8 minute read
CDT-at-a-glance
Above: (left to right) Omni La Costa Resort tennis maintenance employee Cipriano working hard to keep the courts clean. Omni Amelia Island Director of Tennis, Rob Wright, shows off a few of the safety supplies his team has added throughout the tennis facility.
Side: Juniors at Tucker’s Point Club, Bermuda show off their best tennis pose while practicing social distancing.
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Below: (clockwise left to right) Juniors pose for a picture with pro Reza Ghobbeh after a successful first day of summer sessions at Omni La Costa. Bluewater Bay Tennis Center Director of Tennis, Gary Bertoldo, shows a tennis cart newly equipped with sanitation supplies. Crandon Park Tennis Center pro Carlos Gonzalez and his student, Daniela, show off their masks before entering the courts. John Newcombe Country Club Director of Summer Sessions, Jake Hendrie, conducts junior thermometer checks. Castlewood Country Club Director of Tennis Teg Lozano poses with a student after a successful private lesson.
Above: (left to right) Four players get a stretch in before their clinic at Castlewood Country Club in Pleasanton, California. Omni La Costa Director of Tennis, Bryce Cunningham, stands next to a sign announcing new guidelines on the club’s reopening day.
Side: (left to right) Pro Kevin P. cleans his court at The Ritz-Carlton Key Biscayne, Miami. Crandon Park Director of Tennis, Dominic Mahboubi, sanitizes a ball hopper in between lessons.
Below: (clockwise left to right) A few members from Weston Tennis Center take a quick selfie after one of their first days back on the courts. Omni La Costa tennis employees conduct a staff meeting courtside. Two ladies play some social distancing singles at Weston Tennis Center in Fort Lauderdale, Florida. The youngest pupil at The Ritz-Carlton Key Biscayne, Miami learns the “new normal. Juniors at Cimarron Hills Country Club in Georgetown, Texas give their best wolf impression during a summer session.
LadiesRetreats
Due to the current COVID-19 pandemic, please be aware that we will be administering strict new health and safety protocols, and modifying on and off court formats and schedules. All information is subject to change due to constantly evolving CDC, national, state and local guidelines.
OUR TENNIS RETREATS INCLUDE: • Luxurious accommodations for 4 nights • 15 hours of tennis instruction, including drills, on court match play and coaching • Daily breakfast • Welcome reception and cocktail party • Player’s party awards presentation and video show • Optional spa services • Airport shuttle by request
2020 DATES: OCT 7-11 | Omni Amelia Island Resort, Amelia Island, FL OCT 14-18 | The Ritz-Carlton Key Biscayne, Miami, FL OCT 21-25 | The Ritz-Carlton Key Biscayne, Miami, FL PRICING: Double | Starting at $2075 Single | Starting at $2705
For more information, please contact Katie Steck at 830-625-5911 Ext 208 or email k.steck@cliffdrysdale.com
TENNIS + COVID
By Sal Barbaro, Head Tennis Professional at the Omni Amelia Island Resort
Over the past few months it’s hard to imagine a conversation going more than 3 minutes without the mention of how this pandemic has affected us. Before I go any further, despite how much life has changed I consider myself very fortunate with how my life has been going during the pandemic. I realize through reading and watching the news and hearing the many stories of people from all over, that my situation isn’t nearly as bad as others. I’ve managed to stay healthy and also work at some capacity.
When we finally decided to completely shut down tennis at the Omni Amelia Island Resort a few months ago, fear crippled my mind. I had no idea how long I would be out of a job. Now I must admit the first few days were kind of nice. My body was feeling a little weary so a few days rest was exactly what I needed. I live on property, so I am only a few minutes from the courts. For the month that I was furloughed I didn’t step foot on a tennis court, let alone pick up a racquet. The only time I left my place was to get groceries. It was a strange time. I felt so out of a routine. I normally wake up at about 6am and now I found myself waking up at 10 or 11. I was feeling like my days were just wasted. I missed watching sports. The NBA season was cancelled, and I just kept getting notifications on my phone that tennis tournaments weren’t happening. You start binge watching shows. I finally finished Sopranos and somehow managed to stay away from Tiger King! I was working on puzzles, writing songs on guitar, and watching reruns of sports since that was all we had. I honestly felt so disconnected from people. Thankfully technology allows us to communicate much more easily with my family and friends. If there was anything that was great about this whole thing is that I stayed in touch much more with ones I loved than ever before. When I tell people I really missed them, they think I am so full of it! I guess that is what you get when your second language is sarcasm. As much as it was nice taking that break from it all, I realized that tennis is who I am. It’s such a large part of me. I realized how much I missed the little things. I miss the feeling of someone getting excited after a match win, showing people tennis on YouTube on my phone, or just the simplicity of giving a high five to someone. At the moment we can only teach private lessons here. For those of you who know me, I love teaching the big groups. I thrive off the energy of people. However, only teaching private lessons has allowed me to connect with people more deeply. It’s forced me to give more of my energy to the person and the sport. It has given me an opportunity to really get to know people’s tennis games and what makes each individual tick. Group clinics are fantastic, especially here in Amelia, but with the only option currently being privates, many more people are seeing the benefits of how individual instruction improves one’s game.
Even though we aren’t at full capacity, I feel the energy of this place is back. People are out playing and learning this great sport once again. As I’ve said before, I consider myself one of the lucky ones. I hope all of us have realized how lucky we are to have tennis in our lives. The world has changed drastically. Change can be scary, but it can open doors to a brighter future. It can give us an opportunity to improve ourselves and the environment around us. I hope we can all embrace that. I hope during this time we were able to appreciate who and what is important in our lives. While for many of us it has been a strange and rough year, I hope we can all continue to be positive and move forward and create the life we all want.
THE OMNI AMELIA ISLAND RESORT DOUBLES BOOTCAMP
WEEKENDS AVAILABLE JANUARY & FEBRUARY 2021
CAMP for 8 SPECIAL
Bring a group of 8 players or more to select Cliff Drysdale Tennis Resort Destinations* and your camp is complimentary!
*Offer subject to availability and a 2 night minimum stay.
Contact Katie Steck for more information or to book your reservation. k.steck@cliffdrysdale.com | 830.625.5911 Ext. 208
TOURING CAMPS 2020
presented by:
The Cliff Drysdale Tennis Touring Team is a world class group of traveling tennis professionals who execute special events at tennis clubs, resorts and facilities across the nation.
