Long Island Tennis Magazine March / April 2020

LITennisMag.com • January/February 2020 • Long Island Tennis Magazine 109

110 Long Island Tennis Magazine • January/February 2020 • LITennisMag.com

Sunny Fishkind Inducted Into Eastern Hall of Fame The annual USTA Eastern Conference always features an array of activities and ceremonies to celebrate and honor those who make tennis a success in our Section.

That includes the USTA Eastern Tennis Hall of Fame Celebration, which happened for the 33rd straight year earlier this winter.

The event benefits the Junior Tennis Foundation (JTF) Grant and Scholarship Programs; since its inception, the JTF has awarded more than $2 million in grants and scholarships for players throughout the Eastern section, and the money raised from the Hall of Fame celebration goes towards those endeavors.

One of this year’s Hall of Fame inductees was Sunny Fishkind, a Long Island native. Fishkind could not be more deserving of the honor, as indicated by her bio written by USTA Eastern: Fishkind has worked as a tennis instructor and coach in the Eastern section for over 40 years. From 1979 to 2005, Fishkind served as the girls’ varsity tennis coach at Bethpage High School.

She also coached the boys’ varsity team concurrently from 1979 to 1990 and also worked with programs at Hofstra University and Long Island University. In 1986, she was named director of the Hofstra University Summer Tennis Camp, a position she still holds today. Through this role, she has introduced tens of thousands of children to tennis over the last 35 years.

“Frankly it was a tremendous surprise, and I am still in shock and amazed by it,” said Fishkind. “This honor was probably the furthest thing from my mind, and I still find it hard to believe. Of course, I am truly honored.”

While it would be impossible to calculate the impact Fishkind has had on tennis on Long Island, she still feels that tennis has given more to her than she has to it.

“I honestly feel that tennis has given me more than I have given tennis. In many ways, I feel that tennis is almost responsible for the way I am. I am 78 years YOUNG, and that’s because of tennis,” she said. “I am still active and

From left to right: Jonathan Klee, USTA Long Island Regional Director, Sunny Fishkind, Eastern Hall of Fame Inductee, and Jenny Schnitzer, USTA Eastern’s Executive Director & CEO involved with people of many ages. I love being with young people at the Hofstra Tennis Camp which I still run. I love hearing from people I have taught and coached over the last 50 years. I love meeting their children who are now playing tennis! I love seeing people from other countries who come to visit me and my husband at the US Open where we have volunteered for many years. I have met and know so many wonderful, outstanding people.”

After a lifetime of accomplishments, Fishkind still believes she has more to

give to tennis and the Long Island community, and will continue to do whatever she can to further the impact she has already had.

“I love seeing the faces on the children we teach or introduce to tennis, and love that I feel that I am contributing to their health and an active lifestyle,” she added.

“I really believe that I am giving something to them, but that they are also giving back to me. Tennis is fun, and I really hope that I have a lot more years that I can be involved in it.”

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MAGAZINE

Long Island Tennis Magazine 1220 Wantagh Avenue • Wantagh, NY 11793-2202 Phone: (516) 409-4444 • Fax: (516) 409-4600 Web site: www.litennismag.com

Staff David Sickmen Publisher (516) 409-4444, ext. 309 • david@usptennis.com

MAR/APR 2020 • Vol 12, No 2

Table Of Contents

Englishman in New York By Brian Coleman Great Britain’s Kyle Edmund Hoists New York Open Trophy for Second Career ATP Title See page 24 Photo credit: Pat Mosquera

Joel M. Berman President (516) 409-4444, ext. 310 • joel@usptennis.com Eric C. Peck Editor-in-Chief (516) 409-4444, ext. 312 • eric@usptennis.com Brian Coleman Senior Editor (516) 409-4444, ext. 326 • brianc@usptennis.com Joey Arendt Art Director (516) 409-4444, ext. 307 Francine Miller Advertising Coordinator (516) 409-4444, ext. 301 • francinem@usptennis.com Emilie Katz Assistant Marketing Coordinator

Highlights 4 8 16 28 32 42 56 60

Features 3 13 14

Sidney Beal III Staff Photographer

Lee Seidner Staff Photographer

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Advertising To receive any information regarding advertising rates, deadlines, and requirements, call (516) 409-4444 or e-mail info@usptennis.com.

Article Submissions/Press Releases To submit any material, including articles and press releases, please call (516) 409-4444 or e-mail info@usptennis.com. The deadline for submissions is the first of the month preceding the target issue.

Subscriptions To receive subscription information, contact (516) 409-4444 or e-mail info@usptennis.com or check out our Web site: www.litennismag.com. Fax subscription changes to (516) 409-1600.

Statements of fact and opinion in Long Island Tennis Magazine are the responsibility of the authors alone and do not imply an opinion on the part of United Sports Publications Ltd. Long Island Tennis Magazine reserves the right to edit, reject and/or postpone the publication of any articles, information or data.

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2020 New York Tennis Expo is Largest Yet Pop.Earth Launches New Tennis Program Long Island Boys’ High School Preview 2020 New York Open Recap 30th Annual USTA Long Island Awards Journal 2020 Long Island Tennis Magazine Camp Guide At The Net with Julia Elbaba By Brian Coleman Your 2020 Guide to Court Builders & Suppliers

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PGA Tour Superstore: A Destination for Tennis Players Free Clinics Come to Bethpage Park Tennis Center Across Long Island … News and Notes From Across the L.I. Tennis Community Tennis Industry Comes Together for Annual Eastern Conference Re-Grip: The Three Things You Need to Know Before Changing a Grip

By Steve Kaplan Adult League Wrap-Up: New York Open Hosts Adult League Finals

By Kathy Miller When Teaching, Put Kindness First By Michael Forte My 25 Most Common Sayings I Have Repeated Over the Last Year

By Ricky Becker Advice for Parents on Early Specialization and Multiple Sports

By Chris Lewit SPORTIME World Tour Stops in Australia Mastering the Mind: Mindfulness at 125 MPH…Part Two

By Rob Polishook The Tennis Guru … Chapter One: Slow and Steady Wins the Race

By Dr. Tom Ferraro 2020 Australian Open Takeaways By Brian Coleman Long Island Tennis Charitable Initiatives The Jensen Zone: Work on Your Weakness The Hindrance Quiz: Part One By Barbara Wyatt Court Six: Long Island Tennis Magazine’s Gossip Column By Emilie Katz Betrayal: Why It’s Important to Take Action Against Cheaters

By Tonny van de Pieterman USTA/Long Island Region 2020 Tournament Schedule

March/April 2020 •2019 LITennisMag.com Long Island Tennis Magazine • January/February • LITennisMag.com Long Island Tennis Magazine is published bi-monthly by United Sports Publications Ltd. • Copyright © 2020 United Sports Publications Ltd.

PGA Tour Superstore A Destination for Tennis Players PGA Tour Superstore in Westbury, N.Y. is a reputable golf retail destination, but if you walk the store floor, engage with its staff and ask around, this national retail chain is quickly making a name for itself in tennis and with the tennis community.

Located at 1254 Corporate Drive in Westbury, PGA Tour Superstore has everything tennis players and fans are looking for, carrying all of the latest tennis rackets and equipment from the top names in tennis, including Prince, Babolat, Head, Wilson and more. They also carry a wide selection of tennis apparel and footwear from leading brands, such as Adidas, Asics and Nike, as well as grips, strings and other accessories.

PGA Tour Superstore offers on-site stringing, and its expert staff, led by Master Stringer Adam Moramarco who runs the tennis department, are players just like you, so they can help you out with any questions on stringing and products, and make sure you walk away with the product that is right for you.

PGA Tour Superstore hosts in-house events and fundraisers year-round, and can help customize your event or tournament by offering gift cards, products, memberships and much more.

Many PGA Tour Superstore customers play both golf and tennis, and whether they are looking for expertise in one sport or the other, the national retail chain is changing the reputation of traditional big box stores by providing personalized customer service often found at smaller, local (tennis and golf) pro shops.

In addition, PGA Tour Superstore hosts in-store events, such as contests, clinics, fundraisers, parties and many more functions, which can enhance your cause.

The store is involved with numerous charities, including Ronald McDonald House and Tuesday’s Children, and takes great pride in being a part of and contributing to the betterment of the

community.

For more information on PGA Tour Superstore’s products and services, call (516) 824-3000 or visit PGATourSuperstore.com/Tennis.

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2020 New York Tennis Expo Recap New York Tennis Expo is Largest Yet ack and better than ever, the New York Tennis Expo presented by Pop Earth returned to NYCB Live, home of the Nassau Veterans Memorial Coliseum. More than 6,500 people came out for the all-day celebration of tennis as we kicked off the third year of the New York Open with the nation’s largest tennis expo ever.

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"The 2020 New York Tennis Expo was a resounding success," said David Sickmen, New York Tennis Expo Founder and Director."We have heard great feedback from both attendees and vendors, and were happy to once again kick off another year of the New York Open. By adding new activities and expanding our reach in the community, the Expo continues to grow from year to year, and we’re excited to keep on bring-

Long Island Tennis Magazine • March/April 2020 • LITennisMag.com

ing events like this to the area. Partnering with the New York Open and NYCB LIVE for the third straight year, and the addition of Pop Earth as the title sponsor this year, we were able to join forces and create a recordbreaking event.”

For the seventh time, the Expo completely sold out its exhibit space and featured more than 70 vendors from all over the country, covering an array of different businesses as

well as providing exhibiting spaces for more than 10 local charities.

“When you look around and see all the things happening at the Expo, a children’s birthday party, a 60-person standing room audience for one of the speaker sessions, a tennis group that drove down from Rochester, and more than 100 high school volunteers, it’s clear that Expo has become a scene and the place to be in early February,” said Steve Kaplan, Owner and Managing Director of Bethpage Park Tennis Center.

To start things off in the morning, Nick Bollettieri, founder of IMG Academy, the Farmingdale State Rams, and high school teams from Roslyn and West Islip, ran a clinic for members of Pop Earth, the event’s title sponsor that provide programs and holistic health services for those with special needs, on Stadium Court.

5TH ANNUAL

Throughout the day, there were clinics run by local college teams from Hofstra, Adelphi and Nassau Community, as well as tennis professionals from local clubs and players from high school teams on Long Island. Kids of all levels were able to go out on court and receive instruction from some of the top players and coaches in the area who created a welcoming atmosphere that was open to all Expo guests.

Thanks to our partnership with the New York Open, new to the Expo this year was the ability for guests to watch the opening round of the qualifying tournament, where professional players competed for a shot at the tournament’s main draw. Prior to that, ATP stars such as Kevin Anderson, Milos Raonic and Tennys Sandgren were practicing on court, and all Expo guests were allowed to grab a seat and watch how

these pros prepared for the tournament.

In addition, there were games and activities for everyone to enjoy inside the Expo Hall, including the New York Islanders Slapshot Booth, the New York Riptide’s Lacrosse Shootout, a mechanical bull, bounce house, photo booth and more.

“The Expo seems to be getting bigger and bigger every year. USTA Eastern was proud to help sponsor and coordinate our Net Gen programming with the event which allowed children of all ages to play on the black courts with college, high school and local club volunteers,” said Jonathan Klee, Regional Director for USTA Eastern’s Long Island Region. “Combining the Expo with the qualifiers was a win-win situation for everyone in that it brought the continued on page 6

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2020 new york tennis expo recap continued from page 5

Long Island tennis community together with vendors in a carnival like atmosphere while also watching great quality tennis.”

The Expo featured two separate coaching panels with industry experts, highlighted by the appearance of Bollettieri as well as current touring pros Jack Sock, Brayden Schnur and Tommy Paul. Guests were able to hear from these panelists on a wide variety of topics, and the sessions were interactive to allow audience members to ask questions directly to the speakers.

The New York Open’s Draw Ceremony once again took place on center stage at the New York Tennis Expo Broadcast Plaza, where the opening round matchups were revealed with a little twist, as multiple players from the tournament were on stage to answer questions from fans and Tournament Director Peter Lebedevs. Kevin Anderson, Reilly Opelka, Cameron Norrie and eventual champion Kyle Edmund were on stage to answer questions and take pictures with Expo guests.

In all, the New York Tennis Expo was a

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Long Island Tennis Magazine • March/April 2020 • LITennisMag.com

celebration of the great sport of tennis, and was a vehicle to bring together so many different facets that make up the community.

The array of business and charities that were on display, coupled with the local high school and college players, adults and juniors, and tennis fans and non-tennis fans, the Expo had something for everyone. It’s our hope that this recordbreaking event will be a springboard for continued success of tennis in our community in 2020.

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See What They Are Saying ...

“This year Pop.Earth was very excited to be the Title Sponsor of the NY Tennis Expo at Nassau Coliseum. We launched our new tennis initiative "Making a Racquet"! for Autism by hosting a tennis clinic that included our individuals and volunteers from the Roslyn and West Islip tennis clubs! It was a hit! Our team was able to bring autism awareness to all who attended and introduced Pop.Earth to a whole new audience! It was a win for all!” – Deb Stone, Founder, Pop Earth

“The magazine and this Expo make it fun for a lot of people welcoming them to the tennis world, whether it’s Future Stars or other exponents and Programs, it's good for all of us to come together and share the passion of this awesome sport, and the magazine and the Expo do a great job putting this together.”

– Pablo Monesti, Vice President of Development, Future Stars Camps

“First off, I wanted to congratulate Dave, Joel, Brian and the entire team at NY/Long Island Tennis Magazine for putting together another outstanding Tennis Expo this year! It is amazing to be part of the largest tennis expo in history! The tennis community is wonderful and the Expo was a great chance to come together. SPORTIME is proud to be a part of this wonderful event, year in and year out. We look forward to making next year bigger and better than ever.”

– Jason Wass, Director of Tennis and Sports, SPORTIME Kings Park

"The New York Tennis Expo is an outstanding event. We look forward to this event every year. It is a great opportunity to interact with the tennis community and connect with other tennis businesses. Organizers facilitate a great experience and make sure we are all set for success" – Nicolas Duarte, Tennis Director, Camp IHC

“The Expo seems to be getting bigger and bigger every year.

USTA Eastern was proud to help sponsor and coordinate our Net Gen programming with the event which allowed children of all ages to play on the Black Courts with College, High School and local club volunteers. Combining the Expo with the qualifiers was a win win situation for everyone in that it brought the Long Island tennis community together with vendors in a carnival like atmosphere while also watching great quality tennis.” – Jonathan Klee, Regional Director, USTA Eastern Long Island Region “The New York Tennis Expo is an incredible event because it brings area tennis enthusiasts together with fun, excitement, education and service to the local community. The Expo grows the sport by raising awareness of the wealth of tennis opportunities in the New York area.” – Steve Kaplan, Owner and Managing Director, Bethpage Park Tennis Center "The NY Tennis Expo was a wonderful opportunity to connect with young tennis players and their families.”– Louisa Childs, Head of School, Dwight Global Online School

“The New York Tennis Expo is an event we look forward to every year at the Evert Tennis Academy. The expo brings in tennis families from all across the state of New York and it is a great networking tool that we will use for years to come!

The Expo staff was tremendous and it was overall another great experience!” – Andrew Parker, Director of Sales and Marketing, Evert Tennis Academy "The New York Tennis Expo continues to be a unique event that brings together the entire tennis world. We were once again thrilled to be a sponsor of the event, and were able to connect with players and parents from the Long Island and New York area, and Nick Bollettieri was thrilled to take part in the speaker sessions, clinics and autograph signings."

– David Cotrone, Director of Business Development, IMG Academy “Point Set was proud to once again be a part of the New York Tennis Expo. The event continues to grow every year and there is no better way for us to showcase our programs and classes then by being able to sit down in front of the thousands and thousands of attendees that come out for the Expo. We look forward to coming back again next year!”

- Lori Sarnelli, Club Manager, Point Set Tennis

“Amazing job by David Sickmen and his staff. It just gets bigger and better every year!” – Kathy Miller, General Manager, Carefree Racquet Club LITennisMag.com • March/April 2020 • Long Island Tennis Magazine

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Pop.Earth Clinic at New York Tennis Expo he goal of Long Island Tennis Magazine, and specifically the New York Tennis Expo, is to provide an event that grows the game of tennis and encourages more people to become involved with the sport.

Thanks to the Expo’s partnership with Pop.Earth, that mission was accomplished.

To begin the Expo, Pop Earth members took part in a free clinic on Stadium Court led by legendary tennis coach Nick Bollettieri, the Farmingdale State College tennis teams as well as players from Roslyn and West Islip High School.

“Imagine a free event to teach over 50 autistic children the wonders of tennis, with more than 50 volunteers, both young and old, working together at a major ATP Tour event? Imagine that this event had Nick Bollettieri offering words of encouragement to each child alongside touring professionals and other prominent coaches,” said Steve Kaplan, founder of the non-profit Serve & Return which helped facilitate the clinic. “I didn’t imagine this! It happened with the support of Pop.Earth, Long Island Tennis Magazine, IMG

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Academy and the amazing supporters who ensured that each and every child walked away with a huge smile on their face.”

Pop.Earth is a non-profit organization that focuses on providing holistic health services and options for those with special needs, including Autism and other developmental disorders. The organization is based on Long Island but has partners all across the United States.

The clinic served as the official launch of

Pop Earth’s new tennis program, “Making a Racquet”, which it plans on running first on Long Island and then growing it throughout multiple locations. There were stations set up on the main court used by the professionals for the New York Open, where instructors worked with the kids on basic technique through a variety of different of drills.

“The reaction from the parents and kids was 100 percent positive! Some kids came not even wanting to try tennis but ended up doing just that and loving the experience!” said Deb Stone, Pop.Earth’s Founder and Executive Director.

“Pop.Earth will be bringing this program to Long Island first at low cost to free, and then slowly rolling it out across the tri-state area. We hope to have programs pop up across the country and get more kids involved with this great sport.”

The clinic was the perfect way to begin this year’s New York Tennis Expo and was made possible thanks to the organizations involved, the volunteers and, of course, the kids who came out to play tennis.

You can learn more about Pop Earth, and its new tennis programming, by visiting www.PopEarth.org.

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LITennisMag.com • March/April 2020 • Long Island Tennis Magazine

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Scenes From 2020 New

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Long Island Tennis Magazine • March/April 2020 • LITennisMag.com

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VE, home of the Nassau Veterans Memorial Coliseum

Credit photos to Owen Kassimir and Sydney Beall III

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Long Island Tennis Magazine • March/April 2020 • LITennisMag.com

Free Clinics Come to Bethpage Park Tennis Center

ach year, Steve Kaplan and the Bethpage Park Tennis & Education Center host a free clinic that brings together high school and middle school coaches from the Long Island and New York tennis communities.

This year, two more clinics were added to the event, which took place just days before the New York Tennis Expo and start of the New York Open, featuring Nick Bollettieri and IMG Academy.

Kaplan’s charitable organization, Serve & Return, held a clinic as part of its girls’ empowerment program, “Sky’s the Limit Tennis”, with Bollettieri leading the instruction of this clinic. Following that, a

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free clinic was conducted by Bollettieri, IMG Academy and Bethpage Park for both boys and girls, with young players filling Bethpage Park’s indoor courts with different stations of tennis drills and games.

To cap off the night, Kaplan and Bollettieri, along with other experts,spoke to the middle school and high school coaches about the importance of high school tennis, both for the players themselves and also the industry as a whole, and discussed teaching strategies the coaches can use to help their players and build team participation.

“High School Tennis encourages teamwork and cooperation, and builds socialization and time management

skills,” said Kaplan, who has been at the forefront of stressing the immense positive influences high school tennis has.

“Tennis can be a highly individual sport and high school tennis team participation is invaluable to learning skills that transition well to college.”

The clinics are at the heart of Kaplan’s push to bridge the gap between the tennis industry and the local high schools.

“The tennis industry needs to work together with school coaches to build a strong and positive relationship,” Kaplan added. “And with the help of IMG Academy and Nick Bollettieri, clinics such as mine help grow the quality of the school tennis experience.”

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Across Long Isl the Roslyn School District was named the USTA School/Child Care Tennis Program of the Year. The program is led by Roslyn head coach KerriAnn Jannotte.

Rabman Continues to Rack Up Titles Thea Rabman, who trains at SPORTIME Roslyn and the John McEnroe Tennis Academy, has put together a successful winter as she competes in some of the USTA’s top tournaments.

Rabman captured the title at the L3 Eastern Super Six at Glen Head Racquet & Fitness in singles, and followed that up with a doubles win at the National Level 2 Super Six in Minnesota.

Point Set’s Narciso Wins 12U Tourney Jenna Narciso, a player at Point Set Tennis in Oceanside, captured the title at the L7 12 and Under tournament at Glen Head Racquet Club. Narciso, the second-seed, won a thrilling match by the score of 5-3, 4-5(7), 5-4(5) in the finals.

Carefree Players Compete with Anderson Mallin Excited To Start Playing Tennis

Carefree Racquet Club is the official practice facility of the New York Open, so it can be expected that throughout the tournament week and leading up to it, some of the sport’s best can be seen playing inside the Merrick facility. The club’s Junior Development players got the special opportunity to play on court with 2018 New York Open champion Kevin Anderson, and took their turns trying to return the big man’s serve.

Heights Elementary School Wins USTA Long Island Award At the annual USTA Long Island Awards Ceremony, the program

by Heights Elementary School in 14

The sport of tennis is always growing on Long Island, and one player who recently began playing competitively is 11year-old Marcella Mallin. Training under LI native Ricky Becker, Mallin has caught the tennis bug and recently played in her first UTR match. Mallin is excited to continue improving on her tennis journey, and play more competitive matches as we enter the spring and summer months.

Long Island Tennis Magazine • March/April 2020 • LITennisMag.com

sland

… News and notes from across the L.I. tennis community

Bethpage Park’s ‘Sky’s The Limit’ Gets Visit

The Bethpage Park Tennis & Education Center’s new girls empowerment program, ‘Sky’s the Limit Tennis” got a special visit during one of its programs, as legendary tennis coach Nick Bollettieri stopped by. Bollettieri led clinics with the girls in the programs, and talked to them about his advice for tennis players both on and off the court.

Fermo Wins Armonk Holiday Championships

Sportime Continues to Push Tennis in Schools SPORTIME Kings Park continued its Tennis for All programming where it brings tennis instruction into local schools. The latest installment of this came at the R.J.O. Intermediate School in the Kings Park School District. The group spends a week in the school teaching tennis in the hopes of growing the game further.

Kingsley Wins UTR/ITA National Player of the Week

Northport native and current Ohio Olivia Fermo, who State freshman trains at Glen Head Cannon Kingsley Racquet & Fitness, was named captured the title at the the UTR/ITA L1 Armonk Indoor National Player of Holiday the Week earlier Championships. Fermo, this year. Kingsley, who was seeded a former Suffolk second, did not drop a County singles set throughout the champion, helped tournament, including a lead his Buckeyes 6-4, 6-4 triumph in the past Arizona State finals. as he won his doubles match, and defeated Andrea Bolla in singles.

He followed that up by downing the top-ranked player in the nation, Daniel Cukierman of the University of Southern California in singles, and partnering with Kyle Seelig to win their doubles match as well.

Overall, Kingsley posted a 15-2 record over Ohio State’s eightmatch win streak early in the season.

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2020

LONG ISLAND BOYS HIGH SCHOOL PREVIEW

By Brian Coleman

Nassau County Teams to Watch Port Washington The defending Long Island champions will have some big shoes to fill in this upcoming season, but as the program has proven over the last several years, depth is its strength. The Vikings will be without its top two singles players from last year, Alex Karman and Gabriele Brancatelli, but return many contributors from last year’s championship squad which will ensure Port Washington doesn’t skip a beat. Luke Zohouri, Candrin Chris and Dan Greilsheimer are just three of the players who played a factor in the team’s success a year ago, and will look to step into bigger roles in 2020.

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Long Island Tennis Magazine • March/April 2020 • LITennisMag.com

2020

LONG ISLAND BOYS HIGH SCHOOL PREVIEW Syosset The Syosset Braves came within one victory of winning the Nassau County tournament a year ago, falling to aforementioned Port Washington in the finals. But Syosset is always a contender to make a deep run in the playoffs and that will be no different this coming season. While it loses county champion Kabir Rajpal, Syosset contains a deep roster of experienced players eager to return to the county finals in 2020. Rajpal anchors the lineup which also includes Brian Gao and Jeremy Levine. The Syosset program has a feeder system that ensures young players are ready to play when called into the lineup, which makes it a constant threat.

Roslyn Roslyn exceeded its own expectations last year and advanced all the way to the

semifinals of the county tournament. But the Bulldogs are a contender in Nassau County in 2020. Leading the way for Roslyn will be Mike Weitz, who plays first singles but also paired with Adrian Tsui to win the county doubles title. Tsui has graduated, but Weitz will step into a leadership role both on and off the court.

Roslyn was the only team to defeat Port Washington last year, and is eager to return to the top of the county.

Manhasset The last couple of years have been, by its own standard, down years for the Manhasset tennis program, but things could change in 2020. The Braves will have an experienced group of players rounding out its lineup which should allow it compete at the top of the county’s best conference. Leading the way is Aidan O’Connor, a junior who put together a

great season in his sophomore year which included a run to the semifinals of the county doubles tournament alongside Steven Salerno.

Plainview JFK Veteran leadership is one of the key factors when it comes to many high school sports, and that is no different in tennis. The Hawks of Plainview JFK are anchored at the top of its lineup by senior leaders who will look to lead their team deep into the Nassau County playoffs in 2020. Jared Phillips and Anthony Casale have been in the singles lineup for Plainview JFK for years now, and will be seeking big senior seasons in order to guide the Hawks. Plainview also possesses depth at the doubles positions which help round out its lineup, and there is no reason the team cannot compete with the other top teams in Conference I.

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2020

LONG ISLAND BOYS HIGH SCHOOL PREVIEW Suffolk County Teams to Watch Hills East Last season was the first for the Hills East Thunderbirds under new head coach Steven Ferrantello. As a former player in the program, Ferrantello knew all about the legacy and success of Hills East over the last several years, and the team continued that tradition by winning the Suffolk County Championship. Despite losing first singles player Ishan Varma, Hills East should be considered the favorite in Suffolk once again this year. The county doubles champions, Albert Cheng and Michael Han, both return, as do sophomore Dylan D’Agate and freshman Krithik Madisetty to lead the singles lineup and combine with senior leaders Matt Andelsman and Jesse Kanofsky to create a well-rounded Thunderbird roster.

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Long Island Tennis Magazine • March/April 2020 • LITennisMag.com

2020

LONG ISLAND BOYS HIGH SCHOOL PREVIEW Commack The county runner-ups in Suffolk, Commack, should be back near the top of the county’s top conference again this season. That team was comprised of many young players, and with one more year of experience under their collective belts, they will be eager to go one step further than last year. Top singles player Tyler D’Amato has graduated, but the Cougars’ lineup will be filled out by players such as Matt Strogach, Cooper Schoenfeld, Kevin Chen, James Yu and Eddie Liao.

Connetquot Coming out of Suffolk’s Division II, Connetquot enjoyed a successful season in 2019. The Thunderbirds earned the sixth-seed and reached the quarterfinals, and will seek to build off of that success as we begin 2020. Anchoring the team is Alab Sabovic, an all-state player from last year

who is one of the best players on Long Island. Sabovic will lead the way at the top of the lineup that loses six seniors to graduation but has a plethora of depth coming from its younger players, including Sebastian Govea, an all-county selection last year. Sabovic’s younger brother, Emil, was also an all-county selection a year ago, and will be determined to have an impact on his team this season.

Bay Shore The third-seeded Bay Shore Marauders lived up to its seeding last year by powering its way into the county semifinals, before falling to Commack. But having that experience and a returning cast of players well-versed in playoff tennis, Bay Shore should once again be a contender in the county tournament in 2020. The Maruaders return contributing players Colin Winter, Connor Cochrane, Jack Coolbaugh

and Stefan Pallotta, who were all-county selections, as well as all-league players Ashton Hummler, Max Sherman, Quinn Winter and Sean Caligiuri.

Harborfields Anchored by the coach of the year in the county, Bob Davis, Harborfields will be a team to look out for in Suffolk this year. It does lose county singles champion Alex Rzehak, and a few other seniors, to graduation, but the Tornadoes contained a deep team a year ago who will be ready to make up for that loss. All-county selections Chris Qi and Michael Singer return, as does all-league player Simon Kapen. Over the last few years, Harborfields has shown that it can compete with county powerhouses Hills East and Commack, and is eager to prove that its semifinal run last year was not just a blip on the radar.

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Tennis Industry Comes Together

he top industry professionals and tennis leaders in the Eastern section gathered for the annual USTA Eastern Conference earlier this winter. Once again, the weekend-long event was held at the Renaissance Westchester Hotel, and featured a variety of activities, workshops and meetings as the section prepares for another year of growing tennis.

“The 2020 conference was easily one of our best!” said Jenny Schnitzer, USTA

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Eastern’s Executive Director & CEO. “We love bringing tennis leaders from across the section together. Watching so many creative minds meet and bounce ideas off each other is always such an energizing start to our year, and we really are ready to roll up our sleeves and find new, innovative ways to serve our mission of growing the game in our section.”

The conference is the perfect way to not only recap what was accomplished in

the previous year, but also to look ahead to the coming year and beyond. The Eastern Section honors those who made a positive impact on the game in our area with its Awards Dinner, and this year also featured the Eastern Hall of Fame celebration.

Throughout the weekend, there are workshops and seminars designed to demonstrate different teaching techniques or ways to grow, and this year included one on how to incorporate

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Long Island Tennis Magazine • March/April 2020 • LITennisMag.com

r for Annual Eastern Conference

team-based drills into your practices, as well as one on how to use basic instruction to make your facility welcoming to more people in your community.

The latter was led by Emilio Sanchez, the former seventh-ranked player in the world, who also put together a demonstration with his sister, Arantxa Sanchez-Vicario, 14-time Grand Slam champion, on their experiences and success playing on tour together.

One of the final workshops of the weekend focused on tennis in the 21st century and how to make sure tennis leaders are using technology and the digital age to their benefit.

“We’re very mindful of the current state of the game as well as where we think it’s heading,” added Schnitzer. “I was thrilled to have Heather Hawkes, USTA’s Senior Manager of Digital Serves for Community Tennis, lead an incredibly informative session on all the digital upgrades taking

place over the next few years. Those very exciting changes are going to make a big impact on our tennis community, and I was so glad someone as smart as Heather could come to the conference to break everything down for us.”

The annual Eastern Conference is the unofficial start to the new year of tennis ahead in the section, and the 2020 edition of the event proved once again how much progress can be made in local tennis when industry leaders come

LITennisMag.com • March/April 2020 • Long Island Tennis Magazine

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Re-Grip The Three Things You Need To Know Before Changing A Grip

By Steve Kaplan n 2013, my article “Get A Grip” examined why poor grips are often “correcting compensations for movement dysfunction” because they offset poorly linked movements.

Today I’d like to explore grip changes.

You may not want to read further unless you’re brave as grips are the mysterious enigmas of tennis shrouded by esoteric names like “Eastern,” Western” and “Continental.” Grips are so misunderstood that the term “grip change” brings terror to even the bravest players and coaches. You have probably heard that to change your grip from Eastern to Continental on serves, or from Western to Semi-Western on forehands will take months of hard work and compromised performance. Even

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Robert Lansdorp, legendary coach of Pete Sampras, Tracy Austin, Maria Sharapova and Lindsay Davenport, maintains that “after the age of seven or eight, grip changes, even subtle ones, are IMPOSSIBLE.” Indeed, horror stories of top players who fell into the tennis abyss never to escape as a result of a failed grip change abound.

Grip changes should not be undertaken lightly because grips are the most direct connection to the racket and so proprioceptively sensitive that even the slightest change can be overwhelming. Moreover, most grip changes are poorly executed, extraordinarily uncomfortable and counterproductive to performance and safety. Such difficulty is not inevitable, however. In fact, grip changes are manageable if undertaken at the right time and in a logical progression.

Here are three things you need to know

Long Island Tennis Magazine • March/April 2020 • LITennisMag.com

how to do in order to quickly, safely and successfully modify a grip: Change a grip only when it will help The so-called “bad” grips can be best understood from a performance context.

Therefore, an extreme Western Forehand grip, when viewed in isolation, might seem like a dysfunctional grip unless the larger picture is examined. A Western grip encourages and rewards excessive internal rotation of the forearm. This rotational movement is a source of power and while not a good solution, it may be the only available power source, especially for high balls. Therefore, don’t change a grip until the conditions are ready for the new grip to work. Players revert back to a Western grip almost every time it’s “corrected” because the change is premature. Before correcting the grip, you must address and

successfully correct the underlying problem that encouraged the poor grip in the first place. In most cases, players need to learn how to bring force from the ground up to the racket better.

Correct the movement before correcting the grip Here is a simple but highly effective progression for transitioning an Eastern serving grip to Continental. Have the student stand in the deuce court and serve to the wrong or Ad box as this is where an Eastern serving grip would naturally take the ball with a mechanically sound service motion. Once the student feels comfortable with a corrected motion that now includes natural forearm pronation, modify the grip. Try 30 serves to the wrong box with the old grip and a few to the correct box with the newly modified grip. Go back to the old grip for 20 serves and now a few more with the new grip. Repeat this process until the student feels comfortable. Most players using this progression can comfortably change a serve grip in a few hours, rather

than a few months. Remember, fundamentally grips do nothing more than provide aim and poor movements can offset poor aim.

Allow the grip change to evolve Most grip changes that are evolutionary will be more successful than those that are revolutionary. I know that many will disagree with this claim maintaining that it’s best to fully and aggressively commit to a change to get the pain of a grip adjustment over and done with as soon as possible. Superficially it’s a sound theory yet most that follow that logic have anything but fast and positive results. I say “trust the talent.” Bad grips are usually very adept solutions to poor movement patterns. If the student has developed a bad grip as a correcting compensation, they feel more comfortable with a bad grip. Thus, correct the dysfunctional underlying movement and most intuitive students with just gentle prodding will accept the corrected grip because it will both feel and work better.

A bad grip is a symptom of a problem

so to make a change, first correct the faulty movements that created the grip.

Always correct mechanics before technique.

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, and executive director and founder of Serve &Return Inc. 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 to achieve great success as prominent members of the New York financial community, and in other prestigious professions. In 2017, Steve was awarded the Hy Zausner Lifetime Achievement Award by the USTA. He may be reached by e-mail at StevenJKaplan@aol.com.

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comeback complete continued from page 20

Englishman in New York Great Britain’s Kyle Edmund Hoists New York Open Trophy for Second Career ATP Title

By Brian Coleman

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t started at the New York Tennis Expo and finished on center court at trophy presentation, and Kyle Edmund will always remember his week on Long Island.

The 62nd ranked man from Great Britain captured the New York Open singles title inside NYCB LIVE, home of the Nassau Veterans Memorial Coliseum, defeating Italy’s Andreas Seppi 7-5, 6-1 and leaving New York with his second career ATP Tour title.

“When I get things going in my way, and put my game up on court, and focus on the two or three things I do very well and really concentrate on that and take them up to a big level, that’s when I become a better player, and that’s what I did this week,” said Edmund, who began his week taking part in a Q&A during the New York Tennis Expo on the tournament’s opening day. “I was very aggressive, and in key moments I didn’t give opponents opportunities, and established my authority as much as I could.”

He would put down his authority late in the first set against Seppi in the finals. With both players trading holds of serve through the first 11 games of the opener, Edmund got the first real look at a break when he went ahead 40-15 as Seppi was serving to force a tiebreak. He would capitalize on it, hitting a blistering backhand winner up the line to secure the break and win the first set “Winning the first sets in matches always helps, but in the final, when you get that sort of first stamp of authority, you get a leg up in the match--it always helps. It forces the opponent to come up with answers to get back at you,” said Edmund. “You don’t have to force 24

Long Island Tennis Magazine • March/Aprilcontinued 2020 • LITennisMag.com on page 26

Credit photos to Pat Mosquera

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englishman in new york continued from page 24

the issue as much, you just really have to keep that momentum going. And I knew winning that first set, and breaking him, I would have to serve first in the second set and be in the lead.”

That’s just what Edmund would do.

After holding to open up the second set, the eighth-seed broke Seppi to establish the early advantage in the second set.

Later in the set, Edmund would break one more time following a long rally to jump ahead 5-1.

He then calmly held serve to win the second tour-level title of his career.

“I had one I thought back to,” Edmund said of his goals for this year. “I won three matches at the end of last year, but I hadn’t won four matches in a row for awhile. So that was a goal, just to win four matches in a row. I won four in a row, I was like, ‘Ok, let’s make it five’, which I hadn’t done in awhile. Obviously, winning titles is always a goal. In terms of ranking, it was just to get high up the rankings.

That doesn’t just happen. You have to cut it down and look at how can we get high up the rankings, and that’s by just winning matches.”

Playing a dominant week and winning matches will certainly be reflected in the rankings, and Edmund has shot up 17 spots to 45th in the world thanks to his week on Long Island. He earned $120,635 for his title.

“Obviously, first of all, very happy to win my second career title in the ATP,” said Edmund. “When you’re young and training or playing tennis, these are the sort of things you imagine, wanting to win professional titles…I came out, played my game, didn’t get what I wanted straight away but kept at it, and broke him in that 6-5 game, and then after I got that first set I really just settled in and sort of won that second set quite comfortably.”

The title, while important in and of itself, will go a long way to reinforce the work Edmund has put in over the last year. After breaking through in 2018, 26

climbing inside the Top 15, being the highest ranked player from Great Britain and reaching the Australian Open semifinals, Edmund’s 2019 was not as kind.

Last year, Edmund lost more matches than he won, posting a record of 17-22, and falling to as low as 75th in the world rankings.

But towards the end of 2019, Edmund won all three of his singles matches while representing Great Britain at the Davis Cup, and while he sputtered in his first three tournaments of the season, entered the New York Open feeling good about his game.

He started off his week with a basic approach, and made sure to learn from some of the losses he suffered throughout the last year.

“The reasons you get to right now— with the trophy—and what makes it nice is because you experience all those downs, and then it makes you realize that you just can’t take the success for granted,” said Edmund. “You get the success from having the downs because you learn from that, and the low points mentally, and the disappointments of losing matches and those help you get to the happy times, the success and the winning of matches.”

Despite the famous black courts of the New York Open playing slow, according to most players, Edmund’s game was not affected. His blistering forehand, one of the best on the tour, was his biggest weapon throughout the week, and his aggressive style helped him out in some of the most crucial moments.

“He’s obviously been on the tour for a

Long Island Tennis Magazine • March/April 2020 • LITennisMag.com

long time, he’s experienced—he knows what to do on the court,” Edmund said of Seppi. “So yeah, it was tough. But the way I’ve been playing, I knew that I would have opportunities, especially with my forehand, to get in the points.”

Edmund now hopes to use this title as a catalyst to success in the rest of 2020, similar to how former New York Open champions, Kevin Anderson and Reilly Opelka, did after winning the title on Long Island.

“We just have little goals here and there—working on my game, improving it,” said Edmund, looking ahead to the rest of the season. “Obviously, a big goal in mind was to get back to where I want to be and when I’m physically in a good place and playing intensely, my game rises. So those are the big goals, but lots of little goals have gone into that. I’ve been working on that…I want to be playing more matches like these and move higher in the rankings.”

Brian Coleman is senior editor for Long Island Tennis Magazine. He may be reached by e-mail at.

By Kathy Miller

New York Open Hosts Adult League Finals he New York Open held a local USTA League Tournament for USTA players with the finals played on the black courts of NYCB LIVE, home of the Nassau Veterans Memorial Coliseum.

The tournament featured multiple divisions including Men’s and Women’s Doubles at the combined levels of 7.0 and 8.0. The tournaments were held throughout the weeks leading up to the

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New York Open at various clubs on Long Island including Carefree Racquet Club, Eastern Athletic Club Blue Point, Park Avenue Tennis, Point Set, Sportime Kings Park, Sportime Roslyn and World Gym Setauket.

Once each club had their winning teams, the semifinal matches were played at Carefree on the black practice courts, the same ones used by the professionals as they prepare for the main draw of the

New York Open. The winning semifinal teams then advanced to the finals at the Coliseum to be played during the professional tournament.

The players had a few minutes to warm up and get used to the lights while they played with a chair official and ball kids!

All the players felt it was a great experience and are looking forward to doing it again next year!

The winners were:

7.0 Men: Jung Park & Dong Lim defeated Gerry Barrasso & Jim Avallone 7.0 Women: Melissa Thomas & Lori Sarnelli defeated Marilena DiScala & Kim Oricoli 8.0 Men: Gene Defreitas & George Sparacio defeated Brian Dulberg & Eddie Demirci 8.0 Women: Evangeline Boutin & Maryna Lyrnieva defeated Donna Ryan & Tatyana Battaglia Kathy Miller is Manager of Carefree Racquet Club and is also the Adult League Coordinator for USTA/Long Island. She may be reached by e-mail at KathyM65@aol.com.

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2020 NEW YORK Inglot, Qureshi Triumph in New York he British-Pakistani pairing of Dominic Inglot and Aisam-Ul-Haq Qureshi captured the New York Open doubles title, downing the American duo of Reilly Opelka and Steve Johnson 7-6(5), 7-6(6) inside NYCB LIVE, home of the Nassau Veterans Memorial Coliseum. “I think it was, in the end, it was the experience and self-belief,�

Qureshi said of the team’s success this week. “I think we’ve been working very hard—last year as well.

And me and Dom both sat down and had a very serious conversation about what our goals are this year, and where we both of us as a team.�

The week prior, the two came up short in the finals in Montpellier, France, but entered the New York Open feeling confident about their game. After winning the opening set in a tiebreak on Sunday, the pairing went ahead a break in the second set, and had a chance to serve for the match on Qureshi’s racket at 5-4.

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Credit photo to Pat Mosquera

But Johnson and Opelka had one last fight in them, breaking serve and forcing the set into another tiebreak.

A volley winner from Johnson would save one match point at 5-6, but

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Inglot and Qureshi would win the next two points to close out the match and win their first title together. “I believe in his game and he believes in mine. I think I bring a lot of energy on the court, where he brings a lot of power,� Qureshi said of why the duo has found success together. “For me, obviously I’ve been on the tour a little bit longer than him, so a little bit of experience there as well from me. He’s younger than me. I needed somebody to be a little bit younger. He has more fire is more driven also to do well in the slams and the big tournaments. He’s hungry to win more titles, which pushed me also to work harder, to be in the gym more, and look after my diet and everything like that.

We didn’t have the best start in January, but it’s just about believing in the process and each other. I’m very happy. The last two weeks have been really great, and we’ve been clicking so far.�

Qureshi also added that he was appreciative of the crowd support he and Inglot received throughout the week, especially in the semifinals and finals when he had a few friends in the stands. “They’re very close friends of mine and sometimes they get over the top, so I had to quiet them down,â€? he said, half-jokingly. “One of them‌got offended that I asked him to quiet down, but luckily he was here again for the finals, so I’m happy for that‌and the crowd, I feel like they know their tennis and they respect the good points and the good shots.

As a tennis player, it’s really nice to see that. It feels good, and I’m thankful to the crowd. I think it was a great crowd for a final today.�

RK OPEN RECAP Theme Nights and Special Events Fill New York Open Week Credit photo to GF Sports

major highlight of the New York Open this year was the tournament’s focus once again on providing community-driven events and promotions in order to engage the local area and bring everyone together.

So beyond just the great tennis played on court throughout the week, it also featured many special events, promotional nights and workshops both to add entertainment value and also to create a positive environment for all members of the community.

That began with the New York Tennis Expo and the New York Open qualifying tournament on the opening Sunday.

That day provided thousands of guests a wide array of activities, seminars and free professional tennis that kicked off the tournament week.

“Combining the New York Tennis Expo with Family Day presented by PGA Tour Superstore was an ace for the tournament,” said Peter Lebedevs, New York Open Tournament Director. “We had over 6,500 people attend the day and everyone walked out with a smile.”

The New York Open once again held its College Night, which featured

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Harvard freshman and Long Island native Brian Shi compete in the first match of the night’s session. Prior to that, Hofstra’s Shawn Jackson and Ostap Kovalenko competed in the doubles’ main draw, and all college students received discounted admission to attend that day’s matches.

“We kicked off the week with a great turnout at the New York Tennis Expo, and College Night was once again a

success,” said Tournament Director Peter Lebedevs. “It was our new community events, however, that really brought our event to the next level— from our Veterans and Diversity Hiring Expo to our STEM Education School Day and GF Sports Women’s Elevating Experiences Leadership Brunch. Total attendance for the week is up 20 percent from last year; we are headed in the right direction.”

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2 0 2 0 N E W YO R K O P E N R E C A P

Pickleball’s Best on Display at New York Open

ne of the new elements added to the New York Open in 2020 was the enacting of the New York Open Pickleball Championships. The tournament featured a multitude of divisions in varying age and skill levels, with the top three finishers in each earning medals.

Below are the gold medal winners from the first annual New York Open Pickleball Championships:

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l Men’s Doubles 3.0/3.5 (19+): Sim Singh & Brian DeMasi l Men’s Doubles 3.0 (50+, 60+): Brian Fajans & Eric Peskin l Men’s Doubles 3.5 (50+): Joseph Walsh & Timothy Carroll l Men’s Doubles 3.5 (65+): Brian McDermott & Rick Fishman l Men’s Doubles 4.0 (19+): Manual Boya & Gino Riggio l Men’s Doubles 4.0 (50+, 65+): Alfonse Calato & Dave Liell 30

l Men’s Doubles 4.5/5.0: Alex PopMoldovan & Eden Lica l Men’s Singles 3.0/3.5 (50+): Philip Benigno l Men’s Singles 3.0/3.5 (65+): Robert Lessard l Men’s Singles 3.0 (19+): Andrew Brechner l Men’s Singles 3.5/4.0 (19+): Adam Brechner l Men’s Singles 4.0/4.5 (65+): John Hursh l Men’s Singles 4.0 (50+): Ricardo Romero l Men’s Singles 4.5 (19+): Matthew Stevens l Men’s Singles 5.0 (19+): Eden Lica l Mixed Doubles 3.0 (19+): Kristin Schad & Alex Ellison l Mixed Doubles 3.0 (50+): Beverly Jaycox & Steve Jaycox l Mixed Doubles 3.0 (65+): Beatrix McKane & Allen Faust l Mixed Doubles 3.5 (19+): Regina Prete & Bryan Lillis

Long Island Tennis Magazine • March/April 2020 • LITennisMag.com

l Mixed Doubles 3.5 (50+): Francine Avena & Anthony Avena l Mixed Doubles 3.5 (65+): Katherine Hedden & Michael Rotblatt l Mixed Doubles 4.0 (19+): Joanna Sapir & Michael Kazin l Mixed Doubles 4.0 (50+, 65+): Lucille Conklin & Jack Callanan l Mixed Doubles 4.5: Debbie Drum & Frank Sciacca l Mixed Doubles 5.0: Sari Lee & Scott Golden l Women’s Doubles 3.0: Joan Newton & Maite Gonzalez l Women’s Doubles 3.5 (50+): Maddie Cunningham & Ellen Naidus l Women’s Doubles 4.0 (19+, 50+): Monica DiPinto & Michelle Crismali l Women’s Doubles 4.5/5.0: Katie Taylor & Sara Maher l Women’s Singles 4.5 (19+, 50+, 65+): Tina Cressent

When Teaching, Put Kindness First

By Michael Forte “I made it to the final of my tournament last week!”

“I got a baby puppy this week!”

“My AP History class is killing me!”

These are just a few of the phrases I hear on a weekly basis from students during lessons/programs, and it’s easy to assume they are being talkative or only desire attention. From my experience and observation, there is so much more to it.

Why do students feel the need to tell me (or really, any of their coaches) these random, mostly unrelated thoughts? Are their fellow classmates not giving them enough attention? Maybe—but when these instances occur, I feel I am succeeding as a coach.

Too often coaches go through the motions, repeat the same drills, yell thoughtless feedback (“bend your legs” or “hit out in front!”) from across the net; these things are not necessarily bad. But I believe, for juniors especially, coaching is about being a role model and a positive influence in their life. I think back to how Jaime Marsella, my coach as a junior, made tennis an enjoyable and safe space, genuinely cared about me and wanted to

see me succeed both on and off the court. I believe this to be the true meaning of a coach, in any sport. Even if students don’t show improvement, and there will be those that don’t, the most important thing is creating a fun, safe environment for them.

A student recently told me, “I was looking forward all week to playing today!”

I did not understand the weight his words held at the time, but his comment stuck in my mind. We, I and the other coaches, have created and maintained an environment such that the student spent his whole week looking forward to this 90minute class. I remind myself that I have no idea what a student is going through during the times when I’m not coaching him. The very least we can do is have a positive impact on their life.

Another thing I find particularly important is maintaining a level of honesty and level-headedness with students. Of course, we are all human and will sometimes get frustrated when a student isn’t following instructions well enough. These times will happen, and it is important to apologize to the student when they do. It feels strange to have to put this idea into words I’ve seen and been on the receiving end of

this when I was a junior player, coaches who yell at students for unimportant reasons and not think twice about it.

When I’ve lost my composure with students, I always make sure to explain what happened and apologize; they’re human too, after all! Additionally, a coach should never show frustration or impatience with a student who is not improving or isn’t “getting” a new technique right away. Again, it’s strange to put this idea to text!

Having a student succeed on the court by winning a tournament, beating a top seed or improving a stroke is definitely a satisfying reward for the many hours of hard work. What is equally as rewarding is knowing that you made a positive impact on the life of a student. Tennis is so much more than winning or losing; life skills are developed through the sport and it’s our job as coaches to initiate and guide that process.

Michael Forte is a certified USPTA Professional and USPTR 10 & Under professional who currently works at USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center.

He is a journalism/philosophy double major at CUNY Lehman College where he plays #1 singles for the men’s team.

TENNIS CAMP

For boys and girls entering grades 2-10 (specialty camps) and 7-12 (Pasion Tennis Camp) Want to improve your tennis skills this summer? Net Generation is designed for beginners and teaches the fundamentals of tennis in fun and engaging ways.

Elite Tennis is a full-day program for experienced players entering grades 6-10.

The Jason Pasion Tennis Camp is a one-week intensive program designed for players competing or striving to compete in USTA Regional, Sectional and National Tournaments, and those interested in playing tennis competitively at school.

For more information, visit hofstra.edu/camp or call 516-463-CAMP. LITennisMag.com • March/April 2020 • Long Island Tennis Magazine

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30th ANNUAL

AWARDS JOURNAL 3rd New York Open NYCB LIVE, home of the Nassau Veterans Memorial Coliseum

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www.longisland.usta.com Facebook: USTA Long Island ustaonlongisland@gmail.com

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Want to see photos from the 2020 awards or events from past years?

Need more information on our fabulous honorees and past awardees?

Inspired to nominate someone for an award for next year?

Visit www.longisland.usta.com for all you need to know about our Long Island Regional Awards Dinners from past to present!!

REGIONAL DIRECTOR’S LETTER What an amazing night and a fabulous time to be part of tennis on Long Island!

I am excited and proud to welcome you to our 30th Annual Long Island Awards -- the first time we are recognizing our honorees on court with topranked professional tennis champions. The Long Island awards program started three decades ago as a small luncheon at a local restaurant and has grown and evolved to its current form, a cocktail reception at one of the world’s premier professional tennis tournaments!

We are thrilled to be able to celebrate our longstanding awards tradition with the excitement of the 3rd New York Open. Long Island is fortunate to have an ATP 250 event right here in our own backyard and it’s a wonderful opportunity for us to support the New York Open’s third year. Combining the two events gives our award winners the unique opportunity to hear from and meet with touring pros, and we look forward to honoring everyone on court in between matches tonight.

I want to welcome all our wonderful awardees, your families and friends. Each of you has played an important role in making Long Island the vibrant tennis community it is. Whether you’re being honored for your play on court or volunteering or commitment to furthering the goals of our Region, we thank you for your support, enthusiasm and love for the sport.

We have had a busy tennis year here on Long Island. Since our last awards event, in May 2019, we’ve achieved several milestones: • One National Champion USTA League team • 15 USTA Eastern Sectional Champion teams representing every age group and ranking, and including Mixed teams • One USTA Eastern Adaptive Tennis Sectional Champion doubles team • The New York State Girls doubles champions and runners-up • The NY State Girls Singles runner up and third, fifth and sixth place winners • The NY State Boys Singles runner up and fourth place doubles team

One of our goals is to bring tennis to kids, both those who already play and those who have never picked up a racquet.

Through our summer Kids Days, held in cooperation with Long Island Tennis Magazine, we enjoyed two fun days of tennis instruction and other activities with several hundred children across the Island. We are grateful to the Old Westbury Golf & Country Club and the Hamlet Golf & Country Club in Commack for hosting these events and to the NY Open for its support. We also reached many kids, as well as adults, with our support for the NY Tennis Expo, the largest tennis expo in the United States, held in conjunction with the NY Open.

More than 1,000 USTA Eastern Net Generation participants, many from Nassau and Suffolk, participated in activities at the 2019 US Open. Net Generation also brought introductory tennis to nearly 300 children at the Hofstra University Summer Camp program. Long Island juniors out East this summer participated in a new Junior Team Tennis summer league in the Hamptons.

Our high schoolers played well both on and off the court. In addition to the New York State Championship participants, more than 800 varsity and JV boys attending 26 participating schools wore blue wristbands in recognition of “no-cut tennis” in their schools. The USTA LI Regional Council provided the boys with wristbands to support Autism Awareness. We are pleased that so many coaches across Long Island have committed to the idea of No-Cut tennis as a way to make sure that all athletes who want to participate will have the opportunity to do so.

The Regional Council was also happy to support the LI High School Championships, won this year by both the Boys and Girls teams from Port Washington. We gave plaques to the winners and runners up, and also provided sweatshirts to all of the Long Island boys and girls who competed at the state tournament.

Community service is always an important part of LI tennis, and this year we were proud that the Regional Council as well as our member clubs and high school teams supported causes including autism awareness, breast cancer research, life lessons and leadership for tween and teen girls, multiple

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As the New Year began, we were proud to watch our friend and colleague Sunny Fishkind be inducted as part of the 2020 class into the USTA Eastern Tennis Hall of Fame. We also were happy to honor USTA Eastern awardees, Robbie Wagner’s Tournament Training Center, Roberta Feldman and Hilary Bressler.

We have many exciting things on our 2020 calendar and hope that you will continue to participate in and support the sport we all love. Make sure to visit our web site and Facebook page frequently, and if you don’t already, subscribe to our quarterly newsletter. I'm so proud to be part of the Long Island tennis community and want to personally thank all our volunteers,

players, clubs and supporters for making our Region the best in the USTA. Tennis is a game of a lifetime and our Council is honored to recognize all of our winners! Enjoy the evening and here’s to watching some great professional tennis. Everybody is a winner tonight!

Sincerely,

Jonathan Klee Long Island Regional Director (volunteer)

AWARDEES 2020 Prestigious Awards

Sportsmanship Awards

Hy Zausner Lifetime Achievement Award: Mark Harrison Vitas Gerulaitis “For the Love of Tennis” Award: Al Zebroski Arthur Ashe Multicultural Award: Hamlet Phillip Rose Buck Scalamandre Tennis Family of the Year Award: the Goetz Family

Birdie Tarulli League Captain Sportsmanship Award: Angela O'Leary Blane Magee League Captain Sportsmanship Award: Steve Subject Anuj Agarwal Junior Sportsmanship Award: Christopher Qi Jennifer Sherry Junior Sportsmanship Award: Cassandra Dinulescu

Excellence Awards Adult Volunteer of the Year: Dory Levinter Charles Karp Memorial Award for Overcoming Adversity: Juan Pablo Perez, Aaron Stern and Joyce Gerard Community Service Award: The Tennis King at Roslyn Estates Corporate/Retail/Press Service Award: Grand Slam Tennis Good Samaritan Award: Juan Leon Innovative Tennis Program of the Year: Serve & Return Foundation Junior Team Tennis Award: Sharon Rappaport Junior Volunteer of the Year: Ally Friedman Madeline Zausner Junior Tournament Director Award: Clark Ruiz Outdoor Tennis Site of the Year: Hempstead Lake State Park Private Club of the Year: Old Field Tennis Club 10-and-Under Tennis Award: Butch Seewagen Tennis Club of the Year: Carefree (Nassau) and Eastern Athletic Club (Suffolk) Tennis Professional of the Year: Jay Harris USTA School/Child Care Tennis Program: Heights Elementary School (Roslyn School District), KerriAnn Jannotte LI High School Tennis Team of the Year: Massapequa High School Boys’ & Girls’ teams Special Service Award: Peter Cesare

USTA League Awards National Champions 18 & Over Mixed Doubles 10.0 Carefree: Ben Marks Eastern Sectional Champions 18 & Over Men 3.0 Deer Park: Edward Sinn 3.5 Morley: Adam Moramarco 18 & Over Women 5.0 Syosset: Hali Katz & Meredith Steigman 40 & Over Men 3.0 Deer Park: Edward Sinn 4.5 Sportime Syosset: Andrew Ross 55 & Over Men 8.0 Morley: Sanjay Dutt & John Rau 65 & Over Men & Women 8.0 Roslyn Estates: Allan Silverstein 8.0 Sportime Syosset: Lydia Eitel 18 & Over Mixed Doubles 7.0 Point Set: Lori Sarnelli 9.0 Carefree: Paul Schnabel 40 & Over Mixed 9.0 Park Ave.: Roslyn Chua-Mcalonie

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AWARDEES 2020 2019 High School Champions

Adult Rankings

Nassau County Boy’s Singles: Kabir Rajpal (Syosset) Nassau County Boy’s Doubles: Michael Weitz & Adrian Tsui (Roslyn) Suffolk County Boy’s Singles: Alex Rzehak (Harborfields) Suffolk County Boy’s Doubles: Michael Han & Albert Cheng (Half Hollow Hills East) Nassau County Girls Singles: Merri Kelly Hannity (Cold Spring Harbor) New York State & Nassau County Girls Doubles: Rachel Arbitman & Nyla Gershfeld (Hewlett) Suffolk County Girls Singles: Rose Hayes (Westhampton) Suffolk County Girls Doubles: Maddie Germano & Darienne Rogers (Islip) Nassau County Coach of the Year: Mike Kazin (Great Neck North) Suffolk County Coach of the Year: Keith Scharf (Bayport-Blue Point)

NTRP Rankings/Women 3.0 Singles: LI #1 Kim Colucci 3.5 Singles: Eastern #1 Kim Colucci Eastern #2 Lisa Barshay 4.0 Singles: Eastern #1 Laura Cassella and Tracy Gottlieb (tied) 4.5 Singles: Eastern #1 Susan Bacey Eastern #2 Tracy Gottlieb 4.5 Doubles: Eastern #1 Susan Bacey & Maritoni Carlos NTRP Rankings/Men 3.0 Singles: LI #1 Cory English LI #2 Ian Morrison & Jordan Klausner (tied) 3.5 Singles: Eastern #1 James Avallone LI #2 Ian Greenberg 4.0 Singles: LI#1 Lucas Leston LI #2 Malik Bass 4.5 Singles: LI #1 Kian Ziari LI #2 Malik Bass 4.0 Doubles: Eastern #1 Zachary Conlon & Michael Schreiber

2019 Long Island Junior Champions (Long Island Rankings) Boys 18s 1) Kabir Rajpal 2) Logan Chang Boys 16s 1) Alexander Karman 2) Gabriele Brancatelli Boys 14s 1) Stephen Gershfeld 2) Daniel Kong Boys 12s 1) Sebastian Bielen 2) Jack Kennedy Girls 18s 1) Lina Mohamed (#1 Eastern) 2) Rachel Arbitman Girls 16s 1) Emily Tannenbaum (#1 Eastern) 2) Lina Mohamed Girls 14s 1) Thea Rabman (#1Eastern) 2) Taylor Goetz Girls 12s 1) Sophia Holod 2) Lara Afolayanka

Eastern Section Rankings/Women Singles Open:Eastern #1 Alexa Graham and Elizabeth Kobak (tied) 30s: Eastern #1 Elizabeth Kobak 35s: LI #1 Kim Pflaumer 50s: LI #1 Caroline Garvey 60s: LI #1 Lydia Eitel Doubles 50s: LI #1 Kristin Brown & April Mongelli Eastern Section Rankings/Men Singles Open: LI #1 Mark Julian Baker LI #2 McLane Green 30s: LI #1 Vincent Horcasitas LI #2 Rodolfo Novello 35s: LI #1 Jordan Steinberg and Jeffrey Snow (tied) 40s: Eastern#1 Fayez Malik 45s: Eastern #1 Todd Ehren 50s: LI#1 Jonathan Klein LI #2 Jeffrey Snow 55s: LI#1 Lawrence Kramer 60s: LI#1 Rich Adler 65s: LI#1 Douglas Barrow LI #2 Mark Harrison 70s: Eastern #1 Frank Ackley LI #2 Bob Hoffman Doubles 50s: Eastern#1 Jeffrey Snow & Todd Ehren 65s: Eastern #1 David Brent & Mark Harrison

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U S TA E A S T E R N L O N G I S L A N D REGIONAL COUNCIL Executive Committee Jonathan Klee, Regional Director Michael Pavlides, Past Regional Director Sunny Fishkind, Vice Regional Director Randi Wilkins, Secretary

Committee Members Terri Arnold-McKenzie, Diversity & Inclusion Committee Scott Axler, Past Regional Director, Junior Competition Committee Shanon Blue, USTA League Committee Liaison Hilary Bressler, Events Planner, Awards Dinner Committee Daniel Burgess, Past Regional Director, Community Tennis Committee� Steven Cloughen, Awards Dinner Committee Chris Colesanti, Adult League Committee Craig Fligstein, Veterans and Community Service Liaison Wayne Freeman, USTA League Committee Liaison Herb Harris, Grant Committee, Community Development Liaison Eileen Leonard, Competition Training Liaison Tito Perez, Diversity and Inclusion Committee, Junior Team Tennis Committee Fabiana Rezak, Community Tennis Liaison Clark D. Ruiz II, Nassau County Delegate Denise Schmidt, Events Planner, Awards Dinner Committee Michelle Stoerback, Awards Dinner Committee Jason Wass, Suffolk County Delegate Stephen Green, Member Tim McArthur, Member

THANK YOU! e are grateful to all our supporters for helping to make the 30th Annual USTA Long Island Region Awards program a success!

Special thanks to the New York Open for inviting us to host our awards event at their tournament and to Long Island Tennis Magazine for publishing the awards program booklet.

Thank you to our fabulous awards committee headed by the incomparable event planners Randi Wilkins, Hilary Bressler, Denise Schmidt and Steve Cloughen, and featuring the hard work of our Long Island Regional Council.

W

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C O N G R AT U L AT I O N S to All Award Winners from The USTA Eastern Long Island Region’s 30th Annual Awards Ceremony

Carefree Racquet Club is proud to be the winner of the Nassau Tennis Club of the year.

Great job to everyone involved in the Heights Elementary School Tennis Program.

(Winner of the USTA School/Child Care Tennis Program)

SPORTIME/JMTA Congratulates this year’s Awards Recipients Sharon Rappaport

Alexander Karman

Jay Harris

Gabriele Brancatelli

Christopher Qi

Jack Kennedy

Cassandra Dinulescu

Lina Mohamed

Hali Katz

Emily Tannenbaum

Andrew Ross

Thea Rabman

Lydia Eitel

Sophia Holod

Kabir Rajpal

Lara Afolayanka

Michael Weitz

Malik Bass

Alex Rzehak

Kim Pflaumer

Rachel Arbitman

Lydia Eitel

Rose Hayes

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C O N G R AT U L AT I O N S to All Award Winners from The USTA Eastern Long Island Region’s 30th Annual Awards Ceremony

NASSAU INDOOR TENNIS CLUB

Congratulations to Mark Harrison for winning the Hy Zausner Lifetime Achievement Award. A true gentleman, Mark has dedicated his life to growing tennis on Long Island at Nassau Indoor Tennis and couldn't be more deserving of this honor.

Point Set congratulates our 7.0 18+ Mixed Doubles Sectional Champions who represented Eastern at Nationals.

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C O N G R AT U L AT I O N S to All Award Winners from The USTA Eastern Long Island Region’s 30th Annual Awards Ceremony

Thank you USTA Eastern / LI Region for our Retail Service Award.

Grand Slam Tennis

Congratulations Ally!

We are so proud of you and all that you've done!

Bright future ahead!

Your RSTA Family Junior Volunteer of the Year Ally Friedman demonstrates tennis skills during the free program she provides for young girls Hamlet Phillip (center), winner of the Arthur Ashe Multicultural Award, pictured with two of his students, Spencer Brachman (left) and Max McKennon (right)

Mark Harrison (left), Hy Zausner Lifetime Achievement Award winner, pictured with his doubles partner, David Brent. The two also finished #1 in the Eastern Section 65s doubles rankings The 18 & Over 10.0 Mixed Doubles 10.0 team from Carefree Racquet Club, captained by Ben Marks, won the National Championship

www.sp portimecamp ps.com Follo o w us at @jmtan @ y

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Long Island Tennis Magazine • March/April 2020 • LITennisMag.com

SP POR RTIM ME a d an

JOHN McENR ROE TENNIS AC ACAD ADEMY SUM MMER R CAM AMPS S PRESCHOOL UNDER 10 TENNIS TENNIS & SPORTS T EXCEL TENNIS J TA JMT A GREEN & YELLLOW BALL TRAINING G JMTTA A MAC RED D & MAC ORANGE BALL VOLLEYBALL HOCKEY MORE!!

Camp locations across Long Island,, includ ding in the Hamptons, and a in NYC, W We estchester and the Capittall Region. W We e’ve got your summer tennis te trrainin ng and fun covered!

Register e TTo oday!

Visit us online at ww ww.SportimeCamps.com m,, or select a location b below, w,, to find the camp p nearest you.. Email us at camps@ssportimeny.com for more information.

SUMMER CAMPS - NAS SSAU SPORTIME Bethpage - (516) 933-8500 9 SPORTIME Lynbrook - (516) 887-1330 8 SPORTIME Roslyn - (516) 48 84-9222 SPORTIME Syosset - (516) 36 64-2727

SUMMER CAMPS - SUF FFOLK SPORTIME Kings Park - (631) 269-6300 6 SPORTIME Quogue - (631) 653-6767

MANHA ATT TTA AN, N, WESTCHESTER & UPST U TATE

JO OHN McENROE TENNIS ACA CADEM MY SUMMER TRAINING CAMPS

SPORTIME Randall’s Island - (212) 427-6150 SPORTIME Harbor Island - (914) 777-5050 e Isle - (914) 777-5151 SPORTIME Lake SPORTIME Schene ectady - (518) 356-0100

JMTTA Long Island - (516) 364-2727 JMTTA Hamptons - (631) 267-3460 JMTA New Yo York City - (212) 427-6150 JMTTA Westchester - (914) 777-5151

ELITE SPO ORTS CAMPS SPORTIME VBC Volleyball l - (516) 731-4432 SPORTIME Hockey - (516) 731-4432 Programs and services vary at each SPORTIME E Camp location.

EAST HAMPTON SPORTS C E CA AMP @ SPORTIME AMAGANSETT East Hampton - (631) 267-2267

LITennisMag.com • March/April 2020 • Long Island Tennis Magazine

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2020 Tennis Magazine 2016 GuideLong to the TopIsland Clubs/Programs for New York Tennis Players

Camp Guide

Bethpage Park Tennis Center Summer Tennis Camp 99 Quaker Meeting House Road, Building #4 l Farmingdale, NY (516) 777-1358 l BethpageParkTennis.com To be your best, you need the best program, facilities and players Bethpage Park Tennis Center’s Summer Tennis Camp is designed for maximum time efficiency and productiveness.

Bethpage Park’s wealth of tennis courts enables the facility to provide indoor and outdoor courts, hard courts and clay courts. No camp provides a more favorable camper to court ratio than Bethpage Park. This means campers can play singles and doubles matches daily. These opportunities for match play are most beneficial because they are with the finest players the East Coast has to offer.

To be the best, you need the best staff!

Bethpage Park Tennis Center trains players to excel with greater success than any other eastern camp because of its unique staff.

Since year-round program are conducted, Bethpage Park employs proven, full-time professionals to oversee the camp. The rest of the staff is comprised of top-ranked students, many of whom are college standouts, to ensure quality, enthusiasm and continuity of instruction.

Bethpage Park Tennis is very flexible, with nine one-week, as well as partial-week, sessions so that tournament players can design a schedule that accommodates their individual needs. The facility believes that the summer is a great time to drill skills, get match tough and develop fitness habits that will help year-round.

Is this program right for you?

At Bethpage Park Tennis Center’s Summer Tennis Camp, the standards are high, the prerequisites are not! They encourage and value beginners equally with nationally-ranked players. All that is required is the desire to attend a serious tennis camp to learn in an intensive, personal and fun environment, and the drive to achieve your personal best!

Transportation is available, and a daily deli or pizza lunch is included.

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Long Island Tennis Magazine • March/April 2020 • LITennisMag.com

2020 Long Island Tennis Magazine Camp Guide Carefree Racquet Club 1414 Jerusalem Avenue l North Merrick, N.Y. (516) 489-9005 l CarefreeTennis.com Where can you find a junior summer tennis camp highlighting the excitement of competition, high-structured instruction and plenty of all-around play time? At Carefree Racquet Club, complete with seven air-conditioned indoor tennis courts, two racquetball courts that convert to walleyball, a half-court basketball court, a cozy lounge and snack area … that’s where! At Carefree’s Summer Camp, the staff encourages the social and healthy aspect of loving sports just for the fun of it.

Carefree Racquet Club is proud to celebrate its 26th year of its Junior Summer Camp. The success of the summer program comes from the outstanding facility, fun to win attitude and superior pro staff. Camp hours are from noon to 5:00 p.m.

Students come in fresh and relaxed with energy, and ready for action.

Summer Camp This runs from Monday-Friday, June 29-Aug. 21 from Noon-5:00 p.m. A typical day at camp consists of stretching and warm-up, stroke production, instruction, drills and thrills and ladder matches! Cross-training is also involved including basketball, walleyball and racquetball.

Carefree also offers an Elite & Varsity Program, great for tournament and varsity level players. You must qualify for this program.

Contact CarefreeTennis@gmail.com, call (516) 489-9005 or visit CarefreeTennis.com to sign-up or for more information.

Centercourt Tennis Academy – Elite International Tennis Programs & Camps Short Term – Mid Term – Annual Programs Plus Weekly Camp Options Chatham l Florham Park l Drew University l Gillette l Just 25 miles from Manhattan (862) 308-3029 l CentercourtAcademy.com l Conrad@CentercourtClub.com A commitment to excellence! Centercourt Performance Tennis Academy has quickly earned the reputation as one of the sport’s premier destinations for player development in the Northeast. With multiple world-class facilities from clay- to hard-court, indoor and outdoor, our players experience top-tier tennis Development & training in all key aspects of the game.

We offer Homestay and Transportation Options for those in surrounding areas also.

Centercourt’s points of difference l International tennis professionals lead daily programs in our cutting-edge environment l Attention to detail allows athletes to improve in multiple dimensions: Technical, Fitness, Mental and Tactical l Centercourt’s official UTR events offer opportunities for athletes to apply what they learn after training and improve their rating l Centercourt is dedicated to meeting the individual needs of each and every one of its players l Centercourt’s players are among some of the leading Sectional- and Nationally-ranked competitors from around the country l Centercourt puts the needs of the player first, in a development-focused model of training l Athletes are grouped in level by UTR; featuring small group training, match play, individualized fitness plans, mental coaching and video analysis l Tournament, supervision, coaching and travel are available l Players who commit to Centercourt’s training will see themselves develop life skills that will enable them to become champions, both on and off the court.

Centercourt Performance Tennis Academy provides a superior junior player pathway that satisfies the needs of Sectional- and Nationally-ranked juniors. Centercourt Performance Tennis Academy offers programs with rolling admissions year-round and Summer Camp from June 10-Aug. 31.

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2020 Long Island Tennis Magazine Camp Guide Chris Lewit Tennis Academy 3997 VT-100 l Londonderry, Vt (914) 462-2912 l ChrisLewit.com l Chris@ChrisLewit.com Chris Lewit Tennis Academy (CLTA) Summer Camp is a serious high performance sleepaway and day camp set in the natural paradise of Vermont.

Players have the opportunity to train personally in very small groups with Chris Lewit, one of leading high-performance junior development coaches in the United States. Chris is known as an expert in technique and biomechanics, and in Spanish training methods. He has developed numerous top 10 nationally-ranked juniors, many of whom are now graduating to the pro circuit. He also has experience building the foundations of many young prodigies.

The camp focuses on players from ages 8-18, from serious beginner to national and ITF ranked players, and offers day or full boarding options. Campers live in a charming Vermont Inn and have exclusive use of a private tennis club, CLTA Vermont, which offers both outdoor red clay courts and indoor hard courts in the event of rain, gym, yoga studio and clubhouse, all set on 15 picturesque acres with a majestic river for swimming onsite.

The camp features daily morning yoga and mindfulness training from a certified master yoga instructor and an injury prevention program overseen by a NSCA certified strength and conditioning coach who is training for the Olympics in Track and Field.

CLTA offers a unique hybrid teaching system based on the Toni Nadal, Pato Alvarez/Sanchez-Casal, and Bruguera Methods from Spain, as well as other European influences based on Chris Lewit’s travels abroad. Author of the best-selling book, The Secrets of Spanish Tennis, Chris has spent the last 14 years studying with many of the legendary coaches in Spain and Europe. He is the only coach in the US certified in three distinct Spanish styles: Nadal, Bruguera, and Sanchez-Casal. Chris brings the most cutting-edge training methods from Europe back to the U.S. for his students.

New this year is a character building and mindset training based on the teachings of Toni Nadal!

All students receive personal coaching and mentoring directly from Chris Lewit, and are supported by his highly trained staff of top college and ATP players.

For more information, contact Chris directly to discuss your player’s summer development plan by e-mail at Chris@ChrisLewit.com, or text/call/WhatsApp (914) 462-2912, or visit ChrisLewit.com.

You can also learn more about Chris’s philosophy at his Prodigy Maker Blog, and podcast, The Prodigy Maker Show. Visit ProdigyMaker.com for the blog and show links.

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Long Island Tennis Magazine • March/April 2020 • LITennisMag.com

2020 Long Island Tennis Magazine Camp Guide CourtSense Tennis Training Center at Bogota Racquet Club 156 West Main Street l Bogata, N.J. CourtSense at Ramapo College 505 Ramapo Valley Road l Mahwah, N.J. (201) 489-1122 l CourtSense.com l Info@CourtSense.com With CourtSense, you’ll achieve your personal best, because our training is of the highest professional caliber and easily tailored to suit your age and skill level. We use tennis as a vehicle to teach life lessons by tapping into the spirit of every player, with lots of passion, expertise and character. Students have access to 32 outdoor and 15 indoor tennis courts and to CourtSense’s revolutionary PlaySight smart court system.

High Performance Summer Tennis Camp at Bogota Racquet Club and/including Overnight option at Ramapo College. This camp is geared towards High Performance Tournament and high level High School players. CourtSense has trained and is currently training players who have become ATP- and WTA-ranked players, U.S. Olympians, as well as many college scholarship athletes.

CourtSense’s International High Performance Coaches, in collaboration with its fitness staff and a sports psychologist, have developed a program that maximizes all athletes’ strengths, both on and off court. l Full Day High Performance Tennis Camp at Bogota Racquet Club runs from Monday-Friday, June 29-Aug. 28 (nine weeks), featuring 10 hours of tennis training; five hours of fitness and eight hours of match/point play) for players ages 11-18. Campers will have access to outdoor and indoor hard and clay courts, with a 3:1 student-to-coach ratio. Weekly dual matches with other academies, and mental toughness training are also included. Transportation service provided from Bogota Racquet Club. l Sleepaway Option at Ramapo College runs from Monday-Friday, June 29-July 17 (three weeks), featuring 10 hours of tennis training; five hours of fitness and eight hours of match/point play) for players ages 11-18. Campers will have access to outdoor and indoor hard and clay courts, with a 3:1 student-to-coach ratio on a beautiful college campus. Campers will have access to an indoor swimming pool and lunch is provided at a brand new, air-conditioned cafeteria.

Two players per fully air-conditioned room with their own shower and bathroom.

Round-trip transportation service from Tenafly and Bogota Racquet Clubs.

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2020 Long Island Tennis Magazine Camp Guide Eastern Athletic Club’s Summer Camp Multiple locations across Long Island and New York City EasternAthleticClubs.com l EACTennis@yahoo.com Eastern Athletic is family-owned and is one of the New York’s original and finest tennis and fitness facilities, offering tennis camps during July and August. With three locations throughout Suffolk County to accommodate the ever changing needs of our clientele, Eastern Athletic has 17 Nova Ultra cushion indoor tennis courts, seven racquetball courts, and much more.

Eastern Athletic’s camp is directed by Laurie Tenney Fehrs and the multi-cultural tennis staff that all have a commitment to see their students happy and successful in all aspects of their lives. Eastern Athletic Tennis Camps integrate strength and agility training, drill sessions, group lessons and match play. Eastern Athletic offers camp from two hours up to five hours per day for one day up to eight weeks.

In addition, Eastern Athletic has one of the best performance training programs, integrating tennis with athletic performance programs. All of their programs are offered year-round in a climate-controlled tennis facility. Eastern Athletic has produced some of the top tennis players on Long Island under the direction and supervision of Laurie Tenney Fehrs and a renowned tennis staff. Eastern Athletic has programs for juniors and adults of all ages and level of play, and is confident they have something for you.

To find out all about what Eastern Athletic has to offer, visit EasternAthleticClubs.com. For more information and to join the growing family, e-mail EACTennis@yahoo.com or visit one of Eastern Athletic’s locations: l EAC in Blue Point, 9A Montauk Highway, Blue Point, N.Y. (631) 363-2882 l EAC in Dix Hills, 854 East Jericho Turnpike, Dix Hills, N.Y. (631) 271-6616 l EAC in Melville, 100 Ruland Road, Melville, N.Y. (631) 773-6293 l EAC in Brooklyn Heights, 43 Clark Street, Brooklyn, N.Y. (718) 625-0500 l EAC in Prospect Park, 17 Eastern Parkway, Brooklyn, N.Y. (718) 789-4600

Ed Krass’ 32nd Annual College Tennis Exposure Camp ® & Clinics Brandeis University: Saturday-Sunday, June 27-28 Lehigh University: Sunday-Thursday, July 12-16 & Saturday-Wednesday, July 18-22; Sunday-Wednesday, July 12-22 (10-day program) Harvard University: Saturday-Sunday, July 25-26 (813) 684-9031 l CollegeTennis.com Coach Ed Krass’ 32nd Annual College Tennis Exposure Camp & Clinics, for ages 14-18, are taught exclusively by head college coaches who will work with you on-court to improve your singles and doubles match play strategies and provide college recruiting advice. Instructional drills and match play competitions will be conducted in the same style and intensity as a college team practice.

The two-day College Tennis Exposure Clinics will be offered at Brandeis University, Saturday-Sunday, June 27-28 and at Harvard University Saturday-Sunday, July 25-26.

There will be four-day residential College Tennis Exposure Camps at Lehigh University Sunday-Thursday, July 12-16 and Saturday-Wednesday, July 18-22, and a 10-day residential camp session Sunday-Wednesday, July 12-22 for players seeking maximum instruction, match play and double exposure to head college coaches. The residential camp at Lehigh University includes air-conditioned dormitory accommodations, healthy cafeteria meals and 24-hour adult supervision. Each camp session features a different instructional staff of head college coaches.

Coach Ed Krass, Founder and Director of College Tennis Exposure Camp & Clinics, has coached varsity tennis teams at Harvard University, Clemson University and the University of Central Florida prior to founding the College Tennis Academy.

For more information, call Coach Krass at (813) 684-9031 or visit CollegeTennis.com.

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2020 Long Island Tennis Magazine Camp Guide Evert Tennis Academy 10334 Diego Drive South l Boca Raton, Fla. (561) 488-2001 l EvertAcademy.com l Evert@EvertAcademy.com The Evert Tennis Academy is located in sunny Boca Raton, Fla., and is considered by many as one of the best tennis camps in the country. John and Chrissie Evert set out to continue their father’s legacy 22 years ago by installing core values: Excellence, Resilience, Integrity and Leadership. “Our core values are the roadmap to coaching every student-athlete towards reaching their full potential.”–John Evert Evert Tennis Academy clinics will focus on technical development, tactical training and competitive settings. Players will experience a typical Evert program that includes tennis lessons, strength and fitness conditioning, mental conditioning and competitive match play against players from all over the world. Players will get a coach’s evaluation during their stay here to review at home.

Top five reasons why to attend this summer (Monday-Sunday, May 31-Aug. 15): 1. Coaches/program: Our coaching staff continues to put a program together that is second to none. Each program is designed so that each player will get the personalized attention needed to improve his or her game while having fun. Whether you are an intermediate player looking to fine tune your game or a high-level nationally ranked player we have the program for you.

2. Facility/boarding: Evert Tennis Academy is one of the only academies to provide boarding services for any student wishing to stay only steps away from the courts. Its eight-acre facility provides a safe environment nestled in the beautiful and secure Mission Bay residential neighborhood, surrounded by lakes, manicured lawns and lush Floridian foliage.

3. Competition: The Evert Tennis Academy provides match play for each student every day. The Evert Tennis Academy will also be hosting three UTR tournaments (June 20-21, July 18-19 and August 8-9) this summer for any player looking to get match play prior to the Clay Court & Hard Court Nationals, Zonals or just get access to players of equal playing level. All levels are welcome.

4. College Showcase: The Evert Tennis Academy will be hosting the USP College Showcase on July 25-26 (Saturday and Sunday). Any student that signs up for the Showcase can get a 25% discount on the Training Week and also a $150 rebate on the entry fee of the Showcase.

5. Location: Located in the beautiful town of Boca Raton, Fla., the Evert Tennis Academy is located only a few minutes away from the beach and only 30 minutes away from the Fort Lauderdale and West Palm Beach airports making it an easy trip from the northeast.

CENTURY TENNIS INC. Specializing In Sports Court Construction "Expanding the game of tennis one court at a time."

• Tennis • Pickleball • Basketball • Volleyball • Bocce ball Clay, Asphalt and Concrete 56 Brook Avenue l Deer Park, NY 11729 l 1-800-660-PLAY l www.centurytennis.com LITennisMag.com • March/April 2020 • Long Island Tennis Magazine

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2020 Long Island Tennis Magazine Camp Guide Future Stars Summer Camps (914) 273-8500 l FSCamps.com Purchase College SUNY 735 Anderson Hill Road l Purchase, N.Y. l (914) 273-8500 The College at Old Westbury 223 Store Hill Road l Old Westbury, N.Y. l (516) 226-CAMP (2267) Farmingdale State College 2530 Broadhollow Road l Farmingdale, N.Y. l (631) 769-CAMP (2267) Future Stars Tennis Club 1370 Majors Path l Southampton, N.Y. l (631) 287-6707 St. Joseph’s College-Patchogue 155 West Roe Boulevard l Patchogue, N.Y. l (631) 572-0232 Future Stars Summer Camps offer the finest weekly tennis day camps at five outstanding locations: Purchase College SUNY, The College at Old Westbury, Farmingdale State College, St. Joseph’s CollegePatchogue and Future Stars Tennis Club in Southampton, N.Y. Programs are directed by experienced and qualified teachers and coaches who share a passion for working with children. Weekly programs are offered for boys and girls entering grades K-12.

Tennis camps offer the perfect mix of match play, drill work, strategy sessions and off-court activities to challenge players of all levels. The program is designed to improve every facet of the game, including technical, tactical, physical and mental components under the guidance of our experienced and enthusiastic tennis professionals.

Campers will be carefully grouped according to skill level and age and will be encouraged to enhance their strokes and strategies via group lessons, skill building drills organized play, target training, fitness routines and more.

At Future Stars Summer Camps, we play with confidence, enthusiasm and a genuine love of the game! Stop by our regular on-campus open house events to view the facilities, meet the directors, and take advantage of enrollment savings.

Glen Head Racquet and Fitness 95 Glen Head Avenue l Glen Head, N.Y. (516) 676-9849 l GlenHeadRAF.com Summer Camp at Glen Head Racquet Club is a great place for young athletes to improve their tennis skills, work hard, make new friends and of course, have a lot of fun. Our Pros use the latest teaching methods to help youngsters to achieve the highest level and be successful.

The Junior Development Program is designed for athletes that have an interest in play tennis but don’t have any intensive instruction. The students learn: l Stroke production, foot work, simple fitness drills l Decision making and tactics l Shot selection and game style strategies l Court position match play and scoring The High Performance program is a fun yet achievement-orientated environment with emphasis on a systematic approach to player development. There is a great focus on mental enhancement, proper fundamentals for ultimate strokes, footwork drills. We have indoor and outdoor locations available.

Period : June 29-August 14 $130/day for five days registration $150 day /per diem 48

Long Island Tennis Magazine • March/April 2020 • LITennisMag.com

2020 Long Island Tennis Magazine Camp Guide Gotham Tennis Academy-Montauk 91 South Fulton Drive l Montauk, NY 11954 (631) 267-8525 l GothamTennis.com l Info@GothamTennis.com Gotham Tennis Academy’s newest location in the Hamptons, Gotham Montauk, is on a beautiful nature preserve just minutes from the center of Montauk, its famous beaches, parks, restaurants and other attractions.

Gotham Tennis Academy is now taking bookings for its popular spring and summer offerings in the Hamptons, including: l Gotham Montauk Sports and Tennis Camp l Home lesson packages throughout the Hamptons l Private tennis parties l Lesson packages, leagues, clinics and court rentals To enroll now or for more information, please call (631) 267-8525 or send an e-mail to Info@GothamTennis.com. Ask about multi-week and early-bird packages!

At Gotham Tennis Academy, we are passionate about teaching tennis. From beginners to rising stars, Gotham’s PTR-certified pros are experienced in teaching the fundamentals, while stressing sportsmanship, hard work and fun.

Hofstra Summer Tennis Camp Hofstra University 1000 Fulton Avenue l Hempstead, N.Y. (516) 463-CAMP l Hofstra.edu/Camp A great tennis experience for two, four or six weeks Hofstra Summer Camps offers three unique tennis programs for beginner and experienced players to learn and refine their tennis skills.

In the new USTA program “Net Generation” players in grades 2-10 learn the basics of tennis using tennis equipment in a scaled down version to fit their smaller size, and it builds confidence, respect, responsibility, cooperation and much more. All aspects of tennis are introduced and taught, all scoring, strokes and strategy, and all in a fun and entertaining way!

The Elite Tennis program offers experienced players in grades 6-10 the opportunity to receive full-day instruction. Campers will participate in supervised practice and competition, while the afternoon will consist of learning new skills and strategies, as well as drills and specific games to enhance the camper’s full tennis skill set. Admission to this program is selective; campers will be interviewed to see if this is the right fit.

The Jason Pasion Tennis Sports Academy Camp is a one-week intensive program specifically designed for players competing in or striving to compete in tournaments and on school teams. Coach Jason Pasion joined by others from the Hofstra University Tennis teams coaching staff will demonstrate techniques and help develop campers’ skills in a fun, supportive and positive environment.

Program includes: l Stretching and warm-up exercises l Drilling and Instruction – live ball hitting, technique development and improvement l Point and match play l Tennis specific cross-training and mental toughness training. l And More!

For additional information about Hofstra Summer Tennis Camp, call (516) 463-CAMP or visit Hofstra.edu/Camp.

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2020 Long Island Tennis Magazine Camp Guide IHCTA Tennis Camp (914) 345-2155 www.IHCTennisAcademy.com l Nico@CampIHC.com Join Nick Bollettieri and Steve Kaplan for an exclusive tennis camp experience at a premiere summer camp facility in the beautiful mountains of Northeastern Pennsylvania.

The IHC Tennis Academy (IHCTA) offers the best of both worlds—A tennis academy program combined with an uncomparable summer camp experience. We offer a variety of 3 and 5 day programs for kids, adults and families.

The IHC tennis camp is an all-inclusive unique opportunity, designed to help your child learn and improve their tennis skills whilst also helping to develop their independence through an amazing sleep-away summer camp experience in Pennsylvania. It is also an exceptional experience for adults. You can spend time on the courts improving your game or soaking up the sun and relaxing at our beautiful lakeside facilities.

Our program welcomes a wide variety of player experiences and skill levels, from a tennis enthusiast just starting to show interest in the sport, to the advanced player aspiring to play college tennis or competitive leagues. Everyone has a place at IHCTA, no matter the ability or skill level, they are going to fit in and have fun.

Our one-of-a-kind program includes: l Drills, stroke production, game analysis, on/off court conditioning, and nutritional guidance l Competitive and recreational UTR certified matches l Nick Bolletieri and Steve Kaplan led clinics, Q&A, motivational speeches, and on court coaching l Alternative activities such as: Yoga, zip-lining, water skiing, paddle boarding, rock climbing, swimming, ropes course, flag football, basketball and more IHCTA’s top-notch campus includes 15 tennis courts (4 indoor), gym & fitness center, 8-lane heated swimming pool, 35 Acre spring fed lake, unlimited outdoor spaces for adults, and more!

At IHCTA, we take pride in providing the tools to prepare our campers not only for tennis competition, but to deal with life situations through instilling the importance of work ethics, discipline, consistency, goal setting, respect, team work, responsibilities, accountability, and compassion.

We truly believe that there is no other tennis program or summer camp like the IHCTA, but the IHCTA would mean nothing without the team of coaches we have to make the academy special. We’ve got a mix of former top 500 players, national champions, state champions, PTR, ITF & USTA qualified coaches, LTA coaches, D1 college players.

Visit IHCTA at www.IHCTennisAcademy.com for dates, rates and more information. IHCTA offers pick-up and drop-off from airports in the New York and Long Island areas.

Joel Ross Tennis Camp (914) 723-2165 JoelRossTennis.com l Info@JoelRossTennis.com No need to go to Florida for a summer camp! Joel Ross Tennis Camp in Kent, Conn. will host many ranked players this summer including more than a dozen nationally ranked juniors and several number one sectionally-ranked juniors from the East, New England and Middle States.

This is our 30th year!

Our tennis facilities include 12 tennis courts, including four indoor and eight new outdoor hard courts.

The campers drill in the morning and play matches in the afternoon and on alternate evenings. Private lessons are given each night after the matches have concluded.

Some of the electives are swimming in our indoor pool, canoeing and 50

Long Island Tennis Magazine • March/April 2020 • LITennisMag.com

2020 Long Island Tennis Magazine Camp Guide kayaking on the Housatonic River, squash in the new squash center, archery, golf on our driving range, basketball, soccer, etc.

Joel Ross, Owner and Director, is a native Long Islander, having grown up in Westbury, N.Y. He won the New York State High School Singles Championships two consecutive years and earned a full tennis scholarship to the University of Michigan, where he captained the team and played number one singles. In 1971, Joel was Big 10 Singles Champion and was featured on the cover of Tennis Magazine. His best circuit wins include John McEnroe and Tom Gullikson. He currently resides in New Rochelle, N.Y. with his wife, Ellen. Their four grown children each attended and worked at the camp.

Contact Info@JoelRossTennis.com or visit JoelRossTennis.com for more information.

John McEnroe Tennis Academy Summer Tennis Training Camps SPORTIME EXCEL Tennis Camps (888) NY-TENNIS l (888) 698-3664 l Camps@SportimeNY.com l SportimeCamps.com SportimeCamps.com/JMTA Locations on Long Island, in Manhattan and Westchester No one knows tennis training for juniors better than SPORTIME! And, with multiple tennis camp locations across Long Island, including the Hamptons, and in New York City and Westchester, aspiring tennis players can enjoy John McEnroe Tennis Academy and SPORTIME tennis training programs across the region, throughout the summer.

SPORTIME’s and JMTA’s training methods are fun and fast-paced and feature technical and tactical training. Innovative tennis training techniques are rooted in competitive games and tennis-specific conditioning regimens. Newer players learn and enjoy the sport in age and level appropriate groups. Higher level training prepares serious juniors for the physical, mental and emotional demands of match and tournament play. SPORTIME’s international coaching staff is dedicated to turning weaknesses into strengths and strengths into winning games.

For our youngest players, ages 10 and under, campers work through clearly defined stages of development that follow an internationally accepted progression of court sizes (red 36’, orange 60’), ball types (red, orange) and net heights that make it possible for kids to actually play tennis from the moment they step onto the court. With our fun and unique “gamification” approach, our junior players don’t just take lessons—they get sent on missions, acquire skills, collect points and achieve milestones. Campers also enjoy instruction and competition in a variety of team sports activities.

Visit SportimeCamps.com to find the SPORTIME EXCEL or JMTA Summer Tennis Training Camp nearest you, or e-mail Camps@SportimeNY.com to find out more. Programs vary by location.

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2020 Long Island Tennis Magazine Camp Guide New York Tennis at Shelter Rock Tennis Club 100 Long Island Expressway l Manhasset, N.Y. (516) 233-2790 l NYTAGN.com l Info@NYTAGN.com The New York Tennis Academy at Shelter Rock Tennis Club is under the Direction of Brian Stein and Chris Tasso. For more than 20 years they have both developed and coached some of the top juniors in the Long Island/New York City area. They will be sure to look after every junior’s personal needs, as well as instill a real competitive presence at the camp. In addition to their leadership at the camp, Brian and Chris are also the Directors of Junior Tennis at New York Tennis at Great Neck.

The coaching staff at the camp will feature a highly accomplished set of former ATP, ITF and NCAA players, as well as current college players that were once juniors in the program and fully understand the hard work philosophy.

The camp is hosted at a beautiful facility of Har-Tru courts, a large pool that campers can enjoy in the afternoons, and is centrally located right off of the Long Island Expressway in Manhasset.

On days it rains, the camp utilizes several indoor courts located on-premises to keep up the tennis fun.

Finally, the New York Tennis Academy’s mission is that every junior player loves going to camp and has an incredible summer tennis experience. The entire staff will be dedicated to giving campers a summer they’ll never forget.

Nike Tennis Camps (800) NIKE-CAMP (645-3226) l USSportsCamps.com/Tennis Come join the fun and get better this summer at a Nike Tennis Camp!

With more than 80 locations nationwide, both overnight and day options, there is a camp for everyone.

Nike Tennis Camps provide young players the opportunity to improve their tennis skills, work hard, make new friends and have a lot of fun.

Dedicated camp directors have a passion for teaching and a gift for helping you take your game to the next level.

Locations include: Stony Brook School (Stony Brook, NY); Hofstra University (Hempstead, NY) Lawrenceville School (Lawrenceville, N.J.); Randy Mani Tennis Academy at Hardscrabble Club (Brewster, NY); Colgate University (Hamilton, NY); Amherst College (Amherst, MA.); and Curry College (Milton, MA).

Who says that only kids can go to camp?

The Nike Adult Tennis Camp at Amherst College has hosted more than 30,000 adult tennis players since 1972. This year, the camp is moving to Mount Holyoke! Camp Director Reiny Maier is an outstanding teacher who inspire all players to get better and love the game.

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2020 Long Island Tennis Magazine Camp Guide Peter Kaplan’s Westhampton Beach Junior/Adult Tennis Academy 142 Montauk Highway l West Hampton, N.Y. (631) 288-4021 l (914) 234-9462 l WestHamptonBeachTennis.com l PeterKaplan2002@yahoo.com Peter Kaplan’s Westhampton Beach Junior/Adult Tennis Academy, and the affiliated Grassmere Inn, is a wonderful destination for beginners to nationallyranked players of all ages. Private instruction, clinics, one to seven full- and half-day camps are offered. The flexibility of the programming enables participants to enjoy the nearby beautiful ocean beaches, charming village, Performing Arts Center, movie theatre, wine country, shopping, cafes, restaurants and nearby water park.

Resident students/families/teams stay at the historic, newly-renovated and highly-honored Grassmere Inn, located on quiet, tree-lined Beach Lane, 50 yards from the beginning of the charming village, yet less than one mile from a beautiful ocean beach. The Grassmere’s 22 guest rooms all have air conditioning, WiFi, cable TV and private bathrooms. Ideal for families, are two suites or interconnected rooms. A delicious breakfast is included daily.

The Tennis Academy features 12 soft courts and features an enthusiastic staff, renowned for its high-quality instruction with an average student/staff ratio of 2:1.

Most participants seek a less intensive program of three to five hours of instruction daily. Visiting tennis pros bring students with Kaplan’s staff available to supplement the pros. Here, you can play tennis during the day, go to the beach and have a glass of wine at sunset, and then dine at a great restaurant, or take in a movie or a show at the Performing Arts Center.

We are the only academy in the world the USTA selected for the members benefits program for both juniors and adults. And we are annually selected among the top 25 in the world and number one in the East by TennisResortsonline.com. Packages, including accommodations, breakfast and instruction, begin at $99.

Also, we will once again be offering partial and full scholarships to both adults and juniors, for our tennis academy. These are for beginning tennis players who have made contributions to their community, and are in the names of two of Peter Kaplan’s Cornell roommates.

Port Washington Tennis Academy Camp Programs 100 Harbor Road l Port Washington, N.Y. (516) 883-6425 l PWTA.com Port Washington Tennis Academy’s Summer Camp and Year-End Camp There is a difference in tennis day camps. The “unique” concept at the Port Washington Tennis Academy starts with a limited enrollment of only 50 juniors (a maximum of four per court).

Tournament players to beginners receive special concentrated training from an elite international staff of Academy-trained professionals. Specific additional training on an exclusive 1/4-mile indoor running track provides the unusual benefit of maximizing each student’s speed and endurance performance capability.

At Port Washington Tennis Academy (PWTA), with 17 indoor courts and four new Pickleball courts, there is guaranteed 9:00 a.m.-4:00 p.m. allweather instruction. PWTA’s proven method includes intensive instruction, supervised practice and match play. Daily tennis-specific fitness drills provide for a super summer experience. Each camper will return home a much improved player. Luncheon (prepared in PWTA’s own kitchen) and additional weekend and weekday playing time is available for our students at no extra cost.

The Junior Summer Camp consists of two five-week sessions, held Monday to Friday from 9:00 a.m.4:00 p.m. Mini-Camp and Junior Clinics are also held from 4:00 p.m.-6:00 p.m., Monday to Friday. The End-of-Year Junior Camp takes place during the December school vacation period.

Call (516) 883-6425 for additional information.

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2020 Long Island Tennis Magazine Camp Guide Ross School Tennis Academy and Sports Camp 20 Goodfriend Drive l East Hampton, N.Y. (631) 907-5162 l Ross.org/Tennis l TennisAcademy@Ross.org The Ross School Tennis Academy (RSTA) is a beautiful tennis facility in the Hamptons that is open to the public and located on the Ross Upper School campus in East Hampton, NY. The tennis center features six Har-Tru courts that are enclosed by a bubble from mid-fall through mid-spring, allowing for year-round play. There are also 2 hard courts for junior tournament training.The courts are directly adjacent to the state-of-the-art Field House, featuring amenities such as locker rooms, lounge, snack bar, and ping-pong tables, and the staff provides a fun and supportive atmosphere that allows for the greatest amount of success.

Tennis Academy - Summer Monday-Friday, June 22-August 28: From specialized U10 programs with orange and green dot balls designed for developing competitive tennis players, to our high-performance training with live ball drills and match play series for players entering middle and high school, this 10 week all-encompassing summer program is our most intense and complete junior tennis education offered and is considered the best in the Hamptons. We are excited to take this level of training offered to our newest program additions: Soccer, Basketball and Multi-Sport. Visit us at ross.org/sportscamp for more information. Players considering the tennis program should be serious about their commitment, consistently practicing at least three days per week year-round. All training in each age and development level includes daily fitness, match play and gourmet lunch in our renowned café. Players age 7 – 15 can sign up for this weekly, but space is limited. Tryout required (videos accepted). Boarding available certain weeks for grades 7th through 12th.

SPORTIME Summer Camps (888) NY-TENNIS (888) 698-3664 SportimeCamps.com l Camps@SportimeNY.com Locations across Long Island, in Manhattan, Westchester and Schenectady “Last year, I had the best summer ever!” Who said that?

Every kid who attended a SPORTIME Summer Camp last summer! That’s because at SPORTIME summer camps, our staff of teachers, coaches and counselors makes sure that every camper has a positive and memorable experience.

SPORTIME knows how to make camp fun!

How does SPORTIME do it? Our experienced, certified, international staff are skilled at providing camp programming that is challenging, innovative and educational, all at facilities that are state-of-the-art, safe, and easily accessible.

From preschoolers to pre-teens, kids who enjoy tennis, sports, friendship and fun love coming to SPORTIME summer camps, which offer programs and events tailored to every age group and interest. With camp locations across Long Island, including the Hamptons, and in New York City and Westchester, we’ve got your summer covered! Go to SportimeCamps.com to find the perfect camp for your child or e-mail us at Camps@SportimeNY.com.

Programs and facilities vary by location. Elite-level tennis, volleyball and hockey camps are also available.

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2020 Long Island Tennis Magazine Camp Guide USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center Flushing Meadow-Corona Park l Flushing, N.Y. (718) 760-6200 l NTC.USTA.com The USTA Billie Jean National Tennis Center will once again offer fun in the sun tennis day camps starting in June. Enrollment will soon be available online and you may choose registration for one, two or as many as seven weeks. The weekly program runs Mondays through Fridays, 8:30 a.m.-5:30 p.m., with a one-hour lunch break or a twilight session from 4:30 p.m.-7:00 p.m.

Campers work on the development of tennis techniques, tactics, sports conditioning, multi-sports and strategy geared toward maximizing the learning experience in a fun presentation. As the juniors develop, they are advanced to more challenging groups. Tennis activities include Stroke of the Day, team games and competitive match play.

The camp also offers cross-training activities, such as soccer, softball and basketball in the park or at the Corona Park multi-purpose recreational facility, off-site field trips include ice skating, Mets games, and more, and full access to the many fun activities on the grounds of the USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center.

The program accepts junior players, ages four- through 10-years-old for the 10 & Under programs. Recreational players 11-years-old and up are enrolled in the Junior Camps (8:30 a.m.-5:30 p.m. or 4:30 p.m.-7:00 p.m.). Advanced High Performance Tournament training campers will also be invited to participate in an intensive Tennis Academy training program.

The National Tennis Center has 22 outdoor courts, 12 indoor courts, and four stadium courts. Also on-site are ping-pong tables, ball machines, a fitness center, and other age-appropriate fun activities like arts, multi-sports, arts and crafts, and other engaging sporting events. The primary focus will be on developing tennis skills, while offering other activities to enhance the learning and summer camp experience.

Also offered are junior evening and weekend programs, as well as adult daytime, weekday evening and weekend camps.

Detailed information will be available soon at NTC.USTA.com. You may contact the USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center at (718) 760-6200 for more information about year-round and summer day camp programs.

Windridge Tennis and Sports Camps 1215 Roxbury Road l Roxbury, Vt. (802) 860-2005 l WindridgeCamps.com l Misha@WindridgeCamps.com Windridge ... a tradition of tennis, soccer and horseback riding and so much more for over 50 years. Located in the Green Mountains of Vermont, the Windridge Tennis and Sports Camp stands unique in that they feature specialized sports programs within the framework of a traditional New England camp setting.

Since 1968, children have come to Windridge from most of the 50 states and more than 30 countries to share in the Windridge experience. Campers make a commitment to hard work, good sportsmanship, and wholesome fun and laughter, within a warm and friendly environment.

Windridge offers two-week and four-week coed sessions from June through August, serving ages seven through 15. Windridge’s 4:1 camper-to-counselor ratio is an important factor in its warm and nurturing environment. In addition, we offer two 10-day Rookie Camps for 7-10-year-old first-time campers.

Windridge offers “majors” in tennis, soccer and horseback riding. Campers will develop skills in their chosen major each day while rounding out their schedule with electives like golf, mountain biking, archery, a ropes course, basketball, volleyball, arts and crafts, and more. Windridge adds to this a wide variety of exceptional evening activities and special events, such as Carnival Day and Teela-Games to create a wellrounded experience for each camper.

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At The Net with

Julia Elbaba

By Brian Coleman

Credit photo to USTA/Pete Staples

When she was around six-years-old, Julia Elbaba began playing tennis for the first time. As the young child of parents who enjoyed playing tennis, Elbaba started taking part in an after school program at Port Washington Tennis Academy primarily so she would have something active to do after school.

That would turn out to be a smart decision. After showing talent and promise, a coach from that program suggested that Elbaba start taking tennis lessons. Soon after, the Oyster Bay native was taking lessons at various clubs and facilities throughout Long Island and began competing in USTA tournaments.

“I played a couple of days a week. I pretty much took a lesson at every tennis club that exists on Long Island,” said Elbaba. “I continued to take lessons, and around the age of 11 I played in my first tournament. I was laser-focused on the tennis life; I was really enjoying it.”

That focus would lead to Elbaba shooting up the junior rankings, and left her with a decision to make when she reached high school. In order to fully commit to that tennis life, Elbaba chose to do her education through Laurel Springs, an online private school based in 56

Ojai, Calif., to ensure she would be able to train, travel and play in some of the world’s biggest junior tournaments.

As she continued to train and improve, Elbaba was able to play in the Grand Slam Junior events, including multiple US Opens, and even recorded a victory over Donna Vekic, currently ranked 23rd on the WTA Tour.

“Despite going on to lose in that tournament, it was still one of the best experiences of my life,” she recalls. “I had just committed to the University of Virginia, and was playing on a big court in the second round of a Grand Slam event.

I then had to make a decision on whether I would go to college, or commit to play professionally. I really went back and forth trying to make that decision and it was really difficult.”

Ultimately, Elbaba decided to attend college and took her talents to Charlottesville, Virginia to play for the University of Virginia, a decision she most certainly does not regret.

“When I took my visit to Virginia, I really liked the coaches and players, and the campus was the most beautiful thing I’ve ever seen. Charlottesville is amazing, I still visit there all the time,” said Elbaba. “I fell

Long Island Tennis Magazine • March/April 2020 • LITennisMag.com

in love with that school, and I knew that it would be the place where I could take my tennis to the next level so I could play professionally after my four years. The academics are strong as well, that balance reassured me that it was the place for me.”

Elbaba flourished in Charlottesville, and would go on to have one of the most decorated careers in the history of college tennis. She went 35-12 in her freshman season and won ITA National Rookie of the Year, which she followed up in her sophomore campaign by going 31-6 in singles play and finishing the year ranked sixth in the country.

In her junior year, Elbaba spent time as the top-ranked player in the country, and was selected to represent the United States at the Master’U BNP Paribas in Aix-enProvence, France where she went undefeated in singles and doubles play to help lead Team USA to the Gold Medal. She capped off her time at Virginia by earning All-American status for a fourth straight season and winning the Cissie Leary Award for Sportsmanship and Courage, which is awarded to a Division 1 women’s play who “displays inspiring dedication and commitment to her team, which has enhanced her team’s performance and

exemplified the spirit of college tennis.”

“That meant a lot to me. It was a reflection of some the struggles I went through in tennis, and the ones we went through as a team, and how I was able to help my teammates throughout my four years,” said Elbaba. “I was really honored to receive that award. I wish we could have won a team event during my time there, but I’m proud of all the accolades I was able to earn in my time in college. Coming up in the juniors, I didn’t really have any expectations, but I knew I was capable of big things if surrounded by the right coaches and players, and that’s what I found at the University of Virginia.

They allowed me to be the best version of myself on the tennis court.”

After graduating, Elbaba officially began her time as a professional, and quickly earned a wild card into a 25K event in Landisville, Pa.. She made good on the wild card by reaching the finals, knocking off four players who are currently ranked inside the top 100 in the process.

Unfortunately for Elbaba, the one opponent that she has not been able to overcome during these last couple of years has been the injury bug. A few

months after reaching the finals of that tournament, she was sidelined with a broken hand, and most recently, she tore the UCL in her right elbow.

“It feels like since the end of 2016 I’ve been dealing with one injury after the next, which has been really hard for me.”

But Elbaba has made the most of her time off the court and ventured into the media world, something she studied at Virginia and a path she was always interested in pursuing. She created her own blog and podcast, Jules On The

Hustle, where she gives her insight into the life of a touring pro, and is working as a sports reporter for Newsday, Long Island’s prominent newspaper.

“I’ve always wanted to get into working in media, and knew it would be in my future. I just wasn’t sure when,” said Elbaba.

“I’ve loved reporting on sports for Newsday. I’m doing some writing, on-air work, social media and more. With my experience and insight as a former player I think I can bring a different angle to the reporting, and not just for tennis, but for all sports.”

While Elbaba has begun venturing towards another career path, the 25-year-old has certainly not given up on her time as a professional tennis player. As she continues to get closer to full strength physically, she has been working hard both at her job, and in the gym.

“I can say that I’m pretty healthy, knock on wood. My tennis level isn’t where it was a couple of years ago, but that’s because of my lack of time on the court,” she said.

“Physically, though, I am in the best shape of my life right now. I’m going to the gym every day, I just need more reps on the tennis court. But I’m really enjoying doing the type of work I’m interested in doing right now, and finding myself through this process.”

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My 25 Most-Common Non-Technical Tips/Sayings That I Have Repeated Over The Past Year

By Ricky Becker hile all students are different, and that is one of the things that makes coaching so fun and fresh, there are some universal truths that I find myself saying repeatedly to my students. Some things I’ll rattle off more to high-performance juniors, and some of the other things to serious but recreational adults. Off of the top of my head, I’ve ranked what may be the most common non-technical instructions I have given, from least often to most often, not necessarily least important to most important, over the course of the last year.

W

25. If you’re serving-and-volleying (yes, a rare occurrence these days) volley into the open court (the side of the court your opponent is not) if you can put away the volley. Go back behind your opponent if they are going to 58

24.

23.

22.

21.

have a look at a running passing shot.

80 percent of the time, people choose “up” on the racquet flip.

It’s a fine balance but unless your opponent’s weakness is so extremely weak it never goes in, the less you go to that weakness, the more it will break down when you actually go to it.

Shot selection boils down to this mathematical equation: Probability of shot going in multiplied by probability of winning the point when the shot goes in. You can’t do the math on the fly of course but you can have a sense. Most times players get passed with the second shot. In most cases, try and make your opponent hit a low volley first, which is harder to put away, which should set you up for an easier passing shot.

Toughness isn’t how hard you can hit but how hard you can be hit—

Long Island Tennis Magazine • March/April 2020 • LITennisMag.com

20.

19.

18.

17.

16.

15.

14.

Yes, I took that from the legendary Rocky Balboa!

Slicing neutralizes a point, so if you are in control of the point, don’t slice if you can hit topspin or drive the ball.

If your opponent loves their forehand, go wide to their forehand a lot in the first few games. It will open up the backhand and most people like hitting their forehands more from the middle of the court.

In doubles, if you haven’t gotten beaten in your alley at least once a set you are guarding your alley too much and can be even more aggressive.

Never slice a passing shot.

You can try to hit flat approach shots with an orange ball and small court but don’t expect them to go in too much.

It’s always easier to add pace to a forehand than a backhand.

Some players don’t want to hit a

13.

12.

11.

10.

particular shot down the-line. Try to pick this up quickly and when you do, cheat cross-court to the point that they know that you know they don’t want to hit that shot. You will get down the line errors or easy rally balls to hit cross-court and control the rally.

The ability to step into the court to put away a ball is so important and development of that is often overlooked at the 10-14-years-old age range. Often players absent of this often have trouble understanding why they hit the ball so well but can’t win.

Most opponents prefer returning first serves on their backhand side and second serves on their forehand side.

Come in like you mean it. Half of the time that you come to net, you won’t even be hitting a volley, so put pressure on your opponent using your attitude.

Almost all tennis, even at the professional level, is decided by

9.

8.

7.

6.

5.

4.

errors. If you can get your racquet on the ball, you had the potential to get the ball back in play. Don’t lose site of the fact that the object of tennis is to put the ball in play one more time than your opponent.

Players who split-step are tennis players…kids who don’t are children who play tennis.

Shot tolerance is extremely important but at the same time, most points end before five shots have been made.

Most sports have a clock, but tennis does not. Never give up and treat each game as if it were a new match.

If your opponent hits a deep ball and you are going to fall-back while you are hitting it, then take it on the rise.

When your opponent is stretched out wide and you are expecting a floater, move up to no-man’s land so you can’t get passed, and you can still close in to put away a volley.

Look at which way your opponent is leaning, how far back their racquet is and the angle of the racquet to anticipate their shot.

3. When you are at net playing doubles and the player diagonal from you is hitting, cheat big time towards the middle and don’t worry about your alley too much.

2. Play hard and stay focused every single point. These are the players who other parents watch from the lobby window and wonder why that child wins so often.

1. When your opponent is in trouble, move forward!

Ricky Becker is The Director of Tennis at the prestigious Pine Hollow Country Club and independently coaches highperformance juniors year-round predominantly at Bethpage Park Tennis Center. As a player, Becker was awarded Most Valuable Player for the 1996 NCAA Championship Stanford Tennis Team and 1989-1992 Roslyn High School Teams.

He was ranked number one in the Eastern Section and fourth in the United States in the 18-and-unders. He can be reached at rbecker06@yahoo.com, 516-359-4843 or via JuniorTennisConsulting.com.

LITennisMag.com • March/April 2020 • Long Island Tennis Magazine

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Century Tennis

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“We simply want to be the best at what we do.”

In order to build great tennis courts, you have to start at the bottom with an understanding of soil conditions and converting it to a good base. Laser-controlled road graders enable Century Tennis to build with accuracy.

Building Post-Tensioned Concrete, instead of the old asphalt type courts, are proving to be a great alternative for “crack-free” tennis courts.

Whether it is a hard court with the softness of Deco-Turf or Classic Turf Rubber or whether it is a soft court like HarTru or Hydro Court, or a surface that offers a little of both like Nova Synthetic Turfs … Century Tennis can deliver.

The company is a member of the American Sports Builders Association (ASBA), Better Business Bureau (BBB) and the Long Island Builders Institute (LIBI). Century Tennis’ building techniques meet and or exceed those of the ASBA and the USTA and with its “Certified Tennis Court Builder” staff assures this quality. The company’s intention is to deliver the very best tennis courts for the most demanding players and tennis club owners.

“Expanding the game of tennis, one court at a time.”

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Long Island Tennis Magazine • March/April 2020 • LITennisMag.com

Har-Tru, LLC is a global tennis company based in Charlottesville, VA. It is the world’s leading one-stop shop for tennis court surfaces, tennis court consultation, court equipment and accessories. The company strives to help others build and maintain the best courts in the world, leveraging its products, knowledge, and experience to most effectively meet the needs of each customer. Har-Tru stays active in the in the industry as an advocate for the sport and a sponsor of tennis related activities.”

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quality, service and dependability.

As a manufacturer, supplier, installer and service provider of air-supported structures, The Farley Group works with you from conception to implementation and beyond. The company’s philosophy is built around the belief that a customer never leaves The Farley Group—from project planning and installation to ongoing service and maintenance—we become a trusted member of your team.

The company’s expert staff of sales consultants, designers and highly-skilled production and service professionals are well-experienced in all facets of air structure technology, ready to help you through every phase of your tennis bubble project.

LITennisMag.com • March/April 2020 • Long Island Tennis Magazine

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Advice For Parents On Early Specialization and Multiple Sports

By Chris Lewit As a coach, I counsel many families about how much tennis children should train at different ages and whether to crosstrain in other sports and it’s a common question on my podcast, The Prodigy Maker Show.

The bottom line is that every kid is different. Some can play tennis exclusively from the start while others will thrive by including an additional sport in their training regimen.

Getting the formula right is challenging and critical to the player’s success.

Unfortunately, many sport scientists 62

and doctors are promoting the recommendation that all kids MUST play multiple sports and that all kids should wait until the teenage years to specialize in tennis. In my view, this is unsupported by the current research available and does a disservice to players looking to achieve a high level in the game.

On the other hand, if your player is not ready to commit to tennis and has other athletic interests, please allow them to participate in more than one sport! Don’t force them to play only tennis. You will need to be patient and let your kid mature and develop until they are more ready to specialize.

Listen to your kid As a parent, you need to be empathetic and stay connected to your child, feeling what they are feeling and always communicating well. If your kid wants to play a lot of tennis, has an intense passion for the game, and doesn’t enjoy other sports, let him or her play more tennis.

The big three concerns Researchers have identified three major risks to specializing early and parents (and coaches) would be wise to familiarize themselves with these dangers and develop a game plan to mitigate them if their player will be focusing exclusively on tennis at a young age.

Long Island Tennis Magazine • March/April 2020 • LITennisMag.com

Incomplete athletic development The concern is that players who specialize early will have gaps in their athletic capabilities. For example, a powerful athlete who is clumsy; a fast athlete who doesn’t have great handeye; an agile athlete with poor stamina.

It’s important to classify all the athletic traits your child needs for tennis and make sure their sports help develop these qualities. If they don’t, provide a supplemental athletic development program.

If your kid only plays tennis, it’s critical to develop his or her overall athletic skills with extra training.

Overuse injuries Monitor your child diligently for any signs of overuse injury. Whether your player focuses on one sport or many, take no chances with injury; they are a dream killer. Make sure your player receives an annual musculoskeletal injury prevention screening and has a prehabilitation program in place from the youngest ages.

Burnout Many parents worry that focusing on tennis seriously at a young age will inevitably lead to burnout. But burnout can hit any player at any level and is hard to predict. I advise

parents that the key to managing burnout is to not over train the player, monitor them closely for signs of burnout and adapt the training accordingly, listen to your kids and be empathetic, and make tennis an enjoyable experience.

It’s near impossible to prove a direct connection between early specialization and long-term burnout.

I recommend that parents focus on the factors above that they can control, and to never hold a kid back from playing a lot of tennis if the player asks for it and loves the game.

Understand the positives and negatives of the sports your child is playing Every sport has positives and negatives. As a parent, you need to understand how the sports your children play affect their overall physiological and athletic development.

For example, swimming is a great cross-training sport, which builds cardio and flexibility and strength.

However, too much freestyle swimming can overload the shoulder muscles and lead to injury. The load on the shoulder will be high for a tennis player who is serving a lot and also freestyle swimming many hours per week. Understanding the nuances and effects of each sport your child

trains is critical to building a smart multi-sport game plan.

Soccer is a wonderful cross-training sport for tennis as it develops cardio, footwork and movement, and eye-foot coordination, etc, but soccer doesn’t develop much overhead power in the shoulders. Many times, kids who cross-train a lot of soccer don’t develop enough power overhead and their serves underperform in tennis.

Baseball is the opposite. My students who have played a lot of baseball usually have a lot of power in their shoulder and arm, but they don’t always move gracefully and with agility.

You need to know your sports and how they fit into the blueprint for your child. If your kid loves baseball, by all means, let him play but make sure to complement that good shoulder work he is getting with a solid speed, movement and agility program.

Don’t let the gap get too big If your child is playing a lot of sports, be careful not to let the gap grow too large compared to other kids who are specializing. I strongly recommend that you play enough tennis and receive high level technical training so that, when the time comes to prioritize tennis, your player is ready to takeoff. continued on page 64

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advice for parents on early specialization and multiple sports continued from page 63

There is a great danger in playing too many sports for too long. You will end up with a good all-around athlete but one who is very far behind in tennis development. Often times these kids can become quite anxious and suffer from insecurity because they know they are behind and playing catch-up.

For this reason, I try to steer my clients into playing only one extra sport for cross-training, rather than two or three. In my experience, if a kid plays two to three additional sports, the tennis suffers too much. There is simply not enough time in a busy kid’s week to juggle all these sports. The player falls behind peers and the gap grows too wide to overcome. In addition, if too many sports are scheduled, the player will have little time to devote to injury prevention and overall athletic development.

My favorite sports to cross-train I previously wrote an article for Long Island Tennis Magazine on my Top 10 List of sports to support tennis excellence. There are many sports that support tennis in a positive way. Here are a few of my favorites:

l Soccer: Very common supplementary sport in Europe and great for foot skills, speed and stamina. l Basketball: Popular sport that works a healthy combination of hand-eye and footwork and movement skills. l Martial Arts: My favorite sport to cross train. Each martial art has its individual benefits but, in general, martial arts develop good coordination, body awareness, power, fitness, flexibility and mobility. If sparring is incorporated, martial arts can make a kid a lot tougher. l Gymnastics: Builds wonderful body awareness, flexibility, mobility, and strength. l Cross Country/Track: Great for cardio and stamina, but be mindful of too much pounding on the legs with excessive mileage. l Chess: Not a sport per se, but many of my students have cross trained in chess, which builds the mind and helps with tactical awareness and concentration.

All the above sports also have positive psychological benefits for the

tennis athlete as well, such as character development.

I say let children play tennis if they love tennis. Don’t hold them back by forcing them to play multiple sports.

On the flip side, if they do want to play some other sports, don’t say NO. Plan those supplementary sports intelligently, support the kid with a good athleticism and prehab program, and don’t let the tennis skills gap grow to wide!

Chris Lewit is a former number one for Cornell and a pro circuit player. He is a high-performance coach, educator, and the author of two bestselling books: The Secrets of Spanish Tennis and The Tennis Technique Bible. He has coached numerous top 10 nationally-ranked players and is known for his expertise in building the foundations of young prodigies. Chris trains players during the school year in the NYC area, and players come from around the country to his summer camp in the paradise of Vermont. He may be reached by phone at (914) 462-2912, e-mail ChrisLewit@gmail.com or visit ChrisLewit.com.

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Long Island Tennis Magazine • March/April 2020 • LITennisMag.com

SPORTIME World Tour Stops in Australia

The SPORTIME World Tour continued its trek around the globe by taking a pit stop in Melbourne, Australia for an Australian Open themed event at SPORTIME Lynbrook earlier this year.

The World Tour events have become a staple of the SPORTIME programming and is at the heart of the club’s 10U development. The most recent installment paid tribute to the year’s first Grand Slam, and once again featured DJ CM keeping everyone entertained in the party room, which also include a bounce house and food and drinks.

On the court, the young players were able to demonstrate their skills and technique to all the coaches and parents in attendance as they rotated through different stations and drills throughout the indoor courts.

“Our World Tour events have become a staple in our foundation at our SPORTIME U10 programs,” said Jared ElGayeh, SPORTIME’s Director of U10 Tennis Programs. “It introduces our players to a competitive environment and allows them to play different players across all of our

SPORTIME facilities. Since we introduced this concept a few years ago, our attendance has grown year after year.”

The next SPORTIME World Tour event will be held on Saturday, March 21 at SPORTIME Kings Park for an Indian Wells, Calif.-themed event in

honor of the BNP Paribas Open.

“Kids are falling in love with the game of tennis and playing multiple days a week,” ElGayeh said of the impact the event series has had. “They are moving up the pathway to eventually be part of the prestigious John McEnroe Tennis Academy.”

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Mastering the Mind Mindfulness at 125 MPH ... Part Two

By Rob Polishook Mindfulness and sports go hand in hand. Look no further than George Mumford’s classic book, The Mindful Athlete, and Jerry Lynch’s newest book, Win the Day. Both authors speak to how mindfulness is helpful. If you think about it, beyond the score, the game is all about adversity management, emotional energy management and managing what you can control. Meditation is a great tool for all of this.

In his book, 8 Minute Meditation, Victor Davich simply answers the oft asked question: “Why should I meditate?” Davich says, “It’s common sense, when you are relaxed and in an allowing state, you are less mentally agitated.” This is certainly a good thing for tennis players and all athletes in competition. Maybe this is why players such as Novak Djokovic, Roger Federer, Bianca Andreescu, and others use some type of meditation practices.

So what happens if you don’t

incorporate some type of meditation into your training? In my experience working with tennis players of all ages and levels, it’s a definite disadvantage, like trying to take a tree down without a saw! In a recent New York Times article about Sofia Kenin, the 2020 Australian Open Winner, Rick Macci, one of her childhood coaches, emphasized the

importance of the mental game: “It’s not always about how big, strong and super fast you are, it’s what’s under the hood.”

The following are three match situations that actual clients of mine have approached me with, and by incorporating a meditation practice, they were able to improve, get less agitated and ultimately see their way

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Long Island Tennis Magazine • March/April 2020 • LITennisMag.com

through the challenge.

The first client was always screaming at herself, “OMG, I can’t believe this!?” or worse, “I suck, how can I be so bad?” Clearly, both of these forms of negative self-talk are not helpful and usually lead to a downward spiral. Meditation taught her to be more patient and kind to herself.

The second client shared with me that he loses focus on things he cannot control, ie. weather, line calls, the opponent, or thinking about the result. Meditation helped him to recognize these thoughts as a loss of focus. Through this awareness, he was able to refocus on what he could control.

The third client would lose matches which she was capable of winning. She would come off the court and have no idea what happened other than knowing the score. Through conversation, we recognized that she allowed her opponents to dictate the match and use their style of play. For example, if an opponent didn’t hit with

any pace, she stopped playing her normally assertive/aggressive game style. If an opponent hit a lot of loopy shots, she allowed herself to get pushed back beyond the baseline.

Meditation helped her become better aware of her strengths and individual game style, and then how to bring this style to the court. Through the practice, she became more comfortable playing her game and not playing tentative or defaulting to her opponent’s style.

If we are honest with ourselves, most of us can relate to these three situations. In the heat of the moment things seem to speed up. What’s key is that we need to take a step back and not get caught up in what we cannot control. The good news is that meditation is a useful tool to circumvent challenges like the three mentioned. It’s free and not hard, but requires dedicated and consistent practice, five to ten minutes a day. It’s a great way to relax, release and reset.

In next month’s article, I will outline

the key steps for an athlete to begin a meditation practice. But for now, try this: Find a spot where you are comfortable and won’t be distracted.

With your eyes half-open, gaze forward.

Bring your attention to your breath as your mind wanders (it will!), label it thinking and bring it back to attention on your breath. Do this for five minutes a day.

Until next month, breathe on!

Rob Polishook, MA, CPC is the founder of Inside the Zone Sports Performance Group. As a mental training coach, he works with athletes helping them to unleash their mental edge through mindfulness, somatic psychology and mental training skills. Rob is the author of two 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, or following on Instagram @insidethezone.

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The Tennis Guru Slow and Steady Wins The Race

By Dr. Tom Ferraro This article is the second part of Dr. Ferraro’s series, The Tennis Guru. To read the first part, visit www.LITennisMag.com or read the January/February 2020 issue.

Yin awoke early the next day and was excited to get going. This was the big day, the day he would get to meet The Tennis Guru. He quickly brushed his teeth, put on his best tennis outfit and 68

ran down stairs to eat a fast breakfast.

He was up so early that no one else in the house had risen. He chugged down a coffee with milk and sugar and grew restless, waiting for his older brother Yang to get up and come with him. He went back upstairs to wake Yang and he saw that Yang was still sleeping like a baby. He pushed Yang on the shoulder to wake him and slowly Yang opened his sleepy eyes and said, “let me sleep another ten minutes.”

Yin went back to the kitchen, made

Long Island Tennis Magazine • March/April 2020 • LITennisMag.com

Yang an extra strong cup of coffee and brought it back upstairs. At this point Yang had gotten up and looked at his younger brother with a combination of annoyance and worry. He said, “Boy, what’s the rush? Don’t you know this is going to be a long journey?”

“Come on, come on” said Yin, “Let’s just get going. I want to get there as fast as I can.”

And with that, off they went along the familiar path that led to the mountain which would lead to the Tennis Guru’s

Academy. Yang knew that it would be a very long day and walked along at a steady pace. Yin, on the other hand, dashed ahead impatiently and soon left Yang far behind. As Yin ran along, he looked back to see how far ahead he was and all of a sudden he tripped on something and went flying head over heels. When the dust settled, Yin looked up to see a tortoise starring right at him. Yin, in a state of embarrassment, looked back at the tortoise and shouted, “What do you think you’re looking at!?”

“Well young man, I’m looking at you.

Are you okay?”

“Of course I am! And why were you crossing the street? Can’t you see I was in a hurry?”

“Well,” the tortoise replied. “If you must know, I was on my way to see my girlfriend Kristen. Do you need any help getting up?”

“Of course not,” yelled Yin. “I don’t need any help at all. And besides, I am

on my way to see the Tennis Guru to learn how to win. He works at the top of that mountain over there.”

“Well haste makes waste. The way you’re rushing about I doubt that you’ll make it anywhere near to the top. Don’t you know there are many ledges and cliffs and steep passes on the way up?

There is danger at every turn. One must be very careful.”

At this point, Yang had caught up with Yin and was as relaxed and happy as ever. He asked, “Hey what happened?”

The tortoise explained, “Well it looks like this young man was in such a hurry to get along that he tripped right over me as I was crossing this path on my way to see my girlfriend Kristen.”

“Yikes,” said Yang. “Hasn’t Mom always told you that ‘haste makes waste’ and haven’t I always said the race is not to the swift.”

With that, Yin turned to Yang and asked, “Do you know any short cuts to

the top so we can get there faster?”

To this the tortoise said: “Young man, I see you have much to learn. Perhaps you would like me to accompany you on this perilous journey so that you have a better chance to get there in one piece.”

Yin turned to Yang and Yang said, “Why yes, that is kind of you. Why don’t you two go on from here? I’m sure you will do just fine together.”

Soon after, Yang turned and went home leaving. Yin and the tortoise were on their own.

Yin shrugged his shoulders, the friendly tortoise just smiled and off they went together on their way along the path to the mountain to see The Tennis Guru.

For 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.

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2020 Australian Open Kenin’s breakthrough

years, and was just one set away from claiming that elusive major title.

“You were very close to winning it, and you definitely have a lot more time in your career,” Djokovic said to Thiem during the trophy presentation. “I am sure you will get a Grand Slam trophy, more than one.”

Gauff continues to impress

The story of the 2020 Australian Open was young American Sofia Kenin, who hoisted her maiden Grand Slam trophy in dramatic fashion. The 21-year-old came back from a set down to defeat two-time major winner Garbine Muguruza in a thrilling championship match. Long considered a prodigy, Kenin has shown steady results over the last two years which planted the seed for the result that blossomed Down Under.

“It was such a battle and it was very physical,” said Kenin.

“I’m on cloud nine right now; I just can’t believe this.”

Djokovic dominant once again While the women’s singles draw featured a first-time winner, the men’s winner was a familiar face. Novak Djokovic added to his resume with his eighth title in Oz, and 17th major overall. And he came to this title in dramatic fashion, coming back from twosets-to-one down to beat Dominic Thiem 6-4, 4-6, 2-6, 6-3, 6-4 in the final.

“Grand Slams are one of the main reasons why I am still competing and still playing a full season, trying to obviously get the historic No. 1,” said Djokovic. “That’s the other big goal. I put myself in this position that is really good at the moment.”

More thiem heartbreak One man’s triumph is another man’s pain. And unfortunately for Austria’s Dominic Thiem, he falls into the latter category once again. Thiem was competing in his third major final, having lost to Rafael Nadal in the French Open finals each of the last two 70

American teenager Coco Gauff continued her impressive play over this last year, showing that her Wimbledon and US Open results from last year were no fluke. Gauff knocked off defending champion Naomi Osaka and reached the fourth round of this year’s Australian Open, as the young American keeps demonstrating her consistency, and maturity.

“I’m definitely going to savor this and continue to build and get better to work for moments like this, moments like that last match,” Gauff said after she fell to Kenin, the eventual champion. “Even today, even though I lost, I still had a lot of fun.

I mean, now looking back, I’m not as disappointed anymore.”

Wozniacki says goodbye While Gauff is an example of seeing the beginnings of a promising young career, this year’s Australian Open also gave us the final glimpse into a Hall of Fame career. Former champion Caroline Wozniacki competed in her final tournament as a professional, bringing an end to her decorated career, that saw her reach multiple Grand Slam finals and spend time as the topranked player in the world. The Dane won her first two matches before falling to Tunisia’s Ons Jabeur in the third-round.

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Takeaways

By Brian Coleman

“From a little girl with a big dream, to this moment, standing on the court today living out my tennis dream one last time in front of the world,” Wozniacki later tweeted. “It has been everything I could ever have hoped for! The farewell I got today was absolutely incredible.”

ability to rise to the occasion is pretty special. Obviously he’s an incredible athlete, too. Those two things for me stick out.”

Ram earns first men’s doubles title

Spain’s Garbine Muguruza has been an enigma over the last several years. She is a two-time major champion, but outside of the big events, Muguruza doesn’t seem to put together consistent results, and that resulted in her being unseeded for the Australian Open. But Muguruza put it together over the fortnight, knocking off three Top 10 seeds en route to her reaching the first Grand Slam final since she won Wimbledon in 2017. Despite losing the finals in three-sets, her time in Melbourne is a good indicator on what we can expect from Muguruza moving forward.

Rajeev Ram won a Grand Slam Men’s Doubles title for the first time in his career, pairing with Great Britain’s Joe Salisbury to defeat the Australian duo of Max Purcell and Luke Saville 6-4, 62 in the finals. Ram won a Mixed Doubles title at last year’s Australian Open, and now has a men’s doubles title to his name as well.

“He doesn’t show it outwardly, but he’s incredibly competitive, especially on the tennis court,” Ram said of his partner. The duo has been playing together for the better part of a year. “His

Muguruza back to grand slam form

continued on page 72

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2020 australian open takeaways continued from page 71

Zverev’s best grand slam showing

using his serve as a weapon en route to reaching the semifinals. It was his best result at a Grand Slam, and could be a sign of things to come for Zverev.

American struggles While Kenin hoisted the women’s singles trophy and Ram won men’s doubles, the Australian Open proved to be a struggle overall for Americans. There was just one woman and one man who reached the quarterfinals, Kenin and Tennys Sandgren, in each draw. As the hard-court season transitions to grass and clay, it will be interesting to see how some of the top Americans fare at the French Open and Wimbledon.

Bellis back on big stage One of the most encouraging and heart-warming storylines to come out of this year’s Australian Open was that of CiCi Bellis’ return. The young American has missed nearly two years with injuries, but returned in the start of 2020 as she embarks on her comeback to the tour. Bellis, still just 20years-old, reached the third-round Down Under. It was a fantastic result for someone who has missed years due to injury, and just being back out there competing was victory enough for Bellis.

The knock on Alex Zverev in recent years has been his performance, or lack thereof, in the world’s four biggest tournaments. He has been a mainstay in the top 10 for the last couple of years and despite back-to-back quarterfinal showings at the French Open, there was a narrative that the young German was unable to come through on the biggest stage. His serve struggles were also a major talking point entering the Australian Open, but he quickly dispelled any of those concerns,

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“I think a year ago at this time I didn’t know if I was going to play again, so just being here is so special to me, let alone winning,” she said. “I just feel lucky to be here.”

Brian Coleman is senior editor for Long Island Tennis Magazine. He may be reached by e-mail at BrianC@USPTennis.com

Long Island Tennis Magazine • March/April 2020 • LITennisMag.com

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charitable initiatives Carefree Racquet Club Hosts Annual Susan Alvy Memorial Tournament Raphael Wilson & Casey Schnabel were the runner-ups in the “A” Divison

Scott Chesney & Eric Chaffer teamed up to win the “A” Division of the annual Susan Alvy Memorial Tournament Tom Coco & Gary Simeone finished as finalists in the tournament’s “B” Division

The winners of the Susan Alvy Memorial Tournament’s “B” Division was the duo of Paul Schnabel & Ian Zaslansky very year during the winter break, Carefree Racquet Club hosts the Susan Alvy Memorial Men’s Doubles tournament, and did so once again this past year.

Held in honor of Susan Alvy, the former manager of Rockville Racquet who served on the USTA Long Island League Committee and was one of Long Island’s best tennis advocates.

“We at Carefree are happy to continue running a tournament Susan ran for years and to keep her name alive in the tennis community,” said Carefree’s General Manager Kathy Miller.

The tournament is broken up into two divisions, the “A”

E

division for 4.5-5.0 players, and the “B” division is for 3.5-4.0 players.

All proceeds from the tournament were donated to the American Cancer Society in Alvy’s name.

“A” Division Winners: Scott Chesney & Eric Chaffer Finalists: Raphael Wilson & Casey Schnabel “B” Division Winners: Paul Schnabel & Ian Zaslansky Finalists: Tom Coco & Gary Simeone

LITennisMag.com • March/April 2020 • Long Island Tennis Magazine

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Work on Your Weakness

By Luke Jensen he first quarter of the 2020 season is upon us and there are so many compelling story lines on the pro tour.

On the women’s side, Coco Gauff is taking off! I was concerned about her Forehand at her big splash at Wimbledon 2019. That shot is often short and hit to the middle of the court.

Coco played predictable patterns with her big groundstroke weapon being her backhand cross court. What I saw in her last fall with a run at the US Open and winning her first WTA event was next-level good. What I witnessed from a 15-year-old at the 2020 Australian Open was next level AWESOME! The forehand was much deeper on her rally ball and she could drive it down the line when needed. The Gauff serve is explosive going into the 118 MPH range, one of the top three fastest servers in the women’s singles draw, but her second serve can get a little “cray cray” at times. Because Coco is not seasoned enough to have learned how to self correct, the second serve will stay a mystery like it has for legends like Maria Sharapova, who has never conquered the double-fault demons.

Do you have the double fault demons? Is there a shot in your game that you AND your opponents quickly realize is your weakness? All players play on instinct. From the very first ball we hit to the last ball in every rally,

T

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whether you know it or not, you are picking up multiple messages as you track the ball. In the case of the second serve demon, it happens when you are about to hit a second serve. The best natural instinctive player is the one who NEVER thinks. That is EVERYONE’S zone; what we are all trying to achieve.

Everything flows and the opponent has no way of stopping your game.

For me personally, my overheads and backhand passing shots were always automatic even under the highest pressure situations. Most of my game was not. My second serve was an area of my game that I had to constantly monitor in matches and correct several times in practice sessions throughout my tennis lifetime. I was fortunate to absolutely love serving practice. Setting up the three targets of T, body and wide serves in both boxes was one of the most enjoyable parts of my training.

I grew up in a football culture so a consistent routine of punting, passing and kicking 100 footballs each taught me very deliberate training discipline that spilled over to my serving training when I became ambidextrous. Most of my football skill training was done on my own or with my younger brother Murphy. Mom and Dad were still coaching their varsity teams after school and Murphy and I would practice our football skills. Based on accuracy and distance, it took us a little over an hour to get all 600 punt, pass and kicks done. That same approach helped me in self correcting service training. Try this, tweak that; I was building tools for a tough would-not-break-under-pressure

Long Island Tennis Magazine • March/April 2020 • LITennisMag.com

serve.

I still use so many of those developed skills in my serving today.

When I see Coco Gauff, I see the tennis world is about to be dominated by a wonder kid that we haven’t seen since 15-year-old Maureen “Little Mo” Connolly, who was nicknamed after the powerful World War II Battleship Missouri. From beginning tennis at the age of 10 to when she turned 15-yearsold in 1947, “Little Mo” won 50 tennis championships. Three years later, at the age of 18 in 1950, “Little Mo” was the first woman in tennis history to win the calendar grand slam: all four major titles in the same calendar year. The similarities are amazing but unless Coco learns how to self correct that second serve, the double-faults will haunt her throughout her career.

All of you are stepping into spring tennis and competitive league play…are you ready?!? Be ready for the pressure that can either break you or make you awesome. I know I am!

Raised in Ludington, Mich., Luke Jensen’s resume includes 10 ATP Tour doubles titles. He was also a member of the U.S. Davis Cup teams that reached the finals in 1991 and won in 1992. His ambidextrous play, including his ability to serve the ball with either hand at 130 mph, earned him the nickname “Dual Hand Luke.” Luke is currently director of racket sports at West Side Tennis Club in Forest Hills, N.Y. He may be reached by phone at (315) 403-0752 or e-mail

The Hindrance Quiz:

By Barbara Wyatt

hindrance. Continue playing.

However, if you are—truly and sincerely—distracted by the The Hindrance Quiz checks unintentional action of a hat flying off your understanding of the and unable to make the shot, don’t ITF and USTA rules of attempt a return, and immediately hindrances. Correct stop playing. Replay the point. The answers are the simple quick answers, not Code #36. burdened with a barrage of what-ifs or 2. Ball falls out your pocket. You nearly embellished with nuances on the court. trip on it. You stop play. Yes, that’s a A “yes” means the action was a hindrance. You lose the point. When hindrance, and a point is awarded or reyou stop playing because of your played. A “no” answer means there was no unintentional act, you lose the point. hindrance and all players should focus on The Code #36. the match and continue playing.

3. Ball falls out of an opponent’s pocket accidentally. No hindrance.

Hindrance : Yes or No? Play on! It is to your advantage to stay 1. Hat flies off an opponent’s head. in the point. However, if you are—truly Hindrance? Yes or no? and sincerely—distracted by the 2. Ball falls out your pocket. You nearly unintentional action of an opponent trip on it. You stop play. Yes or no? and unable to make the shot, don’t 3. Ball falls out of an opponent’s pocket attempt to return the shot, immediately accidentally. Yes or no? stop play, and call hindrance. Replay 4. Playing outside, ball hits a bird. Yes or the point. And if the ball falls out no? again? That is a hindrance and you 5. A ball from an adjacent court is flying earn the point. The Code #36. high. You think the opponent is 4. Playing outside, ball hits a bird. Yes, hindered. Yes or no? that’s a hindrance. A bird flying overhead is not predictable. Re-play Answers the point. International Tennis 1. Hat flies off an opponent’s head. No

Part One

Federation (ITF) Rule 26. Case 3.

5. A ball from an adjacent court is flying high. You think the opponent is hindered. No hindrance. Keep playing. If you stopped play, it is a hindrance and you lose the point.

When a player stops play because they thought the opponent was being hindered, the player loses the point.

ITF #26, Case 2.

Hindrance means to stop, delay, or obstruct an action. A hindrance in tennis could be deliberate (loud yelling to distract the opponent), unintentional (shoe falls off once) or a simple stoppage of the game (dog runs on court). A deliberate hindrance results in the loss of a point. An unintentional hindrance and stoppage of play may result in replaying the point or loss of point.

Barbara Wyatt is a writer, photographer, USTA official, and mobile app developer of iKnowTennis!, the tennis rules app. Her poem, Ode to Tennis, an amusing poem on the joys and frustrations when learning tennis, is available at Amazon. She can be reached by e-mail at BarbaraW@iKnowTennis.com.

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By Emilie Katz

Keys Creates Kindness Initiative

Dubai Duty Free Championships.

Clijsters, 36, would fall to Garbine Muguruza in the opening round of the tournament, but it was the first step of many as the former world number one returns to professional tennis in 2020.

Kournikova, Iglesias Welcome Third Child

featured on ESPN’s SportsCenter as American Tennys Sandgren cracked the program’s famous Top 10 segment, featuring the 10 best plays from all across sports on that day. During his match against fellow American Steve Johnson, Sandgren backtracked and hit a tweener winner cross court. The shot checked in as the No. 2 play of the day on SportsCenter.

Pospisil Hydrates With…Maple Syrup?

American Madison Keys has always been vocal in speaking out against bullying, and to further that mission of hers, Keys announced the start of her own initiative, “Kindness Wins”, which aims to spread kindness on and off the court. The program will look to highlight people who show kindness and spotlight them on its social platforms and Web site.

Clijsters Makes Return to Tour

International Tennis Hall of Famer Kim Clijsters officially began her comeback to the WTA Tour when she competed in the 76

Former tennis star Anna Kournikova and international music star Enrique Iglesias welcomed a baby daughter to the world earlier this winter. Kournikova gave birth to the couple’s third child, after having fraternal twins back in 2017.

Sandgren Makes SportsCenter Top 10

The New York Open was prominently

Long Island Tennis Magazine • March/April 2020 • LITennisMag.com

Tennis players, like all athletes, have their own personal routines that they like to stick to, even if, to the rest of us, it may seem odd.

During the Montpelier finals against Gael Monfils, Canadian Vasek Pospisil went into his bag to rehydrate and pulled out a bottle of maple syrup. He popped the cap and chugged down the syrup; Monfils would go on to win the final 7-5, 6-3.

Betrayal: Why It’s Important to Take Action Against Cheaters

By Tonny van de Pieterman I have several emotional scars from being cheated during my junior tennis days. Even though I recently turned 50 (what?!), I can remember two situations like it was yesterday. On both occasions my opponent blatantly cheated me, and both times I did not handle it well. I turned into a hopeless mess and suffered a complete meltdown. Traumatic experiences like that can leave quite a trail until the lesson I finally learned. I remember feeling completely powerless, and because of that my play suffered greatly.

As a coach it is my job to empower my students, and a recent experience might be helpful to you. Before I start, I need to differentiate between a bad line call and cheating. Everyone can, and does, occasionally make a bad line call. I am not talking about the incidental mistakes.

A well-trained tennis player hitting a ball is the first person that knows whether a ball will land in the court or outside the lines. The feel of the ball—the contact combined with all their finely tuned senses in relation to spin, speed, wind, etc. will result in a very accurate prediction. Granted, this is not 100 percent reliable, and therefore most players usually allow a small margin of ‘surprise’ possible. However, when you are surprised by your opponent’s line calls several times, and especially on key moments, something fishy must be going on. I smell a rat! This is the moment that action must be taken. Once you have decided that you are 100 percent sure you are being cheated, you cannot let it slide. It will bother you for the rest of the match, and it will devour your confidence.

A recent example: While discussing recent tournament matches with a player, I became aware of a regret I had heard him mention before.

In the quarterfinal match that he had lost, he regretted playing tentatively, which in

hindsight started when he felt that his opponent was cheating him several times.

“What can we do when our opponents cheat us?” I asked.

“Ignore it?” he answered, phrasing it as a question.

In order not to be affected by cheating, he was under the impression that by ignoring it, he could just let it go and continue playing his own game.

Unfortunately, our emotions will not allow this to happen. When you are being cheated, you have been betrayed! A great unjust has been done to you. It is totally unfair and unacceptable; the feelings this brings up will not be ignored. By ignoring the cheating, you are pretending that it is not really happening, while you darn well know that it is!

Dealing with an unfair situation requires courage. It is not a pleasant experience, so it makes sense that you might want to avoid it. However, your courage is an important component of your strong play.

When courage is not on display, it will result in poor, tentative and powerless play. That little voice inside your head that keeps telling you that your opponent is cheating will keep eroding away your confidence. Listening to it and taking a stand is key!

Children often need help with choosing

the best option for how to deal with cheating. It can be difficult and scary to confront people. A solution must be safe enough for the player to be comfortable with doing so, and effective enough so the player’s confidence and focus remains. More mature players might be strong enough to warn their opponents that they are on to them, and that repercussions will follow if they don’t stop cheating, but it is easier and safer to go get a line judge.

In any case, something must be done, or you will suffer at your own hands. The player in my coaching example was so mad at his opponent after losing, and I explained to him that he was really just mad at himself. By not standing up to cheaters you are, in fact, cheating yourself!

I hate cheaters. So should you. Stand up for yourself.

Tonny van de Pieterman is a tennis professional at Point Set Indoor Racquet Club. He was recently named USTA Tennis Professional of the Year for the USTA/Eastern-Long Island Region and helped the Eastern Section win this year’s Talbert Cup. He may be reached by phone at (516) 536-2323 or e-mail Tonny@PointSetTennis.com.

LITennisMag.com • March/April 2020 • Long Island Tennis Magazine

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COMING IN MAY

Distribution scheduled for 05/01/20

This edition will feature: • Tennis in the Hamptons • L.I. Boys High School Tennis • A Guide to Long Island’s Top Tennis Apparel Stores • 2020 French Open Preview • Long Island Tennis Magazine’s Summer Series Preview

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Long Island Tennis Magazine • March/April 2020 • LITennisMag.com

USTA/Long Island Region 2020

TOURNAMENT SCHEDULE For detailed information on these and all USTA tournaments, visit tennislink.usta.com/tournaments.

MARCH 2020 Friday-Sunday, March 20-22 L7 Bethpage Park Winter Open Bethpage Park Tennis Center 99 Quaker Meeting House Road Farmingdale, N.Y. Divisions: Level 7 Boys' & Girls' Singles: 78' Yellow Ball 14 (SE) Surface Type: Hard Indoor Entry Fee: $54.25 per player (deadline for entries is Monday, March 16 at 1:00 p.m.)

For more information, e-mail RBecker06@yahoo.com or call (516) 359-4843.

Friday-Sunday, March 20-22 L7 OPEN at World Gym February World Gym Racquet Sports Arena 384 Mark Tree Road East Setauket, N.Y. Divisions: Intermediate Boys' & Girls' Singles: 78' Yellow Ball 12 (FMLC) Surface Type: Unknown Entry Fee: $54.25 for first singles/$28 for first doubles (deadline for entries is Sunday, March 15 at 1:00 p.m.)

For more information, e-mail VTAPR@hotmail.com or call or call (631) 751-6100.

Friday-Sunday, March 20-22 L6 LBTC March Challenger Long Beach Tennis Center 899 Monroe Boulevard Long Beach, N.Y. Divisions: Challenger Boys' & Girls' Singles: 78' Yellow Ball 12,18 (SE) and Challenger Boys' & Girls' Doubles: 78' Yellow Ball 18 (SE) Surface Type: Unknown Entry Fee: $54.25 per player (deadline for entries is Monday, March 16 at 1:00 p.m.)

For more information, e-mail Sid@LongBeachTennisCenter.com or call (516) 432-6060.

Friday-Sunday, March 20-22 L6 Sportime Syosset March Challenger Sportime-Syosset 75 Haskett Drive Syosset, N.Y. Divisions: Level 6 Boys' & Girls' Singles: 78' Yellow Ball 16 (SE) Surface Type: Unknown Entry Fee: $54.25 per player (deadline for entries is Monday, March 16 at 1:00 p.m.)

For more information, e-mail A.Kavalenka@yahoo.com or call (516) 364-2727.

Friday-Sunday, March 20-22 L6 March Challenger at GHRF Glen Head Racquet and Fitness 95 Glen Head Road • Glen Head, N.Y. Divisions: Level 6 Boys' & Girls' Singles: 78' Yellow Ball 16 (SE) Surface Type: Hard Indoor Entry Fee: $54.25 per player (deadline for entries is Tuesday, March 17 at 1:00 a.m.)

For more information, e-mail Strong28@msn.com or call (516) 676-9849.

Friday-Sunday, March 27-29 L7 World Gym Open World Gym Racquet Sports Arena 384 Mark Tree Road • East Setauket, N.Y. Divisions: Level 7 Boys' & Girls' Singles: 78' Yellow Ball 14 (SE) Surface Type: Clay Indoor Entry Fee: $54.25 per player (deadline for entries is Sunday, March 22 at 11:00 p.m.)

For more information, e-mail VTAPR@hotmail.com or call or call (631) 751-6100.

Friday-Sunday, March 20-22 L6 Eastern Challenger at ATS Point Set Tennis • 3065 New Street • Oceanside, N.Y. Divisions: Challenger Boys' & Girls' Singles: 78' Yellow Ball 14 (SE) Surface Type: Hard Indoor Entry Fee: $54.25 per player (deadline for entries is Sunday, March 15 at 1:00 p.m.)

For more information, e-mail Ruiz.Clark@yahoo.com or call (516) 536-2323.

Friday-Sunday, March 27-29 L6 March RSTA Challenger Ross School Tennis Academy 18 Goodfriend Drive • East Hampton, N.Y. Divisions: Level 6 Boys' & Girls' Singles: 78' Yellow Ball 12-16 (SE) Surface Type: Clay Indoor Entry Fee: $54.25 per player (deadline for entries is Sunday, March 22 at 11:00 p.m.)

For more information, e-mail CSidor@Ross.org or call (631) 907-5162.

Friday-Sunday, March 27-29 Level 6 Bethpage Park Winter Challenger Bethpage Park Tennis Center 99 Quaker Meeting House Road Farmingdale, N.Y. Divisions: Challenger Boys' & Girls' Singles: 78' Yellow Ball 18 (SE) Surface Type: Hard Indoor Entry Fee: $54.25 per player (deadline for entries is Sunday, March 22 at 11:00 p.m.)

For more information, e-mail RBecker06@yahoo.com or call (516) 359-4843.

Friday-Sunday, March 27-29 L6 Huntington March Challenger Huntington Indoor Tennis 100 Broadway • Huntington Station, N.Y. Divisions: Level 6 Boys' & Girls' Singles: 78' Yellow Ball 14 (SE) Surface Type: Clay Indoor Entry Fee: $54.25 per player (deadline for entries is Thursday, March 19 at 1:00 p.m.)

For more information, e-mail HITennis@HITennisNY.com or call (631) 421-0040.

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LITennisMag.com • March/April 2020 • Long Island Tennis Magazine

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USTA/Long Island Region 2020

TOURNAMENT SCHEDULE For detailed information on these and all USTA tournaments, visit tennislink.usta.com/tournaments.

Friday-Sunday, March 27-29 L7 LBTC March Madness Long Beach Tennis Center 899 Monroe Boulevard • Long Beach, N.Y. Divisions: Level 7 Boys' & Girls' Singles: 78' Yellow Ball 16-18 (SE) and Level 7 Boys' & Girls' Doubles: 78' Yellow Ball 18 (SE) Surface Type: Unknown Entry Fee: $54.25 per player (deadline for entries is Monday, March 23 at 1:00 p.m.)

For more information, e-mail Sid@LongBeachTennisCenter.com or call (516) 432-6060.

Friday-Sunday, April 3-5 L7 Park Ave (Huntington) Spring Challenger Park Avenue Tennis Club • 100 Partridge Lane • Huntington, N.Y. Divisions: Intermediate Boys' & Girls' Singles: 78' Yellow Ball 12 (FMLC) and Intermediate Boys' & Girls' Singles: 78' Yellow Ball 14-18 (SE) Surface Type: Hard Entry Fee: $54.25 per player (deadline for entries is Sunday, March 29 at 1:00 p.m.)

For more information, e-mail Caddy44@aol.com or call (631) 271-1810.

Friday-Sunday, March 27-29 L7 Sportime Syosset March Open Sportime-Syosset • 75 Haskett Drive • Syosset, N.Y. Divisions: Level 7 Boys' & Girls' Singles: 78' Yellow Ball 12 (FMLC) and Level 7 Boys' & Girls' Singles: 78' Yellow Ball 14 (SE) Surface Type: Unknown Entry Fee: $54.25 per player For more information, e-mail A.Kavalenka@yahoo.com or call (516) 364-2727.

Friday-Sunday, April 3-5 L6 SPRING Challenger @ RWTTC Robbie Wagner Tournament Training at Glen Cove 60 Sea Cliff Avenue • Glen Cove, N.Y. Divisions: Level 5 Boys' & Girls' Singles: 78' Yellow Ball 12-16 (SE) Surface Type: Clay Indoor Entry Fee: $54.25 per player (deadline for entries is Sunday, March 29 at 11:00 p.m.)

For more information, e-mail RWagner968@aol.com or call (516) 759-0505.

Friday-Sunday, March 27-29 L6 Eastern ATS Challenger Point Set Tennis • 3065 New Street • Oceanside, N.Y. Divisions: Challenger Boys' & Girls' Singles: 78' Yellow Ball 16 (SE) Surface Type: Hard Indoor Entry Fee: $54.25 per player (deadline for entries is Sunday, March 22 at 1:00 p.m.)

For more information, e-mail Ruiz.Clark@yahoo.com or call (516) 536-2323.

Friday-Sunday, March 27-29 L6 March RSTA Challenger Ross School Tennis Academy 18 Goodfriend Drive • East Hampton, N.Y. Divisions: Level 6 Boys' & Girls' Singles: 78' Yellow Ball 12, 18 (SE) Surface Type: Clay Indoor Entry Fee: $54.25 per player (deadline for entries is Sunday, March 22 at 11:00 p.m.)

For more information, e-mail CSidor@Ross.org or call (631) 907-5162.

APRIL 2020 Friday-Sunday, April 3-5 Youth Progression Green L1 Robbie Wagner's at Glen Cove Robbie Wagner Tournament Training at Glen Cove 60 Sea Cliff Avenue • Glen Cove, N.Y. Divisions: Green Level 1 Boys' & Girls' 10 and Under Singles: 78' Green Ball 10 (FRLC) Surface Type: Clay Indoor Entry Fee: $54.25 per player (deadline for entries is Monday, March 2 at 11:59 p.m.)

For more information, e-mail StephenAAlcala@gmail.com or call (516) 759-0505.

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Friday-Sunday, April 3-5 L3 Eastern Empire Cup @ Glen Head (Girls 14) Glen Head Racquet and Fitness 95 Glen Head Road • Glen Head, N.Y. Divisions: Level 3 Girls' Doubles: 78' Yellow Ball 14 (MFIC) Surface Type: Hard Indoor Entry Fee: $59.63 per player For more information, e-mail Strong28@msn.com or call (516) 676-9849.

Friday-Sunday, April 3-5 L6 Eastern April Point Set Challenger Point Set Tennis Center • 3065 New Street • Oceanside, N.Y. Divisions: Challenger Boys' & Girls' Singles: 78' Yellow Ball 14 (SE) Surface Type: Hard Indoor Entry Fee: $54.25 per player (deadline for entries is Sunday, March 29 at 11:00 p.m.)

For more information, e-mail Ruiz.Clark@yahoo.com or call (516) 536-2323.

Saturday, April 4 Youth Progression Orange L1 East Setauket World Gym Racquet Sports Arena 384 Mark Tree Road • East Setauket, N.Y. Divisions: Orange Level 1 Boys' & Girls' 10 and Under Singles: 60' Orange Ball 10 (NEF) Surface Type: Clay Indoor Entry Fee: $48.88 per player (deadline for entries is Monday, March 30 at 1:00 p.m.)

For more information, e-mail VTAPR@hotmail.com or call or call (631) 751-6100.

Long Island Tennis Magazine • March/April 2020 • LITennisMag.com

Friday-Sunday, April 10-12 L5 Bethpage Park Spring Championships (Boys 18 & Girls 16) Bethpage Park Tennis Center 99 Quaker Meeting House Road Farmingdale, N.Y. Divisions: Level 5 Boys' Singles: 78' Yellow Ball 18 (SE) and Level 5 Girls' Singles: 78' Yellow Ball 16 (SE) Surface Type: Hard Indoor Entry Fee: $54.25 per player (deadline for entries is Friday, April 3 at 11:59 p.m.)

For more information, e-mail RBecker06@yahoo.com or call (516) 359-4843.

Friday-Sunday, April 10-12 L5 at Glen Head RF April Championships (Girls 14) Glen Head Racquet and Fitness 95 Glen Head Road Glen Head, N.Y. Divisions: Championships Girls' Singles: 78' Yellow Ball 14 (SE) Surface Type: Hard Indoor Entry Fee: $54.25 per player For more information, e-mail Strong28@msn.com or call (516) 676-9849.

Friday-Sunday, April 10-12 L5 Sportime Syosset Eastern April Championships (Boys 16) Sportime-Syosset 75 Haskett Drive Syosset, N.Y. Divisions: Level 5 Boys' Singles: 78' Yellow Ball 16 (SE) Surface Type: Unknown Entry Fee: $54.25 per player For more information, e-mail A.Kavalenka@yahoo.com or call (516) 364-2727.

Friday-Sunday, April 10-12 L5 RWTT Championships (Girls 12 & Boys 14) Robbie Wagner Tournament Training at Glen Cove 60 Sea Cliff Avenue Glen Cove, N.Y. Divisions: Advanced Boys' Singles: 78' Yellow Ball 14 (SE) and Advanced Girls' Singles: 78' Yellow Ball 12 (SE) Surface Type: Clay Indoor Entry Fee: $54.25 per player (deadline for entries is Friday, April 3 at 11:59 p.m.)

For more information, e-mail RWagner968@aol.com or call (516) 759-0505.

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USTA, Team and Family Discounts with flexible schedules • Half day and/or full day programs: 1-7 days • The only tennis academy in the world selected to be part of the USTA members’ benefits program to both juniors and adults

THE HIGHLY HONORED GRASSMERE INN!!!

7 Beach Lane • Westhampton Beach, NY • 914-234-9462 peterkaplan2002@yahoo.com • 631-288-4021 LITennisMag.com • January/February 2020 • Long Island Tennis Magazine 111

www.westhamptonbeachtennis.com

112 Long Island Tennis Magazine • January/February 2020 • LITennisMag.com