Net News March April 2023

SPEEDTR AC

It all starts with love.

Sea Island is a tennis-lovers paradise with 14 Har-Tru® courts, including eight lighted courts, and fast-dry clay composition courts. Find to enjoy daily lessons, clinics, and round robin tournaments – all anchored by a host of Forbes Five-Star accommodations and amenities.

(888) 992-0397 • seaisland.com

More Tennis, More Teams, and More Fun as Spring is Here!

First, a genuine thank you to all the winter league players and volunteers. Everyone from the team captains and co-captains to the players and the ALTA volunteers play a key role week by week. Second, I couldn’t forget to thank the spectators who come to cheer on the teams. With the cold temperatures, it’s a warm feeling knowing good times are still happening. Even when the conditions are brutal, the fun and laughter — behind the layers of clothing — is amazing! Even the balls bounce differently when they get cold, and our racquets don’t like being too cold or too hot either. So, a good reminder in the cooler or hotter temperatures: Don’t leave your racquets in the car.

As spring gets closer, so do the City Finals for the winter leagues. The best meets the best vying for those City Championship silver plates. Big or small, you are all winners! As the winter leagues are completing their City Finals, and players are proudly displaying their new bag tags and magnets, ALTA has been busy working on our upcoming spring season — an exciting time for everyone, including our Wheelchair, Junior, Men’s, and Women’s League teams.

There also are other leagues you may want to consider this year. If you are turning 55 in 2023, you are eligible to play in one of our spring Senior leagues. Senior Day Women (55+) play on Tuesdays and Senior Day Men (55+) battle on the courts on Wednesdays.

You also should check out our new geographic boundary expansion! We’ve opened up great opportunities by including Forsyth and Cherokee counties as part of a two-year pilot program. Areas of Hall, Jackson, and Barrow counties are part of this expansion program as well. Everyone in these expansion

areas can play on ALTA-approved courts in neighborhoods, clubs, and parks. If enough teams participate, we will add these pilot teams to our regular facility list. We need your help so be sure to spread the word.

As the tennis ball bounces differently in the cold, what about the ball with the holes? Want to find out how that ball bounces? Gather your teams for the newest league coming to ALTA — pickleball. This league will be fun, flexible, and a great fit for everyone. Stay tuned for more information on our registration and start dates for this summer.

While new and exciting things are happening in ALTA, we never lose sight of the importance and continued recognition of good sportsmanship, on and off the court. We are constantly delighted with the outstanding nominations we receive from members about their opponents, about their own teammates, or about things that have made a difference in their tennis days. We share these throughout the year. Keep sending and keep reading. Maybe our next sportsmanship article will be about you and/or your team!

As I close, I want you to know I’m excited to be your president. I will do my best to make this year the best I can for you. I’m always open for comments and suggestions. Let me know what I can do for you!

Hope to see you on the courts!

Linda Shepherd, 2023 ALTA President

2023 ALTA EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE

300 Colonial Center Parkway, Suite 140, Roswell, GA 30076 Phone: 770.399.5788 Website: altatennis.org

President Linda Shepherd

First Vice President Chequetta Allen

Secretary Mimi McFall

Treasurer Larry Waters

VP Men’s League Greg McAfee

VP Thursday Karen Sullivan

Women’s League

VP Sunday Susan Levin

Women’s League

VP Senior Day Leagues Joan Marcinko

VP Senior Leagues Gina Clance

VP Mixed John Lowell

Doubles League

VP Junior Leagues Wendy Fee

VP Junior Stacey Simmons

Challenge Ladder

VP Special Programs Mark LaRotonda

VP Events & Tournaments Marla Michalewicz

President’s Appointee Tammi Copelli

2022 President Lamar Scott

2021 President Debbie Gaster

ALTA Foundation Rep Cameron Turner

2022 ALTA BOARD OF DIRECTORS

Chair Sandy Depa

2021 ALTA President Debbie Gaster

2022 ALTA President Lamar Scott

2023 ALTA President Linda Shepherd

The ALTA Foundation Rita Maloof

President

2022 Elected Member Keri Beck

2023 Elected Member Mitch Falkin

Treasurer Larry Waters

Secretary/

First Vice President Chequetta Allen

2022 THE ALTA FOUNDATION

BOARD OF DIRECTORS

President Rita Maloof

Treasurer Larry Waters

Secretary Cameron Turner

NEW SOUTH PUBLISHING, INC.

9040 Roswell Road, Suite 210, Atlanta, GA 30350 Phone: 770.650.1102

President Larry Lebovitz

Vice President/Publisher John Hanna

Net News Editor Emmy Powell

Features Editor Cory Sekine–Pettite

Art Director Tracy Stalling

Advertising & Megan Willis

Production Manager

Account Executives Jennifer Gonzalez

Sherry Gasaway

Circulation Manager Amy Fine

Accounting Marilyn Walker

Copy Editor Jena Pace

Copy Editor Michelle Camay

Reproduction in whole or in part without written permission is prohibited. Direct all advertising, circulation and editorial inquiries to 770.650.1102. All information herein has been checked for accuracy to the best of the publisher’s ability. No responsibility is accepted for deletions, omissions, errors and/or inaccuracies. Printed in U.S.A. The ALTA logo is a protected trademark™.

3

MARCH

2 All Adult Spring Leagues – Schedules go online and add-ons begin 3/3

4 Mixed Doubles – Winter playoffs and City Finals for AA (rain date 3/5)

Senior Mixed – Winter playoffs (rain date 3/5)

11 Mixed Doubles – Winter City Finals for A, B and C (rain date 3/12)

11 Thursday Women – Spring City Finals for A, B and C (rain date 5/18)

13 Men – Spring playoffs and City Finals for AA (rain date 5/14)

Sunday Women – Spring City Finals for AA (rain date 5/14)

Junior Leagues – Spring City Finals (rain date 5/14)

14 Sunday Women – Spring playoffs (rain date 5/16)

15 Senior Day Women – Spring City Finals for all levels (rain date 5/22)

Junior Challenge Ladder – Online registration begins

17 Senior Day Men – Spring City Finals for all levels (rain date 5/24)

18 All summer leagues – Schedules go online and add-ons begin 5/19

20 Men – Spring City Finals for levels A, B and C (rain date 5/27)

(rain date 7/29)

28 Senior Men – Summer playoffs (rain date 7/30) Junior Leagues – Fall roster registration ends

League – Fall roster registration begins

29 Mixed Doubles – Summer playoffs and City Finals for AA (rain date 7/30)

AUGUST

5 Mixed Doubles – Summer City Finals for A, B and C (rain date 8/6)

Senior Women – Summer City Finals (rain date 8/12)

6 Senior Men – Summer City Finals (rain date 8/13)

11 Wheelchair League – Fall registration ends

14 Junior Challenge Ladder – Online registration ends

20 Junior Challenge Ladder – Member orientation and kickoff party

22 Junior Challenge Ladder – Ladder opens

24 All Fall leagues – Schedules go online and add-ons begin on Aug. 25

SEPTEMBER

4 Office closed – Labor Day

5 Senior Day Women – Fall play begins Wheelchair – Fall play begins

6 Senior Day Men – Fall play begins

4 Thursday Women – Spring playoffs and City Finals for AA (rain date 5/9)

5 Run/Roll League – Roster registration begins

6 Men – Spring playoffs (rain date 5/7)

Sunday Women – Spring playoffs (rain date 5/7)

Junior Leagues – Spring playoffs (rain date 5/9)

Junior Leagues – City Finals (rain date 5/7)

7 Men – Spring playoffs (rain date 5/13)

Sunday Women – Spring playoffs (rain date 5/13)

8 Senior Day Women – Spring playoffs (rain date 5/10)

9 Thursday Women – Spring playoffs (rain date 5/11)

10 Senior Day Men – Spring playoffs (rain date 5/12)

SENIOR LEAGUES

Mar. 4 Winter playoffs for Senior Mixed (rain date 3/5)

Mar. 11 Winter City Finals for Senior Mixed (rain date 3/12)

Mar. 21 Summer roster registration begins for Senior Men and Senior Women

Apr. 11 Summer roster registration ends for Senior Men and Senior Women

May 18 Summer schedules post online

MIXED DOUBLES

Mar. 4 Winter playoffs and Winter City Finals for AA (rain date 3/5)

Mar. 11 Winter City Finals for A, B, and C levels (rain date 3/12)

Mar. 21 Summer roster registration begins

Apr. 11 Summer roster registration ends

May 18 Summer schedules post online

SUNDAY WOMEN

Mar. 2 Spring schedules post online

Mar. 19 Spring play begins

Apr. 30 Spring play ends

May 6 Spring playoffs (rain date 5/7)

May 7 Spring playoffs (rain date 5/13)

May 13 Spring City Finals for AA (rain date 5/14)

May 14 Spring playoffs (rain date 5/16)

May 21 Spring City Finals for A, B, and C levels (rain date 5/28)

MEN

Mar. 2 Spring schedules post online

Mar. 18 Spring play begins

Apr. 29 Spring play ends

May 6 Spring playoffs (rain date 5/7)

May 7 Spring playoffs (rain date 5/13)

May 13 Spring City Finals for AA and spring playoffs (rain date 5/14)

May 20 Spring City Finals for A, B and C levels (rain date 5/27)

THURSDAY WOMEN

Mar. 2 Spring schedules post online

Mar. 16 Spring play begins

Apr. 27 Spring play ends

May 2 Spring playoffs (rain date 5/4)

May 4 Spring City Finals for AA and spring playoffs (rain date 5/9)

May 9 Spring playoffs (rain date 5/11)

May 11 Spring City Finals for A, B and C levels (rain date 5/18)

SENIOR DAY WOMEN

Mar. 2 Spring schedules post online

Mar. 14 Spring play begins

Apr. 25 Spring play ends

May 1 Spring playoffs (rain date 5/3)

May 8 Spring playoffs (rain date 5/10)

May 15 Spring City Finals for all levels (rain date 5/22)

SENIOR DAY MEN

JUNIOR LEAGUES

Mar. 11 Spring play begins

Apr. 22 Spring play ends

Apr. 29 Spring playoffs (rain date 5/2)

May 6 Spring City Finals (rain date 5/7) and spring playoffs (rain date 5/9)

May 13 Spring City Finals (rain date 5/14)

JUNIOR CHALLENGE LADDER

May 15 Ladder registration opens

Mar. 2 Spring schedules post online

Mar. 15 Spring play begins

Apr. 26 Spring play ends

May 3 Spring playoffs (rain date 5/5)

May 10 Spring playoffs (rain date 5/12)

May 17 Spring City Finals for all levels (rain date 5/24)

WHEELCHAIR– RUN/ROLL

Mar. 14 Spring play begins

Apr. 25 Spring City Finals (rain date 5/2)

REPORTED BY EMMY POWELL, CORY SEKINE-PETTITE AND JOHN HANNA

A Winning Combination

Congratulations to the Senior Women’s team, captained by Mary Jo Godbold at Horseshoe Bend Country Club. Their team name, “Overserved,” earned them the big prize from our contest, sponsored by Mizuno Tennis. A big shout out to Mizuno’s Dave Dorsey and Zach Burkart, who made the trek to Roswell and happily outfitted each of the ladies’ team members with the latest Wave Exceed Tour 5 AC tennis shoe. They will be stepping out in style for the upcoming ALTA summer senior season.

Congrats Again to Tom Chae

Congratulations again to Tom Chae, Oxford Mill, Men’s B8, our trivia winner from January/February. We were finally able to deliver a new pair of K-Swiss SpeedTrac shoes to Tom. He’s already putting them to use on the court. For your shot at this issue’s prize, see page 58.

TELL US!

Send your stories, compliments, complaints and questions to altaeditor@altatennis.org.

CORRECTION

Annual Award Recipient

In the Jan/Feb issue, we misspelled the name of one of our 10-year award recipients. We’d like to congratulate Sandra Niemeyer for this major ALTA accomplishment, and again, our apologies.

Photo by Laura Barnard

ALTA ONLINE

You've got questions—we've got answers!

BY JOAN APPELBAUM, ALTA IT MANAGER

I have an iPhone. Is there an easy way to send a teammate the match scorecard?

Yes! On the Dashboard for upcoming matches, click the print icon, and when you get to print options, click on the share icon (square box with upper arrow), and then use the option to send as a text or email.

The website “Sign In” looks different.

ALTA made it easier for members to get to areas of high use. Clicking Member Portal, My Active Teams, My Rosters, New/Reinstate Rosters, My Profile and Renew Membership, members are taken directly to these areas after signing in.

What’s the easiest way to renew multiple memberships?

On the Member Portal, select Members & Memberships > Renew Membership(s). Search and select each member and the dues to be paid. When all members are selected, click the “Pay Now” button to complete the transaction.

2023 L. Keith Wood Scholarship Program Opens

In its 7th year, the ALTA Foundation L. Keith Wood Scholarship program is once again available to graduating high school students who have participated in the ALTA Junior Leagues and/or ALTA Challenge Ladder and/or the ALTA START program. Recipients will receive a $2,500 scholarship to an accredited college, university, or technical school of their choice. Eight recipients who have a passion for the game of tennis and are a representative of the at-large community of ALTA will be selected from applications submitted. All interested applicants are encouraged to apply.

Award Timeline:

• The 2023 L. Keith Wood Scholarship Program opened Monday, Feb. 13, 2023.

• All applications must be submitted no later than 11:59 p.m. on Friday, Apr. 14, 2023.

• Winners will be announced Friday, May 5, 2023, via the ALTA website, social media, and membership email.

Selection Criteria:

• Display a passion for the game of tennis

• Confirmation of scholastic ability and intellectual curiosity

• Evidence of leadership and involvement

• Service to the community

• Outstanding character

Additional requirements and a link to the application can be found at altatatennis.org or by scanning the QR code.

Atlanta Athletic Club to Host Women’s Clay Court Championships

The ITF World Tennis Tour and the USTA Pro Circuit has announced that the Atlanta Athletic Club in Johns Creek will host the 6th annual US Pro Women’s Clay Court Championships, May 8-14, 2023.

The tournament, a USTA Pro Circuit event, is the largest tennis event on the Pro Circuit and attracts the world’s best female tennis players as they prepare to play in the French Open just a few weeks later.

This event will be part of the USTA Wildcard Challenge with the American player obtaining the most points over four tournaments in April and May receiving a main draw Wildcard into Roland Garros. The field for the $100,000 ITF World Tennis Tour Event will feature 32 singles players and 16 doubles teams. Players ranked as high as No. 40 in the world typically compete in USTA Pro Circuit events. The qualifying rounds begin May 8 and will determine the final four singles players in the field. Main Draw matches begin Tuesday, May 9 at 11 a.m.

Hosted by the Atlanta Athletic Club, the ITF World Tennis Tour and USTA Pro Circuit is designed to provide a pathway for American players starting their careers on the WTA Tour. The ITF World Tennis Tour is a series of nearly 170 international women’s professional tennis tournaments.

“We are thrilled to be able to host such a high-level event here at the Atlanta Athletic Club. This will be an annual event here and a great way to celebrate the club’s 125th anniversary in 2023,” said Jeff Chandley, Director of Athletics.

For more information visit us online at usprowomenstennis.com.

Photo by Laura Barnard

You Spoke Up, We Listened

At the end of the 2022 Senior Mixed Doubles season, team captains were asked to complete an informal survey regarding the way the Senior Leagues are played. One of the questions asked your opinion about adding a third line of mixed doubles to the winter season. The majority of those who responded to the survey said YES!

So, beginning with the 2024 winter season, Senior Mixed Doubles will consist of one line of men’s doubles, one line of women’s doubles, and THREE lines of mixed doubles! This change will do away with the post-season tiebreaker when a dual meet is split 2-2. It also will do away with playing in reverse order in the playoffs and City Finals.

What this means for captains:

• A roster must have at least 12 players (6 men and 6 women) to be submitted.

• Regular ALTA movement and sandbagging rules will apply to the mixed doubles lines only. If you need a reminder of these rules, please see page 24 in the Captain’s Handbook on the ALTA website.

• Men’s and women’s lines can be defaulted before a mixed line, but mixed lines must be defaulted starting with line 3.

We believe this change will allow this league to GROW because more players will be on the courts each week, so start talking up your friends NOW! Registration for 2024 will begin in September, and you’ll want to make sure you have plenty of players. The Senior Mixed Doubles league is played January through March and is open to ALTA members age 45 and up. See you on the courts!

MAJOR CHANGE TO ALTA SENIOR MIXED DOUBLES. IT’S NOW A FIVE-LINE LEAGUE!

Photo by Laura Barnard

The Most Popular Tennis Player Names Revealed

Analysis of singles and double player rankings by the Association of Tennis Professionals (ATP) and the Women’s Tennis Association (WTA) reveals the most common names of professional tennis players.

A recent (and perhaps lighthearted) report by TennisWorldUSA, reveals that Alexander and Maria are the most popular player names for male and female professional tennis players, with 25 and 27 players currently ranked, respectively. Here’s a look at the top 10 men’s and women’s most common names on the pro tour:

Top 10 Men’s Names

Top 10 Women’s Names

1. Maria - 27

2. Anna - 22

3. Anastasia - 20

4. Victoria - 14

5. Daria - 13

6. Sara - 13

7. Alexandra - 12

8. Laura - 12

9. Julia - 11

10. Martina 10

A spokesperson from TennisWorldUSA commented on the findings: “It is fascinating to see the differences in the most popular tennis player names. Some names are popular in tennis as they are popular in particular countries with more tennis players than others, such as the USA and Russia. It is no surprise to see names like Maria, Martina and Anna in the top ten, as these are associated with world-famous tennis champions. It could suggest that these former champions have influenced the naming decisions of the parents of the players in the current rankings."

We Love Our Pros at Sceney Tennis

SUBMITTED BY PAM ZISMAN

The Crooked Creek tennis community kicked off the fall ALTA League season by demonstrating our heartfelt appreciation in a two-week event called “We Love Our Pros.” The neighborhood is so fortunate to have one of the best, if not the best tennis programs in the state of Georgia, Sceney Tennis. The program is led by Brad and Katy Sceney, who have seven talented pros: Bill & Nan DeMartini, Rebecca Jameson, Mauricio Roveri, Blaine Sumpter, Masa Grgan, and Stephen Huss.

Crooked Creek celebrated this special event by providing breakfast courtesy of J Christopher’s, sheet cakes from Costco, many signs, special team photos, table decorations, message boards, bal-

loons and banners which communicated the neighborhood’s appreciation for these amazing individuals. In addition, the Crooked Creek tennis community provided gift cards to the Sceney team to demonstrate everyone’s gratitude. It was a fun event and we could feel the love and appreciation for everything Sceney Tennis continues to bring to our community each and every day!

Since 2018, Sceney Tennis has been delivering a best-in-class tennis program to Crooked Creek, which continues to grow. These pros work exceptionally hard every day and do it with a smile and professional attitude. They are truly an extension of our neighborhood family and we are very blessed that they are

a key part of our beautiful tennis program.

To give you an idea how popular tennis is at Crooked Creek, the fall 2022 ALTA season consisted of 29 teams with over 287 Crooked Creek residents participating. In 2021, the neighborhood had 130 teams with 90 adult and 40 junior teams. With such an active tennis community here, you can understand and appreciate the exceptional value provided by Sceney Tennis. Stop by the tennis office and see many of the team photos and message boards provided. Thank you again Sceney Tennis!

UGA & Georgia Tech 2023 Home Tennis Schedule

UGA Men’s Tennis 2023 Home Schedule

Georgia Tech Men’s Tennis 2023 Home Schedule

UGA

Credit One Charleston Open Named WTA 500 Tournament of the Year

The Credit One Charleston Open, the largest women’s-only tennis tournament in North America, has been named the WTA 500 tournament of the year. The recognition comes from the Women’s Tennis Association (WTA) and is voted upon by the players. This is the first time that the Charleston Open, the annual clay season kickoff event on the WTA Hologic Tour, has received this top honor.

The tournament will celebrate its 51st year in April 2023 at the renovated and modernized Credit One Stadium on Daniel Island in Charleston, South Carolina. Current player commitments include World No. 2 Ons Jabeur, World No. 3 Jessica Pegula, past Charleston champions Belinda Bencic, Madison Keys, Sloane Stephens and more.

Photography for all your needs.

“We are honored to be named the Tournament of the Year,” said Bob Moran, Tournament Director and President of Charleston Tennis LLC. “This recognition embodies the commitment to excellence that our event strives for each year. After an outstanding 2022 tournament that included the introduction of a brand-new stadium, we could not be more proud to receive this award.”

The “Tournament of the Year” award recognizes the top tournaments showcasing excellence in staff and organization, passionate fans, and a wider dedication to tennis and its athletes. The tournament awards are broken down into three categories, reflecting the different levels of WTA tournaments, with the winners as follows: WTA 1000: BNP

Paribas Open, WTA 500: Credit One Charleston Open, WTA 250: Transylvania Open by Verdino.

“The Credit One Charleston Open is a tournament I always look forward to competing at,” said Bencic, 2022 Charleston Champion. “I’ve played there six times and the staff, venue, volunteers, and everyone connected to the tournament always go above and beyond to support the players to put on the best possible event.”

The nine-day Credit One Charleston Open showcases a singles draw of 56 players, a qualifying draw of 32 players, and a doubles draw of 16 players. The event traditionally hosts more than 90,000 attendees on Daniel Island. For tickets, visit creditonecharlestonopen.com.

PALMETTO DUNES TENNIS & PICKLEBALL CENTER

S tay & P lay Carolinas’ #1 Tennis Resort

Tennis Scholarship Named for Tennis Great Althea Gibson

The Southern Tennis Foundation (STF), the charitable affiliate of USTA Southern, recently announced the establishment of a college scholarship in memory of one of the great female athletes in tennis and any sport, Althea Gibson.

Gibson, a native of Silver, South Carolina, won five Grand Slam singles titles and six doubles titles, and achieved the world No. 1 ranking in 1958, the first person of color to earn that distinction. She was named by Sports Illustrated for Women to its list of the 100 Greatest Female Athletes and was the first Black woman to appear on the covers of Time Magazine and Sports Illustrated. She also became the first Black woman to play on the Ladies Professional Golf Association tour.

The STF is an independent volunteer-led 501(c)3 organization that provides needs-based scholarships, grants to assist competitive junior players, grants for youth-oriented programs, and emergency assistance to programs, pros and players. Donations are tax-exempt, and every dollar donated to the STF goes back to programs and players in the Southern states.

To donate to this program, as well as for other giving options, visit STF’s website at southerntennisfoundation.com.

First-Time Novelist Sets Murder Mystery on the Courts

Novelist Chris Merrill sets the tennis industry as the backdrop for his first book, “Game Set Murder: A Stan Powell Thriller,” as an FBI agent must uncover a murder mystery in Portland, Oregon involving the management team at a racquet company.

Merrill grew up in a tennis family, with both parents and his older brother all enjoying the sport. Tennis has provided him with a vehicle to travel the world, whether as a budding junior player, Division I college player at Long Beach State, professional player, instructor, and finally, a nationally ranked senior player (United States #1 ranking in 2005 for Adult 40 & over doubles).

Merrill has spent most of his working career in the tennis industry, working with industry leaders such as Wilson Racquet Sports and Mizuno Tennis, among others. His work in

sales, marketing, and product development roles provided background for his book. He began writing his debut novel on a whim during the early days of the COVID pandemic. He took an online writing course, he said, “to keep me sane,” and soon a novel began taking shape.

“One day in July 2021, I began to scribble out the beginnings of a story about a tennis sales rep who gets caught up in a bad situation. The characters and events that filled the pages of my notebook where versions of people that I had known throughout my days in the tennis industry,” Merrill said. “Over the course of the next several months, the story began to come to life.”

“Game Set Murder: A Stan Powell Thriller” can be found at Amazon and Barnes & Noble in paperback and e-book, as well as a select number of tennis pro shops.

Babolat Names Bill Edell New National Sales Director

Babolat USA has promoted Bill Edell to national sales director, effective January 1, 2023. Edell joined Babolat in 2015 as sporting goods sales manager and, over the years, has taken on increased responsibility in the specialty side of the business. In this new role, Edell will lead the effort to develop and execute the company’s overall strategic sales direction in the U.S.

“We have an outstanding team of people that are highly committed to the success of our business and the brand, and I am thrilled and honored to have the opportunity to lead our sales efforts,” said Edell. “Many thanks to everyone that has contributed to our success over the years, and I look forward to continuing to serve you and our industry in the future.”

“Bill Edell is a strong leader and recognizes the value of creating and maintaining positive relationships with our entire retail network,” said Susan DiBiase, general manager, Babolat USA. “We look forward to his strategic and collaborative leadership as he continues his efforts to elevate the Babolat brand presence in the U.S.”

Arturo Nieto Named Regional Sales Manager/ Southeast for Tecnifibre & Lacoste

Tecnifibre & Lacoste have named Arturo Nieto as their newest regional sales manager for the Southeast.

Nieto brings a wealth of knowledge and passion for tennis. He grew up as a top junior player in Venezuela before playing on the top of the lineup in Jacksonville State University.

He has been a director of tennis and a head tennis professional at some of the most prestigious tennis clubs in Atlanta. Furthermore, Nieto has received certifications from the USPTA, PTR, and the PPR.

• LED Retrofits

• Custom Tennis Lighting & Maintenance for your unique application

• Private, Country Club or Neighborhod Courts

Enjoy the beauty of the north Georgia mountains and Big Canoe for your next get away with your tennis and pickleball crew! We will put together the ultimate tennis and/or pickleball get away to get you ready for the season, enjoy your spring break, and spend some quality time on the courts!

Big Canoe Racquet Club 706-268-3367

Geoff Hedges Racquet Club Director ghedges@bigcanoe.org

n Enter the Net News Trivia Contest

n Enter the Net News Annual Photo Contest

n Find past Court Cuisine recipes

n Read the digital version of Net News

Babolat Releases New Pure Drive 98 Racquet

Babolat has released an updated version of its popular Pure Drive racquet.

A smaller head size, thinner beam, and optimized string pattern brings precision and control to the all-power Pure Drive family. If you’re a high-performance player who is neurotic about detail, the Pure Drive 98 is also available in matched pairs with a maximum static weight difference of 1 gram.

The Pure Drive 98 is available at Babolat.com, and in-store at local retailers.

U.S. tennis participation has increased by 33 percent, since the start of 2020.

Tennis Popularity Continued to Surge in 2022

The USTA recently announced that in 2022, tennis participation increased for the third consecutive year in the U.S. Tennis participation grew by one million players last year with more than 23.6 million people playing the sport. This number, when added to the previous two years, represents an increase of 5.9 million, or 33 percent, since the start of 2020. This information was compiled by the Tennis Industry Association.

“The increase in tennis participation for the third year in a row is not only important for the health of our sport, but also for the health and well-being of those who have made the game a part of their lives,” said Brian Hainline, chairman of the board and president, USTA. “Tennis has a multitude of benefits, ranging from the mental to the physical, and we are excited to help lead the continued growth of a sport that helps players of all ages and ability levels stay active and healthy.”

The growth and health of the sport was not limited to just participation, as a variety of key efforts and initiatives were focused on increasing access to the game and making the overall tennis experience better for all players, including upgrades to tennis infrastructure (the USTA awarded more than $750,000 to more than 45 total projects).

WELCOMING NEW MEMBERS

I hope everyone's new year is off to a great s tart and you're getting back into the swing of things as spring leagues get underway. Planning for the Atlanta Open is a year round endeavor. We are constantly looking for ways to bring fresh new ideas to the tournament and ever evolv e the experience for our fans. We are c onfident over the next few months we will have exciting new additions to introduce fir st to our ALTA members so stay tuned and keep reading!

The tournament returns once again to Atlantic Station, July 22-30, 2023. Weeklong packages and premium seating will look to go on sale the end of March, so if you are interested in joining us for every session mark your calendars appropriately to guarantee the best seats we have to offer!

This spring we are excited to announce that we will be unveiling a new website. AtlantaOpenTennis.com will be getting a refresh. You can expect fresh new content regarding your favorite players in the form of both articles and videos, new rankings pages, who to watch pages and much more!

Now that I got some house keeping items out of the way I am very excited to introduce to you a new member of the Atlanta Open staff. Please meet Julielinh Mouret, our new Director of Corporate Development. Julielinh has an extensive background working in Tennis, Sports and Entertainment.

Previously, Julielinh joined us as an Atlanta Open partner services coordinator, she spent some time in Player Services and Client Relations at Lagardère Unlimited and even spent time as a tv co-host for PAX TV and

freemantle. We are thrilled to have Julielinh as a part of our team and know that she is going to do a great job engaging new partners and introducing them to the Atlanta Open.

Peter Lebedevs EVP, Tennis Atlanta Open Tournament Director

THE 20TH ANNUAL NET NEWS Photo Contest

ONLINE DIGITAL PHOTO SUBMISSIONS ONLY!

DEADLINE IS SEPT. 15TH!

ENTRY CATEGORIES: HUMOR | ACTION | COURTSIDE | CHILDREN | PETS | STILL LIFE

NEW! Contest Rules and Regulations

1. You must be a member of ALTA.

2. P hotos must relate to tennis and/or tennis play.

3. Do not use filters on photos with the exception o f black and white or sepia.

4. Do not send screenshots.

5. Do not take photos of printed photos.

6. A ll contest submissions must be received ONLINE by 11:59 p.m. on Sept. 15, 2023.

7. Decisions of the judges are final.

8. L imit three entries per ALTA member.

9. Do not resubmit photos from a previous year.

10. Each photo entry must include a completed ONLINE entry form.

11. Judges reserve the right to title photos if no title is provided and to change the category into which a photo has been entered.

12. P hotos not taken by the entrant must be accompanied by a release form signed by the photographer. ALTA and Net News are not responsible for any copyright violations.

13. Judges reserve the right to disqualify any entry that does not meet the above rules and regulations.

14. A ll winning photos will be featured in the annual November/December edition of Net News

15. Q uestions may be addressed to production@ knowatlanta.com.

NEW! Photography Specifications

1. P hotos must be provided in a high resolution format. (300dpi at a minimum of 5" x 7") This means your photo will be a file that is between 1.5MB and 3MB in size!

2. W hen uploading images from your phone, always choose the "Actual Size" option.

3.Low resolution, non-reproducible images will not be considered for the photo contest.

Prizes courtesy of

Don’t Blame The Pickleball

BY CASEY KAY, HEAD PICKLEBALL PROFESSIONAL, TENNIS PROFESSIONAL, PIEDMONT DRIVING CLUB

With the growth of pickleball, media outlets have reported a rising number of injuries related to the sport. Naturally, with more people participating and learning to play, the number of injuries increases. The most common injuries are sprains, strains, and fractures. Many are left wondering: is pickleball more dangerous than other racquet sports? The answer may surprise you.

With pickleball being a new sport and the fastest growing sport in America, we are seeing all kinds of players and people participating. Players of all ages and varying athletic backgrounds have chosen pickleball as their new hobby! This is one of the things that makes pickleball so special; it brings everyone together.

Unfortunately, that is a contributor to why there are so many pickleball injuries compared to other sports. However, medical researchers who track such data report that the number of pickleball injuries are about equal to the number of reported tennis injuries. The ease of learning and playing pickleball has attracted the following types of players that other racquet sports and activities in general have left behind.

1 2 3

Older Demographic

T he demographic started out as an older group of players. Also, former tennis players who want a smaller court to cover are picking up the game. This older demographic is more prone to injury and longer recovery periods. As the sport continues to bring in younger players, this will lower the percentage of pickleball players getting injured.

Less Athletic

The sport is easier to learn and be successful; therefore, you get players who don’t naturally have court awareness. This includes where they are positioned on the court, where the ball is on the court, and awareness of what capabilities their own bodies have. This leaves many players lunging, trying to get to the ball, which results in injuries to the Achilles tendon, calf, knee, and hamstring, in addition to wrist fractures. Players often hit the ball late or behind their body which can cause injuries to the elbow, wrist, and shoulder. Improper shoes for lateral movement also can lead to ankle and foot injuries and cause stability issues. As players begin to understand the sport and improve their athletic abilities, this also will lead to a decline in injuries.

Less Experienced

E xperienced athletes who have been playing dynamic sports their entire life know what their body is capable of and what shots they shouldn’t run for, especially as they become older players. More experienced players give up on some shots that they “could” get to guarantee they won’t get injured. Less experienced players may get caught up in the competition and run into the fence, or trip and fall diving for balls they really should have just let go. Knowing your own limits will decrease the risk of injury. Having a good coach will help you know when to slow down and when to be more competitive.

With pickleball being a new sport and the fastest growing sport in America, we are seeing all kinds of players and people participating.

Photos by Laura Barnard

Drinking Sport

Pickleball is known as the ultimate social sport. With events like “dinks and drinks” and other social gatherings, drinking often is involved, which leads to an influx of injuries. Please dink and drink responsibly.

Playing safely and decreasing injuries

To decrease your chance of injury, you should take a lesson or clinic from a qualified professional who can explain the potential injuries of the game, teach you in a controlled setting, and help you learn how to play safely.

A good pro should teach you the following concepts with safety of players in mind — not just winning! As you progress, you can move on to focus more on competing and winning.

• A proper warm up and cool down

• Court awareness (knowing where you are and your own limitations)

• Ball trajectory and bounce (to prevent last second lunging and falling)

• Proper grip and technique (specifically contact point for elbow and shoulder)

• Proper footwork (forward, lateral, and pivots to prevent backpedaling)

• Another component is having proper equipment — specifically shoes!

Pickleball is an amazing sport that will continue to grow and bring people together. To play safely, take a lesson, use the proper footwear, and be aware of what you are capable of on the court.

Pickleball Tips For Seniors

BY JIM CARELLA, TENNIS PROFESSIONAL, DIRECTOR OF PICKLEBALL, TPC SUGARLOAF

Pickleball has exploded over the past few years with millions of new players, both young and old. As seniors, how do we stay competitive with all the new, younger players entering the game?

So, two things happen as we age: foot speed and hand speed (reflexes) both diminish. That’s a hard thing for me to say and admit now that I’m in my late 60’s, but it’s true. Don’t worry; I have a few tips that I know will help!

• Learn how to play from the transition zone so you don’t have to rush through it. Not making it all the way to the non-volley zone (kitchen line) on your first shot is not the end of the world!

• Developing a third shot drop is essential to help slow down the game and have your opponents hitting up on their volley making it much more difficult to speed up.

• Develop soft hands to reset the ball during a fire fight or hands battle, again taking pace away from your opponents. Soft hands also are essential when hitting shots from the transition zone.

• Only start a fire fight when you have the upper hand and are controlling the point. Don’t get trapped into hitting it hard just because your opponents did.

• Hitting a deep slice return allows you more time to move up to the non-volley zone. A slice return also will stay lower on your opponent’s side, making them hit up on the ball which is more difficult to drive the third shot.

• Game management. Keep the pace of play in your favor. Don’t be afraid to take a little more time in-between points.

• Be a problem solver on the court. Know when to change things if they are not going well but stay with a strategy that is working!

• Finally, play as mistake-free as possible; consistency and placement will overcome power.

I hope these tips are helpful and can neutralize as well as frustrate a younger player. Pickleball always is evolving. Just think: Two or three years ago, who would have imagined millions of new players — many of whom are young — playing this fun game?

Photos by Laura Barnard

Photos by Karen Peel

ENFORCE YOUR WILL

ALL-NEW

WAVE ENFORCE TOUR AC™

Combining maximum levels of energy return,cushioning, stability and durability, the All-New WAVE ENFORCE TOUR AC is the ideal shoe for powerful competitors looking to dictate points from the baseline. 6-Month Outsole Warranty included.

Expanding Our Horizons in 2023

BY SANDY DEPA, ALTA BOARD CHAIR

Iam honored to be the 2023 Board Chair for the Atlanta Lawn and Tennis Association. It has been a long and interesting journey, starting over 20 years ago as a scorekeeper, a coordinator, and on to a league VP, president, and the five years served on the Board of Directors. ALTA lived through the uncharted territory of the COVID pandemic, only to emerge strong, solid, and growing. This success can only be accomplished through the sturdy base of the more than 200 ALTA volunteers, who just plain love the game of tennis.

The ALTA Board of Directors is the governing body of the “business side” of ALTA and complements the Executive Committee which governs ALTA league play. The board is made up of the chair, the 2021 and 2022 past presidents, the 2023 president, treasurer, secretary, the ALTA Foundation President, and two elected at-large members. All these board members have many years of history with ALTA, along with valued talents they bring to the board.

This will be an exciting year of growth for ALTA in several different ways. The boundaries of ALTA league tennis are expanding into Forsyth, Cherokee, and portions of Hall, Barrow, and Jackson Counties through a two-year pilot program. As these facilities are accepted for league play, the hope is these players encourage other facilities and potential ALTA members in their areas to form teams. That should result in more facilities in those areas, and in turn, this should help shorten travel times.

With the guidance of the 2023 ALTA President, Linda Shep-

herd, along with 2022 President Lamar Scott in his new role as Chairman of the newly formed ALTA Board Pickleball Committee, pickleball is joining our beloved ALTA! The groundwork, IT infrastructure, policies and procedures, and rules currently are in development by many talented volunteers. Watch for the premier of pickleball within ALTA coming soon!

A nother key component of ALTA is the ALTA Foundation, under the leadership of Rita Maloof as the 2022-2023 ALTA Foundation President. The foundation supports and issues grants to many deserving programs that provide access to tennis for players in underserved and challenged communities throughout metro Atlanta. The foundation’s START program, supporting Title 1 high school tennis teams, continues to grow. The foundation also administers and awards scholarships to graduating high school students who have participated in ALTA junior league programs and embody the spirit and values of ALTA.

With the many charitable programs, the ALTA boundary growth, pickleball debut, and the normal administration of the business aspects of the ALTA organization, you can be assured that your 2023 ALTA Board of Directors will be busy. However, our goal is to maintain the solid, sound organization that is ALTA, while we move forward with our members by expanding into new areas — both physical locations, and other areas of racquet sports such as pickleball.

We look forward to another exciting year of ALTA in 2023.

Photos by Laura Barnard

Our goal is to maintain the solid, sound organization that is ALTA, while we move forward with our members by expanding into new areas.

ALTA BOARD OF DIRECTORS

Shepherd Center’s ‘Secret Sauce’

BY

The ALTA Foundation is proud to announce its sponsorship of the Shepherd Center 2023 Rehabilitation Therapy tennis clinics. As both organizations are icons in Atlanta, the partnership only seems fitting! To understand why this is such a milestone achievement, it cannot be understated why the work at the Shepherd Center is benefitting so many people in so many ways.

The Shepherd Center, located in Atlanta, is a private, not-for-profit hospital providing complex rehabilitation for those impacted by spinal cord injury, brain injury, stroke, multi-trauma, multiple sclerosis, and pain. Founded in 1975, Shepherd Center is ranked by U.S. News as the top rehabilitation hospital in the Southeast and among the top 10 rehabilitation hospitals in the nation. The facility provides world-class clinical care and research, including the most impactful innovations and family support, all delivered with unwavering heart, humor, and hope.

In its more than four decades, Shepherd Center has grown from a six-bed rehabilitation unit to a world-renowned, 152-bed hospital that treats more than 800 inpatients, 280 day program patients, and more than 7,600 outpatients each year in more than 56,000 visits.

Patients in Shepherd Center’s rehabilitation programs get more than just medical care: they get an experience that brings healing and hope. Shepherd’s team of highly specialized, experienced clinicians is dedicated to helping patients achieve their highest level of independence possible to return to a meaningful life beyond injury and illness.

Clinicians work with each person to create a blueprint for rehabilitation, tapping into state-of-the-art medical care, therapeutic equipment, and comprehensive educational services. Staff members also serve as ambassadors to help patients navigate their journey over a lifetime.

Recreation therapy is known as the “secret sauce” of Shepherd Center. While various therapies can help teach an individual how to live, help them gain strength, and increase mobility, recreation therapy can help an individual lead a healthy and active lifestyle

The ALTA Foundation continues its focus of building stronger communities. Through your generous donations, the foundation is able to continue its mission to help others and develop worthwhile programs.

your

and thrive. Every patient receives recreation therapy during their time at Shepherd Center. Because insurance does not reimburse these services, recreation therapy is funded by the generosity of donors. One of the programs offered through Shepherd’s recreation therapy program is adaptive wheelchair tennis.

“Recreation therapy allows individuals with disabilities opportunities to participate in recreation and leisure activities to increase their overall health and wellness,” says Megan Collins, a Shepherd Center philanthropy associate. “With our tennis clinics, we want participants to learn about tennis and how it is a great activity to do on their own or with friends and family to stay healthy and active. We have had several participants who were ALTA players before they experienced mobility challenges, and they are using our clinics as a way to get back to a sport that they love.”

This program is offered to any individual with a disability who would like to expand their knowledge base and fine-tune their tennis skills.

“With the grant from ALTA Foundation, we will be able to host our 2023 clinics at various courts in the metro Atlanta area to promote awareness of wheelchair tennis and inclusion,” Collins says. “We plan to have two instructors at each clinic who are wheelchair tennis players and also members of ALTA! Through these clinics, we hope to empower our clients to continue playing tennis outside of the clinic, whether it is hitting the ball around for fun or joining their local tennis league in an adaptive environment.”

As word of the success of these recreation therapy clinics offered by Shepherd Center continues to spread, the “secret sauce” may not be a “secret” much longer!

To learn more about recreation therapy events at Shepherd Center, visit shepherd.org/patient-programs/sports-recreation/events.

RITA MALOOF, ALTA FOUNDATION PRESIDENT

“With our tennis clinics, we want participants to learn about tennis and how it is a great activity to do on their own or with friends and family to stay healthy and active.”

Megan Collins, Shepherd Center philanthropy associate

ALTA Boundary Expansion is Underway

BY EMMY POWELL, NET NEWS EDITOR

The city of Atlanta has grown exponentially in the last several decades. Nothing can quite compare with the building boom of the 1970’s and 1980’s, which spurred the growth of ALTA leagues across the metro Atlanta area. However, there still is extensive growth potential for tennis, particularly in the counties north of the perimeter.

The times have dictated change, and for the first time since the late 1990’s, ALTA is expanding its boundaries for approved facilities. This is a two-year pilot program. ALTA Board Chairman Sandy Depa says it’s imperative that people in these areas who have asked to have an ALTA team not only get their teams on board and signed up, but that they help spread the word of the increased availability of teams who can play in their area. “We want them to share the exciting news because the more teams who participate, the less travel there will be,” says Depa. The goal is to increase membership, add more teams, and ultimately reduce travel time.

The key to understanding this is to zero in on the boundary areas. Now, all of Forsyth and Cherokee counties can have ALTA teams. The expansion also includes parts of Barrow, Jackson, and Hall counties.

Please be sure to check our website and all outgoing email regarding facility approval. We hope to have in place a complete page which details how you can get your facility added to the list of ALTA-approved sites. We’re hoping to make this as simple as possible and include all of the pertinent information on one web page. In the meantime, here are the details and changes to the current ALTA boundaries.

CURRENT REQUIREMENT:

• For ALTA New Facility Request: Facility must be within the 1998 boundary of the Atlanta five-county metro area (Clayton, Cobb, Dekalb, Fulton, Gwinnett)

• For ALTA Annexation Request: Facility must be located within 10 miles of the 1998 boundary of the Atlanta five-county metro area (Clayton, Cobb, Dekalb, Fulton, Gwinnett) and within 10 surface miles of an existing limited access highway.

Two-year pilot/test program proposed changes (started in the 2023 spring season):

• To add Cherokee and Forsyth counties as test /pilot counties to the Atlanta five-county metro area (Clayton, Cobb, Dekalb, Fulton, Gwinnett). Facility must be within the 1998 boundary of the Atlanta five-county metro area (Clayton, Cobb, Dekalb, Fulton, Gwinnett). As of spring season 2023, Cherokee and Forsyth counties are added as two-year test/pilot counties to the Atlanta five-county metro area (Clayton, Cobb, Dekalb, Fulton, Gwinnett). Cherokee and Forsyth counties will not have any mileage extensions from their county lines.

• Add to the Annexation Request the following: Facility must be located within 10 miles of the 1998 boundary of the Atlanta 5-County Metro Area (Clayton, Cobb, Dekalb, Fulton, Gwinnett) and within 10 surface miles of an existing limited access highway. For Hall, Jackson, and Barrow c ounties, a facility may be added as a test/pilot annexed facility if located within 15 miles from the Gwinnett County line and 15 surface miles from an existing limited access highway.

E XCEPTIONS:

• Junior Leagues and the Junior Challenge Ladder are not included

• At this time, due to the smaller number of teams and divisions, the AA levels of all leagues will not be able to be accommodated/be included in the test/pilot program.

• Any facility accepted into this test/pilot boundary program will not receive any grandfathered rights or status.

For more information, call the ALTA office at 770.399.5788.

The goal is to increase membership, add more teams, and ultimately reduce travel time.

SENIORS

Women: Thursday 6:30 p.m.

Men: Friday 6:30 p.m.

Summer registration is March 21 – April 11

Summer season runs June 1 – July 14

Calling All ALTA Seniors: It’s Time For A Sizzling Summer Season Of Tennis!

BY GINA CLANCE, SENIOR LEAGUES VICE PRESIDENT

Let’s shake the frost off our racquets and get the warm weather clothes out — it’s almost time for summer tennis! Registration for the ALTA summer Senior Leagues begins March 21 and runs through April 11. Players must be at least turning the “Big 45” in 2023 to play, and each team needs to have a minimum of 10 players, although having a few more on your roster is always a good idea. Senior Women will hit the courts at 6:30 p.m., Thursday, June 1, while the Senior Men begin play at 6:30 p.m., Friday, June 2. City Finals will be held August 5 and 6. Each match consists of four lines of doubles and will utilize a mandatory third-set tiebreaker unless all four players want to play a full third set. We put this rule in place to help get us ‘old folks’ off the court a bit faster in the summer heat.

The summer Senior Leagues are smaller than many of the other ALTA leagues, so they bring a few challenges to the court. The most common complaint we hear concerns travel. One way to shorten travel time is to have more teams join the league. If your roster has enough people to form two teams, please consider splitting your roster. Everyone will get more playing time in this casual, fun-loving league. Just think, when you play against your neighbors and friends, you could plan a big courtside cookout and have a blast! Another way

to help with travel time is to encourage others to start new teams. Being a captain isn’t too hard, and ALTA has experienced coordinators to help a new captain navigate the season. This league features some of the most fun, relaxing tennis in ALTA. We’d love to grow this league and get more ‘oldies’ out on the courts!

Summer heat is also a concern among tennis players. The ALTA guideline is to check the temperature on a weather app using the zip code of the facility. If the air temp (not heat index) is under 95 degrees, the matches are to be played. If the air temp is 95 or higher, players must wait an hour to see if the temperature comes down. ALTA encourages each player to assess his/her own health concerns when agreeing to play a match in high temps. If a heat wave is predicted, we suggest players try to schedule matches early. In 2022, we had one week of super high temperatures. We heard many stories of teams working together to play early, and we thank all of you for your consideration and cooperation. Most of the time, Georgia temperatures are well below 95 by 6:30 p.m., but if they don’t come down after a one-hour wait, the match can be treated as a rain-out.

For more information: altatennis.org/PlayersAndLeagues/ AdultLeagues. Can’t wait to see you on the courts!

Photos by Laura Barnard

Mixing In Good Sportsmanship

BY JOHN LOWELL, MIXED DOUBLES LEAGUE VICE PRESIDENT

As I write this, Mixed Doubles 2023 is just kicking off. Given that it’s winter in Atlanta, expect to be in shorts and T-shirts one week and bundled up for a storm the next. That’s the way this season goes.

I want to take a minute to focus on sportsmanship. Great sportsmanship is a hallmark of ALTA, but it’s not there in every match, every weekend. So, let’s think about some things we all can do to make ALTA a better experience for our teammates and our opponents.

We’ll start with the basics. A ball that is on the line is in. Even if the ball just barely touches the line, it’s in. If you and your partner aren’t sure if the ball is in or out, I’ll answer that question for you. The sportsmanlike correct call is the ball is in. Even if your opponents just made a horrible call, and during the next point they hit a ball to your side that you see is in, then you must call it in. Don’t call it out. Retaliatory calls are not sportsmanlike and are not allowed.

Tennis is a sport. While this is a recreational league, it’s still competitive. None of us goes out on to the court wanting to lose. We all want to win. Sometimes your opponents will hit a shot you don’t like. This happens particularly in Mixed Doubles where men are often hitting at women and vice versa. In a competitive tennis match, sometimes the best tennis shot is to hit the ball directly at an opponent. It’s exceptionally rare, in my experience, that a player is trying to injure an opponent with a shot. So, if you get hit by an opponent’s

MIXED DOUBLES

Summer registration runs Mar. 21 – Apr. 11

Summer season is June 3 – July 13

shot, that is not justification to curse at them, start a fight with them, or throw a racquet at them. It’s time to move on to the next point.

If you ever encounter that rare situation where you really think your opponents are hitting shots with the intent to injure and you’re not comfortable having the discussion with the opponent, have your captain or representative talk to their captain or representative. If that doesn’t work, call your coordinator.

Speaking of coordinators, they can be your best friends, but remember they are volunteers. They volunteer for ALTA because they love the organization, and they want to give something back. While they might be your best advocate, your coordinator also deserves that same level of sportsmanship or perhaps better said, respect. When your coordinator gives you an answer you don’t like, they are probably just applying a rule. If it will help you, it’s fair to ask them to help you to find the rule so that you can see why they have ruled the way they have. And, if you’re still not comfortable with their interpretation, ask them to escalate the issue to their overall coordinator.

Remember that weather I talked about at the beginning? By the time you read this, I hope we’ve had lots of great weather and very few of those days when you bundle up. Enjoy the competition, be nice, and I hope your team wins that big plate at City Finals.

Photos by Laura Barnard

JUNIOR CHALLENGE LADDER

Registration is May 15 – August 14

Ladder begins August 22

What A Year For The ALTA Junior Challenge Ladder

BY STACEY SIMMONS, JUNIOR CHALLENGE LADDER VICE PRESIDENT

The ALTA Junior Challenge Ladder completed an incredible season in 2022. These ambitious players battled on the courts in more than 400 matches. The JCL season started in late August and finished in early December. The players endured matches that ranged from blistering heat to unexpected frigid temperatures. The culmination of this year’s season included two round-robin events, a top-10 event, followed by an end-of-season round robin.

I’m overwhelmed by the commitment from the players, their parents, and the awesome ladder managers. The passion and the love of tennis keep these players scheduling and playing matches while they have school, tournaments, and other sports.

Jamaya Williams played 17 matches, the most on the girls ladder this season, while Moulik Jain competed for the first time on the ladder and finished with the most matches played at 19. Bella Arwood earned the top honor of Ladder Manager player of the year. This was Arwood’s first year on the ladder, and she went undefeated, grabbing the number-one spot and never letting it go. Jain was honored

as the boys Ladder Manager player of the year.

The ALTA Junior Challenge Ladder Sportsmanship Player of the Year is Myra Wu. Wu has played on the ladder for three years and has graced us with great playing and sportsmanship. Our VP Ladder Player of the Year is Keza Macharia. She played 11 matches this season with a six-game winning streak. Last season, she ended the season in 61st place. This season, her hard work and determination paid off, as she cracked the top 10 and finished fourth on the ladder.

This 2022 ALTA JCL year wouldn’t have been a success without the Ladder Managers. Amish Mody, Gina Woods, and Depria Jones talked with parents, handled problems, and worked with the TennisRungs app. The ladder managers are the heart of the JCL. We are looking for ladder managers for the 2023 season. Please email me at jrchallengevp@ altatennis.org if you’re interested.

The ALTA Junior Challenge Ladder is a special tennis program to promote singles competition for the serious junior player in Atlanta. Registration for the ladder starts in May.

JCL TOP AWARDS

Undefeated Players

JCL Girls

Bella Arwood

Lily Kate Bell

Aria Desai

JCL Boys

Maanas Junghare

Aaron Chang

Donghan Kweon

SPECIAL RECOGNITION

Ladder Manager Player of the Year

Bella Arwood & Moulik Jain

VP Ladder Player of the Year

Keza Macharia

Sportsmanship Player of the Year

Myra Wu

Sportsmanship Award

Shresta Gunda

Photos by Laura Barnard

Junior Challenge Ladder 2022 Final Standings

GIRLS

1. Bella Arwood

2. Myra Wu

3. Stephanie Malcom

4. Keza Macharia

5. Amanda Tanaka

6. Jigisha Singh

7. Athithi Ayyappan

8. Alyssa Braude

9. Caroline Malcom

10. Komal Chugh

11, Madeline Hunt

12. Hannah Lee

13. Jamaya Williams

14. Lauren Powell

15. Bella Lotz

16. Mahi Ravi

17. Allison Chitwood

18. Shresta Gunda

19. Bridget Butler

20. Addison Merrill

21. Eesha Rangaraj

22. Ahana Singh

23. Amrutha Tatiparthi

24. Alyssa Khou

25. Sophie Henry

26. McKenzie Hensarling

27. Katie Koenning

28. Dylan Merrill

29. Samantha Ruder

30. Isabella Massay

31. Harshene Ramsankar

32. Aashini Ayyappam

33. Audrey Pak 34. Jaala Screws 35. Ojal Aggarwal 36. Sofia Johnson

45. Nethra Ramalingam

46. Grace Hauge

47. Aria Desai

48. Kavya Mistry

49. Manasi Bedi

50. Manavi Bedi

51. Sydney Brantley

52. Arushi Bussi

53. Teri Brantley

54. Hannah Chanthaphonh

55. Emma Jakovenko

56. Katie Cummings

57. Maia Jakovenko

58. Lily McLaughlin

59. Ryan Griffin

60. Sejal Joshi

61. Nikki Kimbrell

62. Wangeshi Macharia

63. Sophia Luce

64. Sadira Ouyang

65. Rida Quadri

67. Lydia Sweeney

BOYS

1. Mannas Junghare

2. London Vasilescu

3. Kellen Simmons

4. Jackson Brady

5. Aaron Chang

6. Jacob Dorland

7. Ryals Earnhardt

8. Nicholas Ivchenko

9. Mike Hughes

10. Bryan Powell

11. Robert Frierson

12. Maddox Iliescu

13. Moulik Jain

14. Tom Hughes

15. Grayson Perlman

16. Stephen Zhu

22. Parth Gupta

23. Meet Soni

24. Brandon Kim

25. Seokhyun Hong

26. Logan Gilleland

27. Jay Sundar

28. Andrew Godbey

29. Jack Xu

30. Will Grable

31. Jay Throckmorton

32. Ayaan Valiani

33. Devesh Venkateswaran

34. Gene Yun

35. Satyajeeth Sk

36. Arjun Desai

37. Ethan Brachman

38. Charlie Keable

39. Raymond Gabler

40. Sebastian Mayorga

41. Graham Antin

42. Orion Carmona

43. Jason Eigbedion

44. Avril Jain

45. Alexander Paden

46. John Lambremont

47. Jeffrey Hallett

48. Matteo Maddaleni

49. Parth Mody

50. Karaya Macharia

51. Ishaan Sivaramakrishnan

52. Kason McClendon

53. Prayag Kalaria

54. Praneeth Kapalavayi

55. Jack Morrison

56. Evan Walters

57. Saketh Ravikanti

58. Ethan Ouyang

59. Dale Huertas

60. Bayan Watson

61. Noah Chanthaphonh

40. Virginia Fisher

41. Harper Mammola

42. Carolina Marulanda

43. Avery Gilleland

44. Gabrielle Christie

17. Adit Bhatia

18. Kevin Screws

19. Lucas Vasilescu

20. Thailesh Muruganandam

21. Ashrith Vemireddy

62. Donghan Kweon

63. Eli Falke

64. Tyler Ladge

ENTERING THE SCORECARD

After the completion of an ALTA match, who is responsible for actually putting in the scorecard?

Joan Marcinko, Senior Day Leagues Vice President

Either captain or any player from either team can enter the scorecard. This should be done immediately after the dual meet is completed per ALTA rule III.B. Although home teams or winning teams normally enter cards, either captain may enter, and the other must review.

WARMING UP THE SERVICE RETURN

In a 10-minute warm up, are players allowed to warm up their return of serve as opponents are serving, or should they catch the ball and serve it back?

Chequetta Allen, First Vice President

While a player can warm up their return of serve, to stay within the allowed 10 minutes, it takes less time to catch and serve the ball back to the other player. This is just a common courtesy to your teammates that may play after your line also.

VOICE LET

Can a “voice/noise let” be called when the noise disturbance is from an adjacent court?

John Lowell, Mixed Doubles League Vice President

No. (Friend at Court, Part two, Code 36) Out calls and other noises from spectators are not hindrances, and therefore, are not considered grounds for a player calling a let or claiming a point. A “let” may only be called when the noise disturbance is on the court being used. Only noise or a ball rolling into your court’s play area may be termed a “let” to stop play (immediately) and replay the point on your court.

SERVING TO START A TIEBREAK

When playing a match where the 3rd set is a mandatory 10-point tiebreaker, and the 2nd set ends in a 7-point tiebreaker, how do you determine which team gets to start the service in the 10-point tiebreaker?

Susan

Levin, Sunday Women’s League Vice President

The player/team whose turn it was to serve first in the tie-break game shall be the receiver in the first game of the following set. This rule would apply in the instance that the 10-point tiebreaker is played in lieu of a 3rd set.

DID YOU EVER WONDER ABOUT … ?

If you’ve ever had a situation occur in a match where no one on the court knew the rule that applied, send your inquiry to Good Question. ALTA officials answer questions in each issue of Net News and yours could be chosen next. Submit your question, along with your name, league, team name and level to altaeditor@ altatennis.org.

Photos by Laura Barnard

Your Relationship With Tennis

mature they are at this level. Shelton comes from a tennis family; his father was a professional player, and his uncle, Todd Witsken, beat Jimmy Connors at the US Open! Handling the pressure of living up to such a strong family legacy is enormous, but “Dangerous Ben” is down for the competition and smiles at the biggest moments in matches as his secret weapon.

Linda and Brenda Fruhvirtova will turn 18 and 16 (respectively) in early 2023. Linda already has won a WTA Tour event while Brenda is in the top 100 on the WTA rankings after qualifying for the Australian Open. What stands out to me is the way they work together and support each other. The professional tennis tour is extremely lonely, and the rigorous lifestyle burns out more talent than the level of competition does. The Fruhvirtova sisters are tremendous fighters. In all the matches and practices I’ve witnessed, they always are in control of their emotions. I think the future is bright for these three young pros.

Luke Jensen

The tennis world continues to evolve yet stays the same. On the pro tour, young faces like Ben Shelton and the teenage Fruhvirtova sisters continue to improve against the toughest talent on the planet. I’ve been able to see these future stars up close under pressure, and what stands out to me is how

There also are great lessons to be learned from the veterans on the tour. The first major of the year produced some memorable story lines. Aryna Sabalenka is as talented as anyone on tour, but had yet to win a major singles title — until the Australian Open. Last year, Sabalenka’s second serve was a mess. She would double-fault in double digits in every match and effectively gave away matches. However, she retooled her mental approach and techniques to a reliable second serve and had a winning run in Australia. Sabalenka called it taking responsibility. She had a sports physiologist on her team whom she had let go before the 2023 season. She said it was about taking responsibility for her

own problems on the court — an interesting approach from a modern player.

The story of the 2023 Aussie Open is Novak Djokovic who won his 10th title in Melbourne and 23rd major singles title. He is a player who seems to find solutions to distractions both on and off the court and continues to grow his game. Djokovic is not known for his serve, but at one point in the final set of the championship, he won 22 straight points on his serve. He is a player with a growth mindset who is always looking to improve on his performance. I learn something new every time I see him compete. He always is in control when things seem to be out of control. It’s an honor to see him compete.

As you enter the ALTA spring season and those leagues are beginning to form, have you evaluated what you want from your league experience? Are you on the right team and level of play that makes you happy? The relationship you have with tennis should be a healthy one where you are excited about being with your teammates in practices and matches. I always advise players to find teams that make them smile when they are together. I’ve been on all kinds of teams in my tennis journey and the best outcomes happened when I was with good people. Find a squad where you can play as much as you can commit to, depending on your schedule. Remember, when you join a team be prepared to play with different partners. Nothing drives a team captain crazier than a player who has “conditions.” Think about the team when you join a squad and what you can do to contribute to the fun of the season, no matter if you win or lose.

— LUKE JENSEN FRENCH OPEN DOUBLES CHAMPION

Adding Racquet Head Speed To Your Shots

BY DANNY TARPLEY, OWNER-TARPLEY TENNIS

As you improve and advance in the game of tennis, you will need to add the ability to hit topspin angles to open up the court in both singles and doubles. A good drill to add this to your repertoire is to practice your returns using the cross-court alley as your target. By doing this in doubles, you will nullify the net person’s ability to be a force in the point. And if they try to move over to cover the middle and try to poach, this will allow you the opportunity to keep them honest by going up the line or by hitting an offensive lob over their backhand side.

Components of the Doubles Drill

1. Both your practice partner and you stand at the service line inside the singles court next to the double’s alley opposite of each other.

2. Start by hitting shots with an arch like that of a rainbow to each other using the alley as your target.

3. To get this effect, you have no choice but to hit underneath the ball and as early in front of your body as possible. By doing this, you will be working on your racquet head speed coming low to high quickly with your follow-through toward your target area.

4. The harder you hit the balls back and forth, the faster your racquet speed will need to be to keep the ball in.

5. The better you get, the closer you can move toward the net on each side.

6. Once you do this for your forehand side, switch sides and do the same on your backhand side.

7. This is a great addition to your service return and you will see its advantages immediately in match play once you have mastered this shot.

The Bryan brothers used to do this drill on a regular basis and could hit full ground strokes at full speed from about two feet from the net.

Components of the Singles Drill

1. Put targets about two feet from the singles sideline and service line on both sides of the court.

2. Feed your practice partner a short ball at the service T and practice hitting sharp angles at your targets.

3. Mastering this shot has huge implications in match play as you advance in the 4.0+ skill level.

Hometown (City/ State): El Paso, Texas

How did you get involved in teaching tennis?

Started teaching in 1987

after I retired from professional tennis. Diehard fan of what sports team? Dallas Cowboys

Best part of your game? Serve & Volley

Dream doubles match would be me and… Rafael Nadel against Roger Federer and Andre Agassi.

When I’m not teaching tennis, I’m Day trading, traveling

My favorite tennis memory is: Playing doubles with Roscoe Tanner. My favorite professional player is: Rafael Nadal

#1 reason why I enjoy teaching & coaching tennis: I use my 40+ years of experience to help players improve and achieve the success they never thought they could. I love this game!

What important tennis message do you want to promote? Please remember to take the time and ensure you’re taking tennis instruction from a CERTIFIED tennis professional. How can they take your game seriously if they don’t take their own career seriously? It makes a huge difference.

GPTA TEACHING PROFESSIONAL SPOTLIGHT: DANNY TARPLEY

Improving Your Return

BY STEWART ATKINS, TENNIS DIRECTOR, JEKYLL ISLAND TENNIS CENTER

This article is about using the return of serve to improve your game. At our facility, we spend an extreme amount of time on its importance.

Why is the return so important? Sure, it starts the point, but that’s only the tip of the iceberg. The return can take a serve that’s a weapon and make it completely irrelevant. Also, if we can take the return and get the point started in an offensive manner for us, then we’ve started dominating the court in our favor instead of the server doing that in theirs. For those who rely on their serve but may not have a shot or two to combine with it, the return forces those players to beat us with something other than the serve.

Often, when put in that situation people tend to give what we need — unforced errors. In singles, I like to think our opponents have a two-step radius at their feet. Think of a circle or hula hoop. If we can use the return to get them out of that twostep comfort zone, we are dictating the point right from the start. In doubles, if we can get the return cross-court and avoid the established offense with depth, then we should start right away in an offensive manner, leaving our opponents with only one option — defense. I don’t know about you but if I leave my opponents with only a defensive option, I’m very happy!

But the most important reason the return is so awesome? You cannot win a tennis match without breaking serve. There is no way around it. You cannot break serve without making returns! Put a little more emphasis on the return and you should see more success! If you have questions or comments, please feel free to call me at the Jekyll Island Tennis Center or email me at satkins@jekyllisland.com. I’m wishing you much great luck!

GPTA TEACHING PROFESSIONAL SPOTLIGHT: STEWART ATKINS

Hometown (City/ State): Asheville, North Carolina

How did you get involved in teaching tennis? I started teaching in June of 1993 at a resort I worked at in Asheville as the 2nd assistant, mainly working with grades K-3 and realized right then that teaching tennis is what I wanted to do. Diehard fan of what sports team? Atlanta Braves

Best part of your game? Anything backhand

Dream doubles match would be me and… My wife against anyone.

When I’m not teaching tennis, I’m… Enjoying the two beautiful islands we live and work on.

My favorite tennis memory is: Anything involving the JITC family. My favorite professional player is: Felix Auger-Aliassime

#1 reason why I enjoy teaching & coaching tennis: I absolutely love watching people learn and get better at the game and getting involved in the tennis community. It’s amazing how anyone can get good at this sport no matter what age.

What important tennis message do you want to promote? Tennis is a sport that anyone can play and continue to get better at. Level to level (play level or experience level), there’s a place for everyone in our world. I’m so very lucky to be a part of that.

Grants For Pro Certification

BY DOM MASCIANTONIO, GPTA-PRESIDENT, USTA-GEORGIA PAST PRESIDENT

ALTA captains and league players:

Is your tennis professional/coach a certified teaching professional and active member with either the United States Professional Teaching Association (USPTA) or Professional Tennis Registry (PTR), or an active local member of Georgia Professional Tennis Association (GPTA)?

If not, you should strongly consider making certification one of the main criteria in hiring a tennis professional/coach for your practice/lesson sessions among other criteria. (Please refer to related article on page 54 “What To Look For In Hiring A Tennis Professional/Coach” written by John Irvin, PTR, GPTA and Owner of Hot Shotz Tennis Academy).

Not only is there a shortage of tennis teaching professionals in the metro Atlanta and Georgia marketplace, but there is a significant amount of non-certified teaching professionals who have been teaching league practices and lessons throughout many metro Atlanta sub-divisions and public tennis facilities, and even in some of the private clubs. Many of these non-certified teaching professionals, also known as independent pros/contractors, have not experienced or reaped the benefits of obtaining their certification designation and thus it reflects in their poor teaching methods and lack of on-court teaching skills and communication.

There is a big need in the tennis industry and in the Atlanta area for quality providers and to address both the shortage and non-certification of tennis teaching professionals.

To help resolve these issues, USTA-Georgia — through its Tennis Professional Relations Committee — has approved a $10,000 grant to help support and assist those non-certified teaching professionals in obtaining either a USPTA or PTR certification. Below are some specifics for grant eligibility:

Amount of grant available per applicant: Eligible applicants will receive 50 percent of the application/certification cost of obtaining USPTA or PTR certification.

Grant criteria:

• Eligible applicant must submit proof of USPTA or PTR application and payment of the appropriate amount required by the respective organization.

• Upon review and approval by appropriate USTA-Georgia personnel, USTA-Georgia shall reimburse applicant within 30 days of submitted proof.

• Applicant will be eligible for only one grant certification.

• Submitted proof can be an email from the respective organization’s membership department stating that the applicant has applied and has begun

There is a big need in the tennis industry and in the Atlanta area for quality providers and to address both the shortage and non-certification of tennis teaching professionals.

the certification process and copy of check and/or credit card receipt for proof of payment of applicable application cost/fee.

• Grant will not be issued for any annual or pro-rata portion of applicant’s membership fee.

• There will be a limit of five applicants for grants issued per USTA-Georgia Community Tennis Association Map, i.e., limit of five applicants per the eight CTA map Districts. If any CTA map District has more than five applicants, those applicants will be placed on a waiting list and USTA-Georgia will determine if more than five applicants per CTA map District will be approved.

• Either during applicant’s certification process or within one year after applicant has been awarded certification status, the applicant shall be required to provide community tennis volunteer service within Georgia.

• Community tennis volunteer service shall be defined as volunteering for at least three events during a calendar year and/or serving on Community Tennis Association (CTA) Board or serving on one of USTA-Georgia’s Committees for a one and/or twoyear term. Tennis teaching court hours will count if teaching professional was a volunteer at any community tennis event within Georgia.

• Examples of tennis community events are as follows: Any tennis-related event hosted/sponsored by USTA CTA within applicant’s geographic area, any USTA-Georgia hosted/sponsored event. i.e., Adult League, Tennis on Campus, Adult/ Senior Tennis Tournament, Junior Tennis Tournament, any other tennis event or tennis fund raising event, i.e., special Olympics, Special Pops, Wheelchair, Autism, Breast Cancer Awareness, any ALTA or ALTA Foundation sponsored event if applicant resides within metro Atlanta area.

• If applicant volunteers at a USTA-Georgia CTA and/or USTA-Georgia hosted/sponsored event, the applicant shall be eligible to be reimbursed for mileage to and from the event based on USTA-Georgia volunteer mileage reimbursement policy.

The grant application can be found on the Georgia USTA website in the USTA Georgia News & Headlines box on the homepage.

ALTA captains and league players: Please help spread the word it will help your tennis game and also help with candidates serving potential community service volunteering for ALTA or ALTA Foundation sponsored events!

RETURNING STRATEGY IN DOUBLES

BY STEPHEN HUSS, PROGRAM DIRECTOR, HUSS 75 76 TENNIS AT CROOKED CREEK

Todd Woodbridge, who won 16 grand slam titles, gave me a great tip that I would like to pass along to the ALTA readers to implement in their own doubles game. He told me that whenever returning in doubles you are always looking to create space to hit into. That means players should be using all of their options on returns. It is typical of good net players to be close to the net and squeezing the middle to cut off returns. To create more space to play cross court, take some returns down the line early, and also use the lob to deter opponents from getting too close to the net. These different return options ‘freeze’ the active net player more often and create space to hit cross court when you really want to. Cheers to more breaks of opponents’ serve!

What To Look For In Hiring A Tennis Professional/Coach

BY JOHN IRVIN-PTR,

OWNER HOT SHOTZ TENNIS ACADEMY

There are certain things ALTA captains and their players should keep in mind when looking for a coach. Perhaps you’ve had the same coach for years and want to look in a new direction. Here are some suggestions to optimize your choice of a tennis professional and to increase your teams’ chances to have fun and win.

First, make sure the coach you seek is ideal for the level at which your team is playing. If your team is comprised of lower-level players, you should find a coach who is more of a nurturer than a technician. These players need encouragement. Also, lower-level players need more stroke work than work on positioning. The ability to execute all shots at least reasonably well is paramount, so the coach should methodically go through forehand and backhand groundstrokes, volleys, serves, and a serviceable overhead smash (even if it means stabbing it back deep). After the players have a sound stroke foundation to work on, the coach can then expose the players to basic doubles positioning. Higher-level players, on the other hand, like to focus on tactics and positioning, and generally like to know what they’re doing wrong and how to correct it.

Second, finding a coach who is certified by the Professional Tennis Registry (PTR) or United States Professional Tennis Association (USPTA) should be one of the primary criteria in hiring a

tennis professional/coach. The big difference between these sanctioning bodies is the PTR espouses the Standard Method (a progression of teaching strokes in a specific progression developed by founder Dennis Van Der Meer) and the PTR accepts any teaching method if it is sound. These organizations conduct rigorous, three-part exams that test the pro’s abilities in a written exam, skills exam, and practical teaching exam as well as on-court teaching apprentice hours and annual continuing education requirements for their members. A coach who is certified has a lifelong interest in the game and a desire to better his/herself as a tennis professional.

Third, look for professionalism. Examples would be a coach who is punctual, well-dressed, keeps good balls in their lesson cart, and responds to text or voice messages promptly.

Fourth, look for a coach who offers a seasonal game plan. I believe a good coach should address the following during the course of the season: serves/ returns, attacking the net, patrolling of the net players, covering the alley, defensing the lob, and executing and covering

the drop shot. Some coaches basically do the same drill every week, so after a while it gets stale and redundant.

The final quality you should look for is enthusiasm. I have asked the captains of the teams I have coached what they thought was important in a coach and they didn’t hesitate to respond: “Given that the pro is experienced and knowledgeable, then it’s really important that he or she be enthusiastic.”

Ask for a trial lesson with the coach so you can see just how much they enjoy teaching your team and how infectious that enthusiasm is to your players. The pro will usually be happy to comply, for a nominal fee, like half their normal hourly rate. Their time is worth something, so I would not ask them to do it for free.

A great way to find a new coach is to tap into the Georgia Professional Tennis Association (GPTA) to find the most experienced and best coaches in Atlanta! The GPTA have criteria which makes their pros “a cut above” the rest. GPTA members must be certified PTR or USPTA. GPTA offers many events during the year where members can network, pick up new drills, get valuable information from nationally renowned speakers, and obtain continuing education credits from their respective certified organization.

The GPTA is in the process of developing and publishing a database of contact information on its coaches based on geographic location for those who are looking for a certified tennis professional/coach. In the coming months, if you want to look for a coach who is in the GPTA, you can go to gpta.com, and click on the “Find a Coach” option.

GPTA,

FOR ALL OF YOUR RECOVERY, PROTECTION, PREVENTION AND PERFORMANCE NEEDS. PRODUCTS

PHYTOCELL CREAM

Stop An intensive age-fighting and hydrating cream with concentrated grape stem cells Designed to help protect, brighten, revitalize, and renew skin.

Easily control the launch speed and frequency of the balls Turn it on / off and get ready to move!

vitamins and active botanicals that provides broad spectrum protection with zinc oxide and titanium dioxide.

with

painful cramps at their source, instantly. All-natural, patented, drug-free formula

Should You Be Applying The Same Sport Science Concepts Used By The Pros?

BY MARK KOVACS, PH.D., CTPS, MTPS, KOVACS INSTITUTE

The work we do with some of the best athletes in the world involves advanced sport science concepts. Did you know that adult recreational players can benefit greatly from incorporating sport science into training? Sport science is the study of how the body responds to physical activity and how to optimize performance through training and recovery. At our institute, we study how these methods used by the top players in the world could benefit the adult recreational player. Here are some of the top tips we’ve determined could help to improve your game.

First and foremost, it is important to understand the importance of proper warmup and cool-down. A proper warm-up is essential for preparing the body for physical activity and reducing the risk of injury. This should include a combination of dynamic stretching and light, tennis-specific movement exercises to increase blood flow and raise the heart rate, while also getting the body and mind ready for tennis competition. Similarly, a proper cool-down is important for promoting recovery. This should include static stretching and light cardio exercises to bring the heart rate back to normal.

recommended to drink at least two (68 oz) to three (100 oz) liters of water per day, and significantly more during intense physical activity in hot and humid conditions (like an Atlanta summer). Also, it’s important to consume electrolytes to replenish those lost through sweating.

A well-rounded fitness program that includes tennis-specific endurance, strength training, and flexibility exercises can help to improve overall fitness and reduce the risk of injury.

Another key aspect of sport science is to understand the importance of hydration. The human body is made up of more than 60-percent water, and staying hydrated is essential for maintaining energy levels, regulating body temperature, and limiting the likelihood of cramping. It’s

In addition to proper warm-up, cooldown and hydration, adult recreational players also should focus on developing good technique and proper form. This includes learning the proper grip, stance, and swing for different shots. By using the right technique, players can reduce the risk of injury and improve their performance. Sport scientists have studied the biomechanics of tennis strokes, which can help players to understand how to generate more power and accuracy with their shots. Work with your tennis professional who is also certified through the International Tennis Performance Association (iTPA) as a Tennis Performance Trainer (TPT) or Certified Tennis Performance Specialist (CTPS) to ensure they have a strong background in tennis fitness and sport science.

Another important aspect of sport science for adult recreational players is to focus on tennis-specific fitness. Tennis is a demanding sport that requires a combi-

nation of endurance, strength, and agility. A well-rounded fitness program that includes tennis-specific endurance, strength training, and flexibility exercises can help to improve overall fitness and reduce the risk of injury. Sport scientists have studied the energy systems involved in tennis, which can help players to understand how to improve their endurance and stamina in the most efficient manner possible.

Finally, adult recreational players also should focus on the mental aspects of the game, such as confidence, focus, and motivation. Tennis is a sport that requires a lot of mental focus and concentration, and adult recreational players can benefit greatly from incorporating mental training techniques into their preparation. This includes visualization, goal setting, and self-talk, which can help players to improve their performance and improve the areas that may be holding them back in matches.

In conclusion, sport science concepts can provide adult recreational players with valuable insights and tips to improve their game. By incorporating proper warm-up and cool-down, hydration, proper technique, overall fitness, and mental training into their training program, players can achieve their goals and take their game to the next level. Remember to always consult with a professional when developing your training program, to ensure that you are safe and progressing in the right direction.

Last Issue’s Trivia Contest Winner Is …

Congratulations! We drew our winner from a pool of readers who submitted correct answers, and Karyl Fox, Laurel Park Sunday Women C8, won a GAMMA pickleball paddle! Try your luck with this issue’s contest and see if you can join the ranks of our previous trivia contest winners. Here is the original quiz and the correct answers:

1. What’s the correct way to record a match retirement? Enter the game and set scores at the time of the retirement and indicate which team retired and which team won. The system will give the winner enough games and sets for the win.

2. Which ALTA volunteer worked a job building underwater mines and also has the talent of being a classical ballet dancer? Nina Hutcherson

3. Which ALTA volunteer has tried stand-up comedy? Stacey Simmons

March/April Trivia Contest

Enter for your chance to win a HEAD Boom MP racquet!

To enter the contest, correctly answer the following three questions, in addition to submitting a new favorite courtside recipe, and mail it to New South Publishing, Attn: Cory Sekine-Pettite, 9040 Roswell Road, Suite 210, Atlanta, GA 30350. Answers and recipes may also be submitted online at netnewsmag.com. Hint: The answers can be found in this issue.

Entry deadline: Monday, April 3.

1. What is the name of the captain whose Senior Women’s team won the Mizuno shoe contest and out of which facility does this team play?

2. Besides Cherokee and Forsyth counties, which counties will be added as part of ALTA’s boundary expansion?

3. Which ALTA league is changing its format from four lines of doubles to five lines of doubles in the winter season of 2024?

Salads

A salad is defined as a cold dish of various mixtures of raw or cooked vegetables, usually seasoned with oil, vinegar, or other dressing and sometimes accompanied by meat, fish, or other ingredients. We sometimes play around with these “rules,” but that is what makes cooking fun. Anyway, below we present some of your fellow ALTA members’ favorite salad recipes. Enjoy!

Aristotle’s Favorite

Greek Pasta Salad

Christina Stolte, The Club at Spalding Corners Sunday Women B3

12-16 oz. bowtie pasta

1 pint grape tomatoes, halved

½ cup sliced black or kalamata olives

½ seedless English cucumber, sliced then halved

¼ cup red onion, diced

½ of a lemon, squeezed

½ tsp. dried oregano

¼ cup Italian parsley, chopped

½ tsp. fresh ground black pepper

Feta cheese, crumbled

Ken’s Simply Greek Vinaigrette dressing, to taste

Prepare pasta as directed. In large bowl, mix tomatoes, cucumbers, olives, onions and parsley. Squeeze lemon over mixture and add pepper. Let marinate. Drain pasta; add to bowl and toss with dressing. Serve with Feta cheese on top.

Bacon Sprinkles!

Courtside Toasted Pecan and Broccoli Salad

Susan Gouinlock, Twin Lakes Sunday Women, B1 cup pecans, chopped

1 cup light mayonnaise cup sugar of choice

2 Tbsp. apple cider vinegar

1-½ lb. fresh broccoli florets, chopped

¼ cup red onion, chopped cup sweetened dried cranberries or raisins

4 cooked reduced-fat bacon slices, crumbled

Preheat oven to 350º. Place chopped pecans in a single layer on a baking sheet. Bake for about 6 minutes or until lightly toasted; stir occasionally. Let cool. In a large bowl, mix mayo, sugar, and apple cider vinegar. Add broccoli, onion, and cranberries; gently toss to coat. Cover and chill for 2 hours. (Don’t skimp on the chilling time because flavors need to meld.) Sprinkle with bacon and pecans before serving.

Timeless Combination

Caprese Orzo Salad

Melissa Berry, Liberty Subdivision

Sunday Women, B1

Dressing:

¼ cup balsamic vinegar

¼ cup olive oil

1 Tbsp. honey

1 clove garlic, minced

Salad:

Salt/pepper to taste

10 oz. orzo pasta

1 cup fresh mozzarella, drained

10 oz. grape tomatoes (or cherry tomatoes), halved

½ cup fresh basil, chopped

In a small bowl, whisk together the balsamic vinegar, olive oil, honey, and garlic. Season with salt and pepper. For the salad, cook orzo according to directions, drain and rinse with cold water. Set aside to cool. Mix the cooked orzo, mozzarella, tomatoes, and basil in a large bowl. Pour dressing over salad and mix well. Season with salt and pepper if needed.

Party In A Bowl

Confetti Pasta Salad

Lisa Quinn, Dellinger Park Thursday

Women, B2

8 oz. uncooked small shell pasta

1 pint grape tomatoes, halved

2 cups coarsely chopped fresh spinach

1 yellow bell pepper, chopped

¼ cup finely chopped red onion

3 Tbsp. chopped fresh dill

Fresh lemon vinaigrette (see below)

1 4-oz. package crumbled Feta cheese

Cook pasta according to package directions; drain. Toss pasta with tomatoes and remaining ingredients. Serve immediately, or cover and chill up to 8 hours. Makes 4-6 servings.

Fresh lemon vinaigrette: Whisk together

1/4 cup fresh lemon juice; 1/4 cup olive oil; 2 Tbsp. red wine vinegar; 2 garlic cloves, pressed; 1 tsp. salt; and 1/2 tsp. pepper. Makes about 2/3 cup.

Crowd Pleaser

FROM THE VAULT

Reprinted from ALTA: Its History, Humor & Hors

D’Oeuvres by John Williams

Uptown Bluegrass Salad

Submitted by Abbotts Glenn team members, 2002

1 pound bacon, cooked and crumbled

2 heads romaine lettuce, torn into bite-size pieces

1 14-oz. can artichoke hearts, drained and chopped

1 large avocado, cut into bite-size pieces

6 oz. parmesan cheese, freshly grated spicy mustard dressing (see below)

Combine bacon, lettuce, artichokes, avocado, and parmesan cheese in a large bowl. Add spicy mustard dressing. Toss to coat and serve immediately. Serves 10-12.

Spicy mustard dressing: cup chopped onion

3 Tbsp. cider vinegar

2 Tbsp. spicy brown mustard

½ tsp. sugar

½ tsp. salt

¼ tsp. freshly ground pepper

¾ cup olive oil

Process onion and vinegar in a food processor until puréed; transfer to a medium bowl. Whisk in mustard, sugar, salt, and pepper. Gradually whisk oil in a slow, steady stream. Whisk until thickened.

Chicken Salad with Grapes

Margaret Pepe, Dressage Sunday

Women A7

1 whole rotisserie chicken

1 cup seedless grapes, sliced

2 celery ribs, thinly sliced

½ - ¾ cup mayonnaise

½ tsp. horseradish sauce

Salt and pepper

Skin and shred chicken. Add grapes and celery to bowl with chicken. Mix in mayo, to taste, along with horseradish sauce. Add salt and pepper, to taste; mix well. Serve with rolls.

Simple & Delicious Corn Salad

Margaret Culver, Windward Lake

Thursday Women, B7

8 ears corn, shucked

6 fresh tomatoes, chopped

2 cucumbers, peeled, seeded & chopped

2 green onions, chopped

1 green bell pepper, chopped

1 can diced chili peppers

¼ cup chopped fresh cilantro

4 Tbsp. white balsamic vinegar

3 Tbsp. olive oil

In a large bowl, mix all of the ingredients together well. Can be served immediately or chilled.

THE ALTA GUIDE TO SUMMER CAMPS

BY CORY SEKINE-PETTITE

Hard to believe, but summer is just around the corner! So, now is the time to start booking a tennis camp for your young, aspiring champions. We are fortunate to live in an area with some of the best teaching professionals and collegiate coaches in the country. Give your kids the chance to learn from these elite instructors, to improve their games, to make new friends, and to have a memorable summer. Keep reading to find a camp that fits their needs and yours. Make it a summer to remember!

THE CAMPS

Universal Tennis Academy Camps

Manuel Diaz Bulldog Tennis Camp for Boys

ACE Tennis Academy

Yellow Jacket Tennis Camp

Agape Tennis Academy

US Sports/Nike Tennis Camps

LET’S GO!

LET’S GO!

UNIVERSAL TENNIS ACADEMY CAMPS

Universal Tennis Academy (UTA) in Atlanta offers summer tennis camps throughout Atlanta. UTA has trained all levels of players, from ALTA champions and NCAA competitors to ATP/ WTA touring professionals in a fun, exciting, and educational environment. UTA Tennis Camps are offered at the following locations:

• Agnes Scott College

• Blackburn Park Tennis Center

• Briarlake Church

• Horseshoe Bend

• James Creek Tennis Center

PLay On

Summer is a time to play without limits, to have a blast getting better at your favorite sport. Become more passionate about tennis this summer by improving your fundamentals and gaining more confidence alongside our top Nike Tennis Camp coaches.

University of Georgia

Emory University

University of Alabama

Seminole High Performance at FSU

Furman University

Duke University

UTA holds summer camp every week of the summer, starting the week of Memorial Day. Both halfday and full-day tennis camps are offered.

CAMP DETAILS:

• Ages 4-14, co-ed

• May 30-June 2, June 5-9, June 12-16, June 19-23, June 26-30, July 10-14, July 17-21, July 24-28, and Jul 31-Aug 4

For more information, visit utatennis.com, call 470.430.1439, or email camps@utatennis.com.

MANUEL DIAZ BULLDOG TENNIS CAMP FOR BOYS

Coach Manuel Diaz and his staff, including Associate Head Coach Jamie Hunt, provide campers with the same championship instruction he utilized to lead the Bulldogs to the 1999, 2001, 2007, and 2008 National Championships. The 2007, 2001 and 1995 National Coach of the Year, Diaz has won an amazing 28 SEC titles and is in his 35th year as the head coach of the Bulldogs. The camp will be held at the perennial site of the NCAA Championships, The Dan Magill Tennis complex, which holds 12 outdoor courts as well as four covered courts. The Georgia Bulldog Tennis Camp will provide instruction for every level of play. For the beginner, basic fundamentals and stroke production will be emphasized. For the intermediate

players, refinement of the fundamentals: footwork, grips, strokes and strategy will be stressed. The advanced players will be trained at the same intensity level and similar drills that UGA coaches use to train their college players. Along with match play and conditioning, instructors emphasize challenging the campers regardless of their level of play.

CAMP DETAILS:

• Session I: 6/18 – 6/22

• Session II: 6/25 – 6/29

• Session III: 7/16 – 7/20

• Residents: (Age 10 by Sept. 1, 2022) - $995

• Extended Day Campers: (9 a.m. – 8 p.m.) - $795

• Day Campers: (9 a.m. – 4:30 p.m.) - $700

• Boys of All Abilities Ages 9-17 (limited only by number, age, grade level and/or gender)

For more information, visit bulldogtenniscamp.com, or call 706.542.9348.

SUMMER TENNIS CAMPS

LET’S GO!

ACE TENNIS ACADEMY

ACE Summer Tennis Camps are offered in Alpharetta, Peachtree Corners, Norcross, and Johns Creek. Camps begin the last week of May and continue through early August. ACE offers Morning Camps and Full-Day Camps for players of all levels. And its Kids Academy Camps are a fun way to introduce tennis to your kids!

Jeff Weaver and his staff have been developing top-ranked juniors since 1994. ACE players have won more than 35 national titles, including 12 Gold Balls (national championships).

CAMP DETAILS:

• ACE Kids Academy Camps (introduction to tennis)

• ACE Camps (Recreational – Competitive Players)

• ACE Elite Camps (Tournament Players only/selection by UTR)

• Morning Camp (Mon-Fri, 10 a.m. – 12:30 p.m.)

• Full-Day Camp (Mon-Fri)

To register, visit ACETennisAcademy.net, or email manager@ ACETennisAcademy.net for more information.

Ace Tennis Academy

Manual Diaz Bulldog Tennis Camp for Boys

YELLOW JACKET TENNIS CAMPS

Yellow Jacket Tennis Camps are a challenging, fun time for boys and girls between the ages of 9-18. Georgia Tech aims to enhance each camper’s skills through morning instruction and afternoon match play. The camp will stress the importance of sound fundamentals and strategy. Campers will be split into groups/teams based on age and ability level. Instructors include the head and assistant coaches of the men’s and women’s Georgia Tech tennis teams.

Camps will take place at Ken Byers Tennis Complex at 960 Fowler Street NW, Atlanta, GA. All campers will receive a t-shirt.

CAMP DETAILS:

Dates:

• Session 1 (day camp): June 5-8, 9 a.m. – 3 p.m.

• Session 2 (day camp): June 1215, 9 a.m. – 3 p.m.

• Session 3 (day camp and overnight camp option): June 18-22, 9 a.m. – 3 p.m.

• Session 4 (day camp): June 2629, 9 a.m. – 3 p.m.

Pricing Info:

• Day Camp Session: $495

• Overnight Camp Session: $950

For more information, email contactus@ yellowjackettenniscamp.com, or call 678.634.4844.

SUMMER TENNIS CAMPS LET’S GO!

AGAPE TENNIS ACADEMY

An Agape Tennis Camp will cover all aspects and skills of the game in a fun and rewarding environment. Each camp is uniquely run based on the type of camp: Agape (5-18 year-olds), QuickStart (4-10 year-olds), or Tournament camps (8-18 year-olds). The camps are perfect for the new, developing, or accomplished player. Each camper receives a commemorative t-shirt and award, and there’s a player party on the final day.

Camps are offered in both full-day (9 a.m. to 4 p.m.) and half-day (9 a.m. to noon) programs. For more information, visit agapetennisacademy.com, or call 404.636.5628.

CAMP DETAILS:

Dates/Times/Pricing:

• Agape Camp 1 (May 30 - June 2) $320/$160

• Agape Camp 2 (June 5 - 9) $400/$200

• Agape Camp 3 (June 12 -16) $400/$200

• Agape Camp 4 (June 19 - 23) $400/$200

• Agape Camp 5 (June 26 - 30) $400/$200

• Agape Camp 6 (July 10 - 14) $400/$200

• Agape Camp 7 (July 17 - 21) $320/$160

• Agape Camp 8 (July 24 - 28) $400/$200

9 a.m. – noon, $200

Quickstart Camp 1 (June 5 - 9)

Quickstart Camp 2 (June 19 - 23)

Quickstart Camp 3 (July 10 - 14)

Quickstart Camp 4 (July 24 - 28)

8 a.m. – noon, $240

Tournament Player Camp 1 (May 30 - June 2)

Tournament Player Camp 2 (June 12 - 15)

Tournament Player Camp 3 (June 26 - 29)

Tournament Player Camp 4 (July 17 - 20)

US SPORTS/NIKE TENNIS CAMPS

University of Georgia

The Nike Tennis Camp at University of Georgia is an allgirls camp for players ages 9-17. This tennis camp in Athens will focus on developing the complete tennis player. Campers from all over attend this program at UGA to receive topnotch instruction from collegiate coaches and to make lasting memories with their peers. Tennis instruction will take place at the Dan Magill Tennis Complex, a showcase for collegiate tennis that consists of 12 outdoor courts and 4 indoor courts. Campers will have 5-6 hours of daily instruction, with a low camper-to-coach ratio. And

for overnight campers, there will be plenty of fun off-court activities.

CAMP DETAILS:

Dates:

• June 4-8

• June 11-15

• July 9-13

Pricing Info:

• Day Camp (9 a.m. – 4 p.m.): $705

• Extended Day Camp (9 a.m. –8 p.m.): $805

• Overnight (Ages 10-17): $1,145

For more information, visit ussportscamps.com/tennis/ nike/university-of-georgia-niketennis-camp, email tennis@ ussportscamps.com, or call 800.645.3226 ext. 8366.

The Lovett School

As one of Georgia’s best tennis camps, this program’s theme is “Fun. Friends. Improvement.” At this tennis camp in Atlanta, instructors encourage and teach campers to truly understand stroke fundamentals and matchplay strategies. With instruction from Emory University’s Head Men’s Tennis Coach, John Browning, the summer tennis camps in Atlanta deliver new tennis skills and the inspiration and self-confidence to continue improving after camp.

CAMP DETAILS:

• Age levels: Boys and Girls of all skill levels, Ages 5-17

LET’S GO!

• Dates: June 27-July 1, July 5-9, July 11-15, July 18-22

• Pricing info: Half-day (9 a.m. – 12 p.m.) $395, Full day (9 a.m. – 4 p.m.) $525

• Health & Safety protocols: Camps will follow COVID-19 social distancing and safety guidelines as set by the CDC, state, local and facility authorities. For more information on safety procedures and regulations, please visit ussportscamps.com/covid-safety.

For more information, call 800.645.3226, email tennis@ ussportscamps.com, or visit ussportscamps.com/tennis/nike/ emory-university-nike-tenniscamp.

US Sports/Nike Tennis Camps

Yellow Jacket Tennis Camps

LOVE TENNIS?

SHARE THE LOVE

WHERE ATLANTA COMES TO PLAY

Employment

Your Serve Tennis – We are looking for new members of the YST team. YST provides a relaxed, fun work environment where our focus is the game we all love — TENNIS! Flexible hours available and weekend availability is required. We have positions available at all of our locations (Buckhead, East Cobb, Johns Creek, Milton, Sandy Springs, Suwanee and West Cobb), ranging from part-time stringers to store managers. We are also hiring for office and shipping/receiving positions out of our Roswell Home Office. For more information visit yourserve.com/jobs or submit your resume/application to jobs@yourserve.com.

PGA TOUR Superstore is looking for fun, energetic tennis enthusiasts to join our team. We are seeking part-time and seasonal sales associates and experienced racquet stringers for our Duluth, Roswell, and Kennesaw locations. For more information, please inquire in person to one of our stores.

Services

RACQUETTECH.COM and the US RACQUET STRINGERS ASSOCIATION are looking to make you a “KNOW IT ALL PRO”—Get connected to the most up-todate interactive information for racquet sports professionals at racquettech.com. Membership also includes the Stringers Digest, Racquet Sports Industry magazine, manufacturer discounts, free marketing samples, and the only racquet service certification program in the industry. All benefits are available with USRSA Membership - $129. Contact: USRSA, P.O. Box 3392, Duluth, GA 30096, (760) 536-1177, FAX: (760) 536-1171, Email: USRSA@RacquetTECH.com, WEBSITE: RacquetTECH.com.

2023

Contact Us at 770.399.5788

n All ALTA vice presidents (below) have phone extensions at the ALTA office, but do not work in the office on a regular basis. Voice messages are checked frequently and answered in a timely manner.

n The phone number of your league coordinator is in your captains’ packet.

n To contact a member of the Executive Committee, call the ALTA office at 770.399.5788 and dial the extension listed next to the officer’s name.

EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE EMAIL EXT

Questions?

ALTA office personnel cannot answer your league-related questions. Team members should first contact their captain. If unable to answer, the captain should contact a league official.

n Questions about rules must be directed to league officials, which include coordinators, overall coordinators and league vice presidents.

n Concerns about team placement and levels should be directed to league officials.

n Credit card questions? Call ext. 107.

n Want information about new facility requests? Contact the First Vice President at ext. 114.

n IT issues? Contact Joan Appelbaum at ext. 103.

Directions & General Information

The ALTA office is located at 300 Colonial Center Parkway, Suite 140, Roswell, GA 30076. From GA 400 North, take exit 8 (Mansell Road) to Colonial Center Parkway (1.3 miles west).

ALTA office: 770.399.5788

ALTA office hours: 8:30 a.m. – 4:30 p.m.

Membership dues: Adults – $30, Juniors (18 and under) – $15. Dues are for the calendar year and expire at the end of the fall league season.

n ALTA website: altatennis.org

n ALTA’s calendar of important dates can be found on the website and in each issue of Net News.

n Your membership number is printed on the Net News mailing label and is also available on the ALTA website.

n To update your mailing address, log in to your account on the ALTA website and go to My Profile.

THE ART OF SPIN

*Yonex professional players may use a racquet with different specifications to the model displayed.

READY, SET, BANK.

With us, your financial well-being is personal. We have a dedicated team of professionals to help you find the right account to meet your needs. Let’s have a conversation about what you’re looking for in 2023.

Let’s get growing. amerisbank.com/withyou

Ameris Bank Supports ALTA