New York Tennis Magazine May - June 2019 by United Sports Publications

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NYTennisMag.com • May/June 2019 • New York Tennis Magazine

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MAGAZINE

New York Tennis Magazine 1220 Wantagh Avenue • Wantagh, NY 11793-2202 Phone: (516) 409-4444 • Fax: (516) 409-4600 Web site: www.nytennismag.com

Staff David Sickmen Publisher (516) 409-4444, ext. 309 • david@usptennis.com 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 Managing Art Director 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.nytennismag.com. Fax subscription changes to (516) 409-1600. Statements of fact and opinion in New York Tennis Magazine are the responsibility of the authors alone and do not imply an opinion on the part of United Sports Publications Ltd. New York Tennis Magazine reserves the right to edit, reject and/or postpone the publication of any articles, information or data.

Table Of Contents

MAY/JUN 2019 • Vol 9, No 3

Alexander the Great By Brian Coleman Germany’s Alexander Zverev leads the charge of young ATP stars looking to become one of the next to crack the Big Four. See page 18

Photo credit: USTA/Pete Staples

Highlights 8 14 22 40 48

Tennis in the Hamptons 2019 2019 New York Empire: New Coach, New Home Court By Brian Coleman 2019 French Open Preview: What to Watch For By Brian Coleman A Look at the Mental Side of Tennis NYTM’s 2019 Guide to Top Tennis Apparel Providers

Features 4 12 16 17 24 28 30 31 32 34 38 44 45 46 51 52 53 54 55 56 58 59 60 62 63 64 66 67 68 69 70 71

Across Metro New York Junior Player Spotlight: Luka Butera, Centercourt Performance Tennis Academy By Brian Coleman NYJTL, Cary Leeds Center Hosts Hartman Cup St. John’s Captures Big East Championship USTA Metro Region Update At The Net: Eric Faro, Gotham Tennis Academy By Brian Coleman USTA Eastern Hosts Inaugural JTT 18U Elite League MatchPoint NYC Summer Camp Returns This Summer My Child Is Athletically Gifted … I Think? By Roger Turner You Can Play College Tennis By Jarett Cascino Court Six: New York Tennis Magazine’s Gossip Column By Emilie Katz The Jensen Zone: Doubles Alert! By Luke Jensen Metro Corporate League Recap The Impact and Benefits of Vitamin D By Dr. Rob Silverman Andy Cohen and John McEnroe Team Up for JMTP Fundraiser Mental Toughness By Stefan Ilic Centercourt Shootout Coming to Chatham Ways to Improve Your Tennis Game Off the Court! By Xavier Luna Celebrating 30 Years … Silent Partner Tennis Ball Machines Developing Good Coaching Habits By Joao Pinho JMTA Hosts Workshop, Adds Sports Vision to Training Regimen The Development of Anticipatory Skills and the Connection to DecisionMaking Systems in Competitive Tennis By Conrad Singh A Revolutionary Approach in Sport Psychology By Dr. Tom Ferraro WIN: What’s. Important. Now. By Rob Polishook Tennis Behavioral Baggage? Off My Court! By Barbara Wyatt Tennis’s Magic Pill By Lonnie Mitchel “Set” Your Racket for Volleys By Mike Puc One-on-One Doubles Tourney Coming to Westchester By Brian Coleman Be True to Your School By Steven Kaplan Rye Country Day School Wins San Marco Invitational Columbia Men Win Sixth Straight Ivy League Title USTA/Metropolitan Region 2019 Tournament Schedule

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NYTennisMag.com • May/June 2019 • New York Tennis Magazine

Across Metro Ne Samir Banerjee Wins Easter Bowl 16s Title

Claire An Leads Team to USTA National Victory Claire An, who trains at CourtSense Training Center, helped lead her team to a win at the USTA National Spring Team Championships at the El Conquistador Golf and Tennis Resort in Tucson, Ariz. An played first singles and won the deciding match in the finals.

Samir Banerjee, who trains at Centercourt Performance Tennis Academy, took home the title at the Eastern Bowl USTA National Championships in California. Banerjee won one of the country’s most prestigious junior tournaments with a run of seven consecutive victories, including knocking off top-seed Aryan Chaudhary 7-6(9), 2-6, 6-4 in the semifinals. He then notched a 7-6(4), 7-5 win over ninth-seed J.J. Tracy in the championship match.

MatchPoint NYC’s JTT Team Succeeding

JMTA, BNP Paribas Create Mac: 1 Partnership

The John McEnroe Tennis Academy (JMTA) and BNP Paribas have announced a partnership between the two entities, called Mac: 1. This partnership will result in 10 young players, both boys and girls, being selected to train under the direct supervision of John and Patrick McEnroe.

New York Tennis Magazine • May/June 2019 • NYTennisMag.com

The 10U Orange Ball Team from MatchPoint NYC in Brooklyn continued its excellent play on the Junior Team Tennis circuit this year, most recently, defeating its opponents from McCarren Park in Brooklyn.

New York

… News and notes from across the New York Metro tennis community

Ross School Has Successful Run at Inaugural JTT Tournament

Buffalo Honors Ethan Nittolo Queens native Ethan Nittolo, who played his high school tennis at Townsend Harris in Bayside, has compiled a successful career at the University of Buffalo, and was recently honored before the team’s match against Ball State. Nittolo was the team’s lone senior this season. Photo credit: University of Buffalo Athletics

USTA Long Island hosted the inaugural USTA Eastern Long Island Junior Team Tennis (JTT) 10U Orange Ball Tournament at Eastern Athletic Club in Blue Point, N.Y. The kids from Ross School Tennis Academy (pictured above) finished in second place, as the team from World Gym Setauket finished as champions.

NYJTL Players Ring in NASDAQ Opening Bell With USTA Foundation

Royal Marines Descend on West Side Members of the British Royal Marines recently visited The West Side Tennis Club in Forest Hills, N.Y., to take a tour of famed Forest Hills Stadium and also play a little bit of tennis. The officers took the time to speak to many of the West Side club members, and even took to the courts to compete against some of the club’s top adult players.

Many players from the New York Junior Tennis & Learning program had the opportunity to ring in the NASDAQ Opening Bell at the New York Stock Exchange. Thanks to the USTA Foundation, who helped coordinate the event, the kids were joined by 18-time Grand Slam champion Chris Evert and NYJTL CEO George Guimares. continued on page 6 NYTennisMag.com • May/June 2019 • New York Tennis Magazine

Across Metro New York Oak Wins Multiple Spring L2 Tournaments Sobee Oak, who trains out of the Gotham Tennis Academy and Stadium Tennis Center, has had a lot of success at recent USTA Tournaments. She picked up two victories in two separate L2 spring tournaments in the Girls 12s Division.

Roosevelt Island Hosts Young Executive Night Out Roosevelt Island Racquet Club recently hosted its first ever Young Executive Night Out (YENO) event. The event featured pizza, beer and wine, along with singles and doubles matches for all the event’s attendees. Roosevelt Island hopes to host events like this monthly to help bring members of the New York business and tennis community together.

New York Tennis Magazine • May/June 2019 • NYTennisMag.com

NYTennisMag.com • May/June 2019 • New York Tennis Magazine

TENNIS IN THE HAM n the summer, people from across New York flock to the Hamptons, to enjoy the sun, while sitting by the pool or ocean, and taking part in an array of outdoor activities. Each town in the Hamptons has its own unique feel, with a variety of activities available from simply going to the beach, to kayaking, biking, trips to the wineries or taking in the East End nightlife. Tennis may be the favorite activity of Hamptons-goers and there is no shortage of the sport in Eastern Long Island. There is no better way to spend a sunny morning or afternoon than getting some exercise on the court with friends. Below is a list of some of the locations to play tennis, as well as where to shop for the latest equipment and apparel, and where to stay. Whether you are in Westhampton Beach, Amagansett or anywhere in-between, we look forward to seeing you on the courts and in the shops of the Hamptons this summer!

Clubs/Programs Future Stars Southampton 1370A Majors Path • Southampton, N.Y. (631) 287-6707 • FutureStarsSouthampton.com Future Stars Southampton is located just a couple of miles north of the Village of Southampton in North Sea Park. Future Stars Southampton is a year-round training

facility, with eight state-of-the-art outdoor tennis courts (four HarTru and four Deco Turf), for the spring, summer and fall outdoor seasons. In the summer, tennis camps offer the perfect mix of match play, drill work, strategy sessions and off-court activities to challenge players of all levels. The program is designed to improve every facet of the game, including technical, tactical, physical and mental components under the guidance of experienced and enthusiastic tennis professionals.

Future Stars Westhampton Beach 36 Aspatuck Road • Westhampton Beach, N.Y. (631) 287-6707 • FSCamps.com Future Stars Tennis Camp at Aspatuck Tennis Club will offer a premier tennis program that is individuallydesigned to methodically challenge players of all levels, ages six through 16. Throughout the week campers are encouraged to enhance their strokes and strategies via group lessons, skill building drills, organized play, individual attention, video sessions, target training and fitness routines. Campers will receive three to four hours of top flight tennis instruction, including fundamentals, stroke production, point play with strategy emphasis, and match play competition. All campers are carefully grouped based on age and skill level.

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New York Tennis Magazine • May/June 2019 • NYTennisMag.com

AMPTONS 2019 Gotham Tennis Academy 91 South Fulton Drive • Montauk, N.Y. (631) 267-8525 • GothamTennis.com

Gotham Tennis Academy’s newest location in the Hamptons, Gotham Montauk, is on a beautiful nature preserve just minutes from the center of Montauk, its famous beaches, parks, restaurants and other attractions. Gotham Tennis Academy’s spring and summer offerings include Gotham Montauk Sports and Tennis Camp, home lessons throughout the Hamptons, private tennis parties, home lesson packages, leagues clinics and court rentals. Peter Kaplan Tennis Academy 7 Beach Lane • Westhampton Beach, N.Y. (631) 288-4021 • WestHamptonBeachTennis.com Peter Kaplan’s Eastside Tennis Academy is the only tennis academy in the world that the USTA selected to be a part of the USTA members benefits program to both juniors and adults. Located in Westhampton Beach, the facility features 12 fast Dri Courts, as well as a basketball court, and is offering discounted memberships, which include stringing services and private instruction, for the upcoming summer. The experienced staff has taught players of all levels and ages, and programs are tailored to fit the individual’s needs. Day camps and overnight camps, as well as nightly and weekend stays, at the beautiful Grassmere Inn are available to get the full Hamptons treatment. Ross School Tennis Academy 18 Goodfriend Drive • East Hampton, N.Y. (631) 907-5162 • Ross.org/TennisAcademy The Ross School is a unique and dynamic tennis program for both national and international junior players. It combines an engaging and global curriculum with the highest level of

competitive tennis training. The school is the first in the New York City area to have a full academic program with a complete physical and mental conditioning program. The small, intimate program is designed for USTA/ITF players in grades seventh through 12th, and is tucked away in beautiful East Hampton.

Shinnecock Tennis Club 125 Sandy Hollow Road • Southampton, N.Y. (631) 283-3422 • ShinnecockTennisClub.com Shinnecock Tennis Club offers a variety of lessons, clinics and services from beginners through seasoned players. From an array of lesson options, weekly mixers and clinics to game-matching and the popular Cardio Tennis workouts, Shinnecock Tennis Club can create a custom tennis program that is a perfect match to your needs. Sportime Amagansett 320 Abrahams Path • Amagansett, N.Y. (631) 267-3460 • SportimeNY.com/Amagansett Located in the heart of the Hamptons, Sportime Amagansett has it all. Sportime Amagansett features 33 outdoor HarTru tennis courts, one Deco-Turf tennis and multi-sport court, a 1,500-square-foot outdoor swimming pool, a mini-basketball court and playground, three natural turf sports fields, two club houses and a camp house, in addition to a pro shop and snack bar. Sportime Amagansett offers dynamic programming and instruction for both juniors and adults, as well as a wide range of tennis and social events. Sportime Quogue 2571 Quogue Riverhead Road • East Quogue, N.Y. (631) 653-6767 • SportimeNY.com/Quogue Sportime Quogue is a year-round, full-service tennis, fitness, summer camp and sports facility located in East Quogue, N.Y., but serves the surrounding towns of Westhampton, Remsemberg, Quogue,

NYTennisMag.com • May/June 2019 • New York Tennis Magazine

TENNIS IN THE HAMPTONS 2019

continued from page 9

Southampton, Hampton Bays, Eastport, Riverhead, the Moriches and the North Fork. The facility features four indoor Har-Tru clay courts and 22 outdoor Har-Tru courts, in addition to an outdoor pool, full-service health and fitness club, a multi-sport court, child care, locker rooms, a full-service spa and wellness center, and café. Sportime Quogue serves tennis players starting at the age of three, and features junior pathway programs, as well as adult tennis.

Shopping Tennis East 73 Main Street • Southampton, N.Y. (631) 283-9535 • TennisEast.com For nearly five decades, Tennis East has been a staple of the tennis community on Long Island’s East End. Tennis East offers an extensive selection of men’s, women’s and junior’s rackets, apparel, sneakers, strings and accessories. Tennis East keeps up to date with the latest and most popular products to make sure its customers are always up to date with the newest gear, and it even features a complete line of 10 & Under Tennis equipment, as well as a line of other racket sports, such as paddleball or pickleball. Stringing services and demo rackets are also available.

Places to Stay Baron’s Cove 31 West Water Street • Sag Harbor, N.Y. (844) 227-6672 • CapeResorts.com/Barons-Cove The newly-renovated Baron’s Cove Hotel is the Hampton’s preeminent All-American resort destination. With 67 charming village and harborfacing guestrooms, gorgeous lofted suites boasting sweeping harbor views, village rooms featuring intimate private gardens, and cozy dog-friendly accommodations, Baron’s Cove caters to every discerning traveler seeking a relaxing getaway on the East End.

New York Tennis Magazine • May/June 2019 • NYTennisMag.com

Grassmere Inn 7 Beach Lane • Westhampton, N.Y. (631) 288-4021 WesthamptonBeachTennis.com/accommodations.html The Grassmere Inn is open year-round in Westhampton Beach and prides itself on having the neatest, cleanest, safest and most service-oriented accommodations possible. The Grassmere Inn is located less than one mile from the beach and a short walk away from the center of the Village of Westhampton Beach, which includes numerous shops, restaurants, a movie theater, the Performing Arts Center and much more. Gurney’s Montauk Resort & Seawater Spa 290 Old Montauk Highway • Montauk, N.Y. (631) 668-2345 • GurneysResorts.com/Montauk Gurney’s Montauk Resort & Seawater Spa is a Hamptons icon and the only year-round resort in Montauk. Providing guests with direct access to a 2,000foot private sand beach, Gurney’s features 146 rooms, suites, and beachfront cottages, all delivering dramatic ocean views. With five unique dining and drinking venues, Gurney’s presents an array of food and beverage options, from elegant seasonal cuisine to casual fare to craft cocktails. Gurney’s also offers over 25,000-squarefeet of meeting and banquet space, for hosting a wide range of business and social events. Its acclaimed spa is renowned for its healing treatments and ocean-fed seawater pool, the only pool of its kind in North America.

NYTennisMag.com • May/June 2019 • New York Tennis Magazine

NEW YORK TENNIS MAGAZINE’S

J U N I O R P L AY E R S P O T L I G H T BY BRIAN COLEMAN

LUKA BUTERA CENTERCOURT PERFORMANCE TENNIS ACADEMY

ast year, Luka Butera came to a decision that many top junior players often have to make. He began home schooling, and committed to training at the Centercourt Performance Tennis Academy full-time. “I played both tennis and soccer very competitively starting at a young age,” said Butera. “This is my second year at Centercourt, and my second year of playing tennis full-time after I stopped playing soccer to focus on tennis. I’ve already started to perform better at tournaments and am seeing those results.” Butera began playing tennis when he was around four-years-old, after seeing his mother teach his older sister how to play, and wanted to emulate that. “When I was young, I would stand in front of the television and imitate Roger Federer,” Butera said. “And when I began playing matches, I tried to do the same thing.” 12

One of the many aspects of Federer’s game that Butera has incorporated into his own play is the famous one-handed backhand.

New York Tennis Magazine • May/June 2019 • NYTennisMag.com

“A big strength of my game is my backhand because it’s a one-hander. It’s different than most players my age,” noted Butera. That hard work and his commitment to tennis training on a full-time basis have paid off with impressive results over the last year-plus. He works primarily with Adrian Contreras at Centercourt Morristown, who is the program’s Director of High Performance Tennis. “Adrian has taught me how to play the game,” said Butera. “Just understanding the different strategies on court, the mental side of the game and how to act when on the court—that has really helped me in tournaments.” Earlier this year, he captured the title at the L1B Mountainside Racquet Club February Challenger, winning five consecutive matches in straight sets. A few weeks later, he took home the title at the L1A President’s Championships at Midtown

Tennis Club where, as the top seed, he dropped only a couple of games en route to the championship. But perhaps one of his best tournament performances came last winter at the 2018 Eddie Herr International in Bradenton, Fla. Butera entered the qualifying draw, and won all three matches to secure his spot in the tournament’s main draw, including a 3-6, 6-3, 6-1 comeback victory in the second round of qualifying. And while he would drop his first-round main draw match, being able to compete and win multiple matches on the national stage in one of the country’s most prestigious junior tournaments boosted his confidence. “I had a few tough matches during the qualifiers. And I thought I had a chance to win some matches in the main draw. There were 64 of the best players in the world, but I thought I had a chance,” said Butera. “It was a great experience overall though. I got to see the actual level that the best

kids in the world in my age group played at, and it showed me that there are still improvements I have to make to my game in order to reach that level.” Butera certainly has the motivation and desire to continue to grow his game, and at 15-years-old, he has a couple of years to continue to develop as he hopes to attain one of his goals which is to play college tennis. “I love the intensity when you step out onto the court to compete. I want to win … whatever it takes,” Butera said. “I am trying to get better overall, and am focusing on my serve for now. I am a little smaller than most kids my age, so my serve is really key. And with that, my return game as well, and being able to absorb the pace of the ball from some of the bigger players.” Off of the tennis court, Butera still plays basketball and competes in a rec league. He notes that his time spent as a high-level soccer player before committing full-time to tennis has

helped his tennis game flourish. “Playing basketball, and also soccer up until recently, has really helped my footwork,” he said. “I played soccer on a junior national team, and it greatly improved my stamina.” Butera continues to work on his game, and wants to improve his play on the clay courts. He has plans to go to Croatia this summer, where his family is from, to train on red clay as he hopes to continue to build his impressive game. “I’ve been working with Luka for a year or so as a full-time program player,” said Contreras. “He is an allcourt player with great hands and really good footwork. He’s quick on the court and is able to win a lot of points at the net. Luka is a student of the game. He works very hard, and is just a great kid from a great family.” Brian Coleman is the Senior Editor for New York Tennis Magazine. He may be reached at BrianC@USPTennis.com.

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www.hartru.com NYTennisMag.com • May/June 2019 • New York Tennis Magazine

2019 New York Empire: New

Coach Luke Jensen will lead the New York Empire into the 2019 season at its new home, The Cary Leeds Center for Tennis & Learning ntering its fourth season in World TeamTennis competition, there will be a fresh look for the New York Empire in 2019. The Empire will have both a new head coach and a new home court later this summer, as Luke Jensen becomes the third Head Coach in franchise history, and will oversee the team’s move to The Cary Leeds Center for Tennis & Learning in Bronx, N.Y. “I’m very excited to be named the new Head Coach of the New York Empire and

can’t wait for the season to begin,” said Jensen. “Everyone knows how electric and exciting a tennis match in New York City can be, and we look forward to bringing that energy for each of our home matches this summer.” The Empire will compete on the Cary Leeds Center’s Victor Kiam Stadium Court this season, the team’s third venue since entering World TeamTennis. “We are delighted to work with the New York Empire of WTT to provide aspirational experiences for our juniors, bring in a dy-

namic event for the community to enjoy and utilize the world-class Victor Kiam Stadium at the Cary Leeds Center,” said George Guimares, New York Junior Tennis & Learning’s CEO & President. Liezel Huber, Executive Director of Tennis at the Cary Leeds Center, added, “I will be cheering louder than ever for my team, and I would like to thank WTT for this amazing opportunity in the heart of the South Bronx!” Jensen and the Empire began the quest for a title in 2019 at the WTT Draft in Indian

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New York Tennis Magazine • May/June 2019 • NYTennisMag.com

John Isner will season of Worl

ew Coach, New Home Court

By Brian Coleman

n Isner will join the NY Empire for another son of World TeamTennis action

WTT 2018 Rookie of the Year Maria Jose Martinez Sanchez returns to the NY Empire this summer

Wells, Calif. during the BNP Paribas Open, first protecting and bringing back John Isner, last year’s Wimbledon semifinalist and recent Miami runner-up. With the first overall pick in the draft, the Empire took Belgian Kirsten Flipkens, who returns to the Empire following a year off from WTT in 2018. The Empire then selected young American Ulises Blanch, a former world number two ranked junior, to add a splash of youth to its roster. Neal Skupski will be a key member of the Empire roster, once again serving as the

Neal Skupski and John Isner will lead the charge for the 2019 NY Empire as they begin their 2019 campaign this summer

team’s double specialist. Skupski has been on the Empire since the team’s inception four years ago. WTT Rookie of the Year last season, Maria Jose Martinez Sanchez, will be back with the Empire this summer to round out the team’s roster for 2019. “We wanted to pick a team of players who could play in this format, which is fast, furious and pressure-packed,” said Jensen. “We wanted to protect our veteran players and we did that with Flipkens. When you get the highest-ranked WTA player available, you’ve got an anchor. To fill the rest of the

roster with successful, veteran tour players and then to go young with Ulises is just really exciting. He’s got a lot of firepower and he will learn from our other veteran players.” The Empire season will begin with a home match against the San Diego Aviators on Sunday, July 14, the first of five home matches in eight days to open up its 2019 campaign. Brian Coleman is the Senior Editor for New York Tennis Magazine. He may be reached at brianc@usptennis.com.

NYTennisMag.com • May/June 2019 • New York Tennis Magazine

NYJTL, Cary Leeds Center Hosts Hartman Cup

ach year, the Cary Leeds Center for Tennis & Learning hosts the NYJTL Hartman Cup, which celebrates the end of the facility’s Early Morning Winter Community Tennis Program. The tournament is held in honor Louis H. Hartman, grandfather of NYJTL founder and friend of Arthur Ashe, Skip Hartman. As a child, Louis contracted polio, but would not let that prevent him from living his life, remaining physically active and competing at the varsity level in college despite wearing a leg brace. His determination and perseverance on the courts are traits that still continue to inspire today’s youth, and his legacy lives on through the NYJTL programming, most notably through the annual Hartman Cup. “Lou Hartman was more than a grandfather to me—he was a role model,” said Skip Hartman. “He worked hard, was generous and loyal to his friends and those he worked with. He served his country after World War I, excelled in sports, and was a pioneer in the 20th Century advertising industry. The young people and their parents

who attend the NYJTL Early Morning Winter Community Tennis Programs are up at dawn for 20 weeks during cold winter months to play tennis and be with friends. Each of them is following in Lou Hartman’s footsteps. Frankly, I am in awe of them, proud to tell them Lou Hartman’s story, and hope it inspires them to keep it up.” The Hartman Cup included young players from across New York City and from various clubs and facilities. The competitors demonstrated both their talents and sportsmanship throughout the tournament, resulting in eight winners across the multiple divisions: l Boys 12s Division: Ian Remor, Roosevelt Island Racquet Club l Girls 12s Division: Akari Wientzen, Manhattan Plaza Racquet Club l Boys 14s Division: Aaron Tokarz, USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center l Girls 14s Division: Evelin Perez, Cary Leeds Center l Boys 16s Division: Taye Macellin, Cunningham Tennis Center

New York Tennis Magazine • May/June 2019 • NYTennisMag.com

l Girls 16s Division: Mercie Ortiz, Cary Leeds Center l Boys 18s Divison: Aaron Wong, USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center l Girls 18s Division: Naysa JosephGabriel, USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center With another successful winter program and Hartman Cup in the books, Skip Hartman says he is incredibly proud of how far NYJTL has come over the last half century. “When I started with NYJTL in 1970, I never envisioned what it has become,” Skip said. “Growing community programs from just summer in parks to year-round programs in schools, public housing projects, indoor clubs, after school sport and academic programs, and then to the creation of the Cary Leeds Center. It’s truly incredible and a tribute to the beauty of the sport of tennis. Back then, I simply knew what positive impact tennis had on my personal development and career. The fact that so many have participated and benefitted from the sport is a fabulous, unintended consequence.”

St. John’s Captures Big East Championship The St. John’s Men’s Tennis team captured the Big East Men’s Tennis Championship for the first time since 2016, defeating Marquette 4-3 in the Conference Championship. The victory catapulted the Red Storm into the 2019 NCAA Men’s Tennis Tournament as an automatic qualifier. “Our team has so much heart and it showed today,” said St. John’s Head Coach Dillon Pottish. “To come back from a 3-0 deficit, it’s unbelievable. These guys deserve it.” St. John’s avenged a 4-2 defeat to Marquette in last year’s Conference Semifinals, but it would not be that easy. The Golden Eagles raced out to a 3-0 lead in the finals. After winning two of the three doubles contests, Fran San Andreas & Luke Smrek won 7-6(6) over Dusan Vukicevic & Daniel Skripnik to claim the doubles point.

Marquette would then Photo credit: St. John’s University Athletics win at fifth and sixth singles to build the commanding lead. Aditya Vashistha put St. John’s on the board with a 7-5, 6-2 win at third singles, and soon after, Alan Nunez Aguilera and Andrei Crapcenco won at second singles and first singles, respectively, bringing the overall match to 3-3. With the Conference Title on the line, Vu- ence Championship home to Queens. Vukicevic took on Brett Meyers at fourth sin- kicevic was also named the Big East Tourgles. After falling behind by dropping the nament’s Most Outstanding Player. first set 5-7, Vukicevic rallied to take the “Our goal was to bring back a Champisecond set 6-3 and would win the third set onship to New York and we did it,” said in a tie-break, 7-6(3), to bring the Confer- Pottish. “This is only just the beginning.”

NYTennisMag.com • May/June 2019 • New York Tennis Magazine

Alexander the Great Zverev leads charge of young ATP stars By Brian Coleman

or the better part of a decade, one of the main motifs of the ATP World Tour has been what will become of the next generation of professional tennis players … who will carry the mantle when the reign of the Big Four inevitably comes to an end. One of the players tasked with carrying that burden is young German Alexander Zverev who, at just 22-years-old, has already established himself as one of the best players in the world. Tennis has been a huge component of Zverev’s life since—well—birth. Born to parents who both played professional tennis, representing the Soviet Union, Zverev also has an older brother, Mischa, who competes on the ATP Tour. “I’ve often said it: Tennis is my passion since I was a little kid; my first love,” Zverev said recently. “I’ve never played for money, the sponsors, the big contracts … I play tennis because I want to and because it is the most delightful thing I can do.” Zverev has told the story of picking up a racket when he was just a toddler, and pushing the ball around his family’s home, his first real endeavor into tennis. “One day, when I was I think one year and five months old, I just picked up a lit18

tle racket, and I was starting to push the ball all over our apartment,” Zverev said. “And since then, they took me out on the court. I enjoyed it back then and I enjoy it still … that’s how I started playing.” With the background of his family, Zverev was immediately engrained into tennis. While his father worked primarily with Mischa, their mother was Alex’s primary coach from an early age. He was ultra-competitive from the start, which often happens with younger siblings who watch their older brother or sister competing at the same sport, and he credits his mother for developing his technique. “I think I have a pretty good technique, which my mom helped me craft at a young age, so I credit her for that,” said Zverev. “My backhand, in particular, is 100 percent down to my mom.” That foundation, coupled with the early competitiveness, led to Zverev quickly shooting up the junior rankings, holding the number one spot in the world in juniors and entering his first ITF Junior Circuit event when he was just 13-years-old. A few years later, he would make his debut on the ATP World Tour, at his home continued on page 20

New York Tennis Magazine • May/June 2019 • NYTennisMag.com

PhotoMagazine credit: Brian Coleman NYTennisMag.com • May/June 2019 • New York Tennis 19

alexander the great continued from page 18

tournament at the International German Open. But he chose to focus primarily on the junior circuit, until he hoisted the trophy as the 2014 Australian Open Junior Singles Champion. That title was convincing enough for Zverev to commit fully to the pro tour, and while he lingered between the World Tour and the Challenger Tour, he would attain his breakthrough in 2016. At the Halle Open in Germany, Zverev shocked the world by defeating Roger Federer, who had reached that tournament’s final 10 consecutive seasons. “I haven’t really grasped it yet,” said Zverev. “That I would be standing here as a winner, I couldn’t have imagined it yesterday.” The win was a major step in Zverev’s career, and while he would not go on to win the Halle tournament, he would capture his first career ATP title a few months later at

the St. Petersburg Open, where he defeated Stan Wawrinka, who was fresh off of his U.S. Open title, in the final. “This victory is something special,” Zverev said at the time. “I’m very happy with the win, especially over such a great player like Stan Wawrinka.” Fast-forward a couple of years, and Zverev finds himself squarely inside the Top 10 and with multiple Masters 1000s titles to his name. But all of that success has raised the standards and level of expectations people now have for the German star, which has led to a puzzling 2019 season thus far. After winning the end-of-year ATP Finals in London last year, Zverev’s year has been up-and-down, as he has won just 12 of his first 18 matches as of mid-April. It started with a disappointing three-set defeat to Milos Raonic in the Australian Open Round of 16.

During that match, Zverev destroyed his racket after Raonic rattled off eight consecutive games, in a symbolic outburst that foreshadowed future struggles. “It made me feel better,” Zverev said of the racket smash. “I was very angry, so I let my anger out.” It was a very quick turnaround for Zverev, following his triumph at the ATP Finals, and it afforded him a very brief offseason. “I didn’t have a very long offseason, and didn’t get a lot of rest,” said Zverev. “But this is us as tennis players. I’m happy how the season ended, and I wouldn’t want it any other way.” A few months later, at the Barcelona Open, he fell to Nicolas Jarry in three sets, in which afterwards, he evaluated his own recent performance. “I’m just playing bad. It’s not a secret,” said Zverev after that defeat. “I’m missing backhands all over the place, which is my best shot. I cannot make one impressive shot. I’m double-faulting. The tennis was very low level. Most of the points that I won were unforced errors by him. I’m in a hole

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and I don’t know how to get out of it.” A true testament of the great players, across all sports, is how do you bounce back from poor results, how do you secure wins when you may not have your best tools available? And that is the fork in the

road that Zverev has pulled up to: How does he turn around his hot-and-cold performance? He burst onto the scene at such a young age, and was one of the original and most marketable Next Gen stars trotted out by

the ATP World Tour. He is a leader of what is supposed to be the next phase of tennis greats, which carries it with an immense amount of hype and expectations. But, as he says, there is no manual or template for the trajectory of a great tennis career. And he is confident that he will return to form and continue on his own path. “Okay, I won a Masters 1000, I won the ATP Finals in 2018. And now? I’ve realized that is not the right way to think about it. Tennis is not linear,” said Zverev. “It is not you win a Future, then a Challenger, a 250, a 500, a Masters 1000. This is not how it works. For instance, I’ve never won a Future in my life. Maybe I still need to win some Masters before a Grand Slam title. I’m not worrying about it; I know my time will come. And some younger people have already done better than me at Slams, but I don’t care. I know who I am, and why I’m doing this. I know I’m doing the necessary work.” Brian Coleman is the Senior Editor for New York Tennis Magazine. He may be reached at BrianC@USPTennis.com.

NYTennisMag.com • May/June 2019 • New York Tennis Magazine

2019 FRENCH O

WHAT TO W

BY BRIAN CO Credit all photos to: ATP/WTA

Can Nadal win 12th French Open crown? If Rafael Nadal is in the French Open draw, he generally becomes the undisputed favorite to be the final one standing when all is said and done. That has been the case for nearly two decades, and will be the same in 2019. But at 32-years-old and with injuries stalling the first few months of his year, he’s only competed in three tournaments as of early April, and Nadal certainly seems more vulnerable this year than in year’s past. A knee injury forced him to withdraw from the BNP Paribas Open with the goal of returning for the clay-court swing. He is an 11-time French Open champion and, despite the wear and tear on his body, Rafa will be a strong favorite to capture his 12th French Open crown.

Halep’s encore

Thiem’s time?

Last year, Simona Halep finally captured her maiden Grand Slam title by toppling American Sloane Stephens in the French Open final. It was her third major final, and her third trip did prove to be the charm. She has yet to win a title in 2019, but it will be interesting to see how her game turns around when she hits the clay. “Honestly I cannot believe it. I was dreaming for this moment since I started to play tennis,” Halep said after last year’s Roland Garros triumph. “I’m really happy that it’s happened in Roland Garros in Paris. My special city.” We’ll see if Halep can once again channel that Parisian magic.

Dominic Thiem broke through to his first Grand Slam final at Roland Garros a year ago, but could not overcome the dominance of the aforementioned Nadal. But at just 25-years-old and currently ranked fifth in the world, Thiem’s time to hoist a major trophy shouldn’t take much longer. His game is suited for the clay surface of Roland Garros, and his run to the finals came after back-to-back semifinal showings in 2016 and 2017. Those results indicate that he is trending upwards, and he can be considered a true contender at this year’s French Open. Eight of his 12 career titles have come on a clay surface, so look out for Thiem to be competing well into the Paris fortnight.

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New York Tennis Magazine • May/June 2019 • NYTennisMag.com

OPEN PREVIEW

WATCH FOR IAN COLEMAN The young stars of 2019 … how will they fare? One of the biggest storylines on the WTA this year has been the sheer parity that has existed. Through the first 16 tournaments of the season, there have been 16 different champions. With that, there have been a lot of young players on the tour who have been able to find success. Most notably, Canada’s Bianca Andreescu (pictured here). The 18-yearold has burst onto the scene in 2019, capturing titles in Indian Wells and Newport Beach, and reached the Auckland final to start the season. Other young stars such as Amanda Anisimova and Belinda Bencic, who has returned to form after a couple of years battling injuries, have been successful in the first few months of the year, and helps to create a deep and dynamic field on the women’s side of the French Open.

and could be due for a deeper run this year. She won her first ever clay court title with a win at the Volvo Car Open in Charleston in April, which should inspire some confidence in the 24-year-old. “I feel like because it was such a rocky start for me all of those years ago, I’ve held a little bit of a grudge,” said Keys. “I guess now, I kind of have to let that go. Maybe I’m a clay court specialist now!” That statement will be put to the test at Roland Garros. Can Djokovic continue his dominance? The last year or so on the ATP World Tour has belonged to Novak Djokovic. He is the winner of the last three Grand Slams, and will be

attempting to win the Novak Slam for the second time in his career. From 2015-2016, Djokovic won Wimbledon, the U.S. Open, the Australian Open and the French Open in one of the most remarkable runs in the Open Era. He has an opportunity to do that once again as he descends on Paris. A year ago, he lost to unknown Italian Marco Cecchinato in the quarterfinals, but you can be sure that the Serb will be laserfocused this time around. The French Open has been the tournament where Djokovic has had the least success over his career, but this rejuvenated version of one of the sport’s all-time greats seems primed to win his fourth straight major title. Brian Coleman is Senior Editor for New York Tennis Magazine. He may be reached at BrianC@USPTennis.com.

Keys recent success on clay … can it continue? It’s no secret that American players, both male and female, have not been very successful on clay. But that could change this time around. Madison Keys, who has been a top-ranked American for a number of years now and reached the U.S. Open finals two years ago, did reach the semifinals in Paris last year, NYTennisMag.com • May/June 2019 • New York Tennis Magazine

USTA Metro Region USTA Metro Honors Volunteers

The volunteers of the USTA Metro Region were honored by the organization at the Metro Region’s recent 2019 Volunteer Recognition Night. The event honored the local Community Tennis Association’s and NJTL’s, which help to promote the game of tennis in the region. The event took place at The West 24

Side Tennis Club in Forest Hills, N.Y., and reps from the New York Empire were in attendance and provided prizes to be raffled off. Volunteer Recognition Night is held annually to honor those who give the gift of their time to promote the game of tennis.

New York Tennis Magazine • May/June 2019 • NYTennisMag.com

USTA Metro Region PTR Registry Workshop Comes to Williamsburg

The McCarren Tennis Center in Brooklyn, N.Y. hosted a Professional Tennis Registry (PTR) Regional Coaches Conference Workshop, featuring multiple PTR instructors, including Leo Alonso, Tito Perez and Jack Waite. The instructors shared valuable insight

into how to improve the teaching of tennis, on topics such as ladies’ team practice ideas, effectively teaching technical-tactical concepts and how to design the best drill for each objective, as well as a business workshop and keeping your mind open.

Eastern Section and Metro Region Members Head to the Lone Star State Members of the USTA Eastern Section and USTA Eastern’s Metro Region Board headed down South to take part in the 2019 USTA National Meeting in Austin, Texas. It was a great time to network and connect with members of the USTA family from all across the country, and honor some of the people who are most dedicated to growing tennis both in our region and across the nation.

NYTennisMag.com • May/June 2019 • New York Tennis Magazine

USTA Metro Region Sets in the City Kicks Off at NTC

Sets in the City is back, and is looking forward to another great summer of tennis and socializing in New York City. The new year of Sets in the City got underway recently at the USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center in Flushing Meadows, with a

Doubles Kickoff Event. Sets in the City consists of match play, casual hitting and even instructor-led groups, with snacks and beverages to be enjoyed by players in between the time on court.

Lincoln Terrace Tennis Association Continues Programming in Brooklyn

The programming at the Lincoln Terrace Tennis Association (LTTA) continues to thrive, and is set to begin action again this summer, beginning in May and running through August. The LTTA features both 26

junior and adult programming on its Brooklyn courts, keeping with its Mission Statement of “fostering community enrichment by promoting and growing youth tennis and academics within the community.”

New York Tennis Magazine • May/June 2019 • NYTennisMag.com

C O M I N G I N J U LY 2 0 1 9

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at the net wit h

eric faro, gotham tennis academy by bri an co l em an

n the heart of the Bronx, N.Y. sits one of sport’s most revered cathedrals in Yankee Stadium, home of the New York Yankees. But just minutes down the road, by foot, lies another facility that is at the heart of sports in New York City, Stadium Tennis Center. For years, Gotham Tennis Academy at Stadium Tennis Center has been one of the staples that held together tennis here in New York, cultivating a program that combines passion and commitment with dedication and skill. And at the heart of that program is its Director of Tennis, Eric Faro. A Bronx native himself, Faro, like many kids growing up in New York City, grew up playing tennis amongst other sports. He got his start in tennis by playing with his father, who would take him to local parks and he picked the sport up very quickly. “I enjoyed playing everything, but at around 12-years-old, I realized I was excelling at tennis, so I gave up the other sports and focused strictly on tennis,” said Faro. “I have a lot of parents who have six- to eight-year-old kids who just want the kids to play tennis, and I discourage that. Team sports are good, and

can provide skills they may need later in life. Playing only tennis can cause burnout and injuries.” Faro would go on to have an excellent junior career and played first singles at Horace Mann High School for all four years. Following that, he headed to Columbus, Ohio and played his collegiate tennis for the Ohio State Buckeyes. After college, Faro created a tennis company called Metro Tennis with a friend, before pursuing career opportunities outside of tennis. “But I missed it every day,” Faro recalls. “I missed the competition … I missed being out there and running around on the court. Sitting behind a desk selling mortgages was not what I wanted to do with my life.” So Faro returned to the tennis court and to Stadium Tennis Center, where he heads up the facility’s programming, and has overseen the company’s growth over the last decade.

New York Tennis Magazine • May/June 2019 • NYTennisMag.com

“We’ve expanded a great deal. It was a brand new facility when I joined these guys and I’ve seen it grow,” said Faro. “We have a good name and reputation in the City because we are doing the right thing here. We have aggressive plans and goals for every kid. I meet with and talk to parents whenever they have questions; everyone here has my cellphone number and e-mail address. I think that’s what separates us … the parents really trust us for that reason and know that we are doing the right thing.” A key component of that growth has been the addition of a program out in Montauk during the summer. “Our Montauk program has really taken off. We are excited about the future, and especially about the addition of our club in Montauk which is very important,” said Faro. “We run weekend camps all summer long for the kids out there. What’s great is we have the hard courts in the City, and the clay courts out East, so it creates a well-rounded training experience. It’s good for both the business and the development of our players. As the kids start growing, it’s important that they learn to play on clay. You learn how to create points and

be more consistent, and the different ways to play the game. The atmosphere of being out there is amazing in comparison to the City. Once you are at the club, it’s like paradise. Last year was our first year and it went well, as everyone seemed to enjoy it. It’s a win-win for everyone involved.” With Gotham Tennis Academy’s presence ranging from up in the Bronx to all the way out East in Montauk, a typical day for Faro—well, doesn’t exist. “There is so much action here and things going on that I don’t really have a typical day,” Faro said. “We have about 450 kids in the program, so we have a full-time staff. I put together the kids’ schedules with our pros, and make sure that everything is running smoothly each day. We also have adult programming, so whether it is adults or the kids on the court, they need our full attention. I wake up every day with a plan and make sure we deliver what we promise to the people. I tell the kids every day that they need to learn one thing every time they go out on-court, and if you can do that,

then it has been a good session.” As we approach another summer here in New York, the folks at Gotham Tennis Academy and the Stadium Tennis Center are looking forward to another excit-

ing tennis season at its home location in the Bronx, while continuing to grow its camp and programming out on the East End of Long Island. For Faro, he remains thrilled with his decision to come back to the industry, and the tennis home he has built for not only himself, but everyone involved with the program. “I am really invested in this, and am so glad I got back into the business because I missed working with the juniors and kids, at all levels,” Faro said. “Some other directors or coaches may only want to work with top talent, but I enjoy both the advanced and novice players. I want to see a smile on their faces when they come off the bus into camp, and want them to feel like this is a second home for them. We really care and want to see them succeed. I can honestly say that I really do enjoy getting up every morning and coming to work.” Brian Coleman is Senior Editor for New York Tennis Magazine. He may be reached by e-mail at BrianC@USPTennis.com.

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NYTennisMag.com • May/June 2019 • New York Tennis Magazine

USTA Eastern Hosts Inaugural JTT 18U Elite League

Photo credit: Sidney Beal III

STA Eastern recently hosted its first-ever interregional Junior Team Tennis event at the USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center. The event featured teams and players from Long Island, New Jersey and New York City competing against one another for a chance to advance to the USTA Eastern Sectionals, which is set for June 15 in Schenectady. The winners of this league will represent the Eastern Section at the JTT Nationals. The 18U league was broken up into two groups, with the semifinals to be played at a later date. The semifinal matchups will feature John McEnroe Tennis Academy (JMTA) facing McCarren Park and SPORTIME Long Island taking on

Harlem Junior Tennis and Education Project (HJTEP). Below are the final results from group play: Group A 1. John McEnroe Tennis Academy 2. Harlem Junior Tennis and Education Project 3. USTA 4. Suffolk County Junior Tennis & Learning Group B 1. SPORTIME Long Island 2. McCarren Park 3. Murray Hill

New York Tennis Magazine • May/June 2019 • NYTennisMag.com

MatchPoint NYC Summer Camp Returns This Summer

rab your tennis racket and get ready for a great summer at Camp MatchPoint NYC! MatchPoint’s summer tennis and multi-sport camps for kids are a great way to help them learn, excel and master the game, as well as make new friends and develop long-lasting friendships. MatchPoint’s program is committed to developing young players to their peak potential, providing them with the best chance at tournament success. Ages five through 18 are welcome. For those just starting out in the sport, MatchPoint offers a multi-sport program that includes tennis, swimming, basketball, kickboxing, yoga, soccer, stretching, lunch and two snacks. All programs include drills, match play and fitness sessions. MatchPoint NYC is the sports and fitness destination for the entire family with two locations in Brooklyn, both less than 30 minutes away from downtown Manhattan, including:

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l 2781 Shell Road • Brooklyn, N.Y. • (718) 769-0001 l 2350 East 69th Street • Brooklyn, N.Y. • (718) 444-3600 For more information, visit MatchPoint.NYC/Summer-Camp-2019. Sign up today NYTennisMag.com • May/June 2019 • New York Tennis Magazine

My Child Is Athletically Gifted …

I Think? By Roger Turner “Look at my girl. She’s going to be the next Serena Williams.” This is a phrase I heard from a parent greeting their daughter whose just completed a group Red Ball tennis session. Part of me (most of me) thinks it’s endearing that this parent thinks so highly of their child. The other part says, “Woah, she’s only six-years-old!” Ask a tennis coach, fitness coach or any coach: How many parents believe their child is athletically gifted? Their many answers will result in a two-word phrase … a lot. I get it. The emotion of seeing your children excel at a sport can inspire parents to dream big for their children … and they should. But all dreams and aspirations should be placed under the scope of reality. In other words, it is normal to believe 32

your child is gifted, but it is important that parents: l Have a clear definition of what it means to be “athletically gifted” l Understand where their child fits into that definition l Have a reasonable plan of action to address this “gift” Most parents and some coaches will see a child perform better than other children and use that performance to label the child as “gifted.” Is that what is happening? Is this child taller and stronger than the group? If that is the case, we should consider that children grow at different rates outside the average. The University of Saskatchewan, College of Kinesiology has a Predication of Age of Peak Height Velocity (PHV) Calculator on its Web site. Peak Height Velocity is the moment a child peaks in growth. Coaches and training pro-

New York Tennis Magazine • May/June 2019 • NYTennisMag.com

grams have used the PHV to group children with similar growth rates into the same fitness training and sports lessons, despite age. These programs won’t see the bigger child as the gifted child. Is this child picking up skills faster than the rest of the group? Is this child less fearful of failure and more apt to take on a challenge? Here’s a fact … the brain is an organ in the body that needs to mature throughout childhood. As with the rest of the body, children develop intellectually at varying rates. Too many coaches and parents treat young athletes as miniature adults. Some children will be considered “gifted” because they have intellectually matured faster, therefore are easier to coach. The sex and/or gender of a child can be factors as well. Studies like the one published in the journal, Cerebral Cortex, show that female brains mature faster than the brains of a male. You’ll also find numerous

studies and articles pointing out that we socialize girls to be less dominant than boys, but are they gifted because their brain grew at a faster rate or were socialized to be less fearful? Whether or not the child is larger physically, more intellectual or both, does that mean they are gifted? If your answer is “Yes,” then consider this … most children with growth advantages will find that their peers will catch up with them by the age of 14. If the traits that make a child athletically gifted, size and intellect, will disappear in a few years, are they still to be considered “gifted?” Most experts believe an athletically gifted child is a perfect storm of a few factors. The School Run, a Web site for UK parents, has a list of factors to consider around a child’s athletic talent: l Learns activities and skills quickly l Has confidence and the ability to take on new challenges l Wants to practice and play l Can self-evaluate and perform effectively l Is coordinated l Has spatial awareness

If you believe your child has enough of these factors to consider them athletically gifted, then congratulations, but now what? Most experts have the same advice. First, don’t put all of your eggs in one basket or get a better basket. The American Academy of Pediatrics advises against specializing in one sport before the age of 12. Early specialization can lead to overuse injuries, which make up close to half of all sport injuries in youth athletics. If you do decide to specialize, consider private fitness instruction with a trainer who will help create a program that will work in opposition to the effects of overuse from a sport. Second, great coaches are key. Find coaches who will build on your child’s advantages by nurturing the “less than exceptional” aspects of their skill set. For example, a child who is strong and coordinated might not have great spatial awareness. Great coaches will address this issue by building more spatial awareness in practice or lessons. If you have a coach who is highly enthusiastic about your child’s skills, it might be smart to get the opinion of more

than one coach. This can keep things in perspective about investing in your child’s skills. Sports psychologists advise parents to be parents, not coaches. Some studies suggest that parental coaching at early ages can dull a child’s enthusiasm about a sport. Finally, be realistic about investment and potential opportunities. Some parents can see all the money spent on tennis coaches, lessons, court time and fitness instruction as an investment to their child winning Wimbledon, the U.S. Open, or a scholarship to a Division 1 school. Roger Turner is a Fitness Coach/Certified Personal Trainer at Magnus Potential. He brings a diverse and unique experience to Magnus and CourtSense Teams. After becoming a Certified Personal Trainer through the National Academy of Sports Medicine, Roger started working for the Glenpointe Spa and Fitness where he combined his fitness knowledge, his dance experience and military experience with the U.S. Army, and taught group exercise class (World Rhythm and Military Pump).

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Visit www.macathletics.com/manchester-prep NYTennisMag.com • May/June 2019 • New York Tennis Magazine

You Can Play College Tennis By Jarett Cascino uite often, I ask my junior tennis students and high school players if they will play tennis in college. The response is most often, “I’m not good enough.” This statement, however, is absolutely false. The reality is it depends on where that student attends school. I played tennis for a Division I program in Wisconsin, and had the opportunity to become the assistant coach of the team as well. Over the past few years, I have also helped out with the F.I.T. (Fashion Institute of Technology) Men’s and Women’s Tennis programs as a small part of a full-time teaching gig in midtown Manhattan. These two experiences have opened my eyes to

the realm of possibilities for youngsters aspiring to play college tennis. There are many different options for both men and women in collegiate tennis in terms of level, location and funding. What is important to realize is that the better you improve your skills at an early age, the more options will be available to you. With a little research and proper planning, you can find a school that suits you, but first, you need to know what opportunities lie out there and where to look. One option available in college tennis is the National Collegiate Athletics Association (NCAA). The NCAA has three divisions, Division I, II and III. Basically, the differences between the divisions have to do with funding for sports. Universities are categorized a Division I sports program if they offer at least 14 total sports for both men and women,

New York Tennis Magazine • May/June 2019 • NYTennisMag.com

offer some sort of athletic scholarships, and require that students maintain a certain GPA and are full-time students. There are more than 300 schools that offer tennis in Division I for both women and men. Division II is similar, however, schools have less scholarship money for student/athletes and only 10 teams are required per school in order to compete in Division II. There are less Division II schools with tennis teams, however, the number still exceeds 200 universities total. Division III, on the other hand, offers no scholarship money for student/athletes and a university only needs to maintain five sports teams in order to be considered eligible for NCAA Division III. Division III has the most teams for college tennis players, exceeding 300 for both men and women. At an average of eight to 10 players per team, if you are a decent high school tennis

player and are looking to play tennis in college, surely there are a variety of options in the NCAA. The National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA) also has more than 100 programs to choose from of varying ability, as well as the National Junior College Athletic Association (NJCAA). These are both options for players that will be choosing a smaller school for their academics, or even potentially want to transfer to a larger program, check out NAIA.org and NJCAA.org for more details. In addition to formal tennis programs, many universities offer club tennis where teams compete against other club tennis teams in their state or neighboring states. Otherwise, intramural tennis is also an option at certain schools as well, where teams and players play against each other within their own university. If you are a junior tennis player or even a high school tennis player, there are several things you can do in order to improve your chances at playing college tennis. First, try competing in USTA tour-

naments. Most college teams will be looking at both your Sectional Ranking and potentially National Ranking as a rough benchmark to determine if you would be able to compete at their level of play. Tournament play will also improve your game no matter where you decide to go to school. High school tennis is another way to show coaches you know how to compete, be a member of a team and could be ready to play at a collegiate level. In the past several years, coaches have been also using the Universal Tennis Rating (UTR) system in order to gauge a players’ abilities. With tennis being so international, this is a good indicator of where you’re at comparatively to others, regardless of gender, age and location among other factors. Aside from improving your game and working on your junior career, you should definitely make videos of your practices or even playing a couple games in a highpressure match. Contact each coach and send out videos to schools you might be interested in playing at. You should also

ask to meet the coach and some of the players on the team before you choose a school to make sure it is right for you. Most importantly, be realistic about the teams you are looking at, maybe go to one of their matches to see if you are looking at the right level. The college tennis experience can be a blast if you choose a school that is the right level for your abilities and fits with your overall academic and athletic goals. Jarett Cascino is currently a Teaching Professional at Midtown Tennis Club. A Minnesota native, he was a standout junior player in the USTA Northern Section, where he won multiple state championships. He played college tennis at the University of Wisconsin-Green Bay, where he became an Horizon League All-Conference player before going to on to become an Assistant Coach at his alma mater. He has taught at clubs in Minnesota, Wisconsin, Florida, France, Connecticut, New Jersey and now New York, and enjoys teaching a variety of players of all ages and levels.

NYTennisMag.com • May/June 2019 • New York Tennis Magazine

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New York Tennis Magazine’s Gossip Column By Emilie Katz Will Smith to Play Richard Williams in New Movie Photo credit: Gage Skidmore

Will Smith will play Richard Williams, father of tennis legends Venus & Serena Williams, in an upcoming movie titled “King Richard.” The movie will focus on Richard instructing his daughters on the sport of tennis in Compton, Calif., despite his own inexperience with the sport. Over the course of their respective careers, Serena has won 23 Grand Slam singles titles, while Venus has seven Grand Slam singles, and the duo has combined for 14 Grand Slam doubles championships.

birth of their daughter, Lia. “And then we were three! Harry and I are excited to welcome our baby girl Lia to the world. We are already so in love,” Hingis told her followers via Twitter. Hingis is the latest of active and recently retired mothers on the WTA Tour, joining the motherhood ranks of Victoria Azarenka, Casey Dellacqua, Elena Vesnina and Serena Williams.

Photo credit: Getty Images/Moses Kinnah

Photo credit: USTA/Darren Carroll

Martina Hingis, a five-time Grand Slam singles title winner, and her husband, Harald Leemann, have announced the 38

ATP Stars Honor Retiring NBA Stars Wade and Nowitzki

Federer’s Foundation Aids Cyclone Victims in Malawi

Martina Hingis Gives Birth to Baby Girl

Photo credit: Twitter/@mhingis

evacuation centers, aiding the more than 9,000 families in the district have been displaced, including 77 of the Foundation’s kindergarten teachers.

The Roger Federer Foundation’s work in Malawi is providing assistance to thousands of individuals displaced by Cyclone Idai, a storm that killed more than 600 people in Southern Africa. “Cyclone Idai is a unbelievable disaster,” Federer said. “And it hit the most vulnerable ones in Malawi, Mozambique and Zimbabwe. It will take years for people to recover. My thoughts and solidarity are with the thousands of displaced people and families who lost their loved ones.” All of the Roger Federer Foundation’s six model preschools have been converted to

New York Tennis Magazine • May/June 2019 • NYTennisMag.com

As the NBA’s Dwyane Wade and Dirk Nowitzki called it a career recently, some of the ATP’s top stars, including Alexander Zverev, John Isner and Andy Roddick, took to Twitter to share their memories of the duo. Zverev cited Wade as his favorite athlete and had the chance to meet him during the 2018 Miami Open: “Thank you @dwyanewade for everything you have done not only for the sport of basketball, but the world of sports in general. Showing the way for so many young kids from all over the world [and] that if you have the determination, the passion, the will and the hard work, you can achieve anything no matter where you come from … I just want to say thank you as a fan, as a fellow athlete and as a kid who always admired you and followed you your whole career.” Roddick tweeted: “Tip of the cap to @dwyanewade. Was my favorite player for most of my adult life…cheers, and happy post-career my friend!”

Isner, a friend of Nowitzki, tweeted video of the German’s last shot and wrote: “What a freakin’ legend!”

Arthur Ashe Stadium to Host Fortnite World Cup Finals

during the Aussie Open. Epic Games, developer of Fortnite, added a female tennis character dubbed “Volley Girl” to the game ahead of the Australian Open.

Osaka Sued by Former Coach Serena Sells L.A. Mansion for $8 Million-Plus

Photo credit: USTA/Jennifer Pottheiser

Photo credit: USTA/Darren Carroll

Current world number one Naomi Osaka has been sued by her former coach Christophe Jean, who worked with both Osaka and her sister Mari in 2011, claiming that he is entitled to a 20 percent cut of their prize money for an “indefinite” period in an agreement he had with Osaka’s father, Leonard Francois. According to the South Florida Sentinel, Jean is seeking $2 million in compensation from Osaka.

This July, the USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center’s Arthur Ashe Stadium will play host the inaugural Fortnite World Cup Finals, with $30 million in total prize money for the taking, some of the highest stakes in eSports history. The U.S. Open’s current prize money is in the $50 million range, as the Fortnite World Cup Finals winners will collect $3 million, while everyone else will make at least $50,000 just for advancing to the World Cup Finals. Australian tennis star and Fortnite enthusiast Nick Kyrgios took part in a Fortnite Pro-Am at Margaret Court Arena

Rule The Court.

Photo credit: The MLS/Trulia

Serena Williams has sold her Bel-Air mansion in Los Angeles for $8.1 million. Listed initially for $12 million in late 2017, Serena purchased the sprawling home in early 2006 for $6.6 million. The home features six bedrooms, seven bathrooms, marble and hardwood floors, a full-scale salon, a pool house and many more amenities. Serena, along with her husband Alexis Ohanian, and daughter Olympia, reside on the Westside of Los Angeles in Beverly Hills.

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NYTennisMag.com • May/June 2019 • New York Tennis Magazine

A Look at the Mental Side of Tennis ometimes, as a tennis player, you exist on an island. Alone, solo, under the lights of your local club or drenched in the sun, there you are … between the lines, either gaining the accolades of glory hitting the winning shot or facing the weight of defeat. There are no teammates to pass to, no backup in case you throw a bad pitch or have a bad shift, no defense to pick you up after the offense turned the ball over … it’s just you who must deal with the adversity of this individual sport. Due to the singular nature of the sport, one must develop nerves of steel and be able to pick themselves up when knocked down. Sure, you may have a strong support group of parents, family, school teammates and a coach, but in the heat of the battle, just one spotlight shines and shines brightly on

YOU! This is where one of the most important people on your support team can come into play in helping you develop those aforementioned nerves of steel and the will to push onward, experts in sports psychology. Mental toughness is what gives top players a competitive leg up over the opposition. Training one’s mind to deal with nerves, anxiety and quickly move onward past mistakes can be the difference between being crowned “champion” and “finalist.” These individuals help players focus, find their groove and enter the zone to success. It’s the ability of the player to quickly get back on track once rattled that can make the difference between bowing out in the first round of a tournament or hoisting the trophy at the end of the day. New York Tennis Magazine was fortunate

New York Tennis Magazine • May/June 2019 • NYTennisMag.com

enough to sit down and chat with two experts in the field of sports psychology, Dr. Tom Ferraro and Rob Polishook, to pick their brains and gain insight into their role as one of the most vital members of a tennis player’s support staff. Dr. Tom Ferraro is a sport psychologist with a Ph.D. from SUNY Stony Brook, with more than 25 years of experience working with professional teams, coaches and Olympic athletes across a broad range of sports. Dr. Ferraro is a board-certified psychoanalyst, which allows him to properly diagnose and treat the symptoms an athlete may bring to him and help them understand any underlying reasons for self-defeat. He has been published internationally and has been featured in the New York Times, The Wall Street Journal, The London Times, and

is a regular contributor to this publication. As a mental training coach, Rob Polishook works with athletes and teams in all sports and at all levels, from middle school to professional athletes, teaching cuttingedge mental training skills and techniques, and providing the tools necessary for athletes to compete in high level pressure situations. Polishook’s unique approach recognizes that life events, such as stress, injuries, fears and emotional/physical trauma-like experiences can impact an athlete’s self-esteem, confidence and performance during competitive situations, assisting his clients to leave mistakes in the past and moving forward to reach their peak performance. Rob has earned a Master’s Degree in Psychological Studies with a concentration in Sport & Exercise Psychology at Seton Hall University, and has completed his Certification in Sport Psychology from Seton Hall. Rob is a Certified Professional Coach from IPEC, an International Federation Coaching Affiliate. Both of you have worked with a number of athletes. Do you recommend that they

Dr. Tom Ferraro

“Players must be trained to expect mistakes and setbacks of all kinds, including missed shots, weather delays, nasty remarks and bad calls. They must be taught to have a mental mantra which they use to stay focused and positive, no matter what happens during the course of play.”

play multiple sports in order to avoid burning out and losing their interest in tennis? Dr. Tom Ferraro: The right amount of focused work always needs to be balanced with rest and other play activities. Most professional tennis athletes do get involved with other sports. Tennis players often turn to golf as in the case of Ivan Lendl or Pete Sampras. Golf is a relaxing sport, which does not strain the body and can be fun to do. Rob Polishook: The key is to find balance. Either approach may work … it depends on the individual. Some athletes balance their tennis training with multiple sports and activities. Certainly, this approach is beneficial in regards to footwork, movement and work-

ing with others. Others may focus mainly on tennis, and in this case, the balance will have to come from another area. What are some pre-match activities that can help a player be as fresh as possible for their upcoming competition? Dr. Tom Ferraro: The best thing to do is to conserve energy and socialize in easy, nonstressful ways, get a full eight hours sleep, avoid alcohol or marijuana, and to “taper” all training for the three-day lead-in. This is done with all athletes. My family has owned many thoroughbred horses, and I have been able to watch some of the world’s greatest continued on page 42

NYTennisMag.com • May/June 2019 • New York Tennis Magazine

a look at the mental side of tennis continued from page 41 trainers prep the horses for big races. They always give them leisure time and do not run them in any vigorous way for three days leading up to a big race. I also learned that a horse runs best when rested prior to race day. That may go for tennis players as well. Rob Polishook: Ultimately, the athlete wants to do whatever relaxes them. This question is player-specific. However, one should always go back to basics! What I recommend is banking at least eight hours of sleep per evening. Sleep is under-rated, and is so important to proper recovery. Additionally, drinking eight cups of water per day is important. Supplement this with some quiet time, which can come in the form of a 10-minute walk, meditation or stretching exercises. I recommend turning off all social media, e-mails and texts at least 90 minutes prior to a match. How would you advise a player who feels they are being cheated by the umpire or is dealing with a controversial call? Rob Polishook: Being able to deal with adversity is imperative for any player. It’s not a question whether bad calls or let courts will happen, but rather, how a player is able to recognize these situations and take a step back to refocus. Certainly in the case of a

“Being able to deal with adversity is imperative for any player. It’s not a question whether bad calls or let courts will happen, but rather, how a player is able to recognize these situations and take a step back to refocus.” Rob Polishook

bad call, I like players to speak to their opponent or umpire and be able to state their case. However, if this doesn’t work, the player must reset and bring their focus back to what they can control. My players have an adversity management routine, a short routine specific to the individual that helps them re-center for the next point. With the prevalence of social media today, do you find it more difficult for players to maintain mental strength and stability in tennis? Dr. Tom Ferraro: Social media of all kinds usually distracts and adds unnecessary pressure to a player. Rory McIlroy, a top five golfer in the world, made an important statement recently about the media following his win at the Player’s Championship. He stated, “If I see that the Golf Channel is on when I am in the locker room prior to tee time, I tell the staff to turn off the sound. It is

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New York Tennis Magazine • May/June 2019 • NYTennisMag.com

always possible that a TV person’s comment will be placed in the back of my mind and may influence me and my game plan.” This is a wise comment by McIlroy. It is best to avoid hearing or seeing anything at all about other players’ rankings or about yourself prior to game time in tennis. Rob Polishook: Again this is player-specific. However, social media can certainly distract from tasks at hand. In fact, there is even a mental health term called FOMA, “Fear Of Missing Out.” This happens when individuals are always checking their devises because they don’t want to miss out on a conversation, thread or activities among others. I recommend turning all sounds and vibrations off on the phone. This allows the nervous system to settle and the player to check their devices only when they want to, not when someone else wants their time. It’s best to leave phones and all social media interactions to after a match. When negative thoughts begin to enter a player’s mind, what are some tricks or techniques to keeping their mind positive, despite the score or the way a match may be going? Dr. Tom Ferraro: This process must be established long before match time. Players must be trained to expect mistakes and setbacks of all kinds, including missed shots, weather delays, nasty remarks and bad calls. They must be taught to have a mental mantra which they use to stay focused and positive, no matter what happens during the course of play. This is called “Murphy’s Law,” which means one must be prepared for glitches along the way and have an answer for that moment. Lots of time is spent on this in my practice because surprises always happen.

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Doubles Alert! By Luke Jensen here are you positioned before every point in your doubles matches? The daily doubles observations I make at my full-time job as Director of Racket Sports at The West Side Tennis Club is very interesting as I see all kinds of various formations and set ups. A player’s pre-point position is mission critical in successful doubles play. Each player has a responsibility to cover certain areas of the doubles court: From covering the line, to looking to intercept the high percentage cross-court shots. I always want to see my West Side players in what I call “The Jump Seat” … standing in the middle

of the service box right in-front of where their partner is serving. This is a sound starting position to cover both the down the line and cross-court returns, while far enough back to cover most lobs. I often see players are not aware of a proper starting point, and that leaves the middle of the alley wide open for the other team. When teams return, I want to see the off partner (player NOT returning serve) in what I call the “Hot Seat,” right next to the T on the service line. Your number one priority is to call the serve for your partner returning serve to allow your partner to concentrate on playing a great return. The second priority for the Hot Seat player is to watch the Jump Seat player on the other team. If the Jump Seat player crosses their number one option and is down the middle, then YOU should be there to take that

option away. Tennis is a series of moves and counter moves. The doubles game, with all the complexity of multiple players and bigger court dimensions, creates a tactical advantage for the team that sets up the pre-point properly. Take advantage of opponents’ poor prepoint positioning. If an opponent is too far to the sideline or too far back from the net when their partner is serving, most times it tells me they do not like to volley. That is a GREAT opportunity to feed them a constant diet of volleys. If your opponents prepoint position is extremely close to the net than a lob is the answer to the aggressive net player. Move and counter move should be your competitive mindset to everything, not just in doubles but singles as well. Don’t forget to communicate properly to your partner that is not in the right position. Encourage them to see why you want them to be in either the Jump Seat or the Hot Seat. Enjoy your tennis and always look to improve your positioning. Go for winners! 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.

New York Tennis Magazine • May/June 2019 • NYTennisMag.com

Metro Corporate League Winter Season Wraps Up

The team from Cary Leeds/NYJTL were crowned Metro Corporate League Winter Season Advanced Division champs

Bank of America captured the Advanced Intermediate Division title during the Metro Corporate League’s Winter Season

The Metro Corporate League’s Winter Season Intermediate Division champs, the team from Societe Generale

he 2019 Winter Season of the Metro Corporate League came to a close in late April, as team champions were crowned in three different divisions. Each season, the champion of the Advanced League receives the Corporate League Champion, while the Advanced Intermediate and Intermediate Leagues receive their respective trophies. All trophies will be displayed at the company’s respective headquarters until the next season.

The winners of the Intermediate Division will move up to the Advanced Intermediate Division the following season, while the winner of the Advanced Intermediate Division moves up to the Advanced Division. Congrats to the following 2019 Winter Season winners: l Advanced Division: Cary Leeds/NYJTL l Advanced Intermediate Division: Bank of America l Intermediate Division: Societe Generale NYTennisMag.com • May/June 2019 • New York Tennis Magazine

The Impact and Benefits of Vitamin D By Dr. Rob Silverman Vitamin D is regarded as one of the most important nutrients for our health. It regulates more than 2,000 of the 30,000 human genes and plays a significant role in immune function and physical performance. Vitamin D also helps the body absorb calcium, subsequently helping build bones and keep them strong and healthy. Many people hear “Vitamin D” and think of exposure to the sun. This is an accurate correlation, as Vitamin D is produced in your skin in response to sunlight. However, if you live in non-equatorial latitudes, the sun may not be strong enough to produce Vitamin D for about half of the year. In fact, as many as one billion people worldwide are estimated to be Vitamin D-deficient. Sustained levels of Vitamin D deficiency can result in brittle bones, bone pain, as well as muscle pain and weakness. So, how does Vitamin D impact normal body functioning? What’s the impact on those who rely on superior strength and muscle function, like professional athletes? 46

What can be done to support healthy levels of Vitamin D? Impact on strength and muscle function Vitamin D contributes to a variety of overall health functioning, including muscular strength and recovery, physical reaction time, as well as balance and coordination. A study conducted by the University of Southern California concluded that adequate Vitamin D levels were important for promoting muscle and strength. Another study on adolescent females found a positive relationship between Vitamin D levels and jump velocity, height, power and force. Conversely, deficient levels of Vitamin D have an adverse effect on the human body. Vitamin D receptor expression within muscle tissue has been found to decrease with age, directly related to deteriorating muscle strength, mass and function. In a study of 96 elderly women with post-stroke hemiplegic, half of the women were given 1,000 IU of Vitamin D and the other half were given a placebo. The results? Those women treated with Vitamin D saw a 59

New York Tennis Magazine • May/June 2019 • NYTennisMag.com

percent reduction in the number of falls they experienced. Those subjects also saw an increase in the relative number and size of type-2 muscle fibers and presented with improved muscle strength. Impact on athletic performance Muscle strength is of course critical for every individual, but consistent, superior strength is especially essential for professional athletes. What’s one way for athletes to achieve and sustain optimum athletic performance? You guessed it—sufficient levels of Vitamin D. Vitamin D acts to maintain calcium and phosphate homeostasis within the body. Athletes deficient in Vitamin D are at increased risk for potential problems, such as stress fractures, respiratory infections and muscle injuries. A 2009 article in the Journal of Medicine Science in Sports concluded that “Vitamin D may improve athletic performance in Vitamin D-deficient athletes.” The article further suggested that peak athletic performance may occur when Vitamin D levels are at 50 mg. Another review in Molecular Aspects of Medicine

showed that Vitamin D increases the size of fast-twitch muscles and muscular strength. Impact on chronic pain Research suggests that Vitamin D may also serve as an effective treatment for chronic musculoskeletal pain. In one study, subjects weighing less than 110 lbs. were given 5,000 IU per day, while those over 110 lbs. were supplemented with 10,000 IU. After three months, the 299 subjects characterized as deficient in Vitamin D reported a disappearance of their back pain. In total, 341 of the 360 subjects were relieved of their chronic low-back pain with this regimen of vitamin supplementation. Impact on the immune system Vitamin D was once thought to influence just four organs. With an influx of research studies conducted over the past two decades, research has revealed that Vitamin D influences 36 target organs. Research also suggests that Vitamin D may play a role in promoting neurological function, supporting heart health, and boosting immunity during cold and flu season.

Incorporating Vitamin D into your diet As I mentioned above, sun exposure alone isn’t enough to ensure sufficient levels of Vitamin D. Some foods contain Vitamin D naturally—think salmon, sardines, egg yolk and shrimp—while others often have Vitamin D added (and thus are considered fortified)—such as milk, yogurt and orange juice. Even consuming foods containing Vitamin D won’t ensure sufficient levels of the vitamin. Incorporating Vitamin D supplements into your regular diet is the best route for ensuring your body is getting enough Vitamin D. However, I recommend taking a combination supplement of Vitamin D plus Vitamin K2. Together, the two vitamins support calcium absorption and bone health. How? Vitamin D promotes calcium absorption from the GI tract into the bloodstream. Once calcium is absorbed, Vitamin K helps transport it from the bloodstream and into the bone—supporting optimum bone density and normal bone growth. Whether you’re a professional athlete at the top of your game or a retired athlete

now enjoying the spoils of your heyday (and aiming to avoid weakened bones in the process), Vitamin D deficiency can affect us all. Adverse effects on our physical strength and immune system make incorporating Vitamin D into a regular diet critical. Talk to your functional medicine practitioner today about a plan that works for you. Your performance—and pain-free lifestyle—could depend on it. Dr. Robert G. Silverman is a White Plains, N.Y.-based sports chiropractor and certified clinical nutritionist, specializing in functional medicine and the treatment of joint pain with innovative, science-based, nonsurgical approaches. He is also on the advisory board for the Functional Medicine University and a health contributor to various major TV networks. He is the author of Amazon’s Number One Best-Seller, InsideOut Health. In 2015, he was honored with the prestigious Sports Chiropractor of the Year award by the ACA Sports Council. He can be reached by phone at (914) 2876464, e-mail Info@DrRobertSilverman.com or visit DrRobertSilverman.com.

NYTennisMag.com • May/June 2019 • New York Tennis Magazine

High Country Ski & Tennis 465 West Mount Pleasant Avenue Livingston, N.J. (973) 994-3630 HighCountrySkiAndTennis.com High Country Ski & Tennis is one of New Jersey’s premier tennis specialty shops. In existence for more than 30 years, High Country has New Jersey’s largest tennis showroom from March through September, and it is shrunk down in the winter months to focus on skiing and snowboarding. High Country prides itself on providing the best in clothing, equipment and customer service. As Owner Bill Silverman says, “Our philosophy is to promote the game of tennis as much as our own company.” High Country carries the top manufactures and clothing providers in tennis, including Wilson, Babolat, Head, Nike, Adidas and many more. High Country offers 24-hour racket stringing, grommet installs, re-gripping and free demos. With great customer service and competitive prices, High Country continues to grow each year. For more information, call (973) 994-3630 or visit HighCountrySkiAndTennis.com.

New York Tennis Magazine • May/June 2019 • NYTennisMag.com

PGA Tour Superstore 1254 Corporate Drive Westbury, N.Y. (516) 824-3000 PGATourSuperstore.com/Tennis PGA Tour Superstore is more than just a hub for golf lovers and is quickly making its tennis presence felt on Long Island. Located at 1254 Corporate Drive in Westbury, N.Y., PGA Tour Superstore has everything tennis players and fans are looking for, carrying all of the latest tennis rackets and equipment from the top names in tennis, including Prince, Babolat, Head, Wilson and more. They also carry a wide selection of tennis apparel and footwear from leading brands, such as Adidas, Asics and Nike, as well as grips, strings and other accessories PGA Tour Superstore offers on-site stringing and its expert staff are players just like you, so they can help you out with any questions on stringing and products, and make sure you walk away with the product that is right for you. PGA Tour Superstore hosts in-house events and fundraisers year-round, and can help customize your event or tournament by offering gift cards, products, memberships and much more. For more information on the products and services the PGA Tour Superstore offers, call (516) 824-3000 or visit PGATourSuperstore.com/Tennis.

SPORTIME Pro Shops Locations across Long Island and New York City (888) NY-TENNIS SportimeNY.com From Randall’s Island to Amagansett to Roslyn, Lynbrook and Syosset in between, SPORTIME is host to state-of-the-art Pro Shops with staff dedicated to helping you find all the gear you need to make us a great match! While each store has its own identity catering to its local clientele, every store has a huge selection of racquets, strings, bags, grips, apparel, footwear, and other accessories from the best brands: Head, Wilson, Babolat, Yonex, Solinco, Luxilon, Tecnifibre, Nike, Asics, Lucky-in-Love, Sofibella, Lija and more. SPORTIME’s knowledgeable staff is standing by to help you find whatever you need to get you playing your best tennis. In the rare instance that they don’t have an item in stock, they will get it from another SPORTIME location. However, in the event that SPORTIME does not have the item, they will do our best to order it for you. When it comes to five-star service, SPORTIME provides 24-hour stringing, grommet replacement and racket re-gripping. While at any of SPORTIME’s clubs, you are more than welcome to demo rackets for free or for a small fee that will apply towards the purchase of a new racket depending on the club. For more information about SPORTIME’s Pro Shops or to inquire about programs, lessons and court times, call (888) NY-TENNIS.

Tennis East 73 Main Street Southampton, N.Y. (631) 283-9535 TennisEast@optonline.net For more than 48 years, Tennis East has been the year-round, full-service tennis store of choice for East End racket sport enthusiasts. Tennis East offers an extensive selection of men’s, women’s and junior’s rackets, apparel, sneakers, strings and accessories for players of all ages and skill levels. More so, Tennis East carries a complete line of 10 & Under Tennis equipment, so that kids will have more fun playing tennis. Tennis East carries the most popular and latest product arrivals, so that its customers can use the same gear that the top tennis pros are using. The store stocks a full line of Nike, Adidas, FILA, Babolat, Wilson and Head products. In addition, Tennis East has expanded its women’s apparel offering to include several new fashion designers. Allow Tennis East’s knowledgeable and friendly team members to assist you choose the proper new tennis, paddle or pickleball racket to elevate your game. Tennis East has an extensive selection of rackets to demo and all daily fee charges will be credited towards your new adult racket purchase. Tennis East continues to string all customer and demo racquets on the Wilson Baiardo, which is the state-of-the-art stringing machine on the market. Tennis East is the conveniently located, one-stop shop for all your racquet sport needs, and is committed to providing personalized service, professional advice, competitive pricing and a unique shopping experience. Please look for special offers on Tennis East’s social network sites. For more information, contact Tennis East by phone at (631) 283-9535 or e-mail TennisEast@optonline.net.

NYTennisMag.com • May/June

TopSpin Tennis & Fitness 218 Jericho Turnpike Syosset, N.Y. (516) 364-9470 TopSpinTennisLI.com TopSpin Pro Shop at Christopher Morley Tennis 500 Searingtown Road Roslyn, N.Y. (516) 484-4200 TopSpinTennisLI.com TopSpin Tennis & Fitness is Nassau County’s top tennis specialty shop. TopSpin relocated five years ago and is now centrally located at 218 Jericho Turnpike in Syosset, N.Y., directly across from Syosset Hospital. The second shop is located at the new “State-of-the-Art” tennis complex at Christopher Morley Tennis at the park in Roslyn/Manhasset. TopSpin provides one-hour expert stringing at both facilities. Known as the home of “Clothes for the Pros,” TopSpin has been serving Long Island tennis pros and players with equipment and the top fashion in the sport for more than 30 years. You will find all the premier tennis brands, including Nike, Adidas, K-Swiss, Asics, Babolat, Wilson, Head, Prince and many more. TopSpin carries the actual outfits and footwear worn at the U.S. Open and other major events by Rafael Nadal and Roger Federer. TopSpin carries a full line of fitness and workout apparel and running shoes, so you can go from the court to the gym in style. Their racket wall contains a large selection of frames, bags and accessories at great prices. Your racket can be strung while you wait. TopSpin’s staff will ensure that, with the right equipment, you will reach your highest potential as a player and just as importantly, look great too.

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Saturday, June 8th

(Rain Date: Sunday, June 9th)

The Hamlet Golf and Country Club One Clubhouse Drive, Commack, NY 11725 Men’s and Women’s Amateur Check in: 8:30 a.m. • Tournament: 9:00 a.m.-1:00 p.m. Men’s Pro Check in: 1:00 p.m. • Tournament: 1:30 p.m.

Participants will be able to win great prizes including tennis tickets, apparel, gift bags, gift cards and much more.

For more information, contact Info@usptennis.com or call 516-409-4444 New York Tennis Magazine • May/June 2019 • NYTennisMag.com

charitable initiatives Andy Cohen and John McEnroe Team Up for JMTP Fundraiser Credit all photos to Jake & Michelle/@BellyFireProductions and Neon Photography

Tennis star and Johnny Mac Tennis Project President Patrick McEnroe joins Bravo’s Andy Cohen and brother, tennis legend John McEnroe on stage to kick off the 3rd annual “You Cannot Be Serious!” stand-up comedy benefit for the JMTP

Brothers Mark McEnroe, Patrick McEnroe and John McEnroe at Carolines on Broadway in Times Square for the 3rd annual “You Cannot Be Serious!” stand-up comedy benefit

op comedians and celebrity guests recently joined John and Patrick McEnroe, and Andy Cohen at the third annual “You Cannot Be Serious!” comedy fundraiser for the transformative youth tennis initiative, the Johnny Mac Tennis Project. The event featured an evening of comedy at the legendary Carolines on Broadway in Times Square, including, comedians Mike Birbiglia, Judah Friedlander and Sean Donnelly. Founded in 2012, the Johnny Mac Ten-

nis Project (JMTP) provides access to the sport of tennis for thousands of children and families, primarily from the Harlem and Bronx neighborhoods adjacent to SPORTIME Randall’s Island. In addition to partnering with local public schools to provide free tennis instruction and making court time available to the community through partnerships with the City and other local non-profits, JMTP has also disbursed more than $5 million in scholarships, allowing talented

players to compete and receive highlevel training through the John McEnroe Tennis Academy. The “You Cannot Be Serious!” fundraiser brought together the McEnroe brothers, JMTP board members, celebrities and friends for a night of laughter. The show was preceded by a cocktail hour and hilarious program, as well as a live auction featuring items such as VIP access to Grand Slam tennis events, vacation packages and other one-of-a-kind items and experiences.

NYTennisMag.com • May/June 2019 • New York Tennis Magazine

Mental Toughness By Stefan Ilic believe there are three main components that must be present in a tennis playersâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; arsenal in order for them to say they are â&#x20AC;&#x153;Mentally Tough.â&#x20AC;? The first of these components is the toughest to obtain and maintain: Awareness. What I judge awareness to be is the ability of a player, in any moment during a match, whether winning or losing, to be aware how they got themselves in that position. More often than not, people think being in the winning position may relieve them of some pressure to win. I think itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s just as difficult to maintain good judgment while winning as it is when you are losing, in which case you have the score to consistently remind you of the importance of every point and gets you focused on a goal. While winning, a player may enter a â&#x20AC;&#x153;Relaxed State.â&#x20AC;? This can be very dangerous. A player who is winning should be aware that their opponents may be more willing

to try different things in the match to win. They may also feel less pressure to play their ideal kind of point, and â&#x20AC;&#x153;Go for broke,â&#x20AC;? which may throw the winning player off balance. The point is, regardless of position in a match, any player should know how and why they are in the position they find themselves in. This brings us to the second of the three main components: Confidence. Itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s common to hear people comment on a player who hits the ball hard and goes for risky shots when itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s not necessary to be a confident player. I donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t think thatâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s what â&#x20AC;&#x153;confidenceâ&#x20AC;? should be considered. I see â&#x20AC;&#x153;confidenceâ&#x20AC;? as the ability of a player to act calm in pressure situations, and to be calm before a match even begins. This confidence should be like a support system for a player â&#x20AC;Ś the catalyst to play your best. If you go in a match thinkingâ&#x20AC;&#x161; â&#x20AC;&#x153;I donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t have a good slice or my second serve is weak,â&#x20AC;? and think for a second that you cannot do something about it, then you leave yourself vulnerable. What helps, naturally, with developing confidence is

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practice. I donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t think any player can hear enough times that practice is the key to being the best, both on and off the court. So, the more we practice, the more we mature as players and learn to depend on our shots to help us win matches. Displaying negative emotions towards yourself is not a good thing and is a waste of time. Believe in your ability, it shows. The third and final piece to mental toughness is â&#x20AC;&#x153;Strategy.â&#x20AC;? By strategy, I mean the ability of a player to measure risk, know their own capabilities, and read their opponents as best they can. Together, these observations can provide a picture of how you can win a match â&#x20AC;Ś a blueprint of your tennis match which can show you what your best way of winning in the match is. Although the three components of mental toughness I discussed, Confidence, Awareness and Strategy, are separate, it seems they are equally as necessary as the next one. Of course every player is different, but itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s safe to say that without awareness, a strategy would be hard to come by, and without confidence, your match might end sooner than you think. And of course, without a strategy, your confidence might go down the drain and leave you sayingâ&#x20AC;&#x161; â&#x20AC;&#x153;But I hit a million backhands cross-court this past week getting ready for the match.â&#x20AC;? Be mentally tough â&#x20AC;Ś be yourself â&#x20AC;Ś be good! 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 while at Forest Hills High School, was a member of a Junior TeamTennis National Championship team in 2010, and finished as four-star recruit.

Centercourt Shootout Coming to Chatham

Clay Bibbee, Chief Executive Officer and Managing Partner of Centercourt, during last year’s Centercourt Shootout Centercourt Athletic Club of Chatham in Chatham, N.J. will play host to the Centercourt Shootout, a Men’s Professional Tennis Tournament, set for Friday-Sunday, July 12-14. The Centercourt Shootout will feature eight ATP Tour players battling it out for $50,000 in prize money, winner-take-all. “Centercourt Club & Sports is a leader in family tennis programming and events. New Jersey has a large tennis base and did not host a professional tennis event in the state and we wanted to provide an up close opportunity to watch competitive tennis in our own backyard,” said Clay Bibbee, Chief Executive Officer and Managing Partner of Centercourt. “The event will feature fierce competition with a $50K winner. The drama of the finals on Sunday is not to be missed with a three-set, no-tiebreaker format.” Centercourt put together a de facto pilot program for the event last year, as Long Island native and current ATP Tour player Noah Rubin defeated Matija Pecotic of Croatia 6-1, 6-3 in the finals of last year’s $15,000 prize money tournament. Now back and better in its second year, Centercourt has added significantly to the Shootout for this summer, with $35,000 more on the line. Beyond the Men’s Professional tournament, the week leading up to the finals will feature a variety of events and competitions for all ages and levels. “My team decided that we should have events throughout the week to include the participation of all ages and levels,” said Bibbee. “We invite all juniors to compete in our level-based Universal Tennis Rating

Long Island native and ATP Tour pro Noah Rubin captured the title at last year’s inaugural Centercourt Shootout

(UTR) tournament, which includes mentoring opportunities throughout the week, a Ninja Exhibition and other events.” The whole event series begins on July 10 with the start of the Junior UTR Tournament, preceded by a warm-up clinic with Coach Chuck Kriese and other Centercourt Performance Tennis coaches. The tournament continues into the week with a number of off-court activities, including a Poolside Player Party, New Balance Raffle Day, a Ninja Exhibition & Clinic and the New York Open Skills Challenge. In addition to the Men’s Shootout and Junior UTR Tournament, there will be an Amateur Adult Prize Money tournament and Women’s One Day Doubles Event, all

part of what encompasses the 2019 Centercourt Shootout Week. “We’re excited to have the whole community involved with the week-long events,” said Bibbee. “The Sunday Final event will feature food trucks, sponsor tents, music and a tennis skills challenge open to all! In addition to the Men’s Professional and Junior UTR Tournament, there are Men’s and Women’s Singles and Doubles prize money events, and a Women’s One Day Cup event held during the week. The overwhelming community support and enthusiasm for the only professional tennis event last year inspired our team to expand to a week-long series of events.”

Give yourself the added advantage. Dr. Robert Silverman 311 North St. Ste. G1 White Plains, NY 10605 Ph: 914.287.6464 www.DrRobertSilverman.com Specializing in: · Concussion · Performance · Muscle strains · Plantar fasciitis

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NYTennisMag.com • May/June 2019 • New York Tennis Magazine

Ways to Improve Your Tennis Game Off the Court! By Xavier Luna hen it comes to any sport, let alone tennis, practice is key. You have to put in your hours on the court, take constructive advice from your coaches, work to sharpen your strengths and hone your weaknesses. But are you going to be the type of player to just like the game, or do you want to love the game? If you really want to love the game, then you have to realize the commitment it takes to becoming great—both on the court and while you’re away from the court. With this said, we thought it would be fitting to focus on how you can improve your tennis game off the court. Here’s a closer look at four simple ways to do so …

1. Work on mental exercises You’re bound to be in situations during play where things aren’t going right. If you’re mentally weak, your struggles will snowball 54

to the point of certain defeat. But if you’re mentally strong, even if it’s not your best day, you can stay in the match and battle. Make time for some quiet focus at home where you can come up with breathing exercises and things to say to yourself to refocus when the going gets tough. 2. Eat right Talk to any serious athlete, and they’ll be the first to tell you how important eating right is to their game. We’d recommend you start taking your diet very seriously. Stay away from sugar-laden and greasy foods, and learn to eat more lean meats along with plenty of fruits and vegetables. 3. Work on your physical fitness Building strength and endurance is key to ensuring you can finish a match as well as you started it. This is why your exercise regime should also be a strong focus away from the court. Things like bike riding, performing body weight exercises like squats and cardio, are all great workouts to make a part of your regular fitness regime.

New York Tennis Magazine • May/June 2019 • NYTennisMag.com

4. Practice your serving toss Your serving toss is one of the most important aspects of the serve, and there’s an easy way to practice this movement at home. Each morning, as you grab a pair of balled up socks to wear out of your drawer, simply give them a toss as if you were going to make a serve. You don’t even need a racket to perform this exercise. It’s a practice technique that doesn’t get any easier or more convenient. Xavier Luna is the Director of Junior Tennis for the Advantage All-City Junior Tennis Programs. Xavier has more than 30 years of experience in tennis, commencing as a ranked junior. He was the Director of Junior Programs at Stadium Racquet Club, the Owner and Founder of Metro Tennis Academy, and has held many other positions in the tennis industry. Xavier inspires players with his love of tennis and possesses the professional skills to keep campers returning year after year to the All-City Junior Tennis Programs.

Celebrating 30 Years … Silent Partner Tennis Ball Machines: The Machine With Muscle

ilent Partner Tennis, a division of Deuce Industries Ltd., was founded in 1989 by Dr. John Bassili. A recreational tennis player and psychology professor, Dr. John had a dream. He sought a reliable tennis partner. One that would play on his schedule and help improve his game. Meanwhile, John’s son was progressing through the ranks as a junior. His son needed a partner that could amp up the pace, but was also consistent enough to groove his strokes. So John built a tennis ball machine. Today, Silent Partner Tennis is a leading ball machine company in North America. It has served the U.S. from Buffalo, N.Y. for 30 years. The company remains independent, family-owned and operated, and takes great pride in the quality of its machines and the service to its customers.

With advanced features catering to all levels, from beginner to pro, the machine’s portability allows players to put them in

their cars and bring them to their local club or court. The machine provides an excellent practice session and workout. The machines are also great for clubs and coaches, who can position themselves right beside their students and control the machine by a remote. The machines are especially useful for group lessons, as several lines of players can be fed at once. Some machines come with programmable sequence settings and even match simulation. Because Silent Partner only sells factory direct, it offers a wide selection of machines for the best deals on the market, and service is provided by the people who know the machines best. What are you waiting for? Check out SPTennis.com! They have great deals and offers all year to celebrate their 30th anniversary!

NYTennisMag.com • May/June 2019 • New York Tennis Magazine

Developing Good Coaching Habits By Joao Pinho As coaches and teaching professionals, we are constantly trying to help our players develop good habits, but how often do we look at our own habits as teachers? This article will portray simple actions and behaviors that can make us better professionals. On-court teaching As someone who spends most of my working hours on-court, it is of utmost importance that my teaching skills are highly-developed and adaptable to the player(s) I have. Here are some characteris56

tics that have a big impact on the quality of a lesson … l Have you identified the main aspect that you want to highlight for that moment or day? Everything starts there. Once you pinpoint your theme, then creating a series of progressive drills becomes simpler. It should be clear to you and the player what the main elements being worked on are. l Creating a progression that ranges from hand-feeding, to racket-feeding, then to live ball, is often a great way for players to build their skills and be able to focus on one aspect at a time, before opening the scenario to more variables (like in rallies or points). When

New York Tennis Magazine • May/June 2019 • NYTennisMag.com

using any of the methods mentioned above, it’s important to consider the following: 1. Am I giving a realistic ball trajectory on my feeds? 2. Am I feeding at a speed that challenges the player, but still allows him/her to maintain proper technique? 3. Am I providing a sequence of shots that is realistic and appropriate for the player? l There’s a fine line between being a demanding coach and a negative one. While some players may react well to harsher coaches, I try to err on the side of positivity. This is where the art of

coaching comes into play … how can a coach be demanding, but still positive? This can vary greatly depending on the age group and commitment level of the player, but here are some guidelines I like to use: 1. Create a 3:1 ratio in terms of reinforcement of positives versus correcting “problems.” We often forget that players learn just as much, if not more, by copying the good things they already do, rather than by trying to “fix” the ones they struggle with. Ask yourself, how often do we see players hitting 10 good shots in a row with no feedback, to then have the pro “jump” on the player after a bad one? I’d recommend reversing that and make a big deal out of the good ones, while still pointing out areas of improvement on the mistakes. 2. Be very specific with the feedback. Tips like “great shot.” and other similar ones, can still be used, but can be more powerful if they pack more content. For example: “Great extension on that last shot,” “I like that cross-over step!” Adding more specificity to your comments will allow players to learn more as they’ll be more certain of skills being looked for and they’ll know once they actually do it the way you want it! Developing a connection with your player It’s been said that kids don’t learn as well from people they don’t like, and I believe that is applicable to all ages. Developing a positive relationship with your players is a key skill that pros need to nurture. This doesn’t only boost the learning curve, but also improves the pro’s retention rate. Here are some simple concepts that I try to incorporate into my teaching style to develop a real connection with the player: l What are the appropriate topics that you can engage with the player during some small breaks? These can be important to get the player to relax and sometimes forget a less than ideal performance. Show curiosity for that interest and that can create a stronger bond. While this is helpful, it’s impor-

tant to keep it under control so a significant portion of the lesson is not dedicated to side topics. l While we want our players to continue to develop and become as good as they can, it’s just as important to make tennis a tool to develop the individual as a whole. Character traits such as work ethic, sportsmanship, team work and discipline are concepts that should be part of your lesson plans. Using creative ways to incorporate these elements into your teaching can make your classes and programs more robust and attractive. Knowing that you helped someone to develop a better backhand is rewarding, but impacting someone’s self-image or work ethic are much stronger contributions. Monitoring progress With the recent technological advancements, tracking one’s progress is easier than ever before. From apps that provide daily feedback, to others that empower you to utilize video analysis to track technical development, it’s important to find the right mix for your players. Here are some methods I use: l We often hear many stories that can lead us to think that “parents are difficult.” While this can be true in some instances, from my experience, most parents are fine, but simply don’t understand the complete journey of developing a competitive player. Unless they were a competitive player themselves or went through the journey with another child, they won’t know what it takes and the ups-and-downs involved with the process. It’s our job to be a facilitator in this process. Over the past two years, I’ve probably held more than 50 parent sessions. Given that most parents take information from other parents, often who are not knowledgeable, I often start my meetings with a series of questions, including: 1. Who has played professional or NCAA DI tennis? 2. Who is a certified pro and teaches for a living? 3. Who has had a child go on to play competitively at the national level? As you can imagine, in a room with 4050 parents, I often get one hand up for such

questions. The feedback from these parent sessions has been positive and has led to less issues and requests to their child being “moved up.” l Based on the player’s level, develop a series of competencies in order evaluate them at the end of the session. These should be pretty specific and it’s important to practice with your staff on how to “grade” them to minimize inconsistencies. Net Generation has a nice framework of competencies, and I use them as a base for mine, adjusting the content to fit my player’s level. l If you have players who you work with as a primary coach, doing privates on a regular basis, I recommend adding video analysis and individual parent meetings to your mix. The frequency of it should be based on your ability to use that analysis, as well as the player’s needs. Doing a full recording of all strokes using an app like Coaches’ Eye twice a year is sufficient to capture major technical changes. For higher-level players, I conduct individual meetings with parents at least twice a year, quick 15- to 20-minute conversations to ensure that we are all on the same page. Developing good habits should start with us as coaches. We have to use these good habits on a daily basis in order to become more effective teachers, develop a strong bond with the player, and ensure that strong communication with the parents and players is maintained. While there were many other important habits to develop, this simple list can serve as a good starting point. Incorporating some of these tips occasionally is fairly easy, though it’s the long-term application of these positive actions that will have the biggest impact on your players’ journey and your teaching career. 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 DI 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.

NYTennisMag.com • May/June 2019 • New York Tennis Magazine

JMTA Hosts Workshop, Adds Sports Vision to Training Regimen

In order to be a top tennis player in today’s day and age, it’s imperative that you have a well-rounded training regimen that goes beyond simply practicing on the court. With that in mind, the John McEnroe Tennis Academy (JMTA) has begun hosting Sports Vision Workshops at its facility, and has brought in Dr. Anne Hanna OD, FCOVD as its Official Sports Vision Doctor. “There are a lot of positives,” Dr. Hanna said of doing visual training. “One is performance on the court or field, and the other positive is that the visual skills necessary to perform in your sport are also necessary to

perform in the classroom. So by training your visual system for optimal performance in your sport, you also stand to improve your performance in the classroom.” Hanna oftentimes said people conflate eyesight and vision, which can be misleading. “I have kids who show up and say, ‘I don’t need to do this, I have perfect vision.’ But what they mean is they have 20-20 eyesight,” said Dr. Hanna. “There are more than 20 visual skills you need to perform at your peak. That 20/20 number is only a small portion of the whole picture. In the athletic world, we’re very good at trying to

New York Tennis Magazine • May/June 2019 • NYTennisMag.com

fortify and strengthen modifiable factors. It’s just that vision is often overlooked as one of those factors. With 85 percent of our input in sports being visual, it’s a huge overlook to not say ‘let’s strengthen our visual systems’ for us to perform better.” The students participating in Dr. Hanna’s workshops have already begun seeing improvements on the court, according to Mike Kossoff, JMTA’s Long Island Annex Director. “It’s really important that we be at the cutting-edge, and give our kids the opportunity to be the best they can be. You look at any other sport whether its hockey, basketball, football, etc., they’re all doing this. And now it’s coming into tennis more, with Djokovic and Serena very involved with eye vision training,” said Kossoff. “John [McEnroe] was very adamant that we get involved in this. I think it’s something that’s really important. To have Dr. Hanna, who is the best at her craft, right here in our backyard, we’re so fortunate to be able to take advantage of that.” And the players have enjoyed being able to enhance their games through the use of sports vision training. “They love it,” Kossoff said. “Any chance they have to get an edge on the court, and also improve in the classroom, it’s a winwin for them. Some of our best players have been doing this since September and we’ve already seen drastic changes.”

The Development of Anticipatory Skills and the Connection to Decision-Making Systems in Competitive Tennis By Conrad Singh The development of highperformance anticipatory skills in tennis is one of the key components to a player who has more proficient decisionmaking skills in a competitive situation. Anticipation can be defined as “The ability to predict or make an educated guess based on various cues and on the characteristics of the ball and opponent at or before the point of contact.” This topic crosses all of the four key stages throughout an athlete’s development: l l l l

10 & Under (The Building Phase) 11-14 Years (The Development Phase) 15-18 Years (The Junior Phase) 19-23 Years (The Transition to Professional Phase)

This article will focus on the various methods of developing anticipation as a sub-conscious skill, as well as the relationship to better decision-making. The factors related to score and situational variables can, through training, create more clear thoughts and assertive execution of direction and shot selection. Anticipatory skill development can be broken into two basic areas that must be simultaneously trained across all phases: 1. Mental Anticipation related to visual tracking and mental processes, and

2. Physical Development through specific fitness component training and condition specificity. It is crucial to remember the importance of the mental process in breaking down the information, which then results in the physical response-taking place. In the Building and Development Phases, most substantial improvements of anticipation are made. Later, in the Junior and Transition Phases, the tennis-specific training of decision-making and shot selection are more successfully undertaken due to better development of stroke mechanics and physical conditioning. Tennis is essentially a problem-solving sport (mental) where a player is constantly in a poor position and needs to find the most effective way out with the fastest possible reaction time (physical). Players are also facing an opponent’s tendencies and other situational issues due to the score variables highlighting the importance of decision-making capacity in high-performance tennis players. When players have greater time for preparation, they also experience reduced stress, thus reducing technical pressure. This increased time means better stroke production and more freedom for optimal visual capability, which simply means fewer errors are made. The player also has more time to make decisions due to the reduced anxiety they feel, allowing

them to be free to compete. By training players mentally to search or look for appropriate cues and raise their knowledge through an understanding of court geometry, coaches assist players to be more relaxed. When coaches use methods daily that include an understanding of positional possibilities based also on technical factors of opponents they are then using decision-making methods to better equip players at each key age group. Research shows that everyday visual abilities of a trained tennis player and that of a regular community member with no training are the same. It is the mental and physical training in tennis that develops these anticipatory skills. We also know that these skills are highly trainable over time, and should be implemented from the Building Phase when the demands of the game and time pressure for a faster response are much less. Conrad Singh is the Chief Operating Officer of Tennis & Director of Coaching at Centercourt Club & Sports. He has held Head Coach and Director positions in Australia, England, Japan and China, and has been involved in professional tennis player development for well over two decades. Singh came to Centercourt from Shanghai, China, where he helped to develop a top high-performance player program, which saw more than 200 athletes train under his system.

NYTennisMag.com • May/June 2019 • New York Tennis Magazine

A Revolutionary Approach in Sport Psychology By Dr. Tom Ferraro ll competitive tennis players understand that it’s an emotional and pressure-filled game. The extreme “Mono e Mono” nature of the game introduces “the thrill of victory or the agony of defeat.” Every tennis player alive has felt the tension at the doorstep of fame or shame. These circumstances must be managed for the player to obtain victory. The emotions felt in tennis are often extreme which explains why sports psychologists are employed by professional players. The intensity of emotions also explains why poorly-trained mental coaches so often fail in their earnest efforts to help the player remain calm while under pressure. Sport psychology is a relatively new field with the bulk of the research and applied effort taking place since about 1950. The field has been shortsighted by choosing to employ behavior mod type

treatment such as positive self-talk, goalsetting, visualization, focusing tips and a variety of the so-called relaxation therapies like progressive relaxation. These techniques are hastily turned to in search of the quick fix and out of fear that the athlete will be afraid to explore more deep rooted issues. The field has joined the resistance of the player and thereby taking a superficial approach which fails to address the underlying dynamics that all athletes struggle with. My favorite example of this is Tiger Woods who was treated with standard behavioral techniques and without addressing his more deep-rooted issues. And alas, the deeprooted issues inevitably arrived in the form of sex and drug addictions which derailed his career and destroyed an otherwise stellar reputation. The field is now beginning to turn to the founding fathers and mothers of psychotherapy to learn more. Here are but six of the more obvious theories from the past that have wide and

New York Tennis Magazine • May/June 2019 • NYTennisMag.com

powerful effectiveness for tennis players and their woes: 1. Sigmund Freud, guilt and secondary gain: Freud is a name that every educated person is aware of and is widely considered to be one of the great thinkers of the 20th Century, having an impact on much of Western Culture. His theory of unconscious guilt goes a long way in explaining why some athletes reach the top and then give it all away. His theories of secondary gain states that both illness and losing can sometimes be desired in order to gain sympathy from others. A good example in golf is when Greg Norman choked during the Masters many years ago. Norman received hundreds of thousands of fan letters following this loss, which provided him with love and a sense of goodness. 2. Carl Jung and the Shadow Side: One of the founders of psychoanalysis was

Carl Jung, best known for his work on the collective unconscious and archetypes in the mind. An example of a Shadow Archetype is a character like Darth Vader in the film Star Wars, who is a sinister but powerful force. Jung would say that our Shadow Side or our Anima and Animus is our disowned and repressed nature. I have spent much time helping my athletes get in touch with their Shadow Side so that they can become more aggressive and more powerful on the court.

4. Margaret Mahler and her Theory of Separation/Individuation: Mahler’s Theory of Separation/Individuation is based upon her research with infants and toddlers. She discovered that all children go through this phase of symbiosis/separation/individuation as they grow up. I use this theory to help my athletes separate from distractions and human interactions in general in order to enter the zone where by the only thing that exists is their own power and will to win.

3. Alfred Adler and inferiority complex: Adler’s Neglected Theory is actually quite brilliant. He stated that all of our pain and shame from the past is the source of our ambition and our drive. The source of the champion’s perseverance and drive derives from this pain and emptiness. Good examples of this are the Williams Sisters, who were raised in poverty and this sense of inferiority gave them their incredible will to win.

5. Kohut and narcissism: Heinz Kohut’s theory of narcissistic injury states that if one has a fragile self-image any insult or failure can produce rage and despair. If you have ever watched a young player implode on the court after a missed point you may be observing a narcissistic injury wreak havoc. This theory helps guide my work with this kind of player so that they can be helped with self-image and ego strength in order to manage setbacks more easily and control anger.

6. Comparative Psychology and Alpha Animals: Comparative Psychology is the study of animals to learn more about humans. Pavlov studied dogs and discovered classical conditioning. Harlow studied chimps and learned how important physical contact is. The folks that study wolves taught us that there is only one wolf in charge of the pact and that when dominance is established it tends to stick. I use this knowledge to teach the tennis player all about body language before and during the match in order to trigger their own dominance response and to elicit a submission response in the opponent. These are but a few of the valuable lessons that sport psychology needs to reacquaint itself with if it wants to keep up with the times. It’s back to the future all over again. 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.

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WIN

What’s. Important. Now. By Rob Polishook, Mental Training Coach MA, CPC A few months ago, I was listening to John O’Sullivan’s Way of Champions’ podcast when he interviewed his colleague, renowned mental training coach Dr. Jerry Lynch. They were talking about how all athletes want to win, but the path to winning is not so much about wanting to win, but understanding how to W.I.N. You may be wondering: What’s the difference between win and W.I.N.? A lot! In fact, it can be the difference between actually winning and losing. In the podcast, Dr. Lynch explained, “W.I.N. is an acronym for What’s Important Now.” W.I.N. got me thinking … I loved the acronym and then decided to respectfully add my spin to Jerry and John’s conversation. I believe the way to win in the context of W.I.N. are the three C’s: Controllables, Compete and Challenge. Let me explain with an example … Years ago, I was a high school tennis coach, and Joe was my number one singles player. Prior to each match, Joe would boldly proclaim, “Coach, I’m going to win today, I’m going to crush this guy!” “How do you plan to do this?” I would ask him. He would reply, “Don’t worry coach, I got this!” Sure enough Joe won just one match and lost 19 during the season. Joe had no understanding of how to W.I.N. (What’s Important Now), only of the desire to win. If he had, Joe would not have been focusing on the outcome, he would not have been promising with false bravado, instead 62

he would have been breaking the task down into W.I.N.: What’s Important Now. 1. Controllables: In the instance of Joe, the match had not even started and he was focusing on the outcome. Certainly, the outcome is something in the future, something he cannot control. Imagine if he shifted his attention to what he could control? He could have focused on positive energy, centering himself with breathing exercises and strategizing what his game plan would be to counter his opponent’s game. Like clockwork, Joe usually lost the first set pretty quickly. This is because he had one eye on winning, which is an uncontrollable, and the other eye on what he needed to do. Metaphorically, he was playing “cross-eyed tennis.” Nonetheless, it was only the first set, I encouraged Joe to focus on W.I.N. 2. Compete: Now down a set, Joe needed to refocus his energy to simply competing. This would mean letting go of the first set and starting fresh, shifting the focus to bouncing back, and trying to find a rhythm that would stop the opponent’s dominance. It would also entail slowing things down, getting back to rituals, and playing to his strengths both in point construction and shot selection. It would also include letting go of expectations. By this time, Joe usually did find his game; he slowed things down and started to get back into the match. Hypothetically, the score was 3-4 in the second set. Joe

New York Tennis Magazine • May/June 2019 • NYTennisMag.com

would sit down at the change over and proclaim, “Coach, I’m working hard, doing everything I can!” It was here we would discuss the third “C,” Challenge. 3. Challenge: This match and any competition must be viewed through the lens of “Challenge” and not a “Threat.” When adversity gets reframed into a challenge, it allows the player to focus on the process. We all have had challenges and been able to bounce back. This is the time to bring up those instances and get back to the match. Not trying to protect you from looking bad or what others think. Rather recognizing the adversity as a challenge. It’s imperative to remember that it’s natural to want to win. We all do! However, the key is to ask “What’s Important Now?” In answer to this question, I’d like to offer three, the three C’s. By re-framing adversity through one of the three C’s (Controllable, Compete, Challenge), the player will be more proactive, calm and present. Through this lens, they will be better able to manage adversity and bounce back throughout a match. 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.

Tennis Behavioral Baggage? Off My Court! By Barbara Wyatt hizu, my tennis captain, asked me to play with a new 4.5 partner, Nathan, in an upcoming match. I agreed and asked if she would arrange a practice. Silly me, I like to meet new partners and play at least one practice match before a tournament. Nathan and I met at a centrally-located tennis club for the practice. We hit it off immediately. In warm-up rally, I discovered his pace-driven strokes, wicked topspin, ability to run like the wind, and most important, an engaging spirit. Chizu is obviously a talented captain to recruit this player! Our opponents, Liana & Matt, joined us. We did not know them, but we knew of them. Nathan and I were pitted against an experienced doubles team. Balls whizzed over the net and back again at double-speed; at least it seemed twice as fast. The court resonated with players’ comments such as “nice shot,” “great rally,” and “amazing get.” During one point, the ball hung sweet and juicy in the air. I lunged forward to drive a mighty down-the-line shot into the alley on the ad side. My racket had a different idea. I shanked the ball and a wimpy drop shot dripped over the net and onto the deuce side of their court. Matt said, “Never seen THAT before.” Empathic compassionate smiles broke out on everyone’s faces. At the conclusion of our practice, Nathan and I walked off the court filled with pride on the balls we did keep in play and an admiration for our winning opponents. Later, I reflected there was no behavioral baggage on the court. Have you played with players laden with

baggage? They bring suitcases full of behavioral issues, little concept of courtesy and a misunderstanding of many tennis rules. Baggage players can dissolve a friendly practice game into a show of narcissism when they slam the ball because of their unforced error. They cry out with a venomous yell that makes even their mother cringe when their groundstroke hits the bottom of the net. They deliberately drop their racket and growl like a wounded Wookie when they double-fault their serve. When Liana, Matt, Nathan and I stepped inside the 78-x-36- foot rectangle outlined in white court paint, we practiced the true game of tennis with its rules and courtesies. Each player was scrupulously honest on line calls. Courtesies were granted when a stray ball interrupted a serving motion. Compliments were given on sharp-angled shots and superior serves. Empathy resonated when a player made an unforced error.

When faced with a baggage player, I reflect on the first phrase of the Serenity Prayer, “God grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change.” Because we cannot change those players, we must ignore their antics, focus on our tennis strengths and make decisions based on the rules and courtesies of the game of tennis. Still, if you simply must try to change the behavior of a baggage player, try this: draw a big circle around this article, drop it in their tennis bag, then hot foot it out of there. The wounded Wookie will cry out again. 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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Tennis’s Magic Pill By Lonnie Mitchel

hen tennis became a sport and was developed, it was always a game that had two people competing against one other using their tools, talents and mental know-how to solve problems on the court to achieve goals. Coaching was done prior to the matches and the players were off to solve the challenges that lie ahead. In the last several years, the USTA has explored ideas on how to make coaching allowed during the competition of a match itself. As a collegiate coach, I wrestle with this dilemma quite often. I have the title of “Coach” and the players in a match often look to me to solve their challenges to hopefully win their match, confusing my title with that of a personal trainer/teacher. They look to me to provide them with “The 64

Magic Pill” at that very moment they need it. Well, after years of coaching and trying to analyze three doubles matches and six singles matches in the time span of three hours at a dual tennis match, here is what I figured out and there had to be a better way … On-court coaching is not The Magic Pill. I often butt heads with my players as to why I just let them play? They like to imply that maybe I am not doing my job. The preparation I spend as a coach is broken down into hours upon hours managing a group of young women and men, impressing upon them the hard work it takes to succeed. This happens when practices are carefully planned and implemented, which may be very different from what a player’s expectations are. This is what I learned about The Magic Pill ... preparing for colle-

New York Tennis Magazine • May/June 2019 • NYTennisMag.com

giate matches that take place on the weekend when there is no scouting reports or film like a football, basketball and lacrosse team receive comes down to PREPARATION! There are two quotes, one by Confucius, that says this: “Success depends upon previous preparation, and without such preparation there is sure to be failure.” Another unnamed quote I read recently was: “The best preparation for good work tomorrow is to do good work today.” Working in the corporate world for many years, one of my directors early in my career often referred to the “5 P’s” (Perfect Preparation Prevents Poor Performance). What I realized in this quest to teach tennis players the art of preparation is the best Magic Pill to success. At various times, the players on my team on a court change might be looking around to see where I am.

Maybe I am trying to dissect another personâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s game, maybe I am talking to my assistant about what needs to be done for future practices and a plethora of things that can give the illusion that a player at the moment feels that they are not being paid attention to. However, if I can teach a player throughout the course of the season that the responsibility is their ownâ&#x20AC;&#x201D;to be on time for practice, to find that internal fortitude that practice is your best assurance of good performance, I have done my job. As coaches, we need to teach young men and women the all-important skill of problem-solving and critical thinking. There is an expression â&#x20AC;&#x153;Give a man a fish, and you feed him for a day. Teach a man to fish, and You Feed Him for a Lifetime.â&#x20AC;? Coaching is similar, I would rather not give the fish soto-speak to a player when he/she is looking for the Magic Pill in the match. Rather, teaching the player to work hard all week and throughout the school year will ensure they are successful both on the court and off. The success of a tennis team in the very longest of terms comes to reality with a much stronger foundation that we can succeed if we do the right things often, not just on match day. There are coaches that I compete against that look to be more interactive on game day and from a short body of work can look as though the coaching is good. What we do not know is what kind of coach they are the 99.9 percent of the time when we do not see what they are doing in

practices and preparation. Players can be confused. To me, there is no confusion what I must do 99.9 percent of the time away from matches and during practice; implement the Magic Pill of the Five Pâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s (Perfect Preparation Prevents Poor Performance). In this case, the foundation is rock solid. This way in a collegiate match, I am assured that the player who feels like they are not being paid attention to on that one particular moment has a bank of preparation tools to withdraw from and has the confidence to perform. That is something that will resonate in life and preparation for the real world and beyond. I have been conflicted on this matter for a very long time because collegiate tennis players can challenge you on philosophy on almost anything. I might have a crack in my armor and just a little self-doubt that maybe I should change my philosophy completely. After all, they know everything and I know nothing (tongue and cheek). I came across an article on the Internet from Nick Saban, one of the most successful collegiate football coaches in history. Saban had Bill Belichick as a mentor, and while coaching Division I football is different than coaching collegiate tennis, Saban does coach young men the same age as the players I coach. The article jumped out at me as the advice Belichick gave to a young Nick Saban years ago was, â&#x20AC;&#x153;Let the players play.â&#x20AC;? To paraphrase the article, as Belichick often says, â&#x20AC;&#x153;Do your job. â&#x20AC;&#x153; Make the players responsible

once taught and then, â&#x20AC;&#x153;Do your job.â&#x20AC;? The players know what their job is and they do it well because they are trained to do it and are held to a higher standard of responsibility. How has that worked out with the New England Patriots and the University of Alabama? Back in my little world of coaching tennis in Division III â&#x20AC;Ś the skill level is not as high as in those professional ranks like the New England Patriots or University of Alabama, but the philosophy can be transferred and the culture in both those places are cemented and recorded. Players are held responsible to a higher standard, and the success is undeniable. The 5 Pâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s (Perfect Preparation Prevents Poor Performance) is The Magic Pill. Once a coach adapts this philosophy and sticks with it, it is undeniable that the seed you plant over time will sprout the best fruit ever. Lonnie Mitchel is Head Menâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s and Womenâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;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) 4147202 or e-mail LonnieMitchel@yahoo.com.

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“Set” Your Racket for Volleys By Mike Puc here is a magical position to “set” your racket for volleys to produce the best results. Before we reveal this position, let’s discuss a few elements of a good volley. Technique is paramount to success. If you have not dedicated the time and effort to perfect a Continental Grip, then read no further … it is required! Placing your “V,” created by your forefinger and thumb, on the top left bevel of the racket for righties, and down the top right bevel for lefties, may seem difficult and weak, but it is essential to create underspin and retrieve both low and high balls, while allowing for quickness between forehand and backhand volleys. Refusing to perfect the proper grip is one of the major shortfalls that prevents club players from advancing to the next level!

You must still be relatively sideways in striking the ball and use your legs for momentum and to absorb shock. Hitting on the move is not only allowed but encouraged as this creates energy and minimizes the swinging disconnect with the upper body. Finally, volleys are designed to bite and stay low with direction winning the point rather than power. On a scale of one to 10 with 10 being your hardest shots, volleys should be hit between two and five power level. Incidentally, your dependable rallying shots are hit at five to seven power level. Now, back to the magical “set” position. Whether you are hitting a stroking deep volley from inside the baseline (where the grip may be adjusted to the forehand for this specialty volley), mid court drive volley or soft drop volley, place or set your racket forward and slightly to the right for righties on the forehand. From this position you may now pull the racket back on your back-

New York Tennis Magazine • May/June 2019 • NYTennisMag.com

swing judging the distance to equal the pace you desire. Do not pull the racket to your backswing before setting the head. Your feet will carry you to the ball with your non dominant hand near the throat to steady the shot and you will create a solid compact hit. “Keep the plane the same” throughout the shot imagining balancing a quarter on the beam of the racket from start to finish. Work with your pro on grips and technique with an emphasis on setting the head of the racket for crisp accurate volleys. 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.

One-on-One Doubles Tourney Coming to Westchester By Brian Coleman

ater this fall, one of the fastest growing and possibly most challenging racket sports will arrive in the USTA Eastern Section, as Chestnut Ridge Racquet Club in Mt. Kisco, N.Y. will play host to two One-on-One Doubles Tournaments in early October. One-on-One Doubles is a half-court, serve-and-volley singles game played crosscourt with the alley included. “If I were to rank racket sports on degree of difficulty here is the order that I would choose: Tennis (singles), One-onOne Doubles Tennis, Tennis (Doubles), Squash, Paddle Tennis, Racket Ball, Pickleball, Table Tennis,” said Scott Williams, an author, long-time coach and advisor to former professional player Tommy Haas. A new rule has been instituted this year: Serving and volleying is optional, but players will be awarded two points for a winning volley, half-volley, overhead and topspin lob that the opponent cannot reach. Both the serve and returner are eligible to make two point plays. “The tournament’s former mandatory serve-and-volley rule has been lifted and is now optional,” said One-on-One Doubles Founder and Director Ed Krass. “This allows for players to attack the net on their own terms when serving and returning, to

include more participation and add more excitement.” Both the server and returner are eligible to make two point plays. At Chestnut Ridge, there will be a $300 prize tournament for 4.0 Men and 4.5 Women on Friday, Oct. 11, followed by a $1,800 prize event for Men’s and Women’s Open Divisions on Saturday, Oct. 12. “I’ve been doing drills like One-on-One Doubles with my students for a long time, it’s a great way to teach doubles skills when you have two or three players,” said Brad Breakstone, Tennis Director at Chestnut Ridge. “I’ve also done countless drills myself for training purposes. When I was in college, my coach told me I needed to learn how to serve and volley, so I’d do this with a teammate at least 30 minutes each practice, and it became natural for me.” The skills needed to be successful in One-on-One Doubles are transferrable to both singles and doubles play in tennis, which is part of the reason why the tour and the tournament series has become so successful, with tournaments taking place along the East Coast, from Florida to New York. Both Breakstone and Krass expect the tournaments coming to Westchester to have a deep and competitive field, as well as a lot of excitement from guests and spectators.

“I think we’ll get a big turnout ay this event for several reasons,” said Breakstone. “It’s a short time span so it’s easy for players to commit to. It’s an activity, even though new in a competition format, that so many good players are familiar with. And the prize money is very enticing. And lastly, it has an unbelievable promoter in Ed Krass!” Beyond the quality level of play on the court, the tournaments feature music played throughout the event, which contributes to the festive tournament atmosphere. “The brand of One-on-One Doubles Tennis allows coaching, fan participation and music to be played during the tournament, not loud, but in keeping the vibe much more upbeat than a usually quiet tennis tournament,” added Krass. “The fans are encouraged to cheer and to get rowdy throughout the matches. The event is tailor made for New York tennis, and sports fans who want to experience a different production and format of tennis.” You can learn more about One-on-One Doubles, and its many tournaments put on throughout 2019, by visiting OneOnOneDoubles.com. Brian Coleman is the Senior Editor for New York Tennis Magazine. He may be reached at BrianC@USPTennis.com.

NYTennisMag.com • May/June 2019 • New York Tennis Magazine

Be True to Your School By Steven Kaplan articipation in high school tennis is not thriving on Long Island. That’s too bad because school tennis is not just an extracurricular activity, it’s an essential part of a well-rounded tennis experience for 98 percent of all young players. It develops teamwork, school spirit and socialization. Participants learn cooperation and sacrifice and what is discovered on the tennis court can be taken to the classroom and onward to life. Furthermore, you get to practice and compete representing your school and community. The experience that most juniors dream about enjoying in college is the very same one they often shun in high school. It should be noted that non-participation is not a universal practice. In fact, in many parts of the country, high school tennis is thriving. In Ohio, for example, it’s almost unheard of not to play high school tennis, and Ty Tucker, the renowned Ohio State Coach, will not recruit you from in-state to his top team if you don’t play for your school team. The great Columbia Coach, Howard Endelman, who I am proud to say is a former long-time student and friend, spoke recently at my High School Coaching Clinic and said, in no uncertain terms, that he believes the high school tennis experience is “invaluable.” Max Schnur, a recent Columbia graduate,

was with Endelman at my annual High School Coaching Clinic. Schnur was ranked in the top 100 in the world in doubles last year and a New York State High School Tennis champion. As Coach Endelman explained, “I don’t just recruit on ranking, I look for personal qualities, and the willingness of a top player like Max to sacrifice for their school team shows character.” While some terrific players still do represent their schools, it is becoming increasingly uncommon. So why the trend of high school tennis participation attrition on Long Island? Let’s start with the short-sighted greed on the part of Long Island tennis clubs and private coaches. They sell to a trusting audience that often lacks a sense of history and they present a self-serving argument for not playing goes something like this, “Who are you going to play with? The competition is weak. It’s a waste of time, you will improve more if you take your lessons and clinics.” Of course the irony is that this is a self-fulfilling prophecy because the competition is weak only because so many buy into this logic. If players were encouraged to play, then the competition would be great. From my personal experience as a High School State Champion over 40 years ago and as the coach of more than 18 State Champions since, I can assure you that the quality of high school tennis has been uniformly stellar, except for most recently. High school coaches share a great responsibility to reverse this unfortunate trend.

New York Tennis Magazine • May/June 2019 • NYTennisMag.com

They need to be flexible and accessible by reaching out to hear the concerns of private clubs and coaches. The most informed high school coaches I know understand that private coaches and clubs are sacrificing in the short term by encouraging players to compete for their schools. If a private coach trains a player year-round, it’s unrealistic to expect there will be no push back if a high school coach cuts them out of the loop for two months. As such, enlightened school coaches recognize that to teach teamwork to players, they must first display teamwork by working with the players’ private support team. A good place to start is by both groups making compromises to encourage players to play with their year-round coaches, as well as their high school team. Together, clubs and school coaches can make “High School Tennis Great Again.” 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 nationally-ranked junior players, 16 state high school champions, two NCAA Division 1 Singles Champions, and numerous highly-ranked touring professionals. 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.

Rye Country Day School Wins San Marco Invitational

The Rye Country Day School Wildcats defeated Harrison 4-2 to become the 2019 Jim San Marco Boys Team Tennis Invitational Champions number of the top high school tennis teams from the Long Island, New York City and Westchester areas recently came together to compete in the 2019 Jim San Marco Boys Team Tennis Invitational. The opening day of the tournament was hosted by Harrison High School, with the finals on the following day forced inside to the new indoor courts of Rye Country Day School due to the rain. After pool play was completed, the two teams left standing were Rye Country Day and Harrison, who squared off in the finals. The Wildcats of Rye Country Day School used the home courts to its advantage to defeat Harrison 4-2, and become the fourth different program, joining Beacon, Horace Greeley and the Trinity School, to hoist the Jim San Marco Boys Team Tennis Invitational trophy. “Being able to play at home was a nice experience for our kids,” said Rye Country Day School Head Coach Tim Shea. “It was the first time our players had stepped on the courts so that was an equalizer, and we wanted to make sure we played the match despite the rain. It’s always great to be able to get the matches in as the season is somewhat cramped.” Justin Mandell was named the tournament’s Most Valuable Player as he helped lead his Wildcats to the championship. “I think tournaments like the San Marco are great for high school tennis, and junior tennis as a whole,” said Shea. “It shows that high school tennis is a team sport, and it gives groups of kids an

additional form of peer support that is not usually found in regular tournament play.” Below are the full results from the 2019 Jim San Marco Boys Team Tennis Invitational: Round-Robin Play Pool A l Syosset 4, Horace Greeley 2 l Harrison 4, Horace Greeley 2 l Harrison 4, Syosset 2 Pool B l Trinity 6, Bronxville 0 l Rye Country Day School 6, Bronxville 0 l Rye Country Day School 4, Trinity 2 Finals l Rye Country Day School 4, Harrison 2 Past Jim San Marco Winners l 2013: Beacon l 2014: Beacon l 2015: Trinity l 2016: Trinity l 2017: Horace Greeley l 2018: Beacon l 2019: Rye Country Day School

NYTennisMag.com • May/June 2019 • New York Tennis Magazine

Columbia Men Win Sixth Straight Ivy League Title

Credit all photos to: Columbia University Athletics

he Columbia Men’s Tennis team once again stands alone atop the Ivy League. For the sixth consecutive year, the Lions were crowned Conference Champions, and unlike the previous two seasons where they claimed a share of the Conference Title, Columbia won the title outright this season following a 4-2 defeat of Cornell in the season finale. “I’m in awe of the guys,” said Columbia Head Coach Bid Goswami, a 2019 inductee into the USTA Eastern Hall of Fame. “I just said, ‘Stay the course.’ Until the last point, a good team always tries to find a way. I think we learned a lot as we went along about just how tough we are.” Defeating Cornell to claim the title was no easy task, as the Lions would win two of the three doubles flights to claim the doubles point, but would drop the opening set in five of the six singles flights, creating

some tense moments across the courts at the Dick Savitt Tennis Center. Columbia’s Victor Pham would come back to defeat Alfia Ayeni 4-6, 6-2, 6-1 at first singles, but soon after, Cornell’s Evan Bynoe won at sixth singles and Eero Vasa held on to notch a victory for Cornell at fifth singles to even the score at 2-2. But Jack Lin pushed Columbia back in front with a 6-4, 6-4 victory against David Volfson at second singles, and Junior Adam Ambrozy clinched the Lions’ team win with a 3-6, 62, 7-6(6) triumph over Lev Kazakov at third singles. “It hasn’t sunk in yet,” said Goswami. “If I had to write a script, I would do it this way, but it was too much tension. I think Cornell is a great team, so we had to play our best. Four out of six singles matches were three sets, so it could go anywhere. Momentum was sometimes going away, sometimes coming back, so I’m glad it turned out the way it did.”

New York Tennis Magazine • May/June 2019 • NYTennisMag.com

What made the victory more special is the fact that this is Goswami’s final season as Lions Head Coach, having announced his retirement after 37 years leading the program. One of the first players he recruited and current Associate Head Coach Howard Endelman will take over head coaching duties. “It has been my absolute privilege and honor to serve as Columbia University’s Men’s Tennis Coach these last 37 years,” said Goswami. “I am confident our program is in a very healthy and strong position now so it feels this is the perfect time for me to retire. How apropos then—and most exciting for me—that my very first recruit, Howard Endelman, will take over the helm of Lions tennis.” The Lions, ranked 16th in the country, finished the season with an unblemished 7-0 record in conference play, and will host the first two rounds of the NCAA Tournament.

USTA/Metropolitan Region

2019 TOURNAMENT SCHEDULE For detailed information on these and all USTA tournaments, visit tennislink.usta.com/tournaments. MAY 2019 Friday-Sunday, May 17-19 L1B Cross String Tennis May Challenger II Queens College 6530 Kissena Boulevard Flushing, N.Y. Divisions: Challenger Boys’ & Girls’ Singles: 78’ Yellow Ball 18 (SE) Surface Type: Unknown Entry Fee: $54.25 per player (deadline for entries is Sunday, May 12 at 1:00 p.m.) For more information, e-mail Steve.Beatty2584@gmail.com or call (716) 946-4348.

Friday-Sunday, May 24-26 & May 31-June 2 L1B Sportime Randall’s Island May 2019 Challenger Sportime @ Randall’s Island 1 Randall’s Island New York, N.Y. Divisions: Challenger Boys’ & Girls’ Singles: 78’ Yellow Ball 14-18 (SE) Surface Type: Unknown Entry Fee: $54.25 per player (deadline for entries is Tuesday, May 21 at 1:00 p.m.) For more information, e-mail TournamentsRI@Sportimetfm.com or call (212) 4276150.

Friday-Sunday, May 17-19 & May 24-26 L2 Sportime at Randall’s Island May 2019 Open Sportime @ Randall’s Island 1 Randall’s Island New York, N.Y. Divisions: Intermediate Boys’ & Girls’ Singles: 78’ Yellow Ball 14-16 (SE) Surface Type: Unknown Entry Fee: $54.25 per player (deadline for entries is Tuesday, May 14 at 1:00 p.m.) For more information, e-mail TournamentsRI@Sportimetfm.com or call (212) 4276150.

Saturday, May 25 Youth Progression Orange Level 1 Fresh Meadows Cunningham Tennis 19600 Union Turnpike Fresh Meadows, 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, May 19 at 11:59 p.m.) For more information, e-mail Victor@CunninghamTennis.com or call (718) 740-6800.

Sunday, May 19 L3 Staten Island UPS Staten Island Community Tennis Center 2800 Victory Boulevard Staten Island, N.Y. Divisions: Entry Level Boys’ & Girls’ Singles: 78’ Yellow Ball 12-16 (RR) Surface Type: Hard Entry Fee: $43.50 per player (deadline for entries is Thursday, May 16 at 1:00 p.m.) For more information, e-mail KLastique@yahoo.com or call (718) 982-3355. Friday-Monday, May 24-27 L1A Cross String Memorial Championships Queens College 6530 Kissena Boulevard Flushing, N.Y. Divisions: Championships Boys’ & Girls’ Singles: 78’ Yellow Ball 14 (SE) Surface Type: Hard Indoor Entry Fee: $54.25 per player (deadline for entries is Monday, May 20 at 1:00 p.m.) For more information, e-mail Steve.Beatty2584@gmail.com or call (716) 946-4348.

Friday-Sunday, May 31-June 2 L2 Cross String End of May Open Queens College 6530 Kissena Boulevard Flushing, 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: Hard Indoor Entry Fee: $54.25 per player (deadline for entries is Sunday, May 26 at 1:00 p.m.) For more information, e-mail Steve.Beatty2584@gmail.com or call (716) 946-4348. Friday-Sunday, May 31-June 2 & June 7-9 L1B Sportime RI May 2019 Challenger Sportime @ Randall’s Island 1 Randall’s Island New York, N.Y. Divisions: Challenger Boys’ & Girls’ Singles: 78’ Yellow Ball 14-18 (SE) Surface Type: Unknown Entry Fee: $54.25 per player (deadline for entries is Tuesday, May 21 at 1:00 p.m.) For more information, e-mail TournamentsRI@Sportimetfm.com or call (212) 427-6150.

JUNE 2019 Saturday-Sunday, June 1-2 L3 APTC June UPS Alley Pond Tennis Center 7920 Winchester Boulevard Queens Village, N.Y. Divisions: Entry Level Boys’ & Girls’ Singles: 78’ Green Ball 12 ,78’ Yellow Ball 14-16 (NEF) Surface Type: Hard Entry Fee: $48.88 per player (deadline for entries is Wednesday, May 29 at 3:00 p.m.) For more information, e-mail AlleyPondTennisCenter@gmail.com or call (718) 264-2600. Friday-Sunday, June 7-9 L1 Tennis at Throgs Neck Start of Summer Championships New York Tennis Club Indoors 3081 Harding Avenue Bronx, N.Y. Divisions: Championships Boys’ Singles: 78’ Yellow Ball 16 (SE) and Championships Girls’ Singles: 78’ Yellow Ball 18 (SE) Surface Type: Clay Entry Fee: $54.25 per player (deadline for entries is Monday, June 3 at 1:00 p.m.) For more information, e-mail BillWiese4@gmail.com or call (718) 239-7919. Friday-Sunday, June 7-9 L1B Cross String Tennis Start of Summer Challenger Queens College 6530 Kissena Boulevard Flushing, N.Y. Divisions: Challenger Boys’ & Girls’ Singles: 78’ Yellow Ball 16 (SE) Surface Type: Hard Entry Fee: $54.25 per player (deadline for entries is Monday, June 3 at 1:00 p.m.) For more information, e-mail Steve.Beatty2584@gmail.com or call (716) 946-4348. Friday-Sunday, June 7-9 & June 14-16 L2 June 2019 Classic @ Sportime Randall’s Island 2019 Sportime @ Randall’s Island 1 Randall’s Island • New York, N.Y. Divisions: Challenger Boys’ & Girls’ Singles: 78’ Yellow Ball 12 (FMLC) and Challenger Boys’ & Girls’ Singles: 78’ Yellow Ball 14-18 (SE) Surface Type: Unknown Entry Fee: $54.25 per player (deadline for entries is Tuesday, June 4 at 1:00 p.m.) For more information, e-mail TournamentsRI@Sportimetfm.com or call (212) 427-6150.

NYTennisMag.com • May/June 2019 • New York Tennis Magazine

USTA/Metropolitan Region

2019 TOURNAMENT SCHEDULE For detailed information on these and all USTA tournaments, visit tennislink.usta.com/tournaments. Saturday-Sunday, June 15-16 L1B Haffen Park 2019 Challenger Haffen Park Ely Avenue & Hammersley Avenue Bronx, N.Y. Divisions: Challenger Boys’ & Girls’ Singles: 78’ Yellow Ball 12-16 (SE) Surface Type: Hard Entry Fee: $48.88 per player (deadline for entries is Friday, June 7 at 1:00 p.m.) For more information, e-mail EBWaldron@juno.com or call (917) 609-3648. Friday-Sunday, June 21-23 L1 Tennis at Throgs Neck June Championships New York Tennis Club Indoors 3081 Harding Avenue Bronx, N.Y. Divisions: Championships Boys’ Singles: 78’ Yellow Ball 16 (SE) Surface Type: Clay Entry Fee: $54.25 per player (deadline for entries is Monday, June 17 at 1:00 p.m.) For more information, e-mail BillWiese4@gmail.com or call (718) 239-7919. Friday-Sunday, June 21-23 L1B Cross String Tennis Academy June Challenger Queens College 6530 Kissena Boulevard Flushing, N.Y. Divisions: Challenger Boys’ Singles: 78’ Yellow Ball 18 (SE) and Challenger Girls’ Singles: 78’ Yellow Ball 16-18 (SE) Surface Type: Hard Entry Fee: $54.25 per player (deadline for entries is Monday, June 17 at 1:00 p.m.) For more information, e-mail Steve.Beatty2584@gmail.com or call (716) 946-4348. Friday-Sunday, June 21-23 L1A MatchpointNYC June Championships 2781 Shell Road Brooklyn, N.Y. Divisions: Championships Boys’ Singles: 78’ Yellow Ball 14 (SE) Surface Type: Hard Indoor Entry Fee: $54.25 for first singles/$28 for first doubles (deadline for entries is Tuesday, June 18 at 1:00 p.m.) For more information, e-mail KLastique@yahoo.com or call (718) 982-3355.

Friday-Sunday, June 21-23 L2 Staten Island Tennis Open Staten Island Community Tennis Center 2800 Victory Boulevard Staten Island, 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 Entry Fee: $54.25 for first singles/$28 for first doubles, maximum fee charged per player is $75 plus the processing fees for the number of events you select (deadline for entries is Tuesday, June 18 at 1:00 p.m.) For more information, e-mail KLastique@yahoo.com or call (718) 982-3355. Friday-Sunday, June 21-23 L1B HJTEP Summer Slam Fordham University Rosehill Campus 2691 Southern Boulevard Bronx, N.Y. Divisions: Challenger Boys’ & Girls’ Singles: 78’ Yellow Ball 12-14 (SE) Surface Type: Hard Entry Fee: $54.25 per player (deadline for entries is Sunday, June 16 at 1:00 p.m.) For more information, e-mail CoachSimone@HJTEP.org or call (212) 491-3738. Saturday-Sunday, June 22-23 Youth Progression Level 1 Progression: APTC in Queens Village Alley Pond Tennis Center 7920 Winchester Boulevard Queens Village, N.Y. Divisions: Green Level 1 Boys’ & Girls’ 10 and Under Singles: 78’ Green Ball 10 (FRLC) Surface Type: Hard Entry Fee: $54.25 per player (deadline for entries is Saturday, June 8 at 11:59 p.m.) For more information, e-mail AlleyPondTennisCenter@gmail.com or call (718) 264-2600.

New York Tennis Magazine • May/June 2019 • NYTennisMag.com

Tuesday-Thursday, June 25-27 L1B Rock n Roll Tennis School Grass Court Classic at The West Side Tennis Club The West Side Tennis Club 1 Tennis Place Forest Hills, N.Y. Divisions: Challenger Boys’ & Girls’ Singles & Doubles: 78’ Yellow Ball 12 (SE) Surface Type: Grass Entry Fee: $102.63 for first singles/$51.56 for first doubles (deadline for entries is Monday, June 17 at 1:00 p.m.) For more information, e-mail KLastique@yahoo.com or call (718) 268-2300. Saturday-Sunday, June 29-30 L3 APTC June UPS Alley Pond Tennis Center 7920 Winchester Boulevard Queens Village, N.Y. Divisions: Entry Level Boys’ & Girls’ Singles: 78’ Green Ball 12 ,78’ Yellow Ball 14-16 (NEF) Surface Type: Hard Entry Fee: $48.88 per player (deadline for entries is Wednesday, June 26 at 8:00 p.m.) For more information, e-mail AlleyPondTennisCenter@gmail.com or call (718) 264-2600.

litennis Tennis CHALLENGE

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Saturday, June 8th (Rain Date: Sunday, June 9th)

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Food & Drinks Provided

Men’s and Women’s Amateur Check in: 9:00 a.m. • Tournament: 9:30 a.m.-1:30 p.m. Men’s Pro Check in: 1:30 p.m. • Tournament: 1:30 p.m.-5:30 p.m.

Tournaments will have 3 categories:

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THE HAMLET Golf & Country Club

To register go to: https://longislandtennismagazine.com/2019-long-island-tennis-challenge NYTennisMag.com • March/April York Tennis Magazine 80 For more information, contact Info@usptennis.com or 2019 call• New 516-409-4444

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New York Tennis Magazine • March/April 2019 • NYTennisMag.com

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