Long Island Tennis Magazine November / December 2019 by United Sports Publications

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110 Long Island Tennis Magazine • September/October 2019 • LITennisMag.com

Eighth Annual “Little Mo” Internationals Arrives in New York

he West Side Tennis Club in Forest Hills, N.Y. hosted the eighth annual “Little Mo” Internationals earlier this summer, as some of the top junior tennis players from around the world came to New York to compete in the second leg of the “Little Mo” Slam. The week-long event began with a free clinic put on by the pros at The West Side Tennis Club, where the “Little Mo” players had the opportunity to play on the famed grass courts of the historic club. After the clinic, the Opening Ceremony, where the players walk onto the court of Forest Hills Stadium holding the flags of their respective countries, took place and is always one of the highlights of the tournament, with the representation of so many different nations and cultures on full display. That was followed by days of competitive tennis on the courts throughout the grounds, with sportsmanship and fair play at the heart of the competition. More than 130 different players from nine different countries (Canada, Colombia, Ecuador,

Japan, Mexico, Peru, South Africa, Venezuela and the United States) took part in singles, doubles and mixed doubles draws. Below are the winners from each respective division: l Boys 12: Joseph Oyebog (Westport, Conn.) l Boys 11: Adrien Abarca (Chula Vista, Calif.) l Boys 10: Elliot Lifton (Los Angeles, Calif.) l Boys 9: Izyan Ahmad (Wayne, N.J.) l Boys 8: Simon Lifton (Los Angeles, Calif.) l Boys 8: (Green Dot): Deniz Karabulut (Burlington, Canada) l Girls 12: Ilana Rosenthal (Kingston, Penn.) l Girls 11: Lucy Oyebog (Westport, Conn.) l Girls 10: Filipa Delgado (New York, N.Y.) l Girls 9: Emma Palacio (Queens, N.Y./Peru) l Girls 8: Priscilla Sirichantho (Woodbridge, Conn.)

l Girls 8 (Green Dot): Blake Chang (New York, N.Y.) Throughout the tournament, players can earn “Mo Coins” for being respectful and kind to others and demonstrating good sportsmanship, to honor the legacy of Maureen “Little Mo” Connolly, who was known for her sportsmanship both on and off the court. This year’s recipients of the Sportsmanship and Kindness Awards were: l Emma Palacio (Queens, N.Y./Peru) l Luke Jones (Dallas, Penn.) The third and final leg of the “Little Mo” Slam takes place in Palm Beach Gardens, Fla. from Dec. 6-11. Two players will be aiming to win the 2019 “Little Mo” Slam title after winning the first two legs of the series (the first leg took place in Newport Beach, Calif.). Adrien Abarca of Chula Vista, Calif. and Simon Lifton of Los Angeles, Calif. will be seeking to capture the six-foot trophy, the tallest in junior tennis, for winning their divisions at all three tournaments.

LITennisMag.com • November/December 2019 • Long Island Tennis Magazine

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NOV/DEC 2019 • Vol 11, No 6

Table Of Contents

A Star is Born By Brian Coleman

Nineteen-year-old Canadian Bianca Andreescu chooses the grandest of stages in Flushing Meadows to burst onto the scene and capture the 2019 US Open title. See page 30

Photo credit: Darren Carroll/USTA

Joel M. Berman President (516) 409-4444, ext. 310 • joel@usptennis.com Eric C. Peck Editor-in-Chief (516) 409-4444, ext. 312 • eric@usptennis.com Brian Coleman Senior Editor (516) 409-4444, ext. 326 • brianc@usptennis.com Joey Arendt Art Director (516) 409-4444, ext. 307 Francine Miller Advertising Coordinator (516) 409-4444, ext. 301 • francinem@usptennis.com Emilie Katz Assistant Marketing Coordinator Scott Koondel VP of Operations (516) 409-4444, ext. 324 Sidney Beal III Staff Photographer

Lee Seidner Staff Photographer

Advertising To receive any information regarding advertising rates, deadlines, and requirements, call (516) 409-4444 or e-mail info@usptennis.com. Article Submissions/Press Releases To submit any material, including articles and press releases, please call (516) 409-4444 or e-mail info@usptennis.com. The deadline for submissions is the first of the month preceding the target issue. Subscriptions To receive subscription information, contact (516) 409-4444 or e-mail info@usptennis.com or check out our Web site: www.litennismag.com. Fax subscription changes to (516) 409-1600. Statements of fact and opinion in Long Island Tennis Magazine are the responsibility of the authors alone and do not imply an opinion on the part of United Sports Publications Ltd. Long Island Tennis Magazine reserves the right to edit, reject and/or postpone the publication of any articles, information or data.

Highlights 4 8 36 42 68

New York Tennis Expo Returns in 2020 2019 Long Island Girls High School Recap By Brian Coleman Long Island Tennis Magazine’s 2019 Holiday Gift Guide 2019 Long Island Tennis Magazine’s Coaches Roundtable Discussion Long Island Tennis Magazine’s 2019 Tennis Travel Destinations Guide

Features 1 3 6 12 15 18 20 22 24 26 28 34 35 52 54 55 56 58 59 60 62 64 67 72 74 77

Eighth Annual “Little Mo” Internationals Arrives in New York The Jensen Zone: The Year in Tennis Comes to an End By Luke Jensen Across Long Island … News and Notes From Across the L.I. Tennis Community Beyond the Baseline: Johnny Mac Tennis Project By Brian Coleman The Coveted Sportsmanship Pin By Barbara Wyatt At The Net: Phil Barres, Glen Head Racquet & Fitness By Brian Coleman The Net Generation Experience at the US Open By Brian Coleman PGA Tour Superstore: A Part of the Community By Brian Coleman USTA Eastern Long Island Region Update Court Six: Long Island Tennis Magazine’s Gossip Column By Emilie Katz Serve and Volley for Women: Why Not? By Lisa Dodson Writing Is The Right Way to Grow Tennis By Steve Kaplan Future Stars: A Hamptons’ Treasure By Angelina Remnek Citi Taste of Tennis Turns 20 Bouncing Back From Burnout: How to Restore Balance By Rob Polishook Gold Coast Optometric Vision Performance: Get the Visual Edge Sports as Our New Religion By Dr. Tom Ferraro Let’s End Cheating in Junior Tennis Once and for All By Chris Lewit There Are Some USTA Changes for 2020...And You Should Know Them By Ricky Becker Play Within Yourself By Tonny van de Pieterman Adult League Wrap-Up By Kathy Miller 2019 US Open Takeaways By Brian Coleman Using the Backboard and Ball Machine for Game Improvement By Mike Puc A Disturbing Trend Infecting College Tennis By Lonnie Mitchel Knowing Your Game Style Will Make You A Better Tennis Player By Geoffrey Jagdfeld USTA/Long Island Region 2019 Tournament Schedule

November/December • LITennisMag.com Long Island Tennis Magazine • January/February 20192019 • LITennisMag.com Long Island Tennis Magazine is published bi-monthly by United Sports Publications Ltd. • Copyright © 2019 United Sports Publications Ltd.

The Year in Tennis Comes to an End By Luke Jensen A great tennis year is coming to an end, but not before we saw some amazing stories thanks to the best players on the planet! On the men’s tour, Rafael Nadal holds on to win his 19th major title and is now closer to Roger Federer in the all-time race than he’s been in 15 years. It’s what I believe to be the greatest chase in the history of tennis: Who out of the Big Three … Fed with 20, Nadal with 19 and Novak Djokovic with 16 … will end up with the most major titles when all three decide to hang up their rackets? I have a gut feeling that Fed will be haunted by the Wimbledon that got away earlier this summer when he had match points and was serving against Djokovic. On the women’s side, Serena continues to be the most consistent player in the majors, but just can’t play well enough in the finals of those majors. I was speaking with International Tennis Hall of Famer Arantxa Sanchez-Vicario and we discussed how this last Wimbledon will haunt Fed in his pursuit of having the most major titles all-time. She said something very interesting: Sanchez-Vicario, a 14-time Grand Slam winner, recalled that, as a veteran player, she felt MORE pressure to win the big matches because there was always a doubt whether she still had the ability at an older age to win at the highest levels of competition. The only pressure I felt in tennis where I felt I HAD to win was waking up just

hours before my French Open final alongside my brother, Murphy. I had this overwhelming feeling that if I didn’t win on this day, I may not return to this stage again. Pressure is an amazing thing and Billie Jean King’s quote, “Pressure is a Privilege,” hangs on the walk out to Arthur Ashe Stadium as a reminder to all who walk into the area to embrace it and fear it. Will the tennis gods like Fed and Serena still perform at their best when the pressure is most? Will the new players on the block find the confidence to make the biggest shots when the defining moments call for them? The new year will answer so many of the questions and I can’t wait to watch! Rod Laver celebrated his 50th anniversary of winning the final leg of the 1969 calendar Grand Slam at the West Side Tennis Club in Forest Hills, N.Y., and

spoke about the ability to focus during the biggest moments of matches was the difference between winning and losing. Every champion has their own unique approach towards winning the big moments. What is yours? Until next time, go for the lines!!! Raised in Ludington, Mich., Luke Jensen’s resume includes 10 ATP Tour doubles titles. He was also a member of the U.S. Davis Cup teams that reached the finals in 1991 and won in 1992. His ambidextrous play, including his ability to serve the ball with either hand at 130 mph, earned him the nickname “Dual Hand Luke.” Luke is currently director of racket sports at West Side Tennis Club in Forest Hills, N.Y. He may be reached by phone at (315) 4030752 or e-mail LukeJensen84@yahoo.com.

LITennisMag.com • November/December 2019 • Long Island Tennis Magazine

New York Tennis Expo Returns in 2020 Tennis fans rejoice! For the third straight year, the New York Tennis Expo arrives on Long Island, with this year’s event set for Sunday, Feb. 9, 2020 at NYCB LIVE, home of the Nassau Veterans Memorial Coliseum. Held in conjunction with the New York Open, the 2020 New York Tennis Expo will give attendees the opportunity to watch professional tennis as the New York Open’s qualifying tournament begins on the day of the Expo, and guests can take in the action completely free of charge. The Draw Ceremony for the tournament will take place at the Expo’s Broadcast Plaza, and guests will have the chance to get autographs from some of the ATP World Tour’s top players. “We are proud to be kicking off year three of the New York Open. More than 5,000 people came out to enjoy the 2019 New York Tennis Expo back in February, and Long Island and New York Tennis Magazines are excited to announce the return of this one-of-a-kind event,” said Publisher David Sickmen. “This free event provides unparalleled exposure and branding opportunities for companies who want to promote their programs, products, services, etc. to a diverse audience in a fun environment. For local families, it is a perfect way to spend the day as there is fun for everyone both on and off the court. Now in our third year at the Coliseum, we are excited to continue building off of the success and bring the public an even better New York Tennis Expo in 2020.” The 2020 New York Tennis Expo will once again have something for everyone in the whole family. The Expo features a 4

vast Exhibitor Hall containing tennis clubs/programs, camps, travel destinations, products, apparel companies and so much more. There will be a Kids’ Zone featuring a bouncy house, facepainting, carnival games, mascots and more and an Activity Zone which will host multiple tennis courts, which will be supervised by coaches, where kids of all levels can pick up a racket and play. You can also see how your serve compares with the professionals at the Speed Serve Booth, and enjoy the festive atmosphere with a live band and DJ. The popular Beach Tennis court will be back as attendees and guests can get a little taste of summer in the winter by kicking off their shoes and hopping onto the sand. A New York Beach Tennis professional will be on-site to help teach this growing sport and play points. Attendees will have the opportunity to learn from some of the top tennis minds in the two different Speaker Sessions that will cover a wide-ranging array of tennis topics and issues. Audience members will be able to ask questions and interact with the panelists as well. All that and more will be on display on Sunday, Feb. 9 as the New York Tennis Expo continues to grow and celebrate the great sport of tennis. For FREE tickets and FREE parking, pre-register online at 2020NYTennisExpo.EventBrite.com. You can read more about last year’s event by visiting LITennisMagazine.com/2019NYTennisExpo. For more information, or to learn about sponsorship and exhibiting opportunities, please contact Info@USPTennis.com or call (516) 409-4444.

Long Island Tennis Magazine • November/December 2019 • LITennisMag.com

LITennisMag.com â&#x20AC;˘ November/December 2019 â&#x20AC;˘ Long Island Tennis Magazine

Across Long Isl Bethpage Park Creates Girl’s Empowerment Program Serve and Return, a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization, and the Bethpage Park Tennis Center has announced a new program designed to empower girls called “Sky’s the Limit Tennis.” “The goal of ‘Sky’s the Limit Tennis’ is to empower 20 girls, ages 10 through 18, to become the leaders of tomorrow through tennis, performance excellence, health, fitness and life skills education,” said Steve Kaplan, Serve and Return’s executive director. “Young female tournament players will ascend in the sport, and in life, by integrating one hour of on-court with one hour of off-court education in a supportive and interactive environment which emphasizes teamwork, mentorship and inclusion.” At the heart of the program will be providing education in vital yet often overlooked aspects of the female athletic experience, such as specific fitness, nutrition, injury prevention, socialization, healthy lifestyle choices and career advancement and guidance.

Point Set Hosts Fourth Annual Woodmere Invitational Point Set Tennis in Oceanside hosted the fourth annual Woodmere Invitational Tennis Tournament this fall, with four different divisions of play taking place, and competitive and exciting tennis filling up the Point Set courts. Winners included: Tier 1 Winner: Howie Hershkovich; Tier 2 Winner: Yitzi Fried; Tier 3 Winner: Tzvi Plawes; and Tier 4 Winner: David Hercman. 6

Glen Head Hosts Camp During the Holidays

While kids were off from school for both Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur, Glen Head Racquet and Fitness made sure that they were still working on their tennis games and having a good time. The facility held camps and programs during the days off, as dozens of kids came out to play, as the club continues to grow its camp groups.

Carefree Hosts JDRF Fundraiser Carefree Racquet Club hosted a fundraiser for the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation and the BellmoreMerrick Community Cupboard. The event consisted of tennis and pickleball, with three courts of open play and a skills challenge court. There were also exercise stations mini-court challenges, as well as raffles for items such as restaurant gift certificates, kids’ items, rackets and more.

Rabman Wins USTA Nationals John McEnroe Tennis Academy’s (JMTA) Thea Rabman captured the title at the USTA Girls 14s National Championships in Rome, Ga., where she rattled off seven straight victories to secure the championship. After six consecutive straight-set wins, Rabman, who was seeded third, her highest seed at a Super National event, came back from a set down to beat Brooklyn Olson 6-7(1), 6-1, 6-1 in the finals.

Long Island Tennis Magazine • November/December 2019 • LITennisMag.com

sland

… News and notes from across the L.I. tennis community

“I think the keys to me winning Nationals was having a positive attitude, an intense tournament schedule and having a team of coaches from JMTA behind me,” said Rabman. “I have become mentally stronger on court over the years, and having a no-lose attitude has helped me improve and has allowed my game to grow.”

North Shore Men’s Tennis League Wraps Up Season

Ross School’s Teixeira Wins L1 Tourney Ross School Tennis Academy’s Luma Teixeira captured the title at the Youth Progression L1 Green Ball tournament at Robbie Wagner’s Tournament Training Center. Teixeira dropped a total of just three games in her four matches, including a 4-1, 4-0 triumph in the championship match.

Pursoo Has Great Summer The North Shore Men’s Tennis League (NSMTL) runs from the spring through the end of the summer, and features a number of teams from clubs on the North Shore of Long Island. This season, the winning team was The Magic, captained by Russell Heier and Jeff Coviello. The winning match came from David Seidner and Andrew Goodstadt, who clinched the team victory with a third-set tiebreaker victory. As a result, the team gets its name engraved on the trophy and holds onto it until next year.

Ashley Pursoo, who has trained under Laurie Tenney Fehrs at Eastern Athletic Club since she was five-years-old, had a lot of tournament success this summer. Pursoo, who is now nine-years-old, took home the title at the Youth Progression L1 Green Ball Championships, and then followed that up by taking home the third-place trophy at the eighth annual “Little Mo” Internationals at The West Side Tennis Club in Forest Hills.

LITennisMag.com • November/December 2019 • Long Island Tennis Magazine

2019

LONG ISLAND GIRLS HIGH SCHOOL RECAP Written and compiled by Brian Coleman

CHS’s Hannity Claims Her Second Nassau Singles Title

The Hewlett duo of Rachel Arbitman & Nyla Gershfeld will be the top team from Nassau heading to states after winning the county doubles title

Cold Spring Harbor’s Merri Kelly Hannity won her second career Nassau County singles title

next three games to claim the first set. Rabman turned her level up in the second set, winning six of the set’s eight games to force the final into a deciding third. However, Hannity would not be denied, and put together a dominant third set to win the match and claim the county title. Hannity and Rabman both advance to the New York State Public School Athletic Association (NYSPHSAA) Championships. Great Neck North’s Amy Delman defeated Ava Scordo of North Shore 6-2, 6-1 in the consolation match to secure her spot in the state tournament. In the doubles final, last year’s singles champion Rachel Arbitman partnered with Nyla Gershfeld, and the Hewlett duo defeated Kaya & Kavina Amin of Wheatley 6-1, 6-2. “After I won the singles

championship last year, I knew that I wanted to try to win doubles this year. I wanted a new challenge for myself,” said Arbitman. “Nyla is the number two singles player for our team and a very good player. We have a great relationship and I knew we would have a great chance to succeed.” Finishing in third place was Andrea Martinez de los Rios & Ellie Ross, who won 6-2, 6-1 over the Great Neck North team of Alyssa Ghassabian & Alina Lyakhov in the consolation match, as the top four doubles pairings will be heading to Latham to represent Nassau at the State Championships. “I feel that we showed a great deal of strength playing together and had lots of fun on the court,” said Arbitman. “I think that we’re strong as a team, and we will go out there and do our best at States.”

Back in 2016, Merri Kelly Hannity won the Nassau County singles title in her freshman year at Cold Spring Harbor. And now a senior, she has repeated that feat, defeating Thea Rabman of Port Washington 6-2, 2-6, 6-0 in this year’s county final. “It feels really good, and it’s exciting to be back and playing again,” said Hannity. “I can’t wait to go to states and play there again also.” Hannity didn’t play in her sophomore and junior seasons for the Seahawks to focus on her academics, but returned for her senior year with the desire to win a county title and attempt to capture a state title as well. In the final against Rabman, Hannity raced out to a 3-0 lead in the opener, and even after Rabman was able to get one of the breaks back and cut the deficit to 2-3, Hannity rattled off the 8

Long Island Tennis Magazine • November/December 2019 • LITennisMag.com

2019

LONG ISLAND GIRLS HIGH SCHOOL RECAP Westhampton’s Hayes Defends Suffolk Singles Crown

Islip seniors Maddie Germano & Darienne Rogers came back from a set down to capture the Suffolk County doubles crown

For the second straight year, Westhampton’s Rose Hayes (right) is the Suffolk County singles champion after defeating Kady Tannenbaum (left) The sophomore slump doesn’t apply to Rose Hayes. A year after winning the Suffolk County singles title in her freshman year at Westhampton Beach, Hayes defended her title and won a second consecutive county championship with a 6-0, 6-2 victory over Commack’s Kady Tannenbaum. “I served really well and just stayed consistent,” Hayes said when asked the keys to her success were. “It feels pretty nice to win counties again.” Hayes’ serve was working for her as she suffered just one break of serve throughout the match, and made sure to pressure Tannenbaum’s serve from start to finish in order to seize control of the match. After racing through the first set, she was broken early on in the second set, but immediately broke back to ensure that Tannenbaum wasn’t able to grab any momentum.

“I’m disappointed in my game today, but see it as a good experience and I hope to build on this at the state tournament,” said Tannenbaum. Hayes now hopes to build off of her quarterfinal result that she achieved last year at the NYSPHSAA Championships. “The goal is to try to repeat what I did last year, and try to do more,” she said. In addition to Hayes, Tannenbaum will be heading to the state tournament, as will third place finisher Andriana Zaphiris of Hauppauge, who defeated Connetquot’s Andrea Brazyte 6-3, 6-2 in the consolation match. “I tried my best to stay focused and push through even though I wasn’t playing my best,” said Zaphiris. “My goal is to play consistent and do well throughout states and beyond.” Islip seniors Maddie Germano & Darienne Rogers came back from a set

down to defeat Jade Eggleston & Kira Kronenberg of Ward Melville 3-6, 7-6(4), 62 and win the Suffolk doubles title. Despite falling behind early, Germano and Rogers edged out a win in the second set tiebreaker before raising their level in the third set and win the county championship. “The biggest game-changer for us was our attitudes coming out of the first set,” said Germano. “Even though we lost it, we knew we were still in the match and we would make it go to three sets. After winning the second set, there was no doubt in our minds that we would come out on top.” Also heading to the state tournament to represent Suffolk County will be Half Hollow Hills East pairing of Alexis Huber & Skylar Semon, the third-place winners, and Westhampton Beach’s Rose Peruso & Jen Curran, the fourth-place winners.

LITennisMag.com • November/December 2019 • Long Island Tennis Magazine

2019

LONG ISLAND GIRLS HIGH SCHOOL RECAP

Long Island Tennis Magazine • November/December 2019 • LITennisMag.com

COMING IN JANUARY

Distribution scheduled for 01/06/20

This edition will feature: • The New York Tennis Expo Returns • Guide to the Top Tennis Clubs/Programs • 2020 New York Open Preview • Girls High School State Championships Recap • Australian Open Preview • LI Tennis Magazine 12th Anniversay

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Beyond the Baseline Johnny Mac Tennis Project By Brian Coleman

arlier this summer, SPORTIME Amagansett hosted the fifth annual Johnny Mac Tennis Project (JMTP) Pro-Am. The tournament brings together 128 players, including many former professional tennis players, for a day of fun and competitive tennis, with the goal of raising money for the JMTP. “It’s just a ton of fun for a good cause,” said JMTP’s Executive Director Jordan Botjer of the event. “This year we had beautiful weather and the facility is stunning. The staff at Amagansett works so hard to make sure the courts are perfect and that everything operates smoothly. A lot of spectators came out to see an incredible group of tennis legends—John and Patrick McEnroe, Kim Clijsters, Mats Wilander, Mardy Fish, Willy Canas, Emilio Sanchez and Brad Gilbert, and I think it’s a fun event for them as well.” This year, the tournament, which has become the foundation’s signature event, was won by SPORTIME CEO and Founder Claude Okin and Canas, who climbed to as high as ninth in the world rankings during his playing days. Okin was quick to lend much of the credit Canas for the team’s victory. “I would say that Willy Canas won the pro-am, and I got to help him a little,” said Okin. “I played Division III college tennis at Vassar and NYU, and did not win all that much, so I will take any title I can, for as long as I can still compete for one. Willy was a great, fun partner, and the whole event is just about as much fun as you can have playing tennis for a great cause.” The tournament is followed by an after party, attended by a combination of those who played in the tournament, those who watched, and others from the Hamptons crowd. In all, the event raises hundreds of thousands of dollars of support towards 12

the JMTP mission. “From the moment that John and I began discussing the creation of the John McEnroe Tennis Academy in 2009, our foundational promise to each other was that access to JMTA programs would not be limited to a wealthy few,” said Okin. “We were committed to finding a way to build substantial access for those who could afford to pay very little, or nothing at all, and especially for NYC kids from the neighborhoods surrounding Randall’s Island, like East Harlem and the South Bronx. These are some of the country’s most under-resourced communities and

Long Island Tennis Magazine • November/December 2019 • LITennisMag.com

we knew we had to build bridges, metaphorically, beyond the Triborough Bridge itself, with our neighbors. We wanted to offer tennis as a pathway to health, education and opportunity, to kids in those communities, and beyond, and JMTP was created to support that essential goal.” With that goal set, JMTP was created in 2012, and has seen significant growth over the last eight years. In addition to the ProAm, the charity’s other annual fundraiser is a Comedy Night – You Cannot Be Serious, which is held each spring. This year, the event featured Andy Cohen, with past

years’ talent having included Martin Short, Saturday Night Live stars Colin Jost and Michael Che, and many other notable comics. JMTP provides free, weekly programming throughout the year, including summer camp, in addition to scholarships to the John McEnroe Tennis Academy (JMTA) for advancing students, and travel support and coaching to a smaller group of elite players. “Our tagline is “Creating a Pathway to Success Through Tennis”, and that pathway really starts with our community programs,” explained Botjer. “The community programs happen at SPORTIME Randall’s Island every day of the week during the school year. We have partner schools and community-based organizations that bring groups of kids out to the facility for what is generally an introductory level tennis instruction experience.” A lot of the community kids have never picked up a racket before, with the sport of tennis often seeming inaccessible to them. The weekly instruction is developmental and involves a lot of skills building, including hand-eye coordination, movement and more. Many of the organizations and schools don’t have their

own rec spaces, gyms or playgrounds, so the weekly visit to SPORTIME provides much needed recreation to the kids. The opportunity to receive weekly tennis instruction throughout the school year also provides a foundation of skills that can allow those who wish to, to continue with the sport.

Botjer explains that, naturally, not every kid falls in love with tennis, but that all the participants still receive much benefit from the program, including improved health and fitness. “It’s an amazing experience for all of the continued on page 14

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y k City orrk JMTA New Yor 6150 (212) 427-6 JMTA Long Issland 2727 (516) 364-2 er h te e hest A Westc JMTA 5151 (914) 777-5 tons* JMTA Hamptto 3460 (631) 267-3 on only *Summer seaso

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LITennisMag.com • November/December 2019 • Long Island Tennis Magazine

children, but we always look out for the students from each group who really connect with the sport and quickly develop a passion for it,” says Botjer. “At the end of each school year, we select the most interested and motivated kids from our community programs and invite them to participate in our Excellence Program, which meets after school and on the weekends. And so the pathway advances, with kids from our community programs moving on to receive more individualized attention and a higher level of training in Excellence.” Outside of the transportation to the facility, both the community and excellence programs are provided completely free, and function to welcome and progress young players into the third stop of the JMTP pathway: scholarships to train at the John McEnroe Tennis Academy. “JMTP players who continue to show passion for the sport and consistent hard work are offered scholarships to JMTA,” explains Botjer. “Our scholarship players are fully integrated into JMTA community and train here most days of the week, just like every other Academy player. And all of our scholarship and excellence program members are means tested, so that JMTP is sure we are not funding any players who could otherwise afford their own training. We have been doing this long enough now that we are beginning to see JMTP success stories, with kids who started in our community programs having followed the full pathway to JMTA scholarships. Many of those students will be able to attend college based on their tennis, and many will attend colleges or universities into which they would not otherwise be able to gain admission, or afford to attend.” JMTP also holds scholarship tryouts throughout the year. One of JMTP’s scholarship recipients is Summer C., who shares that her tennis idols are John McEnroe and Serena Williams: “JMTP has helped me pursue my tennis dream in a really organized way,” says 14

Summer, “I love the access to the amazing courts, amazing trainers and really great coaches, and I always feel safe there. One day, I hope to go pro and break Serena’s and Margaret Court’s records!” A recent development at JMTP has been a partnership with BNP Paribas, who recently began funding a new program, BNP Mac 1, that will support the training and travel costs for a small team of JMTP’s most elite players. For young players with limited resources, the cost of tournament travel to national and international events can often stand in the way of progress. This new partnership will help eliminate that longstanding hurdle, among others. In addition to BNP Paribas, Nike is also a JMTP corporate sponsor. Corporate underwriting, individual donations, and the two signature events, provide the majority of JMTP funding. John McEnroe explains, “I am very proud of JMTP. We are different from many other tennis charities that are more focused on recreational tennis. At JMTP, we offer every kid we meet a way to become a competitive tennis player and we’ve made a lot of really good players since 2012. Of course, like any other ambitious project, we have made our mistakes and learned from them, but we keep getting better, and doing more, and from day one we have kept our commitments to our young players and we have improved and changed their lives. The goal is to service and help more and more NYC kids, where tennis becomes a driving force in their lives,

Long Island Tennis Magazine • November/December 2019 • LITennisMag.com

and gets them a college education, and hopefully even more.” JMTP hopes to triple its community hours in the context of the planned expansion of the Randall’s Island facility, which will add 10 more courts for a total of 30. And it plans to take the show on the road, bringing portable nets and equipment to schools and parks in in East Harlem, the South Bronx and Queens, to offer programming during the school day. “We want to disabuse people of the notion that tennis is an elitist sport,” said Botjer. “And demonstrate that kids can start to play in whatever space is available to them.” With the expanding reach and resources of the organization, could the next great American player come from New York City? Asked this question, John McEnroe shares, “I have not been shy to say that with a little luck, and continuing support of sponsors like BNP Paribas, I am hoping that at least a few of our JMTP kids will go on to serious pro careers and that one of them might win the US Open while I am still around to see that! The greatest city in the world deserves another US Open champion who is a New Yorker—like yours truly! And we will keep trying until we get that done.”

The Coveted Sportsmanship Pin By Barbara Wyatt ’ve never won a USTA Sportsmanship Pin,” says Sheila. Frank places his arm around her shoulder and says, “You will. But until you do, you could have one of mine. I have three.” She laughs. Frank was at it again, teasing a fellow teammate. Is Sheila doing anything wrong? She gives the benefit of the doubt to the opponent if she’s unsure if the ball hit in or out (The Code 6). She calls balls good that touch any part of the line (The Code 7). She calls out the score clearly when serving (The Code 31). Perhaps Frank demonstrates a few more rules from the book, USTA Friend at Court. If you do not see where the ball hit at the end of a point, ask your opponent for help (The Code 11). If they answer, “The ball was in,” then the ball is in. If they saw the ball hit out, they will—and I believe the vast majority will—call it out and award you the point. If your opponents are unsure where the ball landed, the ball is in. When you or your partner complete a first serve, prepare for the return no matter

what. Do not call your first serve out. Only your opponent can make that call. If the receiver doesn’t put the return in play, then you may make the fault call (The Code 26). Call your shots out when you see them (The Code 13). Even if your opponent does not ask for help, call your shot out. The one exception? You or your partner’s first serve (The Code 26). Top tennis pros demonstrate sportsmanship during tough matches. At the 2016 Hopman Cup, Lleyton Hewitt serves and the umpire calls the serve out. Jack Sock yells to Hewitt, “That was in— if you want to challenge it.” Hewitt’s eyebrows arch up in disbelief. Sock grins, “Challenge it.” The chair umpire leans forward from the chair. Hewitt pauses, then says, “I challenge it.” Sock was correct; Hewitt’s serve was good. The call is reversed to Hewitt’s favor. The audience applauds Sock’s demonstration of Code 13 and his fair play ethics. At the 2015 Australian Open, Rafael Nadal is serving in the fifth set after four tough hours of play against Tim Smyczek. Nadal tosses the ball up and seconds before he hits the toss, a fan yells loudly, breaks the silence and

disrupts Nadal’s serve motion. The ball sails past the service line. Smyczek holds up two fingers. The chair umpire announces first serve again. At the 2005 Rome Masters Tournament, a linesman calls Fernando Verdasco’s second serve out. Andy Roddick is awarded the match on the double fault. Roddick points to the ball mark on the clay. The chair umpire reverses the call. Sportsmanship decisions may cost a tennis pro thousands of dollars. Yet somehow, Sock reached a career-high doubles ranking of number two in the world. Smyczek won seven Challenger titles and achieved a career-high singles world ranking of 68th. Andy Roddick is an American former world number one professional tennis player. Maybe there’s something to this USTA Sportsmanship Pin. Barbara Wyatt is a writer, photographer, USTA official, and mobile app developer of iKnowTennis!, the tennis rules app. Her poem, Ode to Tennis, an amusing poem on the joys and frustrations when learning tennis, is available at Amazon. She can be reached by e-mail at BarbaraW@iKnowTennis.com.

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LITennisMag.com • November/December 2019 • Long Island Tennis Magazine

l Exhibitor Hall: Featuring top programs, camps, products, apparel, sports medicine, travel destinations and much more l Tennis Courts: Use of two courts inside the expo hall l Kids' Zone: Featuring a bouncy house, face painting, live music, carnival games, mascots l Speaker Sessions: Learn from panels of ATP stars and top coaches l Chance to Meet the Stars of the ATP Tour: Autograph signing and photo opportunities with the sport's top stars l Activity Zone: Featuring 10U tennis courts, beach tennis courts, a speed serve booth

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At The Net

Phil Barres, Glen Head Racquet & Fitness

bout a year ago, Phil Barres, Adam Mandell and Cory Parr met in a diner to discuss the potential of buying a tennis club business together. Barres, whose family owns a real estate business, owned the property that Glen Head Racquet & Fitness stood on, and was approached by then owner Robert Friedman about buying the tennis business itself. “We just got together on that day, and really over a handshake, hammered out an arrangement and put it all together,” Barres recalls. “We closed in about a month.” Barres and Mandell had known each other growing up playing junior tennis together, and Mandell knew Parr, and the three have since formed a partnership that has helped the club grow immensely over the last year. The offer to buy the business came at just the right time for Barres. While he grew up playing tennis, he had transitioned into more of a golfer and stopped playing tennis for awhile. But he was in the process of leaving the hedge fund that he was working at, and the stars seemed to align for him to get into the tennis business. “When I had bought the building, I really had to get a knowledge of the business for the purposes of my own

financing. I had to know how strong my tenant was and how well the business was doing,” he said. “So when I sat down with Adam and Cory, we knew where the business stood. We knew that it was profitable, but it was being slightly unattended. I ran the numbers and saw a profitable business that lacked marketing and needed some expertise in running it.” That expertise would come from Mandell, Barres says. He had experience running a tennis club before and exudes an incredible passion for cultivating and growing tennis programming. In addition to being a partner in owning the business, Mandell is the facility’s director of tennis. “He lends credibility to what we do,” said Barres. “He’s a real tennis-lifer. He graduated from Yale and had plenty of offers to work at hedge funds and financial institutions, but he just couldn’t work in an office environment. I know the things I do well, and I know I could never have done this without Adam. It’s just good to know somebody with his credentials has your back. If you know Adam, you know he can’t sleep at night if the courts are empty. His obsessive desire only benefits the club.” “I think back to all the times he beat me on the tennis court growing up, and at least I’m getting something out of it now,” Barres joked.

Long Island Tennis Magazine • November/December 2019 • LITennisMag.com

By Brian Coleman

One of the first things that needed to be done when taking over the business was establishing a team of teaching professionals. But Barres made sure to keep the already good set of pros: “I love my pros, I really do. I got blessed with great ones,” he said. “We brought in two more incredible guys in Quinnton Vega and Alex Pop-Moldovan, and we are just having a great time here. I’ve built close relationships with all of them. I find one of the biggest issues and challenges in this business is finding good pros and, in that regard, I couldn’t be happier with the ones I have.” In addition to Vega and Pop-Moldovan, Glen Head also added Adam Lee to its staff, who has been a key to the growth of its high-performance programs. While teaching pros and tennis coaches can often have an adversarial relationship with one another, as it can be tough to keep clients and players, Barres sees the opposite with his team. “I see our pros going over notes with each other at night. They work as such a team,” he said. “It’s not really catty among them; nobody is trying to poach lessons and players away from one another. We do a lot of tournaments here, and I see coaches come in sometimes and try to poach players. But we don’t have that here. And my pros say to me, ‘If

someone takes my client, then I’m not doing my job well enough’. They are the type of coaches who really enjoy doing the work and embrace the challenges that come along with it.” Barres says that it is his role to motivate them and provide an environment for them to succeed, which, in turn, will work to the benefit of the clients and players. “The pros are out there building their own business, and it’s my job to motivate them and give them a platform to grow their careers,” said Barres. “I think my aggressiveness in terms of giving them what they need motivates them to do more, and I think that’s how we are going to continue to build things here. I let them be entrepreneurial in terms of building their programs, as opposed to just making programs and saying, ‘This is the way it is.’ We sit down and go over things together. I view the pros as my clients, and they are out getting their own clients. So if I am managing them right, they are going to have a good relationship with everyone else.” That approach has led to a healthy work environment for management and the staff and has helped grow and improve the club’s camps and programs. Barres also credits a lot of the club’s growth and success over the last year to its General Manager Stephanie Leo. “I have the best manager in the business,” he said. “She is like the den mother here. At first, we didn’t know if we

were going to need a manager. We figured both Adam and I would be here most of the time. But every day we thank god that we kept her. She is incredible; I don’t think we could function without her.” All of that has combined to make Barres and his partners thankful for his decision to purchase the business a year ago, and the club has since grown, developing a large summer camp this past summer and even hosting camps during the Jewish holidays in September and October that brought in dozens of players for multiple sessions. In addition to creating a healthy environment and an inspired staff, they have upgraded the club’s look, and have plans to continue to build on the investment they made. “It’s my job to make sure we have a

beautiful building for everyone to hang out in and the parents want to stay in the lounge during their kids’ lessons. We have nice couches and put up a 75-inch television; I want everyone to want to be here,” he said. “We have a state-of-the-art gym and fitness center and an incredible weight loss and nutrition program. We are upgrading our LED lighting, and plan to resurface the courts with brand new Decoturf sometime next year. I think I have the nicest tennis club around. We’ve grown a lot since we took over, and still have a lot more we want to do.” Brian Coleman is senior editor for Long Island Tennis Magazine. He may be reached by e-mail at BrianC@USPTennis.com.

Play SMART - Coach SMART With

SERVEMASTER

“I started using Servemaster when I was 11 years old. Now I’m a pro and I still use it every day.” —Alycia Parks How and why does it work? Check it out at:

www.totalserve.com Lisa Dodson lisa@thetotalserve.com

LITennisMag.com • November/December 2019 • Long Island Tennis Magazine

The Net Generation Exp

ince its inception more than two years ago, the USTA’s Net Generation initiative has made its mission to get more kids playing tennis, and has attempted to reach this goal through fun and unique events throughout the year. A major aspect of this initiative takes place at the end of the summer during the US Open, where players and coaches from different clubs and programs get the opportunity to show off their skills and demonstrate their progress on the same courts used by the professional players just before they arrive. “There is no better way to inspire the next generation then by bringing them to the US Open and playing on the same courts as the pros before the matches,” said Leah Friedman, USTA’s national manager for Net Generation. “We had around 600-700 kids on court in our first year, and in our third year, this summer, we had over 1,500 kids on court.” In three years, the amount of kids who were able to get on court has nearly tripled, a clear indicator of the growth of the sport as well as the expansion of opportunities being offered. Only the four main courts, Arthur Ashe Stadium, Louis Armstrong Stadium, Grandstand and Court 17, were used, but more of the side courts were added this year. “We also added four night sessions on Ashe,” Friedman added. “And we’re already thinking of ways on how to

expand on that next year. The experience is priceless in terms of what it can do it motivate kids, and how it can motivate and inspire the parents to believe in tennis and what it can do for their child going forward.” The kids are welcomed with VIP treatment on the day that they are on court. They arrive on the grounds of the USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center before the public which allows them great access to the players practicing, and they are able to take pictures and even snag some autographs. Each group is provided with 50 grounds passes for the day for free. “To bring in 50 people from your community tennis program for free to the US Open can be life-changing, and I’ve seen how this experience can change lives,” said Friedman. “We’re trying to make sure that families get a chance to enjoy the Open together.” In the first year, it was primarily kids from the USTA Eastern Section, with some from Middle States and New England Section, who went on court. But that has expanded significantly and this year, kids from all over the country, from as far as Southern California, came in. Friedman credits Eastern for a lot of that, as the work and support from the section is invaluable, because it can be a strenuous and challenging process. “We start putting this out there in the beginning of the year in January and February, and we have an application

Long Island Tennis Magazine • November/December 2019 • LITennisMag.com

process for the programs to come,” said Friedman. “We require they bring 24 kids, and each kid is allowed to bring a chaperone, plus two coaches.” Thousands of kids are treated to the experience of a lifetime of being able to play a part in the US Open, with some of them even being given the opportunity to do the coin toss before the match. Each group can select one of its players to do the coin toss: “To see the look on those kid’s faces when they to do that and have the interaction with the players is amazing. I’ve seen crying, I’ve seen total shock and I’ve seen kids who are speechless. I know we are doing something good when I see those reactions.” More of those same reactions would come during the trophy presentations after each of the finals, both singles and doubles, as Net Generation players were selected to be a part of those ceremonies. “During the men’s singles final, we were prepared to go out there during the third set, and we ended up sitting there for two more hours,” recalls Friedman. “But then to watch Nadal put his arms around the kids during the presentation, that was a moment I’ll never forget and I’m sure the kids won’t forget either.” In the three years since Net Generation was introduced, the experience the kids have at the US Open continues to expand, helping to create both lasting memories and a passion for the sport

perience at the US Open

By Brian Coleman

that may not have developed otherwise. Friedman and her team already have plans to build off the success and add more to the programming for next year’s event. “USTA Eastern has just been incredible. It’s because of them that we can keep expanding,” she said. “I’d like

to see us expand to another court, and then just continue to think of ways that we can show just how inclusive our sport can be. In 2018, we had one adaptive tennis group come and play on Ashe. This year, we had multiple adaptive groups play on Ashe, and we also had groups that brought adaptive athletes. We’re

always thinking of new ways to show how great our sport is, and how it can continue to change lives.” Brian Coleman is senior editor for Long Island Tennis Magazine. He may be reached by e-mail at BrianC@USPTennis.com.

LOOKING FOR THAT SPECIAL HOLIDAY GIFT?

LEAVE YOUR MARK AT THE HOME OF THE US OPEN. Express your love of the game and serve up dreams for under-resourced youth by donating a brick or paver. The donation helps to support local tennis and education organizations across the country. For more information and to order your brick or paver:

AvenueofAces.com 914-696-7223 Foundation@USTA.com

LIMITE D SPACE S AVAILA BLE

USTA Foundation Incorporated reserves the right to change the pavers and their location at any time without the consent of the donor. The USTA Foundation Incorporated (“USTA Foundation”) provides grants and scholarships for programs that combine tennis with education to enrich the lives of under-resourced youth. USTA Foundation is a 501(c)(3), tax-exempt, not-for-profit, charitable and educational organization. IRS ID #13-3782331. This request for financial support is for the purpose of funding programs and operations of USTA Foundation. Donations received shall not constitute an endowment of funds and may be expended in their entirety for the state purpose. ©2019 USTA Foundation Incorporated, 70 West Red Oak Lane, White Plains, New York 10604. All rights reserved. USTA Foundation reserves the right to change the pavers and their location at any time without the consent of the donor.

LITennisMag.com • November/December 2019 • Long Island Tennis Magazine

PGA Tour Superstore: A Part of the Community By Brian Coleman

hen many people hear the name “PGA Tour Superstore,” the immediate thought may be that it’s a place that only serves a person’s golf needs. But that certainly is not the case, and the nationwide brand has made a name for itself in the tennis industry, including the location here on Long Island in Westbury. “We have people here, including a master stringer and tennis professionals, who are just tennis people,” said Anthony Chiofalo, events and tournament marketing manager at the Westbury store. “We offer programs for schools and high-level players, as well as for the recreational players who want to just go out and hit on a Saturday morning. Our people are local, so they know the area, and they are all about tennis.” In recent months, the folks at PGA Tour Superstore have expanded the tennis section of the store, adding in a

new display, which makes it easier to showcase the new products, including rackets and bags, that they offer. As they are always bringing in the latest in tennis apparel, it’s important for them to always be offering its customers the top-of-theline equipment, says Chiofalo. “We have programs that are strictly designed for both golf and tennis events. A lot of golf outings now are doing tennis activities as part of their events, so we naturally help them out,” he added. “We have different discounts we offer to people, in addition to that. If people come out to an event just for the tennis end of it, we have discount cards, towels and other giveaways. It’s a great way to make them feel like they are a part of our family and community.” Being a store that is entrenched in the local community and taking pride in giving back, is something that is at the top of the priority list for PGA Tour Superstore across all of its stores in the United States.

Long Island Tennis Magazine • November/December 2019 • LITennisMag.com

“It’s the number one priority of the Arthur M. Blank Family Foundation and Arthur Blank himself,” said Chiofalo, referring to the owner of the National Football League’s Atlanta Falcons, who is also the owner of PGA Tour Superstore. “He provides us as a store the opportunity to give back to our local community and local foundations. We have many offerings here at the store.” Recently, the Westbury location hosted an event on the 18th anniversary of the Sept. 11 attacks, to honor first responders and raise money for charities: The New York State Troopers Memorial Fund and the FDNY Burn Center. Guests were invited to the store to take part in a number of activities including a driving contest, a putting contest and a closest-to-the-pin contest. There was food and refreshments provided, and the event raised about $600 for the charities. “We open the store for events all the time,” said Chiofalo. “For fun or

fundraising, just come by and ask. We can set it up.” Despite being a company that is nationwide, PGA Tour Superstore has made it clear that one of its goals is to be a key component of the local communities in which they exist. That is evidenced by the array of events, programming and fundraisers it holds throughout the year, the Westbury location hosts free clinics as well as Kids Zone events on a monthly basis. Those initiatives are something that Blank and the PGA Tour Superstore corporate offices take great pride in, and can be clearly seen in the way the Westbury location operates and engrains itself with the local happenings of its area. PGA Tour Superstore just opened its 41st store in Austin, Texas, and plans to open a couple more soon, one in Boston and one in New Jersey. “The original goal was to open about 50 stores, but it looks like we are going to go way past that,” said Chiofalo. The Mission Statement of the PGA

Tour Superstore says “only we have the knowledge, passion, depth of assortment and experience to inspire golfers and tennis players everywhere to play better, have more fun and grow the game. As a part of the Blank Family of Businesses, we observe our Core Values as an important part of how we operate each day. We invite you to learn more about the Blank Family of Businesses and our Core Values, and discover how we are giving back to our communities,” something it takes pride in trying to

emphasize on a daily basis. Whether you are an avid tennis player, an avid golfer, or a little bit of both, PGA Tour Superstore has become a go-to destination for your needs, and in the process, continues to do its part in growing the games and helping to better its community. Brian Coleman is senior editor for Long Island Tennis Magazine. He may be reached by e-mail at BrianC@USPTennis.com.

LITennisMag.com • November/December 2019 • Long Island Tennis Magazine

U S TA E A S T E R N L O N G I S L A N D R E G I O N

USTA Long Island Region’s 30th Annual Awards Dinner to be Held at 3rd NY Open Nominations are now open for the USTA Long Island Region’s Annual Awards Dinner, which in 2020 will be held at the 3rd New York Open. In recognition of its 30th year, the Annual USTA Long Island Awards Dinner will be held at NYCB LIVE, home of the Nassau Veterans Memorial Coliseum to take advantage of the unique benefits the NY Open brings to the Region. The awards program will be held Wednesday, Feb. 12 prior to the evening session of play. The event will include a cocktail hour, awards

presentation and special recognition of award winners on court between matches. Awards will be given in several categories including tennis play, volunteering and much more. To make your nominations, please visit LongIsland.USTA.com and continue to check LongIsland.USTA.com and our Facebook page (USTA Long Island) for updated information on the 30th Annual USTA Long Island Region Awards Dinner.The USTA Long Island Region and

Money Available! Long Island tennis programs serving schools, local communities or special populations can apply for grants of up to $1,000 from USTA Eastern. The grant money, designed to help get new programs off the ground, serve tennis to specific populations or help to grow tennis participation in local areas, is available to USTA member organizations. USTA Eastern offers several annual grants for programs that help grow the game of tennis in the Eastern Section. Organizations may apply for Regional grant funding to support programming aimed at increasing tennis participation in communities. Special consideration will be given

to applications focused within the following categories: School and After School Programming, Junior and Adult Competition, Diversity and Inclusion Initiatives, Community Tennis Associations (CTA) & National Jr. Tennis and Learning (NJTL) Programs, Special Populations/Wheelchair Tennis and Innovative Programs. For more information on available grants, please visit USTA.com/en/Home/Organize/Grants-andAssistance/Eastern/GrantsandScholarships.html or e-mail Neil Thakur at Thakur@Eastern.USTA.com.

You Can Help Choose Eastern Honorees

Long Island Region 2018 Volunteer of the Year Terri Arnold-McKenzie (second from right) with (from left to right) USTA Eastern Board President Amber Marino, USTA Eastern Executive Director Jenny Schnitzer and Long Island Regional Director Jonathan Klee 24

Nominations are now open for the 2020 USTA Eastern Awards, which will honor exceptional Section leaders. The awards will be presented Saturday, Jan. 25, 2020 at the Annual Awards Dinner during the Eastern Tennis Conference. Members of the tennis community are asked to nominate those who have made a significant impact through tennis in their community. Individuals and organizations may be nominated for more than 20 awards, including Tennis Woman of the Year, Tennis Man of the Year, Tennis Family of the Year and Member Organization of the Year. Nominations close Oct. 28. Last year, Long Island volunteers won several Eastern Section awards, including: Sunny Fishkind, Tennis Woman of the Year; Jason Wass, 10 & Under Tennis Award; Carefree Racquet Club, Corporate Service Award; Adrian Chirici, the George Seewagen Award; Brian Coleman, the Press Service Award; and Terri Arnold-McKenzie, Long Island Volunteer of the Year. To nominate an individual, group or organization, visit USTA.com/en/Home/Stay-Current/Eastern/2020-EasternTennis-Conference-Awards.html.

Long Island Tennis Magazine • November/December 2019 • LITennisMag.com

U S TA E A S T E R N L O N G I S L A N D R E G I O N

Tennis by the Sea Credit all photos to: Dory Levinter

Long Beach Tennis Center teamed up to provide tennis lessons for kids at the Annual Town of Hempstead Family Festival by the Sea in Lido Beach in September. Local middle and high school tennis players volunteered their time to teach tennis to children attending the festival, as more than 50 children stopped by. Dory Levinter and Evan Kober coordinated the participation and the volunteers, while the USTA provided the equipment for Net Generation lessons. Levinter, a pro at Long Beach Tennis

Center, said she appreciates the teenagers who shared their time and expertise with the youngsters. “It’s one generation teaching the next,” Levinter said. If your Long Island community is hosting a fair or festival 2020 and you’d like to see tennis instruction available for local youth, please e-mail USTAOnLongIsland@gmail.com with your contact information and the date and location of the event, and we will try to accommodate you!

USTA Eastern Long Island Regional Council Executive Committee l Jonathan Klee, Regional Director l Michael Pavlides, Past Regional Director l Sunny Fishkind, Vice Regional Director l Randi Wilkins, Secretary For more information on the USTA Long Island Region, please visit LongIsland.USTA.com, e-mail USTAOnLongIsland@gmail.com, visit us on Facebook at USTA Long Island and follow us on Twitter @USTA_LI. LITennisMag.com • November/December 2019 • Long Island Tennis Magazine

By Emilie Katz

Wozniacki Attending Harvard

Sharapova, who did so back in 2016. “Being accepted into Harvard Business School is a dream come true!” Wozniacki said on Twitter.

Halep-Cahill Reunite

with you. After a year without him on my team, I’m happy to announce that Darren will be back by my side next season.” Cahill helped Halep reach the number one ranking in the world and capture her maiden Grand Slam title at the 2018 French Open, before splitting at the end of last season.

Clijsters Announces Comeback Former world number one and Australian Open champion Caroline Wozniacki has jumped into the classroom recently, continuing what has become somewhat of a trend for professional tennis players. Wozniacki enrolled in Harvard Business School, as did US Open mixed doubles champion Bethanie Mattek-Sands, following in the footsteps of Maria

Simona Halep announced that she and Darren Cahill will rekindle their coaching relationship in 2020. Halep shared the news on social media: “I have some exciting news to share

Long Island Tennis Magazine • November/December 2019 • LITennisMag.com

One of the most beloved players is making a return to the tour as Belgium’s Kim Clijsters announced she will be pursuing a comeback in

2020. Clijsters, a three-time US Open champion, last played in 2012, but will back competing at the world’s highest level next year. “I don’t really feel like I want to prove something,” Clijsters told the WTA Insider Podcast. “I think for me it’s the challenge.”

Lopez and Pouille Both Tie the Knot

It’s officially wedding season, and many players on the ATP Tour tied the knot with

their significant others. That includes Spanish veteran Feliciano Lopez and young Frenchman Lucas Pouille (pictured here), with Lopez marrying Sandra Gago and Pouille wedding Clemence Bertrand.

Osaka Buys Former Jonas Brother’s House Credit photo to: Realtor.com

Pop music star Nick Jonas sold his Los Angeles home in an off-market deal earlier this summer, with the house reportedly being sold for just under $7 million. And it was only recently revealed the buyer: Two-time Grand Slam champion Naomi Osaka.

Tsitsipas Explains Post-Laver Cup Drinking Following Team Europe’s victory at the Laver Cup, Greek star Stefanos Tsitsipas discussed the tournament’s after-party on his video blog “PERFECT,” where he discussed his thoughts on YouTube. Towards the end, Tsitsipas came clean to his parents and explained that he drank alcohol during the celebration: “It was so disgusting, it was so bad, I didn’t like it at all,” he said. “Mama, they forced me to do it. I will show you the video—they were screaming my name.” His father responded: “I’m telling you, the best drink is not vodka. It’s gin. You will like gin. Gin-tonic might be good for you.”

LITennisMag.com • November/December 2019 • Long Island Tennis Magazine

Serve and Volley for Women: Why Not? By Lisa Dodson There are a number of classic “reasons” for the lack of serve and volley among women in the modern game of tennis. Opinions and quotes from fans, players, coaches and commentators are many. True or not here, they are: 1. “The return is too big.” 2. “Women’s serves are not big enough and they are too small.” 3. “Racket and string technology makes serve and volley ‘suicidal.’” 4. “Women aren’t agile and quick in forward/back movement.” I have long been a believer that women’s tennis took an ill-advised, one dimensional turn many years ago. With the onset of topspin, the baseline became the main room in the house for female 28

players. A successful style was created and copied, commentators and coaches professing that this was the way women should play tennis. We, the coaches, professionals and spokespeople for the game bought into this in a big way. Consequently, we have undermined players’ abilities and undervalued a substantial part of the game in women’s tennis. The serve We all know that, generally speaking, women are not physically capable of serving the speed of men. Nature dictates this by giving men the size, speed and strength advantage. That being said, it does not mean that women cannot develop big serves. The man’s muscle mass is above the waist and women’s is below the waist. Women need to be taught to engage the center and lower body more to harness their natural power and to couple this with a

Long Island Tennis Magazine • November/December 2019 • LITennisMag.com

proper throwing technique. The fastest, officially-recorded, woman’s serve is 131 miles per hour by Sabine Lisicki, followed by 12 pro players who have recorded speeds over the minimum 124 miles per hour benchmark. Given the right tools and coaching, these exceptional results are attainable by women players. It’s all a matter of the player and coach believing that this is possible and going through a solid progression. It’s also a matter of time spent, balls hit and willingness to persevere. Like anything else there are some players who will take to the challenge more naturally and with open and accepting attitudes. These players and coaches will then set the bar for others. In the last few years, there has been a push to improve women’s serves and strides are being made to earn some cheap points. Commanding play from the serve can be the future of women’s tennis

if we make it a priority. We’re not even talking about blasting untouched aces, but setting a tone and confidence for a match by using varying spin, pinpoint placement and speed. The key is to make the receiver hit returns that are outside of their striking zone. Then, returns become less accurate, less deadly and more vulnerable. The volley The serve always gets the blame for the lack of serve and volley for women. What about the poor old, neglected classic volley, which just so happens to be the second and equally important half of the serve and volley? The art of the volley has been stripped and robbed by forehand grips. Female players spend so much time on the baseline hitting topspin forehands and two-handed backhands that the Continental grip is a stranger. Dangerously true is that this happens daily at grassroots levels. It’s no wonder that our most creative and versatile female players in history utilize the one-handed backhand. Using a Continental grip for the backhand leads to familiarity of what this grip provides for both the serve and the volley. The Continental grip is essential for a controlled volley. Generally, classic volleys are not meant to overpower, but to put pressure on the opponent to hit a difficult passing shot and is a necessity

for the first or mid-court volley. Forward movement takes players from one physical place to another by means of hitting the shot and is an integral part of hitting this non-swinging shot. Female players need to spend time on their volley technique and how to make that technique work on the move. If it is true that women are weaker at forward movement and struggle with transitioning reflexively, then it really is for lack of doing it. Reallocate a good chunk of practice time to coming forward, learning an athletic split-step and quickening up the transition. Add a precision first volley to complete building the confidence to use a serve and volley or an approach technique. Not only will this make serving and volleying more successful, but it will enhance approaching on forceful ground shots or returns. It’s time and it takes time. Don’t get me wrong. I’m not advocating that all women players should become serve and volley players, I’m advocating a winning style of play at all levels. Use it at specific, strategic times, against specific player types, as a pressure tool, as a bluff. Just use it! Remember that when you go to the net, you will sometimes get passed. But in the meantime, you will win more points by simply approaching (and not having to volley) than you will by volleying. The premise above is driven by facts. Craig O’Shannessy, the lead strategy

analyst for ATP and WTA, cited the following facts: An examination of the statistics shows that serving and volleying remains a winning strategy for men and women … At the 2012 US Open, both men and women had the highest winning percentage (of baseline, net and serve and volley) when serving and volleying: 68.7 percent for men, 69.2 percent for women. The percentages were similar for Wimbledon 2013. Surprisingly, baseline points won were 46.2 percent for men and 47.3 percent for women. Still, there were only 190 serve-andvolley points in the women’s tournament, and only 37 of the 128 women in the field served and volleyed at all. 19 women did not lose a point while serving and volleying. Perhaps things will change when coaches encourage women to spend quality time on their serve, volley and the athletic movements associated with putting them together. So, let me ask again, why not? Lisa Dodson is the developer and owner of Servemaster, a USPTA Elite Professional and a former WTA worldranked player. She is currently the director of tennis at Shenorock Shore Club in Rye, N.Y. She may be reached by e-mail at Lisa@TheTotalServe.com or visit TheTotalServe.com.

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comeback complete continued from page 20

A Star is Born Andreescu bursts onto scene with US Open title By Brian Coleman

The kid is alright … On a late-summer Saturday afternoon in Flushing Meadows, Bianca Andreescu became the first player born this century to win a Grand Slam as she captured the 2019 US Open title. It was a clash of generations, with the 37-year-old Serena Williams, owner of 23 Grand Slam singles championships, against the Canadian teenager who had yet to be born when Serena won her first US Open. But the 19-year-old didn’t let the contrast of resumes affect her as she prepared for the match. In fact, she embraced the challenge and wanted to play the match on her terms. “I think she double-faulted for me to win the game,” Andreescu said about breaking serve in the first game of the match. “The game plan from the start was to make her work for every ball … to get as many returns in the court as possible. I think she was intimidated a little bit by it.” It’s precisely that mentality that guided Andreescu to become the first Canadian, male or female, to win a Grand Slam singles title. Entering the finals, Serena had been bulldozing her opponents in Flushing Meadows, losing just two games to Maria Sharapova in the opening round before being pushed to three sets by young American Caty McNally, 2018 French Open Girls Singles runner up. But after that, she lost a total of 17 games in her next four matches against Karolina Muchova, Petra Martic, Qiang Wang and Elina Svitolina, respectively, to reach the finals in convincing fashion. On the flip side, Andreescu was tested nearly every step of the way in her climb to the championship match. She needed three sets to beat American qualifier Taylor Townsend in the Round of 16, came back from a set down to beat Elise Mertens in the quarterfinals and battled back from 2-5 down in the second set to beat Belinda Bencic in the semifinals. Andreescu entered the biggest match of her life battle-proven after having to play some big-time tennis in very crucial moments in 30

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a star is born continued from page 30

the lead-up, preparing her for what would be the biggest match of her young life. “In the finals, playing Serena, I just tried to breathe as much as I could from the moment I woke up until the match,” Andreescu said. “I tried to just do that throughout the whole match, to just keep my nerves in place. It wasn’t easy at all.

But I think that’s what I’ve been doing really well throughout this whole year.” Winning was what she had done all year-long. It was without question the breakout season of her career; in fact, she entered the season ranked outside the top 150, and was a first-round exit at last year’s US Open qualifiers.

Long Island Tennis Magazine • November/December 2019 • LITennisMag.com

In her first tournament of the season, she came through qualifying to reach the finals in Auckland, where she lost a tough three-set match to Julia Goerges, and then came through qualifying to reach the main draw of the Australian Open where she would win a first-round match over American Whitney Osuigwe, her first taste of a Grand Slam main draw. But with each match she played at the game’s highest level, her confidence steadily grew. After falling to Sofia Kenin in the semifinals in Acapulco, she captured one of the most prestigious titles, winning the BNP Paribas Open in Indian Wells, Calif., beating some of the top players in the world, including Svitolina, and Grand Slam champions Garbine Muguruza and Angelique Kerber in the process. Her sudden rise would not come without any speed bumps, however, and after she played at the French Open, she was bitten by the injury bug, missing four months due to a shoulder injury. “It’s definitely a process of life. You’re never going to have ups all the time,”

Andreescu said of dealing with injuries. “So I think in those moments, you have to just deal with it the best that you can, which is to just keep fighting for your dreams and just stay as persistent and persevere as much as you can. I know in those moments you feel like you can’t. But if you believe that there are good times ahead, then those tough moments are definitely worth it.” After dealing with her shoulder issues, Andreescu returned to the court in her home country, and captured another of the biggest titles on the tour, outside of the majors, and won the Rogers Cup in Toronto. She played Serena in the finals in Toronto, who had to retire early on due to back spasms, but the two would get their rematch a month later in Queens. In the US Open final, Andreescu bookended the first set with breaks of serve, and continued to put the pressure on by building a 5-1 lead in the second set. But that’s when the pressure and the weight of the moment transferred to the teenager’s shoulders. “It definitely wasn’t easy, especially when she started coming back in the second set,” said Andreescu. “I mean, it was expected. She’s a champion and that’s what champions do. She’s done that many, many times throughout her career, but I just tried to stay as composed as I could.” The first time Andreescu tried to serve out the match at 5-1, she failed. And as Serena broke, the partisan crowd, who were in Serena’s corner, began to work its way back in the match. Serena held. Then broke again, followed by a hold of serve. All of a sudden, the second set was all tied at five, with the wind seemingly taken out of Andreescu’s sails. “I was blocking out the noise, or trying to,” Andreescu said, referring to her putting her fingers in her ears in order to tune out the raucous New York crowd. “I could barely hear myself think really. It

was really loud, but I guess that’s what makes this tournament so special. I’m sure it’s really nice for the Americans to play on that court. I’ve heard a lot of cheering from other people for me, so I was really happy with that.” One of the things that makes tennis so intriguing is the necessity for a player to have to figure things out on their own when on the court. Even with tens of thousands of fans making noise and the greatest player the sport has ever seen hitting her stride, Andreescu had to quickly right the ship. She held serve to go ahead 6-5, pumping herself up with each point she won in the game. And then as Serena went to serve to stay in the match, Andreescu set up two championship points, fittingly putting an end to the match with a screaming forehand winner that was unreachable. “After Indian Wells, it took a couple of weeks to sink in. After Toronto, it took a couple days. Hopefully by tomorrow, I will finally realize that it actually happened,” she said after the win. “Right now it feels like, ‘What the hell is happening?’” Andreescu, the Canadian-born daughter of Romanian immigrants is now one of the faces of women’s tennis,

a quick rise for a 19-year-old who was playing in ITF tournaments less than a year ago. She credits much of her success to the support she received in Canada throughout her junior career. “Canada is such an amazing country. It’s so multi-cultural. I had no trouble growing up having Romanian parents, whatsoever. That’s why I love my country so much,” she said. “Tennis Canada, as well. I can’t thank them enough for everything they’ve done. I’ve been with them ever since I was 10-years-old. The program they have in place has been going really well, not only for me but for many other Canadian athletes. Without their help, I definitely wouldn’t be here.” And after her win, Canada gave her a hero’s return. Prime Minister Justin Trudeau congratulated her, and in her hometown of Mississauga, they welcomed her home with a huge celebration as the mayor presented her with a key to the city, and a street in Mississauga will now bear her name. “I never really thought about being famous,” Andreescu said. “My goals have been to just win as many Grand Slams as possible and become number one in the world. But the idea of fame never really crossed my mind.” But the reality is that it’s impossible to have the first one without the other, and Andreescu is now one of the most famous tennis players in the world. Her task now becomes living up to that newfound fame, and building off her maiden Grand Slam title. She possesses the skillset to remain atop the women’s game for years to come, and has the type of personality that can make her a star both on and off of the court, something she is certainly ready to do: “It’s been a crazy ride this year. I can definitely get used to this feeling.” Brian Coleman is senior editor for Long Island Tennis Magazine. He may be reached by e-mail at BrianC@USPTennis.com.

LITennisMag.com • November/December 2019 • Long Island Tennis Magazine

Writing Is The Right Way to Grow Tennis By Steve Kaplan follow a straightforward philosophy about the nature of expertise; if you can’t explain something meticulously, you don’t understand it and further if you can’t explain it simply, you are no expert. This fundamental truth is particularly troubling in tennis because much sincere debate has been trivialized by information clutter. Accordingly, a recent sports study examining the rise in popularity of lacrosse participation surveyed hundreds of young athletes and found the most compelling reason that children drop out of sports is “diminished fun due to parents who impose their selfanointed expertise.” Not surprisingly, it was found that lacrosse had one of the lowest concentrations of parents who were pseudo experts, and tennis had one of the highest. The study concluded that the rise of lacrosse popularity is aided by parents lacking information and tending to leave their children to be

coached by the actual experts. In contrast, it’s clear that the exodus of so many young tennis players from the sport is accelerated by readily accessible spam feeding the appetite of information-hungry parents who satiate with knowledge but lack expertise, eagerly sharing it with their disapproving children. What is the McDonald’s of tennis junk information feeding the masses? It’s social media, of course. And in tennis, way too many “instructional” posts on social media are superficial and as morbidly fascinating as they are gruesomely misinformative. The tennis social media community attracts the “lowest common denominator, humble brags” that promise an exchange of true ideas and wisdom, but deliver nothing more than self-advancing marketing hype. In order to inform, the sport needs more astute writing authored by enthusiastic writers to encourage healthy conversation. Knowledge is power and to help the sport and its young players grow we “can’t be serious” if we are not serious. As coaches, we must write because the act of writing flushes out

ideas by forcing us to organize and clarify thoughts. Tennis coaching requires skillful communication and to be an exceptional coach you had better be persuasive, adaptable, and an expert communicator. After all, it’s not about what the coach knows, it’s what the student learns. Writing about tennis technique, philosophy, tactics and training sharpens and deepens teaching skills. Genuine coaches need to present consequential objectives in legitimate forums. Perhaps the most common complaint I read on social media from coaches who present themselves as the sport’s elite talent developers is how the prevalence of poor coaching limits the growth of the sport. While this may be a valid criticism, it’s also lazy and remiss because this type of complaint is part of the problem and not a path to the solution. We can brag, blame and promote, or we can write to educate and grow both the game and ourselves. Writing is not just a right, it’s an obligation. Steve Kaplan is the owner and managing director of Bethpage Park Tennis Center, as well as director emeritus of Lacoste Academy for New York City Parks Foundation and executive director and founder of Serve & Return Inc. Steve has coached more than 1,100 nationallyranked junior players, 16 state high school champions, two NCAA Division 1 Singles Champions, and numerous highly-ranked touring professionals. Many of the students Steve has closely mentored have gone to achieve great success as prominent members of the New York financial community, and in other prestigious professions. In 2017, Steve was awarded the Hy Zausner Lifetime Achievement Award by the USTA. He may be reached by e-mail at StevenJKaplan@aol.com.

Long Island Tennis Magazine • November/December 2019 • LITennisMag.com

Future Stars: A Hamptons’ Treasure By Angelina Remnek Photo credits to: Sophia Remnek

The Hamptons is known as the pristine East End of Long Island archipelago, where contemporary, upscale New Yorkers voyage to get out of the hustle and bustle of the city and sip Rosé poolside. In terms of geography, the Hamptons stretch from Westhampton to Long Island’s apex. There are loads to do and the Hamptons are notorious for many things, from its acclaimed, alluring beaches to the in vogue art museums, to enclosures that cultivate higher than mid-August temperatures. Amongst all that we must not forget about the premier year-round training facility situated in Southampton: Future Stars Summer Camps. Since 1980, Future Stars has been providing some of the most phenomenal training in the New York-Metropolitan Area. The Camp consists of eight state-of-the-art outdoor tennis courts for the outdoor season, and its programs are made for both boys and girls enlisted in grades K-12. Future Stars creates an impeccable balance between match play, drill work, strategy instruction, and off-court activities to entice players of all levels. The distinguished camp is quite unique, to say the least, due to the overwhelming diversity on the courts. With coaches from a plethora of continents including Australia, South America, and North America, the dynamic is like no other. A key prerequisite for any teacher or coach at Future Stars is a formidable sense of enthusiasm. Each coach motivates the students through their unwavering love of tennis. Not only are students exposed to a prodigious tennis education, but also first-hand culture tutelage.

Such international coaches have distinctive teaching styles that result in putting an emphasis on different aspects of the sport. Tennis pro Andrea Sandoval from Mexico shared with us what she contends is the most critical element to a strong tennis player: “One of the main things that I try and bring to the kids is intensity, particularly footwork. If you don’t have the right level of footwork, then you will never reach your true potential.” Australian Dylan Cleary was candid about what he feels is a detriment to the teaching style in the United States: “People are so happy to jump towards regular tennis balls at the cost of development. What tends to happen is by the time the child is 13, they only know how to tap the ball back over and have not developed a proper stroke.

“Maybe it’s the Aussie in me, but I believe it’s important for coaches to be laid back and adaptable,” added Cleary. “Sometimes you get a group and the kids won’t have good oncourt chemistry right off the bat. It’s my job as their coach to work with them both individually and as a group so that they can get the most out of their experience with us.” Future Stars Summer Camp pushes the campers to play their best through the intense drill work and perpetual match play. The coaches love and dedication to the sport and the children is what truly makes this camp stand out among the rest, and its diversity on the court ensure the kids attain a well-rounded experience. Angelina Remnek is an intern and contributing writer to Long Island Tennis Magazine.

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AceSpace AceSpaceCourts.com Chris@AceSpaceCourts.com Facebook.Com/AceSpaceCourts At AceSpace, we know that time is of the essence. Whether you’re scheduling tennis lessons a month in advance, or organizing an impromptu doubles match, you want the process to be quick. After all, if you can book a restaurant, a car, a hotel with just a few clicks—why not a tennis court? Founded in 2018, AceSpace is the premier court-booking platform in New York. The app easily locates available tennis courts in your area, eliminating the hassle of Web searches and phone calls. Whatever price, surface or time slot you prefer, AceSpace ensures you get the court you want, every time. Thanks to its staff of tennis enthusiasts, AceSpace was designed with both players and facilities in mind. We help tennis centers manage their bookings automatically, working as a stand-alone system or in tandem with older technology. We work directly with facility managers, bridging the gap between manual bookings and digitallyoriented players. Now live at Park Avenue Tennis Facility and Tiger Tennis Academy, our gift to you is a stress-free tennis schedule. Like the best tennis players, AceSpace is fast and reliable, and no matter how busy your life gets, AceSpace is ready to steer you towards the nearest clay, grass or hard surface. If you’re ready to #ClaimYourCourt, visit AceSpaceCourts.com to create your account now. Follow AceSpace on Facebook for updates, and we’ll see you on the court!

iKnowTennis! Mobile App iKnowTennis.com Do you know tennis rules? You serve. As your opponent hits a winning return, a string breaks on his racket. He retrieves a second racket from his bag. Is this a let? Point? First serve? a) Let, first serve b) Your point c) His point. Your doubles partner has a habit to call your serves in or out during practices. During a tournament game, he’s still calling your serves out. Can he call your serves out in a USTA match? a) Yes b) No Answers: Answer 1: His point. The point was played in good faith. He did not delay the game because his racket was in his bag on the court. If you had returned the ball, he could continue playing with a broken string. Code 45. Answer 2: No. Your partner should not be calling your first serves out. The receiver may return a long or wide serve if they didn’t see it clearly. They would be giving you the benefit of the doubt. Code 26 Learn the answers to these questions and more with the iKnowTennis! app, available on the App Store and Google Play. Visit iKnowTennis.com for more information.

Long Island Tennis Magazine • November/December 2019 • LITennisMag.com

inPhorm (214) 749-0300 inPhormNYC.com inPhorm, the international active lifestyle brand, is adding new colors to its women’s tennis line to help brighten the holiday season. At all the clubs and tennis venues where its “simple elegant” outfits sell, the colors now include a bright cherry red with its classic black and white. The mission of inPhorm, now more than a decade on the market, has been to produce comfortable, stylish, sustainable and eco-forward fabrics compatible with the its customers’ lifestyle—their fitness, athleticism and passion for preserving the environment and enhancing its recovery. inPhorm continues to expand around the globe. In addition to the Northeast U.S. and Canada (where you can wear your holiday colors indoors this winter) and down through Florida, out to the Midwest and all up and down the West Coast, inPhorm is a major player in Great Britain, and its logo can be spotted on courts from Ireland, Spain, Switzerland and Germany to Thailand, Korea and other Southeast Asian countries. As inPhorm grows, it will soon be outfitting the whole family. Spring 2020 will see the introduction of its smart, nifty children’s outfits, with powder pink and blue, which are receiving glowing reviews from major clients who have seen the prototypes. And coming in Spring 2021, designer Saad Hajidin’s highly-anticipated men’s line will debut. You can read about the tennis pros wearing inPhorm and its brand ambassadors on their Web site, inPhormNYC.com, or follow them on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and Pinterest. First-time shoppers on the Web site will receive a special discount by using the code “STAYINPHORMED.”

Servemaster: Get a Better Serve FAST (925) 570-1326 TheTotalServe.com Lisa@TheTotalServe.com John S. says: “My buddy told me about Servemaster and he says it is crazy effective. He says his serve got 25 percent better after using it for about one week. He swore by it, so I got one too. He was right! I got better so quickly and I wish I hadn’t wasted so much time practicing without knowing what I was doing.” Top professionals, academies and players around the world are endorsing and using Servemaster for fast serve improvement. Servemaster goes to the top of the “Best Gift to Receive” list for every tennis player, no matter what age, level or ability. Why does it work? Players get to experience what a service motion should feel like and that accelerates learning. Practice serve technique at home, work or on the court without hitting a ball then take it to your racket on the court. You’ll be amazed at the results. You don’t understand what Servemaster is or what it can do for you? Go to TheTotalServe.com and watch instructional videos or sign up for FREE videos on that site. We promise it will be worth your time … We also have wholesale pricing for pro shops, teaching professionals, academies and schools. All you need to do is e-mail Lisa Dodson at Lisa@TheTotalServe.com for more information.

LITennisMag.com • November/December 2019 • Long Island Tennis Magazine

Silent Partner Tennis (800) 662-1809 SPTennis.com SPTennis@on.aibn.com Give the gift of a Silent Partner Tennis Ball Machine this holiday season! Independently owned and operated since 1989, Silent Partner Tennis is celebrating its 30th anniversary by thanking its customers with great sales! The machines make a great holiday gift for tennis buffs. Throw the machine in the car and take it anywhere. We have a range of portable machines with great features for beginners and experts alike. Plus, we pride ourselves on our customer service, so if you have any questions before or after buying your machine, feel free to give us a call! Check Silent Partner Tennis out online at SPTennis.com. Here is to another great year of tennis. Silent Partner Tennis hopes that it can help you make 2020 the best one yet. Happy holidays!

Sports Made Easy (866) 532-0881 SportsMadeEz.com Info@SportsMadeEz.com Sports Made Easy has grown significantly in the Eastern Section and nationally. Now we have 20,000 members who benefit from our tournament management features. We grew from just match making services app for tennis to a data insight company which helps aspiring junior tennis players to achieve their highest potential in tennis. As a special thank you to all the Tri-State residents who stood steadfast during our growth, we would like to offer all Tri-State residents a 30 percent discount on our services and our partner products, such as Head and Joma. Take advantage of this discount to take your game to the next level. We hope these features brings you and your family members joy and big savings this holiday season! To get coupons please send an e-mail to support@sportsmadeez.com before Dec. 31, 2019.

Long Island Tennis Magazine â&#x20AC;˘ November/December 2019 â&#x20AC;˘ LITennisMag.com

Up or Down, LLC (631) 882-3442 UpOrDownSpin.com UpOrDownSpin@gmail.com Up or Down is a new tennis apparel company. The company originated with one vision in mind: “To Unite the Tennis Order.” The idea for the company stems from the spinning the racket before each match and saying: “Up or Down.” Regardless of what brand of racket you play with, Up or Down applies to all tennis players. At Up or Down, we hope to capture the tennis enthusiasts who prefer to wear clothing that identifies them with the sport they enjoy so much. Our company was specifically formed for the tennis fans and players. Our performance t-shirts, tanks, and collared shirts are moisture-wicking for extreme lightweight comfort and breathability while playing on the courts. We also supply more leisurely clothing with our Up or Down lightweight hoodies for cool summer nights and moisture-wicking hooded sweatshirts for colder weather. Whether you are a tennis enthusiast or just enjoy a weekend game, show off apparel that defines you. Visit UpOrDownSpin.com for more information.

USTA Foundation Incorporated (914) 696-7223 USTAFoundation.com Looking for that special holiday gift this year? Leave your mark at the home of the US Open Express your love of the game and serve up dreams for under-resourced youth by donating a brick or paver. The donation helps support local tennis and education organizations across the country. The mission of the USTA Foundation is to bring tennis and education together to change lives. The USTA Foundation uses the sport of tennis as a vehicle to help under-resourced youth become more engaged in school and learning with the goal of succeeding in tennis and in life. Our flagship National Junior Tennis & Learning network delivers year-round free or low-cost tennis instruction, academic support and enrichment opportunities to positively impact lives. The USTA Foundation Incorporated (USTA Foundation) provides grants and scholarships for programs that combine tennis with education to enrich the lives of underresourced youth. USTA Foundation is a 501(c)(3), tax-exempt, not-for-profit, charitable and educational organization (IRS ID #13-3782331). This request for financial support is for the purpose of funding programs and operations of USTA Foundation. Donations received shall not constitute an endowment of funds and may be expended in their entirety for the state purpose. USTA Foundation reserves the right to change the pavers and their location at any time without the consent of the donor.

LITennisMag.com • November/December 2019 • Long Island Tennis Magazine

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LITennisMag.com • November/December 2019 • Long Island Tennis Magazine

2019 LONG ISLAND TENNIS MAGAZINE’S

Coaches Roundtable Discussion he local tennis community boasts some of the top coaches in the world, and with this wealth of talent available, Long Island Tennis Magazine took the opportunity to pick the brains of some of these coaches. These instructors share their thoughts on a variety of tennis topics and issues, ranging from junior tennis to the professional game.

Meet the participants … Ricky Becker is director of tennis of the prestigious Pine Hollow Country Club which was awarded the USTA 2018 Private Club of The Year Award on Long Island. As a coach, Becker has been the primary coach for multiple juniors who reached number one in the East. As a player, he won the 1992 Most Valuable Player Award for the NCAA-Winning Stanford University Tennis Team and 1993-1996 Roslyn High School Tennis Teams. He reached number four in the United States and number one in the East in the 18-and-Unders. He can be reached by e-mail at RBecker06@yahoo.com or visit JuniorTennisConsulting.com. Lisa Dodson is the developer and owner of Servemaster, a USPTA Elite Professional and a former WTA world-ranked player. She is currently the director of tennis at Shenorock Shore Club in Rye, N.Y. She may be reached by e-mail at Lisa@TheTotalServe.com or visit TheTotalServe.com. Andrew Eichenholz is a USPTA-certified professional who serves as the USPTA Eastern Section’s Metropolitan president. He has coached part-time at the USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center since 2012 and also served as a volunteer assistant 42

coach at Division I Stony Brook University for the 2016-17 season. Laurie Tenney Fehrs has been the director of tennis and head professional at Eastern Athletic Club for the past 35 years. A former National 18U Doubles Champion, she began her successful career on the professional tour when she was 17 and would go on to compete in six Wimbledon Championships and seven U.S. Opens. Michael Fehrs grew up on Long Island in a tennisplaying family, and currently serves as the Head Pro at Eastern Athletic Club and Tam O’Shanter Country Club. He is a former New York State Doubles Champion from Huntington High School, and played Division I collegiate tennis at the University of Delaware. Ken Feuer is the director of player development at Sportime Syosset, the John McEnroe Tennis Academy’s Long Island Annex. A native of Massapequa, N.Y., he was a top-ranked junior player both on a sectional and national level, before playing collegiately at the University of Nebraska. After his playing career, he was an assistant coach for his alma mater, and would also create

Long Island Tennis Magazine • November/December 2019 • LITennisMag.com

his own academy in Scottsdale, Ariz. where he worked with adults, ATP/WTA players and high performance juniors before joining JMTA in the summer of 2019. Stefan Ilic is a staff professional and associate high performance coach at New York Tennis at Great Neck. As a junior player, Stefan was ranked as high as top 10 in the USTA Eastern Section, won a PSAL Singles Title at Forest Hills High School, was a member of a Junior TeamTennis National Championship team in 2010, and finished as a four-star recruit. Chris Lewit is a former number one singles player for Cornell who played on the pro circuit. He is a high performance coach, educator, and the author of two best-selling books: The Secrets of Spanish Tennis and The Tennis Technique Bible. He has coached numerous top 10 nationally ranked players and is known for his expertise in building the foundations of young prodigies. Chris trains players during the school year in the New York City area, and players come from around the country to his summer camp in the paradise of Vermont. Steve Kaplan is the owner and managing director of Bethpage Park Tennis Center, as well as director emeritus of Lacoste Academy for New York City

2019 LONG ISLAND TENNIS MAGAZINE’S

Coaches Roundtable Discussion Parks Foundation, and executive director and founder of Serve & Return Inc. Steve has coached more than 1,100 nationallyranked junior players, 16 state high school champions, two NCAA Division 1 Singles Champions, and numerous highly-ranked touring professionals. Many of the students Steve has closely mentored have gone to achieve great success as prominent members of the New York financial community, and in other prestigious professions. In 2017, Steve was awarded the Hy Zausner Lifetime Achievement Award by the USTA. He may be reached by e-mail at StevenJKaplan@aol.com.

which have been played at USTA, ATP, ITA and USPTA national events.

Ed Krass coached the Harvard Women’s Tennis Team to four consecutive Ivy League titles from 1986-1990. Ed is the founder and director of the Annual College Tennis Exposure Camps, which are taught exclusively by all head college coaches for high school-aged players (15-18). Ed is also the founder of One-On-One Doubles tournaments,

David Nisenson is the director of junior development at Point Set Tennis. With more than 25 years of playing and coaching experience and an unmatched competitiveness, David has quickly become one of the driving forces behind Point Set’s junior development program.

Adam Lee is a teaching professional at Glen Head Racquet and Fitness. He was a three-year captain at Wake Forest where he still holds the program record for singles victories, and achieved an ATP ranking. He has worked with Top 500 ATP Tour players as well as top nationally-ranked juniors, and has USPTA, ITPA, Certified Tennis Performance Specialist and GPTCA coaching certifications

Joao Pinho is the head professional of 10U and High-Performance at the USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center. He is a USPTA elite professional, a former NCAA Division I coach and player, and has specialized in developing competitive junior players over the past decade. Currently, he is the private coach of three national champions and a WTA touring pro. Jason Wass is a USPTA professional certified instructor, with experience coaching all ages and levels. A graduate of the USTA High-Performance Player Development Program, Jay’s strengths lie in working with players in developmental stages of the game, building a player’s technique and strategy from the ground up. Jason’s versatility as a tennis coach is demonstrated by his list of students, ranging from total beginner to nationally-ranked. Named the 2010 USTA Long Island Tennis Professional of the Year, Jay is the director of tennis at Sportime Kings Park.

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Coaches Roundtable Discussion The roundtable ...

With the prevalence of things like social media and video games, what do you think is the best way to make sure your students are getting the most out of your tennis program? Ricky Becker: When hearing this question, I feel like I would be shallow in answering it with a tennis answer. I can easily make an argument that social media, video games and overall screen time we are allowing for our kids is the biggest world-wide crisis right now. Attention deficit, apathy and general lack of motivation for doing real life activities is going to be at levels we haven’t seen before, although I really hope I’m wrong. I hope that people that are a lot smarter and influential than me can stop this societal problem. Chris Lewit: Social media, Internet, and all types of digital media can be a blessing and a curse. My players have to be careful to use social media and digital media carefully to help their development—and not to distract from their training. I tell my players to be judicious when it comes to whom and what they trust online for tennis and training information. I guide them to the best sources for sports science and I instruct them to ask me about what they have learned digitally. I have been using 44

social media to spread my teaching philosophy and method across the world, and it’s a great way for players, parents, and coaches to educate themselves—but they have to know what sources to trust. There is a lot of bad information and advice floating around. It can be difficult to separate the wheat from the chaff. It’s important that kids stay off their mobile devices during practice I have a strict rule about that. I can’t believe it sometimes when I see kids checking their phones during lessons—not to mention the coach checking his or her phone too! Video games are a good relaxation tool, but they can be addicting. Players need to be careful to only play video games after all the hard work on court and in the gym is finished! Jason Wass: I think it is important for directors and coaches to listen to our players (and parents) to make sure they are stimulated. Also, we need to pay attention to visual cues/body language and make sure we keep players properly engaged and challenged. As far as how social media and video games play into our work. We need to be very aware as a community, as parents and as coaches what we are up against as we compete for time allocation and the needs of a new generation. Saying things like “This is what worked for me” will only get coaches so far and it will not work with all players.

Long Island Tennis Magazine • November/December 2019 • LITennisMag.com

What are some of the most difficult aspects of college recruiting, and how can we help players navigate that process better? Ricky Becker: I feel speaking to parents of junior players who have been through the process is an invaluable and under-used resource. I would also recommend on going onto MyUTR.com (Universal Tennis Rating) to see what the ratings are of the players who play on different teams at colleges you might be interested in attending to see where you fall. This will help navigate the process better because unfortunately I feel like one of the most difficult aspects of college recruiting is sorting through false promises or hopes that some clubs promise prospective college players to keep the student with them. Steve Kaplan: College coaches have great omniscience and experience about the college recruiting process and most tennis families do not. It’s a highly inequitable negotiation unless you understand some fundamentals. Coaches are seeking value in recruits, equally just as players look to optimize their admission opportunities. If you understand this central concept especially early on, the process is easier to manage. What qualities do coaches look for? Of course, suitable tennis ability and, academic

2019 LONG ISLAND TENNIS MAGAZINE’S

Coaches Roundtable Discussion credentials, first and foremost. Beyond the obvious however, tangibles like health and fitness, a long and consistent commitment to competing, a record of team experience, skill in singles and doubles and a sound game all matter greatly. Intangibles like reputation (who do you think coaches ask first to learn about a player? Their team members, of course.), independence, leadership and cooperation are also powerful factors. Some seek to profit from creating a mysterious aura around the recruiting process by presenting themselves as the gatekeepers into schools. I see both knowing and educating players and families about the demands of the process to demystify and adapt as a fundamental obligation of a coach. Ed Krass: The best advice I can give to juniors is to attend a college match at any level—to observe the levels of play at each position. It’s important to work hard academically starting in the ninth grade, and to get quality practices and matches to prepare for tournament play. One of the most difficult aspects to navigating the recruiting process is what you hear from other players and parents, a lot of which is misleading. Having college coaches work with you at a camp and/or or having them watch you compete is a great way for you to showcase your game, ability and upside. Even better, you can get their honest feedback about your potential to fit in with their program or others. Being able to talk to coaches directly, or coaches who are knowledgeable about the process, can be an invaluable resource. What advice do you give your students on dealing with a situation where they feel their opponents are cheating? Lisa Dodson: This is always a tough situation. Men generally handle the situation better than women and juniors. Guys seem to feel more comfortable

calling someone out if they think they are getting hooked. But, regardless of who you are, I advise that if it happens three times, that’s enough. Anyone can make an honest mistake so we have to give the benefit of the doubt. The player should question the second time they believe a bad call was made. If they are playing in a match of importance or a tournament, then the third time they need to ask for someone to call lines. Most of the time an impartial person can be found to official, even for high school matches. It’s important that players don’t get derailed by the perceived bad calls. Once players start focusing on and looking for bad calls, it’s hard to do what is important. Even the best players in the world can be thrown by bad calls. Everyone handles the situation differently but the cool head always prevails. Andrew Eichenholz: Often the toughest part about losing a point is not actually losing the point, but the mental effects that linger in the coming points, games and, in some cases, another set. It’s about putting that single point in perspective, no matter how disappointing

losing it may be, and for whatever the reason you lost it was. I’ve found that it’s detrimental to discuss the ‘cheating’ with the player. Altering tactics to try to ‘play it safe’ to deal with potential ‘cheating’ does not help, either. The more a player thinks about these things, the more likely they are to lose focus and see their own level suffer, which is the biggest problem in this situation. The past is the past, and it’s about what solutions a player and coach can find for the player to execute their best tennis so that after the match, the discussion is a reflection on overcoming the ‘cheating’ hurdle rather than being derailed by it. Michael Fehrs: I love this question because unlike most coaches, there is no one way to solve this problem. Each player, child or adult, has a different personality. As one prepares for a match, this issue could arise especially if the opponent is known for cheating. My opinion and expertise is that a player has to respect his or herself, the court, and the sport. If you are a “gentleman” or a “lady,” you deserve to play the sport clean. So, I would confront your opponent

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Coaches Roundtable Discussion and ask to make the call after the ball bounces. From there, if it happens ONCE more, you walk up to the net and tell your opponent to please rectify the call that was made and then go get an official. Ken Feuer: When a student of mine feels like they are being cheated I tell them that they must keep their cool. All too many times the student gets caught up in the bad call and losses focus on what they are really trying to do on court. I tell my students to give their opponents the benefit of the doubt on the first bad call but on the second one they simply put their racket down and go get a referee. As an industry, how can we begin to make tennis more affordable and accessible to more people? Andrew Eichenholz: There are perhaps little things that can slowly make a difference. The USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center runs what is called the PACES Program, which allows students in the area to come to the home of the US Open for a minimal fee, receiving a tour around the grounds—

including an educational element—to engage with the history of the sport, as well as an hour-long lesson with the facility’s staff pros. During that session, students are run through a dynamic warm-up before being introduced to the sport’s basic shots to give them a basic understanding of tennis and foster a love for the sport. Another way is giving families ideas for what they can do if they’re not at the tennis center. On days when students do not have a class or private lesson, there is nothing stopping them from playing. There are various apparatus that could be constructed at home or at a local park that allow kids and adults alike to play the game, or at the very least satisfy their craving to swing a racquet around. There are many ways to use a handball wall to work on your game and get reps in, and the only cost is effort and time on behalf of the student. Coaches could even encourage students through “homework,” asking their players to accomplish certain “missions” between classes. That could be hitting a certain number of shots in a row against the wall without stopping or

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doing variations of “ups” to work on feel. Steve Kaplan: As Long Islanders, it’s difficult to escape the extraordinarily high costs of living. As a club owner, I face this same expense issue. It should be no surprise that tennis—especially indoor tennis—is expensive to provide, and the cost will be passed on. While programs are giving (and boasting about) more training scholarships today than ever before most are performance and not need based. Thus, opportunities abound, but not for those who need support the most. As an industry and as local operators we can do better. We should encourage not marginalize school tennis, because it’s the best value for a great tennis experience at a low cost. It’s good for players and good for families and that’s good for the sport. We can also focus on providing quality over quantity and teach players what positive steps they can take off court to supplement limited on court resources. We can be creative and innovative. The tennis industry can grow the game by doing a better job of providing a vision of philanthropy, enlightened self-interest and inclusion instead of short sighted promotional expediency. David Nisenson: Locally, tennis faces challenges brought on by the popularity of team sports which include local town leagues and instructional programs at moderate pricing. On a national level, I think warm weather states have a advantage because court time and availability to train at a lower cost, compared to indoor tennis in New York. Jason Wass: We have to be creative and also understanding of the obstacles that we face. Rent, utilities, taxes have all gone up in our area. Using public courts can help to keep costs lower during warm weather months, but the indoor season is always a challenge. Utilizing smaller courts and equipment that is appropriately sized can also help make

2019 LONG ISLAND TENNIS MAGAZINE’S

Coaches Roundtable Discussion tennis fun and manageable on the same space. Players should also look for opportunities to play at non-peak times to keep costs down. With the abundance of analytics now available in nearly every sport, how much can tennis benefit from the use of advanced stats, and how would you incorporate them into your tennis teaching/coaching? Ricky Becker: I think tennis is behind, but catching up. If you watched the US Open, analytics were all over the production. I like keeping simple statistics, like serve percentages, points won off first/second serves as well as winners and errors off both wings. This confirms or dispels things that me and my students know and helps guide us a little going forward. Looking at more advanced stats would need more recorded matches, which is uncommon among junior players and not allowed by parents or coaches at junior tournaments. Adam Lee: As a coach of many national, collegiate and professional tennis players, it is essential to analyze and deconstruct the statistics and data gathered from match play. These actual statistics and data allow me to tailor specific methods and techniques to improve and develop holes and weaknesses as well as strengthen weapons. Without the abundance of analytics, coaches can have more of a difficult time dealing with stubbornness, a resistance to change, and different opinions and beliefs from their players. Chris Lewit: Analytics are the future of sports training, however, parents and coaches need to be careful in the conclusions they make based on statistical analysis. For example, it’s commonly accepted now that the average rally on the pro tours is four to five shots. Pros are playing powerfully and

aggressively, which is reflected in the stats. However, many have taken a false logical leap and concluded that because the pros often finish points in that rally range, training for junior should be primarily the first four shots only, and that training longer reps and rallies is a waste of time. I strongly disagree and this is why I sometimes refer to this theory as the “Myth of the First Four Shots.” Young players especially still need to learn to focus and develop consistency, rhythm, and control, as well as patience and defense—and this can only be learned through long repetitions and rallies. The serve and attacking shots are, of course, also extremely important. There should be a balanced approach to junior training blending attack, consistency, and defense. Simple stats are very helpful for my junior tournament players to objectively track their performance. Advanced analytics have more bearing at the top college and professional level. Joao Pinho: Tennis is finally catching up with other mainstream sports in terms of stats and analytics. While that is a very positive change, it’s important to find a

balance between teaching based on the new findings and the way that it has been done for decades. For example, this recent wealth of information in our sport has shed more light into the actual length of most points during a match, which puts significantly more importance on serve and returns; historically, two of the strokes that players (and coaches) would spend less time on. While it is very positive to place additional emphasis on these particular strokes, it’s also crucial not to totally shift our mentalities and get away from developing sound baseliners who are capable of being consistent and aggressive from the back of the court, even though the percentage of points that actually go beyond nine shots is fairly low. With that said, in the past few years, I have incorporated many more patterns of play off the serve and return into my lesson plans, as well as unique games to work on the “beginning of the point.” However, I don’t ignore the importance of developing a very solid ground game that will give the player the confidence that he or she won’t “break down” on an important point that goes the distance.

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2019 LONG ISLAND TENNIS MAGAZINE’S

Coaches Roundtable Discussion How do you feel about on-court coaching, and at which levels should it be allowed? Laurie Fehrs: I am not a fan of on-court coaching during a tournament. On-court coaching should be limited to training sessions and practices. I feel it is important with a student to sometimes work with them on recognizing their opponent’s weaknesses. At times, they can’t recognize this on their own until you point it out. Ultimately, I believe a player needs to be able to realize these weaknesses on their own. And when the match is over, coaching becomes very helpful. Ed Krass: I like the on-court coaching aspect in college tennis! I think that it could be a great addition at select junior events, maybe one or two a year, so these young players learn how to be properly coached before they play college. I also like the idea of on-court coaching at professional events. I know mostly all sports, at the pro level, allow for coaching during the competition. For all of our sport’s challenges, i.e., the emotions, the mental side, tactics/strategy, opponent

etc. Coaching on court just may allow for more growth in a player’s true development and enjoyment in playing the game. David Nisenson: I don’t think coaching should be allowed in junior tennis, because it would diminish the problem solving aspect that makes tennis so unique. I think developing these skills are crucial for the growth of a junior player. I would be okay with coaching at the pro level, and I think it would add a different dynamic for the fans if they were able to hear the interaction between player and coach as they are currently doing in the WTA. How do you deal with a parent who you think is negatively affecting their child’s play? What is the parent’s role versus the coach’s role? Ken Feuer: There are different ways a parent negatively affects a student’s tennis game. For the most part, you have to take each case differently. There are different levels of affecting a student’s game. Some are just minor situations in

Long Island Tennis Magazine • November/December 2019 • LITennisMag.com

which case you can just mention in passing your concerns with the parent such as maybe showing up late to a lesson or practice consistently. For more serious situations, such as berating a child after a loss or constantly getting involved in the coaches lessons in a negative way or just putting enormous amounts of pressure on the child by focusing on wins and losses instead of the process the coach is trying to instill. Unfortunately, you may have to have a sit down with the parent and be honest with what you see. It may lose you a client but every case is different and I’ve seen some parents learn from the talk and get better from it. It can be tricky because as a coach you know the student can benefit if the parent gives the child some space to learn but know your roll and don’t ever cross the line. Use your best judgment when speaking to parents and know your boundaries of home life to on the tennis court. Michael Fehrs: Having dealt with this problem recently and a couple of times, this is a very tough situation for coaches. I have lost a student and I was okay with it because all things “come out in the

2019 LONG ISLAND TENNIS MAGAZINE’S

Coaches Roundtable Discussion wash.” Coaches cannot spend parent’s money; however, the way to help a parent learn about how they are affecting their child’s play is to have a group meeting. Group meetings should be had bi-weekly. To educate a parent is a major part of a coach’s job. If he/she can educate while coaching, everything will go positively. Parent’s Role = Understand what the coach is trying to portray and help his/her child. Coach’s Role = Educating the Parent/Coaching the Kid = Creating a foundation. Ed Krass: I think a parent’s role is to be just that—a parent. Even if the parent has played professionally and/or collegiately, they should leave the teaching/coaching aspects to the coaches they have hired. Junior players often want to separate from their parents when it comes time for them to play a sport. Players should both love and respect their parents; however, I have found that the junior players respect the words of their coaches MORE when it comes to tennis-specific advice. The parents all need to learn and understand this fragile yet vitally important relationship and synergy needed to raise a tennis player successfully in today’s environment. There are some great books for parents to read about how to effectively raise a junior tennis player including Frank Giampaolo’s book on how to be the best tennis parent possible: The Tennis Parent’s Bible. Joao Pinho: I believe the main issue associated with parents who are overly involved or negative impacting the child’s tennis journey is the parent’s lack of knowledge about the process of developing competitive players. Despite having good intentions, most parents did not play at a high level, nor have developed a player to any significant stage; therefore, they don’t fully understand what it takes, the ups and downs, and what’s actually important in that process. As a consequence of that

confusion, parents often stress over inconsistent results, compare their child’s progress with others, as well as believe that playing with better players is the ultimate solution for improvement. In order to address these issues, I find it important to work closely with parents throughout the year. At the USTA BJK National Tennis Center, I not only host a series of group parent meetings throughout the year where I not only go over the information about our programs, but also discuss important concepts, related to their child’s tennis journey, for them to be aware of. Additionally, I do individual meetings with the player and parent (in our most competitive levels), at the end of every session, to discuss the issues that are specific to that player and how the parent can assist. Such efforts have resulted in a more coordinated effort between our parents and coaches and empowered the parents to make decisions with a more educated view of the entire process. In general terms, parents must understand that they are part of a team (player, coach and parent) and that decisions should include the input from all three parties. As the player evolves, s/he will “lead the direction” more while working with parents and coaches to find the best route for that end-goal. The coaches’ role is to serve a stabilizer who is capable of seeing the perspective from both player and parent, while understanding what’s around the corner; which is something that players and parents (who have not been through the journey) will likely not to be able to foresee. How do you deal with a student who shows poor sportsmanship on the court and/or a negative attitude? Laurie Fehrs: When working with a student that shows poor sportsmanship or a negative attitude, I try to talk with

them after to see if they understand where it is coming from. Is it trying to do well for a parent? Are they out of shape or condition? Is it self-esteem? Sometimes these things can affect the player, and emotions run high. I find when you can get to the root of these issues, the behavior of the player improves. Stefan Ilic: When a student shows a negative attitude towards anything they should be doing, the coach has a responsibility to explain why the attitude will not help them progress. After that, the coach should try to inquire as to why the negative attitude or bad sportsmanship is even present, to get to the underlying problem. Instead of the negative attitude, the student should see with the help of the coach the positive effects a good attitude will have: Hopefully, the student will adjust with ease and learn to prevent any bad behavior and thoughts from arising on the court in the future. If this doesn’t work then the coach themselves should be the one to exemplify what a positive attitude on the court could achieve. Whether it be picking up balls more effectively so there is more time to play, or listen to their own advice to prevent the student from feeling like he/she is being ‘targeted’ to learn, this way everyone learns from each other. These are a few examples. Chris Lewit: It’s important to develop the hardware (technical/physical), but to never neglect the software (mental/emotional)! There are many approaches I take with my players. The first step is to figure out what is causing the behavior. What’s at the root? Players can struggle with many different emotions and pressures, and I need to first understand what is driving the negative behavior. For example, some kids struggle with anger. Some with fear. Some with insecurity. Some with anxiety. Some with embarrassment. Or all of the above. There may be off court school or family

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Coaches Roundtable Discussion issues driving the behavior. Kids feel and respond to pressure in different ways. I try to work closely with the parents because they know their child even better than I do. We come up with a game plan to improve the behavior. We set goals and develop a plan of action. I believe that parental support and guidance are critical. Parents are my best helper to shape a child’s behavior because they have so much influence and spend so much time with a child. If one of my students exhibits flat out cheating or other unacceptable behavior, I usually recommend to the parents to take them out of competition for a short period of time until they reform themselves. Playing tournaments is a privilege, not a right. Players need to conduct themselves at tournaments with basic dignity and need to show respect to the people around them. I often give my players books and articles to read, videos to review, and other resources to help them with the mental and emotional side of the game. Adam Lee: It is really important for coaches to know the different personalities of their players. I do not allow bad behavior on my court. As for a negative attitude, I address the situation to their parents and share my ideas as to how I can help change the issue. Whenever I see negativity on my court, I always sit them down on the side and talk to them about ways they can channel their thoughts more positively. It is really important to stop them there and then to make them realize what they are doing. What type of cross-training do you recommend to players to help them elevate their game? Lisa Dodson: Play other sports and participate in other athletic endeavors. Unless you are a tournament player, tennis “training” can be uninspiring and boring. Crossover skills, endurance, speed and agility can be gained by simply 50

doing something else. Female recreational players should absolutely do some strength and balance training for more powerful movement and joint stability. This will include some weight lifting, strengthening using body weight and core work. Guys tend to be strong regardless of strength training so flexibility and overall fitness is important especially if they are more of the weekend warrior. Examples for guys: interval short distance running/jogging, pushups and some core work is pretty easy to find time for. Juniors should be playing other sports to develop crossover skills. For example, basketball is a great for speed, agility and crossover footwork, shooting arm and hand pronation is great for the serve and playing a smaller court sport helps field of vision. This is a more successful way to “train” for most players. Tournament players fall into a specific category and need to develop a healthy fitness routine. Laurie Fehrs: I can’t believe how many kids can’t or don’t jump rope. I am oldfashioned when it comes to basic cross-training … a lot of jump rope, long distance running, between about one to two miles, quick wind sprints, footwork drills and shadowing. Adam Lee: I am a certified tennis performance specialist, which is the gold standard in the tennis fitness industry. I really recommend High Intensity Interval Training (HIIT), hill sprints, resistance band training, medicine ball workouts, core strength exercises, and of course, plyometric exercises. It is important for players to be explosive and powerful when changing direction, while keeping a low center of gravity. Joao Pinho: While most parents, players and coaches will likely agree that participating in different sports can play an important role in the overall athletic development of a player, the reality is

Long Island Tennis Magazine • November/December 2019 • LITennisMag.com

that few seem to take advantage of that; at least in our sport. Nonetheless, just because many others don’t pursue it, it does not mean it should not be done. In general terms, playing multiple sports can boost the player’s physical capabilities, as well as create a more well-rounded athlete and, potentially, minimize the chances of injuries related to overuse. Activities such as soccer, lacrosse and basketball, can be good additions to a tennis player to use as cross-training. One aspect that I often emphasize with parents is that we first want to develop an athlete to then build a tennis player, and not the other way around. While being a single sport player can create initial success, the price is often paid further down the road as the player is not as complete an athlete as they could be, or burns out, or gets injured. How can players benefit from competing in the various team formats of tennis? Michael Fehrs: Junior USTA, Doubles USTA, High School Tennis, Team Tennis, tennis is by far the hardest sport out there. We as coaches must develop a culture that allows the most individual sport out there to feel as if his/her student has a team/home. The more we can do that, the more positive mindset one could have throughout the rigors of tennis. Ken Feuer: Competing in the various team formats of tennis can be very beneficial to a player’s development. For one, the player feels a sense of belonging and relying on others in that team aspect. The team aspect makes it fun and creates lasting memories with others In a sport where players are always out there on their own. Other teammates cheering them on can boost self-esteem and confidence and is a great way to get lots of guaranteed

2019 LONG ISLAND TENNIS MAGAZINE’S

Coaches Roundtable Discussion matches under your belt in a totally different format makes it even more exciting. Stefan Ilic: Players can become better people by learning how to interact with the game and others while playing different formats. There are the adult leagues, tournaments for young adults/teens, and even the younger generations can compete on the city scale. These mediums allow for developing a sense for how the game is played in different age groups. Since different age groups and tournament styles have different scoring formats they each bring their own values to the game. Chronologically, the younger kids will learn more if they start younger rather than waiting till their late teens to start playing. The same applies to adults … the sooner the better. Steve Kaplan: Tennis, by its nature, is an individual sport, but people by nature are social animals and socialization thru sports should be a fundamental goal of tennis participation. Teams give us a sense of belonging. Learning to work with synergy as part of a group is an

indispensable skill as an adult and you cannot easily be a solitary leader. The ultimate goal of very many junior players is, after all, a great college team experience. It’s important to learn to be a vital team member early in life and such opportunities need not be limited to school teams or USTA team tennis although both are great ways to be a part of a team. My advice to juniors is be proactive and creative. Volunteer to mentor, tutor or aid others on the court and off. Find commonality and affiliation in causes you care about and work with others as part of a team to further them and elevate yourself. Tennis excellence can be a lonely pursuit if you isolate yourself and see it as a zero sum game in which all opponents are enemies. Teams teach, cooperation, humility and a sense of our place in the world. These lessons are indispensable for young tennis players. David Nisenson: Tennis, being an individual sport, does not provide the players the opportunity to be cheered on, to cheer for or develop bonds that come with playing on a team. The recent Laver

Cup showed how refreshing and enjoyable that experience was for the best players in the world to be in that type of environment. Jason Wass: I’m a big believer that team tennis is super important, for the growth of the game, but also for the growth of the players. Tennis is largely known as an individual sport, but it is often the case that player’s greatest memories are of high school and college tennis, junior team tennis, etc. Tennis has the ability to develop great skills to develop independence, discipline and a sense of accountability (since you can’t blame anyone else when it is only you out on the court). However, team sports can develop strong social connections, a sense that you are working for more than just yourself and the responsibility to not let your teammates down. Team tennis is a great way for players to experience the ups and downs of competition in a group environment with players encouraging each other to reach a common goal. It makes it a bit easier to handle losses when other players share the same feelings as you do and you are not alone.

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CITI TASTE OF TE

ust prior to the start of the 2019 US Open, the event that has become a staple of the pre-tournament festivities, Citi Taste of Tennis, turned 20-years-old. Citi Taste of Tennis celebrated two decades of bringing food and tennis together as Cipriani 42nd St. in midtown Manhattan hosted the party, featuring stars of the tennis world and stars of the kitchen, with the event benefiting New York Junior Tennis & Learning. “They’ve done such a great job over the years,” said Andy Roddick. “This is the 20th one here in New York City; I think I have been here for about 15 of them. It’s great to see what it’s become. It’s such a creative idea, to pair tennis players with celebrity chefs. They saw something that the rest of us didn’t.” The “they” refers to AYS World, a woman-owned event management and marketing company started by Judi and Penny Lerner, who created the Citi Taste of Tennis event. “The event has grown quite a bit from those early days when we had just one event and a couple hundred attendees, many of whom were friends and family we invited to help us fill the room,” recalls Penny Lerner. “We now host Citi Taste of Tennis events in Indian Wells; Miami; Washington, D.C.; and New York

City, and we entertain thousands of attendees throughout the year. From identifying emerging tennis players, chefs and entertainers, to researching the latest food trends, we are constantly innovating to ensure the Citi Taste of Tennis remains ahead of the curve.” And two decades later, the event continues to be a favorite among both tennis players and chefs as the unofficial start of the US Open. A highlight of this year’s event was tennis legends Serena and Venus Williams teaming up with chef Richard Blais for an onstage cooking competition, which resulted in the sisters tied for the best dish. “As a fan of tennis and sports in general, to be able to hang out and mingle with some of the world’s greatest players keeps me coming back,” said Blais. In addition to Roddick and the Williams sisters, the room was filled with tennis players such as Coco Gauff, Gael Monfils, Elina Svitolina, Daniil Medvedev, Monica Puig, Bethanie Mattek-Sands and many more, as well as former champion boxer Mike Tyson. The collection of celebrities sampled incredible cuisine including truffle gnocchi by Annise Hernandez-Scott of Davio’s, “nuclear” green gazpacho with almond pesto courtesy of Kerry

Long Island Tennis Magazine • November/December 2019 • LITennisMag.com

TENNIS TURNS 20 By Brian Coleman

Credit all photos to: Getty Images

Heffernan’s Grand Banks, sushi from Chef Morimoto, and tennis ball-shaped cupcakes from Patisserie Chanson. “I love food, but I also like to have a good time, and Citi Taste of Tennis does a really good job with that,” said Puig. “As you can see, I learned some new skills

tonight. You learn something new every day, and I definitely learned how to make sushi tonight. It’s such a good mix. You have the beauty that is New York City, combined with the great food showcasing the great chefs from here and around the world. It’s

the whole package and I’m really excited to be here.” Citi Taste of Tennis has continued to grow each year over the last two decades, and it will be exciting to see what’s next for the event series as we head into 2020.

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Bouncing Back From Burnout How to Restore Balance By Rob Polishook It was a hot day in midAugust when Joanne walked into my office exasperated, reeling from the last two months of training and stressed because school was starting in just two weeks. She was overwhelmed; thinking about challenging matches, her coach’s judgment about her performance and her own concerns about whether she could live up to her success in previous years and expectations for the current year. Right away, I knew this wasn’t going to be a regular session where Joanne and I discussed how she could improve her mental game. Rather, it was apparent she was burnt out and disconnected from her whole self. As a mental training coach, I work oneon-one with individuals in all sports and age groups, and athletes like Joanne present a variety of issues including: Inability to maintain focus, excessive nervousness, self-esteem challenges, stress from past trauma on or off the field, injuries and trying to live up to a certain

image that either the athlete has of themselves or others project onto the athlete. These are just a few of the issues. Sometimes an athlete like Joanne is experiencing multiple challenges which creates a perfect storm. This imbalance isn’t hard to spot and shows in the clients eyes; they are exhausted, exasperated, frustrated and have little energy. Unfortunately, common sports wisdom is to try to find balance by trying harder, playing more matches, striving for better fitness, and forcing more technique drills. But any athlete who has tried this knows it backfires. It’s like stripping the threads on a screw, or trying to swim against a riptide toward shore. You can’t get out of the cycle by using the same methods that got you into the cycle. That just leads to more burnout and more exhaustion. It makes things worse. Finally, the athlete may decide to meet with a mental training coach, and hopefully he or she—in this case me—will identify that they are burned out and the answer isn’t doing more of the same, but rather, stepping away and reconnecting to those activities that make them who they

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are. Certainly tennis is one, but not the only thing. With Joanne, it was clear our work was not to push forward, but to step back and reset. We needed to get her back to balance, and this wasn’t going to be accomplished by more to-do’s, rather more to-be’s. First, we took a walk. We didn’t talk about tennis, we spent most of the session in silence connecting to nature and allowing her to simply settle down. Later in the session, we spoke about the need for her to explore the off-court experiences that could bring her back to balance, including getting together with friends, hobbies that allowed her to be most like herself, and quiet time just being away from the intensity of sports. Most importantly, we reconnected her to her heart, energy and spirit, things that are already inside her and make her more than an athlete. While this experience of burnout was painful, it was essentially a good thing to happen. Joanne recognized that burnout is a sign she’d misread. She had thought the sign meant to grind harder, but it was actually a sign to take her foot off the gas, re-center, come back to balance, and reconnect with herself and all the things which make her unique and whole. Further, to understand that the score of past and upcoming matches would not define her, as a person, rather they are just what happened on that day as a tennis player. Rob Polishook, MA, CPC is founder and director of Inside the Zone Sports Performance Group. As a mental training coach, he works with athletes and teams, focusing on helping athletes gain the mental edge. Rob is author of Tennis Inside the Zone: Mental Training Workouts for Champions. He may be reached by phone at (973) 723-0314, e-mail Rob@InsideTheZone.com or visit InsideTheZone.com.

Get the Visual Edge What does it take to win? Your eyes are the answer. o excel in sports, considerable attention is paid to factors such as coaching, nutrition and fitness, but there is one area that often gets overlooked: VISION. Studies have shown that elite athletes have superior vision: they see better, wide peripherals, better depth perception, and better eye/hand coordination. In short, better vision means better performance. There are over 20 visual skills that an athlete needs to perform at their peak. Here are some examples:

Visual acuity l Static: The ability to see a non moving target at a fixed distance. l Dynamic: The ability to see a target that is moving. Contrast sensitivity The visual systems ability to process information about objects under varying lighting conditions; the ability to pick up subtle differences in lighting. Accommodation The ability to quickly change focus for different distances without momentary blur or processing delays. Accuracy, ease, speed of change, and sustaining ability are important subcategories within accommodation. Depth perception The ability to accurately localize objects in space and understand spatial relationships relating to oneself and two objects around oneself. Peripheral awareness The entire portion of the external space that can be seen without a change in fixation. Processing of information from the peripheral field is extremely beneficial

in successful performance. The good news is you can improve your vision, and Gold Coast Optometric Vision Performance in Oyster Bay, N.Y. is the place to do so. Led by Dr. Anne Hanna, OD, FCOVD, Gold Coast begins by performing a sports vision assessment that: l Determines deficient or less efficient skills. l Is sport-specific and designed for the precise visual skills necessary. l Guide athletes to learn accurate, fast and sensitive visual skills. l Increase load—movement, balance gaze, timing—until performance maintained at stress level of game performance. Sports vision training is designed to improve the athlete’s visual skills for their sport. The training continues the athlete reaches automaticity in visual

performance skills, with a high degree of peripheral awareness and visual processing speed. Gold Coast has worked with countless athletes and many tennis players, and is the Official Vision Trainer of the John McEnroe Tennis Academy (JMTA). “To have Dr. Hanna, who is the best at her craft, right her in our backyard, we’re so fortunate to be able to take advantage of that,” said Mike Kossoff, director at JMTA’s Long Island Annex at SPORTIME Syosset. “Any chance our players can get to get an edge on the court, and also improve in the classroom, it’s a win-win for them. Some of our best players have been doing this for a year and we’ve already seen drastic changes.” Maximize your performance on and off the court and let Gold Coast help improve your vision. You can do so by visiting GCOVisionPerformance.com, call (516) 226-3991 or e-mail Info@GCOVisionPerformance.com.

LITennisMag.com • November/December 2019 • Long Island Tennis Magazine

Sports as Our New Religion By Dr. Tom Ferraro erhaps its blasphemy to say that sports is the predominant 21st Century religion, but it just may be true. Whether you attend church services, a synagogue or a mosque each week, you may have noticed that the pews are relatively empty and that weekly church going seems to be passé. If you have kids between the ages of five to 18 you probably spend many a Sunday morning in the stands with all the other parents cheering your child on in whatever sport they happen to be playing. So whether we want to admit it or not, sports has slowly emerged as our favorite religion of choice. And before you attack me, let me try to defend my position. Religions always have a variety of moral practices which are meant to denounce the seven deadly sins. These sins are mentioned in most religious texts and include sloth, lust, greed, gluttony, wrath, envy and pride. A fourth-century monk named Evagrius Ponticus outlined these seven sins and Dante made them famous in his Divine

Comedy. You also may recall that the film “Seven,” which starred Brad Pitt, also elaborated on these sins. Here are the seven deadly sins that through the ages religions have been concerned about: l Sloth: Religions often encourage us to avoid laziness and to be active mentally, spiritually and physically. In sports, one has no choice but to work hard and to be focused if you want to win anything. l Lust: Religion teaches us to control sexual urges and to remain faithful to one’s spouse. This is a foundational for any society and has been practiced since Cro-magnon man emerged from the forests of Europe 20,000 years ago. This sexual restraint relates to sports in the following way: Anyone who plays a sport competitively, or who watches their team in a playoff game, must notice how exciting, heart skipping and mesmerizing the competition is. It can envelope you and your body and mind for hours and hours. Sigmund Freud calls this a sublimation of the sexual urge and one of the primary reasons culture develops sports is to allow

Long Island Tennis Magazine • November/December 2019 • LITennisMag.com

these biological urges to be sublimated in socially acceptable ways and thus avoid sexual infidelity. l Greed: Greed or avarice is the extreme obsessive desire for material possessions, or money, and most men and women of the clergy take a vow of poverty. And even a cursory look at sports reveals that the primary motive in sports is mental and physical selfdevelopment and has very little to do with material possessions. A friend of mine was criticizing Michael Jordan’s gambling habits while playing golf and remarked, “Why can’t he just play for the joy of self-improvement?” I thought that was a good point. l Gluttony: In religious terms gluttony refers to the over consumption of anything to the point of waste. Thomas Aquinas suggested that eating too much, too soon, too expensively or too eagerly was a sin and the practice of fasting is universal in all religions. And if you know anyone who is a serious athlete, you understand that they are aware of what they put in their body at all times. Tiger Woods is a good example of this and practices great restraint.

He would reward himself by eating a McDonald’s burger only if he won a tournament. l Wrath: Wrath is the uncontrolled feeling of anger, rage or hatred and is emphasized by the commandment “Thou shall not kill.” And one of the primary challenges that all athletes must learn is how to control their wrath. Double-fault and you feel wrath. And if you then decide to yell at the umpire to take out your frustration be prepared to get a fine. In golf, if a pro breaks a club he can expect a $25,000 fine. So you could say the PGA is one tough religion. l Envy: Envy is the insatiable, covetous desire for someone else’s possessions and severs ties to one’s neighbor. In the Divine Comedy, Dante showed how the envious had their eyes sewn shut in hell. Tennis has a wonderful way of handling envy by having the ritual of coming to the net and graciously shaking the hand of the victor, thereby undoing ones tendency

to be envious of the victor. l Pride: Pride or hubris is often considered the most serious of the sins and is displayed by showing contempt or selfishness. And I can think of no better method to temper pride than to be a competitive athlete because no matter who you are, you will eventually lose to many opponents and thus will inevitably learn how to temper your pride. So you see, sports have a way of responding to all the deadly sins in ways that work. Sports have a moral gravity to it. Alas, you may say “Yes , but what about God? Sports does not have a Godhead!” That is quite right. I could tell you that Friedrich Nietzsche pronounced that “God is dead” back in 1882 and this idea still seems to get play. But I do admit that the idea of God does give solace to many, and the promise of an afterlife does have its appeal. Who could argue that winning a measly little trophy and putting it on your mantel can compete with dying,

going to heaven and living eternally in happiness. And calling sports a new religion would require one to give this religion a name like “Sportism” or some such nonsense. So let’s forget the whole argument and go back to playing sports on Sundays and making sure to stop in our house of worship during one of the late Saturday services which only take about 20 minutes anyway. If I contributed as much to church as I do to my golf game, the church may be so overjoyed they would erect a statue of me somewhere on grounds. That may be nice, but I probably would still have more pride in my little trophy that says I won the member-member net division. Oops! I think pride is one of those deadly sins. For consultations, treatment or on-site visits, contact Dr. Tom Ferraro Ph.D., Sport Psychologist, by phone at (516) 248-7189, e-mail DrTFerraro@aol.com or visit DrTomFerraro.com.

LITennisMag.com • November/December 2019 • Long Island Tennis Magazine

Let’s End Cheating in Junior Tennis Once and for All By Chris Lewit here is a dirty little secret in the cloistered world of competitive junior tennis: Cheating and gamesmanship are rampant—and nobody is doing anything about it. For many children and parents, the first exposure to the junior tennis circuit can be a shock because junior tennis is one of the few sanctioned sports that has the kids referee their own matches and keep their own score. Many parents report a traumatizing first tournament experience for their little champ—full of tears and frustration. It is a well-known fact in the industry that many kids play only one competitive tournament and never return to the circuit. Interestingly, the United States has more than 10 times the number of high school team players as compared to competitive junior tournament players. Why such a high discrepancy? Because most of the nice kids play high school tennis where the environment is less cutthroat, and the cheating and gamesmanship are minimized. On a Saturday or Sunday morning, you will not find kids on the soccer field keeping their own score, or players on the basketball court calling fouls. But in tennis, kids as young as eight-years-old do just that. Moreover, parents sit (or pace) helplessly on the sideline and are not allowed to intervene when there are disputes. It’s true that most sanctioned tournaments have roving umpires or umpires whom players can request to

assist in a dispute resolution, but by that time, it is often too late. Savvy players know how to manipulate the system and the referee, or they just resume cheating when the umpire leaves the court after a short time. The big question is WHY? Why can’t the leaders of the sport in the ITF, USTA, UTR, and other sanctioning bodies put an end to cheating in junior tournaments once and for all? Some in the business say it would cost too much money to provide the necessary supervision. Others say that kids calling their own lines and scores makes them more mentally tough and independent. “It’s just part of the game,” they insist; “Makes the kids stronger,” they assert. Many say that the responsibility lies with the coaches and parents—not the governing bodies or tournament organizers—to teach better values to the kids so that they can resist the temptation to cheat. It is a societal problem, in their estimation—not a tennis problem. There is also a contingent of deniers who insist that cheating is not really a big deal, or not prevalent enough to warrant concern. There are, however, many coaches in the tennis community who have become alarmed by the extent and intensity of the cheating, and they have advocated for change. Unfortunately, their cries have consistently, for decades, fallen on deaf ears. There seems to be just an incredible institutional inertia on this issue which stems from a culture of rationalizing and excuse-making. It is time to stop cheating in junior tennis once and for all. All stakeholders in the game of tennis have a common

Long Island Tennis Magazine • November/December 2019 • LITennisMag.com

goal: to increase the number of kids who love the sport. And very few kids and families want to participate in junior tennis that involves inherent cheating. Tennis should be designed and sold as a product that the consumer will be eager to purchase! The institutional leaders and tournament organizers should meet and coordinate to off with a NO CHEATING GUARANTEE. The sport—and the kids—deserve this simple promise. One exciting avenue in the future is that technology may offer the solution to this crisis. Companies like Accutennis and Playsight—and other pioneers—now offer computer scored matches and line calling video review if a dispute should arise. These types of technological innovations hold the power to change the landscape of competitive junior tennis and hold the promise to end cheating permanently, and hopefully that can happen within the next couple decades. Chris Lewit is a former number one for Cornell and a pro circuit player. He is a high-performance coach, educator, and the author of two best-selling books: The Secrets of Spanish Tennis and The Tennis Technique Bible. He has coached numerous top 10 nationally-ranked players and is known for his expertise in building the foundations of young prodigies. Chris trains players during the school year in the NYC area, and players come from around the country to his summer camp in the paradise of Vermont. He may be reached by phone at (914) 462-2912, e-mail ChrisLewit@gmail.com or visit ChrisLewit.com.

There Are Some USTA Changes for 2020 ... And You Should Know Them And one funny but sad anecdote regarding UTR By Ricky Becker STA Eastern is implementing some positive and exciting changes in 2020, and it’s good to know them so you can hit the ground running!

1. Tournament schedules and titles are going to look a lot different USTA National wants all the sections to use the same tournament designations as one another to create a unified national pathway. If you’ve ever gone on a vacation or a trip and wanted to play a tournament it can be a bit confusing, and I think, in the long run, this new change will make things easier to understand. Many of the 17 USTA sections use the same one, therefore the ones who don’t like USTA Eastern are going to get on the same schedule. The table of the changes is the following: Former 2019 Level l Level 1 (National/Eastern Points Received) National Junior Event Held in Any Area of the United States l Level 2 (National/Eastern Points Received) National Junior Event Held in Any Area of the United States l Level 3 (National/Eastern Points Received) Super Six and Empire Cup Doubles Events with More Points Than Level 4 Tournaments l Level 4 (National/Eastern Points Received)

Super Six and Empire Cup Doubles Events with Less Points Than Level 3 Tournaments l Level 5 (Eastern Points Received) Level 1 l Level 6 (Eastern Points Received) Level 1B l Level 7 (Eastern Points Received) Level 2 l Eastern UPS Level 3 2. It is required in 2020 that tournament directors post draws by Wednesday morning for the upcoming weekend TennisLink will be replaced in 2021 by a program called TMT that will help enforce this rule with its tournament software. In the meantime, it is a 2020 rule and if you have multiple children with multiple activities, or a parent who has to schedule warm-up for their child, start celebrating! 3. Matches for 18, 16 and 14 & Under Divisions cannot be called to the court after 10:30 p.m. on the weekend, and the 12 & Under Division can’t have a match called to the court after 9:30 p.m. This is another good rule in that there was previously a loophole in that a match can be put out on the court at any time as long as it wasn’t “scheduled” past 10:00 p.m. for 14-18s or 9:00 p.m. for 12’s. 4. And a sign of the apocalypse … For years, Sports Illustrated has run a funny little feature called “A Sign of the

Apocalypse” which features, in a tongue-and-cheek way, weekly signs from the world of sports that the apocalypse is upon us. It features crazy fans, mind-blowing bureaucracy, egomaniacal coaches and overall tastelessness. A Tournament Director recently told me something that reminded me of this Sports Illustrated column. He set up a UTR match on a Sunday afternoon between two girls where one girl had a very low UTR and another girl had no UTR. An hour-and-a-half before the two girls were supposed to play, the mother of the girl with the low UTR e-mailed the director to say she knows the girl with no UTR (the girls played in a tournament months earlier) and her daughter won’t be attending the match to protect her daughter’s rating. Most coaches say to just play tennis and let your racquet do the talking. What makes this a little crazy is that the person whose rating is being nursed is eight-years-old, and her opponent was nine! Of course, irony is that when someone has a rating and they play someone who doesn’t yet have a rating, it only affects the unrated player! Ricky Becker is the director of tennis at Pine Hollow Country Club. He independently coaches high-performance juniors and adults of all-levels year-round at Bethpage Park Tennis Center. He has coached hundreds of ranked junior players. As a player, Becker was awarded Most Valuable Player for the 1996 NCAA Championship Stanford Tennis Team and 1989-1992 Roslyn High School Tennis Teams, and was ranked number four in the United States in the 18 & Under Division. He can be reached by e-mail at RBecker06@yahoo.com or visit JuniorTennisConsulting.com.

LITennisMag.com • November/December 2019 • Long Island Tennis Magazine

Play W By Tonny van de Pieterman Why do we sometimes feel ashamed of the way we played? I recently congratulated one of our club players for winning two tournament events. She thanked me, but immediately said that she desperately needed a lesson. I was surprised by her expression of desperation, even more so after I found out she had won a third tournament! In addition to the two doubles events, she had won a singles tournament at her beach club. “In the B-category,” she said to quickly minimize the accomplishment. “I am not playing well, and I only won because I ran around all day waiting for people to miss. The only nice shots I hit were when my opponent hit her serve long, and I just returned it perfectly.” She was apologetic about her strategy, and she was visibly uncomfortable that I had sought her out to congratulate her on her success. Here are some remarks on what happens during a match and how to prepare for success. I like comparing a tennis match to a conversation. Through the way we play, we express ourselves to our opponent. To make sure we are satisfied with the way we represent our self, we need our focus to be on the process and not on the result. This choice lies in your preparation. When our focus is linked to the result, every shot we hit, every decision we make, gets judged as either good or bad, or right or wrong. This will 60

Long Island Tennis Magazine • November/December 2019 • LITennisMag.com

Within Yourself inhibit our ability to act spontaneously. The inability to play spontaneously is at the root of our feeling of dissatisfaction! After a regretful match, we feel weak; we feel we let ourselves down. By not being our best self we let our emotions run the show. Whether or not we are aware of it, there is nothing of which we are more ashamed than of not being ourselves. My old college coach used to say: “Junior, just play within yourself and everything will be just dandy.” Now if you imagine that statement with a thick Texan accent you get a more accurate picture. As an 18-year-old, new to this country and with English being my second language, I thought about this statement for a long time. It was probably the best

coaching advice I ever received. For me, answering the following questions before a match helped me to play within myself. Perhaps it can help your match preparation as well. Goal: I want to win! … Or better: ‘I want to be successful, and feel like a winner.’ Question: What do I have to do in order to win? Answer: I need to play well Question: What does it mean for me to play well? Answer: I want to feel free, be creative and be courageous. These three desires became my drivers. It is very hard not to be affected by the score of the match, but with good mental preparation it can be done. By satisfying

your desire to feel free when you play, to display creativity with your shots and your strategy, and by nudging yourself to be courageous, you will always feel like a winner! Remember, everyone has the desire to win, but only the elite have the desire to prepare to win! Tonny van de Pieterman is a tennis professional at Point Set Indoor Racquet Club. He was recently named USTA Tennis Professional of the Year for the USTA/Eastern-Long Island Region and helped the Eastern Section win this year’s Talbert Cup. He may be reached by phone at (516) 536-2323 or e-mail Tonny@PointSetTennis.com.

LITennisMag.com • November/December 2019 • Long Island Tennis Magazine

By Kathy Miller

The 18 & Over 7.0 Mixed Doubles Team from Point Set

The 18 & Over 9.0 Mixed Doubles Team from Carefree

The 18 & Over 10.0 Mixed Doubles Team from Carefree

The 40 & Over 9.0 Mixed Doubles Team from Park Avenue Tennis

We wish much luck to the Adult League teams that are headed to Nationals and will be representing Long Island! Below are the teams who qualified: 18 & Over Mixed Doubles l 7.0—Point Set, captained by Lori Sarnelli l 9.0—Carefree Racquet, captained by Paul Schnabel & Ben Marks l 10.0—Carefree Racquet, captained by Ben Marks 40 & Over Mixed Doubles l 9.0—Park Avenue Tennis, captained by Roz Chua 62

18 & Over Women l 5.0—Sportime Syosset, captained by Hali Katz & Meredith Steigman

55 & Over Men l 8.0—Christopher Morley, captained by Sanjay Dutt & John Rau

18 & Over Men l 3.0—Deer Park Tennis, captained by Ed Sinn l 3.5—Christopher Morley, captained by Adam Moramarco

65 & Over Women l 8.0—Sportime Syosset, captained by Lydia Eitel

40 & Over Men l 3.0—Deer Park Tennis, captained by Ed Sinn l 4.5—Sportime Syosset, captained by Andy Ross & Lance Kaufman

Long Island Tennis Magazine • November/December 2019 • LITennisMag.com

65 & Over Men l 8.0—Roslyn Estates, captained by Al Silverstein

The 18 & Over 3.0 Men’s Team from Deer Park Tennis

The 18 & Over 5.0 Women’s Team from Sportime Syosset

The 40 & Over 3.0 Men’s Team from Deer Park Tennis

The 18 & Over 3.5 Men’s Team from Christopher Morley Tennis

The 55 & Over 8.0 Men’s Team from Christopher Morley Tennis The 40 & Over 4.5 Men’s Team from Sportime Syosset The 65 & Over 8.0 Women’s Team from Sportime Syosset

The 65 & Over 8.0 Men’s Team from Roslyn Estates LITennisMag.com • November/December 2019 • Long Island Tennis Magazine

2019 US Open Takeaways By Brian Coleman

A Star is Born Tennis has a new star in teenager Bianca Andreescu. The young Canadian compiled a dominant and compelling fortnight in Flushing Meadows to capture the maiden Grand Slam title of her career, defeating 23-time major champion Serena Williams in the finals. “I’ve been dreaming of this moment for the longest time,” Andreescu said. The year before, Andreescu lost in the opening round of qualifying at the US Open, but shot up the rankings early in 2019 thanks a win at Indian Wells and then in Toronto prior to the start of the US Open. In the finals, she let a 5-1 secondset lead slip away, and could have folded. But she showed resiliency and toughness to win the next two games and beat Serena in straight sets for her first Grand Slam title. “It definitely wasn’t easy, especially when she started coming back in the second set,” she added. “I mean, it was expected. She’s a champion. That’s what champions do. She’s done that many, many times throughout her career. But I just tried to stay as composed as I could.” 64

Nadal Continues Big Three’s Dominance Since the start of 2017, every Grand Slam men’s singles winner has been a member of The Big Three (Roger Federer, Rafael Nadal and Novak Djokovic), and that streak continued as Rafael Nadal captured his 19th Grand Slam and fourth US Open title of his career. It was a thrilling, and exhausting, championship match between he and Daniil Medvedev. The two battled for nearly five hours, and Nadal nearly let a two-sets-to-love lead slip away, but responded to play a dominant fifth set and hoist the trophy. It was a significant one in the chase for the most Grand Slam titles of all-time as the Spaniard climbs to within one of Roger Federer’s 20 titles, as the two continue their quest for the label of the sport’s “Greatest Player Ever.” “This victory is so important for me. Especially, as the match became more and more difficult,” said Nadal. “I was able to hold the nerves. They were so high. It was a crazy match and I’m just very emotional. It was an amazing final.”

Long Island Tennis Magazine • November/December 2019 • LITennisMag.com

Double Trouble Doubles play at the Open this year produced some exhilarating tennis, and we may have seen the beginning of a trend with some highly-ranked singles players competing in both singles and doubles. Two of them, Elise Mertens & Aryna Sabalenka won the Women’s Doubles Title by defeating Ashleigh Barty & Victoria Azarenka. The duo had only begun playing together earlier in the year at the Australian Open, but knew they had potential: “I think from the start of the season, we were, like, ‘We’re going to play together,’” said Mertens. “We didn’t think we would achieve this big thing. [But] I’m really happy about it.” Juan Farah Cabal & Robert Farah became the first Columbian duo to win the US Open Men’s Doubles Title, following up on their Wimbledon triumph earlier this summer by beating eighthseeds Marcel Granollers of Spain & Argentina’s Horacia Zeballos 6-4, 7-5. The top-seeded duo became only the third men’s doubles team since 2003 to win both the Wimbledon and US Open titles in the same year. The Columbian pair dropped just one set all-tournament long, and afterwards, dedicated their win to one of their longtime supporters back in Columbia, Roberto Cocheteux, who passed away just before the tournament began. “We’re living a dream. It was really difficult times two weeks ago. We made a decision to fight for it, to play for him and we honor him right now,” said Cabal. “We’re happy we can do this for him, and hopefully, he is in the sky watching us.” In mixed doubles, American Bethanie

2019 US OPEN TAKEAWAYS Mattek-Sands & Jamie Murray of Great Britain won the title for the second consecutive year. “Jamie, you were on fire these whole two weeks,” said Mattek-Sands. “Honestly, with us, we have a lot of fun.” Another Disappointing Showing by the Next Gen Another Grand Slam has passed, and tennis fans are still awaiting the emergence of the next star who will unravel the dominance of The Big Three. As mentioned earlier, the same three players have won each Grand Slam since the beginning of 2017, and if you go further back, the combination of Djokovic, Federer and Nadal have won 54 of the last 64 majors since the start of 2004. The sport’s up-and-coming stars who have become staples of the Top 10 such as Dominic Thiem, Alex Zverev and Stefanos Tsitsipas all failed to reach the quarterfinals. Daniil Medvedev, at just 23years-old, came close to upending Nadal, but couldn’t find that last gear when it was needed. As a new year is just around the corner, will we see a new Grand Slam champion on the men’s side in 2020?

The Coco Show It would be impossible to talk about the 2019 US Open and not bring up Coco Gauff, the 15-year-old American sensation who became a star in Flushing Meadows. Gauff burst onto the scene, for not only tennis fans, but sports fans as a

whole, at Wimbledon where she first ousted Venus Williams in her Grand Slam main draw debut on her way to reaching the fourth round. But Gauff was eager to show the world that that was no fluke, and made good on receiving a Wild Card entry into the US Open main draw. After downing fellow teenager Anastasia Potapova 3-6, 6-2, 6-4 in the first-round, she took out Hungarian veteran Timea Babos 6-2, 4-6, 6-4, which set up a tantalizing third-round clash with defending champion Naomi Osaka. While the match itself would come up short of expectations, Osaka won 6-3, 60, the moment was bigger than the score line. A visibly upset Gauff was consoled by Osaka afterwards, who asked Gauff to join her during her on-court interview: “She did amazing, and I’m going to learn a lot from this match,” said Gauff. “She’s been so sweet to me, so thank you for this. Thank you.”

Medvedev and New York: A Love-Hate Story It was one of the most intriguing storylines of the entire tournament. The back-and-forth jousting between Daniil Medvedev and the New York crowd seemed refreshing for tennis, and while you could argue that some of Medvedev’s antics on the court were over the top, it was undeniably entertaining. It all began inside Louis Armstrong Stadium during his third-round clash with veteran Feliciano Lopez, when he flashed

his middle finger to the crowd and was then booed consistently for the remainder of the match. “The energy you are giving me right now, I think it will be enough for my next matches. The more you do this, the more I will win for you. Thank you,” Medvedev told the crowd after the match. “I want all of you to know when you are asleep tonight, I won because of you.” Medvedev would apologize for his actions, which also included snatching a towel out of the hands of one of the ball boys, the following day. The crowd continued to energize him in his next match against Dominik Koepfer, and he continued to use it as his fuel. It helped catapult him into the US Open finals, where he and the crowd made up. “Because of the crowd, I was fighting like hell,” he said. Monfils-Svitolina and G.E.M.S. Life If you watched the US Open on ESPN, it was hard not to hear about the relationship between Gael Monfils and Elina Svitolina, and the positive impact it has had on both of their play on-thecourt. Monfils reached the tournament’s quarterfinals, while Svitolina reached the semifinals, the second consecutive final four appearance for her at a Grand Slam, after she advanced to the Wimbledon semis earlier in the summer. “G.E.M.S Life,” as they are known on Instagram, were seen at each other’s respective matches, and the analysts on television consistently lauded Monfils for helping Svitolina during practice sessions, while praising Svitolina for helping ground Monfils and help him remain focused. Whether or not either of those things is completely true, both players enjoyed fantastic fortnights in Queens, and have become the most popular tennis couple on tour. continued on page 66

LITennisMag.com • November/December 2019 • Long Island Tennis Magazine

2019 US OPEN TAKEAWAYS

The Runs of Taylor Townsend, Kristie Ahn The 2019 US Open was such an exciting tournament for the Americans, and led to the best performances of the careers of Taylor Townsend and Kristie Ahn. Townsend, who just a couple of years before was playing in the qualifying draw of a 25K event against a 69-year-old woman, came through qualifying of the US Open and, after winning her main draw opener, stunned the fourth-ranked player in the world in Simona Halep. Using a serve-and-volley style seldom used anymore, Townsend ferociously came to the net, which baffled her opponents. She would win another match, against

Sorana Cirseta, before falling in three sets to eventual champion Bianca Andreescu. “I think for some years, I was lost … lost in a sea of a lot of stuff,” said Townsend. “It’s nice to be able to come up to the surface and float, and eventually swim. I feel this was a huge, monumental moment. It was a defining moment for me to realize that I belong here.” For Ahn, her run was more than a decade in the making. Eleven years after she competed in the main draw as a 16year-old, the New York-born Ahn finally returned and made the most of it, winning her first ever Grand Slam main draw match en route to reaching the fourth-round. “My life has come full circle, and I feel like I can finally put the 2008 US Open to rest,” she said. Maria Camila Osorio Serrano and Jonas Forejtek Win Junior Singles Titles The US Open Junior tournament always produces excellent tennis, and gives us a preview of some of the sport’s future stars. Fourth-seeded Czech Jonas Forejtek won the Boys’ Singles Title, coming back from a set down, winning 12 of the final 14 games, to beat American Emilio Nava in the finals. In the round prior, Nava defeated

Long Island native Cannon Kingsley in the semis. “It’s so good,” said Forejtek. “It’s big motivation also for the future.” The Girls’ Singles Champion was Colombia’s Maria Osorio Serrano, who knocked off American qualifier Alexandra Yepifanova in straight sets. “It’s unreal,” she said. “It’s been a really great week for me—I’m just so happy and thankful for this … I can’t believe I won.” Record-Setting Event The 2019 US Open was the most popular one yet, as it set an all-time attendance record. The USTA announced that 737,872 fans came out to the US Open during the two weeks of the main draw, with 115,355 people in attendance during the US Open Fan Week, which included the qualifying tournament. In total, the 853,227 fans was an all-time record, surpassing 850,000 for the first time. The qualifying tournament, and US Open Fan Week, continue to be smart initiatives by the USTA in order to bring the tennis stars and tons of activities to the fans for free. At this rate, we should expect a new attendance record to be set in 2020.

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Long Island Tennis Magazine • November/December 2019 • LITennisMag.com

Using the Backboard and Ball Machine for Game Improvement

By Mike Puc wo of the best game improvement tools you should use on a regular basis are the backboard and the ball machine. Most world-class pros have used both of these resources in their careers and both are tremendous tools for your conditioning, footwork, consistency and form. Unfortunately, both of these resources are mostly underutilized. The key to using these tools is to have a plan of attack to integrate them into your training. To work on form on the backboard, execute a few perfect shadow swing shots. This will be your goal benchmark. Use your phone camera to video your progress for a visual reference. Now start the ball properly with the perfect swing and hit ten forehands in a row. Since it can be difficult to judge the return pace and trajectory from the backboard pick a target well above the net mark and let the ball bounce twice before hitting. This will give you time and space to get in position. As you improve your consistency and footwork work your way into one bounce. Now, isolate the backhand, then forehands to backhands.

You now have a plan. For footwork, be aware of your recovery and movement. Move and make contact at the same point each time and avoid having the ball play you. For a real cardio and consistency test set a goal of 25, 50 and 100 in a row. With proper practice it will be impossible not to improve. You will move better, last longer, miss less and swing in a repeatable fashion. Hit serves and overheads for variety and construct points that involve half–volleys and volleys. If you want to impress your friends with the ultimate glamor shot, the “tweener,” the backboard is your training ground. Stand six feet away from the wall and overhead the ball into the ground to short hop into the wall bouncing over your head. Run the ball down with your racket back, align the balls between your legs and let the ball drop to ankle height. Run slightly past the ball and make contact with a short follow through. The last instruction is key! The ball machine is the big brother to the backboard with the all same benefits with the added dimension of speed, direction and endurance. Depending on the model of the machine the options are endless to design various shot sequences and variety to work on all aspects of your game. You may control

the speed and isolate a shot for stroke production or play in random mode to simulate a real point. The intensity and conditioning may be heightened even more with the addition of The PickupWall, a device that returns balls back to the machine for continuous play so there is virtually constant play and less ball retrieval. While these two great resources will serve you well, I would caution those players who mistakenly use them as a rehab tool after an injury. Besides perhaps a very slow one directional ball machine feed, the backboard and ball machine may be too quick for players returning from an injury to adjust. A rehab lesson with the tennis pro would be a better choice. If you have a backboard or ball machine where you play, use them and use them correctly. They are both premier game improving tools. Mike Puc has been the director of tennis at Gleneagles Country Club in Delray Beach, Fla. since 1998. A winner of 15 National titles and an ATP world ranking, Mike directs 25 teams with 350 players in nine leagues, while offering the most extensive calendar of events in South Florida that includes tournaments, lectures and social round-robins.

LITennisMag.com • November/December 2019 • Long Island Tennis Magazine

Casa de Campo

Elite Tennis Travel

(800) 336-5520 CasaDeCamp.com.do Casa de Campo offers the widest array of experiences found in the Caribbean. The 7,000-acre luxury resort offers choice accommodations, whether in hotel rooms and suites or spacious villas. The deluxe lodging options are accented by dining at acclaimed restaurants, such as The Beach Club by Le Cirque and La Cana by II Circo. Dozens of other restaurants, bars and lounges give guest plenty of variety during their stay. For those guests seeking more of a thrill, The Sporting Life has countless options for athletic excitement. Experience 90 holes of Pete Dye designed gold courses— Teeth of the Dog, Links, La Romana Country Club and Dye Fore—Shooting Center, Equestrian Center, Polo Club, Marina for deep sea and river fishing, Yacht Club and exclusive beaches. Called the “Wimbledon of the Caribbean,” La Terraza Tennis Club overlooks the entire resort, as well as the Caribbean Sea. The club features 13 fast-dry Har-Tru courts, 10 of which are lighted for night play. Thirty-two ball boys in crisp white tennis attire chase errant shots, which not only makes guests’ matches more pleasant, but also helps local Dominican children learn the game and look forward to a brighter future.

(914) 713-5074 EliteTennisTravel.com Info@EliteTennisTravel.com Elite Tennis Travel designs exclusive tennis and cultural immersion programs. Whether your dream trip includes high-performance tennis training, premium access to world-class ATP tennis tournaments, or VIP-only cultural experiences. n Indian Wells, Calif.: The desert will be in full bloom, and the stars of the tennis world will all be shining at Indian Wells. Ticket, hotel and spa packages available. n Havana, Cuba: Join our open-level Havana Open tennis tournament, and play pro-am with the locals. Meet the Cuban leaders, coaches and players that are shaping the future of Cuban sports and politics. n Monte Carlo, Monaco:The Monte Carlo Country Club is well worth the trip for the Rolex Masters tournament. But when coupled with ETT’s VIP access to the Mouratoglou Tennis Academy, the Monte Carlo experience becomes the tennis trip of a lifetime. Explore nearby Nice, shop the couture boutiques, and relax at one of the regions luxury spas. n Miami, Florida: Join us at the Miami Open for great tennis, beachfront accommodations, and the best food and nightlife that South Beach has to offer. n Paris, France: ETT is proud to announce the opening of our new office in the heart of Paris. If the French Open is on your bucket list, our local experts can get you there in fine style. Prefer to play on the intimate courts of the Luxembourg Gardens, accompanied by arts, shopping and haute cuisine? Opportunities are available year-round! n Rome, Italy: Join ETT for Grand Slam-level tennis in a timeless setting along the Tiber River. Culture, cuisine and shopping opportunities abound.

Long Island Tennis Magazine • November/December 2019 • LITennisMag.com

Evert Tennis Academy

Fisher Island Club

10334 Diego Drive S Boca Raton, Fla. (561) 488-2001 EvertAcademy.com

One Fisher Island Drive Fisher Island, Fla. (305) 535-6000 FisherIslandClub.com Reservations@FisherIslandClub.com Fisher Island Club’s Mediterranean-inspired Racquet Club offers play on 17 courts, and four newly added pickleball courts. Members have access to four types of playing surfaces (two grass courts, three Decocushion hard courts), seven Har-Tru clay courts, and five European red clay courts as well as an array of tennis clinics and private lessons led by top tennis professionals. The Club’s courts are also a favorite place for pre-tournament practice by visiting pros. Experience the distinctive, luxurious amenities that make Fisher Island the ultimate private island destination and lifestyle club. Fisher Island feels a world apart, while also being a short ferry ride away from Miami Beach and premier theaters, art galleries, museums, shopping and nightlife.

The Evert Tennis Academy is located in Boca Raton, Fla., nestled in a beautiful residential neighborhood. Evert Tennis Academy’s convenient location is only a short drive from the beaches of Boca Raton, Fort Lauderdale and Miami, and is roughly 30 minutes away from Palm Beach (PBI) and Fort Lauderdale International (FLL) airports. Chrissie, John and their father, Jimmy Evert, established the Evert Tennis Academy in 1996. The Evert Tennis Academy quickly became, and continues to be, the home to countless national and international junior players, best college players and some of the world’s finest pros. Evert Tennis Academy offers personalized and individualized programs the all year-round for junior players worldwide, including Holiday Camps, Summer Camps, PreTournament Training and Full-Time Programs (year/semester). If you are a basic player looking to get instruction that is more technical or if you are a highlyranked national player looking for some intense competition, Evert Tennis Academy has a program for you. The Evert Tennis Academy campus contains 23 courts, which offer two types of playing surfaces, including 12 hard courts and 11 clay courts. Moreover, the Evert Tennis Academy has two secondary sites with over 25 courts to conduct its program, including a private club, which is only minutes away from the Academy. Our campus also has one girls dormitory and one boys dormitory, a cafeteria, a strength and conditioning room, a massage and athletic training room, a clubhouse, and an academic classroom.

LITennisMag.com • November/December 2019 • Long Island Tennis Magazine

Gleneagles Country Club 7667 Victory Lane Delray Beach, Fla. (561) 860-8794 Gleneagles.cc Membership@Gleneagles.cc With perfect temperatures year-round, every day feels like a vacation when you are a member at Gleneagles Country Club in Delray Beach, Fla. With 20 Har-Tru courts, one hard court, and four pickleball courts, the Gleneagles Tennis Center is a tropical paradise where former resident pros Ivan Lendl and Steffi Graf honed their craft. The USPTAcertified staff offers private and group lessons for all ages. Gleneagles Country Club’s tennis concierge will place you in games and monitor your satisfaction. If you are looking for competition, you can play on one of 25 teams in nine different leagues for both men and women at various levels. After your game, enjoy a complimentary beverage and relax on the patio. If shopping is on your mind, the Pro Shop has the latest styles at member-friendly prices. Gleneagles members enjoy some of the best amenities in South Florida, with a more than 90,000-square feet main clubhouse that features three restaurants and two bars, a brand new Healthy Lifestyle Center encompassing a spacious fitness center, tranquil spa and resort-style pool, in addition to 36 holes of Championship golf. Gleneagles Country Club is close to award-winning restaurants, shopping, museums, beaches and a vibrant downtown. Gleneagles is regarded as one of the best values in South Florida. Prices for homes and garden residences start at $100,000 and go up to $600,000. Mandatory country club joining fees start at $40,000.

Peter Kaplan’s Westhampton Beach Junior/Adult Tennis Academy

(631) 288-4021 (914) 234-9462 WestHamptonBeachTennis.com PeterKaplan2002@yahoo.com Peter Kaplan’s Westhampton Beach Junior/Adult Tennis Academy, and the affiliated Grassmere Inn, is a wonderful destination for beginners to nationallyranked players of all ages. Private instruction, clinics, one to seven full- and half-day camps are offered. The flexibility of the programming enables participants to enjoy the nearby beautiful ocean beaches, charming village, Performing Arts Center, movie theatre, wine country, shopping, cafes, restaurants and nearby water park. Resident students/families/teams stay at the historic, newly-renovated and highly-honored Grassmere Inn, located on quiet, tree-lined Beach Lane, 50 yards from the beginning of the charming village, yet less than one mile from a beautiful ocean beach. The Grassmere’s 22 guest rooms all have air conditioning, WiFi, cable TV and private bathrooms. Ideal for families are two suites or interconnected rooms. A delicious breakfast is included daily. The Tennis Academy features 12 soft courts and features an enthusiastic staff, renowned for its high-quality instruction with an average student/staff ratio of 2:1. Westhampton Beach Junior/Adult Tennis Academy is the only academy in the world the USTA selected for the members benefits program for both juniors and adults. And Westhampton Beach Junior/Adult Tennis Academy is annually selected among the top 25 in the world and number one in the East by TennisResortsonline.com. Programs including accommodations and tennis instruction Long Island Tennis Magazine • November/December 2019 • LITennisMag.com begin at $99 per person/day.

Sea Colony Resort SeaColony.com SeaColonyTennis.net (302) 537-8888 HelpMe@SeaColony.com

Tennis Fantasies with John Newcombe and the Legends (800) 874-7788 TennisFantasies.net SteveC@TowneProperties.com Enjoy the best tennis vacation of your life! Tennis Fantasies with John Newcombe and the Legends, the original tennis fantasy camp, is your chance to play tennis and rub shoulders with the all-time greats of the game. Join host three-time Wimbledon Champion John Newcombe and his “mates” at the John Newcombe Tennis Ranch in New Braunfels, Texas for a most memorable tennis event. The legendary staff will include International Tennis Hall of Fame Members John Newcombe, Roy Emerson, Owen Davidson, Mark Woodforde and Charlie Pasarell, as well as Grand Slam winners Ross Case, Dick Stockton, Brian Gottfried, Rick Leach, Luke and Murphy Jensen and more. Together, more than 150 Grand Slam titles and hundreds of other major championships are assembled under one roof! Learn, play and mingle with tennis royalty. n March 5-8, 2020: Tennis Fantasies (Men and Women) n October 18-23, 2020: Tennis Fantasies (Men Only) On-court activities include clinics, team competition, and “fantasy” pro-am matches. After tennis, guests will enjoy the “Aussie-style” hospitality of the John Newcombe Tennis Ranch. The Ranch is located just outside of New Braunfels in the rolling Hill country of central Texas, 30 minutes from the San Antonio airport. Accommodations at the John Newcombe Tennis Ranch are one- or two-bedroom condominiums or a courtside room. The Ranch has 32 deco-turf and four Har-Tru courts, eight lighted and four all-weather covered courts for tennis every day.• Long Island Tennis Magazine 71 LITennisMag.com guaranteed • November/December 2019

Located just south of Bethany Beach, Delaware, Sea Colony is “The Premier Family Beach & Tennis Resort Community.” The Sea Colony Tennis Center is the hub of tennis activity at the beach year round. In addition to its world-class instruction, Sea Colony is home to USTA League teams, tournaments, world-class instruction on 34 courts (six indoor, 14 Har-Tru, 14 outdoor hard courts), including weekend tennis camps, clinics, tennis programs and private tennis lessons. There is even a $25,000 USTA Pro Circuit event—The ResortQuest Pro Women’s Open at Sea Colony. Lush landscaping, hiking and biking trails, playgrounds, picnic areas and around the clock security make Sea Colony an oasis of peace and tranquility; just minutes to championship golf, tax-free eclectic shopping, water sports, family amusements, natural treasures and so much more. Quiet relaxation and robust activities for all ages make Sea Colony the ideal place to create memories that last a lifetime. Consisting of more than 2,200 condominiums, spacious town homes and private single family homes, the resort offers an unparalleled array of amenities. Sea Colony was ranked the number 18 resort in the country by Tennis Resorts Online in 2019. For more information about Sea Colony tennis and to learn more about all of the resort’s amenities, please call (302) 5394488.

A Disturbing Trend Infecting College Tennis By Lonnie Mitchel received a long text from a parent during a college tennis match. By itself that was not crazy, but it was actually from a parent in the crowd whose daughter was competing during that exact dual match I was coaching. I was on court six coaching another athlete who needed support during the contest and that same texting parent’s daughter was on the second tiered court and in total command of the match. The parent wanted me to make sure her daughter was getting attention. Perhaps I can clone myself and be on all nine courts simultaneously! I also had my phone turned off and in my backpack where it should be during competition. One week later, I received another text from a parent asking me to make sure the players on the squad were watching her daughter as her child feels as though she is being ignored. It did not matter that the rest of the squad was on the bleachers positioned next to the first court just coming off their own two-anda-half hours of competition and the player

in question was on the sixth court in the back! Another parent was attempting to, in a text, coach me on how to improve team building because only her daughter was not out with the players during a social event. When I inquired to my players and the parent’s daughter if there were team chemistry challenges, the student/athlete was in the library and studying. Just five years ago, such texts and conversations never would have taken place, and communication from parents on how, where and when to coach in college would even be considered inappropriate. Maybe you are reading this and you might say that we as coaches should improve in those areas. Firstly, every collegiate coach is hired to coach at this level because he or she shows an ability to work with players with different personalities and ability. We are also here to help them grow into adults; and every coach already knows that, in order to help our players grow, we have to react to change and improve. We also make errors, that’s what coaching is. As John Wooden, the greatest college coach of any sport, said: “If you are not making mistakes you are not doing anything.”

Long Island Tennis Magazine • November/December 2019 • LITennisMag.com

I was at a coaching symposium recently with coaches from a variety of sports. We shared stories of the trends in coaching in 2019. The questioning, interference and meddling from parents is spreading like a contagious disease at the collegiate level. The tendency is coming from a new generation of youngsters that somehow feel entitled with that thinking fostered by parents who think that entitlement is a good thing. I have consistently heard about this trend from experts at several seminars. Back at my school, I speak to my colleagues, coaches and professors who share episodes of this trend. Parents, it has to stop! When I am recruiting youngsters at tennis recruiting showcases, high school matches and USTA tournaments, so many parents are on top of the competition. They are interfering with high school coaches style simply because they may not like their youngsters lineup position. I often witness parents who confront the tournament directors at USTA competitions. You are not doing your child any favors because when they get to college, both on the tennis court and

classroom, the umbilical cord will be severed. The trend in college now is also a much higher awareness to break the stigma of mental illness. I am seeing that college students now are also much more prone to anxiety, depression with the accompanying variable coping skills not being developed earlier. I am a huge proponent of mental health and getting counseling if needed. However, basic coping skills will have to be developed, if not in college, certainly by the time they are in the workforce when an employer will not treat your child any different despite an unwelcomed parent communication. In the coaching universe at the collegiate level I (I cannot speak for other coaches), I will respond to a parents input, thoughts and concern as a matter of courtesy. However, I will also speak to your son or daughter and make sure that I make the decisions needed for the betterment of the team and not just one individual, and certainly not because of a parent’s phone call. A conversation with a

student regarding tennis or other academic and mental health issues are discussed in the privacy of my office, and treating that student-athlete as a young adult. A parent, unless it’s life or death, really cannot have input to a coach’s decision or style. I believe I am a very nurturing and cooperative coach as my players will tell you, but I remind you that once you send your child to college, they are 18-years-old and an adult and we wouldn’t be doing our job if we are not helping them grow up. Teaching them that strategic decisions, self-talk and mental toughness will be coached so that they can cope in a highly competitive athletic environment, and further down the line to be a successful contributor to society in a highlycompetitive world. I have to be resilient as a coach regardless of a parent’s opinion and thoughts and how they think their son and daughter should be coached. A parent and potential student athlete will have the time to discuss all this with me while exploring our school and tennis program, and if the collegiate environment is right for

that pupil during the recruiting process. Your choice is made ... now let us do our job on the tennis court and in the educational environment. Let’s buck this trend and let them compete on the tennis court with dignity and accept the outcome, good or bad. I’ll help them get to their goals, but I need to do my job. I promise you I/we will send them home to you a better tennis player and ready for success in the real world. Lonnie Mitchel is head men’s and women’s tennis coach at SUNY Oneonta. Lonnie was named an assistant coach to Team USA for the 2013 Maccabiah Games in Israel for the Grand Master Tennis Division. Also coached for Team USA in Berlin and Chile in 2015 and Team USA Maccabiah for the Open Division working with Division I players and professionally ranked in the Israel Games in 2017. Was also named “Coach of the Year” in 2015 for State University of NY Athletic Conference. Lonnie may be reached by phone at (516) 414-7202 or e-mail LonnieMitchel@yahoo.com.

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LITennisMag.com • November/December 2019 • Long Island Tennis Magazine

Knowing Your Game Style Will Make You A Better Tennis Player

By Geoffrey Jagdfeld o become a better tennis player you need to know which of the four game styles you fall into. This will help you better understand what parts of your game will win you points and which parts you need to work on. Once you know what your trying to do on the court you can then analyze your opponent’s game style. You can then determine what you will need to do to compete against their style. There are four characteristic styles of game: Baseline Player, Aggressive Baseliner, All-Court Player, and Serve and Volleyer.

Baseline Player Characteristics l Good physical condition l Strong mentality l Good movement l Disciplined l Patient and consistent l Reacts, does not dictate l Good ground-strokes l Strong returns l Good passing shots and lobs l Attacks the weakest side l Plays from behind the baseline l Generally, uses a Western or strong Semi-Western Grip Preferred Surface l Clay l Slow Hard Aggressive Baseliner l Has a weapon—usually the forehand 74

l Opens the court l Dictates the point l Aggressive ground strokes l Controls the center of the court l One the rise l Plays on or inside baseline l Goes to the net behind a good shot l Attacks movement l Has good passing shots, angles and lobs l Generally, uses a semi-Western Grip Preferred Surfaces l Clay l Hard All-Court Player l Has a good serve and volley l Is solid at the baseline l Attack short balls l Comfortable on any surface l Moves well in all directions l Generally, uses an Eastern Grip or a weak Semi-Western Grip Preferred Surfaces l Hard l Grass l Indoors Serve and Volleyer l Consistent first serves l High stature l Solid first volley l Returns and goes to the net l Takes advantage of short returns in order to go to the net l Presses constantly l Moves forward and back well l Attacks opponents second serve

Long Island Tennis Magazine • November/December 2019 • LITennisMag.com

l Is not very comfortable at the baseline l Generally, uses a Continental or Eastern Grip l Prefers the chip and charge Preferred Surfaces l Indoors l Fast/Hard l Grass Now we’ll list some quick tips to use against competing games styles once you are adept at identifying both yours and your opponent’s style. Baseline Player 1) Against the Baseline Player l Your opponent doesn’t have big weapons l Keeps the ball in play … high percentage of shots l Be prepared to spend all day on the court l Be prepared for a mental battle l Be more patient and tenacious than your opponent l Make less errors l Hit drop-shots and angles l Move your opponent back and forth across court, taking them out of their comfort zone 2) Against the Aggressive Baseline Player l Vary your shots, topspin and slice l Avoid hitting the ball strongly l Let your opponent develop their own force in their shot l Maintain the ball in play, forcing your opponent to lose control

l Exercise patience and tenacity l The key is to be patient without giving your opponent any rhythm or speed 3) Against the All-Court Player l Keep the ball deep l Vary the speed of the ball l Move the opponent controlling the center of the court l Get your first serves in l Vary the passing shots with low balls and lobs 4) Against Serve and Volleyer l Good return, low and to the weaker side l Use lobs early in the match to keep your opponent from getting too close to the net l If your opponent is serving well, change your position on your return l If you are returning well, force your opponent to remain at the baseline l When your opponent has gone to the net, force them to volley l Put the return in play

Aggressive Baseline Player 1) Against the Baseline Player l Be patient: The baseline player does not have any strong weapons l Take your time: Donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t throw the match early trying to win every point l Use drop-shots and the angles l Control the center of the court 2) Against the Aggressive Baseline Player l Take the initiative in each point l Neutralize the return of the first serve l Attack movement l Be prepared to play defensively if your opponent takes the initiative l If your opponent hits the ball harder than you, move two steps back l Use your weapons and hide your weakness l Open the court by using all angles 3) Against the All-Court Player l Dictate and control the point l Keep your opponent at the baseline: Hit deep on the court

l Hit your first serve in l Have a deep second serve l Neutralize serves with good returns l Be aggressive with second serve returns l Attack movement 4) Against the Serve and Volleyer l Return low and consistently l Vary court positions on returns l Attack the second serve l Put the first serve in l Maintain the deep ball l Play on top or inside the baseline l Use angles to prepare the way for an effective passing shot All-Court Player 1) Against the Baseline Player l Exercise patience l Move your opponent around the court, until you get a short ball and can attack l Attack the weaker side continued on page 76

LITennisMag.com â&#x20AC;˘ November/December 2019 â&#x20AC;˘ Long Island Tennis Magazine

knowing your game style continued from page 75 l Approach down the middle to take away your opponent’s angle shots l When you serve and volley, vary the placement of both the first serve and the first volley l Attack your opponent’s second serve by going to the net. (chip and charge) l Go to the net as soon as possible l Play close or inside the baseline, do not go back 2) Against Aggressive Baseline Player l Vary your game: Keep your opponent guessing l Take the initiative, go to the net l Control the point with power l Put the first serve in and go to the net l Attack your opponent’s second serve and go to the net l Keep your opponent at the baseline, attacking movement l Change the rhythm 3) Against the All-Court Player l Dictate the point: Take the initiative l Attack short balls going to the net l Serve and volley l Keep opponent at the baseline l Use different spins l Play the least possible defense

4) Against the Serve and Volleyer l You must go to the net first l Hit the ball early in the return l If your opponent goes to the net, make them volley l Keep your opponent at the baseline l Defense is a must when your opponent goes to the net l Assure the return l Put the first ball in Serve and Volleyer 1) Against the Baseline Player l Vary placement of the first serve l Vary placement of the first volley l Keep your opponent off balance l Attack the second serve, going to the net l Take advantage of all short balls going to the net l Go to the net with deep approach shots l Hit your first volley to the baseline, the second cross court angle l Never fall into the trap of staying at the baseline. 2) Against the Aggressive Baseline Player l Vary placement and spin of the serve l Get to the net early in the rally

l Dictate the point l Serve and volley: Put the first serve in. l Attack your opponent’s second serve l Keep the ball deep l Place the approach deep 3) Against the All-Court Player l Serve and volley with all first serves l Vary your second serve: Serve and volley, stay behind your serve l Attack your opponent’s second service l Try to win the battle at the net, keep the ball at the baseline l Dictate the point and the game 4) Against the Serve and Volleyer l Short, intense points l The key is in the serve and return l The first shot will determine who controls the point l The first serve is of great importance l Win the battle at the net l Attack your opponent’s second serve with power l Use the defensive lob Geoffrey Jagdfeld is USPTA Eastern president and currently tennis director of Solaris Sports Clubs. He is a USPTA Elite Professional and USTA High-Performance Coach who serves as USTA Junior Team Tennis League Coordinator for Westchester. He is the head coach of the Men’s and Women’s Tennis Teams at St. John Fisher College, and played collegiate tennis at Michigan State University.

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Long Island Tennis Magazine • November/December 2019 • LITennisMag.com

USTA/Long Island Region 2019

TOURNAMENT SCHEDULE For detailed information on these and all USTA tournaments, visit tennislink.usta.com/tournaments. NOVEMBER 2019 Friday-Sunday, November 8-10 L1B Sportime Syosset November Challenger Sportime-Syosset 75 Haskett Drive • Syosset, N.Y. Divisions: Intermediate Boys’ Singles: 78’ Yellow Ball 12 (SE) Surface Type: Unknown Entry Fee: $54.25 per player (deadline for entries is Monday, Nov. 4 at 1:00 p.m.) For more information, e-mail A.Kavalenka@yahoo.com or call (516) 364-2727.

Friday-Sunday, November 8-10 L2 Bethpage Park Fall Open Bethpage Park Tennis Center 99 Quaker Meeting House Road • Farmingdale, N.Y. Divisions: Intermediate Boys’ & Girls’ Singles: 78’ Yellow Ball 14 (SE) Surface Type: Hard Indoor Entry Fee: $54.25 per player (deadline for entries is Monday, Nov. 4 at 1:00 p.m.) For more information, e-mail RBecker06@yahoo.com or call (516) 359-4843.

Friday-Sunday, November 8-10 L1B RWTT Fall Challenger Robbie Wagner Tournament Training at Glen Cove 60 Sea Cliff Avenue • Glen Cove, N.Y. Divisions: Challenger Boys’ Singles: 78’ Yellow Ball 14 (SE) Surface Type: Clay Indoor Entry Fee: $54.25 per player (deadline for entries is Monday, Nov. 4 at 1:00 p.m.) For more information, e-mail Alex.Alcantara@aol.com or call (516) 759-0505.

Friday-Sunday, November 8-10 L1B Point Set November Open Point Set Tennis • 3065 New Street • Oceanside, N.Y. Divisions: Challenger Girls’ Singles: 78’ Yellow Ball 14 (SE) Surface Type: Hard Indoor Entry Fee: $54.25 per player (deadline for entries is Sunday, Nov. 3 at 1:00 p.m.) For more information, e-mail Ruiz.Clark@yahoo.com or call (516) 536-2323.

Friday-Sunday, November 8-10 L1B GHR&F November Challenger Glen Head Racquet and Fitness 95 Glen Head Road • Glen Head, N.Y. Divisions: Challenger Girls’ Singles: 78’ Yellow Ball 12 (SE) Surface Type: Hard Indoor Entry Fee: $54.25 per player (deadline for entries is Monday, Nov. 4 at 1:00 a.m.) For more information, e-mail Strong28@msn.com or call (516) 676-9849.

Friday-Sunday, November 8-10 L2 Deer Park November Open Deer Park Tennis Club • 30 Burt Drive • Deer Park, N.Y. Divisions: Intermediate Boys’ & Girls’ Singles: 78’ Yellow Ball 12 (FMLC) and Intermediate Boys’ & Girls’ Singles: 78’ Yellow Ball 14-16 (SE) Surface Type: Hard Indoor Entry Fee: $54.25 for first singles/$28 for first doubles (deadline for entries is Tuesday, Nov. 5 at 1:00 p.m.) For more information, e-mail fortunadpt@gmail.com or call (631) 667-3476.

Friday-Sunday, November 15-17 L1B World Gym Challenger World Gym Racquet Sports Arena 384 Mark Tree Road • East Setauket, N.Y. Divisions: Challenger Boys’ & Girls’ Singles: 78’ Yellow Ball 16 (SE) Surface Type: Unknown Entry Fee: $54.25 per player (deadline for entries is Monday, Nov. 11 at 1:00 p.m.) For more information, e-mail VTAPR@hotmail.com or call or call (631) 751-6100. Friday-Sunday, November 15-17 Eastern Sweet 16 at Bethpage Sportime Tennis Bethpage 101 Norcross Avenue • Bethpage, N.Y. Divisions: Advanced Boys’ Singles: 78’ Yellow Ball 12 (COMP) and Advanced Boys’ Doubles: 78’ Yellow Ball 12 (SE) Surface Type: Hard Indoor Entry Fee: $151 per player (deadline for entries is Tuesday, Nov. 5 at 1:00 p.m.) For more information, e-mail A.Kavalenka@yahoo.com or call (516) 933-8500. Friday-Sunday, November 15-17 Eastern Sweet 16 at RWTTC Robbie Wagner Tournament Training at Glen Cove 60 Sea Cliff Avenue • Glen Cove, N.Y. Divisions: Advanced Boys’ Singles: 78’ Yellow Ball 16 (COMP) and Advanced Boys’ Doubles: 78’ Yellow Ball 16 (SE) Surface Type: Clay Indoor Entry Fee: $151 per player (deadline for entries is Tuesday, Nov. 5 at 1:00 p.m.) For more information, e-mail RWagner968@aol.com or call (516) 759-0505.

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djcmnyc@gmail.com LITennisMag.com • November/December 2019 • Long Island Tennis Magazine

USTA/Long Island Region 2019

TOURNAMENT SCHEDULE For detailed information on these and all USTA tournaments, visit tennislink.usta.com/tournaments. Friday-Sunday, November 15-17 Eastern Sweet 16 at GHR&F Glen Head Racquet and Fitness 95 Glen Head Road Glen Head, N.Y. Divisions: Advanced Girls’ Singles: 78’ Yellow Ball 18 (COMP) and Advanced Girls’ Doubles: 78’ Yellow Ball 18 (SE) Surface Type: Hard Indoor Entry Fee: $151 per player (deadline for entries is Tuesday, Nov. 5 at 1:00 p.m.) For more information, e-mail Strong28@msn.com or call (516) 676-9849. Friday-Sunday, November 15-17 L1 Bethpage Park Fall Championships Bethpage Park Tennis Center 99 Quaker Meeting House Road Farmingdale, N.Y. Divisions: Championships Boys’ & Girls’ Singles: 78’ Yellow Ball 18 (SE) Surface Type: Hard Indoor Entry Fee: $65 per player (deadline for entries is Monday, Nov. 11 at 1:00 p.m.) For more information, e-mail RBecker06@yahoo.com or call (516) 359-4843. Friday-Sunday, November 15-17 L1B Ross November Challenger Ross School Tennis Academy 18 Goodfriend Drive East Hampton, N.Y. Divisions: Challenger Boys’ & Girls’ Singles: 78’ Yellow Ball 14 (SE) Surface Type: Clay Indoor Entry Fee: $54.25 per player (deadline for entries is Monday, Nov. 11 at 1:00 p.m.) For more information, e-mail CSidor@Ross.org or call (631) 907-5162. Friday-Sunday, November 15-17 L1 HIT November Championships Huntington Indoor Tennis 100 Broadway Huntington Station, N.Y. Divisions: Championships Boys’ & Girls’ Singles: 78’ Yellow Ball 12 (SE) Surface Type: Unknown Entry Fee: $54.52 per player (deadline for entries is Monday, Nov. 11 at 1:00 p.m.) For more information, e-mail HITennis@HITennisNY.com or call (631) 421-0040.

Saturday, November 16 Youth Progression Orange L2—East Setauket World Gym Racquet Sports Arena 384 Mark Tree Road • East Setauket, N.Y. Divisions: Orange Level 2 Boys’ & Girls’ 10 and Under Singles: 60’ Orange Ball 10 (NEF) Surface Type: Clay Indoor Entry Fee: $48.88 per player For more information, e-mail VTAPR@hotmail.com or call or call (631) 751-6100. Friday-Sunday, November 22-24 L1B November RWTTC Challenger Robbie Wagner Tournament Training at Glen Cove 60 Sea Cliff Avenue • Glen Cove, N.Y. Divisions: Challenger Boys’ & Girls’ Singles: 78’ Yellow Ball 18 (SE) Surface Type: Clay Indoor Entry Fee: $54.25 per player For more information, e-mail RWagner968@aol.com or call (516) 759-0505. Friday-Sunday, November 22-24 L1B Sportime Syosset Challenger Sportime-Syosset 75 Haskett Drive • Syosset, N.Y. Divisions: Challenger Boys’ & Girls’ Singles: 78’ Yellow Ball 12 (SE) Surface Type: Unknown Entry Fee: $54.25 per player (deadline for entries is Monday, Nov. 18 at 1:00 p.m.) For more information, e-mail A.Kavalenka@yahoo.com or call (516) 364-2727. Friday-Sunday, November 22-24 L1B GHR&F Pre-Turkey Challenger Glen Head Racquet and Fitness 95 Glen Head Road • Glen Head, N.Y. Divisions: Challenger Boys’ & Girls’ Singles: 78’ Yellow Ball 14 (SE) Surface Type: Hard Indoor Entry Fee: $54.25 per player For more information, e-mail Strong28@msn.com or call (516) 676-9849. Friday-Sunday, November 22-24 L1B Bethpage Park Fall Challenger Bethpage Park Tennis Center 99 Quaker Meeting House Road • Farmingdale, N.Y. Divisions: Challenger Boys’ & Girls’ Singles: 78’ Yellow Ball 16 (SE) Surface Type: Hard Indoor Entry Fee: $54.25 per player (deadline for entries is Monday, Nov. 18 at 1:00 p.m.) For more information, e-mail RBecker06@yahoo.com or call (516) 359-4843.

Long Island Tennis Magazine • November/December 2019 • LITennisMag.com

Friday-Sunday, November 22-24 L1B Point Set Thanksgiving Open Point Set Tennis 3065 New Street Oceanside, N.Y. Divisions: Intermediate Boys’ & Girls’ Singles: 78’ Yellow Ball 14-18 (SE) Surface Type: Hard Indoor Entry Fee: $54.25 per player (deadline for entries is Sunday, Nov. 17 at 1:00 p.m.) For more information, e-mail Ruiz.Clark@yahoo.com or call (516) 536-2323. Friday-Sunday, November 29-December 1 L1 RWTTC November Championships Robbie Wagner Tournament Training at Glen Cove 60 Sea Cliff Avenue Glen Cove, N.Y. Divisions: Championships Boys’ & Girls’ Singles: 78’ Yellow Ball 14 (SE) Surface Type: Clay Indoor Entry Fee: $54.25 per player (deadline for entries is Wednesday, Nov. 20 at 1:00 p.m.) For more information, e-mail RWagner968@aol.com or call (516) 759-0505. Friday-Sunday, November 29-December 1 L2 Sportime Syosset November Open Sportime-Syosset 75 Haskett Drive Syosset, N.Y. Divisions: Intermediate Boys’ & Girls’ Singles: 78’ Yellow Ball 12 (FMLC) Surface Type: Unknown Entry Fee: $54.25 per player (deadline for entries is Monday, Nov. 25 at 11:59 p.m.) For more information, e-mail A.Kavalenka@yahoo.com or call (516) 364-2727. Friday-Sunday, November 29-December 1 L1B GHR&F Fall Challenger Glen Head Racquet and Fitness 95 Glen Head Road Glen Head, N.Y. Divisions: Challenger Boys’ & Girls’ Singles: 78’ Yellow Ball 12 (SE) Surface Type: Hard Indoor Entry Fee: $54.25 per player For more information, e-mail Strong28@msn.com or call (516) 676-9849.

USTA/Long Island Region 2019

TOURNAMENT SCHEDULE For detailed information on these and all USTA tournaments, visit tennislink.usta.com/tournaments. Friday-Sunday, November 29-December 1 L1 Point Set Winter Championships Point Set Tennis Center 3065 New Street • Oceanside, N.Y. Divisions: Championships Boys’ Singles: 78’ Yellow Ball 16 (SE) Surface Type: Hard Indoor Entry Fee: $54.25 per player (deadline for entries is Sunday, Nov. 24 at 1:00 p.m.) For more information, e-mail Ruiz.Clark@yahoo.com or call (516) 536-2323.

Friday-Sunday, December 6-8 L1B Park Ave Tennis Classic Park Avenue Tennis Club 100 Partridge Lane • Huntington, N.Y. Divisions: Challenger Boys’ & Girls’ Singles: 78’ Yellow Ball 16 (SE) Surface Type: Hard Indoor Entry Fee: $54.25 per player (deadline for entries is Monday, Sept. 9 at 11:59 p.m.) For more information, e-mail Caddy44@aol.com or call (631) 271-1810.

Friday-Sunday, November 29-December 1 L2 HIT Turkey Trot Huntington Indoor Tennis 100 Broadway • Huntington Station, N.Y. Divisions: Intermediate Boys’ & Girls’ Singles: 78’ Yellow Ball 12 (FMLC) and Intermediate Boys’ & Girls’ Singles: 78’ Yellow Ball 14-18 (SE) Surface Type: Clay Indoor Entry Fee: $54.52 per player For more information, e-mail HITennis@HITennisNY.com or call (631) 421-0040.

Friday-Sunday, December 6-8 L1 Bethpage Park Winter Challenger Bethpage Park Tennis Center 99 Quaker Meeting House Road • Farmingdale, N.Y. Divisions: Challenger Boys’ Singles: 78’ Yellow Ball 12 (SE) Surface Type: Hard Indoor Entry Fee: $65 per player (deadline for entries is Monday, Dec. 2 at 1:00 p.m.) For more information, e-mail RBecker06@yahoo.com or call (516) 359-4843.

Saturday-Sunday, November 30-December 1 Youth Progression Green L1—East Setauket World Gym Racquet & Sports Arena 384 Mark Tree Road • East Setauket, N.Y. Divisions: Green Level 1 Boys’ & Girls’ 10 and Under Singles: 78’ Green Ball 10 (NEF) Surface Type: Clay Entry Fee: $54.25 per player (deadline for entries is Monday, Nov. 25 at 1:00 p.m.) For more information, e-mail VTAPR@hotmail.com or call or call (631) 751-6100. DECEMBER 2019 Friday-Sunday, December 6-8 L1B World Gym December Challenger World Gym Racquet & Sports Arena 384 Mark Tree Road • East Setauket, N.Y. Divisions: Challenger Boys’ & Girls’ Singles: 78’ Yellow Ball 14 (SE) Surface Type: Clay Indoor Entry Fee: $54.25 per player For more information, e-mail VTAPR@hotmail.com or call or call (631) 751-6100.

Friday-Sunday, December 6-8 L2 Sportime Syosset December Open Sportime-Syosset 75 Haskett Drive • Syosset, N.Y. Divisions: Intermediate Boys’ & Girls’ Singles: 78’ Yellow Ball 14 (SE) Surface Type: Unknown Entry Fee: $54.25 per player (deadline for entries is Monday, Dec. 2 at 1:00 p.m.) For more information, e-mail A.Kavalenka@yahoo.com or call (516) 364-2727. Friday-Sunday, December 6-8 L1B December Challenger at GHR&F Glen Head Racquet and Fitness 95 Glen Head Road • Glen Head, N.Y. Divisions: Challenger Girls’ Singles: 78’ Yellow Ball 12 (SE) Surface Type: Hard Indoor Entry Fee: $54.25 per player For more information, e-mail Strong28@msn.com or call (516) 676-9849. Friday-Sunday, December 6-8 L1B Point Set Holiday Challenger Point Set Tennis Center 3065 New Street Oceanside, N.Y. Divisions: Challenger Boys’ & Girls’ Singles: 78’ Yellow Ball 18 (SE) Surface Type: Hard Indoor Entry Fee: $54.25 per player (deadline for entries is Sunday, Dec. 1 at 1:00 p.m.) For more information, e-mail Ruiz.Clark@yahoo.com or call (516) 536-2323.

Friday-Saturday, December 6-7 L3 RWTT Dec UPS Robbie Wagner Tournament Training at Glen Cove 60 Sea Cliff Avenue Glen Cove, N.Y. Divisions: Entry Level Boys’ & Girls’ Singles: 78’ Green Ball 12 ,78’ Yellow Ball 14-18 (NEF) Surface Type: Unknown Entry Fee: $43.50 per player (deadline for entries is Monday, Dec. 2 at 1:00 p.m.) For more information, e-mail RWagner968@aol.com or call (516) 759-0505. Friday, December 6 L1 RWTT Dec Championships Robbie Wagner Tournament Training at Glen Cove 60 Sea Cliff Avenue Glen Cove, N.Y. Divisions: Championships Girls’ Singles: 78’ Yellow Ball 16 (SE) Surface Type: Clay Indoor Entry Fee: $54.25 per player (deadline for entries is Sunday, Dec. 1 at 1:00 p.m.) For more information, e-mail RWagner968@aol.com or call (516) 759-0505. Friday-Sunday, December 13-15 Eastern Empire Cup National Doubles at World Gym (National L4) World Gym Racquet & Sports Arena 384 Mark Tree Road East Setauket, N.Y. Divisions: Boys’ Doubles: 78’ Yellow Ball 18 (MFIC) and Girls’ Doubles: 78’ Yellow Ball 12 (MFIC) Surface Type: Unknown Entry Fee: $59.63 per player (deadline for entries is Tuesday, Dec. 3 at 1:00 p.m.) For more information, e-mail VTAPR@hotmail.com or call or call (631) 751-6100. Friday-Sunday, December 13-15 L1B Ross December Challenger Ross School Tennis Academy 18 Goodfriend Drive East Hampton, N.Y. Divisions: Challenger Boys’ & Girls’ Singles: 78’ Yellow Ball 12, 18 (SE) Surface Type: Clay Indoor Entry Fee: $54.25 per player For more information, e-mail CSidor@Ross.org or call (631) 907-5162.

LITennisMag.com • November/December 2019 • Long Island Tennis Magazine

USTA/Long Island Region 2019

TOURNAMENT SCHEDULE For detailed information on these and all USTA tournaments, visit tennislink.usta.com/tournaments. Friday-Sunday, December 13-15 L1B Sportime Syosset December Challenger Sportime-Syosset 75 Haskett Drive Syosset, N.Y. Divisions: Challenger Boys’ & Girls’ Singles: 78’ Yellow Ball 16 (SE) Surface Type: Unknown Entry Fee: $54.25 per player (deadline for entries is Monday, Dec. 9 at 1:00 p.m.) For more information, e-mail A.Kavalenka@yahoo.com or call (516) 364-2727. Saturday-Sunday, December 14-15 Youth Progression L1 Green Ball-Robbie Wagner’s Robbie Wagner Tournament Training at Glen Cove 60 Sea Cliff Avenue Glen Cove, N.Y. Divisions: Green Level 1 Boys’ & Girls’ 10 and Under Singles: 78’ Green Ball 10 (FMLC) Surface Type: Clay Indoor Entry Fee: $54.25 per player (deadline for entries is Sunday, Dec. 1 at 11:59 p.m.) For more information, e-mail StephenAAlcala@gmail.com or call (516) 759-0505.

Friday-Sunday, December 20-22 L1B RWTT Holiday Challenger Robbie Wagner Tournament Training at Glen Cove 60 Sea Cliff Avenue Glen Cove, N.Y. Divisions: Challenger Boys’ & Girls’ Singles: 78’ Yellow Ball 14 (SE) Surface Type: Clay Indoor Entry Fee: $54.25 per player For more information, e-mail RWagner968@aol.com or call (516) 759-0505.

Friday-Sunday, December 27-29 L1 December Holiday Championships at GHR&F Glen Head Racquet and Fitness 95 Glen Head Road Glen Head, N.Y. Divisions: Championships Boys’ Singles: 78’ Yellow Ball 16 (SE) Surface Type: Hard Indoor Entry Fee: $54.25 per player For more information, e-mail Strong28@msn.com or call (516) 676-9849.

Friday-Sunday, December 20-22 L2 Sportime Syosset December Open Sportime-Syosset 75 Haskett Drive Syosset, N.Y. Divisions: Intermediate Boys’ Singles: 78’ Yellow Ball 12 (FMLC); Intermediate Boys’ Singles: 78’ Yellow Ball 14-18 (SE); Intermediate Girls’ Singles: 78’ Yellow Ball 12 (FRLC); and Intermediate Girls’ Singles: 78’ Yellow Ball 14-18 (SE) Surface Type: Unknown Entry Fee: $54.25 per player (deadline for entries is Monday, Dec. 16 at 8:59 p.m.) For more information, e-mail A.Kavalenka@yahoo.com or call (516) 364-2727.

Saturday, December 14 Youth Progression, Orange Level 1: Long Beach December Open Long Beach Tennis Center 899 Monroe Boulevard Long Beach, N.Y. Divisions: Orange Level 1 Boys’ & Girls’ 10 and Under Singles: 60’ Orange Ball 10 (NEF) Surface Type: Hard Indoor Entry Fee: $48.88 per player (deadline for entries is Sunday, Dec. 8 at 1:00 p.m.) For more information, e-mail KLastique@yahoo.com or call (516) 432-6060.

Friday-Sunday, December 20-22 L2 December Open at GHR&F Glen Head Racquet and Fitness 95 Glen Head Road Glen Head, N.Y. Divisions: Intermediate Boys’ & Girls’ Singles: 78’ Yellow Ball 12-16 (SE)) Surface Type: Hard Indoor Entry Fee: $54.25 per player For more information, e-mail Strong28@msn.com or call (516) 676-9849.

Saturday, December 14 Youth Progression Orange Ball L2 Sportime Bethpage Sportime Tennis Bethpage 101 Norcross Avenue Bethpage, N.Y. Divisions: Orange Level 2 Boys’ & Girls’ 10 and Under Singles: 60’ Orange Ball 10 (NEF) Surface Type: Hard Indoor Entry Fee: $48.88 per player (deadline for entries is Sunday, Dec. 8 at 11:59 p.m.) For more information, e-mail A.Kavalenka@yahoo.com or call (516) 933-8500.

Friday-Sunday, December 20-22 L1B Point Set Holiday Challenger Point Set Tennis Center 3065 New Street Oceanside, N.Y. Divisions: Challenger Boys’ & Girls’ Singles: 78’ Yellow Ball 16 (SE) Surface Type: Hard Indoor Entry Fee: $54.25 per player (deadline for entries is Sunday, Dec. 15 at 1:00 p.m.) For more information, e-mail Ruiz.Clark@yahoo.com or call (516) 536-2323.

Long Island Tennis Magazine • November/December 2019 • LITennisMag.com

Friday-Sunday, December 27-29 L1 PTST Holiday Championships Point Set Tennis Center 3065 New Street Oceanside, N.Y. Divisions: Championships Boys’ Singles: 78’ Yellow Ball 14 (SE) Surface Type: Hard Indoor Entry Fee: $54.25 per player (deadline for entries is Sunday, Dec. 21 at 1:00 p.m.) For more information, e-mail Ruiz.Clark@yahoo.com or call (516) 536-2323.

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