Long Island Tennis Magazine May / June 2024

Coaches Come Together For High School Coaches Workshop

TheHigh School Coaches

Workshop returned to Bethpage Park Tennis Center as Steve Kaplan and his team provided instruction and advice to high school tennis coaches from across Long Island. This event is a collaborative effort between Serve & Return and Grow Tennis New York, two nonprofits dedicated to growing the sport of tennis in our community.

The Workshop brings together local high school tennis coaches, both junior varsity and varsity, to learn from Kaplan as well as other guest speakers about coaching techniques, proper warm-ups, how to coach a team, and the importance of high school tennis.

Strength and conditioning coach Frank Dolan spoke to the coaches about how to properly warm-up their team prior to both practices and matches, and put the coaches through a variety of drills and exercises to demonstrate.

Many times in high school competition, the visiting team gets off the bus and doesn’t have a lot of time to warm-up before the match begins. That puts a great deal of importance on how your team warms-up to ensure its an effective way to prepare for the upcoming match.

“A lot of high school tennis programs get out there and just start hitting. But what we wanted to emphasize is having an understanding of not just warming up to get a sweat

going or get loose, but it’s also to change athleticism and improve movements if done the right way,” explained Dolan. “What we discussed today was doing things with intent, going through the full range of motions, thinking of keeping things in alignment, the right posture, and all those little details that help you avoid just going through the motions. I think I was able to provide something simple that the coaches can quickly take with them and apply it to their teams right away.”

Kaplan discussed many different drills that coaches can use with their teams to help with technique, including the proper serve toss and grip, as

well as how to generate power on the forehand and backhand strokes. Highly-respected tennis coach Ricky Becker, who was a stand out at Roslyn High School and Stanford, showed specific drills coaches can use with their team. There were opportunities for coaches to bring their players down to have open play on the Bethpage courts, and guests were able to enjoy pizza after the event concluded.

All of this created a well-rounded event that provided a number of local high school coaches with valuable information they can bring to their teams.

One of the primary goals of the workshop is to bring attention to just how important high school tennis is as Kaplan is a strong believer that top junior players should play for their high school teams rather than sit out to strictly focus on private training, and wants to provide the necessary resources for high school coaches.

“High school tennis on Long Island will grow and attract the most enthusiastic players with dedicated coaches who provide the most value to students,” said Kaplan. “I have tried to provide technical, tactical and physical educational opportunities to school coaches at my free workshops for the last 20 years so that they have more tools in their tool chest to enhance the experience for their players. As educators it's vital to stay current to educate and lead.”

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

Tara Kurepa Commits to Cincinnati

Zoe Sbarra-Vaughn Commits to Bentley

Tara Kurepa, a John McEnroe Tennis Academy and Sportime Syosset player, has committed to the University of Cincinnati. Kurepa, a 5star recruit, will join the Bearcats in the Fall of 2025 to begin her college career.

Zoe Sbarra-Vaughan has committed to playing college tennis at Bentley University and plans to join the team this fall. Sbarra-Vaughan trains at the Bethpage Park Tennis Center and played first singles for the Harborfields girls’ varsity team the last two years.

Across Long Island

EAC’s Pagnozzi Wins 14s Title

Christina Pagnozzi won the Girls 14s singles title at the L6 Centre Court tournament in Rhode Island. Pagnozzi, who trains at Eastern Athletic Club in Blue Point, did not drop a set en route to her title.

Kennedy Reaches ITF J300 Championship

Long Island's Jack Kennedy, who trains at Robbie Wagner’s Tournament Training Center, reached the finals of the ITF J300 FILA International Junior Championships in Indian Wells. Kennedy has enjoyed a fantastic 2024 season, and led the ITF Junior circuit in total wins at the time of his finalist result in Indian Wells.

- It’s time to play, on CaliClay -

Conversion from hard court to Caliclay East Hampton, New York.

A “Special”

Special Olympic athletes along with autistic and other special needs individuals were treated to a free clinic at Bethpage Park Tennis Center. The event was run by Long Island Tennis Magazine’s (LITM) event staff, as well as additional staff from the Special Olympics and Bethpage Park Tennis Center, in what was a collaborative effort between Grow Tennis New York and Serve and Return, two local non-profit organizations.

The athletes were provided a fun and exciting afternoon filled with tennis and pizza, while surrounded by supportive

people.

The event staff organized drills and games on court to keep all the kids

Indoor Tennis Club Manager

Private tennis club on the north shore of Long Island is seeking a successor to its long-time residential manager who is retiring. The ideal candidate would be someone who is easing out of a long career in all things tennis, single or married, and who is prepared to move into the on-premises one bedroom apartment full time.

Responsibilities would include daily maintenance of the two indoor Har-Tru courts, some housekeeping, basic landscaping and organizational tasks, and actively engaging with the membership.

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active and having fun, while helping to teach and, in some cases, introduce tennis to many of these young kids. All the players practiced their serves, forehands, backhands and volleys, as staff guided all the kids through the basic fundamentals of the sport.

“Working with special needs individuals and athletes from the Special Olympics to share and teach tennis was incredibly rewarding,” said LITM event staff member Raina Shah, who plays for Wheatley High School. “It was enlightening to see their enthusiasm and determination, which was a powerful reminder of the universal joy that sports can bring. I was also impressed by their skill levels, as many participants displayed remarkable coordination and a keen understanding of the game, exceeding my expectations.”

Victoria Wroblewski, another member of the LITM event team, who plays for Commack High School, added:

“Working with everyone and sharing the love for tennis was truly rewarding. I enjoyed watching the smiles on their faces and seeing them have fun while learning new skills was heartwarming!”

The Special Olympics athletes competed in King and Queen of the Court towards the end of the clinic, where the players in the programs teamed up with local varsity high

Day For All

school tennis players who are also Long Island Tennis Magazine interns to compete in doubles. While the activity was a fun one with tons of laughs, it also brought out the competitive side in everyone, especially the special needs athletes.

This clinic was unique in the fact that it consisted of special needs individuals from multiple local organizations and those with a variety of needs. Throughout the year, Bethpage Park hosts weekly programming for special needs individuals, and this clinic in partnership with Grow Tennis New York (LITM’s 501c3 organization),

serves as a pathway to added programming, more players and a way to showcase all that these athletes can do.

“My charity Serve and Return has provided programs for Special Olympics and veterans for over 20 years,” said Bethpage Park Tennis Center Founder and Managing Director Steve Kaplan. “More recently, we have added programs for those with autism. It's wonderful to help those groups learn, laugh, have fun and share the love of tennis with the help of so many volunteers.”

Long Island Tennis Magazine looks

forward to continuing to partner with local organizations and groups to maintain its objective of providing tennis opportunities to all.

“We were thrilled to once again team up with Steve Kaplan to host this free clinic and share the love of tennis with these deserving individuals,” said David Sickmen, Publisher of Long Island Tennis Magazine. “It’s our goal to continue to grow the game of tennis, and that means bringing the sport to as many people as possible. We have seen the progress in the level of these athletes and are excited to host more events like this in the future.”

Pine Hollow More Than Just a Club

PineHollow Club is a private club that is a blend of old and new — historic architecture modernized with finesse. Our club offers members a luxury, resort style experience in the heart of Long Island, which aims to be the backdrop where memories are made for you and your family for years to come.

Pine Hollow has something to offer for everyone in the whole family, and takes particular pride in the its expansive tennis programming, as well as the other racquet sport

activities it provides. Tucked away in the beautiful landscape of Pine Hollow’s land are seven Har-Tru tennis courts, three pickleball courts and one Padel court, one of the only places on all of Long Island to feature a padel court. There are clinics and lessons for tennis, pickleball and padel for all ages and levels.

One of the best parts of Pine Hollow’s racquet sport programming is its unique events it provides for its members. During the spring and summer, Thursday nights play host to

Christopher Morley Tennis offers year round Juniors and Adults tennis programs for all levels. Summer Camps, Holidays Mini-Camps and Tournaments, Fitness, Special events and more.

Ricardo Aguirre raguirre@cmttennis.com 516-214-1921

events such as Beer Pong Tennis, Mexican Night, Sushi and Wine Mixers, plus many more. A highlight of the summer season is the Pine Hollow Club Championships which are offered for all of its sports, as members compete against one another for club supremacy.

In addition to the immense racquet sport offerings, Pine Hollow Club has all the amenities one could need. A pristine, beautiful 18-hole golf course hugs the road as you drive into the club’s main entrance and is complimented by a driving range and short game practice area. Every Wednesday, there is a Men’s Golf League, and Ladies Golf Clinics are offered all season long, as are junior clinics for both golf and all racquet sports.

Pine Hollow features an Olympicsize pool as well as a clubhouse and poolside dining, as well as an array of fun events during the summer including live bands, Shore Dinner, July 4th fireworks, BBQs, Kids Carnival, Character Brunches, Sunday Family Dinners and more!

Find out why Pine Hollow Club is the perfect destination for your fun this summer, by visiting PineHollowClub.com, e-mailing hello@pinehollowclub.com or calling (516) 922-0300.

PARSA’s picks

The State of the Real Estate Market with Parsa Samii

LongIsland native Parsa Samii was a top junior tennis player who went on to have a successful collegiate playing career before becoming a highperformance tennis coach here on Long Island. Now, Parsa is one of the area’s most respected real estate agents, and is using a lot of what he learned as a highlevel tennis player and coach to find success in the real estate industry. We spoke with him about the state of the market as we continue through 2024.

As we near the halfway point of the year, how would you assess the market here on Long Island in 2024?

We’re suffering from historically low inventory in almost all price points. When competitively priced homes are getting multiple offers and trading well over asking price in many markets. I think what is most unique to this market versus any others is how specific towns have created their own sub markets based on supply and demand.

double the interest rate of what they currently have. Only the people who have to sell are on the market and there are simply many buyers for each property as long as it is priced correctly.

With the rapid growth of pickleball participation, have you seen an increased push for sport courts on properties?

The sport court phenomenon is interesting although I don’t see anything specific other than a few clients want space to potentially put them in. To have enough property to do so on Long Island is rare to be honest. Of the people who do have this luxury I do see an uptick in wanting to build these courts at the same time I also see ordinances banning them as neighbors find the noise of the ball frustrating. We’re also seeing driveway play too.

How has what you learned through tennis help you succeed in the business world?

Tennis gave me the platform to understand so much about myself and how I approach various problems that inevitably arise. You must adjust quickly, you must maintain a true sense of self, and you must ensure that your adjustments fall within the confines of your capabilities. Tennis forces you to think strategically through different challenges. And while experience helps, it’s the problemsolving skills learned on a tennis court that have given me the confidence to always find a way. That idea of perseverance directly translates to business when different variables arise. Having that knowledge and confidence provides immense power and self-assurance in the business world. Nothing comes for free, and you have to work for what you want. I find that tennis and business both follow that principle.

The ebbs and flows also vary week to week based on geopolitical news, interest rates, holidays and overall sentiment of the public. So many people have been on the sidelines waiting for some sort of normalcy since the Covid market and it simply hasn’t happened. We’re going to remain in this unknown territory for a while until supply can catch up to the demand. I can’t stress enough that if you’re interested in buying or selling find an agent who is strong and knows the markets very well. These career professionals are incredibly valuable in these current conditions, if you don’t know who to call feel free to call me for a referral.

Are we in a time with low inventory? What is causing that, and what sort of challenges does that present for buyers?

We are in a very low inventory environment caused by interest rates being so high on the heels of them being so low. Many homeowners are fixed at incredibly low rates and it doesn’t make sense for them to sell and purchase another property today at

beyondthebaseline

Mitch Hassenbein

By Brian Coleman

Atenniscourt is 78 feet long and 36 feet wide, but for many people, it represents something much larger than that. For Mitch Hassenbein, it’s the place he feels most comfortable.

Mitch’s son Drew was one of the best players in the United States, a top-ranked junior amongst his peers and a star player for the Roslyn High School tennis team despite still being in middle school.

A year ago, Drew and Roslyn teammate Ethan Falkowitz were tragically killed by a drunk driver while heading home from a team dinner. The senseless tragedy left a community

shaken and two families fractured.

Now, Mitch Hassenbein is using the thing that bonded him most to his son as a way of remembering him, and using Drew’s legacy to help young tennis players.

“The thing about Drew was that he had this incredible passion and competitive nature, but he was able to keep it under control. And he was his best on the biggest stages,” said Mitch. “And that comes from confidence, which comes from all the hard work and training that he did in practice to perform when it came time to compete. If you can outwork

everybody, you are going to have a lot of success. That’s one thing you can control, how much work and effort you put in, and that's what Drew did every day.”

Hassenbein says he never feels more connected to his son than when he is on the court, and is now using all of the experience he gained from working and traveling with Drew. It began with him giving lessons at East Hills Park in Roslyn, and he then went indoors and began teaching lessons at Robbie Wagner’s Tournament Training Center (RWTT), the place where Drew spent countless hours training.

“I needed a way to find some peace and

solace and some time when I can really reflect and think about Drew in a positive way,” he said. “Being on the court brings back so many memories. It was an automatic thing. For me, everyday was going to work, and then afterwards going to tennis with Drew, whether that was driving him to practice or working with him at the house. It was all about tennis training and commitment to a schedule. I can’t sit in the house. I need some sort of normalcy in my routine and a lot of that was driving back and forth between tennis courts and facilities, so I just wanted to maintain that and see if I can help some others at the same time. That’s what it’s been. It’s worked pretty well. It’s kept me busy, and it’s kept me distracted. And I think, and the hope is, the kids are benefitting from

the time I am putting in.”

After receiving many requests for assistance from schools, Hassenbein joined the Friends Academy boys team this spring as an assistant coach. He is very enthusiastic about this opportunity, and the team is happy to

have him join them.

“Mitch clearly loves tennis and has been an enthusiastic and inspiring assistant at practices and matches,” said Friends Academy head coach Owen Kassimir. “Most of the kids on the team knew Drew as a fellow tennis player and are happy to share the love of the game with his dad. I look forward to continuing our relationship both on and off the court.

Hassenbein added:

“In high school tennis, you have a short window with these players, the season goes by so fast, and my goal is just to help everyone improve a little bit, whether it’s their serve, or the forehand, the footwork, maybe strategy, anything I can do to help give them the edge to their games that I have learned in my experience on the

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national circuit from traveling with Drew and learning from him. The funny thing is I learned more from Drew than he did from me. After a while, he was the one telling me to change my grip on my racquet, and coach me.

I refer back to a lot of my times with Drew and it becomes a comfort. One of the few places I have comfort is on the court, that’s where I feel really close to him.”

The Hassenbein family is also continuing Drew’s legacy through the Drew Hassenbein Foundation, which is helping expose underprivileged children to the sport of tennis, sponsoring elite juniors, and helping aspiring pros to become the next USA tennis champions. The foundation has already raised close to $500,000 through generous donations, fundraisers, tournaments, merchandise sales and more, which it has used to provide equipment for underprivileged youngsters, grant funding to help with coaching and traveling expenses for junior players, amongst other things.

The Foundation is currently sponsoring two of Drew’s close friends who are top juniors and providing them with the necessary resources to pursue their dreams.

“Both through the foundation and through my teaching, we are trying to tell Drew’s story,” said Hassenbein. “Drew was a recipe of hard work. People called him gifted and said he was a prodigy, but he was those things because of the work and hours he put in. That made him who he was, and he loved it. I am trying to teach and educate the people I’m working with that if you are serious about tennis, you have to love it. You have to love to do the work, and not do it because it feels like a job or because your parents are forcing you to. If you want to compete at the highest level, you have to love it and want to achieve great things.”

The Foundation has plans for a prominent event in the near future. The foundation will always be remembering

Drew and his elite tennis ability. They hope to also expand their mission to make a difference for people struggling with grief and have a meaningful impact on reducing drunk driving incidents.

It’s been a year since the community lost two of its brightest stars, leaving a hole that can never be filled. Taking it one-day-at–time and remaining close to the sport of tennis here on Long Island, Mitch Hassenbein is doing what he can to keep moving forward, and ensuring that Drew’s legacy lives on.

“I haven’t overcome anything. Every day is a disaster and a tremendous challenge but this is what I’m trying to do to keep going, and trying to give back,” he said. “I have learned so much over the years, and want to help people in any way that I can. It’s about educating both the kids and the parents. I’m no genius, I’ve just been there and done it. I’m happy to be there for them in any way they need. It makes me feel good being able to help out, and parents or kids can call me anytime.”

You can learn more about Drew and the Foundation by visiting DrewHassenbein.org.

JuneTennis History Meets a Cutting-Edge Private Club Concept at The Hamlet Golf and Country Club

2024 marks thirteen years since Invited (formally known as ClubCorp), "The world leader of Private Country Clubs," purchased the Hamlet Golf and Country Club in Commack, N.Y. and immediately began a multi-million-dollar renovation, including improvements to the clubhouse, golf course, tennis courts, pickleball courts, fitness center and pool area. Renovations to the Club's bar, restaurant (the Empire Grille), patio and ballroom are complete. The beautiful Empire Grille, offers an upscale, cutting-edge menu in an inspired atmosphere. Invited's refreshing philosophy of what the modern Country Club looks like is drawing attention from Manhattan to Montauk.

The Hamlet's tennis history is a rich one and our exciting tennis and pickleball programming is drawing racquet sport enthusiasts of every age and level. For years, The Hamlet hosted the prestigious Hamlet Cup Tennis Tournament, the event that was used as a warmup for the U.S. Open for more than 16 years. The eight Hamlet tennis courts have been

graced by such world-renowned players as Martina Navratilova, Pete Sampras, Stefan Edberg and Michael Chang, to name a few.

Though the Hamlet Cup Tournament is now a fond memory, The Hamlet can boast new exciting traditions that are being cultivated today through programming for its members and their guests.

The Hamlet is pleased that Robbie Wagner and his amazing team of Tennis Pro's continue to be the architects of The Hamlet Tennis/Pickleball Program this year.

We are extremely excited about what Robbie and the team bring to The Hamlet. All these programs and events will be played on the Club’s six immaculate hard tennis courts, as well as the two Har-Tru courts and six pickleball courts, all of which are lit for evening play.

The Hamlet's history and current tennis and pickleball programming make it one of the most popular destinations for racquet sport enthusiasts looking for great amenities in a private country club setting.

With such a beautiful environment in which to enjoy the game, The Hamlet has developed Social Memberships, catering to pickleball, tennis and pool enthusiasts, as well as those who are just starting to add golf to their busy lives. The Hamlet continues to be top of mind for the most discerning golfer of every skill who is looking for the Country Club lifestyle.

If you are interested in learning more about the new, exciting Hamlet Golf and Country Club, please contact Membership Director Hillary Epstein by calling (631) 491-2814 or email Hillary.Epstein@Invitedclubs.com.

Terrific Tommy American Tommy Paul has right mindset to take the next step

By Brian Coleman

Inthe now-canceled Netflix series, ‘Break Point’, tennis fans were granted unique access to what life on the professional tennis tours is like through behind-thescenes footage, interviews and more. In those looks into the lives of some of the sport’s best, many of the players were about the struggles they faced, and the aspects of being a touring pro that oftentimes can be overlooked by the public.

In particular, American Tommy Paul was open about the early days of his career. The New Jersey-born Paul turned professional nearly 10 years ago, just after his 18th birthday, making the decision to not play collegiately and instead join the pro tour. It came on the heels of a decorated junior career that saw him reach a career-high ITF ranking of third in the world and reach two Grand Slam junior finals.

While his game may have been ready for the professional tour, Paul admits that mentally and emotionally he was not prepared for what that would be like, as he explained during an interview for ‘Break Point’.:

“When I turned pro, I was kind of in my party phase,”

he said. “[I] got a little money in my pocket and I just thought, ‘Let’s have fun.’ [I] kind of got caught up in it.”

Specifically, there was a time at the 2017 U.S. Open, Paul recalls, where he would get drubbed in a doubles match, losing 6-0, 6-0. A defeat so lopsided that rumors swirled around about whether that was the reason he did not receive a wild card to the event two years after that.

On that doubles loss, Paul said:

“I had a night out drinking and the next day I was supposed to play doubles,” said Paul. “I was not there, if you know what I mean. Like, I couldn’t even see. I was getting alcohol tested for six months. That’s when I was like, ‘This has got to be rock bottom.’ I knew that I had to turn something around. That’s when I started taking everything more seriously.”

His mother, Jill MacMillan, a former college tennis player herself, said:

“He had some tough times. I remember getting some

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gut-wrenching phone calls, like, ‘Mom what am I doing?’ It broke my heart. He was watching Frances [Tiafoe] and Taylor [Fritz] just killing it. It made him kind of doubt that he had what it took.”

Paul has learned from those hard times, and has turned his approach around the last several years. His work ethic and dedication has resulted in the best 18 months of his professional career.

In 2023, Paul reached the Australian Open semifinals, the best result at a major in his career, and finished the season ranked 12th in the world, his career high.

Paul’s coach Brad Stine, who he has been working with since 2020, has seen those changes up close, and is proud of what Paul has done to put his career on track.

“Tommy is dedicated to wanting to be a great tennis player. He doesn't want to just be average. Obviously anybody that makes Top 100 and plays at the top echelon of the game is not average anyway,” said Stine. “But within the game itself, we look at your ranking and the rounds that you've achieved in tournaments, and those kinds of things and established [what is] an average type of career. Tommy's not satisfied with that. He wants to be better than that and that's pushed him. I think that because of the commitment on his part, that allows me to coach and give him information that he absorbs, and that he wants to put into what he's doing as a player to try and get better. I think he's done a good job of being coachable.”

Paul is now well-established as one of the top American men on tour and has his sights set on becoming the top-ranked American.

“In every aspect, I have done a decent job of trying to get better,” Paul said at the Miami Open earlier this year. “I think mentally, physically, tennis overall and dietwise, I have just lived a cleaner lifestyle. I am obviously working hard, working on recovery and watching what I put in my body. Basically, everything I am doing is really tennis specific. I don’t make any decisions that would hurt my job.”

Those words articulate the transformation he has undergone, enjoying the sport he loves but also recognizing what it takes to

be and what it means to be a professional. His dedication to the sport is contrasted with how grounded he has been off the court. He is in a relationship with social media influencer Paige Lorenze, and the two live together now in Florida, near where Paul trains, and the two have helped each other immensely.

“We recently started moving into a house in Florida where Tommy will be training,” Lorenze told the New York Post. “He’s definitely leaving the decorating process to me, but we’re very excited to spend more time together and have a place of our own.”

Paul added:

“One of the hardest parts about tennis is how much time you’re away from your family and friends, so when I’m here, I like to keep it simple. … I do like to have fun; I like to hang out with my friends. I'm a normal person, but I'm also a competitor,” said Paul. “Now, I try to spend as much time [chilling out] as I can, whether it's at the beach, fishing, by the ocean, or at dinner. My girlfriend makes me homecooked meals.”

With a revamped approach to his diet and off-court habits, plus more security and stability off the court, Paul is enjoying the best stretch of his professional career. That now

brings us into the spring season. He has always enjoyed the clay, winning the 2015 French Open junior event, and his first five titles he won on the Challenger Tour came on clay. Ironically though, Paul has never made it out of the second round at Roland Garros, something he aims to change this year.

The American tennis fan has been

starving for greater success on the men’s side. Paul is at the forefront of an American resurgence and the 26year-old has his sights set on bigger things as we move through 2024 and beyond.

Brian Coleman is the Senior Editor for Long Island Tennis Magazine . He may be reached at brianc@usptennis.com.

Mastering the Mind Mindfulness at 125 MPH How to Meditate

Yesterday, my client, Susan, said to me, “I want to learn how to meditate.”

She went on to say: “I know it will help me relax, I’m a stress-ball, but I’ve tried and I’m just not good at it!”

I shared with her a meditation practice that I learned in a Mindfulness Teacher Training Certification Class from my teacher David Nichtern. The practice has been around for 2,500 years and can help you relax, refocus, and recenter; certainly something we could all use during these challenging times. The practice has been helpful for me personally and many of my clients during competition and even test taking.

It’s important to note that there are many types of meditation (guided, unguided, kindness, etc.) and many places and teachers to learn it. As with

By Rob Polishook

learning anything new, consistency is important. I recommend beginning your practice three or four days a week, setting aside five to10 minutes a day. As you progress, you will increase the days and the duration. However, in the beginning, ensure you can meditate to the days and time you have committed to. This in itself will be a great success! Also, try to establish a routine by meditating the same time each day, mornings are great as there are usually less distractions and you can start your day with a calming success. There are three steps to the meditation practice I will share with you:

• Step 1: Find your spot: I think of this step as setting the proper conditions to meditate. Finding your spot means where and on what are you going to meditate today? A chair, couch, or

the ground? You will want to find a location that’s quiet, comfortable and relaxing. In the beginning stages of your practice, try to keep your spot the same when possible. There are three smaller steps to finding your spot:

First, sit down and feel your feet touching the ground. Try to be aware of the connection to the ground, then slowly scan up through your body and notice how the floor, chair or couch supports you, feeling your sitz bone. Then, continue up your body to your back, creating a straight back, and upright shoulders, neck and head. Take a moment and check in how your body is feeling today. Allow your hands to rest easy on your thighs with your palms down. During the meditation, certainly move and/or reset to be comfortable. Secondly, allow your eyes to slowly wander. Slowly turn your head, look forward, back, and sideways, simply being curious, almost like a puppy would do when it first enters a room. Do this with curiosity; just noticing things as if it’s the first time you are seeing them. No judgment, no attachment.

And thirdly, lightly gaze forward about six to eight feet ahead with your eyes half open. It’s important to note that in this meditation practice we are not closing our eyes to block out what we might see; rather we are allowing what we see, and think, but not attaching to it.

• Step 2: Bring attention to your breath: Notice the feeling of your breath as you inhale and exhale. You also might notice the feeling of your diaphragm expanding and contracting, or noticing

the rhythm of your breath. No matter the focus, you’re simply allowing. The good news is that you already know how to breathe; you’ve been doing it your entire life! The difference now is that you are bringing attention to your breath. Your mind will wander, thoughts will appear seemingly out of nowhere, and you will lose focus.

• Step 3: As your mind wanders, bring your attention back to your breath: Notice I didn’t say “if” your mind wanders, rather “as” your mind wanders. This is what our minds do! Our minds are in the past and future while our awareness is in the present. Our job is to allow the flow of thoughts, emotions or feeling, and notice them. Then, calmly, patiently and without judgment, label the distraction as “thinking” and gently bring your attention back to your breath. When we do this, we don’t identify with the thought, rather notice it and move on.

For example, when you think of someone’s expectations of you, or when you’re dealing with a bad call. Rather than getting caught up in the moment and excessively stressing, you are able to notice the thought, take a step back, bounce the ball and re-focus on what you can control at that moment. Maybe that is your strategy, your attitude, and your effort

Remember, meditation practice is not about becoming good at it or being goal-oriented. Rather, it’s about taking a step back, finding yourself in the moment and noticing your thoughts, while not attaching to them. Each thought or distraction is a golden opportunity to refocus. Think of it as a

chance to be patient, kind and nonjudgmental with yourself. Second, each time you meditate you will have different ideas, thoughts and distractions; allow them to happen with an attitude of curiosity. Every day is a new day, so be in the now (today), not yesterday. Lastly, the meditation practice may seem simple, but it’s not easy.

Some clients say, “How can it be hard? I’m not doing anything!”

You actually are doing something. It may be the first time you are setting aside time to be with yourself in a non-judgment and non comparison mode, and the objective is to just “be” where you are without trying to force an outcome or pushing to go somewhere. Just settling in and taking a pause.

Rob Polishook, MA, CPC is the founder of Inside the Zone Sports Performance Group. As a mental training coach, he works with the whole human athlete helping them to unleash their mental edge (heart.energy.spirit) through mindfulness, somatic psychology, animal wisdom and mental training skills. Rob is author of 2 best-selling books: Tennis Inside the Zone and Baseball Inside the Zone: Mental Training Workouts for Champions. He can be reached by phone at (973) 723-0314, by e-mail rob@insidethezone.com, by visiting insidethezone.com, following on Instagram @insidethezone

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WEEKEND HIGH PERFORMANCE ACADEMY TRAINING FOR ALL LEVELS HIGH PERFORMANCE SUMMER CAMP IN VERMONT

TRAIN WITH THE BEST— CHRIS HAS RECENTLY COACHED SEVERAL #1 PLAYERS IN THE US! CHRISLEWIT.COM 914.462.2912

CHRIS@CHRISLEWIT.COM

Chris with Elana Zaretsky,

TENNIS IN THE HAMPTO 2

In the summer, people from across Long Island and New York City floc enjoy the sun, while sitting by the pool or ocean, and taking part in an activities. One of those activities, and perhaps its most popular, is tenn favorite activity for Hamptons-goers, and there is no shortage of tennis opportunities to play out on the East End, from hitting around at local p up and playing on a private court in a luxurious Hamptons home. In this feature are just some of the places you can find your game out

2024

k to the Hamptons, to n array of outdoor is. It may be the courts or parks or lacing them east this summer!

Places to Play

Annacone Tennis Management

AnnaconeTennis.com

info@annaconetennis.com 865-300-7323

Annacone Tennis Management provides an array of services in the Hamptons, and can help produce programming and consulting for your neighborhood courts, country clubs, tennis clubs, resorts and more. One of the programs offered is MyHamptonsPro, which is a concierge tennis company specializing in providing the highest quality offsite tennis services in the Hamptons. This service is available on your private court, at one of our private courts, or at your tennis facility. Focused specifically on creating the utmost in customer satisfaction, MHP provides comprehensive tennis services from world-class tennis professionals to fit all of your needs. MHP tennis pros specialize in private tennis lessons that are customized to your specific tennis goals, with flexible times and days available to meet your needs. Steve Annacone, Director of MyHamptonsPro, has been a tennis professional and coach for over 45 years. Originally from Sag Harbor, NY and a graduate of East Hampton High School, Steve has been very involved in the tennis community in the Hamptons.

By understanding that each player has specific needs and creating a customized tennis experience to accommodate these needs, Steve and the MHP staff will help you get the most out of your time on the court.

Future Stars Southampton

1370A Majors Path Southampton, N.Y. (631) 287-6707

FutureStarsSouthampton.com

In the summer, people from across Long Island and New York City flock to the Hamptons, to enjoy the sun, while sitting by the pool or ocean, and taking part in an array of outdoor activities. Each town in the Hamptons has its own unique feel, with a variety of activities available from simply going to the beach, to kayaking, biking, trips to the wineries or taking in the East End nightlife.

TENNIS IN THE HAMPTONS 2024

Tennis may be the favorite activity of Hamptons-goers and there is no shortage of the sport in Eastern Long Island. There is no better way to spend a sunny morning or afternoon than getting some exercise on the court with friends. Below is a list of some of the locations to play tennis, as well as where to shop for the latest equipment and apparel, and where to stay.

Whether you are in Westhampton Beach, Amagansett or anywhere in-between, we look forward to seeing you on the courts and in the shops of the Hamptons this summer!

Future Stars Westhampton Beach

36 Aspatuck Road

Westhampton Beach, N.Y. (631) 287-6707 FSCamps.com

Future Stars Tennis Camp at Aspatuck Tennis Club will offer a premier tennis program that is individually-

designed to methodically challenge players of all levels, ages six through 16. Throughout the week campers are encouraged to enhance their strokes and strategies via group lessons, skill building drills, organized play, individual attention, video sessions, target training and fitness routines. Campers will receive three to four hours of top flight tennis instruction, including fundamentals, stroke production, point play with strategy emphasis, and match play competition. All campers are carefully grouped based on age and skill level.

Ross School Tennis Center

18 Goodfriend Drive

East Hampton, N.Y. (631) 907-5162

Ross.org/Tennis tenniscenter@ross.org

Ross School Tennis Center (RSTC) is the premiere training center in the Hamptons, boasting a beautiful tennis facility that is open to the public and located on the Ross Upper School Campus in East Hampton, N.Y. The Tennis Center features six HarTru courts that are enclosed by a bubble from mid-fall through mid-spring, allowing for yearround play. The Tennis Center features state-of-the-art amenities such as spacious locker rooms, lower level lounge, convenient snack bar, and ping-pong tables, and the staff provides a fun and supportive atmosphere that allows for the greatest amount of success.

After-school programming, a dynamic program for junior players, and specialized summer programs are offered to make Ross Tennis Center the place to play tennis in the Hamptons. continued from page 19

TENNIS IN THE HAMPTONS 2024

After-school Programs (Pre-K–Grade 12)

• Nursery–Grade 4: Specialized one-hour training program where players build a strong foundation through a variety of game-based and cooperative activities using 10U age-appropriate (Red, Orange, or Green) balls and nets that will prepare them for eventual full-court play.

• Grade 5–Grade 12: Players build off their 10U foundation to further develop fundamental skills and techniques as they transition into yellow balls and prepare for full-court tournament competition. Ball control, strategy, and work ethic are all emphasized in this 90-minute session of drills and point play.

Players in kindergarten and higher are required to play twice per week in this program.

• RSTA Yellow+ is for players over 12 years old who play either on a JV or Varsity school team. There will be practice every day for two hours after school. Tryouts can also be evaluated by an RSTA coach if you are not yet a team member. Participation at both UTR and USTA tournaments is encouraged but not a requirement.

• Lessons and Court Rentals: Ross School Tennis Center also offers adult clinics, court rentals, and private and group instruction for all ages and levels. The Tennis Center is also used for a variety of special events and is available for private parties.

Sportime Amagansett/JMTA

Hamptons

320 Abrahams Path Amagansett, N.Y. (631) 267-3460 SportimeNY.com/Amagansett

Located in the Town of East Hampton, SPORTIME Amagansett’s 23 acre campus features 33 pristine outdoor Har-Tru tennis courts, one hard-surface tennis and pickleball court, a heated outdoor pool and so much more for members, students and campers to enjoy. The Hamptons’ summer home to the John McEnroe Tennis Academy, SPORTIME Amagansett welcomes aspiring young players to

train at one of the world’s best academies when on the East End. The club is also home to East Hampton Sports Camp @ SPORTIME, which offers preschool and multi-sport full-day, full-summer fun for kids ages 3-13.

The SPORTIME Amagansett Sports Arena, open yearround, features a climate-controlled, regulation size rink that subdivides into three smaller courts that allow for multiple sports activities and small group training. Sports offered include hockey, soccer, basketball, volleyball and pickleball.

SPORTIME Amagansett offers both residents and Hampton visitors of all ages world-class tennis, pickleball and sports programming, camps, events, tournaments and more.

Sportime Quogue

2571 Quogue Riverhead Road East Quogue, N.Y. (631) 653-6767

SportimeNY.com/Quogue

Named the best tennis club on the South Fork by Dan’s Papers each year from 2020-2023, SPORTIME Quogue is a yearround, full-service tennis, fitness, summer camp and sports facility located in East Quogue, catering to the surrounding communities of Westhampton, Remsemberg, Quogue, Southampton, Hampton Bays, Eastport, Riverhead, the Moriches and the North Fork, serving both locals and visitors alike..

SPORTIME Quogue features four indoor Har-Tru soft-surface tennis courts and 22 outdoor Har-Tru courts, in addition to a heated outdoor pool, a full-service health and fitness club, a multi-sport court, and locker rooms with saunas. SPORTIME Quogue serves tennis players starting at the age of three, including junior pathway programs, as well as dynamic instructional programs for adults of all levels.

While SPORTIME Quogue thrives year-round, the summer season is alive with a large outdoor tennis community, including Hampton vacationers and snowbirds returning for summer season. SPORTIME Quogue’s full-day summer camp, including preschool, multi-sport and tennis offerings, is recognized as one of the top summer camps in Westhampton.

continued from page 21

Places to Shop

Tennis East

73 Main Street Southampton, N.Y. (631) 283-9535

TennisEast.com

For more than 50 years, Tennis East has been a staple of the tennis community on Long Island’s East End. Tennis East offers an extensive selection of men’s, women’s and junior’s rackets, apparel, sneakers, strings and accessories.

Tennis East keeps up to date with the latest and most popular products to make sure its customers are always up to date with the newest gear, and it even features a

complete line of 10 & Under Tennis equipment, as well as a line of other racket sports, such as paddleball or pickleball. Stringing services and demo rackets are also available.

Places to Stay Baron’s Cove 31 West Water Street Sag Harbor, N.Y. (844) 227-6672 CapeResorts.com/Barons-Cove

The newly-renovated Baron’s Cove Hotel is the

TENNIS IN THE HAMPTONS 2024

preeminent All-American resort destination. With 67 charming village and harbor-facing guestrooms, gorgeous lofted suites boasting sweeping harbor views, village rooms featuring intimate private gardens, and cozy dog-friendly accommodations, Baron’s Cove caters to every discerning traveler seeking a relaxing getaway on the East End.

Gurney’s Montauk Resort & Seawater Spa

290 Old Montauk Highway Montauk, N.Y. (631) 668-2345

GurneysResorts.com/Montauk

Gurney’s Montauk Resort & Seawater Spa is a Hamptons icon and the only year- round resort in Montauk. Providing guests with direct access to a 2,000-foot private sand beach, Gurney’s features 146 rooms, suites, and beachfront cottages, all delivering dramatic ocean views. With five unique dining and drinking venues, Gurney’s presents an array of food and beverage options, from elegant seasonal cuisine to casual fare to craft cocktails. Gurney’s also offers over 25,000-square-feet of meeting and banquet space, for hosting a wide range of business and social events. Its acclaimed spa is renowned for its healing treatments and ocean-fed seawater pool, the only pool of its kind in North America.

Upcoming Hamptons Tournaments

Long Island Tennis Magazine will once again be hosting part of its summer series in The Hamptons, and are excited to be offering two Long Island Tennis Magazine Challenge events to bookend this summer on the east end.

The first tournament will be held on Saturday, June 8 at Sportime Quogue, featuring eight different divisions of play, four Men’s Doubles categories and four Women’s Doubles categories.

The event will feature all of the amenities players have become accustomed to at our events, including competitive and well-organized doubles play, catered lunch, complimentary happy hour, prizes for winners and features in Long Island Tennis Magazine.

You can visit www.LITennisMag.com/Events/LITMJuneChallenge.

“We are excited to host the LITM Challenges this summer in the Hamptons for the fifth year in a row,” said David Sickmen, Publisher of Long Island Tennis Magazine. “Sportime Quogue has proven to be the perfect host site as they accommodate our large draws on their outdoor courts, and we are able to bring people the amenities they have become used to on the large pool deck. We look forward to seeing everyone back on the courts for fun in the sun this summer.”

At the end of this summer, the Long Island Tennis Challenge series will return with a tennis event on Saturday, September 7. More information to come on these events, and be sure to visit LITennisMag.com for the latest information.

USTA Eastern Long Island Region Tennis is Better Together

TheUSTA Long Island Regional Council and USTA Eastern, with Sportime Port Washington/JMTA Long Island and Advantage All of Roslyn NJTL, hosted the inaugural “Better Together” tennis tournament in March.

More than 150 middle and high school tennis players from across Long Island participated in this mixed doubles team event, which raised more than $5,000 for the Roslyn High School Scholarship Fund. The event was held in memory of Drew Hassenbein and Ethan Falkowitz.

Better Together took place at Sportime Port Washington. Teams consisted of a minimum of 3 boys and 3 girls and competition featured three rounds using a team format (one boys doubles, one girls doubles and one mixed doubles).

“Everything about this day was in honor of the boys and the way they lived their lives, on and off the court,” said

Kerri Janotte, Roslyn Tennis Coach. “We wanted this day to be about kids coming together to play the sport the boys loved. No rankings, no ratings, just fun on the court together. I was overwhelmed by the amount of support from the tennis community, the players, volunteers and everyone behind the scenes who made this event so successful.”

Congratulations to the winning teams: Hunchos: Zack Cohen & Russell Notaris (Friends Academy), Bryan Bin (Great Neck), Sahara Ahmed (Herricks), Tiffany Lin (Woodmere) & Teah Login (Huntington)

Harborfields Varsity: Aya Deckman, Hana Deckman, Josephine Rudloff, Boden Rudloff, Brody Surbeck & Nolan Surbeck

USTA Eastern Long Island Region

Team Zona (Roslyn): Jordan Barish, Joey Goldman, Dylan Laskowit, Gavin Lehrman, Luka Ostad & Brendon Siskin

Plummer and Ern (Roslyn): Alana Borkon, Molly Borkon, Abby Forchheimer, Harrison Goldman, Ethan Goldman & Reid Morris

Free Agents: Emily Guillon, Sarah Guillon, Justin Park, James Kott (Port Washington) & Meghan Mullen (South Side)

Big Hitters: Spencer Goldberg, Ryan Goldfarb, Max Levine, Julia Pnini, Lily Rappaport (Roslyn) & Riley Magner (Westhampton Beach)

“Seeing all these young stars come together for such a fantastic cause was heartwarming,” said volunteer Sharon Rapaport, a member of the USTA LI Regional Council and the tournament’s director.

Special thanks to: Jay Harris, Neil Thakur, Mike Pavlides, Kerri Janotte and Sharon Rappaport, who put the event together, and all the volunteers who assisted in running it: Ken Luba, Rob Walzer, Bon Koo, Michelle Stoerback, Beth Klein, Cara Rappaport, Lauren Borkon, Christina Barish, Tracy Ross, Stephanie Guillon, Steven Ferantello, Jackie Clark and Denise Schmidt.

Who is Stan Smith?

We’re

all familiar with Stan Smith sneakers, but who was the tennis superstar behind the popular Adidas footwear?

The USTA Long Island Regional Council and USTA Eastern are proud to sponsor the premiere of “Who is Stan Smith?,” part of the Gold Coast International Film Festival. Produced by Lebron James and Maverick Carter, the film takes a closer look into the extraordinary life of #1-ranked tennis superstar Smith and includes archival footage and interviews with those including John McEnroe and Pharrell Williams.

The film will be shown on Monday, May 20 at 7:00 p.m. at Manhasset Cinemas. For tickets, visit goldcoastarts.org/inperson-5/ and use code USTA3 to get $3 off the cost of your ticket.

Long Island Regional Council Executive Committee

Mike Pavlides, Regional Director

Jonathan Klee, Past Regional Director

Sunny Fishkind

Tito Perez

Jason Wass

Randi Wilkins

Neil Thakur, Manager, Schools Tennis and Long Island & Metro Region CTC

Becky Bellino, USTA Eastern Leagues Coordinator

USA Delegation Ready To Compete in Maccabi Games

Later this year, Jewish athletes from around the world will head to London to compete in the 2024 European Maccabi Youth Games. The Games run from July 28 through August 6, where players from the United States compete alongside Jewish athletes from North America, Central America, South America, Israel and other countries throughout the Diaspora.

That sets the stage for 2025, when the Maccabiah 25 in Israel will be held from July 1 through July 22, the world’s largest Jewish athletic competition in the tradition and values of Maccabi, emphasizing the centrality of the State of Israel in the life of the Jewish people.

First held in 1932, the Maccabiah Games were formed by Maccabi World Union, a Jewish, non-political organization that was dedicated to the furthering of Jewish education and sports, as well as promote Jewish identity and traditions through cultural, social and educational activities for all ages. The tennis portion is just one of the

many sports played. In the past, the participants have been broken into U16, U18, Open (18+), and Masters 35+, 40+, 45+, 50+, 55+, 60+, 65+, 70+, 75+, 80+ for both male and female players.

Ahead of this year’s European Games, Long Island Tennis Magazine spoke with Sivan Krems, a veteran of the Games who now serves as the Volunteer Chair for the Open Team. Krems was a standout at Princeton University, and represented the United States on the U18 Tennis Team in 2013 and the Open Tennis Team in 2017.

LITM: Talk about your experience competing in the Maccabi Games? How much did you enjoy competing in it, and what are some of your best memories?

Krems: I competed in the U18 Maccabiah Games in Israel in 2013 (where I was a triple bronze medalist for singles, doubles, and mixed doubles) and then in the Open Maccabiah Games in Jerusalem in 2017 (where I was a

silver medalist in both singles and doubles).

There were several things that left a lasting mark on me:

The first was the opening ceremony. It was moving, memorable, and uplifting to see Jewish athletes from all over the world united in one place proudly representing their respective countries with flags and team attire. I know it will be even more profoundly meaningful in 2025.

The first week – called Israel Connect – was well-thought out. We all learned a great deal first-hand of our tradition, history, and culture. I recall it being a meaningful week that reinforced my pride in being Jewish and having a Hebrew name. I vividly remember touring Yad Vashem. After we exited the museum, there was an extended period of silence before anyone could share the kind of impact the visit made. We then as a group engaged in reflective discussion, which inevitably brought on tears and emotions.

My best memory from the

Sivan Krems & Mia Rabinowitz celebrate a point while competing for the Open Team in 2017

competition itself:

My Israeli family – aunts and uncle, cousins and my Savta (grandmother in Hebrew) Ahuvah (Z”L) attended my matches and cheered me on. I made friends with many of the competitors, including the players on the Israeli teams who were warm and welcoming. That is the essence of Maccabiah – it’s about athletes from around the world united by the same religion and a passion for sports.

LITM: What is your role now as Volunteer Chair for the Open Team? What does that entail?

Krems: My role as Volunteer Chair for the Open Team is to hire a coach for Team USA and to help ensure that Team USA’s tennis roster for the 2025 Games is a strong one. I help oversee strategy towards the goal of ensuring that the 2025 Open Tennis Games are successful.

LITM: What makes the Maccabi Games special? You have competed at extremely high levels of tennis so I’m intrigued to hear how these games stack up against those other competitions.

Krems: As you know, tennis is a very individual-oriented sport. From

a team standpoint, I’ve competed in Sectionals, which is where the topranked juniors from each region are teamed up and compete against one another. I also spent 4 years playing collegiate tennis at Princeton University. When I informed my college coach (Laura) that I’d be playing, she was already aware of the magnitude and importance of the Maccabiah Games.

What struck me as being different from other competitions (both junior and collegiate) is the camaraderie formed not just intra Team USA but with tennis athletes from different countries. Many of my most grueling matches at Maccabiah were against the Israeli players, yet I felt we had such a mutual respect and really enjoyed connecting in between matches and after the Games officially concluded.

LITM: As someone who has competed in past Games, what advice or tips would you give the players traveling to London this summer?

Krems: My advice is to immerse yourself in and enjoy the togetherness of Jewish athletes from all over the world. Prepare to have goosebumps and to feel uplifted as thousands of people from different

countries sing the Hatikvah together at the opening ceremony. Wherever you are – whether it’s at the opening ceremony, at the hotel pool or gym, at other athletic competitions, at breakfast, and so on, you’ll have endless opportunities to connect with other athletes. Just as you’ll enjoy competing, enjoy this journey meeting new people and forming new friendships.

LITM: Do you still find time to play tennis nowadays?

Krems: I try to play twice a week at The California Tennis Club in San Francisco. Though I’m not training like I used to, I still have a strong desire to compete – most of the time that I’m out on the court, I am eager to play sets (whether that’s singles or doubles).

I’m incredibly grateful for the sport of tennis and for the unique experiences and friendships I’ve formed through it. Tennis has been a deeply ingrained passion of mine throughout different chapters of my life. I aspire to be able to play regularly and remain connected to the sport for years to come.

Registration for the Games is now open. Visit MaccabiUSA.com to learn more information.

SUMMER JUNIOR TENNIS CAMP

JULY 1st - AUGUST 18th

Camp is 9:00 a.m. - 5:00 p.m. (you can attend a 1/2 day camp from 1:00 p.m. - 5:00 p.m.)

spotlight Junior Player

By Brian Coleman

Blake Chang Robbie Wagner’s Tournament Training Center

Atlast year’s U.S. Open, local junior Blake Chang had the experience of a lifetime. The 12year-old from Manhasset had the honor of presenting the trophy after the U.S. Open women’s singles final, and was on stage with champion Coco Gauff and runner-up Aryna Sabalenka.

“It was incredible being on that court,” Chang recalls. “Being there didn’t even feel real, it was crazy. I was like, ‘Is this actually happening?’ It was just so cool to have the opportunity to be on stage with Coco and Aryna.”

As she stood on that stage with two of the world’s best players and looked out at the massive crowd inside Arthur Ashe Stadium, Chang felt more motivated than ever and began to imagine herself being the one on the other end of the trophy presentation.

“When I walked off the stage after placing the trophy on the stand, I actually imagined being there again in the future,” she said. “I could see myself winning the U.S. Open one day. That day gave me so much confidence and motivation to work really, really hard so I could reach my potential.”

It’s her work ethic and early successes as a junior tennis player that led to the opportunity in the first place. Chang was selected to take part in the ceremony because she is

one of the top players in her age group, ranked No.1 on Long Island in the Girls’ 12s division.

Her tennis journey began back when she was four-years-old and growing up in Brooklyn Heights. As the daughter of a former Division I tennis player, tennis has been a part of Chang’s life since she can remember. Her dad, who played at Penn State, introduced her to the sport and the two of them would play in the living room of their apartment, and those times are some of her earliest tennis memories.

“It was always fun, and it was definitely a bonding experience for us as a father-daughter,” says Chang. “I also remember as soon as I’d come back home from school, I would grab my racquet and hit a spongey ball against a wall.”

While she participated in other sports including gymnastics, dance and ballet, there was something about tennis that stuck with Chang. That became even more evident as she continued to improve, and was punctuated by her winning the “Little Mo” Internationals when she was eight. At the time she was only playing tennis once a week, but her dad entered her into the tournament.

“I ended up winning the whole thing, and I realized I could be a good player.”

That win provided Chang with the confidence to pursue tennis even further, and when her and her family moved from Brooklyn to Manhasset, she began training at Robbie Wagner’s Tournament Training (RWTT) Center. She already had a connection there as Wagner actually coached her father, Christopher, when he was a junior, and traveled with him to some of the bigger junior events including the Easter Bowl, an event that Blake participated in this spring. Christopher and Robbie sat and watched Blake compete there in what was a full circle moment.

Chang has been at RWTT for nearly three years now, and she has seen her game improve in all aspects during that time period. When she first started there, she was coached by Viktor Marinkovic, and now works primarily with Greg Lumpkin and Stonar Coleman.

“I think it is such an amazing environment for junior players to practice and develop,” says Chang. “We have great coaches here who care about the kids, both as players and as people. They have really helped me develop my overall game and keep me focused on improving.”

Chang is currently focusing on trying to get more match experience, as she says she hasn’t played as many matches

as other players her age. With that in mind, she wants to keep improving her all-around game, but primarily work on getting better in terms of her tennis strategy and mental toughness.

“I can definitely improve a lot tactically and emotionally as well,” Chang admits. “I continue to work on improving as an all-court player that likes to play offensively, finishing points at net and adding some variety to my game like slices and drop shots. My goals going forward are to keep improving my overall game and focus on development, and not so much on rankings or ratings. I’m working hard to become physically and mentally

stronger as well.”

While she continues to work hard on and off the court, and pursues her tennis dreams, Chang is making sure to enjoy the journey, and using tennis as a vehicle to enjoy her life.

“I really enjoy competing on the court individually, having only myself to rely on. I believe that tennis has made me more mature and disciplined,” said Chang. “I’ve met a lot of people through tennis and have made some great friendships. I also really enjoy traveling for tournaments. I’ve been able to see many new places across the country and my mom always makes sure we have fun and cool experiences.”

Sharing those experiences with her family is one of the best parts of Chang’s tennis journey. She is able to create wonderful memories traveling, and also has a younger brother, Chase, and a younger sister, Chloe, who also play tennis, and Blake serves as a great inspiration for both of them.

Chang is excited for the months ahead and is looking forward to gaining more match experience and working hard to achieve her goals. She will continue to work hard and dream big, and as she does so, who knows, we may see her on stage at the U.S. Open in the future, and this time be the one accepting the winning trophy.

College Application Essay

Your essay is your only chance to become more than a number to the admission officers who judge your candidacy. It’s an invaluable opportunity that will have the greatest impact to distinguish you in a super competitive applicant pool than all the rest of your resume. You get 650 words to make your case and you should use ALL that space to tell your story. Even more important than utilizing 650 words is adhering to the following deal makers and avoiding the deal breakers.

Show, Don’t Tell and Use Specificity, Not Broad Statements

The easiest way to do this is to mine your life for stories and use vivid descriptive concrete details so you can create a more engaging and immersive reader experience. Compare “My mother had a big

College Application Essay and College Tennis Recruitment: How To Optimize Your Unique Opportunities

By Barbara Becker

influence on my life” to “Because my mother super-glued a pencil to my hand, I became a fluent writer”. Compare “I’m a leader in my school and hold officer positions in various clubs “to” I stopped to listen to each team member’s opinion so that everyone would feel worthy and involved in the decisions”. Using details will be more likely to lodge a marker in the readers’ memories.

Respond to the Unique Prompt

There are 7 prompts and, other than the last one that simply allows you to pick a topic of your choice (I highly recommend against choosing that one), each prompt asks you not what seems like ONE question, but actually SEVERAL questions between the lines. To successfully answer any prompt, you must examine the words very carefully to ferret out the other implicit questions. The College Board

purposely uses this sophisticated wording to see how analytical you are as a thinker and a reader. Unless you answer your prompt FULLY, whatever you did write will be incomplete. Each prompt asks a VERY DIFFERENT question so be sure to pick a topic you are passionate about or your essay won’t have the necessary emotional impact on the reader. Don’t be afraid to share vulnerability and honesty. This makes your essay more relatable. Most of all be sure your essay clearly responds to that specific unique topic.

How To Capture The Reader’s Attention

The first paragraph is the most important one. Do not restate the prompt. There are many unconventional ways to start an essay. You can start with an anecdote that segues into the rest of your story. Other suggestions are using a great quote in an unusual way, a seeming paradox or impossibility, or starting at the end or the middle of your story.

Your entire essay should be your PERSONAL BRANDING. By the end of the essay the reader should be able to sum you up in one sentence. For example, the reader should say “I liked the girl who performed trapeze in the circus”. It will be much harder to remember “the girl who practiced trapeze, and was also good at riding bikes and who got an A on every test and who also worked very hard”. Your conclusion should bring your essay full circle and tie everything together.

I worked on the Admissions Board of my alma mater so I speak from experience. Whether you apply to

Harvard College or Alcorn State University, the criteria for essay writing are exactly the same. I’m part of a Stanford University alumni family so we were sent a periodical titled “The Write Stuff”. It was dedicated to what they look for in college application essays and included 5 of what they considered to be the best essays they had received from the freshman class that year. I’m happy to forward them to anyone who’s interested. They will absolutely enlighten and entertain you and reinforce what I’ve written. Please take the opportunity to either email me at BBCKR100@aol.com or text/call me at 516-448-4343, and feel free to ask me any questions you have.

College Tennis Recruitment

In addition to the advice provided in this article, the NCAA has a plethora of information, links and documents for potential college student-athletes: http://www.ncaa.org/studentathletes/future and NCAA GUIDE For the College-Bound Student-Athlete.

As early as freshman year, start evaluating your academic, tennis, and other criteria for your college experience. Narrow your criteria and build a list of schools you’re interested in. By junior year, you should have a shorter list of schools, categorized by academic and tennis fit.

Coaches prefer to see someone play. If they can’t, often they will request a quick video of match play to gauge a player’s talent, competitiveness, attitude, desire, love of the game and growth potential. This very often makes a difference between comparable players.

Be pro-active! Email is the best way to get on the coach’s radar. NCAA D1 schools can reply to an email from a student-athlete in junior year. In an

initial email, a player should introduce him/herself, indicate his/her graduation year and provide a link to his /her biography. Create a free link on the Tennis Recruiting Network. Address the coach by name (“Coach Smith”), express interest in the school. Keep it short.

A phone conversation is invaluable. Impress the coach by being prepared for the questions. Know about the program. College coaches want outgoing, confident players who will represent their program in a positive light. Making a phone call can always be daunting but it’s the most effective form of communication during the recruitment process. It gives you the UNIQUE opportunity to stand out from all the competition!

Barbara Becker, M.A. , M.S. has helped students write their college and graduate school essays for over 4 decades. She graduated from the Newhouse School of Communication at Syracuse University, which is always ranked in the top 3 schools in the country. She has been affiliated with their Admissions Board, enabling her to stay on top of the specific criteria that ALL schools look for in essays. She is always ahead of the curve in terms of viewpoints that are in and out of favor. Ms. Becker, who has 3 Master's degrees in Psychology and is a PhD candidate in School and Clinical Psychology. Barbara can be emailed at BBCKR100@AOL.COM or called/texted at 516-448-4343.

Our racquet sports facility is a paradise for those who love a good game, with six USTA caliber hard courts, two Har-Tru tennis courts, and six vibrant pickleball courts. Off the courts, an 18-hole golf course, swimming, fitness center, indoor and outdoor dining, a buzzing social calendar, and private event space all round out our phenomenal lifestyle.

Have a ball and let the good times roll! Scan to learn more.

2024 French Open Preview 202

Withspring, it’s time for the clay court season on the ATP and WTA Tours, which is highlighted by the signature red clay of Roland Garros and the year’s second major: the French Open.

A year ago, Novak Djokovic was the men’s singles champion and hoisted the fourth French Open title of his career to add to his long list of major championships, while Iga Swiatek won the women’s singles event for a second straight time and third overall. The primary theme of this year’s event will be the coronation of Rafael Nadal, who is set to compete there for the final time.

Will we see new champions, or will Djokovic and Swiatek continue their dominance at Roland Garros? Long Island Tennis Magazine breaks down some of the players to watch out for in Paris in 2024, including Contenders, Pretenders and Sleepers.

Contenders, Pretenders, Sleepers

Contenders - Men’s Singles

Rafael Nadal

While the mileage on his body and sustained injuries have hampered the back-end of Rafael Nadal’s career, it’d be

impossible to write a preview of the French Open and not include Nadal. Across all of sports, there is perhaps no one who has been more dominant at a single event than the 37year-old Spaniard has been at the French Open, as he has racked up 14 titles in Paris during his career. He did announce towards the end of 2023 that this season would most likely be his last, and he wants to make sure to play at the calendar’s biggest events so he can have a proper send off. Nadal played Brisbane to begin the year before

Photo credit: Seth Sarelson

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injuries forced him out of the subsequent events, but he has been working and training towards returning for the clay swing, and wouldn’t it be a storybook ending to his career if he can hoist one more French Open title?

Novak Djokovic

Nadal’s peer and longtime rival Novak Djokovic continues to be a dominant force on tour despite being deep into his 30s. Djokovic is the greatest player of all-time, owner of 24 Grand Slam singles titles, and will be motivated to win his fourth French Open title, and second straight one. After failing to win his 11th Australian Open title earlier this year, Djokovic will look to claim his first major of 2024 and defend his title in Paris.

Jannik Sinner

Fresh off of the first Grand Slam of his career, Italy’s Jannik Sinner will be out to bring home his second when he arrives in Paris. Sinner seems to be on his way to having a dominant season, as he won 22 of his first 23 matches, a run that has included three titles. His only loss in that time frame was a thrilling three-set contest against Carlos

Alcaraz at Indian Wells, but Sinner has very much looked like the best player in the world through the first four months of the year. Sinner’s best showing at the French Open was a quarterfinal run back in 2020, but with him playing the best tennis of his career, look for Sinner to make a deep run.

Contenders - Women’s Singles

Iga Swiatek

The top-ranked woman in the world will be in search of her third consecutive title when she arrives on the Parisian clay. Iga Swiatek has been the most dominant player in women’s tennis over the last several years, and it was at the French Open where that dominance began. She surprised everyone to win the event back in 2020 and has not looked back, winning again in 2022 and 2023. Swiatek dropped only one set en route to her title last year, which came in the finals against Karolina Muchova, and we can expect to see a similar performance from her at the 2024 French Open.

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Coco Gauff

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It’s crazy to think that Coco Gauff is still only 20-years-old. It seems as if she has been on the tour for years, but the young American is still the future of women’s tennis. She is also the present though, as she is one of the top players in the world, and a threat to win any major. Gauff won the

U.S. Open last year so she has proven she has the pedigree to handle the two-week challenge of winning a major, and she has a track record of success at the French Open, evidenced by her run to the finals back in 2022. Gauff will make a strong push for the second major title of her career.

Ons Jabeur

It can be a demoralizing thing to reach the finals of a major only to lose. It’s even more crushing when it happens three different times, which is the case for Ons Jabeur, who has lost in the Wimbledon final twice and the U.S. Open once. But while those losses are difficult to overcome, Jabeur has shown that she is capable of making deep runs at the majors, and she should be in line for another one at the French Open. Jabeur has one of the most unique game styles on tour with the athleticism, craftiness and variety of shots that thrive on the clay courts. She had her best showing in Paris last year when she made it to the quarterfinals, and she will look to take the next steps in 2024.

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Pretenders - Men’s Singles

Stefanos Tsitsipas

He has been a mainstay atop the ATP World Tour rankings for several years now, and there is no doubting that Stefanos Tsitsipas is one of the toughest players on tour. However, that has yet to result in a major title. The highest-

ranked Greek player of all-time has reached two major finals, the French Open in 2021 and the Australian Open in 2023, with the former being a devastating fiveset defeat to Novak Djokovic after leading him two-sets-to-love. Tsitsipas has a very aesthetically-pleasing game, with the picturesque one-handed backhand and a whipping forehand, yet he seems to play his worst tennis in the biggest moments, and that could be a trend that continues at this year’s French Open.

Taylor Fritz

The highest-ranked American in the world has never taken too kindly to the clay. He has never reached a final on the ATP tour on tournaments played on clay, and dating back to his junior days, the only clay court final he reached was at the 2015 French Open junior event where he lost to compatriot Tommy Paul. As a pro, Fritz has never made it past the third round at Roland Garros, something that should worry Fritz fans as he prepares for the year’s second major.

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Andrey Rublev

Despite being a mainstay in the Top 10 of the rankings, the quarterfinals is as far as Andrey Rublev has advanced at the Grand Slams. He has reached that stage 10 different times in his career and is 0-10 in those matches. It seems to be a massive hurdle for the Russian as he attempts to win his first ever major, and one has to think there is something mental associated with that. He reached the quarterfinals at the French Open in 2020 and 2022, and we shouldn’t expect a deeper run that that this time around.

Pretenders - Women’s Singles

Aryna Sabalenka

Earlier this year, Aryna Sabalenka defended her title at the Australian Open to secure her second career major as she avoided the dreaded “one-and-done” title. But as she heads into the spring and summer months, she will be competing in clay and grass court events, the two surfaces she is not as comfortable on. Sabalenka is a huge hitter who can power through her opponents on the hard courts, but at times lacks the variety and movement needed on clay. While she did reach the semifinals at the French Open in 2023, before that she had never been out of the third round. She is one of the best players in the world, but Sabalenka could be in for another early exit from Paris.

Jelena Ostapenko

Seven years ago, a young Latvian named Jelena Ostapenko used her massive forehand and power to win the French Open. She was ranked just 47th at the time, and became the first player since 1933 to win the French Open as an unseeded player. Ostapenko’s career has had some ebbs and flows in the time since, but she now finds herself back into the Top 10 of the WTA Rankings and playing solid tennis. But Ostapenko is a tough player to

read, and at times it seems she lets her emotions get the best of her. She plays risky and aggressive tennis which helps her outhit opponents, but also leads unforced errors of her own. If she has one of those matches where the errors are flying off her racquet, she won’t advance far at this year’s French Open.

Jasmine Paolini

Up to 14th in the WTA Rankings, Italy’s Jasmine Paolini is enjoying the best stretch of tennis in her career. That includes a victory at the Duty Free Tennis Championships in Dubai, her biggest title to date, and a career-high ranking. But it remains to be seen if Paolini can find success at the majors, something she has yet to do. She reached the fourth round at the Australian Open at the beginning of the season which is her best result. At the French Open specifically, she has never made it out of the second round. While Paolini is playing her best tennis, don’t expect a deep run from her at Roland Garros.

Sleepers - Men’s Singles

Arthur Fils

Arthur Fils is a name that a lot of tennis fans may not know, but it’s one they should get to know. The French teenager has been steadily climbing the rankings since he broke onto the scene towards the beginning of 2023, and has the game style to potentially make

a surprising run at this year’s French Open. He reached the 2023 Next Generation ATP Finals a year ago, an event at which he made it to the championship match before falling in five sets. As a result of his 2023 success, he was named the ATP Tour’s Newcomer of the Year, and has carried that momentum into 2024. He will have the crowd on his side during any of his matches during the French Open (save for a couple of opponents), and will try to use that energy to make a run into the event’s second week.

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Lorenzo Musetti

In his young career, Lorenzo Musetti has already proven he is capable of beating the best players in the world, something that is inevitably needed when trying to make a run to the late stages of a Grand Slam. Musetti has defeated the likes of Carlos Alcaraz, Novak Djokovic, Frances Tiafoe, Casper Ruud, amongst others, and the wins over Alcaraz and Djokovic both came on clay. He won four titles at the lower levels on clay and has shown that he is comfortable and indeed prefers to play on clay. Musetti may be overshadowed by his compatriot Jannik Sinner, but he is a promising young Italian player who hopes to showcase his potential by making a run at Roland Garros.

Nicolas Jarry

The 28-year-old from Chile is ranked inside the Top 25 and has the talent to be able to string together matches at the French Open. He reached the fourth-round a year ago which is his best showing at any of the four majors. Jarry is a player that thrives on the clay. He has reached six ATP Tour level finals in his career, winning three of them, all of which came on clay. Jarry has shown he can beat the biggest names in the sport, in 2024 alone he has wins over Carlos Alcaraz and Casper Ruud and is playing some of the best tennis in his career. Jarry is a player that the top seeds will not want to see on their side of the draw.

Sleepers - Women’s Singles

Danielle Collins

The former University of Virginia standout has been playing great tennis thus far in 2024, and it is ironic because it comes on the heels of her announcing that this will be her last year competing professionally. Thus, she is seemingly playing with

nothing to lose and seems to be playing tennis with a freer mindset. Collins made it all the way to the finals at the Miami Open and proceeded to handily defeat fourth-ranked Elena Rybakina in straight sets to secure the title, the biggest of her career. Collins is a former French Open quarterfinalist and is set to try to return to that stage of the event, and possibly go further.

Beatriz Haddad Maia

A year ago, Beatriz Haddad Maia powered her way into the French Open semifinals, one victory away from competing for a major title, and becoming the first Brazilian woman to advance that far since 1966. Haddad Maia comes from a family with a rich tennis history who plays an aggressive style of play, enjoying coming to the net to finish off points and using her lefty craftiness in order to disrupt her opponents. She has demonstrated she is capable of making a run at Roland Garros, and could be due for a repeat performance this year.

Emma Navarro

The New York City-born Emma Navarro has burst onto the scene over the last year, and is set up for Grand Slam success. She has broken into the Top 20 and is playing the best tennis of her young career, which includes her first career title at the Hobart International back in January. She is a big-hitter who likes to play aggressive and can give the best players in the world trouble. She did win a match at the French Open a year ago, which was her first career victory at a major, and previously had made it to the finals of the French Open Juniors back in 2019. Navarro is a young player on the rise who will be out to make the second week when she arrives in Paris.

Why Do We Need to Train "Slot" Entry?

By Steve Kaplan

Onceupon a time there was a simple message in tennis performance skill. We were told that if we create, learn and reinforce the same exact movements, we produce the same result every time Tennis shot consistency was believed to be the result of the precise consistency of our swing movements or, as Vic Braden put it, "Losers have a ton of variety. Champions just take pride in learning to hit the same old boring winning shots."

Today, the message has evolved as a result of the study of sports science and human performance biomechanics. Movement variability is now understood to be a central foundation of motor behavior providing the adaptability and versatility needed in modern tennis.

In a major landmark study of movement variability in the forehand stroke of ATP and WTA Professionals, wrist and elbow velocities and accelerations were varied on each forehand hit by the same players, while racket orientation at impact and

shoulder angular movements were consistent. So how we get to the hit can vary and is the result of style, while where we are oriented at impact is consistent and a key fundamental for success.

The position of the racket as it is set to move forward to the ball is called the "slot entry." This term is perhaps borrowed from the field of aviation as the term is used by pilots to refer to an angle that a plane is set at to create its takeoff and landing. Once positioned into the Slot, the racket position should be set and should remain unchanged with shoulder angular movements. These are usually internal rotation of the racket hand, shoulder joint, which help accelerate a statically-oriented racket. It can be

further noted that the movement after slot entry to approach and contact the ball is not directly vertical or "brushing up on the ball" as is commonly believed and widely thought. Rather, almost all high-level ground strokes are hit on a diagonal, close to 5 to 11 o'clock on lower than waist contact point, or 7 to 1 o'clock across the ball on higher than waist contact point. High speed video studies and analysis confirm these facts.

So choose a style that's the best way for you to get to the slot position every time. How you get there is a choice that should rely on sound fundamentals, and where you get to is fundamental, to hit the same old boring winning shots.

Steve Kaplan is the owner and managing director of Bethpage Park Tennis Center, as well as director emeritus of Lacoste Academy for New York City Parks Foundation, executive director and founder of Serve & Return Inc. and co-director of The City Classic Junior Tennis Academy. Steve has coached more than 1,100 nationally- ranked junior players, 16 New York State high school champions, two NCAA Division 1 Singles Champions, and numerous highly-ranked touring professionals. Many of the students Steve has closely mentored have gone on to achieve great success as prominent members of the New York financial community, and in other prestigious professions. He may be reached by e-mail at StevenJKaplan@aol.com.

Revolutionizing Tennis Club Management Meet BLUME

Tennisclubs continuously seek ways to streamline operations, elevate customer experience, and increase revenue. Thanks to BLUME software, they can now achieve these goals. BLUME was conceptualized by Gowri Guruswamy and brought to fruition by her dedicated team.

Initially launched at Robbie Wagner’s Tournament Training Center, it is now utilized by numerous clubs across the US. Its versatility allows it to serve diverse customer bases, including universities, schools, country clubs, and private clubs.

BLUME assists clubs in installing software according to their needs and provides customized solutions based on their specific requirements.

BLUME’s Core features include:

Reservations Made Easy

Color-coded bookings, pop-ups, and icons makes it easy to schedule and manage reservations

Program Management

Enables administrators to create and manage a variety of programs such as lessons, clinics, tournaments, and social events.

Membership Management

Empowers clubs to efficiently manage their memberships and drive long-term membership growth and retention.

Mobile Apps

Dedicated mobile apps to allow players and staff to access program

information and make reservations on the go.

Staff Management

Create and manage staff schedules and generate digital timesheets for payroll that summarize staff hours worked over a specified period.

Customization

Flexibility to customize to meet your club requirements.

Billing & Invoicing

Streamlines the process of creating and sending invoices

Payment Processing

Integrations with payment gateways to facilitate secure online payments

Reporting & Analytics

Provides valuable insights into club performance, member engagement, and financial metrics.

Team BLUME is committed to closely collaborating with clubs and listening to their feedback to continuously enhance and evolve as the leading club management software. Hear what clubs who have used

BLUME have had to say:

"We, at Carefree Racquet Club, have found the program provided by BLUME to be exceptional, meeting all of our needs seamlessly. The support team is truly remarkable, consistently addressing any issues that arise with remarkable speed and efficiency. Additionally, the level of customization available has allowed us to tailor the program precisely to our requirements, further enhancing its effectiveness for our business. We couldn't be more pleased with our experience." – Kathy Miller, General Manager, Carefree Racquet Club

“When I first arrived in my new position, the first and most important decision was choosing a court booking/management system for the new state of the art Milstein Family Tennis Center. Columbia University requires an in depth analysis of multiple vendors before any decision is made. After going through the process with the administration, it became apparent that Blume was the software system for us. Blume customized its software to fit our specific needs and solved for all of our unique requirements. The combination of value, efficiency and customer service is amazing. I highly encourage anyone looking for a great court booking/management system to consider Blume. Please do not hesitate to reach out to me directly if you have any questions." - Keith Kambourian, Director of Tennis, Columbia University

To learn more about BLUME and how your club or facility can benefit from it, visit BlumeSoftware.com, call (516) 806-9383 or e-mail info@creosystems.com.

College Tennis Exposure Camps Ready For Another Summer

AsEd Krass embarks on the 36th year of his College Tennis Exposure Camp, he looks back at the journey that led him here

This summer, the College Tennis Exposure Camp will once again be held at various locations across the country, ushering in the 36th year of this one-of-a-kind tennis experience.

The College Tennis Exposure Camp is the only camp in the country taught exclusively by college head coaches which creates a unique opportunity for both junior tennis players who seek to play college tennis, as well as college coaches who are eager to learn from their peers.

“Ed Krass’ College Tennis Exposure Camps provide prospects with the ultimate opportunity to showcase their skills and learn from college head coaches in a fun, energetic, and inclusive environment,” said Wouter Hendrix, the former men’s tennis head coach at Lehigh University. “I’ve seen so many players succeed at the collegiate level – including at Lehigh –thanks to the knowledge they gained at the College Tennis Academy. A true championship coach, Ed Krass provides the experience of a lifetime that will greatly enhance your game

as well as your access to the world of college tennis.”

There are a number of testimonials similar to this given by coaches and players alike on the impact the camps have had, and a lot of the reasoning behind those positive experiences comes from the aforementioned Ed Krass who founded the camp nearly four decades ago. Krass has combined his vast knowledge of tennis, especially collegiate tennis, with his strong passion and energy for helping people, which has resulted in almost four decades of the camp.

Krass’ coaching experience dates back to the early 1980s following his time competing atop the University of

Central Florida starting lineup. He played first singles and was a captain in his final two seasons at UCF.

During his playing career, Krass would spend his summers teaching at Harry Hopman’s International Tennis Academy. This helped him make a little spending money, an alwaysimportant part of college life, but also provided him with invaluable coaching experience.

“It was an amazing experience,” Krass recalls. “Not only did it help me with out with expenses, but also allowed me to learn from some top coaches as well as top-notch junior and professional players. After I was done playing at UCF, the Athletic Director asked me if I had any coaching experience. I told him that I did, and they offered me the position of assistant coach.”

It would only be a few months later that Krass would be promoted to head coach, and at just 22-years-old, he was leading a group of young men who were only a couple of years younger than he was.

“They couldn’t believe I was coaching them, but they saw I was serious and passionate,” Krass says. “Despite me being very young, they

embraced my coaching style. I knew how to motivate and push them in practices.”

Krass helped guide UCF to some great seasons as its head coach including finishing his first season as the sixth-ranked team in the nation in Division II. He was ready to continue building that program, but when the athletic department budget at the university dried up, Krass was told there was no salary available, and so he left.

He would work as Rick Macci’s assistant at the Greenleaf Tennis & Golf Club in Florida for about a year before joining the staff at Clemson under legendary head coach Chuck Kriese. It’s there that Krass really finetuned his coaching approach, and

credits Kriese’s mentorship for a lot of his own future success, including the introduction of one-on-one doubles tennis. Krass has even taken the oneon-one doubles concept and launched his own tournament series, and were recently added to the UTR platform.

“I learned a lot from him. He had developed so many All-Americans, and he is sill doing great work at The Citadel,” said Krass. “I learned all about the one-on-one doubles there as it was one of the drills we did in practice. We almost won a National Championship there, falling to Patrick McEnroe and Stanford in the quarterfinals. But we won a couple of ACC titles in my time there, and the overall experience was incredibly important for me.”

The third and final, and perhaps the most influential in his life, college coaching stop for Krass would be in the Northeast when he took on the job as head coach of the women’s tennis team at Harvard University in Cambridge, Mass. In more ways than one, this would be a life-changing stop along Krass’ journey.

“The people there were so driven to succeed, both academically and on the court, and I really had to learn to listen a lot more there in my previous stops. It made me more of a wellrounded leader, it was quite an interesting experience,” he said. “I met my wife there so it was such a great time for me and my life. We

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went on to win four Ivy League titles and were a very successful program.”

All of these stops would eventually lead to a light-bulb going off in his head, and thus the College Tennis Academy, which would become the College Tennis Exposure Camp, was born. He had a lot of friends and coaches telling him that they thought a camp dedicated to bridging the gap between college tennis coaches and junior tennis players was a good idea, and Krass agreed.

“I think it was my third summer at Harvard when we started the program. I got some college coaches to help me, and in that first year we had a lot of different levels at that camp. It was really nice,” he said. “The year after, we decided to take it nationwide. We did one in California, and then Atlanta, one in

Tampa and then finished the summer in Harvard. I knew we were onto something because of all the great feedback we were getting.”

And for the better part of four decades, Krass has continued that tradition and the camps have only

continued to grow over the years. Krass’ last season at Harvard would be in 1990, but with his new business up off the ground and already making a positive impact, Krass had found a niche to bring his enthusiasm and experience to players and coaches across the country.

He is quick to give credit to his wife, Andrea, for the success of the camps, as well as all the coaches who have worked the camps.

“My wife has had a huge impact. She is a marketing person and has helped me grow the business,” he said. “It can be hard to do this in an individual sport where everybody is typically out for themselves, but we have developed a brotherhood and sisterhood where coaches feel like they can really work together to not only help the kids but also help each other.”

The Camps are two-day events consisting of introductions and seminars from the coaches to start off the weekend, with singles and doubles match play and drills with oncourt coaching on the first day. The second day features college-style team matches with on-court coaching, and all of this creates a balanced weekend which prepares the players for what they can expect at the collegiate level.

“The camp was one of the best tennis decisions I’ve ever made,” said former participant Ethan Garren. “I got to play a great amount of tennis, made some great friends, and made some very friendly relationships with the coaches at the camp. It was everything I could ask for—point play, friendly atmosphere, competitive and overall fun. The camp not only helped me tennis-wise, but it helped me understand the college tennis recruiting process and the life of a collegiate athlete.”

Krass and his arsenal of coaches will be back this summer with six different camps scheduled for 2024. And while it’s been 36 years, Krass has not lost a step, and is looking forward to another summer on the court helping young tennis players.

“This is what keeps me going. I have so much fun doing this, and I think the passion and enthusiasm I exude to everybody is contagious,” said Krass. “I’m fortunate enough to

be built of the mold where I really get people. It can be teaching on the court, or sparking up a conversation with someone standing in line at the supermarket. I really enjoy being around people. I’ve been very blessed to be able to get along with people and see their positive attributes. I am super excited to be able to do this once again, it never gets old, and can’t wait to get going this summer.”

Below is the full schedule of College Tennis Exposure Camps in 2024:

USTA National Campus, Lake Nona, Fla.: Saturday-Sunday, June 1-2

Massachusetts Instiute of Technology, Cambridge, M.A.: Saturday-Sunday, June 29-30

Lehigh University, Bethlehem, Pa.: Saturday-Sunday, July 13-14

Mercer County Park Tennis Center, Windsor, N.J.: Saturday-Sunday, July 20-21

Wesleyan University, Middletown, C.T.: Saturday-Sunday, July 27-28

Beerman Family Tennis Center, Lakeland, Fla.: Saturday-Sunday, December 7-8

20 QUESTIONS FOR 21 COACHES

PART 2

By Ricky Becker

Abigtheme of my articles throughout the years has been that many good coaches have differing opinions regarding on-court and off-court tennis issues. I put my idea to the test and asked 21-top coaches with 450-500 combined years of coaching experience 20 questions.

In this issue, I’ll get into more of the miscellaneous off-court topics. The last issue had more of the on-court topics which can be found at LITennisMag.com. Similarly to last issue, interestingly, while I questioned coaches of many different clubs, the answers were not always consistent intra-club.

1. Do you feel that the best players in the area should play high school tennis even if they have to go to practice without players of the same level?

The survey says: Yes 13; No 8 My Take: This is pretty much how I

figured the breakdown would be. One very understated thing is that while most coaches encourage their students to play high school tennis, doing make-ups and rearranging schedule for high school tennis causes havoc on lesson schedules. While some higher performance coaches answered “no” to this question it wasn’t unanimous.

2. Do you feel that high schools should allow their very best player to skip practices if there is nobody their level to play with?

The survey says: Yes 13; No 8

My take: Even though the results were the same as the last question, it wasn’t the same set of coaches who voted yes. To be honest, I was surprised that the answer to this question was not more lopsided in favor of being allowed to skip practice. I figured that since most of the coaches would have been top players for their school as juniors they would sympathize more on the side of the top players than

those who just made the team.

3. Should on-court coaching be allowed in the pros?

The survey says: No 12; Yes 9

My Take: I was mildly surprised that “yes” didn’t have a slight edge because on the one-hand the lack of coaching during competition is tradition and makes tennis unique it has also become harder to enforce for whatever reason and hasn’t affected the flow of matches much. It also makes for good television when the coach gets mic’d. Maybe since coaches have spent a lifetime in the game they are more traditionalist and that affected the results.

4. Should on-court coaching be allowed in junior tournaments?

The survey says: No 12; Yes 9

My Take: It was definitely not the same 12-people who said there should be no coaching in the pros. But to be honest, I was extremely surprised that so many coaches answered “yes.” I think with the lack of consistent officials, coaching in the juniors will lead to stalling, potential crossover dialogue between players, an issue of which court someone gets put on, not to mention that players who can afford to pay a coach to attend have an advantage. It can also lead to fights between players and their own parents if the parents are coaching for that match. One coach who is considered the best coach on Long Island by many disagreed and thought coaching should be allowed in junior tennis since that seems to be the way that tennis is going so it may as well start at the earliest levels.

5. Who is your favorite professional player?

The survey says: Roger Federer 9;

Rafael Nadal 2; Carlos Alcaraz 2; Caroline Wozniacki 1; Marat Safin 1; Tommy Paul 1; Thomas Muster 1; Katarina Jokic 1; Novak Djokovic 1; Victoria Azarenka 1; Andre Agassi 1

My Take: He may not be the G.O.A.T., but the love for Roger Federer is still there even though he retired a couple of years ago. Other than a couple of players who received one vote (Djokovic and Muster, anyone?) this seems to make sense. Interestingly, 17 of the 21 players have either retired or will be retiring soon. It will be interesting to see who fills that vacuum.

6. Who is your least favorite professional player?

The survey says: Stefanos Tsitsipas 4; Nick Kyrgios 3, Novak Djokovic 3; Serena Williams 1; Aryna Sabalenka 1; Holger Rune 1; Andy Roddick 1; Benoit Paire 1; Andy Murray 1; Daniil Medvedev 1

My Take: I didn’t mean to be so negative but four people did choose to abstain. I don’t think these results for the most part were that surprising but it will be interesting to see if Novak gets more love as he gets older or after he retires.

7. What’s the best way to handle a cheater when it’s impossible to get a linesjudge?

The survey says: Question each call 9; Cheat back on a call 7; Do nothing 3; Change The Score 1

My Take: This question probably doesn’t have the best answer available, which is that it shouldn’t be impossible to get an umpire. As their coach, throughout my career I have witnessed kids defer to me instead of their parents on everything related to tennis, except on the best way to handle cheaters. I have found that this is the one topic maybe since it’s more of a character issue that kids will hear my opinion but give more credence to their parents.

8. Should a talented young player who solely plays with yellow balls play orange ball tournaments to gain experience or wait until they are old enough to play yellow ball tournaments?

The survey says: Play orange ball

tournaments 15; Wait until they can play yellow 6

My Take: Although my opinion is pretty strong on the topic, I figured that the split would be along these lines. The benefit of playing the orange ball tournaments is that even if the child practices regularly with yellow ball and full-courts it does give the child match experience and gets them out of the orange ball progression faster. The reason to not play the orange ball tournaments is that it can get frustrating for a child who has been playing yellow ball tournaments, as well as, the child has to keep switching backand-forth. The interesting thing I notice though is that in the lobbies of the orange ball tournaments all of the parents tell one another how their child plays yellow ball. So I guess the disadvantage is equal.

9. Are you ok with a junior player serving underhand as a tactic in a match?

The survey says: Yes 15; No 6

My Take: I think the results of this question would have been much more close just 10-years ago. The player code that this is bad sportsmanship seems to

have changed on this to the point that I remember debating years ago that this is bad sportsmanship but feel like I better change my opinion or the game will be passing me by. I still don’t like the idea of it but it doesn’t seem to annoy players opponents as much know as it did years ago and the acceptance of using it as a tactic to change momentum seems to be more and more accepted.

10. Have you ever gotten yelled at or reprimanded by people on the court next to you for being too loud while teaching:

The survey says: Yes 16; No 5

My Take: Yeah, there is nothing worse than walking onto a court and seeing an adult league or seasonal court-time on the adjacent court. It’s tough because you want to try and lower your voice but at the same time, the student has paid their money (usually 3x the league price) for as good and enthusiastic of a lesson as the pro gives. I do wonder sometimes why national junior finals can tolerate screaming kids on the court next to them while seasonal court-time needs complete silence…another question for another day!

Ricky Becker is The Director of Tennis at Glen Oaks Club. Ricky also coaches highperformance juniors throughout the year and has been the Director of Tennis at three of Long Island’s biggest junior programs. As a player, Becker was the Most Valuable Player for the 1996 NCAA Championship Stanford Tennis team, four-time MVP for Roslyn High School and ranked in the top-five nationally as a junior. He can be reached at rbecker06@yahoo.com or 516-359-4843.

MayAdult League Wrap-Up

By Becky Bellino

is National Tennis Month, and our adult league play has its fair share of participation to celebrate our sport’s recognition! While the Mixed and Tri-Level leagues are coming to a close with these Sectionals taking place at the end of May and June, the Men’s and Women’s Leagues kicked off during the last week of April which was met with much anticipation!

To highlight the early 2024 leagues, the 18 & Over Mixed Doubles Sectional will be held the last weekend in May. Congratulations to the following teams:

• 18+ 6.0: Lynbrook - Donna Healy and Stephen Donaldson

• 18+ 7.0: Deer Park – Suresh Patel and Kevin Bunting

• 18+ 8.0: Long Beach – Atara Simpson and Matt Freeman

A big shout out to our 10.0 captains who got this league up and running for 2024. Thank you to Long Beach’s Daria Sekerina and Deer

Park’s Roslyn Chua-McAlonie! These two teams are still battling it out with the winner determined in mid-May. For 2024, the mixed doubles Sectional will take place in Westchester County. More details to come as the date approaches.

Our women’s 5.0 Tri-Level League winner has been determined as well and Carefree’s team, captained by Susan Bacey and Alyssa Bonadonna, will be representing Long Island up in Schenectady at the end of June. This league continues to grow with 5 of the 6 regions participating this year. Last year, only Long Island and Southern took part. Congratulations to the Long Island ladies on their advancement, and good luck against the other contenders!

And now our true busy season has begun! As mentioned, the 18+ and 40+ Men’s and Women’s teams kicked off in late April and early May. The 55+ and 65+ leagues begin in late May and early June. With over 160 teams participating in our

various leagues and almost 900 matches scheduled across the Island, May truly is National Tennis Month, and it is amazing to see the representation that Long Island has. Thank you all for your efforts and participation to continue the growth of the sport we all love so much. I hope for a fun-filled, action packed season with you all! Looking forward to seeing everyone on the courts!

USTA Eastern Launches Flex Leagues on Long Island

Last year, USTA Eastern launched pilot programs for USTA Flex leagues and a new app for players to connect with one another, doing so in New York City and Westchester. And beginning in May, the USTA Flex app will be available on Long Island.

With USTA Flex, you can play more tennis on your terms—and meet new players in your area. This program was designed with your busy lifestyle in mind. You make the schedule. You set the time. You play

when and where it’s convenient for you. And even more convenient, everything is arranged directly through your phone with the USTA Flex app.

“The pilot version of the Flex Leagues was great!” said Austin Doyle, who participated in the pilot programs last year. “I played in Manhattan and Westchester last year. I enjoyed the flexibility of using the USTA Flex app to schedule matches with opponents in my pool on my own time. Plus, the app uses World Tennis Number (WTN) ratings to connect me with players at my skill level. It cuts out the hassle of trying to meet people through a tennis group on Facebook.”

That is one of the main appeals of the Flex app and its primary goal—to make things more flexible for players. Instead of searching through social media to find someone to hit with or a match to play, the app does the work for you. There are structured leagues but not done on a fixed schedule,

instead allowing players to play when most convenient for them.

“USTA Flex Leagues are designed for flexible competition, allowing players to schedule matches at their convenience rather than following fixed schedules,” Doyle added. “They are similar to typical Adult Leagues in that they offer opportunities to play tennis and meet new players. However, there are no fixed schedules or commitments in USTA Flex, making it easier for players with busy schedules to participate. You really can play wherever, whenever!”

After successful trials in NYC and Westchester, Long Islanders will be able to take advantage of Flex Leagues beginning this spring.

Everyone has busy schedules and it’s not always easy to find match times and court availability, but the Flex app is now available to alleviate all of those issues and stresses.

“I highly recommend USTA Flex Leagues to other players because the app is designed to make our lives

easier. I love playing tennis—I don't love giving my number to strangers, rescheduling, finding courts, and traveling 30+ minutes during rush hour just to get bageled. USTA Flex removes a lot of those complications! Being able to play matches on your schedule, anywhere you choose, and matching with players at your skill level makes tennis more convenient for adults trying to incorporate the sport into their lifestyle. It's great to see new tech streamlining scheduling logistics. The app gives you control over your life! You can play after work on a Tuesday night without having to fork over a ton of membership fees! Plus, the opportunity to connect with local players at a similar skill level and enjoy the game at your own pace makes USTA Flex Leagues a solid option for players of all levels.”

Becky Bellino is the Adult League Coordinator for USTA/Long Island. She may be reached at bellino@eastern.usta.com.

Authoritative or collaborative?

Militancy or cohesiveness?

Howdoes one create the ideal environment so that a player is poised for optimum success? This article will humbly attempt to unpack the nuances and roadblocks occurring during player/parent/coach interactions and conclude with a suggestive roadmap for amicable and fructuous outcomes throughout the player/coach/parent lifecycle. Parent vs. Coach (P vs. C) is a five-part series. The first addresses the most critical segment: coach selection. The remaining four parts will discuss long-term commitment, improvement, complication, and termination.

Game, set, and match are the three words that conclude a tennis match. Those words encapsulate a singular story that contributes to the foreverinvolving identity of what we call the player. But how is this identity formed?

Parent vs. Coach (Coach Selection)

By Eldad Campbell

What are its origins? Two promising answers include at birth and coach selection. The myriad of varying experiences from birth would create a nearly impossible task of creating a roadmap for a successful outcome if addressed as the point of origin. Using coach selection as the point of origin creates an actionable pathway for developing a successful player. What is the selection process for a suitable coach? Logical syllogism often governs our thought process and blurs interpretations of reality. Conventional wisdom dictates that we evaluate ability based on past and current player caliber from a coach's repertoire. We confer, “All of Phil's players are good. My son plays with Phil. My son is (will be) a good player.” On the surface, this approach may seem plausible. However, a suitability fallacy that can prove detrimental in the future goes unnoticed. Personality compatibility is the

understructure in coach suitability decisionmaking. It is a common practice on Long Island to grant an initial trial lesson before a semester commitment. During the trial lesson, the disciplinary practices employed by the coach should be the focus while refraining from concentrated analysis on technical expertise. Disciplinary practices refer to the parameters set forth by the coach, including acceptable behavior and the standard of performance expected during practices.

Children possess different levels of motivation, and varying degree of encouragement is required to drive performance. Within these parameters, the coach should attempt to integrate discipline and hard work, striking a balance that abstains from potentially sacrificing the player's love for the game or suppressing distinctive attributes. As you watch the trial lesson, scan the coach's leadership style and determine if building camaraderie, trust, and friendships is idealized. Reject all enforcing authoritative figures possessing a cookie-cutter mold mindset.

Tennis professionals are adept at selling their craft. They have mastered the art of negotiating. Proficient in identifying feelings and the driving forces behind them, tennis pros can tap into a parent's and child's mind, unveil their emotional desires, and provide an output of majestic words, much like a Shakespearean play. If it sounds too good to be true, it probably is. Without sufficient evidence to support a proposed outcome, refuse the pitch.

An established custom unitized by coaches involves persuading the client to increase on-court hours and neglect collaborative work. While additional play time will improve ability, increasing

playing time without a structured plan will lead to disaster. As on-court hours increase, the interaction becomes strained, competition results become the nucleus of the relationship, and the increased financial investment warrants a return. While the fixation on results is certainly unhealthy, short-term goals can be sound developmental tools when balanced within a nurturing long-term philosophy.

The superior approach entails evaluating what the coach articulates, doing your research, and ensuring the knowledge offered is rooted in realism. Be on the lookout for the coach who prides himself on past players and accolades. A good coach knows you are only as good as your last bat.

Goal setting is the Sistine Chapel of the coach selection process. It is the endgame, encompassing knowledge from the sales pitch and personality compatibility. Usually, a coach probes and asks the player and parent about their goals and expectations. The popular response is “I do not want my

child to play professional tennis. I want them to play college, high school, etc.”

Though this is a true statement in the beginning, the underlying goals change as the child improves. This change in sentiment can create potential future conflict. Instead of asking what the goals are, the coach should explore an action plan regarding capabilities, desires, schedule, passion, and finances, leaving an opening for an amendment if circumstances change. Children grow and evolve. Employing an open-ended revolving model for growth rather than a static template will benefit the long game.

The principal intent of P vs. C is to introduce a functional manual affecting a wholesome working relationship between players, coaches, and parents. We aspire to mitigate personal friction,

provide usable data for coach selection evaluation, present an approach for the initial interactions between parents and coaches, and identify checkpoints that allow for pivots when inevitable disagreements occur. While there is no fixed recipe for success or victory, we hope the information presented provides structure and direction to the tennis community. If the approaches feel right, use them and add your distinctive flavor. The surest way to minimize conflict is to harness many ideas and thoughts and add them to the information pool. The more information we offer, the greater our understanding of each other. This in-depth understanding allows us to realize that we want the same outcomes. Pick the right coach and watch your child experience those magnetic words of game, set, and match in their favor.

Eldad Campbell is the High Performance Talent Development Specialist at Robbie Wagner Tournament and Training Center. He is a four-time representative of the Jamaican Men’s Davis Cup, Junior Davis Cup, World Youth Cup, and Pan American Games team and a former number-one junior tennis player in Jamaica. He currently counsels high-performance tennis players, parents, and coaches, helping them navigate the different terrains of the tennis industry. He can be reached by email at connect@eldadcampbell.com.

Tennis Apparel Providers

40 Love Lifestyle started with a vision to create a local store with an international presence, starting community of local tennis players who could find each other in order to play new, fun and interesting people that have similar mindsets. With that thought, 40 Love opened a local store in Manhasset that could serve as a meeting ground.

A boutique that offered the best collections of clothing for an active lifestyle as well as a sporting goods store with equipment and a beautiful stringing machine that restrings any kind of racquet. A "Sportique” was the solution.

40 Love Lifestyle wants to be your main resource for all of your tennis & racquet sport needs, as well as being your "go-to" store for all the best Golf apparel and accessories, giving you a collection of equipment and apparel that inspires you to feel your best while being active and living your best life. 40 Love carries tennis, badminton, pickleball, and golf equipment, with plans to expand on that in the future. Visit 40LoveLifestyle.com to learn more about the sportique, and shop the wide variety of products, as well as the community 40 Love is creating on the North Shore of Long Island.

inPhormNYC.com l support@inphormnyc.com l (214) 749-0300

our online store ... New Kids Style Line!

inPhorm has launched a Kids tennis collection for the first time on its website. It’s elegant and functional, and the designs are inspired by the silhouettes of the adult line. Construction details and comfortable fabrics match the women’s and the men’s collections, and are equal in quality and reasonable prices.

inPhorm has been offering the Kids Collection to its wholesale accounts, but now makes it available to our online customers. The current girls’ collection is a capsule of the women’s Plumeria Collection, making it easy for a customer to choose a mother and daughter look. The boys’ collection has styles that are taken from the men’s collection that is launching soon on inPhorm’s website. Men, too, can have their father and son look.

Guide to the Top Tennis Apparel Providers

High Country Ski & Tennis

465 West Mount Pleasant Avenue l Livingston, N.J. l (973) 994-3630

HighCountr ySkiAndTennis.com

High Country Ski & Tennis is one of New Jersey’s premier tennis specialty shops. In existence for more than 30 years, High Country has New Jersey’s largest tennis showroom from March through September, and it is shrunk down in the winter months to focus on skiing and snowboarding.

High Country prides itself on providing the best in clothing, equipment and customer service. As Owner Bill Silverman says, “Our philosophy is to promote the game of tennis as much as our own company.”

High Country carries the top manufactures and clothing providers in tennis, including Wilson, Babolat, Head, Nike, Adidas and many more. High Country offers 24-hour racket stringing, grommet installs, re-gripping and free demos. With great customer service and competitive prices, High Country continues to grow each year. For more information, call (973) 994-3630 or visit HighCountrySkiAndTennis.com.

SPORTIME Pro Shops

Locations across Long Island and New York City l (888) NY-TENNIS

Spor timeNY.com

With locations in Randall’s Island, Amagansett, Roslyn, Lynbrook, Syosset, Bethpage, Quogue, Kings Park, and our newest location in Port Washington, many of SPORTIME’s Long Island locations feature full service Pro Shops. Let our dedicated racket sports experts help you find all the gear and clothing you need for tennis, pickleball, and more, on and off the court!

While each shop is unique, geared towards the offerings at each club and the tastes of each club’s players, Sportime Pro Shops offer a great selection of rackets, strings, apparel, bags, footwear and accessories, from top brands like Head, Wilson, Babolat, Yonex, Solinco, Luxilon, Tecnifibre, Nike, KSwiss, Lucky-in-Love, Sofibella, Lija and others.

Five-star service is always our goal, and SPORTIME provides 24-hour stringing, grommet replacement, racket regripping and customization. If you are looking for a new racket, demos are available for free, or for a small fee. And our network of pro shops can source hard-to-find or out-of-stock items for fast delivery to your nearest SPORTIME location.

SPORTIME’s experienced and knowledgeable staff are standing by to help you with all your equipment or apparel needs, maximizing your enjoyment and comfort on and off the court. For more information about SPORTIME’s Pro Shops, or to inquire about programs, lessons and court times, call (888) 698-3664.

Guide to the

Top Tennis Apparel Providers

Tennis East

73 Main Street l Southampton, N.Y. l (631) 283-9535

TennisEastSH@optonline.com l TennisEast.com

For more than 50 years, Tennis East has been the year-round, full-service tennis store of choice for East End racket sport enthusiasts. Tennis East offers an extensive selection of men’s, women’s and junior’s rackets, apparel, sneakers, strings and accessories for players of all ages and skill levels. More so, Tennis East carries a complete line of 10 & Under Tennis equipment, so that kids will have more fun playing tennis.

Tennis East carries the most popular and latest product arrivals, so that its customers can use the same gear that the top tennis pros are using. The store stocks a full line of Nike, Adidas, FILA, Babolat, Wilson and Head products. In addition, Tennis East has expanded its women’s apparel offering to include several new fashion designers. Allow Tennis East’s knowledgeable and friendly team members to assist you choose the proper new tennis, paddle or pickleball racket to elevate your game. Tennis East has an extensive selection of rackets to demo and all daily fee charges will be credited towards your new adult racket purchase. Tennis East continues to string all customer and demo racquets on the Wilson Baiardo, which is the state-of-the-art stringing machine on the market.

Tennis East is the conveniently located, one-stop shop for all your racquet sport needs, and is committed to providing personalized service, professional advice, competitive pricing and a unique shopping experience. Please look for special offers on Tennis East’s social network sites. For more information, contact Tennis East by phone at (631) 283-9535 or e-mail TennisEast@optonline.net.

TopSpin Tennis & Fitness

218 Jericho Turnpike l Syosset, N.Y. l (516) 364-9470

TopSpin Tennis & Fitness is Nassau County’s top tennis specialty shop. TopSpin relocated five years ago and is now centrally located at 218 Jericho Turnpike in Syosset, N.Y., directly across from Syosset Hospital.

TopSpin provides one-hour expert stringing at both facilities. Known as the home of “Clothes for the Pros,” TopSpin has been serving Long Island tennis pros and players with equipment and the top fashion in the sport for more than 30 years. TopSpin’s staff is known for its expertise and high-quality service. You will find all the premier tennis brands of equipment, apparel and shoes at TopSpin for the whole family, including Nike, Adidas, K-Swiss, Asics, Babolat, Wilson, Head, Prince and many more.

TopSpin now offers pickleball equipment, including padels, shoes and accessories.

TopSpin carries a full line of fitness and workout apparel and running shoes, so you can go from the court to the gym in style. Their racket wall contains a large selection of frames, bags and accessories at great prices. Your racket can be strung while you wait. TopSpin’s staff will ensure that, with the right equipment, you will reach your highest potential as a player and just as importantly, look great too. For more information, visit TopSpinTennisLI.com.

Gallwey’s “The Inner Game of Tennis”: Is it Fact or a Fallacy?

By Dr. Tom Ferraro

Withover 1 million copies

sold, Timothy Gallwey’s classic “The Inner Game of Tennis” is one of the classic texts in sport psychology. Gallwey was a good tennis player who captained his Harvard University team but more than that, he was an imaginative, bright and articulate teacher who created a new way of learning by blending Eastern philosophy, learning theory and psychology in a simple and easy to understand way.

acceptance, and self-observation rather than self-criticism.

His books on the inner game have had a wide impact on sport psychology, business, and coaching and has been used by superstars like Tom Brady and Billie Jean King who learned to quiet their minds by using inner game techniques.

His theory of the inner game is quite simple by pointing out that harsh critical judgmental thinking or what he refers to as Self-1 does nothing more than tighten the muscles and interferes with the body’s natural ability to learn things. Gallwey feels that Self-1 is judgmental, controlling and overly verbal and this produces confusion, tension and fatigue. His Self-1 is really synonymous with what psychoanalysts call the harsh super ego which produces an obsessive intellectual defensive style, anxiety and neurosis. Gallwey suggests that real learning ought to be childlike and non-verbal and should be handed over to what he calls Self-2 which functions with images and feelings. His Self-2 is an example of mental health with a reliance on

The rub with all of this is that it’s obvious that less thinking, less judgment, less worry is the way to perform well on the court but exactly how does one go about this? Gallwey suggests that to get into Self-2 learning, you look carefully at the ball itself, listen to the sound of the ball hitting the racket, feel the weight of the racket or visualize proper ball flight. His methods have had a major influence on standard sport psychology which has not gotten much further than Gallwey. The current state of sport psychology is best described as an overuse of these same coping skills but they use terms like visualization, target awareness, meditative techniques and hypnosis.

It certainly is wise to be less judgmental in anything one does and its right to quiet the mind and to be more visually aware when playing tennis. Sport is a visual motor experience and the athlete needs to be at peace and to use the right cortex to

perform well. Verbal overthinking is common in athletes, especially intelligent athletes who play tennis or golf. These athletes frequently use their left cortex more often and try to control their bodies with words. But the body does not speak English. It speaks in images and in feelings. Many highly educated and intelligent tennis players have fallen deeply into the rabbit hole of overthinking and harsh self-attack and this causes tension, slumps and despair.

It may be that The Inner Game of Tennis is simplistic but there is much to be said for what Gallwey advises. The Inner Game of Tennis asks one to practice forgiveness, and selfobservation rather than self-criticism. This may be very difficult for elite tennis players that are perfectionistic, demanding and intelligent but it’s the way to go. If you can get just that out of Timothy Gallwey’s book you have gotten your money’s worth and then some. When mistakes occur, do not criticize yourself but try to evaluate and observe what you did incorrectly. And try using more images, visual cues, sounds and feels rather than words. Words are for conversations, whereas images, sounds and feels are for the tennis courts.

In the Kitchen

An in-depth look at Pickleball on Long Island

Doubles Teams Arrive for Pickleball Easter Classic

Long Island Tennis Magazine hosted its second event of its 2024 Pickleball Event Series as doubles teams came out to compete in the Pickleball Easter Classic at Bethpage Park Tennis Center.

Teams competed against one another in round-robin play across two different divisions, Men’s Doubles 8.0 combined and Women’s Doubles 7.5-8.0 combined, with the results of those matches determining who advanced to the quarterfinal knockout rounds.

Demeo defeated Justin Giannone & Wade Pond in the championship match to claim the title.

“Teamwork,” Demeo said when asked what the key to success was. “When it got tough, we made sure to stay positive and stick together. We played the last one back in February and came in second place, and we used that experience to try and be better today. This was a great event, a lot of nice players and there were food and drinks, how can you go wrong?”

Baker added:

In the Men’s Doubles division, the pairing of Scott Baker & Matthew

“The way we play really complements each other, and he backs me when I’m screwing up, and vice versa. I owe the win to my pickleball mentor George Graulich.”

Larry Dickman & Michael Edelstein defeated Kevin Stanis & Manya Musanha in the third-place match to earn the Bronze Medal.

Emilie Katz & Val Bogard overcame a difficult semifinal match against Larissa Klug & Seema Imberman to advance to the finals in the Women’s Doubles

The Women’s Doubles Champions: Emilie Katz & Val Bogard

division, and then carried that momentum into the championship to defeat Lisa Goldberg & Darlene Pergola and earn the title.

“In the semifinals they played smart, and I think in the finals we had the most energy we had all night,” said Katz. “We relaxed and had fun.”

Bogard added:

“I think we settled down a bit, and for some reason it felt like we couldn’t miss in the finals.”

Klug & Imberman would earn the Bronze Medal by winning the thirdplace match.

The 3rd Annual Pickleball Classic was a success. Long Island Tennis Magazine will continue to be active in the Pickleball world as we head into the summer.

We were proud to once again put on a professionally-run event! We made sure all participants played a

lot, that the tournament ran on-time and that we had pizza, drinks, etc.. available to everyone throughout the night. said Tournament Director David Sickmen. “We would like to thank Bethpage Park Tennis Center and the Serve & Return 501c3 organization for allowing us use of the facility and courts. We’re excited to continue our involvement within the pickleball community, and help to

further the sport’s growth by running more special events moving forward.”

The next Long Island Pickleball Challenge event will be a big one and will be held on Saturday, June 15 at Sportime Hempstead Lake. Registration is open and you can go to LITennisMag.com/Events/JunePickleb allChallenge to sign up!

2024 Pickleball Event Series Continues With Long Island Pickleball Challenge

TheLong Island Pickleball Challenge returns to the courts of Sportime Hempstead Lake for our first outdoor pickleball event of the season.

There will be three divisions of play:

• Men’s Doubles 8.0-8.5 combined

• Mixed Doubles 7.0-7.5 combined

• Women’s Doubles 7.5-8.0 combined

The event will feature a catered breakfast table including bagels, muffins and drinks. In the afternoon, we will have pizza and more. This is completely complementary for players. Throughout the event the bar will be open for players to enjoy a beautiful summer afternoon in the park.

Prizes and medals will be awarded for winners of all divisions, and the winners will also be featured in this section of the July/August edition of Long Island Tennis Magazine.

A year ago, the inaugural Long Island Pickleball Challenge at Hempstead Lake State Park featured a sold-out draw which was met with much positive feedback.

Read what tournament participants have said about the LITM Pickleball Event Series:

“The people were great and it was a fun environment. There was lots of great food, and delicious drinks. These events are always a great time.” – Courtney Kowalsky

“ Long Island Tennis Magazine and Sportime do such a great job with these events. I know they run a lot of tournaments, so we’re excited to just keep it going.” – Louis Butzgy

“The tournament was very wellrun, and the people here were so nice. There was wonderful competition, and it was a fun time off the court. So it was a great night.” – Lisa Gross

“It was such an awesome event. It ran smoothly. We’re looking forward to the next one.” – Eric Forsythe

To learn more, visit LITennisMag.com/Events/JunePickleba llChallenge.

the kitchen

continued from page 57

SPORTIME Pickleball Announces Westbury Location As Part of Broad Expansion Plan

SPORTIME

Pickleball has announced four new locations in New York and New Jersey as Part of Broad Expansion Plan, including one here on Long Island.

SPORTIME Pickleball Westbury (575 Merrick Ave.) will open in the fall of 2024 and is the second announced dedicated pickleball facilities for Sportime.

SPORTIME Pickleball Westbury will feature 13 dedicated indoor pickleball courts and will be the largest indoor pickleball facility in New York State. Its proximity to the Meadowbrook Parkway and The Roosevelt Field mall, along with thousands of other businesses and densely populated residential areas, make it an ideal pickleball hub for Nassau County.

In addition to the Westbury location, SPORTIME has also announced new locations in Englewood, New Jersey and Wayne, New Jersey, which join the already announced Armonk, New York location. The goal is to have 200+ dedicated indoor pickleball courts by 2030.

“With four leases signed and more coming soon, our goal is for SPORTIME to

be the leading pickleball provider in the tristate area. Like our tennis and sports locations, which we have operated in our region since 1994, SPORTIME

Pickleball locations will provide the highest quality facilities and programs and the best coaches, serving players of all ages and levels for decades to come, ”said Claude Okin, President & CEO of SPORTIME

SPORTIME Pickleball’s four signed leases represent over 150,000 square feet and 66 indoor courts. The company is actively negotiating other agreements throughout the 5 boroughs of New York City, as well as in prime locations in New York, New Jersey, and Connecticut.

“Our entire team is thrilled to be able to bring our brand of architecture and interior design to these facilities and to help grow the Sportime Pickleball brand with an elevated level of design and interior aesthetic,” said Joe Yacobellis, Senior Associate at Mojo Stumer Associates, the architect of record for Sportime Pickleball Englewood.

For more information, email info@SportimePickleball.com.

USTA National Tennis Center To Host APP New York City Open

Someof the world’s best pickleball players will arrive in New York to compete in the annual Association of Pickleball Professionals (APP) New York City Open in May.

The event will run from Tuesday, May 21 through Sunday, May 26 at the USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center in Flushing Meadows. The tournament was first held in 2022 and is a USA Pickleball Golden Ticket event, tournaments that are the only guaranteed path for amateur players to play in the 2024 Biofreeze USA Pickleball National Championships, the premier tournament in the sport of pickleball.

Long Island Tennis Magazine spoke to APP Chief Marketing Officer Tom Webb to discuss this year’s event, what fans can come to expect and more!

How excited are you and the APP Tour to return to Queens for the New York City Open?

Bringing pickleball to one of the world’s most iconic sporting venues is an honor, and a privilege for the APP, one we are very excited about.

We ran our first event at the Billie Jean King National Tennis Center in 2023, and the overwhelming success of that event told us that not only would we want to return in 2024, but also that the pickleball community across NYC, and further afield, wants to play top-level pickleball in the sort of environment we can create at Flushing Meadows.

How many different categories/divisions does the event feature?

Literally hundreds! There are amateur brackets for every level in men’s and women’s singles, mixed doubles, and men’s and women’s doubles, then there are the same in the pro brackets, and in our AARP Champions and AARP Masters divisions, for players over 50 and 60

respectively. We are also going to have a brand-new, unique pro competition on Sunday, featuring individual players competing together.

What can fans expect at this year’s event? Why is this a fun event to attend?

Fans can expect to see some of the world’s best players battling it out in the pro ranks, and thousands of amateurs playing in multiple brackets across dozens of courts.

We’ll have great food and drink available, and a large array of APP

partners on site, offering something for all the family. Most of all, there’s a simply great atmosphere at APP events.

One other big highlight of this year will be our Saturday night special. We are live on Fox Sports on Saturday night at 8pm, so we have a whole program of fun for the fans and the players that’ll make that evening a real standout in the 2024 pickleball calendar. Finally, on Sunday, the APP will be making more pickleball history with a brand new pro competition live on TV.

Keys To The Kick Serve: An Excerpt From Chris Lewit’s New Technique Book, Winning Pretty

Winning Pretty is currently available exclusively in digital format with lavish video illustrations at Tennisplayer.net magazine. The book will be published in paperback by New Chapter Press in 2025

By Chris Lewit

The Three Kicks

In this chapter, "topspin" and "kick" are used interchangeably to describe any high bouncing serve with forward rotation on the ball. In reality, however, there are three variations of the kick serve. These three variations are what I call true topspin, slice topspin, and twist. The differences are in the path of the ball through the air, the path of the ball after the bounce—and most importantly—to understand how the racket moves to the contact to produce these differences. Let me define what I mean by each of these three serves.

True topspin bounces high and straight ahead. This serve is the most basic kick serve and most players will use it for the second serve a large percentage of the time. When well executed this serve is heavy and difficult to deal with because it can bounce well above the returner's preferred contact height. Slice topspin bounces high but (from the server's perspective) also has a rightto-left movement after the bounce. Players will use this serve less frequently than the true topspin, typically when hitting second serves down the T in the ad court, or into the body or out wide in the deuce court. The advantage here compared to the true topspin, is that the ball fades or curves away from the returner (or in the case of a body serve, jams the returner). This serve is a must to hit effective second serves against left handers. The third topspin variation is the twist. The

twist serve bounces high but actually moves from the server's left to his right. Typically it is hit to the returner's backhand, especially in the ad court, where it kicks high away from the player after the bounce. This serve is used to pull the returner out of position, force him to take additional steps to the ball, and play a contact point at shoulder level or even higher. It is used most often on clay, but can also be extremely effective on hard courts–especially gritty or high-rebound hard courts–when hit with the right combination of speed and spin.

The Technical Components

There are multiple technical components in the kick serve, and this complexity makes the serve difficult to master. Even though there is a lot of information, it is important to understand each of the components clearly, and then how to put them together in the complete motion. Let's go over the components from start to finish starting with the grip.

Grip

The grip is critical to learning an

effective topspin serve. Most players who come to me do not demonstrate a strong enough grip to effectively hit heavy spin. I call this grip a strong continental. The problem is that most players try to hit the serve with a milder version of the continental, or even with a grip rotated toward an eastern forehand. The frustrating thing about defining the right grip is that coaches, and especially coaches from different countries–use different terminology and also tend to have different opinions about the position of the index knuckle. Whatever you want to call it, I believe in this strong continental, with the index knuckle very near bevel 1 (top bevel). This grip promotes heavy spin without slowing down the ball too much, as a more extreme backhand serve grip can do. I also believe players can hit the first serve with this grip, rather than making a dramatic grip change between first and second serves, which can hurt disguise. Players can also have a subtle change between first and second serve grips. Of course, some players are extremely talented with their wrists and hands, and they can get away with a less extreme grip. There is also an alternate option to using one grip. Rather than using the exact same grip for both serves, some players choose to make a subtle shift of the palm position--or even of the knuckle position-between the first and second serve. I would estimate that this includes a

quarter of the top players or slightly more, based on my first hand observations. Many players can use the strong continental for the kick–and the other serves.

Whether a player shifts grips for the second serve usually depends on personal preference and the philosophy his developmental coaches had when building his game as a junior. Some players don't even realize that they make a shift. They naturally adjust the heel of the palm slightly more toward the top of the frame--to maximize the brushing action upward to the ball. I believe that this is acceptable. However, the grip shift should not be extreme and the shift should not be noticeable by the opponent.

When building a world-class serve, disguise with all the serves–flat, slice, and kick–should be an important priority. Many elite coaches insist on the single grip, but I allow for a subtle change if it helps the player

and does not hinder disguise. From a developmental standpoint, encouraging this grip shift can help a player break through a learning roadblock. As a player develops, the placement of the hand can be moved toward one universal grip and most players should be able to use one grip for all serves.

The Mid-Swing Switch

When a player is learning this strong grip, the coach, or the player himself, must watch the student very carefully in mid-swing. Many kids show me the right grip before the kick serve and then, somewhere in the backswing, whether consciously or unconsciously, they slip back to a

weaker grip (closer to the eastern forehand) before they hit the ball. Coaches and players must watch that hand like a hawk. The way to make sure the grip is remaining the same is to check the grip at the end of the swing, not at the beginning. Using video analysis is also an excellent way to monitor the grip. The hand can often shift midswing, so you have to be strict if you are coaching and honest with yourself, if you are a player.

You can read more of this chapter now digitally online at Tennisplayer.net or when it is published in paperback format in 2025.

Chris Lewit is a leading high-performance coach, educator and author of the best-selling book, The Secrets of Spanish Tennis, and a new technique book, Winning Pretty, which will be published in 2025. Secrets of Spanish Tennis, Second Edition will be published in September 2024. As a coach, he has trained hundreds of nationally ranked juniors. He directs a full-time academy for homeschool/online players and a high performance summer camp program, as well as bespoke high performance training for all ages and levels, all at his club in the beautiful green mountains of Vermont. Contact Chris directly by phone/WhatsApp 914-462-2912 or chris@chrislewit.com.

SPORTIME/JMTA To Host the Eighth Annual College Combine at SPORTIME Port Washington

RisingHigh School Sophomores, Juniors and Seniors are Invited

To Participate In A Recruiting Combine At SPORTIME Port Washington, the newest SPORTIME and JMTA location. College Coaches From Brown, Baylor, Cornell, Dartmouth, Penn State, William & Mary, Wake Forest, Bentley, Middlebury, Wesleyan, Stony Brook, Bryant, St. John’s, Hofstra, Union and Colgate Committed To Attend With Many Others Expected.

Helping young athletes attend the

colleges of their choice, on full tennis scholarships when possible, is a foundational goal of SPORTIME and JMTA. With dozens of JMTA students currently competing at top colleges across the country, today the Academy announced the Eighth Annual John McEnroe Tennis Academy College Combine, scheduled for the weekend of June 22nd and June 23rd, 2024, to be held at the newest SPORTIME and JMTA location, SPORTIME Port Washington.

The Combine, a substantial success

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in its first seven years, will again give select rising high school sophomores, juniors and seniors, from around the country and beyond, both JMTA and non-JMTA students, the opportunity to showcase their technical and tactical tennis skills, and their athletic abilities, in front of coaches from top colleges and universities. The Combine also features a livestreaming platform, which gives players the opportunity to perform for a wider group of coaches; last year, over 100 coaches from across the country “attended” the event, virtually, joining those who attended in-person.“JMTA is committed to preparing our players for college tennis, and to working with them to identify and to help them to attend the colleges and universities that best suit them,” said John McEnroe. “The Combine has been a big hit in its first seven years, and with the 2024 event being hosted at SPORTIME Port Washington, where my brother and I, among others, trained as juniors, it promises to be extra special for me and Patrick.”

The Port Washington Tennis Academy, now SPORTIME Port Washington, and one of two JMTA satellite locations on Long Island, was where legends John McEnroe, Patrick McEnroe, Vitas Gerulaitis, Mary

Carillo and Tracy Austin, among others, trained as juniors. An $8 million plus facility renovation is nearing completion, and the facility features 7 oversized, sub-irrigated, soft-surface, Har-Tru tennis courts, 6 new hard-surface tennis courts and 12 new dedicated pickleball courts, as well as many other upgrades and amenities.

The Combine will welcome 50 boys and 50 girls. Coaches representing all three NCAA Divisions are expected to attend. Representatives from prestigious leagues, including the Ivy League, ACC, Big East, SEC, Big 10, Patriot League and NESCAC attended in previous years and are expected again this year.

Interested players can get more information, and apply to participate in the Combine, at www.Sportime.com/JMTACombine. Combine applications will be accepted from through May 31 for the 100 Combine spots available. The Combine Selection Committee will evaluate each application based upon objective criteria, and applicants will be informed of their status as “admitted” or “wait-listed”. Those who are wait-listed will be contacted if they are, subsequently, admitted.

Check-in will begin at 8:00 a.m. for all players on both Combine days. Participants will compete in singles and doubles match play with tracked results that count toward their UTRs.

Players will also receive athletic performance assessments and will be invited to participate in Sports Vision Testing and in a College Coaches’ Panel Discussion. Combine partner, Tennis Analytics, will be videorecording all matches and will offer participant packages, including match videos with detailed analytics. Included for each Combine participant is an integrated recruiting package, including the match videos, which are made available, digitally, to both participants and coaches, at the touch of a button on their personal Player Portals.

For further details, visit www.SPORTIMENY.com/JMTACombin e or email jmtacombine@sportimeny.com.

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Distribution scheduled for 07/01/24

This edition will feature:

• Look Ahead to the 2024 U.S. Open

• LI Boys’ High School Tennis Recap

• Long Island Tennis Magazine’s Summer Events

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