Long Island Tennis Magazine November December 2016 by United Sports Publications

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Table Of Contents Overcoming the Odds By Brian Coleman

Stan Wawrinka won the final Grand Slam of 2016 at the U.S. Open. With his win, Stan th taking over the top spot atop the ATP Men’s Singles Rankings in 2017 and beyond. Se

Highlights 30 Long Island Tennis Magazine’s 2016 Tennis Travel Destinations Guide We take a look some of the hottest tennis travel destinations, including Boca West Country Club, Elite Tennis Travel, Mauna Kea Beach Hotel, Peter Kaplan’s Westhampton Beach Junior/Adult Tennis Academy, Tennis Fantasies With John Newcombe and The Legends, and Topnotch Resort.

34 2016 Coaches Roundtable Discussion We get the chance to sit down with the area’s top coaches and brainstorm on a variety of topics, from the evolution of the sport of tennis, to the state of American tennis and much, much more.

48 Long Island Tennis Magazine’s 2016 Holiday Gift Guide Get some great gift ideas for the 2016 holiday season from some of the sport’s top providers.

Features

PowerShares Series Comes to Brooklyn’s Barclays Center

Across Long Island … News and Notes From Across the L.I. Tennis Community

The Jensen Zone: Grading the 2016 U.S. Open By Luke Jensen

Local LI Team Qualifies for USTA Nationals

Adult League Wrap-Up By Kathy Miller

At the Net With Christina McHale

Top Juniors Compete at Fifth Annual Little Mo Internationals

Local Juniors Honored at Annual USTA Eastern Gala

Junior Tennis Spotlight: Mythbusters By Ricky Becker

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NOV/DEC 2016 Vol 8, No 6

Long Island Tennis Magazine

MAGAZINE

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

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

, Stan the Man made a strong argument to ond. See page 6 LITennisMag.com • September/October 2016 • Long Island Tennis Magazine

Cover photo credit: Sidney Beal III

Beyond the Baseline: Set Point Tennis

USTA Eastern Long Island Region Update

Tips From the Pros at Boca West Country Club

2016 Long Island Girls High School Recap

Ten Things to Consider When Choosing a Coach: A Two-Part Guide By Steven Kaplan

Court Six: Long Island Tennis Magazine’s Gossip Column By Emilie Katz

Tennis Injury Prevention: PRP Injections for Tennis Elbow By Dr. Charles Ruotolo, MD, FAAOS

Fitness & Nutrition: How to Avoid Gaining Weight in High School and in College By Irina Belfer-Lehat, RD, CDN

Emotional Balance: The Key to Match Management By Rob Polishook, MA, CPC

The Psychology of Tennis According to Carl Jung and Dr. David Burston By Dr. Tom Ferraro

Long Island Tennis Magazine’s Charitable Initiatives

What Makes Stan “The Man?” By Tonny Van de Pieterman

Great Quotes From Great Players By Brandyn Fisher, Ph.D.

The Post-Match Car Ride By Jimmy Delevante

A Collegiate Career Is Just a Small Stop in a Lifetime of Tennis By Lonnie Mitchel

In Memoriam: Mo Schneider & Howie Arons

National Tennis Center Hosts Open House to Showcase Renovated Grounds

Long Island Tennis Club Directory

Long Island Rankings

USTA/Long Island Region 2016 Tournament Schedule

Joel M. Berman President (516) 409-4444, ext. 310 • joel@usptennis.com Eric C. Peck Editor-in-Chief (516) 409-4444, ext. 312 • eric@usptennis.com Joey Arendt Managing Art Director Brian Coleman Senior Editor (516) 409-4444, ext. 326 • brianc@usptennis.com Francine Miller Advertising Coordinator (516) 409-4444, ext. 301 • francinem@usptennis.com Bryan Bongiovanni Director of Business Development (516) 409-4444, ext. 315 • bryanb@usptennis.com Emilie Katz Assistant Marketing Coordinator Scott Koondel VP of Operations (516) 409-4444, ext. 324 Sidney Beal III Staff Photographer Lee Seidner Staff Photographer

Advertising To receive any information regarding advertising rates, deadlines, and requirements, call (516) 409-4444 or e-mail info@usptennis.com. Article Submissions/Press Releases To submit any material, including articles and press releases, please call (516) 409-4444 or e-mail info@usptennis.com. The deadline for submissions is the first of the month preceding the target issue. Subscriptions To receive subscription information, contact (516) 409-4444 or e-mail info@usptennis.com or check out our Web site: www.litennismag.com. Fax subscription changes to (516) 409-1600. Statements of fact and opinion in Long Island Tennis Magazine are the responsibility of the authors alone and do not imply an opinion on the part of United Sports Publications Ltd. Long Island Tennis Magazine reserves the right to edit, reject and/or postpone the publication of any articles, information or data.

PowerShares Se Brooklyn’s Bar ohn McEnroe, Andy Roddick, James Blake and Jim Courier will play in the firstever tennis event at the Barclays Center in Brooklyn, N.Y., the PowerShares QQQ Cup, set for Saturday, Jan. 7, 2017 at 7:00 p.m. In a pair of one-set semifinal matches, Roddick will face Blake and McEnroe will face Courier. The winners will play in a one-set championship match. “As a New Yorker, I’m thrilled to be part of the first-ever tennis event at Barclays Center,” said McEnroe, who won four U.S. Open Championships and three Wimbledon Championships. “New York has an incredible tennis history, so it’s fitting that Brooklyn is where we will conclude another great year of the PowerShares QQQ Series. I’m looking forward to playing in Brooklyn on Jan. 7.” This event revives professional tennis in Brooklyn, which has a storied history including the second-ever Davis Cup in August of 1902 at the Crescent Athletic Club and the U.S. Pro Tennis Championships

at Brooklyn’s Terrace Club in 1935. “We welcome to Barclays Center some of the greatest legends of American tennis, representing 22 Grand Slam titles, and we are proud to host Brooklyn’s first significant professional tennis event since the Open era began in 1968,” said Keith Sheldon, senior vice president of programming at Brooklyn Sports & Entertainment. “We also want to thank Jeff Gewirtz, our executive vice president of business affairs, for spearheading the effort to bring this great event to Barclays Center.” McEnroe won seven Grand Slam singles titles in his career, four at the U.S. Open and three at Wimbledon, as well as nine Grand Slam Doubles Titles and one Mixed-Doubles Title. He was the topranked player in the world from 1981 through 1984 and holds five Davis Cup titles. McEnroe was inducted into the International Tennis Hall of Fame in 1999. Roddick was the top American male in professional tennis over the last 10 years, winning the 2003 U.S. Open, while also posting runner-up finishes at Wimbledon

Long Island Tennis Magazine • November/December 2016 • LITennisMag.com

in 2004, 2005 and 2009. He achieved the world number one ranking in 2003 and guided the United States to the Davis Cup title in 2007–the first championship for the U.S. in 12 years. Courier won a pair of French and Australian Open singles titles in the early 1990s when he became the first American to reach the number one ranking since John McEnroe in the mid-1980s. Courier was also the youngest player to reach all four major singles finals in a career when he reached the Wimbledon final in 1993 at age 22. He also guided the U.S. to Davis Cup titles in 1992 and 1995, and currently serves as the U.S. team captain. He was inducted into the International Tennis Hall of Fame in 2005. Blake ended his 14-year ATP career that saw him win 10 singles titles and reach a career-high ranking of number four, at the 2013 U.S. Open. Blake played singles for the U.S. Davis Cup team, helping the United States win the 2007 title– the first win for a U.S. team since 1995. He won the PowerShares Series event in Salt Lake City last year and finished number two on the tour’s season-long points rankings behind John McEnroe. In 2015, Roddick won the PowerShares Series points title in his second year of competing on the series with 1,600 points. Roddick won a record eight events Los Angeles, Lincoln, Chicago, Austin, Little Rock, Dallas, Richmond and Minneapolis. Blake finished second in the points rankings with 1,200 points, winning events in Boston and Cincinnati. The year before in 2014, McEnroe won the points title for the first time in the nine-year history of Champions Series tennis by winning events in Kansas City, Indianapolis, Nashville and Charlotte. For the second straight year, players will make their own line calls, with the assistance of electronic line-calling.

Series Comes to arclays Center

PowerShares QQQ Cup TA L E O F T H E TA P E JOHN MCENROE

vs.

Hometown: Queens, N.Y.

JIM COURIER Hometown: Dade City, Fla.

Career Record: 877-128

Career Record: 506-237

Career Single Titles: 77

Career Single Titles: 23

Grand Slam Singles Titles: 7

ANDY RODDICK

Grand Slam Singles Titles: 4 vs.

Hometown: Austin, Texas

JAMES BLAKE Hometown: Fairfield, Conn.

Career Record: 612-213

Career Record: 366-256

Career Single Titles: 32

Career Single Titles: 10

Grand Slam Singles Titles: 1

Grand Slam Singles Titles: 0

LITennisMag.com • November/December 2016 • Long Island Tennis Magazine

Overcoming the Odds Stan Wawrinka gets past mental obstacles to capture final Grand Slam of 2016 BY BRIAN COLEMAN

witzerland’s Stanislas Wawrinka captured the third Grand Slam of his career in Flushing Meadows, downing Novak Djokovic 6-7(1), 6-4, 7-5, 6-3 in the finals of the 2016 U.S. Open, but Stan the Man wasn’t as calm and collective heading into that match as one may have thought. Minutes before he walked onto the court in Arthur Ashe Stadium to play Djokovic for the title, Wawrinka was on the verge of a breakdown. He had a panic attack and could barely hold back his tears, something he hid well from everyone in the packed stadium. “A lot of people are asking me how I was able to take the court, nonchalantly, when five minutes prior to that I had a stress attack and was holding back my tears … I tried, and wasn’t able to. I was already happy that no one

S 6

noticed my reddened eyes. With 23,000 spectators and cameras everywhere, that was not a given. But I had to hide my condition,” Wawrinka revealed to Le Matin Dimanche, a Swiss newspaper. “I must have looked awful because, as I said in the press conference, I was close to the breaking point, the moment where you let it all out. I really felt I was at my limit.” Throughout the first set, Wawrinka struggled with his focus and his stress, at one point yelling to his box that he had nothing left. “It happened because I don’t want to lose the final in a Grand Slam, it’s that simple,” said Wawrinka. “That’s the only reason. This morning, it started to be there, the feeling of: ‘You don’t want to lose.’ So close … so far, so maybe it’s the reason why I was feeling so nervous.”

Long Island Tennis Magazine • November/December 2016 • LITennisMag.com

He enacted a unique strategy to try and move past his anxiety: “So, how did I do it? I’ll tell you: I hurt myself. I tried to extend the rallies as much possible, one more shot, and another, to make the legs churn and not the head. I pushed the effort until I ran out of breath. Past that point, the mind isn’t too capable of thinking.” Wawrinka physically beat himself up as to take his mind off the anxiety and onto the pain in his legs … and it worked. Wawrinka dominated the final three sets, topped off by saving three break points and hitting 12 winners to four unforced errors in the final set. Overall, he saved 14 break points, while converting on six of his 10 break chances, becoming the oldest player, at the age of 31, to win the U.S. Open since Ken Rosewell captured the title in 1970.

“In matches like this, if you don’t use the opportunities, the other guy comes and takes it,” said Djokovic. “He stepped in and played aggressive, where I was waiting for things to happen.” With the victory, Wawrinka bolstered his case for being lumped in with the Big Four. And with recent injuries limiting the success of Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal, there is no time like the present to include Stanislas Wawrinka in that conversation. “This is amazing. I came to Flushing Meadows without the goal of winning it, but stepped on the court trying to win the match,” said Wawrinka. “I played a lot of tennis and was completely empty. There was so much emotion with the crowd, the atmosphere, the stadium … it’s been amazing.” Across all sports, there are certain players who seem to rise to the occa-

“This is amazing. I came to Flushing Meadows without the goal of winning it, but stepped on the court trying to win the match.” —Stanislas Wawrinka 2016 U.S. Open Champion

sion and play their best in the biggest moments. Stan Wawrinka has become that type of player. While he has 15 career titles on the ATP Tour, he often flies under the radar to the casual tennis fan when not at the Grand Slams. But when the majors begin, he kicks it up a notch.

“It’s nothing that we were dreaming about or talking about when we arrived to New York,” said Wawrinka’s coach, Magnus Norman. “When he’s on, when he’s playing a lot of matches, playing a lot of tennis, I think he’s really tough to beat.”

LITennisMag.com • November/December 2016 • Long Island Tennis Magazine

overcoming the odds continued from page 7

But Norman gave some insight into why Wawrinka has yet find consistency: “He’s very vulnerable in the beginning of tournaments,” added Norman. “We still haven’t found the key of how he can be a little more consistent.” And that is the catch with Wawrinka. He is capable of beating any player in the world at any given moment, but he isn’t always 100 percent focused early on in tournaments, and that has led to the inconsistency. He burst onto the scene back in 2014, when he made his presence felt to the tennis and sports world by shocking

Rafael Nadal and winning the Australian Open in Melbourne. For anyone who thought that may have been an aberration, Stan came back the next year and dazzled at the 2015 French Open, using his one-handed backhand to perfection to beat world number one Djokovic and halt the Serb’s quest for a career and calendar Grand Slam. “He likes to occasionally whack the ball quite hard, and I don’t think that Novak likes that,” Norman said. “Stan is maybe one of the few guys who can really hit through Novak if he has a good day.” Now with a third Grand Slam title to his

name, there is no denying Wawrinka’s spot as one of the best in the game. He has the ability to hit shot for shot with anyone in the world, and his play from behind the baseline keeps him in every rally. So it is no coincidence that he has the reputation of a big-match player, and his nickname of “Stan the Man” is indicative of that. Currently, he is ranked third in the ATP Men’s Singles Rankings, and has a ways to go still to catch Andy Murray and Djokovic, the only two players he is looking up at in the rankings. The sport of tennis is getting older and older, as we are seeing more players at

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the professional level having success later in their careers, and Stan Wawrinka is no exception. Originally known as a late bloomer, the Swiss has only gotten better with age, and with some vulnerability at the top of the game, there may be a few more Grand Slam titles remaining for Wawrinka. Right now, he is focusing on getting better each day. “The thing that we’re working on is to make him a bit more consistent, because Stan is very much up and down,” Norman said. “Now he is ranked third in the world— but if you want to reach even higher levels, you need to produce good tennis on a weekly basis. Andy and Novak are much more consistent than Stan, so that’s the main thing we’re working on.” Wawrinka will look to make a statement again in London at the Barclays ATP World Tour Finals in mid-November, and expect bigger things from the Stanimal in 2017. Brian Coleman is senior editor for Long Island Tennis Magazine. He may be reached by phone at (516) 409-4444, ext. 326 or e-mail BrianC@USPTennis.com.

LITennisMag.com • November/December 2016 • Long Island Tennis Magazine

Across Long Isla Former NYIT Coach Pasion Named Hofstra Men’s and Women’s Coach Hofstra Athletics has hired former NYIT Men’s and Women’s Tennis Head Coach Jason Pasion to take over the head coaching role for Hofstra’s Men’s and Women’s Tennis programs. “I am very pleased to welcome Jason to the Hofstra family,” said Hofstra’s Vice President and Director of Athletics Jeffrey A. Hathaway. “He did great things at NYIT in his two seasons with the Bears, and I look forward to him continuing his success here. Jason is a tremendous teacher of the game, and I know our student-athletes will benefit from working with him.”

Oyster Bay’s Hohmann Wins Bronze at USTA Selections Ronald Hohmann of Oyster Bay, N.Y. captured the Bronze Medal at the USTA National Selection Tournament in Austin, Texas. Hohmann entered the tournament as an alternate, and went on to defeat the seventh and second seeds on his way to the semifinals. He finished in third place after beating Hunter Heck of Minnesota, 2-6, 6-3, 6-0.

Carefree Hosts Pickleball Meet and Greet

Oyster Bay’s Kowalsky Commits to Brown Two-time New York State Doubles Champion and this year’s Nassau County Finalist Courtney Kowalsky of Oyster Bay has committed to Brown University, where she will continue her tennis career. “I love the team, and I also work with the old Brown Coach Jay Harris, so I talked to him about the school,” Kowalsky said of the decision. “I always wanted to go there. I e-mailed the current coach many times before he came to me. It’s unbelievable, I still cannot believe I’m going there!” 10

Carefree Racquet Club hosted a Pickleball Meet and Greet for its members, introducing a different racquet sport to the tennis players. The Meet and Greet was a great way to kick off the Fall and Winter Indoor Seasons.

Long Island Tennis Magazine • November/December 2016 • LITennisMag.com

land

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

Johnny Mac Q&A at Sportime Syosset

Long Islanders Band Together for Breast Cancer Awareness Long Island’s local high school tennis teams continued their support for Breast Cancer Awareness in the month of October as they have done over the years, wearing pink for much of their matches during the month in support for finding a cure for the disease.

The players at Sportime Syosset were given a treat recently as John McEnroe stopped by for a question and answer session where he fielded some of the kids’ and parents’ questions on a variety of tennis topics.

Serve and Return Hosts Second Annual Charity Event Steve Kaplan and Keith Kambourian, coowners of Bethpage Park Tennis Center, as a part of their Serve and Return Charity, hosted its Second Annual Charity Tournament at the USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center. The winners were Rob Pohly & Marc Powers (pictured left with Steve Kaplan), as the charity continues to do great work for the Long Island and New York tennis communities.

South Side Students and Faculty Host Tennis Fundraiser

The South Side Girls Varsity Tennis team hosted its Third Annual Student-Faculty Tennis Tournament Fundraiser, raising money for breast cancer research. The girls from the team partnered up with teachers to “play for a cure” and were able to raise more than $750.

LITennisMag.com • November/December 2016 • Long Island Tennis Magazine

Grading the 2016 U.S. Open By Luke Jensen Are you one of the lucky ones who had the opportunity to visit the U.S. Open this year? The anticipation for this year’s U.S. Open was extremely high, with so much going on. The new roof on Arthur Ashe Stadium was completed, and everyone looked forward to seeing how the court would play with nearly 25,000 spectators. We were also able to visit new projects like the revamped Grandstand and field courts with new added seating. All of these improvements at the USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center gave a roomier feel to the grounds that made it feel so much easier to float from court to court. My review is nothing but a perfect 10! Ashe Stadium has reached its full potential. Going from one of the most challenging courts to

play on in professional tennis with its swirling unpredictable winds, to one of the most unique and comfortable tennis experiences even when the roof is open! The new Grandstand is a work of tennis art. To capture the essence of the old Grandstand that had a “high five the fans in the front row” connection because the players were actually hitting returns into the laps of the fans in the front row. The one surprise was the makeover of the field courts. A new finish to the presentation made it look very aggressive and modern. It reflects what the U.S. Open will always be .. the American Tennis Classic … fast, intense and aggressive—just like its New York City DNA. It was really strange not to have Roger Federer playing in Flushing Meadows, and to see an aging Rafael Nadal never really find his game. It reminds me that Father Time is undefeated and it’s time to look to the next

generation of superstar talents, as the Americans have a bunch on both the men’s and women’s tours. My final grade for U.S. Open 2016 is an A+! Even though Louis Armstrong Stadium and the old Grandstand courts are going away in 2018, a new Armstrong with a roof will once again keep New York’s Grand Slam the very best in the world! Born in Grayling, Mich., Luke Jensen’s resume includes 10 ATP Tour doubles titles and singles victories against Andre Agassi, Pete Sampras, Ivan Lendl, John McEnroe, Bjorn Borg, Jimmy Connors, Boris Becker, Stefan Edberg and Jim Courier. Jensen and his brother, Murphy, won the 1993 French Open doubles title. Luke is currently director of tennis at Sea Island Tennis Center in Georgia. He may be reached by phone at (315) 443-3552 or e-mail LukeJensen84@yahoo.com.

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Long Island Tennis Magazine • November/December 2016 • LITennisMag.com

LITennisMag.com â&#x20AC;˘ November/December 2016 â&#x20AC;˘ Long Island Tennis Magazine

The 40 & Over 4.5 Plus team, captained by Jonathan Klee and Lionel Goldberg, are headed to the 2016 USTA Adult League National Championships

Local LI Team Qualifies for USTA Nationals

very USTA League captain has the same dream … get together a group of friends, sign up, play the regular season, win the Long Island playoffs, win the Eastern Sectionals and make it to the National Championships. Jonathan Klee was no different when he started his 4.5 team out of Rockville Racquet Club 15 years ago. Teaming with good friend and doubles partner Lionel Goldberg, over the years, the two co-captains have transitioned the team to a 40 & Over 4.5 Plus team, which now plays out of Christopher Morley Park in a league that started in 2013. In the team’s 15 years of existence, there have been a number of appearances in the Sectional Playoffs and close calls; some great wins and many disappointing losses. None of those losses were more heartbreaking than last year when the team entered the final match of Sectionals and fell one court short in a 3-2 loss. Losses like that only added to the team’s motivation, and in 2016, it finally achieved what neither captain had ever 14

done before, win Sectionals and have their team punch a ticket to USTA Nationals, which will be held this year in La Quinta, Calif. “I think for any USTA team captain, making Nationals is really the bucket list item that you want to accomplish. Except for winning Nationals, of course, getting there is the ultimate achievement for a team,” said Klee. “The one thing that is really great about this team is it encompasses all of Long Island. We have guys from the South Shore and the North Shore, from Nassau County and Suffolk County. Our team encompasses teaching professionals from Robbie Wagner, Point Set, Long Beach, Port Washington and Nassau Indoor. Guys who play on teams at Inwood CC, Lawrence CC, Piquet Lane, Crest Hollow, Engineers CC, Carefree, Sportime Lynbrook, and of course, Christopher Morley. It’s a really diverse core structure of Long Island tennis.” No strangers to the Long Island tennis community, both Klee and Goldberg have donated countless hours of their time volunteering for the USTA and community

Long Island Tennis Magazine • November/December 2016 • LITennisMag.com

events, as well as captaining teams in a number of USTA-sanctioned and nonsanctioned leagues. Those hours have resulted in both Klee and Goldberg meeting new friends and players, allowing the team to continue to grow each year, culminating this year with the trip to Nationals. “I am very excited to go to Nationals for the first time,” said Goldberg. “We have a great group of guys on our team, and all are selfless and great teammates.” The road to Nationals was not an easy one, and the team faced its fair share of nail-biters, including winning a close super tie-breaker in the Long Island final to advance to the Sectionals. In the Sectionals, the squad won all five of its team matches, and won 18 individual matches in those five contests, a testament to the depth of the roster. “There’s a lot of competition on Long Island, and teams are always jockeying for players,” said Goldberg. “At the end of the day, I think the reason guys want to play on our team is because it’s a cohesive unit, where everybody gets along and roots for

each other. I don’t think many teams have that dynamic.” Klee added, “You can’t look at it from an individual standpoint. Everyone has to want to win as a team, and be willing to sacrifice for the benefit of the team. The one thing which has been great about these teams over the years is neither Lionel nor I are rarely questioned by teammates in regards to playing time. The guys know we try our best to get everyone involved and put out our best teams when it’s crunch time. They know it’s not personal and we aren’t always perfect, but we grow and learn for the next match. It can make for some tough decisions when you have 18 quality players on a roster and only eight can play the big match” The run to Nationals after 15 years of coming up short demonstrates the dedication of the team members, and is a deserving milestone for a team captained by two men who have been so instrumental to tennis in the Long Island area. “The diversity of this team with pros from competing clubs playing together really makes it special. You have players who, on

Jonathan Klee (far right) and Lionel Goldberg (second from right) participating in one of this past summer’s Long Island Tennis Magazine Challenge tournaments, one of the many events the two participate in each year Tuesday nights, play against us in one league, and the next night, they are teammates in another league. Everybody is able to get along, and work towards a common goal, which is to win as a team,”

said Klee. “We all have our own personal interest in tennis, yet we were able to come together to try and win, and put together a solid diverse team to represent Long Island at Nationals.”

LITennisMag.com • November/December 2016 • Long Island Tennis Magazine

B Y K AT H Y M I L L E R

2016 USTA Sectional 8.0 Women’s champs from Point Set, captained by Ann McGrath & Dale Conway

Long Island had a great year at the USTA Sectional League Championships! Teams advancing to the National Championship are: 18 & Over League l 3.5 Women from Sportime Syosset (captains Dawn Schosberg & Jeanette Romano) l 4.0 Women from Christopher Morley (captains Seema Imberman & Therese Direnzo) l 3.5 Men from Eastern Athletic Blue Point (captains Michael Siegmund & John Selvaggio) l 5.0 Men from Shelter Rock (captain Joe Polestino) 40 & Over League l 4.5 Women from Jericho-Westbury (captains Tina Stellato-Villegas & Karen Levine) 16

The 3.5 Women from Sportime Syosset, captained by Dawn Schosberg & Jeanette Romano, are headed to Nationals

l 3.0 Men from Sportime Kings Park (captain William Carson) l 3.5 Men from Eastern Athletic-Blue Point (captains Michael Siegmund & Henry Winnicki) l 4.5 Men from Christopher Morley (captains Jonathan Klee & Lionel Goldberg)

65 & Over l 7.0 Women from Sportime Lynbrook (captains Pat Molloy & Leslie Wecksler)

has started a 40 & Over Mixed-Doubles League which is presently playing. Great start to a new League and we look forward to lots of growth in the future. The 3.5, 4.0 & 4.5 Tri-Level League is also in progress. The 18 & Over USTA Mixed-Doubles League will start in December. We will have teams at the combined levels of 6.0, 7.0, 8.0 and 9.0. Matches consist of three courts of mixed-doubles. Anyone starting a team or looking to play on a team should contact Jamie by e-mail at LIMixedUSTA@gmail.com. We wish everyone a very healthy and happy holiday season!

We wish all the teams good luck at Nationals! Jamie Stickney, coordinator for the Mixed-Doubles League and the Tri-Level,

Kathy Miller is manager of Carefree Racquet Club and is also the Adult League Coordinator for USTA/Long Island. She may be reached by e-mail at KathyM65@aol.com.

55 & Over l 8.0 Women from Point Set (captains Ann McGrath & Dale Conway)

Long Island Tennis Magazine • November/December 2016 • LITennisMag.com

The 3.5 Men from Eastern-Athletic Blue Point, captained by Michael Siegmund & Henry Winnicki, are headed to Nationals

Captains Seema Imberman & Therese Direnzo will lead the 4.0 Women from Christopher Morley into Nationals

The 4.5 Women’s team from Jericho-Westbury Tennis, captained by Tina Stellato-Villegas & Karen Levine

Captains Pat Molloy & Leslie Wecksler led the 7.0 Women from Sportime Lynbrook to the Sectional Championships

The 3.5 Men’s team from Eastern Athletic Blue-Point, captained by Michael Siegmund & John Selvaggio, are headed to Nationals

Captains Jonathan Klee & Lionel Goldberg will lead the 4.5 Men from Christopher Morley to the USTA Nationals

LITennisMag.com • November/December 2016 • Long Island Tennis Magazine

at the net wit h

c h r i s t i n a

hristina McHale played in her eighth U.S. Open main draw during the 2016 edition of the tournament, a pretty remarkable number for someone who is just 24-years-old. “This is my favorite tournament,” said McHale. “It’s my favorite time of the year. I get to stay home. Obviously, I would like to be doing better, but I love playing in Flushing Meadows.” McHale delivered a masterful performance in a 6-2, 6-2 first round win over Mona Barthel, but would fall to 2015 U.S. Open finalist Roberta Vinci in the second round. McHale hails from Englewood Cliffs, N.J., less than an hour drive from the USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center. Her start in tennis did not come from New Jersey, however, but from 5,000 miles away in Hong Kong, where she lived with her parents and sister Lauren for five years during her childhood. “My sister and I went to an international school and had the chance to meet and become friends with so many people from all over the world. We also had the chance to travel to many other countries in Asia during this time, so it was great to experience a lot of different cultures at such a young age,” McHale recalls. “I first started playing 18

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tennis in Hong Kong, so it’s a special place for me. In the apartment complex that we lived in, they had tennis courts with a kids’ program after school. My mom signed my sister and I up and that’s how everything started.” After five years in Hong Kong, around 2000, McHale and her family moved to the New Jersey suburb of Englewood Cliffs and she continued her tennis development. McHale now has the chance to return to Hong Kong each year, as professional tennis returned there in 2014 with the Hong Kong Tennis Open. “It was very cool getting the chance to go back to Hong Kong two years ago when they brought back the Hong Kong Tennis Open,” McHale said. “I hadn’t been there since we moved back to the states in 2000, so it was emotional for me to go back and visit where we used to live, go to school, play my tennis, etc. I also enjoy going back each year to the tournaments in China, because I can practice my Mandarin!” Soon after returning to the United States, McHale headed south to the USTA Development Training Complex in Boca Raton, where she would cultivate her game in the USTA program, officially turning pro in 2010.

Long Island Tennis Magazine • November/December 2016 • LITennisMag.com

“I think it really depends on the player,” McHale said when asked whether she would advise a young player to stay local or go to a prominent academy to continue training. “I feel like different environments work for different players. Some like to be around other top players because it pushes them, but others enjoy staying home. So I think it’s really up to the player.” Since then, McHale has been a fixture on the WTA Tour and has reached a career high singles ranking of 24th in the world. Following her run at the 2016 U.S. Open, McHale captured the first WTA singles title of her career, winning five straight three-set matches on her way to the Japan Women’s Open Championship. “It’s so exciting. I really wasn’t expecting this. All of my matches were super long and super tough, but I’m so excited it ended with a title,” McHale said after winning the title. “I don’t even want to put my trophy down— I just want to hold it all the time. I’ve been coming to this tournament for a few years now and I really love it here.” The title could catapult McHale, who says her goals for the 2017 season are to try and go deeper in the Grand Slams and keep improving each day. She recently played Mylan World TeamTennis for the first time in her career as

a part of the inaugural season of the New York Empire at Forest Hills Stadium, and said that the fast-paced style and loud atmosphere of the World TeamTennis format will help her game. “It definitely helps you adapt and adjust to different situations,” McHale said. “Now when you play a real match you feel like you have so much time, you’re used to any crowd noise and the game doesn’t feel as fast.” So as McHale finishes her season during the end of the year Asian swing, she is ready to take the next step in her career, and will continue training down at the Boca West Country Club, where she is the Club’s touring pro and is often there for special events and exhibitions. “What makes Boca West really stand out is that they have state of the art facilities and the staff is extremely attentive and knowledgeable,” said McHale. “John Joyce runs an outstanding tennis program that really caters to the needs of each one of its members. The clay courts are kept in beautiful condition, and they just recently built a hard court which is great to have the option to practice on a different surface. Both the weather and location of Boca West makes it a perfect destination spot.” Boca West’s Director of Tennis John

Joyce explains, “Christina is a wonderful representative of Boca West Country Club and it’s a pleasure working with her throughout the year. Our members love to follow her tournaments and look forward to when she returns to the Club. Whether it’s doing exhibitions or functions, she’s always available and goes above and beyond for us.” Being from the local area here, McHale also had some advice for young players growing up in the USTA Eastern Section.

“The best advice I could give is that at an early age—don’t be too worried about your wins and losses,” McHale said. “Don’t get so concerned about the rankings and things like that. Just focus on improving your game and don’t be so results-oriented.” Brian Coleman is senior editor for Long Island Tennis Magazine. He may be reached by phone at (516) 409-4444, ext. 326 or email BrianC@USPTennis.com.

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LITennisMag.com • November/December 2016 • Long Island Tennis Magazine

Top Juniors Compete at Fifth Annual Little Mo Internationals

he youngest and brightest stars in tennis played in the Fifth Annual “Little Mo” Internationals at the historic West Side Tennis Club in Forest Hills in late August. Approximately 180 players from 15 countries participated in the “Little Mo.” Congratulations to all the winners: l Boys 12s: Andres Mercedes (Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic) l Boys 11s: Kevin Edengren (Stockholm, Sweden) l Boys 10s: Jordan Reznik (Great Neck, N.Y.) l Boys 9s: Yubel Ubri (Miami Beach, Fla.) 20

l Boys 8s: Zen David Uehling (Alpine, N.J.) l Boys 8s (Green Dot): Sebastian Bielen (Glen Cove, N.Y.) l Girls 12s: Olivia Lincer (Windsor, Conn.) l Girls 11s: Theadora Rabma (Port Washington, N.Y.) l Girls 10s: Isabella Marquart (Pewaukee, Wis.) l Girls 9s: Akasha Urhobo (Lauderhill, Fla.) l Girls 8s: JoAnna Kennedy (Denver, Colo.) l Girls 8s (Green Dot): Kayla Moore (Brooklyn, N.Y.)

Long Island Tennis Magazine • November/December 2016 • LITennisMag.com

“What I like most about Little Mo …” said Jordan Reznik, Boys 10 winner. “Is that I get to make new friends from different countries and am able to keep in touch with them.” The “Little Mo” Sportsmanship Awards were given to Olivia Zuba of Morganville, N.J. and Liam Carpenter of Greebrae, Calif. The Kindness Awards were presented to JoAnna Kennedy from Denver and Jesse Hubbs from Long Beach, N.Y. The festivities began with an exciting tennis clinic with prizes at The West Side, and the Opening Ceremony was held later that day with the players parading onto the stadium court waving their country flags. Callie Todd sang the national anthem and former “Little

Mo” champion Jamie Loeb Credit all photos to Brian Coleman & Pat Mosquera Maureen Connolly is still (#205th in the WTA the youngest and the Women’s Singles Rankonly American woman to ings) was the guest have accomplished this sp e a k e r . M a u r e e n magnificent feat. The Connolly’s daughter, Cindy “Little Mo” is designed to Brinker Simmons, and be fun and provide good granddaughter, Connolly competition for the Bottum were also on hand younger player at the to speak to the players and sectional, regional, napresent trophies. tional and international Maureen “Little Mo” level. The foundation has Connolly was known for promoted junior tennis her good sportsmanship development for the past on and off the court. To 45 years and continues honor her legacy, the “Litto benefit countless tle Mo” offers colorful “Mo numbers of boys and Coins” to players who disgirls throughout the play good sportsmanship, country. help others, and are reA special congratulaspectful and kind. It is tions to JoAnna also a “Little Mo” tradi- Former “Little Mo” Champion Ryan Harrison was on hand at West Side Tennis Club for the Kennedy (Girls 8), tion that players ex- finals of the “Little Mo” Internationals, as he was playing with the San Diego Aviators in the Akasha Urhobo (Girls 9), change a small gift that Mylan World TeamTennis Finals and Yubel Ubri (Boys 9) represents their city, state for winning their divior country with their first round opponent. cluded laser tag and a video game truck. sions at the “Little Mo” Internationals, the The players enjoy the gift exchange, as A beach tennis tournament was held for second leg of the “Little Mo” Slam. All they are able to meet a new friend on the players, whereby the winners received a three players will be competing at the complimentary beach tennis set. first day of play. “Little Mo” Internationals in Florida at the The “Little Mo” tournaments are spon- PGA National Resort & Spa in early De“I think the best part about the Little Mo tournaments is that they have trophies,” sored by the Maureen Connolly Brinker Ten- cember for the third and final leg. If they said 10-year old participant Malik Trail. nis Foundation in memory of its tennis win their division in Florida, each player “And they also reward you for doing well champion namesake Maureen Connolly. will take home the tallest trophy in tennis Known by her nickname, “Little Mo,” she at six-feet tall. and showing sportsmanship.” A player party was also held for all “Lit- was the first woman to win the Grand Slam To view all results, visit LittleMotle Mo” players and parents. Activities in- of tennis at only 18 years of age in 1953. ForestHills.com.

T E N N I S

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LITennisMag.com • November/December 2016 • Long Island Tennis Magazine

Local Juniors Honored at STA Eastern held its annual Junior Awards Gala on the first day of the U.S. Open main draw at the USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center, honoring and recognizing the region’s top juniors. Each of the 30 players honored are the top three in their age group as a result of their tournament performances over the past year. “The Awards Gala provides players with the opportunity to be recognized for their hard work at a young age,” said Julie Bliss Beal, senior director of competitive tennis. “Parents and kids alike find it meaningful to celebrate the players’ achievements during Day One at the U.S. Open.” Justin Gimelstob, former professional player and current Tennis Channel broadcaster, was on hand as the event’s guest speaker, and reflected on his time growing up playing in the USTA Eastern section. Gimelstob is a member of the USTA Eastern Hall of Fame.

Annual U

Below is a list of the honorees: Boys 10s l Neel Krishnaswamy (New York, N.Y.) l Jordan Reznik (Great Neck, N.Y.) l Theodore Murphy (New York, N.Y.) Girls 10s l Ligaya Murray (Yonkers, N.Y.) l Julia Werdiger (New York, N.Y.) l Victoria McEnroe (New York, N.Y.)

Boys 12s l Samir Banerjee (Basking Ridge, N.J.) l Evan Wen (Morristown, N.J.) l Cooper Williams (New York, N.Y.) Girls 12s l Elise Wagle (Niskayuna, N.Y.) l Stephanie Yakoff (Fort Lee, N.J.) l Filippa Bruu-Syversen (Chatham, N.J.) Boys 14s l Ryan Fishback (Geneva, N.Y.) l Jeffrey Fradkin (New York, N.Y.) l Eliot Spizzirri (Greenwich, Conn.)

Long Island Tennis Magazine • November/December 2016 • LITennisMag.com

Girls 14s l Rachel Arbitman (Hewlett, N.Y.) l Elise Wagle (Niskayuna, N.Y.) l Rosie Garcia Gross (New York, N.Y.) Boys 16s l Harris Walker (South Salem, N.Y.) l Cannon Kingsley (Northport, N.Y.) l Michael Sun (Livingston, N.J.) Girls 16s l Andrea Cerdan (Bloomfield, N.J.) l Rachel Lim (Briarcliff Manor, N.Y.) l Amber O’Dell (New Milford, N.J.) Boys 18s l John Speicher (Webster, N.Y.) l Athell Bennett (Valley Stream, N.Y.) l Brenden Volk (Dix Hills, N.Y.) Girls 18s l Stephanie Schrage (Millburn, N.J.) l Rachel Lim (Briarcliff Manor, N.Y.) l Amber O’Dell (New Milford, N.J.)

USTA Eastern Gala

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www.pinehollowcc.org l 516-922-0300 LITennisMag.com • November/December 2016 • Long Island Tennis Magazine

junior tennis spotlight

MYTHBUSTERS How Has Competitive Tennis Changed on Long Island and the Eastern Section Over the Last 30 Years BY R I C K Y BE C K E R

Whenever I tell my parents a tennis story about one of my students, a local program or Eastern Section tournaments, I have to throw in a caveat to “This is how they do it now.” As a 42-year-old who played junior tennis out of Long Island 30 years ago, the scene is definitely much different. I’ll let you be the judge of what is better and what is worse. 1. Everything is now online Like everything else, the Internet makes everything more readily available. Thirty years ago, the tournament director would call the week of the tournament and say what time you played your first match. If you answered your home phone to talk to them, you can find out when your second match was going to be, who your opponent was, who the seeded players were, etc. Sometimes they didn’t even want to tell you because of the fear you wouldn’t show up if you didn’t like your draw! Nobody knew their ranking or standing until the end of the year when you got the year-end rankings in the mail. The only way to get a hint was to see where you were ranked was by what you were seeded in tournaments, as well as who accepted into the main draws of Sectionals (then called “Grand Prix Tournaments.”) Additionally, there were no computer algorithms or points tables. Rankings were determined subjectively by a ranking chairman on what seemed fair. 24

2. More qualified coaches Thirty years ago, there were many coaches on Long Island who taught recreational players, but not so many who coached top Eastern players. The top players generally went to about one of four or five guys. Now, there are many coaches on Long Island who are qualified to work with top Eastern players. On the downside, there are more “transient” coaches now from out-of-town who plan on leaving Long Island in the notso-distant future too. 3. More playing up It is now common for players to compete in an older division, especially as their age approaches that older age group. Thirty years ago, there were birthday cut-off dates that gave everyone a certain age (similar to the way schools do), so it was rare that people played players who were two years older or younger. Back then, top players probably played up once or twice a year on average. Now, with the rolling age groups, it makes a lot more sense to play up to get a headstart on the standings list so you can hit the ground running when you reach an older age group. 4. More depth There is unquestionably more depth in junior tennis now than there used to be. Now a child who is ranked in the top 50 in the Eastern Section probably plays five serious days a week. Thirty years ago, a person who was ranked in the top 50 in the Eastern

Long Island Tennis Magazine • November/December 2016 • LITennisMag.com

Section probably played two or three days a week, and also played a couple other sports just as seriously. Kids were able to play at top Division III schools without really being a serious junior player. Now, if you want to play tennis at a top Division III school, you have to be “all-in” as a junior tournament player. 5. A lack of rivalries I had one Long Island player who I played against 35 times in tournaments and high school matches. I probably had another four or five players who I played about 10 times. Due to the fact that there is more depth now, people play up more and the Eastern and National pathways are more complex now. Players don’t run into each other nearly as often. 6. Less kids play high school tennis Thirty years ago, everyone played high school tennis. After all, you can win a Sectional Tournament and nobody outside of other tennis players would know about it, but still get some publicity by beating an alternate at number one singles in a high school match! There were some good matches for everybody, and most strong players played in Conference I, so they mostly played one another. Now it seems like there are many top players who don’t play on the stronger teams, so a lot of the top players are in different divisions. Over the last 10 years or so, clubs have tried to

get many of their top kids not to play high school tennis. I personally think many of the clubs do this because it gives the club logistical problems with makeups and logistical issues when a kid plays high school tennis. However this isn’t the only reason … 7. High school coaches are stricter about top players coming to practices Thirty years ago, high school coaches understood something important—if their top player was a top Sectional player, he/she was practicing hard outside of school tennis. Their time was too limited to practice on the outside and come to team practices (that really were not beneficial). Most coaches were okay with these players coming to 10 practices (as required by New York state law), signing in and then leaving. Then all the top players would play in the matches, and truthfully, the remaining players understood and were okay with the situation of the very best players not coming to team practices. This was really the only way it was done and was okay with everybody. Now, there is this mentality that if a player

does this, they aren’t really part of the team. Sorry, I know I said I wouldn’t judge any of the changes, but this one really does bug me and isn’t a better change in my opinion. 8. More of an international and non-Long Island flavor at tournaments Contributing to the depth in junior tennis now there are a lot of junior players at the tournaments who have parents who were born and played tennis in other countries. Thirty years ago, there would be the Romanian kid everyone knew or the Russian kid everyone knew, but if you go to a tournament now, there is no doubt you will hear many languages spoken in the lobby. Along these lines, every age group had one or two “good kids from upstate.” Now, there are many good kids from upstate, as well as from Brooklyn, which wasn’t the case 30 years ago. This is very interesting because … 9. Clubs advertise much more aggressively Thirty years ago, clubs let their programs and results speak for themselves. There re-

ally wasn’t much advertising. Now, you can expect phone calls, e-mails and regular mail asking you to come join their programs and clubs. Additionally, giving top kids free group lessons to lure other kids into their programs was pretty much non-existent 30 years ago. Now, it is a fairly common practice. The metamorphosis of this development could be an article in and of itself! 10. The rise in home schooling This change probably started in most sports with the development of full-time Bollettieri camps. Thirty years ago, it was tennis parent gossip that so-and-so was being homeschooled. Now, it’s almost noteworthy when a top-Eastern player who is also a top-national player goes to a regular high school. Ricky Becker is director of tennis at Pine Hollow Country Club and independently coaches high-performance juniors year-round at Bethpage State Park and Jericho/Westbury Tennis where he is the junior tournament director. He can be reached by phone at (516) 605-0420, e-mail rbecker06@yahoo.com or visit JuniorTennisConsulting.com.

LITennisMag.com • November/December 2016 • Long Island Tennis Magazine

BE Y O ND T H E B A S E L I N E

SET POINT TENNIS he Hamptons tennis community is something that is rapidly growing and evolving, and that will only continue to happen thanks in part to Set Point Tennis, a new tennis pro shop located on Main Street in East Hampton, N.Y. Located in what was once the home of Tennis East, Set Point Tennis is taking over as the go-tennis shop for tennis players, coaches and fans on the East End of Long Island, as co-owners Ricardo Winter and Lisa Herbert-Winter bring their respective expertise to the table. “We were approached by the old owners about four years ago to buy the East Hampton Tennis East location, and that’s what really started awakening our interests in owning a tennis store,” said Ricardo. “It wasn’t the right time, as we were still living in New York City at the time, but we had interest. Three years later, we knew it was the right time.” Set Point opened up in May of this year,

T 26

and has already made its impact, as the two are not only Hamptons’ business owners now, but also full-time residents of the East End of Long Island and are fully entrenched in the community. “The goal in the beginning was to just get the business running and sell a little bit, while meeting new customers and making

Long Island Tennis Magazine • November/December 2016 • LITennisMag.com

ourselves part of the community,” Lisa said. “We don’t want to be just a seasonal shop either, so we will be open six days a week this fall and winter, as we continue to grow.” The two come from different backgrounds, which makes them a perfect duo for the business they are in. Ricardo

Set Point co-owners Lisa Herbert-Winter and Ricardo Winter in front of their racquet wall at their East Hampton location began his tennis career in Argentina before heading to Germany where he played competitively, always carrying his passion and desire to learn more with him. “I always had a love and passion for the game,” Ricardo said. “I loved the big picture, not just hitting the ball. I loved the technology, clothing, shoes, etc. and everything else that goes along with it.” Ricardo would go on to work in the tennis section of a major sports outlet store in Munich, and his interaction with customers and ability to provide toplevel advice only enhanced his desire to eventually own his own store. When he moved to the United States, he began coaching and teaching at clubs on the East End, where he met Lisa, who was a recreational player and one of Ricardo’s students. “I played as a child and in camps, and was always a recreational player,” said Lisa. “I always loved the sport, but that was the extent of my tennis background. When we first met, that was going to be the year I really learned how to play doubles and getting into matches and leagues. I’m an exercise nut, and tennis only adds to that passion. I see myself engaging different muscle sets, so it has been really good.” Lisa spent the majority of her professional career working at Pantone, the business which her father founded which created the standards for color in

Austria’s Dominic Thiem, currently ranked 10th in the world, stops by Set Point Tennis in East Hampton to sign some autographs

the design world. After her family sold the company, she stayed on for six years because of her vast knowledge of design and branding. “I love taking something from its infancy and building it into a concept, brand or business,” said Lisa. “So when the opportunity for us to own a shop arose, we were so excited. The Tennis East name had such a great legacy, but we knew we wanted to put our mark on it and create a new name and look.” With Ricardo’s expansive tennis background and Lisa’s design and branding background, the two make the perfect pair for their new endeavor. With the majority of the retail industry

moving increasingly online, expanding the Set Point Web site is an immediate goal, but the two know that having a personalized relationship with its customer base remains vital. “We had a woman who came in that wanted to buy a racket, and before Ricardo recommended anything, he said he wanted to see her swing,” Lisa said. “So they went outside right on Main Street, and she showed him her swing. After about 10 minutes, they came back inside and he knew exactly which racket she needed. People like coming in and being able to try things on and continued on page 28

LITennisMag.com • November/December 2016 • Long Island Tennis Magazine

beyond the baseline continued from page 27 having that one-on-one interaction. It makes a huge difference.” In addition to growing its Web site, other goals include expanding its high-end offerings, and even adding a golf section to diversify its customer base. It has only been a few months, but Set Point has already made itself a huge part of the community in Eastern Long Island. Beyond the business side, Ricardo and Lisa are both very philanthropic, supporting organizations that do great work in the community. Ricardo knows Austria’s Dominic Thiem, a current ATP Top 10 player, and Thiem was practicing on courts out East ahead of this year’s U.S. Open. Thiem was kind enough to autograph his new racket model. A Set Point customer bought the racket and that money was donated to the Children’s Museum of the East End, where Lisa is a board member. “We’ve always been philanthropic in

Set Point Tennis Owner Ricardo Winter (center) with ATP star Dominic Thiem (right) and his coach, Guenther Bresnik (left)

David Dermers shows off his autographed Dominic Thiem racket at Set Point Tennis in East Hampton

our lives, and in addition to being a fulltime mother, I embraced the Children’s Museum and what it does,” said Lisa. “Being a part of the community has been great. We are living here full-time now, and are happy to be investing in

this community.” Stop by East Hampton’s brightest new tennis outlet and see for yourself why the combination of Ricardo Winter and Lisa Herbert-Winter are a great combo for Long Island’s tennis community.

Long Island Tennis Magazine • November/December 2016 • LITennisMag.com

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30 Hydro-courts, one U.S. Open Cushion court and four Pickleball courts. LITennisMag.com • November/December 2016 • Long Island Tennis Magazine

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(914) 713-5074 Info@EliteTennisTravel.com EliteTennisTravel.com Elite Tennis Travel designs exclusive tennis and cultural immersion programs across Europe, the Caribbean and beyond. Whether your dream trip includes high-performance tennis training, premium access to world-class ATP tennis tournaments, or VIP-only cultural experiences, Elite Tennis Travel will create the perfect tennis holiday for you.

Located in Boca Raton, Fla. in Palm Beach County, Boca West Country Club is renowned for its first-rate recreational activities. Early 2017 will mark the opening of Boca West’s $50 million new Golf & Activities Center. The new Center will include a restaurant gallery, portecochere, golf shop, activities ballroom, and locker rooms. The Country Club’s reputation in golf is equaled by its $1.8 million Tennis Center. Fully dedicated to the racquet sport, there is a lighted stadium court and seating for more than 300, a U.S. Open Cushion court with four Pickleball courts and four more courts are under construction. Boca West members have access to USPTA staff for tennis clinics and private lessons for instructions and drills. Boca West is the proud recipient of the 2013 USTA Outstanding Tennis Facility Award. Tennis enthusiasts looking for superb amenities in a beautiful private country club setting have the opportunity to see many WTA and ATP touring pros and other world-class players who frequent the courts. Adding cachet to the Club’s brand is the partnership with Christina McHale, who most recently captured her first career singles title at the Japan Open. The Tennis Center’s courts carry a feature-worthy status of their own. There are 31 Hydro-courts, three of which are lit for night play. It is a sought-after destination, hosting championship tournaments and exhibitions. Boca West is the number one private residential country club in the country, and number one private club in Florida. Boca West has been a Platinum Club of America, Five-Star Private Club, since 1997. 30

2017 destinations n San Juan, Puerto Rico: Travel and train in style with Puerto Rico’s hometown hero, Gigi Fernandez. After mornings of intensive training at the renowned Conquistador tennis resort, you’ll discover the Island’s hidden treasures. n Havana, Cuba: Be part of the revival of Cuban tennis through this cultural exchange program. Forge unforgettable ties with local players at our first-ever U.S.-Cuban roundrobin events. Meet the Cuban leaders, coaches and players that are shaping the future of Cuban sports and politics. n Monte Carlo: The Monte Carlo Country Club is well worth the trip for the Rolex Masters tournament. When coupled with our VIP access to the Mouratoglou Tennis Academy, the Monte Carlo experience becomes the trip of a lifetime. n Barcelona, Spain: This signature journey, built around the Barcelona Open, is a client favorite. Daily tennis coaching at the historic Club Real de Barcelona is followed by delicious indulgence in wine-tasting, private dining, and day-tripping. n Charitable Giving and Relationship Building: Each of our cultural immersion trips includes a charitable-giving and relationship-building opportunity within the host country.

Long Island Tennis Magazine • November/December 2016 • LITennisMag.com

Mauna Kea Beach Hotel (808) 882-5420 MaunaKeaBeachHotel.com The legendary Mauna Kea Beach Hotel, an architectural icon designed to coexist beautifully with the unforgettable landscape of the Kohala Coast, is located on a silky white-sand crescent beach, Kauna’oa Bay. Escape to paradise where you will find 252 luxurious guest rooms, Laurance S. Rockefeller’s private collection of Asian and Pacific artwork, impeccable service, one of the world’s finest golf courses and tennis club plus tantalizing cuisine with unforgettable settings. The 11-court Seaside Tennis Club is one of the largest and most sought-after tennis experiences in Hawaii. Each one of the 11 courts offer an incredible view of the Pacific Blue Ocean, and on a clear day, you can see Maui in the background. Craig Pautler and his team serve up some of the most thoughtful touches available at the best private luxury tennis clubs, along with a comfortable lanai to relax in the shade. Facilities and services include 11 oceanside tennis courts, a pro shop offering equipment and apparel, equipment rentals, men’s and women’s locker rooms, video instruction service, ball machine, tournament planning, racquet stringing, individual game-matching, customized special events, tennis clinics, round-robin tournaments, and private and group lessons. Enjoy the many other amenities offered at the resort, such as beach activities, children’s program, a weekly luau and clambake, 2,500-square-foot fitness room, and spa just to mention a few. Enjoy some private time at this world-class resort, improve your tennis game while taking in some of the most incredible views in the world and create memories that will be treasured for a lifetime. Mauna Kea’s timeless magic endures. Visit OnlyMaunaKea.com for details.

Peter Kaplan’s Westhampton Beach Junior/Adult Tennis Academy (631) 288-4021 • (914) 234-9462 PeterKaplan2002@yahoo.com WestHamptonBeachTennis.com Peter Kaplan’s Westhampton Beach Junior/Adult Tennis Academy, and the affiliated Grassmere Inn, is a wonderful destination for beginners to nationally-ranked players of all ages. Private instruction, clinics, one to seven full- and half-day camps are offered. The flexibility of the programming enables participants to enjoy the ocean beaches, charming village, Performing Arts Center, wine country, shopping, cafes, restaurants and nearby water park. Resident students/families/teams stay at the historic and newly-renovated Grassmere Inn, located on Beach Lane, 50 yards from the beginning of the charming village, yet less than one mile from a beautiful ocean beach. The Grassmere’s 22 guest rooms all have air conditioning, WiFi, cable TV and private bathrooms. Ideal for families are two suites or interconnected rooms. A delicious breakfast is included daily. The Tennis Academy features 12 soft courts and features an enthusiastic staff, renowned for its high-quality instruction with an average student/staff ratio of 2:1. You can play tennis during the day, go to the beach and have a glass of wine at sunset, and then dine at a great restaurant, or take in a movie or a show at the Performing Arts Center. Westhampton Beach Junior/Adult Tennis Academy is the only academy in the world the USTA selected for the members benefits program for both juniors and adults. Programs including accommodations and tennis instruction begin at $99 per person/day.

LITennisMag.com • November/December 2016 • Long Island Tennis Magazine

Tennis Fantasies With John Newcombe and the Legends Contact Steve Contardi: (800) 874-7788 SteveC@TowneProperties.com TennisFantasties.net Tennis Fantasies with John Newcombe and the Legends, the original tennis fantasy camp, is your chance to play tennis and rub shoulders with all-time greats. Join host three-time Wimbledon Champion John Newcombe and his “mates” at the John Newcombe Tennis Ranch in New Braunfels, Texas for a most memorable tennis event. The legendary staff will include International Tennis Hall of Fame Members John Newcombe, Roy Emerson, Fred Stolle, Owen Davidson, Mark Woodforde and Charlie Pasarell, as well as Grand Slam winners Ross Case, Marty Riessen, Dick Stockton, Brian Gottfried, Rick Leach and The Jensen Brothers. Together, more than 150 Grand Slam titles and hundreds of other major championships are assembled! Tennis Fantasies 2017 offers two great programs: n March 2-5, 2017: Tennis Fantasies for Men and Women n Oct. 20-25, 2017: Tennis Fantasies, Men Only On-court activities include clinics, team competition, and “fantasy” pro-am matches. Guests will enjoy the “Aussie-style” hospitality of the John Newcombe Tennis Ranch, located in the rolling Hill country of central Texas, 30 minutes from the San Antonio airport. The crystal clear water of Canyon Lake, the Guadalupe River, and the Comal River are just minutes away. Accommodations at the John Newcombe Tennis Ranch are one- or two-bedroom condominiums or a courtside room. The Ranch has 32 deco-turf and four Har-Tru courts, eight lighted and four all-weather covered courts for guaranteed tennis. You don’t want to miss this magical tennis adventure. Join us for the best tennis vacation of your life!

Topnotch Resort 3800 Mountain Road • Stowe, VT 05673 (800) 451-8686 TopnotchResort.com Set within 120 acres of woodland at the foot of Mount Mansfield in the village of Stowe, Vt., Topnotch Resort blends the gracious charm of a ski lodge with the luxurious amenities of a world-class resort. The boutique resort offers 68 guest rooms, two restaurants, indoor and outdoor pools, tennis center, a state-of-the-art fitness center, and a 35,000-square-foot spa. Additional accommodations can be found in a variety of resort homes. Surrounded by Vermont’s legendary Green Mountains, Topnotch Resort provides travelers with a four-season, luxury New England retreat with skiing, snowmobiling, hiking, fishing, canoeing, swimming, biking, paddle-boarding, golfing and more all nearby. The Tennis Center at Topnotch is open year-round, featuring six outdoor courts—all with stunning mountain views—and four indoor hard courts, offering winter guests the optimal ski and tennis experience. The Tennis Center at Topnotch, an official partner of Adidas, is consistently ranked number one in the Northeast, and one of the “Top 25 Tennis Resorts” by TennisResortsonline.com. The Resort’s top-rated Tennis Academy offers more than 30 programs for all ages and levels of play, including a full lineup of lessons, clinics, private instruction, and the newest tennis technologies, such as Dartfish and iPlaymate, led by seasoned pros, including Tennis Director Milan Kubala. Designed to leave guests feeling a sense of ultimate achievement and advancement in their game, Topnotch Tennis’ “Play to Win” teaching philosophy provides students an edge in all three critical areas of tennis— strategy, technique and footwork. A Junior Academy for kids, ages five through 14 is also available.

Long Island Tennis Magazine • November/December 2016 • LITennisMag.com

COMING IN JANUARY

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This edition will feature: • Guide to the Top Tennis Clubs for Long Island Tennis Players • Australian Open Preview • 2016 Year in Review • Girls High School State Championships

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Coaches Roundtable Discussion he Long Island tennis community has some of the sport’s finest facilities, both indoor and outdoor, and best coaches in the world. With this wealth of talent available right in our own backyard, Long Island Tennis Magazine recently took the opportunity to pick the brains of some of these top coaches. What you will find below are some of the sport’s top instructors sharing their ideas and strategies on growing the sport locally, the state of U.S. tennis, training methods, 10 & Under tennis, and much more. Even the best coach can always learn an extra tip or two, and the following article will provide all players and coaches with a chance to learn from the cream of the area’s crop.

Meet the participants … Carl Barnett This is the 14th season of Carl Barnett’s Early Hit Training Center at Glen Head Racquet Club. Early Hit is dedicated to providing lessons, groups and training in its comprehensive ALPS program. Pat Etcheberry has worked with Carl as an advisor with the ALPS training program. Carl has concluded that students learn faster when they have core fitness, flexibility and explosive strength. Early Hit not only serves juniors as the program features nationally-ranked players in the USTA Open, 40s, 60s and 70s Divisions. Ricky Becker Ricky Becker is the founder of JuniorTennisConsulting LLC, director of tennis at Pine Hollow Country Club and independently coaches high-performance juniors year-round. Ricky was named the Most Valuable Player for the 1996 NCAA Championship Stanford Tennis Team and was a top-five nationally-ranked junior. David Brent David Brent has more than 35 years of experience as a professional tennis instructor and coach, and was nationally ranked as a junior in Australia. A standout in college at Tennessee Tech, 34

David was named Ohio Valley Conference Player of the Year in 1975. He has held many National and Eastern rankings, including being ranked number one in the East and second Nationally in the 45 Doubles. In 2009 and 2011, he was a finalist at the USTA 55 National Grass Court Doubles Championships. He was named Long Island Tennis Professional of the Year in 2014. Steven Kaplan Steven Kaplan is the owner of Bethpage Park Tennis Center, as well as the director of Lacoste Academy for New York City Parks Foundation. Over the last 35-plus years, Steve has been the long-time coach of more than 600 nationally-ranked junior players, 16 state high school champions, two NCAA Division I Singles Champions, and numerous touring professionals and prominent coaches. Steve’s students have been awarded in excess of $8 million in college scholarship money. Danny McGuire Danny McGuire is the assistant Academy director at JMTA’s Long Island Annex at Sportime Syosset. A native of Great Britain, Danny attended Tennessee Martin University, where he played number one singles and doubles,

Long Island Tennis Magazine • November/December 2016 • LITennisMag.com

and graduated Magna Cum Laude in 2006 with a degree in sports management. He went on to earn his masters in physical education, with a concentration in coaching and sports leadership, from the University of Central Florida, graduating Magna Cum Laude in 2009. Danny has worked at both the Winter Park Racquet Club in Orlando, and as a hitting partner and traveling coach for former ATP top 100 American Robert Kendrick. He joined Sportime/JMTA in 2012. Whitney Kraft Since 2007, Whitney Kraft has been the director of tennis at the USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center in Flushing Meadows, N.Y., and director of player operations for the U.S. Open. Previously, he was director of tennis for the City of Fort Lauderdale Park & Recreation Department (1998-2007). He was a 1983 Singles All-American for Florida Atlantic University, and inducted into their inaugural Athletic Hall of Fame class in 2006. He is a National 10 & Under Trainer, a USPPTA Platform Tennis instructor, as well as a member of the National Cardio Tennis Speakers Team (2000-2007) and the USTA National Open Clay Court and Indoor Championships (1998-present).

2016 LONG ISLAND TENNIS MAGAZINE’S

Coaches Roundtable Discussion Ed Krass Ed Krass coached the Harvard Women’s Tennis Team to four consecutive Ivy League titles from 1986-1990. Ed is the founder and director of the Annual College Tennis Exposure Camps, which are taught exclusively by all head college coaches for high school-aged players (15-18). Ed is also the founder of One-On-One Doubles tournaments, which have been played at USTA, ATP, ITA and USPTA national events. Ben Marks Ben Marks is director of junior tennis at Carefree Racquet Club, and director of tennis at Cold Spring Harbor Beach Club. He previously worked at the John McEnroe Tennis Academy, and was the Cold Spring Harbor Varsity Head Coach for three years, earning Nassau County Coach of the Year Honors in 2014. He played number one and number two singles for Norfolk State University, and number one doubles—reaching a careerhigh regional ranking of ninth in the Atlantic Region. He is a 2015 National Open Doubles Champion. Andrei Rosianu Andrei Rosianu is the owner and director of Max Tennis Academy. During the fall, winter and spring seasons, he offers a variety of comprehensive tennis programs at Jericho-Westbury Indoor Tennis. He also operates a full-service summer program. He started his career as a tennis player at the age of six, and continued to play competitive tennis throughout his junior years in Romania and Germany. With more than 22 years of instructional experience, his coaching

technique has positioned students in world-class ITF competitions, as well as placement in top tier universities. Butch Seewagen Butch Seewagen is owner of CATS—Children’s Athletic Training School and Butch Seewagen Tennis Academy in Rockville Centre, N.Y. He is a former U.S. Amateur Champion, coach of Ivy League Champion Columbia University, and a former top 70 in the world. Having played the U.S. Open 13 times, Butch reached the semifinals in doubles and was among the last 32 in singles. Jay Wass Jason Wass is a USPTA Professional Certified Instructor, with experience coaching all ages and levels. A graduate of the USTA High-Performance Player Development Program, Jay’s strengths lie in working with players in developmental stages of the game, building a player’s technique and strategy from the ground up. Jason’s versatility as a tennis coach is demonstrated by his list of students, ranging from total beginner to nationally-ranked. Named the 2010 USTA Long Island Tennis Professional of the Year, Jay is the director of tennis at Sportime Kings Park.

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LITennisMag.com • November/December 2016 • Long Island Tennis Magazine

2016 LONG ISLAND TENNIS MAGAZINE’S

Coaches Roundtable Discussion The roundtable ...

What do you feel is the best way to grow participation in the local area? Ricky Becker: I think that clubs tend to put pros who need hours into the grassroots spots, rather than pros who are better able to engage the grassroots players. It’s also important to get kids playing with friends of theirs because even though tennis is the greatest sport in the world, the individual aspect could turn a kid off. David Brent: Knowing your market and catering towards it. With USTA support, local clubs can better teach tennis to adults and juniors. The better support the local clubs get from the USTA in the form of positive advertising and programming, the better participation will be. Steven Kaplan: Numbers are not strong in the local area, especially in eastern Long Island. While this might be the natural ebb and flow of the business cycle, some positive steps can be taken to re-ignite interest in the sport. First, as teaching professionals, we need to shift the paradigm in thinking and recognize that we are educators. We must hold ourselves accountable to the highest standards, so that we don’t just get players in the door, but keep them. Next, while the frequently heard notion 36

that we need to all “work together” sounds nice, it’s just not realistic. We can, however, work positively with innovative programs that are fun and affordable, both within the scope of what the USTA offers, as well as outside the box. Lastly, we need to support promising players based on income and ability to create opportunities that truly grow the game. Danny McGuire: I believe that this is a two-pronged approach that begins with introducing young children to the sport of tennis in elementary schools. It must continue with making sure these boys and girls enter into a quality program that ensures progress through the stages of development and fosters the enhancement of specific skills. Events such as the Sportime World Tour, held several times a year, have become a celebratory experience where we can see the collective growth of the grassroots of our game.

How important are grassroots initiatives in local markets to growing tennis on a national level? David Brent: Tennis professionals are very important in the grassroots initiative. The better the tennis pro, the more each student will grow. If a pro

Long Island Tennis Magazine • November/December 2016 • LITennisMag.com

can connect with a student, that initial impression may determine whether the student is hooked on the sport for life. Support of the professionals from higher level management and understanding the needs of the customer by the pro is important in growing tennis on a national level. Ben Marks: Grassroots initiatives in local markets will always be very important in growing tennis on a national level, simply because the more people we have playing tennis locally at young ages, the better chance we have of being successful at a national level. If kids can develop a love and passion for the game with their local communities, they will be lifelong participants in the sport, and we will eventually start to see results on the national level. Jay Wass: I think it is extremely important, however there has to be some quality control along with it. This is not a case of “something is better than nothing,” rather, it is more “you never get a second chance to make a good first impression.” If we, as an industry, are not able to deliver a quality experience early in the tennis process, we are better off not offering one at all. Grassroots tennis events need to be

2016 LONG ISLAND TENNIS MAGAZINE’S

Coaches Roundtable Discussion planned, marketed and staffed properly, with trained professionals, otherwise, in my opinion, our efforts can backfire.

Does the U.S. need a top five player on the men’s side to grow the popularity of the sport? How close are we to getting that top player? Carl Barnett: Today, the men’s top 20 is made up of four players from France and three from Spain, with 18 Europeans total. The women’s top 20 includes three Americans. I don’t believe tennis is any less popular because Serena is no longer number one. The expansion of tennis on TV is important to generate greater interest. The USTA tournament system is

essential to our development. The fact that so many players from foreign countries gain scholarships in our colleges is what helps and hurts our development the most. It helps the level of competition, yet diminishes opportunity at schools strongest in higher level development. In terms of this developing top five players, the added density of high level competition is a bonus. Whitney Kraft: It certainly never hurts when there are U.S. players at the top of the rankings. We’ve been fortunate in the past having had so many engaging personas from Jimmy Connors, John McEnroe, Michael Chang, Pete Sampras, Jim Courier, Andre Agassi,

Andy Roddick, the Bryan Brothers and others, and a new cadre of American players, including but not limited to Taylor Fritz, Francis Tiafoe, Tommy Paul and Dennis Kudla, all poised to make their mark on the game. Danny McGuire: When I look at the current rankings, more than half of the top 20 players in the world are in their late 20s or early 30s, so there will be chances for younger players to insert themselves into the mix at the summit of our sport. The crop of players that really excites me is the young group of Americans ranked between 50 and 300, beginning with Taylor Fritz, currently ranked 58 in the world; and including Jared Donaldson, 98th in the world;

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Coaches Roundtable Discussion Francis Tiafoe, 117th in the world; and others. In order for the popularity of the sport to grow, we would need this group of guys to enhance their play and dominate for years, pushing each other like in the 1990s and early 2000s, when Andre Agassi, Pete Sampras, Jim Courier and Michael Chang were at the top of the game, or in the 1970s and 1980s when John McEnroe and Jimmy Connors were at their peak. Butch Seewagen: From a fan’s perspective, it is not that important. Like baseball, the tennis world of the fans is international. When I was growing up, my idols were Pancho Gonzales and Manolo Santana. However, to get media publicity for the game, a U.S. champion would be invaluable. I believe we certainly will have some top 10 players within five years.

What do you think the new USTA training facility in Orlando will bring to the American tennis landscape? Steven Kaplan: The new Orlando center is an amazing monument to tennis and could be money well spent, but definitely not best spent. I wrote a blog for Long Island Tennis Magazine’s Web site suggesting that the lofty funds spent on this new Center could do more if budgeted directly for the costs of training the next generation of American athletes. The limitation in American tennis is not the venues, but the opportunities for the best players to ascend in America by entrepreneurship. Shiny buildings are exciting to look at, but they don’t create champions. Great players result from great training. Whitney Kraft: Collaboration and opportunity. The blending of 38

community tennis endeavors, with collegiate and player development creates a pathway and synergy that’s contagious. It’s a fabulous venue that will be utilized effectively.

What are the biggest positives and negatives about the current state of tennis on Long Island? Ben Marks: I think there are lots of positives on Long Island at the moment. The quality of clubs and programming are definitely improving and giving players a great choice in the programs they offer. I have only been here four years, but I definitely see improvements each year with new pro staff, new programs and new initiatives from all of our clubs to try and help our players as much as possible. In terms of the negatives that I have seen, I think we are not seeing great participation in our lower level tournaments. I have had numerous players playing tournaments, with only two or three kids in it. Match practice and playing different people in different environments are a key part of a player’s growth which they are missing out on if they only play one match in a tournament due to a lack of numbers. Andrei Rosianu: In the last 10 years, tennis clubs in the Long Island area have been replenishing their workforce with more experienced and qualified tennis coaches. This is enabling the clubs and academies to create new and exciting programs for kids and adults. These programs are turning Long Island juniors into a competitive force moving forward. However, underprivileged children still do not have easy access to affordable tennis programs created by communities and schools.

Long Island Tennis Magazine • November/December 2016 • LITennisMag.com

Is there a difference between coaching boys and girls? If so, what are those differences? Carl Barnett: Boys need and want to be pushed. You should know where their buttons are, but don’t go overboard. The need for “less is more” is common. Girls are more mindful and present in practice. With girls, confirm often when finding new techniques, and only raise your voice in praise. Girls are no doubt some of my toughest players, but an even voice providing lots of support to their efforts is what I have found works best. Ricky Becker: A huge difference! Girls want a friend, as well as a coach. They need someone who they like and respect. Girls don’t react well to yelling, whereas boys do not need to like their coach as much and just have to respect them. Boys take criticism much better and you can undoubtedly be tougher with them. Ed Krass: I think it is a good idea to tell girls a few things they are doing well, before telling them what they are doing “wrong.” This may hold true with some boys, as well. I have found the direct approach works better with the boys, but not all the time. Each person is different, so your approach to coaching men and women should differ a bit. The women should both like their coach and respect their coach. The men need to respect their coach and can actually not like their coach, yet still produce winning results. I’ve seen plenty of this type of scenario over the years!

What is the one thing you hope all of your students learn from you? Carl Barnett: I hope my players learn focus and grit from me. Teaching is not just “teaching” tennis. Developing juniors is really cross-training for life. The ability to focus on and maintain a passion for

2016 LONG ISLAND TENNIS MAGAZINE’S

Coaches Roundtable Discussion growth in a pursuit over a long period of time is what I am trying to share. David Brent: I want all of my students to understand the importance of mutually respecting others playing the game. That includes opponents, partners and others on the courts around you. There is more to winning than just the final score. If you learn to respect the game, then tennis will be a rewarding part of your life, no matter your age. Ed Krass: I hope all of my students learn that is it most important to be a good person, besides being good at tennis. This means being respectful of others, caring for others and always be a good listener. Learn how to become a truthful,

sincere person and you will go a long way in life! Have a passion to achieve, but refrain from the temptations of cheating and taking short-cuts! Jay Wass: I hope my players all learn accountability. Even with younger players, I try to give students expectations, goals and tasks. It can begin with little things, like packing and carrying their own equipment … things that they need to learn to do for themselves. Far too often, I see kids relying on parents, teachers and instructors to give them answers. I’d prefer they figure things out on their own. What mental traits set a top player apart from others? Danny McGuire: Every great player has a

certain amount of raw, natural talent that makes them special, and this is something that certain athletes are born with. I think these four things set the very best tennis players apart from the pack: Drive, Determination, Discipline and SelfConfidence. Being driven takes internal motivation and means never being satisfied with attaining one goal, and always pushing forward to the next goal. I believe discipline is necessary in regards to following a strict diet and lifestyle to be in peak physical condition. The determination to never give up, no matter the cost and the ability to take a loss and bounce right back, is important to becoming a great player. Selfconfidence is the most important trait, and the knowledge that you are a winner is essential to fulfilling potential.

LITennisMag.com • November/December 2016 • Long Island Tennis Magazine

2016 LONG ISLAND TENNIS MAGAZINE’S

Coaches Roundtable Discussion Andrei Rosianu: The most critical mental trait that sets apart the top players from others is their ability to cope with momentary defeat. In other words, how they handle losing a point, game or set. These top athletes have an overwhelming aptitude to regroup and sustain the same high level of intensity, even after a loss. They are able to accept an error, overcome and regain their confidence between each and every point. They have an incredible sense of resilience during their game play. Butch Seewagen: Determination and a never-quit attitude are two traits that set players apart from the rest of the pack.

How important is specific doubles training and playing doubles tournaments for a junior player? Carl Barnett: Doubles helps complete players who, by and large, are baseliners these days. It causes players to master the middle court moving forward, and have competent volleys and overheads. Doubles play fosters partnerships and rivalries, which is great for juniors who tend to be way too isolated as singlesonly players and you can also gain points for your ranking. Doubles is also vital to team success at the high school and collegiate level. My girls team at Lutheran last year was 9-2, with singles going 1617, while doubles were 19-3. College doubles is played by the top players, unlike high school. So if you are number five or six on the depth chart and don’t play doubles well, you may be replaced by someone who is strong in both. Ed Krass: Specific doubles training is very important to prepare for college tennis. For any serious college-bound player, I suggest to play a few sets of One-On-One Doubles to ensure the development of the serve and volley game for your half of the court. Develop and 40

strengthen the mid-court volleys, quick volleys and net game for doubles. Who is the greatest male and female tennis player of all-time? Ricky Becker: I think the greatest male player of all-time has got to be Roger Federer. On the women’s side. I would go with the great Margaret Court as being the best for her era, although with today’s athleticism and technology, it would be hard to think that Serena wouldn’t beat her. Andrei Rosianu: In my opinion, Roger Federer and Serena Williams are the greatest male and female players of alltime. While there are many close seconds, these athletes have unmatched talent and longevity in their career. Their sheer strength, talent and flawless technique earns them this top distinction in tennis history. Butch Seewagen: From the older era, I think the best male player was Pancho Gonzales, and Roger Federer in the newer era. On the female side, I would have to say Steffi Graff. She had an error-free backhand, huge forehand, a big serve, and was the best mover of her era. In looking at the tournament participation numbers, it appears that the greater metropolitan area has been reluctant to embrace 10 & Under tennis. Why do you think this is so? Steven Kaplan: The local area has not embraced 10 & Under tennis. The facts here are not in dispute, it’s the interpretation of this fact that has been contended. Consider that, as a whole, the area is highly educated, well-informed and independent. New Yorkers don’t like to be told what to do and how to do it, and the 10 & Under system provides few format alternatives to tournament participation, so many are dropping out of

Long Island Tennis Magazine • November/December 2016 • LITennisMag.com

the sport entirely. Conclusive research evidence for the value of the 10 & Under format needs to be undertaken to assess it as a best practice. Ben Marks: Ten & Under tennis is great thing where the U.S. is years behind other countries in implementing. I think some of the reluctance to embrace it are the restrictions placed on it. Many kids and coaches feel like they are being forced to use it and are not able to use their own professional judgment and personal experience in terms of choosing which level of U10 tennis is best for their own students. I don’t think anybody can ignore the benefits of the smaller court and low compression balls, but the speed at which the child progresses through has to be down to the coach/coaches who are working directly with the player. Whitney Kraft: New concepts for U10 play. Patience at the ROGY levels (Red, Orange, Green & Yellow Levels) will yield greater competency and upside potential long-term. Tournament numbers shouldn’t be the bellwether stat anyway as friendly competitions for 10U are built into most programs. The emphasis is better placed on fun, play and intrinsic motivation to continue, whereby effort and good sportsmanship are to be rewarded. Jay Wass: I think everyone is to blame: Me, you, coaches, parents and the USTA. We all need to do a better job of getting the word out, understanding why the 10 & Under pathway is important, how it works and how it benefits the participants. Having embraced 10 & Under tennis for a long time now, I see the positives, and I’ve seen players benefit tremendously. I believe the current system offers the best of both worlds. For those just beginning the

2016 LONG ISLAND TENNIS MAGAZINE’S

Coaches Roundtable Discussion tournament process, there is a defined starting point, followed by advancement based on performance. This will allow players who ‘earn’ the opportunity to play against older/stronger players to compete “up,” while eliminating the guesswork for players and parents who simply are unsure of where to begin or where to go from here. For ultimate success, I think the more we can work together and create fantastic competitive experiences for players through 10 & Under tournaments, Junior Team Tennis and club events, the better for everyone.

little more on U10 tournaments and feature interviews or player profiles on the winners of local tournaments. This will encourage the younger players by

showing them that their efforts are being publicized, while also keeping them hungry for more success and keeping their passion for the game alive.

What would you like to see Long Island Tennis Magazine do to help improve local tennis? Steven Kaplan: Long Island Tennis Magazine and New York Tennis Magazine are the single most important agents for change and vehicles for the promotion of tennis in the local area. These publications have enlightened self-interest for clubs, school instructors, players, fans and the Section to support these publications with advertising, content and participation. The local area needs these publications to prosper for tennis to improve in the local area. Whitney Kraft: These magazines shed light and tell stories on all of the terrific community tennis organizations. Significant work is being done by selfless citizens for non-profit tennis organizations in the metro area that, by sharing their stories, folks will be more inclined to assist with the mission of growing the game, with RCTA, Parks Foundation, NYKATA, CATS, Polonia, NYJTL, Nippon and our own PACES school program to name a few. Danny McGuire: I would love to see Long Island Tennis Magazine focus a LITennisMag.com • November/December 2016 • Long Island Tennis Magazine

USTA Eastern Lon USTA Long Island Region to Sponsor “Gold Balls” Debut

The USTA Eastern Long Island Region is proud to sponsor the Gold Coast International Film Festival’s presentation of “Gold Balls.” The movie’s Long Island premiere will be on Saturday, Nov. 12 at 5:00 p.m. at the Manhasset Bow Tie Cinemas, located at 430 Plandome Road in Manhasset, N.Y. “Gold Balls” is a quirky and charming feature-length documentary that inspires the average athlete in all of us, while offering

unique insight into the lives of several elite tennis athletes— who just happen to be over the age of 80. Over the course of one championship season, the film follows several players competing for the “Gold Ball” trophy awarded to National Champions in tennis. Characters include a former Big 10 basketball coach, a retired litigator, an aging comedian and the founder of Black Tennis Magazine. As we witness the routines of these creaky warriors, we are reminded that sometimes just getting to the courts is half the battle. But after the first serve, we forget that most of these competitors retired from their careers 30 years prior and we realize they’re driven by the same motivations and concerns as athletes a quarter of their age. A film to inspire viewers of every age to reset what we think about ‘old age’ and whom we consider champions. A question-and-answer session with Director/Producer Kate Keckler Dandel will follow the movie. Tickets are $15 per person or $13 for seniors and students. For tickets and more information, visit GoldCoastFilmFestival.org or LongIsland.USTA.com.

Fairs and Festivals Introducing tennis to kids and other newcomers is a continuing goal of the USTA Eastern Long Island Region. In addition to its Kids Days, the Region is proud to participate in fairs and festivals all year long to bring tennis to the community. Recent events include: Merrick Fall Festival, Bayville Village Waterside Festival, Town of Hempstead Lido Beach Festival by the Sea, Kids Clinics at Newbridge Road Park in Bellmore, and Harold Walker Memorial Park (Roosevelt), Freeport Nautical

Mile Festival and the Freeport Memorial Library’s Outside the Lines event. Does your community host a fair or festival and want to add tennis instruction? E-mail USTAonLongIsland@gmail.com and let us know when and where, and we’ll see if we can bring tennis to the streets of your neighborhood. Want to volunteer to help at a local event? E-mail USTAonLongIsland@gmail.com and let us when and where you’re available.

USTA Eastern Annual Conference Scheduled The USTA Eastern Annual Conference has been scheduled for Jan. 27-29, 2017 at the Renaissance Hotel in White Plains, N.Y. The event brings together people from across all five regions of the USTA Eastern Section, and will include seminars and panel discussions of interest to the tennis community, drills and games, 42

regional volunteer meetings, Junior Awards presentation, Adult Awards Dinner, USTA Eastern Annual Meeting and more. To register or for more information, visit Eastern.USTA.com. Friday and Saturday’s events and hotel accommodations are complimentary.

Long Island Tennis Magazine • November/December 2016 • LITennisMag.com

ong Island Region Kids Enjoy Summer Tennis Fun Across Long Island USTA Long Island Region hosts Annual Kids’ Days, gives lessons at fairs and festivals

More than 300 children enjoyed tennis fun in the sun at two Annual Long Island Summer Kids Days, Nassau County’s Kids Day held in July and Suffolk County’s Kids Day in August. The USTA Eastern Long Island Region events were cosponsored by Long Island Tennis Magazine. Nassau Kids Day was hosted by Engineers Country Club in Roslyn, N.Y., while the Suffolk event was hosted by the Hamlet Golf & Country Club in Commack, N.Y. “I had so much fun playing tennis,” said young tennis newcomer Sebastian, a camper with The Marion & Aaron Gural JCC in Valley Stream, N.Y. Fellow camper Matthew said, “It was the best day!” According to Sharona Arbeit, Gural JCC director of Children’s Services, her campers, “Had an amazing time and said so!” This marked the second year the JCC’s campers have participated in Kids Day.

Children at both Kids Day events enjoyed tennis instruction and competition, including clinics and skills-building activities, as well as games and prizes. Creating a more festive atmosphere were food, a dunk tank, face-painting, music and a dance competition. Participating groups included: Gural JCC, Alliance Junior Tennis, Rozzie’s Daycare Summer Camp, Freeport Tennis Camp, Hicksville Community Tennis Association (CTA), Circulo de la Hispanidad Summer Camp, Suffolk JCC, YES group, Stroller Strides of Suffolk County, the Central Islip Community Program and The Hamlet. Pros from area clubs and students from the Commack, Ward Melville and Smithtown High School Tennis teams and the Hicksville CTA volunteered their time to instruct the children. “Our Kids Days were a resounding success thanks to the help and support of our many volunteers, the generosity of the Engineers Country Club and the Hamlet in hosting and Long Island Tennis Magazine,” said Terry Fontana, USTA LI Region Kids Day Chair, said, The children came from all corners of Long Island and represented a cross-section of the community. Many had never held a tennis racket before, but whether this was their first experience playing tennis or they came in as experts, everyone had a great time learning, playing, making friends and enjoying the activities.”

Coming Soon … Please visit LongIsland.USTA.com for details on these and other local events: l Sunday, November 6, 2016: USTA Eastern College Showcase Day at the Saw Mill Club in Mt. Kisco, N.Y. l Saturday, November 12, 2016: Gold Coast International Film Festival presents “Gold Balls” at the Manhasset Bow Tie Cinemas, 430 Plandome Road, Manhasset, N.Y. l Friday-Sunday, January 27-29, 2017: 2017 USTA Eastern Annual Conference at the Renaissance Hotel in White Plains, N.Y. LITennisMag.com • November/December 2016 • Long Island Tennis Magazine

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We’ve planned ahead so you can too! Go to www.sportimeny.com/schoolbrea k to find out more. JOHN McENROE TENNIS ACADEMY LOCATIONS Long Island/Syosset - 516-364-2727 Manhattan/Randall’s Island - 212-427-6150 Westchester/Lake Isle - 914-777-5151 LITennisMag.com • November/December 2016 • Long Island Tennis Magazine

Tennis Tips From the Pros at Boca

oca West Country Club, located in in Boca Raton, Fla., is renowned for its first-rate recreational activities. The number one residential country club in the United States is also the proud recipient of the 2013 USTA Outstanding Tennis Facility Award. Adding cachet to the Club’s brand is the partnership with WTA rising star Christina McHale, who most recently captured her first career singles title at the Japan Open. “My win at the Japan Open was really exciting,” said McHale. “It was a tough week of very long matches and to come away with the title at the end was a great feeling. It took me a few years on the WTA Tour to finally win my first singles title, but it made all the effort and hard work my team and I have put in worth it. I’m already really looking forward to putting in some good work this offseason to get ready for next season!” When asked for how she prepares for a match, McHale said, “I try to prepare the

same for all my tournaments and not treat one any different than the other. I try and always give myself a process goal going into every tournament and that helps keep me focused on how I want to play versus getting caught up in results.” McHale also stressed the importance of warming up and cooling down before a match, to avoid injuries and recover more quickly. Other tips from McHale include: l Continuous work on endurance, power, agility and speed l Develop and maintain a strong core l Hydrate extremely well before, during and after a tennis match “Fitness is a huge part of the game right now, so for an amateur, it’s really important to develop good fitness routines with a strength and conditioning coach,” said McHale, as she added that Boca West has some exciting exhibitions planned this season. John Joyce serves as Boca West Country

Long Island Tennis Magazine • November/December 2016 • LITennisMag.com

Club’s director of tennis. In an interview with Joyce, he offered tennis fitness tips for all ages. “Everyone needs basic correct swing patterns in order to have consistency with their shots,” said Joyce. “But for the amount of time most seniors have to put into the game, I believe more focus should be placed into doubles and positioning drills that you actually use when playing.” In order to protect knees, shoulder and elbows, Joyce recommends: l A proper warmup with dynamic flexibility exercises before playing. l Strength training exercises for the legs, such as leg extensions, leg curls and lunges to strengthen the leg to help prevent knee injuries. l Core strengthening exercises to help with back issues. l Practicing proper techniques, which help prevent elbow and shoulder injuries.

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When asked what’s new at Boca West, Joyce discussed enhancements to the very active tennis program, including placements for foursomes on a 70-inch screen on the tennis patio and game arranging six days per week for men, and four days per week for women. Boca West’s reputation in golf is equaled by its $1.8 million Tennis Center. Early 2017 will mark the opening of Boca West’s $50 million new Golf & Activities Center. The new Center will include a restaurant gallery, porte-cochere, golf shop, activities ballroom and locker rooms. Fully dedicated to the racquet sport, there is a lighted stadium court and seating for more than 300, a U.S. Open Cushion court with four Pickleball courts, and four additional Pickleball courts currently under construction. An award-winning community, Boca West is home to 6,000 residents (3,380 families) in magnificent residences, including townhomes, patio homes, villas, garden apartments and single-family homes. Boca West is the number one private residential country

club in the country, and the number one private club, of all types, in Florida statewide. Boca West is a Platinum Club of America, Five-Star Private Club since

1997, and is proudly recognized as a Distinguished Emerald Club by BoardRoom Magazine since 2013. For more information, visit BocaWestCC.org.

LITennisMag.com • November/December 2016 • Long Island Tennis Magazine

CuteTennisStuff

inPhorm

(256) 776-8481 CuteTennisStuff.com Incorporated in Marietta, Ga. in 2005, this little company was formed on a dream, a leap of faith, some amazing friendships and a credit card! Today, 12 years later, CuteTennisStuff.com continues to bring the on-court tennis humor of daily life into both the products created and those the company represents. Available online and also at some of the most amazing tennis venues across the U.S. Great holiday gift ideas, new for holiday 2017: n CuteTennisStuff’s snuggly, butter-soft fleece tennis blanket is a generous 72” x 52” and folds into a pillow or seat cushion for easy transport. Pair with a neon “Tennis Players Have Fewer Faults” 26 ounce thermal bottle and you’re set for chilly courtside cheer. n Limited edition tennis Christmas ornaments are perfect for holiday tennis gift exchange and hostess gifts. Choose one of CuteTennisStuff’s festive embellishments or personalize with your own greeting. n The best-selling ladies’ “Little Racquet Pullovers” are a perfect winter weight warm up for play, indoors or out. Available in six colors, ladies XS-4XL.

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Need a custom gift for your family, team or league? Give CuteTennisStuff a call! We are happy to work with you to create the perfect gift. Headed to a pro tour event? Stop by and see CuteTennisStuff in Dallas; Indian Wells; Sarasota; Atlanta; Washington, D.C.; Cincinnati; and Winston-Salem to say hello! And if you happen to be playing in a USTA State or Sectional Tournament across the Southeast, you’ll likely find CuteTennisStuff there as well. Visit CuteTennisStuff.com for your tennis holiday shopping! Enter promo code “LITL” at checkout and receive free ground shipping on your November and December holiday purchases! 48

Creating environmentallyfriendly international designer athleisure wear has been inPhorm’s mission since the company launched in 2008. inPhorm’s luxurious tennis, active and lifestyle outfits are made predominantly of recycled fibers, and the company is constantly devising new processes and technology to reduce the environmental impact of apparel manufacturing. inPhorm crafts every fabric and stitch of clothing in its own textile mills and sewing factories to ensure high-quality from start to finish. Look for the six exciting multinational young tennis pros whose wardrobes inPhorm sponsors: Jacqueline Cako, Petra Januskova, Alla Kudryavtseva, Sabastiani Leon, Jessica Moore and Marina Shamayko. inPhorm proudly serves as the official outfitter for the men and women players and coaches of Tennis Ireland, the national governing body for the sport in Ireland. Expect more great things from inPhorm as the company offers more athleisure, always mindful that the creation of high design does not preclude protecting the planet. Shop the styles shown at inPhormNYC.com or to locate the retailer nearest you contact CustomerService@inPhormNYC.com or call (214) 749-0300.

Long Island Tennis Magazine • November/December 2016 • LITennisMag.com

KryoMed LI

Nutrition Solutions PC

369 Glen Cove Road Greenvale, N.Y. (516) 671-8000 KryoMedLI.com Cryotherapy is the newest method of athletic treatment and recovery, and KryoMed Long Island has all the great gift options for the athlete, and non-athlete, in your life. Located on Glen Cove Road in Greenvale and led by Medical Director Dr. Konstantinos Zarkadas, KryoMed LI provides medicallysupervised and effective treatment for any type of injury. After getting the appropriate medical screening and clearance, clients step into a top-of-the-line, open-topped cryosuana, where they’re briefly enveloped by frosty air. KryoMed’s best-in-class technology lowers the temperatures inside to between -184 and -292 degrees Fahrenheit. The treatment is painless, and refreshing to many, and helps to reduce inflammation, increase energy, decrease soreness, relieve pain, and much more. KryoMed LI also offers localized cryotherapy to a specific area of the body. In addition to cryotherapy, KryoMed LI offers a variety of KryoCreams as well as KryoFacials, which use pressurized liquid nitrogen vapors applied to the face and neck, stimulating the production of collagen and decreasing pore size, which helps tighten the skin and improve blood circulation. Come see why professional athletes and others alike are trying cryotherapy as the newest form of recovery and wellness. For more information, visit KryoMedLI.com or call (516) 671-8000.

705 Middle Neck Road Great Neck, N.Y. (516) 439-5090 Irina@IrinaLehat.com IrinaLehat.com A gift from Nutrition Solutions PC for you! Get 20 percent off on your personalized diet plan! A five-day meal plan, designed just for you by Irina Belfer-Lehat, a registered dietitian, that will include a pre-match meal, recovery meal and fluid, calories and protein calculations! Call (917) 769-8031 today and see where good nutrition can take you! Irina Belfer-Lehat of Nutrition Solutions PC is a New York State-licensed dietitian and certified dietitian-nutritionist. Irina Lehat RD Nutrition Solutions offers group classes for kids in kindergarten through high school. Small groups, affordable prices! For more information, call (917) 769-8031, e-mail IrinaLehat@gmail.com or visit IrinaLehat.com.

LITennisMag.com • November/December 2016 • Long Island Tennis Magazine

Portable Tennis Partner

Silent Partner Tennis

(813) 997-2377 Andrew@PortableTennisPartner.com PortableTennisPartner.com The holiday season is fast approaching. What do you get your athlete, especially your tennis enthusiast who already has everything? Get them Portable Tennis Partner, the gift that keeps on giving, year-round. Never go without a tennis partner again, play in your garage, driveway, basement, or yard. Never let the rain, snow, heat, or wind keep you from doing something you enjoy; hitting tennis balls. Hitting 1,200 balls in 30 minutes promotes efficient strokes, while getting a great cardio workout, all in the comfort of the location of your choice. This one-of-a-kind backboard features fast, easy set-up and disassembly, requiring no tools in less than five minutes. It provides consistent bounces, with light, but sturdy construction. The Portable Tennis Partner is truly portable, weighing only 37 pounds while fully assembled, and can be moved easily from place to place. You do not have to be a professional or a competitive player to use the Portable Tennis Partner. It can be used by players of any age or skill level. Players who have difficulty hitting the 5’ x 7’ hitting surface will quickly hone the skill required to keep a “rally” going (more so than a regular backboard). The Portable Tennis Partner does not replace a coach or parent, but rather compliments them by providing a place to practice what you have been asked to work on before your next lesson. “Not having a way to hit balls at home is like taking piano lessons and not having a piano at home to practice,” said Steve Smith. “Repetition is the mother of consistency.” Order and get your Portable Tennis Partner before the rush. Feel free to contact the company with any questions. Happy hitting …

(800) 662-1809 SPTennis@on.aibn.com SPTennis.com “Give the gift of a Silent Partner Tennis Ball Machine this holiday season!” Independently owned and operated since 1989, Silent Partner Tennis is committed to the quality of its machines and the satisfaction of its customers. Silent Partner Tennis offers a range of machines to fit any budget. The machines ship door-todoor, and shipping is always free. Silent Partner Tennis Ball Machines are perfect for beginners and experts alike. The machines don’t judge. They can help groove your strokes or simulate play at the U.S. Open. Their features will put a smile on the face of your techie tennis pros. Whether battery-powered or plugged-in, take the machine anywhere, and try to keep up! The machines are always up to play and they work around your schedule. Plus, who doesn’t love a great-looking hitting partner? Check Silent Partner Tennis out at SPTennis.com. Here is to another great year of tennis. Silent Partner Tennis hopes that it can help you make 2017 the best one yet. Happy holidays!

Long Island Tennis Magazine • November/December 2016 • LITennisMag.com

Tennis Elbow Grease

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(800) 636-4130 Info@EliminateTennisElbow.com EliminateTennisElbow.com Do you have or know someone with tennis elbow? Now there is finally some relief for this debilitating problem. Introduced at the New York Tennis Expo at the USTA National Tennis Center in Flushing Meadows, N.Y. two years ago, Tennis Elbow Grease products are now available in retail stores across the country and online at EliminateTennisElbow.com. Tennis Elbow Grease (TEG) Pain Relief Cream is formulated as a topical analgesic to address the symptoms of tennis elbow, as well as to aid in healing the long-term underlying problems of arm and elbow pain. Utilizing a unique delivery system, the active ingredients in the TEG formula are distributed through the sub-dermal layers of the skin, where they can penetrate the affected muscles, tendons and skeletal areas. Essentially, the active ingredients in TEG target those areas in need of relief, ultimately reducing inflammation and pain. Unlike many other topical analgesics currently on the market, TEG incorporates a variety of ingredients that have been successfully proven to minimize or eliminate muscle, tendon and nerve pain. Consequently, TEG eliminates the need to buy and use multiple, less effective products. It offers efficacy, convenience and cost savings. In addition to a pain relief cream, Tennis Elbow Grease now offers a natural gut string that is high performing and extremely arm friendly, as well as an elbow brace with an insertable ice and heat gel pack for post-match maintenance. Give Tennis Elbow Grease products a try, or buy it for someone who is hoping to return to the tennis court sooner rather than later. Go to EliminateTennisElbow.com for more information and to shop now.

TennisHobo.com Available at Amazon/Barnes & Noble New book just released “Bound to be a classic.”—Gary Glassman, Stony Brook University John Gruberg has been mentioned on the Tonight Show and in Playboy Magazine. Your favorite tennis book may have to step aside for this new novel by John Gruberg. The semiautobiographical narrative offers high tennis adventure loaded with humor and witty insights to the game as two-small time tennis pros hit the road. Meanwhile, the golden years of Borg, Connors, McEnroe, Evert, and Navratilova haunt the background (tennis Instruction tips are a bonus). “There are tears in my eyes as I finish this book.”—Roger Kahn, USPTA “Great tale!”—Peter Smith, Men’s Tennis Coach, University of Southern California “Don’t miss it!”—Dick Gould, Stanford University “A story that begs to be told.”—Sean Sloane, Past Director of Education, USTA Now among the best tennis books, John Gruberg’s Tennis Hobo has a literary vibe akin to the classic, A Handful of Summers by Gordon Forbes.

LITennisMag.com • November/December 2016 • Long Island Tennis Magazine

Tennis Trunk TennisTrunk.com Looking for the gift that keeps on giving? Tennis Trunk is the first and only monthly box for tennis players. Each month, get a box with a few cans of tennis balls and several items geared towards your tennis talents! How it works? Tennis Trunk’s team of players and coaches scour the country looking for the must-haves in every tennis bag. Every month, you will be sent two cans of tennis balls and other essentials, such as overgrips, protein bars, wristbands, energy chews, towels, electrolytes. If players are using it, then it’s going into a Tennis Trunk. Whether you’re an avid tennis player, fan of the sport or know someone who cannot stay away from the court, Tennis Trunk can give anyone the advantage. As we near the holiday season, Tennis Trunk could approach the top of your gift list this year. Story Tennis Trunk was started by a tennis pro, so you know every product has been tested and approved as a must-have in your tennis bag! Each Tennis Trunk is customized, based on gender, size, tennis ball and grip preference. This adds excitement to the unboxing experience! Head to TennisTrunk.com, follow the steps, and feel satisfied that you will be making a tennis player feel extra special this holiday season. Tennis Trunk will provide months of value and excitement for you or the ones closest to you. We prefer to say that you should add in (or ad-in) a Tennis Trunk to your next wish or gift list this season! Use code “ACE” for $5 off your box! 52

Total Concierge Services (516) 429-3431 NickyTCS.com Take to the serve with TCS: Total Concierge Services Picture the U.S. Open with all aspects of the VIP experience. Total Concierge Services will plan your entire day and/or vacation, from beginning to end, including all the elite amenities of the taste of mind. Total Concierge Services’ transportation division will handle your travel, from private charter jet to extended luxurious black car/SUV service, to and from your accommodations. Total Concierge Services’ hotel division includes the booking of accommodations with the amenities of early checkin, spa reservations and five-star concierge service for reservations to all restaurants. The U.S. Open experience includes the arrival to Arthur Ashe Stadium with a personal escort to your private VIP seats and/or box. Take a stroll to the VIP concession area, where you’ll be met with some of the finest libations and canapés, and rub elbows with A-list celebrities and athletes. Top your night off with a trip to Mulberry Street with the fine taste of cappuccino, coffee and dessert. While in town, take in a Broadway show with premium seating and services. Join Total Concierge Services for floor seats at a concert at Madison Square Garden, followed by backstage passes. Another stop can be an unobtainable reservation at one of the most elite restaurants in the city. What about Miami, Las Vegas and Los Angeles? Total Concierge Services can provide all of these services anywhere you desire and for any of the following: Sporting events, concerts, movie premieres, annual red carpet events, celebrity meet and greets, luxurious dinners, travel, and much more. Check us out at TCSConcierge.com.

Long Island Tennis Magazine • November/December 2016 • LITennisMag.com

LITennisMag.com â&#x20AC;˘ November/December 2016 â&#x20AC;˘ Long Island Tennis Magazine

2016

LONG ISLAND GIRLS HIGH SCHOOL RECAP Hannity defeats Kowalsky for Nassau Singles Title; Friends’ Duo Wins Doubles hen the Nassau County Individual Singles draw came out, topseeded Merri Kelly Hannity of Cold Spring Harbor and second-seeded Courtney Kowalsky of Oyster Bay were on opposite sides and never thought they would play against one another. “It was hard but it was fun at the same time,” Hannity said of playing Kowalsky. “We talked about playing each other when the draw first came out and said ‘Thank God we’re on the opposite side.’” But the two best friends, who had never played one another, both came through their respective draws to meet in Sunday’s singles final, and it was the freshman Hannity who got the better of the matchup, outlasting Kowalsky 6-3, 1-6, 6-4 to win the 2016 Nassau County Singles Championship at Eisenhower Park in East Meadow, N.Y. “Her game is tighter and mentally she’s tougher,” said Cold Spring Harbor Melissa McLees. “She’s a ninth-grader playing a senior who is her best friend, and to be able to cut that out, and focus and concentrate on the task at hand was unbelievable.” Hannity quickly turned her focus to the

match, snatching the first break for a 3-1 lead in the opening set. Kowalsky would get that break back to trim the first set deficit to 3-4, but Hannity responded right back with a break, and served out the opener in the ensuing game. Kowalsky, a two-time New York State doubles champion, would not go quietly though, and came out firing in the second set. She broke for a 3-1 lead and again for a 5-1 lead, winning five straight games from 1-1 to win the second and force a deciding third set. Hannity demonstrated that mental toughness which has taken her game to the next level this year, rebounding from a tough second set to open up a commanding 4-0 lead in the third set. Kowalsky would trim the lead to make things close, but Hannity was able to serve out the match at 5-4, closing out her title victory after a Kowalsky forehand sailed wide. “We grew up together, play tennis all the time. We pretty much learned tennis together,” said Kowalsky of her relationship with Hannity. “We’re more like sisters than friends. I tried my best to put that aside; it was probably the hardest thing I’ve ever done in tennis.” Hannity and Kowalsky will represent Nas-

sau County in the New York State Championships, along with Great Neck North’s Amy Delman, who was a 6-4, 6-1 winner over New Hyde Park’s Steffi Antao in the third-place match. In the doubles final, Morgan Wilkins & Calista Sha of Friends Academy were crowned 2016 County Champions after defeating North Shore’s Olivia Scordo & Lucia Hu 6-2, 6-4. “It feels really good,” Wilkins said of being a county champion. “This is the first time we played together in counties. And playing together was a last minute decision, and a few matches into the tournament we realized we were pretty good together.” Wilkins & Sha, both normally singles player, translated their singles skills to the doubles court. “I think we just tried to mix it up,” Sha said of their strategy. “We started playing two back at the baseline and it worked, so we stuck with it.” Joining the Friends’ duo at States will be Manhasset’s Kyleigh Harmon & Maddie Clinton, who hung on to beat Syosset’s Risha Maholtra & Marissa Levine 6-3, 6-7(5), 6-0 in the third-place match.

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Long Island Tennis Magazine • November/December 2016 • LITennisMag.com

No Mo ear

2016

LONG ISLAND GIRLS HIGH SCHOOL RECAP Credit all photos to Brian Coleman and Keith Kowalsky

Merri Kelly Hannity of Cold Spring Harbor, 2016 Girls Nassau County Singles Champion

Courtney Kowalsky of Oyster Bay in the 2016 Nassau County Girls Singles Finals at Eisenhower Park

Calista Sha of Friends Academy teamed with Morgan Wilkins to capture the 2016 Nassau County Doubles Championship

Manhasset’s Kyleigh Harmon (right) & Maddie Clinton (at net) are headed to the 2016 New York State Championship after their third place finish

North Shore’s Lucia Hu & Olivia Scordo, Friends Academy’s Calista Sha & Morgan Wilkins, and Manhasset’s Maddie Clinton & Kyleigh Harmon all earned spots in the 2016 New York State Girls Doubles Championship

Runner-up Courtney Kowalsky of Oyster Bay with 2016 Nassau County Singles Champion Merri Kelly Hannity of Cold Spring Harbor

Merri Kelly Hannity of Cold Spring Harbor, Courtney Kowalsky of Oyster Bay, Amy Delman of Great Neck North, and New Hyde Park’s Steffi Antao

Runners-up Olivia Scordo & Lucia Hu from North Shore during the doubles finals match at Eisenhower Park

Morgan Wilkins of Friends Academy teamed with Calista Sha to win the 2016 Nassau County Girls Doubles Championship

2016

LONG ISLAND GIRLS HIGH SCHOOL RECAP ESM’s Bukzin Beats Liao for Suffolk Singles Title, as HHHE’s Tandem of Malik & Cherkin Win the Doubles Championship astport-South Manor’s Jackie Bukzin captured the 2016 Suffolk County singles title, upending defending champion Kimberly Liao of Commack, 6-2, 6-3 at Suffolk County Community College in Selden, N.Y. The junior Bukzin was playing in her fifth Suffolk County tournament, and with an added variety to her game and a more mentally strong attitude, she would not be denied. “There’s a big difference,” Bukzin, a semifinalist last year, said of her tennis from a year ago. “Last year, I didn’t have a good frame of mind. This year, I came in with a really good attitude, and I think that made the difference today. I played really well, and was able to add a lot of variety to my game, like slicing and coming to the net, which is a really big weapon in women’s tennis.” Both players struggled with their serves early, as the match opened up with three straight breaks of serve, and it was Bukzin who would snag the first hold to open up a 3-1 advantage. She would break one more time for 4-1, and found rhythm on her serve to finish out the first set 6-2. The second set started the same way as the

opener, as the return games of both players were able to reign supreme, resulting in five consecutive breaks to open up the second. And once again, it was Bukzin who managed to secure the first hold, doing so for a 4-2 lead, then breaking Liao to go ahead 5-2. Bukzin was broken, serving for the match at 5-2, but regrouped in the ensuing game to break back, and capture the first County Championship of her career. “Both of us struggled with our serves. I knew mine wasn’t going to be as strong, so I knew I would have to return really well. I feel that’s what really helped me,” Bukzin said. “I think the real key was staying calm and mentally tough. If I had broken down, I wouldn’t have had the same result. After winning the first set, I told myself if I could win that one, I could win the second set, so I just tried to stay focused.” Bukzin and Liao both qualify for the New York State tournament, along with Ward Melville’s Denise Lai, who defeated Rose Hayer of Mercy 6-1, 6-1 in the third-place match. “I’m really looking forward to it,” Bukzin said of playing in the state tournament. “I’m hoping

I can make a deep run, and represent Suffolk and Eastport-South Manor really well.” In doubles, Half Hollow Hills East’s Ariana Malik & Lauren Cherkin capped off their dominant run through the draw with a 6-0, 6-4 win over Smithtown East’s Olivia Faulhaber & Hailey Stoerback in a rematch of the Suffolk County Division I final to capture the doubles crown. “We tried to take advantage of their weaknesses and stick with our strengths,” said Cherkin. “We had beaten them in the regular season and lost to them in the Division I finals, but were confident heading in and knew we could beat them today.” Malik & Cherkin only recently began playing doubles together but quickly found the chemistry starting with the Division I run, and it continued all the way through the county tournament. The toughest match of the tournament for Malik & Cherkin came against Hills East teammates Alexis Huber & Gina LaRusso in the semifinals, a hard-fought 6-1, 4-6, 6-4 victory. The duo of Huber & LaRusso rebounded in the thirdplace match, defeating the Center Moriches duo of Gabrielle Vaillant & Katelyn Vetack 6-1, 7-5 to qualify for the New York State Championship.

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LONG ISLAND GIRLS HIGH SCHOOL RECAP Credit all photos to Brian Coleman

Eastport-South Manor’s Jackie Bukzin, winner of the 2016 Suffolk County Girls Championship

Smithtown East’s Olivia Faulhaber hits a forehand during the Suffolk County Doubles Finals

Ward Melville’s Denise Lai finished in third place to qualify for the State Championship

Gina LaRusso & Alexis Huber of Hills East hi-five during their third-place victory over Center Moriches which qualified them for the NYS Championship

Smithtown East’s Hailey Stoerback during the Suffolk County Doubles Final

Gina LaRusso of Hills East, third-place doubles winner, is headed to the NYS Championship along with her partner, Alexis Huber

Kimberly Liao of Commack finished as runner-up at the 2016 Suffolk County Girls High School Championship

Hills East's Ariana Malik, along with partner Lauren Cherkin, won the Suffolk County doubles final.

Islip's Maddie Germano reached the quarterfinals of the Suffolk County Individual Tournament

Ten Things to Consider When Choosing a Coach: A Two-Part Guide BY STEVEN KAPLAN

he selection of a coach is one of the most important decisions a young player can make and can be the difference between tournament success or disappointment. While there may be variations in the skill level of coaches, there is no perfect coach or coaching style, as each relationship is unique and must be a strong fit that encourages athletic and personal growth. I have listed 10 categories to consider when evaluating the suitability of a coach, but of course, each of these factors will be weighted differently by each player and their family. Choose carefully and wisely.

Part One 1. Core values Coaches spend a great deal of time

with their students and leave a profound impression that extends beyond the tennis court. It’s not the coach’s job to impart values, but rather, to reinforce the values that are important to the player and their family. Coaches will have values that are important to them and should not attempt to undermine the values they disagree with. They should, however, not compromise stressing what they hold dear, like hard work, diligence, fitness, preparation, cooperation, intellect and critical thinking. One of the first tasks I perform before coaching a player is to try to understand what matters most to them and their family, and I encourage them to understand my values as well. If we are not on the same page, our relationship will not be productive or sustainable.

2. Mechanics Some players have a strong need and willingness for mechanical focus. They want to understand the minute details of how to produce a stroke. They understand and accept that when changing stroking patterns, it is often necessary to take one short-term step backwards to progress two long-term steps forward. Others prefer a coach who will just “shut up and hit.” It’s a function of personality, stage of development, age and gender. Find a coach both willing and able to provide the mechanics, tools, focus and style that you need and want. 3. Underlying development philosophy Some coaches see a fluid tactical paradigm as the pathway for development. They believe that it’s best to first understand which skills are most important for a player’s given abilities, interest, goals, personality, body type and functional limitations before choosing a development focus and teaching style. Other coaches like to progress a player in a more rigid, systematic style that is less dependent on the individual and more driven by a formula. For example, I strongly believe that the common so-called “mistake” of an “Eastern” Grip results from poor ground to upper body energy transfer and inadequate core stability. I view a “bad” serving grip as often

Long Island Tennis Magazine • No-

a good, temporary correcting compensation and changing to a conventional Continental Grip before first addressing and correcting the underlying functional issues will hinder the player’s progress and even lead to injury. Many coaches do not share this view and will seek to correct a serving grip issue as soon as they can. It’s worthwhile to understand and choose a coach who shares your philosophy. 4. Facilitation Often choosing a coach is a practical issue. How far do they live from you? What do they cost? Do they go above and beyond your time on the court to ensure success? Do they have other players who you can practice with? Can they provide extra court time? Do they have a network to help you train off the court? Do they have the knowhow and credibility to help you with the college process? Do they have the skills and contacts to help you avoid and overcome injuries? Can they help you with performing community service or even help find you a job? A few words of caution. I have not seen,

at any time in my 36-plus years of coaching, a time in which coaching choices are dictated less by the quality of the relationship and more by the offer of a discounted “deal.” I understand how expensive the sport can be in the local area and the limitations of the economic challenge. However, I also see that all too often, these “deals” are not based on economic need, but marketing opportunism. If you frequently get offers for “free Disney vacations” that you turn down because you know that “you get what you pay for” and “if it’s too good to be true, it probably isn’t,” then maybe it’s worthwhile to consider that when it comes to tennis education. What may seem like a good deal at first may not turn out to be a good value. Remember, you cannot ever get back the critical formative years where the greatest development is possible. 5. Fitness and injury prevention Power and endurance have become increasingly more important in tennis. As physical demands increase in athletes at younger ages, the potential for injury and

the need to train to avoid long-term consequences of subjecting an undeveloped body to enormous stress grows. I spoke at The New York Tennis Expo two years ago about the need for coaches to work alongside trainers to perform assessments of young athlete’s functional movements before starting hardcore training. I think this need has grown, as I see way too many injuries in young tennis players that could have been avoided with careful and thoughtful preparation and planning. Protecting the physical health and well-being of a developing player should be a coaching priority, and finding a coach willing and prepared to do so is a wise choice. Steven Kaplan is owner of Bethpage Park Tennis Center, as well as director of Lacoste Academy for New York City Parks Foundation. Steve has been the longtime coach of more than 600 nationally-ranked junior players, 16 state high school champions, two NCAA Division 1 Singles Champions, and numerous touring professionals and prominent coaches. He may be reached by e-mail at StevenJKaplan@aol.com.

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LITennisMag.com • November/December 2016 • Long Island Tennis Magazine

Sharapova’s suspension reduced

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my happiest days,” said Sharapova. “In so many ways, I feel like something I love was taken away from me and it will feel really good to have it back. Tennis is my passion, and I have missed it. I am counting the days until I can return to the court.”

Tunisian Jaziri barred from action The biggest recent news in the tennis world was the ruling by the Court of Arbitration for Sport reducing Maria Sharapova’s twoyear suspension to just 15 months, meaning the Russian star is eligible to return to the WTA Tour in April of next year. “I’ve gone from one of my toughest days of my career last March, when I learned about my suspension, until now … one of

from playing against Israeli players by the Tunisian Tennis Federation, which reportedly came to light during a 2013 Challenger event when he withdrew against Amir Weintraub. The International Tennis Federation (ITF) looked into the incident and barred the country from Davis Cup play. That ban has been lifted it seems, as Jaziri played against Israel’s Dudi Sela in a recent Challenger event in Istanbul.

del Potro honored by Argentinean soccer club

Photo credit: Flickr Commons

Tunisia’s Malek Jaziri was reportedly barred

Olympic silver medalist and U.S. Open quarterfinalist Juan Martin del Potro was set to be honored by his favorite Argentinean soccer team Boca Juniors during one of its games against Quilmes. As he was heading onto the field for the ceremony, the sprinklers went off and soaked the Argentinean. The incident didn’t ruin his excitement though, and he celebrated his birthday with his favorite team.

Long Island Tennis Magazine • November/December 2016 • LITennisMag.com

Murray addresses stalker situation Photo credit: Norlito Gumapac

In an interview to promote the International Premier Tennis League, Great Britain’s Andy Murray revealed the strangest thing that has happened to him while touring around the world, saying he was once stalked around Europe by a hotel maid: “At one of the tournaments I played, a maid in the hotel ... I had a ‘Do Not Disturb’ sign on the door, and she came in and sat on my bed and started stroking my arm at about seven in the morning when I was still sleeping, and then turned up at a couple more tournaments in the hotels that I was playing at in Rotterdam and Barcelona. I don’t know if that’s a fan thing … that’s a bit extreme, but it happened.”

Fernandez to step down as Fed Cup captain

Gael Monfils (@Gael_Monfils): Can’t wait to have my hair back #dreadlocks #nwa #oklm #lamonf15 Mary Joe Fernandez will be stepping down as the United States Fed Cup captain. “Working with the players has been one of the most rewarding experiences of my career,” said Fernandez. “The planned changes to the role do not fit with my other work and family commitments at this time.” The USTA said the planned expansion of Christina McHale (@ChristinaMcHale): the role will require an increased time com- Getting ready to enjoy some Peking Duck mitment from the captain. Novak Djokovic (@DjokerNole): I had a great time having a hit with Aston and Caillie from @ANZ_AU Tennis Hot Shots!

Tweets from the pros Djokovic visits his war-torn homeland W o r l d number one Novak Djokovic showed fans his emotional side when he livestreamed his visit to Serbia and talked about his memories growing up in the war-torn region and the NATO bombings of the late 1990s, most notably the wall in Kopaonik where he played tennis for the first time. “The wall survived the bombing, and many different hits,” said Djokovic during the live stream. “The holes in the wall that you see are the consequence of the bombs. It’s unfortunate, but on the other hand, it’s nice to see that the wall itself endured.”

Caroline Wozniacki (@CaroWozniacki): Title #25!!! Thank you Hong Kong for a great week!! Asia, it’s been fun! Till next time!! #europeherewecome

continued on page 62

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Aga Radwanska (@ARadwanska): Konichiwa!

court six continued from page 61 Petra Kvitova (@Petra_Kvitova): Monday means back to work to get ready for the final push of the season

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Ana Ivanovic (@AnaIvanovic): In love with my new @MINI. Thank you to management for this amazing gift!

Stanislas Wawrinka (@StanWawrinka): So special to add a new trophy!!! @usopen #newyork #trophy #stanimal

Eugenie Bouchard (@GenieBouchard): We can’t believe I got into the U.S. Embassy with ripped jeans @sabinelisicki Roger Federer (@RogerFederer): Mirror mirror on the wall … who is the fastest of them all

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Martina Hingis (@MHingis): Thanks to @CuraproxInt China team for taking care of me & making my 1st trip to Shanghai so memorable! see you all again soon!

TENNIS INJURY PREVENTION

PRP Injections for Tennis Elbow By Dr. Charles Ruotolo, MD, FAAOS ennis Elbow is the scourge of many amateur and high level players. In the past, most athletes suffering this injury were forced to take time away from the court while the pain improved, or in more severe cases, surgery was required to repair the damaged tendon. In recent years, a new treatment has been gaining popularity that uses the athlete’s own blood to heal injuries. These treatments, known as Platelet Rich Plasma (PRP) injections, have been utilized across almost all major sports in today’s top athletes, including Rafael Nadal, Maria Sharapova and Kobe Bryant.

How does PRP work? The PRP process starts by taking a small draw of the athlete’s own blood and placing it into a centrifuge. The centrifugal process separates the blood so that the platelets are isolated and extracted. These platelets contain natural proteins that promote the body’s healing response. Once the platelets have been separated, they are injected directly into the injured area, which stimulates the body’s natural healing

mechanisms. PRP is most often used in conjunction with physical therapy to maximize the healing and strengthening process. Is PRP effective? Recent research conducted by Dr. Taco Gosens at St. Elisabeth Hospital in Tilburg, Netherlands tested the effectiveness of PRP injection against the standard protocol of corticosteroid injection. The goal was to see which treatment provided both the duration of pain relief, as well as their improvement in mobility. According to this study, “The researchers randomly assigned patients with chronic lateral epicondylitis—tennis elbow lasting longer than six months and pain ranking at least a five on a 10point scale—to get either a PRP or corticosteroid injection.” Both groups were given an injection using a technique where multiple areas of the tendon were injected directly. The results showed that, although the corticosteroid provided more immediate pain relief, those receiving PRP had longer lasting results of both pain relief and improvement in function. Twenty-six weeks after treatment, patients who were injected with PRP had lasting pain relief and increased function. This trend continued for a full year

after the treatments according to the research. “PRP-treated patients reported a 64 percent improvement in pain and an 84 percent improvement in disability,” found the study. “Corticosteroid-treated patients reported a 24 percent improvement in pain and a 17 percent improvement in disability.” Should I try a PRP injection? Every athlete and their injuries are different. The effectiveness of a PRP injection is sometimes based on the extent of damage to the tendon or ligament, as well as where the injury has occurred. In any case, when pain or limited mobility is affecting one’s ability to be active, it is best to consult an orthopedic specialist. After examination and any necessary x-rays or MRIs, you can discuss with your orthopedic specialist if you are a candidate for PRP injections and how effective they may be for your particular injury. Dr. Charles Ruotolo is a Board-Certified Orthopedic Surgeon and the founder of Total Orthopedics and Sports Medicine with locations in Massapequa, East Meadow and the Bronx, N.Y. For more information, call (855) 321-ORTHO or visit TotalOrthoSportsMed.com.

LITennisMag.com • November/December 2016 • Long Island Tennis Magazine

How to Avoid Gaining Weight in High School and in College By Irina Belfer-Lehat RD, CDN igh school and college students are forced to become more and more in control of their health and wellness decisions. The behaviors they learn throughout childhood and young adulthood can strongly impact their adult lives. Teens who are overweight or obese are more likely to be overweight and obese as adults, putting them at risk for chronic diseases such as hypertension, heart

disease and type-2 diabetes. Here are five tips to make a healthy lifestyle change to prevent unnecessary weight gain in high school and college. 1. Plan ahead Plan your meal the night before and put it in writing. Knowing what your day might look like and planning your meals accordingly will minimize emotional eating. 2. Make a shopping list Get your shopping done on Sunday and pre-package lunches and snacks ahead of time.

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Long Island Tennis Magazine • November/December 2016 • LITennisMag.com

3. Plan out wise snack choices Make a list of snacks that are under 200 calories, have no added sugar, have no saturated fat, and have less than 200 milligrams of sodium, and try to stick to those snacks during the week. 4. Be mindful of what you are eating Try to plan to eat lunch or dinner with a health conscious friend a few times per week. Agree ahead of time to skip dessert and encourage each other to try new healthy foods. 5. Consume those calories early in the day Try to eat most of your daily calories before 3:00 p.m. For example, 1,500 calories per day with 300 calories for breakfast, 150 calories for a mid-morning snack, 400 calories for lunch, 200 calories form a midday snack, and 450 calories for dinner. Try this method instead of barely eating during the day, and then inhaling thousands of calories all at once in the evening. Irina Belfer-Lehat of Nutrition Solutions PC in Great Neck, N.Y. is a New York State-licensed dietitian and certified dietitian-nutritionist. For more information, call (917) 769-8031, e-mail IrinaLehat@gmail.com or visit IrinaLehat.com.

Emotional Balance: The Key to Match Management By Rob Polishook, Mental Training Coach MA, CPC What if a tournament player could play relaxed and anxiety-free while taking risks? What if they temporarily lost focus, but could get back on track and stay emotionally balanced? My sense is that they would perform their personal best because they would not be limiting themselves. So, what’s stopping a player from playing like that? Perhaps fear of losing, anxiety about the unknown, unease about not being able to live up to expectations, uncertainty about returning from an injury, and any number of other things. Certainly, many obstacles can be worked through with mental skill techniques like visualization, goal-setting, rituals and self-talk. Other challenges can be worked though with present moment awareness skills, such as mindfulness, where the player can learn how to stay present in a match through re-focusing, anchors and breathing techniques. However, there is often an underlying emotional and physiological component related to an athlete losing control mentally. When an athlete experiences stress, and the underlying reasons are beyond the performer’s recognition, this can cause more stress! The athlete then typically expends more energy, tries harder, struggles more, gets tighter, and spirals into overwhelming themselves before completely shutting down. All athletes “get tight” at some point or another. Picture this: On-the-court and off-thecourt stress accumulates like tennis balls in a bucket. Then, when a high pressure situation occurs, the balls metaphorically tip out of the bucket. What may have looked like an easy missed shot really has nothing to do with the shot, but relates back to an accumulation of emotional stress going through the athlete (tightness). Oftentimes, to remedy a missed shot, the

player/coach goes back to the drawing board and practices thousands of shots. However, when coming from a place of overwhelming conditions, nothing is going to change by hitting more practice balls. The problem is not the missed shots, those are symptoms of something else. In reality, the missed shots are really a symptom and an accumulation of on- and off-court stresses the athlete is holding. So, how do we remedy this? The key is to look at the situation through the athlete’s experience. Only by starting with the person within the athlete can you hope to non-judgmentally recognize where they are. As a mental training coach, I have identified five emotional playing states: 1. Inside the Zone 2. Over-Charge 3. Under-Charge 4. Overwhelm 5. Shut Down Each of these states has different characteristics in regards to the emotional energy a player experiences. For example, if a player is in the over-charge state, which is characterized by rushing and pushing too

hard, an intervention can be used to help them refocus back to one thing they can control, for instance, their shot choices. Conversely, if they are in a state of undercharge, the key is to help them go from “disconnected” to “connected” by adding some movement, for instance, adjustment steps or feeling their feet on the ground. Only by looking through a players’ eyes can you understand what they may be experiencing and feeling. Then, from here, can a coach or a parent best help them get back on track. Additionally, this is the best way a player can help themselves. Anytime a player, coach or parent knows what that player is emotionally experiencing, can they understand what the player needs. Awareness is the first step to change. Rob Polishook, MA, CPC is founder and director of Inside the Zone Sports Performance Group. As a mental training coach, he works with athletes and teams, focusing on helping athletes gain the mental edge. Rob is author of Tennis Inside the Zone: Mental Training Workouts for Champions. He may be reached by phone at (973) 723-0314, e-mail Rob@InsideTheZone.com or visit InsideTheZone.com.

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www.irinalehat.com LITennisMag.com • November/December 2016 • Long Island Tennis Magazine

The Psychology of Te BY DR. TOM FERRARO ports psychology has become a wide and diverse field. Not only do we work with an ever-growing variety of sports, we use a variety of approaches. Standard sports psychology uses what we called “suppressive techniques,” which help the athlete to control any unwanted emotion, such as anxiety, anger or despair. But the field is no longer limited to these behavior modification methods. Tennis rackets improve, footwear improves, and so does sports psychology. My method as a practicing psychoanalyst allows the athlete to talk at length about all areas of their life, analyze dreams and make an effort to understand their unconscious. Interpretations are made which help explain the athlete’s tendency toward self-defeat. We can now say with certainty that often the athlete’s greatest foe is him or herself. This method is called “supportive insight-oriented psychotherapy.” Recently, thanks to my contacts overseas, I have come to learn that there is another form of sports psychotherapy which has been pioneered by Dr. David Burston who works at Tottenham Hotspur Training Center in London, one of the world’s premier soccer academies. Dr. Burston is a Jungian analyst and uses Carl Jung’s concepts, like archetypes, collective unconscious and the shadow to explore the deepest aspects of the athletes unconscious. His book, Psychological, Archetypal and Phenomenological Perspectives on Soccer, is based upon his interviews with premier soccer players in the U.S. and England. His book is related to tennis as well. Tennis is a game that has, for a long time, attracted the musings of the finest writers and poets on Earth. Vladimir Nabokov’s Lolita had a chapter where Humbert Humbert describes the beauty of Lolita as she plays tennis with him.

Long Island Tennis Magazine • November/December 2016 • LITennisMag.com

of Tennis According to Carl Jung and Dr. David Burston William Scammellâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s poem, Bjorn Borg, contains the following description of Borgâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s groundstroke: â&#x20AC;&#x153;He struck them as stepmothers once brushed their daughterâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s hair.â&#x20AC;? E.B. Whiteâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s poem, The Tennis, is a wonderful and gentle soliloquy on the marvels of an afternoon tennis match at a private club. David Foster Wallace, who was once a high-level amateur tennis player and perhaps our greatest young American novelist, wrote the essay â&#x20AC;&#x153;How Tracy Austin Broke my Heart,â&#x20AC;? a review of Austinâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s autobiography. Wallace was stunned to see all the superficial platitudes that the book contained. But isnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t this the nature of athletics? An athleteâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s comments are usually remarkably shallow and repetitive, with most answers being scripted. They show great courage on the field, but in interviews, they take the safe and guarded route. I have met and interviewed many world famous athletes, and early on, I realized that if the article was going to be of any sustaining interest, I had better come up with most of the ideas myself. Thank goodness for Tom Wolfe, Gay Talese and new journalism.

This is why Dr. Brustonâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s book and his works are so important. He is one of the very few sport psychologists in the world who has attempted to look beneath the surface to bring some depth into the field. He is one of the first that has the skills to dive into the collective unconscious of a soccer team and surfaced to tell us what he found. He talks about the meaning of rituals in sport and about the hidden strivings in athletes. He refers to losses as a social death and that the wins are the athleteâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s way of transcending his former self. Tennis is a game filled with grunts and friendly handshakes, cursing and fine etiquette, low-cut dresses and proper white uniforms. It is now a game with worldwide interest and a game rich in meaning. It attracts our greatest writers, eminent philosophers like Albert Camus and religious heads like Pope John Paul II. The psychoanalyst, Dan Dervin, likes to talk about the ball as a representation of the helpless self that requires control. South American psychoanalyst Marcelo M. Suarez-Orozco would say that the ballâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s successful penetration into your court is tantamount to a sexual conquest. Or as Vladimir Nabokov said, â&#x20AC;&#x153;My Lolita

had a way of raising her bent left knee at the ample and springy start of the service cycle when there would develop and hang in the sun for a second a vital web of balance between toed foot, pristine armpit, burnished arm and far back-slung racket, as she smiled up with gleaming teeth at the small globe suspended so high in the zenith of the powerful and graceful cosmos she had created for the express purpose of falling upon it with a clean resounding crack of her golden whip.â&#x20AC;? Tennis inspires players to play and writers to write. And we now have a Jungian sport psychologist who happens to be smart enough and courageous enough to look under the surface and see whatâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s there. Yeats called this the â&#x20AC;&#x153;Spiritus Mundi.â&#x20AC;? Jung called this our â&#x20AC;&#x153;collective unconscious.â&#x20AC;? I call it â&#x20AC;&#x153;The magic of tennis.â&#x20AC;? Thank you Dr. David Burston for reminding us of just how filled with wonder the world of sports actually is. For consultations, treatment or on-site visits, contact Dr. Tom Ferraro Ph.D., sport psychologist, by phone at (516) 248-7189, e-mail DrTFerraro@aol.com or visit DrTomFerraro.com.

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LITennisMag.com â&#x20AC;˘ November/December 2016 â&#x20AC;˘ Long Island Tennis Magazine

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charitable initiatives West Babylon Girls Fundraise for Susan G. Komen Foundation

During a regular season matchup with Sayville, the West Babylon Girls Tennis team did more than just play tennis, raising money for the Susan G. Komen Foundation in a culmination of its fundraising efforts throughout the season.

“This is my first year as coach of the program, and I wanted to integrate some community-oriented events for the girls to do something that transcends athletics,” West Babylon Head Coach Keith Houghtaling said. “Earlier in the season, we discussed it

Long Island Tennis Magazine • November/December 2016 • LITennisMag.com

and decided on this date. The girls have done so much work, most of it on their own, and I didn’t have to push them. They’ve been asking friends, family, teachers and people in the community … they’ve done a great job with it.” The team put together a pamphlet and went around the community asking for donations, even setting up a GoFundMe page. The original goal the team set was $500, but it far exceeded that, raising approximately $1,100 towards the Susan G. Komen Foundation. To contribute to the cause, a few of the Sayville players donated money as well. “As athletes, you have to be role models for your community, and you are supposed to be setting an example. Not just with your athletic skill, but with what you do and how you give back to your community,” Houghtaling said. “These girls represent West Babylon every time they step on the tennis court, so it’s also good to represent that community well off the court. They are more than just studentathletes, they’re good people.”

Hamlet Hosts Annual Play for Pink Fundraiser

The Hamlet Golf and Country Club in Commack recently hosted the Fifth Annual Suffolk County Varsity Girls Tennis Team “Play for Pink” Breast Cancer Fundraiser, bringing together 25 doubles teams Island-wide to compete for a good cause. The event was put together by The Hamlet’s Head Tennis Professional Bruce Moodnik, who teamed up with Joe Arias, president of the Suffolk County Tennis Coaches Association; Bob Davis, Harborfields High School head coach; and volunteer Laura Hasse. Together, the group ran a

two-flight, round-robin-formatted tournament in which the teams played everyone in their flight, with the top point-getters from each flight facing off against each other in the finals. In the finals, the Sayville duo of Sarah Bunk & Hannah Niggemeier took on William Floyd’s Brooke Fernandez & Hailey Loughlin. With a crowd of other team participants, parents and Hamlet members, the girls battled it out in the one set-final. In a highly-competitive set that saw a number of long rallies and crisp volleys at the net, it

was the team of Bunk & Niggemeier that won the championship. The event was able to raise more than $800 for Good Samaritan Hospital’s Breast Cancer Research Center. “I’m so proud to have The Hamlet host this event each year. We always have a great turnout,” said Moodnik. “Although it does get competitive at times, they all know why they are here and what they are playing for … to try to help find a cure. I look forward to hosting this event next year.”

LITennisMag.com • November/December 2016 • Long Island Tennis Magazine

charitable initiatives continued from page 69

USTA and the United Way Help Rebuild Northport VA’s Tennis Courts

The United Way of Long Island, with help from the USTA Foundation, USTA Eastern Long Island Region and USTA Eastern, has rebuilt tennis courts at the Northport Veterans Affairs Medical Center, giving the facility’s courts a much needed makeover. “We are extremely excited about this project, because it will put veterans in a place where they not only can play tennis, but can interact with other veterans with similar injuries which will help them get back to a normal life,” said Craig Fligstein, vice president of Grant Development & Strategic Program Initiatives for the United Way of Long Island and a member of the USTA Eastern LI Region Executive Board. “Over the course of a few years, we will be able to touch hundreds of servicemembers, as well as their families and children, through tennis, helping them with their rehab, both physically and emotionally, and their community reintegration efforts.” Before the new renovations, the Medical Center had two partially completed asphalt tennis courts after a 2015 government grant allowed them to be repaved. But the project was never finished, and that is where United Way of Long Island stepped in. 70

The organization applied for and received grants from the USTA Foundation, USTA Eastern and USTA Eastern Long Island Region, and once the money was there, the project was completed in just a month thanks to the work of Gold Coast Tennis. “Given that the ultimate source of our funding is the revenues from the U.S. Open, which is held on the same island as the Northport VA, and given that our broad mission is to promote and develop the growth of tennis, I cannot think of a better way of using our funds,” said USTA Eastern President Mark McIntyre. “This project benefits tennis at-large by improving local infrastructure. It directly benefits the men and women who sacrificed their bodies to serve their country, and it promotes wheelchair and adaptive tennis programs for people, whatever the cause of their disabilities. We could not be more pleased with this worthy project.” The courts were completely resurfaced, and the net posts and footing were replaced. New nets, windscreens and fence fabric were installed and wheelchair access with a gate was also installed. Steve Kaplan and Keith Kambourian of Bethpage Park Tennis Center and the “Serve and Return” charity, along with

Long Island Tennis Magazine • November/December 2016 • LITennisMag.com

local junior and college players, have been providing tennis lessons to the veterans at the facility, and the VA also drove the veterans to Bethpage Park Tennis Center for weekly lessons. “Veterans have given so much to protecting and serving us, the least we felt we could do is help them enjoy a sport that we love,” said Kaplan. “Providing free instruction to the veterans at the Northport VA has been a joy. The staff and administration at the VA are very supportive and appreciative, and the veterans are having a great time learning and playing tennis.” The courts will be used for a number of activities and will be accessible to not only the veterans, but also their children and families. The courts have blended 10 & Under playing lines to help children of the veterans who are just starting to play tennis. Free adult and children’s camps will be available daily and weekly, and will provide a racquet, balls, t-shirt and a hat, which all the participants can keep at the end of the camp. In the future, the program hopes to host the Wheelchair Games and Paralympics, and will continue to provide programs, clinics and camps for veterans and their families.

What Makes Stan “The Man?” BY TONNY VAN DE PIETERMAN

ith the U.S. Open still fresh on our minds, I wanted to share my observations regarding 2016 U.S. Open Men’s Singles Champion Stan Wawrinka and the growth he has shown under the tutelage of “Tennis Therapist,” Coach Magnus Norman. We have all seen the now-famous pose of Stan pointing to his temple, while making eye contact with his coach. He was asked about it several times after matches. He explained it was his way of communicating to his team that he was mindful of the fact that it would take a lot of suffering to win this match. He used the word “suffering” several times during interviews after matches. He was not only talking about the obvious physical exertion he was undergoing during a match, but also the mental agony he had to endure. After his hard fought semifinal win over Japan’s Kei Nishikori, I heard him say that he was embracing the suffering this week, and I immediately picked him as the favorite for the final. Stan did not go into much detail, but only that his coach Magnus Norman deserved a lot of credit getting him to buy into his philosophy.

What was Stan talking about and what can we learn from it? Everyone has seen rollercoaster tennis matches in which the emotions of the players were on full display. The players are often so focused on winning and fighting off their opponent, that they are not in control of themselves and the energy of their emotions. In my opinion, with the chances for mood fluctuations so abundant, playing your matches like that will produce traits of an addict! A more healthy way to approach competition is staying focused on trying to be the best you can be … overcoming yourself in order to overcome your opponent.

Two ways Stan was able to succeed He kept his discipline in check. In therapeutic terms … delay instant gratification. Stan has the most powerful and devastating backhand in the game. At any moment, he can pull the trigger and blast a backhand down the line for a clean winner. The itch and urge to do that is always there. Norman taught him to control that urge. Only after a specific number of hits and by training specific patterns of shots, Stan is “allowed” to hit his favorite winning shot. Stan now knows the difference between going for that shot too soon and bailing out of a rally to wait for the right moment to deliver his devastating blow. l He was dealing with setbacks. In therapeutic terms … dedication to reality The score is reality. It is what it is. There is no use wasting energy fighting facts. It helps to understand that the score is not completely in your control. Your opponent deserves credit (blame). This is very hard for players. Stan endured many setbacks during the 2016 U.S.

Open, and he spent more time on the court overcoming them than any other player. l The maturity factor The last few years, Stan Wawrinka has proven himself as a more mature and spiritually advanced competitor. As with all spiritual laws, there is a paradox. The paradox here is that by embracing the suffering and trying to overcome himself, Stan Wawrinka took his direct focus off of the “winning” end of things and has ended up winning more! It was also very nice to hear Stan’s honesty to quickly add that he is not always able to embrace the suffering … that’s the Stanimal being human. Tonny van de Pieterman is director of tennis at Point Set Indoor Racquet Club. He was recently named USTA Tennis Professional of the Year for the USTA/EasternLong Island Region and helped the Eastern Section win this year’s Talbert Cup. He may be reached by phone at (516) 536-2323 or e-mail tonny@pointsettennis.com.

LITennisMag.com • November/December 2016 • Long Island Tennis Magazine

Great Quotes From Great Players: Learning Opportunities for Players at All Levels

By Brandyn Fisher, Ph.D. he following article is a compilation of my favorite quotes taken from conversations with champions at every level, from the juniors to the pros. These conversations have helped shape my own coaching philosophy and I often use these tidbits in my coaching and consulting roles.

“Training is the time to focus on your side of the net. But when it’s time to compete, you should be more focused on the other side.” —Mats Wilander Mats Wilander always talked about using practice and training as a way to focus on technique and footwork, but when it was time to compete, players should be primarily focused on figuring out their opponent and problem-solving. During competition, most junior players are overly focused on themselves, especially in a negative manner (including focusing on mistakes, negative thinking), which blinds them from seeing what is going on across the net. Takeaway: Turn your attention towards finding ways to exploit your opponent’s weaknesses. Think about adjustments that may make a difference when behind, or remain engaged with your strategy when ahead. 72

“Be coachable, put in the time, hit twice a day, stay for serves after practice, stretch in your room; it all pays off. And lastly, stick to the process, always have the big picture in mind and don’t get discouraged. The tennis gods don’t reward people that take short cuts. Do the work day-in, day-out and be respectful of your peers and coaches. I can’t stress this enough, work your butt off, you always have more in the tank than you think.” —Quentin Monaghan Quentin Monaghan was an All-American in singles and doubles at Notre Dame and a great leader in his college career, both on and off the court. The quote above represented his advice to young players and I believe it rings true on multiple fronts. Even though Quentin had a lot of success at the collegiate level, he was always looking for ways to improve, especially when making the transition from college tennis to the Futures level. Takeaway: If a player wants to reach an elite level, they will need to put in the work each day, show respect and appreciation to others, and be willing to go beyond certain limits and expectations.

Long Island Tennis Magazine • November/December 2016 • LITennisMag.com

“I have never understood how a player cannot be motivated to train or compete. If I have to motivate the player, then it takes time away from doing other things that are more important. The player has to bring his own motivation each day, that way the coach can do his job.” —Ivan Lendl When asked about the main difference in his second coaching stint with Andy Murray compared to his first, Ivan Lendl had a simple answer: “Andy is much more motivated now when he comes to the court.” The player’s responsibility is to bring effort, passion and desire each day, which will allow the coach to focus on the primary task … finding ways to help the player achieve their goals. By bringing good energy to the court, players can get the most out of their coaches. Takeaway: Your energy level and motivation dictates what you will get out of practice and what you will get out of others (coaches and practice partners). Get to practice 10 minutes earlier, come prepared with questions/ideas, show a willingness to learn and try new things, and run hard for each ball, etc.

“To be great at this game a player has to have the stomach for traveling and for losing.” —Todd Martin Todd Martin had a great way of communicating how important it was for players to roll with the punches and move past failures and losses. He said he lost a match almost every week of his career, except for his eight titles and the times he made it to the second week of a Grand Slam. In essence, he was saying that losing is a part of the game, but how a player handles losing will determine how often it happens. Further, he said that players have to get used to being uncomfortable, especially when on the road and eating new food, sleeping in a different bed or being in a strange place. Takeaway: Having the ability to move past adversity and being outside of one’s comfort zone are necessary components of becoming great at this game. Losses represent chances to learn, and when they happen, the player must direct 100 percent of their efforts toward finding solutions and getting ready for the next challenge. Brandyn Fisher, Ph.D. is founder and CEO of American Sport Psychology, a leader in elite mental training for tennis players. Discover your potential by visiting AmericanSportPsychology.com or reaching out to Dr. Fisher at Brandyn@AmericanSportPsychology.com.

LITennisMag.com • November/December 2016 • Long Island Tennis Magazine

The Post-Match Car Ride By Jimmy Delevante As a coach or a parent, it can be difficult to find the right words to say after your player has finished a match. Whether or not your player won or lost the match, there is a protocol for how to handle the post-match conversation. In either case, the most important guideline to keep in mind is to read the player’s body language and use that information to help you decide what you will say. The second most important guideline is to listen to what they have to say first. Let the player initiate the conversation whenever possible, and patiently listen to what they have to say before you try to interrupt. Immediately after a match, the most productive thing a player can do is decompress from the stress of the match and 74

allow themselves to process all of the events that just took place. A little quiet time to replay things and sort them out can be very beneficial after a match, no matter the outcome. Coaches and parents should respect this and give the player some time to themselves before they try to bombard them with their own match analysis. After allowing the player some time to think and cool down, try to let them initiate the conversation. Sometimes they might prefer to wait until a later time to discuss what took place so they can fully process it themselves. At some point, if the player doesn’t initiate the conversation, try to get a better read on their body language to decide how you should proceed. For example: If they appear distracted, they might be in deep thought about the match and require some more time alone. In this case, it might be

Long Island Tennis Magazine • November/December 2016 • LITennisMag.com

better to wait before you engage in conversation or talk about something other than tennis. If they appear to be visibly upset, then depending on the player, it might be time to offer consolation or some encouragement. Do your best to get a read on where that player’s mind is and then take it from there. When you do finally engage in conversation, your first statement should be something simple and positive: “I think you really gave it your all out there, I’m proud of you.” This type of opener starts the dialogue off on a positive note and expresses both your care and admiration for their efforts. Once you get the conversation started, allow the player to express themselves and just listen patiently to what they have to say first. Their thoughts and feeling will be strong, and in most cases, they are probably talking to them-

“… the goal of the post-match conversation is to validate how the player performed no matter what the result was.”

selves as much as they are talking to you. Remember, they are trying to process what just happened as well. The best way to get your player to talk more is to ask open-ended questions: “What do you think you did well today?” or “What could you have done differently to force more errors from your opponent?”

Asking open-ended questions helps that player reach the answer for themselves. If they struggle to arrive at the answer, try to lead them with another more specific question. If the conversation turns negative at any point, remember these words: “Don’t criticize, hypothesize.” Instead of asking a player why they couldn’t keep their forehand in play, it might be better to ask them: “What could you have done differently to be steadier on your forehand side?” Posing “What if you tried ‘XYZ’” questions are a great way to get the player to problem-solve and stay away from any negatives. A post-match conversation can be a productive brainstorming session or an uncomfortable and destructive one. Coaches and parents should try to applaud effort, toughness and attitude above all else. All of the above are things that the player has complete control over and are therefore most important. Results, however, are not always under a player’s control and rewarding or criticizing it can be damaging and send the wrong message. For example: A player who tries to run after every ball demonstrates good effort and should be consistently applauded for it. If that player

misses some of those shots, it might simply be out of their control and they should not be criticized for a weaker performance. In my opinion, the goal of the postmatch conversation is to validate how the player performed no matter what the result was. Assuming they put in the effort and have a good attitude on the court, I will always validate their performance. As players, we know how difficult it is to control your results, but how imperative it is to control your energy level, positivity and toughness. Use this conversation as a way to problem-solve, validate and demonstrate your support for your players. Coaching is more than just communicating. It involves establishing a rapport with your players and building a trusting relationship that will allow your players to succeed. Jimmy Delevante is a USPTA-certified teaching professional and a National HighPerformance Coach. He is the director of tennis at the Suffolk County Junior Tennis League Training Center, a former ATP professional tennis player, and master pro at Sportime Kings Park. He may be reached by e-mail at QCtennis5@yahoo.com.

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A Collegiate Career Is Jus BY LONNIE MITCHEL t happens quickly, from the time that you are enrolled in college and in less than four years and a total of eight semesters, it’s over. You have a diploma in hand and your eligibility to play collegiate sports is complete and recorded. I am a parent of two college graduates, a coach, professional at the grassroots level and at the collegiate level coaching both men’s and women’s tennis. I have experienced a great deal in the tennis and collegiate worlds, and believe I can provide some great advice for parents who are using tennis as a supplemental tool to help their son or daughter get into college. A parent can drive their children to tennis lessons and expensive academies, as well as driving all over the New York metropolitan area and beyond for USTA tournaments. For what? Why do you do this, or better yet, why did I do it? Was it to help your children shine on their high school team, get into college or just be a standout in the sport of tennis? Better yet, was it to give them the sport they can have, enjoy and use for a lifetime? I hope for most, it’s the latter. Years ago, I wrote about this topic and let it lie dormant as I then wrote a lot about college sports, coaching and exceeding your own expectations. I love writing about those topics, as they relate to sports, and more specifically, our game of tennis. However, “The Sport of Tennis … the Game for a Lifetime” is often used by the USTA when they are on a promotional campaign to promote the sport. I want parents and coaches to not lose sight of the very big picture, and understand there is so much more to our sport than shuttling to lessons and tournaments. When a student arrives at college as an 18-year-old, they are still growing and maturing, especially young men whose brains are not fully developed until about 23- or 24-years-old. The player I recruit and see when they arrive at college is not the same player that will be on the roster two or three years later. Their game is still in development, they are maturing, learning responsibility and refining their time management skills. When they graduate and finish the four-year athletic experience, that same student is overwhelmingly different in so many ways. As it relates to tennis, it’s light years different. They graduate … now what? Well hopefully, they are on their way to graduate school or a fulfilling career, and tennis is still very much part of their lives. Tennis opens doors businesswise, socially and keeps us all fit as we get older.

Just a Small Stop in a Lifetime of Tennis Some parents I meet are so laser-focused on the athletic collegiate experience that they lose sight in the blink of an eye of the overall collegiate experience. If you were playing baseball, lacrosse or football, the four-year collegiate career generally brings an end to that sport competitively. But not in tennis. You are just revving up and your game can only get better, not just in the skilldevelopment department, but socially as well. My son, a 26-year-old who played Division III tennis for four years, just moved to Denver. The first thing he did was move his belongings into his apartment, and the next thing he did was go to the local tennis facility in Denver. Within two hours, he had games lined up, joined a club tournament, registered for several high level clinics, and in 48 hours, was asked to be on a USTA team. The best part was, in New York, we pay a small fortune for all of those tennis activities. However in Denver for less than $100 along with his tennis experience/background, bought him a season of competition and access to a social web. This web of socialization without tennis probably would have taken him longer. As a parent of that 26-year-old man and always a parent, the four-year college experience for him was

something we were proud of. But I was even more excited about the doors that were opened after his move to Denver just because he knew how to hit a ball over the net. With a little proactivity on his part, he was on his way to a new tennis career in a new city. Dividends to the game paid off well beyond the college experience and will pay bonuses for years to come. My second child, a recent university graduate who played two years in school, was starved for some exercise and social interaction upon returning home after four years of being away. The lessons, drilling, tournament chauffeuring and my time was not so he could just play in college. That part of the tennis life journey was just a small chapter en route to a full existence where tennis is a staple was always our intention for our children. What did he do? Back to the tennis club where he began his career as an eightyear-old and there he networked his way to several tennis games throughout the week. I meet many parents in my office at the college where I coach and one of the first questions asked in the recruiting process is, “Will my son or daughter get a starting spot?” My answer is one of these responses: “Will they work for a starting spot?

Will they work hard in practice to deserve a starting spot? Will they work hard on academics while they are a member of the tennis squad?” As a coach, I want to provide students with a great experience, while they are on the tennis squad. However, in order to get that great experience, you have to do your share. Come to practice on time, take care of your body, act responsibly, do well in school and make the commitment. With those loyalties, you will become what I believe to be a more complete person. Then comes graduation and your tennis career will really blossom, not in college but for the rest of their life. The tools we provide in college is just one piece of the equation that will catapult the lifetime tennis career. Get ready for the journey … it has a shelf life that lasts a lifetime. Parents, make sure you are getting your children involved in the game for the right reasons. Lonnie Mitchel is head men’s and women’s tennis coach at SUNY Oneonta. Lonnie was named an assistant coach to Team USA for the 2013 Maccabiah Games in Israel for the Grand Master Tennis Division. Lonnie may be reached by phone at (516) 414-7202 or e-mail LonnieMitchel@yahoo.com.

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m e m o r i u Longtime Wheatley Coach Mo Schneider Passes Away at 90 he Long Island tennis community lost one of its most beloved members in August, as longtime head coach of The Wheatley School’s tennis teams Maurice “Mo” Schneider passed away at the age of 90. “For 50 years, Mo provided leadership, support and friendship to students, staff and parents in the tennis community. I can think of just a few who have touched so many lives in such a profound and positive way,” said Wheatley Athletic Director Tom Fitzpatrick. “Physically, Mo is at peace, but spiritually and emotionally he has permeated the hearts and minds of all those he came in contact with and his loving, giving spirit will continue at The Wheatley School and the world.” From The Wheatley Way Web site: “He started coaching tennis at Wheatley in 1966 and continued as the tennis coach until the day he died in August. The Wheatley Girls Varsity Tennis Team will surely miss him, the only Girls Varsity Tennis Team coach in Wheatley history. He was also only the second Boys Varsity Tennis Team coach in Wheatley history. “In 2011, the East Williston School District dedicated the Wheatley Tennis Courts

Long Island Tennis Magazine • November/December 2016 • LITennisMag.com

to Coach Schneider. All who knew him, especially his student-athletes, opposing coaches and colleagues, admired Mo. He won more County, Conference and Division Championships than any other coach in Nassau County. “Coach Schneider was born on Oct. 29, 1925 in Brooklyn. He graduated from Lynbrook High School and enlisted in the Marine Corps during World War II. He flew many missions as a ‘bomber diver’ in the Pacific. While going to college, he wrote comedy scripts for television, some for early television programs of the 1950s like The Jackie Gleason Show. He received his Bachelor’s Degree in English from Hofstra University and a Master’s Degree in English from NYU. He started teaching English in the Roslyn School District and coaching tennis in 1966 at Wheatley. “He is survived by his wife, Suzanne Schneider; his two stepchildren, Eric Early and Lisa Early; and five grandchildren, Jillian Schneider, Alex Early, Sam Sinyangwe, Lauren Early and Noah Sinyangwe.” The East Williston School District hosted a night to remember and celebrate the life of Schneider, as family, friends and current and former players gathered to honor the late coach.

u m . . . LI Tennis Community Mourns the Loss of Howie Arons he Long Island and New York tennis communities has lost one of its pillars as Howie Arons passed away at the age of 67 in mid-October. Arons of the New York Tennis Academy at Great Neck Estates, had been a local fixture for the last four decades. He spent the bulk of his life in the New York tennis community, beginning in 1976 when he took over as head coach of the Cardozo Boys High School Tennis program. “I started as an English teacher, and I ultimately became dean of the school, which is one of the best high schools in New York City. I took the job as a teacher, and I got lucky that they happened to need a tennis coach,” said Arons. “I was at Cardozo at a time when tennis in the Queens area was off the charts.” At the USTA Eastern Long Island Region Awards Dinner in 2015, he received one of the highest honors given out in the New York tennis community, The Vitas Gerulaitis “For the Love of Tennis” Award. Considering Arons’ time and dedication to growing the sport in the region, the award was well-deserved and something that meant a great deal to Howie. “The one thing about Vitas that made him special was his enthusiasm for life,” said Arons. “He brought intensity, as well as

laughter and all kinds of things to the tennis court. The award is definitely inspiring, and I am proud to have received it.” Arons was as enthusiastic as anyone when it came to tennis and teaching tennis, and anyone who came in contact with him over the years will echo that sentiment. He retired from Cardozo in 2012, after 36 years, and continued running the tennis program at Great Neck Estates, leaving some big shoes to be filled. “I knew Howie for 22 years after we met at a tournament on Long Island,” said Marvin Jeffrey, a teaching pro at Great Neck Estates. “A year after that, I started working with him at Alley Pond Tennis Center, and have been working with him for the last 15 years. I’ve learned to always put the kids first. He always pushed them to want to be better and to get the most out of their potential. That is something he instilled in all of his coaches at Great Neck Estates.” The Great Neck Estates programs will be taken over by Brian Stein and Chris Tasso, two men who knew Howie for years, and have learned a great deal during their time with him. “We have really learned how to nurture players from him. He is such a motivator and helps everyone to keep getting better,” said

Stein. “He showed so much pride in wanting to advance the love of the game for the people who play here and work here, and wanted to share that with everybody. It’s our job to continue his legacy.” Stein knew Arons for 30 years, and their relationship began when Stein’s aunt began taking lessons from Arons, and she started bringing him down to the courts. Stein would go on to play for Arons at Cardozo, and after all those years, their relationship transformed from player-coach, to boss-employee and even business partners, but one thing always remained: Friendship. “He was never just a coach or a boss-type figure … he has always been more of a friend,” said Stein. “I knew him as a teacher in high school, and the love of the game he instilled in me helped me as I got through college. In my early 20s, he offered me a job to teach parttime, and I took him up on it. From then until now, he has been more than just a friend, but also a mentor.” The Great Neck Estates program will remain in good hands with Stein and Tasso, who will use what they have learned from Howie to continue growing the program. “I’ve known Howie for six years, and it’s been a great six years,” said Tasso. “I started off just teaching a couple of hours, and then he continued to give me more, and always gave me the chance to grow. He has an ability to find coaches and pros with energy and enthusiasm to want to teach, not just ones who know how to coach. I never really felt like I was truly ‘working’ when I was working for Howie. He trusted us as coaches, and always said the coaches were the business … without them, he wouldn’t have a program.” Arons will be missed by all, but his impact lives on, as his former students and pupils will continue his legacy at Great Neck Estates, and all who came in contact with him throughout the Long Island and New York tennis communities are better people for knowing him.

LITennisMag.com • November/December 2016 • Long Island Tennis Magazine

National Tennis Center Hosts Open House to Showcase Renovated Grounds

ith the 2016 U.S. Open in the books, the USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center in Flushing Meadows hosted a recent open house to give free tours, clinics and provide other activities to showcase the new grounds throughout the complex. “The purpose of this event is to reintroduce our beautiful campus to people that have not been able to play outside here the last couple of years because of the construction,” said Debra Russell, senior business manager of National Tennis Center Tennis Programs. “We will be undergoing construction until probably 2020, but at least some of the field courts are open and they are absolutely beautiful. We expanded a lot, and it is really breathtaking for people who haven’t been here to actually see all of it.” Those who attended the event were able to participate in clinics put on by Wilson and Cardio Tennis on the indoor courts, and then were taken around the vast grounds to check out how much work has been done over the past few years, including the reworked outer courts and the new Grandstand. The tour allowed for attendees to play on the outer courts and experience what it is like to play on the courts that many of the world’s top players have practiced on, as well as the courts where fans pour in to watch the U.S. Open. “What we are really excited about is to get back a lot of the excitement and energy for people to be playing outside here,” Russell said, saying that the outdoor courts have always been accessible to the public, but will now be more readily available. “The indoor courts are great, but it is really exciting to be playing outside on those courts where you know the main pro players played. Just to have all the indoor and the outdoor courts going, and the whole place filled up again, with not only our junior players, but also our academy players and the senior players, is what is really exciting.” The event was helped put on by many non-profit organizations in the New York City area, including the New York Korean American Tennis Association, Chinese American Tennis Society of New York, New York Junior Tennis & Learning (NYJTL) and the City Parks Foundation. “The goal is to continue to grow the great game of tennis. So by offering a host of different programs for all levels and ages we just hope people give tennis a try and stay with it for life,” said Whitney Kraft, director of tennis at the USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center. “The other exciting part of today is that we are featuring our community partners, all the non-profits that do such great work in the metro area. It takes a village to raise a child, and it takes a village to grow the participation of tennis, and that makes us really excited about the celebration today.” 80

Long Island Tennis Magazine • November/December 2016 • LITennisMag.com

directory

LONG ISLAND TENNIS CLUB

Bethpage Park Tennis Center Andrea Pappas—Manager 99 Quaker Meeting House Road #1 Farmingdale, NY 11735 (516) 777-1358 BPTCenter@aol.com Butch Seewagen Tennis Academy @ Rockville Centre CATS Jami Madison—Director 188 Maple Avenue Rockville Centre, NY 11570 (516) 763-1299, ext. 10 CATSRVC@gmail.com Carefree Racquet Club Kathy Miller—Manager 1414 Jerusalem Avenue Merrick, NY 11566 (516) 489-9005 CarefreeTennis@aol.com Deer Park Tennis Club Afzal Ali—Director of Tennis 30 Burt Drive Deer Park, NY 11729 (631) 667-3476 DeerParkTennis.com Early Hit Training Center at Glen Head Racquet Club 95 Glen Head Road Glen Head, NY 11545 Carl Barnett: (516) 455-1225 EarlyHit@optonline.net Glen Head Racquet Club 95 Glen Head Road Glen Head, NY 11545 Stephanie Leo: (516) 676-9849 GlenHeadRC@verizon.net Huntington Indoor Tennis Club Richard Rottkamp—Manager/Owner 100 Broadway Huntington Station, NY 11746 (631) 421-0040 HITennis@myway.com New York Tennis Academy at Great Neck Estates Brian Stein and Chris Tasso—Co-Directors of Junior Tennis Programs 12 Shore Drive Great Neck, NY 11021 (516) 233-2790 Point Set Indoor Tennis Tonny vandePieterman—Director of Tennis 3065 New Street Oceanside, NY 11572 (516) 536-2323 Tonny@PointSetTennis.com PointSetTennis.com

Port Washington Tennis Academy Manny Iqbal—Director of Tennis 100 Harbor Road Port Washington, NY 11050 (516) 883-6425 Tennis@PWTA.com PWTA.com Robbie Wagner’s Tournament Training Center at Glen Cove Stephen Alcala—Managing Partner 60 Sea Cliff Avenue Glen Cove, NY 11542 (516) 759-0505 RWTT.com Ross School Holly Li—Manager 18 Goodfriend Drive East Hampton, NY 11937 (631) 907-5162 HLi@Ross.org Ross.org/Tennis Southampton Racquet Camp & Club 665 Majors Path Southampton, N.Y. (631) 488-4700 SouthamptonRCC.com SPORTIME Amagansett (Open Seasonally) Sue de Lara—General Manager 320 Abrahams Path Amagansett, NY 11930 (631) 267-3460 Amagansett@SportimeNY.com SportimeNY.com/Amagansett SPORTIME Bethpage Tennis Chris Leahy—General Manager Chelsea Riccio-Assistant General Manager Mike Kossoff—Director of Tennis/JMTA 101 Norcross Avenue Bethpage, NY 11714 (516) 933-8500 MKossoff@SportimeNY.com SportimeNY.com/Bethpage-Tennis SPORTIME Kings Park Bea Bielik—General Manager Jason Wass—Director of Tennis 275 Old Indian Head Road Kings Park, NY 11754 (631) 269-6300 JWass@SportimeNY.com Sportimeny.com/Kings-Park

SPORTIME Lynbrook Bea Bielik—General Manager Vicki Weiss—Assistant General Manager Jeff Morys—Director of Tennis 175 Merrick Road Lynbrook, NY 11563 (516) 887-1330 JMorys@SportimeNY.com SportimeNY.com/Lynbrook SPORTIME Quogue Rene Bond—General Manager Greg Meyer—Director of Tennis 2571 Quogue-Riverhead Road East Quogue, NY 11942 (631) 653-6767 RBond@SportimeNY.com SportimeNY.com/Quogue SPORTIME Randall’s Island Flagship Home of the John McEnroe Tennis Academy Allison Hodgkins—Assistant General Manager Jared Karlebach—Assistant General Manager One Randall’s Island New York, NY 10035 (212) 427-6150 AHodgkins@SportimeNY.com/JKarlebach@SportimeNY.com SportimeNY.com/Manhattan SPORTIME Roslyn Jay Harris—General Manager Chris Pagoto-Assistant General Manager Jordan Dolberg—Director of Tennis 1 Landing Road Roslyn, NY 11576 (516) 484-9222 JHarris@SportimeNY.com SportimeNY.com/Roslyn SPORTIME Syosset Tennis & Multi-Sport John McEnroe Tennis Academy, Long Island Joe Siegel—General Manager Chelsea Riccio—Assistant General Manager Mike Kossoff—Director of Tennis/JMTA 75 Haskett Drive Syosset, NY 11791 (516) 364-2727 MKossoff@SportimeNY.com SportimeNY.com/Syosset-Tennis USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center Whitney Kraft—Director of Tennis Flushing Meadows Corona Park Flushing, NY 11568 (718) 760-6200 USTA.com

LONG Boys & Girls Long Island Rankings (as of 10/18/16)

BOYS Long Island Boys 12 Singles Rank..Name ....................................City 1 ....Daniel Beckles ........................Roslyn, N.Y. 2 ....Aaron Rittberger ......................Huntington, N.Y. 3 ....Jeffrey Rosario ........................Dix Hills, N.Y. 4 ....Ajer Sher ..................................Jericho, N.Y. 5 ....Ryan Newitz ............................Melville, N.Y. 6 ....Jeremy Levine ........................Woodbury, N.Y. 7 ....Brian D. Gao ............................Syosset, N.Y. 8 ....Andrew Cyril Mancheril ..........New Hyde Park, N.Y. 9 ....Colin Liotta ..............................East Williston, N.Y. 10 ..Ian Kaish ..................................Northport, N.Y. 11 ..Benjamin Grushkovskiy ..........Woodmere, N.Y. 12 ..Julian Daniele Messina ..........Oyster Bay, N.Y. 13 ..Alexander G. Davis..................Oyster Bay, N.Y. 14 ..Evan Joseph Rupolo ..............East Patchogue, N.Y. 15 ..Aryan Badlani ..........................Roslyn, N.Y. 16 ..Ethan Rabinowitz ....................Great Neck, N.Y. 17 ..Joshua Kaplan ........................East Quogue, N.Y. 18 ..Nicholas M. Pham ..................Northport, N.Y. 19 ..Ansh Chadha ..........................Westbury, N.Y. 20 ..Andre Insalaco ........................Quogue, N.Y. 21 ..Aiden Patel ..............................New Hyde Park, N.Y. 22 ..Aidan Garvey ..........................New Hyde Park, N.Y. 23 ..John Harold Adamo................East Williston, N.Y. 24 ..Conrad Kulikowski ..................North Bellmore, N.Y. 25 ..Michael Chan ..........................Commack, N.Y. 26 ..Gregory Baldinucci..................Ronkonkoma, N.Y. 27 ..Kevin Chen ..............................Smithtown, N.Y. 28 ..Aaron Raja ..............................Old Westbury, N.Y. 29 ..Jordan Heyman ......................Melville, N.Y. 30 ..Joshua Cyril Mancheril............New Hyde Park, N.Y. 31 ..Matthew Kalfas........................Merrick, N.Y. 32 ..Justin Wong ............................Roslyn Heights, N.Y. 33 ..Ezra Loewy ..............................Port Washington, N.Y. 34 ..Daniel Kong ............................Commack, N.Y. 35 ..Murray Eric Litman..................Roslyn Heights, N.Y. 36 ..Branden A. Sattier ..................East Meadow, N.Y. 37 ..Joseph Michael Wilson ..........East Hampton, N.Y. 38 ..Quinn Winter............................Brightwaters, N.Y. 39 ..Avery Frekhtman ....................Woodmere, N.Y. 40 ..Matthew Manesh ....................Great Neck, N.Y.

Long Island Boys 14 Singles Rank..Name ....................................City 1 ....Max Daniel Safir ......................Old Westbury, N.Y. 2 ....Joseph Perry Boyle ................Setauket, N.Y. 3 ....Nate Hanley ............................Rocky Point, N.Y. 4 ....Ajer Sher ..................................Jericho, N.Y. 5 ....Luca Anton Johnson ..............Syosset, N.Y. 6 ....Aaron Rittberger ......................Huntington, N.Y. 7 ....Austin Du Lai............................Manhasset, N.Y. 8 ....Arin Siriamonthep....................Greenvale, N.Y. 9 ....Matthew Evan Kronenberg ....East Setauket, N.Y. 10 ..Zachary Emmanuel Stern ......Dix Hills, N.Y. 11 ..Brian Gao ................................Syosset, N.Y. 12 ..Jeremy Levine ........................Woodbury, N.Y. 13 ..Nicholas Harbans Sathi ..........Port Jefferson, N.Y. 14 ..Justin Y. Shen ..........................Glen Head, N.Y. 15 ..Joshua Rothbaum ..................Great Neck, N.Y. 16 ..Brian Rex Kornreich ................Great Neck, N.Y. 17 ..Gabriel Chan............................Commack, N.Y. 18 ..Alex Eli Vinsky..........................Westbury, N.Y. 19 ..Joshua Elenowitz ....................Syosset, N.Y. 20 ..Gavin Park ..............................Roslyn, N.Y.

ISLAND

21 ..Ryan Bradley Schneider ........Melville, N.Y. 22 ..Ryan E. Shayani ......................Old Westbury, N.Y. 23 ..Samuel Perlman......................Great Neck, N.Y. 24 ..Christopher Hugh Lo ..............Roslyn, N.Y. 25 ..Andrew Cyril Mancheril ..........New Hyde Park, N.Y. 26 ..Liam Thomas Schmidt............Wantagh, N.Y. 27 ..Rahul Mathur ..........................Dix Hills, N.Y. 28 ..Alexander G. Davis..................Oyster Bay, N.Y. 29 ..Brando Fabri Corigliano..........East Hampton, N.Y. 30 ..Drew Meinster ........................South Setauket, N.Y. 31 ..Alejandro Pablo Perez ............Selden, N.Y. 32 ..Joseph Monticciolo ................Coram, N.Y. 33 ..Dylan D’Agate..........................Melville, N.Y. 34 ..Michael Ryan Safir ..................Old Westbury, N.Y. 35 ..Luke Louchheim......................Sagaponack, N.Y. 36 ..Mitchell Klee ............................East Rockaway, N.Y. 37 ..Yonathan Glattman..................Hewlett, N.Y. 38 ..Jared Lake ..............................Hewlett, N.Y. 39 ..Logan Fliegel ..........................Lynbrook, N.Y. 40 ..Arthur Chechelniker ................Valley Stream, N.Y.

Long Island Boys 16 Singles Rank..Name ....................................City 1 ....Yoel Andre Yamus ..................Deer Park, N.Y. 2 ....Deven Andrew Wackett ..........Setauket, N.Y. 3 ....Putimet Inroon ........................Greenvale, N.Y. 4 ....Ciro Baldinucci ........................Ronkonkoma, N.Y. 5 ....Danny Tocco............................East Quogue, N.Y. 6 ....Pranav Vallapragada ..............Nesconset, N.Y. 7 ....Kian Ziari ..................................Locust Valley, N.Y. 8 ....Zachary Emmanuel Stern ......Dix Hills, N.Y. 9 ....Andrew Lin ..............................Commack, N.Y. 10 ..Malik Bass ..............................Rockville Centre, N.Y. 11 ..Matthew Southard ..................Islip, N.Y. 12 ..Ashkan Moghaddassi ............Woodbury, N.Y. 13 ..Joshua Rothbaum ..................Great Neck, N.Y. 14 ..Jonathan Brandon Lum..........Albertson, N.Y. 15 ..Aaron Marcos Vinsky ..............Westbury, N.Y. 16 ..Theodore Tae Kim ..................West Hempstead, N.Y. 17 ..Cameron Dahl..........................Massapequa, N.Y. 18 ..Arin Siriamonthep....................Greenvale, N.Y. 19 ..Deven Madan ..........................Great Neck, N.Y. 20 ..Michael Wexler ........................Old Westbury, N.Y. 21 ..Rohan Dayal ............................Great Neck, N.Y. 22 ..Pius Lo ....................................Massapequa, N.Y. 23 ..Evan Brady ..............................Glen Head, N.Y. 24 ..Alexander Benanti ..................East Setauket, N.Y. 25 ..Ravi MacGum..........................Amagansett, N.Y. 26 ..Alexander Hazarian ................Garden City, N.Y. 27 ..Matthew Evan Kronenberg ....East Setauket, N.Y. 28 ..Jake William Buckley ..............Sound Beach, N.Y. 29 ..Julian Mercante ......................Lido Beach, N.Y. 30 ..Vincent Avallone......................Smithtown, N.Y. 31 ..Gavin Small..............................Huntington, N.Y. 32 ..Sampath Srungaram ..............Smithtown, N.Y. 33 ..Nicholas A. Troia......................Floral Park, N.Y. 34 ..Andre Kun Kirkorian................Woodbury, N.Y. 35 ..Ishan G. Varma........................Dix Hills, N.Y. 36 ..Benjamin Weisbach ................Roslyn, N.Y. 37 ..Daniel Winston ........................Roslyn Heights, N.Y. 38 ..Alex Eli Vinsky..........................Westbury, N.Y. 39 ..Andrew Neil Smith ..................Bellmore, N.Y. 40 ..Alexander Stephen Rzehak....Centerport, N.Y.

Long Island Boys 18 Singles Rank..Name ....................................City 1 ....Avi Anand ................................Dix Hills, N.Y. 2 ....Brandon James ......................Wheatley Heights, N.Y. 3 ....Steven Gaudio ........................Miller Place, N.Y. 4 ....Parker A. Tuthill........................Cutchogue, N.Y. 5 ....Patrick James Bodovitz..........Garden City, N.Y.

RANKINGS

6 ....Malik Bass ..............................Rockville Centre, N.Y. 7 ....Nicholas Mark Newell ............Huntington Station, N.Y. 8 ....Garrett Joseph Sebold............Centerport, N.Y.

GIRLS Long Island Girls 12 Singles Rank..Name ....................................City 1 ....Nicole Pinkus ..........................Valley Stream, N.Y. 2 ....Kira Sydney Kronenberg ........East Setauket, N.Y. 3 ....Emma Sy ................................Port Washington, N.Y. 4 ....Catherine Karman ..................Port Washington, N.Y. 5 ....Ellie Ross..................................Port Washington, N.Y. 6 ....Isabella Zhang ........................Roslyn Heights, N.Y. 7 ....Isabella Sha ............................Roslyn Heights, N.Y. 8 ....Christasha McNeil ..................Massapequa, N.Y. 9 ....Ada Maria Amarghioalei..........Port Washington, N.Y. 10 ..Olivia Tiegerman......................Jericho, N.Y. 11 ..Sarah Elizabeth Lane ..............Garden City, N.Y. 12 ..Talluiah Pitti ..............................Huntington, N.Y. 13 ..Skyler Brown ..........................Glen Head, N.Y. 14 ..Kiera Agic ................................Miller Place, N.Y. 15 ..Nicolette Loeffler ....................Syosset, N.Y. 16 ..Pressley Fortunato ..................Rockville Centre, N.Y. 17 ..Maggie Wang ..........................Dix Hills, N.Y. 18 ..Rylie Stam................................Roslyn, N.Y. 19 ..Alexandra Kaylee Ho ..............Syosset, N.Y. 20 ..Janae Fouche..........................Freeport, N.Y. 21 ..Hailey Stoerback ....................Saint James, N.Y. 22 ..Tara Andrea Lurepa ................Westbury, N.Y. 23 ..Tola Pola Glowacka ................Jericho, N.Y. 24 ..Kady Tannenbaum ..................Commack, N.Y. 25 ..Sophia Nina Karmazin ............Hewlett, N.Y. 26 ..Martina Eulau ..........................Oceanside, N.Y. 27 ..Megan Riley Availone..............Lloyd Harbor, N.Y. 28 ..Natalie Phillips ........................Plainview, N.Y. 29 ..Elizabeth Becker......................Jericho, N.Y. 30 ..Alexa Reese Brecher ..............Syosset, N.Y. 31 ..Andrea Martinez de los Rios ..Glen Head, N.Y. 32 ..Theadora Yael Rabman ..........Port Washington, N.Y. 33 ..Katherine Tang ........................Great Neck, N.Y. 34 ..Tara Torosian............................West Hempstead, N.Y. 35 ..Angelina Troia ..........................Floral Park, N.Y. 36 ..Skylar Blake Semon................Melville, N.Y. 37 ..Meghan Sherlock....................Rockville Centre, N.Y. 38 ..Hailey Lessen ..........................Old Westbury, N.Y. 39 ..Ashley Kessler ........................Oceanside, N.Y. 40 ..Dasha Perfiliev ........................Port Washington, N.Y.

Long Island Girls 14 Singles

22 ..Hailey Rose Loughlin ..............Shirley, N.Y. 23 ..Ada Maria Amarghioalei..........Port Washington, N.Y. 24 ..Kelsey Sy ................................Port Washington, N.Y. 25 ..Lisa Baldinucci ........................Ronkonkoma, N.Y. 26 ..Emily Moran ............................Rockville Centre, N.Y. 27 ..Sarah Ashley Schwartz ..........Syosset, N.Y. 28 ..Sarah Elizabeth Lane ..............Garden City, N.Y. 29 ..Ariella Sakhai ..........................Great Neck, N.Y. 30 ..Meegan L. Galante..................Huntington, N.Y. 31 ..Anastasia Hoffman..................North Massapequa, N.Y. 32 ..Megan Kim ..............................East Islip, N.Y. 33 ..Lauren Zola..............................Rockville Centre, N.Y. 34 ..Dara Berman ..........................Setauket, N.Y. 35 ..Anna Vanessa Malin................Oceanside, N.Y. 36 ..Kira Sydney Kronenberg ........East Setauket, N.Y. 37 ..Nicole Pinkus ..........................Valley Stream, N.Y.

Long Island Girls 16 Singles Rank..Name ....................................City 1 ....Daniella Victoria Paikin............Valley Stream, N.Y. 2 ....Natalia Caroline Krol................Greenvale, N.Y. 3 ....Marina Hilbert ..........................Locust Valley, N.Y. 4 ....Emily Austin ............................Woodmere, N.Y. 5 ....Kaitlyn Schwarz ......................Oceanside, N.Y. 6 ....Brianna Rienzi..........................Manhasset, N.Y. 7 ....Jessica Emma Lustig..............Dix Hills, N.Y. 8 ....Kaitlyn Byrnes..........................Massapequa, N.Y. 9 ....Rose B. Hayes ........................East Moriches, N.Y. 10 ..Maya Aerin Masheb................Jericho, N.Y. 11 ..Morgan Voulo ..........................East Setauket, N.Y. 12 ..Morgan A. Wilkins ..................Huntington, N.Y. 13 ..Taylor Grace Hanscom ..........Patchogue, N.Y. 14 ..Anna J. Martorella ..................Wantagh, N.Y. 15 ..Alexa Villez ..............................West Sayville, N.Y. 16 ..Jade Eggleston........................Stony Brook, N.Y. 17 ..Onalee Batcheller....................Westhampton, N.Y. 18 ..Jennifer Rose Cox ..................West Islip, N.Y. 19 ..Julia Kielan ..............................Valley Stream, N.Y. 20 ..Kristen D. Cassidy ..................Wantagh, N.Y. 21 ..Sarah Khan..............................Manhasset Hills, N.Y. 22 ..Jill Olga Lawrence ..................Hauppauge, N.Y. 23 ..Daniela Tedoldi ........................Smithtown, N.Y. 24 ..Rose Ellen Peruso ..................Westhampton, N.Y. 25 ..Elinor Simek ............................Glen Head, N.Y. 26 ..Ashlyn Jane Hu ......................Jericho, N.Y. 27 ..Alexa Lynn Bracco ..................Freeport, N.Y. 28 ..Alexandra Nicole Yiachos ......Manhasset, N.Y. 29 ..Dara Berman ..........................Setauket, N.Y. 30 ..Shreya Rao ..............................Roslyn, N.Y.

Rank..Name ....................................City 1 ....Daniella Victoria Paikin............Valley Stream, N.Y. 2 ....Jennifer Rabinowitz ................Great Neck, N.Y. 3 ....Anna J. Martorella ..................Wantagh, N.Y. 4 ....Ida Nicole Poulos ....................Manhasset, N.Y. 5 ....Mary Theresa Madigan ..........Sayville, N.Y. 6 ....Alexandra Nicole Yiachos ......Manhasset, N.Y. 7 ....Christine Kong ........................Commack, N.Y. 8 ....Sophia Elizabeth Schutte........Great Neck, N.Y. 9 ....Charlotte Goldbaum ..............Old Westbury, N.Y. 10 ..Lydia Mercante........................Lido Beach, N.Y. 11 ..Jennifer Perper ........................Valley Stream, N.Y. 12 ..Ines Roti ..................................Locust Valley, N.Y. 13 ..Emma Sy ................................Port Washington, N.Y. 14 ..Jordann Estelle Rosati ............Melville, N.Y. 15 ..Maggie Wang ..........................Dix Hills, N.Y. 16 ..Christasha McNeil ..................Massapequa, N.Y. 17 ..Jacqueline Taylor Zambrotto..Kings Park, N.Y. 18 ..Madison Li ..............................Old Westbury, N.Y. 19 ..Olivia N. Fermo........................Smithtown, N.Y. 20 ..Bianca Banilivi ........................Great Neck, N.Y. 21 ..Victoria Pensiero......................Commack, N.Y.

Long Island Tennis Magazine • November/December 2016 • LITennisMag.com

Long Island Girls 18 Singles Rank..Name ....................................City 1 ....Jillian Rebecca Shulder ..........Setauket, N.Y. 2 ....Maya Aerin Masheb................Jericho, N.Y. 3 ....Jasmine Olivia Abidi................Glen Head, N.Y. 4 ....Morgan Wilkins........................Huntington, N.Y. 5 ....Brooke Delprete ......................Westhampton, N.Y.

LONG Boys & Girls Sectional Rankings

(as of 10/04/16)

BOYS Sectional Boys 12 Singles— Long Island Players Rank Name ......................................City 11 ..Mark Ryan Taranov ................Valley Stream, N.Y. 15 ..Max Daniel Safir ......................Old Westbury, N.Y. 20 ..Michael Ryan Safir ..................Old Westbury, N.Y. 25 ..Ty Nisenson ............................Port Washington, N.Y. 48 ..Matthew Strogach ..................Commack, N.Y. 51 ..Stephan M. Gershfeld ............Hewlett, N.Y. 62 ..Jordan Reznik..........................Great Neck, N.Y. 64 ..Aron Bursztyn..........................South Setauket, N.Y. 68 ..Candrin Chris ..........................Port Washington, N.Y. 72 ..Dylan D’Agate..........................Melville, N.Y. 80 ..Luke Louchheim......................Sagaponack, N.Y. 85 ..Joseph Perry Boyle ................Setauket, N.Y. 87 ..Aiden Patel ..............................New Hyde Park, N.Y. 88 ..Nicolas O. Hull ........................Locust Valley, N.Y. 109 Matthew Leonard Zeifman ....Roslyn Heights, N.Y. 122 Daniel Kong ............................Commack, N.Y. 125 Daniel Beckles ........................Roslyn, N.Y. 131 Jeffrey Rosario ........................Dix Hills, N.Y. 142 Kyle Zhou ................................Commack, N.Y.

Sectional Boys 14 Singles— Long Island Players Rank Name ......................................City 4 ....Billy G. Suarez ........................Huntington, N.Y. 5 ....Logan Paik Chang ..................Old Westbury, N.Y. 6 ....Kabir Rajpal ............................Syosset, N.Y. 7 ....Spencer Brachman ................Commack, N.Y. 17 ..Sujay Sharma ..........................New Hyde Park, N.Y. 29 ..Maxwell Moadel ......................Oyster Bay, N.Y. 30 ..Alexander Karman ..................Port Washington, N.Y. 42 ..Justin Benjamin Oresky ..........Syosset, N.Y. 47 ..Jared M. Phillips ......................Plainview, N.Y. 50 ..George Scriber Bader ............Water Mill, N.Y. 57 ..Anthony Casale ......................Old Bethpage, N.Y. 70 ..Pius Lo ....................................Massapequa, N.Y. 80 ..Alex Eli Vinsky..........................Westbury, N.Y. 82 ..Brandon Zhu............................Roslyn Heights, N.Y. 90 ..Aman K. Sharma ....................Glen Head, N.Y. 98 ..Ryan E. Shayani ......................Old Westbury, N.Y. 103 Max Daniel Safir ......................Old Westbury, N.Y. 108 Joseph Monticciolo ................Coram, N.Y. 113 Joseph Perry Boyle ................Setauket, N.Y. 127 Michael Weitz ..........................Roslyn, N.Y. 138 Bilal Rashidzada......................Dix Hills, N.Y. 140 Azim Gangat............................Syosset, N.Y. 142 Matthew Evan Kronenberg ....East Setauket, N.Y. 143 Taylor Brooks Thomas ............Water Mill, N.Y. 144 Arin Siriamonthep....................Greenvale, N.Y. 147 Brandon Lee............................Valley Stream, N.Y. 150 Dion Park ................................Roslyn, N.Y.

ISLAND

36 ..Karin K. Amin ..........................Roslyn Heights, N.Y. 37 ..Abhinav Raj Srivastava ..........Melville, N.Y. 39 ..Alan Delman ............................Great Neck, N.Y. 41 ..Brian Shi ..................................Jericho, N.Y. 46 ..Alexander Roti ........................Locust Valley, N.Y. 55 ..Rohan Gaddam Reddy ..........Glen Head, N.Y. 61 ..Maxwell Moadel ......................Oyster Bay, N.Y. 63 ..Michael Medvedev..................Albertson, N.Y. 64 ..Kabir Rajpal ............................Syosset, N.Y. 72 ..Niles Ghaffar ............................Massapequa, N.Y. 80 ..Billy G. Suarez ........................Huntington, N.Y. 85 ..Luke Karniewich......................Glen Head, N.Y. 88 ..Jack Flores ..............................Huntington, N.Y. 89 ..Adrian Kristofer Tsui ................Roslyn Heights, N.Y. 90 ..Matthew Charles Cashin ........Syosset, N.Y. 100 Lazar Ivan Markovic ................Lattingtown, N.Y. 107 David Ammendola ..................Massapequa, N.Y. 108 Evan Brady ..............................Glen Head, N.Y. 125 Griffin Schlesinger ..................Cold Spring Harbor, N.Y. 136 Avi Anand ................................Dix Hills, N.Y. 146 Danny Tocco............................East Quogue, N.Y. 150 Yoel Andre Yamus ..................Deer Park, N.Y.

Sectional Boys 18 Singles— Long Island Players

RANKINGS

77 ..Pieter Alexander Wernink ......Glen Cove, N.Y. 80 ..Brian Shi ..................................Jericho, N.Y. 90 ..Pete Siozios ............................New Hyde Park, N.Y. 96 ..George Kaslow........................Port Washington, N.Y. 97 ..Leonard Lazar Koblence ........Jericho, N.Y. 100 Danuel Meinster ......................South Setauket, N.Y. 111 Matthew Kolkhorst..................Sea Cliff, N.Y. 113 Sangjin Song ..........................Roslyn Heights, N.Y. 116 David Raphael Weiner ............Glen Head, N.Y. 117 Nicholas Gajda ........................Smithtown, N.Y. 120 Lazar Ivan Markovic ................Lattingtown, N.Y. 123 Julian Thomas MacGurn ........Amagansett, N.Y. 131 Abhinav Raj Srivastava ..........Melville, N.Y. 134 Max Egna ................................Port Washington, N.Y. 136 Nicolas DeMaria ......................New Hyde Park, N.Y. 140 Bruno Paolino Alves................East Hampton, N.Y. 143 Timothy Hayden Nacca..........Garden City, N.Y. 147 Matthew Franklin Porges........Roslyn Heights, N.Y. 148 Timothy Serignese ..................Port Washington, N.Y.

GIRLS Sectional Girls 12 Singles— Long Island Players

Rank Name ......................................City

2 ....Athell Bennett ..........................Valley Stream, N.Y. 4 ....Brenden Volk ..........................Dix Hills, N.Y. 9 ....Sean Mullins ............................Lloyd Harbor, N.Y. 10 ..Finbar Talcott ..........................Sea Cliff, N.Y. 24 ..Patrick F. Maloney ..................Oyster Bay, N.Y. 29 ..Yuval Solomon ........................Plainview, N.Y. 30 ..Sean Patrick Hannity ..............Oyster Bay, N.Y. 31 ..Daniel Eric Pellerito..................Syosset, N.Y. 36 ..Cannon Kingsley ....................Northport, N.Y. 37 ..Mark Julian Baker....................North Baldwin, N.Y. 38 ..Ryan Goetz..............................Greenlawn, N.Y. 39 ..Rajan Jai Vohra........................Glen Head, N.Y. 40 ..Daniel Shleimovich..................Syosset, N.Y. 56 ..Daniel Weitz ............................Roslyn, N.Y. 58 ..Carl Grant ................................Sagaponack, N.Y. 59 ..Keegan James Morris ............Franklin Square, N.Y. 62 ..Chris Kuhnle ............................Shoreham, N.Y. 70 ..Andrew Marc Nakhjavan ........Dix Hills, N.Y. 74 ..Alan Delman ............................Great Neck, N.Y. 75 ..Michael Medvedev..................Albertson, N.Y.

4 ....Rose Hayes ............................East Moriches, N.Y. 19 ..Rebecca Suarez......................Huntington, N.Y. 25 ..Olivia N. Fermo........................Smithtown, N.Y. 27 ..Gabriela Glickstein ..................Commack, N.Y. 30 ..Ariana O. Pursoo ....................Westbury, N.Y. 39 ..Theadora Yael Rabman ..........Port Washington, N.Y. 41 ..Isabella Sha ............................Roslyn Heights, N.Y. 42 ..Ava Thunder Scordo ..............Glen Head, N.Y. 45 ..Ines Roti ..................................Locust Valley, N.Y. 50 ..Tola Pola Glowacka ................Jericho, N.Y. 51 ..Emily Tannenbaum..................Commack, N.Y. 56 ..Skylor Wong ............................Mount Sinai, N.Y. 73 ..Tatiana Georgie Lorich ............Southampton, N.Y. 74 ..Kady Tannenbaum ..................Commack, N.Y. 81 ..Hailey Stoerback ....................Saint James, N.Y. 92 ..Kira Sydney Kronenberg ........East Setauket, N.Y. 101 Alexandra Kaylee Ho ..............Syosset, N.Y. 102 Nicolette Loeffler ....................Laurel Hollow, N.Y. 107 Emma Sy ................................Port Washington, N.Y. 128 Kiera Agic ................................Miller Place, N.Y.

130 Martina Eulau ..........................Oceanside, N.Y. 135 Christasha McNeil ..................Massapequa, N.Y. 138 Olivia Tiegerman......................Jericho, N.Y.

Sectional Girls 14 Singles— Long Island Players Rank Name ......................................City 3 ....Rachel Arbitman......................Hewlett, N.Y. 10 ..Maryam Beshir Ahmad ..........Albertson, N.Y. 19 ..Amy Delman ............................Great Neck, N.Y. 39 ..Madison Jane Williams ..........Glen Cove, N.Y. 45 ..Kimberly Liao ..........................Commack, N.Y. 50 ..Rose B. Hayes ........................East Moriches, N.Y. 64 ..Kavina Amin ............................Roslyn Heights, N.Y. 67 ..Janelle Chen............................Dix Hills, N.Y. 68 ..Kaya Amin................................Roslyn Heights, N.Y. 72 ..Emily Tannenbaum..................Commack, N.Y. 75 ..Soraya Koblence ....................Jericho, N.Y. 76 ..Sofia Rose Anzalone ..............Center Moriches, N.Y. 81 ..Sadhana Sridhar......................Stony Brook, N.Y. 86 ..Ally Friedman ..........................East Hampton, N.Y. 88 ..Alexis Madison Huber ............Melville, N.Y. 96 ..Tatiana Robotham Barnett......Port Washington, N.Y. 103 Gabriela Glickstein ..................Commack, N.Y. 118 Grace Isabel Riviezzo..............Syosset, N.Y. 121 Anna J. Martorella ..................Wantagh, N.Y. 125 Sarah Gunasekera ..................Mount Sinai, N.Y. 132 Daniella Victoria Paikin............Valley Stream, N.Y. 138 Jennifer Rabinowitz ................Great Neck, N.Y.

Sectional Girls 16 Singles— Long Island Players Rank Name ......................................City 8 ....Merri Kelly ................................Oyster Bay, N.Y. 14 ..Lea Ma ....................................Dix Hills, N.Y. 22 ..Maryam Beshir Ahmad ..........Albertson, N.Y. 34 ..Francesca Karman..................Port Washington, N.Y. 35 ..Rachel Arbitman......................Hewlett, N.Y. 36 ..Alexa Susan Goetz..................Greenlawn, N.Y. 39 ..Steffi Antao ..............................New Hyde Park, N.Y. 42 ..Calista Sha ..............................Roslyn Heights, N.Y. 46 ..Jacqueline Rae Bukzin............Manorville, N.Y. 54 ..Amy Delman ............................Great Neck, N.Y. 56 ..Kimberly Liao ..........................Commack, N.Y. 73 ..Denise Lai ................................Setauket, N.Y. 75 ..Oliva Rose Scordo ..................Glen Head, N.Y.

Sectional Boys 16 Singles— Long Island Players Rank Name ......................................City 2 ....Cannon Kingsley ....................Northport, N.Y. 5 ....Daniel Eric Pellerito..................Syosset, N.Y. 6 ....Patrick Maloney ......................Oyster Bay, N.Y. 15 ..Ryan Goetz..............................Greenlawn, N.Y. 22 ..Spencer Brachman ................Commack, N.Y. 27 ..Neel Raj....................................Oyster Bay, N.Y. 29 ..Pete Siozios ............................New Hyde Park, N.Y. 30 ..Ronald P. Hohmann ................Oyster Bay, N.Y. 32 ..David Raphael Weiner ............Glen Head, N.Y. 33 ..Logan Paik Chang ..................Old Westbury, N.Y.

LITennisMag.com • November/December 2016 • Long Island Tennis Magazine

LONG 94 ..Madison Jane Williams ..........Glen Cove, N.Y. 97 ..Vitalina Golod ..........................Setauket, N.Y. 120 Sofia Rose Anzalone ..............Center Moriches, N.Y. 126 Gabriela Sciarrotta ..................Woodmere, N.Y. 128 Kaitlyn Schwarz ......................Oceanside, N.Y. 133 Emily Tannenbaum..................Commack, N.Y. 137 Trinity Chow ............................Glen Cove, N.Y. 142 Julia Kielan ..............................Valley Stream, N.Y. 144 Janelle Chen............................Dix Hills, N.Y. 145 Madeline Sarah Richmond ....Syosset, N.Y. 146 Madeline A. Clinton ................Manhasset, N.Y. 149 Rose B. Hayes ........................East Moriches, N.Y.

Sectional Girls 18 Singles— Long Island Players Rank Name ......................................City 3 ....Elysia Bolton............................Cold Spring Harbor, N.Y. 14 ..Claire Handa............................Westbury, N.Y. 17 ..Emma Scott ............................Syosset, N.Y. 22 ..Courtney B. Kowalsky ............Oyster Bay, N.Y. 30 ..Jacqueline Rae Bukzin............Manorville, N.Y. 31 ..Lea Ma ....................................Dix Hills, N.Y. 34 ..Rachel Arbitman......................Hewlett, N.Y. 38 ..Ashley Lessen..........................Old Westbury, N.Y. 48 ..Samantha Lena Galu ..............Jericho, N.Y. 51 ..Merri Kelly ................................Oyster Bay, N.Y. 56 ..Julia Klara Szymanska............Elmont, N.Y. 58 ..Alexa Graham..........................Garden City, N.Y. 61 ..Kimberly Liao ..........................Commack, N.Y. 66 ..Amanda Allison Foo................Manhasset, N.Y. 67 ..Nicole Kielan............................Valley Stream, N.Y. 69 ..Francesca Karman..................Port Washington, N.Y. 79 ..Steffi Antao ..............................New Hyde Park, N.Y. 107 Courtney Provan ....................Dix Hills, N.Y. 122 Maryam Beshir Ahmad ..........Albertson, N.Y. 123 Celeste Rose Matute ..............Oyster Bay, N.Y. 133 Olivia Rose Scordo..................Glen Head, N.Y. 137 Elena Artemis Vlamakis ..........Garden City, N.Y. 139 Nicole Rezak............................Merrick, N.Y. 143 Taylor S. Cosme ......................New Hyde Park, N.Y.

ISLAND

Boys & Girls National Rankings

(as of 10/13/16)

BOYS National Boys 12 Singles— Long Island Players

RANKINGS

384 Abhinav Raj Srivastava ..........Melville, N.Y. 463 Logan Paik Chang ..................Old Westbury, N.Y. 570 Billy G. Suarez ........................Huntington, N.Y. 686 Alexander Roti ........................Locust Valley, N.Y. 714 Rohan Gaddam Reddy ..........Glen Head, N.Y. 927 Luke Karniewich......................Glen Head, N.Y. 940 David Raphael Weiner ............Glen Head, N.Y.

Rank Name ......................................City 114 Mark R. Taranov ......................Valley Stream, N.Y. 201 Max Daniel Safir ......................Old Westbury, N.Y. 247 Ty Nisenson ............................Port Washington, N.Y. 310 Michael Ryan Safir ..................Old Westbury, N.Y. 515 Matthew Strogach ..................Commack, N.Y. 538 Malik Trail ................................Mill Neck, N.Y. 759 Stephan M. Gershfeld ............Hewlett, N.Y. 980 Jordan Reznik..........................Great Neck, N.Y.

National Boys 14 Singles— Long Island Players Rank Name ......................................City 2 ....Spencer Brachman ................Commack, N.Y. 36 ..Billy G. Suarez ........................Huntington, N.Y. 39 ..Logan Paik Chang ..................Old Westbury, N.Y. 55 ..Sujay Sharma ..........................New Hyde Park, N.Y. 117 Kabir Rajpal ............................Syosset, N.Y. 191 Alexander Karman ..................Port Washington, N.Y. 558 Justin Benjamin Oresky ..........Syosset, N.Y. 629 Maxwell Moadel ......................Oyster Bay, N.Y. 745 George Scribner Bader ..........Water Mill, N.Y. 772 Jared M. Phillips ......................Plainview, N.Y. 968 Pius Lo ....................................Massapequa, N.Y.

National Boys 18 Singles— Long Island Players Rank Name ......................................City 49 ..Athell Patrick Bennett..............Valley Stream, N.Y. 61 ..Finbar Talcott ..........................Sea Cliff, N.Y. 112 Brenden Volk ..........................Dix Hills, N.Y. 135 Sean M. Mullins ......................Lloyd Harbor, N.Y. 292 Ryan Goetz..............................Greenlawn, N.Y. 296 Cannon Kingsley ....................Northport, N.Y. 304 Sean Patrick Hannity ..............Oyster Bay, N.Y. 310 Rajan Jai Vohra........................Glen Head, N.Y. 313 Yuval Solomon ........................Melville, N.Y. 403 Patrick F. Maloney ..................Oyster Bay, N.Y. 429 Daniel Eric Pellerito..................Syosset, N.Y. 514 Brian Shi ..................................Jericho, N.Y. 739 Jonas Erdmann ......................East Hampton, N.Y. 757 Mark Julian Baker....................North Baldwin, N.Y. 811 Alexander Karman ..................Port Washington, N.Y. 818 Chris Kuhnle ............................Shoreham, N.Y. 870 Daniel Shleimovich..................Syosset, N.Y. 881 Billy G. Suarez ........................Huntington, N.Y. 890 Spencer Brachman ................Commack, N.Y. 902 Daniel Weitz ............................Roslyn, N.Y. 943 Alan Delman ............................Great Neck, N.Y.

National Boys 16 Singles— Long Island Players Rank Name ......................................City 11 ..Cannon Kingsley ....................Northport, N.Y. 42 ..Patrick F. Maloney ..................Oyster Bay, N.Y. 56 ..Daniel Eric Pellerito..................Syosset, N.Y. 57 ..Ryan Goetz..............................Greenlawn, N.Y. 134 Pete Siozios ............................New Hyde Park, N.Y. 163 Ronald P. Hohmann ................Oyster Bay, N.Y. 166 Spencer Brachman ................Commack, N.Y. 205 Brian Shi ..................................Jericho, N.Y. 317 Neel Raj....................................Oyster Bay, N.Y. 319 Alan Delman ............................Great Neck, N.Y. 368 Karan K. Amin..........................Roslyn Heights, N.Y.

GIRLS National Girls 12 Singles— Long Island Players Rank Name ......................................City 54 ..Rose B. Hayes ........................East Moriches, N.Y. 159 Rebecca E. Suarez..................Huntington, N.Y. 273 Olivia N. Fermo........................Smithtown, N.Y. 291 Gabriela Glickstein ..................Commack, N.Y. 592 Ava Thunder Scordo ..............Glen Head, N.Y. 638 Ariana O. Pursoo ....................Westbury, N.Y. 730 Tola Pola Glowacka ................Jericho, N.Y. 892 Isabella Sha ............................Roslyn Heights, N.Y. 893 Theadora Yael Rabman ..........Port Washington, N.Y. 946 Nicolette Loeffler ....................Laurel Hollow, N.Y. 954 Kady Tannenbaum ..................Commack, N.Y. 955 Ines Roti ..................................Locust Valley, N.Y. 974 Natalie Phillips ........................Plainview, N.Y. 975 Alexandra Kaylee Ho ..............Syosset, N.Y. 976 Hailey Stoerback ....................Saint James, N.Y. 978 Victoria Matos..........................Coram, N.Y. 979 Kira Sydney Kronenberg ........East Setauket, N.Y. 981 Emma Sy ................................Port Washington, N.Y.

National Girls 14 Singles— Long Island Players Rank Name ......................................City 11 ..Rachel Arbitman......................Hewlett, N.Y. 24 ..Maryam Beshir Ahmad ..........Albertson, N.Y. 240 Amy Delman ............................Great Neck, N.Y. 338 Madison Jane Williams ..........Glen Cove, N.Y. 617 Kavina Amin ............................Roslyn Heights, N.Y. 867 Janelle Chen............................Dix Hills, N.Y. 874 Soraya Koblence ....................Jericho, N.Y. 883 Rebecca E. Suarez..................Huntington, N.Y. 996 Kaya Amin................................Roslyn Heights, N.Y.

National Girls 16 Singles— Long Island Players Rank Name ......................................City 16 ..Lea Ma ....................................Dix Hills, N.Y. 146 Merri Kelly ................................Oyster Bay, N.Y. 236 Maryam Beshir Ahmad ..........Albertson, N.Y. 355 Steffi Antao ..............................New Hyde Park, N.Y. 363 Francesca Karman..................Port Washington, N.Y. 378 Calista Sha ..............................Roslyn Heights, N.Y. 421 Alexa Susan Goetz..................Greenlawn, N.Y. 561 Rachel Arbitman......................Hewlett, N.Y. 689 Olivia Rose Scordo..................Glen Head, N.Y. 792 Jacqueline Rae Bukzin............Manorville, N.Y. 890 Amy Delman ............................Great Neck, N.Y. 980 Denise Lai ................................Setauket, N.Y.

National Girls 18 Singles— Long Island Players Rank Name ......................................City 10 ..Elysia Bolton............................Cold Spring Harbor, N.Y. 246 Claire Handa............................Westbury, N.Y. 261 Alexa Graham..........................Garden City, N.Y. 276 Lea Ma ....................................Dix Hills, N.Y. 315 Courtney B. Kowalsky ............Oyster Bay, N.Y. 371 Emma Scott ............................Syosset, N.Y. 401 Rachel Arbitman......................Hewlett, N.Y. 626 Taylor S. Cosme ......................New Hyde Park, N.Y. 740 Julia Klara Szymanska............Elmont, N.Y. 760 Courtney Provan ....................Dix Hills, N.Y. 809 Amanda Allison Foo................Manhasset, N.Y. 919 Ashley Lessen..........................Old Westbury, N.Y. 938 Jacqueline Rae Bukzin............Manorville, N.Y.

Long Island Tennis Magazine • November/December 2016 • LITennisMag.com

USTA/Long Island Region 2016

TOURNAMENT SCHEDULE For detailed information on these and all USTA tournaments, visit tennislink.usta.com/tournaments. Friday-Sunday, November 11-13 L1B Ross School November Challenger Ross School Tennis Academy 18 Goodfriend Drive East Hampton, N.Y. Divisions: Challenger Boys & Girls Singles: 78’ Yellow Ball 1218 (SE) Surface Type: Clay Indoor Entry Fee: $59.63 per player (deadline for entries is Tuesday, Nov. 8 at 5:00 p.m.) For more information, e-mail PWilliamson@ross.org or call (631) 907-5162.

Friday-Sunday, November 18-20 L2O Bethpage State Park Open Bethpage Park Tennis Center 99 Quaker Meeting House Road Farmingdale, N.Y. Divisions: Intermediate Boys & Girls Singles 78’ Yellow Ball 16 (SE) Surface Type: Hard Indoor Entry Fee: $54.25 per player (deadline for entries is Sunday, Nov. 13 at 1:00 p.m.) For more information, e-mail RBecker06@yahoo.com or call (516) 359-4843.

Friday-Sunday, November 11-13 L1B RWTTC November Challenger Robbie Wagner Tournament Training at Glen Cove 60 Sea Cliff Avenue Glen Cove, N.Y. Divisions: Challenger Boys & Girls Singles: 78’ Yellow Ball 12 (SE) Surface Type: Clay Indoor Entry Fee: $54.25 per player For more information, e-mail Superscoot@aol.com or call (516) 759-0505.

Friday-Sunday, November 11-13 Eastern Sweet 16 at Point Set Point Set Tennis 3065 New Street Oceanside, N.Y. Divisions: Advanced Girls Singles & Doubles 78’ Yellow Ball 16 (COMP) Surface Type: Hard Indoor Entry Fee: $151 per player (deadline for entries is Tuesday, Nov. 1 at 1:00 p.m.) For more information, e-mail Ruiz.Clark@yahoo.com or call (917) 991-0088.

Friday-Sunday, November 18-20 L1B Ross School Harvest Challenger Ross School Tennis Academy 18 Goodfriend Drive East Hampton, N.Y. Divisions: Challenger Boys & Girls Singles 78’ Yellow Ball 12, 16 (SE) Surface Type: Clay Indoor Entry Fee: $54.25 per player (deadline for entries is Wednesday, Nov. 16 at 5:00 p.m.) For more information, e-mail PWilliamson@ross.org or call (631) 907-5162.

Friday-Sunday, November 11-13 Eastern Sweet 16 at Sportime Bethpage Sportime Bethpage 101 Norcross Avenue Bethpage, N.Y. Divisions: Advanced Boys Singles & Doubles: 78’ Yellow Ball 12 (COMP) Surface Type: Hard Indoor Entry Fee: $151 per player (deadline for entries is Tuesday, Nov. 1 at 1:00 p.m.) For more information, e-mail KSorokko@SportimeNY.com or call (516) 933-8500.

Friday-Sunday, November 11-13 Eastern Sweet 16 at PWTA Port Washington Tennis Academy 100 Harbor Road Port Washington, N.Y. Divisions: Advanced Boys Singles & Doubles 78’ Yellow Ball 14 (COMP) Surface Type: Hard Indoor Entry Fee: $151 per player (deadline for entries is Tuesday, Nov. 1 at 1:00 p.m.) For more information, e-mail Ruiz.Clark@yahoo.com or call (917) 991-0088.

Friday-Sunday, November 18-20 Eastern Super Six at Port Washington (National L4) Port Washington Tennis Academy 100 Harbor Road Port Washington, N.Y. Divisions: Super 6 Event Boys Singles 78’ Yellow Ball 12 (FIC-R16) Surface Type: Unknown Entry Fee: $113.38 per player (deadline for entries is Tuesday, Nov. 8 at 1:00 p.m.) For more information, e-mail Ruiz.Clark@yahoo.com or call (516) 883-6425.

Friday-Sunday, November 11-13 L1B Bethpage State Park November Challenger Bethpage Park Tennis Center 99 Quaker Meeting House Road Farmingdale, N.Y. Divisions: Challenger Boys & Girls Singles: 78’ Yellow Ball 16 (SE) Surface Type: Clay Indoor Entry Fee: $54.25 per player (deadline for entries is Sunday, Nov. 6 at 1:00 p.m.) For more information, e-mail RBecker06@yahoo.com or call (516) 359-4843.

Friday-Sunday, November 18-20 L1B World Gym November Challenger World Gym Racquet & Sports Arena 384 Mark Tree Road East Setauket, N.Y. Divisions: Challenger Boys & Girls Singles & Doubles 78’ Yellow Ball 14, 18 (SE) Surface Type: Clay Entry Fee: $54.25 for first singles/$28 for first doubles (deadline for entries is Sunday, Nov. 13 at 1:00 p.m.) For more information, e-mail VTAPR@hotmail.com or call (631) 751-6100.

NOVEMBER 2016 Friday-Sunday, November 11-13 Eastern Sweet 16 at RWTTC Robbie Wagner Tournament Training at Glen Cove 60 Sea Cliff Avenue Glen Cove, N.Y. Divisions: Advanced Girls Singles & Doubles: 78’ Yellow Ball 18 (COMP) Surface Type: Clay Indoor Entry Fee: $151 per player (deadline for entries is Tuesday, Nov. 1 at 1:00 p.m.) For more information, e-mail Superscoot@aol.com or call (516) 759-0505.

Friday-Sunday, November 18-20 Eastern Super Six at RWTTC (National L4) Robbie Wagner Tournament Training at Glen Cove 60 Sea Cliff Avenu Glen Cove, N.Y. Divisions: Super 6 Event Girls Singles 78’ Yellow Ball 16 (FICR16) Surface Type: Unknown Entry Fee: $113.38 per player (deadline for entries is Tuesday, Nov. 8 at 1:00 p.m.) For more information, e-mail SuperScoot@aol.com or call (516) 759-0505.

LITennisMag.com • November/December 2016 • Long Island Tennis Magazine

USTA/Long Island Region 2016

TOURNAMENT SCHEDULE For detailed information on these and all USTA tournaments, visit tennislink.usta.com/tournaments. Friday-Sunday, November 18-20 Eastern Super Six at Point Set (National L4) Point Set Tennis • 3065 New Street • Oceanside, N.Y. Divisions: Super 6 Event Boys’ Singles 78’ Yellow Ball 16 (FIC-R16) Surface Type: Hard Indoor Entry Fee: $116 per player (deadline for entries is Tuesday, Nov. 8 at 1:00 p.m.) For more information, e-mail Ruiz.Clark@yahoo.com or call (917) 991-0088. Saturday, November 19 Youth Progression Orange Level 1 Kings Park Sportime Kings Park 275 Old Indianhead Road • Kings Park, N.Y. Divisions: Orange Level 1 Boys & Girls 10 and Under Singles 60’ Orange Ball 10 (NEF) Surface Type: Hard Entry Fee: $48.88 per player (deadline for entries is Sunday, Nov. 13 at 11:59 p.m.) For more information, e-mail Tvanepps@sportimeny.com or call (631) 269-6300. Saturday, November 19 Youth Progression Orange L2 at Ross School Ross School Tennis Academy 18 Goodfriend Drive • East Hampton, N.Y. Divisions: Orange Level 2 Co-ed 10 and Under Singles 60’ Orange Ball 10 (NEF) Surface Type: Clay Indoor Entry Fee: $48.88 per player (deadline for entries is Sunday, Nov. 13 at 11:59 p.m.) For more information, e-mail PWilliamson@ross.org or call (631) 907-5162.

Friday-Monday, November 25-28 USTA National Selection Tournament-November Robbie Wagner Tournament Training at Glen Cove 60 Sea Cliff Avenue Glen Cove, N.Y. Divisions: Girls Singles 78’ Yellow Ball 16 (FIC-R16) and Girls Doubles 78’ Yellow Ball 16 (SE) Surface Type: Clay Indoor Entry Fee: $134.88 for one event/$135.38 for two events, additional fees may apply if registered in three or more events (deadline for entries is Thursday, Oct. 27 at 11:59 a.m.) For more information, e-mail Superscoot@aol.com or call (516) 759-0505. Friday-Sunday, November 25-27 L2O NY Tennis at Great Neck Estates November Open New York Tennis Academy at Great Neck Estates 12 Shore Drive Great Neck, N.Y. Divisions: Intermediate Boys & Girls Singles & Doubles 78’ Yellow Ball 12-18 (SE) Surface Type: Clay Indoor Entry Fee: $54.25 for first singles/$28 for first doubles, Maximum fee charged per player is $75 plus the processing fees for the number of events you select (deadline for entries is Monday, Nov. 21 at 1:00 p.m.) For more information, e-mail Klastique@yahoo.com or call (516) 233-2790.

PROVIDING THE VERY BEST IN SERVICE, SELECTION & STYLE FOR OVER 35 YEARS! LAYETTE • INFANT • TODDLER GIRLS 4-14 • BOYS 4-20 • JUNIORS YOUNG MEN’S • PRO TEAM YOUR #1 BACK-TO-SCHOOL STORE 1-ON-1 SERVICE • GREAT GIFTS ALL THE LATEST TRENDS SHOPDENNYS.COM Bellmore (516) 221-3187 • E. Northport (631) 499-2504 Hewlett (516) 295-0946 • Little Neck (718) 225-883 Plainview (516) 681-4490 • Scarsdale (914) 722-6077 TEXT SHOPDENNYS TO 313131

Long Island Tennis Magazine • November/December 2016 • LITennisMag.com

Friday-Sunday, November 25-27 L2O Eastern Athletic Autumn Classic Eastern Athletic Club 854 East Jericho Turnpike Huntington Station, N.Y. Divisions: Intermediate Boys & Girls Singles 78’ Yellow Ball 12 (FMLC); Intermediate Boys & Girls Singles 78’ Yellow Ball 1418 (SE) and Intermediate Boys & Girls Doubles 78’ Yellow Ball 12-18 (SE) Surface Type: Unknown Entry Fee: $54.25 for first singles/$28 for first doubles (deadline for entries is Saturday, Nov. 19 at 1:00 p.m.) For more information, e-mail JamieStickney@gmail.com or call (631) 271-6616. Friday-Sunday, November 25-27 L1B GHRC Winter Challenger Glen Head Racquet Club 95 Glen Head Road Glen Head, N.Y. Divisions: Challenger Boys & Girls Singles 78’ Yellow Ball 1618 (SE) Surface Type: Hard Indoor Entry Fee: $54.25 per player (deadline for entries is Monday, Nov. 21 at 1:00 p.m.) For more information, e-mail TennisCoach.mc@gmail.com or call (516) 676-9849. Friday-Sunday, November 25-27 L1B Point Set Thanksgiving Challenger Point Set Tennis 3065 New Street Oceanside, N.Y. Divisions: Challenger Boys & Girls Singles 78’ Yellow Ball 14 (SE) Surface Type: Hard Indoor Entry Fee: $54.25 per player (deadline for entries is Sunday, Nov. 20 at 1:00 p.m.) For more information, e-mail Ruiz.Clark@yahoo.com or call (917) 991-0088. Friday-Sunday, November 25-27 L1B PWTA Thanksgiving Challenger Port Washington Tennis Academy 100 Harbor Road Port Washington, N.Y. Divisions: Challenger Boys & Girls Singles 78’ Yellow Ball 12 (SE) Surface Type: Clay Indoor Entry Fee: $54.25 per player (deadline for entries is Sunday, Nov. 20 at 1:00 p.m.) For more information, e-mail Ruiz.Clark@yahoo.com or call (917) 991-0088.

USTA/Long Island Region 2016

TOURNAMENT SCHEDULE For detailed information on these and all USTA tournaments, visit tennislink.usta.com/tournaments. DECEMBER 2016 Friday-Sunday, December 2-4 L2R Sportime Bethpage December Regional Sportime Bethpage 101 Norcross Avenue Bethpage, N.Y. Divisions: Intermediate Boys & Girls Singles 78’ Yellow Ball 12 (FMLC); Intermediate Boys & Girls Singles 78’ Yellow Ball 14-18 (SE); and Intermediate Boys & Girls Doubles 78’ Yellow Ball 12-18 (SE) Surface Type: Hard Indoor Entry Fee: $54.25 for first singles/$28 for first doubles (deadline for entries is Sunday, Nov. 27 at 1:00 p.m.) For more information, e-mail KSorokko@SportimeNY.com or call (516) 933-8500. Friday-Sunday, December 2-4 L1B GHRC December Challenger Glen Head Racquet Club 95 Glen Head Road Glen Head, N.Y. Divisions: Challenger Boys & Girls Singles & Doubles 78’ Yellow Ball 12 (SE) Surface Type: Hard Indoor Entry Fee: $54.25 for first singles/$28 for first doubles (deadline for entries is Monday, Nov. 28 at 1:00 p.m.) For more information, e-mail TennisCoach.mc@gmail.com or call (516) 676-9849. Friday-Sunday, December 2-4 L1B PWTA Winter Challenger Port Washington Tennis Academy 100 Harbor Road Port Washington, N.Y. Divisions: Challenger Boys & Girls Singles 78’ Yellow Ball 16 (SE) Surface Type: Clay Indoor Entry Fee: $48.88 per player (deadline for entries is Friday, Nov. 25 at 5:00 p.m.) For more information, e-mail Ruiz.Clark@yahoo.com or call (917) 991-0088. Friday-Sunday, December 2-4 L1B Point Set Winter Challenger Point Set Tennis 3065 New Street Oceanside, N.Y. Divisions: Challenger Boys & Girls Singles 78’ Yellow Ball 14 (SE) Surface Type: Hard Indoor Entry Fee: $54.25 per player (deadline for entries is Sunday, Nov. 27 at 5:00 p.m.) For more information, e-mail Ruiz.Clark@yahoo.com or call (917) 991-0088.

Saturday, December 3 Youth Progression Orange BallL1 Lynbrook Sportime Tennis Lynbrook 175 Merrick Road Lynbrook, N.Y. Divisions: Orange Level 1 Boys & Girls 10 and Under Singles 60’ Orange Ball 10 (NEF) Surface Type: Hard Indoor Entry Fee: $48.88 per player (deadline for entries is Thursday, Nov. 24 at 11:59 p.m.) For more information, e-mail Dvcasesa@gmail.com or call (516) 887-1330. Saturday, December 3 Youth Progression Orange L2 at Ross School Ross School Tennis Academy 18 Goodfriend Drive East Hampton, N.Y. Divisions: Orange Level 2 Co-ed 10 and Under Singles 60’ Orange Ball 10 (NEF) Surface Type: Clay Indoor Entry Fee: $48.88 per player (deadline for entries is Sunday, Nov. 27 at 11:59 p.m.) For more information, e-mail PWilliamson@ross.org or call (631) 907-5162. Friday-Sunday, December 9-11 L1B World Gym December Challenger World Gym Racquet & Sports Arena 384 Mark Tree Road • East Setauket, N.Y. Divisions: Challenger Boys & Girls Singles & Doubles 78’ Yellow Ball 18 (SE) Surface Type: Clay Entry Fee: $54.25 per player For more information, e-mail Vtapr@hotmail.com or call (631) 751-6100. Friday-Sunday, December 9-11 L1B Kings Park December Challenger Sportime Kings Park 275 Old Indianhead Road • Kings Park, N.Y. Divisions: Challenger Boys & Girls Singles 78’ Yellow Ball 12 (SE) Surface Type: Unknown Entry Fee: $54.25 per player For more information, call (631) 269-6300. Friday-Sunday, December 9-11 L1B Sportime Bethpage December Challenger Sportime Bethpage 101 Norcross Avenue • Bethpage, N.Y. Divisions: Challenger Boys & Girls Singles 78’ Yellow Ball 14 (SE) Surface Type: Hard Indoor Entry Fee: $54.25 per player (deadline for entries is Friday, Dec. 2 at 1:00 p.m.)

For more information, e-mail KSorokko@SportimeNY.com or call (516) 933-8500. Friday-Sunday, December 9-11 L1B Sportime Syosset Challenger Sportime-Syosset 75 Haskett Drive • Syosset, N.Y. Divisions: Challenger Boys & Girls Singles 78’ Yellow Ball 16 (SE) Surface Type: Unknown Entry Fee: $54.25 per player (deadline for entries is Friday, Dec. 2 at 1:00 p.m.) For more information, e-mail KSorokko@SportimeNY.com or call (516) 364-2727. Friday-Sunday, December 9-11 L1B Bethpage State Park Winter Challenger Bethpage Park Tennis Center 99 Quaker Meeting House Road • Farmingdale, N.Y. Divisions: Challenger Boys & Girls Singles 78’ Yellow Ball 18 (SE) Surface Type: Hard Indoor Entry Fee: $54.25 per player (deadline for entries is Sunday, Dec. 4 at 1:00 p.m.) For more information, e-mail RBecker06@yahoo.com or call (516) 359-4843. Friday-Sunday, December 9-11 L2O LBTC Early Winter Open Long Beach Tennis Center 899 Monroe Boulevard Long Beach, N.Y. Divisions: Intermediate Boys & Girls Singles 78’ Yellow Ball 12 (FMLC); Intermediate Boys & Girls Singles 78’ Yellow Ball 14-18 (SE); Intermediate Boys & Girls Doubles 78’ Yellow Ball 12-18 (SE); and Intermediate Mixed Doubles 78’ Yellow Ball 14-18 (SE) Surface Type: Unknown Entry Fee: $54.25 for first singles/$33 for first doubles For more information, e-mail Andrew@LongBeachTennisCenter.com or call (516) 432-6060. Friday-Sunday, December 9-11 L1B Point Set Holiday Challenger Point Set Tennis 3065 New Street Oceanside, N.Y. Divisions: Challenger Boys & Girls Singles 78’ Yellow Ball 12 (SE) Surface Type: Hard Indoor Entry Fee: $54.25 per player (deadline for entries is Sunday, Dec. 4 at 1:00 p.m.) For more information, e-mail Ruiz.Clark@yahoo.com or call (917) 991-0088.

LITennisMag.com • November/December 2016 • Long Island Tennis Magazine

USTA/Long Island Region 2016

TOURNAMENT SCHEDULE For detailed information on these and all USTA tournaments, visit tennislink.usta.com/tournaments. Saturday-Sunday, December 10-11 & Friday-Sunday, December 16-18 +L1 RWTTC Eastern Grand Prix Robbie Wagner Tournament Training at Glen Cove 60 Sea Cliff Avenue Glen Cove, N.Y. Divisions: Grand Prix Girls Singles 78’ Yellow Ball 18 (FICQ) Surface Type: Clay Indoor Entry Fee: $54.25 per player (deadline for entries is Tuesday, Nov. 29 at 1:00 p.m.) For more information, e-mail Superscoot@aol.com or call (516) 759-0505.

Friday-Sunday, December 16-18 L1B Point Set Challenger Point Set Tennis 3065 New Street Oceanside, N.Y. Divisions: Challenger Boys & Girls Singles 78’ Yellow Ball 14,18 (SE) Surface Type: Hard Indoor Entry Fee: $54.25 per player (deadline for entries is Sunday, Dec. 11 at 1:00 p.m.) For more information, e-mail Ruiz.Clark@yahoo.com or call (917) 991-0088.

Saturday-Thursday, December 24-29 L1B Sportime Bethpage December Championships Sportime Bethpage 101 Norcross Avenue Bethpage, N.Y. Divisions: Challenger Boys’ & Girls’ Singles: 78’ Yellow Ball 12 (SE) Surface Type: Hard Indoor Entry Fee: $54.25 per player (deadline for entries is Friday, Dec. 16 at 9:00 p.m.) For more information, e-mail KSorokko@SportimeNY.com or call (516) 933-8500.

Saturday-Sunday, December 10-11 & Friday-Sunday, December 16-18 +L1 GHRC Eastern Grand Prix Glen Head Racquet Club 95 Glen Head Road Glen Head, N.Y. Divisions: Grand Prix Boys Singles 78’ Yellow Ball 18 (FICQ) Surface Type: Hard Indoor Entry Fee: $54.25 per player (deadline for entries is Tuesday, Nov. 29 at 1:00 p.m.) For more information, e-mail TennisCoach.mc@gmail.com or call (516) 676-9849.

Saturday-Sunday, December 17-18 Youth Progression L1 Green Ball East Setauket World Gym Racquet & Sports Arena 384 Mark Tree Road East Setauket, N.Y. Divisions: Green Level 1 Boys 10 and Under Singles 78’ Green Ball 10 (FRLC) and Green Level 1 Girls 10 and Under Singles 78’ Green Ball 10 (FMLC) Surface Type: Clay Indoor Entry Fee: $54.25 per player (deadline for entries is Sunday, Dec. 11 at 11:59 p.m.) For more information, e-mail VTAPR@hotmail.com or call (631) 751-6100.

Saturday-Monday, December 24-26 L1B Sportime Syosset December Challenger Sportime-Syosset 75 Haskett Drive Syosset, N.Y. Divisions: Challenger Boys & Girls Singles: 78’ Yellow Ball 16 (SE) Surface Type: Hard Indoor Entry Fee: $54.25 per player (deadline for entries is Friday, Dec. 16 at 1:00 p.m.) For more information, e-mail KSorokko@SportimeNY.com or call (516) 364-2727.

Saturday-Sunday, December 10-11 & Friday-Sunday, December 16-18 +L1 PWTA Eastern Grand Prix Port Washington Tennis Academy 100 Harbor Road Port Washington, N.Y. Divisions: Grand Prix Girls Singles 78’ Yellow Ball 14 (FICQ) Surface Type: Clay Indoor Entry Fee: $54.25 per player (deadline for entries is Tuesday, Nov. 29 at 1:00 p.m.) For more information, e-mail Ruiz.Clark@yahoo.com or call (917) 991-0088. Friday-Sunday, December 16-18 L2O Bethpage State Park Winter Open Bethpage Park Tennis Center 99 Quaker Meeting House Road Farmingdale, N.Y. Divisions: Intermediate Boys & Girls Singles 78’ Yellow Ball 14-16 (SE) Surface Type: Clay Indoor Entry Fee: $54.25 per player (deadline for entries is Sunday, Dec. 11 at 10:00 p.m.) For more information, e-mail RBecker06@yahoo.com or call (516) 359-4843.

Sunday, December 18 Youth Progression Orange Level 2 Glenwood Landing Robbie Wagner Tournament Training at Glen Cove 60 Sea Cliff Avenue Glen Cove, N.Y. Divisions: Orange Level 2 Boys & Girls 10 and Under Singles 60’ Orange Ball 10 (NEF) Surface Type: Hard Indoor Entry Fee: $28 per player (deadline for entries is Monday, Dec. 12 at 11:59 p.m.) For more information, e-mail Superscoot@aol.com or call (516) 759-0505.

Monday-Wednesday, December 26-28 L2O Baby New Year Classic Long Beach Tennis Center 899 Monroe Boulevard Long Beach, N.Y. Divisions: Intermediate Boys & Girls Singles 78’ Yellow Ball 12 (FMLC); Intermediate Boys & Girls Singles 78’ Yellow Ball 14-18 (SE); and Intermediate Boys & Girls Doubles 78’ Yellow Ball 12-18 (SE) Surface Type: Unknown Entry Fee: $54.25 for first singles/$33 for first doubles For more information, e-mail Andrew@LongBeachTennisCenter.com or call (516) 432-6060.

Sunday, December 18 Youth Progression L1 Orange Ball; Bethpage Sportime Bethpage 101 Norcross Avenue Bethpage, N.Y. Divisions: Orange Level 1 Boys & Girls 10 and Under Singles 60’ Orange Ball 10 (NEF) Surface Type: Hard Indoor Entry Fee: $48.88 per player (deadline for entries is Sunday, Dec. 11 at 9:00 p.m.) For more information, e-mail KSorokko@SportimeNY.com or call (516) 933-8500.

Monday-Friday, December 26-30 L1B PWTA Holiday Challenger Port Washington Tennis Academy 100 Harbor Road Port Washington, N.Y. Divisions: Advanced Boys & Girls Singles 78’ Yellow Ball 14 (SE) Surface Type: Clay Indoor Entry Fee: $54.25 per player (deadline for entries is Monday, Dec. 19 at 5:00 p.m.) For more information, e-mail Ruiz.Clark@yahoo.com or call (917) 991-0088.

Long Island Tennis Magazine • November/December 2016 • LITennisMag.com

LITennisMag.com • September/October 2016 • Long Island Tennis Magazine

Long Island Tennis Magazine • September/October 2016 • LITennisMag.com