USPTA Eastern Summer 2023 Newsletter by USPTA

USPTAEASTERN

Honoring his Life and Legacy

Summer2023Newsletter

JEFF ROTHSTEIN

SUMMER 2023

ATRIBUTETOJEFFROTHSTEIN

byAndresSanchez

It is with a heavy heart that I write this tribute for the late Jeff Rothstein, a legend in the tennis industry and coaching world Jeff was a true pioneer in the sport, making a lasting impact on the lives of so many players, coaches, and parents. His passion for the game was infectious, and his knowledge and expertise were unmatched

I had the privilege of knowing and working with Jeff for over 11 years. He took a chance on me and hired me as a coach at the club he was at, and mentored me during my time there

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I remember him always pushing me to do better, to think creatively, and to never give up on my dreams. His guidance and support were invaluable, and I owe much of my success to him

Jeff was one of my testers for my USPTA certification back in 2009. I will never forget when he took points off for me having worn, what he considered, dirty shoes. That memory still brings a smile to my face every time I think about it I’m sure many of you reading this that knew him personally can think of a memory with Jeff that will bring joy to you.

SUMMER 2023

ATRIBUTETOJEFFROTHSTEIN

byAndresSanchez

Jeff was not only a great coach, but also a great person He had a warm and welcoming personality that made everyone feel at ease. He was a true friend, always willing to lend a listening ear or offer words of wisdom I remember him telling me stories of his experiences in the sport, and his passion and love for tennis were palpable. I could always count on Jeff to give me an honest answer for whatever question I might have

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Jeff received numerous awards throughout his career for his efforts on and off the court. He was a true ambassador for the sport, and his contributions will be remembered for generations to come He dedicated his life to his family, volunteering, coaching and mentoring others His legacy will continue to inspire future generations of tennis players and coaches.

Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipisicing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua Ut enim ad minim veniam, quis nostrud exercitation ullamco laboris nisi ut aliquip ex ea commodo consequat Duis aute irure dolor in reprehenderit in voluptate velit esse cillum dolore eu fugiat nulla pariatur. Jeff, you will be dearly missed by many Thank you for everything you did for me and all of those you impacted in your life Your legacy will live on, and your spirit will continue to inspire us all Rest in peace, my dear friend

It is difficult to put into words the impact that Jeff had on my life and the lives of so many others His wisdom, guidance and passion for the sport will stay with me forever I feel incredibly fortunate to have known him, and to have had the opportunity to learn from him

Andres

SUMMER 2023

PRESIDENT'SMESSAGE

What a start to 2023. It was wonderful to see many of you in January at the USTA Coaches Conference in Mahwah, NJ USTA Eastern always does a fantastic job of providing great speakers and an environment that is ripe for networking. In addition, congratulations to Bob Bynum for receiving USPTA Pro of the Year and Steve Pekich for receiving the Lifetime Achievement Award. Both were well deserved The weekend of May 5th and 6th, USPTA

Eastern held our Annual Spring Conference at the Saw Mill Racquet Club in Mt Kisco, NY

It was an action-packed weekend. We had workshops and seminars with an All-Star cast of speakers, which included Luke Jenson, Ed Krass, Craig Jones, Ramona Husaro, Harry Gilbert, Kevin Theos, Bob Ingersole, Ashley Owens, Karla Ruaya, Lisa Pugliese-LaCroix, Geoff Jagdfeld and Michael Filipek The topics and activities covered were Adaptive & Inclusive programming, drills, the mental game for coaches and players, court management programming, Tournament Directors Workshop, important qualities for tennis pros, hospitality, high energy doubles, BBQ’s, a Q&A with Luke Jensen, and a prize money “One on One Doubles” tournament. Congratulations to all the award winners, they were well deserved. Attendance and participation were fantastic, and we hope to see you all at the next one in 2024 This is how we get better

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Being a long time proud USPTA member for 29 years, I have seen our organization go through many changes. After not renewing with the USTA as an accredited organization, it feels like we have come to a road with a variety of paths to choose from. We were once on a straight road. The path to become certified was clear, the different levels of certification were clear, the Board’s responsibilities were clear We were all tennis coaches, but now, we are all not just tennis coaches The tennis industry has evolved to a “Racquets” Industry Case in point, when you look at job listings for Directors at Country Clubs, you rarely see the position “Tennis Director,” we now see “Racquets Director.” Paddle and Pickleball are now offered at many country clubs and Pickleball is popping up at more indoor facilities. Turn on the TV, how many commercials do you see with Pickleball? Pickleball is here and here to stay Will it sustain the level of popularity it has now?

SUMMER 2023

PRESIDENT'SMESSAGE

If high schools and colleges begin to form teams, I think it could reach an entirely new level It is an interesting discussion Time will tell, but in the meantime, what an opportunity for coaches to grow professionally and earn more income. I know some coaches who are teaching more Pickleball lessons vs Tennis lessons. The USPTA has adapted by offering coaches who are certified the opportunity to add Pickleball, Paddle and now Padel to their coaching resume

This year, USPTR struck a deal with Lifetime, Sportime and Midtown Athletic Clubs. That is great for them, but what about us? Let’s all think about that. How does that make you feel? The National office, National Board and all the USPTA sectional Board members must put our heads together and continue to grow, branch out and compete We have many forward-thinking people in our organization that are not on Boards We need to hear from you What are your ideas? We are all proud members We are the oldest tennis coaches certification organization Let’s not act like it Reach out to me or anyone on the Board with your ideas. We need to work together to choose the next road.

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Please save the date, September 24th – 28th, for our USPTA World Conference in Orlando, Florida. National always does a first-class job of providing top quality education with fun bonding activities mixed in. When you attend, it is important to let your clients and club know you are attending. This is how you raise your stock and grow as a Tennis Professional

Have a fantastic Summer.

Mike Smookler USPTA Eastern President

(cont'd)

SUMMER 2023

USTA2023EASTERN CONFERENCE A TimetoRemember!

SUMMER 2023

An exciting weekend of coming together to learn, connect, create and exchange ideas, and celebrate and recognize leaders in the Eastern section as we shareourpassionforallthingstennis.

SUMMER 2023

SPECIALANNOUNCMENT: BECOMEAMEMBEROF THEUSPTAEASTERNBOARD!

Hello USPTA Eastern Members,

The USPTA Eastern Division Nominating Committee is seeking candidates who are interested in serving on the USPTA Eastern Board for the 2024-2025 term. The application deadline is July 17, 2023.

Phone interviews will be conducted with qualified nominees. Selected candidates will then be offered a virtual interview during the week of Aug. 28. A nominating slate will be presented to the membership by Sept. 8, and any challenges to the slate must be submitted by Oct. 6. If an election is needed, it will be held in November so that results can be announced by Dec. 1. The election will be held online, with paper ballots available upon request Please note that only members in good standing with a certification level of Elite Pro or higher are eligible to apply.

Please submit a resume and three references along with answers to the candidate questions below, via email, to Jason Speirs, USPTA Eastern Nominating Committee Chairman at: jspeirs@empiretennisacademy.com Candidatae Questions:

Why are you interested in serving on the USPTA Eastern Board?

What committees are you most interested in helping develop in the division? (ex Education, Membership, Diversity/Inclusion or Charity)

What qualities and experience do you bring to the table that will benefit the division members? Thank you,

Jason Speirs Nominating Committee Chairman Past President USPTA Eastern

SUMMER 2023

JOIN TODAY AND REAP THE BENEFITS

Now is an exciting time to be a part of the association! In addition to educational changes, I’ve outlined our goals for 2023 below:

1. Education

a. Continue to provide regular monthly webinars

b. Return to in-person workshops & conferences

2. Improve Communication

a. Create a schedule of regular marketing content

b. Conduct Semi-Yearly Virtual Town Halls

c. Survey our Membership more often

3.Help Facilitate New National Education Track

a. Continue to Liaison between National and Eastern Division

b. Provide Communication regarding Educational Changes

4. Create New Partnerships

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a. PTM Programs

b. Early Education College Programs

c. Local Clubs in our Districts

d. Attract a More Diverse & Inclusive Full Board of Directors

SUMMER 2023

With the global pandemic appearing to wind down, 2023 has already hit the ground running. The USTA Eastern Division returned to its annual conference in late January at Ridgewood Racquet Club and Sheraton Mahwah Hotel in Mahwah, NJ.USPTA Eastern had a very strong presence.

USPTA Eastern Board Member Jason Joseph and USPTA Eastern Metro District President Somadi Drucker opened the USTA Conference with an on court presentation. USPTA Diversity and Inclusion Committee Co-Chairs Daria Pascale and Karla Ruaya also presented

We held an invigorating and productive two hour USPTA Eastern board meeting with a large member turnout on the evening of the first day of the conference followed by a wonderful dinner which allowed for further bonding and sharing of ideas among the leadership

Closing out the conference was the annual awards dinner and this year USPTA NJ District President Bob Bynum was honored with USPTA Pro of the Year and USPTA Northern and Western District President Steve Pekich received the USTA Eastern’s Lifetime Achievement Award! I’m happy to share some photos that include photos that USTA Eastern posted which include our members

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Below you will find the member spotlight which takes a more personal tone this issue because it involves a project I am directly involved in developing and an organization which I have been honored to serve as a volunteer since 1992! The details of this current project follow in the article/press release below and I’m happy to share some photos as well. Please feel free to contact me if I can be of any help and I thank you for investing in your professional future by being a member of USPTA Eastern!

Millie Didio Regional Vice President and Chair Membership Committee

MEMBER'SCORNER

SUMMER 2023

Going Global: Growing Tennis is Ghana!

FG/ CRTC and KEEA Break Ground on New Tennis Court to Benefit The Tatyana Mamonova Library and Tennis Facility a joint project of local chapter WE Ghana and Woman and RussiaWoman and Earth Global EcoNetwork.

Tennis Foundation Ghana in collaboration with the Central Regional Tennis Confederation and the Komenda Edina Ekuafo Abrem Municipal Assembly have broken ground on the construction of a new clay court at Ankaful in the Central Region for the benefit of The Tatyana Mamonova Library and Tennis Facility, a joint project WE Ghana Chapter and its international NGO Woman and RussiaWoman and Earth Global EcoNetwork.

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This collaboration was facilitated at the grassroots level in large part by Miss Doris Abakah Head of the Business Advisory Centre at the Komenda Edina Ekuafo Abirem Municipal Assembly, who also serves as volunteer advisory leader with WE Ghana local chapter of Woman and RussiaWoman and Earth Global Eco-Network, an international NGO which was founded by Tatyana Mamonova in 1979 as the first NGO to serve the interests of women and girls in the former Soviet Union and grew into an international NGO serving as a bridge of education information and communication between Russian speaking women and women all over the world as a result of founder Tatyana Mamonova’s exile to the west at the start of the Moscow Olympic Games on July 20, 1980

MEMBERSPOTLIGHT

SUMMER 2023

The current world headquarters of Woman and Russia-Woman and Earth are in New York and there are local chapters of this volunteer NGO throughout the world

WE Ghana Chapter has been organizing programming and serving the interest of women and girls in Ghana since 1999 Woman and RussiaWoman and Earth Founder and President Tatyana Mamonova is an award winning world renown women’s leader, artist, author, editor, poet and former post doctoral Bunting Institute fellow at Harvard University.

Among her many accolades, Tatyana has been honored as Woman of the Year 1980 by Femme Magazine Paris, 100 Heroines Award 1998 by Women’s Committee of Seneca Falls, Human Rights Award 1999 by African Peace Network Ghana, Inclusion in the Prominent Refugees Directory UNHCR 2001, Living Legacy Award 2002 by Women’s International Centre, Heart of Danko Award 2006 by a Moscow and St Petersburg Russian based organization, Woman of the Year 2008 by Vishnevskaya Association of St Petersburg Russia and Humanitarian Award 2016 by Radici, an Italian based international cultural and political association, and that same year received the prestigious designation of Ambasciatrice from Il Vale!, an Italian national organization of arts and letters Tatyana is also a member of PEN International organization and is a founding board member of WE Ghana.

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Millie Didio, Vice President of Woman and Russia-Woman and Earth Global and a board member of WE Ghana, who is also a former touring pro and current USPTA Elite Tennis Teaching Professional and USPTA Eastern Regional Vice President helped facilitate the initial support of Tennis Foundation Ghana, now called TFG Holdings by reaching out to TFG Holdings President and USPTA Member, Mr. Roger Crawford, a Ghanaian Tennis Coach who is based in the U S

Mr. Crawford in turn informed the Central Regional Tennis Confederation since the project was going to be based in the Central Region.

The tennis court is the first phase of the Tatyana Mamonova Library and Tennis Facility. The next phase will be the construction of the Tatyana Mamonova Library on this land which was donated to WE Ghana thanks to the efforts of Miss Doris Abakah Phase Three will be the addition of a second tennis court and the conversion of both courts from clay to hard court WE Ghana and Woman and Russia-Woman and Earth Global plan to replicate this project in other regions of Ghana as well and to carry out this project in other countries.

SUMMER 2023

Thus far the Tatyana Mamonova Library and Tennis Facility Project is being sponsored thanks to the kind support of Tennis Foundation Ghana now called TFG Holdings, the Central Regional Tennis Confederation, and the KEEA Municipal Assembly.

Abubakar Yakubu Lea, TFG Tennis Operations Director who is supervising TFG’s sponsorship support of laying out the tennis court said We cannot just go into any Region and support a project without the involvement of the Regional Association ”

The Chairman of the Central Regional Tennis Confederation, Mr. Coffie praised TFG Holdings formerly Tennis Foundation Ghana for supporting the initiative of WE Ghana and Woman Russia-Woman and EarthGlobal and said these Projects are long overdue He called on the youth in the area to make use of the opportunity afforded them saying :”tennis will open doors for you and give you overall confidence in your lives ”

TFG Holdings Chairman, Roger Crawford stated that “it is always great to see a project move from the drawing board onto the ground We are grateful to the Central Regional Tennis Confederation and the KEEA Municipal Assembly for working with us to support this this project, especially since WE Ghana and Woman and RussiaWoman and Earth have a special interest in providing opportunities to women and girls, especially those in the regions Our doors are always open to all Regional Associations who are aligned with our vision of providing the best people, places and programs to move Ghana Tennis forward

TFG Holdings has also donated racquets, balls and other supplies, and provided assistance with some local coaches to WE Ghana for this project and to the CRTC and the KEEA Municipal Assembly for use in schools Lessons to the school children are already underway and there will be a special emphasis in providing opportunities for women and girls. As the project develops, there may be opportunities for local USPTA coaches to come to Ghana and give lessons, clinics or camps as well!

If you would like to support this project or get more information please contact USPTA Regional VP Millie Didio at millie.tennisclubofhastings@gmail.com

SUMMER 2023

TOURNAMENT ALERT

THANK YOU TO OUR ENDORSEES

ADAPTINGTHEGAME

byBobIngersole

An often-overlooked aspect of growing tennis is reaching out to players with physical and cognitive challenges There are about a million people in this country whose tennis has been impacted by significant mobility and/or cognitive impairment, and at any moment, any one of us could become a part of this group

I’ve worked with professional players, college players and many juniors, but I’ve been struck by how rewarding it is to work with the adult and senior population This has challenged me to rethink both what I teach and how I teach it

Since there is less court to cover and the movement is mostly up and back instead of side to side, it makes it much gentler on knees, hips and lower back. (If getting four players together is difficult, there are other forms of “doubles” tennis , using only two or three players.)

Here are some tips that might help older players, and players with mobility issues, use the geometry of the court in their favor:

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Each student is different. They have different goals and different learning modes. They also experience a variety of vision, balance, mobility and other challenges

Sometimes they are not even aware that they have some of these limitations Tennis is a game of geometry, physics and psychology. By adapting your teaching methods, you can help those older layers and players with mobility/cognitive issues enjoy the sport for a lifetime

Geometry

Players with limited mobility, whether senior layers or adaptive athletes, are likely going to be playing mostly doubles In fact, they are great candidates to become doubles specialists

• The control of patterns in doubles can easily be understood by visualizing the court split into a left half and a right half, with each partner responsible for covering their half of the court from baseline to net

• Have your players visualize the court split in half horizontally, from sideline to sideline.

• The receiver standing near the service line is able to attack balls that are in the higher part of their strike zone and defend when the ball is low

• Placement of aggressive volleys and overheads should usually be through the center.

• Low volleys and any volley or overhead that is difficult to reach should be played conservatively, either deep or short, and away from the net person

• If both players are at net, the difficult volley goes back at their feet to make them hit up to the opponent.

With altered teaching methods, you can help players with mobility and cognitive issues enjoy tennis for a lifetime.

SUMMER 2023

ADAPTINGTHEGAME

by Bob Ingersole (cont'd)

• The goal of the server or receiver is to take control with a placement that allows coverage of the court effectively and maximizes a player’s strengths against his opponents’ weaknesses. For instance, by placing the serve down the center, the receiver’s ability to hit a short, wide shot is taken away

• Geometrically, players should hit depth to depth, angle to angle Your players should center themselves in the middle of their opponents’ possible shots.

• The longest distance to cover in doubles is up and back The center of that distance is near the service line A player with severe mobility limitations may only be able to take a few walking steps at a time. It may take them two or three shots to achieve a geometrically centered court position.

ground with their strongest muscles first, their legs. The force is transferred up through the body, ultimately creating great racquet-head velocity. This is needed to produce the topspin they need to control the power and keep the ball in the court

• Taking shots in the higher part of the strike zone and hitting flat, or even with slice, is very different from the usual singles practice of letting the ball drop to about waist height before hitting up with topspin.

• Taking the shot at shoulder height allows players to stand further inside the baseline and shorten the distance to their opponents

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• Taking steps forward into “No Man’s Land” while the ball is in the air is a tactically sound move to counter short shots After a player makes a shot, he or she should continue moving forward, keeping in mind the deeper the shot, the more steps forward they can take.

• Stop, or split-step, as the opponent is about to contact the ball, to be able to read and react to the shot, and to stay balanced

• For players with limited mobility, help them develop deep drives, short angles, drop shots, lobs, touch low volleys and half volleys.

Physics

Players with mobility limitations may not be able to move with pro-level speed, but they can still add some professional tactics to their arsenal.

Pros produce powerful ground strokes by using their body’s kinetic chain, pushing against the

• Changing the physics of the stroke from topspin to flat or slice changes the geometry of the court by shortening the distance between a player and his or her opponents This is very different from the need to hit deep in singles

• While Western and semi-Western grips are great for hitting topspin, they require changing grips to volley effectively. Eastern or Continental grips are perfect for hitting flat or slice as well as for volleys.

• Another benefit of using an Eastern or Continental grip is that they create a much larger margin of error through the hitting (contact) zone

• Good doubles players keep the ball low. Those shots need to be handled with touch, which requires being on balance. A short backswing and most important proper placement of the back leg, will help control low volleys and half-volleys

SUMMER 2023

ADAPTINGTHEGAME

by Bob Ingersole (cont'd)

• Using the Australian formation, with both players on the serving team on the same side of the court, can neutralize an opponent’s strong crosscourt return and direct the patterns to maximize the server’s strengths If an opponent has a fearsome return on the ad side to a righty’s backhand, playing Australian will force the returner to hit over the highest part of the net, into the shortest amount of court and to the server’s strength, the forehand

• Another effective shot in doubles is the slice lob (or touch lob) over the opponent’s head. This will allow your player to move near the service line, better able to handle any shot that might come back

• The serve and the return are the two most important shots in tennis.

• In doubles, the “bread and butter” serve placement is right at the returner, which limits their options on the return

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• Your player should take a full, slow backswing on the serve to build momentum on the racquet head, then reach up to a high contact point. Snapping the wrist on the serve, as many pros teach, may produce an occasional ace, but also will produce many more faults

• Serve placement is more important than power

A spin serve, either slice or topspin, is effective since the spin can be tough for the returner to control.

• A savvy player can do a lot of damage when returning serve One tactic is to take the return in the higher part of the strike zone, flatten out the shot, then hit it back to the server Taking the return at shoulder height lets the receiver move forward to an aggressive court position as well.

Psychology

People play tennis for many reasons. Usually, as people age, they get a better sense of themselves and what makes them happy.

• Ask questions so you can better understand your players’ goals and motivations Why are you here? What do you want to accomplish? How will you measure success? What are your strengths and weaknesses, both on and off the court? What are your long-term,intermediate and short-term goals?

• A player should evaluate his or her skill sets to help forge an achievable game plan to reach their goals.

• They should also evaluate their life experiences. Strengths and weaknesses don’t only apply to forehands and backhands

• For instance, an engineer or physicist may be able to get a deeper understanding of stroke production by drawing on their knowledge of the laws of Newtonian physics. Similarly, Bernoulli’s principle describes the relationship between pressure and velocity of a fluid; this relates directly to the creation and use of topspin and slice

SUMMER 2023

ADAPTINGTHEGAME

by Bob Ingersole (cont'd)

An accountant may evaluate the efficacy of their tactics by analyzing the percentage and nature of their winners versus errors A business person may utilize their problem-solving experience to formulate or alter match tactics.

• Players need to evaluate their ability to focus on the present moment, to be in the “here and now ” Knowing their limitations will help craft a game plan that will maximize their strengths

• When trouble looms, make sure your players slow down, have a game plan, and play in the “here and now” by going back to their rituals, visualization and breathing They need to take control of what is under their control

A USPTA P1 and PTR certified pro, Bob Ingersole is the president of Ingersole Events & Tennis Management LLC, president of the USTA Eastern Junior Tennis Foundation, MetroTennis CTA and director of Advantage Camps. A native of Australia, he moved to the U.S. in 1976 after playing on the pro tour. He’s taught several hundred nationally ranked juniors and adults and 20 professional tour players As a past President of USTA Eastern, Ingersole serves on the section Board He is currently a member of the USTA Junior Competition Committee. Among his awards are induction into theUSTA Eastern Tennis Hall of Fame and, in 2018, recipient of the USTA Volunteer Exceptional Service Award

SUMMER 2023

SUMMER 2023

ANNOUNCINGOUR

2022USPTAEASTERN

ANNUALAWARDWINNERS!

Pro of the Year: Bob Bynum

H.S Coach: Teresa Metcalfe

Industry Excellence: Jason Joseph

Facility Manager: Jason Stokes

Elevate Award: Rafael Zamarripa

Stars Award: Karla Ruaya

College Coach Award: Troy Donato

Major Contributor: Steve Pekich

Regional Volunteer Award: Frank Stone (Western) Dave Slater (Southen)

Marvin Dent(New Jersey)

Khrystsina Tryboi (Metro)

SUMMER

2023

SUMMER 2023

BobBynum

United States Professional Tennis Association

(USPTA) certified Elite Professional

Performance Coach – USTA High Performance Coaches Program

Over 45 years of teaching and coaching experience

Current Teaching/Coaching

Owner-Director Bynum Tennis West Orange, NJ

Head Men’s & Women’s Coach Fairleigh Dickson University – Florham Campus Madison, NJ

Director…Advanced Tennis Academy (ATA) Westfield Tennis Club Westfield, NJ

Director of Tennis…Greater Newark Tennis & Education Newark, NJ

Club Tennis Professional...Berkeley Tennis Club Orange, NJ

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Current Volunteer Work

District President United States Professional Tennis Association (USPTA) Eastern Division

Local League Coordinator…USTA Eastern/New Jersey Region Junior Team Tennis

North Jersey League

Member…USTA New Jersey Region Junior Team Tennis Committee

Previous Teaching/Coaching

Director Bob Bynum’s Match Point Tennis West Orange, NJ

Boys Varsity Tennis Coach…Newark Academy Livingston, NJ Boys Varsity Tennis Coach…St. Joseph High School Metuchen, NJ

Head Boys & Girls Varsity Coach...Wardlaw-Hartridge School Edison, NJ

Head Girls Varsity Coach Boone High School Orlando, FL

Director of Competitive Training Centercourt Athletic Club Chatham, NJ

Director of High School Training Centercourt Athletic Club Chatham, NJ

Director of Tennis…Freeman Tennis Courts Town of Glen Ridge, NJ facility

Program Director…City Tennis, Inc. Orlando, FL

Speaker…USTA Community Tennis Development Workshop Destin, FL

PROOFTHEYEAR

SUMMER 2023

PROOFTHEYEAR BobBynum

United States Professional Tennis Association

(USPTA) certified Elite Professional

Performance Coach – USTA High Performance Coaches Program

Over 45 years of teaching and coaching experience

Previous Volunteer Work

Member USTA Eastern Junior Competition Committee

Member USTA Tennis Innovation Committee a USTA National Committee

Member…USTA Tennis Florida Community Tennis Council

Member…USTA Tennis Florida Adult Competitive Council

Clinician…USTA/Eastern Schools Program

Past President SPTA Eastern Division (New Jersey & New York)

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Certifications

USTA High Performance Coach…United States Tennis Association

USPTA Elite Professional…United States Professional Tennis Association

USPTA Competitive Player Development…United States Professional Tennis Association

Awards

2022 USPTA Eastern Pro-of-the-Year

2022 USTA Eastern George Seewagen Award (Coaching Excellence)

2017 NJ.com/Star Ledger (NJ) Coach-of-the-Year

2013 Star-Ledger Middlesex County Coach-of-the-Year

2008 USTA Eastern Clinician-of-the-Year

2006 USPTA Eastern Division Heroes Award

2004 USPTA Florida Division Volunteer-of-the-Year

1999 USPTA Eastern Division Pro-of-the-Year

Contact Bob at (973) 477-3368 or email: bob@bynumtennis.com

SUMMER 2023

EXECUTIVEDIRECTOR'S REPORT

Thank you!

I want to thank all our USPTA Eastern Professionals! The last three years have been an incredible challenge for us all Now that we are back to “normal,” we need to stay the course, keep the momentum going and continue to grow professionally.

We have had a tremendous increase in new players joining the tennis community It is our task to keep the momentum going! Thank you for being part of this momentum shift, your hard work and dedication is appreciated.

The USPTA will be offering more opportunities in 2023 than ever before. The list of District workshops is impressive Please refer to our list of clinics and workshops listed in this Newsletter Our 4th Annual Town Hall meeting on Wednesday, April 19th was a tremendous success Our Annual Eastern Division Conference was held on Friday, May 5th and Saturday, May 6th at the Saw Mill Club in Mount Kisco, NY. Featured speakers Luke Jenson, Ed Krass, Craig Jones, Ramona Husaru, and Harry Gilbert gave incredible presentations and the One-on-One Doubles Tournament directed by Ed Krass and Brad Breakstone was a big hit.

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In the Fall, the USPTA World Conference will be held in Orlando, Florida I realize it may not be an ideal time of the year for some members, however if you can get away, the conference is always an excellent way to expand your knowledge as a professional, network and receive educational credits for attending. I look forward to seeing you in Florida!

Thank you again for being a member of the USPTA and I look forward to seeing and hearing from you in the near future Have a great Spring season!

Paul Fontana Executive Director USPTA Eastern Division

SUMMER 2023

AFTER51YEARS INTHETENNISINDUSTRY

Gordon Kent is a California native who started playing tennis at age 11. He was taught the game by his father, Ray Kent, a very good player and also a Californian.

Ray learned to play at a very young age on the public courts of Hollywood Gordon played one year on the tennis team at Newport Harbor High School and then in college was a member of the varsity team at Cal State, Long Beach.

His first tennis job was in 1971 as a counselor at Dennis van der Meer's Tennis America Camp in Incline Village, Nevada. He spent two summers there and then the next two summers as Assistant Director of the Tennis America Camp at the Lawrenceville School in New Jersey.

While working at the Lawrenceville Camp, Gordon met Skip Hartman. His first New York City position with Skip was as a professional at the Tennis Institute. This relationship has lasted since 1974 with positions at Stadium Tennis Center, Crosstown Tennis, Roosevelt Island Racquet Club, and the Tennis Club at the Horace Mann School His responsibilities have ranged from on court professional to program director to camp director to club manager to his current position as COO of HCK Recreation Gordon's summers from 1991-2010 were spent as the owner and director of the New England Tennis Camp in Pawling, NY.

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Gordon is long time member of both the USPTA and the PTR. He served on the board of USPTAEastern with one term as President of the Division. He has received the Pro of the Year Award from both the USPTA - Eastern and the PTR - Eastern He was a member USTA - Eastern Section Junior Competition Committee for over 10 years and served as its Chairman from 1993-95 In 1986 Gordon received the PTR / USTA Public Service Award.

As a player, Gordon has held USTA Eastern Rankings in Men's Singles, Men's Doubles, Mixed Doubles, and Men's 35 Singles. He won the PTR National Men's 35 Doubles title in 1986.

Gordon will be residing in the Pocono Mountains of Pennsylvania where he hopes to spend lots of time playing golf and tennis

GORDONKENTTORETIRE

SUMMER 2023