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U.S. OPEN EDITION
2024 COURTS &SLIATKCOC
Overthe last two years, Long Island Tennis Magazine’s event series, Courts & Cocktails, has provided an alternative Saturday night option for adults, where they can play tennis and socialize with old friends and also meet new ones, all while helping to raise money for worthy causes.
A great group of people came out to enjoy more than two hours of tennis, featuring drills and games across six courts. The events are an ideal way to spend a Saturday night,
Courts & Cocktails Serves Up Saturday Night Tennis Fun
and serve as both a great way for tennis players to remain active in the winter months, and also benefit newer tennis players as well.
“For some, tennis can be an intimidating sport to learn as an adult. As someone who picked up a racquet for the first time this summer, Courts & Cocktails was like a culmination in debunking that expectation,” said Kris Passett. “The players and pros couldn’t have been more welcoming or friendly, and the environment was casual and fun.
The two hours of play flew by, and if you’re reading this, don’t miss the next one!”
While the players were on court, bartenders served cocktails, as Long Island Tennis Magazine’s event staff served drinks to all the players. A full catered dinner was provided to players post-event as attendees were treated to both delicious food and amazing drinks, all making for a wonderful evening of good times with good people.
“Our latest Courts & Cocktails
reinforced the need for social tennis options,” said David Sickmen, Publisher of Long Island Tennis Magazine. “We love being in the community and bringing players of all different levels from all across Long Island together. The night allowed for
everyone to meet new people and get away from the monotony of typical Saturday night plans. We know for a fact that many of our attendees have enjoyed our events so much that they have begun playing more tennis outside of Courts & Cocktails which is
one of our goals. I want to thank Mike Kossoff and the Sportime Syosset staff who were perfect hosts. We look forward to a full calendar of Courts & Cocktails events where we will help raise funds for multiple charities throughout 2024!”
Game Set Match Tennis Academy Hosts Free Family Festival
To kick off the outdoor season, Game Set Match Tennis Academy at the Long Island Health & Racquet Club in East Setauket held a Next Generation Family Festival.
The event was free to attend and featured games, activities and clinics for all ages and levels. All participants got to work with famed tennis coach and former ATP professional Emilio Sanchez Vicario throughout the afternoon as he lead instruction on all courts.
“We were very excited how things went at our Family Tennis Festival,” said Tito Perez, Director of Tennis at Game Set Match Tennis Academy. “To watch that many kids and families coming out and enjoying the day with Emilio Sanchez was an incredible feeling. For us, it’s important to open our club to the whole community.”
The courts were divided by age and level, with some of the courts featuring high-performance junior players with teaching professionals from Game Set Match roving the courts. There were forehand, backhand, serve and volley drills, as well as point play.
On other courts, teaching professionals helped provide basic fundmantal instruction to some of the
adults from the community who attended and were trying tennis for the first time, as well as more experienced adults on other courts.
There were courts dedicated to young players who got to play a variety of games to help introduce tennis to them in a fun and inviting way.
“These events are very important for opening the eyes of the kids and the parents on the benefits of tennis, and doing so in a fun way,” said Sanchez. “It’s important to start them young and build the right foundation. We have about 50-60 kids here at the earliest levels and it’s great to see them smiling and
hopefully they sign up for the programs here. It’s very important to have the coaches understand the types of games and activities to help develop those basic skills, and doing so with the parents here, they can see the benefits of tennis for their kids.”
Throughout the day, there was music playing across all the courts and guests were able to enjoy a pizza party afterwards to put a bow on a wonderful day of tennis.
As you can see, this is a family place, we like to share the love for the sport to our community and open up opportunities for everyone in the family.”
LITM Summer Series Kicks Off With Sold-Out Tennis Event at SPORTIME Quogue
Thefirst Long Island Tennis Magazine Challenge of the year brought nearly 100 players out to SPORTIME Quogue for the perfect combination of competitive tennis on the court and a fun social time off the court.
Across the beautiful courts of SPORTIME Quogue on a sunny day in the Hamptons, teams in six different divisions competed in roundrobin group play before advancing to the knockout rounds. The competition was intense on the courts, but it was
all smiles off the court as the teams socialized with one another while enjoying catered lunch as well as an extended happy hour on the pool deck.
In the Women’s 6.0-6.5 division, the pairing of Amy Gillen & Simona Doboli came away with the title.
“The competition here is always great, and we did have to make some adjustments throughout the day,” said Gillen.
Doboli added:
“The players here are really nice
so we always enjoy playing at this event.”
For Bonnie Aves & Hazel Zaldivar, they had played doubles together but not in a long time. However, the duo quickly found their chemistry again and, as a result, were victorious in the Women’s 7.0-7.5 division.
“It’s awesome playing with her. She just told me what to do and that’s it,” Aves said tounge-in-cheek.
While Aves was half-kidding, Zaldivar explained:
“I used to boss her around back
Men’s 7.0-7.5 Division Champions Justin & Ryan Russo with Co-Tournament Director Michelle Stoerback
Men’s 8.0-8.5 Division Champions: Rob Remo & Joe Mead
then and tell her what to do on court, so we figured we would do that again. It worked out for us.”
Justin & Ryan Russo are brothers that typically play singles but decided to pair up for the LITM Challenge, and when it was all said and done, they claimed the championship in the Men’s 7.0-7.5 division.
“We were always singles players growing up and we thought it’d be nice to try some doubles,” said Justin. “It’s only the second time playing together in a tournament, and we just tried to keep the ball in play, put some pressure on, and try not to make as many unforced errors as our opponents. We figured if we could do that we would come out on top.”
Ryan Russo added:
“It was a ton of fun and at such a beautiful place. There were a lot of familiar place, and playing together was something we don’t do that often, so that was nice.”
In the Men’s 8.0-8.5 division, Rob Remo & Joe Mead found a way to play well on the big points by staying relaxed in the most high-pressure situations to earn the title.
“The key for us was the beers and margaritas,” said Remo jokingly. “It kept us loose on court, and we had a
really great time. These tournaments are always fun.”
“We played together for about 10 years in USTA events, so we know how to play with each other on court,” Mead added.
Dunja Froman & Tanya Kotov had been talking about playing doubles together and therefore teamed up to compete in the Women’s 8.0-8.5 division. The pairing worked as the duo snuck into the playoff rounds as the fourth seed, but would then go on to pull off big wins to capture the title.
“We were happy when we made the fourth seed and from there on out we played free,” said Kotov. “We had nothing to lose.”
“We’ve played against each other but never together, so we figured today would be perfect,” said Froman. “We have a lot of respect for each other as players to it’s good to have that confidence in one another and we were able to play off of each other. We came out and just wanted to have fun. We love supporting Long Island Tennis Magazine and these events are always a good time. We’ll definitely be back for more.”
Danny Burgess Jr. & Dillon McKenzie teamed up to compete in
the Men’s 9.0-9.5 division, and it turned out well as the pairing captured the title.
“We actually play a lot against each other in singles so it was fun to team up and play doubles,” said Burgess Jr. “We went to Sectionals last year and played singles and did great, so it was fun to be able to team up today and win.”
The opening event of our 2024 Summer Series showcased the continued success of the LITM Challenge events, which would not be possible without the commitment of the players, both returning and new ones, as well as all the people who help put the event together.
“There are many options for local players when it comes to racquet sports, and we are appreciative that so many players came out and chose our event. To get this many players into this tournament was a real success. I believe this is an indication that players see the professionalism and quality we bring to the events we host, and that they have a great time on and off the court,” said David Sickmen, co-tournament director of the Long Island Tennis Magazine Challenge. “I certainly want to thank our beautiful host facility, Sportime Quogue, as well as my co-director Michelle Stoerback, whose passion and energy for adult tennis is second to none, and our LITM Event staff, who did a fantastic job. Our events stand out from the rest thanks to our sponsors Doterra, iPlayMe2, OSIM, SPORTIME and Town Bagel. We look forward to more community involvement, and are excited to see everyone at our next Challenge.”
The next LITM Challenge will be held on Saturday, July 27 at SPORTIME Hempstead Lake. You can register at LongIslandTennisMagazine.com/ Events/JulyLITMChallenge.
We will conclude the LITM Summer Series back at SPORTIME Quogue on Saturday, September 7.
Men’s 9.0-9.5 Division Champions: Danny Burgess Jr. & Dillon McKenzie
Carefree Tennis Hosts Event to Raise Money for Alzheimer’s Research
Usingtennis as a platform to raise funds and awareness for worthy causes is something that makes the local tennis community such a rewarding one to be a part of. It is something that Carefree Tennis in North Merrick takes a lot of pride in, and that was evident this spring as it hosted a fundraiser event to raise money for The Longest Day, an organization that provides resources for the care, support and research efforts of the Alzheimer’s Association.
“I am thankful to all that attended the event, all those that donated raffle prizes, and to Carefree for donating the courts for such a great
cause,” said Kathy Miller, General Manager of Carefree. “We collected a little over $1,500 for the Alzheimer’s Association.”
The Longest Day is an organization that empowers people and businesses to host fundraisers of their choosing to raise money for the Alzheimer’s Association. With that, Carefree’s ownership utilized its court time to run on-court play including drills and match play with its teaching professionals organizing the attendees during the on-court portion.
Off the court, there was a food spread provided as well as raffle prizes.
“It was so energetic and so much fun,” said Edna Bornstein. “We play here a lot, we’re Carefree girls, and being able to play here to raise money for a great cause is amazing. Tennis is our life, and its great being able to do so to help others. It brings the community together.”
The event was the latest example of Carefree using its facility and its resources to benefit the community at large, and Miller says that will continue to happen:
“This charity is close to my heart as my mom suffered with this horrible disease. I look forward to holding the event again next year.”
Gauff’s Greatness With one major under her belt, Gauff prepares for Olympics and U.S. Open
By Brian Coleman
Last year, Coco Gauff experienced the greatest moment of her professional life right here in New York. With the eyes of the sporting world upon her, the American came back from a set down to defeat Aryna Sabalenka 2-6, 6-3, 6-2 in the finals of the U.S. Open.
The victory sealed the first major title of Gauff’s career, and at just 19years-old she became the youngest American Grand Slam winner since Serena Williams won the U.S. Open in 1999 at 17-years-old.
As she sat in the press room fielding questions from reporters, Gauff reflected on not only her win, but how she has handled the pressure of being a young phenom.
“It’s been a long journey to this point. I wasn’t a fully developed player, and I still think I have a lot of development to go at that moment. I think people were putting a lot of pressure on me to win. I felt that, at 15, I had to win a Slam at 15,” she said. “But that was a little bit of the pressure that I was feeling. Now I just realize that I just need to go out there and try my best.”
Serena and Venus Williams placed a lot of unfair pressure on Gauff, and it certainly affected her.
“It was to the point where I remember I lose when I was 17, and there was a stat, they were like, ‘Oh, she’s not going to win a Slam before Serena’s age,” she recalled. “It was stuff like that that I felt like I had a time limit on when I should win one, and if I won after a certain age it wouldn’t be an achievement. It’s just crazy the amount of things that I have hatred or seen about myself, but I’m really happy with how I’ve been able to manage it all.”
Managing those pressures and expectations made Gauff grow up fast, a lot more rapidly than her peers who don’t happen to be famous athletes. But Gauff, as she seemingly has done since she broke onto the public scene, has remained mature beyond her years in dealing with the off-court noise, which has allowed her on-court play to thrive.
And now, as she has become used to, the next
Being in the limelight at such a young age, and constantly hearing comparisons to your idols such as continued on page 12
question for Gauff is, what’s next?
With one major under her belt, the inevitable next task is when will she be able to secure another one. That is perhaps unfair to ask of someone who is still only 20-years-old, but it comes with the territory.
“I embrace it. I know how to keep my peace but also embrace all of this around me,” she said. “I think the pressure has been taken off a little bit, and I am still hungry for more.”
That hunger has resulted in a consistency for Gauff, and she now finds herself ranked second in the world in singles. In addition, Gauff continues to thrive on the doubles court. Earlier this spring, despite losing in the semifinals of the singles event at the French Open, to eventual champion Iga Swiatek,
her tournament wasn’t over.
The young American paired with Katerina Siniakova to win the French Open doubles title. The unlikely pairing only came together just before the beginning of the event as both of their original partners were sidelined due to injury.
“This was kind of last-minute thrown out because of Jess’s [Pegula] injury, I just wasn’t even going to play at first,” said Gauff. “Then Taylor Townsend unfortunately rolled her ankle. She texted me about playing with Katerina. I was like, ‘Yeah, I’ll do it.’ Obviously, she’s won multiple Slams in this sport, and we could have a good chance.”
The pairing had more than just a good chance and dropped just one
set throughout the event, ultimately winning 7-6(5), 6-3 over the Italian pairing of Sara Errani & Jasmine Paolini in the championship.
Gauff had initially wanted to play with an American, with her first option being Pegula and Townsend being the second option, in anticipation of the Olympics in Paris this summer. Gauff will make her Olympic debut and representing the red, white and blue on the world stage, something she has been looking forward to.
“One of the goals I wrote down on my vision note, in my phone, was to win a medal in the Olympics,” Gauff said earlier this year. “I’ll be completely honest, I don’t really care what event it is
in. I feel like a gold, silver or bronze, whatever medal it is, is one of those things it doesn’t matter. Well, it does matter. Obviously I want to win in singles. I feel like I would appreciate it just as much whether it was in singles or doubles. It’s not the same to me as a Slam, I guess, in a way, I just put, ‘I want a medal at any of the events.’”
The second half of the 2024 season is shaping up to be a busy one for Gauff. Following the French Open, she prepares for Wimbledon where she hopes to put together the best result of her career on the famed grass courts. After that, she returns to the clay courts of Paris to make her Olympic debut.
It’s then that she returns to the States and will attempt to defend her U.S. Open title. There will be a lot of pressure on her as she embarks on all of these tasks, especially at the Olympics and at the U.S. Open, where she will be a favorite at both events.
But Gauff is used to that, and is taking things in stride. Her maturity continues to grow which has allowed her to succeed despite the weight of everything upon her. She doesn’t take what she does for a living for granted, and that perspective has and will continue to
help her thrive.
“She’s mature now, so she’s starting to educate herself on a lot of things,” said her father, Corey. “And, with all the things that are going on in life and in the world, just being more appreciative of the opportunity to be on the court. If you stick to that, and treat the sport like it’s a privilege to even be out there,
then you get less mad about it and get less upset. I’ve never seen a champion with a bad attitude.”
brianc@usptennis.com.
Brian Coleman is the Senior Editor for Long Island Tennis Magazine . He may be reached at
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Pictured is the Bear Mountain Tennis dome in British Columbia, Canada
Crames Seeks 13rd Straight Glen Oaks Club Title
Laterthis summer, Simone Crames
will set out to continue her remarkable record, and maintain a streak that spans more than a decade. For the last 12 years, Crames has won the Glen Oaks Country Club Ladies Singles Championship, and will be seeking lucky number 13 in August.
“I believe my consistency and competitive spirit is the key to my success. With each win I was building up my confidence,” said Crames. “Now that I reached my personal goal of ten wins, the last two years have been getting tougher. My competition is getting younger and I am getting older, this one will be my hardest one yet.”
Despite the age gap between Crames and her opponents continuing to grow, she has the inane ability to keep improving her game, and possesses great tennis instincts.
“What I admire most about Simone’s tennis game is that her biggest strengths are such important but understated keys to success,” said Ricky Becker, the Director of Tennis at Glen Oaks, and a former all-American at Stanford University. “Simone only hits shots that she rightfully knows she can make. Her self-awareness of what she can and can’t make is off the charts. Secondly, I’m not sure she realizes but her anticipation is awesome. Other women comment on how fast Simone is but her secret really is anticipation. She is usually moving in the direction of the ball before it is hit.”
To have these sorts of tennis skills that has allowed her to succeed is even more amazing when you consider that Crames did not play tennis growing up or even in the early part of her adulthood.
After marrying her husband, a former player at the University of Southern California, and having kids, it was then that Crames started playing.
“I didn’t play competitively as a kid. In fact, I was not interested in taking lessons,” she said. “It wasn’t until I had children that I started to play and join leagues. It was a great outlet to meet people and to exercise. What I love most about tennis is all the health benefits to playing, the friendships that I have made, and the friendly competition. It’s good for my mind, stress and keeps me away from Netflix.”
And the more she has played, the better she has gotten and the competitiveness has come out.
Becker added:
“Simone loves to compete and enjoys the ‘battle’,” he said.
“Matches are genuinely fun for her, and she loves the challenge of competing. She doesn’t put pressure on herself to win but enjoys the exercise and the experience. And as she has proven, the winning just follows.”
Crames enjoys both the battle of competing but also the camaraderie and health benefits that she has gotten from playing tennis and being a member at Glen Oaks.
“I love being a member at Glen Oaks because of the people, playing on the tennis team and their beautiful golf course,” she said. “Not to mention the delicious buffet, hence the need to play a lot of tennis.”
It remains to be seen if Crames can continue her unbelievable streak of championships this summer, and no matter the result of the match, Crames’ story is the perfect representation of the positive effects tennis can have.
… News and notes from across the L.I. tennis community … News and notes from across the L.I. tennis community
Liao Takes Boys Doubles, Mixed Doubles Titles
EAC’s Lily Castka Wins L5 Girls Event in Hamptons
Eddie Liao took home two doubles titles at the L3 Summer Doubles Championship at Centercourt Chatham in New Jersey. The John McEnroe Tennis Academy (JMTA) player teamed with Jordan Reznik to win the Boys 18s Doubles title, and then with Tara Kurepa to earn the championship in the Mixed Doubles 18s division.
Lily Castka was the winner of the L5 Open at The Ross School Tennis Center. Castka, who plays at Eastern Athletic Club of Blue Point, won the title in the Girls 14s division, winning back-to-back three-set matches in the semifinals and finals.
Across Long Island
Wygodzki Captures Title in Virginia
Point Set Team Wins Mixed Doubles Title
Next stop: Sectionals.
Paige Wygodzki traveled down to Virginia and won the L3 Open event in Midlothian. Wygodzki, who trains with Steve Kaplan at the Bethpage Park Tennis Center, was the tournament’s fourth seed and did not drop a set in any of her five matches, culminating with a 6-0, 6-1 victory in the championship.
The Mixed Doubles 7.0 team out of Point Set Tennis, captained by Lori Sarnelli and Melissa Thomas, captured the title in the Mixed Doubles 7.0 division at the USTA Long Island Regionals. The team will now prepare to head to the Sectional Championships in Schenectady.
"My team and I are super excited and looking forward to competing at Sectionals this year," said team captain Lori Sarnelli. "As we started to fill out the roster back in September, we really believed we had a chance to make it through a very difficult Long Island bracket and get back to sectionals. It was a total team effort which makes it that much better!"
Opening Day Family Tennis Carnival
The summer is here and that means the outdoor season has arrived. Glen Oaks Country Club hosted an amazing Summer Kickoff Event to start the country club season.
The event featured teaching professionals on court working with children and adults, teaching them the
basics of the sport, while other courts featured players competing in match play and various drills. Off the court, DJCM was on-hand to provide music throughout the day, there was a bouncy house/slide as well as face-painting and a tennis piñata. The grill and buffet was open as well for participants to enjoy lunch.
Lluis Bruguera, Pato Alvarez, and the Six Secrets
An excerpt from the new Secrets of Spanish 2, the second edition of Chris Lewit’s best-selling book, which examines the difference in philosophy between the two famous spanish tennis coaches
By Chris Lewit
Althoughhistorically there has been some personal conflict— and competition—between Bruguera and Alvarez, together they have had a profound influence on the trajectory of Spanish tennis, and have been instrumental in shaping the Spanish style, philosophy, and methods that are being used across the country by thousands of coaches. While their methods and philosophies are different—they are also similar in many ways. In this book, I have tried to highlight those similarities to give coaches, players, and parents a practical guide that is not rooted in one coach’s particular dogma only.
Bruguera, who do not stress the double rhythm and still have achieved fantastic results. In the six secrets of Spanish tennis in this book, I have tried to outline more broad commonalities that the great coaches in Spain would have trouble disagreeing with each other about.
The six secrets are the result of this search for universality and harmony between the different teaching
lineages in Spain. For example, Alvarez is a passionate proponent of using the double rhythm footwork as much as possible, and he makes it a primary part of his technical work. However, it would be wrong to focus primarily on the double rhythm technique and label it, “The Spanish Way”, because there are many other elite coaches in Spain, including
Pato and Lluis, despite their philosophical differences on some areas of the tennis game, would agree on the importance of training these six core fundamentals:
• Movement, footwork and balance: Spanish players are taught to run and move with great balance and agility.
• Racquet speed and weapon building: Spanish players often have big, powerful topspin forehand weapons. The shot is cultivated from a young age.
• Consistency: Spanish players are taught to be stingy with errors and to play with patience.
• Defense: Coaches stress defense in addition to offense. Players have well-rounded games and they can attack and defend skillfully as the situation demands.
• Physical conditioning: Spanish players are well known for their superior stamina and fitness.
• Suffering: This is the most famous mental strength that Spanish players have. They love to battle and suffer.
As I have mentioned in the
“Secrets” section of the book, many of these areas can be taught in an integrated way, rather than separately piece by piece. Indeed, as Luis Mediero, a leading Spanish coaching educator, has asserted, one hallmark of the Spanish approach is to teach elements simply and holistically, which is the preferred method of both Pato and Lluis. The exercises that they designed work the technical, tactical, physical, and mental, often all together. However, the drills often have the versatility to allow the coach to prioritize the areas that are the most vital for the student. Coaches, parents, and players can feel confident adding these core Spanish elements to their own training regimens because they are endorsed by the two greatest coaches in Spain, Lluis and Pato. There are other unique methods that individual Spanish coaches teach, and more
specialized and varied approaches from academy to academy and coach to coach, but the purpose of this book is to highlight common themes to get to the essence of the Spanish way. However, to study the differences between coaches across Spain is a fascinating exercise.
For the curious reader, I will be adding to the book website and the Chris Lewit YouTube channel, my exclusive interviews with other leading Spanish coaches such as Pancho Alvarino, Antonio Martinez, Jose Altur, Jofre Porta,
Albert Costa, Sergio Casal, Emilio Sánchez, Andres Gimeno, Jose Perlas, Javier Piles, Jordi Vilaro, Javier Duarte, Francis Roig, Alvaro Margets and more. Many of these greats will also be discussed in Chapter Eleven.
You can also check out the brand new chapter on Toni Nadal and his system, and the rise of Carlos Alcaraz. Please visit SecretsOfSpanishTennis.com to read or listen to these interviews. The Secrets of Spanish 2 is now available on Amazon and other venues for preorder.
Chris Lewit is a leading high-performance coach, educator and author of the best-selling book, The Secrets of Spanish Tennis, and a new technique book, Winning Pretty, which will be published in 2025. Secrets of Spanish Tennis, Second Edition will be published in September 2024. As a coach, he has trained hundreds of nationally ranked juniors. He directs a full-time academy for homeschool/online players and a high performance summer camp program, as well as bespoke high performance training for all ages and levels, all at his club in the beautiful green mountains of Vermont. Contact Chris directly by phone/WhatsApp 914-462-2912 or chris@chrislewit.com.
PARSA’s picks
Building Your Tennis Dream Home
One of the great joys of being a tennis coach is being able to make something out of a blank slate. To be able to be handed a canvas and mold it in your vision is one of the appealing aspects of coaching and teaching, and something a lot can relate to.
But what about taking that approach and instead of building your dream player, constructing your dream home.
That is what’s available at 720 Bryant Road in Roslyn Harbor, a two-acre property listed by Parsa Samii of Compass Real Estate, a former top tennis player and tennis coach in his own right. Nestled in the serene and prestigious enclave of Roslyn Harbor
lies a rare opportunity to craft your ideal sanctuary. While Samii doesn’t see an exact one-to-one comparison between the two, he explained:
“It’s an interesting question for sure. Building up a tennis player is definitely a wildly different process when looked at intimately. You have a young person, emotions attached and changing every year. In the home building process a lot of the work is done beforehand by a team of professionals who plan this out. Yes there are changes as a building process goes on but without the said emotions that a human may experience and those changes in the building of a property are only a fraction of what the overall end goal was.”
This exclusive land listing presents two sprawling acres of flare, pristine terrain, providing an immaculate canvas upon which to
PARSA’s picks
manifest the home of your dreams. This property offers unparalleled tranquility and privacy, making it an ideal setting for a custom-built resilience. Whether envisioning a sprawling estate or a cozy retreat, the possibilities are limitless on this generous parcel of land.
“Building your dream home on a spacious and flat two-acre plot in an award winning school district and within close proximity to New York City is an exciting opportunity to create a personalized sanctuary with a host of luxurious amenities,” said Samii. “Imagine a property where every detail reflects your preferences and lifestyle, from the architectural style of the house to the placement of recreational facilities like a tennis court, a swimming pool, and a cabana.”
The opportunity to transform this idyllic property
into your tennis or pickleball sanctuary is an exciting proposition for anyone seeking to build their own paradise. The total square footage is 87,120 which provides plenty of room to take this canvas and convert it however you want.
In addition to the opportunities to build, the location is perfect, and opportunities like this do not come around that often. Take it from Samii:
“These trophy properties are few and far between in this area, especially within the Roslyn school district and for the discerning buyer this is an opportunity that is very rare.”
To learn more about this property and all the opportunities that are available, contact Samii at parsa@compass.com or call 516965-7445.
By Brian Coleman
spotlight Junior Player
Kayla Castellano Point Set Tennis
This past fall, the Garden City girls’ tennis team enjoyed one of their best seasons in the history of the program. The Trojans won Nassau County’s Conference IIIA and advanced to the finals of the Nassau County Team Tournament.
Senior captain Kayla Castellano played third singles for Garden City during the season, and was a major reason for their success. She also paired with Angelina Bravo to win the county doubles title and finish in third-place at the New York State Individual Championships.
Throughout the season, Castellano was not only a top player on the team but served as a leader to the rest of her teammates. That role was a longtime coming for Castellano, who has been one of the better players in the county over the last couple of seasons, and she was able to cap off her high school career in memorable fashion.
and winning third place was a moment I will never forget.”
Her final high school season was the culmination of a junior tennis journey that began when she was eight-years-old. She was a soccer player at the time but wanted to try a new sport and make new friends, so she picked up tennis.
“My earliest memories are learning how to rally on the tennis court, and I grew up playing mostly with friends and family,” recalls Castellano. “In middle school I put soccer aside to focus and continue with tennis. I knew that I wanted to use all of my energy to get better.”
“I will always remember my senior year playing high school tennis,” Castellano said. “It was an amazing experience to compete and win the Nassau doubles title. Having my team reach the county final was an incredible achievement that we got to share together. This year was filled with surprises with going to states
Castellano’s work ethic and dedication to her craft stems from her upbringing and being the daughter of a professional athlete. Her father, Javier, is a jockey who has competed at the highest level of his sport, including winning both the Kentucky Derby and Belmont Stakes in 2023. Kayla has looked up to her father since she was a little girl and draws a lot of inspiration from him.
“Ever since I was a kid, my dad has been my role model,” she said. “As an athlete, I admire his dedication and hard work. He inspires me to keep working hard and striving for my goals. I am so
fortunate to have another athlete in my family. It has been such a pleasure being able to watch my dad compete and win races, and an amazing experience to grow up with him.”
With that stable foundation of work ethic, Castellano embraces what comes with having a dedicated training schedule, and has put that to good use. She works with Danny Casesa at Point Set Tennis in Oceanside, and together the two have helped elevate her game.
“I’ve trained with Danny at Point Set for the last three years. It’s been a pleasure working with him and I keep learning new things every day,” said Castellano. “Training at Point Set has been a great fit for me and I’m grateful to them for allowing me to train there and continue to work hard.”
Castellano also emphasized the importance of feeling comfortable and welcomed in her training environment, something that Point Set has provided her:
“I’ve been so fortunate to train at a place I feel most comfortable in.
Being able to focus on my training has been crucial. I’ve received advice and guidance from my coach and the whole staff at Point Set. I really am lucky to be able to continue practicing and training at Point Set.”
In addition to her dedication to tennis and school, Castellano interned with Long Island Tennis Magazine. She served as a key member of the Event Team at a variety of events, including many that helped raise money for worthy charitable organizations.
“Working as an intern for Long Island Tennis Magazine has been an amazing experience,” she reflected. “I loved being able to work with friends and helping out at charity events to raise money. Being able to help out and work on the tennis
continued on page 24
junior player spotlight
continued from page 23
court has been a blast. It has been an amazing opportunity that I will always cherish.”
She prepares now for the next stage of her life and her tennis career, which she will continue at the Binghamton University. In his time working with Castellano, Casesa has seen the growth and improvement both on and off the court, and has no doubts about her ability to succeed at the next level.
“Kayla has been special because she really has no limits, no fear or no boundaries about the amount of work she needed to accomplish in order to get herself to the next levels,” he said. “I’m certain as she enters Binghamton both as a student and athlete with the same qualities, she will excel there as well as in all the other phases of her life. I expect her to take
everything in stride. She understands that it’s a process and she will have to work her way up the ladder and focus on the controllable. She prepared herself with a tough training schedule for the summer while also planning time for some fun. I believe Kayla is up for the challenges that are forthcoming.”
After an exhaustive process deciding on which school to attend, she was thrilled to accept the offer to Binghamton, and Castellano will join the Bearcats this fall.
“The college recruitment process was enjoyable but challenging. I loved that I got to meet coaches and have a chance to talk one-on-one with them. It was definitely a long, tiresome process but worth it in the end. Having the experience to travel and visit colleges was the highlight
of my recruitment process,” she said. “I chose Binghamton because of the level of play and academic achievements. It’s a great school that has competitive tennis. I bonded with the girls on the team when I visited and I could envision myself attending. I am thrilled to start the next chapter of my both my tennis and academic career.”
Until then, Castellano will work hard and compete in tournaments throughout the summer before she heads upstate to Binghamton. As she has always done, she will continue to lean on tennis as a major part of her life.
“I love that I can always rely on tennis. If I’m having a bad day, I can step on a tennis court and focus all my energy into training. Tennis helps me stay motivated and maintain a strong work ethic.”
Beach Point Club Digitizes Its Way Forward
BeachPoint Club director of tennis Vuk Tapuskovic jumped on the opportunity this season to run its Club’s internal competitive programs in a brand new way, having the players themselves self-schedule their matches, when mutually convenient at the club, and then self-report the match scores.
Vuk shared his interesting story with us, about leveraging iPlayMe2’s appcentric solution. His “light-bulb moment”:
“Everyone these days has a smartphone in their palm, and is working remotely increasingly. Schedules are more flexible, but also less predictable. So, when iPlayMe2 came knocking on our door, with this self-scheduling tournament software, app-centric from the player perspective, we couldn’t resist hearing them out”.
He continued:
“We usually ran our internal ladders, round-robins, Club Championships, etc. the traditional way; setting up specific days and weekend times when we’d insist our members get those matches in. But we flipped the problem on its head. Instead of our club mandating play time, blocking out courts, and cramping members’ schedules, I offered the members to use iPlayMe2’s app to self-schedule those matches, and then, without any input from my staff’s side, enter their match score on their own.”
iPlayMe2’s club admin portal cranked out league and ladder “pole-
start” positions, seeded elimination brackets, round-robin “boxes”, with players then seeing on their app, the specific draws, and receiving e-mails, and/or texts, about whom their first round opponent is, and were suggested to use the iPlayMe2 player app to propose days / time-slots throughout the week, for that match. Invited players can even “counterpropose” other time-slots, directly through the app, allowing for quick syncing between players when they can play, and find an available court.
Some players stayed ‘old-school’, messaging each other to coordinate when to play, while others embraced this innovative app, by efficiently accepting or countering each other’s propositions on when to play at our club, all through the iPlayMe2 player app. By round two, or the 2nd halfmonth, our member-players were jumping on the app, and making short work of the scheduling headache of
offering convenient play times that suited their personal schedules. iPlayMe2 built this app to be as easy as ordering up an Uber... tap, swipe and a click.
Members loved entering their own scores, particularly when they won. As club staff, we saved incredible amounts of time; iPlayMe2’s tournament brackets were always fully up-to-date, and visible to all of our members through our club’s private page within iPlayMe2’s eco-system.
For Vuk, iPlayMe2 not only digitized, and made easy, the entire process of setting up and running the club’s competitive play, but the members took more ownership of their matches, and were eager to schedule them when convenient to both sides of the net.
iPlayMe2 also handles flex leagues, round-robins, traditional club championships, as well as can generate player rankings/ratings across the entire club. It even handles Compass Draw type tournaments, double-elimination formats, and simple “back-draw” formats, for those firstround losing players. iPlayMe2 has integrated all other racquet sports as well, including of course Pickleball, and Padel, to name just a couple here.
Vuk summed it up: “iPlayMe2 is very simple to use; it takes only minutes to set up a ladder, elimination draw, etc.; the tech platform does everything else, and elegantly. Some of our members now think I’m a genius! They’re only half-right… Thanks iPlayMe2!
USTA Eastern Long Island Region
USTAEastern's Long Island Region is pleased to announce the return of its Annual Awards this September. But we need your help! Do you know someone who deserves to be recognized for their outstanding service to the tennis community? Please let us know about them now! Nominations are open through the end of July.
Nominations Wanted!
The 34th celebration of Long Island’s tennis community will be held on Wednesday, September 18, 2024 at Sea Cliff Manor in Sea Cliff, N.Y. Please note, we've listened to you and have instituted a format change: The event will include a cocktail hour starting at 6 p.m. to celebrate the honorees, followed by the awards ceremony and photos at 7 p.m, and concluding at 8:30p.m. The cost to attend is now just $40 for adults and $35 for children under the age of 12.
Nominate an individual, organization or program by
Who Is Stan Smith?
TheUSTA Long Island Regional Council along with USTA Eastern was pleased to sponsor the local premiere of “Who is Stan Smith?”, a documentary presented by the Gold Coast International Film Festival. Long Island Council members (photo) attended the film’s launch at the Manhasset Cinemas. The Council also made tickets available to the lucky winners who play in the Tuesday Tennis in the Park mixed doubles group.
emailing ustaonlongisland@gmail.com with the following information:
• Name of nominee and their email address
• Nominee’s address and phone number
• Award for which you are nominating this person/organization
• Short paragraph on why the nominee is deserving of this award
• Your name and email address in case we have any questions
* Please note that all awardees will be notified and invited by email only, so email addresses are required for all nominees.
Visit www.longisland.usta.com to see the award categories and a list of past winners. The deadline for nominations is Monday, July 29, 2024.
Bringing Tennis to the Community
LICouncil volunteers Sunny and Eddie Fishkind, with the help of members of the Calhoun High School and Merrick Avenue Middle School tennis teams, introduced tennis to children attending the Robbie’s Run event in Merrick. The LI Council has been supporting Robbie’s Run since its inception in 2006. The event is a 5k and 1 mile road race, along with a kids’ festival in Merrick, and raises money to allow Forever 9-The Robbie Levine Foundation to purchase automated external defibrillators for locations where children play sports and to sponsor CPR/AED trainings to save lives.
USTA Eastern Long Island Region
Celebrating Sportsmanship and Teamwork
TheUSTA Long Island Regional Council was pleased to support the boys high school tennis season in several ways this year. As it has done for girls’ tennis players and in past boys seasons, the Council provided plaques to each Nassau and Suffolk coach who wanted one, to present to a member of their team in recognition of great sportsmanship. A complete list of recipients and photos of those who provided them can be found at www.longisland.usta.com.
The LI Council also provided championship and runner up plaques for each member of the team in the Boys Large Schools and Small Schools Long Island High School Championships. Receiving the plaques were Large School Champions Syosset and runners-up Commack, and Small School Champions Friends Academy and runners-up The Ross School.
Each of the boys who competed at States also received a quarter-zip courtesy of the Long Island Regional Council.
Long Island Regional Council Executive Committee
Mike Pavlides, Regional Director
Jonathan Klee, Past Regional Director
Sunny Fishkind
Tito Perez
Jason Wass
Randi Wilkins
Neil Thakur, Manager, Schools Tennis and Long Island & Metro Region CTC
Becky Bellino, USTA Eastern Leagues Coordinator Facebook: Play Tennis Long Island • Instagram: USTA Eastern
Long Island Large School Runners-Up: Commack
Long Island Small School Runners-Up: The Ross School
The Suffolk County players at the New York State Tournament with their quarter-zips courtesy of Long Island Regional Council
The Nassau County Doubles players with their quarter-zips courtesy of Long Island Regional Council
The Nassau County Singles players with their quarter-zips courtesy of Long Island Regional Council
TheJohn McEnroe Tennis Academy (JMTA) once again brought tennis players and college coaches together at its College Recruiting Combine, this time in a different location as SPORTIME Port Washington hosted the eighth annual event.
The event has been held at JMTA’s flagship location, SPORTIME Randall’s Island, for the last seven years. This year however, the event was moved to SPORTIME Port Washington, formerly Port Washington Tennis Academy, the location where McEnroe and his brother Patrick trained when they were young tennis players.
After an $8 million renovation, SPORTIME Port Washington now features 7 oversized, sub-irrigated, soft-
SPORTIME Port Washington Hosts Eighth Annual JMTA College Recruiting Combine
surface, Har-Tru tennis courts, 6 new hard-surface tennis courts as well as many other upgrades and amenities, making it an ideal location for the Combine.
“JMTA is committed to preparing our players for college tennis, and to working with them to identify and to help them to attend the colleges and universities that best suit them,” said John McEnroe.
The Combine was open to rising sophomores, juniors and seniors and featured 50 boys and 50 girls who showcased their technical and tactical tennis skills, and their athletic abilities, in front of coaches from top colleges and universities. The event features match play, both in singles and doubles, as coaches surveyed the courts.
All players were put through an athletic peformance assessments and are invited to also take part in Sports Vision Testing. In addition, there were two separate College Coaches’ Panel Discussions which provided players and parents the opportunity to ask questions on a variety of topics, including recruitment, academics, campus life and more.
“The Coaches Panel was very helpful as I got answers to many questions I had and answers to things I didn’t know about,” said Ethan Solop, a rising senior at Roslyn High School. “My main goal during matches was to show off my game and my ability to compete. My game is based off playing with aggression, going for big shots and getting to every single ball. I believe I did all that very well as I stuck to
my game-plan and the patterns I go over in practice. All the eyes watching and the pressure made me play better actually. I believe that the coaches that attended, really got a good understanding of my game and myself as after my matches I was able to talk to coaches and break down my game and what went well and what I’d like to improve.”
College Coaches from Adelphi, Brown, Baylor, Cornell, Dartmouth, Penn
State, William & Mary, Wake Forest, Bentley, Middlebury, Wesleyan, Stony Brook, Bryant, St. John’s, Hofstra, Union, Colgate and others were in attendance.
"The 2024 JMTA College Combine was one of the highest level Combines in terms of UTRs since we started nine years ago! We also had so many incredible seminars with talks from John McEnroe, Patrick McEnroe, Touby from the College Planning Alliance, Tony from Novella
Prep, Ryan from ASM, and of course the infamous College Coaches Panel,” said Jay Harris, Director of Tennis and JMTA at SPORTIME Port Washington and the JMTA College Combine Director. “It was a truly special event and especially because of the move to the iconic SPORTIME Port Washington. Parents and players loved having it there as this facility has truly the best overall viewing capabilities of any facility in the east. ”
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Adult League Wrap-Up
By Becky Bellino
TheUSTA Long Island Adult League season is in full swing with championships just around the corner! The month of May began with our 2024 men’s and women’s leagues, and ended with the first Sectionals of 2024 for the 18+ Mixed Leagues. Congrats to Deer Park’s 9.0 mixed team which was crowned Eastern Section Champions and will debut their skills at Nationals later this fall.
There was another great performance from the Long Beach 10.0 mixed team captained by Daria Sekerina, who came up just short of a title. The back and forth match between them and their Metro Region opponent provided top tier tennis and plenty of drama for the spectators to enjoy. We look forward to this rivalry for years to come!
The next Sectional includes the 55+ mixed, 4.0 tri-level and 5.0 tri-level
leagues which will take place in Schenectady. This is the first year that Long Island has both a 4.0 and a 5.0 men’s team participating in the tournament. Good luck to all the teams heading north! Results will be included in the next issue of Long Island Tennis Magazine Below is a recap of the Region’s winners for all leagues that took place over the winter season:
• 18 & Over 6.0 Mixed - Sportime
www.inphormnyc.com
The 40 & Over 7.0 Mixed Champions from Point Set captained by Lori Sarnelli and Melissa Thomas
The 40 & Over 6.0 Mixed Champions from Christopher Morley captained by Peter Tam and David Ng
Lynbrook (Captain - Donna Healy)
• 18 & Over 7.0 Mixed - Deer Park (Captains - Suresh Patel and Kevin Bunting)
• 18 & Over 8.0 Mixed - Long Beach Tennis Center (Captains - Atara Simpson and Matt Freeman) v18 & Over 9.0 Mixed - Deer Park (Captain - Roslyn Chua-McAlonie)
• 18 & Over 10.0 Mixed - Long Beach (Captain - Daria Sekerina)
• 18 & Over 5.0 Tri-Level - Carefree Racquet Club (Captains Sue Bacey and Alyssa Bonadonna)
• 40 & Over 6.0 Mixed - Christopher Morley (Captains Peter Tam and David Ng)
• 40 & Over 7.0 Mixed - Point Set (Captains Lori Sarnelli and Melissa Thomas)
• 55 & Over 7.0 Mixed - Sportime
Syosset (Captains Dawn Schosberg and Jennifer Mao)
Thank you all for your participation. Keep your eyes open for the next edition of this magazine which will feature a vast majority of league champions from the 2024 season.
Becky Bellino is the Adult League Coordinator for USTA/Long Island. She may be reached at bellino@eastern.usta.com.
The 18 & Over 10.0 Mixed Champions from Long Beach captained by Daria Sekerina
The 18 & Over 9.0 Mixed Champions from Deer Park, captained by Roslyn Chua-McAlonie
U.S. Open to Kick Off With Fan Week
Aswe move through the summer, it means that the U.S. Open is on the horizon, and the eyes of the tennis world descend on New York.
The first week of the U.S. Open provides fans with unparalled access to watch the world’s best tennis players as well as other special events, many of which are completely free to attendees.
There is something for everyone at the first, full-weeklong tennis and entertainment festival preceding the U.S. Open. Fan Week runs August 19-25 at the USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center.
The U.S. Open Main Draw begins on August 26.
"This is the biggest and most exciting year yet for US Open Fan Week, and we hope everyone comes to enjoy a full week of world-class tennis and entertainment, all with free grounds admission to the USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center,” said US Open Tournament Director Stacey Allaster. “With a lineup of unique signature events starring tennis icons and headlining entertainers, up-
close access to the sport at its pinnacle and a variety of fun activities available
every day, the US Open is truly open and accessible for all as we welcome all fans and families alike to experience this one-of-akind festival the week before the US Open Main Draw.”
US Open Fan Week’s anchor competition – the US Open Qualifying Tournament – will run from Monday, August 19, to Thursday, August 22, and is free to attend. Played on the field courts of the US Open, the 128draw men’s and women’s tournaments determine the final 16 players to gain entry into each of the US Open Men’s and Women’s Singles Main Draws, which begin on Monday, August 26.
Fans can also enjoy free access to see the biggest stars in tennis practice on the US Open’s practice courts and stadiums throughout Fan Week, including featured practices in Louis Armstrong Stadium and Grandstand, as well as inside Arthur Ashe Stadium via the Arthur Ashe Stadium Experience, accessible
with Fan Access Pass.
Fans can download the free Fan Access Pass – a digital pass that grants special access to certain areas and events during Fan Week, including: the Arthur Ashe Stadium Experience, the Media Day Fan Event inside Arthur Ashe Stadium; VIP seats to featured practices inside Louis Armstrong and Grandstand stadiums and Monday’s Legends of the Open presented by FAGE exhibition.
Registration is available at fanpass.usopen.org, with the ability to download your pass to your mobile wallet for easy access.
Fan Week set a record last year with nearly 160,000 fans attending, including a record 40,868 on Arthur Ashe Kids’ Day. Below is the full list of events during Fan Week:
SUNDAY, AUGUST 18, 2024
Sounds of the Open Concert headlined by Dierks Bentley and featuring Chase Rice (Ticketed)
Details: Country music superstar Dierks Bentley will headline the inaugural concert played inside Louis Armstrong Stadium on the eve of Fan Week to kick off the three weeks of tennis and entertainment to come.
Location: Louis Armstrong Stadium
Time: 7:30 p.m.
MONDAY, AUGUST 19, 2024
US Open Qualifying Tournament Begins (Free)
Details: 128 men and 128 women battle for the final 16 spots in the singles Main Draws on the US Open’s field courts, beginning on Monday, August 19, and running through Thursday, August 22. Players in the Qualifying Tournament traditionally are ranked between No. 100-250 in the world, and the field includes everything from rising young stars to veterans on the comeback trail.
Legends of the Open presented by FAGE (Free)
Details: A free-to-attend Legends exhibition match featuring New York hometown favorite and former world No. 4 James Blake, former world No. 1 Garbine Muguruza and former world No. 2 Tommy Haas. Attendance is free, with VIP seating available by registering for Fan Access Pass.
Location: Arthur Ashe Stadium
Time: 7 p.m.
TUESDAY, AUGUST 20, 2024
US Open Mixed Madness presented by IHG Hotels & Resorts (Ticketed)
Details: A new, blockbuster mixed doubles event featuring four teams of current men’s and women’s stars competing for $500,000 in prize compensation, with $250,000 going to the winning team. The teams include: defending US Open champion Coco Gauff and Ben Shelton; two-time US Open champion Naomi Osaka and Nick Kyrgios; Stefanos Tsitsipas and Paula Badosa; Taylor Fritz and Aryna Sabalenka.
Location: Arthur Ashe Stadium
Time: 7 p.m.
WEDNESDAY, AUGUST 21, 2024
Stars of the Open presented by CHASE (Ticketed event, to benefit USTA Foundation)
Details: A ticketed event of exhibition matches featuring some of the biggest names in tennis to benefit the USTA Foundation. The match and player lineup includes fourtime and defending US Open
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Champion Novak Djokovic, two-time US Open champion Venus Williams, 2022 US Open champion Carlos Alcaraz, Jessica Pegula, Frances Tiafoe, Caroline Wozniacki, and former US Open Champions Andre Agassi, John McEnroe, Gabriela Sabatini, Andy Roddick, and more.
Location: Arthur Ashe Stadium Time: 7 p.m.
THURSDAY, AUGUST 22, 2024
Flavors of the Open presented by Dobel Tequila (Ticketed event to Benefit USTA Foundation)
Details: Returning for its third year in 2024, “Flavors of the Open'' is a chance to experience the US Open’s wide-ranging culinary menu, while attendees can interact with a number of celebrity chefs and players.
Location: Louis Armstrong Stadium (Concourse)
Time: 6:30-8:30 p.m.
Chef Participants: Ed Brown, Josh Capon, Alex Guarnaschelli, Pat LaFrieda, Kwame Onwuachi, Benjamin Steakhouse and more.
FRIDAY, AUGUST 23, 2024
US Open Media Day (Free, via US Open Fan Access Pass)
Details: The game’s biggest stars will participate in US Open Media Day inside Arthur Ashe Stadium, with a fan-facing portion of their interview circuit allowing fans in Ashe to hear directly from the players up close and personal.
Location: Arthur Ashe Stadium Time: Beginning at noon.
US Open Block Party (Free)
Details: New this year, the US Open Block Party is a dynamic, festival-style celebration on the Fountain Plaza featuring music from a variety of well-known DJs, player appearances and much more.
Location: Fountain Plaza Time: 7-10 p.m.
SATURDAY, AUGUST 24, 2024
Arthur Ashe Kids’ Day (Free)
Details: The long-running Arthur Ashe Kids’ Day, the largest grassroots tennis event in the world, honors Arthur Ashe’s legacy of instilling the
values of humanitarianism, leadership and academic excellence alongside promoting the sport of tennis to young people, will take place on Saturday, August 24, with kids and family activities all throughout the grounds, featuring top players, music acts, face painting and a free special show in Arthur Ashe Stadium.
Location: USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center Grounds
Time: 9:30 a.m.-4:00 p.m.
SUNDAY, AUGUST 25, 2024
Open Practice Day (Free)
Details: Watch the game’s top players practice as they prepare for the US Open main draws throughout the grounds of the USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center, including featured practices inside Louis Armstrong Stadium and Grandstand, as well as the Arthur Ashe Stadium Experience.
Why Is Har-Tru Sponsoring Two Out Of Eight U.S. Open Series Tournaments?
Har-Tru
Sports Coatings is the official hardcourt surface for the Mubadala Citi DC Open and the National Bank Open presented by Rogers—two of the eight prestigious US Open Series tournaments. Their involvement in these events is not just about sponsorship; it plays a critical role by providing specialized surfaces, consulting, and court care to ensure the highest standards of play. But the commitment extends far beyond the paint.
At Har-Tru, their passion for tennis drives them. Their partnerships are designed to foster community engagement, promote the growth of the sport, and support youth players in Washington, DC, and across the Canadian provinces. As avid players themselves, they understand the nuances of player performance and leverage their nearly 100 years of industry experience to create the best courts possible. This deep connection to the game inspires them to continually innovate and enhance our products and services.
Their specialized surfaces are renowned for their performance and durability. Engineered to provide vibrant, long-lasting color and optimal playing conditions, Har-Tru Sports Coatings ensure that courts remain visually stunning and functional over time. This commitment to quality is why major tournaments like the Mubadala Citi DC Open and the National Bank Open trust Har-Tru to enhance their events.
Beyond providing top-tier surfaces, Har-Tru actively engage with local communities to support the development of young players by partnering with various programs and initiatives to offer opportunities for youth to learn and excel in tennis. Supporting the next generation of players is a cornerstone of Har-Tru’s mission. By fostering a love for the game and providing essential resources, they help cultivate future champions.
Har-Tru’s dedication to tennis is not just about the present; it is about the future. They are committed to the longterm growth of the sport, both nationally and internationally. The vision extends beyond the immediate needs of a single tournament or season, rather they empower players for generations to come, ensuring the sport continues to thrive and evolve.
This long-term perspective is reflected in their continuous efforts to innovate and improve their products and services.
The nearly century-long history of Har-Tru in the industry testifies to their enduring commitment to excellence. Over the years, they have developed a deep understanding of what it takes to create the best playing surfaces and environments. This expertise is evident in every court they work on, from local community courts to world-renowned tournament venues.
Har-Tru is more than just a sponsor of the Mubadala Citi DC Open and the National Bank Open. They are a dedicated partner, committed to enhancing tennis through superior surfaces, community engagement, and support for players. By choosing HarTru, you are choosing a partner in the love and growth of tennis.
By Brian Coleman
Coaching Spotlight
Michelle Stoerback SPORTIME New York
Ifyou have participated in an adult tennis or pickleball tournament on Long Island, there’s a good chance that you have interacted with Michelle Stoerback, who runs events and tournaments practically every weekend.
Stoerback is the Adult Tennis Director for Sportime Clubs here on Long Island, and has become a fixture at all different types of events.
“I love bringing people together,” said Stoerback about her passion for what she does. “Tournaments have a way of uniting players, fans, volunteers and staff from diverse backgrounds and cultures, creating a sense of community and camaraderie. I have a deep love for tennis, and running tournaments allows me to immerse myself in the sport and contribute to its growth and development.”
That love for the sport is evident when you are around Stoerback and she has a unique ability to connect with the players and participants with whom she interacts. David Sickmen, who runs the Long Island Tennis Magazine Challenge tournaments, encapsulated it perfectly:
“I certainly want to thank my co-director Michelle Stoerback, whose passion and energy for adult tennis is second to none,” said Sickmen after a recent LITM Challenge event.
For Stoerback, landing a career in the tennis industry was not something she envisioned for herself originally. Growing up, she played tennis but did so just for fun, and was not someone who trained to tried to play competitively.
But she did begin playing nearly every day at SPORTIME in 2012, and a couple of years later, she was offered a job by the club.
“Tennis was always a recreational activity for me growing up,” she said. “Having a career in tennis wasn’t something I had planned; it simply just happened.”
And since 2014, Stoerback has taken the ball and ran with it, helping to grow the adult tennis
programs as well as usher in innovative ways to run events. While she did not set out to work full-time in the racquet sports industry, she has found a home at SPORTIME, and loves not only where she works but who she works with.
“If you have a passion for sports, especially tennis, SPORTIME offers you the opportunity to work in an environment where you can engage with the sport you love every day,” said Stoerback. “SPORTIME also fosters a sense of community and camaraderie among staff members who share a common interest. Building relationships with colleagues who share your passion makes work more enjoyable.”
and continue to get better at what she does.
experience in organization, communication and event management. Advancing to the role of Adult Tennis Director, I broadened my responsibilities to include overseeing adult programming, coaching and player development.
Progressing further, my role expanded to Tournament Director, where I assumed a central role in orchestrating competitive events catering to both adults and juniors.”
Since she began at SPORTIME, Stoerback’s role has diversified and expanded, ranging from running adult and junior tennis programs to operating leagues and tournaments, all of which have helped her grow
“My journey in tennis has been marked by a dynamic evolution, encompassing diverse roles within the world of racquet sports,” Stoerback says. “Beginning as a league director, I gained invaluable
More recently, with the surge in popularity of pickleball across the world, SPORTIME has embraced this and vastly expanded its pickleball offerings, and Stoerback has been instrumental in helping that.
While at their core, running different types of tournaments have their similarities, but depending on
continued on page 40
coaching spotlight continued from page 39
the sport or the type of event, Stoerback has to adjust accordingly.
“The primary distinction between tennis and pickleball tournaments is court size and the facilities needed, as well as the duration of matches,” she explained. “Pickleball courts demand less space and therefore different venues can be used, whereas tennis tournaments typically need larger facilities with more courts, seating and amenities in comparison to pickleball. Finally, pickleball matches tend to be shorter than tennis matches which impacts schedules.”
Despite all of these factors that have to be considered when running these tournaments, Stoerback’s success in this field is derived from her love and passion for what she does. The desire to comb over every detail needed for
organizing draws, booking courts, arranging schedules and more, plus interacting with the players, is something she enjoys doing.
“For someone with an affection for tennis, organizing tournaments offers an opportunity to fully engage with the sport and activtely contribute to its growth is amazing,” said Stoerback. “I’ve adopted a proactive approach by planning ahead, identifying potential issue and devising contingency measures. Discovering innovative solutions to these hurdles can produce great results, and I love that process.”
As a result, Stoerback has been recognized for her dedication and work in the community. Back in 2019, she was named the Adult Volunteer of the Year by the USTA Eastern Long Island Region. And last
year, the USTA Eastern Section honored her with the Special Service Award, which is awarded to a person who has made a special contribution to tennis in the Section.
“I don’t do this to receive awards or be honored by anything, but it is of course an incredibly humbling thing to be recognized,” said Stoerback. “It’s a validation of the hard work you put in and is a reflection of what your peers and the industry think about you. They will make me strive to continue to get better and remain motivated.”
Nobody in this industry has more passion and enthusiasm when it comes to what she does, and that will continue to be on display as she runs tournaments and events throughout the rest of the summer and beyond.
The Best and The Worst Ways to Handle Tournament Pressure
By Dr. Tom Ferraro
YouRoger Federer was one of the healthiest and most successful tennis players on tour largely because he possesses and uses many mature and adaptive defenses to cope with stress
managing competitive stress.
I’ve recently published a book about this, Athletes and Their Mechanisms of Defense, and in this column I will outline the four most ineffective, and the four most effective defenses used by tennis players.
The Four Worst Defenses
may have noticed that some tennis players seem to handle pressure better than others. Roger Federer is always cool and stays focused while others such as Nick Kyrgios will often lose control, have temper tantrums and defeat themselves. The reason players vary so much in the way they handle setbacks and pressure is because they all come onto the court with different psychological defenses. Defenses are defined as naturallydeveloped involuntary behaviors or feelings designed to alleviate stress or anxiety. Some defenses are more primitive and maladaptive while others are more mature and effective in
1. Acting out: When John McEnroe screams and when Nick Kyrgios breaks a racket, they are acting out or acting without reflection or without regard for the negative consequences. This is a primitive childlike defense often seen in toddlers who are having tantrums if they don’t get their way.
Acting out in tennis often causes unforced errors with players who are unable to deal with the tension of longer rallies, lose patience and go for winners. They need to learn of the cause of this acting out in order to learn greater patience.
2. Drug use: Drug use is another form of common acting out in sports and is used to defend against anxiety, self-doubt, fatigue or pain. However, as
Gary Wadler’s book about drugs and the athlete explains, there is not a drug on earth that has proven to be effective in enhancing performance since they all have such immediate and nasty side effects. Most drugs are used to quell anxiety and bolster selfesteem and confidence, but the bad news about drugs is that, whether it’s an anti-depressant, alcohol, steroids, pain killers or stimulants, they all carry some form of negative impact on athletic performance.
3. Perfectionism: Perfectionism is a remarkably common defense defined as the tendency to view the self in idealized, grandiose fashion. This tendency is often seen in the young star who has gained some measure of fame and develops unrealistically high expectations of performance. This is what is referred to as perfectionism and invariably leads to trouble since no one can win every match or hit every shot perfectly. The player can be helped to escape from the trap of perfectionism by discussing the importance of acceptance of mistakes and by role modeling using players who demonstrate acceptance.
4. Reaction formation: Reaction formation is best described as “smiling on the outside but crying on the inside” and is a defense used by many, with Naomi Osaka being a prime example. Reaction formation is defined as substituting an unacceptable feeling with its opposite, like when a player wants to scream but instead smiles a lot. The problem with overly kindly behavior in sports is that over time, when the anger is not allowed to be expressed it leads to depression which is what happened in the case of Naomi Osaka. Players need to be taught
how to use assertive behavior in these cases.
The Four Best Defenses
1. Anticipation: Anticipation is the willingness to plan ahead for any and all possible stressors during a match. A great example of anticipation is when Novak Djokovic was to play Roger Federer in the Wimbledon Final in 2019. Djokovic anticipated that the crowd would be behind the more popular Federer on every point so rather than be upset when the crowd was silent after he won a point, he rehearsed this event and imagined he was hearing cheers instead. This strategy worked well and he won that match. Anticipation is generally known as Murphy’s Law named after the mountain climber who realized he must be prepared for all contingencies as he climbed Mount Everest. If he failed to plan in any way, it could cost him his life.
2. Humor: Humor is the way some individuals are able to deal with emotional stress by looking at the amusing or ironic aspects of the situation. It relieves tension, allows others to share in the joke and is a sign of both intelligence and maturity. Again, Novak “The Joker” Djokovic is famous for being able to joke around during a match which alleviates tension.
3. Suppression: Suppression is the defense of voluntarily avoiding thinking about a disturbing problem or situation. This is what they mean by staying in the moment and not getting ahead of yourself by worrying about match outcome or point outcome. This is also what they refer to as the zone or being in a calm and relaxed, yet focused state of mind. This state of mind is surprisingly difficult to achieve and the practice of Buddhist meditation facilitates this state of mind. Perhaps the very best at suppression was Tiger Woods and it is no surprise that his mother was Buddhist and taught little Tiger how to meditate from an early age. He was
famous for being able to suppress all worry and distraction and stay zoned in throughout the tournament.
4. Self-observation: This defense shows the ability to reflect upon feelings, mistakes or setbacks without self criticism or judgment. This skill allows individuals to grow and learn from their mistakes rather then get angry, depressed or self-critical. This trait means one is able to see them objectively or as others see them, and is the sine qua non of mental health. Billie Jean King, Roger Federer and Pete Sampras are good examples of great tennis players who were mature, stable and able to see themselves in a realistic way.
If you find yourself using the worst more maladaptive defenses like acting out, perfectionism, drugs or reaction formation it is likely you will never be able to reach full potential until you get some help with this. On the other hand if you use anticipation, humor, suppression or self-observation it is likely that you are doing quite well and can consider yourself a healthy tennis player.
consultations, treatment or on-site visits, contact Dr. Tom Ferraro Ph.D., Sport Psychologist, by phone at (516) 248-7189, e-mail DrTFerraro@aol.com or visit DrTomFerraro.com.
SUMMER JUNIOR TENNIS CAMP
2024 Long Island Boys’ High
Deepudass Claims Nassau County Singles Title
WhenSamarth Deepudass made the decision to play high school tennis, he did so with the distinct goal of winning a county title.
Deepudass joined the Herricks team as a sophomore last year and returned this spring for his junior season, and complied a great season which earned him the second-seed in the Nassau County Individual Championships.
County.
Ethan
the second set. He did just that, making sure to be more consistent and not play overly aggressive.
“I just tried to play my game, have fun and see what happens,” he said. “It was a matter of getting as many balls in as I could. I knew I couldn’t just go for big shots, I had to make him move and I feel like that was the biggest change.”
“I was super motivated,” said Deepudass. “The main reason I played high school tennis was to try and win counties, and I put a lot of effort into it. I was just remembering my training and all the dedication and hard work I put in.”
That work paid off as Deepudass came back from a set down to defeat Roslyn’s Ethan Solop, who was bothered by cramps for much of the final, 6-7(4), 6-2, 6-4 and win the Nassau County Singles title.
After dropping the opening set in a hard-fought tiebreaker, Deepudass knew he had to play more solid in
Herricks head coach Ray Cross added:
“It was a great match, Ethan showed a lot of toughness and battled out there. Samarth played his heart out also. We had some of his teammates here supporting him and I think he appreciates, as someone who plays a lot of tournaments, having teammates encouraging him and being there for him.”
Both Deepaduss and Solop represented Nassau at the State Championships, as did Manhasset’s Maxim Golubenko, who defeated Plainview JFK’s Aidan Patel 6-3, 4-6, 6-4 in the third-place match.
Herricks’ Samarth Deepudass celebrates after sealing the Nassau County singles title
Ethan Solop of Roslyn was the runner-up in the Nassau Individual Tournament and would go on to finish fifth in New York State
The top four finishers in Nassau
From left to right: Maxim Golubenko (Manhasset),
Solop (Roslyn), Samarth Deepudass (Herricks) and Aidan Patel (Plainview JFK)
h School Recap
Melandro, Shah Repeat As Nassau County Doubles Champions
They had been there before.
A year ago, Syosset’s Devan Melandro & Nikhil Shah came back from a set down to win the Nassau County Doubles Championship. So, when the duo found themselves in the same position a year later, there was no panic.
“We told ourselves we could do it, we did it last year,” said Shah. “In the first set we were a point or two away in every game, and lost 8-6 in the tiebreaker, so we knew we were right there.”
The two made some adjustments heading into the second set, making sure to mix up their pace and give Russell Notaris & Bryan Bin of Friends Academy more variety. The plan worked, and Melandro & Shah leaned on their experience from last year
to win their second straight county title, coming back to win 6-7(6), 6-4, 6-4.
“I felt like on the important points we were there. I was horrible in the first set, missing returns and easy volleys. I did a better job of that in the second set, and Nikki was amazing on serve all day, and it came down to consistency,” said Melandro. “At 4-4 in the third set, those two games was where we played our best. It was all about staying focused and being mentally tough.”
Melandro & Shah were joined at States by Notaris & Bin, as was Jericho’s Brian Berger & Anish Pylla who finished in third place with a 6-3, 6-1 victory over Manhasset’s Jairus Bo & Zakaria Ahmed.
Devan Melandro & Nikhil Shah came back from a set down for the second straight year to win the Nassau County Doubles title
Friends Academy’s Bryan Bin & Russell Notaris finished as runners-up
The top four finishers in the Nassau County Doubles Tournament. From left to right: Devan Melandro & Nikhil Shah (Syosset); Russell Notaris & Bryan Bin (Friends Academy); Brian Berger & Anish Pylla (Jericho); Jairus Bo & Zakaria Ahmed (Manhasset)
2024 long island boy’s high school recap
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Ross School’s Menezes Captures Suffolk County Singles Title
RossSchool’s Eduardo Menezes captured the Suffolk County Singles crown by defeating Bryan Volk of Half Hollow Hills West 6-4, 6-2 in the championship to claim the title.
“I am very happy with my performance this weekend. I was able to really apply the way that I play which resulted in a great outcome,” said Menezes. “It is my first and last season playing high school tennis so this result means a lot to me!”
In a battle between the event’s top two seeds, Menezes was able to be more consistent and kept his error count low.
With his serve working, Menezes was able to win the
match in straight sets as his fellow Ross School teammates were there to cheer him on.
“It was great to have my teammates there supporting me. They always bring a great energy and the environment is always better with them,” Menezes added. “This season has been very fun so far, it’s my first time playing as a team and it has been a great experience and opportunity for me. It is also getting me ready for what’s to come next, which is college tennis.”
In the third-place match, Juan Perez of Mt. Sinai defeated Ward Melville’s Robbie Monticciolo to join Menezes and Volk at the New York State Public High School Athletic Association (NYSPHSAA) Individual Championships.
Ross School’s Eduardo Menezes captured the Suffolk County singles titleHills West’s Bryan Volk finished as runner-up in the Suffolk County Individual Championships
Commack’s Benderly, Yu Claim Doubles Championship
Ina thrilling doubles final, the Commack pairing of Eric Benderly & James Yu defeated Ward Melville’s Harshith Pennabadi & Shashank Pennabadi 6-3, 7-6(1).
“Both Eric and I walked into that match thinking, ‘These guys are a whole UTR above us, they have won matches against 10 UTR, we will be lucky to win a set or even a couple games’, said Yu. “But none of that really hindered how we went on to the court and played. “
Benderly added:
“Winning matches as an underdog is always a special feeling, but this match felt different. There was so much more
on the line. I was extremely nervous going into the tiebreak but once we got an early lead we got very comfortable.”
Benderly & Yu played some of their best tennis in the tiebreaker to avoid heading to a deciding third set and close out the county title in straight sets. Yu said:
“Walking into the breaker, we were riding the adrenaline of potentially winning the whole match. Eric and I put our heads together and told each other one point at a time.”
In the third-place match, Ross School’s Leo Carmo & Henry Tietz beat Bobby Stabile & Giancarlo Volpe of Westhampton Beach to secure their place at the State Championships.
Our racquet sports facility is a paradise for those who love a good game, with six USTA caliber hard courts, two Har-Tru tennis courts, and six vibrant pickleball courts. Off the courts, an 18-hole golf course, swimming, fitness center, indoor and outdoor dining, a buzzing social calendar, and private event space all round out our phenomenal lifestyle.
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Commack’s Eric Benderly & James Yu won the Suffolk Doubles title Ward Melville’s Harshith & Shashank Pennabadi fell just short in the final
2024 long island boy’s high school recap
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Commack Beats Ward Melville to Win Fourth Straight County Title
Forthe fourth year in a row, the title of Suffolk County Boys Tennis Champions belongs to Commack.
The Cougars battled past Ward Melville 4-3 in a thrilling county championship. The match was broken down to one team dominating the singles flights as Ward Melville won all three, but Commack’s doubles teams delivered the victory for them as the Cougars captured the four doubles flights.
For Ward Melville, Harshith Pennabadi won at first singles, Robert Monticciolo won at second singles and Aidan Thomas won at third singles.
“We had a lot of confidence in our doubles teams and our depth, we knew we could battle through everything,” said Danny Strogach.
Strogach delivered one of those doubles victories for Commack as he paired with Jayson Krauthamer to win 6-3, 6-3 at third doubles.
At fourth doubles, Jeffrey Behar & Evan Vieira delivered a 6-3, 6-4 win.
“We really have a team that supports each other, and it’s been that way all season,” said Behar. “The guys really got the job done, and trying to defend our title really gives us something to fight for, and we want to keep our season
going as long as possible.”
After Saharsh Peddireddy & Joe Romito posted a 6-0, 6-2 win at second doubles, the county championship would come down to the first singles court, in a match between Commack’s Eric Benderly & James Yu and Ward Melville’s Shashank Pennabadi & Gabe Bursztyn.
In this back-and-forth match, Ward Melville jumped out to a 4-0 lead before Commack rallied to win the opening set in a tiebreaker. Pennabadi & Bursztyn responded with a 6-1 win in the second set which sent the match into a deciding third set. At 4-4, Commack got the break to jump ahead 5-4, and Yu proceeded to serve out the match and clinch his team’s fourth straight Suffolk County title with a 6-7(8), 6-1, 6-4 victory.
“We just stayed with it,” Benderly said. “I think we both hunkered down, we know what we’re capable of and we did exactly what we know we can do. We used our strengths and tried to attack their weaknesses.”
Yu added:
“We stayed resilient, took it one point at a time and didn’t let the errors get to our heads. We didn’t focus on the scores too much. We don’t get frustrated with each other. We’ve been teammates for three years now so we know each other, and we use that experience to benefit us.”
The Commack Cougars won their fourth straight Suffolk County Championship
The celebration was on after Commack edged Ward Melville for yet another county title
Commack’s Eric Benderly & James Yu clinched the title for their team
Syosset Defeats Roslyn To Win Second Straight Nassau Division I Championship
Syosset captured the Nassau County Division I title for the second straight season as the Braves defeated Roslyn 5-2 in a battle between the county’s top two seeds.
“Our guys don’t get too high or too low, they are very committed, so we’re going to enjoy today and get back to work tomorrow,” said Syosset head coach Shai Fisher. “We have a great opportunity in front of us, a lot of people didn’t think we’d get this far, which I know a lot of guys on the team took personally, and they don’t want to let this chance slip away.”
In the county final, Roslyn would jump ahead as Ethan Solop won 6-1, 6-2 at first singles to give the Bulldogs the early advantage. But Syosset would respond with a 6-3, 6-1 third doubles victory from Grayson Prince & Veyd Trivedi to bring things level.
The two teams continued to trade matches with Roslyn’s Brian Toh & Kyle Law triumphing 6-4, 6-4 at second doubles, while Svid Chadha & Ansh Jolly posted a 6-0, 6-4 victory at fourth doubles.
Syosset then began to pull ahead, with Aayan Mehta holding on to win 6-3, 6-3 at third singles to bring the Braves within one flight of sealing the county championship.
“We’ve been in a similar spot so many times, it almost becomes like a ritual to you, especially mentally,” said Devan Melandro, who was battling in the second set of his second singles match when Syosset moved ahead 3-2. “The most important thing in a match like this is mental toughness, because you can be ahead 4-1 and in a blink of an eye you are down
4-5. I think being in these types of situations in the past helped me a lot.”
Using his experience as a clinching match, Melandro made sure to not give any opening for a comeback. After breaking to jump ahead 5-2, Melandro overcame a long deuce game on his serve to close out his match 6-2, 6-2 to clinch the Syosset victory.“If I lost that deuce game, who knows what could have happened,” Melandro added. “So I think that experience definitely helped me today. I’m so blessed to be a part of this team, winning these types of championships, it’s such a great thing to be a part of.”
The first doubles pairing of Spencer Keschner & Jacob Prince held on to win 6-7(4), 6-3, 6-2 to round out the scoring.“We’re super excited to go back to the Long Island Championship,” said Keschner, a co-captain. “I’m a senior and this is our third in four years, and we’re excited for the opportunity. There’s nothing better than pressure matches.”
The match brought an end to the season for Roslyn, one that did not end the way it wanted, but one that was successful nonetheless.
“I can confidently say that we gave everyone in the conference our best shot,” said Justin Sherman, a senior who played first doubles alongside fellow senior Cayden Shen. “This team is a family and these guys are my brothers, and we played this season for the brothers we lost last year as well as [Ethan] Solop’s father, so it really meant a lot to us. Unfortunately we came up a little short, but I think and hope that we made them proud.”
Syosset won its second consecutive Nassau County Division 1 crown
Devan Melandro clinched his team’s title with a victory at second singles
Roslyn seniors Justin Sherman & Cayden Shen embrace after completing the final match of their high school careers
2024 long island boy’s high school recap
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Friends Academy Wins Thriller Over Ross School to Repeat as Long Island Division II Champions
Ina contentious and emotional Long Island Division II Championship, Friends Academy and The Ross School left it all out on the courts of Smithtown East High School.
When it was all said and done, it was the Quakers of Friends Academy who walked away victorious to capture its second consecutive LI title, defending its title with a narrow 3-2 win.
“The atmosphere today was crazy,” said Friends Academy head coach Owen Kassimir. “It was more like a basketball or football game. In the middle of it we had to bring all three doubles courts together to tell them to just play tennis and not focus on the crowd or anyone on the outside, because it’s a distraction, especially with three courts going on simultaneously. It was a thrilling match.”
The match would be decided by the three doubles courts, after The Ross School’s Eduardo Menezes put his team ahead early with a 6-0, 6-0 first singles victory, and Friends Academy’s Vednant Rowat leveling things with his 6-1, 6-0 triumph at second singles.
That’s when the match’s focus shifted to the three doubles courts which were playing adjacent to each other. Friends Academy jumped ahead as Zachary Cohen & Danny Duke won 7-5, 6-3 at second doubles to bring their team within one court of the title.But Ross School’s Leo Carmo & Henry Tietz kept their team alive as the pairing came back from a set down to win 3-6, 76(5), 7-5 to win at first doubles and even the overall
score at 2-2.
“I think it was mostly getting control of our emotions and focusing on ourselves,” Carmo said of how he and Tietz came back. “This match was intense, so it was about getting relaxed, not going for too much and getting back to playing tennis.”
That brought the Long Island Championship down to one court: third doubles. And in a fitting way to wrap up this thrilling match, after both teams split tiebreakers in the first and second sets, they headed into a deciding third set.
“We really tried to ride our momentum of our team, they were so supportive, and we tried to block out everything else that was going on,” said Henry Koelmel, who was paired with Hudson Lee for Friends Academy’s third doubles team.
With all eyes on their court, Koelmel & Lee rattled off the final three games from 3-3 to clinch the victory and seal their team’s championship. “It was thanks to our teammates, they were cheering for us throughout the match and it helped,” said Lee.
Kassimir added:
“I am very proud of Hudson and Henry. Hudson is a seventh grader, he’s a tournament player so he understands the pressure of big matches, and Henry has been such a great team player for us all season. When I put them together I had a feeling they had a shot. It was a nail-biter, and I’m so excited for them.”
Friends Academy advanced to the New York State Championships for the second straight season
Henry Koelmel & Hudson Lee won a thriller at third doubles to seal Friends’ title
Syosset Repeats as Long Island Division I Champions
Afteran early season loss to conference rivals Roslyn, the Syosset Braves found themselves with a record of 4-2. It was an unfamiliar position for a program so used to winning, and with two early season defeats, the team’s seniors decided to say something.
“After those two losses, no one wanted to lose again,” said senior co-captain Spencer Keschner. “The bus ride home after that loss was silent, and I could see the fire in everyone, and I felt confident in my team. No one wanted to lose again.”
And so far, they have not.
Inspired by the messaging from Keschner and fellow senior Ryan Jiang during that early part of the season, the Braves have not lost since. Its winning streak continued as it defeated Commack 6-1 to repeat as the Long Island Division I Champions.
“Those early losses in the beginning of the year definitely motivated everyone to recommit, buy into that team mentality. It didn’t matter who your partner is or what position in the lineup,” said Syosset head coach Shai Fisher. “They have a strong mentality going into every match, especially as the pressure builds, they lock in more, and are more committed at practice. Commack is an awesome team, they battled today, but we were able to come out on top and it means a lot to these guys.”
Syosset jumped out to the early lead on Monday thanks to the third doubles pairing of Veyd Trivedi & Grayson Prince who notched a 6-0, 6-0 victory to get things started for their team. Soon after, Commack evened things up as Eric Benderly was a 6-0, 6-3 winner at first singles.
But Syosset regained the lead as Svid Chadha & Ansh Jolly delivered a 6-0, 6-3 win on the fourth doubles court. Devan Melandro brought the Braves within one victory of clinching the
Long Island title as he wrapped up his 6-3, 6-2 win at second singles.
Needing one court to seal the championship, Aayan Mehta stepped up. After winning the first set, Mehta was serving for the match at 5-3, but was quickly broken. Mehta didn’t flinch, though, and proceeded to break back immediately to seal his third singles victory, and clinch Syosset’s second consecutive Long Island Championship.
“I had to just throw that game away, put it in the past and focus. It was still 5-4, and I just had to win one point at a time,” Mehta said of closing out that second set. “Our team did a great job today, and being able to clinch it for us feels great. I think everyone has been building their confidence, and we’re excited to try to run it back at States.”
Mehta actually began the year in the doubles lineup and had played doubles his first two years on the varsity team, but transitioned into the singles lineup during the middle of the season, and his coach has seen the growth in his game as the season has progressed.
“For Aayan, it was a matter of proving it to himself that he could play a top singles position,” said Fisher. “He knows he’s good, and it’s just a matter of having that confidence. When we do our singles tryouts in the beginning of the season, you have to go up against some pretty good competition on our team. It didn’t go perfectly for him but he’s turned it around and has been rolling ever since. The confidence he shows on court, he’s a clutch player and you saw that today. We have several guys like that on the team that when the pressure is on, they play better, and Aayan is certainly one of them.”
Keschner & Jacob Prince won 6-3, 5-7, 12-10 at first doubles, and Terrence Moy & Ryan Jiang were 6-7(6), 6-2, 10-4 winners at second doubles to round out the 6-1 victory for Syosset.
Syosset was once again crowned the Long Island Division I Champions
Syosset captain Veyd Trivedi celebrates a point during he and Grayson Prince's win at third doubles
Syosset captain Spencer Keschner was fired up after winning at first doubles with Jacob Prince
2024 long island boy’s high school recap
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Pennabadi Brothers From Ward Melville Capture New York State Doubles Title
Threeyears ago, Harshith and Shashank Pennabadi came up with a plan. For Harshith’s senior season, the brothers from Ward Melville would pair up and play doubles together in the county tournament with the goal of competing for a state title.
That plan was put into action and came to fruition at the USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center, as the Pennabadis defeated Jack Reis & Sam Saeed of Scarsdale 2-6, 6-3, 6-4 to win the New York State Public High School Athletic Association (NYSPHSAA) Doubles Title.
“It’s the best way to end my high school career and play my last high school match,” Harshith said. “It means a lot playing with my brother, and we’ve been wanting to play doubles together. Three years ago I told him that my senior year we’ll play doubles together and try to win states, and I am glad it happened. We’ve been looking forward to this for awhile.”
The road to the state title wasn’t one without any speed bumps. The pairing lost in the finals of the Suffolk County Individual Championships and therefore earned the seventh seed in the New York State tournament, making their path to the finals a bit more difficult.
“We had to win every match no matter what, so we knew what to expect and we got through it,” Harshith added.
And in the finals, the Pennabadis started slow as Reis & Saeed were able to break for a 3-1 lead in the opening set, and then broke one more time late to take the first set 6-2.
Despite being down a set, Harshith and Shashank were able to reset in between sets, putting the first one behind them and focusing on the task at hand.
“It’s a new match, we start with new balls. And the score is 0-0, love-all,” Shashank said of their mentality. “We just focused on the next point.”
Using that mindset, the duo climbed their way back into the match, breaking for a 2-1 lead in the second set and then once more for a 5-2 advantage. A couple of games later, the Pennabadis wrapped up the set to force the decider.
They carried the momentum into the final set to push
ahead to a 3-0 lead. But Reis & Saeed would not go quietly, rattling off the next three games to even things up and bring the set back on serve.
At 4-3, the Pennabadis went ahead 40-0 on Reis’ serve but were unable to secure the break. But Harshith would win a crucial service game right after to go ahead 5-4 and bring them within one game of the state title.
As Saeed tried to serve to keep his team in the match, Harshith and Shashank dialed up their returns to break one final time, closing out the final set 6-4.
“I feel like I’m good at grinding from the baseline and Shashank is really good up at net,” Harshith said of their strategy in those final two sets. “After the first set, we knew I would have to play from the baseline more and he would have to poach at the net when he could. We played solid doubles tennis in those second and third sets.”
Ward Melville head coach Erick Sussin added:
“These guys deserve it, they have been playing some great tennis the last couple of years, and with Harshith being a senior, this is a great way to culminate his high school career. They showed they were the best team here, and this match had some of the best tennis you’ll see. It was topnotch.”Below are the final singles and doubles results for Long Islanders from the 2024 NYSPHSAA Individual Championships:
• Eighth Place: Devan Melandro/Nikhil Shah (Syosset)
Singles
• Fifth Place: Ethan Solop (Roslyn)
• Sixth Place: Samarth Deepudass (Herricks)
• Eighth Place: Eduardo Menezes (Ross School)
Harshith & Shashank Pennabadi made good on their plan to team up and win the New York State Doubles title
Syosset Wins Second Straight New
York State Title
One of the things that Syosset tennis has been known for over the years is the depth of its roster. No matter how tight a match is or the amount of pressure on, the Braves know it can count on anyone in the lineup to deliver a clutch performance.
That theme was on display once again at the USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center as Syosset repeated as the New York State Public High School Athletic Association (NYSPHSAA) Division I Champions, defeating Section I’s Mamaroneck 4-2 in the finals.
“We knew that if we were going to repeat and win the state title again we were going to have to win our doubles matches, and that’s what we did today,” said Syosset senior Ryan Jiang. “The pressure was on all of us, and we all to had to perform, and everyone played out of their minds. We worked hard all year in practice and in matches. Our team is a family, and it’s amazing how we persevered together.”
Jiang played a vital role in the state championship as he and Aayan Mehta won 7-6(7), 6-0 at second doubles to clinch their team’s victory.
“We did get a little tight in the first set, but we regained our skill set and played our game,” said Mehta. “Everyone here plays for each other. This [Jiang] is my guy, I play amazing with him. We have so much chemistry together. Our whole team wanted this really badly.”
Spencer Keschner & Jacob Prince got the Braves started as they won 6-1, 6-1 at first doubles to put their team ahead at the start. At fourth doubles, Svid Chadha & Ansh Jolly were 6-3, 6-3 winners, while Veyd Trivedi & Terrence Moy won 6-1, 7-5 winners at third doubles.
For Mamaroneck, Maxim Kalinin was a 6-2, 6-1 victor at first singles, while Jinyang Li notched a 6-1, 6-0 win at third singles to give the Tigers their two points.
With three flights won, Jiang & Mehta saw their teammates gather by their court with the state title on the line. The pairing closed out the match with a dominant second set as the Braves defended their championship.
“I knew Ryan would come through because he is a clutch player, just like Aayan is, just like everyone on the this team is,” said Syosset head coach Shai Fisher. “They know they can come through in these types of situations, so I’m super proud of Ryan and Aayan, and for Ryan to be able to do this in his senior year makes this even more special.”
The victory caps off what was an a-typical season for Syosset. Heading into this season as the defending Nassau County, Long Island and New York State Champions, the Braves dropped two matches in the early part of the regular season.
After falling to 4-2, the team’s leaders addressed their team on the bus ride home, a moment that turned out to be a turning point.
“When leaders on the team feel it’s necessary to speak up, it sends an important message to the team. Because they can get tired of me talking real quick,” Fisher added. “So when guys on the team feel that way, it carries a lot of weight. We’re a team and we rely on everyone. Our doubles teams stepped up and swept, they did a tremendous job. Every year you have to earn it, this year, with new players and different combinations, we had to earn it a different way than in years past. This year’s team did it their own way, and I am super proud of them for that.”
For the second straight season, Syosset is the New York State Champion
Ryan Jiang & Aayan Mehta clinched Syosset’s second straight New York State title with their win at second doubles
In the Kitchen
An in-depth look at Pickleball on Long Island
Long Island Pickleball Challenge Hits SPORTIME Hempstead Lake
The2024 Long Island Tennis Magazine Summer Series continued with the Long Island Pickleball Challenge as doubles teams gathered together at SPORTIME Hempstead Lake on a beautiful Saturday morning to compete across three different divisions.
The day featured great pickleball action on the court with a fun and social vibe off the court, as players enjoyed catered breakfast and drinks which were available throughout the day. The divisions competed in round-robin play
which led into the knockout rounds.
In the Men’s Doubles 8.0-8.5 division, Brad Berger & Andy Rousseau used their experience playing together to win the title and earn the Gold Medal, defeating David Gabby & Alex Winston 15-4 in the finals.
“We played well, and just made fewer mistakes throughout the day,” said Rousseau. “We won Silver at the New York Open and Bronze at another event, and now we have added a Gold Medal to our name.”
Talking about the event as a whole, Berger said:
“Good people, good fun and good energy. The pickleball tournament series run by Long Island Tennis Magazine are always great, and it’s why we keep coming back.”
Gabby & Winston were the runners-up and earned the Silver Medal. In the thirdplace contest, Evan Seidenberg & Brandon Weinstein defeated Candrin Chris & Colin Liotta 15-5 to earn the Bronze.
The Mixed Doubles 7.0-7.5 Division Championships: Andy Peeke & Tabasun Mir
The Men’s Doubles 8.0-8.5 Division Champions: Brad Berger & Andy Rousseau
For Katie Figgie & Lorraine O’Hanlan, teaming up together for the first time in a pickleball event proved to be a good decision. The pairing have competed together in other racquet sport events, and now have a Gold Medal in pickleball after they defeated Lisa Goldberg & Darlene Pergola 15-3 to win the Women’s Doubles 7.5-8.0 division.
“We made sure to have fun and stay loose,” said O’Hanlan. “Our strategy was adjusting to who we were playing against, finding their weaknesses and trying to take advantage when we could.”
Figgie added:
“This is our first time playing pickleball together and it was nice being able to find chemistry and adjust to each other’s games.”
Goldberg & Pergola won the Silver Medal as the finalists, while Emilie Katz & Abby Lerner won the Bronze Medal with a victory over Renee Lemmerman & Diann Starcke in the third-place match.
Andy Peeke & Tabasun Mir made sure to remain positive and encourage each other throughout the tournament and as a result were victorious in the Mixed Doubles 7.0-7.5 division. Peeke & Mir won the Gold Medal with a 15-9 victory over Ricky Becker & Julie Becker in the championship match.
Some“Being supportive to one another, understanding each other’s strengths and weaknesses and sticking together,” Peeke said when asked what their key to victory was. “There was times when I was struggling in the semifinals and she told me, ‘come on, you got this’.”
Mir added:
“The key was just getting balls back and staying engaged throughout the day. Also, and I’m not joking, just listening to him and doing what he said on the court helped a lot.”
The pairing of Ira Rosmarin & Danielle Rosmarin won 15-12 over Richard Nessim & Elsia Cokkinos to earn the Bronze Medal.
“The entire tournament ran smoothly and featured great competition,” said LI Tennis Magazine Owner and cotournament director David Sickmen. “As we continue our foray into the pickleball world, we have received great feedback from players and spectators which only motivates us more to use our platform and media apparatus to run pickleball events. Thank you to SPORTIME Hempstead Lake for their hospitality, and my co-tournament director Michelle Stoerback for helping us put on another professionally run event, and we are excited to host more tournaments throughout this year and into 2025.”
We would like to thank our event
sponsors, including SassyLI who had pickleball bags and other accessories showcased throughout the day, Doterra for displaying its essential oils and offering raffles, iPlayMe2 for providing event software to display our tournament results, and Halftime Chiller and OSIM USA for giving out prizes to the tournament winners.
Visit Facebook.com/LongIslandTennis to see more photos from the Long Island Pickleball Challenge.
The next Long Island Pickleball Challenge will be held on Saturday, September 14 at SPORTIME Hempstead Lake.
FINAL RESULTS
Men’s Doubles
Gold - Brad Berger & Andy Rousseau
Silver - David Gabby & Alex Winston
Bronze - Evan Seidenberg/Brandon Weinstein
Mixed Doubles
Gold - Andy Peeke/Tabasun Mir
Silver - Ricky Becker/Julie Becker
Bronze - Ira Rosmarin/Danielle Rosmarin
Women’s Doubles
Gold - Katie Figgie/Lorraine O’Hanlan
Silver – Lisa Goldber/Darlene Pergola
Bronze – Emilie Katz/Abby Lerner
National Tennis Center Hosts APP New York City Open
of the world’s best pickleball players once again arrived in New York City to compete in the Association of Pickleball Players (APP) New York City Open as more than 1,400 players arrived at the USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center in Flushing Meadows.
The finals of the events were nationally televised on CBS Sports Network and Fox Sports 1, with seven different champions sharing the $150,000 prize pool. Megan Fudge won two golds, Chris Haworth won his third men’s singles title, and Mario Barrientos, Jack Munro and Yana Newell won their first APP gold medals of 2024.
Fudge was victorious in two divisions, winning the Women’s Singles Gold Medal, and also pairing with Newell to win the Women’s Doubles Gold.
“The big thing was stepping up and letting myself rip the ball,” said Fudge about her singles win. “I got really lucky in that first game to sneak that one out and in the second game, I relaxed a little bit more, went after my shots, and was able to his some good passing shots to help me.”
In regards to the Women’s Doubles title, Newell said:
“Allison and Simone came out firing in that second game,” Newell
Credit photos to Andrew Ong/APP
Women’s singles champion Megan Fudge
continued from page 55
commented. “The ball was moving so fast back and forth that I couldn’t see anything. Every time I see Megan smiling it just calms my nerves. I continued trusting her shots and her decisions, and it just works for us.”
In the Men’s Singles division, Chris Harworth defeated defending APP Tour champion Grayson Goldin to earn the Gold.
“It feels amazing,” Haworth said after his third APP Tour men’s singles gold in five tournaments. “With rally scoring, it’s hard to win consistently so I’m really proud of myself for doing that. I was telling myself not to give up, but unfortunately for me Grayson wasn’t giving up either. He played a great match and hopefully we play a lot more.”
Jack Munro & Mario Barrientos defeated Erick Pailet & Ben Newell to walk away with the Men’s Doubles title.
“It was crazy,” Munro said following the win. “We had the hands, the drops, the energy, it was perfect.”
“My determination to get out there, play my best, and have fun got us the win,” added Barrientos.
“I want to give a big shoutout to all my Hispanic friends and people who’ve been following me along to the US to play pickleball.”
Rounding out the Pro results was the pairing of Bobbi Oshiro & Will Howells who won the Mixed Doubles Gold Medal.
“We had the right gameplan,” said Oshiro. “It was all about executing and trusting each other, and we got it done.”
“Bobbi is a great player and we
had to step it up,” Howells added.
“Execution was huge. We have a lot of trust in each other since we play so much together, and trust goes a long way.”
Full Pro Results of the APP
New York City Open
Women’s Singles
Gold: Megan Fudge
Silver: Yana Newell
Bronze: Bobbi Oshiro
Men’s Singles
Gold: Chris Haworth
Silver: Grayson Goldin
Bronze: Alexander Crum
Mixed Doubles
Gold: Bobbi Oshiro/Will Howells
Silver: Mari Humberg/CJ Klinger
Bronze: Susannah Barr/Rob Nunnery
Women’s Doubles
Gold: Megan Fudge/Yana Newell
Silver: Allison Harris/Simone Jardim
Bronze: Susannah Barr/Mari Humberg
Men’s Doubles
Gold: Mario Barrientos/Jack Munro
Silver: Erik Pailet/Ben Newell
Bronze: Will Howells/CJ Klinger
Women’s Doubles Champions Megan Fudge & Yana Newell
Men’s Singles Champion Chris Haworth
Mixed Doubles Champions Bobbi Oshiro & Will Howells
Men’s Doubles Champions Mario Barrientos & Jack Munro
A Turning Point In The Unit Turn?
By Steve Kaplan
Currenttennis terminology often uses the phrase “Unit Turn” to refer to the ideal and complete way to perform a take-back on forehands and backhands. This is unfortunate because while this concept has value, it is neither ideal nor complete.
The unit turn is not the complete turn that forms the take-back. Rather ,it is an individual component of a larger and more complex whole that form the take-back and the magnitude of this movement in modern tennis is diminishing as the coiling phase of the take-back is gaining emphasis.
We do start and complete the initial phase of a ground stroke take back with little or no separation of our hips and torso which is the foundation of our body being turned as a unit. We complete the remainder of the take back, however, by separating our lower and upper segments to add more eccentric tension in the core and hip muscles and increase torque that
transfer into velocity and acceleration force.
Further, we move forward with this same uncoiling hip and torso body dissociation.
In the traditional square or closed forehand stance, the first phase unit turn is about 70 to 90 degrees with the second phase separating phase of the take back that is the coiling movement adding about 10 to 20 degrees.
In the more modern forehand with common and greater degrees of open stance used, the first phase unit turn is closer to 10 to 50 degrees,
with the second coiling phase being upwards of 50 to 90 degrees plus.
Backhands follow a similar pattern however as a squared or closed stance is more common on this side compared to the forehand the magnitude of the second phase is lessened.
So we “Start the take back as a unit” and then “complete the take back with an upper and lower body separating the hip and torso to coil.”
Maybe it's time to update our language and reconsider our recognition of this universally important tennis topic?
Steve Kaplan is the owner and managing director of Bethpage Park Tennis Center, as well as director emeritus of Lacoste Academy for New York City Parks Foundation, executive director and founder of Serve & Return Inc. and co-director of The City Classic Junior Tennis Academy. Steve has coached more than 1,100 nationally- ranked junior players, 16 New York State high school champions, two NCAA Division 1 Singles Champions, and numerous highly-ranked touring professionals. Many of the students Steve has closely mentored have gone on to achieve great success as prominent members of the New York financial community, and in other prestigious professions. He may be reached by e-mail at StevenJKaplan@aol.com.
Doyou accept this coach as your esteemed mentor, dedicated to guiding you toward your tennis aspirations? Will you be devoted to the training regimen that necessitates sacrifices and restricts personal freedoms? Do you pledge to approach your workouts with unwavering professionalism? How committed are you to the process? Part one of this series, "Parent vs. Coach (P vs. C)," titled "Coach Selection," offered guidance on choosing a suitable trainer. Part two, titled "Long-Term Commitment," tackles the concept of enduring dedication, presenting unconventional perspectives on commitment and success.
P vs. C - Long-Term Commitment (LTC) examines commitment from four viewpoints: the parent's commitment to the player's involvement in tennis, the parent/player's commitment to the coach, the coach's commitment to the
Parent vs. Coach: Long-Term Commitment
By Eldad Campbell
player, and the player's commitment to tennis. P vs. C - LTC links the concepts of pain and pleasure, laws of learning, leadership, and radical honesty, documenting their functions in crafting a symbiotic relationship between player, coach, and parent.
Parent-to-Player Commitment
Pleasure and pain are two emotions commonly experienced by competitive tennis players throughout their careers. The reference to pain suggests the challenges and obstacles a player endures to continuously develop their ability and enhance the complexity of their game. Pleasure refers to the euphoric sensation during a state of flow coupled with the internal bliss resulting from a positive outlook from past glory.
It is not uncommon for parents to establish parameters of commitment that hinge on the pleasure-pain spectrum. Extended stretches of wins, observable
improvements, external praise, and familial adoration customarily certify a pleasurable commitment, while losses, sluggish improvements, and unfavorable third-party advice warrant painful cessation.
While the logic supporting a noncommitting parent on the condition of unfavorable outcomes deserves acknowledgment, commitment to a player's tennis career should invariably be unconditional. Barring intrusive situational hazards, a void in devotion should only transpire when the player's appeal to the game diminishes. To achieve this, employ the WHY approach (WHY did you choose to play tennis?). This question explains the rationale for unconditional support and unfailingly answers the motivation for the initial commitment.
WHY creates a clear sense of purpose, triggering a cascade of positive outcomes resulting in accumulative advantage. A well-defined purpose fosters greater enjoyment, resulting in longer, more focused practice sessions. These prolonged and immersive practice sessions culminate in championships. When your WHY is deeply ingrained, avoid conflating results, accolades, and success with the initial WHY. All critical decision-making involving tennis should be rooted in your WHY.
Parent/Player-to-Coach Commitment
In all relationships, sustained interactions cultivate a profound understanding of triggers, motivators, methods of inspiration, and a deep-seated friendship. The commitment of a player and parent to a coach yields greater results the longer it endures. Extended
commitment allows each party to discern the optimal path forward based on an accumulation of understanding of individual personality styles and behavioral traits. However, it is a common yet flawed practice to switch coaches when challenges arise, with the misguided belief that a new coach will deliver miraculous results. Frequent changes necessitate starting from scratch, rebuilding trust, and forming a new bond, thereby forfeiting the accumulated relational benefits.
While changing coaches is sometimes necessary, particularly when a player has outgrown a coach's capabilities, it is imperative to choose a coach with a comprehensive understanding of the four laws of learning: explanation, demonstration, imitation, and repetition. This selection enhances the relationship's longevity and significantly improves the chances of achieving outstanding results.
Coach-to-Player Commitment
In a robust coach/parent/player dynamic, the parent and player entrust the coach with the responsibility to create a cohesive environment that yields desired outcomes, crediting the athlete for their successes. As a coach, the goal should not be to play tennis with anyone solely seeking to benefit from expertise. The focus should be on individuals who share similar beliefs.
When coaches are selective about teaching only those who align with their approach, trust naturally emerges, fostering a sense of commitment.
Toiling on mutual trust and leveraging sacrifice with rewards for high attendance and hard work, an athlete's devotion increases, indirectly enriching their commitment. Practical techniques such as strict policies concerning acceptable behaviors at practice, tournaments, and warm-up routines effectuate greater buy-in from the athlete. Additionally, it markedly diminishes the likelihood of the coach investing in an uncommitted player, thereby cultivating a uniform group of dedicated athletes.
Player-to-Tennis Commitment
Radical honesty nurtures awareness, enhances closeness, and cultivates an abundant mindset. Radical honesty is paramount as a player commits to tennis, pinpointing the fundamental motivations behind their engagement. Commitment to the game occurs when a player assumes full responsibility for successes and shortcomings, conducts truthful evaluations of results, and
refrains from crafting false narratives or white lies. Radical honesty also necessitates parental involvement in creating a safe space for open discussions about fears, insecurities, dreams, and aspirations, devoid of judgment. This environment fosters the ability to uncover concealed psychological barriers impacting the player, offering an opportunity to take actionable steps toward resolution.
There is currently no infallible system, method, process, approach, or strategy that can determine the success rate of a committed direction. Trial and error paired with focused observation are the two general practices employed to increase effectiveness in decisionmaking. However, there are behaviors within a player's control that will directly influence the success or failure of their tennis journey. These include commitment to the sport, the process, training, work ethic, improvement, effort, and attitude. Playing tennis requires long-term devotion. Commit to daily improvements, surround yourself with the right people, and reap the rewards of being a champion. How committed are you?
Eldad Campbell is the High Performance Talent Development Specialist at Robbie Wagner’s Tournament and Training Center. He is a four-time representative of the Jamaican Men’s Davis Cup, Junior Davis Cup, World Youth Cup, and Pan American Games team and a former number-one junior tennis player in Jamaica. He currently counsels high-performance tennis players, parents, and coaches, helping them navigate the different terrains of the tennis industry. He can be reached by email at connect@eldadcampbell.com
Competitive Bones
By Tonny van de Pieterman
Duringone of my semi-private lessons with two recreational players, one of the ladies proclaimed not to have any competitive spirit. She said, verbatim: “I don’t have a competitive bone in my body.”
This statement wandered around my head for a couple of days. First, I enjoyed the wording. I never knew bones could be more or less competitive than other ones. Since I have always considered myself a competitive person, my mind was doing back flips. How many of those bones does my body house? Is there a tournament going on between them? How about my funny bone? Is he the joke of the event?
Secondly, I was completely intrigued by this human specimen. Did I stumble upon a very evolved person, so enlightened that these elementary sporting games commoners like me play were way beneath her? I wasn’t so sure. A part of me told me something was off; perhaps it was my intuition bone.
She might be a closet competitor, I thought to myself triumphantly. I chuckled at the word creation.
About 10 weeks later I got my
definitive answer. When I started a live-ball group session on a random Monday night, I looked several courts over and saw my client playing a singles match with a woman about 20 years her elder. After I did a double take to make sure it was her, I noticed she was engaged in a very intense match, it was a dog fight! If I had been sitting down, all my bones would have fallen off my chair. I was stunned to see her running all over the court, chasing down every ball, hustling and sweating. I never knew her bones could run that fast.
Two days later at our regular Wednesday morning lesson, I told her that I had witnessed a miracle. She laughed.
“That was my mother I was playing against,” she said. “She always needs to win, it’s so annoying. She even made the slit-throat gesture to me!”
“That sweet older lady you were playing?” I asked in disbelief.
“Can you believe it, my own mother!?” she said with some sadness.
“Yes, I can,” I replied, “Competition can bring out the harshness in anyone. It can feel very abrasive sometimes.”
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“Yes,” she said with a bitter undertone. “She is so abrasive!”
I instantly understood why she had hidden in the closet for all these years. There was no love to be found in competition for her. I also instantly realized that all competitive, and noncompetitive people, are searching for the same thing: their love-bone.
Ever since she came out, and her true colors showed, she has been a beast! During our lessons, she is running all over the place and ripping shots with purpose. Her playing partner, who initially was the more competitive one, doesn’t know what has happened to her friendly friend. Our lessons used to be a casual walk in the park for her, but now it’s like she is being chased by a pack of wolves.
“I know what happened”, I told her with a smirk on my face.
“Her competitive fire got sparked.” A strange voice in my head sounded like Tom Hanks in the movie Cast Away: “I HAVE MADE FIRE!”
I realized that below the surface I had been feeding and fanning this fire. I never believed her statement of ‘not having any competitive bones’. In my own pettiness, I needed to be right, and here it was, I found it! Like a true pyromaniac, I found the fire, I grew it, and now I was pouring gasoline over it. After another game in which she beat her enemy to a pulp, I made the slitthroat gesture, and yelled out:
“Bring on, Rina [her mother]!
Someone needs to arrest me before I burn the house down.
Tonny van de Pieterman is a tennis professional at Point Set Indoor Racquet Club in Oceanside, N.Y.. In his long coaching career, he was honored with the USTA Tennis Professional of the Year for the USTA Eastern Long Island Region. He may be reached by phone at (516) 536-2323 or e-mail Tonny@PointSetTennis.com.
By Brian Coleman
charitable initiatives
EPIC Long Island Raises Money at Family Golf, Tennis, & Pickleball Tournament
Hundredscame out to take part in and support the EPIC Family Golf, Tennis, & Pickleball Tournament at The Mill River Club in Upper Brookville.
The annual event is one of the key fundraising endeavors for the EPIC Long Island Family of Agencies, which has been serving communities across Nassau and Suffolk counties with a variety of programs that enrich the lives of individuals affected by epilepsy, developmental disabilities and emotional challenges.
The event featured three sports with pickleball being added this year. The golf portion consisted of multiple contests for putting, best ball, longest ball, as well as normal stroke play. The tennis portion featured a dedicated group of individuals who took part in a multitude of tennis drills and clinics led by tennis professionals from The Mill River Club, and a pickleball tournament followed in the afternoon.
"The EPIC team worked so hard to create an amazing event that was enjoyed by close to 200 people," said Lisa Burch, CEO /President of the EPIUC Family of Human Service Agencies. "Not only did everyone have a beautiful day to play golf, tennis and pickleball, but they did so while raising much needed funds for the EPIC Family of Human Service Agencies. We are grateful to everyone who supported the event. LI Tennis Magazine was on hand to take photos of the tennis and pickleball players and NYGOLF
Magazine distributed framed photos for all of the guests."
Off the court, the players enjoyed brunch and lunch throughout the day, and it concluded with cocktails and an awards dinner at the end. There were raffle tickets up for sale which coincided with an array of wonderful auction items including sports memorabilia, clothing accessories, U.S. Open tickets, experiences, jewelry and much more.
This year's event honoree was John M. Comack of JGM-NY Construction, who helped transform a two-story commercial space into the new headquarters of the South Shore Guidance Center, allowing us to provide services to more people and better address the needs of the community.
EPIC Long Island has been serving the local community for more than 60 years, and continues to provide an invaluable service for so many Long Islanders. This year’s event once again helped raise money for theorganization so it can maintain its level of service and continue to offer a widerange of quality in-home, community, and site-based services.
It is events like this, and those who come out to support the events such as this, that allow EPIC Long Island to continue providing all the services it does.
Visit EPICLI.org to learn more about the EPIC Family of Agencies, and all the work it does throughout the year.
An Athlete’s Guide to Dealing with a Tough Loss Five Steps to Handling the Disappointment
By Rob Polishook
Imaginethis: you’re playing in front of 200 spectators, grinding it out on the hard courts under the hot sun. The first set you’ve won 7-5. Then in a tight second set you narrowly lose 6-7 and that was after holding two match points! You’re now in the third set tie-breaker and the score is 5-6. Your opponent hits a net cord which trickles over the net. You hear an echo in your head… game, set, match. It’s another disappointing loss! 7-5, 6-7, 6-7. But this one hurts even more as you had two match points in the second set and opportunities to break in the third.
Slowly you walk up to the net and shake your opponent’s hand. Your hand feels limp and your body feels like the energy has been sucked out by a vacuum cleaner. Your legs are wobbly and your eyes are glazed over. You
simply can’t believe what has happened.
So what’s a player to do? How can you get over this disappointment? Your parents and friends tell you it’s nothing, just move on. You’ll do better next time, they say. Don’t you just hate that phrase?! However, still covered in sweat and feeling partially paralyzed, you hear them but can barely say anything. You feel as if you have lockjaw, unable to mutter a word. In your mind you are still replaying the points that you feel you should have won, holding on to the advantages with dear life.
So let me repeat…what’s a player to do? How do you cope with the disappointment? How do you bounce back from a painful defeat? First off, lets acknowledge, it’s not easy and it hurts! However, at some point, when the pain starts lessening, anywhere from a few
hours to a day or so, it becomes imperative to view the match through another lens. That is, how do you begin to pick the pieces up? And what must you do next time to get better? How will you take advantage of certain situations and continually put yourself in a position to get over the hump?
The following are five steps to help you, the broken player, experience and move past a disappointing performance. Equally so, this list is great for parents, coaches, and friends as they try to support the player during the process of disappointment, release, and rebounding.
1. A right to be disappointed: You’ve earned the right to be disappointed. Let’s face it, after putting it all on the line, competing with all your heart, it is practically impossible to put on a smiling face and just forget things after a close loss. Give yourself some time. It’s OK to be disappointed. In fact, it’s even expected. Why wouldn’t you? You care, you practiced, you’re a warrior, and you fought like one! Disappointment is a natural emotion, it even hurts, and that’s ok too. It’s not something that needs to be fixed. It is time that usually heals it. Disappointment can be equated to mourning a loss. Allow yourself the time to decompress, feel your feelings, and settle down. Paradoxically, by allowing yourself the disappointment you also allow yourself the opportunity to release and resolve the painful feelings. One of the things that makes victory so sweet, and motivates us so, is knowing the feeling and experience of disappointment.
2. One step closer: Believe it or not, you are actually one step closer to your goals! The great Babe Ruth used to say every time he struck out, “I’m one step closer to hitting a home run!” Babe would learn from being up at bat, and change his strategies every time he stepped up to the plate. You can do the same. Don’t forget, slumps fit in here too. It may look like you’re going nowhere, even backwards, but keep on plugging away and learning. Maybe the competition is getting stronger or the match-up is not as favorable. Remember the saying: it’s always darkest before dawn. In other words, the sun rises after the darkest hour! Keep plugging away. That slump may be a major learning curve that just needs to be ridden out, much like a wave. And just beyond the wave is smooth sailing. Hang on…
3. Failure provides feedback: If you listen you become aware. Failures, setbacks and obstacles always throw us for a loop, but it’s the true champion that
can readjust and glean valuable feedback. Feedback should be viewed without judgment and as a learning opportunity in which you can make changes and adapt, adjusting to the situation next time. Think about it Was there ever a great champion, individual or team, that didn’t learn from failures, setbacks and obstacles? All great champions know why they are competing and use this big “Why” to get themselves back on track.
4. Reframe it! Simply stated, after you have decompressed ask yourself the basic questions. What’s another way to look at this loss or situation? How can I find something positive from it? What’s the lesson here? Even though you lost,
what can you learn? And don’t forget, at some point; give yourself some credit for showing up and putting yourself on the line. How many others are competing with such a heart as yours?
5. Focus on the process, not the outcome. This is probably one of the most important points and the major one that all other points can probably be folded into. While you lost this performance it is another step toward your ultimate goal. The match gave you valuable experience and exposed you to the situational pressure of match play. This is highly valuable and can’t be duplicated in practice. Remember, all great champions have to pay their dues and earn their experience.
Rob Polishook, MA, CPC is the founder of Inside the Zone Sports Performance Group. As a mental training coach, he works with the whole human athlete helping them to unleash their mental edge (heart.energy.spirit) through mindfulness, somatic psychology, animal wisdom and mental training skills. Rob is author of 2 best-selling books: Tennis Inside the Zone and Baseball Inside the Zone: Mental Training Workouts for Champions. He can be reached by phone at (973) 723-0314, by e-mail rob@insidethezone.com, by visiting insidethezone.com, following on Instagram @insidethezone
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