summer play begins

31 Senior Men – Summer play begins

JUNE

1 Mixed Doubles – Summer play begins

4 Run/Roll – Summer play begins

6 Pickleball – Schedules post online

7 Pickleball – Team add-ons begin (up to 6 players)

20 All Fall Leagues – Roster registration begins

24 Pickleball – Summer play begins

JULY

1 Junior Challenge Ladder – Online registration begins

4 Office Closed – Independence Day holiday

11 All Adult Fall Leagues – Roster registration ends

Senior Women – Summer play ends

12 Senior Men – Summer play ends

13 Mixed Doubles – Summer play ends

16 Run/Roll – Spring City Finals (rain date 7/23)

18 Senior Women – Summer playoffs (rain date 7/20)

19 Senior Men – Summer playoffs (rain date 7/21)

20 Mixed Doubles – Summer playoffs (rain date 7/21)

Senior Women – Summer playoffs (rain date is day to day)

21 Mixed Doubles – Summer playoffs (rain date 7/27)

Senior Men – Summer playoffs (rain date is day to day)

25 Senior Women – Summer playoffs (rain date 7/27)

26 Juniors – Fall roster registration ends

Senior Men – Summer playoffs (rain date 7/28)

Wheelchair – Roster registration begins

27 Mixed Doubles – Summer playoffs and City Finals for AA levels (rain date 7/28)

AUGUST

3 Mixed Doubles – Summer City Finals for A, B, C levels (rain date 8/4)

Senior Women – Summer City Finals for all levels (rain date 8/10)

4 Senior Men – Summer City Finals for all levels (rain date 8/11)

JUNE 2024

5 Pickleball – Summer play ends

6 Wheelchair – Fall Clinic

9 Wheelchair – Roster registration ends

12 Junior Challenge Ladder – Online registration ends

12 Pickleball – Summer playoffs (rain date 8/14)

13 Wheelchair – Fall Clinic

18 Junior Challenge Ladder – Season Kickoff

19 Pickleball – Summer playoffs (rain date 8/21)

20 Wheelchair – Fall clinic

20 Junior Challenge Ladder – Ladder opens

22 All Fall Leagues – Schedules post online

23 All Fall Leagues – team add-ons being (up to 6 players)

24 Pickleball – Summer City Finals (rain date 8/25)

27 Wheelchair – Fall Clinic

SEPTEMBER

2 Office Closed – Labor Day holiday

3 Senor Day Women.– Fall play begins

3 Wheelchair – Fall play begins

4 Senior Day Men – Fall play begins

5 Thursday Women – Fall play begins

7 Juniors – Fall play begins

7 Men – Fall play begins

8 Sunday Women – Fall play begins

12 All 2024 Winter Leagues – Roster registration begins

OCTOBER

10 All 2024 Winter Leagues – Roster registration ends

15 Senior Day Women – Fall play ends

15 Wheelchair – Fall City Finals (rain date 10/22)

16 Senior Day Men – Fall play ends

17 Thursday Women – Fall play ends

19 Juniors – Fall play ends

19 Men – Fall play ends

20 Sunday Women – Fall play ends

21 Senior Day Women – Fall playoffs (rain date 10/23)

22 Thursday Women – Fall playoffs (rain date 10/24)

23 Senior Day Men – Fall playoffs (rain date 10/25)

24 Thursday Women – Fall playoffs (rain date 10/29)

24 Thursday Women – Fall City Finals for AA levels (rain date 10/29)

26 Juniors – Fall playoffs (rain date 10/29)

26 Men – Fall playoffs (rain date 10/27)

26 Sunday Women – Fall playoffs (rain date 10/27)

27 Men – Fall playoffs (rain date 11/2)

27 Sunday Women – Fall playoffs (rain date 11/2)

28 Senior Day Women – Fall playoffs (rain date 10/30)

29 Thursday Women – Fall playoffs (rain date 10/31)

30 Senior Day Men – Fall playoffs (rain date 11/1)

31 Thursday Women – Fall City Finals for A, B, C levels (rain date 11/7)

SENIOR WOMEN

May 16

Summer schedules post online

May 17 Team add-ons begin

May 30 Summer play begins

July 11 Summer play ends

July 18 Summer playoffs (rain date 7/20)

July 20 Summer playoffs (rain date is day to day)

July 25 Summer playoffs (rain date 7/27)

Aug. 3 Summer City Finals for all levels (rain date 8/10)

SENIOR MEN

May 16 Summer schedules post online

May 17 Team add-ons begin

May 31 Summer play begins

July 12 Summer play ends

July 19 Summer playoffs (rain date 7/21)

July 21 Summer playoffs (rain date is day to day)

July 26 Summer playoffs (rain date 7/28)

Aug. 4 Summer City Finals for all levels (rain date 8/11)

MIXED DOUBLES

May 16 Summer schedules post online

May 17 Team add-ons begin

June 1 Summer play begins

July 13 Summer play ends

July 20 Summer playoffs (rain date 7/21)

July 21 Summer playoffs (rain date 7/27)

July 27 Summer playoffs and City Finals for AA (rain date 7/28)

Aug. 3 Summer City Finals for A, B, and C (rain date 8/4)

SUNDAY WOMEN

May 4 Spring playoffs (rain date 5/5)

May 5 Spring playoffs (rain date 5/11)

May 11 Spring City Finals for AA (rain date 5/12)

May 12 Spring playoffs (rain date 5/14)

May 19 Spring City Finals for A, B, and C (rain date 5/26)

MEN

May 4 Spring playoffs (rain date 5/5)

May 5 Spring playoffs (rain date 5/11)

May 11 Spring City Finals for AA and spring playoffs (rain date 5/12)

May 18 Spring City Finals for A, B, and C (rain date 5/25)

THURSDAY WOMEN

May 2 Spring City Finals for AA and spring playoffs (rain date 5/7)

May 7 Spring playoffs (rain date 5/9)

May 9 Spring City Finals for A, B, and C (rain date 5/16)

SENIOR DAY WOMEN

May 6 Spring playoffs (rain date 5/8)

May 13 Spring City Finals (rain date 5/20)

SENIOR DAY MEN

May 1 Spring playoffs (rain date 5/3)

May 8 Spring playoffs (rain date 5/10)

May 15 Spring City Finals (rain date 5/22)

JUNIOR LEAGUES

May 4 Spring playoffs (rain date 5/7)

May 4 Spring City Finals (rain date 5/5)

May 11 Spring City Finals (rain date 5/12)

JUNIOR CHALLENGE LADDER

July 1 Ladder registration opens

Aug. 12 Ladder registration closes

Aug. 18 Ladder Kickoff

Aug. 20 Ladder opens

WHEELCHAIR – RUN/ROLL

May 3 Summer Run/Roll registration begins

May 28 Summer Run/Roll registration ends

June 4 Summer Run/Roll play begins

July 16 Summer Run/Roll City Finals (rain date 7/23)

July 26 Fall Wheelchair registration begins

Aug. 9 Fall Wheelchair registration ends

PICKLEBALL

June 6 Summer schedules post online

June 7 Team add-ons begin

June 24 Summer play begins

Aug. 5 Summer play ends

Aug. 12 Summer playoffs (rain date 8/14)

Aug. 19 Summer playoffs (rain date 8/21)

Aug. 24 Summer City Finals for all levels (rain date 8/25)

REPORTED BY EMMY POWELL, CORY SEKINE-PETTITE AND JOHN HANNA

ALTA and Special Olympics—Partners on the Court

BY CAMERON TURNER, ALTA FOUNDATION PRESIDENT

We are thrilled to announce the ALTA Foundation will once again sponsor the Special Olympics Georgia State Summer Games, slated to take place from May 24 to May 26 at Emory University. As the premier tennis organization in Atlanta, we are deeply committed to supporting initiatives that promote inclusivity, empowerment, and healthy living within our community.

The Special Olympics Georgia State Summer Games is a cornerstone event that embodies the spirit of sportsmanship, camaraderie, and determination. It provides year-round sports training and athletic competition in various Olympic-type sports for children and adults who have intellectual disabilities. The mission of the Special Olympics Georgia is to offer these special athletes opportunities to develop physical fitness, demonstrate courage, experience joy, and foster friendships within their communities.

The Summer Games address critical issues faced by the participants, including

limited opportunities for physical exercise, inadequate healthcare services, and societal focus on limitations rather than abilities. Through initiatives such as the Healthy Athletes Program, Special Olympics Georgia aims to bridge these gaps by providing free, basic healthcare screenings and preventive healthcare services to athletes.

who generously donated to the ALTA Foundation this year.

For ALTA, our partnership with Special Olympics Georgia extends beyond sponsorship. It’s about creating meaningful opportunities for athletes to thrive, grow, and showcase their talents. The Summer Games serve as a platform for athletes to focus on their abilities, build confidence, and cultivate important life skills such as teamwork and discipline. Through months of training and dedication, athletes emerge not only as competitors but as ambassadors of resilience and determination.

We would also like to extend our heartfelt gratitude to the ALTA members

Your contributions have made it possible for us to support organizations like Special Olympics Georgia and many others. Together, we are making a difference in the lives of individuals who have intellectual disabilities and empowering them to achieve their personal best.

For those interested in volunteering with us this year, please visit altatennis. org to sign up and be a part of this incredible event.

Thank you for your continued support, and we look forward to seeing you at the Special Olympics Georgia State Summer Games 2024!

Another Successful Charity Event Benefits

Children’s Healthcare of

Atlanta

A big shout out to the Cueny Team of Ansley Real Estate, which recently hosted its third annual Love Cures Cancer tennis event benefiting Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta. The event was held at the beautifully renovated community space of Saddle Creek in Roswell. While wet courts prevented tennis drills with Ladies Elevation Tennis Academy, it was still a successful and fun morning. There were many raffle prizes and shopping with local area vendors, such as linx of light jewelry, Dream Weavers

Design, and more. A delicious lunch was donated by Nana’s Kitchen, and a twist on the Honey Deuce cocktail was served. Because of the support from the local North Fulton tennis community, the Cueny Team will be donating over $7,000 to the summer camp program at CHOA. Keep your eyes out for the 2025 late winter event date!

USTA Sets Goal to Make U.S. the World’s #1 Tennis Nation by 2035

The USTA announced an ambitious, multi-faceted growth strategy aimed at making the United States the number-one tennis-playing nation by 2035 — increasing the country’s tennis-playing population to 35 million total players, or 10 percent of the country’s population. The strategy is the vehicle for realizing the organization’s new mission: “Growing tennis to inspire healthier people and communities everywhere.” The plan includes a dedicated focus on player retention, coaches, and courts.

“When players have exceptional experiences, we all succeed. When the delivery system flourishes, tennis grows. At the USTA, our role is to be a connector of excellence across the entire tennis ecosystem,” said Lew Sherr, USTA Chief Executive

The USTA aims to continue the sport’s strong uptake and retain existing players by supporting local communities and providing options for tennis formats, equipment, and programs that enable players coming to the game to become players for life. The USTA strategy includes making a generational investment in strengthening tennis by:

• Creating and scaling programming that keeps new and returning players on the court — for life. This will include the roll-out of a portfolio of competitive and casual play programs that meet the needs of every age and interest — from young to old, cardio to competitive, and beyond.

• Expanding the availability of quality coaching at all levels. To ensure that every player receives the guidance and quality instruction they need, the USTA aims to further raise the standard of coaching and increase the number of available SafePlay-approved coaches to over 80,000 nationwide — including both professional coaches and community-level instructors who provide on-court instruction and

Officer and Executive Director. “By ensuring players new and old have access to the programs, coaching, and facilities they need to progress on their tennis-playing path, we can continue to grow the game and deepen its positive impact — creating new opportunities for human connection and improving the physical, mental, and emotional health and safety of our communities, both on and off the court.”

Over the past four years, American tennis participation has experienced growth of 33 percent, fueled by new players taking up the sport. This growth stretches across a variety of communities, with participation among Hispanic/Latino players and Black/African-American players growing by 105 percent and 63 percent, respectively.

facilitation. In doing so, the aim is to get more coaches in parks, public facilities and at schools; provide additional support for volunteers in the roles they choose to play in their communities; and create more viable career opportunities for those who choose to make coaching their profession.

• Maximizing court availability to keep pace with participation. Increased player participation requires more courts and more available playable hours on those courts. The USTA plans to deepen its partnership with local governments, parks and recreation facilities, school boards, and local clubs to build, renovate and protect tennis facilities across the country, while also seeking to maximize existing infrastructure through enhancements that will extend playable hours and lengthen the tennis season. The goal is to ensure there are 350,000 courts (including both traditional and non-traditional playing spaces) — one for every 100 players — available to help catalyze play in local communities, with a particular focus on underserved areas.

• Supporting and elevating the next generation of stars. The USTA remains committed to its efforts to develop, support, and showcase the best events, players, and coaches that U.S. tennis has to offer — empowering up-and-coming competitors to achieve their full potential, and providing a clearer path for our top junior performers to reach the pinnacle of the sport and motivate millions more to follow in their footsteps.

“Tennis is the healthiest sport in the world. In fact, tennis extends our lives by almost 10 years—which is more than any other sport or form of exercise, while improving cognition, psychological well-being, and strength and agility. We can’t let current or future generations miss out on these life-changing benefits,” said Dr. Brian Hainline, USTA Chairman of the Board and President. “Whether it’s the thrill of watching professional play or swinging a racquet on a community court, it’s important to help ensure that communities everywhere have access to the life-enhancing benefits of our wonderful sport.”

Shelby Rogers

Brandon Nakashima

World Renowned Artist Comes to Atlanta to Support Team Luke Hope For Minds

He is a one-of-a-kind artist whose technique truly captures the power and precision of athletes in motion through his oil paintings. Ted Dimond was recently in Atlanta to showcase some of his work at the LM Gallery on Johnson Ferry

Road. He came to Atlanta to do an interview with CNN regarding his collection of work, which was on display during the Masters Golf Tournament last month. He’s been able to showcase the talents of Roger Federer, Rafael Nadal, Tiger Woods, Jack Nicklaus, Muhammad Ali, and countless other athletes throughout his career.

Dimond has been described as someone who either had a paintbrush or some type of racquet in his hand at an early age. While he played competitive tennis and made it to the professional level, it was the time on the court that fueled his artistic passion. He spent years in France, where he lived and studied, and that has led him to the success he has enjoyed by designing abstract art, with several layers of intricate detail that creates a 3D-like image. This art has wowed athletes from across the world.

“I try to capture the iconic moment and display the movement through this type of art,” says Dimond. He has done just that even with his most recent oil painting of Andy Roddick. Dimond’s impressive painting of Roddick at his last US Open was on display at the Atlanta gallery (and autographed by Roddick). Now, the painting is available for people to bid on before and during the Atlanta Open. The proceeds from the auction will benefit Team Luke Hope for Minds.

You may recall, Net News recently featured the story of Luke Siegel who suffered a brain injury, and it’s been his courageous fight that inspired his father, Tim Seigel, to form Team Luke. The organization continues to help thousands of families, including several in the Atlanta area, and serves as a great source of comfort for those families who have been faced with similar challenges. Dimond’s work is often included to support charitable events. “This is just an added bonus, when others can enjoy the art while supporting such great causes.”

Photo by Laura Barnard

Former Olympic Tennis Venue in Gwinnett County to be Redeveloped

The Gwinnett County Board of Commissioners is selling the Stone Mountain Tennis Center site in unincorporated Gwinnett County to Fuqua Acquisitions II, LLC for approximately $5.6 million. The sale opens the door to the site’s long-anticipated redevelopment.

The County acquired the 26-acre property in 2016 as an opportunity to revitalize the underused site and stimulate redevelopment in one of the major gateways into Gwinnett County.

“I am pleased that we have chosen a proven and well-respected partner to bring a quality development that will create economic opportunities while securing much needed affordable housing in this area of our county. I believe our patience and investment will pay off and will spur other redevelopment activity in the area,” said Gwinnett County

Board of Commissioners Chairwoman Nicole Love Hendrickson.

Last October, the land was rezoned for a regional mixed-use development that will encompass wholesale retail, four restaurants and multifamily residential, including 50 dedicated affordable housing units. The project is expected to create 520 permanent retail and dining jobs, and approximately 400 construction jobs will be created during the twoplus years the redevelopment will be in progress.

Community greenspace, transit enhancements, and additional transportation improvements are amenities planned for the site.

Fuqua and its development partners will invest an estimated $158.8 million to redevelop the tennis center site. The sale will place this property back on the tax digest generating significant sales

tax revenue and property taxes as well as redevelopment funds for the Park Place Tax Allocation District.

“We are proud to be a part of the redevelopment of the former Olympic Tennis Center,” said Jeff Fuqua, Principal of Fuqua Acquisitions II, LLC. “We believe we put together a great mixed-use redevelopment offering that will be a great benefit to this part of the county. Gwinnett County is a great place to do business, and we are pleased to be developing another project here.”

Fuqua Development is a real estate development firm specializing in urban retail mixed-use supercenters. The company has developed such notable local projects as Peachtree Corners Town Center and The Exchange @ Gwinnett near the Mall of Georgia, as well as the retail portion of The Battery at Truist Park, home of the Atlanta Braves.

Former ALTA President and future ALTA Board Chairman Receives Top PPR Honor

A big shout out and congratulations to Lamar Scott, who has been awarded the 2023 PPR (Professional Pickleball Registry) Clinician of the Year. Scott was on hand to receive this prestigious award at the PPR Conference, which was held this year at the Saddlebrook Resort near Tampa, Florida.

Professional Pickleball Registry Managing Director and former Tour Player, Sarah Ansboury, presented the organization’s annual awards.

“We’re thrilled that our PPR members and member organizations continue to contribute to the health and vitality of this incredible sport,” said Ansboury. She stated that

the PPR Clinicians are an integral part of the organization’s growth. “They are the face of the PPR to new coaches. They are the teachers, counselors, and mentors to those coaches, hoping to share our sport.”

"We’re thrilled that our PPR members and member organizations continue to contribute to the health and vitality of this incredible sport."

Scott, who has been a PPR Clinician for the past two years, conducted 27 PPR Level 1 certification workshops in 2023. He is on his way to conducting even more in 2024. Ansboury said Scott has conducted workshops in the hot sun, in the cold temperatures, and in the early mornings and the late nights. Scott often travels to two cities in one weekend to help

Lamar Scott and Sarah Ansboury

spread the PPR methods.

"Lamar

“After every workshop that Lamar runs, we receive several complimentary emails from workshop participants praising him for his clinician skills,” says the PPR’s Julie Jilly, who manages the extensive PPR Certification Workshop program. “Lamar is thorough and has a positive and caring attitude with his students — and continues to help make this sport thrive.”

is thorough and has a positive and caring attitude with his students — and continues to help make this sport thrive."

Lamar was amazing! The location booked a loud party on the adjacent basketball courts and candidly that was less than ideal. Coach Lamar still did a fantastic job even though the learning environment was challenging. He helped us adapt rather than complain.”

DATE 3/8/24

One of the key components to having a top-notch clinician is to have that person remain positive and deal with change, challenges, and keep a great attitude while being student-centered. Jilly says Scott does just that as was noted recently by a workshop attendee. “Coach

Scott maintains the highest respect for the PPR and for the sport. He treats each workshop as an opportunity to grow the PPR and to help send out another wave of coaches who can help their communities embrace a fun and healthy sport. “That’s why the PPR is so proud to recognize Lamar Scott as the PPR Clinician of the Year,” says Jilly.

founded in 2018 to educate, certify, and serve pickleball coaches and is the official education and certification partner of USA Pickleball, the governing body of the sport in the United States. PPR combines the resources and educational expertise of its sister companies, Professional Tennis Registry (PTR), Professional Platform Tennis Registry (PPTR), and the Padel Coaches Registry (PCR). The PPR’s goal is to develop the highest standard of pickleball educational materials and states its members are at the heart of everything they do.

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For more information, visit pprpickleball.org, call 843.842.9777, or email Julie Jilly at Julie@ pprpickleball.org.

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Universal Tennis Foundation Names 2024 Hurd Award Champions

This past March, Georgia’s own Ethan Quinn and Fiona Crawley were named Champions of the 2024 Universal Tennis Foundation Hurd Awards. The award winners were announced during a special ceremony held at the BNP Paribas Open in Indian Wells, California.

Continuing in the tradition started by Mark Hurd and Oracle, the Universal Tennis Foundation Hurd Awards are player grants made possible by a gift from the Hurd family and are awarded annually to assist young American tennis players transitioning from college to professional competition. The Hurd Award Champions each receive a $100,000 grant. The grant is awarded each year to an American male and female who has shown a commitment to continued development in professional tennis and exhibited exemplary sportsmanship in college tennis.

Crawley and Quinn join a growing list of past Hurd Award recipients that include Peyton Stearns and Andrew Fenty (2023), Danielle Collins and Mackenzie McDonald (2017), Christopher Eubanks and Francesca di Lorenzo (2018), J.C. Aragone and Jamie Loeb (2019), and JJ Wolf and Sophie Whittle (2020).

Competing for the University of Georgia Bulldogs, Quinn won the 2023 NCAA singles tournament as a redshirt freshman. The 19-year-old, who has played on the UTR Pro Tennis Tour, was named All-American in singles and doubles and the 2023 ITA Freshman of the Year. Turning pro last summer, Quinn won his first ITF title in June, reached the final of an ATP Challenger this past February, and qualified for the BNP Paribas Open.

Fiona Crawley is a senior at the University of North Carolina and a multiple NCAA champion. In 2023, she helped the Tar Heels win the program’s first NCAA team championship before winning the NCAA doubles trophy with partner Carson Tanguilig. She was named the 2023 ITA National Player of the Year and Honda Cup Award Winner. On the pro tour, the 22-yearold has won two ITF titles and, as a wild card entry at the US Open, she qualified for the main draw last summer.

In addition to the Hurd Award Champions, the Universal Tennis Foundation has partnered with the Youth Performance Institute (YPI) this year. With the generosity of Gordon Uehling, a professional tennis coach, entrepreneur, and Hurd Award Selection Committee member, and Dr. Jim Loehr, the world-renowned sports psychologist and author, who has established YPI, the Hurd Awards will expand its reach and impact to support more players. Hurd Award Finalists Cannon Kingsley, a 2024 Ohio State University graduate, and Chloe Beck, a 2023 Duke University graduate, will each receive grants of $40,000 to support their professional tennis aspirations.

“We are excited to announce the very deserving 2024 Hurd Award recipients,” said Darcy Leschly, President of the Universal Tennis Foundation. “The Hurd Awards embody what we are as a foundation, supporting the growth of tennis players both on court and off. We thank Paula Hurd for her unwavering support and are thrilled at the expansion of the Hurd Awards with our generous new partners Gordon Uehling and Dr. Jim Loehr from the Youth Performance Institute.”

“I want to get back to the things I love. That’s why I chose the best in orthopedic care.”

“To get back to my best game, I chose the best in orthopedic care.”

ALTA ONLINE

You've got questions—we've got answers!

I’m a captain and am getting a warning about needing birthdates for a couple of my players to complete my roster entry. What’s that about? The system used 1/1/1900 as a default birthdate for members without a birthdate on file when our system went live. ALTA is now requiring this birthdate be updated to an actual birthdate. Members can do this on their own in their profile.

Where can I find a Sportsmanship Nomination Form to submit to ALTA? It’s in ALTA Documents, and for easy access, it’s been added to your team Dashboard in My Active Teams.

Does ALTA show approved pickleball facilities like they do for tennis? Yes, if you go to the Facility page you can simply filter for Any/All, Tennis or Pickleball as desired.

LOB_Netnews_1223 FINAL.qxp_half horizontal 11/14/23 11:57 AM Page 1

BY JOAN APPELBAUM, ALTA IT MANAGER

E L E VAT E Y O U R GA M E !

Offering innovative products that empower players to boost their performance, Lobster is the ultimate training partner for players committed to improvement. Whether you ’ re working on your stroke with our ball machines or honing your skills with our comprehensive training aids, Lobster is your go - to source for tools to rapidly advance your game.

START TRAINING SMARTER TODAY!

Har-Tru Becomes Official Court Surface of the National Bank Open and Official Paint Supplier to Tennis Canada

Har-Tru, the world’s leading provider of premium tennis court surfaces, equipment, and accessories, is the new official court surface and paint partner of Tennis Canada and the National Bank Open (NBO) presented by Rogers (formerly the Rogers Cup).

Headquartered in Troy, Virginia, Har-Tru surfaces can be found on tennis courts in all 50 states and in 23 countries, including over 150 courts in Canada. The three-year partnership will see Har-Tru resurface the 12 exterior and six interior courts at IGA Stadium in Montreal and the 11 exterior and four interior courts at Sobeys Stadium in Toronto, where the premier WTA/ ATP 1000 NBO events host the world’s best tennis players each August.

In addition to the NBO, IGA Stadium and Sobeys Stadium are home to the next generation of elite Canadian tennis players training at the National Tennis Centre presented by Rogers and Toronto Regional Training Centre, respectively.

“We are delighted to partner with a world-leading organization in this space,” said Gavin Ziv, CEO of Tennis Canada. “This tremendous partnership will not only benefit our world-class NBO events but the young Canadian players in our development programs, who deserve nothing less than best-inclass facilities. We are also grateful to Har-Tru for supporting our efforts to provide Canadians with more accessible tennis courts across the country, via Na tional Bank Play Your Court and the YearRound Community Tennis Courts Program presented by Rogers.”

During the NBO in both cities, HarTru has committed to donating $15 per ace to the National Bank Play Your

The Atlanta Pro League is Back!

If you’ve been in Atlanta for more than 30 years, you might recall the excitement of the Atlanta Pro League. If you’re new to Atlanta, you’ll be happy to know this league is back in action.

The Atlanta Pro League is a semi-professional tennis league, featuring top former college/professional players along with current teaching professionals in the Atlanta metro area. It’s a six-week league played in the summer on Friday nights at country clubs in Atlanta.

Court program, which aims to revitalize more than 100 courts across the country by 2030, made possible thanks to a $3 million investment by National Bank.

“We are thrilled to embark on this partnership with Tennis Canada and our designation as the official surface of the National Bank Open,” said Tracy Lynch, Har-Tru’s VP of Sales and Marketing.

The pro league features five teams who will play matches each week: two men’s doubles lines and one mixed doubles line. Local tennis professionals will apply for a league draft and will go into a pool list for captains to choose based on a random drawing order. The draft should be completed later in May.

Marcus Rutsche, director of racquet sports at the County Club of Roswell, is spearheading the effort. “Our goal is to grow and enhance the tennis community by bringing together all Atlanta

tennis organizations with the intent to entertain, educate, and support local tennis initiatives,” he said. Rutsche added that this is truly a community effort and says each host facility will encourage its members to come and watch some great tennis. His hope is this will be a fun environment which includes an exhibition match to kick off the evening, plus music, cash bars, and more, before the league matches get underway.

An exhibition match also will be played at each venue prior to the league matches to ignite the crowd. These matches could feature the host club’s favorite people, likely to be a combination of local teaching pros/talent as well as members of the Georgia Tennis Foundation Hall of Fame.

The exhibitions will begin around 6:00 p.m., followed by a league warmup at 6:45 p.m. Matches start at 7:00 p.m. Come out and support some great tennis and help get this party started! For more information, visit atlantaproleague.com.

Photo by Gyles Dias-NBO

When History Teaches Tennis Lessons

Have you ever noticed the straight-arm forehand used by Roger Federer, Rafael Nadal, and Carlos Alcaraz is the same one that was used by Suzanne Lenglen (French tennis star and inaugural world No. 1 women’s player) in the early 1900’s? There is one lone constant in the history of tennis, and according to John Carpenter, all the best players played what is called “Modern Tennis.”

What is that exactly? To find out, you’ll need to read Carpenter’s book, “Modern Tennis Instruction: A Historical Guide to Play your Best Tennis.”

Carpenter is a PTR pro, a USPTA Elite Pro, and a tennis instruction historian. In the book, he looks at the history of tennis instruction that covers nearly the entire 150 years of the game’s existence. “Human biomechanics are the same today as they were a hundred years ago. By 1904, the best knew how to play much like the greats today,” says Carpenter.

Nick Bollettieri, Dennis Van Der Meer, Oscar Wegner, and Vic Braden. It was Tomlin who developed the Congruent Tennis Model (CTM), which embraces the best aspects of widely acclaimed teaching and playing styles. Tomlin says he wants to continue to simplify and reform tennis instruction. “I’m pleasantly surprised that Congruent Tennis is being adopted by so many coaches and parents as an effective model they can integrate into their current programs,” he says.

Carpenter’s ability to weave the history of tennis into the fabric of modern tennis instruction makes what many tennis professionals say is a must-have historical reference for any seriously minded tennis coach and educator. In addition to currently teaching at various parks in Atlanta, Carpenter and Tomlin run an academy for Fayetteville Parks and Recreation. Their goal is to act as a consultant for coaches and parents of all levels and a resource for improving tennis instruction.

One of the book’s contributors is Chuck Tomlin, who is PTR certified and has analyzed tennis instruction with Rick Macci,

Babolat Releases

New Jet Mach 3 Strike Colorway

Babolat recently released an updated Jet Mach 3 Strike, which the company says offers tour-level performance to fly around the court with optimal support in a lightweight package. The shoe, which is now available in Strike Red, is designed to ensure maximum precision and freedom of movement and offers more comfort and stability thanks to the latest Matryx technology. The Michelin sole has been redesigned to respond to sudden starts and stops, while guaranteeing optimum durability.

For more specs and color options, visit babolat.com/us/tennis/shoes/men. html.

To learn more, visit congruenttennis.com or email mtmcoach@hotmail.com.

2024 BNP Paribas Open by the Numbers

The 2024 BNP Paribas Open was held this past March in Indian Wells, California, and included more than 493,000 fans in total attendance who witnessed championship runs by Carlos Alcaraz and Iga Swiatek. Compiled below are a few interesting facts about the BNP Paribas Open — by the numbers:

On-Court

500 players from 48 different countries competed across the 13 different draws (Men’s and Women’s Singles, Doubles, and Qualifying; FILA International Junior Championship Boy’s and Girl’s Singles, Doubles and Qualifying; Mixed Doubles Invitational).

More than $19 million in prize money was awarded, the most in the history of the event.

Digital

sical performances from fan favorites Bryan Bros. Band, John McEnroe's Johnny Smyth Band, and a special acoustic performance from REO Speedwagon's Kevin Cronin. Other activities included chef cooking demonstrations from the likes of Richard Blais, and an inspiring panel discussion with female leaders from FILA and BNP Paribas on International Women’s Day.

In-stadium production was revamped in 2024, and Stadiums 1 and 2 featured full wraparound video displays on court, providing fans with 360-degree content throughout the fortnight.

The new BNP Paribas Open app saw more than 177,000 users who on average spent more than an hour engaging with the app. Nearly half a million notifications were opened over the course of the event and one of the premier features, allowing fans to follow their favorite player, was utilized more than half a million times.

Around The Grounds

The grounds around the Indian Wells Tennis Garden were full of activity, especially the Village Stage which hosted more than 30 different special events ranging from Tennis Talks with active players and legends, to live mu-

Food Facts

Not including the final day, patrons consumed:

Tournament Operations

The Champions Volunteer Foundation, which is the charitable arm of the tournament and oversees the entire volunteer operation at the event, had more than 1,350 participants during this year’s event. That included more than 350 ballpersons, and new committees, including the App Navigators, who helped patrons with digital ticketing and utilizing the new tournament app.

In addition, transportation volunteers made more than 6,500 trips around the area driving players and guests to and from the event and other destinations. Lastly, the volunteers staffing the silent auction raised more than $50,000, doubling the previous years’ totals, which will be donated to local charities.

During the tournament, more than 3,600 racquets were strung, including 387 on one day, with nearly 30 miles of string in total.

• 117,988 water bottles

• 94,170 scoops of ice cream

• 30,254 burgers

• 27,793 pizzas

• 20,250 glasses of champagne

• 17,094 hot dogs

• 16,467 bags of popcorn

LIGHT IT UP

OWNING THE COURT SINCE 1966.

PICKLEBALL SUPREME

EXPRESS LIGHT PICKLEBALL

Last Issue’s Trivia Contest Winner Is …

Congratulations! We drew our winner from a pool of readers who submitted correct answers, and Sarah Yang, Village Grove Sunday Women C3, won a set of bags from HEAD! Try your luck with this issue’s contest and see if you can join the ranks of our previous trivia contest winners. Here is the original quiz and the correct answers:

1. What is the total amount of the contributions which were awarded in grants and scholarships by the ALTA Foundation in 2023? $115,000

2. When traveling to an opponent’s facility which charges a court fee, who pays the fees? The home team always pays the court fees.

3. What is the name of the ALTA vice president who has dedicated his volunteer hours to growing the sport of wheelchair tennis?

Mark LaRotonda

May/June Trivia Contest

Enter for your chance to win a Babolat Pure Drive 30th Anniversary Racquet!

To enter the contest, correctly answer the following three questions, in addition to submitting a new favorite courtside recipe, and mail it to New South Publishing, Attn: Cory Sekine-Pettite, 9040 Roswell Road, Suite 210, Atlanta, GA 30350. Answers and recipes may also be submitted online at netnewsmag.com. Hint: The answers can be found in this issue.

Entry deadline: Wednesday, June 5.

1. What is the name of the local pro who is leading the effort to organize the Atlanta Pro League?

2. What are the dates for the Special Olympics Georgia Summer Games and where will this take place?

3. One local real estate organization held a recent fundraiser to benefit Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta and its summer camp program. How much was raised?

Photo Contest

CATEGORIES:

NEW! Contest Rules and Regulations

1. You must be a member of ALTA.

2. Photos must relate to tennis and/or tennis play.

3. Do not use filters on photos with the exception of black and white or sepia.

4. Do not send screenshots.

5. Do not take photos of printed photos.

6. All contest submissions must be received ONLINE by 11:59 p.m. on Sept. 13, 2024.

7. Decisions of the judges are final.

8. Limit three entries per ALTA member.

9. Do not resubmit photos from a previous year.

10. Each photo entry must include a completed ONLINE entry form.

11. Judges reserve the right to title photos if no title is provided and to change the category into which a photo has been entered.

12. Photos not taken by the entrant must be accompanied by a release form signed by the photographer. ALTA and Net News are not responsible for any copyright violations.

13. Judges reserve the right to disqualify any entry that does not meet the above rules and regulations.

14. All winning photos will be featured in the annual November/December edition of Net News

15. Questions may be addressed to production@ knowatlanta.com.

NEW! Photography Specifications

1. Photos must be provided in a high resolution format. (300dpi at a minimum of 5" x 7") This means your photo will be a file that is between 1.5MB and 3MB in size!

2. When uploading images from your phone, always choose the "Actual Size" option.

3. Low resolution, non-reproducible images will not be considered for the photo contest.

Prizes courtesy of

NEW ALTA PLAYERS

Finding Your Tennis Tribe

BY GINA CLANCE NET NEWS CONTRIBUTOR

New hobbies are fun distractions from the stressors in our lives and staying active is beneficial for our minds and bodies. We all can agree on these two things, yes? Guess what can be the answer to someone asking, “What can I do?” when they find themselves with free time? Tennis!

Many of us found ourselves with quite a bit of free time in 2020, and if you took up the sport of tennis during that year, you are not alone! Not everything that happened during lockdowns was negative — many folks got outside and hit the courts! According to a survey done by USTA, almost three million people in America started playing tennis for the first time in 2020. ALTA has gained thousands of new members since then, and many new teams have been formed in all leagues.

Margaret Evans picked up a racquet for the first time in the spring of 2020. “When schools closed, we had some free time on our hands and were very restless,” she said. “A group of moms in our neighborhood decided to start doing beginner tennis with our kids as a sort of PE class. We had so much fun, and we were hooked on the game!”

Evans is now a member of the C-level Leslie Beach Thursday team, which started playing at C6 and has steadily moved up each season. In the fall of 2023, this team won City Finals at C3.

“I love that I’ve learned something new and stuck with it,” Evans said. “And I love that we’ve all done that together! It’s what made our win in 2023 so special. We

made a pledge very early on to keep the drama to a minimum and to have fun, and we’ve held to that, which makes our group feel like a special sisterhood.”

Leslie Beach captain, Robyn Brandman, isn’t a tennis newbie. “I’ve been playing a long time but at this phase in my life, I was finally able to dedicate some time and energy into practicing with my team,” she said. “Before I was only popping in for matches so I didn’t build friendships. I’ve gotten to know many on this team so well, in addition to the friends who convinced me to join.”

Other teams benefitted from folks having more time to learn new things.

Chimney Lakes started a Sunday Women’s team in the fall of 2019. “I was playing tennis out of a nearby neighborhood but really wanted to play out of my own neighborhood,” said Captain Kristy Lytle. “So, I decided to create my own team and just posted on our neighborhood Facebook page asking if anyone was interested in joining a beginner-level tennis team for the fall 2019 season. While a handful of those on the team had some experience with tennis, a vast majority had never even picked up a tennis racquet before. I got our wonderful coach, Michael Rand, to run a beginner boot

Photos by Laura Barnard

camp of sorts so those ladies new to the sport could get the basics down. Then our Sunday team was created!”

Then, the 2020 spring ALTA season was cut short.

“I joined the newly formed Chimney Lakes team after their first season in 2019,” said Katie Hunter. “I had never touched a racquet before. We had barely started our second season when the world shut down. I only had a few lessons before we needed to social distance. I was still a super beginner.”

With so many people staying inside, tennis courts were empty. Tennis was quickly declared a ‘safe sport,’ and many new players took advantage of their new daily routines. “A few of us newbies took advantage of wide-open courts and plenty of free time,” Hunter said.

Sometimes, it doesn’t take long to reap the rewards of your hard work. In the spring of 2023, Chimney Lakes formed a

“I was social before, but the relationships I’ve made with the women on my tennis team are special. There’s something special about being part of a team. We really hope to be playing tennis together for decades to come!”

Thursday team, which consisted of many of the Sunday team members. Their extra court time certainly paid off, as they made it to City Finals in the fall! “Tennis has been a lifesaver for me,” said Lytle. “I was social before, but the relationships I’ve made with the women on my tennis team are special. There’s something special about being part of a team. We really hope to be playing tennis together for decades to come!”

Let’s Hear What The Juniors Say

BY WENDY FEE, JUNIOR LEAGUES VICE PRESIDENT

As the Junior Leagues Vice President, I often hear comments and opinions from the team managers, parents, and coaches. However, those who I don’t get much feedback from are the Junior players themselves. I decided to ask a few questions and wanted to share this platform with some of the 18U players.

Abeer Agrawal-age 15 18U

What do you love most about ALTA?

ALTA helps foster competition in tennis in Atlanta.

What does Junior ALTA mean to you? Being a part of a supportive community.

How can ALTA make your tennis experience better? Introduce ALTA into high school tennis leagues.

At City Finals, do you think receiving a plate or a medal would be better for the City Fnalists and the City Champions? Plates are better.

Naomi Golan-Williams-age 13 18U

How can ALTA make your tennis experience better? Playing with different age groups.

What are some causes you care about? Advance the Lives & Hope of Atlanta.

At City Finals, do you think receiving a plate or a medal would be better for the City Finalists and the City Champions? Plates are great rewards.

What snack is your favorite at your ALTA matches? Munchos. Love them at matches.

JUNIORS

Fall registration is June 20 – July 26

Fall season runs Sept. 7 – Oct. 19

Tanish Killedar-age 15 18U

What do you love most about ALTA? I love the team aspect of ALTA; it feels more like a team than classic tennis, which is an individual sport.

What is more important, winning or having fun? Having fun is more important.

What snack is your favorite at your ALTA matches? Chick-fil-A

How can ALTA make your tennis experience better? UTR should be used in some regard.

Luka Jack Oorreel-age 17 18U

How can ALTA make your tennis experience better? By increasing playing time and reps.

What is more important, winning or having fun? Winning; the fun comes with the win.

Who is your favorite tennis pro? Carlos Alcaraz

Should cheering and team chants be allowed by other players at Junior ALTA matches? Of course, as much as possible.

Audrey Orial-age 18 18U

How can ALTA make your tennis experience better? Playing with other skilled people at different levels to help improve your own tennis skills and getting practice in.

What do you love most about ALTA? I love coming together seeing all my tennis friends play to the best of their abilities, and no matter what, if we win or lose it’s still so fun with all of them.

Will you continue playing tennis as an adult? I definitely would just for the fun of it.

What are some causes you care about? I care about people having a good attitude towards playing tennis and not getting furious and having a bad mindset during the match. Being a good sport is what I care most about.

Ava Claire Reckhow-age 14 18U

What is more important, winning or having fun? While winning is nice, having fun is much more important!

At City Finals, do you think receiving a plate or a medal would be better for the City Finalists and the City Champions? I like plates more because they are unique to ALTA.

Should cheering and team chants be allowed by other players at Junior ALTA matches? No, I think we should just go out and play tennis.

What are some causes you care about? Mental health

Vivaan Sethi-age 15 18U

What do you love most about ALTA?

That it’s local and we get good opportunities to play against players all through the city.

Should cheering and team chants be allowed by other players at Junior ALTA matches? No, never. It distracts the players big time.

What snack is your favorite at your ALTA matches? Cliff bars (the peanut butter ones). They are rich in protein and I love to eat it before my matches.

At City Finals, do you think receiving a plate or a medal would be better for the City Finalists and the City Champions? I like the plate or a trophy can be a better option.

Do you think you will be a volunteer for ALTA in the future? Yes, absolutely. When my time comes, I will give back to my tennis society.

Sofia Torres-age 13 18U

What do you love most about ALTA?

What I love about ALTA is that I get to play with my friends and get to play against other neighboring kids here in Atlanta.

Should cheering and team chants be allowed by other players at Junior ALTA matches? No, because sometimes it can make you lose your concentration.

What are some causes you care about? Homelessness and animal protection.

How can ALTA make your tennis experience better? In every game I play, I can see how much I have grown, and I can see what I can do to improve for the next game.

Suren Vakalapudi-age 16 18U

What snack is your favorite at your ALTA matches? Samosas are my favorite snack.

Who is your favorite tennis pro? Novak Djokovic is my favorite player.

What are some causes you care about? I care a lot about the American Red Cross, as well as organizations dedicated to treating cancer and finding cures for cancer.

Should cheering and team chants be allowed by other players at Junior ALTA matches? Chanting should be allowed, because higher levels of tennis do include chanting; it should not be a distraction, however.

Jazzy Yammout-age 16 18U

At City Finals, do you think receiving a plate or a medal would be better for the City Finalists and the City Champions? Dinner/Salad plates!

What snack is your favorite at your ALTA matches? We don’t get snacks; only the adults get snacks.

Should cheering and team chants be allowed by other players at Junior ALTA matches? Your opponent should be able to celebrate a good shot they made, but outside cheering is distracting (regardless of what side is being cheered for) and it can get disrespectful and out of hand easily.

What does Junior ALTA mean to you? Junior ALTA has given me the chance to play a variety of different players with various skill sets and helps me to stay active during the off season of USTA.

JUNIOR CHALLENGE LADDER

Ladder registration is July 1 – August 12

Ladder season runs from Aug. 20 – Dec. 2

Get Ready To Climb That Ladder

BY GINA WOODS, JUNIOR CHALLENGE LADDER VICE PRESIDENT

Are you ready for an exhilarating climb up the ALTA Junior Tennis Challenge Ladder this season? From mid-August to early December, it’s all about making the climb. This isn’t just any ladder; it’s a 14-week marathon of matches where you’re in control. Play as many matches as you like when it suits you best. You’ll face off against a diverse range of opponents, including players from different age groups you wouldn’t typically encounter in regular tournament play or high school matches.

But that’s not all! There are prizes and awards up for grabs, adding an extra layer of excitement to every game. Plus, you will be eligible to apply for the prestigious L. Keith Wood Scholarship the year you graduate from high school. If you’re on the hunt for fierce competition, fun times,

and two special events throughout the season, mark July 1st on your calendar when registration opens. Look for all the fresh new details for this year’s Junior Challenge Ladder on our website (altatennis.org) in May. We can’t wait to see you bring your A-game this season!

New player requirements

• Minimum two USTA/UTR tournaments or varsity team experience.

• Players who meet the requirements and register by the deadline will be accepted.

• Must agree to challenge match requests.

Age criteria for players

• Must be 18 or younger during ladder year.

• Must have reached 10th birthday during ladder year.

Photos

by Laura Barnard

MEN

Mental Toughness During ALTA Matches

BY GREG MCAFEE, MEN’S LEAGUE VICE PRESIDENT

Tennis is a lot of fun and can be even more so when you and your partner learn to work together to win a match. It requires not only the individual skill of hitting the right shot, but also which shot to hit. Another factor that determines the outcome of a match can be the ability to maintain mental toughness during each point.

A lot of things can distract you even before you step onto the court. Did all your teammates show up on time? Did they bring their food assignments? Was there traffic on the way to the match and you barely made it? I’ve known players that can’t get past the fact that there is a small amount of leaf debris on the court. There are countless things that can get into your head that can impart a negative outlook on the match. Let go of all those things and focus on hitting the ball.

On the court, you and your partner must work together to stay positive and communicate and shake off the negative things that happen such as the other team not knowing how to warm up. Sometimes, you just aren’t “feeling it” that day. Focus on the small things first to get back into a groove — getting one more ball back in play or refusing to let your own

teammates that are heckling you get into your head. I can say that after years of experience with that last one, it no longer affects me.

As a pair, learn how each other plays and you will develop an unspoken understanding of how each is going to play a shot and handle a certain situation. Trust your partner and worry about your part of the court. When the other team steps up their game, talk with your partner to discuss how you can adjust and get back the momentum. Look at it as an opportunity to learn how to beat another style of play, whether they are pushers, slice and dicers, bangers, or slow players.

One big thing that you can do is stay positive and encourage each other when things are not working. The mental game affects everyone on the court, so if you continue to stay mentally tough and start to gain momentum, your opponents may start to lose focus. How many times have you seen a pair down 2-5 come back to win 7-5? Part of that is due to the mental breakdown on the losing pair’s side. Keep your head in the game, and you just might see more matches go in the win column!

Photos by Laura Barnard

Fall registration is June 20 – July 11

Fall season runs Sept. 7 – Oct. 19

SUNDAY WOMEN

Fall registration is June 20 – July 11

Fall season runs Sept. 8 – Oct. 20

Rules, Rules, Who Knows the Rules?

BY LORETTA PHILLIPS, SUNDAY WOMEN’S LEAGUE VICE PRESIDENT

In ALTA matches, as with any sport (and life in general) there are rules that must be followed. Knowing the rules will make matches go much smoother. Knowing the rules can reduce the chances of conflict and loss of points and/or matches.

As captains, co-captains, or managers, it is your responsibility to know the rules and to ensure your team members know the rules. It’s no fun to be playing a match, have an incident occur and no one on the court knows the rule to apply to this incident. The players meet at the net and try to figure out what should be done. One player says she knows the rule. However, the others are not sure they want to accept what she says, especially if it does not agree with what they think should happen. The spectators and other team members are watching and saying things like “I guess they don’t know what to do,” or talking about what player they know who knows the rules. The desire to tell them the rule so the match can move along is growing with every second. This is the official rule:

General Rules Adult Leagues

IV. Dual Meets H. COACHING IS ILLEGAL. Spectators (including teammates, coaches and fans) may not volunteer advice on line calls, scoring or the conduct of a match. They may not offer advice or instruction that is audible, visible or by electronic device to the players on the court. It is each

captain’s responsibility to control his or her spectators during match play. Once a match has begun, any communication, including cheering from teammates, coaches, or fans should be understood by all, or it could be considered coaching. A pair on the court may speak to each other in any language; however, they need to be able to communicate with their opponent in a language that everyone understands.

When ALTA rules don’t address a specific situation, here is where you can find your answers:

General Rules Adult Leagues

IV. Dual Meets C. ALTA rules govern play. In cases not specifically covered by these rules, USTA rules govern play. Also, “Friend at Court” which contains “ITF Rules of Tennis” and “The Code” as a handbook of ethics and fair play should be understood and followed by every ALTA player. “Friend at Court,” should be available for consultation along with league rules at all dual meets.

Where can you find these rules? ALTA’s “General Rules Adult Leagues” are made available to all members. Once you login to the ALTA site, go to My Resources > ALTA Documents > ALTA Rules > 2024 Adult Tennis Rules. For “Friend at Court” go to My Resources > ALTA Documents > USTA Publications > 2024 Friend at Court.

So, rules, rules, who knows the rules? We all do. Let’s play tennis and have some fun!

Photos by Laura Barnard

THURSDAY WOMEN

Fall registration is June 20 - July 11

Fall season runs Sept. 5 - Oct. 17

Are YOU Our Next ALTA Volunteer?

BY SIOBHAN SCHAEFFER, THURSDAY WOMEN’S LEAGUE VICE PRESIDENT

Volunteers are at the heart of ALTA. This organization thrives because of all the volunteers who help manage and facilitate each league within the organization. The Thursday Women’s League has 16 level coordinators. Each coordinator is responsible for all teams within their respective levels, which in many cases includes 64 captains. Our coordinators are your first point of contact for questions — anything from player movement rules to default time and anything else that you might need clarified. They review the weekly scorecards and tracking sheets and send out information and tips as needed throughout the season.

We have four overall coordinators in addition to our level coordinators. The overall coordinators and the Thursday Women’s League Vice President finalize leveling before the season starts. While the ALTA computer system does the initial work, the overall and league vice president will review the placement of teams, research the addition and loss of players, review any requests for review submitted with their rosters, and adjust levels as appropriate. Then it’s time to move on to mapping out

the divisions. While we do our best to limit travel distances, it’s not always possible with every level. At the end of each season, the overalls and level coordinators facilitate City Finals and it would not be a success without them.

Finally, we would not have a league if it wasn’t for our captains! The Thursday Women’s League includes over 730 women who have stepped up to captain their teams. These ladies spend countless hours of their time working on tennis management — everything from registering their teams before the deadline, organizing drills, creating lineups each week, and possibly even sending out food assignments. They coordinate the matches weekly with their opponents and enter scores after each match. We hope you all appreciate all they do as much as we do at ALTA!

As you can see, ALTA has thousands of volunteers across all leagues and we can always use more. If you would like to volunteer, please reach out to your league vice president and let them know. You can also go to altatennis.org/AboutALTA/ Volunteering.aspx. Scroll down to the bottom of the page to enter your application.

Photos by Laura Barnard

RUN/ROLL

Wheelchair Tennis And Run/ Roll Gearing Up For Summer

BY MARK LAROTONDA, SPECIAL PROGRAMS VICE PRESIDENT

May is here, and the ALTA Wheelchair program is in full swing! In April, we completed our spring competitive matches and are now preparing for our weekly clinics. These clinics are great for any level player — from someone who would like to try wheelchair tennis for the first time, to someone looking to fine tune their skills.

In June, we will begin our annual Run/Roll competition, with matches scheduled through July. In Run/Roll, a doubles team is made up of one wheelchair player and one standing player. We have eight matches each week, so we need 16 runners each week. These matches are always fun, competitive, and likely to have a bit of trash talking. On May 18, we will

be holding a Run/Roll Mixer so people can learn how to play and get more information on how to participate in the summer Run/Roll League. The event will be from 12:00 p.m. – 4:00 p.m. at Hudlow Tennis Center. Check back on our website and look for more details in your email. You won’t be sorry you signed up for this fun-filled mixer.

Competitive wheelchair matches and clinics are held every Tuesday evening at Hudlow Tennis Center in Norcross. We’d love for you to join us and see what it’s all about! If you are interested in participating in any of these programs, please reach out to our Vice President of Special Programs at specialprogramsvp@altatennis.org.

Photos by Laura Barnard

Grateful To Be A Senior

BY JOAN MARCINKO, SENIOR DAY LEAGUES VICE PRESIDENT

As you read this, your season of spring Senior Day tennis may be finished! But as I am writing this article, our season is just about to begin. I’d like to make you all aware, again, that a lot of work goes into scheduling a season for an ALTA tennis league. First, captains submit rosters, and every captain also has a chance to write an RFR (Request for Review) with their roster. After all rosters are submitted, our system analyzes and organizes the teams with values from low to high, based on a team’s past record of success and on the addition/ deletion of players to their roster. Our software also accounts for other factors such as a team’s past winning percentage and if a team was a City Champion or City Finalist. Then, the fun begins.

As I write, the ALTA senior team of volunteers has again spent hours organizing your spring tennis season. Our senior “team” included me, both the men’s and the women’s overalls, several of our league coordinators, and our incredible ALTA office staff. A huge “thank you” to all of them! This new year brought us several new Senior Day women’s teams, a total of 297 teams. On the other side, we were down a few Senior Day men’s teams, a total of 82. Oh, how we would LOVE to have some additional men’s teams join us for this Wednesday morning league!

It is such a unique time at the ripe old age of 55+ to be playing tennis. The first word that comes to my mind playing in a senior

SENIOR DAY

Fall registration is June 20 - July 11

Fall season runs Sept. 3 - Oct. 15

league is “grateful.” The daytime Senior Leagues are so much fun and it is a pleasure to play and enjoy the company of players with whom we have some commonality. The opportunity to play just three lines on a weekday morning at 10 a.m. is really a special treat for most of us.

We hope that you had a good season with competitive matches and some fellowship. As an ALTA Vice President, I’ve tried hard to grow this league by ensuring that our knowledgeable and experienced coordinators along with myself, provided you with great customer service. I hope that you will let us know if your questions and issues this season were attended to promptly. ALTA appreciates our captains and co-captains and the jobs they do to manage a team for seven weeks or more. Thank you to all of you who have provided this service to our senior teams.

As you reflect over this past spring season, it is never too late to think about sportsmanship nominations. Was there a team or captain or player(s) that did anything out of the ordinary to make your matches go more smoothly? Anyone just make your day on the tennis court? ALTA now has an easy process to nominate a player (or team) on our website, altatennis.org. Please consider doing this if you have the opportunity!

Again, as we get ready for summer tennis, be thinking of ways we can improve your fall Senior Day experience. You can call or email anytime with your thoughts. Have a great summer, seniors!

Photos by Laura Barnard

ALTA Sportsmanship Awards

BY RITA MALOOF, FIRST VICE PRESIDENT

This winter season brought rain, wind and frigid temperatures right along with it, but for most of our ALTA players, good sportsmanship remained a part of the game during what turned out to be a challenging season. Our patience was tested; we had to handle tough situations; and as is always the case, there are those who rose to the top. The coveted ALTA Sportsmanship Award recognizes outstanding displays of fairness, integrity, honesty, and plain old common courtesy on and off the court at ALTA matches. Just being nominated is an honor. Nominations can be made at any time and are reviewed seasonally. Award winners receive a letter from the ALTA president, a sportsmanship bag tag, and are recognized in Net News. It’s easy to recognize extraordinary behavior, but there’s only a small few who will take the extra step and act on what they witnessed. Thank you for taking the time to bring outstanding acts of sportsmanship to our attention. Please join us in congratulating a few of our winter 2024 award recipients.

Cherokee Town Club

Mixed Doubles

B4

Players: Missy Martin, Tim Curtin, Sherri Herrick

Nominated by: Greg Sgrosso, Co-Captain at Hanover

West

We had an unfortunate situation due to the behavior of a line 1 player at Cherokee Town Club. The captain, Missy Martin, reached out to us multiple times that day and through the next few days apologizing for the behavior. Missy wasn’t there, but her team all gave her feedback throughout the day.

I was not there either, but it sounds like one of the worst cases of misbehavior I have ever heard. Missy really went above and beyond to take responsibility for her teammate’s actions and showed how that behavior didn’t represent what the rest of the team is about.

Missy Martin continued to show great sportsmanship to reconcile the event with our team and reached out directly to our player who was brought to tears due to the verbal abuse she undeservedly received that day. Kudos to Sherri Herrick who forfeited that line due to her partner’s behavior, along with Tim Curtin who was playing line 3 at the same time who went over and tried to help calm things down, as the commotion was distracting all matches.

E.E. Robinson

Mixed Doubles B8

Players: Seong Park and Hyojin Lim

Nominated by: Juile Adams, Captain at Stillwater

Yesterday while playing, our player who is diabetic felt his sugar levels dropping. Seong (aka Josh) offered a banana to our player. The match subsequently went to a tiebreak in the 3rd set in which Stillwater won. Had Seong not offered the fruit, the match could have easily gone the other way. Instead, he offered care and compassion which allowed a competitive match to follow. For this reason, we believe they are deserving of this award.

The Falls of Cherokee

Senior Mixed B1

Co-Captain: Angela Meyers

Nominated by: Eve Tubmanj, Captain at River Green

The away team went out of their way to get in our last match tonight. Our opponent, Angela Meyers, offered up her courts as ours were too wet and it was still misting. They went out and dried the court to get it ready for play. Although the court never dried fully, it was not slippery, and we were able to get the last line completed. We never would have gotten it done without Angela’s persistence. Great sportsmanship!

Hampton Hall

Mixed Doubles B4

Captain: Lori Howard

Nominated by: Greg Sgrosso, Co-Captain at Hanover West

We suggested to Hampton Hall to play on Saturday, as Sunday’s weather looked terrible. We had conflicts all through the day, and Lori Howard kept adjusting everything for us. She even scheduled her own line knowing she had a conflict. Luckily, she was able to rearrange her schedule and play (and deservedly beat us). It was a great call to move it up a day, but Lori and her team really worked hard to have all the lines play at different times scattered from 11 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. Thank you, Lori.

Photos by Laura Barnard

TEAM PLACEMENT & DEFAULTS

How do defaults count toward a team’s rating the following season? For instance, if my team has 15 points at the end of the season, but five of the points came from other teams defaulting, how is my team’s rating/percentage of wins calculated or adjusted? Or conversely, if my team has 10 points, but has defaulted five times in the season, how is that rating calculated or adjusted?

Siobhan Schaeffer, Thursday Women’s League Vice President

Our system calculates a team’s final level based on points won and where the team finished in their division at the end of each season. That calculation does not differentiate between on-court wins and losses or wins

WHEN DO WE SWITCH?

I played a mixed doubles match this past Sunday, and the first set was a tiebreaker. At the conclusion of the tiebreaker, we were all in agreement that my partner served first in the tiebreaker, so it was their serve to start the second set. Then my partner and I said we switch sides to start the set. Both of our opponents said no, we switch from where we started the tiebreaker. My partner and I said no, we switch from where we end the tiebreaker. We further explained that the tiebreaker is considered one game, and the score is now 7-6, which is odd, therefore we switch on odd games. Who was correct?

Greg McAfee, Men’s League Vice President

It seems this question always confuses people. You and your partner were correct. The tiebreak is considered a game, and the set score is now 7-6 so it is odd. You switch sides from where you ended the tiebreak, and the team that served first in the tiebreak will now be receiving first the next game/new set. (Friend at Court, ITF Rules of Tennis, page 6, 5b)

and losses by default or forfeit. When a roster is reinstated for the following season, there is a review of where the team should be placed. ALTA Adult Rules page 2 Section II. Level Placement states the following: “Final determination of level placement will be made by the respective league vice president and overall coordinators. Team movement from one flight to another shall be based on the most recent team history during the past 12 months as well as on the addition of new players and the loss of old players. The goal is to match teams with comparable abilities within each level and flight.” We recommend submitting a request for review with your roster submission and including any pertinent details that would help the league vice president and overall coordinators with placement of the team. They will review the team’s results (including points won or loss by default or forfeit) along with the addition and loss of players in determining the most appropriate level for the team.

I FELT THE EARTH MOVE

During a rally, my partner hit the ball into the opponents’ court and then fell. The opponent returned the ball, and I returned it back into their court and won the point. The opponent then tried to call a let claiming the fall distracted them. Can they do this?

Loretta Phillips, Sunday Women’s Vice President

No, the opponent cannot call a let after the point is over. (Friend at Court, The Code, Making Calls, number 17) Prompt calls eliminate the two-chance option. A player must make all calls promptly. A call must be made either before the player’s return shot

has gone out of play or before an opponent has had an opportunity to play the return shot.

DECISIONS, DECISIONS

In the Senior Leagues, the third set tiebreak is the default when one splits sets — unless all four players decide to play a full third set. Does the decision to play the full third set have to be made at the beginning of the match?

Seth Appelbaum, Senior Leagues Vice President

No, during ALTA matches, the decision to play a full third set can be made at any time during the match. (ALTA Adult Captain Handbook page 30, number 11)

DID YOU EVER WONDER ABOUT … ?

If you’ve ever had a situation occur in a match where no one on the court knew the rule that applied, send your inquiry to Good Question. ALTA officials answer questions in each issue of Net News and yours could be chosen next. Submit your question, along with your name, league, team name and level to altaeditor@ altatennis.org.

Photos by Laura Barnard

Always Look For More Performance From Your Equipment

Tennis fans, I hope this finds you all hitting winners! The season is heating up. The pros finished the American swing and are now in Europe on the French Open run on the red clay. This looks like Nadal’s last run after winning 14 Roland Garros titles. Hopefully, he will be healthy enough to battle for one more title.

There are so many fun players to watch on the tour, and it really feels like the youth are gently pushing the older generation to the side. Djokovic had a lackluster start to the year and has fired his coach Goran Ivanisevic. Experts suggest Sinner and Alcaraz will be favorites for the Roland Garros trophy. On the WTA side, Iga Swiatek is playing up to her standard and Coco Gauff continues to improve her talents. There are many extraordinary veterans in pursuit such as Osaka, Wozniacki, Kerber, Halep, and Azarenka — all with display cases filled with major trophies.

The clay court season that jumps right into the grass court season will be so much fun to follow. One of the areas of the game that the tour players fully understand is tweaking their gear for the various conditions. I’ve mentioned this over the years, but if you are a player that plays on hard courts and clay courts, make sure you have the right gear to play your best.

Make sure to ask your stringer if there any new string technologies that can

help your game. Ask about a solid string tension and describe your style of play to the stringer. Remember, a faster hard court requires a string tension that is a little higher to give you more control. Clay courts are slower, so a lower tension will give you more power for the heavier conditions. Always look for more performance from your equipment. Even a quick restringing will help your racquet perform better. I use a simple formula on restringing a frame: If you play once per week, then string your frame one time a year. If you play three times a week, then restring three times a year. Give the stringer as much information as possible with your style of play and what you’re looking for in performance from your equipment.

Finally, look at your shoes. If you are a player that plays on both hard and clay courts, I highly recommend having a hard-court shoe and a clay-court shoe. Your local pro shop will have many options in popular brands for a shoe with support and tread that will grip those surfaces better. The player that wears a worn-out hard-court shoe on clay is basically wearing skates on the slippery clay.

I’m so excited for a warm and super-fun tennis season! Find more tennis friends and have more tennis FUN!

Keys to Hold Serve

BY PAUL BARTHOLOMAI, PSST TENNIS DIRECTOR

Iread this stat that indicates at the 3.5 & 4.0 level, tennis teams hold serve only about 40 percent of the time. So, what can we do to improve that number? In order to hold serve more often we need to practice the following:

• Increase percentage of first serve in.

• Focus on placement of your serve over power.

• “Server’s partner” needs to apply constant pressure

• Change the serving formation — “I” formation, Australian formation, Open Alley, Plan Poach, Never-hit-a-backhand formation.

Increase percentage of first serve in

If your first serve is not going in as planned, you will need to take some pace off and increase your number of first serves in. There are two main reasons why getting the first serve is so important:

• You can control the point right away and even get some free points.

• The receiver’s mindset on returning a first serve is of “respect” and “caution” unlike the returning of a second serve which is of “attack,” “control,” and “dominate.”

Placement over power

A well-placed serve is as effective as a powerful serve. When serving, you have control over the ball and you get to choose the targets. Each target has a potential return:

• Wide serve (target A) = cross court or down the line return

• Body serve (Target B) = middle/cross court return

• Center serve (Target C) = middle return

• Knowing the possible return helps us plan how we want to play the point out. If the server’s partner is a good net player, you will want to serve “center serve.” On the other hand, if the server’s partner doesn’t like to volley, you might want to serve “wide” so it comes back cross court, away from the net player.

“Server’s partner” needs to apply constant pressure

Server’s partner plays a very important role; his/her job is to D - A – D:

• D = Distract

• A = Attack

• D = Defend

The more active he/she is, the more he/she will force the returner to hesitate and to pay more attention to the net player than to the ball. The less attention he/she pays to the ball, the weaker or more inconsistent the return will be.

PRO TIP TO FIND SOMEONE’S WEAKER BACKHAND

BY STEPHEN HUSS, 2005 WIMBLEDON DOUBLES CHAMPION, PROGRAM DIRECTOR, HUSS 75 76 TENNIS AT CROOKED CREEK

Two of the traits that I typically see at the recreational level of tennis is that players have a weaker backhand, and players hit slice serves and not kick serves.

Based on these things, here are a couple of tips to more consistently find your opponent’s weaker backhand.

When serving to the deuce side, improve your angle to your opponent’s backhand (a right hander) by standing right next to the middle marker on the baseline, and serve down the T. This makes it much harder for the returner to run around and find a forehand, and also helps you as the server move onto your forehand for your own serve plus your first shot after the serve.

Different

doubles formation

The majority of the players feel confident returning serve cross court, but struggle on the down-the-line or lob return. Why set up different formations when serving?

• It is a useful way of disturbing the rhythm of players used to returning against standard doubles formations.

• It creates some indecision in their return game.

• It forces the receiving team to change direction on the return of serve. Try to make them return up the line, which is over the high part of the net. Many players aren’t comfortable doing that.

When serving to the ad side, use your slice serve down the T to your opponent’s forehand (wait a minute what???), so you can then play your own serve +1 into their weaker backhand side for their second shot. I used this tactic at the pro level against Fernando Gonzalez who had a forehand the size of Stone Mountain, but not nearly as good a forehand return. When your opponent then hits their weaker backhand for their own second shot, you will have an opportunity to attack them, or hit it at their partner.

The net player should be aware a likely lob is coming off their backhand so I hope you have been practicing your overheads as mentioned in one of my earlier tips!

GPTA TEACHING PROFESSIONAL SPOTLIGHT:

MARCUS RUTSCHE

Submitted by USTA

Hometown (City/ State): Johns Creek, Ga

How did you get involved in teaching tennis? Through my childhood coach needing help as a teenager with kids’ classes.

Diehard fan of what sports team? Penrith Panthers Rugby League

Best part of your game? Forehand

Dream doubles match would be me and… Roger Federer

When I’m not teaching tennis, I’m… Playing with my five-year-old twins.

My favorite tennis memory is: College tennis craziness

My favorite professional player is: Rafael Nadal

#1 reason why I enjoy teaching & coaching tennis: Relationships with students, fellow pros, and ability to hit tennis balls every day.

What important tennis message do you want to promote? Tennis should be thought of as a lifestyle goal, not a destination goal. With a healthy connection to the best physical, mental, and emotional sport on the planet, your life will be enriched for many years beyond your ability to play.

Control the Ball. Control the Point

BY MARCUS RUTSCHE, DIRECTOR OF RACQUET SPORTS, COUNTRY CLUB OF ROSWELL

Depth on shots should be the primary goal for all players once they have acquired a good level of consistency in their all-around game. Week after week, I watch players and notice how they start losing: first a point, then a game, and finally the match by hitting a great deal of short balls.

Why shouldn’t I hit a short ball? Short balls allow your opponent to:

• Control the point…by having time and optimal court position

• Neutralize the net player’s ability to poach or be a threat

• Force the baseliner to maintain the same direction of the ball, allowing the opposite net player to be more active and poach more balls

• Choose to hit their favorite shots to your least favorite shot

• Keep you in the defensive mode

• Make you react

I understand, Coach, how can I fix it? It is in the preparation: get set early, turn your shoulders, get your racquet back early and position yourself behind the line of the ball, and move forward to swing through the ball. Complete the motion and trust your follow-through.

Would I win more points, games, and matches? You will control your destiny for sure by making your opponent:

• Hit the ball in the same direction

• Run

• Hit the weakest shots in her game

• Play under defensive conditions

I believe, YES, you will WIN more matches. When playing, think consistency first and depth second before power.

Conquering The Atlanta Heat

Preparing yourself for summer tennis in the South

BY MARK KOVACS, PHD, FACSM, CSCS, CTPS, CEO, KOVACS INSTITUTE; EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR, INTERNATIONAL TENNIS PERFORMANCE ASSOCIATION

As the Atlanta summer brings its sweltering heat, tennis players gear up to face the challenge of playing in intense conditions. However, mastering tennis in the heat isn’t just about skill — it’s also about physical fitness, endurance, and smart recovery strategies. Let’s delve into a few of our expert tips from the International Tennis Performance Association (iTPA) and the Kovacs Institute on how to optimize fitness training, build endurance, and enhance recovery for peak performance on the courts.

Fitness training for heat endurance

Endurance is paramount when playing tennis in the heat, as matches can be physically demanding and prolonged. It is important to remember that playing doubles in the heat can be physically taxing, so the iTPA recommends incorporating specific fitness training exercises to improve cardiovascular (aerobic) endurance, muscular endurance, and heat tolerance.

High-intensity interval training (HIIT) and interval running can help build endurance and acclimate the body to heat stress, preparing players for the rigors of match play in hot conditions. Spending multiple hours per day outside in the heat is also a good way to work on your acclimation to the hot and humid environments.

Hydration and electrolyte balance

Proper hydration and electrolyte balance are essential for maintaining endurance and performance in the heat. At the Institute, we emphasize the importance of hydrating adequately before, during, and after tennis sessions, with a focus on replenishing fluids and electrolytes lost through sweat. Additionally, incorporating electrolyte-rich foods and beverages into post-match recovery can support hydration and muscle function. Every individual has a different sweat rate and electrolyte composition loss. Therefore, it is important to determine a personalized plan to ensure you take care of your body when the mercury rises.

Strategic rest and recovery

Effective rest and recovery strategies are crucial for optimizing performance and minimizing the risk of injury, especially in hot and humid conditions. Recovery techniques after practice or matches can help enhance circulation, alleviate muscle soreness, and promote recovery via multiple strategies. However, most evidence-based recovery techniques involve improving blood flow and this can be done through temperature alterations, compression, or electronic muscle stimulation. I recommend finding an iTPA-certified individual to help you put together the right rest and recovery plan.

Temperature regulation and cooling strategies

Managing body temperature is key to sustaining endurance and performance in the heat. It also is important for player safety. Implementing cooling strategies before, during, and after tennis play is valuable. Research has shown that pre-cooling of the chest helps keep core temperature lower for longer. Utilizing cooling towels or ice packs during rest breaks can help lower body temperature and mitigate the effects of heat stress during play.

Nutritional support for endurance and recovery

Proper nutrition plays a vital role in supporting endurance, recovery, and overall performance on the tennis court. The iTPA recommends fueling up with nutrient-rich foods that provide sustained energy, such as complex carbohydrates, lean proteins, and healthy fats. Additionally, incorporating post-match recovery snacks or beverages containing carbohydrates and protein helps replenish glycogen stores and promote muscle repair.

Periodized training and recovery cycles

Adopting a heat acclimation and periodized training approach allows players to optimize fitness gains to prepare for hot and humid conditions. Structure your training to improve exposure to the heat, including periods of high-intensity work, followed by strategic recovery phases to allow for adaptation and regeneration. In summary, mastering tennis in the Atlanta heat requires a multifaceted approach to fitness training, endurance building, and recovery. With a focus on smart training, strategic recovery, and proper hydration and nutrition, tennis enthusiasts can conquer the heat and elevate their game to new heights.

Utilizing cooling towels or ice packs during rest breaks can help lower body temperature and mitigate the effects of heat stress during play.

Beating The Heat Through Optimal Sport Nutrition

BY PAGE LOVE, MS, RD, CSSD, LD, USPTA, NUTRIFITGA.COM

How well do you do in preventing heat illness in the Southern heat?

Each summer, more and more players fall prey to heat problems, including muscle cramps, heat stress, and even heat stroke. This article will review the main tactics you can take nutritionally to better manage and avoid these issues this upcoming hot season!

What about carbohydrates in your diet and preventing heat illness?

First, let’s take a look at your training diet. If you have been tempted recently to cut back on carbs and starches … STOP! These low-carbohydrate diets, which are so culturally popular from Keto to Paleo, can increase risk of heat illness, cause increased water losses, and lead to faster muscle fatigue. Consuming adequate complex carbohydrates, such as breads, pastas, potatoes, rice, legumes, etc., is key for fueling for peak energy levels on court and for holding water in the muscles to assist in cooling the body during activity. Ideally, tennis players should consume 3-4 grams of carbohydrate per pound of body weight. This equates to no less than two cups of carbohydrates from both starchy and fruit and vegetable forms per meal. For many elite players, this volume can increase up to four cups volume per meal. Think of your training diet plate as being ¾ from these three food groups. Keep in

mind: fruit and vegetable forms of carbohydrates also assist in hydration given that up to 75 percent of their volume is water weight. They also are rich in electrolytes that are lost in sweat, particularly magnesium and potassium.

Pre-, during, and post-match eating/hydration

At minimum, work on better hydration during the day. Ideally, each meal and snack should contain one to two cups of hydrating fluids such as water, juices, or decaffeinated beverages. As it gets closer to match time (within 2-3 hours before you play), aim for 16-24 oz of fluid. If it is already hot outside, aiming to have a salty fluid at this time is appropriate, which can be a sport beverage or a vegetable juice such as tomato juice. Then, 30 minutes to 1 hour before you play, aim to have another 16-oz water or sport beverage before you walk on court. Also aim for your last urination to be light yellow, which is a sign of adequate hydration.

During a match in the heat, aim for ½ cup to one full cup of fluids to be consumed at every change over. A minimum goal would be four cups (or 1 Liter) per hour in moderate heat and you could easily increase up to 2 L per hour. Bringing both sport beverages and water with you on court is ideal. In most matches, starting with water is adequate, but in the heat, using a sport beverage in the second hour will be needed. If you are involved in high-intensity play, you may need a combination of both from the beginning of the match.

After matches, try to immediately rehydrate. In general, it is recommended that you consume an additional 16 oz or ½

liter of fluids or until your urine is lighter colored. This beverage can be your sport beverage of choice along with additional water consumption. Being aware of your sweat rate is a more accurate way of determining how much fluid you need, which is described below. Additionally, protein recovery fluids can assist in meeting total fluid needs not met during match play. It is recommended that a protein recovery beverage choice be consumed within 1545 minutes after play. Common recovery recommendations at this time are chocolate milk or a commercial sport beverage containing 15-25 grams of protein.

What should a sport beverage contain?

The purpose of a sport beverage is to provide electrolytes that you are sweating out during tennis play, but also to provide needed energy during your match. So, it is best to drink a sport beverage that contains some energy in the form of carbohydrates. An ideal carbohydrate concentration is a sport beverage that contains a 6-8 percent sugar solution, 14-16 grams of carbohydrate, and contains at least 100-mg sodium per eight fluid ounces. A blend of fructose, glucose, and sucrose is ideal for quick energy absorption and gastrointestinal tolerance. If you are not playing an intense match, at least consider a fitness water with electrolytes (mainly sodium), as that is the primary electrolyte lost in sweat.

There are many sport beverages on the market that contain artificial sweeteners and high levels of sodium (upwards of 1,000 mg of sodium per cup serving). Be aware that these types of beverages are not providing energy and may provide higher-than-needed levels of sodium

for recreational tennis. On the flip side, competitive juniors playing singles — especially male players — can have high sweat rates and benefit from higher levels of sodium to match their sodium sweat loss needs. Additional vitamins added to many popular sport beverages may raise the amount of vitamin consumption to above the daily value need for intake of vitamins, especially with the possible high volumes of sport beverage consumed.

How to read a sports drink label to determine carbohydrate solution

Look for sports drinks with 14 grams of carbohydrate per 8 oz., and at least 100 mg of sodium per 8 oz to encourage rapid fluid replenishment.

Calculate the carbohydrate percentage of any beverage: Divide the amount of carbohydrate in one serving (in grams) by the amount of fluid in one serving (in milliliters), and then multiply by 100 (8 ounces equals 240 milliliters). For example, for Gatorade: 14 grams carbohydrate/240ml x 100 = 5.83 or 6-percent carbohydrate.

How to determine your sweat loss needs

The best way to determine your sweat loss needs are two-fold: 1) weighing yourself before and after matches to look at basic fluid loss needs not being met; and 2) consider getting a sweat test done. Heavy sweat loss losers may be losing anywhere from 2-4 liters of fluids per hour!

Replenishing sodium losses: Consider consuming more of these foods to help meet your sodium losses during play. These food sources can be a part of your general training diet, but also can be a part of your pre- and post-match meals or snacks.

• Table salt

• Salted crackers and pretzels

• Salted nuts

• Salty trail mix or snacks like Chex Mix

• Pickles or pickled vegetables

• Tomato juice, sauce, and salsa

• Soups and broths

• Dried meats like jerky

• Sport beverages

• Fitness waters

Sweat testing

Sweat testing can be conducted by an outside lab, or now there are several commercial home methods of sweat testing available. Basically, you need to wear a sweat patch for 45 min to 1 hour to collect the sweat. The fluids in this sweat patch are then analyzed for the electrolyte content. Commercial examples of these tests are Precision Fuel and Hydration or Levelen Heat Sweat Sciences. I currently use a sweat testing device by MX3 technology which allows me to test the sweat sodium level immediately on players. Using these types of tests allows us to be aware of the amount of sodium and other electrolytes lost in sweat. Current technology allows

us to customize the electrolyte composition needed for consumption based on measurements taken through sweat analysis. So, if you are serious about wanting to know what you should be consuming during your tennis play, consider getting a sweat test. Some heavy sweaters are losing 2,000 mg or more of sodium per hour of tennis play.

What about energy drinks?

Many energy drinks contain between 200-300 mg caffeine, along with multiple other stimulant options not included in caffeine content. Try to avoid the following ingredient names that indicate stimulant side effects: ma haung, guarana, kola mate, ginseng, taurine, theophylline, theobromine, and glucuronolactone. Caffeine is an appetite suppressant and may make it difficult to be hungry for pre- and post-workout fueling snacks. This also may suppress overall hunger. High caffeine intake consumed within five hours of sleeping can disrupt sleep patterns. This may result in fatigue. Caffeine-containing energy drinks can be dehydrating and increase risk of heat illness, especially the ones with 300 mg or more caffeine.

So, there are many nutritional factors to consider when determining what you should do to prevent heat illness. As the summer months ahead increase your risk of these issues, try to practice increasing fluids and electrolytes before, during, and after tennis play for your best tennis!

DIRECTIONS FOR CHECKING WEIGHT TO DETERMINE SWEAT LOSS VOLUME:

1. Get a first body weight (A) after voiding, ideally with no or very light clothing on (can weigh dry clothes to be most accurate to know weight of clothes to subtract).

2. Play tennis in moderate to higher heat situation for at least 45 minutes to 1 hour.

3. Record amount of fluid consumed during tennis play (C).

4. After you are done, dry off and get second body weight (this means without sweaty clothes, or changing into similar dry clothes that you started with to get second body weight (B).

5. Subtract pre (A) and post (B) body weight.

6. Subtract weight of bottles consumed (C) i.e., 16 oz fluids is approximately 1 lb. of water weight.

7. Calculate sweat rate with this equation: (A – B) + (C)/time played is volume of fluid lost/duration.

*If you void during exercise session, this changes fluid loss amount, ideally don’t additionally void.

Dips

Let’s dip into a recipe topic that we know ALTA members love. How do we know? Well, our largest file of recipes is dips! Check out a few, recent offerings below and keep sending your favorite recipes — not just dips, but everything!

Palate Pleasing

Vidalia Onion Dip

David Johnston, East Cobb S&T

Men’s B6

1 cup parmesan cheese, grated

1 cup mayo

1 cup large Vidalia onion, chopped

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Mix the three ingredients together, until well combined. Spread into an 8x8 baking dish. Bake for 30 minutes, until brown and bubbly. Serve with crackers of tortilla chips.

Party Pleaser

Crockpot Cream Cheese Taco Dip

Scott Kugelman, Windermere Men’s C6

1 lb. ground beef, extra lean

16 oz. jarred salsa

1 packet taco seasoning

16 oz. cream cheese, cubed

16 oz. Velveeta

In a medium skillet, brown the ground beef, until no pink is left. Drain off any extra fat. Add the ground beef and the other remaining ingredients to a 3- to 4-quart slow cooker. Cover and cook on Low for 2 hours, stirring occasionally, until cheese is melted. Turn slow cooker to warm and serve with your favorite tortilla chips.

Yes, please!

Brickle Dip

Barbara Gonzales, Mountain Park Senior Women A7

8 oz. cream cheese

¾ cup brown sugar

½ cup granulated sugar

1 tsp. vanilla

6 oz. bag almond brickle

6-8 apples, sliced and soaked in pineapple juice

With a mixer, combine cream cheese, sugars, and vanilla. Stir in the almond brickle. Serve with apples. Add 1 to 2 tsp. of pineapple juice if dip hardens.

For Discerning Tastes

Shrimp and Artichoke Dip

Lori Coons, Falls of Autry Mill Sunday Women A7

1 lb. shrimp, peeled and cooked

1 8.5 oz. canned artichokes, packed in water

1 small bottle Italian dressing

1 Tbsp. dry mustard

1 egg yolk

2 Tbsp. chives, chopped

2 Tbsp. parsley, chopped

¼ cup tarragon vinegar

Crackers

Make sure shrimp is peeled, deveined, and cooked. In a mixing bowl, beat egg yolk by itself. Add in mustard, dressing, chives, parsley, and tarragon vinegar, until well combined. Drain the artichokes and cut into quarters. Add shrimp and artichokes to the mixing bowl. Chill for 3 to 4 hours. Serve with favorite crackers.

GEARGUIDE 2024

By Cory Sekine-Pettite

As avid tennis players, we need to update/replace our clothes, shoes, and gear more often than the casual player. By virtue of all our court time, we simply wear through our stuff. Lucky for you, our 2024 Gear Guide has all the new equipment you need. Load up for a fresh, fun, and fashionable summer season!

HEAD Boom

Blending explosive power with the enhanced, sensational feel of the new Auxetic 2.0 technology, the 2024 Boom allows you to play your best tennis while enjoying every moment. With a fresh, modern design in two colorways, the 2024 Boom Series will give players the greater stability they are seeking, while boosting their power and confidence. head.com/en_US/sports/tennis/boom-racquets

O3 Prince Legacy 120

Updated with a more stable construction, the O3 Legacy 120 offers an extremely powerful and comfortable hitting experience. The signature technology remains Prince’s time-tested O3 Port System, a grommet-less construction which allows the strings to absorb and transfer greater energy to the ball, while also providing an extremely plush and low-vibration hitting experience. tennis-warehouse.com

HEAD Speed

With the introduction of the new Auxetic construction, the upgraded Speed is still made for speed and a fast game, and now has even more sensational feel. You can play fast while feeling every shot with a racquet that is part of the bestselling SPEED series. The Speed is available in Pro, MP, Team, and Team L. head.com/en_US/sports/tennis/boom-racquets

Prince Phantom

Boasting the thinnest and most flexible beams on the market, Prince Phantom racquets deliver the surgical touch and buttery response of a bygone era. The Phantom balances classic control and feel with modern speed and spin. Technologies include Prince’s updated Anti Torsion System, which now includes Zylon to deliver a slightly more stable feel. tennis-warehouse.com

EZONE

Aqua Night Black

The 7th-generation EZONE series from Yonex delivers easy power and an improved, comfortable feel. Now available in the sleek and sophisticated Aqua Night Black color, this series is suitable for a wide range of players looking to dominate with controllable power and comfort. yonex.com/us

Babolat Pure Drive 30th Anniversary Racquet

This frame is hand-dipped in a stunning array of colors representing all 10 past models of this iconic racquet. Each one is a unique work of art. With its unparalleled combination of power, explosiveness, and feel, it’s no wonder the Pure Drive has remained the best-selling racquet in the world by tennis specialty retailers for over 20 years. babolat.com

Wilson Blade 98 (16x19) V9

Building on nearly 20 years of dominance, Wilson’s Blade performance racquets continue to be the preferred choice of avid competitors looking for ultimate control, feel, and stability.

The Blade 98 has a sharper, more stable response that produces a more connected-tothe-ball feel. It also features an open string pattern with a more forgiving response, which delivers consistent, spin-friendly shots. wilson.com/en-us

Babolat

Pure Strike 100 16/20 Racquet

The all-new Pure Strike 100 16/20 racquet is for aggressive counter-strikers whose game is centered around controlling the baseline. This is the most flexible racquet in the 4th generation of the Pure Strike range, giving you more control over your shots. Discover the unique feel and exceptional control of the new Pure Strike 100 16/20. babolat.com

HEAD Radical Tour Raw

The Radical Tour Raw is made for the versatile pickleball player who is looking for additional touch and grip on the ball. The Raw Carbon Hitting Surface provides an optimal grip on the ball and a soft and comfortable hitting feel. The Radical Tour Raw is also available in an EX model that comes with a longer handle for the two-handed backhand players. head.com/en_US/pickleball/paddle/radical.html

GEAR GUIDE

Babolat SFX Evo

The SFX EVO is the go-to shoe for comfort on any surface. There is ample room in the forefoot and extra cushion, making an unrivaled first-fit experience. Design-wise, the shoe is flexible and supportive in addition to being stylish for competing on the court or walking around town. babolat.com

Wilson Rush Pro 4.0

The Rush Pro 4.0 upgrades dynamic court movement thanks to a pair of innovations in the midsole and outsole. Layer in a sleek silhouette, and the result is a shoe that takes the popular Rush Pro franchise to all-new heights for both design and performance. wilson.com/en-us

HEAD Pickleball Revolt Evo 2.0

Experience pure comfort in the Pickleball Revolt Evo 2.0 with plenty of cushioning, padding, and flexibility as well as an extrawide fit. Available in sizes and styles for Men and Women.

head.com/en_US/footwear/collections/pickleball.html

K-Swiss Pickleball Supreme

The Pickleball Supreme is the ultimate choice for competitive players seeking a light, responsive shoe with enhanced comfort features. Get ready to play your best with this top-performing model, featuring Surge 7.0 for maximum energy return, a new Durawrap flex upper for an ideal fit and added protection, plus a DragGuard 7.0 outsole for unbeatable durability. kswiss.com

FILA Mondo Forza

Built with the aggressive baseliner in mind, FILA’s Mondo Forza strikes the perfect balance of flexibility, support and style, relying on data and research, proprietary technology, and the brand’s rich history in the sport to connect with the modern-day athlete. fila.com

K-Swiss Hypercourt Supreme 2

The Hypercourt Supreme 2 is the new hero model of the hyper family with a more secure fit, increased comfort, and maximum durability. Its newly engineered soft bootie collar gives a sturdier fit around the ankle, and Durawrap X upper offers drag protection with flexibility for sprinting on the court. A dualdensity midsole with lightweight Surgelite external foam provides optimal support, while a high rebound Shock Spring inner foam on the forefoot allows quicker reaction in every step. The Dragguard 7.0 rubber HB outsole is designed with a herringbone tread pattern for excellent balance between grip and slide on all court surfaces. kswiss.com

Mizuno Wave Enforce Tour

Designed for the advanced tennis or pickleball player, the all-new Wave Enforce Tour AC is the ideal shoe for powerful competitors who love to dictate points from the baseline. Equipped with Mizuno Enerzy throughout the footbed, the Enforce Tour provides high energy return and plush cushioning for quick transitions without added weight. The DuRubber outrigger outsole supports forceful rotational movement, maximizing stroke power and footwork stability, and works in conjunction with a unique upper blend of CPU and mesh to produce a professional level of durability. mizunousa.com

Prince Venom

Carrying on the stability and comfort for which Prince is known, the Venom infuses modern technologies to withstand the forces of aggressive movement on the court. Cushioning in the heel helps absorb shock, while a lower-to-the-court ride in the forefoot helps you to feel connected, and ready to sprint for the next shot. tennis-warehouse.com

ECLIPSION 5 Clay Court Edition

Babolat Jet Tere 2

The re-engineered Jet Tere 2 is designed to be Babolat’s ultra-lightweight shoe. At 320 grams, this is the lightest model in the Babolat range combining comfort and stability. To increase the comfort level from the previous model, Babolat made the midsole five percent thicker. In addition, the Matryx piece on the forefoot makes the shoe more stable which gives extra support for lateral movements. babolat.com

The ECLIPSION 5 from Yonex offers enhanced stability and durability with improvements in comfort and rebound speed. Its upper material includes durable skin for drag protection and flexibility. Its Power Cushion+ technology ensures a plush, energetic stride while its Endurance Rubber II sole holds up strong to clay court use. A unique tread pattern is specifically engineered to grip clay for optimal on-court movement. yonex.com/us

K-Swiss Express Light Pickleball

Dominate the court in the Express Light Pickleball. This lightweight and breathable shoe is perfect for both new and frequent players on hard or clay courts. Experience superior stability with a 180-degree Plantar Support Chassis and interlocking fibers in the heel grip lining to prevent slippage. Built to withstand tough matches, the Aosta rubber compound outsole provides heel-to-toe durability, while the DragGuard adds abrasion resistance. kswiss.com

FILA Axilus 3 Energized

The Axilus 3 Energized is the newest evolution of FILA’s most popular performance shoe. The premium performance tennis shoe offers a new level of responsiveness that allows for optimal agility on the court with an added level of maximum comfort for all players. fila.com

Mizuno Wave Exceed Tour 6 AC

Re-engineered from the ground up, the allnew Wave Exceed Tour 6 AC continues to set the standard for premium performance. The next generation of Mizuno Enerzy, Enerzy NXT — the lightest and most responsive Enerzy material yet — is integrated in the midsole at the forefoot to deliver explosive speed and change of direction for optimum performance and ultimate energy return. mizunousa.com

Prince T22

Prince’s flagship shoe, the T22 continues to provide players with classic cushioning and feel. Loaded with support and stability, this shoe also offers players comfortable underfoot cushioning. The mesh upper provides good breathability and ventilation while the outsole is ultra-durable. Great for pickleball! tennis-warehouse.com

GEAR GUIDE

2024

Rib Sleeveless Polo & Shockin’ Radiance Skirt

Sporty and feminine fashion flair share the court in this classic, hip fit polo and double-tier flounce skirt by Lucky In Love. The higher waist skirt features watercolor print — the new tie-dye for the season, an elastic waist band, and a design that allows for ease in movement. Sherbet color is done right in Lucky’s lightweight variegated performance rib fabric. shopluckyinlove.com

FILA Woven Court Short

The Woven Court Short is a staple to the Center Court Collection. The shorts offer front angled ball pockets with a pleated hem for extra ball mobility, a drawcord at interior of waistband and a 7” inseam. Available in elemental blue and whitecap gray, these shorts are the perfect pair to mix and match with any of the tops from the collection. fila.com

Endgame Tank & Elevate Short

K-Swiss pairs this performance compression tank with an ultra-lightweight short, focusing heavy on performance. Designed to hit at the high-hip, this high-neck top also features classic pinstripes redefined in a jacquard pattern. The short features a woven fabric and compressing shortie giving you the freedom and flexibility to move while keeping dry and confident. Sophistication at its best. kswiss.com

Capri Wave Polo & Blue Heat short

A modern approach to the classic tennis polo for the modern-day athlete. The deconstructed chest stripe breaks the boundaries of classic tennis apparel, taking your game to new heights in an off-white color. K-Swiss brought the Cali love in this orion-colored performance short featuring a 7” inseam. Stretch woven performance fabric makes every move that much easier while the moisture-wicking keeps you cool and dry. The surfer checkerboard pattern pays homage to the K-Swiss California heritage. kswiss.com

FILA Short Sleeve Crew

The Short Crew is a perfect mix of style and functionality. The top features a whitecap gray contrast color piecing against the elemental blue at the front chest, made with breathable material that moves with you. fila.com

FILA Advantage Track Jacket and Pant

Worn separately or paired together, the Advantage Track Jacket and Pant are the perfect on- or off-court layering essentials. The Center Court collection duo offers stretch woven fabric with a stretch illusion mesh body lining with unique breathability features built into both for peak functionality. The jacket features front kangaroo pockets, front full zipper, and mesh-lined eyelets at the underarms for extra breathability. The pant features perforated mesh side and back leg paneling, on seam welt pockets, drawcord at the interior of the waistband and a 10” zipper at the ankle opening. fila.com

Blue Heat Short Sleeve & Ripstop Short

A dynamic short sleeve that gives you edge on the court. Done in a new window-pane grid performance jersey fabric with moisturewicking that keeps you dry and cool for those long three-setters. Pair it with boxing-inspired shorts that will have you ready to rumble on the court. The shorts feature a lightweight stretch woven fabric with a ripstop texture and provide maximum breathability. kswiss.com

Yonex 2024 Paris Collection

This tournament apparel collection combines state-of-the-art cooling technology with a fresh, bold design that captures the drama, sounds, and emotions of Roland Garros. yonex.com/us

FILA A-Line Skort

The Center Court collection introduces FILA’s latest colorway and pattern of the A-Line Skort. The swirl print is available in a elemental blue/celestial blue and malachite/ viridis green colorway. The skort offers functionality and ease with its 13 ½” length and inside forza ball short. fila.com

Classic Stripes Rib Tank and Long High Waist Stripe Skirt

Classic whites never go out of style. Lucky in Love’s inverted pleat tank in performance rib fabric features classic watercolor pinstripe detail. The modern high-low shirttail hemline adds a contemporary flair to this preppy look. The classic white tennis skirt gets some fun updates with a retro-inspired elastic waistband and complimentary watercolor pinstripe side panel detail for a pop of color. It’s all done on an ultralightweight performance pique fabric. shopluckyinlove.com

FILA Woven Court Track Jacket and Pant

The Woven Court Track Jacket and Pant come together to round out the Center Court collection and create a sleek whitecap gray monochromatic look to be worn to warm up or cool down, on or off-court. fila.com

FILA Racerback Tank

The Center Court collection introduces FILA’s latest colorway of the classic Racerback Tank: elemental blue. The tank includes an inside self-fabric bra with removable cups, mesh piecing detail at front and back yoke, and FILA’s classic F-box patch logo at the wearer’s left chest. fila.com

Accelerate Crop Tank & Pro Skirt

K-Swiss’ sleek, aerodynamic, compression top brings a fresh approach to the classic tennis look. Designed to hit at the high-waist, giving you the freedom and coverage to move as well as moisture-wicking to keep you comfortable on the court. Pair it with the ultralightweight, performance woven skirt that won’t limit your movement or your game. The skirt also features a cinched waistband and a compression shorty for comfort. kswiss.com

GEAR GUIDE

2024

The Pickle by Lobster

The Pickle by Lobster is a full-featured pickleball machine that outperforms all others on the market. The pickleball machine throws balls up to 60 mph and offers both heavy top and backspin. This machine comes with the elite 2-function remote control. lobstersports.com

FILA Fully Loaded Tennis Bag

The FILA Fully Loaded Tennis bag is the most effective and stylish way to get your gear to and from the courts with ease. With two separate racquet compartments and four accessory pockets, this comfortable and classy backpack is truly a one-stop-shop for your haul to and from the courts. fila.com

Lobster Phenom Two

The Phenom Two is a fully programmable machine that incorporates digital technology to produce complex functionality through a very simple user interface. Choose preprogrammed or build your own drills that can shoot to 18 shot locations with customized speed, spin, and feed rate. lobstersports.com

Fast Track Tennis

Fast Track Tennis is a patented solo trainer that sets up anywhere such as a garage, driveway, or basement, and feeds 20 real balls per minute (1,200 per hour) in a continuous “hit-catch-return” loop. Free smartphone apps offer sophisticated ball tracking metrics and connected leaderboard game with monthly prizes. FastTrackTennis.com

Lobster Elite Grand Four

When you buy a grand series machine, you are buying a digital practice partner. The Elite Grand Four is equipped with 6 pre-loaded, 6-shot drills that simulate the most popular styles of play: grinder, all courter, power baseliner, moonballer, slicer, and lefty. lobstersports.com

The Pickle Champion

Offering cutting-edge technology unrivaled among pickleball ball launchers, the all-digital pickleball machine, The Pickle Champion by Lobster feels like you are playing against another human being! The Pickle Champion comes with either the grand 20-function remote or grand 20-function Wi-Fi remote control for Apple. lobstersports.com

Lobster Elite Two

The Elite Two is geared toward intermediate and advanced intermediate players. The triple oscillation feature, which produces shots at random width and depth, places emphasis on strong footwork and the ability to adapt to the types of variable shots one sees in match play. lobstersports.com

Blade V9 Super Tour Backpack

Prized for its best-in-class functionality for tennis players, Wilson’s Blade Super Tour Backpack provides hands-free convenience and room for all the essentials. Inspired by the Blade V9’s sleek, dynamic design, this spacious backpack has a padded compartment for two racquets and another for a laptop or tablet. wilson.com/en-us

Babolat RH6 Pure Strike Bag

The new RH6 Pure Strike bag was created to be carried closer to your body, bringing your center of gravity forward, and making it more comfortable. In addition, this bag is designed to be more durable and heat-resistant than the previous models. The bag has two large compartments for up to six racquets and two pairs of shoes. babolat.com

No

no

Tourna Edge Guard

Protect your investment in the pickleball game with the super durable woven Edge Guard (three widths to choose from). uniquesports.us

Luxilon LXN Eco Spin Tennis String

Luxilon’s Eco Spin is a durable polyester string designed for ultimate precision and tension maintenance. The pentagon string shape offers great spin potential, grabbing the ball on contact and adding devastating arc to its flight. If you’re looking for additional control to keep your shots in the court and want a sustainable choice, Eco Spin delivers, helping ambitious players take their game to the next level. 100% recycled materials, biodegradable. wilson.com/en-us

HEAD Hawk Power

Designed for high-performance players, and made in the United States, the Hawk Power tennis strings add explosive power and control to your game. head.com/en_US/hawk-power-281022.html

Yonex POLYTOUR PRO

A perpetual fan favorite, the POLYTOUR PRO is on the softer side of the polyester spectrum and very spin-friendly. A solid, durable string that is a great choice for aggressive, big hitting players. yonex.com/us

Pro Penn Marathon

Pro Penn Marathon Extra-Duty Felt is Penn’s longest lasting tennis ball featuring exclusive Encore™ Technology for a 22% longer lasting core and high tenacity LongPlay® Felt for extended play and is geared toward hard courts. The new and improved packaging can be recycled more easily and includes Midori Bio additives that helps to improve the biodegradability. It’s the same great ball with better packaging. head.com/en_US/pro-penn-marathon.html

Yonex Dry Super Grap

Engineered for peak performance, this grip boasts a cutting-edge texture designed for exceptional sweat absorption. It ensures a steadfast hold, allowing players to wield their racquets with unmatched precision and control. yonex.com/us

Tourna Mini Hopper

The Tourna Mini Hopper can be used for both tennis and pickleball! uniquesports.us

Prince Premier Control

Phenomenal comfort, controllable power, and outstanding price are delivered with Prince Premier Control. This legendary Prince string features a firm tri-core construction inside a bed of very soft and pliable filaments. The result is a versatile multifilament that combines comfort with an impressive level of control. Prince Premier Control is a great string for any player preferring a soft, arm-friendly response and easy targeting on big cuts. tennis-warehouse.com

Tourna Mega Wrap for Pickleball

Show your USA spirit with a flag patterned overgrip. It has a tacky feel so you can play your best. uniquesports.us

Tourna Pickle Pocket

pockets,

problem! Pickle Pocket clips on to your waist and holds two pickleballs. uniquesports.us

STANDINGS WINTER 2024

Mixed Doubles • Senior Mixed

WINNER • FINALIST

MIXED DOUBLES

A1 Lost Mountain Tennis Center (Brooke Hilyer, captain)

AA2 East Roswell Park (Pegah Jimenez, captain)

AA3 Sentinel Lake (Kevin Hoffman, captain)

AA1 Crooked Creek (Nanely DeMartini, captain)

Photos by Matthew Helton | majestickphotography.shootproof.com

A6 Richard Craig Park (Sarah Witherspoon, captain)

A7 Towne Lake Hills South (Eric Ayala, captain)

A4 Mill Glen (Richard Pirkle, captain)

A5 Dellinger Park (Laurie Brown, captain)

A2 Saddle Creek 2 (Veronica O’Brien, captain)

A3 Polo Golf & CC (Alison Kim, captain)

A8 Laurel Manor (Mark Bombulie, captain)

B1 Bunten Road Park (Juliana Oh, captain)

B5 St. Marlo CC (Cathy S Pham, captain)

B4 Sterling on the Lake (Jay Gaston, captain)

B3 Avensong (Ben Appel, captain)

B2 Chastain (Josh Merriman, captain)

C2 Fowler Park (Misty Abbett, captain)

C3 CCS – Barnwell CTS (Derek Curtis, captain)

B8 Traditions (Kipp Ramsey, captain)

C1 Wheatfields (David Jones, captain)

B6 Druid Hills (Diane Leonard, captain)

B7 Independence Sq (Amie Willis, captain)

C1

C2

C4 Ashebrooke (Susan Oliver Cox, captain)

C6 Dunmoor S&T (Joe Breithaupt, captain)

C5 Terrell Mill TC (Brandon Janco, captain)

C7 Chimney Lakes (Melissa Machit, captain)

C7

SENIOR MIXED

AA1 Bitsy Grant/Soft Courts (Lee King, captain)

A1 Saddle Creek 2 (Laurie Schmidt, captain)

B3 Highlands at Hamilton Township (Craig Page, captain)

B1 Traditions of Braselton (Curtis Seymour, captain)

A5 Sugar Creek (Alice Billups, captain)

A3 Foxdale the Reserve (Jimmy Caras, captain)

B5 EE Robinson Park (Sookyoung Hwang, captain)

B7 Westchester S&T (Michael Joseph, captain)

C1 Kensington Farms (Ivey Giovannielli, captain)

C3 Fowler Park (Elizabeth Ortiz, captain)

GOOD QUESTION

In A Pickle?

Here’s ALTA’s

answers to your burning pickleball questions.

BY JERRY NIEMEYER, PICKLEBALL LEAGUE VICE PRESIDENT

During a match last spring, my opponents’ captain from outside the court yelled for them to call time out when we were leading in the game 12-4. He met with them during the timeout and when the match resumed, we ended up losing 16-14. I understand that coaching is allowed during the timeout, but isn’t it coaching when he yells at them during the match to call timeout? I didn’t think this was allowed.

What the opposing captain did was coaching as defined by ALTA and USA Pickleball. The ALTA definition is found in the ALTA Pickleball Rules section IV. Paragraph K. “Coaching is allowed between games and during timeouts. Spectators (including teammates, coaches, and fans) may not volunteer advice regarding line calls, scoring, or the conduct of a match while the match is in play. USA Pickleball defines coaching in rule 3.A.3. “Coaching is the communication of any information including verbal, nonverbal, and electronic, from someone other than a player’s partner, that a player or team may act upon to gain an advantage or help them avoid a rules violation. The opposing captain coached during a time when it is not permitted.

During a very cold match last winter, the ball we were using cracked in the middle of a rally. We stopped playing, got a new ball, and re-played the point. Was that the correct way to handle this situation?

The answer to this one can be found in USA Pickleball Rules. The specific rule is 11.E. Broken, Cracked, Degraded, or Soft Ball. “If any player suspects the ball is or becomes broken, cracked, degraded, or soft after the serve, play must continue until the end of the rally.” In only the case of a broken or cracked ball, if the players agree the cracked ball impacted the prior rally, a replay occurs. If this happens again, complete the rally, replace the ball, and determine with your opponent if the cracked ball impacted the play in the prior rally.

At times, the scoring for pickleball seems a bit confusing. If I think the wrong score has been called, when can I stop play to get the score corrected?

Mistakes happen when the score is being called, but it is important to know when to make the scoring correction. In USA Pickleball rule 4.K. Wrong Score Called. “If the wrong score is called, any player may stop play before the return of serve to correct the score. After the return of serve, play shall continue to the end of the rally and the score correction made before the next serve. After the return of serve, a player who stops play to identify or ask for a score correction will have committed a fault and shall lose the rally.

PICKLEBALL

Summer season: Mondays 6:30 p.m.

Season runs June 24 – Aug. 5

We’ll Dink to That Get ready for summer ALTA Pickleball

An issue I noticed in a couple of the matches I saw in the winter season — and was also brought to my attention by several captains — was a lack of knowledge regarding pickleball rules, procedures, and how to keep score during a match.

BY JERRY NIEMEYER, PICKLEBALL LEAGUE VICE PRESIDENT

Summer is just around the corner, and if you are like me, you’re looking forward to the more relaxed summer season. We wrapped up our first winter season a little more than a month ago with City Finals. Congratulations to our new City Champions and City Finalists! It was good to meet many of you on that day, and I look forward to seeing some new faces at the summer league City Finals in late August.

Our second summer league will be starting soon, and I am hoping the weather will cut us some slack. Some of you had half of your matches weather delayed in the winter season! I can’t thank you enough for the cooperation you displayed in getting those matches played. You may have noticed we have delayed our originally published summer start date by about three weeks. This was done to guard against potential scheduling issues with the summer Mixed Doubles and Senior Men’s and Women’s leagues. We had a small scheduling conflict at the end of the winter season, but with tremendous cooperation from you as players and captains, and a lot of hard work by our coordinators and overall coordinator, we were able to work through it. Steps have been taken to make sure this situation does not happen in the future.

An issue I noticed in a couple of the matches I saw in the winter season — and was also brought to my attention by several captains — was a

lack of knowledge regarding pickleball rules, procedures, and how to keep score during a match. If you are a captain, I urge you make sure everyone on your team is aware of where they can access both the ALTA and USA Pickleball rules and procedures. Both of the documents can be found on the ALTA website under the document tab. If you have access to a pickleball pro or instructor, it may be helpful to arrange a session with that individual and your team to review things like how to start a match, service rotation, scoring, and the use of timeouts. If you are a player, it is your responsibility to learn the rules and procedures of pickleball. I have found when all players have a clear understanding of the rules, the match is much more enjoyable for everyone.

Our efforts with pickleball are still in their infancy, and we are considering some ideas to improve and expand play. For 2025, we are considering shifting play from winter and summer to spring and fall. Obviously, we would have to pick a date and time that will not conflict with the current spring and fall tennis leagues. As we continue to grow in teams and players, we will investigate how we may add senior league play to our selection. Please be on the lookout for more information on all these issues.

I hope you have a great summer on the courts. See you at City Finals!

LEAGUE NEWS

STANDINGS WINTER 2024

Pickleball WINNER • FINALIST

PICKLEBALL

B3 Brookfield CC (Scott McRee, captain)

A3 Tuxford (Miralem Cajic, captain)

B1 Oregon Park (Terri Traub, captain)

A1 Blackland Private CT (Steven Schnugg, captain)

Photos by Matthew Helton | majestickphotography.shootproof.com

B5 Alpharetta North Park (Tanya Lewis, captain)

B7 Kenny Askew Park (Lou Kramer, captain)

C7 Plantation @ Brookwood (Deepak Sharma, captain)

C5 Traditions of Braselton (Fred Papuga, captain)

C3 Coal Mountain Park (Ratheesh Kumar, captain)

C1 Sterling on the Lake III (Jason Demars, captain)

Photo Contest

DEADLINE IS SEPT. 13TH!

Contest Rules and Regulations

1. You must be a member of ALTA.

2. Photos must relate to tennis and/or tennis play.

3. Do not use filters on photos with the exception of black and white or sepia.

4. Do not send screenshots.

5. Do not take photos of printed photos.

6. All contest submissions must be received ONLINE by 11:59 p.m. on Sept. 13, 2024.

7. Decisions of the judges are final.

8. Limit three entries per ALTA member.

9. Do not resubmit photos from a previous year.

10. Each photo entry must include a completed ONLINE entry form.

11. Judges reserve the right to title photos if no title is provided and to change the category into which a photo has been entered.

12. Photos not taken by the entrant must be accompanied by a release form signed by the photographer.

ALTA and Net News are not responsible for any copyright violations.

13. Judges reserve the right to disqualify any entry that does not meet the above rules and regulations.

14. All winning photos will be featured in the annual November/December edition of Net News

15. Questions may be addressed to production@ knowatlanta.com.

Photography Specifications

1. Photos must be provided in a high resolution format. (300dpi at a minimum of 5" x 7") This means your photo will be a file that is between 1.5MB and 3MB in size!

2. When uploading images from your phone, always choose the "Actual Size" option.

3. Low resolution, non-reproducible images will not be considered for the photo contest.

Upload original digital photos through the Net News website at netnewsmag.com/photo_contest

All photos must relate to tennis • All entries due September 13, 2024

Employment

Your Serve Tennis – We are looking for new members of the YST team. YST provides a relaxed, fun work environment where our focus is the game we all love — TENNIS! Flexible hours available and weekend availability is required. We have positions available at all of our locations (Buckhead, East Cobb, Johns Creek, Milton, Sandy Springs, Suwanee and West Cobb), ranging from part-time stringers to store managers. We are also hiring for office and shipping/receiving positions out of our Roswell Home Office. For more information visit yourserve.com/jobs or submit your resume/application to jobs@yourserve.com.

PGA TOUR Superstore is looking for fun, energetic tennis enthusiasts to join our team. We are seeking part-time and seasonal sales associates and experienced racquet stringers for our Duluth, Roswell, and Kennesaw locations. For more information, please inquire in person to one of our stores.

Services

RACQUETTECH.COM and the US RACQUET STRINGERS ASSOCIATION are looking to make you a “KNOW IT ALL PRO”—Get connected to the most up-to-date interactive information for racquet sports professionals at racquettech. com. Membership also includes the Stringers Digest, Racquet Sports Industry magazine, manufacturer discounts, free marketing samples, and the only racquet service certification program in the industry. All benefits are available with USRSA Membership - $129. Contact: USRSA, P.O. Box 3392, Duluth, GA 30096, (760) 536-1177, FAX: (760) 536-1171, Email: USRSA@RacquetTECH.com, WEBSITE: RacquetTECH.com.

ADVERTISE:

Prizes courtesy of

ALTA

Contact Us at 770.399.5788

n All ALTA vice presidents (below) have phone extensions at the ALTA office, but do not work in the office on a regular basis. Voice messages are checked frequently and answered in a timely manner.

n The phone number of your league coordinator is in your captains’ packet.

n To contact a member of the Executive Committee, call the ALTA office at 770.399.5788 and dial the extension listed next to the officer’s name.

Questions?

ALTA office personnel cannot answer your league-related questions. Team members should first contact their captain. If unable to answer, the captain should contact a league official.

n Questions about rules must be directed to league officials, which include coordinators, overall coordinators and league vice presidents.

n Concerns about team placement and levels should be directed to league officials.

VP Thursday Women’s League – Siobhan

VP Sunday Women’s League –Loretta Phillips

VP Senior Day Leagues –Joan Marcinko

VP

VP Junior

VP

VP

VP Pickleball – Jerry Niemeyer

n Credit card questions? Call ext. 107.

n Want information about new facility requests? Contact the First Vice President at ext. 114.

n IT issues? Contact Joan Appelbaum at ext. 103.

Directions & General Information

The ALTA office is located at 300 Colonial Center Parkway, Suite 140, Roswell, GA 30076. From GA 400 North, take exit 8 (Mansell Road) to Colonial Center Parkway (1.3 miles west).

ALTA office: 770.399.5788

ALTA office hours: 8:30 a.m. – 4:30 p.m. Call the office during weekdays as employees occasionally work remotely.

Membership dues: Adults – $30, Juniors (18 and under) – $15. Dues are for the calendar year and expire at the end of the fall league season.

ALTA website: altatennis.org

ALTA’s calendar of important dates can be found on the website and in each issue Net News.

Your membership number is printed on Net News mailing label and is also available on the ALTA website.

To update your mailing address, log in to your account on the ALTA website and go to My Profile.

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