Indianapolis Tennis Magazine - Summer 2011 by Cooper Media Group LLC

Rick Witsken helps Team USA win silver in Trabert Cup

Indianapolis Tennis Magazine Summer 2011

IHSAA girls’ state finals • Carmel ends unbeaten season with 2nd team title in 3 years • Macie Elliott takes singles crown for Evansville Memorial; Highland duo wins in doubles News & Notes

Zionsville girls raise funds for breast cancer foundation

Fitness

Tips for dealing with shoulder pain

(pro)file

JCC tennis director Ernesto Castañares

On Court

Feel more comfortable when playing on clay

contentsSummer 2011 VOLUME 6, ISSUE 1

On the Cover: North Central junior Chelsea Carter’s run to the IHSAA state singles title was derailed in the championship match by Macie Elliott of Evansville Memorial, who won 6-3, 6-2. (Photo by Scott Cooper)

Carmel girls take state team title

IHSAA state singles/doubles tournament

USTA/NJTL Founders Award

Team USA takes silver in New Zealand

Over $13,000 raised in 2nd Drill4Water

Connie Held Spirit Supper

Successful rebuilding campaign results in undefeated season, fifth state team championship for the Lady Greyhounds.

Evansville Memorial’s Macie Elliott takes singles tournament title over North Central’s Chelsea Carter; Highland pair wears doubles crown.

Barbara Wynne honored with inaugural award for her efforts to promote the development of tennis among local youth.

Team Witsken founder Rick Witsken and teammates return from Tony Trabert Cup competition with silver medal.

Annual event recognizes those who have made important contributions to the local tennis community.

Plus…

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Ad In – Five candles on our birthday cake

News & Notes – Supporters walk to raise funds for Indy NJTL Chapter

(pro)file – Ernesto Castañares, tennis director at JCC Indianapolis

On Court – Some players dread hitting the clay, but here are some tips to make the best of it.

Fitness – Sore shoulder? Here are some tips to treat and prevent it.

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Annual fundraiser at Carmel Racquet Club nets needed funds for African villages.

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PUBLISHER’S COMMENTARY Publisher’s commentary Happy birthday to us!

ou know what they say about opinions and certain body parts. Well, when you’re in the publishing business you tend to have quite a few – opinions, that is. And when it comes time to do commentary on local tennis issues, it’s oftentimes hard to hold back. While some subjects are just low-hanging fruit just waiting to be picked – like the debacle with the former Indianapolis Tennis Center just one year ago (hard to believe!) – sometimes it’s best to let other circumstances play themselves out to the end before weighing in. So, my thoughts on the lack of respect that the sport of tennis receives or how the “rules of tennis” have supposedly “changed” (QuickStart) will have to take a backseat for the time being. Instead, I’d like to note a milestone of sorts, for five years ago this month marked the inaugural issue of Indianapolis Tennis Magazine. Like many publishers, I had the most grandiose plans for the publication and figured, like hitting a lob outdoors, that the sky was the limit. Little did I know at the time that the tennis industry itself was in a state of financial flux, while the economy overall was heading down an even gloomier path.

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I also was bringing out a new publication at a time when many magazines and newspapers, even the most well-established ones, were either pulling back in favor of exclusively online editions or ceasing publication altogether. Even I’m struggling to ﬁgure out the future direction of this magazine and whether a printed publication remains a viable option in a world increasingly dominated by smartphones, PDAs and tablet computers.

But, this isn’t intended as a personal pat on the back for surviving thus far in a complicated industry, but rather a huge “thank you” to the many people throughout the local tennis community who both appreciate and support what we’ve accomplished. While tennis has become one of the fastest-growing individual sports in the country (surpassing even golf), I can probably count on one hand the number of local or even regional tennis-focused publications that aren’t affiliated with a USTA section, and I’m proud to count Indianapolis Tennis Magazine among those. And an even bigger heartfelt thanks to the dozens of people who, over the last five years, have given of their time and talents to bring you the stories and photos in each issue. In my initial commentary in the summer of 2006, I remarked of the “long, strange trip” it had been from concept to first issue. Looking back it seems the last five years have flown past, and it’ll be interesting to see what lies around the corner!

Indianapolis Tennis Magazine PUBLISHER Scott D. Cooper Member, U.S. Tennis Writers Association EDITORIAL CONTRIBUTORS Tim Samons Dr. Stephen Kollias PHOTO CONTRIBUTORS Shawn Barney NJTL-Indianapolis Rick Witsken Matt Moore – Zionsville Girls’ Tennis US Tennis Association GRAPHIC DESIGN Nardi Art, LLC Regina Nardi Bal-Bow Grafix Terri Balon-Bowden For advertising information, call (317) 918-0726

Indianapolis Tennis Magazine is published three times a year by Cooper Media Group, LLC Bargersville, Indiana Contact us at Indianapolis Tennis Magazine P.O. Box 21 Bargersville, IN 46106 (317) 918-0726; (317) 422-4559 fax; or e-mail to scott@indytennismag.com Material may not be used or reprinted without prior permission from Cooper Media Group, LLC. Copyright® 2011, Cooper Media Group, LLC www.indytennismag.com

Indianapolis Tennis Magazine and the Indianapolis Tennis Magazine logo are registered trademarks of Cooper Media Group, LLC. Indianapolis Tennis Magazine is the winner of Media Awards from the USTA/Midwest Section (2007) and Hamilton County Community Tennis Association (2008).

www.indytennismag.com

news & notes TENNIS HAPPENINGS FROM AROUND THE AREA

Indy NTJL beneﬁts from fundraising walk

contingent from the Indianapolis National Junior Tennis League (NJTL) was among 40 local non-profit organizations that participated in the Walking for Dreams along the downtown Indianapolis canal in May. Over $100,000 was raised by 1,500 walkers, including more than $3,300 that will directly benefit the local NJTL chapter. The 5K Family and Pet Walk was started in 2004 to help local non-profits raise funds to serve the youth and families of Indianapolis. Donations are still being accepted at www.walkingfordreams.org. (Photo courtesy of NJTL - Indianapolis)

Indy chosen as 10 and Under Tennis market

ndianapolis has been chosen by the United States Tennis Association as one of 25 target markets nationwide to launch the revolutionary new 10 and Under Tennis initiative. The initiative is part of an ongoing effort to encourage young people across the country to get active and start playing the sport. Similar to other youth sports where equipment and playing ﬁelds are scaled-to-size for kids, 10 and Under Tennis, utilizing the QuickStart Tennis play format, gives children age 10 and under the chance to achieve immediate success by playing tennis on smaller courts, using smaller and lighter racquets, slower-moving and lower-bouncing balls. These monumental changes to the sport make tennis more fun for kids by allowing them to learn and develop their skills in an enjoyable way, increasing the likelihood that kids will continue to play and continue to improve. “10 and Under Tennis using the QuickStart Tennis play format will allow thousands of youngsters to have more success and therefore, more fun in learning and playing the game, giving the sport exposure to more children than ever before in facilities nationwide,” said Kurt Kamperman, Chief Executive, Community Tennis, USTA. “With 10 and Under Tennis, tennis has become the newest ‘pick-up’ sport and we expect to see participation numbers increase dramatically in Indianapolis because of our local partners.”

“We are excited that Indianapolis will be showcased as a launching point for this exciting new initiative,” said Mark Saunders, Executive Director of the USTA/Midwest Section. “This is a unique opportunity for all the tennis providers in our community to come together and grow the sport while getting kids playing tennis at a very young age,” said Saunders.

Again this spring, the Zionsville girls’ tennis team held its annual fundraiser to raise money for the Vera Bradley Foundation for Breast Cancer. Through individual and corporate donations, the girls were able to raise $6,260, far exceeding their original goal of $4,000. On April 26, during their annual fundraising match, the team presented the check to the foundation. For their efforts, the team was named a ﬁnalist for the St. Vincent Sports Award-Spirit of the Poor. (Photo courtesy of Matt Moore)

The group of enlisted community partners will work to build the 10 and Under Tennis infrastructure through training of tennis professionals, physical education teachers, and parents along with court construction and conversion of existing courts. The partnership has already launched a number of 10 and Under Tennis youth leagues throughout Indianapolis. Parents can begin to sign up their children for the Midwest Youth Team Tennis league at www.MidwestTeamTennis.com.

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The USTA, USTA/Midwest Section and USTA/ Central Indiana District will partner with a number of Indianapolis organizations to activate the 10 and Under Tennis initiative.

A CLOSER LOOK AT METRO INDY TEACHING PROS AND COACHES

Second time around is the charm for JCC tennis director

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CASTAÑARES

Ernesto

By Scott Cooper

t isn’t uncommon for tennis pros to work at several different clubs during their careers, but Ernesto Castañares is making the most of his second stint at JCC Indianapolis. Castañares first worked at JCC from 19951998 before leaving to pursue his own independent tennis business at Pickwick Place Apartments’ indoor tennis facility, which was destroyed in a fire 11 years ago. “I got a phone call around six in the morning saying, ‘Hey, Ernesto, your courts have just burned down!’ Fortunately, I had the earlier relationship with JCC and it became a good time to make the transition here.” The center had already added three indoor courts to complement its three outdoor courts when Castañares returned to take the position of tennis director. Several of his old Pickwick clients, who were already JCC members, followed him there. Since then, he has continued to work on increasing participation in both the adult and junior tennis programs. Born in Queretaro, Mexico, Castañares began playing tennis when he was 12 years old and later competed in local, regional and national tournaments throughout the country. Following high school he entered Montgomery Junior College in Rockville, Maryland (in the Washington, DC metropolitan area), where he played a semester of varsity tennis. After that, it was back home with a scholarship to the prestigious, private Monterrey Technological Institute, where he continued his college tennis career while pursuing a Bachelors degree in Business Administration.

JCC tennis director Ernesto Castañares coaches players during a break between games in a morning women’s clinic.

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Both tennis- and non tennisrelated issues saw Ernesto make multiple moves before meeting his future wife, Amy, and eventually finding himself in her hometown of Indianapolis, where he has been in the tennis business for the last 20 years.

played there, and Ramirez was beating them in Davis Cup most of the time. He was such a good influence on me to try and make it in tennis. I realized I had some talent in tennis and started to do well, not at a national championship level by any means, but I had good results and started to enjoy it.”

For Ernesto, his gravitation toward tennis was counter to the traditional thinking that most kids in Mexico leaned toward soccer. “There was a time when everybody thought soccer in Mexico, and I was one of them for many years, until about eighth or ninth grade,” he said. “That’s when I began to combine soccer and tennis. There was a very good Mexican player, Raul Ramirez, who was ranked at or near the top in doubles and was the sixth or seventh player in the world in singles. “We attended many Davis Cup matches in Mexico,” he continued. “Jimmy Connors and Ilie Nastase

From there, Castañares began teaching tennis to kids for additional spending money during his college days. And, as it turned out, his parents enjoyed the sport, as did his sister, who also began getting involved in tennis. His newfound sport also pleased his grandmother, who had also played. Once back at JCC, Ernesto began putting his own stamp on the existing indoor tennis programs, which had between 90-100 players on average. Since then, the programs have tripled in size, growing to around 350 players and peaking at 400 at one point. Throughout the summer, JCC offers weekly tennis camps that are incorporated into the center’s different sports and activity camp programs.

(Photos by Scott Cooper)

“This gives the kids an opportunity to pick and choose their schedules one week at a time,” he said. While the center may lack the high performance or high intensity programs of other clubs, the primary focus is on giving members a place to play. Castañares takes pride in the diversity of players, both in age and skill levels that are taking advantage of the center and its different tennis programs. Still, he’s always looking for ways to keep the programs fresh and interesting. Just this past winter, JCC offered its first in-house men’s and women’s singles league, which attracted 27 players in three different levels. “I like for the players here to get a good workout, learn, and have a good time on the court,” Castañares said, adding that his challenge is to find a way to cater to those players who may be interested in taking advantage of one – or all – of those aspects.

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(pro) “I wasn’t really thinking on making tennis my career in life,” said Castañares, adding that he spent some time in a management position with a company in Queretaro following graduation. A trainee program in hotel management with Omni Hotels would lead to a meeting with the person who coordinated the hotels’ tennis programs and an opportunity for Ernesto to try tennis as his primary source of income.

on court TIPS TO HELP IMPROVE YOUR GAME

Demystifying the ‘dirt’ A few simple strategies can help your clay court game By Tim Samons

t’s almost inevitable – the dread most summer league players feel when they learn they’re in the same flight as teams from Highland Country Club, Meridian Hills, Carmel Racquet Club and Woodstock Club: “Ah, man, I hate playing on clay.” Most local players have grown up playing on the hard courts, mainly at a local indoor club or one of the many public parks courts around the area. They’re used to the predictable and consistent ball bounce that a hard court affords, and playing on clay represents a strange and foreign surface.

Sliding on a clay court is essential to maintaining your balance and body control. The key is using the trailing leg and foot to stabilize the body during the slide.

Sure, there are always the players who play more often on clay and feel more comfortable in knowing the subtle nuances that come with a clay-court game. But, believe it or not, the clay court game is constantly growing. Learning the strategies and differences between clay court tennis and other surfaces will help you grow a successful clay court game.

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Understand the differences

First, it is important to understand that, while the clay does play slower, it can also seem slippery. Although it might appear to be a difficult idea to master, sliding becomes a common technique to avoid awkward slips or even falls. Learning to slide just takes a little practice. Go to your local courts and try running from one sideline to the other and add in a slide as you become more comfortable. Then, try timing your slide so that you come to a stop at the opposite line. Timing the stop is crucial because, when playing points, you strike the ball at the end of the slide.

hitting it on the rise. This requires more movement, which leads to the next point of aerobic fitness. Not only do you have to move around the court more because of the different bounce, but you also have to play longer to win most points. It can be difficult to hit a winner on these slower courts, so you have to find other ways to win points. This requires players to be in top physical shape to have a successful clay court game.

Know the strategies

In order to be successful on clay courts, you need to learn how to use the slowness to your advantage. Since Two other factors to be aware of when playing on hitting a winner is very difficult on clay, clay are the ball bounce and length as we mentioned earlier, playing the of matches. The ball tends to play a In order to be successful on percentages becomes an art. A strong hitter little differently on clay courts than clay courts, you need to learn on a hard court tends to get neutralized on on either grass or hard courts. The how to use the slowness to clay by the bounce, giving the opponent a most noticeable difference is the your advantage. better chance of returning the ball while higher bounce. In order to cope with you encounter the same risk. The golden the height, players must be aware rule when playing on clay is PATIENCE! of this and adjust by either moving Only go for a winner when inside the baseline. farther back in the court or taking the ball earlier and

Teaching pro’s iPod includes diverse playlist

Due to the friction of the clay court, the ball bounce also has a more rapid ascent than on hard courts. This means you cannot use your opponent’s pace as effectively, so racquet head acceleration is the key. Since the court is more slippery and harder to push off, wise use of a drop shot can be a weapon in the clay court game. According to clay court surface developer Har-Tru, since records have been kept, 88% of the top 10 players in the world learned to play tennis on clay courts – only 12% on hard courts. Clay courts give players an edge that no other surface can provide. Step your game and fitness up to the next level – go play on clay this summer! (Photos by Scott Cooper)

Tim Samons is the tennis director at Highland Country Club and is also a teaching professional at the Indianapolis Racquet Clubs.

Editor’s note: Highland Country Club is offering a special summer discount for those non-member players wanting to work on their clay court game. Contact tennis director Tim Samons at (317) 259-5171 or email at tennistim4@aol.com.

ryan Smith is a familiar site at local junior tournaments, but have you ever wondered what the UIndy Tennis Center teaching pro is listening to on his iPod? One hint: it certainly isn’t the latest podcast from Nick Bollettieri. “I listen to a little bit of everything,” he said at last fall’s IHSAA boys’ state singles championship. “Right now I’m listening to Jay-Z, and I’ve been listening to R.E.M. He also says his playlists include Frightened Rabbit, Elliott Smith, Snow Patrol and Bryan Adams. “Not too much country, although some country’s okay,” he added. Smith said a lot of the music he listens to is actually recommended to him by his students. “They’ll come up and say, ‘hey, you ought to listen to this’ and then I’ll download it onto my iPod.” Smith was at the tournament to watch one of those students, Bloomington South freshman Ronnie Schneider, win the state singles title.

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on court

Since a clay court plays slower, more patience is needed when playing on clay. This means waiting until you have a shot inside the baseline before trying to hit a winner.

focus on fitness OFF-COURT STRATEGIES TO HELP YOUR GAME ON THE COURT

Shoulder pain? It could indicate a ‘SLAP’ tear By Dr. Stephen Kollias

their serves. In essence, players will not be performing at the level they are normally satisfied with. Of course, the level of pain experienced by players depends on the severity of the injury. It is also important to note that a SLAP tear is often diagnosed in combination with other shoulder problems or instability (slipping out of joint) or a rotator cuff injury. It’s best to get any source of consistent pain in the shoulder examined so that the proper diagnosis and treatment plan can be administered.

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HEN MOST PEOPLE THINK OF INJURIES associated with tennis, the obvious tennis elbow comes to mind. However, there is another nagging pain that can not only affect your performance on the court and in your daily activities, but can also signify other instabilities within your musculoskeletal system.

With any shoulder problem, the first step in diagnosing a SLAP tear is to obtain an evaluation of the patient and perform some simple physical examinations. Most of the time, a SLAP tear can be diagnosed clinically without the need for further testing. However, an X-ray and/or MRI may also be ordered as part of the diagnosis process.

A Superior Latrum from Anterior to Posterior tear – or SLAP tear – is a common injury that presents itself as pain in a player’s shoulder. It is a typical injury associated with sports that involves overhead throwing motions. While tennis players are a little different in that most of the swings are not performed overhead, players will complain about pain when they serve or go for an overhead. Some players also will feel pain or discomfort when the ball impacts the racquet.

• •

Most of the time, the pain will affect players’ overall performance on the court. The players will experience pain when the ball leaves the racquet; they won’t want to swing as hard when they make impact, and proper swinging techniques can become compromised. Ground strokes will bother them. Velocity will be lost off

Many times, if patients are truly committed to the rehab program, they can return to play without problems. The goal is obviously to ensure players can return to the level of play they were happy with prior to the injury.

If, upon checking in with the patients after they complete rehab, the pain is still limiting performance on the court or affecting everyday activities, I will ask for an MRI to further determine the next course of action and to see if surgery is required.

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•

When a player reaches or fully extends for a specific shot When a player swings his/her racquet in an overhead motion While sleeping at night; difficulty getting a good night’s sleep When performing certain activities or motions during the day that mimic the same overhead motions used in play

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Shoulder pain – often felt deep in the shoulder or in the front of the shoulder where the bicep tendon meets the shoulder joint – might be experienced at the following times: •

When a SLAP tear is confirmed, my first recommendation is a regimen of rehab for the patient, typically consisting of a series of exercises focusing on strengthening the shoulder with free weights (not bands), posture exercises, and strengthening of the core. While the problem may lie in the shoulder, the core is an integral part of a person and how they perform on the court. Players with weak cores tend to rely more on an increased swinging motion from the arm, which puts more strain on the shoulder. I do recommend avoiding the use of a hand bike as it puts the patient in the exact position that aggravates a SLAP tear.

ﬁt

A SLAP tear can be caused by a number of reasons. They can be a result of a direct fall on a shoulder, falling on an outstretched arm, or with throwing or overheadrelated activities. However, there are also many instances when a specific incident or injury cannot be accounted for; the player just begins to experience pain in certain movements while playing sports or performing normal daily activities.

While many people can actually have a SLAP tear and function without problems, there are those who will require SLAP repair surgery if they don’t respond

favorably to conservative measures such as rehab. Surgery can be done using arthroscopic techniques that only require two or three small incisions, and decreases recovery time for the patient. SLAP repair includes using sutures to re-anchor the torn labrum back to the bone.

SLAP tear

Post-surgery, the patient will be required to wear a sling for two weeks and will not be able to lift or carry more than a pound for six weeks. Another round of rehab is recommended to increase mobility and strengthen the area. Typically, patients can resume normal activity within two to three months. An OrthoIndy physician, Dr. Stephen Kollias specializes in treating shoulder problems and arthroscopic reconstruction surgery of the shoulder and knee. He is currently the team physician for the Indiana Fever, Butler University, Marian University and Zionsville High School. A former recipient of The Top Doctors Award for sports medicine from Indianapolis Monthly, Dr. Kollias has provided sports medicine coverage in Indianapolis for many local and international events. He has also been an instructor at multiple national and international meetings.

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Bringing the title ‘home’

Carmel girls win second championship in three years with come-from-behind win over Evansville Memorial By SCOTT COOPER

Carmel rallied to put together an undefeated season capped by its fifth girls’ title with a 3-2 win over Evansville Memorial.

Apparently the word failed to reach Carmel girls’ coach Sharon Rosenburgh and the rest of the Greyhounds.

“We had four players who played their hearts out, who didn’t have a lot of tournament experience, no varsity experience, and were willing to listen and be coached,” Rosenburgh said. “They were willing to stick together through each match, hoping to get better each night. There were a lot of people who didn’t think we could, especially after losing so many people.”

After a wild off-season that saw the team not only lose its number-one singles player to transfer, but also four other players to either transfer or graduation,

As improbable as the team’s 21-0 run may have been, it managed to save the best for last, even against an Evansville Memorial team that upended South Bend

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n the eve of the IHSAA girls’ state finals weekend, a local newspaper writer put forth the notion that the “balance of power” in the girls’ game was moving away from the Indianapolis metropolitan area, with no local schools in last year’s final pairing and defending champs South Bend St. Joseph’s coming into the weekend as the top-ranked team and favored to repeat.

Freshman Bailey Padgett stepped into the number one singles position for the Greyhounds and compiled a 27-3, with one of the losses coming in the championship match to Evansville Memorial’s Macie Elliott.

Carmel’s Mikaela Carlson fought back from a set down against Jasmine Lee to win the second and third sets, 7-5, 6-2, and give the Greyhounds their fifth girls’ state title.

St. Joseph’s in the other morning semifinal, 3-2. The Tigers were able to parlay that momentum into early one-set leads on four of the five courts, the lone exception being at number two doubles, where Carmel’s Alaina Finkelmeier and Michelle Li won in straight sets, 6-2, 6-3 in claiming the Hounds first point of the match. That advantage lasted only a matter of minutes before Memorial evened the score with Macie Elliott’s 6-2, 6-4 win over Bailey Padgett at number one singles. With ambient temperatures hovering in the mid- to upper-90s, and an on-court heat index well into the 100s at North Central High School, the Greyhounds leveled the matches on the remaining three courts at a set apiece.

Photos by Scott Cooper

“We were so far behind; at one time we had two split sets going on and we’re down at the end on a three set, and we were within a point of continuing the match or being runner-up,” Rosenburgh noted. That meant the deciding point of the match – and the state title – would be decided by a junior (Carmel’s Mikaela Carlson) and a freshman (Memorial’s Jasmine Lee) at number two singles. With Lee taking set one, 6-4, and Carlson rebounding to grab the second, 7-5 (with neither player holding serve for nine consecutive games), Carlson came out of the 10-minute break to dominate the third set, ending the nearly threehour match with a 6-2 score. Rosenburgh said Carlson’s win was reminiscent of the 2009 semifinal against Munster, where she

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One of only two seniors on the team, Olivia Trancik lost at number three singles in a three-setter, but was later named the winner of the Mental Attitude Award.

Memorial’s Rachel Swartwood tipped the scales in her team’s favor by taking a 6-4 third-set win over Carmel’s Olivia Trancik at number three singles, but Alyson Bundy and Hannah Elliott again evened the match with a 7-5 final set score at number one doubles.

easily won the first set, but still needed to win a tiebreak for the team to keep its championship hopes alive. Still, closing out the match wasn’t particularly easy for Carlson, who showed the first hint of nerves while serving her first match point opportunity, nearly whiffing on a first serve before double faulting. She didn’t waste the second chance, as Lee’s return sailed just long at 40-30.

“I usually just focus on tennis while I’m out there, but I think I finally realized what was going on,” Carlson said of the errant serve, while adding that throughout her match she was aware of what was happening on the other courts. “I thought, ‘I have to stay out here as long as possible’; and when I saw Olivia winning the second set pretty easily, I said, ‘okay, I can do this; if she can do it, I can do it’.” Carmel made it a clean sweep of the awards as Trancik was named the winner of the IHSAA’s Mental Attitude Award. Brebeuf Jesuit joined Carmel in the final eight with a win in the Indianapolis semistate, but Rick Scotten’s Braves lost to South Bend St. Joseph’s in the quarterfinal round by a 5-0 score.

Juniors Michelle Li (left) and Alaina Finkelmeier went 18-4 on the season at number two doubles, with their last match being a 6-2, 6-4 win.

Photos by Scott Cooper

Alyson Bundy reaches down for a volley during the championship match at number one doubles against Evansville Memorial. Bundy and teammate Hannah Elliott lost the first set, but eventually won the match, 2-6, 6-4, 7-5.

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IHSTeCA releases girls’ all-state selections

he Indiana High School Tennis Coaches Association (IHSTeCA) has released its list of all-state and all-academic selections for the girls’ 2011 season. Nominations were made by member coaches. Those listed below are from schools within the Indianapolis metropolitan area.

Doubles – First Team: Kelly Csiszar & Lilly Iffert (Brebeuf); Alyson Bundy & Hannah Elliott (Carmel); and Meghan Fry & Carlene Eckhart (Cathedral).

Singles – First Team: Mikaela Carlson, Bailey Padgett (Carmel); Chelsea Carter (North Central); Maggie MacPhail (Park Tudor); and Bethany Moore (Lebanon).

Academic All-State: Caroline Bennett (Avon); Lakin Hocker (Mt. Vernon); Clair Kassebaum, Misa Takeda (Lawrence North); Maggie MacPhail, Annie Sheppard (Park Tudor); Eliza Moore (Brebeuf); and Olivia Trancik (Carmel). Eligible seniors must have met or exceeded an index based on previous years’ results. They also must have played in at least 50% of their team’s varsity matches; scored at least 1100 on the 1600 SAT, 1650 on the 2400 SAT, or 24 on the ACT; and have a GPA of at least 3.6 on a 4.0 scale.

Singles – Second Team: Kathryn Godfrey (Guerin Catholic); Meredith Goshell (Cathedral); Kristie Hsu (Hamilton Southeastern); Emily Jones (Center Grove); and Macey Spear (Roncalli).

Doubles – Second Team: Abby Long & Kimberly Marsh (Center Grove); Kaitlyn Lindley & Claudia Varga (North Central).

news & notes CONTINUED FROM PAGE 5

THE GARFIELD PARK COURTS are among several IndyParks tennis facilities getting a makeover this summer, thanks to a $1.5 million grant from the Lilly Endowment. Improvements will include resurfacing, new nets and new fences. Park courts to be affected are Broadway & 61st St.; Broad Ripple; Brookside; Ellenberger; Garfield; Greene; Krannert; Riverside; Sahm; and Tarkington. The courts were scheduled to reopen by August 31.

THE AIR STRUCTURE AT THE UINDY TENNIS CENTER was replaced in early May. The top photo shows the completed, brand new structure. In the bottom photo you can see the previous “bubble” deflated and workers removing the individual panels. The tennis center, formerly the Southside Tennis Center, was built in 2001.

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(Photos by Scott Cooper)

Carter close, but Elliott closer Unforced errors, low serve percentage doom NC junior’s chances at state singles title By SCOTT COOPER HEADING INTO THE IHSAA girls’ state tennis singles final, North Central’s Chelsea Carter had only dropped one match all season. Unfortunately, the architect of that loss was again staring back at her from across the net. Evansville Memorial’s Macie Elliott came into the final on a roll of her own, having led the Tigers to the finals of the team championship just a week before and scoring one of the team’s two points in a loss to Carmel. But it took a third-set match tiebreak earlier in the season for her to beat Carter in their previous meeting. But while Carter praised her opponent afterward, she turned out to be her own worst enemy as too many unforced errors and a sub-par first serve percentage contributed to a 6-3, 6-2 loss.

Carter was the first North Central girl to appear in the singles final since Bonnie Bleecker in 1994. Carter got an early break in the first set and was serving at 3-1 when Elliott came back to win five straight games. The girls were on serve at 2-2 in the second set when Elliott broke and then ran off the next three games for the title. Last year’s runner-up, Lebanon’s Bethany Moore, lost in the quarterfinals of the state finals round to Alexandra Brinker of Penn, 6-4, 6-3. In the doubles final it was Aby Madrigal and Elizabeth Quinn of Highland defeating Jasper’s Ashley Rogers and Elizabeth Theil, 6-2, 6-4.

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“She (Elliott) was really aggressive and I was being a little too tentative at times,” Carter said later. “I didn’t really take advantage of my opportunities like I should have. I lost some key points that could have turned the match around, but you live and you learn.”

Looking back, Carter said there were several areas where she would have tried to play differently. “I probably would have tried to stay in the points longer, be more consistent and move forward,” she said. A junior, this was Carter’s first season with the Panthers, having been home-schooled before in order to play more Midwest and national tournaments. “Chelsea has a big game for an 18 and under girl, and she uses it well,” North Central coach Dan Brunette said. “Today, I think she was aiming for the lines a little too much, and she may have had a little bit of nerves, but Macie played great. But, for having only been here since January, she (Carter) acclimated herself well and really became the unspoken leader of a team that was only six points away from winning the regional final against Carmel.”

North Central’s Chelsea Carter had the upper hand early against Macie Elliott, but eventually lost to the Evansville Memorial sophomore, 6-3, 6-2, in the championship match of the state singles tournament.

Two local doubles teams failed to advance beyond the state quarterfinals. Carlene Eckhart and Meghan Fry of Cathedral lost to Madrigal and Quinn, 6-3, 6-1, while Center Grove’s Abby Long and Kimberly Marsh lost to Kiera Bonebrake and Kelly Kyle of North Montgomery, 6-3, 6-4. Bethany Moore of Lebanon returned to the state finals round for the second consecutive year, but lost in the quarterfinals to Alexandra Brinker of Penn.

Cathedral’s Carlene Eckhart (left) and Meghan Fry ended their season with a 17-2 record following a loss in the quarterfinals to the eventual champs from Highland.

Abby Long (left) and Kimberly Marsh celebrate a winning point during their quarterfinal match against North Montgomery. The Center Grove sophomores wound up with a 15-10 season record after their 6-3, 6-4 loss.

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Photos by Scott Cooper

HCCTA holds 17th annual recognition luncheon T

he Hamilton County Community Association (HCCTA) held its 17th Annual Recognition Luncheon on June 3 at Carmel High School, honoring those who have made important contributions to the association while helping to further the growth of tennis.

Community Foundation (Corporation). Several students were also recognized for their participation in a new Elementary Reads program. They included Kim Ainza, Alyson Bundy, Katelyn Kennedy, Jamie Masnyk, Rithvi Melanta, Scott Ramey, Kelsey Sigman, Taylor Thurlow, and Emily Winter.

A record number of attendees saw Recognition Awards handed out to Carrie Ritchie (Volunteer), Rajeev Ram (Pro), and the Central Indiana

The association handed out scholarships to five Hamilton County-area students: Alyson Bundy, Conor Cunningham, and Evan Rhea of Carmel High School, and Scott Ramey and Taylor Thurlow of Westfield High School. Since the program started in 1996, 76 students have received $43,000 in scholarship funds.

The HCCTA gave awards during its annual Recognition Luncheon to (from left) Mark Robbins of the Central Indiana Community Foundation (Corporation of the Year); Carrie Ritchie (Volunteer of the Year); and Sushma and Raghav Ram, who accepted the Pro of the Year Award on behalf of their son, Rajeev.

STUDENT OF THE YEAR scholarship winners honored by the HCCTA were (from left) Taylor Thurlow, Scott Ramey, Evan Rhea and Conor Cunningham. Not pictured is Alyson Bundy.

HCCTA

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Special mention was made of the efforts in staging the inaugural EntouRaj for Kids fundraiser last December at Carmel Racquet Club, which featured ATP Tour pros Rajeev Ram and Taylor Dent along with local teaching pros and top junior players. The event, which raised more than $13,000 for the HCCTA’s Community Reads program, will be held this year on December 10, from 5-8 p.m., at Five Seasons Sports Club.

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Hamilton County CommunityTennis Association® where everyone is a champ

Photos by Scott Cooper

USTA, NJTL honor Barbara Wynne with inaugural award

arbara Wynne has always been known as a leader and pathfinder, when it comes to growing the sport of tennis and building programs in and around the Indianapolis area. Those many efforts were recognized by the USTA at its annual meeting in April, where it honored Wynne with the USTA National Junior Tennis League (NJTL) Founders’ Service Award. In its first year, the award was created to recognize an individual who: is committed to positive youth development through tennis and education; delivers outstanding service to underserved children with free or low-cost tennis; and provides education and lifeskills programming. The award will be given each year to those best reflecting the values of NJTL founders Charles Pasarell, Sheridan Snyder and Arthur Ashe. “Barbara’s passion, drive and energy are an inspiration to those who play and teach tennis,” said Kurt Kamperman, Chief Executive, Community Tennis, USTA. “We are proud to honor Barbara and the work (Photo courtesy of USTA) being done by the NJTL of Indianapolis with the inaugural USTA NJTL Founders’ Service Award. Her commitment to impact today’s youth not only through tennis, but with programs that emphasize character and education, illustrates the values established by NJTL founders Charles Pasarell, Sheridan Snyder and Arthur Ashe.” Barbara Wynne (right) with Jeanne Moutoussamy-Ashe, widow of Arthur Ashe, one of the founders of the National Junior Tennis League, at the USTA’s annual meeting.

In making the presentation, the USTA noted that Wynne began her volunteer activities more than 42 years ago. In 1968, at the urging of Indiana Senator Richard Lugar, Barbara founded the Riverside Upswing Program, which later became known as the Indianapolis Chapter of the NJTL. She later served

An advocate, coach and teacher of the sport, Wynne was awarded the USTA Eve Kraft Community Service Award in 1977, the International Tennis Hall of Fame Educational Merit Award in 1984, the USTA Silver Service Bowl Award in 1990 and the International Tennis Federation Major Winfield Award in 2007. The creative force behind the expansion of youth tennis in greater Indianapolis, Wynne was inducted in the USTA Midwest Hall of Fame in 2000 and honored with the USTA Midwest 30-Year Service Award in 2005. Wynne has spent her lifetime promoting the game’s benefits and Arthur Ashe’s vision of using tennis as a way to gain and hold the attention of young people. She adamantly believes that through tennis, lives can be changed. Her immeasurable impact on Indianapolis will be seen for generations to come, especially via the NJTL of Indianapolis. Over the years, she has helped the chapter expand its offerings to include after-school and summer programs, impacting more than 1,400 youth each summer season in 19 local public parks and schools. Wynne also currently holds the position as President and Founder, Indianapolis Junior Tennis Development Fund, and Midwest Youth Tennis and Education Foundation (MYTEF) Director AtLarge, as well as sitting on the USTA National Committee for the NJTL and on the Board of Directors for USTA Serves, addressing the needs of the college scholarship granting cycles. Also in April, Wynne, along with Indianapolis Colts president Bill Polian, were inducted into Marian University’s Clayton Family Circle of Honor. This is the second year the university has honored individuals for their exemplary contributions to the intellectual, physical, and spiritual well-being of youth in Indiana and beyond.

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Founders’ Service Award

as President of the Central Indiana Tennis Association from 1987-88, and in 1990 she originated and became Chairperson of the first national Arthur Ashe Essay Contest.

Silver in New Zealand whets Witsken’s appetite for return appearance in Trabert Cup By SCOTT COOPER

A TRIP TO NEW ZEALAND and an opportunity to represent the United States was the furthest thing from Rick Witsken’s mind when he decided last year to begin playing tournaments around the country, let alone coming home with a silver medal.

Matt Schiller, was also able to talk him into playing singles. “I really felt good out there, which surprised me since I hadn’t played in seven years leading up to that,” Witsken said. One of his opponents, Guillaume Gauthier (who defeated Witsken in the semifinal and won the tournament) had competed in the international competitions and mentioned it following their match.

IN HIS USA WARM UP, Rick Witsken shows the silver medal he won as a member of the United States team in the ITF Tony Trabert Cup competition. (Photo by Scott Cooper)

“I didn’t get a lot of details about it, but all I knew is that I’d be representing Team USA and they’d pay my way to go to some cool place,” he explained. “I didn’t realize there would be other US teams at our venue, so it gave us a chance to bond with some of them.” The fact the tournament would be played in New Zealand was another plus since it was a part of the world Witsken had wanted to explore.

But, while playing doubles in the USTA National Men’s 35 Hardcourts in Scottsdale, Arizona, over a year ago, Witsken learned of the Tony Trabert Cup, an annual international team competition sanctioned by the International Tennis Federation (ITF) for men 40 and over. Doubles partner,

Witsken wasn’t even sure of the format for the tournament, which was played in a Davis Cup style of two singles matches and one doubles match. The 12 teams were divided into four groups, and a round-robin decided which team would advance to the playoff elimination round. He said there was a large discrepancy between the top tier teams and the lower ones.

“The guy who was number one in our age bracket from France (Benoit Halle) I’ve seen in pro tennis for the last 30 years of my life,” Witsken said. “That guy could easily be a top 300 player today, as well as he played. That being said, the top guy from Turkey was probably a 4.5 player.” Witsken added that the US team was originally supposed to have former ATP Tour pro Jeff Tarrango on the roster, but he had to pull out prior to the event. There have been stories about pro athletes representing the USA in the Olympic Games who have been overcome with emotion when first seeing their uniform, and a similar sensation wasn’t lost on Witsken. “I’ve been supportive, as most people have been, of our troops, and 9-11 really heightened my patriotic emotions,” he explained. “And because I opted not to play pro tennis and went to work with my brother (Todd), whom I knew had pro talent, this was an event that captured two different emotions. One was playing for my country. I don’t care what anybody does, when you’re representing your country that’s a really heightened level of sensitivity. The other was being able to play a highlevel, pro-caliber event that was similar to Davis Cup.” The US team dominated its pool play against South Africa and Turkey, winning both matches by 3-0 scores and not dropping a set in winning 74 out of 89 total games. Witsken played doubles against South Africa, teaming with Mickey Maule to win

Fortunately for Witsken and his USA teammates, their tournament was being held about 90 miles to the south in the city of Timaru, which suffered only minor damage.

up watching coverage of the quake’s aftermath in Christchurch. Even though the team had a match the following day, he had thoughts of seeing what he could do.

“I was actually lucky,” he said. “I was ranked number one in the men’s 35s, so I could have been put in either the 35s or the 40s since I had been aging up, and they selected me for the 40s, which I was fine with. The competition for the men’s 35s (the Italia Cup) was in Christchurch, and they had these massive cracks in their courts (from the earthquake), the nets were shaking, and guys were literally hanging onto the fences. So, their event was cancelled. They THE TONY TRABERT CUP USA TEAM were told to turn around included (from left) Eoin Collins, Willie Quest, and fly back home.”

“Christchurch was only 45 minutes away and I told him I knew I wasn’t going to rest easily knowing there were people under rubble and knowing that we could be helping,” Witsken said. “Then their prime minister came on and said there were sufficient search and rescue teams on the scene and the area’s infrastructure couldn’t support any more traffic.”

“We had already won our team match (against South Africa), so for me there really weren’t a whole lot of nerves,” Witsken remembered. “I was a little nervous in the championship match because I knew France was the defending champion, the top seed, and a really competitive team.”

Mickey Maule, and Rick Witsken. (Photo courtesy of Rick Witsken)

In the semifinals, the US defeated the host country 3-0 with Witsken and Maule again winning the doubles point by a 6-1, 6-0 score to set up the championship match against the defending champs from France. Witsken lost his number two singles match, 6-4, 6-2 to Patrick Vergnes, and then Halle posted a 6-2, 6-4 win to clinch the Cup. “I thought I played pretty well,” he said. “In my match against France I was a little disappointed in my stamina, and I would have liked to have played more of a groundstroke, baseline style against the guy since he had great passing shots.”

Shake, rattle and roll The international team championships were rocked, literally, just days into the competition when a 6.3 magnitude earthquake hit the city of Christchurch causing major damage to the tennis facilities there. The damage was so great that the ITF cancelled both the team and individual competitions scheduled there.

On the flight from Auckland to Christchurch, Witsken said he talked to a lady who mentioned the city’s recent history of earthquakes, including a 7.1 quake in September 2010. (The city was again hit by several strong tremors just last month.)

Another chance at gold Witsken said the experience whetted his appetite to try and make the team again for next year’s competition, which will be held a little closer to home in San Diego, California. “I want to do it again,” he said. “I see all of my contemporaries playing all of these tournaments and accumulating points to get selected again. It’s definitely a neat event, and I want to win the championship. The Americans have enough talent to where we could win it. “The camaraderie was the neatest thing for me, aside from playing for your country,” he added. “We all got together really well and no one was sensitive about which position they were playing, singles or doubles.”

“The fact that it happened again just a few days later was Witsken said one pretty prophetic,” he thing that will said. Witksen and his ...when you’re boost his chances teammates (Maule, Eoin representing your country is knowing it’s Collins and Willie Quest) that’s a really heightened not the number were eating at a local level of sensitivity. of tournaments McDonald’s when the - Rick Witsken you play, but the quake hit. One headed quality of the for the door when the tournaments and shaking first started, but Witsken and the others the quality of your wins. weren’t convinced until they saw the light fixtures begin to pitch “I now know I can play fewer, but bigger tournaments,” he explained. back and forth. “I’ve gained more confidence in “I always thought an earthquake just my groundstroke game, but I also lasted a matter of a few seconds, but need to get used to playing longer for a minute or two it seemed like we rallies where I can still be aggressive were swaying on the ground,” he but not feel like I have to take as said. “It was a really bizarre feeling.” many risks.”

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That night, he and his brother Matt, who made the trip with him, stayed

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6-2, 7-6, then won at number two singles, 6-0, 6-0 against Turkey.

Drill4Water 2011 Fundraiser for African village brings in $13,000

he second annual Drill4Water held last March at Carmel Racquet Club attracted 120 participants and raised $13,000 to benefit NuAfricaâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s efforts to provide clean water for residents of the African village of Mali. Every day, almost a billion people struggle to collect water, but many times, the water is dirty. Dirty water kills more people each year than all forms of violence, including war. NuAfrica is a non-profit volunter-based organization with 100% of all contributions going directly to change that. Last yearâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Drill4Water raised enough proceeds to dig a well, which will save thousands of African men, women, and children from disease and death. Rather than making the daily trek to gather water, these villagers will spend those four hours growing vegetable gardens and attending school. Over the last two years, the event has helped raise funds for a solar-powered well in Mali. The event was an informal family evening of dinner, tennis drills with Carmel Racquet Club pros, a Wii Tennis Tournament, live and silent auctions, and music by DJ Idgaf. For more information on NuAfrica and its efforts, visit http://nuafrica. org/drill4water2011/.

Photos by Shawn Barney

Annual dinner recognizes spirit of tennis volunteerism T he Connie Held Spirit Supper was held May 15 at the Barbara S. Wynne Tennis Center on the campus of North Central High School, as volunteerism and student achievement were recognized for the 10th consecutive year. Kathy Risacher, former director of the Indianapolis Tennis Center, was honored with the Connie Spirit of Volunteerism Award for her efforts in assisting the new Downtown Tennis Center of Indianapolis committee as it seeks to replace the ITC, which was closed and demolished last summer after 30 years. The Indianapolis Junior Tennis Development Fund, which hosted the dinner, made a financial donation to the committee, as well as also presenting a check to the Indianapolis Chapter of the National Junior Tennis League. The Carmel High School tennis teams, represented by girls’ coach Sharon Rosenburgh and players Michelle Yee, Elliott Yee and Mikaela Carlson, were recognized with the Volunteer High School Team Award.

Mikaela Carlson was presented the Rita Stoepplewerth Award by Ed Brune.

Other honorees included: • Cassia Wojtalik and Dougie Barnard (Stan Malless Leadership and Scholarship Award) • Graham Reinbold (Mariann Nilhagen Memorial Award) • Mikaela Carlson (Rita Stoepplewerth Award) • Chris Bertolini (Dr. Greg Millis Memorial Scholarship) • Brooke Austin (Dottie Meyer Scholarship) • Kaitlyn Lindley (Connie Held North Central Spirit Award) • Ronnie Schneider (Kurt Freudenthal International Award) Kathy Risacher, shown with Sally Lugar, Andrew Held and Evie Infanger, received the Connie Held Spirit of Volunteerism Award.

Photos by Scott Cooper

Dougie Barnard (left with PA Nilhagen) and Cassia Wojtalik (right with Barbara Wynne) were honored with the Stan Malless Leadership and Scholarship Award.

This page is compliments of the Indianapolis Junior Tennis Development Fund