Yankee PROse June 2018

Yankee PROse Official Quarterly Publication of the

Summer 2018

U n i t e d S t a t e s P r o f e s s i o n a l Te n n i s A s s o c i a t i o n N e w E n g l a n d D i v i s i o n

This issue:

Ready for summer?

3 6 16 18 22

Visiting our web site usptanewengland.com has never been easier!

Just grab your smart phone and scan this QR-code and voilà!

President’s Message NYC May Conference Retaining Adult Players 66 Interview Todd Martin World Conference/TTC

… e r o m h c u and m

Exclusive interview with Todd Martin CEO ITHF Pages 18-19

I AM

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President’s Message Michael L. Mercier

President Michael L. Mercier 978-273-6500 mercier@fas.harvard.edu

“Happy Summer!

Dear USPTA New England Membership, Welcome to summer! I'm proud to serve as President of USPTA New England.

Many thanks to all of our new board members representing all of New England and welcome to our new Executive Director, Hans Römer. The USPTA New England community of tennis pros has never been bigger or more active.

Already this year we’ve gained 55 new members / upgrades, 5 high school workshops, Tennis Director In May we held our joint annual convention with Eastern at the National Tennis Center in Flushing, NY, with over 150 participating. The convention featured an extensive tour of the US Open site, our membership meeting, wheelchair tennis certification, our awards luncheon and many special guests, including a USTA New England–sponsored party with Patrick McEnroe.

As usual, the summer months are packed with events both on and off the courts of New England. On June 7–10, the USPTA National Grass Court Championships will be held at the International Tennis Hall of Fame in Newport, RI. Coming up in July on Monday and Tuesday, July 16–17, we'll host a USPTA “Tennis Across America” Free Lesson Day at the International Tennis Hall of Fame in Newport, RI, on the historic horseshoe grass court.

Regional Vice President Chris Stevens 603-969-2648 stevens10spro@gmail.com Treasurer Patricio Misitrano 305-766-9369 patricio.misitrano@gmail.com Secretary Nancy Lally 203-834-9475 tnsprolally@gmail.com Vice President Chantalle Arsenault 207-xxx-xxxx

cjlavert@gmail.com Vice President Mike Kolendo 413-374-9738

m_kolendo@charter.net

At the Connecticut Open at Yale University, we host Kids' Day on Sunday, August 19, and a USPTA Free Lesson Day on Monday, August 20. For professional development there will also be a high performance seminar, "Tactics and Techniques on Hardcourt."

Vice President Jennifer Callen Beveridge 617-834-9475

Finally, the USPTA World Conference and USTA Teachers Conference is coming up on August 24–27 at the Grand Hyatt in New York City. Join us for our joint Member Party with Eastern on Saturday, August 25th, at the Bierhaus German Restaurant and Biergarten, more details to follow.

Immediate Past President Phil Parrish 508-358-7355 lftennisdirector@hotmail.com

Throughout New England we hold regular high school coaching workshops and USPTA-NE Certification Testing. Stay connected with everything that's going on at usptanewengland.com, and on Instagram, Twitter, Facebook, and Setteo.

Head Tester Wayne Turner 401-862-6801 wayne.turner54@icloud.com Executive Director Hans Römer 207-310-8656 newengland-ed@uspta.org

Thanks so much, and have a GREAT summer!

Michael L. Mercier President USPTA New England

Yankee PROse June 2018

jenncallen@yahoo.com

3

2018 Member Benefits Racquets, Balls, Strings, and Accessories

Wilson

Member pricing with approved contract Supplemental Savings Program contribution

Apparel and Footwear

Nike/Fromuth Tennis

30% member pricing discount Supplemental Savings Program contribution

On Court Equipment and Awards

10-S Tennis Supply - AER-FLO Caribbean Sol - Har-Tru - NetKnacks USPTA special member discounts Supplemental Savings Program contribution

SportMaster

Health Care

• Ability to purchase discounted dental coverage through usptadentalplans.com • Prescription discount card save up to 85% on medication costs

Education and Professional Development

• Full access to TennisResources.com, USPTA’s online education resource library • USPTA World Conference and division conventions • Free monthly webinars • Specialist degree programs • Online educational opportunities • Free Net Generation certification background check for USPTA members completing the program • Positive Coaching Alliance discounts • Accredited Professional Coach (APC) designation • Eligibility for national and division awards • iPTA discounts

USPTA fix-a-court referral program

Teaching and Lesson Tools

Insurance

• Online practice planner

• $6 Million in on-court liability insurance • Ability to purchase sexual abuse & molestation insurance • Ability to purchase additional facility insurance • Ability to purchase non-member employee insurance • Liberty Mutual discounts on home, auto, pet, legal, and ID theft insurance • Access to Select Quote life Insurance marketplace

Business Opportunities

• TGA Premier Youth Tennis franchising opportunity

Job Search and Personalized Promotion

• Listing in USPTA Find-a-Pro Online tennis professional database • Personalized USPTA professional products available for purchase • Free personal tennis professional website • Access to the USPTA career center

Online Management

• Setteo - Free member profile, 10% discount on premium registration

Additional Benefits

• Tennis Industry magazine with ADDvantage • AIM Initiative - membership referral dues discount program • Avis Car Rental - save up to 30% at participating locations • Enterprise Rent-a-Car - save up to 5% at participating locations • National Car Rental - save up to 10% at participating locations • FTD Florist - 20% product discount • TrueCar.com - additional dealer discounts on new and used cars • US Open Series - free access to tournaments that lead up to the US Open • USPTA Surface Championships - compete against fellow Pros • Universal Tennis (UTR) membership and database access (Summer 2018) • BookingCommunity.com - travel and hotel discounts

Supplemental Savings Program Wells Fargo Financial Advisor and USPTA Elite Professional, Bo Gard, along with Marshall Lynch, CFP, First Vice President, have partnered with the USPTA to develop a program that provides USPTA-certified Professionals with the option of a savings and retirement plan, each customizable to their unique needs.

The Supplemental Savings Program will feature a vendor-supported savings plan, with select vendors providing concessions to the USPTA for the benefit of participating member pros. For more information go to uspta.com/supplementalsavings

USPTA member Steve O’Connell took over as the Boys’ Varsity Head Coach of Masuk High School in Monroe, CT this season. The Masuk Panthers have had their best season in 25 years with Coach O’Connell. Their record of 11-5 has qualified the entire team for the state championships in June. As one of the top teams in the South West Conference, Masuk has produced several All-Conference and All-state players. Go Panthers!!

“The ball is round, the game is long” ~ Björn Borg

Congrats to the Methuen High School Boys Tennis Team for receiving the MIAA Sportsmanship Award! Job well done by USPTA Coaches Joe Perrone and Joseph Perrone Jr!

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May ’18 Conference

The Billy Jean King National Tennis Center in Flushing NY, was recently the proud host of the New England/Eastern Conference. More than 100 tennis professionals from both divisions gathered for great education, networking, Awards lucheon and yes, even a softball game between New England and Eastern. Our secret practice sessions with the Red Sox paid off, since Eastern never got on base!

USPTA CEO John Embree personally attended and participated in all the action!

Thanks for all your enthusiastic participation, AWESOME WEEKEND! Yankee YankeePROse PROseJune June2018 2018 3 6

Eastern/New England

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WILSON.COM/CUSTOMRACKETS

Pros often customize the rackets they use, including string patterns. Consumer racket specifications may vary from models customized by Pros for match-play. Š 2017 Wilson Sporting Goods Co. Trademarks advertised other than those of Wilson Sporting Goods Co. are properties of their respective owners. 17-0859

USPTA New England Divisional Award Winners 2017

Michael L. Mercier

New England Professional of the Year

Erin Reeves

High School Coach of the Year

Tom Hopewell

High School Coach of the Year

John Ciarleglio

College Coach of the Year

A-Copi Tennis & Sports Center - Augusta, ME

USPTA NE Small Facility of the Year

Chelsea Piers - Stamford, CT

USPTA NE Large Facility of the Year

Patricio Misitrano

Tester of the Year

Christy Bennett

USPTA Stars Award

Joseph Perrone JR

Under 30 Tennis Professional of the Year

Christine Lyons

Under 30 Tennis Professional of the Year

Wilbur Shardlow

Over 65 Tennis Professional of the Year

Karen Powers McNamara

Wheelchair Tennis Coach of the Year

Dan McCormick

Platform Tennis Professional of the Year

Connie L. McHugh

The Ed Series President’s Award

Lanell Beckles

Diversity Award

Dave B. Jones II

Northern Tennis Professional of the Year

Nestor Bernabe

Southern Tennis Professional of the Year

Anne Schwartz

Western Tennis Professional of the Year

Helaine Vrana

Eastern Tennis Professional of the Year

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“My very first Divisional Conference was Amazing!�

Chantalle Arsenault The USPTA Eastern and New England Division Conference at the Billie Jean King National Tennis Center was a rewarding experience. I have been an U30 USPTA member for four years, and this was my first division conference. I was thoroughly impressed with the speakers and presentations throughout the entire weekend. Since becoming a USPTA member in 2014, I have strived to continue my education and search for growth opportunities. As a young tennis pro, I have been diligent in making sure that I am open to all ideas and concepts at every educational workshop. The conference this weekend was eyeopening and I found that through consistent education and open mindedness, my tennis teaching has grown exponentially throughout the years. After every conference, I am sure to implement many of the new ideas into my tennis programs. The wealth of knowledge shared at the USPTA Eastern and New England Division Conference through presentations and networking was unprecedented.

I am very appreciative for the USPTA and to all the speakers that continuously share their knowledge in the tennis industry. Whether through business relations, on court tactics, or junior development, there were so many important pieces to understand and learn no matter the pathway tennis professionals choose to take. I am thankful to be a part of the growing organization of the USTPA. To spend a weekend surrounded by professionals that share a passion for tennis is an experience I encourage all members to experience.

Chantalle Arsenault is a USPTA Professional and played four years for Bowdoin College in Brunswick, Maine. In the summer she is the Tennis Director at the Boothbay Harbor Yacht Club and in the winter she is teaching in the Boothbay Region in Maine. Chantalle is also on the Board of Directors for USPTA New England.

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NIKECOURT ZOOM CAGE 3

Take the court in shoes designed for your style of play.

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The Official Distributor of Nike Footwear & Apparel to the USPTA.

Shop online at uspta.fromuthtennis.com for all your Nike Footwear with Preferred USPTA MEMBER Pricing.

Tennis in the Summer, Platform in the Winter Rose Cantlin

“As a tennis professional living and teaching in New England, there is no reason not to learn how to play and teach Platform” This past March three of my fellow USPTA Tennis pros and I took the Platform Tennis Certification exam at the Wentworth by the Sea Country Club in Rye, New Hampshire. Having two platform tennis courts at the club, we thought it was about time to become certified to teach what has become a very popular winter sport. I went into the experience not knowing quite what to expect as I had only played platform tennis a handful of times, so needless to say I was a little nervous!

When I received my 60 page study guide full of history, rules, code of conduct, court dimensions, court maintenance, practice questions and guidelines to the playing, feeding and teaching parts of the exam, the nerves got worse!

At first I felt like I was studying for college finals, but the more I started to actually learn about the game of Platform Tennis, the studying felt more like I was learning something I was interested in and excited about, and less like I was preparing for impending doom. Platform at first glance for me had seemed like a smaller version of tennis combined with the wall play element of racquetball, but the more I watched and read and learned I realized how different the two sports are.

The doubles strategy, the serve technique, the volley technique and use of spins and pace were all very different in their own ways from tennis.

The most difficult thing for me personally, was learning how to play the ball off of the screens.

Not being a racquetball or squash player I felt very much like a novice when playing the screens at first and wasn’t sure how I could teach something to another person that I had no grasp of myself. However, with some help from fellow Platform instructor Dan McCormick, who recently was named Platform Professional of the Year for USPTA New England, we were well on our way to understanding not only how to play the screens, but how to teach it. I started to become excited to help others to learn what I felt I had learned about the sport and for the first time felt as I do when I teach a tennis lesson.

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I had recently upgraded my tennis certification from pro to elite, so the testing process was somewhat fresh in my mind. The feeling of being evaluated while teaching a lesson in tennis compared to the feeling of teaching a Platform lesson was familiar yet so very different. For one, Platform has the unpredictable New England weather to deal with and for our test day mother nature decided to be quite chilly! Suddenly I was very aware of how inaccurate my feeding was off the screen to my students, and was feeling the cold in my forearm. A couple bad feeds aside, my tennis teaching experience helped me to keep the lessons going and actually impart some wisdom to the students.

As a tennis professional living and teaching in New England, there is no reason not to learn how to play and teach Platform. It is a great way to grow your program and get more people involved who might play tennis but have only tried Platform once and gave up. This sport is also a great way to hold a fun event that can bring together people who may not usually see each other on the tennis court because of skill level differences. I highly recommend all my fellow USPTA pros to get certified in Platform because you will learn a great sport and how to teach it correctly, and you will certainly have fun along the way!

I am happy to report that all four of us passed and are now certified PPTA Platform Professionals and I personally am very excited to keep learning about Platform and to start teaching this great sport next winter!

Rose Cantlin started playing tennis in Woodstock, Vermont, and played at Mount Holyoke College for 4 years.

Since 2014 Rose is the assistant tennis pro at the Wentworth by the Sea Country Club in Rye, NH where she currently teaches juniors and adults of all levels.

Last year she coached the 2.5 ladies team from Wentworth all the way to the USTA National Championships in Mobile, AL. Rose is a USPTA elite professional and a PPTA Platform Professional. When she is not on the court, she loves to paint, hike, surf, and play golf (and is the proud owner of a hole in one).

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Unlimited Perseverance.

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My Journey to USPTA Certification Jason Fransen

“I never thought that I needed to be certified, but I'm already seeing the benefits” In the summer of 1998 I got my first real teaching job as the Assistant tennis Professional at a small club near my house in Connecticut. Almost 20 years later I was notified that I was awarded the classification of USPTA Professional. I never thought that I needed to be certified, but I'm already seeing the benefits from going through the process that frankly intimidated me at times along my path. At others, I was too busy chasing my tail around the world coaching ATP/WTA players that weren't influenced one way or the other whether I was a USPTA professional or not.

But I am now a Tennis Professional at an indoor club in Connecticut and the need for certification became abundantly clear.

over-prepared. As I write this, I still don't know what my scores were for the on court portions, but I do know that I was awarded the Professional Designation. A few things worried me going into the exam. I became friends with a gentleman from New Zealand who took a job at the Saddlebrook Academy in Florida when I was working there who came to the US just to get his USPTA certification. He spent hour after hour getting ready for his test, only to freeze in the moment. So I knew iI had to stay loose and just trust what I had done each and every day for so many years.

I took the on court portion at Lifetime Athletic in Harrison, New York. It was a phenomenal facility and the whole day was first rate. It started with the teaching of a private lesson and clinic portion, which seemed to go seamlessly. But the tennis skills section were as nerve wracking as I had anticipated. The only thing that I ever had to do that compared was when I had to feed balls to His Majesty Roger Federer during one of his practice sessions and couldn't seem to get the ball anywhere close to him. But despite a little nervous shaking I finally got the ball to go pretty close to where I wanted enough times that I passed the test!

I had built up a bit of a fear that, despite my long career of coaching, my skills wouldn't be good enough to pass the exams. But I decided to prepare the same way I had recommended to my players over the years. I prepared for the written portion, now done online, like I was studying for an exam in college. I spent hours reading and rere a d i n g t h e U S P TA manual and probably close to a dozen hours watching videos on my laptop. The tests themselves were not quite as scary as I had anticipated, but probably because I had

So now that it's 2018, and I finally have my certification, I'm primed to strive to be the best coach and teacher that I can be and I look forward to growing with the help of the USPTA.

Jason Fransen is a teaching professional at the Weston Racquet Club, and played three seasons at Gettysburg College in Pennsylvania where he majored in economics and business management. He ultimately rose to #1 in singles and doubles and was named team captain. He coached Bethanie Mattek-Sands for 18 months (she jumped from #154 to #30) and Artem Sitak (#39 ATP Doubles and won three Tour titles).

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The Key to Retaining Adult Players and Having Successful Teams: Teach Your Players a Doubles System

By Bill and Matt Previdi USPTA

The most successful teams in every sport have a specific system for their players.

Different teams utilize different philosophies and strategies, however all of the best teams each have their own. Unfortunately, tennis (doubles) is the only sport where no one teaches you “plays” like other sports would.

In tennis, we have a large passionate group of adult players at every club. To us at The Previdi System, they’re the lifeblood of every facility. They join teams and create a social network that enmeshes them in the club long term. They get their spouses and their children involved too. We think they are largely underserved in that they’re not receiving the kind of information they need to get the best results and the most enjoyment out of doubles.

When we say they need a system, we mean that they need to be learning the following things: •

The average point in doubles lasts fewer than four shots (total).

Everything we teach them should begin with serve and return.

•

Where to be and where to hit those initial two shots. This is more challenging than one might think since there are many variables involved. For example - “How do we position ourselves based on our first shot and where do we hit the second shot?”Both partners need to know this.

•

Simplifying situations by perfecting one option (e.g., sending returns back short and angled) and having backup options based on when variables in the point change. These need to be practiced until they become seamless and second nature.

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From a business standpoint, teaching a system is a wonderful way to create a synergy on your staff as well as between your students and teams. The lesson plan is the same framework for all of the clinics and practices every week but the theme and drills are almost identical across the board.

•

All doubles players on a team are interchangeable with each other and understand the same concepts.

•

Your player’s understanding and enjoyment of the game will increase exponentially.

Different levels may have slight variations based on ability and experience, but in general everyone is working on the same concepts at the same time. Players can fill in on groups and never miss a beat. Coaches can sub for each other and know exactly where the group is and what to do. This type of program will eliminate staff members contradicting or undermining each other. Here are the main advantages of having a system for your doubles players:

•

Your program will outshine others in your area. Market and promote your system (and your team’s results). Your club will be unique in the market.

•

When players change level (or team), they will fit seamlessly into what the new team is doing. There will be no learning curve.

Many players are unhappy when they go to a new team. This will mitigate that problem greatly as there will be no more fear of winning in USTA and getting “bumped up”!

Bill and Matt Previdi have developed “The Previdi System...Doubles for the Smart Player”. They specialize in teaching adult, competitive doubles players and have presented at USPTA conferences around the country. They are annually on the faculty at The Tennis Congress, the largest program for adult players in the nation.

www.theprevidisystem.com

Our goal is to create a dynamic, fun environment for our players where they gain a real understanding of the game.

Your players will appreciate the planning and organization that goes into their lessons and your program. Your pro staff will love the team atmosphere it creates as well. By implementing a system that runs so smoothly across the board, you are solidifying not just the financial success of your facility, but also your position at that facility. Club management will love what it does for the bottom line in the short term and long term. The most important thing is the look on the players faces when they have a true holistic love of the game and begin to see sustained results and improvement.

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“Court Chat” with

Todd Martin CEO International Tennis Hall of Fame

Yankee PROse recently sat down with Todd Martin, who started as CEO for the International Tennis Hall of Fame in 2014, after retiring from the ATP Tour where he reached a career high ranking of #4. So we thought, after four successful years as CEO, it’d be the appropriate time to ask our fellow USPTA New England Professional Todd Martin a few questions.

“I had no idea how all those press conferences as an athlete would benefit me later on in life!”

Todd, congrats on your event that has been improving every single year since you took over as CEO. What was your short and longterm planning and what strategies did you apply to accomplish these goals?

“One of my primary goals when I arrived was to diversify our offerings so that people think of tennis year-round when in Newport o r c o n s i d e r i n g t h e I T H F. T h e D E L L Technologies Hall of Fame Open and Hall of Fame Enshrinement are staples for tennis fans in New England/Rhode Island, so there weren’t massive elements to improve upon.

The most important thing was to provide free admission to the ITHF museum for all ticket holders. The museum is a masterpiece and our guests love it. It’s unique to the Hall of Fame of course, which adds a really special experience for our ticket holders. A few other key facets that we have focused on immediately and have improved are fan connectivity with the players (our draw party

is a lot of fun now and we have daily “Chats with Champions” for all our fans to enjoy), player services thanks in large part to improved facilities during our capital project a few years ago, and adding technology to the event by way of large video boards and Hawkeye review system.

We have done all these things while maintaining the charm of the 138-year-old property and allowing for players and fans alike to experience history while here.”

What components of being a successful f o r m e r t o p 5 AT P p l a y e r h a v e y o u implemented in your role as CEO of the ITHOF? “Competitiveness, goal setting, ensuring focus is maintained by all, and communication. I had no idea how all those press conferences as an athlete would benefit me later on in life!”

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What a brilliant idea to invite Sloane and Madison this summer! Can we welcome a WTA event here soon?

“Hosting a WTA event is not as easy as just pushing a button. An exhibition between Sloane and Madison, however, is s o m e t h i n g t h a t t h e W TA i s q u i t e supportive of, will be an amazing day for our fans, and bring women’s professional tennis back to the ITHF for the first time in decades.”

With John Isner winning in 2017 and many young American players knocking on the door, what are your views and expectations of American Tennis in the near future?

“I am hopeful for the US future. There’s a long road to hoe, though. Remember that most of the best players in the world are in their upper 20’s to mid 30’s.”

As USPTA member yourself, what can we as USPTA New England professionals do to promote your event and the International Tennis Hall of Fame?

“Professional tennis is a fine vehicle to grow enthusiasm for the sport. The Induction of Legends into the Hall of Fame

is the ultimate honor in tennis and the stories shared by the game’s greats are inspiring.

Although we have have very good support from the New England tennis community, we would always value more. Please share event details with your students and their families, organize group trip to Newport, and promote the player development benefits of watching the best players in the world.”

Todd, thanks for a very informative chat, any final thoughts you would like to share with our dedicated members in New England?

“I was raised in Michigan, playing indoor tennis throughout childhood and the sport was thriving there. It was the work of several tennis teaching professionals in various communities that drove the sport forward.

Being back up North (albeit a different region), I see similarities in climate, facilities, and the opportunity for tennis to grow. It is an exciting time.”

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SUMMER 2 01 8 Join us for an exciting week of world-class pro tennis, the ITHF Induction Ceremony, Invesco Legends and much more!

FAMILY DAY Sun 7/15 ATP JUNIOR CLINIC Mon 7/16 USTA FAN ZONE Mon–Fri 7/16-20 USTA MEMBER DAY Tue 7/17 FASHION SHOW Thu 7/19 AARP DAY Fri 7/20

P R E M I E R

S P O N S O R S

NEWPORT, RI

JULY 15 - 22 TICKETS ON SALE NOW HallofFameOpen.com

STEPHENS VS KEYS

Invesco Legends

Sunday, July 22

FRIDAY, JULY 20

James Blake

Jim Courier

Tommy Haas

Class of 2018 Enshrinement SATURDAY, JULY 21

Helena Suková

Michael Stich

HallofFameOpen.com

Lleyton Hewitt

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Monday July 16 & Tuesday July 17 from 11:00am to 5:00pm This is your opportunity to teach tennis at the most prestigious tennis facility in the United States! Join us for 2 days, or any time you have available and share your passion for tennis on the famous Horseshoe Piazza Court in Newport, RI. We need 12 professionals for 1/2 hour lessons.

Bring your whites and your smile : ) For more information please contact Jacques Faulise at 401-999-7393 or email him at japfaulise@hotmail.com

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JOIN THE BEST AND BRIGHTEST MINDS IN TENNIS

The 2018 Tennis Teachers Conference returns to New York’s Grand Hyatt Hotel Aug. 24-27. Join the USTA and USPTA for an outstanding tennis educational experience for all coaches and providers looking to raise their game with world-class speakers, networking opportunities, and interactive oncourt sessions. The cost for the four days of the TTC is $399. Day passes for the TTC will be available at $175 each and registrants are qualified for the special rate of $249 per night at the Grand Hyatt. Register before early bird date of August 1 and enjoy world-class tennis in the new Louis Armstrong Stadium on Opening Day at the US Open.

FEATURED SPEAKERS

Gigi Fernandez

Hall of Famer 17-time Grand Slam Doubles Champion and Two-time Olympic Gold Medalist

Jason Harnett

USTA National Manager and Head Coach of Wheelchair Tennis

Kraig Kann

Renowned Speaker in Strategic Communications, Media Relations, and Brand Marketing Managing Director of Kann Advisory Group

FR IDAY - MO NDAY AUG / 2 4 - 2 7 / 2 018

G r a n d H y a t t N e w Yo r k 109 E 42nd St N e w Yo r k , N . Y . 1 0 0 1 7 TEL: 1 212 883 1234

TO REGISTER, VISIT 2018TTC.COM

ON-COURT SESSSIONS ON COURT SEMINARS AT SPORTIME RANDALL’S ISLAND

Saturday’s on-court sessions will take place at SPORTIME Randall’s Island. Randall’s Island is the largest tennis facility to open in NYC in the past 30 years. Opened in 2009, the award-winning, $19 million facility immediately became one of New York City’s premier tennis destinations and is the Manhattan home of the John McEnroe Tennis Academy.

The Club Features:

• 160,000 square feet of tennis courts and support facilities • 20 courts: 10 Deco-Turf hard tennis courts and 10 Har-Tru clay tennis courts • Five indoor hard courts, year round • Five hard courts and 10 clay courts are housed in three state-of-the-art air structures during the indoor season and are available for outdoor play during the outdoor season

C O M E W AT C H FREE TICKET TO DAY ONE OF US OPEN Everyone who registers for the TTC before the “early bird” August 1 deadline will receive a free ticket to the first Monday of US Open competition, making TTC registrants among the very first to experience the excitement of this remarkable world-class venue. A food voucher and transportation to and from the US Open that day are also included. All early-bird registrants are able to purchase guest passes for this incredible US Open experience. These are available for $125 each.

Photo Courtesy USTA/ Darren Carroll

55 - USPTA ADDvantage Magazine

TO REGISTER, VISIT 2018TTC.COM

Social Media “Social networks represent the digital reflection of what humans do: we connect and share” ~ Jeremiah Owyang

Connect and share, isn’t that what we as USPTA professionals do all day? Let’s face it, having a social media presence is part of our jobs n o w. P ro m o t i n g e v e n t s , highlighting accomplishments, action pictures, award ceremonies are just a few reasons to start posting and tweeting.

Keep in mind that our newsletter Yankee PROse only appears quarterly and we do not publish all these smaller, but very newsworthy, items. So if you like to keep informed daily/ weekly, please join us! An identical post will appear on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram at an average of 5 per week.

Are you one of the 2,500 followers yet? If not, please check these links below and start following us:

USPTA New England has recently become very active on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and we just created a Linkedin page. With a combined following of almost 2,500 people we currently have the largest and most active social media platform of all USPTA Divisions! Moderating the right amount of posts is critical for maximum exposure and impact.

https://www.facebook.com/usptanewengland

https://twitter.com/USPTANE

https://www.instagram.com/uspta.newengland

https://www.linkedin.com/groups/12122188

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CT OPEN

USPTA 2018

28th ANNUAL FREE LESSON

“Reaching the Next Generation” Come join USPTA New England’s Nancy Lally, Steve O’Connell and Skip South for our 28th Annual FREE Lesson on the courts of the Connecticut Tennis Center at Yale University on Monday, August 20th, 2018. Also, we will be helping with the CT OPEN Kid’s Day on Sunday, August 19, 2018. Also on Sunday we will once again offer Professional Development Educational Credits for a High Performance workshop: “Tactics and Techniques on Hard Courts”.

Show off your skills and help promote the USPTA at one if the largest New England sporting events and an essential part of the US Open Road Trip series of tournaments leading up to the US Open. All participating USPTA pros working the FREE Lesson event will receive a day grounds pass and a FREE box seat ticket to the evening session stadium matches. If you are interested in helping out at our event, please contact: Nancy Lally 203-246-2988 tnsprolally@gmail.com

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“Fairwest Directors of Tennis Conference” USPTA New England Board Member Patricio Misitrano who recently received the USPTA New England “Tester of the Year” Award hosted a very successful inaugural “Fairwest Directors of Tennis Conference” and was extremely happy to have had the support from so many who attended and supported the event. His main goal was to come together and create an excuse to collaborate and share ideas. After seeing over 80 people come, he proudly said “Mission accomplished!” Hosted at Wee Burn Country Club, Darien, CT (Thank you Warren Burdock for hosting this great event at your facility!) this unique event had three panels of some of the most successful Directors of Tennis and/or Racquets in the country.

A big thanks also goes to all the sponsors. They committed to being part of this event without really knowing what to expect. Panel of discussion included Bill Mountford, Juan Pablo Martinez Arraya, Andrea Bonfigli, Gregg A. Paolini, Max LePivert, Geoffrey Jagdfeld, Len Simard, Mark Parsons, and Nathan LeFevre. Our MC and moderator was Whitney Kraft. Thank you all for sharing your knowledge with all of us. Patricio’s next challenge is to continue planning for the next one and make it even better! Congrats!

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“Building a Better Lesson” Steve O’ Connell

On Court Learning Goals - Engaging your Students Engagement means active involvement of students in their own learning skills. Research strongly suggests that students’ learning success depends in large part on their engagement in instruction. What percentage of your students on court are engaged in the learning process? 10%.

40%. 60%. 80%? That's an important question when you think about the effect it may have on your student's satisfaction with their lesson experience. Students demonstrate engagement by exhibiting three characteristics: (1) They are attracted to their work on court.

(2) They persist in their work despite challenges and obstacles.

(3) They take visible delight in accomplishing skills or skill sets.

Engagement skills are made up of behaviors and strategic actions that are implemented daily by the teacher on court that result in student engagement that is observable and measurable.

The tennis pro should be prepared to record data from these engagement skills as implemented on court during a lesson. This record could take many forms. For example, it could be a chart or a journal that the instructor keeps nearby. It may prove valuable in planning future lessons and programs. Below are some strategic actions an instructor may implement to improve student on court engagement.

1. Expectations Performance Practice Goal I will set, communicate, refine and reinforce expectations that optimize student learning.

Expectations will be observable in 80% of student output when performing complex procedures and when asked about key behaviors and procedures for accomplishing tasks.

2. Attention Prompts Performance Practice Goal I will utilize attention prompts as a strategy that alerts to students to redirect their attention focus on a learning goal in order to maximize attention and ensure optimal student engagement. I will combine verbal and visual cues to alert students to a change in focus. Attention will be observable in 80% of the students when responding to a prompt.

3. Proximity Performance Practice Goal I will utilize proximity via eye contact, court position, and movement around the court. I will organize my on court lesson effectively and master my environment to encourage and facilitate on-task behavior and more goal targeted behavior by students. I will incorporate continual scanning of the class, eye contact, and purposeful repositioning in 80% of my lesson.

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4. Cueing

6. Time Limits

Performance Practice Goal

Performance Practice Goal

I will use positive, clear, and effective verbal cues to clarify, maintain, or redirect activity. 80% of all students will recognize a cue and respond to the cue by correcting an action, altering a behavior, or accomplishing an activity.

I will identify and communicate specific times for beginning and completing tasks. Students need help focusing on the time limits—the amount of time available to them for starting and completing a task. By effectively setting and communicating time limits 80% of my students will display on task behavior during each time

5. Signals Performance Practice Goal

period.

I will employ signals to give students ways of showing kinesthetically when they have completed a short task and are ready for the next step. Signals are physical indicators from students to indicate that they have understood that they are ready, or that they are in the right physical location or mental state for proceeding with a task. These behaviors impact pacing of a lesson.

By effectively implementing signaling as an engagement strategy, 80% of my students will be on task and with lesson goals, reducing boredom and problematic behaviors.

Steve O’ Connell is a 33 year member of the U S P TA , f o r m e r N e w England President, and a USPTA Tester. In addition to forty-plus years of on court tennis instruction, Steve has a master's degree in education.

Building a better lesson on court is a multifaceted endeavor. The use of the engagement strategies addressed in the article are some of the ways you, as the on court instructor, can maximize your student's success in reaching the achievable goals you set. When students are attracted to their work on court, persist in their work despite challenges and obstacles, and take visible delight in accomplishing skills or skill sets, they are imbued with a desire to further improve their skills and will seek further successful on court experiences. That means they will come back to you for more instruction.

This will result in measurable progress in your students acquiring skill sets that build the foundations of a better player.

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“A F u n an d Cohesi ve Exp er ie n c e ” Nancy Lally “What a crew of fun, knowledgeable, experienced and witty new friends I have!”

My personal experience as new Executive Secretary o f U S P TA N e w England, while attending the USPTA NE/ EASTERN Division Conference at the Billie Jean King National Tennis Center, May 4-6, was nothing short of fun, and a lot more than I expected!

Spending time with coaches from Eastern and New England, on the US OPEN grounds, was very special! Making new friends, reuniting with old tennis friends, experiencing new challenges, all while working together with other professionals who also share the same passion, desire, goals, knowledge and hunger, motivated me to be an even better coach!

This was my first conference, although I have been a USPTA Professional for 32 years! The entire weekend’s agenda was orchestrated in a very organized manner, we eager professionals scuffling from seminar to seminar, I personally, had fun manning the USPTA check in table, got to play wheelchair tennis while taking the

on-court certification, competed in a very competitive softball game between Eastern and New England, and had the pleasure of breaking bread with my fellow coaches. I really enjoyed working in an “under pressure” group situation at the Net Gen training workshop. I had the chance to listen to Pat McEnroe, (we grew up, training during the same years at Port Washington Tennis Academy), to listening and learning from John Embree, Bill Mountford, Tim Mayotte, Craig Jones, Travis Gardner, Kyle Devlin, Bill Prevedi, Geoff Gant, Jim Grabbs, Mark Bey, Eric Butorac, Sean Drake and Michael Mercier.

Each shared incredible amounts of knowledge, ideas and simple logic, to use while on this incredible coaching career we all share.

Wilson’s Ad Staff Meeting was nothing short of a fantastic presentation. What a team, led by National Sales and Southern CT Regional Director, WILSON queen, and my good friend, Sarah Maynard. This team is a ball of TNT energized reps who truly believe in their #1 Worldwide products.

Wilson is truly an amazing brand and deservedly #1 in the market.

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I was able to reunite with one of the BJK National Tennis Centers’ professionals, with whom I grew up in age groups in the Eastern Section. I had the honor to hang out with, serve on a panel discussion, and play softball with the legendary New England Master and Elite Professional, Avis Murray. And I was blessed to get to know my new fellow USPTA New England Board of Directors members. What a crew of fun, knowledgeable, experienced and witty new friends I have!

Another huge notable of the conference was the rooftop luncheon USPTA Division Awards presentations. Michael Mercier did a fantastic job as President, awarding such talented and deserving recipients, who so selflessly contribute to our trade while enriching the lives of others. Great to listen to John Embree and Bill Mountford, such key USPTA and USTA leaders. It was great to see some incredible vendors, offering loads of pertinent info to help us promote and enhance our programs.

Tennis is my life because I have passion. I fell in love with the sport at age 6, on our backyard grass court where my dad fed me balls while using a much too large racquet. (Wish I had grown up on ROGY) The feeling of hitting that ball and giggling after I would miss, was part the fun I had with my dad, my coach and my mentor. And there was the planted seed, which has flourished throughout my life. I am truly blessed.

I have belief in my students, mentors, fellow professionals back at INTENSITY, and my own coaching. I have the hunger to improve myself through learning, sharing, respecting and believing in myself. I have immense respect for my fellow professionals, my students, their parents and those who have helped or are helping me along the way.

My passion to become involved with USPTA recently, to help enrich my coaching while helping my students understand and enjoy the game, to become successful players, will help pave a smooth road ahead for all.

Coming to an event like this, totally motivates and energizes me while allowing me to grow to be the best USPTA professional possible. Remember: BELIEFHUNGER-RESPECT-PASSION-POSITIVITY

Nancy Lally is a 32 year USPTA Tennis Professional, with 38 years of coaching experience. She was a ranked Eastern junior and trained at Pt. Washington Tennis Academy.

Coaches included Ian Laver, Harry Hopman, Roberto Leon, Gardner Molloy, Althea Gibson, and her father. She currently coaches 5 USTA Junior Teams out of INTENSITY.

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