Long Island Tennis Magazine November / December 2017 by United Sports Publications

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USTA Eastern Hosts Annual Junior Awards Gala at NTC

Christasha McNeil of Massapequa (second from left) was honored at the USTA Eastern Junior Gala by USTA Eastern President John Klenner, Tennis Channel Broadcaster Justin Gimelstob and USTA Eastern Executive Director and COO Jenny Schnitzer

John Klenner, Justin Gimelstob and Jenny Schnitzer congratulate Oyster Bay’s Ronald Hohmann (pictured second from right) at the Annual Junior Awards Gala

Patrick Maloney from Oyster Bay (third from right) receives his award as a top Section performer in 2017 at the USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center

efore the start of the 2017 U.S. Open main draw, USTA Eastern held its Annual Junior Awards Gala, recognizing the Section’s top junior players from the past year at the USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center. Each of the 30 players honored were in the top three in their age group as a result of their tournament performances over the past year. Justin Gimelstob, former professional player and current Tennis Channel broadcaster, was on hand to speak to the players and parents, reflecting on his time growing up and playing in the East-

ern Section. Gimelstob is also a member of the USTA Eastern Hall of Fame. Below is the list of the players from Long Island who were honored: l l l l

Boys 18s #3: Patrick Maloney, Oyster Bay, N.Y. Boys 16s #3: Ronald Hohmann, Oyster Bay, N.Y. Boys 12s #2: Max Safir, Old Westbury, N.Y. Girls 10s #3: Christasha McNeil, Massapequa, N.Y.

LITennisMag.com • November/December 2017 • Long Island Tennis Magazine

Table Of Contents

From the Sidelines to the Spotlight By Brian Coleman

Sloane Stephens returned from injury in 2017 to capture the first Grand Slam of her caree charge of American women into 2018. See page 26

Highlights 30 Long Island Tennis Magazine’s 2017 Tennis Travel Destinations Guide

We take a look some of the hottest tennis travel destinations, including Academia Sanchez-Casal, Albany Tennis Academy, Casa de Campo, Mauna Kea Beach Hotel, Peter Kaplan’s Westhampton Beach Junior/Adult Tennis Academy, and Tennis Fantasies With John Newcombe and The Legends.

42 Long Island Tennis Magazine’s 2017 Holiday Gift Guide Get some great gift ideas for the 2017 holiday season from some of the sport’s top providers in our 2017 Holiday Gift Guide.

46 2017 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 role of the parent, to the state of LI tennis, and much, much more.

Features

USTA Eastern Hosts Annual Junior Awards Gala at NTC

The West Side Tennis Club Hosts Sixth Annual “Little Mo” Internationals

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

Isner, Nishikori and Bryan Brothers on Board for 2018 New York Open By Brian Coleman

2017 Long Island Girls High School Recap

More Than an Athlete: The Billie Jean King Story By Rob Polishook

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Do You Really Understand What Your Pro Is Talking About? By Lisa Dodson

Stars Come Out to the Hamptons for Third Annual Johnny Mac Tennis Project Pro Am

USTA Eastern Long Island Region: November/December 2017

Long Island Tennis Charitable Initiatives

Pine Hollow Captures Both Men’s and Women’s North Shore Country Club Leagues

Uniting the Tennis Order: Up or Down Apparel

Kevin Anderson: The 6’8” Nightmare By Todd Widom

Battle of the Sexes By Steve Kaplan

Adult League Wrap-Up By Kathy Miller

The Jensen Zone: Okay! Here’s the Situation … By Luke Jensen

A Mental Gym for Athletes By Dr. Tom Ferraro

The Doctor’s Prescription: Play Tennis By Barbara Wyatt

Mythbusters: Can You Play Too Well in a Lesson? By Ricky Becker

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

Point Set Serves as Practice Courts for U.S. Open Wheelchair Participants

Fitness & Nutrition: Attention All Athletes: Preventing Poor Snacking Choices By Irina Belfer-Lehat RD, CDN

Competitive Collegiate Tennis By Lonnie Mitchel

Ten Takeaways From the 2017 U.S. Open By Brian Coleman

USTA/Long Island Region 2017 Tournament Schedule

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 Emilie Katz Assistant Marketing Coordinator Scott Koondel VP of Operations (516) 409-4444, ext. 324

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

The West Side Tennis Club Hosts Sixth Annual “Little Mo” Internationals Credit all photos to: Brian Coleman

he Sixth Annual “Little Mo” Internationals hit the courts of The West Side Tennis Club, as some of the top junior tennis players from around the globe visited Forest Hills, N.Y. for one of the most anticipated and exciting weeks of junior tennis the world has to offer. The tournament featured more than 180 players from 23 different countries as well as from 16 different states in the United States. The week-long tournament played host to compelling tennis in a multitude of divisions. Below is a list of the winners in the singles divisions:

l Boys 12: Gonzalo Zeitune (Yerba Buena, Argentina) l Girls 12: Stacey Samonte (Whittier, Calif.) l Boys 11: Jordan Reznik (Great Neck, N.Y.) l Girls 11: Christasha McNeil (Massapequa, N.Y.) l Boys 10: Dominick Mosejczuk (East Elmhurst, N.Y.) l Girls 10: Akasha Urhobo (Lauderhill, Fla.) l Boys 9: Sebastian Bielen (Glen Cove, N.Y.) l Girls 9: Natalie Oliver (Fallston, Md.) 4

l Boys 8: Tadevos Mirijanyan (Palm Coast, Fla.) l Girls 8: Zaire Clarke (Greenacres, Fla.) l Boys 8 (Green Dot): Drew Hassenbein (Roslyn, N.Y.) l Girls 8 (Green Dot): Luiza Viesi Santoro Pereira (São Paulo, Brazil) As with all “Little Mo” tournaments, the quality of tennis on the court is not the only priority, as sportsmanship and kindness are two pillars of the Maureen Connolly Brinker Tennis Foundation and the “Little Mo” tournaments. Jagger Leach of Newport Beach, Calif. and Ellie Ross of Port Washington, N.Y., were honored with the “Little Mo” Sportsmanship Awards, while Noah Johnston of Anderson, S.C. and Stacey Samonte of Whittier, Calif., received the Kindness Awards. By winning their respective divisions, Mosejczuk, Urhobo, Samonte and Oliver are all still in the running for the 2017 “Little Mo” Slam, which players win by capturing the title at the three “Little Mo” Internationals (California, New York and Florida). Urhobo is attempting to become the first player to win a second “Little Mo” Slam title after winning it last year. The 11th Annual “Little Mo” Internationals in Florida will be held Dec. 1-6 at the PGA National Resort & Spa in Palm Beach Gardens, Fla.

Long Island Tennis Magazine • November/December 2017 • LITennisMag.com

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Across Long Isla Commack’s Brachman Captures Eastern Super Six in Ithaca

Tsvetkov Represents Stony Brook at Oracle/ITA Masters in Malibu

Spencer Brachman of Commack, who trains at Christopher Morley Tennis, continued his rise up the USTA Eastern Rankings as he won the Eastern Super Six tournament at the Reis Tennis Center at Cornell University in Ithaca, N.Y. Brachman defeated Maxwell Kachkarov 6-2, 6-4 in the finals.

Chadha Wins L1B Long Beach October Challenge Carefree Racquet Club’s Ansh Chadha played great tennis to win the L1B Long Beach October Challenger. Chadha won his first match in a tough third-set tie-breaker before winning his next two matches in straight sets, including a 62, 6-2 victory to claim the title.

Stony Brook Senior Elizabeth Tsvetkov was one of the players selected to compete in the Oracle/ITA Masters at Pepperdine University in Malibu, Calif. earlier this fall. The tournament includes the top Division I players in the country. Tsvetkov would lose her first-round match in women’s singles, but she reached the quarterfinals of the Mixed Doubles draw along with Vinny Gillespie of Drake University.

Port Washington Senior Suzzan Aids the Community

Syosset’s Pellerito Takes Home USTA National Level 2 Title Sportime Syosset’s Daniel Pellerito captured the title at the USTA National Level 2 Tournament at the University of Minnesota’s Baseline Tennis Center in Minneapolis in the Boys 18s Division. He came back from a set down in his quarterfinal matchup before going on to beat the second-seeded A. Trice Pickens 6-4, 6-3 in the finals. 6

Port Washington High School Senior Justin Suzzan has continued his great work within the local community. Along with his teammates, Suzzan conducts a community outreach program called “Serve to Serve,” which runs during the school year and helps underprivileged children in the area.

Long Island Tennis Magazine • November/December 2017 • LITennisMag.com

land

… News and notes from across the L.I. tennis community Bethpage Park’s McNeil Wins Big at Little Mo Internationals

NYIT’s Dimmer Wins at Oracle Cup Lena Dimmer of New York Institute of Technology (NYIT) became the first women’s player from NYIT to notch a win at the Intercollegiate Tennis Association’s (ITA) Oracle Cup National Championships since 2013, beating the third-seed Kornelia Staniszewska of Augustana, 6-1, 7-6(5).

Point Set Team Advances to USTA Eastern Sectionals

Congratulations to the 6.0 team out of Point Set. The squad, captained by Blasia Baum, reached the USTA Eastern Sectional tournament.

Chrissy McNeil of Bethpage Park Tennis Center took home the trophy at the Little Mo Internationals at The West Side Tennis Club in Forest Hills, N.Y. McNeil won her draw in the Girls 11 & Under Division.

Glen Oaks CC Magic Win North Shore Men’s Tennis League

The Magic, representing Glen Oaks Country Club and captained by Russell Heier, has won the North Shore Men’s Tennis League. The North Shore Men’s Tennis League, which has been running for more than 30 years, is an outdoor league comprised of teams representing country clubs from across Long Island.

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LITennisMag.com • November/December 2017 • Long Island Tennis Magazine

Isner, Nishikori and Bryan Brothers on Board for 2018 New York Open Stars set to return to Long Island for ATP World Tour 250 Series event BY BRIAN COLEMAN

he 2018 New York Open will bring some of the biggest and brightest stars from the ATP Tour to Long Island, Feb. 11-18, and the tournament has already announced some of the names who will be

competing inside NYCB Live, home of the Nassau Veteran’s Memorial Coliseum. GF Sports, a live events and sports media entertainment company, acquired the former Memphis Open in 2015 and partnered with Brooklyn Sports & Enter-

Long Island Tennis Magazine • November/December 2017 • LITennisMag.com

tainment to move the tournament to Long Island. The event is one of the longest-running American tournaments on the ATP World Tour and the only indoor championship contested in the United States One of those players who has already committed is Japan’s Kei Nishikori, the current world number 15, who was a fourtime champion in Memphis, and will look to continue his dominance of the tournament when it moves north. “Playing in New York has always been exciting for me, and to think I could win a fifth title during this ATP Tour week would be amazing,” said Nishikori. “I’ll miss Memphis, but I’m going to love New York.” New York has always been a special place for Nishikori. He compiled a magnificent run to the U.S. Open finals back in 2014, and followed it up by reaching the semifinals in 2016. Joining Nishikori in the New York Open singles’ field is big-serving American John Isner, owner of 12 career ATP titles, two of which came in 2017. Isner has been a

mainstay at the top of the world rankings for years now, spending the majority of the time as the top-ranked American. Isner has captured two titles on American soil so far this season, winning the BB&T Atlanta Open with a win over 2017 Memphis Open champion Ryan Harrison, and winning the Hall of Fame Open in Newport, R.I., defeating Australian qualifier Matthew Ebden 6-3, 7-6 (4) The North Carolina native is looking forward to trying to add to his trophy case when he comes to Long Island next year. “I’m excited about being one of the headliners for this first-time winter ATP Tour event in New York,” said Isner. “We hear NYCB Live has been renovated to be a first-class state-of-the-art arena, and it’s getting good buzz among the players.” The New York crowd will be excited to see the headliners of the doubles draw, as the legendary duo of Bob & Mike Bryan announced that they will also be competing at the New York Open. The Bryan Brothers are three-time Memphis Open champions and are seeking to become the first doubles winners inside Nassau Coliseum. The greatest doubles tandem of all-time have compiled a historic career, which includes 16 Grand Slam titles, four ATP World Tour Finals titles and an Olympic Gold Medal. “We love firsts, and the idea of bringing the tour to New York in February is going to be great,” said Mike Bryan. “ATP tennis is back in a big way, and we’re happy to play on Long Island at the Coliseum.” New York’s own John McEnroe will serve as the tournament’s Honorary Ambassador, and is set to take on another legend in an exhibition match on the Sunday that precedes the tournament’s main draw, while U.S. Open Champion Sloane Stephens will be playing in an exhibition match against one of her peers to kick off the week’s festivities. Adding to the local flavor will be the presence of Long Island-native Noah Rubin, who has also committed to play in the inaugural tournament. Rubin, a former Wimbledon Junior Champion and NCAA Singles Finalist, dealt with some injuries this past season and is currently ranked 219th in the world. South Korea’s number one-ranked player, Hyeon Chung, is another one of the

2018 New York Open Player Bios John Isner Country: United States of America Birth Place: Greensboro, N.C. Birth Date: April 26, 1985 Residence: Tampa, Fla. Turned Pro: 2007 Career Singles Record: 352-216 (as of 10/13/17) Career Titles: 12

Kei Nishikori Country: Japan Birth Place: Matsue, Shimane, Japan Birth Date: Dec. 29, 1989 Residence: Bradenton, Fla. Turned Pro: 2007 Career Singles Record: 331-155 (as of 10/13/17) Career Titles: 11

Bob & Mike Bryan Country: United States of America Birth Place: Camarillo, Calif. Birth Date: April 29, 1978 Residence: Sunny Isles Beach, Fla. Turned Pro: 1998 Career Doubles Titles: 114 young talents who will be on Long Island competing come February. Chung is an exciting young talent who currently sits at 60th in the world rankings, and has scored wins over the likes of Sam Querrey, Gael Monfils, Andrey Rublev, Feliciano Lopez and David Goffin in 2017. There will be more big names and announcements to follow in the coming month, which will only add to the anticipation as February draws near.

“The reaction from the player locker room about the New York Open has been extremely encouraging,” said GF Sports Executive Vice President and Tournament Director Josh Ripple. “The opportunity for these athletes to be showcased in a venue like the Coliseum and the unique two-court indoor configuration that we have created will be special. We are confident the New York fans will be very happy to finally have a winter pro tennis tournament they can call their own.”

LITennisMag.com • November/December 2017 • Long Island Tennis Magazine

l Exhibitor Hall: Featuring top programs, camps, products, apparel, sports medicine, travel destinations and much more l Tennis Courts: Use of the two main courts the pros will use during the New York Open l Kids’ Zone: Featuring a bouncy house, face painting, music, games and more l Speaker Sessions: Learn from a panel of ATP stars and top coaches l Chance to Meet the Stars of the ATP Tour: Autograph signing and photo opportunities with the sport’s top stars l Fashion Show: Featuring the latest and trendiest tennis apparel l Activity Zone: Featuring 10U tennis courts, beach tennis courts, a speed serve booth, product demos and more

Long Island Tennis Magazine • November/December 2017 • LITennisMag.com

LITennisMag.com â&#x20AC;˘ November/December 2017 â&#x20AC;˘ Long Island Tennis Magazine

2017 Long Island Girls High Hewlett’s Arbitman Captures Nassau County Singles Title

Rachel Arbitman from Hewlett is headed to the Nassau County Singles Champion Rachel Arbitman States after capturing the 2017 Nassau County from Hewlett, runner-up Steffi Antao of New Hyde Singles Title Park, third place finisher Great Neck North’s Amy Delman, and Glen Cove’s Trinity Chow Hewlett freshman Rachel Arbitman won the Nassau County Singles title, downing New Hyde Park’s Steffi Antao 6-0, 6-2 in the County final after a long rain delay. Entering the tournament as the fourth-seed, Arbitman won all her matches in straight sets, including a 64, 6-2 victory over Great Neck North’s Amy Delman in the semifinals, on her

way to the County final. In the finals, she met Antao, a semifinalist a year ago, who had dropped only one set on her way to the final. But Arbitman proved to be too tough in the championship match, notching the victory. “I think I handled the timing really well because of all the rain delays, and was

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Port Washington’s Thea Rabman, along with her partner Martine McGowan, were winners of the 2017 Nassau County Doubles Championship able to come out strong,” said Arbitman. “In the semifinals against Amy, she was playing unbelievably well and I wasn’t playing my best, but I told myself to keep fighting because I really wanted to win and get to States. I knew I had to come out even stronger in the finals, and I was able to do that and played well.” Arbitman and Antao both qualify for the New York State Public High School Athletic Association (NYSPHSAA) championships in late October. Delman will also qualify for states as she defeated Glen Cove’s Trinity Chow in the third-place match. Port Washington had an outstanding season, compiling a 13-match winning streak on its way to a Conference I Championship. Thea Rabman & Martine McGowan were a major reason for that success, and it showed during the Nassau County doubles tournament, as they teamed up to beat Kaya & Kavina Amin of Wheatley 6-4, 6-3 for the County Doubles Title. The two teams qualify for the state tournament, along with North Shore’s Olivia & Ava Scordo, who finished in thirdplace.

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gh School

Bukzin Defends Suffolk Singles Title; Malik & Cherkin Repeat as Doubles Champions

Defending Suffolk County Champion Jackie Bukzin of Eastport-South Manor closed out her high school career by capturing her second consecutive title

Lauren Cherkin from Half Hollow Hills East, along with her partner Ariana Malik, are headed to States after winning the 2017 Suffolk County Doubles Championship

Eastport-South Manor senior Jackie Bukzin defeating her Suffolk County Singles Championship, beating top-seeded eighth-grader Rose Hayes of Mercy 6-2, 6-3 at Shoreham-Wading River High School. “It was really just willpower today,” said Bukzin. “It’s crazy that this is my last County Championship. I’m really happy to end it with a win.” Bukzin, competing in her sixth Suffolk County Championship, defeated Ward Melville’s Denise Lai in the semifinals to book her spot in the final, while Hayes, who finished in fourth place a year ago, downed Emily Tannenbaum of Commack 6-2, 6-4 in her semifinal match. The defending champion Bukzin jumped ahead early on in the final against Hayes, breaking for a 2-1 lead as a part of winning six straight games to take the opening set. “It was a really long game to get to 21,” Bukzin said. “I just wanted to maintain my lead in the match.” Her strong play continued into the second set as she built a 5-2 advantage.

Eighth grader Rose Hayes of Mercy finished in second place in the Suffolk County Championship

Hayes would hold serve to trim the lead to 3-5, but the serve of Bukzin was just too strong, and she held serve in the ensuing game to close out the victory and win her second straight county title. “It’s always intense when we play. We’re two very good players, but for me I feel my serve was probably the key,” said Bukzin. “I came out pretty strong, I felt that it gave me a good start. I still had to stay very calm. Whenever I serve well, I feel like I have a lot of confidence on the court, so that was a big key.” The two finalists now move into the New York State Public High School Athletic Association (NYSPHSAA) championships. Also joining them will be Lai, who defeated Tannenbaum 6-4, 6-1 in the third-place match. The tandem of Ariana Malik & Lauren Cherkin from Half Hollow Hills East entered this year’s county tournament as the defending champions and thus carried with them high expectations. The Hills East pair embraced those expectations, and successfully defended their title with a 6-1, 6-2 win over Emma

Matz & Julia Kinalis of Commack. “It was definitely one of our goals to defend our title,” said Cherkin. “Last year, we didn’t really know what was going to happen. This year, we went in with high expectations, and luckily, it paid off.” The duo began playing doubles together last season and their success has a lot to do with their chemistry, on and off the court. “Late last season we put them together, and they just seemed to fit,” said Hills East Head Coach Tom Depelteau. “Their chemistry is really good. Ariana is very active at the front court and Lauren is great at managing the situation. They work really well together. They care about each other and I think that is an important part.” Malik & Cherkin will look to build off of their second-round finish at the state tournament last season. Matz & Kinalis also qualify for states, as do the Floyd pairing of Brooke Fernandez & Hailey Loughlin, who beat Smithtown East’s Hailey Stoerback & Juliana Shultz 7-5, 62 in the third-place match.

LITennisMag.com • November/December 2017 • Long Island Tennis Magazine

2017 Long Island Girls High School

RECAP

Port Washington Wins First Nassau County Title Since 2013

Thea Rabman hits a forehand during her first singles win in the Nassau County Championship

Martine McGowan finishes a backhand Port Washington won its first County Title since 2013, defeating return in her win at second singles to help Roslyn lead Port Washington to the county title

Port Washington had been the best team in Nassau County this fall, but still needed one more win to validate that. That win came at Eisenhower Park as the Vikings won its 16th straight match overall and captured the Nassau County Championship, beating Roslyn 6-1 for its first county title since 2013. “This was our goal, from the very first day of practice. We went into the gym to look at our banners and see our history, and decided this was the year,” said Port Washington Head Coach Shane Helfner. “There’s nothing better than achieving a goal you set.” As has been the case all-season long, the

depth of Port Washington proved to be too much. It starts at the top of the lineup with its singles play, led by Thea Rabman at first singles, Martine McGowan at second singles and her older sister, Tiffany, in the third singles spot. The three-headed monster each won their respective singles matches in the county final to put Port Washington in control. Rabman would earn the team’s first point, downing Natalia Krol 6-0, 6-1 as the seventh grader continued her remarkable season. “I think I was just attacking more than I usually do,” said Rabman. “And I was able to play consistent.”

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Soon after, Martine McGowan, an eighth-grader, defeated Rena Zervakos 6-1, 6-2 at second singles. “They have such tournament experience, their fearless. Nothing scares them, nothing intimidates them. They go out there and believe they can win every match they play,” Helfner said of his young and talented singles players. “They’re both quiet and respectful. That’s the best part, they just go out and play tennis. Their future is so bright, Port Washington is lucky to have them as representatives.” Tiffany McGowan won 6-4, 6-3 against Amanda Feingold at third singles to bring the Vikings one point away from the title. That one point would come from its third doubles team, as Kelsey Sy and Mia Froccaro knocked off Alexa Irom and Sophia Remnec 6-2, 6-2 to clinch the county title for Port Washington. “We had no idea,” Froccaro said when asked if she and Sy knew their match could be the clincher. “Sometimes we prefer not to know because it adds a little pressure, but it worked out in our favor. We’ve been the clinching match other times this season, but it means nothing compared to this one, because now we’re county champions.” The young core for Port Washington proved to be ahead of schedule this season, and will only continue to get better as the future of its program looks bright.

2017 Long Island Girls High School

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Ward Melville Beats East For Suffolk County Title

With the Suffolk County Championship tied at 3-3, Ward Melville senior Keren Collins needed to complete her comeback at third singles to bring the County title home for the Patriots. “She’s a senior and she knows this is it,” said Ward Melville Head Coach Erik Sussin. “I knew she would have that mental toughness to get through it.” That mental toughness allowed Collins to maintain her composure as all eyes turned to her match at William Floyd High School, and she clinched the County title for Ward Melville with a 4-6, 6-3, 6-0 win over Melissa Chen for the 4-3 victory over Half Hollow Hills East. “When I figured out that I was the deciding match, I think it actually really motivated me to get it,” said Collins. “It was probably the most intense feeling ever, knowing we were able to pull it out. We’ve always gotten really close and this year we were able to really do it. I’m going to remember this moment forever.” Ward Melville, who lost to Commack in last year’s final, jumped out to the early lead thanks to Denise Lai at first singles and Anna Ma at fourth singles, but Hills East responded by winning the next three flights. Ariana Malik and Julia Raziel won at first doubles, Lauren

Ward Melville senior Keren Collins came back to win the deciding match at third singles to clinch the County title

Cherkin and Maddie Fryer won at second doubles and Janelle Chen notched a win at second singles to put the Thunderbirds in the lead. Trailing 3-2 with two matches remaining, Ward Melville’s Ellie Berger and Samantha Sloan held off Lauren Kornfeld and Emily Metaxas 6-1, 1-6, 6-4 at third doubles to knot things at three-all. “That’s the best I’ve ever seen them play,” Sussin said of Berger and Sloan. That left it up to the Collins, who had already built a 3-0 lead in the final set

Denise Lai won her match at first singles to give Ward Melville the early lead

when third doubles finished, and the Ward Melville senior delivered. Using her mental toughness and lefty forehand, Collins won the next three games to close out her match and the County championship. “We’re extremely close as a team and extremely talented,” said Collins. “We always have so much fun and keep each other motivated. It’s really been the best season ever.” Ward Melville finishes its season in Suffolk County undefeated at 18-0.

LITennisMag.com • November/December 2017 • Long Island Tennis Magazine

More Than an Athlete The Billie Jean King Story By Rob Polishook, Mental Training Coach MA, CPC It was Tuesday night, the 19th of September in 1973, exactly 44 years ago when I sat in front of the TV and watched Billie Jean King beat Bobby Riggs in a tennis match called the “Battle of the Sexes.” Fast-forward to 2017, and Billie Jean is walking the red carpet in New York City with actress Emma Stone for the premier of the movie by the same name. The film is about social change, equality and Billie Jean’s life. Clearly, the message is about more than just tennis. We all know Billie Jean King is heralded for winning 39 Grand Slams (combined singles, doubles and mixed doubles), has a National Tennis Center named after her in Flushing Meadows, founded the Women’s Tennis Association, is a lifelong proponent of gender equality and LGBTQ rights, and so much more. However, her underlying story of vulnerability, personal motivation, and the courage to accomplish what she has is far less known.

At the movie premier, Billie Jean spoke about her unique, purpose-driven reason for persevering beyond all odds. I call this a person’s Big Y(why). “I realized if I could get good enough, become number one, then maybe I could change the world to make it a better place,” said King. “We could become more inclusive, lift each other up …” She went on to say that when she was 12-years-old, she had an epiphany while playing in Los Angeles. Everyone was wearing white shorts, white socks, white tops and everyone’s skin color was white. “I asked myself,” Billie Jean remarked. “Where was everyone else? And that was the moment that changed my entire life. I was going to fight for equal rights, men and women. I dedicated my life to this cause because I thought it was so important.” With this Big Y of equal rights, Billie Jean King became the quintessential example of someone who is “More Than an Athlete” … an athlete who brings her whole self to the sport. She doesn’t just bring her talent, technique

Long Island Tennis Magazine • November/December 2017 • LITennisMag.com

and skills. She brings her spirit, story, soul and self. Billie Jean’s story illustrates how obstacles, fears and myths, whether on or off the court, can get in our way. But whenever athletes break out of slumps, play freely, and reach the next level, it is because they brought their whole selves to the competition. They metaphorically used their “more” as rocket fuel to propel them forward, just like Billie Jean did. So often in society, we look to accolades, trophies, championships and highlights on ESPN to define an athlete’s worth. Through this narrow lens, we categorize athletes to fit what we imagine a champion to be. Billie Jean King didn’t get caught up in this trap. Her story illustrates what was really at work behind her forehand, backhand and great net game—her courage to stand out and be herself when things got rough. She made hard choices to become an advocate for causes that are sometimes frowned upon. In the early 1970s, Billie Jean campaigned for equal prize money, which then led to championing the Woman’s Tennis Association (WTA) and the infamous match against Bobby Riggs. She continues to stand up for gender equality, gay rights, and runs a leadership initiative called “Lift. Learn. Lead.” to achieve inclusive leadership. During the post movie Q&A panel, she spoke about the uncertainty of pioneering causes that are not always popular. “It’s scary, I’m scared a lot, it’s about courage, just do it, try your best. It’s good enough,” King said. “And please don’t judge yourself on how well you do. Just because you’re highly skilled in something doesn’t mean you’re a good person. How are you as a human being? That’s number one. How am I as a person? Am I doing the right thing every day? Am I taking care of myself so I can take care of others?”

This great message directly relates to the uncertainty athletes face on and off the court. So often when I work with an athlete, they will say, “If I was only confident, I would play this way or win that way!” Shonda Rhimes, famous television producer, personally invited by Billie Jean, spoke to that when she added an important note about confidence. “It’s not confidence, it’s courage,” said Rhimes. “You don’t have to be confident and know you can do something, you just have to be courageous enough to try to do it. We all think we already have to be brave, to already know, be that person that thinks they are a badass. We don’t have to be that person, we just have to be courageous enough to take a step and try.” Many wonder how Billie Jean had the fortitude to fight for social causes while playing professional tennis. From my lens, she recognized she was more than an athlete and understood that Big Y that she identified as a 12-year-old was her real motivation to achieve. Billie

Jean is truly “More Than an Athlete,” an example of bringing who you are to what you do. She is an inspiration to us all. 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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LITennisMag.com • November/December 2017 • Long Island Tennis Magazine

Do You Really Understand What Your Pro Is Talking About?

By Lisa Dodson Hurry! Turn! Move your feet! Watch the ball! Hit up! These are catch phrases that so many instructors use that are really meaningless without explanation. Yet they are yelled across the court everywhere as though repeating them over and over will do the trick. Then, we have an overload of online instruction with enough contradiction and personal touches to confuse anyone. I have people ask me all the time, “What do they mean and how do I know who to believe?” As tennis players, we are all eager to learn more, watch more and play more tennis and that’s great. We think we understand what we are taking in, but in reality, we typically either misunderstand or don’t understand the full impact of many basic and essential parts of the game. A little detailed knowledge of what you do and what needs to change will do wonders for your game. Anything done in a general manner, in the game of tennis, is not done well. We are talking about a very specific set of basics that will determine what kind of player you can become. Below is a list of things we hear all of the time that really mean nothing to players without knowing specifics. Yet these comments are repeated as though if you hear them enough times, they will solve your problems. One of them is just plain wrong. An entire tennis narrative could be written about each of these words or 18

phrases, but I’ve simply followed up with what YOU, the player, can feel free to ask: Watch the ball! Watch it do what? Get your racket back! Just plain wrong. Hurry! Where? The ball is only four feet away. Turn! I can’t because I have to hurry. Move your feet! Where should I go? Stay away from the ball! I can’t because I hurried. Hit the ball sooner! I can’t because I didn’t stay away from it. Rotate! I don’t know what that means. Follow through! I can’t because I didn’t stay away from the ball. Bend your knees! Both or one? How much and why? Let’s find some meaning in the first four phrases (words) above that can change your game in a positive way. You’ll see how to connect the dots and that one thing always causes another. If you need more definitions, please e-mail me and I’ll be happy to provide them. 1. Watch the ball Watching the ball is really misunderstood. We say it over and over, but it has no meaning. Players “watch” the ball least when they should be watching most and most when they should be watching least. Solution: The most important time to have an eagle eye on the ball starts when it is on your opponent’s side of the court and they are striking it. Of course, we want to see what the opponent’s relationship is with the ball (are they looking good and balanced with

Long Island Tennis Magazine • November/December 2017 • LITennisMag.com

the ball in their striking zone, is the ball slightly out of their reach, etc.) Watching the opponent and the ball strike gives you the first idea of what you will be receiving. Is it coming to my forehand or backhand, was it sent high, is it going to land deep, mid-court or short? Wherever it is going, we need to watch the flight as we are calculating where, when and just how fast to move. We watch the entire flight, including the ball going down to hit the ground and coming off it and as close to our racket contact point as possible. Keeping the head stationary at this point is crucial so that our cameras (eyes) have the ability to focus on contact. After that, you will basically stop watching the ball and focus more on the opponent. Remember, you’ll see the ball, but it’s not your main focus. After all, you pretty much have an idea of where it’s going, right? So, you don’t need to inspect it with laser vision as it leaves you. You will see the ball in the big picture, but it is more important to see the relationship that the opponent is creating with the incoming ball. This will tell you tons about what is coming back to you.

Then, you start the process all over. Watch their relationship and strike, watch the flight, watch the bounce, watch as close to contact as possible. Then, let it go. Again and again. 2. Get your racket back This one is easy. It’s nonsense. This is done with the turn. 3. Hurry Do you run into your forehand? Most everyone does. If you do, then stop hurrying. “Hurry” is one of the most destructive words we use. It tells the player that they need to go, and go fast, to the ball. In reality, we want to move early and efficiently, and sometimes quickly. Hurried is the last thing you ever want to feel on the tennis court. Solution: As a teaching professional, I spend a good amount of my time helping players see the opponent’s strike of the ball earlier, helping make a proper turn, and slowing down the first movement for better distancing from the ball. Be aware of when the ball is being struck by the opponent and make an appropriate

first movement (turn). Most of the time, this does not include going anywhere. Realize that the average distance to a ball is four to eight feet. Two-and-a-half steps take a player seven to eight feet and the step to the ball, reach of the arm and a two-foot racket covers the last four feet. If one starts early, there should be no hurry. Combine that with a physical “set” of the racket turn as a response to an incoming shot. This will stop the “hurry” and give you time to calculate where to go and how fast. 4. Turn Let’s talk about a forehand. Do you know how simple a forehand turn is? Turning is problematic because players don’t know how much, how far and with which body parts (feet, hips, shoulders) to turn. A turn is mainly stationary or static, then going into immediate movement. Typically, players take off and run toward a ball without knowing where they are going or how much space to leave between the contact point and themselves. Or, they turn by continued on page 20

LITennisMag.com • November/December 2017 • Long Island Tennis Magazine

do you really understand what your pro is talking about? continued from page 19

moving their feet around in small steps which makes weight set difficult, is very slow and time consuming. Solution: First, turning is used on rotational shots (groundstrokes, serving, overhead). For a forehand, use a simple and compact movement combined with a “set” of the racket. Don’t get excited and start going anywhere. Turn first, move second. The turn happens in response to the ball being struck by the opponent. When you recognize the ball coming to your right

(forehand for righty) or to the left (backhand for righty) simply do this: A. Hold onto the racket with both hands and turn to the hitting side by taking the weight off of the non-dominant foot (do not pick up this foot). Rotate the non-dominant foot so the bottom is flat to the side fence and the knee is bent inward. Let 80 percent of your weight sit on the hit side leg (weight set). Bending this ankle and knee lets the weight load on the hit side leg. Now

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Long Island Tennis Magazine • November/December 2017 • LITennisMag.com

you are ready to move any direction or take any size step in order to approach the ball. B. After you have made your preparation and recognition turn, then you can calculate where and when you need to move to the incoming ball. This preliminary move helps you make good decisions, recognize just how much time you have (a lot!) and prevents running into balls. The job of a tennis professional can be complex, but it is mainly to find solutions to your problems in a simple and understandable way. Exciting descriptions and new and shiny ideas about how to produce a stroke are fun but often confusing and ineffective. Repetitive word use is not helpful. Make it your goal to start making clear sense of the ball watching, hurrying (throw this one out the window), and turning. You’ll improve your game by leaps and bounds. Give it a shot and ask more questions. Lisa Dodson is the developer and owner of Servemaster, a USPTA Elite Professional and a former WTA world-ranked player. She is currently the director of tennis at Shenorock Shore Club in Rye, N.Y. She may be reached by e-mail at Lisa@TheTotalServe.com or visit TheTotalServe.com.

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Stars Come Out to the Hamptons for Third Annual Johnny Mac Tennis Project Pro Am

ennis legends John McEnroe, Patrick McEnroe, Chris Evert, Mats Wilander, Pat Cash, actress Jane Krakowski, and nearly 200 other tennis pros, amateurs, enthusiasts and spectators attended the Johnny Mac Tennis Project’s (JMTP) Third Annual JMTP Pro Am—one of largest Pro Ams in the world—in the Hamptons. The sold out, star-studded event—which has quickly become the premiere Pro Am in the Hamptons—raised more than $300,000 to support JMTP programs, including more than $100,000 raised at an evening auction. Illustrated by a moving video that launched the event under a tent on the grounds of Sportime Amagansett, the JMTP provides scholarships that change young lives by removing the economic and social barriers to success through tennis. “The Johnny Mac Tennis Project believes that tennis is a change agent and a sport of opportunity for kids,” said JMTP Executive 22

Director Ron Nano. “Our Tennis Pathway to Success initiative provides multiple, year-round opportunities, from introductory programs provided to schools and communitybased organizations, which focus on cultivating healthy lifestyles and selfdiscipline, to worldclass tournament training for aspiring college scholarship recipients and professional athletes.” John McEnroe said, “We created an annual event with 128 players, which is the size of a Grand Slam draw … pretty incredible. This year, we added Chris Evert and Pat Cash to the group, joining my brother Patrick, Mats and myself. It is all about the

Long Island Tennis Magazine • November/December 2017 • LITennisMag.com

mission—to bring tennis to New York City kids who could not otherwise get to play, and to make some great New York players.” The annual Pro Am—held at Sportime Amagansett in East Hampton—drew young and old amateur players excited to compete with top talent and alongside legendary tennis pros in a memorable afternoon of doubles matches. Participants competed in a

round-robin doubles tournament alongside former WTA and ATP World Tour professionals, current and former Division I College players, and top John McEnroe Tennis Academy pros. In total, 64 professional players were partnered with 64 amateurs—as about 75 spectators cheered them on—and at the end of the day, Mike Williams and Francisco Diaz were crowned the winners. The Pro Am included an exclusive Benefactor Level, in which eight lucky amateurs competed with and against tennis legends, and current and former ATP and WTA touring athletes. Throughout the day, enthusiasts

cheered as they watched the series of matches, mingled with tennis legends, dined on wine and appetizers, and bid on silent auction items. JMTP’s Pro Am in the Hamptons sponsors included: Bird in Hand, Hamptons Magazine, HEAD Penn, Nike, Polar Beverage and Sportime/John McEnroe Tennis Academy. Immediately afterwards was an After Party under a star-filled sky, where players, guests and fans enjoyed hors d’oeuvres, a buffet dinner, an open bar, entertainment, dancing, and a live auction. Attendees also bid on vacation stays, U.S. Open experiences, sports

memorabilia, photographs and Sports Illustrated covers autographed by tennis legends, and dining experiences. “This annual event is a unique and exciting opportunity in the Hamptons, right before the U.S. Open, to play or watch some great tennis, to see some Tennis Legends competing close-up, and to support a great cause,” says Patrick McEnroe, who serves as President of JMTP’s Board of Directors. “Most importantly, this event allows us to continue bringing tennis to kids and young adults who otherwise would not have access to the sport.”

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LITennisMag.com • November/December 2017 • Long Island Tennis Magazine

U S TA E A S T E R N L O N G I S L A N D R E G I O N

Several Long Island USTA League Teams Win Eastern Sectionals; Move on to Nationals Several USTA League Teams from Long Island won their Eastern Sectional Championships and will be representing Long Island and

the Eastern Section at their National Tournaments throughout the fall. Congratulations and best of luck to all!

Long Island Commits to No Cut High School Tennis

The Massapequa High School Girls Tennis Team shows off their pink “No-Cut Tennis” wristbands The USTA Long Island Region is working with high school coaches to expand the USTA’s vision for “No Cut High School Tennis” this season. Nassau and Suffolk coaches have been enthusiastic in their support for the program. In reaching out to coaches across the Island to introduce the program, Mike Pavlides, USTA Long Island Regional Board High Schools Coordinator, said, “The USTA recognizes the critical role you play in growing tennis by allowing students of all abilities to join a team and represent their school. Your contribution creates well-rounded student-athletes, develops leadership and teaches responsibility.” According to Pavlides, “The LI Region is proud to recognize and support the high school tennis teams on Long Island that have No Cut teams. We are taking this opportunity to give the players on

The Girls Tennis Team from Port Jefferson High School show their support for Breast Cancer Awareness Month these teams pink wristbands to wear during their October matches for Breast Cancer Awareness Month and in the process, support two important causes.” All No Cut team members will receive pink “No Cut Tennis” wristbands. High schools participating in the No Cut Tennis Program are: Massapequa, Plainedge, Carle Place, Farmingdale, Hewlett, Long Beach, Manhasset, Freeport, Clarke, Bellmore JFK, Bellport, Southold, Southampton, Walt Whitman, Commack, Port Jefferson, Bay Shore, Southside, Friends Academy, Lynbrook, Oyster Bay, Plainview JFK, Herricks, MacArthur, Bethpage, Lawrence, Glen Cove, Baldwin and Malverne/East Rockaway. Does your school have a No Cut team? Please e-mail us with the name of the school and coach and a team photo and we will add it to this list.

Coming soon … l November 5, 2017: USTA Eastern College Showcase Day at Saw Mill Club in Mt. Kisco, N.Y. l November 7, 2017: Suffolk County Girls Awards Dinner, sponsored by the Suffolk County Tennis Coaches Association l February 10-18, 2018: New York Open at NYCB Live, Home of the Nassau Veteran’s Memorial Coliseum 24

Long Island Tennis Magazine • November/December 2017 • LITennisMag.com

U S TA E A S T E R N L O N G I S L A N D R E G I O N

USTA Launches Net Generation With Local Juniors at U.S. Open

The USTA launched its revolutionary new youth brand, “Net Generation,” at the 2017 U.S. Open, with on-court demonstrations by Long Island junior players. Net Generation is designed to inspire the next generation of tennis players by serving as one unified youth brand for children to get into the sport. Net Generation will make it easier for kids and their parents to learn about tennis and get into the game in schools, parks and tennis clubs across the country. The movement embraces all aspects of youth play for children ages five through 18. The USTA will be working closely with schools and school districts by providing equipment, training and resources for teachers. The USTA has developed a new school tennis curriculum and will encourage schools to have a community partner to help kids find a tennis facility to play after school in partnership with SHAPE

America. Furthermore, Net Generation will activate throughout all competitive levels including youth tennis, team tennis and junior competition. By setting new standards and collaborating with programs across the board, these efforts will help unite the tennis industry by sharing the same mission to get more kids playing tennis. Net Generation kicked off at Arthur Ashe Kids Day at the U.S. Open. Throughout the Open, local junior players were invited to take to the courts at the USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center Tennis to demonstrate their skills. Participating in the Net Generation launch at the Open were a large group of future tennis pros from Long Island. Participants came from the Suffolk County Junior Tennis League, Sportime clubs, Robbie Wagner’s Tournament Training Center and Carefree Indoor Racquet Club. For more information, visit NetGeneration.com.

All’s Fair!

If it’s fall it must be fair season! The USTA LI Region enjoys participating in several community festivals throughout the late summer and early fall seasons. On the 2017 calendar: The Merrick Street Fair, Town of Hempstead’s Lido Beach Family Fes-

tival by the Sea, and Freeport Library’s By the Book Festival, which this year, included the formal dedication of the newly refurbished tennis courts at the Bishop Frank White Park on Parsons Avenue.

LITennisMag.com • November/December 2017 • Long Island Tennis Magazine

From the Sidelines to the Spotlight Sloane Stephens returns from injury to push the next wave of American women By Brian Coleman

LongIsland IslandTennis TennisMagazine Magazine••November/December September/October 2017 2017••LITennisMag.com LITennisMag.com 26 26 Long Photo credit: Garrett Ellwood

s 2016 turned into 2017, Sloane Stephens found herself at a difficult crossroads in both her life and her tennis career. After undergoing foot surgery in January of 2017, Stephens knew she would be missing considerable time on the tour and was staring at a long rehab to get back on the courts. “I had a cast and a peg leg, and I think that was probably my toughest time,” Stephens said of the beginning to 2017. The Plantation, Fla. native had been dealing with a foot injury for quite some time before her January surgery. After competing in the Rio de Janeiro Olympics in the summer of 2016, Stephens withdrew from the U.S. Open and would go on to miss the rest of the season. She headed to Australia to begin 2017, but soon found out she had a stress fracture and a cyst in that same foot, sidelining her indefinitely. The former Australian Open semifinalist decided to try her hand at television during her time away from the court, working as a contributing reporter for Tennis Channel during a few tournaments, a role she loved. “I was at Tennis Channel, and I was around some great people, like Paul Annacone and Lindsay Davenport. I just tried to stay positive. I think it was just kind of eye-opening,” Stephens recalls. “When I wasn’t playing, of course I loved my time off, but when I got back to playing tennis, it was like this is where I want to be. This is what I love doing.” That time away from the court and on the sidelines reawakened her love and passion for the sport, and gave her a newfound perspective. While a major injury and bulk of time missed can often have the reverse effect for players, it helped Sloane Stephens. She set a goal for a return this past summer, and began her comeback on the historic grass courts at Wimbledon. While she would lose in her first match back, a first-round defeat to fellow American Alison Riske, Stephens knew playing that match was more about a simple win or a loss. “I did the best I could, but was able to get out there and was pain-free,” Stephens said after the loss at Wimbledon. “I have been practicing, playing practice sets and matches and stuff, but it’s totally different when you get into a match

on page27 28 LITennisMag.com LITennisMag.com • November/December • September/October2017 2017••Long LongIsland Islandcontinued Tennis TennisMagazine Magazine 27

from the sidelines to the spotlight continued from page 27 Photo credit: Darren Carroll

situation. It’s been awhile, so it was different than practicing with people who I am comfortable with.” After Wimbledon and before the hardcourt season started in North America, Stephens decided to get some more matches under her belt by participating in World TeamTennis (WTT) as a member of the Philadelphia Freedoms. “Being able to play my really good friends, I think that’ll make it even more en-

joyable for me,” Stephens said before the summer’s WTT season. “At this point, I’m just looking forward to getting on the court, no matter where it is. I think this will be a way to start my comeback.” The WTT season benefitted Stephens, playing some more tennis before the important hard-court tournaments to get her match-legs underneath her. Entering the U.S. Open Series ranked 957th in the world, she would lose to Simona Halep in

Long Island Tennis Magazine • November/December 2017 • LITennisMag.com

her first match in Washington, D.C., but responded by reaching the semifinals at the Rogers Cup in Toronto, losing a hardfought match to Caroline Wozniacki. She followed up her run North of the Border with another semifinal run at the 2017 Western & Southern Open in Cincinnati, falling again to current world number one, Simona Halep. She headed into the U.S. Open with an air of confidence about her. That confidence was on display throughout her fortnight in Flushing Meadows, ultimately culminating in a 6-3, 6-0 thrashing of compatriot Madison Keys in the U.S. Open final. The 24-year-old was on the verge of being ranked outside the top 1,000 at the beginning of the summer, and hoisted a Grand Slam trophy just a few months later; a truly remarkable turn of events. “I had surgery Jan. 23, and if someone told me then that I’d win the U.S. Open, ‘It’s impossible, I would say. It’s absolutely impossible,’ I would have said. My journey to get here, coming back, just being able to keep it all together and have such a great team behind me—this journey’s been incredible,” said Stephens. “I honestly wouldn’t change it for the world.” Stephens could not have thanked her family and her team enough for the

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amount of work that they put in to help her on her journey, notably her coach, Kamau Murray, and her mother, Sybil Smith. Stephens comes from an athletic background, as Smith was an AllPhoto credit: Andrew Ong American swimmer at Boston University, and her father, John Stephens, was a former first-round draft pick and Offensive Rookie of the Year in the National Football League with the New England Patriots. While her parents separated when she was young, Stephens had a ton of support from her mother, something she says put her on the right path. “We’ve been on such a journey together. My mom is incredible,” Stephens said to the Flushing Meadows crowd after winning the U.S. Open. “I don’t think parents get enough credit. When I was 11-yearsold, my mom took me to a tennis acad- many believed that Stephens’ potential had emy. One of the directors told my mom been tapped out. Her Grand Slam victory now catapults that I’d be lucky if I was a Division II player and I got a scholarship. I think any parent Stephens inside the top 20 of the world that ever supports their child—you could rankings and earned her a $3.7 million pay be here one day. Parents … never give up day. Her performance was indicative of a on your kids. If they want to do something, growing trend, as all four of the women semifinalists hailed from the United States, always encourage them.” The U.S. Open held some painful mem- and the final was contested by two players ories for Stephens, as it was on the under the age of 30 for the third time in the grounds at Flushing Meadows during the last five majors. While Stephens’ win says a lot of about U.S. Open Junior tournament when she was 16 that she received a phone call from her sister informing her that her father had died in a car accident. “I didn’t think I would ever be able to regroup here, at this place because it was filled with so many emotions—and not good ones,” said Stephens. “If someone told me when my dad died that I would end up winning the U.S. Open years later, I would’ve been like, ‘You’re crazy.’ But I’ve had so many great moments here, as well as so many sad moments that winning here makes it all the more special.” The emotional roller coaster of Stephens 2017 season was one filled with peaks and valleys, ups and downs, but will undoubtedly end on a high note. For a player who knocked off Serena Williams to reach the Australian Open semifinal four years ago, and especially after her injury,

Photo credit: Darren Carroll

the presence of young stars on the WTA Tour, her triumphant return is all about her, and the amount of dedication that it required. The “Summer of Sloane” crossed over into the fall, and her successful comeback was one of the most inspirational stories in all of sports. 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.

LITennisMag.com • November/December 2017 • Long Island Tennis Magazine

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(242) 823-5979 WindsorHighschoolAtAlbany.com GrantDoyle@WindsorPrep.com Located on New Providence in The Bahamas, the Albany Tennis Academy is set on the 25-acre campus of Windsor High School, adjacent to the renowned, luxury resort community of Albany. The unique day and boarding school combines an academic curriculum based on the Cambridge system with unprecedented athletic and training academies for both tennis and golf. Powered by former world number one Lleyton Hewitt, the Albany Tennis Academy delivers an intensive training and development program for aspiring student-athletes, with personalized instruction, conditioning and guidance from an expert team of coaches and staff, including Director Grant Doyle. Student-athletes train on Windsor High School’s cutting-edge facilities, which include the latest PlaySight smart court technology, a fully interactive technology which monitors and tracks all activity on the court and offers professional-level analysis. “At the Albany Tennis Academy, we prepare student-athletes both physically and mentally for the game’s highest level,” said Lleyton Hewitt. For parents or families visiting Albany Tennis Academy student-athletes, the ideal place to stay is the luxury resort community of Albany. The collective vision of its founders–Joe Lewis and the Tavistock Group, and golfing greats Tiger Woods and Ernie Els–Albany features an unparalleled combination of surroundings, architecture, service and sporting amenities including an 18-hole championship golf course, a mega-yacht marina, fitness center, boxing ring and CrossFit course, spa and salon, a racquet center with Har-Tru courts and a paddle court, numerous pools, including a kid’s waterpark, and restaurants. Albany’s boutique hotel provides some of the finest accommodations in the Caribbean.

Long Island Tennis Magazine • November/December 2017 • LITennisMag.com

Casa de Campo

Mauna Kea Beach Hotel

(800) 336-5520 CasaDeCampo.com.do Casa de Campo offers the widest array of experiences found in the Caribbean. The 7,000-acre luxury resort offers choice accommodations, whether in hotel rooms and suites or spacious villas. The deluxe lodging options are accented by dining at acclaimed restaurants, such as The Beach Club by Le Cirque and La Cana by II Circo. Dozens of other restaurants, bars and lounges give guest plenty of variety during their stay. For those guests seeking more of a thrill, The Sporting Life has countless options for athletic excitement. Experience 90 holes of Pete Dye designed gold courses—Teeth of the Dog, Links, La Romana Country Club and Dye Fore—Shooting Center, Equestrian Center, Polo Club, Marina for deep sea and river fishing, Yacht Club and exclusive beaches. Called the “Wimbledon of the Caribbean”, La Terraza Tennis Club overlooks the entire resort, as well as the Caribbean Sea. The club features 13 fast-dry Har-Tru courts, 10 of which are lighted for night play. Thirty-two ball boys in crisp white tennis attire chase errant shots, which not only makes guests’ matches more pleasant, but also helps local Dominican children learn the game and look forward to a brighter future.

(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 collection of Asian and Pacific artwork gathered exclusively for Mauna Kea, service with Aloha, 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 ocean-side 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, daily children’s program, a weekly luau and clambake, 2,500-square-foot fitness room, and spa, meeting spaces and private dining venues, just to mention a few. Disconnect and rejuvenate 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.

LITennisMag.com • November/December 2017 • Long Island Tennis Magazine

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 nearby beautiful ocean beaches, charming village, Performing Arts Center, movie theatre, wine country, shopping, cafes, restaurants and nearby water park. The Tennis Academy features 12 soft courts and features an enthusiastic staff, renowned for its high-quality instruction with an average student/staff ratio of 2:1. Most participants seek a less intensive program of three to five hours of instruction daily. Visiting tennis pros bring students with Kaplan’s staff available to supplement the pros. Here, you can play tennis during the day, go to the beach and have a glass of wine at sunset, and then dine at a great restaurant, or take in a movie or a show at the Performing Arts Center. 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. And Westhampton Beach Junior/Adult Tennis Academy is annually selected among the top 25 in the world and number one in the East by TennisResortsonline.com. Programs including accommodations and tennis instruction begin at $99 per person/day. 32

Tennis Fantasies With John Newcombe and the Legends Contact Steve Contardi: (800) 874-7788 TennisFantasties.net SteveC@TowneProperties.com Enjoy the best tennis vacation of your life! Tennis Fantasies with John Newcombe and the Legends, the original tennis fantasy camp, is your chance to play tennis and rub shoulders with the alltime greats of the game. 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 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 under one roof! Learn, play and mingle with tennis royalty. Tennis Fantasies 2017 offers two great programs: n March 1-4, 2018: Tennis Fantasies for Men and Women n Oct. 21-26, 2018: Tennis Fantasies, Men Only On-court activities include clinics, team competition, and “fantasy” pro-am matches. After tennis, guests will enjoy the “Aussie-style” hospitality of the John Newcombe Tennis Ranch. The Ranch is located just outside of New Braunfels 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 from the Ranch. 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 every day.

Long Island Tennis Magazine • November/December 2017 • LITennisMag.com

COMING IN JANUARY

Distribution scheduled for 01/01/18

This edition will feature: • Guide to the Top Tennis Clubs/Programs for Long Island Tennis Players • Australian Open Preview • Girls High School State Championships • Long Island Tennis Magazine’s 10th Anniversary

Distributionacross Long Island at 300+ locations: • Indoor tennis clubs • Country clubs • Tennis camps • Retail stores • Gyms • Restaurants and health food stores • Supermarkets and • Many more!

Don’t miss the advertising opportunities in the next edition of Long Island Tennis Magazine January/February 2018! Facebook-www.Facebook.com/LongIslandTennis Instagram-@NYTennisMag • Twitter-@LITennisMag Submissions for both advertising and editorial are due by December 1, 2017 Long Island Island Tennis Tennis Magazine Magazine •• September/October September/October 2015 2017 •• LITennisMag.com LITennisMag.com LITennisMag.com • November/December 2017 • Long Island Tennis Magazine 33 Long 33

For more information, please call 516-409-4444 or e-mail Advertise@LITennisMag.com

charitable initiatives USTA Eastern Raises More Than 10K for Disaster Relief

Credit all photos to: Sidney Beal III

USTA Eastern hosted a Rally for Relief event at the USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center to raise money for natural disaster relief. All proceeds from the event were donated to the Hispanic Federation UNIDOS Disaster Relief Fund to support Puerto Rico and Mexico following the devastating natural disasters that struck the region. “The event came together because we

knew we had to act quickly,” said Jocelyn Cruz, Senior Manager, Schools & Community Tennis for USTA Eastern. “Many of us felt helpless for all those people suffering during the natural disasters. We knew one of the key things we are capable of doing is organizing a tennis tournament or event. So we combined the urgency to help people in need and what we do well—running tennis programs. We felt that tennis brings

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Long Island Tennis Magazine • November/December 2017 • LITennisMag.com

people together—which encompasses what Eastern is all about.” Cruz, along with USTA Eastern’s Tennis Service Representative for the Metro Region, Gustavo Loza, put the event together in a very short timeframe. Loza, a native of Mexico, was personally affected by the earthquake that rocked Mexico City, and knew he wanted to help. “It was inspiring to see the New York City tennis community come together to support a great cause,” said Loza. “That is what sports are all about, uniting people no matter the age, club, background, or NTRP rating. We wanted to put together a great event and we wouldn’t have been able to do it without all these people with big hearts that contributed in one way or another.” The National Tennis Center opened up the courts to be used for the round-robin doubles tournament portion of the event, Cruz and Loza worked to bring together as many people from as many backgrounds in the tennis community. The original goal was set at $5,000, but the event’s success increased thanks to the kindness of people who attended and donated as more than $10,000 was raised to provide relief.

Port Washington High School Hosts Free Community Clinic

The Port Washington Varsity Tennis Teams hosted a recent free tennis clinic for members of the community. “Whenever we have an opportunity to give back to the community, we always try to

make a difference,” said Port Washington, Varsity Girls Head Coach Shane Helfner. The clinic attracted more than 25 young players who came out to learn from the Port Washington Varsity Team. The courts

were divided into different drills such as forehands, backhands, volleys and serves, with another court dedicated to games. Each attendee received a trophy and came away with a fun experience and new skills.

High School Girls Play for Pink

During the month of October, programs from Nassau County showed their support for breast cancer research and raised awareness by wearing pink during matches, including the Girls

High School teams from Carle Place, Glen Cove, Great Neck North, Herricks, Manhasset, Massapequa, Plainedge and Syosset.

LITennisMag.com • November/December 2017 • Long Island Tennis Magazine

long island tennis charitable initiatives continued from page 35

USTA Long Island Hosts Free Events for Kids in Mineola

USTA Long Island and its Tennis Service Representative Neil Thakur continued its mission to grow tennis within the community, hosting free events to give kids a chance to play tennis; many of whom are playing for the first time. Nearly 200 fourth graders from the

Jackson Avenue School in Mineola came together to play tennis for the very first time. Physical Education Teacher Bill DeGennaro coordinated the event, and volunteers including Joe Arias, Fabiana Rezak and Nicole Rezak conducted demos and drills over the course

Long Island Tennis Magazine • November/December 2017 • LITennisMag.com

of the two-day program. DeGennaro received USTA Long Island’s free equipment package and curriculum, and he will be adding tennis to his gym class this fall. USTA LI hopes to expand the program throughout the Mineola School District.

LITennisMag.com â&#x20AC;˘ November/December 2017 â&#x20AC;˘ Long Island Tennis Magazine

Pine Hollow Captures Both Men’s and Women’s North Shore Country Club Leagues or the first time in history, both the North Shore Country Club Men’s and Women’s Leagues were won by teams from the same club: Pine Hollow Country Club. It is a remarkable feat, considering the struggles the team had in recent years. Just a few years ago, both the men and the women went through a whole season without a win, but have now done something no other team in the league has. For the women, it marks the second consecutive year that they have won the North Shore Country Club Women’s Title. “The Women’s Tennis Team at Pine Hollow Country Club has gone from being

pushovers to dual champs and repeat winners of the Country Club League,” said Pine Hollow Captain Stacy Ferber. “Even though only six players play each week, we had at least 20 different women represent our team to bring home the gold! I love and enjoy being the captain of this amazing group of ladies, and look forward to next season.” The men were still seeking its first title since the team was formed six years ago, and it wouldn’t be easy. The finals came down to a tiebreaker in the deciding match, and the men would not be denied. Ricky Becker, Director of Tennis at Pine Hollow, likened the men’s team to the 1969

New York Mets, also known as the “Miracle Mets,” who won the World Series in just the eighth season of the franchise. “As captain of the Men’s Team since its inception six years ago, and having endured several losing seasons before our rise to the championship, I can vouch for the fact that winning is much more fun than losing,” said Wayne Hochberg, who was a co-captain of the men’s team, alongside Mike Ferber. “Although the success of the men’s and women’s teams at Pine Hollow Country Club is not an absolute measure, it is indicative of the vast improvement of our tennis program overall under the stewardship of Ricky Becker.”

TENNIS RUSH Come play where the surf applauds every shot. The Seaside Tennis Club at the legendary Mauna Kea Beach Hotel on Hawaii Island. D I R E C TO R O F T E N N I S , C R A I G T. PAU T L E R 8 6 6 .9 7 7. 4 5 8 9 M AU N A K E A B E AC H H OT E L . C O M

Long Island Tennis Magazine • November/December 2017 • LITennisMag.com

Uniting the Tennis Order: Up or Down Apparel Up or Down is a new tennis apparel company, established with one vision in mind: To Unite the Tennis Order. Tennis matches begin with a spin of the racket, followed by the words, “Up Or Down.” It is here where the match truly begins! The spinning of the racket is the game within the game, the first strategic move before the opening serve. The octagon enclosed Up Or Down design mirrors the butt end of each racket, the inspiration behind the company’s concept. Up or Down supplies both on- and off-the-court apparel. Along with hats and visors, Up or Down’s performance t-shirts, tanks

and collared shirts are moisture-wicking for extreme lightweight comfort and breathability while playing. The company’s lightweight hoodies and moisture-wicking hooded sweatshirts provide comfort on cool evenings. Whether you are a tennis enthusiast, or just enjoy a weekend game, show off apparel that defines you. Regardless of what brand of racket you play with, Up Or Down applies to all tennis players. Join the team at Up Or Down and help “Unite the Tennis Order!” Visit UpOrDownSpin.com, call (631) 882-3442 or e-mail UpOrDownSpin@gmail.com.

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LITennisMag.com • November/December 2017 • Long Island Tennis Magazine

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Capital Region Schenectady - 518-356-0100 LITennisMag.com • November/December 2017 • Long Island Tennis Magazine

30Fifteen

inPhorm

30Fifteen.co.uk Hello@30Fifteen.com

(214) 749-0300 inPhormNYC.com

Introducing 30Fifteen, a women’s tennis wear brand originally from the U.K. 30Fifteen provides stylish, affordable tennis, fitness and lifestyle clothes, encouraging women to be active and feel confident. 30Fifteen’s collections are designed to offer a style to suit any body type, with attention paid to design, fit and quality of fabric, using technically finished fabrics for ultimate comfort. When you step onto the court you want to be focusing on nothing but your game, and that’s when you want to turn to 30Fifteen. 30Fifteen is motivated by the idea that “If you’re feeling good, you’re playing great.” 30Fifteen knows that this cannot come from clothing alone, so the whole brand is dedicated to offering tools that help women feel good allowing them to step onto the court with confidence. 30Fifteen’s latest collection hit pro shops and its online store in early September, get your hands on some of the pieces today! Take advantage of the season (of giving) and scroll through 30Fifteen.co.uk to purchase a look you’ll love. Use discount code “30shipping15” at the checkout for free shipping on all purchases.

inPhorm is a distinctive collection of tennis and active wear that has gained an avid following, not only amongst tennis retailers, but also among tennis players and a growing lineup of touring pros, as well as other celebrities. Creating environmentally-friendly international designer active and leisure wear has been inPhorm’s mission since it was launched in 2008. Luxurious tennis, active and lifestyle outfits are made predominantly of recycled fibers and offer sun protection of a 50 UV. inPhorm is constantly devising new processes and technology to reduce the environmental impact of apparel manufacturing. This year, inPhorm began offering active and tennis wear that have been colored with a proprietary dry-dye process that doesn’t use or pollute water. inPhorm crafts every fabric and stitch of clothing in their own textile mills and sewing factories to ensure high quality from start to finish. inPhorm recently announced its increase of sponsorships of young professionals on the circuit, added to their inner-city fundraising to help young adults expand in their tennis goals, as well as added to their international sales force. On the courts at Wimbledon, Indian Wells, the U.S. Open, Davis Cup or World TeamTennis, inPhorm-sponsored athletes define athleticism and beauty with an eco-conscious pedigree! You can visit the inPhorm Web site at inPhormNYC.com or call (214) 749-0300. First-time shoppers on inPhormNYC.com can use new customer code: “STAYINPHORMED” for a special discount. Follow inPhorm on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and Pinterest! Expect more great things from inPhorm, as the company begins to offer more athleisure, always mindful that the creation of high design does not preclude protecting the planet.

Long Island Tennis Magazine • November/December 2017 • LITennisMag.com

Nutrition Solutions PC

Ode to Tennis by Barbara Wyatt The Gift of Humor

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.

For the holiday stockings, give the gift of humor with the book, Ode to Tennis by Barbara Wyatt, featuring the delightful rhyming poem of a player in a tennis lesson. It’s the perfect little gift book for tennis players. The illustrated poem highlights a player’s joy and frustrations during a tennis lesson, capturing the euphoria and struggles of players who take up the game of tennis later in life. “I chase the ball in tournaments, “I compete in the USTA “Yet my strokes leave players laughing, “I’m more comical than Tina Fey! Reviews: n “A great work to be ready by anyone who likes the sport of tennis!” n “It is a feel good book, well-written and illustrated. Made me smile the whole time I was reading it.” n “A great gift! So much truth in a fun wonderfully illustrated book. Enjoy.” Ode to Tennis is available on Amazon for $9.95 (paperback) and $2.99 (Kindle).

LITennisMag.com • November/December 2017 • Long Island Tennis Magazine

ServeMaster (925) 570-1326 TheTotalServe.com Lisa@TheTotalServe.com Give the gift of an ACE! Did you know that in just 15 swings of ServeMaster, a beginner tennis player can learn to serve with the same fluid motion as a pro? Free online videos show you how to improve your serve and overhead strokes by using ServeMaster. It can be used to for forehand and backhand drills too. It’s like having a tennis coach in your bag! How it works: Follow the easy steps included in the package, watch ServeMaster videos online or get free tips emailed to you. With the Continental Grip (markings on the handle will get you in position), move slowly through your entire service motion. Because it is completely flexible, flaws such as hitches, erratic rhythm, inconsistent timing and poor technique will cause ServeMaster to “flop,” stop and bump you. With practice, you’ll have a rhythmic and flowing service motion. The ServeMaster is available in three sizes for players of all ages and abilities. Wholesale academy packages for teaching pros and group lessons are available. To find the size ServeMaster that’s right for you, visit TheTotalServe.com. New Junior and LTE versions of ServeMaster are now available in orange!

Silent Partner Tennis (800) 662-1809 SPTennis.com SPTennis@on.aibn.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-to-door, 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 online at SPTennis.com. Here is to another great year of tennis. Silent Partner Tennis hopes that it can help you make 2018 the best one yet. Happy holidays!

Long Island Tennis Magazine • November/December 2017 • LITennisMag.com

Up or Down LLC

Vibetennis

(631) 882-3442 UpOrDownSpin.com UpOrDownSpin@gmail.com Up or Down is a new tennis apparel company. The company originated with one vision in mind: To Unite the Tennis Order. We begin tennis matches with a spin of the racket, followed by the words, “Up or Down.” It is here where the match truly begins! The spinning of the racket is the game within the game, the first strategic move before the opening serve. The octagon enclosed Up or Down design mirrors the butt end of each racket, the inspiration behind the company’s concept. Up or Down supplies both on- and off-the-court apparel. Along with hats and visors, Up or Down’s performance tshirts, tanks and collared shirts are moisture-wicking for extreme lightweight comfort and breathability while playing. Also, Up or Down’s lightweight hoodies and moisture-wicking hooded sweatshirts provide comfort on cool evenings. Whether you are a tennis enthusiast or just enjoy a weekend game, show off apparel that defines you. Regardless of what brand of racket you play with, Up or Down applies to all tennis players. It is Up or Down’s hope that you join the team at Up or Down and help “Unite the Tennis Order!” Visit Up or Down at UpOrDownSpin.com.

(516) 724-3788 Vibetennis.com Vibetennis@gmail.com The magical fusion of musical vibes and tennis have never been felt this way before, a realistic spot where art fully embraces sports—a place where Vibetennis has successfully taken the audience to. Vibetennis Apparel was birthed out of a deeper passion for tennis, art, music and good ‘ole positive vibrations. It has fully built a stronger connection in between tennis and humans, using music and art as accompaniments. Long ago, the fans cheered the players and one could sense an unbalanced level of excitement; Vibetennis’ presence has brought harmony and some flair to the pitch, yet, not leaving out focus. Vibetennis Apparel launched late summer in 2016 in New York City and has been moving forward ever since—breaking bounds and exploring new opportunities that come our way. Vibetennis Apparel e does not relent, there is always new challenges and new mountains to climb, and the vibe have always kept the company going. So far, Vibetennis Apparel’s concept has been a movement that lends itself to tennis players and non-tennis players alike, catering to both. This has prompted the company to always keep its audience in mind, especially as we approach the holiday season. We have a good selection of hats, tees and tanks to choose from. Bags and accessories will come early in 2018. It’s a season where every single person is feeling the vibe, and it’s not a good thing for you to be left out. Grab a shirt or hat as a gift for the season, and be part of the movement.

LITennisMag.com • November/December 2017 • Long Island Tennis Magazine

2017 LONG ISLAND TENNIS MAGAZINE’S

Coaches Roundtable Discussion T

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 health and fitness of today’s athletes, 10 & Under Tennis, the role of the parent, the current state of the Long Island tennis scene, and much more.

Meet the participants … Carl Barnett This was the 16th season of Carl Barnett’s Early Hit Training Center. 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. Ricky Becker Ricky Becker is the Founder of JuniorTennisConsulting LLC, Director of Tennis at Pine Hollow Country Club and independently coaches highperformance 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. Richard Bowie Richard Bowie is the Associate Director of Tennis at Christopher Morley. He is a USTA High Performance Certified Coach and a former member of the Temple University Men’s Tennis Team. He has coached Dustin Brown at ATP events, including the U.S. Open. He has tradition46

ally coached in the Metro Region, but is now coaching on Long Island. Vinicius Carmo Vinicius Carmo is Tennis Director of The Ross School Tennis Academy and Coach of the Boy’s and Girl’s Varsity Tennis Teams. As a player, Vinicius was ranked among the top five junior players in Brazil and played several international junior tennis tournaments. He attended the University of Tennessee for four years on a full scholarship. Lisa Dodson Born in Chappaqua, N.Y., Lisa Dodson is a 40-year teaching professional and former world ranked player. Having spent 20 years in Northern California, Lisa returned home to Mt. Kisco, New York in 2013. Lisa is now the seasonal Director of Tennis at Shenorock Shore Club in Rye, N.Y., and professional at The Saw Mill Club in Mt. Kisco, N.Y. Lisa is a former WTA player with a world ranking of 270th in singles. She played basketball and tennis for the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, graduating in 1979 with a BA in Political Science. Lisa also competed on the Eastern United States Volleyball travel team and went to Olympic basketball trials while at Horace Greeley. She has

Long Island Tennis Magazine • November/December 2017 • LITennisMag.com

held sectional rankings in women’s singles and doubles in the Eastern, Florida and Northern California Sections and has been a USTA Nor Cal 35s, 40s and 45s sectional team player. 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. 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 schoolaged 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.

2017 LONG ISLAND TENNIS MAGAZINE’S

Coaches Roundtable Discussion Greg Lumpkin Greg Lumpkin is the Associate Director for JMTA Long Island. A native Long Islander, Greg attended Hofstra University where he earned a spot on the varsity tennis team as a walk-on. He also spent time working under a worldrenowned physical therapist from whom he learned about injury prevention, treatment and management, as well as kinesiology and biomechanics. He is also an expert in slow motion video analysis and has used it successfully in the development of top juniors throughout his coaching career. 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 career-high regional ranking of ninth in the Atlantic Region. He is a 2015 National Open Doubles Champion. David Nisenson David Nisenson, Director of Junior Development at Point Set Tennis, brings energy and excitement to the program. With more than 25 years of playing and coaching experience and an unmatched competitiveness, David has quickly become one of the driving forces behind Point Set’s Junior Development Program.

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.

Year, Jay is the Director of Tennis at Sportime Kings Park. Todd Widom Todd Widom is a former Top 200 ATP Professional in both singles and doubles, and Owner of TW Tennis, South Florida’s top small group/private tennis training geared exclusively for the highperformance junior, collegiate or professional tennis player.

Kat Sorokko Kat Sorokko is the Director of Player Development/Tournament Director at Sportime Syosset. She is a former top national junior player out of Queens, and would go on to play four years at Brown University, graduating with a BA in organizational behavior before getting her master’s degree in sport management from Columbia University. She has previously worked at the USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center, Gotham Tennis and NYJTL. She joined Sportime/JMTA in 2013. 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

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Coaches Roundtable Discussion The roundtable ...

What is the most effective type of fitness regimen for tennis players? Carl Barnett: Many of my students are training twice a week. We focus on core, strength and flexibility. Lastly, speed and agility off the court and extended point play on the court for endurance are areas we focus on. Ben Marks: This definitely depends on the age and the physical development of the player. At a young age, I strongly encourage playing a variety of sports to develop all around coordination and athleticism. Introducing footwork drills and tennis-related movements in a fun environment can help our young tennis players begin to accelerate their on-court movement and fitness, and give them a great base to work from. As players become more physically advanced and develop a combination of gym work (strength training, stabilization work, flexibility work), on-court footwork drills and speed training, injury prevention work is very effective. Pro players are all very strong and stable in their lower bodies and core, and have very strong, lean and flexible upper bodies. Roger Federer has made comments how every morning, he starts with 30 minutes of stretching before he does anything else. This could be one of many reasons why he has managed to 48

avoid some of the injuries that have plagued other top players through the years. Kat Sorokko: I think the most effective type of fitness regimen is any workout that works on your fast twitch muscles and footwork. My personal favorite, which has become very popular on the WTA Tour, is boxing. You also cannot forget about the classics, like jump-rope and medicine ball for your core and technique.

How do you think 10U Tennis is progressing? How has it impacted juniors over the past few years? Ricky Becker: I’ve been pretty public about this. I am very against the whole progression/low compression ball/small court process. After I wrote an article against 10U Tennis, the USTA was kind enough to invite me up to their offices in Westchester to have lunch discussing it. We basically agreed to disagree. What I commonly hear is that children don’t want to get stuck in the progression and they either wait until 11-years-old to play tournaments or don’t play tournaments at all. The most invested kids will play through it just so they can get to 12s, but the others shy away it seems.

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Butch Seewagen: I think 10U Tennis is progressing at an impressive rate. With shorter courts, slower balls and ageappropriate rackets, more children can play this difficult sport. With their success comes further enjoyment and a desire to continue playing tennis. From what I see, there is less resistance from coaches to use the slower balls and better support to get even younger students playing. With a larger base of players, we will eventually increase the number of players reaching the higher levels in the sport. Jason Wass: 10U Tennis is better than ever, mainly because coaches and parents are now more educated on the process. The implementation of the USTA’s Youth Progression Pathway has really helped people who are just starting to compete, and the 10U progressions fit nicely within this system. I think it is a positive for juniors as they can play tennis that fits their size right away. I’ve seen more players staying involved in the sport, and ultimately, that is what matters. If they no longer want to continue in our sport, that’s a bigger problem.

Do you feel more is learned from wins or from losses? David Nisenson: I think there is an argument for both. Reflecting after a loss

2017 LONG ISLAND TENNIS MAGAZINE’S

Coaches Roundtable Discussion can force a player to look within and learn from their mistakes. Every player has to recognize that there is little success without first experiencing failure. On the flip side, recognizing what was successful during a match can prove to be an invaluable lesson in the future. Jason Wass: Players learn every time they get the chance to compete. Of course, as much as everyone wants to win, they can often learn a ton by failing.

How does a parent know if their coach is getting the most out of their child’s ability? Steve Kaplan: The goal of a coach is to help each player develop to be the very

best they can be. Here are some simple assessments that parents can focus on to evaluate if their child is on the path to actualization. With the help of a coach, the player: Enjoys tennis as both a physical activity and as a learning opportunity; Integrates off-court abilities and experiences to on-the-court play; Is motivated and confident in their ability to improve in tennis through hard work and perseverance; Recognizes their unique path to ultimate tennis success; Develops and plays a style of game that is consistent with their personality traits; Develops and plays a style of game that is synergistic with their physical attributes; Has a strong studentmentor coaching bond based on mutual respect and open communication; Is emotionally grounded, humble, ambitious

and undaunted by failure; Is intellectually curious, and as a result, is hungry to improve their skills, tactics and fitness protocols; and Is physically, mentally and emotionally resilient, and injury resistant. Greg Lumpkin: There is much gray area when talking about maximizing a player’s potential. The key is to find a coach who cares about your child. A good teaching pro will give you a great one-hour lesson, but a coach will adapt to the player’s personality and learning style. A coach will go the extra mile. He or she will attend local tournaments, help create a tournament schedule, have a development plan, communicate with parents, and be involved in anything else related to the tennis.

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Coaches Roundtable Discussion Ben Marks: This is a very tough question to answer. I don’t think a parent will ever know if that is the case or not. Did Rafa know that his Uncle Tony Nadal was getting “the most” out of his ability? Will we ever know? All we know is they worked extremely well together and Rafa has become one of the all-time greats. A parent should look for the following things from their coach: The ability to ensure their child enjoys the game, works hard and every time their child leaves the court, they have learned and improved upon something that day. If a player can improve some aspect of their game every time they step on the court, no matter how small, week by week and year by year, they will see dramatic results. Todd Widom: The child should feel like they are being challenged when they are in a training session. The junior player should feel and see that they are improving certain aspects of their game that is going to help them achieve their goals. Lastly, there is TennisRecruiting.net and Universal Tennis Rating which are excellent tools to see if your child is progressing in terms of their tennis tournament results. Results never lie.

What is a parent’s role in their child’s training? What are some common mistakes you see from parents? Carl Barnett: The most important role of a parent is to provide emotional support … watch, encourage and minimize stress. Organize, drive and never resent their child’s tennis. Common errors are feeling compelled to be the coach. Your emotional support will resonate better when you’re not breaking down and criticizing your child’s game. Lastly, 50

often a parent’s zeal for the game will leave your child feeling it’s more important to you. This rarely ends well. Ricky Becker: The parental role is a huge one. They need to be as invested as the child with not just money, but time. They should know the USTA points system, what it takes to get into different tournaments and be on top of scheduling. Kids need to be independent for sure, but parents should almost be a consultant in these areas. I think parents should provide feedback to the coach on what they see when the coach is not there but should not interfere during the lesson. Also parents should be proactive about coaches and clubs to help with getting them started into tournaments. Don’t assume the club will come to you! Lisa Dodson: Initially, find a good, reputable coach who will provide structure while having fun. If a child wants to take it further, provide regular instruction (as appropriate). The parent simply supports the child in their endeavor with structure, encouragement and organization. Parents show interest, but don’t coach and micro-manage, constantly ask how their lesson was or if they won a practice match. This is what should happen at all levels of play.

How do you prepare a junior player to be mentally tougher on the court? Richard Bowie: I try to instill a competitive mindset in my players during open practices. Survival is an innate quality I try to bring out of the player in sessions, to translate in competition. Great competitors tend to turn on the focus at key moments and handle the mental pressures and stress better.

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Vinicius Carmo: The preparation comes from daily habits that coaches implement in the routine of training such as: Determination and being goal-focused, sticking with the plan under pressure and always striving for the goals; Toughness in embracing challenges and going all in with everything we have; Resiliency and the ability to bounce back when struggling; Engagement and immersing at the moment; Confidence in believing in themselves; and Happiness in doing what they love and enjoying every moment. Lisa Dodson: Encourage them how to be well-rounded, self-sufficient and sure of their ability to produce dependable strokes. Then, they can concentrate on how to form and change strategy. A shaky stroke is always somewhere in the back of a player’s mind and ready to become a negative factor when the going gets tough. If any player has a firm confidence in their technical ability, then they will naturally have a path to become mentally more secure. Butch Seewagen: To compete more effectively, I tell students what my coach, Sammy Giammalva from Rice University, told me: “It’s easier to find an excuse to lose (checking out) than to find an excuse to win (checking in).” I think that if a player focuses on competing until the end and keeping the focus on execution and smart tactics, winning will take care of itself.

How would you describe the current state of tennis on Long Island? What are the pros and cons? Ricky Becker: The fabric has really changed a lot with clubs getting more aggressive in recruiting players and coaches from other clubs. I think this is both positive and negative. Firstly, on the

2017 LONG ISLAND TENNIS MAGAZINE’S

Coaches Roundtable Discussion positive side, it seems like in the battle to get good players, clubs are giving away more things for free like tournament travel expenses and groups that a lot of the same level of players weren’t getting in the past, so for the players, that’s great! On the negative side, it does harbor a negative spirit between the clubs and can come off as not very classy. Steve Kaplan: As tennis is strongly ingrained in culture, the quality of facilities, programs, coaches and players is at a very high level and that is the biggest “pro” of tennis in this area. We have great resources to further and grow the game. This same question, when asked in this publication previously, was used by some respondents as an

opportunity for competitive selfpromotion, rather than reflection and that, in many ways, characterizes the biggest “con” of tennis in the local area. When we focus on the quality of the services we deliver and how we are unique, rather than on attempting to convince the market that WE are the only club, program or person qualified, the fragmentation and hard sell that turns many people away from the sport and harms us all will lessen. I don’t expect that we will all work together anytime soon, but I hope we all share the same common goal to ascend the sport. Ben Marks: I think there are a lot of options out there now in terms of clubs and programs for players to participate in

which is a great thing. Competition will always raise the bar for players and clubs alike. I still would like to see more participation at lower and younger levels of the game. Tournaments are a great way to really see what works and what needs to improve. Too many players and parents put a strong emphasis on results, so maybe don’t play as many matches as they should as they don’t feel ready to win. Players shouldn’t be afraid to play a tournament and lose, as long as it is approached with the right attitude. My players who play tournaments will always go on with a goal and something that they need to focus on during their matches. At the younger ages, playing “the right way” (for your game) is more important than wins and losses. In the long run, these

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Coaches Roundtable Discussion players will blow past the players focused solely on winning. Jason Wass: Long Island has an amazing group of people involved in the game. Long Island Tennis Magazine brings a ton of awareness and exposure to the sport that other areas don’t have. I believe we need to embrace more opportunities to get players started in the game at a younger age. Ideally, we as coaches can find ways to work with schools to offer more play within their current curriculum

Do you think it’s beneficial for kids to play multiple sports growing up? Why or why not? Carl Barnett: Tennis is an individual technique sport. When players at one stage of competition experience less than their opponents in tournament play, it will take that whole stage at least to catch up. A player who starts tournaments in the 12s is already at a disadvantage. Focus and commitment must start early for a tournament player and cannot be in seasonal increments. Vinicius Carmo: I do believe that it is beneficial, but it should not take time away from tennis practices. Coaches today should also implement other physical exercises that will supplement tennis players. The fitness could be playing soccer, baseball or playing flag football. Tennis today is different than 10 or 20 years ago, as today, it is much more competitive and physical. Ed Krass: I think it is important that our young tennis players get exposed to playing at least one other sport in their formative years, ages 10-13. I know that I played flag football, JV basketball and Little League baseball, leading up to 52

playing tennis full-time at the age of 14 going forward. I do think that the athletic skills one develops playing other sports can help transfer over to tennis. However, with tournament tennis being such a demanding and technical game, one should think about “specializing” in the sport at around the ages of 13 or 14, as the quantity of time invested will often dictate the type of quality results a junior player will receive. Kat Sorokko: I think it is crucial for kids to play multiple sports growing up. Playing a sport improves your overall athleticism. From my own personal experience, playing soccer and running cross-country really helped me in my development as a tennis player. Additionally, my 16-year-old sister who has had great success nationally and is now with the ITF, has been horseback riding since she was a toddler. I credit her calmness and mental toughness on the tennis court to her ability to control a horse and not panic.

Do you think top juniors should play for their high school varsity teams? Richard Bowie: I think playing varsity is a great experience for top players, as it helps with life skills and introduces the team element that many will be exposed to in college. Some of my best juniors have found success playing in Nassau County Championships, and value that experience dearly. Greg Lumpkin: At JMTA, we encourage our top juniors to play for their high school teams as long as the high school coach is flexible and understanding about the schedule. We work with athletic directors and coaches to ensure the player’s training and tournament schedule stay on the right track. High

Long Island Tennis Magazine • November/December 2017 • LITennisMag.com

school tennis is a great team and social experience, so we don’t want to take that away from a player who has that opportunity and the ability to balance academics and family life with the demands of the tennis schedule. Ben Marks: This is a question without a straightforward answer. It comes down to the individual and their high school coach finding a balance between the two. I coached the Cold Spring Harbor Boys Varsity Team for three years. I was fortunate that I was able to coach players who have reached the top 100 in their age groups in the country and have gone on to play DI college tennis, yet still wanted to represent our team. I believe that playing in these high pressure matches was fantastic for their development as players and future college athletes. I believe, however, that high performance players cannot give up their individual tennis completely during the high school season, like many coaches require, without causing harm to their games and without bad habits creeping in. All of the players on my team were given the option to attend one or two private lessons/groups during the week instead of coming to every high school practice. This was a great compromise for all of our players, and the only way high school tennis can still attract the best juniors in the country. High school tennis provides huge benefits, including playing under pressure, playing as part of team, dealing with many unusual conditions, etc., but it cannot provide our juniors with the technical help and structure that they need to continue their development like our academies and clubs can. David Nisenson: I strongly believe the camaraderie and relationships built through team sports is a great thing, especially for an individual sport like tennis. However, the reality is, a

2017 LONG ISLAND TENNIS MAGAZINE’S

Coaches Roundtable Discussion tournament player typically stands alone on the team with little competition, and less meaningful practice time. With the increase trend in home-schooling student athletes, I think we will see less and less players on varsity teams.

in the country and another who earned bronze in last year’s B14s Junior Orange Bowl. There is a reason behind the USTA Eastern Section getting a lot of National Junior Endorsement spots, as we have proven to produce high-quality juniors that get results.

you have to leave and find what fits the best. Also, people say all of the time that the weather is better for tennis in Florida. Do you know how many days of practice you miss because of rain? Also, your practice is much shorter when dealing with humidity and warmer temperatures.

There are many options in states like Florida and California to train at full-time academies. What is your best argument for convincing those players to stay home and train in New York? Richard Bowie: I think we are doing a great job here with our players in New York. At Christopher Morley, we have arguably one of the best 16 & Under boys

Vinicius Carmo: The Eastern Section is one of the strongest Sections in the country. There is enough competition and we have good academies with schools in the Eastern Section. The academy schools, in general, are also better up north. I don’t advise anyone to leave home and their parents at an early age if you can find a good tennis academy and school close by. Of course, if you don’t have a good school or academy around,

Kat Sorokko: Stay close to your family and train full-time in New York! There are many amazing academies right here in the TriState area. In fact, that is one of the main reasons I joined John McEnroe Tennis Academy and have been there for five years. JMTA offers the same high-intensity training and high level of players as the top academies in Florida and California. I think the idea of going to warmer weather to train is outdated. Nowadays, you are

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2017 LONG ISLAND TENNIS MAGAZINE’S

Coaches Roundtable Discussion seeing the top players coming from the East Coast, and even our own Eastern Section. I think that the talented and devoted coaches we have here in the Northeastern United States is a big reason you are seeing such success from our players.

What effect do you think the recent success of the American women at the U.S. Open will have on American tennis? Lisa Dodson: Hopefully, this success will inspire more coaches to teach women a varied and effective game, rather than just standing them on the baseline to see who can hit better groundstrokes. The rest of the world has been working on this for ages. The current top women are serving more effectively and have more variety, along with power and speed from the baseline. They are being encouraged to use their athleticism, speed and smarts to play a more well-rounded game. As it should be. Ed Krass: The recent success of our American women at the U.S. Open was very inspiring to see! I think that these amazing results show our American women (and men) that if a player has great motivation, talent and opportunity, that the sky could be the limit! Any time an American player wins a Grand Slam, it’s reassuring to know that our country’s top players are truly the best in the world! David Nisenson: I think it will have a huge positive effect. I thought the allAmerican semifinals were extremely exciting for U.S. tennis. I expect that watching those four American women have such success will continue to groom the sport in this country. 54

Butch Seewagen: I think the success of American women can only help motivate many young players to be just like them. Every youngster has someone they look up to for inspiration. A surplus of great American women tennis stars can only excite many more to be great, as well.

The USTA has officially launched its Net Generation initiative. What would you like to see from it to help grow and mold the next generation of tennis players in our area? Steve Kaplan: Let’s face it … initiatives have come and gone, and most have failed. I hope Net Generation is able to unify the tennis brand in a comprehensive and user-friendly approach to appeal to the next generation of tennis participants. It’s a clever name and an ambitious marketing idea, but its success will be the result of execution and support given to this program. Many previous attempts at unifying and promoting the brand have been stalled by an overly bureaucratic and disconnected program rollout. I hope that this program will avoid pitfalls like a narrow and unrealistic agenda, as well as an unwillingness to adapt that were some of the causes of previouslyfailed initiatives. Jason Wass: Anything that the USTA can do to get kids playing and having “Great Tennis Experiences” is a plus, I thought the presence at the U.S. Open was great, and any opportunities to make tennis the “place to be” would be great. I believe the schools portion of the program is one of the most important areas of impact. From what I’ve seen, the USTA is making a significant investment in these areas.

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Todd Widom: The Net Generation Initiative sounds like a great way to bring young tennis players of all skill levels together to promote a healthy competitive environment. This program may be able to mold some great kids in the New York area into tennis players who may have otherwise not had these resources. I would love to see more young kids playing tennis and continue to play tennis throughout their junior tennis career and on into college.

What are some tips to help a high-level player secure a college scholarship? Ricky Becker: For starters ... win matches and have a high TennisRecruiting.net, ITF or UTR ranking. That’s the number that everything gets built around. After that, be proactive in contacting schools that you know, and if they want you to play a tournament or go to a showcase, do it! The other thing is don’t put all of your eggs into one school’s basket. Even if you are dead set on going somewhere, approach it like you want to secure scholarships at other schools because if the school you want doesn’t work out, you are starting from square one and someone else may have taken your scholarship already! Steve Kaplan: The road to a college tennis scholarship is best traveled by demonstrating the value that you bring to a school. While this is primarily demonstrated by playing ability and ranking, there are attributes that go beyond the numbers and some are briefly listed below: Establish a long, strong record of tournament participation, success and achievement; Display athleticism and versatility as a singles and doubles player; Tend to your health and well-being with a record and emphasis on

2017 LONG ISLAND TENNIS MAGAZINE’S

Coaches Roundtable Discussion being illness- and injury-resistant, fit and well-conditioned; Achieve a record of academic participation, success, achievement and improvement; Recognize the value of team and community orientation with an emphasis on using your abilities to help others; Have personal integrity and a reputation for competitive, as well as, fair play; Demonstrate personal independence as well as self-responsibility; Show a desire to improve and grow so that coaches feel you will improve and inspire others, rather than merely using your tennis to leverage admission and money. Ed Krass: For a high-level junior player to secure a college tennis scholarship, they must be tremendously dedicated to

achieve at the highest level. The topics of setting goals, creating your vision, making a game plan for achievement, alongside getting exposure to top college coaches will all help in a player’s goal to receiving a college tennis scholarship. Greg Lumpkin: TennisRecruiting.net and Universal Tennis Ratings play a major role in getting scholarships, so it’s very important to play a good tournament schedule. Players will want to be playing strong competitive tennis, while still winning at about a 2:1 ratio. College showcases, recruiting combines, and DVDs are great way to get on a coach’s radar as well. Communication is key. Do not be afraid to reach out to schools you and your child are interested in.

Todd Widom: The best tip I can tell you is to peak and play your best tennis when you are 16- to 18-years-old. To do this, you and your coach need to be organized about the development process, make sure you are playing in the correct tournaments, and perform well at those tournaments. Of course, make sure to do well in the classroom as well.

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Kevin Anderson: The 6’8” Nightmare By Todd Widom any people have their opinions of how someone became so good on the ATP Tour and then there are those who played and saw the progression of how someone became such a great tennis player. I am not sure if I was fortunate or unfortunate to have played Kevin Anderson five times on the ATP Tour. I was 0-5 against the big South African and most of those matches, I felt coming off the court that I played an excellent match, but unfortunately lost. You see, the margins in tennis are so slim at the professional level that one ball missed at a bad time will cost you the set. I played Kevin between 2006-2009 in a number of places: Champaign Ill.; Winnetka Ill.; Cincinnati, Ohio; Louisville, Ky.; and Granby, Canada. Of the 12 sets we played in those five matches, six of the sets went to either 7-6 or 7-5. In the Cincinnati Masters match, I already lost to Kevin twice at that point, so I knew what was coming at me. At under six-feet tall, the shorter player usually has a disadvantage in tie-breakers

due to serving, I won the first set tiebreaker, only to go on to lose the second set 2-6. I looked up at the scoreboard and realized that Kevin had served 92 percent first serves that set. I thought to myself, “Good luck breaking his serve!” In the third set, I had break point and had a high fore-

Long Island Tennis Magazine • November/December 2017 • LITennisMag.com

hand to put away, I ripped it for a winner and it just hit the top of the net, but did not go in. Kevin played a couple of good return points in the third set tie-breaker, and I went home unhappy again for the third time. Later that year, I played Kevin in Louisville on a lightning-fast indoor court.

I thought that this time, I should try slicing returns to try and somehow get the point started on his serve. It was a good match. Kevin went back to his hotel with a smile on his face. I lost 5-7 in the third set. I played Kevin one more time, in Canada and lost 6-7, 5-7. It is difficult playing someone serving 140 mph coming from a 6’8” frame. Watching 20 aces go by you in a match is

tough. The basis of this article is about how Kevin evolved into one of the best tennis players on the planet. When I played Kevin, I felt like, from the baseline, I was dominating him groundstroke for groundstroke. His amazing serve kept him in the matches that we played against one another and it should be that way considering his size. His groundstrokes were solid, but he was defensive

from the baseline which is not normal for a guy his size. In amateur tennis (junior and college tennis), you can win many matches playing good solid tennis. However, at the highest level of tennis, you have to apply pressure, hurt people with your weapons, and force the opponent into making errors due to the quality of your groundstrokes. I always thought that if Kevin could take the ball earlier, play a bit closer to the baseline, and develop a great transition game coming towards the net, he could be an amazing player. This is what you saw at the 2017 U.S. Open. I have been seeing it for some years now, but it really came together at the biggest professional tennis tournament in the world. Kevin was and obviously still is very professional about how he goes about his daily work. I saw this from when we were playing because he was very disciplined about his profession. Kevin is a great person and kudos to him for making the necessary adjustments and finding the right people to take his game all the way to the top of the professional tennis world. Todd Widom is a former top 200 ATP professional in both singles and doubles, and owner of TW Tennis, South Florida’s top small group/private tennis training geared exclusively for the high-performance junior, collegiate or professional tennis player. Todd may be reached by e-mail at Todd@TWTennis.com or visit TWTennis.com.

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Battle of the Sexes By Steve Kaplan

ost major sports have been the subject of great movies. For example, baseball has “The Natural,” boxing has “Rocky” and “Raging Bull,” basketball has “Hoosiers,” and running has “Chariots of Fire.” Even the low budget film, “Slap Shot” is a hilari-

ous take on hockey to name a few. With “Battle of the Sexes,” tennis now has an entry onto the list of first-rate films in an uplifting, if overly plastic and politically correct, treatment of American culture in 1973. This story of the epic match between 29-year-old Billie Jean King and 55-year-old Bobby Riggs changed tennis, the role of women in sports and the entire feminist movement. Almost 45 years later, the event’s enormous cul-

Long Island Tennis Magazine • November/December 2017 • LITennisMag.com

tural impact is felt worldwide. As a piece of entertainment, this is a fast-paced, satisfying and highly entertaining movie. My acid test for evaluating if my trip to the theater was worthwhile is to reflect after a movie and ask, “Should I have stayed home and waited for this to come to Netflix?” My $14 was well spent to see this movie because as a lifelong advocate of the value of sports and tennis as a way

to ascend in life, I enjoyed seeing this story unfold on the big screen. This is not a movie without major flaws however. Emma Stone as King; Steve Carell as Riggs; Sarah Silverman as World Tennis Magazine Editor Gladys Heldman; and Bill Pullman as tennis great, turned tennis executive, Jack Kramer are gleefully cartoon like in their exaggerated performances. The movie portrays male chauvinists as ultra-villains, and feminists as heroes fighting a brave and righteous fight. While I don’t disagree with Directors Jonathon Dayton and Valerie Faris and screenwriter Simon Beaufoy’s politically progressive agenda, their vision contains little complexity. One thing that is not up for debate is the recognition that Billie Jean King is a true American hero. She risked her personal life and professional reputation to further gay rights and women’s rights. Her efforts mattered. It was a monumental task to fight one of these battles and a staggering achievement to be a vital catalyst to further both

causes. Let’s not forget however that Bobby Riggs was more than a foil to King and social justice. He was a three-time singles Grand Slam Champion, number one in the world for three years and the world’s best tennis hustler. Maybe he was an angry misogynist on the wrong side of history or maybe he was as crazy as a fox? I like to think the latter. Rumors have been floating around for years that Riggs, after beating the world’s number one ranked woman, Margaret Court, 6-2, 6-1 in the socalled “Mother’s Day Massacre,” set out to consummate his greatest hustle. He willingly played the role of the selfproclaimed “Male Chauvinist Pig,” forming the tongue-in-cheek group “Riggs Pigs” to spark interest, debate and betting action. He then bet against himself as King was a large underdog so the payoff would be huge. Since this was not a “real” sporting event but a mere exhibition, it’s hard to accuse him of sports fixing. You cannot fix performance art … can you? The movie

doesn’t address this rumor, and while it is a fascinating footnote, it doesn’t diminish the societal impact of this match. This is an important and exhilarating movie, and it’s about time that a major motion picture recognized Billie Jean King as the brave towering champion of women’s sports and social justice that she has well earned. You may not be convinced that the events and performances are accurate in “Battle of the Sexes,” but you will not be disappointed with its message or bored with the content of the film. Steve 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.

LITennisMag.com • November/December 2017 • Long Island Tennis Magazine

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

The year 2017 proved to be a very good year for the Long Island USTA Adult League teams. We had five teams win at

the Sectional Championships advance to the National Championships! Job well done!

The 18 & Over 3.5 Women’s Team from Carefree, captained by Caryn Gallitto and AnnMarie Conniff The 18 & Over 4.0 Men’s Team from Sportime Lynbrook, captained by Gabe Moreira and Miguel Gordon

The 40 & Over 4.0 Men’s Team from Carefree, captained by Alex Havriliak 60

The 40 & Over 4.5 Men’s Team from Sportime Syosset, captained by Andy Ross

Long Island Tennis Magazine • November/December 2017 • LITennisMag.com

The 55 & Over 7.0 Women’s Team from Huntington Indoor Tennis, captained by Andrea Woods

The 55 & Over 8.0 Women’s Team from Christopher Morley, captained by Sharon Melville

The 65 & Over Women’s Team from Sportime Lynbrook, led by captain Leslie Wecksler and Pat Molloy

The 55 & Over 7.0 Men’s team from Bethpage Park, led by captain Jim Lowell We wish all the teams luck and a great time at Nationals! The Tri-Level League is underway with matches playing until mid-December. The winning men’s team and the winning women’s team will advance to the Sectional Playoffs in Westchester, N.Y., the weekend of Jan. 20-21, 2018. Next thing up is the Mixed Doubles Leagues. We will be running both the 18 & Over and the 40 & Over Leagues from January to May. The League is based on combined ratings of 6.0 (a 2.5 & 3.5, or two 3.0 players); 7.0 (a 3.0 & 4.0, or two 3.5 players); 8.0 (a 3.5 & 4.5, or two 4.0 players); 9.0 (a 4.0 & 5.0, or two 4.5 players); and 10.0 (a 4.5 & 5.5, or two 5.0 players). The weekends that we schedule matches

The 55 & Over 8.0 Men’s Team from Sportime Syosset, co-captained by Raj Nagdev and Sachel Badlani for the 18 & Over 6.0, 8.0 & 10.0, we will have the 40 & Over 7.0 & 9.0 playing the same weekend to avoid conflict as much as possible. If anyone is interested in captaining a team, you must let me know by e-mailing KathyM65@aol.com by Wednesday, Nov. 15. If you are looking to join a team, let me know and I will pass on your name and contact info to teams that need players. Looking forward to a great Tri-Level and Mixed USTA season! 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.

LITennisMag.com • November/December 2017 • Long Island Tennis Magazine

Okay! Hereâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s the Situation ... By Luke Jensen etâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s get the tennis ball rolling into a new you on the tennis court! A new approach to a tactical you and how about the Americans at a red white and blue 2017 U.S. Open?! As usual, I am pumped up about a new edition to the Jensen Zone. So many things to cover, but I can only do it in so many words. I have been developing an idea for players who go into the arena against a steadier opponent or more experienced team. If you play their game, they will beat you. Maybe your game is their game and they just do it better than you.

I may have the best formula to attack and even best that type of opponent. Our game is pretty straightforward â&#x20AC;Ś players that hold serve and break serve win. Digging deeper into that is the critical 15-30 point. Players who can capitalize in that scenario win the close matches. Imagine if you could be that server that can get out of a 15-30 jam and hold serve. How about you are returning at 15-30 and can jump on your opponent and get the break of serve? I have always loved watching matches at all levels of play because no matter what skill level, from Wimbledon champion to lower more recreational tennis, the match is always won and lost in how players succeed and fail in situations. I call it situational tennis.

Now how do you play in certain situations? How do you start a match? What kind of adjustments to do you make if any at all through the first set. How do you finish sets? How do you start the next set? Finally â&#x20AC;Ś how do you close out a match? I didnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t even get into how you play when you are down a break or even a set and a break. Letâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s stick with a situation where you find out pretty early on in the contest you donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t have your stuff. You quickly find that your current level of play is just is not going to be enough to win. In this case, I present you with â&#x20AC;&#x153;The Disrupter Strategy.â&#x20AC;? When you use the word â&#x20AC;&#x153;disrupter,â&#x20AC;? what comes to mind? A trouble maker, unpredictable and a nuisance? Yes â&#x20AC;Ś all of the above! I knew in certain match ups

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that I needed to be that disrupter to give myself the very best chance to win. Now that meant playing a game that is completely opposite of what my opponent wants to play. Tennis players like rhythm and getting in a groove. Well today, you are going to be the antigroove and rhythmic player. Anything you can do to disrupt the other side. So, okay, here we go … Set up a battle plan where you try a different tactical approach on every point. Maybe start with a drop shot as soon as the opportunity presents itself. Then, on the next point, try a moon ball high to the back hand and see what kind of reply your opponent has to the high ball. Then a serve and volley or SABR blitz play where you come to the net on a short ball. You could then combine a series of shots from one topspin to one underspin through the rally. Maybe go cross-court the entire point, followed by going down the line the entire next point. So many ways to throw off the other side. Once you have tried all of these plays in the first couple of

games, remind yourself to see what works. If you find something that wins you the point … KEEP DOING IT! Playing disruptive tennis can be creative and fun. You will explore new areas of your game and expand your shot selection. You never know when a situation will come up and you will need a unique play to help you win the big point that makes the difference between chump and champ! Now, for a little bit on the Americans at the 2017 U.S. Open … If you had a crystal ball and saw such a great run by the Stars and Stripes, I hope you cashed in because there was always hope that we had enough talent to turn the corner, but wow! Four amazing American women in the semis and one was not Serena! They all played with such great courage and confidence. I’m so happy for them and the future of American tennis. There is always promise, but until there is confidence and courage, talent will never be enough. Sloane is such a gracious champion, and the way she was more

concerned about her friend Madison Keys impressed me so much. When the moment was all about Sloane and all Sloane wanted to do is give her friend a hug, that shows enormous personal character in my book. Madison Keys will learn from a bad match in the finals, but building off a great run to get there, she will win her Slam down the road. I will never forget how American tennis power flexed its muscle in the 2017 U.S. Open and declared to the tennis world that the American charge is on! See you on the courts! 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.

LITennisMag.com • November/December 2017 • Long Island Tennis Magazine

A Mental Gym for Athletes

A Mental Gym for Athletes By Dr. Tom Ferraro very serious athlete is familiar with the gym and all its equipment. There are treadmills, stair masters, elliptical machines, medicine balls, punching bags, dumbbells, barbells, kettle bells, balance machines, TRX rooms and much more. You work out every day, you get stronger, and naturally, you play better. This is obvious. So where on Earth is a mental gym with its own machines to give your mind a workout in order to be stronger emotionally? Well, to date, there is no such thing as a mental gym, and I can guarantee you that the first guy to invent one is going to get rich. Every athlete I know, whether they are willing to admit it or not, needs to develop mental and emotional strength or what I like to call “character.” Tennis players, football players, golfers, boxers … you name it, they all need to develop character, courage, focus, pain tolerance, forgiveness, aggression and a desire to win. So here are my suggestions on areas to focus on when I build that mental gym.

Station #1: The Dream Machine Equipment: A couch The drill: Spend time with the athlete asking them to talk about their big goals in sports. Tiger Woods placed a picture of Jack Nicklaus on his bedroom wall when he was five-years-old and dreamt about being more successful than Jack. When the athlete envisions their dream, go find a photo which represents that dream and post in on the wall to look at every day. Station #2: The Focus Machine Equipment: Blinkers The drill: The blinkers are merely a symbol of how one must train your mind to stay in the present. The run of the mill sport psychologist will tell the athlete to “stick to the process, not the results.” Or better yet, to “stay in the moment,” yet will have a hard time teaching the athlete exactly how to do this. If you are two serves away from match point, it’s easy to get ahead of yourself, get over anxious and grow

Long Island Tennis Magazine • November/December 2017 • LITennisMag.com

cautious. The field of psychoanalysis provides the only theory which addresses this issue. They call it “defense mechanisms,” which include repression, suppression and compartmentalization. The athlete must come to realize that fantasies about winning will creep in and be trained to use suppression and compartmentalization in order to return to the present. The way this occurs is by pointing out times when focus was lost and then teaching corrections and self-talk in order to prepare the athlete for the next time. Station #3: The Forgiveness Machine Equipment: A band aid The drill: Harsh self-attack and perfectionism are very common problems in sports, and the athlete often does not realize just how hard they are on themselves. They often feel that they deserve to be punished for making mistakes. Once again, the drill for this is to talk about how previous mistakes were met with self-attack, to understand where this tendency comes from

and to have the therapist demonstrate a more forgiving attitude. A band aid is a good symbol of this and can even be worn as a reminder of self-forgiveness. Station #4: Self-Belief Machine Equipment: A mirror The drill: Have the therapist ask the player to recall all of their highest achievements and write them down on a piece of paper. Then, have them look in the mirror and tell themselves just how talented they really are. Your most significant achievements are often symbolized by trophies and that is why it is a good idea to keep your trophies shined up and in a place of prominence. Sports can often shake one’s sense of confidence, and it is wise to have a daily process which reminds you of your true talent. Station #5: The Winning Machine Equipment: Ear plugs Drill: The athlete must remain cool, calm

and quiet in order to defeat their opponent. An internal focus allows one to tap into a feeling of being separate from the opponents in order to win. Bjorn Borg was perhaps the best at this. He played like an ice man. Nothing got into this head. Station #6: The Terminator Machine Equipment: A video tape of Chrissy Evert walking with shoulders back and head held high The Drill: Instruction in body language and how to walk tall and with pride. Research done by George Kelly shows that when you walk with pride, you actually begin to feel proud and dominant. This attitude helps both in sports and in business. Our family attorney was Leon Hirshbaum, and I was always amazed at how he carried himself in the courtroom. He was the very image of confidence, as he strutted about with his shoulders back and head held high. He really did look like a terminator.

Station #7: The Aggression Machine Equipment: Boxing gloves The drill: Tiger Woods’ parents told him two things: First, he must get straight A’s in school if he wanted to play golf; and second, he was given permission to “Go out there and kill them all.” His mom and his father, who was a Green Beret, had given him full permission to be aggressive. That was one of the reasons he became the biggest winning and wealthiest athlete of all time. All athletes need permission to be aggressive. Light training with the punching bag can help get you in touch with your aggression. So there you have it. Seven machines and seven training stations that will build character and mental strength in an athlete. No one has built it yet, but some day, someone will … I promise. 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.

LITennisMag.com • November/December 2017 • Long Island Tennis Magazine

The Doctor’s Prescription:

Play Tennis By Barbara Wyatt uring tryouts for a high school basketball team, the coach tactfully pulled a young student aside and said, “Perhaps you should try tennis.” The young man hung his head in despair, but picked up a tennis racket and turned the rejection into a winning high school and college tennis career. Greg Smith went on to study under Vic Braden, managed tennis clubs for more than 30 years, and now works privately with students in the United States and Canada. Why do our mentors and friends suggest “try tennis” when we face a challenge, a bad day at work, or rejection from the basketball team? Because it works! Blasting a yellow ball back and forth is good for mind and body, affordable, builds friendships, and can be therapy for a day’s frustrations. The benefits don’t end there.

On June 6, 1944, D-Day, Art Larsen, a young American soldier in the 15th Cavalry, 17th Squadron, landed at Omaha Beach in Normandy. “Out of nowhere, a fleet of bombers began strafing and bombing us,” Larsen said in a quote from Sporting Gentlemen by E. Digby Baltzell (1995). “Our own Air Force had mistaken us for Nazis. Half the troops were killed; ambulances were lined up for miles.” Larsen, a tommy-gunner, survived, but his most of his unit did not. A few months later, Larsen was engaged in a battle in Brittany, France. The Americans used air support and firepower to force the Germans out of the city of Brest, a key port held by the Germans and needed to provision Allied troops. To defend their position, the Germans had stockpiled ammunition and entrenched troops throughout the city. Larsen’s unit had to advance houseto-house in intense fighting. After several months, the Germans surrendered the city, but had rendered the port fa-

cilities useless. The City of Brest was razed to the ground. Larsen was awarded four bronze campaign stars. He had witnessed firsthand the horrors of war over his three years of heavy combat reconnaissance missions. Mental scars ran deep. His doctor prescribed tennis. “I was so nervous and shell-shocked that the exercise in the open air, through tennis, was the only thing that cured me,” said Larsen. Five years later, Art “Tappy” Larsen (1925-2012) won the 1950 U.S. National Championship, the precursor to the U.S. Open, and reached the final of the French Championships (later the French Open) in 1954. He was ranked in the world’s top-10 several times. Larsen earned the nickname “Tappy” because he tapped objects for good luck. When he went through a doorway, he would tap it with his toe—one tap for Monday, two for Tuesday, etc. On the court, he would tap the net, the umpire’s chair, the baseline and opponents. He smiled at birds that flew over the court believing they brought good luck. His eccentricities were tolerated by those who knew of his military service. The tennis court will always be a strong competitive environment for the exceptional athlete. Tennis is also the game that welcomes casual players to stay in shape and enjoy friendships. And it is a refuge for players looking to sort through a day’s challenge, a life’s struggle, or maybe even rejection from the basketball team. RX: Play tennis! Barbara Wyatt is a Writer, Photographer, USTA Official, and Mobile App Developer of iKnowTennis!, the tennis rules app. Her poem, Ode to Tennis, an amusing poem on the joys and frustrations when learning tennis, is available at Amazon. She can be reached by email at BarbaraW@iKnowTennis.com.

Long Island Tennis Magazine • November/December 2017 • LITennisMag.com

junior tennis spotlight

MYTHBUST ERS

Play Too Well in a Lesson? BY R I C K Y BE C K E R

Yes! Yes, you can play too well in a lesson. Think about the best that you have ever played. This was the time that everything seemed easy. The time you felt like you had all the time in the world to hit your shots. The time you almost wanted your opponent to play even better because you wanted to be challenged, and you knew you had the answer. Were you thinking much about the technique of your strokes every time you hit? Each shot you hit, did you think about where the smart place would be to hit your shot? I hope I’m not putting words in your mouth … but no you probably were not. It’s a commonly accepted theory in sports psychology that you play your best in any sport when everything comes naturally and you don’t have to think through things. You are just reacting. The concept of paralysis by analysis is alive. This is where the title of this article comes into play. If you are looking to improve during your lesson, you need to think about what you and your coach are working on. If you are thinking about making a technical improvement during a lesson, you are thinking during your shots. This is not conducive to playing really well, but this is okay! If you play tournaments, school tennis or even in leagues, does it really matter how well you are playing in a lesson? You are trying to acquire and master tools that you can use in competition without having to think about how to do it in competition.

Sometimes, casual junior players or an adult player will say to me, “Okay … now, I’m thinking too much. I’m going to play better if I don’t think,” if they miss a couple shots. I’ll tell them, “You are correct, but you are paying hard-earned money to learn and think about ways to improve that are new. Save the non-thinking for matches! If you really want to improve, you have to get through this point. What does it really matter if you are not playing as well as you can in a lesson? In fact, you are taking a lesson to think about what you are doing on the court. Unless you just wanted cardio or a steady rally ball that a pro can give, is the purpose to think during the lesson?” Speaking for myself, when I played competitively, I almost looked at it as if I was wasting “time in the zone” if I felt this way in a lesson. Yeah, it was fun to hit that point, but since it hasn’t been figured out yet how to be in the zone at all times, I didn’t want to waste my zone time in a lesson where score wasn’t being kept and results weren’t being recorded. The same thing goes for the pre-match warm-up. No, you don’t want to feel sluggish and shank balls all over the place, but you also don’t want to hit your very highest competitive state into the match as it starts. The purpose of the warm-up is to sweat, get your mind focused, maybe practice a few combinations and peak with a few points at the end to get yourself to that point playing peak. I wouldn’t recommend crying after the prematch warm-up or giving a big “Let’s go!”

after the end of the warm-up point session … and yes, I have seen both. Use the warm-up to put you on an even-keel emotionally and re-boot. Don’t ever let the warm-up control your emotions. I’ve seen kids play incredibly well in the warm-up and once things go mildly south during the match, it’s like a punch in the face. I have never seen a correlation between the level of play in the warm-up and the match itself anyway. In groups or playing practice sets against someone, it can be a little different. Depending on where you are with your training and competitive match schedule, it may be good to try and hit the zone. If you play throughout the year, you may want to just let it all hang out on the court and play your best without thinking to practice trying to hit that match zone. Otherwise, these practice sessions are best used by putting what you are practicing into action. If you play more seasonally and are just going out for a team, maybe this period is the week before to go out and “just play.” Good luck getting out there and hitting the zone at the right times! Ricky Becker is the Director of Tennis at Pine Hollow Country Club and independently coaches high-performance juniors throughout the year. As a player, Becker was the Most Valuable Player for the 1996 NCAA Championship Stanford Tennis Team and was ranked top-five nationally as a junior player. He can be reached by e-mail at, call (516) 359-4843 or visit JuniorTennisConsulting.com.

LITennisMag.com • November/December 2017 • Long Island Tennis Magazine

Serena Welcomes Her First Child While her older sister Venus was taking to the court for her U.S. Open thirdround match against Maria Sakkari, Serena Williams and her fiancé Alexis Ohanian welcomed their first child, Alexis Olympia Ohanian Jr., a healthy six pound, 13 ounce baby girl, to the world.

E M I L I E

KAT Z

Date Calls It a Career Kimiko Date has announced her retirement from the WTA Tour as the 46-year-old put an end to her storied career. After her loss to Aleksandra Krunic in the first round of the Japan Open, the Japannative told fans that it would the last time she played professional tennis. “Thank you so much to all tennis fans, and of course, the Japanese fans,” Date said. “Tennis is always a wonderful sport, especially for women. I have enjoyed the tour so much.”

Next Gen Finals to Experiment With Electronic Line Calls

The 2017 ATP Next Gen Finals in November will feature electronic line calling on all lines during the tournament, as the only match official on court will be the Chair Umpire. “This could be a landmark moment for officiating in our sport,” said Gayle David Bradshaw, Executive Vice President of Rules and Competition for the ATP. “Our athletes work incredibly hard, and they deserve the very best and most accurate officiating we can offer. The technology is now in a place where we feel comfortable trialing this new system in a real tournament environment.”

Puig Lends a Hand With Hurricane Maria Relief With the devastation caused by Hurricane Maria, Puerto Rico’s Monica Puig is doing all 68

Long Island Tennis Magazine • November/December 2017 • LITennisMag.com

she can help her home country, starting a YouCaring page to raise money for relief efforts. Her original goal was $25,000, but it soon surpassed that, and to this date, she has raised more than $110,000. Some of her peers, including Maria Sharapova and Nick Kyrgios, contributed to the effort, as Kyrgios pledged to donate $50 for each ace he hits the rest of the season, and Sharapova will donate all profits from her candy company, Sugarpova, from the rest of the year to the fund.

than having a disputed hearing, the ITF accepts that a 12-month reduction is within the range of reasonable outcomes.”

Team Europe Upends Team World for Laver Cup

Rafa Nadal (@RafaelNadal): With my doubles partner @RogerFederer very happy to have played with Roger @LaverCup #TeamEurope

Battle of the Sexes Hits the Big Screen

The much-anticipated “Battle of the Sexes” film has hit theatres, starring Emma Stone as Billie Jean King and Steve Carell as Bobby Riggs, retelling the story of the infamous 1973 showdown. King was extremely pleased with the accuracy in which the film portrayed not just the match, but everything that encompassed the event, both socially and culturally. “I was amazed how close they could come to reality like that,” King said. “They got the essence of the story, they got the essence of our personalities.”

Tweets from the pros

Team Europe defeated Team World in the inaugural Laver Cup earlier this fall. This new event pitted six of the top European players against six top players from the rest of the world in a three-day event with both singles and doubles competitions. Roger Federer, Rafael Nadal, Alex Zverev and John Isner were amongst the names who participated in the exciting new competition.

Sloane Stephens (@SloaneStephens): BEST. DAY. EVER.

Roger Federer (@RogerFederer): We’re basically the same height

Evans Banned a Year by ITF Great Britian’s Dan Evans has been handed a one-year ban for testing positive for cocaine, the ITF announced. The ban is through April 23, 2018. “Mr. Evans is granted credit for his prompt admission,” the ITF’s ruling said. “In all of the circumstances of this case, including the time and expenses saved by reaching an agreed outcome rather

LITennisMag.com • November/December 2017 • Long Island Tennis Magazine

Point Set Serves as Practice Courts for U.S. Open Wheelchair Participants Credit all photos to: Point Set Indoor Tennis

oint Set Indoor Racquet Club in Oceanside, N.Y. served as the practice courts for competitors in the 2017 U.S. Open Wheelchair tournament, continuing its work as one of the leading wheelchair tennis advocates. That mission started nearly 50 years ago when Danny Dwyer, former Co-Owner of Point Set, got a call from a wheelchair athlete who wanted to enter a tennis tourna-

ment. Dwyer made his facility wheelchairaccessible and started hosting one of the country’s first free wheelchair tennis clinics. A decade later, Dwyer founded the National Tennis Association for the Disabled and the international Lichtenberg BuickMazda Wheelchair Tournament, then becoming the USTA’s first Wheelchair Committee Chairman and was one of five people appointed to the International Tennis Federation’s Wheelchair Committee.

Dwyer passed away in 2010, but Point Set has continued his legacy. Each week, the facility hosts a class for students with Multiple Sclerosis, where Tennis Professional Tonny VandePieterman donates his time in honor of Dwyer. “It has been a great experience serving as the practice courts during the U.S. Open,” said Lori Sarnelli, Point Set’s General Manager. “We think Dan Dwyer would have been very proud.”

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Preventing Poor Snacking Choices By Irina Belfer-Lehat RD, CDN all is the busiest time for parents and student-athletes heading back to school as all have a busy schedule and are re-adjusting to the hectic hours. Anxiety, stress and feeling overwhelmed are major factors that affect everyone, especially as the school year progresses and the activities begin to pile up. Planning meals and snacks for kids feels like a full-time job that parents often just don’t have the time for. Everyone knows that eating healthy and staying hydrated will minimize stress and anxiety, yet many parents feel that it’s a monumental task to change the eating habits of their kids and simply fall back on processed, highly-sugared, convenience food. Most schools do not offer nutrition guidelines and healthy snacks to young athletes. Not only will poor nutrition jeopardize your child’s athletic performance, but very often, will cause an increase in injuries. Here are some simple and healthy ideas that can help your athlete to eat better at school: l Cook ahead of the time: Batch cooking works. Preparing food in advance means spending less on eating out, eating healthier, and spending less time cooking and cleaning. l Prepare shopping list with your kids:

Ask them to substitute unhealthy items with healthier choices, such as swapping out sweet yogurt with M&M’s for something more nutritious. l Plan healthy lunches and snacks ahead of the time: Ask your kids to write down what would they like to bring to school. This will minimize arguments during the week. l Read food labels carefully: Pay attention to added sugar, fructose, suand lactose amounts! crose Remember, everything that ends with the letters “OSE” equals “sugar.” l Read the ingredients list: Ingredients are organized by weight in order of the quantity used. The fewer ingre-

dients, the better. If you cannot pronounce the ingredients, don’t bother to eat them. l Focus on quality and not quantity or calories: Often, food companies will label a product “fat free,” but will add extra sugar and chemicals for stability. Be smart, be educated, ask questions, and ask for help. 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.

LITennisMag.com • November/December 2017 • Long Island Tennis Magazine

Competitive Collegiate Tennis What You Really Need To Know About Division III By Lonnie Mitchel I have written about this subject in the past, Division III tennis and reality. I will reiterate this in the strongest way possible. As a Division III tennis coach for both men and women, I am partial to the experience provided to the student/athlete in what is perceived incorrectly by many in the Long Island and New York tennis public. Those young players aspiring to play in college need to understand what they are getting themselves into. I thought I had put this topic to bed a few years ago in some articles previously written. I decided to resurrect this topic after a menâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s tournament of almost all Division I tennis players I had my menâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s players from SUNY Oneonta (Division III) participate in. I recruit players from Long Island, New York City, Upstate New York and other nearby regions. The primary difference between the recruited players from Downstate and Upstate New York is the sense of entitlement that families believe they have in lower New York. The families and tennis academies from the lower region generally believe that their success lies with getting that athletic scholarship and playing Division I is tennis nirvana. I have written about this at great length, and some listen. Others believe they know better than this coach with 32 years of experience. The only Division III institution amongst of field of six Division I programs including Hofstra and Fordham, SUNY Oneonta came away with 12 wins in the event, combining singles and doubles. This is not an advertisement for SUNY Oneonta, but more of an educational piece. The Division III experience provides an integrated environment focusing on ACADEMIC success, while offering a competitive athletics. Nowhere in that definition does it say that the athletics are inferior. There are 183,500 student/athletes nationwide amongst 448 institutions in Division III and 75 percent of all student/athletes receive some form of non-athletics grant or scholarship. The ACADEMIC success rate is over 87 percent in Division III, as opposed to only 81 percent in Division I and even lower in the Division II. I had the opportunity of coaching the Maccabi National USA Team that competed in Israel this past summer. My top male player on that national team was a gentleman from Claremont McKenna College, who was the runner-up national champion in Division III who is now turning pro. The second best player on that squad was a gentleman from UC Davis, a Division I institution. I see examples like this from all over the country.

When Emory University won the DIII National Men’s Tennis Championships in May, each one of those players were recruited by Division I colleges. When you speak to most players about why they attend Division III schools, the majority will answer “the balance between athletics and studies weighted heavily towards academics” as the primary reason they went DIII. The entitlement factor I stated earlier was disproportionately weighted in the downstate demographic. “My son or daughter is going to play Division I” is often heard in a boastful tone as if the lottery was won. While the demographic of very good upstate talent, and I mean very good, although not as many as downstate, are simply proud to be recruited and considered for DIII. What are we doing? Are you really turning your noses up at an institution of higher learning where academics are a huge weighted focus? Folks, get your priorities in order. The microscopic population of Division I tennis players have not played on the pro tour, and an even smaller sampling who did play professionally are competing against not just great tennis players, but world-class athletes will, by and large, have limited success. What they do have though is enormous debt! To enhance my point, in the past several years, I had two players transfer from Division I colleges to Oneonta State. One of them played in the third position at a Division I school, but had to settle for number

five on my squad. The second one played at SUNY Oneonta for one-year and transferred to a Division I institution. He found he had little balance in his life, although he started at the DI college and ultimately decided to transfer back. His comments were, “I played great players in DI, but had little or no time for my academics, so I returned to DIII to play great tennis and enhance my education.” The tennis academies I visit for recruiting purposes in Upstate New York open the door to me to help their junior programs get their students recruited. While many of the Downstate New York academies can actually look down upon a DIII institution as if I was carrying some sort of contagious disease. The fact of the matter is that at some of these downstate so-called “tennis factories,” 80 percent of their students would be challenged to make our DIII squad. The above comments may come across strongly. I am not looking down at DI colleges because there are many great academic institutions promoting higher learning. However, with an 81 percent for DI and a graduation rate of 87 percent (highest of all three divisions), you could very well be discounting a great educational experience at the majority of colleges across the country at DIII (DI 346 schools, DII 314 schools and lowest success of graduation at only 71 percent, DIII 448 schools). Please open your minds and take a look at all three and see what is being offered beyond the tennis. After all, for the major-

ity of collegiate players, it’s not tennis that will be putting food on the table post-graduation. It will be a career away from tennis that will provide you with your livelihood. You will, however, stand out in your career as a former collegiate student/athlete. Your recreational lifestyle that includes tennis will add to your well-being. Your potential employer and/or postgraduate school will be impressed by your student/athlete participation. Your win/loss record will not be relevant, but how you did in your academics and being a student/athlete might be a door opener in the next part of your life. These four years of college are just a small part of your journey, and the most effort you can put in should be the educational portion. In closing, I am not discounting Division I or Division II as a viable choice for tennis players. But what I am saying is this: “An informed and knowledgeable choice gives the best chance for success.” Without including Division III in your menu of choices, you are discounting more than 40 percent of institutions of higher learning representing more than one-third of U.S. colleges. You just might be discounting some of the best academic choices in the country. 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 email LonnieMitchel@yahoo.com.

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LITennisMag.com • November/December 2017 • Long Island Tennis Magazine

Ten Takeaways

From the 2017 U.S. Open By Brian Coleman

he 2017 U.S. Open at the USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center in Flushing Meadows was one that concluded with an improbable run by a first-time Grand Slam winner (Sloane Stephens) and a clinical-like fortnight from a now 16-time Grand Slam champion (Rafael Nadal). But in between, tennis fans were witness to some exciting tennis, even if it sometimes meant staying up past 2:00 a.m. Here are our 10 biggest takeaways from the final Grand Slam of 2017:

1. The American Women For the first time in nearly 40 years, the semifinals at the U.S. Open were made up of four American women: Venus Williams, Madison Keys (pictured here), Coco Vandeweghe and eventual champion Sloane Stephens. It was a remarkable feat considering the absence of Serena Williams, who gave birth to her first child while the tournament was being played, and who has missed the bulk of the year while pregnant. In their home Slam, the American women made a statement, and hopefully something that will become the norm as we move forward into 2018. 74

2. Sloane Stephens It is hard to be hyperbolic when describing the run of Sloane Stephens to the U.S. Open title. Foot surgery sidelined her for first half of the year, and as of early August, she had yet to win a match in 2017. But just a month later, the 24-year-old was standing alone inside Arthur Ashe Stadium hoisting the trophy. She absolutely dismantled Madison Keys in the final, committing just six unforced errors, to complete her unlikely run. “I had surgery Jan. 23. If someone told me then that I’d win the U.S. Open, ‘It’s impossible,’ I would say, ‘It’s absolutely impossible,’” Stephens said. “My journey

Long Island Tennis Magazine • November/December 2017 • LITennisMag.com

to get here, coming back, just being able to keep it all together and have such a great team behind me—this journey’s been incredible. And I honestly wouldn’t change it for the world.” 3. Nadal Bridging the Gap Between Federer and Himself One of the longlasting, and presumably endless, tennis debates is the comparison of Rafael Nadal and Roger Federer, and that conversation was only enhanced in 2017, as the two players split the year’s four Grand Slams. Nadal captured the 16th Grand Slam of his career in Flushing Meadows as he

TEN TAKEAWAYS FROM THE 2017 U.S. OPEN dominated Kevin Anderson in the Men’s Singles Final. He now sits three behind Federer for the most all-time. And while tennis fans were unable to finally see Federer and Nadal play one another at the U.S. Open, they were able to witness one of the all-time greats adding to his resume and continuing a resurgent season. After winning, Nadal said on court what many were thinking: “It’s just unbelievable what happened this year, no?” 4. Third Consecutive All-American Girls Singles Final, Aminsova Beats Gauff Like the Women’s Singles Final, the Girls’ Singles Final would come down to a battle between two Americans, as 15year-old Amanda Anisimova took on 13-year-old Cori Gauff. Anisimova won easily, dropping just two games in 65 minutes for the 6-0, 6-2 victory. It was a glimpse into the future of American tennis with two girls playing high level tennis at such a young age, and we will surely see these two playing for years to come. “This is just amazing,” said Anisimova. “I’m so happy that I won the title.”

5. Del Potro’s Furious Comeback to Beat Thiem The match of the tournament was played by former U.S. Open champion Juan Martin del Potro and Dominic Thiem, an absolutely thrilling affair that went the full five sets and was a microcosm of everything we love about sports: Del Potro, the veteran player who has dealt with injury after injury in recent years, against one of the sport’s top young talents in Thiem, in a clash of two big-hitting players. Thiem won the first two sets as del Potro struggled with a stomach virus. But Del Potro used his bludgeoning forehand and the spirited New York crowd to come all the way back to reach the quarterfinals. “I don’t know what I can say after this big battle,” del Potro said. “I was sick the last two days. I came here trying to play as well as I can. When I saw this crowd cheering for me, my illness cleared up. I was trying to feel better every game. I fight like this because of you guys.”

6. Querrey With Another Solid Run: Is This as Good as It Gets for the American Men? This U.S. Open was finally supposed to be the Grand Slam where an American male broke through to snap the drought. With Novak Djokovic, Stan Wawrinka and Andy Murray all out of the event, Marin Cilic exiting early, and Nadal and Federer on the same side of the draw, there was a massive opportunity for an American, mainly John Isner and Sam Querrey, to advance to the final. But Isner was upended by Mischa Zverev in the third round, and although Querrey beat Zverev to reach the quarterfinals, he would lose to eventual finalist Kevin Anderson. It was another good run at a Grand Slam for Querrey, who was a semifinalist at Wimbledon earlier this year, but another major came and went for this generation of American players.

continued on page 76

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516-359-4843 rbecker06@yahoo.com LITennisMag.com • November/December 2017 • Long Island Tennis Magazine

TEN TAKEAWAYS FROM THE 2017 U.S. OPEN 7. Maria Sharapova’s Return One of the most talked about, and controversial, topics was the return of Maria Sharapova, who was playing in her first Grand Slam since her 15-month suspension. She received a wild card into the main draw and met secondseed Simona Halep in the opening round. Sharapova would go on to beat Halep in a thrilling three-set match and reach the fourth round. She played all of her matches inside Arthur Ashe Stadium, something that didn’t sit well with some of her peers, namely Caroline Wozniacki. “I think putting out a schedule where the number five in the world is playing on Court 5, the fifth match on after 11:00 a.m., I think that is unacceptable,” said Wozniacki. “When you look at center court, I understand completely the business side of things, but someone who comes back from a drug sentence, and you know, performance-enhancing drugs, and then all of a sudden gets to play every single match on center court? I think that’s a questionable thing to do.”

8. Shapovalov’s Emergence Tennis fans got a glimpse into the future with the performance of Canada’s Denis Shapovalov, who dazzled the New York crowd in all of his matches as the 19-year-old reached the fourth round competing in only his second Grand Slam main draw. The charismatic lefty had a bounce in his step all-tournament long, playing three of his four main draw matches inside Arthur Ashe, with a go-for-broke style that helped break through on the biggest stage, and he hopes his success will have a long-term effect. “My goal is to raise the level of Canadian tennis and just have more kids picking up a racket instead of a hockey stick,” he said after his loss to Pablo Carreno Busta in the fourth round. “I think I have definitely helped to do that, and hopefully, you know, I can keep doing it.”

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Long Island Tennis Magazine • November/December 2017 • LITennisMag.com

9. Kvitova’s Inspirational Run No storyline from the 2017 U.S. Open was more uplifting than the run of Czech Republic’s Petra Kvitova. With only a few tournaments under her belt since returning to the tour after being attacked in a home invasion, the two-time Wimbledon champion played unbelievable tennis in Flushing Meadows to reach the quarterfinals. She knocked off current world number one Garbine Muguruza before falling to Venus Williams in the quarterfinals, but her performance inspired many, including Venus. “Everything that she’s gone through, to go through that is unbelievable,” said Venus. “You don’t imagine that you’re going to wake up one day and that’s going to happen, so it’s wonderful to see her back.” 10. Hingis Wins Two Doubles Titles It was another incredible tournament for Switzerland’s Martina Hingis, who captured the titles in the Women’s Doubles and Mixed Doubles draws in Flushing Meadows. The now 37-year-old has had an incredible 2017 season which has catapulted her to number one in the WTA Women’s Doubles Rankings, and her performance at the U.S. Open was a major reason for that. She paired with Chan Yung-Jan to win the Women’s Doubles Title, and partnered with Jamie Murray to win the Mixed Doubles Title, bringing her total to 25 Grand Slam championships in her decorated career. 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.

USTA/Long Island Region 2017

TOURNAMENT SCHEDULE For detailed information on these and all USTA tournaments, visit tennislink.usta.com/tournaments. NOVEMBER 2017 Friday-Sunday, November 10-12 Eastern Sweet 16 at RWTTC Robbie Wagner Tournament Training at Glen Cove 60 Sea Cliff Avenue • Glen Cove, N.Y. Divisions: Advanced Boys Singles & Doubles 78’ Yellow Ball 16 (COMP) Surface Type: Clay Indoor Entry Fee: $144.55 per player (deadline for entries is Wednesday, Nov. 1 at 1:00 p.m.) For more information, e-mail superscoot@aol.com or call (516) 759-0505. Friday-Sunday, November 10-12 L1B Ross November Challenger Ross School Tennis Academy 18 Goodfriend Drive • East Hampton, N.Y. Divisions: Challenger Boys Singles 78’ Yellow Ball 16 (SE) Surface Type: Clay Entry Fee: $54.25 per player (deadline for entries is Monday, Nov. 6 at 1:00 p.m.) For more information, e-mail CSidor@Ross.org or call (631) 907-5162. Friday-Sunday, November 10-12 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 Wednesday, Nov. 1 at 1:00 p.m.) For more information, e-mail KSorokko@SportimeNY.com or call (516) 933-8500.

Friday-Sunday, November 10-12 L1B GHRC Challenger Open Glen Head Racquet Club 95 Glen Head Road • Glen Head, N.Y. Divisions: Challenger Boys & Girls Singles 78’ Yellow Ball 14 (SE) Surface Type: Hard Indoor Entry Fee: $54.25 per player For more information, e-mail Vasco.D.Antunes@gmail.com or call (516) 676-9849. Friday-Sunday, November 10-12 L2 Bethpage State Park Fall Open Bethpage Park Tennis Center 99 Quaker Meeting House Road • Farmingdale, N.Y. Divisions: Intermediate Boys & Girls Singles 78’ Yellow Ball 12 (FMLC) Surface Type: Hard Indoor Entry Fee: $54.25 per player (deadline for entries is Monday, Nov. 6 at Noon) For more information, e-mail rbecker06@yahoo.com or call (516) 359-4843. Friday-Sunday, November 10-12 L1B Long Beach November Challenger Long Beach Tennis Center 899 Monroe Boulevard • Long Beach, N.Y. Divisions: Challenger Boys & Girls Singles & Doubles 78’ Yellow Ball 18 (SE) Surface Type: Hard Indoor Entry Fee: $54.25 for first singles, $54.25 for additional singles, $31 for additional doubles (deadline for entries is Monday, Nov. 6 at 1:00 p.m.) For more information, e-mail Andrew@LongBeachTennisCenter.com or call (516) 432-6060.

Friday-Sunday, November 10-12 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 Wednesday, Nov. 1 at 1:00 p.m.) For more information, e-mail Ruiz.Clark@yahoo.com or call (516) 883-6425. Friday-Sunday, November 10-12 Eastern Sweet 16 at Point Set Point Set Tennis 3065 New Street • Oceanside, N.Y. Divisions: Advanced Girls Singles & Doubles 78’ Yellow Ball 14 (COMP) Surface Type: Hard Indoor Entry Fee: $151 per player (deadline for entries is Wednesday, Nov. 1 at 1:00 p.m.) For more information, e-mail Ruiz.Clark@yahoo.com or call (917) 991-0088. Friday-Sunday, November 10-12 L1A Huntington Autumn Championships Huntington Indoor Tennis 100 Broadway Huntington Station, N.Y. Divisions: Championships Boys & Girls Singles 78’ Yellow Ball 12 (SE) Surface Type: Unknown Entry Fee: $54.25 per player (deadline for entries is Monday, Nov. 6 at 1:00 p.m.) For more information, call (631) 421-0040.

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USTA/Long Island Region 2017

TOURNAMENT SCHEDULE For detailed information on these and all USTA tournaments, visit tennislink.usta.com/tournaments. Sunday, November 12 L3 UPS Harvest Moon Open Long Beach Tennis Center 899 Monroe Boulevard Long Beach, N.Y. Divisions: Entry Level Boys & Girls Singles 78’ Green Ball 12, 78’ Yellow Ball 14-16 (NEF) Surface Type: Hard Indoor Entry Fee: $43.50 per player (deadline for entries is Thursday, Nov. 9 at 1:00 p.m.) For more information, e-mail Andrew@LongBeachTennisCenter.com or call (516) 432-6060.

Friday-Sunday, November 17-19 L2 Bethpage State Park Open Bethpage Park Tennis Center 99 Quaker Meeting House Road Farmingdale, N.Y. Divisions: Intermediate Boys & Girls Singles 78’ Yellow Ball 14 (SE) Surface Type: Hard Indoor Entry Fee: $54.25 per player (deadline for entries is Monday, Nov. 13 at 1:00 p.m.) For more information, e-mail rbecker06@yahoo.com or call (516) 359-4843.

Friday-Sunday, November 17-19 L2 GHRC November Open Glen Head Racquet Club 95 Glen Head Road Glen Head, N.Y. Divisions: Intermediate Boys & Girls Singles78’ Yellow Ball 16 (SE) Surface Type: Unknown Entry Fee: $54.25 per player For more information, e-mail Vasco.D.Antunes@gmail.com or call (516) 676-9849.

Friday-Sunday, November 17-19 L1 PWTA November Championships Port Washington Tennis Academy 100 Harbor Road Port Washington, N.Y. Divisions: Championships Boys Singles 78’ Yellow Ball 16 (SE) Surface Type: Clay Indoor Entry Fee: $54.25 per player (deadline for entries is Monday, Nov. 13 at 1:00 p.m.) For more information, e-mail Ruiz.Clark@yahoo.com or call (516) 883-6425.

Friday-Sunday, November 17-19 L1 Point Set November Championships Point Set Tennis 3065 New Street Oceanside, N.Y. Divisions: Championships Boys Singles 78’ Yellow Ball 14 (SE) Surface Type: Hard Indoor Entry Fee: $54.25 per player (deadline for entries is Monday, Nov. 13 at 1:00 p.m.) For more information, e-mail Ruiz.Clark@yahoo.com or call (917) 991-0088. Saturday-Sunday, November 18-19 Youth Progression Green Level 1 Kings Park Sportime Kings Park 275 Old Indianhead Road Kings Park, N.Y. Divisions: Green Level 1 Boys & Girls 10 and Under Singles 78’ Green Ball 10 (NEF) Surface Type: Clay Indoor Entry Fee: $54.25 per player (deadline for entries is Sunday, Nov. 12 at 11:59 p.m.) For more information, e-mail TVanEpps@SportimeNY.com or call (631) 269-6300.

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Long Island Tennis Magazine • November/December 2017 • LITennisMag.com

USTA/Long Island Region 2017

TOURNAMENT SCHEDULE For detailed information on these and all USTA tournaments, visit tennislink.usta.com/tournaments. Saturday-Sunday, November 18-19 Youth Progression Orange Level 1 East Setauket World Gym Racquet & Sports Arena 384 Mark Tree Road • East Setauket, N.Y. Divisions: Orange Level 1 Boys & Girls 10 and Under Singles 60’ Orange Ball 10 (NEF) Surface Type: Clay Entry Fee: $48.88 per player (deadline for entries is Saturday, Nov. 11 at 1:00 p.m.) For more information, e-mail VTAPR@hotmail.com or call or call (631) 751-6100. Sunday, November 19 Youth Progression, Orange L2 Sportime Bethpage Sportime Bethpage 101 Norcross Avenue • Bethpage, N.Y. Divisions: Orange Level 2 Boys & Girls 10 and Under Singles 60’ Orange Ball 10 (NEF) Surface Type: Unknown Entry Fee: $48.88 per player (deadline for entries is Sunday, Nov. 12 at 11:59 p.m.) For more information, e-mail KSorokko@SportimeNY.com or call (516) 933-8500. Friday-Sunday, November 24-26 L1 Championships at Sportime Syosset Sportime-Syosset 75 Haskett Drive • Syosset, N.Y. Divisions: Championships Girls Singles 78’ Yellow Ball 14 (SE) Surface Type: Unknown Entry Fee: $54.25 per player (deadline for entries is Monday, Nov. 20 at 1:00 p.m.) For more information, e-mail KSorokko@SportimeNY.com or call (516) 364-2727. Friday-Sunday, November 24-26 L1B GHRC Challenger Glen Head Racquet Club • 95 Glen Head Road • Glen Head, N.Y. Divisions: Championships Boys & Girls Singles 78’ Yellow Ball 18 (SE) Surface Type: Hard Indoor Entry Fee: $54.25 per player For more information, e-mail Vasco.D.Antunes@gmail.com or call (516) 676-9849. Friday-Sunday, November 24-26 L1 PWTA Thanksgiving Championships Port Washington Tennis Academy 100 Harbor Road • Port Washington, N.Y. Divisions: Championships Boys Singles 78’ Yellow Ball 14 (SE) Surface Type: Clay Indoor Entry Fee: $54.25 per player (deadline for entries is Monday, Nov. 20 at 1:00 p.m.) For more information, e-mail Ruiz.Clark@yahoo.com or call (516) 883-6425.

Friday-Sunday, November 24-26 L1B Point Set Thanksgiving Challenger Point Set Tennis 3065 New Street Oceanside, N.Y. Divisions: Challenger Boys & Girls Singles 78’ Yellow Ball 16 (SE) Surface Type: Hard Indoor Entry Fee: $54.25 per player (deadline for entries is Sunday, Nov. 19 at 1:00 p.m.) For more information, e-mail Ruiz.Clark@yahoo.com or call (917) 991-0088.

Friday-Sunday, December 1-3 L1B LBTC Early Winter Open Long Beach Tennis Center 899 Monroe Boulevard Long Beach, N.Y. Divisions: Challenger Boys & Girls Singles & Doubles 78’ Yellow Ball 16 (SE) Surface Type: Hard Entry Fee: $54.25 for first singles; $28 for first doubles (deadline for entries is Friday, Nov. 24 at 1:00 p.m.) For more information, e-mail Andrew@LongBeachTennisCenter.com or call (516) 432-6060.

DECEMBER 2017 Friday-Sunday, December 1-3 L2 Sportime Syosset December Open Sportime-Syosset 75 Haskett Drive Syosset, N.Y. Divisions: Intermediate Boys & Girls Singles 78’ Yellow Ball 1218 (FMLC) Surface Type: Hard Entry Fee: $54.25 per player (deadline for entries is Sunday, Nov. 26 at 1:00 p.m.) For more information, e-mail KSorokko@SportimeNY.com or call (516) 364-2727.

Saturday, December 2 Youth Progression Orange Level 1 East Setauket World Gym Racquet & Sports Arena 384 Mark Tree Road East Setauket, N.Y. Divisions: Orange Level 1 Boys & Girls 10 and Under Singles 60’ Orange Ball 10 (NEF) Surface Type: Clay Entry Fee: $48.88 per player (deadline for entries is Sunday, Nov. 26 at 11:59 p.m.) For more information, e-mail VTAPR@hotmail.com or call or call (631) 751-6100.

Friday-Sunday, December 1-3 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 Monday, Nov. 27 at Noon) For more information, e-mail rbecker06@yahoo.com or call (516) 359-4843. Friday-Sunday, December 1-3 L2 Glen Head Open Glen Head Racquet Club 95 Glen Head Road Glen Head, N.Y. Divisions: Intermediate Girls Singles 78’ Yellow Ball 14-16 (SE) Surface Type: Hard Indoor Entry Fee: $54.25 per player For more information, e-mail Vasco.D.Antunes@gmail.com or call (516) 676-9849.

Saturday-Sunday, December 2-3 Youth Progression December Green L1: Long Beach Long Beach Tennis Center 899 Monroe Boulevard Long Beach, N.Y. Divisions: Green Level 1 Boys & Girls 10 and Under Singles 78’ Green Ball 10 (NEF) Surface Type: Hard Indoor Entry Fee: $48.88 per player (deadline for entries is Sunday, Nov. 26 at 1:00 p.m.) For more information, e-mail Andrew@LongBeachTennisCenter.com or call (516) 432-6060. Friday-Sunday, December 8-17 L1 Ross December Championships Ross School Tennis Academy 18 Goodfriend Drive East Hampton, N.Y. Divisions: Championships Boys & Girls Singles 78’ Yellow Ball 14-16 (SE) Surface Type: Clay Entry Fee: $54.25 per player (deadline for entries is Monday, Dec. 4 at 1:00 p.m.) For more information, e-mail PWilliamson@Ross.org or call (631) 907-5162.

LITennisMag.com • November/December 2017 • Long Island Tennis Magazine

USTA/Long Island Region 2017

TOURNAMENT SCHEDULE For detailed information on these and all USTA tournaments, visit tennislink.usta.com/tournaments. Friday-Sunday, December 8-10 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: Unknown Entry Fee: $54.25 per player (deadline for entries is Sunday, Dec. 3 at 1:00 p.m.) For more information, e-mail KSorokko@SportimeNY.com or call (516) 933-8500. Friday-Sunday, December 8-10 L1B Sportime Syosset December Challenger Sportime-Syosset 75 Haskett Drive Syosset, N.Y. Divisions: Intermediate Boys & Girls Singles 78’ Yellow Ball 16 (SE)) Surface Type: Unknown Entry Fee: $54.25 per player (deadline for entries is Sunday, Dec. 3 at 1:00 p.m.) For more information, e-mail KSorokko@SportimeNY.com or call (516) 364-2727. Friday-Sunday, December 8-10 L2 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 (SE) Surface Type: Hard Indoor Entry Fee: $54.25 per player (deadline for entries is Monday, Dec. 4 at 1:30 p.m.) For more information, e-mail rbecker06@yahoo.com or call (516) 359-4843. Friday-Sunday, December 8-10 L1B Glen Head Winter Challenger Glen Head Racquet Club 95 Glen Head Road Glen Head, N.Y. Divisions: Challenger Boys & Girls Singles 78’ Yellow Ball 12 (SE) Surface Type: Hard Indoor Entry Fee: $54.25 per player For more information, e-mail Vasco.D.Antunes@gmail.com or call (516) 676-9849.

Friday-Sunday, December 8-10 L2 December 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 1416 (SE); Intermediate Boys & Girls Doubles 78’ Yellow Ball 1216 (SE); and Intermediate Mixed Doubles 78’ Yellow Ball 12-16 (SE) Surface Type: Unknown Entry Fee: $54.25 for first singles; $28 for first doubles; $28 for additional doubles (deadline for entries is Monday, Dec. 4 at 1:00 p.m.) For more information, e-mail Andrew@LongBeachTennisCenter.com or call (516) 432-6060. Friday-Sunday, December 15-17 L2 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 12 (FMLC) Surface Type: Hard Indoor Entry Fee: $54.25 per player (deadline for entries is Monday, Dec. 11 at 1:00 p.m.) For more information, e-mail rbecker06@yahoo.com or call (516) 359-4843. Friday-Sunday, December 15-17 L1B Glen Head December Challenger Glen Head Racquet Club 95 Glen Head Road • Glen Head, N.Y. Divisions: Challenger Boys & Girls Singles 78’ Yellow Ball 14,18 (SE) Surface Type: Hard Indoor Entry Fee: $54.25 per player For more information, e-mail Vasco.D.Antunes@gmail.com or call (516) 676-9849. Friday-Sunday, December 15-17 L1B Jingle Ball Open Long Beach Tennis Center 899 Monroe Boulevard Long Beach, N.Y. Divisions: Challenger Boys & Girls Singles & Doubles 78’ Yellow Ball 16 (SE); and Challenger Mixed Doubles 78’ Yellow Ball 16 (SE) Surface Type: Hard Entry Fee: $54.25 for first singles; $28 for first doubles; $28 for additional doubles (deadline for entries is Wednesday, Dec. 13 at 1:00 p.m.) For more information, e-mail Andrew@LongBeachTennisCenter.com or call (516) 432-6060.

Long Island Tennis Magazine • November/December 2017 • LITennisMag.com

Saturday, December 16 Youth Progression, Orange 1 Sportime Syosset Sportime-Syosset 75 Haskett Drive • Syosset, N.Y. Divisions: Orange Level 1 Boys & Girls 10 and Under Singles 60’ Orange Ball 10 (NEF) Surface Type: Unknown Entry Fee: $48.88 per player (deadline for entries is Sunday, Dec. 10 at 11:59 p.m.) For more information, e-mail KSorokko@SportimeNY.com or call (516) 364-2727. Saturday-Sunday, December 16-17 World Gym Youth Progression L1 Green Ball December World Gym Racquet & Sports Arena 384 Mark Tree Road • East Setauket, N.Y. Divisions: Green Level 1 Boys & Girls 10 and Under Singles 78’ Green Ball 10 (FRLC) Surface Type: Clay Indoor Entry Fee: $54.25 per player For more information, e-mail VTAPR@hotmail.com or call or call (631) 751-6100. Saturday, December 16 Youth Progression Orange L2: Sportime Quogue Sportime Quogue 2571 Quogue Riverhead Road • East Quogue, N.Y. Divisions: Orange Level 2 Boys & Girls 10 and Under Singles 60’ Orange Ball 10 (NEF) Surface Type: Clay Entry Fee: $48.88 per player For more information, e-mail VHeroux@SportimeNY.com or call or call (631) 751-6100. Friday-Sunday, December 22-24 L2 Glen Head Holiday Open Glen Head Racquet Club 95 Glen Head Road • Glen Head, N.Y. Divisions: Intermediate Boys & Girls Singles 78’ Yellow Ball 12 (FRLC) Surface Type: Hard Indoor Entry Fee: $54.25 per player For more information, e-mail Vasco.D.Antunes@gmail.com or call (516) 676-9849. Tuesday-Saturday, December 26-30 L1B Sportime Syosset December Sportime-Syosset 75 Haskett Drive • Syosset, N.Y. Divisions: Challenger Boys & Girls Singles 78’ Yellow Ball 14 (SE) Surface Type: Unknown Entry Fee: $54.25 per player (deadline for entries is Tuesday, Dec. 19 at 1:00 p.m.) For more information, e-mail KSorokko@SportimeNY.com or call (516) 364-2727.

LITennisMag.com • September/October 2017 • Long Island Tennis Magazine

Long Island Tennis Magazine • September/October 2017 • LITennisMag.com