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NYTennisMag.com • July/August 2021 • New York Tennis Magazine

July 2021 • Volume 11, Number 4

nytennis

Table Of Contents

MAGAZINE

New York Tennis Magazine

Gauff’s Got Game

New York Tennis Magazine

The future of American tennis By Brian Coleman—See page 16

1220 Wantagh Avenue Wantagh, NY 11793-2202 Phone: (516) 409-4444 • Fax: (516) 409-4600

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Staff David Sickmen Publisher (516) 409-4444, ext. 309 david@usptennis.com Brian Coleman Senior Editor (516) 409-4444, ext. 326 brianc@usptennis.com

Highlights 4

McEnroe Brothers, Legends Return for Annual JMTP Pro-Am By Brian Coleman Beyond the Baseline: Parsa Samii By Brian Coleman National Tennis Center Hosts JTT Sectional Championships At The Net with Advantage Tennis Clubs By Brian Coleman Junior Player Spotlight: Aryan Badlani, USTA National Tennis Center

12 28 34 42

Joey Arendt Art Director Francine Miller Advertising Coordinator (516) 409-4444, ext. 301 francinem@usptennis.com Emilie Katz Assistant Marketing Coordinator Barbara Wyatt Contributing Writer Rob Polishook Contributing Writer Luke Jensen Contributing Writer

Sidney Beal III Staff Photographer

Lee Seidner Staff Photographer Interns

Tyler Cohen Alex Drossman Phoebe Warshauer

Joanne Salloum Alexa Brecher Taylor Bracone

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.nytennismag.com. Fax subscription changes to (516) 409-1600. Statements of fact and opinion in New York Tennis Magazine are the responsibility of the authors alone and do not imply an opinion on the part of United Sports Publications Ltd. New York Tennis Magazine reserves the right to edit, reject and/or postpone the publication of any articles, information or data.

PG 4

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Features 8 20 22 24 30 32 37 38 40 41 44 46 48 50 51 52 53 54 55 56

Across Metro New York Tennis Bubbles: A Grand Slam Victory Over the Elements The Original Seven Cross the PMT Finish Line USTA Eastern Metro Region Update Nine Common Mistakes Junior Players Make By Gilad Bloom The Hidden Secret in Tennis: Developing Momentum By Conrad Singh NYTM’s Literary Corner: “The Art and Science of Ball Watching” By Dr. Paul Hamori MD By Bill Simons 2021 LITM Challenge: Men’s and Women’s Doubles Recap Sports Surfaces’ Underground Evolution: Beautiful Courts Built From the Ground Up First Annual Johnny Mac Classic Comes to Randall’s Island Why Does My Kid Have Bad Technique? By Chris Lewit Tennis Lessons Can Be Derives From Other Sports By Lonnie Mitchel Mentorship: A Truly Life Changing Experience By Khrystsina Tryboi Trust The Process and Use Progression Balls for 10U Players By Anne Olaya Five Key Things a Player Can Do to Prepare for a Match By Anna Tatishvili Changing Tactics By Mike Puc A Phone Rings on Court By Barbara Wyatt The Tennis Guru: The Meeting By Dr. Tom Ferraro You Are Good Enough By Rob Polishook Jensen Zone: Tennis From Coast to Coast By Luke Jensen New York Tennis Magazine is published bi-monthly by United Sports Publications Ltd. • Copyright © 2021 United Sports Publications Ltd.

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Photos courtesy of JMTP

McEnroe Brothers, Legends Return for Annual JMTP Pro-Am By Brian Coleman ast year, as the global pandemic continued to wreak havoc on our normal everyday lives, organizations were forced to rethink how they planned their events, including ones that had been wellestablished. For the Johnny Mac Tennis Project (JMTP) and its annual Pro-Am tennis tournament, this meant re-imaging an event that had been built around celebrities and tennis legends into a grass-roots effort without the star power. John and Patrick McEnroe, JMTP’s founder and President respectively, were both in the U.S. Open COVID bubble, preparing to broadcast the 2020 tournament, while other tennis greats did not make the

trip to New York at all. In spite of these obstacles, JMTP was able to hold a successful event in 2020. “It was challenging, but we went back to the drawing board and decided to really bring the focus of the event back to the work we are doing and the kids we are helping,” said Jordan Botjer, JMTP’s Executive Director. “We shared the kids’ stories with prospective participants at Sportime Amagansett where the event takes place, and emphasized what their support means for our players, and it really

New York Tennis Magazine • July/August 2021 • NYTennisMag.com

connected. Of course, we missed having John, Patrick and the other greats there, but it was really

heartwarming to see the level of support, even without the legends.” This summer, JMTP will use the lessons learned from last year’s events, and the tennis legends and celebrities will be back, including the McEnroe brothers. The Pro-Am is set for Saturday, August 21 at Sportime Amagansett, 320 Abrahams Path, in the Town of East Hampton. “My brother and I look forward to the Pro-Am all year, and we are so excited to be able to host it again this summer,” said John. “In spite of last year’s COVID-related challenges, the JMTP and Sportime Amagansett teams put on a successful, high-caliber event and I am so grateful to everyone who came out in support of JMTP in summer 2020, in the middle of the pandemic. We look forward to building on that momentum at this year’s event. Of course, Patrick and I will be back on court, and we will be joined by other legendary players of our sport who will be donating their time to the charity.”

Patrick added: “Our kids have been training and working harder than ever this past year, and we are excited to showcase some of the great talent we have, as well as to raise money and awareness for the work we are doing. This will be the event of the summer in the Hamptons and we are looking forward to seeing everyone.” The Pro-Am pairs tennis professionals and legends with “amateurs” for an afternoon of competitive doubles and other festivities. The kids from the JMTP programs get the chance to hit the courts as well, playing points and showcasing their talent and progression to the organization’s supporters in celebration of the work done by JMTP. “We’ve been very lucky to have some incredible tennis legends support, both in terms of their talent and achievements and their humanity,”

said Botjer. “They have been really wonderful with the kids, and it is a ton of fun for our kids to be out on the court with legends like Lindsay Davenport and James Blake, and equally important for JMTP supporters to see our kids in action.” The first JMTP Pro-Am was held in 2015 and has become the flagship summer fundraiser for the organization. This summer will mark the seventh consecutive year of the event. Prior to the Pro-Am, JMTP had committed itself to support racial and economic diversity at the John McEnroe Tennis Academy (JMTA), an initiative that both John McEnroe and Claude Okin, the President and CEO of Sportime Clubs, LLC, were passionate about when they founded

continued on page 6

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mcenroe brothers, legends return for annual jmtp pro-am continued from page 5

JMTA back in 2010. “To raise some seed money, John offered to host an evening “cultivation” event at his SoHo art gallery, which was attended by about 200 friends and their guests. John’s wife Patty Smyth sang, Saturday Night Live alum Darrel Hammond did some stand-up, we shared a great video about some of the kids that were already training at the Academy hoping to change their lives through tennis, surprise celebrity guests appeared, and a truly good and unique time was had by all,” said Okin. “We all still remember that night fondly, as the start of something special.” With the organization now established and the clear mission in 6

mind, JMTP began hosting annual Benefit Nights at Randall’s Island which featured exhibition matches from some of the game’s greats, including Bjorn Borg, Andre Agassi, Novak Djokovic and Rafael Nadal. That lasted for a few years until the next big idea arose. “We realized that we had a great opportunity for a unique event at our club in Amagansett, in the Town of East Hampton, which features 33 clay courts spread across almost 25 parklike acres,” said Okin. “My friend and partner, Steve Hasker, also one of JMTP’s founding Board Members, and I set out to create the world’s largest pro-am, in the Hamptons, to benefit JMTP. It took a few years, and there have been some ups and downs, but I

New York Tennis Magazine • July/August 2021 • NYTennisMag.com

think we have done just that.” The event has grown in each year of its existence, and now mirrors the draw sizes at Grand Slam events with 64 pro-am teams featuring 128 total players. “Even in the middle of COVID, the JMTP Pro-Am was still a sell-out, raising hundreds of thousands of dollars for the charity,” added Okin. “So, it has been pretty cool, and the support of our SPORTIME community has been remarkable. We plan to keep making the event better, more fun, and more productive for JMTP.” And so, the legends will return to the Amagansett courts this summer, joining the McEnroe Brothers for what is anticipated to be the biggest Pro-Am yet. “In the end, it’s all about the kids.

As excited as we are about summer 2021, JMTP is even more excited about the fall, when we hope that our school and community programs can restart at full capacity,” said Okin. “JMTP is a tennis charity that teaches kids to play tennis at a high level, and that supports our players in getting the best possible college educations through their tennis, in addition to receiving all the lifelong benefits of being tennis players. Some of those kids have never picked up a racket when they start in one of our schools programs, and a decade or so later they have earned a full scholarship to play at an excellent college or university. This is what JMTP does, and it is awesome.” Events such as the Pro-Am help to provide the financial resources for JMTP to offer school and community programs throughout the City, providing tennis equipment, instruction and practice time for many kids who otherwise might never have the opportunity to hold a racket. Some of

these NYC kids are able to join a JMTP pathway to success that allows them not only improve their tennis skills, but to obtain college scholarships, and, for some, careers as professional players and coaches. “There are kids who truly light up when they first step on the court, and those are the kids we want to try to work with over the long-term,” said Botjer. “We’ll hear from teachers and parents that coming out to our program is, for some, the single highlight of their week, and that they are more focused when they return to the classroom because they have had a chance to release some of their energy while doing something they like. The hope is that a meaningful number of these kids are able to use tennis as the vehicle to change their lives. If we can do that, then we have succeeded.” McEnroe and Okin have delivered on the promise they made to one another more than a decade ago, and have helped topple some racial and

economic barriers that too often prevent many young kids from even beginning to play tennis. The 2021 JMTP Pro-Am will provide essential support as JMTP begins its second decade of existence. “Looking back, it is actually astounding to me,” said John McEnroe. “We set out with an ambitious goal of growing the sport by removing barriers that many face. This sport has given me so much, and I’m passionate about the work we are doing to make it accessible to kids of every background and income level. We are proud of our accomplishments, particularly of having helped many of our player use tennis as a path to a college education. But I know we have only begun to scratch the surface of providing kids with life skills and experiences that they may not otherwise have. Who knows? Maybe one of those kids will end up being a Grand Slam Champion!”

NYTennisMag.com • July/August 2021 • New York Tennis Magazine

Across Metro Ne N Collins Wins Back Draw at Georgia Nationals

CourtSense’s Spahn Wins L6 Event Ronin Spahn, who plays at CourtSense Training Center, took home the title at the L6 Boys 14s at Bogota Racquet Club. As the top-seed, Spahn did not drop a set en route to his title.

Kai Collins, who has trained at the USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center for several years, has moved up to 29th in the country in the Boys 12s rankings. Collins has moved up the rankings thanks in part to him winning the back draw at the USTA National Level 2 Championships at the Cobb Tennis Center in Marietta, Ga.

Chandler Takes National Doubles Title John McEnroe Tennis Academy (JMTA) player Summer Chandler paired up with fellow New Yorker Agnia Vuststina to win the doubles title at the USTA Nationals Level 2 Girls 14s in Cincinnati, Ohio. "This weekend was a tough tournament for me as I am working and playing through an injury but my partner and I both fought against the number 1 and 3 seeds and pulled it out!” Chandler said.

Zaretsky Wins Singles, Doubles Title in Baton Rouge

Longtime Chris Lewit Tennis Academy student Elana Zaretsky headed down south and captured both the singles and doubles title at the L3 Open Baton Rouge YMCA Junior Challenge. Zaretsky won all of her singles matches in straight sets.

New York Tennis Magazine • July/August 2021 • NYTennisMag.com

New York MatchPoint’s Vustsina Wins L5 Event

… News and notes from across the N.Y. Metro tennis community Kovacevic Wraps Up Collegiate Career New York City native Aleks Kovacevic concluced a decorated collegiate career this spring for the University of Illinois. Kovacevic was named an All-American for the second time in his career after reaching the quarterfinals of the NCAA Tournament. In his career, Kovacevic went 88-34 in singles, including 23-3 against BIG 10 competition.

Agnia Vustsina (pictured left) compiled a great run of play to capture the L5 Open Mountainside Championships in the Girls 16s division. Vustsina, who trains at MatchPoint NYC and is the top-ranked player in New York, won all five of her matches in straight sets.

Centercourt Tennis Visits Mexico

Members of the Centercourt Tennis Academy and coach Adrian Contreras took a visit through Mexico to train at some of the top facilities in Guadalajara and Veracruz. The players got the opportunity to visit these other academies, and play against and with players from the Club Hacienda San Javier and Las Palmas Racquet Club. Centercourt instructors taught a coaching course and conducted player clinics as well. NYTennisMag.com • July/August 2021 • New York Tennis Magazine

Optimal Intensity and Breathing Techniques By Farhad Roshanaie here are different methods to estimate the intensity in sport such as using heart rate, VO2, blood lactate concentration, and Rated Perceived Exertion (RPE). Breathing techniques have an effect on the Nervous System, and the heart rate and is a good method to measure the athlete's optimal intensity. Professional athletes try to reach the optimal intensity in order to have their best performance. Optimal intensity is an equilibrium state where one is in control of mind and emotions and is as prepared as possible to fight, the past and the future disappear and the focus is on the present moment. This state of mind can be affected if one feels threatened by the situation and/ or the outcome, or if they feel very relaxed so they don’t care about the competition. The Autonomic Nervous System consists of Sympathetic (fight or flight) and Parasympathetic (relax and digest) nervous system. Different types of breathing can impact each of these systems. Being aware of breathing

and applying breathing techniques are game changers for any athlete so the tennis coaches should strive to show their players how and when to apply these techniques. If one is a bit too chill before the match, they need to activate their sympathetic nerves and increase their heart rate by taking quick and shallow breaths. In this scenario one should use Rapid Breathing: inhale rapidly and shallow 10 times through your nose, do it two to three times. On the other hand, if one is stressed out they should breathe slowly and deeply to decrease their heart rate. In this case, one could use Triangle Breathing: inhale through the nose slowly and deeply for four seconds, fill your lungs and stomach and hold your breath for four seconds, then exhale slowly through your mouth for four seconds (4x4x4). One should do it two to three times between the points when you need to calm your mind and release all those negative emotions and fears. In order to train your athletes to

become aware and control their breathing you need to put them in an adverse situation. The coach also needs to measure their heart rate with a monitor like a chest strap. Set up a match against a rival and put your athlete in a pressured situation by asking him/her at an important point to have only one serve for each point, or ask them to start the game 0-30 down, or to do serve-and-volley on both serves. When the heart rate monitor shows the athlete is psyched up, remind them of the breathing technique and expect a drop to lower than 80 percent of the maximum heart rate within 20 seconds which is the rest time between the points. If the athlete couldn’t calm their heart rate, give them more time to do it. The athlete can mix these breathing techniques with positive self talk and self affirmation, also having the eyes closed while breathing helps to bring down the heart rate. The coaches should be careful with interpreting heart rate because some other factors besides stress such as dehydration and thermal stress can increase the heart rate. Sometimes heart rate does not reflect the oxygen uptake (VO2 max).

Farhad Roshanaie is a USPTA Competitive Junior Developmental and a USPTA Tennis Fitness Specialist. He is a graduate from the USTA High Performance Coaching Program. Farhad is also a USPTA Elite Coach and a USPTA Professional Tester, and is the USPTA Eastern Section Elevate Chairperson. Farhad has developed multiple top junior players; he coached in the US Open 2019 and the Australian Open 2020 Junior Championship. As a former collegiate coach, he worked with both D1 and D3 schools. He was born in Tehran, Iran, he was ranked number 1 in most of his junior career, and he still practices and competes.

New York Tennis Magazine • July/August 2021 • NYTennisMag.com

NYTennisMag.com • July/August 2021 • New York Tennis Magazine

BEYOND THE BASELINE

BEYOND THE BASELINE BEYOND THE BASELINE

BEYOND THE BASELINE BEYOND

beyondthebaseline

Parsa Samii By Brian Coleman

ennis is a sport that has an impact beyond the wins and losses on the court. It’s a sport that demands dedication and instills a work ethic, helping young people develop character traits that can be utilized in all walks of life. Embodying this mantra is Parsa Samii, a former collegiate and professional tennis player from Long Island who now works as a Licensed Real Estate Salesperson for Compass, a national real estate agency. “Tennis and coaching tennis were my

passion, it was who I was and what I loved most, and so I used that same mindset when I entered real estate,” he says. “It’s highly emotional, there is lots of pressure, and you have to be able to find solutions to problems that arise. In comparing coaching tennis to finding the right home for a client, it’s about bringing someone from Point A to Point B. You have to be able to move them forward, and there are often land mines and challenges along that path. You have to be calm, figure out problems as they arrive, and also learn

New York Tennis Magazine • July/August 2021 • NYTennisMag.com

from each experience; therefore you are prepared for any pitfalls when dealing with your next client or next player.” Samii began his tennis career at the age of 13, when he traveled out to California to visit family. One of his uncles gave him a wooden, John McEnroe-model Dunlop racquet, and while his two uncles hit with each other on court, a young Parsa went over to the wall and hit against it. It was his first tennis experience, and he was hooked. Upon returning home, he joined a few

OND THE BASELINE

BEYOND THE BASELINE BEYOND THE BASELINE

of his friends for a class at Glen Head Racquet Club. Despite having just started and his friends being more experienced, Samii held his own. “It was almost right off the bat, and I said to myself, ‘I’m pretty good at this sport. I don’t know why, but I am,’” he recalls. “So I just continued to play. A few months later, I started taking regular lessons at Port Washington Tennis Academy, and from there I was playing for three hours a day, seven days a week.” Because of his late arrival to the junior tennis scene, it took a little while for Samii to climb up the rankings. He was not highly ranked in the 16s, but by the time he joined the 18U ranks, he became one of the higher ranked junior players, which helped him land a spot on the University of Massachusetts-Amherst. He was drawn

to Amherst due to its Division I tennis program and the fact that it had one of the nation’s top Sports Management programs, a field he was interested in

BEYOND THE BASELINE BEYOND THE pursuing. Just like his junior career, it would take a bit for him to be successful at the Division I level. He sat much of his freshman year, but when a starting lineup spot opened up after an injury, Samii pounced on his opportunity: “Our coach, Judy Dixon, looked over at me and said, ‘hey, you’ve been working hard. Here’s your chance.’ I went out there and gave it my all, and playing in the sixth singles spot, I didn’t lose the rest of the season. After winning some college events heading into my sophomore year, I moved up to the fourth singles spot. “The trajectory started right from the beginning, I continued to improve each year and kept moving up. I was very motivated, and once I continued on page 14

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NYTennisMag.com • July/August 2021 • New York Tennis Magazine

beyond the baseline... parsa samii continued from page 13

set my mind to something, my plan is to achieve it.” This progression continued, and by the time Samii was in his senior season, he was competing in the top singles position for Amherst. Samii would go on to compete on the pro tour in the years following college, but he began to get bit by the injury bug, which halted the professional tennis dream. “I started to get injured quite a bit, but I was very determined to make the impossible, so to speak, happen,” he said. “I pushed myself to the limit, but my body started to fail, and continued to fail. After a couple of shoulder surgeries, I stopped playing pro tennis when I was about 25-years-old.” That’s when Samii made the 14

transition into coaching here on Long Island, something he would do for nearly two decades, coaching some of the top junior players including multiple national and international titlists. But in what was becoming all-too commonplace for Samii, he was injured again, this time hurting his elbow, leading him to make a difficult decision. “This theme kept happening, and I felt like I needed to make a transition in my life. Tennis had taken me so far, and I felt like I could use what I had learned from it and apply it to something else. I approached real estate with the same mindset I did tennis.” In tennis, it’s imperative that you adapt and make changes on the fly,

New York Tennis Magazine • July/August 2021 • NYTennisMag.com

whether that’s preparing for a different opponent or making adjustments during a match. And that adaptability is something that also occurs in real estate, as Samii can attest to. That was no more evident than over the last 18 months, when the global pandemic swept across the world, flipping many industries on its head. “What ended up ensuing was a lot of people started to value their home even more than they already did. And what I mean by that is people wanted space: more outdoor space and more rooms. With everyone being home so much during the lockdown periods, it became a change of mindset in people’s psyche,” said Samii. “They started to say, “I’m in a gorgeous New York City high rise, but I have no

room to roam. I have a two-year-old kid but we can’t really go outside.’ It changed how people viewed what ‘home’ meant, and it created a rush of people wanting to purchase properties.” Samii says there are typically two types of buyers and sellers: those who need, and those who want. During the pandemic, a lot of the business shifted to focusing on those who “needed” to move, which created a competitive market. “Everywhere, at all various price points, homes have been selling for record numbers and in record time,” added Samii. “It’s been largely based on need. Those people fueled the market to record highs.” Business has been good for Samii and Compass over the last couple of years, and therefore takes up much of his time these days. But his love for tennis is still there, and he tries to find time each week to get out on court and hit. No longer the competitive player he once was, he plays just for

fun now; because he loves it. “I do it because I love it. When I was 13 and picked up that racquet for the first time, a switch went off, and I had a drive to become the best player in the world. That’s what it always was, and I enjoyed the process and enduring the ups and downs that tennis brings. But this year I went out to hit just because I wanted to hit. I wanted to feel the ball on the racquet again, and I really enjoyed it. I don’t get to do that too often, I’m very busy and don’t have the amount of time I would like. As soon as the market and business goes back to normal, I think I’ll have more time to play and I look forward to that.” As someone who got his start in tennis at a later age than many junior players, he can attest to the idea that there is no cookie-cutter approach to finding success, and has advice for young players who may feel as if they were falling behind or having to catch up to their peers. “Starting at a later age, you’re

going to essentially be playing matches and learning the game at the same time. You have to be willing to work through those tough times,” he said. “I did a lot of losing growing up, to be honest with you, but it made my skin very thick, and you have to stick with it when you are hardest hit by adversity. Have an end goal in mind, and work every day on improving. All you have to do is improve one thing every day, and eventually you’ll get there.” Samii personifies the impact that tennis can have on a person beyond the wins and losses on court. The work ethic, dedication, ability to overcome adversity, problem-solving skills and trust in the process are all attributes tennis players must have that can be carried into other aspects of life. Through that, Samii has gone from a successful player and coach to a successful real estate agent, often leaning on the skill set he developed from tennis to help him connect home buyers and home sellers.

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NYTennisMag.com • July/August 2021 • New York Tennis Magazine

Gauff’s Got Game By Brian Coleman

or most 17-year-olds, this time of year is all about getting ready to graduate high school, preparing for prom and looking ahead to your dorm room at whatever college you are heading to in the fall. For Coco Gauff, instead of that final summer with high school friends before venturing off, she was reaching the second week of the French Open and preparing for Wimbledon. But things have never been typical for Gauff, who from a very early age was touted as a phenom and carried with her the burden of high expectations. “I think for me, being young…I just feel like when I first came on tour, I felt like I had pressure to win and do all this, because people came out with a lot of expectations for me, saying I was going to be the next this or next that,” Gauff said. “After having conversations with different coaches and different players that are on tour, I realized I’ve just got to be myself and have fun on the court.” Later on in that same press conference, Gauff shared her perspective on things, and showcased the level of maturity that, again, is not typical of a girl her age. “I think now I’ve just been really appreciating these moments on tour because I have to remind myself, so many people are working hard to be where I’m at today,” she said. “The least I can do is just enjoy it, because you never know when life is going to be taken from you, and I just want to really live it to the fullest.” Gauff offered those answers at this year’s French Open, where the American teenager compiled her best run at a Grand Slam to date in reaching the quarterfinals. It was a remarkable achievement for a player who had previously struggled on clay, but reflected the growth and development

she has undergone in her brief time thus far on the WTA Tour. For as long as she can probably remember, Gauff has had hype surrounding her. The daughter of a former Georgia State basketball player and a track & field star from Florida State, Gauff was raised in a family of athletes. And from an early age, she was intrigued by tennis. While her parents tried to steer her into playing other sports when she was young, Gauff recalls seeing Serena Williams play at the 2009 Australian Open, and falling in love with the sport. One of the first big-time tournaments she won was the “Little Mo” Nationals when she was eight-years-old, which was a pivotal moment for her tennis career. “I loved tennis, but I was so-so about it in the beginning because when I was younger I didn’t want to practice at all. I just wanted to play with my friends,” she recalls. “When I turned eight, that was when I played ‘Little Mo’ and after that I decided to do that for the rest of my life.” A couple of years later, Gauff headed to France to train with Patrick Mouratoglou at his academy, where the famed coach was immediately impressed. “I’ll always remember the first time I saw Coco,” he said. “She impressed me with her determination, athleticism, and fighting spirit. When she looks at you and tells you she will be number one, you can only believe it.” Gauff would soon rise to the top spot in the junior rankings, and would win the Junior Orange Ball, one of the biggest junior events in the country, before winning the 2018 French Open junior singles title and the 2018 U.S. Open junior doubles title, alongside fellow American Caty McNally. After those results, Gauff made the decision to turn pro

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continued on page 18

Coco Gauff and fellow American Caty McNally, nicknamed "McCoco", competing at the U.S. Open. Photo Credit: USTA/Cesarin Mateo

NYTennisMag.com • July/August 2021 • New York Tennis Magazine

gauff’s got game continued from page 16

towards the end of 2018. Like most of her athletic prowess up to that point, the transition from juniors to the pros went smoothly, in the beginning, as she won her first-round match at the 2019 Miami Open in her WTA debut. She became a household name a couple of months later, becoming the youngest player ever to qualify for the Wimbledon main draw, and backing that up by defeating her idol and fivetime Wimbledon champion Venus Williams. Gauff, still being so young, was even asked about a science test she took at school earlier in the week during her press conference, only highlighting further how impressive what she was doing was. “I said this before: I want to be the greatest. My dad told me that I could do this when I was eight,” she said during that press conference. “I think

people just kind of limit themselves too much. Once you actually get your goal, then it’s like, what do you do now? I like to shoot really high. So that way I always have many goals along the road, but that way you have the ultimate goal.” At her next two major events, Gauff reached the U.S. Open third round, and the fourth round of the Australian Open to begin 2020. But success does not always breed happiness, and the combination of being so young, and not so famous and successful, can be a difficult juggling act to perform. Gauff opened up about this in her essay on Behind the Racquet. She writes, in part: “Throughout my life, I was always the youngest to do things, which added hype that I didn’t want. It added this pressure that I needed to do well fast.”

Gauff also talks about while she loves tennis, it has taken away her ability to be “normal”. “At times I found myself too busy comparing myself to others. Most of my friends go to normal high school. I felt like they always seemed so happy being ‘normal’. For awhile I thought I wanted that, but then I realized that, just like social media, everyone isn’t as happy as what you see in their posts. It took me about a year to get over that idea.” To conclude her post, Gauff discussed the original pressures she felt about being someone that other people looked up to, even people that are older than she is. And in accepting that fact, Gauff is able to now move into the next stage of her career and not worry about the hype around her. “I am getting used to the idea that people view me as a role model. It does

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THE OFFICIAL PLAYING SURFACE OF WORLD TEAMTENNIS

add a bit of pressure since I know people are watching every move. For the most part it is easy because I am always just being myself, not putting up a front, which people seem to be okay with. I don’t feel like I have to flip a switch or anything. In the beginning I thought I had to be perfect but I’ve done a lot of soul searching and moved past it. Since doing that I’ve been having much more fun practicing and playing matches.” Being comfortable in her own skin and with who she is has allowed Gauff to get back to doing what she loves most when playing tennis: have fun. And because of that, 2021 is setting up to be a major season for the young American. At the French Open, Gauff recorded her best result at a Grand Slam to date, reaching the quarterfinals, becoming the youngest player to reach a Grand Slam quarterfinal since Nicole Vaidisova in 2006, and the youngest

American to reach the French quarterfinals since Jennifer Capriati in 1993. That result came on the surface on which she was the least comfortable, clay.

“I just feel like this has been the most consistent tennis I have played at this level,” she said after reaching the quarterfinals. “Hopefully I can keep that going.” While her run in Paris would conclude in the next round, it does set the stage for a potential deep run at Wimbledon, where she burst onto the scene two years ago, and beyond. Still only 17-years-old, Gauff possesses the maturity and poise, plus the game, to put her on the path to achieving the goal she made all those years ago: to become world number one. And she isn’t doing it to please anyone else, or adhere to the public’s expectations; she is doing it for herself and the close circle of people around her who have been in her corner since day one. “Everyone asks me how I stay calm on court, and I think it’s because I accepted who I am after overcoming low points in my life,” she said. “Now, when I’m on court, I am just really thankful to be out there.”

NYTennisMag.com • July/August 2021 • New York Tennis Magazine

Tennis Bubbles: A Grand Slam Victory Over the Elements tennis becomes much more accessible to those that don’t have the means or desire to travel south for the winter. Compared to other construction methods, bubbles have a relatively short history. Bubbles first made appearances in North America in the early 1970s, and have since evolved into a top solution for sports like tennis. Ralph Farley, founder of The Farley Group, saw how well the concept worked in Europe, and brought it back with him more than 40 years ago. Since then, The Farley Group has built dozens of tennis bubbles around the world. Stepping into a tennis bubble for the first time can be aweinspiring. No other structure can provide as much space without any support beams or walls. It’s almost counter-intuitive at first sight: “What’s holding up the roof?” Intriguingly, bubbles require nothing but air to do that. Fresh, filtered and conditioned air flows in, giving the bubble its rounded shape, protecting the playing surface and players underneath. A wonderful added benefit is that tennis bubbles can be either seasonal or permanent. Permanent bubbles have the advantage of full protection from the weather throughout the year—cold and snow during the winter, and rain or high winds in the summer—while seasonal domes can go up in the fall and come (In person!) down in the spring. They represent the perfect solution for outdoor courts. And best of all? Tennis bubbles can be installed for a fraction of what other Sportime l Quogue, NY indoor tennis courts cost. To learn more about how Farley tennis Registration: $80.00 bubbles can help your club members practice their swing 365 days a year, For more information contact Paul Fontana visit TheFarleyGroup.com or call (888) at (914) 656-0614 or eastern-ed@uspta.org 445-3223.

rying to figure out a way to maintain your tennis training momentum throughout the offseason? Indoor tennis is a lot more viable than you might think. New York’s harsh winters make outdoor tennis strictly a seasonal sport—unless you can move it indoors. And while indoor tennis may seem like an expensive luxury, The Farley Group keeps the game going year-round by manufacturing, installing and maintaining tennis bubbles. Bubbles are the ideal solution for indoor tennis—both economically and practically. Tennis has always been a big deal in New York, which has driven the demand for indoor playing spaces for several decades now. With more than 20 bubbles in New York City and the Long Island area, Farley tennis bubbles have helped solidify New York as one of the top places to train and develop tennis talent. By providing a way to train throughout the winter,

USPTA Eastern Division's Annual Conference

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New York Tennis Magazine • July/August 2021 • NYTennisMag.com

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The Original Seven Cross the PTM Finish Line

n Memorial Day Weekend at Verdi's Restaurant in Whitestone, Queens, the Professional Tennis Management (PTM) students from Queens College toasted their seven brethren, dubbed the "Original 7", who were about to complete their third and final PTM semester. They had started in January of 2020, and after six in-person, Monday evening classes (that last for three hours, the COVID-19 shutdown hit. Lecturer Robert Friedman of Stress Solutions quickly adapted to a remote zoom format and the course chugged on with no interruption. For many of the students the online format was better logistically as Queens is not the most accessible location by public transportation. As the course continued in the Fall and Winter /Spring of 2021, the online format made it possible for students to enroll from outside the New York City area. The current continuing group includes students from Minnesota, New Jersey and Washington, D.C.. The only part of the course where in-person attendance is required is the 12-hour

tennis clinic on coaching progressions and technique on the weekend. This year, that two-day clinic was held at the USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center and led by the USTA's Craig Jones, and capped by the dinner at Verdi's. With six students still enrolled (one completed second semester and five their first) and continuing, and many inquiries for the upcoming Fall Semester, the course is clearly fulfilling its goal to introduce people to a career in tennis management and/or coaching. Among the current 13 students, most were young tennis pros, or in administrative or tennis program jobs at area clubs or organizations. Some, who are exploring tennis as a second or alternative career, have good jobs in other fields. Ages range from 19 to 56, with most of the students over 35years-old. All but two are in the management track. The course’s three-hour session lectures on Monday evenings are led by Friedman, Queens College's Management Training Specialist. He provides 10 lectures each semester

New York Tennis Magazine • July/August 2021 • NYTennisMag.com

that cover personal development, hospitality, and leadership. This part of the course is personally intense for each student and focuses on the many soft skills so essential to success in business and management. Skip Hartman, the Program's Director, organizes additional tennis related lectures which over the first three semesters included: Danny Zausner, Executive Director of the USTA National Tennis Center, who charted the history and growth of the Center from 1977 to present; Claude Okin, CEO and Founder of Sportime, who recounted his early years as a school teacher and tennis coach leading to his development of Sportime, the largest owner/operator of tennis clubs in New York; Gordon Kent, V.P. of Operations for Advantage Tennis Clubs and former owner of the New England Tennis Camp, covered club reservation systems and how to run an overnight tennis camp; Gail Brown of BrownDirect covered basic marketing; Rick Ferman, a world class tennis coach and former Executive Director of the USTA from 19962003, with an assist from Jay

Devashetty, former Director of Player Development at the National Tennis Center and now in a similar role for NYJTL at the Cary Leeds Center, described in-depth how to organize an elite player training program and the many challenges it presents; Kevin Hauss, COO of New York Edge and former HR Director of John Jay College and HR Manager at Stony Brook University, reviewed the scope and responsibilities of a Human Resources Department and current hot button issues; John Garry, CFO of Advantage Tennis Clubs, covered payroll management; Peter Luftig of SCS Insurance, who has insured many dozens of indoor tennis clubs, reviewed the various risks and insurances needed to cover them; and Hartman, who is also an owner of Advantage Tennis Clubs, filled in his tips about starting a tennis business, planning, budgeting, and strategic alliances, and also covered air structures evolution and how to purchase them. Many of the topics

that were covered were suggested by the students, with whom Hartman meets individually for about an hour each semester to discuss their careers and opportunities. The topics outlined above are supplemented by USTA online modules that also include Tennis and Business presentations by Mike Woody, who is V.P and National Tennis Director for Genesis Health Clubs, covering a wide range of tennis coaching and management topics. Students are required to study 100 hours of these modules over the course of the three semesters. Enrollment can commence with each semester. To achieve the Proffesional and Continuing Studies certificate a student must pass the basic PTR or USPTA instructor certification, attend 80 percent of the 13 lectures provided for each semester, and attend each of the three distinct semesters as identified by Friedman's three themes. They also must log 500 hours of experiential learning in the tennis

industry either via internships or an actual tennis related job. The next semester will start November 22 through the beginning of March 2022. It will be followed promptly in mid-March by another semester that will conclude in June. The tuition is $1,575 per semester, paid to Queens College Registrar. Enrollment can be done online through the Queens College Web site. For questions about the Queens College-CUNY PTM Certificate program one may contact Diane Gahagan, Director of Continuing Education, at diane.gahagan@qc.cuny.edu., or Hartman, USTA-U PTM Director at skiphartman@aol.com or call his direct line at his office, 646-884-9647. For assistance with enrolling you may contact Mr. Hartman's Assistant, Alex Haber at ahaber@hckrecreation.com. Enrollments for the next semester will be accepted by Queens College starting August 2021.

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USTA Eastern Metro Region Metro Regional Council Serves Up Free Tennis for Essential Workers

Essential workers received free lessons from coaches at the Lincoln Terrace Tennis Courts in Brooklyn, N.Y. n June 13, the USTA Eastern Metro Regional Council held a tennis clinic for essential workers at the Lincoln Terrace Tennis Courts in Brooklyn. The event was conceived as a thank you to all the employees who kept the city running—and saved lives—during the worst parts of the COVID-19 pandemic. “Having to navigate a pandemic highlights the true heroes,” said Metro Regional Council Director Ioonna Felix, who helped organize and run the special clinic. “Science gave us a light at the end of the tunnel however it was the essential workers who carried us to the light and will continue to carry us into the next new normal. As a council we felt they should be honored. We wanted to pay respects to the hardships of the past year and to the workers who allowed our city, country and world to return.” At the completely free, two-hour clinic, participants—who varied in skill level—received instruction from local coaches and had the opportunity to rally with each other. Those who attended included healthcare employees, supermarket workers, teachers and a mass transit employee. “He made sure the city kept going and that essential workers had transportation access,” Felix says of the transit employee. “He played tennis all his life but had taken a hiatus [due to the pandemic]. When he saw the [event listing] he felt it was a great way to get back into tennis. And, since it was in the middle of the day, he was able to

participate without it interfering with his night shift.” The experience brought a lot of joy to many of the attendees. We had a mother-daughter duo attend who had never played tennis, and they completely immersed themselves,” Felix recalled. “With the help of our volunteers and coaches these ladies were able to learn basic groundstrokes and then participate in various drills. The mother kept telling me, ‘I always love watching tennis on tv and now I cannot believe I am playing it.’ She hoped we’d have more clinics like this.” Felix, too, found a similar joy in organizing her first event since taking on the Metro Regional Council Director role. “Putting this on was a meaningful experience,” she said. “It was great to closely work with Charles East at the Lincoln Terrace Tennis Association. We were able to successfully hold an event honoring essential workers as well as promoting tennis and highlighting a different part of the city's tennis community.” In fact, Felix notes that the council is already looking into making the event an annual occurrence. The attendees themselves are hoping for it. “It was rewarding to hear many of the participants ask us if we will be holding this event again,” Felix said. “This would allow us to continue to highlight the contributions of our essential workers as well as growing the game of tennis in this community.”

New York Tennis Magazine • July/August 2021 • NYTennisMag.com

USTA Eastern Metro Region New York Tennis Honors AAPI Heritage Month

Nearly 40 players participated in Alley Pond’s event, titled Hitting to Help India. Proceeds went directly to Americares to support India during their COVID-19 surge

his past May, the USTA Eastern Section hosted several events with tennis facilities across the Metro region in honor of Asian-American Pacific Islander (AAPI) Heritage Month. Celebrating Asian heritage is especially important this year—a study of 15 major cities across the country showed that anti-Asian hate crimes surged by 169% in just the first quarter of 2021. Additionally, the USTA Eastern community includes a substantial number of Asian-Americans compared to other USTA sections across the country. 11.6% of Eastern players identify as Asian/Pacific Islander. Participating organizations in the Metro Region included Alley Pond Tennis Center in Queens Village; the Fort Greene Tennis Association in Brooklyn; and Break The Love

in Manhattan. USTA Eastern worked with the facilities to promote the events and also recommended organizations that support AAPI causes for fundraising purposes. “As an Asian American, I was proud to work with our providers in Metro (and other regions) to hold events to celebrate our heritage and culture,” said Neil Thakur, USTA Eastern’s Tennis Service Representative for the Metro and Long Island Regions. “Tennis is a game that brings people together no matter their background and it was nice to see a diverse group of players supporting each event. Nearly $6000 was raised in May through these events for various AAPI causes and I'm grateful for the opportunity to create awareness of the issues that affect the AAPI community.”

NYTennisMag.com • July/August 2021 • New York Tennis Magazine

USTA Eastern Metro Region USTA Eastern’s Tennis 101 Initiative e’ve all heard the stats: According to data from the Physical Activity Council (PAC) annual Participation Report—which monitors American involvement in more than 120 different sports and activities—tennis participation surged 22% in 2020, with four million more people playing tennis than in the previous year. Perhaps even more astounding: A whopping three million of those players were picking up a racquet for the very first time.

USTA Eastern is now working to help those new players connect with more ways to play tennis. Whether you’re a longtime player or work in the tennis industry, everybody benefits from growing the local tennis community. Visit usta.com/playtennisny to learn more about this initiative. Tennis facilities: Get your entry-level program listed on this site, which will be publicized broadly, including at public courts. Contact Monica LaMura at lamura@eastern.usta.com to get started.

Metro Adult League Update

Past

Coming Up

Winning teams from Mixed Doubles - Metro Region Championships l 7.0: Chikudi Richardson l 8.0: Chikudi Richardson/Rosemarie Roopchand Winning teams from Mixed Doubles - Eastern Sectionals l 7.0: Chikudi Richardson l 8.0: Chikudi Richardson/Rosemarie Roopchand

July - September l 55&Over Men l 55&Over Women

Both 7.0 and 8.0 teams have qualified for Nationals in Sunrise, Ariz. this fall.

Matches are three courts of doubles at the 3.5, 4.0 and 4.5 levels, 1 level per court New players, teams and captains are welcome. For more information, please contact: Christopher Dong, Adult League Coordinator, Metro, at cdong@eastern.usta.com.

Current Leagues finishing in July: l 18&Over Manhattan l 18&Over Queens l 18&Over Brooklyn l 18&Over Staten Island

September - November l Tri-Level 4.5 Men l Tri-Level 4.5 Women

For all levels 2.5, 3.0, 3.5, 4.0, 4.5, 5.0 Matches are two singles courts, three doubles courts. Winning teams advance to Regionals, Sectionals and Nationals 26

New York Tennis Magazine • July/August 2021 • NYTennisMag.com

COMING IN AUGUST

Distribution scheduled for 08/23/21 This edition will feature: • 2021 U.S. Open Preview • Girl’s High School Preview • Hamptons/Summer Events Recap • And Much More!

Print distribution across New York at 300+ locations. Digital distribution across website and social media pages, and the e-Edition will be e-mailed out to our full data base.

Don’t miss the advertising opportunities in the next edition of New York Tennis Magazine September/October 2021! Facebook-www.Facebook.com/NewYorkTennis Instagram-@NYTennisMag • Twitter-@NYTennisMag

SPECIAL U.S. OPEN EDITION Submissions for both advertisingNYTennisMag.com and editorial are due by August 6, 2021 • July/August 2021 • New York Tennis Magazine 27 For more information, please call 516-409-4444 or e-mail Advertise@NYTennisMag.com

National Tennis Center Hosts JTT Sectional Championships

he top teams from across the Section gathered at the USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center to compete in the semifinals and finals of the USTA Eastern Junior TeamTennis Sectional Championships. The matches are played in a team format, similar to World TeamTennis, with the total games won by each flight adding up to produce the final score. There were four divisions (14U Intermediate, 14U Advanced, 18U Intermediate and 18U Advanced), with each division broken up into two groups. The winners of each group squared off in the championship matches. Below are the final standings, including total games won, from all four of the groups.

14U Intermediate Group A 1) Centercourt - 50 2) Cary Leeds - 49 3) Sportime Bears – 33 Group B 1) World Gym – 60 2) Westchester Tennis Club – 36 28

14U Intermediate Champions: Centercourt 3) Empire – 27 Champion: Centercourt Finalist: World Gym

New York Tennis Magazine • July/August 2021 • NYTennisMag.com

Group B 1) World Gym – 53 2) Sportime Winners – 53 3) BBMP Wayne – 7 Champion: Hardscrabble Finalist: World Gym

14U Advanced Champions: CourtSense 18U Advanced Champions: Pathyway Tennis Foundation

14U Advanced Group A 1) CourtSense - 59 2) Cary Leeds – 46 3) Sportime Lynbrook – 11 Group B 1) USTA National Tennis Center – 60 2) Tennis Innovators – 42 3) YMCA Devils – 30 Champion: CourtSense Finalist: USTA National Tennis Center

18U Intermediate Champions: Hardscrabble

18U Intermediate Group A 1) Hardscrabble – 57 2) Highland Park – 40 3) Binghamton – 33

18U Advanced Group A 1) Cary Leeds - 53 2) World Gym - 45 3) YMCA Acers – 39 Group B 1) Sportsplex – 56 2) Pathway Tennis Foundation - 48 3) BBMP Wayne – 29 Champion: Pathway Tennis Foundation Finalist: Sportsplex Throughout the competition, all the teams demonstrated the teamwork and sportsmanship that is at the core of Junior TeamTennis. “It’s all about teamwork,” said Vivian Yu, who coaches the Centercourt 14U Intermediate team that won the title. “They are very good tennis players individually, but they worked together as a team. In the weeks leading up to Sectionals, they practiced playing doubles everyday with different combinations, which made them familiar with their partners and be able to switch from singles to doubles quickly during a team match. They understood that every game counts, and played their best whether if they were up or down. When coaching during changeovers, I was always asked by the player, ‘how’s the other court going? How many games do we have?” Their goal was to win more games for their partners and teammates.”

NYTennisMag.com • July/August 2021 • New York Tennis Magazine

Common Mistakes Junior Players Make By Gilad Bloom

s a coach, you learn fast that in tennis, every student is different in style of play, character and body type. However, there are still many things that are similar among most young players (such as the love to play points in practice over doing repetition drills). Over the years, I have noticed that most kids share the same common mistakes, some of them basic fundamentals that can easily be fixed in the young ages, but not as easy as the kids get older and bad habits become more difficult to fix. Here is a list of the top nine most common flaws I see in many kids. Many of them are due to the lack of organized coaching during a child’s formative years. Many kids grow up with homemade games without the luxury of getting one-on-one lessons and when they start to get high level coaching, they have developed bad habits that are hard to change, but not impossible.

1. Lack of ready position Having a good ready position is essential. It is surprising how fixing that simple thing can actually improve the quality of your shots right away. Placing the racquet in a neutral position, usually with a forehand grip, and leaning 30

forward with knees bent allows for maximum balance, better timing and a cleaner, more consistent shot. 2. The split-step So many kids neglect this subject and don't realize the importance of a good split-step before every shot (just a split second before the opponent connects with the ball). It’s not an easy realization, but the fact is that a good tennis player needs to split-step nonstop during a tennis match, the sooner they internalize this fact, the sooner they will reach the next level. 3. Taking an eye off the ball too soon If I had one sentence to leave to this world, it would be to “Keep your eye on the ball.” This is golden advice. Actually, you have to keep your eye on the point of contact for an extra split second after the ball is gone. That's what all the great players are doing. Roger Federer is a great example of this. It is simple … if you try to watch the point of contact, you will make sure that you hit the sweet spot and thus increase the accuracy of the shot, maintain confidence and remain disciplined enough to trust the shot and keep the head down on big points. This is what separates the

New York Tennis Magazine • July/August 2021 • NYTennisMag.com

good from the great. Federer has done this the best and has been rewarded with pretty good results. Oftentimes, he will hit a winner without even looking at the result because he is so fanatical about keeping his eyes down where he connected. 4. Not hitting enough cross-courts during points The old quote from Bjorn Borg is one of my favorites. When asked about the secret of his success, he replied, "Basically, I hit lots of cross-courts and from time to time, I go down the line.” To me, this is tennis in a nutshell. That way of thinking won Borg 11 majors in six years. Many kids early in their development fail to understand the power of the cross-court and pull the trigger too soon, going down the line when down in the point, allowing the opponent to take control. The crosscourt, inside-out forehand and short-angle cross are all shots that, when hit well, can open up the court and create an advantage, plus, the cross goes through the low part of the net. The defensive cross-court allows for time to recover. Need I say more? 5. Not having the right grip on volleys With 99 percent of kids hitting a two-

handed backhand nowadays, it is getting increasingly difficult to teach kids to hit with a proper Continental Grip. Many of them use the "Fake Continental," which is between an Eastern Forehand Grip and a Classic Continental. Fixing that early on in one’s development can determine between having a mediocre volley or a quality volley. 6. Re-gripping Especially on the serve, but also on groundstrokes, many kids will change their grip right before the serve (during the motion) or on groundstrokes, they will switch grips after the split-step. This habit takes away valuable time and increases missed hits. Many kids don't even realize that they are doing it and when they fix the flaw, the result is immediate improvement and cleaner contact. 7. Going to the net on a cross-court Obviously you need to mix it up from

time to time, but eight out of 10 times, I would recommend approaching the net on a down the line shot. It simply allows you the best coverage of the net. Coming in on a cross-court exposes you to the easy down the line passing shot—it is a case of percentages. Many kids will go in on a cross-court shot and wonder why they lost a point they should have won. The ones who stick to the percentage game will win more points in the long run. 8. Not using the left hand enough (on a two-handed backhand) The two-handed backhand (for a righty) is essentially a left-handed forehand with a little help from the right arm. Many kids never work on

their weak hand and use too much of the dominant arm. I make my students hit left-handed forehands every day for a few minutes. Once they develop that muscle and become more crafty with their off-hand, it will take over the shot and create more power, and provide better placement and more versatility in the shot. 9. Having a consistent toss on the serve Many kids have a solid motion and can generate a lot of pace on the serve, yet fail to make first serves with good percentages. Most of the time, it is due to an inconsistent toss. Once they fix the toss, it usually makes a visible impact on the first serve percentages and makes holding serve a bit simpler, not a small thing in this game, to say the least.

Gilad Bloom, former Israeli Davis Cup player and two-time Olympian, played on the ATP Tour 1983-1995, reached the fourth round of the U.S. Open in 1990, reached a highest ranking of 61 in singles, was Israel Singles Champion three times. Bloom has been running his own tennis program since 2000 and also was director of tennis at John McEnroe Tennis Academy for two years. He can be reached by e-mail at Bloom.Gilad@Gmail.com.

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The Hidden Secret in Tennis: Developing Momentum By Conrad Singh t the highest levels of competitive tennis, it can be very hard to know who is winning or losing at first glance. One of the key concepts of understanding the inner game of tennis is that of momentum development. The key questions are:

1. How do you start building momentum? What do you do to get the best possible start in each set? 2. How can I stop my opponent from creating momentum and running away? 3. What is the best way of steering your own momentum the right way when the flow is with you? 4. How do you find the “Flow State” and remaining within this … the optimal mental and emotional state? Competitive tennis matches all vary in how they take shape. As we know, players experience ups and downs throughout games, sets, matches and tournaments. We need to educate our players that each match is a journey or pathway, with different twists and turns each time we step on the court. When we are discussing the concept of “momentum,” we are really talking about the “fight” within the match; dealing primary with the sports psychology plus emotional control skills of the why and when in sport. 32

l Momentum control is critical to players knowing how to stop the flow when it is against you. This is often related to strategy usage and thinking. l Commentators will usually refer to momentum as the “flow” or “balance” of a match—having the upper hand. The ATP and WTA now actually even chart momentum! l Momentum is usually the result of pressure having been placed onto one player over time, causing a reaction whereby one player ends up with a positive outcome. It’s important to teach players to continue to apply pressure. l Momentum is hard to quantify and very difficult to measure other than with a score but very obvious to visually see it in the body language of a player. l Flow state often occurs when the momentum is with one player. l The feeling of seeing everything early. When momentum is against you, how do you feel? Some comments I’ve heard from players are that they are unsettled and nothing is working … they have no rhythm or timing, are feeling unlucky, spinning out of control, feel very frustrated, etc. We know that within a match,

New York Tennis Magazine • July/August 2021 • NYTennisMag.com

momentum changes often, but why? Some of the reasons include a change in tactic, a missed chance, coaching, or even a toilet break or medical timeout. It’s important that we understand how to control momentum. Being prepared to start well is a very important and trainable skill, and knowing what to do when momentum is for you or against you and how to respond, needs to be practiced and rehearsed. Generally speaking, when momentum is against a player, take the time to slow down. And when the momentum is positive and with the player, they should be encouraged to “keep it going” and maintain that tempo. Players often try to speed up too fast when momentum is for them and then lose as a result. You must know how to correctly advise your player on how to use momentum as all player personalities, strengths and weakness and game styles are different. For example, when momentum is against Rafael Nadal, he seems to slow down, whereas Roger Federer speeds up. We also need to remember that the scoring system is a very frustrating one which seems as though it was designed to test players and their mental capacity. Tennis features best of three or five set matches, and at each new set, we return back to 0-0 which cleans the slate. What does this mean? Players have the

opportunity to restart and create a new turning point to change the momentum. It’s all about attitude and perspective. Coaches need to train players to see this chance and delete the past either positive or negative. How many of your players lose the second set easily after losing the first? How many win the first and then lose in the third set? These results are all tangible ways for us to test our players’ ability to be able to use or understand momentum. The concept of match point can be really strange as there is no defined timeline. You can be up a set and 5/3 or 40/0, play two bad games, and then be facing a mountain in front of you just minutes later. All these score variables really mean a player must be mentally stable! You can be winning for two hours, have a poor 10 minutes and be facing a loss! This is a major moment for character testing! Players must always treat each set as a chance to

have a new start. Thus learn the skill of starting well. Train your players to always keep fighting on match point, whether up or down. To play a perfect match is impossible, but to face the testing moments with a plan or strategy is entirely doable. Players that go to competition without working through these testing moments are not ready to confront the heat of battle. Much like a marathon runner who has yet to run a practice marathon prior to race day isn’t able to get over the proverbial “wall” in the race. We MUST teach players to remain optimistic and positive, and allow them to perceive “testing moments” as new chances. Teach players that the matches rarely start as planned,

and there will always be twists and turns, thus requiring adaption at various times. Players really need to know their own personalities and train the “Potential Timing Points” or testing moments. Tennis becomes far more interesting for players when they reach a competitive maturity that allows for a balance perspective on each moment. It is normal for players to be nervous, panic, race and/or implode. When preparing your players to compete, remember to ensure they go through some pressure-type situations, and have set plans in place to counter these testing moments. All of this can be trained through off-the-court work, mental conditioning programs and through rehearsal.

Conrad Singh is the Chief Operating Officer of Tennis & Director of Coaching at Centercourt Club & Sports. He has held Head Coach and Director positions in Australia, England, Japan and China, and has been involved in professional tennis player development for well over two decades. Singh came to Centercourt from Shanghai, China, where he helped to develop a top high-performance player program, which saw more than 200 athletes train under his system.

NYTennisMag.com • July/August 2021 • New York Tennis Magazine

net at the

By Brian Coleman

with Advantage Tennis Clubs year ago, the country was in the heart of the COVID19 pandemic and no one knew what the future would hold. Perhaps no place was hit harder in terms of infection rates, but also economically, than New York City. There wasn’t a single industry that was left unaffected by the lack of people visiting stores, walking on the streets and going to work. While very early on, tennis was deemed a safe activity, the shutdowns would have a drastic effect on the tennis business in the area, and forced the clubs and facilities to adapt in order to keep their head above water. Advantage Tennis Clubs, with three indoor clubs, an extensive 18-site QuickStart Program, and several day camps, was directly impacted. “The immediate financial consequences included lost revenues equal to about 30 percent of 2019 revenues as we had an obligation to

provide cash refunds or credits for prepaid monies related to membership, season time and various programs, and the necessity to reduce overhead,” said Skip Hartman. “We furloughed most staff, keeping only skeleton crews to protect our air structures that were still up.” Hartman is the Owner of Advantage

New York Tennis Magazine • July/August 2021 • NYTennisMag.com

Tennis Clubs, which operate three tennis facilities in New York City: Manhattan Plaza Racquet Club, New York Tennis Club and Roosevelt Island Racquet Club. Operating one club during a pandemic and making the necessary adjustments is difficult enough, but overseeing three different places in three separate locations only adds to that challenge. The Clubs shut down for about 110 days, beginning in March and lasting until late June and early July. “The big thing was figuring out what percentage of our customer base and members were going to come back,” said Steve O’Keefe, General Manager of Roosevelt Island Racquet Club. “We started with camp, which opened on June 29, and the club opened fully the week after that. It was all a question of what percentage of members would be back, what percentage of campers would come

back, and then how are we going to keep our staff safe and comfortable.” With many of the regular customer base leaving the city and heading out east for the summer, which happens often during a typical year, but even more so under last year’s circumstances, it was up to the clubs to adapt and be more creative. “Once our players were satisfied that we had created a safe environment to play, they also realized that tennis might be one of the few safe activities during the pandemic, in which they could also get some exercise and have fun,” said Mark Keye, Manager at New York Tennis Club Indoors (NYTCi). “NYTCi had one of its best years, in terms of turnout, during the pandemic.” The staff members did much more active outreach through non-member programs, adult and junior lessons, leagues, UTR events, USTA Sanctioned tournaments, Metro Tennis Leagues and other social events. By doing so, the clubs saw an uptick in activity that mirrored its 2019 participation.

“New York Tennis Club Indoors has been more active than ever thanks to Mark Keye’s unbridled tennis enthusiasm, attentiveness to COVID-19 protocols, Bill Wiese’s organizing of USTA-sanctioned tournaments, and the outstanding tennis programs of tennis pros who run their independent

programs there such as Harel Srugo, Gilad Bloom, Marty Smith, Salvador Guerrero, Robert Cridge and Jeff Nerenberg, and John Londoc has joined us this summer and is doing great as well,” said Hartman. “On the plus side, continued on page 36

The Ultimate Tennis Break Up Your Game at Round Hill, Jamaica’s Legendary Beach Resort &%$#"! %$ " ! "% $ "$ " ! $ "# $# " % % "! $%! " and a naturally beautiful setting, Round Hill is ideal for a tennis vacation. Our Stay & Play Tennis Package includes a lesson with a pro on ! "! "$# " ! $ " " " ! $ " " $ % "$# " " " " " " "#! $"! "!$# " ! " %$% " " " $% %$% " " $ " $ $" $" " " % #$ " Call 1-800-972-2159 or visit www.roundhill.com out dates and restrictions apply. See website for full package details.

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NYTennisMag.com • July/August 2021 • New York Tennis Magazine

at the net with advantage tennis clubs continued from page 35

because tennis in general has been more popular as a safe sport, we have seen members actually playing more often.” That is the heart of the success of the three clubs before, during and after the pandemic. The creativity and willingness to try something new is imperative, but so is having the dedication of your staff members. “There was a lot of apprehension about reopening last year in regards to if we would be able to enforce all the protocols, would the staff be comfortable, and would we have to shut down again if we had an outbreak,” added O’Keefe. “And we really had no issues. The staff stepped up, and the members stepped up. Sometimes it can feel like you are just running a business, but I really felt like we were doing something to serve the community. Our staff has been amazing, and we really would not have been able to be open without them.” Serving the community is one of the top priorities at Advantage Tennis Clubs, and they don’t just speak it, they back it up. This year, as the vaccine for COVID-19 was approved and began to rollout, Manhattan Plaza stepped up to do its part. For multiple days in January and then again in February, one of the facility’s courts was repurposed to serve as a vaccination site, which was open to the residents of Manhattan Plaza, and allowed the club’s staff members to get their vaccination early. At Roosevelt Island, the north bubble was repurposed as a New York City Department of Education Learning Lab program for eight months. This allowed students who were either hybrid at the time, or not going into school at all, to get out of the house, be amongst other students and continue their in-person education. “Skip is a master at utilizing space, and through his years of being in the city and working with the Department of 36

Education, he was able to repurpose our back bubble during the daytime,” said O’Keefe. “It gave the kids a chance to learn in an environment outside their homes, and it also served our needs because we had the space available and it kept our staff busy so we could avoid laying people off. The lab would go to 4:00 p.m. each day, and then be turned back over to the club for programs or court rentals. It really served two purposes, and it was great to be able to use our facility to help the community.” While Advantage Tennis Clubs made sure to adapt and fought its way through the challenges of the last 18 months, there were also downsides. Some of the staff members who were furloughed at the beginning had to relocate and find work elsewhere and the inability to use public and private school sites for its QuickStart programs is something it is still grappling with today, but with schools expected to be back in full this fall, those programs should be back at their normal sites soon. Nonetheless, the three facilities and other tennis programs that make up Advantage Tennis Clubs met the challenges presented last year head on. “Our clubs work together all the time and effectively to create good and consistent communication,” added Keye. “During the pandemic, our three clubs worked even more closely, sharing information, supplies, practices and

New York Tennis Magazine • July/August 2021 • NYTennisMag.com

procedures and even clients who came to the Bronx, perhaps wanting to get away from the city and play in a new atmosphere.” Thanks to the dedication and talent of all of its staff members, from directors to tennis coaches, to front desk receptionists and maintenance staff, it took a village in order to remain open and do so in a safe manner for everyone involved. “We are seeing a steady increase of both new and returning players coming to our courts and we welcome them with open arms (socially distant of course!). Yes, the revenue loss was great but the loss of our tennis family and normal life was far greater,” said Milos Vojvodic, Manager at Manhattan Plaza Racquet Club. “A deeper appreciation and closer relationships grew between our coworkers. The gratitude we have towards members and guests and the love for the game of tennis have been the silver linings brought on by COVID-19.” Now that we seem to be approaching the end of the fifth set of this long, grueling match with the pandemic, Advantage has come away poised to continue moving forward. “The net result of this 20-month ordeal is that we are emerging stronger than ever on the staff and the business side,” said Hartman. “We’re looking forward to many long-time members and customers returning to the City with an even greater appreciation of tennis.”

"The Art and Science of Ball Watching" By Dr. Paul Hamori MD By Bill Simons n life we often take for granted the simplest things–like sight. It is a vastly underrated aspect of tennis. Ash Barty says that basically the key to every point is, "see ball, hit ball." Dr. Paul Hamori has written a revealing, groundbreaking book: The Art and Science of Ball Watching–learning to see contact. The book teaches us the neuroscience of hearing, vision and touch–and how to apply it to playing better. Hamori offers an intriguing study of the greatest of all ball watchers, Roger Federer, and gives us a bounty of brain exercises. Even though light travels faster than sound, our brains process sound faster. We do not actually see the ball contact the strings in real time. The process is too fast. So technically we cannot see contact in real time. We perceive it "in delayed perceptual time." Rather than keeping your on the ball, Hamori suggests taking your eye off the ball at certain points in the hitting cycle. He gives us fascinating specifics on turning your head to your racquet side, narrowing your eyes, focusing and resisting the urge to follow your shot. Hamori reflects on the plasticity of the human brain. In many ways an instructional manual, the book

contains a compelling collection of tips, a 50-minute power drill, workouts with ball machines, suggestions for match play and comments on lines-persons. Filled with fabulous facts (in a two-hour match, we're blind for 19 minutes), the Art and Science of Ball Watching is a deep dive surprise and a fascinating read. You can learn more about Dr. Hamori and his new book by visiting www.DrPaulHamori.com. Bill Simons is the Editor and Publisher of Inside Tennis. You can read all of Simons’ work by visiting InsideTennis.com. He may be reached at simons@insidetennis.com.

Weekly UTR event at NYTC NEW- Summer group sessions in East Hampton in July and August Private lessons in the Hamptons and in NYC Tournament travel Fall program registration open

Call 914-907-0041 or E-mail Bloom.Gilad@gmail.com www.GiladBloom.com NYTennisMag.com • July/August 2021 • New York Tennis Magazine

THE LONG ISLAND

CHALLENGE 2021

2021 LITM Challenge Men’s and Women’s Doubles

portime Quogue out in The Hamptons played host to the first Long Island Tennis Magazine Challenge of 2021, as more than 100 players came out to compete in the Men’s and Women’s Doubles event. The first LITM Challenge of the summer was made possible due to the support of all the players, plus our sponsors: BTIG, Chris Savino, Compass, Cowen, inPhorm, KeyBanc Capital Markets, L’Antista, Plado Tasting Bar, Sportime/John McEnroe Tennis Academy, Town Bagel, Virtu Financial, Vite Vinosteria and USTA Eastern.

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Winners: Women’s 6.0-6.5: Tanya Mattera & Anne McConville Women’s 8.0-8.5: Morgan Milleisen & Jordan Lite Women’s 7.0-7.5: Nancy Halpern & Lauren Slutsky Women’s 9.0-9.5: Courtney Kowalsky & Samantha Galu Men’s 7.0-7.5: Stephen Weiss & Jorge Reilley Men’s 8.0-8.5: Arrwin Yip & Junji Nakamura Men’s 9.0-9.5: Jared Kaplan & Jeff Snow Men’s Open: Charlie James & Gustavo Loza

New York Tennis Magazine • July/August 2021 • NYTennisMag.com

litennis Long Island Tennis Magazine

MAGAZINE

nytennis New York Tennis Magazine

MAGAZINE

THE LONG ISLAND

CHALLENGE 2021

SATURDAY

JULY

17 2021

(Rain Date: July 18th)

Sportime Quogue 2571 Quogue-Riverhead Rd. East Quogue, NY 11942

Mixed Doubles Tournament Check in: 12:30 p.m. Tournament: 1:00 - 5:00 p.m. Tournament will feature a round-robin format followed by knockout rounds Mixed Categories 6.0 - 6.5 (combined) 7.0 - 7.5 (combined) 8.0 - 8.5 (combined)

9.0 - 9.5 (combined) 10.0+ (combined)

Post Tournament Happy Hour Complimentary for players

Catered Lunch Included!

Winners receive prizes and are featured in LI Tennis Magazine!

Chris Savino

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MAGAZINE

To register, go to LITennisMag.com/LITMSummerMixed For more information, contact info@usptennis.com or call 516-409-4444

Sports Surfaces’ Underground Evolution Beautiful courts built from the ground up ave you ever looked at a perfectly groomed court and wondered how it stays so pristine? Often the answer is buried beneath your feet. In the late 80’s and early 90’s, clay court tennis underwent a revolution with the introduction of sub-surface irrigation. The selfregulating systems used a capillary action to continually draw water to the court from under the playing surface. Water usage, daily maintenance, and time spent grooming the court were all greatly reduced. In 2000, Har-Tru engineered its first Modified HydroCourt — making it easier to build and install. Two years ago, they introduced yet another breakthrough in irrigation with the HyQ Court. HyQ (pronounced High-Q), brings sub-surface irrigation technology into the 21st Century. The system fills faster and responds to adjustments much more quickly, and its control center is completely digital. Appealing to the next generation of tennis court maintenance personnel, HyQ features fine-tuned controls on a digital touch pad that makes responsive adjustments to within a 10th of an inch. The HyQ Court’s intelligent design optimizes the amount of water on a court to help achieve desired playing conditions. Four preset controls allow users to save

preferred settings for Hot & Dry, Cool & Wet, or any other conditions regularly encountered on a court. The digital control panel allows for further advancements such as Wi-Fi connectivity that enable control of the system from an app that can be accessed from a phone or tablet anywhere. Perfect playing conditions 24/7. That’s the goal of every court owner. HyQ Courts stay uniformly moist, smooth, and firm for a consistent bounce, exceptional footing, and beautiful court. The court irrigates automatically and uses approximately 40% less water. With a HyQ Court, it’s easy to see and understand the entire sub-surface irrigation process at a glance, and quickly act to adjust water levels to the perfect level every time. “Our HydroCourts really changed the industry,” said Tracy Lynch, Vice President of Sales & Marketing for Har-Tru. “And many customers still rely on and prefer the HydroCourt system. But HyQ, with digital real-time control, is going to be the industry standard of the future.” So the next time you see an impeccably groomed clay court, take a minute to appreciate the unseen technologies that make for ideal playing conditions. Then get out there and play!

New York Tennis Magazine • July/August 2021 • NYTennisMag.com

First Annual Johnny Mac Classic Comes to Randall’s Island

he Johnny Mac Tennis Project (JMTP) hosted its first ever team event, as the Johnny Mac Classic pitted brothers John and Patrick McEnroe against one another in a team competition in support of the JMTP. The two teams competed head-tohead in three different rounds, each of which consisted of three singles matches and three doubles matches. Each team member competed in at least one singles and one doubles match throughout the afternoon, and like the Laver Cup, the points earned for each team increased with every round. “A big part of JMTP’s mission is to help players use tennis as a vehicle to get to college by earning scholarships,” said Jordan Botjer, JMTP’s Executive Director. “This event was a great way to highlight the importance of competing on a team.” The teams were co-captained by JMTP scholarship players, whose

energy and enthusiasm kept the vibe of the event going strong throughout the day. Their participation allowed spectators and organization supporters see the kids play tennis up close. Team John l Captains: John McEnroe & Michael Ward l JMTP Player Co-captains: Olivia Benton & Zizou Ahmad l Team Members: Claude Okin; Dan Okin; Shu Adachi; Peter Desmond; Tom Ryan; Marc Desmond; Suzanne Ryan; Patrick Ryan; Cecilia Vonderheide Team Patrick l Captains: Patrick McEnroe & Carlos Campo l Co-captains: Sebastian Sec & Dylan Ortiz l Honorary Co-captain: Summer Chandler l Team Members: Gavin Albert; Doug Burns; Jim Citrin; Oliver

Citrin; Danny Huynh; Allison Schulman; Tracy Rueckert; David Antenucci; Gregg Meyer Team John took the early lead after the first round, and jumped out to the early 4-2 advantage. It was able to increase its lead by the end of round two, and at the end of the third and final round, Team John was crowned champion by a score of 27-9. “The Johnny Mac Classic was a great afternoon of tennis, fun and competition. We saw some great matches and the players all had a blast!” added Botjer. “The scholarship players were the stars of the event with their great, positive energy making it a much more dynamic afternoon. It was also fantastic for the participants to have an opportunity to meet some of the kids and see just how talented they really are. This event was a great building block for JMTP and we are really looking forward to bringing it back in the future!”

NYTennisMag.com • July/August 2021 • New York Tennis Magazine

junior player spotlight junior player spotlight junior player spotlight junior player spotlight junior player spotlight junior player spo

Junior Player

spotlight By Brian Coleman

Aryan Badlani, USTA National Tennis Center f you are a young, aspiring tennis player, you would be hard pressed to find a player more worthy of idolizing than Rafael Nadal. His tenacity on the court, unrelenting work ethic and the classy way in which he approaches his profession are all enviable traits any young person should mirror. One of those young players is Aryan Badlani, a Rising Freshman from New York. “He’s been my favorite player since day one,” said Badlani, who, like his idol, is also a lefty. “He has a fighting spirit he brings to every match, no matter how good or bad he may be playing in that moment. He always brings 100 percent.” Badlani has tried to implement those same characteristics into his tennis game. He got his start in tennis when he was around four-years-old, playing with his older brother on the little 10 & Under tennis nets. After a brief hiatus away from the game, he continued playing after a neighbor needed one more player for a class they were going to. “They asked if I wanted to join and so I accepted,”

Badlani recalls. “That was when I was about eight-years-old. I joined the class, and have been playing ever since…I love tennis. I like how everything depends on you and you have to rely on yourself. Except in doubles, tennis is not a team sport you can rely on somebody else if you need to, and I really enjoy that individualistic aspect of it.” For the last three years, Badlani has been training at the USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center, honing his game in the same location as the world’s top players when they play at the U.S. Open each year. Badlani has a strong net game, and is a very good volleyer when he does come to net. As someone with a smaller frame than some of his peers, he relies on a solid return game to be successful, and utilizes a good inside-out forehand to dictate play during his matches. “One thing I am really trying to improve on is my serve,” he said. “Not being as tall as other players, I don’t have as big of a serve, so I’ve been working on strengthening that by using my legs more, moving my toss

New York Tennis Magazine • July/August 2021 • NYTennisMag.com

er spotlight junior player spotlight junior player spotlight junior player spotlight junior player spotlight junior player spotlight junior

more out in front, and just trying to generate as much power and kick as I possibly can.” His drive to continually get better was on display during the lockdown period of the pandemic last year, and has really helped Badlani to elevate his game. With matches and tournaments cancelled, Badlani focused on his fitness and conditioning so he would be ready to go once tournament play resumed. “I made sure to do fitness very often and I think I was actually able to improve my game during lockdown,” he said. “I made a huge addition to my game, which was improving my fitness, and used that time off to improve my game in other ways as well.” With junior tennis fully immersed in tournament action once again, Badlani has relished the opportunity to put what he has learned and improved on in his practices and training to the test in matches.

“It feels great to be playing tournaments on a consistent basis again. We trained throughout last year just to be able to come back and play in and try to do well at these big events,” said Badlani. “It’s just great to be able to have that routine back again. Before the pandemic, I was pretty much playing a tournament every weekend. So it definitely feels good to be back.” Badlani is ranked eighth in New York by TennisRecruiting.Net, and should see that ranking continue to increase as he goes through the summer. One of his top goals is to post solid results at the annual USTA Junior Clay Court Championships, and use that as a springboard towards more success as we move from the summer to the fall. “I put a lot work in during these last few months, and I wasn’t able to play any Nationals. We do all the work so we can go out and play well at the big

tournaments,” he said. “And I want to feel like I’ve gotten better, and show that the hard work is paying off.” His hard-work and coachable attitude are just two of the many reasons why his coaches and instructors see only big things to come in Badlani’s future. Joao Pinho, who runs the high performance programs at the National Tennis Center, has seen that work up-close and in person, and is excited for what lies ahead. “Aryan is a very coachable player who has a great feel and willingness to improve. He has made great strides in his game in the recent past and has been working extremely hard to improve in all aspects,” said Pinho. “Aryan has a bright future ahead of him and we, at the National Tennis Center, are happy to be part of his journey!” Brian Coleman is the Senior Editor for New York Tennis Magazine. He may be reached at brianc@usptennis.com.

NYTennisMag.com • July/August 2021 • New York Tennis Magazine

Why Does My Kid Have Bad Technique? By Chris Lewit

t can be very frustrating for parents when their kid’s technique is poor or the player is struggling to make and retain important technical changes. More often than not, the failure is due to either the fault of the coach, player, or parent—or a combination of the three. Over the last 20 years that I have spent building and rebuilding technique in the trenches, I’ve seen just about every situation and have learned many lessons about how to unlock technical progress. I love building technique. I like the intellectual challenge, the science and biomechanics, as well as the creative process of technique building. Developing world- class technique is an alchemy of art and science. Here are the most common reasons that a player struggles to learn a technical skill, including footwork, which I consider technique too:

1. The coach is teaching outdated or incorrect 44

technique that is not evidence-based or following accepted biomechanical principles It’s is important that parents ensure their child is learning good and modern form. Some coaches are teaching the same techniques as they did 30 years ago! Watch out for old school technique! 2. The coach is not connecting and building trust with the player during the technique building process Altering or rebuilding technique is as much a psychological process as it is a physical process. The coach must wire—but he or she must also inspire. The coach has to build trust and develop confidence in the player. It reminds me of a sales job. The coach must be a master salesman, convincing the player of the value of the changes and supporting the player emotionally during the technical development process. Learning a new technique is

New York Tennis Magazine • July/August 2021 • NYTennisMag.com

hard. The coach must have empathy and be charismatic and persuasive. The best technical coaches have these qualities. Some coaches just don’t understand this aspect. They may have the right knowledge, but they fail to communicate the knowledge in a way that connects with the player and they may not support the player emotionally enough during the process. Learning new technique is anxiety provoking for many players. Players need a lot of emotional support. Even if the coach is teaching the right skills, players may not have the belief or will to make the important changes—or they may not trust the coach enough. Some coaches have neither the right biomechanics knowledge nor the salesmanship. Parents have to do their due diligence. It’s hard to find a brilliant technical coach in the tennis world. I only know a handful of coaches whom I would trust to build the hardware of my son or daughter.

3. The player does not believe what the coach is saying If the player doesn’t trust the coach implicitly, if there is no bond between them, the technical project is going to fail. 4. The player is not motorically gifted Let’s face it, some kids can watch great technique and have the uncanny ability to mimic and learn a skill very easily. Many kids, however, are not so motorically blessed. It’s important to identify if the player is not that coordinated because at the end of the day this type of kid will require more emotional support and more repetitions. Sometimes all parties including parent, coach and the player himself get frustrated and impatient. This usually happens when the player is not as gifted and just needs more repetitions than some others. Less coordinated players will always need more emotional support because the technical process will be longer and harder for them! 5. The parent is interfering in some negative way Parents can be a great asset in helping to reinforce the right habits and assisting the technical coach during the building or rebuilding process. However, parents can also be a hindrance and block the progress of a player. The parent could undermine what the coach is teaching by not giving the same advice to the kid. Or the parent could undermine the bond and trust between the player and coach. It’s important for the parent and the coach to realize how traumatic and anxiety provoking learning a new technique is for many players. The parent and coach have to work cooperatively as a team to instill the player’s confidence in the new skills and to support the player when he or she is feeling anxious and has doubts.

“The coach has to build trust and develop confidence in the player” 6. Other coaches can also be a hindrance During the technique building process, it’s essential that the player not receive any mixed messages. Sometimes other coaches—well-meaning or not— give contradicting advice to the player—and this will ruin the technical process. 7. Sparring with players at too high a level After the initial learning of the new skills, it’s important to rally and spar with hitters who play softly and without too much pace. Many times, I see the technique being lost in the process of starting to play points and in live ball situations because the player is thrown in with other kids who are hitting hard and too big. If you throw a kid into fast points who has not fully ingrained a new motor pattern in the neuromuscular system, he will inevitably panic and revert back to his old strokes and comfort zone—and the new skills will be lost! This happens frequently and it’s a shame! 8. Match play and tournaments In the same vein as the above

mistake, playing high level tournaments or match play too soon, before the motor patterns are wired deeply enough, is a sure fire way to undermine technical development. Players who are thrust into high level competition with newly learned skills have a high likelihood of reversion—going back to previously learned motor skills. It’s paramount that players who are learning new skills apply those skills correctly under pressure in match play and sparring so as to further ingrain the new motor program and myelinate those neuro-pathways rather than reinforcing the old motor programs. Conclusion As you can see, there are many blocks to progress that can occur when building or rebuilding technique. Player, coach, and parent all need to work together to understand the nuances of the technical development process and to support the player from start to finish. Even the least talented kid can learn beautiful world-class technique if they have good training and avoid these pitfalls. Good luck amigos!

Chris Lewit is a former number one for Cornell and pro circuit player. He is a highperformance coach, educator, and the author of two best-selling books: The Secrets of Spanish Tennis and The Tennis Technique Bible. He has coached numerous top 10 nationallyranked players and is known for his expertise in building the foundations of young prodigies. Chris coaches in NYC and year-round at his high performance tennis academy in Manchester, VT, where players can live and train the Spanish Way full-time or short-term. He may be reached by phone at (914) 462-2912, e-mail Chris@chrislewit.com or visit ChrisLewit.com. NYTennisMag.com • July/August 2021 • New York Tennis Magazine

Tennis Lessons Can Be Derived From Other Sports By Lonnie Mitchel

esides being a lover of our great game, tennis, I am a lover of sports in general. As a fulltime collegiate tennis coach, a professor in the Sports Management Department at SUNY Oneonta and a part-time tennis teaching professional, my mind is always exercising and trying to relate so many things back to tennis. The latest epiphany I had happened while I was watching our local National Hockey League team, the New York Islanders, advance deep into the playoffs, at least the semifinals, in two consecutive seasons. Barry Trotz, the head coach, is a person I listen to often, whether it’d be at his press conferences or pre-game interviews. Often what he says, for most people in the sports world is relating just to hockey and the Islanders. But as tennis players we can learn so much for from this Stanley Cup winning coach who has turned our Islanders into a championship contender these past two years. The success of the hockey team and this great coach transcends hockey and spills into

other sports; specifically, tennis. Barry Trotz says "play every shift like your life depends on it". In tennis terms this means play every point like your life depends upon it. Trotz says about his goalie, "he keeps his emotions in check; he thinks and prepares for the game very intelligently." At the highest level, we teach our collegiate tennis players to stay in the moment and to not get too high or low emotionally because of success or failure on the tennis court". Trotz says "some of my players have great vision, they are taught to anticipate, expect the unexpected and track the puck with your eyes throughout each segment of the game until the whistle". In tennis terms, we track the ball, anticipate and play the point expecting each ball to be hit back and the point is not over until it's over. There is much crossover between all the sports. I noted the goaltenders in hockey tracking the puck and staying in the moment with each save or goal scored, and then forgetting moving onto the next shot. Does that

New York Tennis Magazine • July/August 2021 • NYTennisMag.com

sound familiar? How often do coaches say that in tennis? I often hear that same lesson while I immersed watching a match on the Tennis Channel on a daily basis. I have learned so much about our game of tennis, and not just from some terrific tennis coaches but also from listening to so many other great coaches and athletes from other sports. I read this recently and I do not know who made this quote, but thought it would be good to share: A good coach can change a game. A great coach can change a life." You must be personally reliable before you can generate reliable results from your team. A good coach will make his players see what they can be rather than what they are. Many in the hockey world did not give the Islanders a lot of respect these last two years as they moved through two deep playoff runs. However, Barry Trotz showed his players they can be more than what they were, and be better. That quote holds true not just in tennis or

hockey, but in anything. Does your boss help you succeed or keep you down? Does that boss set you up for success in future endeavors? These are questions to ponder. While I know I am not the coach for every person out there, I have learned that coaching collegiate tennis players is not always about the game but is about trying to help them get better beyond the court. Some players buy into it, and others may think I do not know what I am talking about. I am not claiming to be the best coach ever, I aspire to that though. I do observe continuously that many top coaches have something in common: they make players not just better athletes, but help them to become better people. Tennis legend Billie Jean King, who has helped change the world for tennis players, athletes and women in general, said, "Champions keep playing until they get it right", and

my favorite, "Sport teaches you character, it teaches you to play by the rules, it teaches to feel like what it is like to lose and teaches you about life". Not all tennis players are fans of other sports, but many are. You can learn so much about tennis by watching some of the greats of other sports and listening to some of the great commentary on TV. You can think critically and relate it back to tennis. There is a tennis lesson somewhere in there if you just listen and watch carefully. I will close this article and ask you to watch one of the greatest

baseball plays you will ever see. Go to YouTube and search for Derek Jeter's Flip Play against the Oakland Athletics. See what the commentary has to say, and watch a baseball player who was engaged mentally and aware of his surroundings. Can you translate it to tennis? Sure you can. Listen and watch what Jeter says about the play after he executed one of the great defensive plays in sports. Listen, watch and be openminded when you view sports, even if you are just watching casually. I assure you there is a tennis lesson to be learned.

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. Also coached for Team USA in Berlin and Chile in 2015 and Team USA Maccabiah for the Open Division working with Division I players and professionally ranked in the Israel Games in 2017. Was also named “Coach of the Year” in 2015 for State University of NY Athletic Conference. He may be reached by phone at (516) 414-7202 or e-mail LonnieMitchel@yahoo.com.

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NYTennisMag.com • July/August 2021 • New York Tennis Magazine

Mentorship: A Truly Life Changing Experience Finding inspiration again after the pandemic By Khrystsina Tryboi

arlier this spring, I received an email that would completely change my life for the better. It was an email from the United States Professional Tennis Association (USPTA) introducing their National Career and Leader Mentoring Program. The mission of the program aligned with my goals of creating a clear career plan, polishing up my resume and enhancing my job fulfillment. Let me just say that this was one of the best decisions I’ve made, and the program did not disappoint! Although I already had someone who I viewed as a mentor at work, my Director of QuickStart Pavel Bednarzh, I instantly wanted to become a part of something much bigger than the scale of my community, and the USPTA National Career and Leader Mentoring Program was it. When the COVID-19 pandemic started, I was furloughed like most of tennis coaches at the time. During the quarantine I started to feel that I was drifting away from my creativity and passion. I wanted to stay vibrant and optimistic during the times of distress and uncertainty. I needed to find my spark again, and try to create a different path for myself. For me, life is about continuously trying to evolve and progress. It’s about being with the people who bring me joy, the work that sparks imagination, and the desire to become better for me and the people that I teach. I felt that I lost that inspiration, and I needed to reignite it. I didn’t think twice when clicking the apply button, and honestly, I wholeheartedly hoped to be accepted into the program. In mid-June, I was one of the lucky 30 candidates to get

accepted by the USPTA to join their program, and was immediately introduced to my wonderful mentor, Charlie Hardman. We didn’t waste any time! Shortly after we were paired, we set up a call to get to know each other, and start our mentoring journey. I was incredibly eager to learn new skills, techniques, and any other tools Charlie thought would help sharpen my vision, and set clear and realistic career goals. Those of you who know me are aware of the many hats I wear in the tennis industry. The variety of skills that I’ve gained in the last ten years range from marketing and project management, to running 10& Under tournaments and Junior TeamTennis events. Since this article is more about Charlie, and not my personal accomplishments, let me just say that I love the game of tennis, and I am truly passionate about contributing to its evolution and diversity. After hours of deep self-reflection, I recognized that my palette of broadly diverse skills needed some structure and constructive direction. During the pandemic shutdown, I took advantage of the time we were granted, and for the first time in four years, I chose to invest my time into myself. I knew I wanted to be different post-pandemic and this was my opportunity to reinvent myself. One of the aspects I wanted to focus on was coaching philosophy, and developing the ability to plan for the future, while staying in the present and being grateful for what I have achieved so far. During our first conversation, Charlie told me that he knew why I was paired with him. It was not to create a better

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resume (I already had not one, but two), it was to help me tailor all my skills into a comprehensive professional, to help me see the big picture, feel my worth, and recognize my value. Over the course of the program, I learned a great deal about the tennis industry, how it works and what influence it carries. I now understand that what I do does not define who I am. Charlie helped me create a vision for myself that reflects my passion, and values, both of which are guided by a particular belief system: coaching philosophy. He also helped me realize that I am not alone in my constant desire to learn and improve. I now understand that being a tennis perfectionist complements my creative marketing side, and makes me a better coach at the same time. He said: “A coaching philosophy is important because it is a statement of what you believe and covers your purpose as a coach and how you will approach player development and enjoyment versus winning and losing. It will help you make decisions based on your values, the needs of your athletes, and the environment in which you coach. It is a guide for how you will behave as a coach and how you interact with the athletes you work with and will reflect who you are and who you want to be based on your experiences, knowledge, values, opinions, and beliefs.” Charlie became a mentor because tennis has given him so much, and felt it was his civic duty to share those valuable skills and lessons he acquired himself. He has been mentoring coaches for more than 25 years, and enjoys helping them achieve their goals through tennis. At the start of the pandemic, Charlie was

furloughed like many other coaches, including myself. During the time off he did a great deal of coach education through both the USPTA and PTR and enrolled in the Certified Racquets Sports Executive (CRSE) program. Although Charlie became a USPTA member in 1993 and I enrolled in 2017, we still share the same values. “I became a USPTA member in 1993,” Hardman said. “I had already become a PTR member in 1989 and believed the next step in my education, as a tennis coach was becoming a certified member of the USPTA. I was correct because being a member has opened many doors for me as a tennis professional and I have been a member ever since”. The best part of working with Charlie is his passion to build people up, not being afraid to share his knowledge and his genuine interest in one’s personal and professional growth. It’s natural for me to want

more, but with a mentor like Charlie I developed the right toolset to stay present and focused, set achievable and meaningful goals, and identify what is most important. The most important lesson Charlie has taught me did not come from a tennis manual or goal setting exercises (and there were many of those). It came from a phone conversation when I hit a rough patch. Charlie told me that he believes that he could be most useful to me when I am going down a bumpy road. He asked me to call or text him whenever I needed help. His genuine and immediate desire to help was not something I was used to receiving throughout my career. The USPTA National Career and Leader Mentoring Program did not just pair

me with the right mentor, and my experience in the program has shown me the true value of a USPTA membership, and that is having trusted relationships. This summer I am going to become a Certified Mental Game Coaching Professional with Dr. Patrick J. Cohn from Peak Performance Sports. I’ve always been interested in psychology and finally decided to take a leap of faith and do a deep dive into mental skills. I am hoping to better understand tennis psychology and help my athletes improve their performance. I want to thank Charlie for helping me find my inspiration again! He taught me to hold my head up high, look forward take risks and stay true to my values and dreams.

Khrystsina Tryboi is currently the director of marketing and a 10U tennis coordinator for MatchPoint NYC. She is a former Division II tennis player from Belarus, and is currently working for MatchPoint NYC in their QuickStart tennis program and is leading their marketing team. She is highly involved with USPTA and USTA to help grow the game.

NYTennisMag.com • July/August 2021 • New York Tennis Magazine

Trust the Process and Use Progression Balls For 10U Players By Anne Olaya e’re always saying that kids grow up way too fast. Why should we let that happen on the tennis court as well? Other sports have successfully incorporated smallerscale versions for years; why not extend that to tennis? Hear me out! Most of us crawled before we stood, stood before we walked, walked before we ran. We had to learn how to write individual letters before we learned how to piece together words; and write words before sentences, and sentences before paragraphs. So how can we expect the younger generation to race through the 10-andunder progression, or skip it altogether, AND become successful while doing so? These tools aren’t a means of eliminating the challenge but a way to embrace it. I love seeing the colors of the ball move through the air, so kids can better understand the concept of spin. I love feeling the pressure of a competitive rally with a nine-year-old while on a 60-foot court, and they do too; it’s exciting for them to feel how a point can actually be played. Using compression balls and a modified court has even allowed me to continue developing my game while coaching. They say you can’t teach an old dog new tricks, but the proof is in the pudding, and I can now say that I totally support the 10-and-under progression.

When people ask me about my tennis journey, I say, “I started playing when I was four.” I have plenty of pictures of me with a gigantic (at the time) racquet and an ordinary yellow tennis ball. My dad worked endlessly and tirelessly to give me the best tennis foundation he could; thirty years later, I can truly say he did an amazing job. I started playing tournaments at eight or nine, and boy what an experience that was! I loved it! For the most part, my competitors were roughly the same size. It felt like an even playing field; we all had the same struggles. Within a couple of years though, that changed drastically. Everyone started sprouting up and were getting taller and stronger. The court no longer felt like this vast open space and coming up with a strategy was much more manageable. This applied to everyone except me. I never got that growth spurt. I ended up having to rely on speed and anticipation, good balance and craftiness. I built my own style and it worked for me. However, I had gaps in my game that would haunt me for a long time. It was no fault of my own, or my dad’s. It was just the way the system was at the time; there wasn’t

an alternative. Thirty years after first picking up a racquet, I sometimes find myself wishing that I could hit a reset button and start from scratch... almost! Crazy, right? Young kids learning tennis today have an amazing opportunity to learn the complete game of tennis from the ground up. 10-and-under tennis has changed my life! Well, not mine per se, but the lives of my students. It took me a couple of years to really buy-in to the idea of modifying the game. What was initially difficult for me to understand has now bore fruit to some of the most amazing 10-and-under players I’ve ever had the pleasure of working with. With the progressions from red ball, orange ball, green ball and, finally, to yellow ball, kids have the potential of developing a complete all-court game. And it’s not just the “gifted” ones; we’ve been able to tap into the spirit of those who might’ve been left behind if yellow balls, full-length racquets, and 78-foot courts were still the norm. It is difficult to trust the process if you’ve never had to go through it yourself, but why take that chance away from someone who can?

Anne Olaya is a tennis coach at Tenafly Racquet Club, and joined the CourtSense team in 2012. She was a four-time all-county player in high school before attending University of the Sciences in Philadelphia and helping her team win its first ever Central Atlantic Collegiate Conference (CACC) conference championship. She helped coach and train the boys’ tennis team at Dr. Ronald E. McNair Academic High School and was also a coach at Lincoln Park in Jersey City.

New York Tennis Magazine • July/August 2021 • NYTennisMag.com

Five Key Things a Player Can Do to Prepare for a Match By Anna Tatishvili

ennis is a highly intellectual and intuitive sport. The foundation for competitive play starts from an early age, and it is necessary to develop mental abilities, tennis skills and, of course, passion. These are the qualities which form a successful tennis player. Before each match a player should prepare accordingly. The right preparation will help the player to showcase their full potential and to play at their best level. I believe that preparation for an actual tennis match starts a couple days before the tournament. There are many key factors which should be taken into the consideration while preparing for a tennis match, here are several suggestions for successful tournament preparation.

1. Mental preparation Besides warming up physically, we also have to remember that warming up mentally is just as important. Having a strong mental state will be very beneficial during the match. A couple days before the tournament, you should start using the positive affirmations and visualization to see yourself achieving your goals. Visualization technique will help the

athlete to overcome performance anxiety and prepare the mind for the competition.

organized, so you can turn all your focus onto your opponent and the match.

2. Nutrition Taking care of your body is one of the key aspects of a tennis player. With the right nutrition your body can do so much more! You want to have enough fuel in order to maintain your energy for the entire match. On the evening before the match, eat a light dinner, and on match day avoid eating too much sugar. Make sure you have a good breakfast. Eat your last meal two hours prior to the match and stay hydrated.

4. Warm-up before the match Everyone is different and due to that reason everyone has their own routine before the matches but I would suggest going to the courts early and doing your first physical warm up followed by the technical warm up on court for about 30-45 minutes. You want your body to be 100 percent ready from the beginning of the match.

3. Have your tennis bag ready Prepare your equipment wisely: have your racquets, over grips, towel, match clothes, healthy snacks and drinks, all ready to go. These are the things that you will be using on court so make sure that you are ready and

5. Prepare your mind to compete Find a quiet place and choose the tactics which you will be using during the match against your opponent. Have a game plan ready. Focus on your competitive goals, listen to music or read (no distractions). Start visualizing the match that you are getting ready to play.

Anna Tatishvili is the Associate Director of High Performance and Adult Programming at the Cary Leeds Center for Tennis & Learning. Tatishvali is a former Top 50 ranked player in singles and doubles, and represented the Republic of Georgia at the Fed Cup on multiple occasions. During her career, she won 11 singles and eight doubles titles on the ITF tour, and won the doubles title at the WTA event in Linz, Austria. She may be reached at atatishvili@nyjtl.org. NYTennisMag.com • July/August 2021 • New York Tennis Magazine

Changing Tactics By Mike Puc re your best shots failing you in a match? It may be time to change tactics. Strategy and tactics go hand in hand when winning a tennis match. Strategy is an overall plan to achieve your goal, while tactics are the actions that implement the strategy. When your best efforts to win a match fail, it is the tactics that may quickly be adjusted to turn the momentum. In club level doubles and league matches, players often rely on a singular tactic that involves using their best weapon shot to advantage. If you are a baseline player relying on consistency with a good forehand or a drop shot backhand, and this tactic is winning the match for you, then continue this tactic. When you encounter an opponent who can handle these shots or is better at them than you, you must find a way to win in different ways -- even if it takes you out of your comfort zone. Without reinventing the wheel, the occasional serve and volley, return over the net player’s head, or a move to the net may get your opponent off balance even if the net is not your strength.

Likewise, if you are routinely rushing the net yet losing the majority of points, try staying back and retrieving for a couple of games. If you are very patient and want to really annoy your opponent, stay on the baseline and hit nothing but high lobs for a couple of games. While not a glamorous way to win, I have seen stronger teams completely fall apart and crumble when forced to hit overheads for 20 minutes. If you are committed to winning, you may have to throw the kitchen sink at your opponent. You are on the court to win, not to give your opponent predictable shots that make them look good. It is equally about making the opponent play badly as much as playing well yourself. Are you hitting to the weaker player on a doubles team? Are you hitting to their weaker side? Nothing is more upsetting to your opponent, than taking the stronger player completely out of the play and breaking down the weaker player. Besides feeling the heat of hitting consecutive balls and becoming frustrated, a non-supporting partner may create additional

pressure on their partner by arguing, coaching, or exhibiting negative body language. Recognize when you have them on the run. You may break a team mentally and psychologically and begin winning more games. Consider the pace of play. If points are ending quickly and you are on the losing end, slow down. Communicate with your partner between points. Take more time between points and on the changeover to slow down your opponents. If consistency is the problem, focus on making a high amount of first serves and returns, and force the rally to carry a minimum of five hits. Club tennis is usually defined by unforced errors, so check in with the little computer in your head that tracks and records errors and percentages, and hit one more ball over the net than your opponent. While you should never change a winning game, it is a rarity that all your shots will work all the time. Be prepared to adjust a losing game by changing tactics. A close first set is no need to panic, but if you are losing quickly or facing a known opponent that you usually lose to, try adjusting your tactics by giving then what they don’t like early in the match. There are many examples of coaches in various sports making tactical adjustments to respond to various hot players or teams, and turning a loss into a win. In tennis, you are your own coach out there, so be flexible and creative in the adjustment and pull the tactical trigger when necessary. Mike Puc has been the Director of Tennis at Gleneagles Country Club in Delray Beach, Fla. since 1998. A winner of 15 national titles and an ATP world ranking, Mike directs 25 teams with 350 players in nine leagues, while offering the most extensive Calendar of Events in South Florida that includes tournaments, lectures and social round-robins.

New York Tennis Magazine • July/August 2021 • NYTennisMag.com

A Phone Rings on Court made a mistake. I tossed a rule away because I wanted to be kind. I’ll never do that again. A muffled ringing resonated during a USTA match. Four tennis bags lay on the bench; one was guilty. All four players stood frozen. Who left their phone on? The ringing stopped. Rule 36 in The Code states, “If an opponent’s cell phone rings during a point, the player may immediately stop and claim the point.” We were not in play because Amalia, my partner, was retrieving a ball from the back curtain for her serve. The rule says the player may immediately stop. That word, “may”, gives me and others the responsibility to respect our opponents, play fair, and keep fun in the game. In this case, the word “may” means to determine if the noise was truly disruptive. It wasn’t disruptive. It rang twice then stopped. Amalia began to serve. The phone rings again. She had not tossed the ball, but play had started because she had parted her hands for the serve. I ask, “Whose phone?” No one moves. The phone rings on, oblivious to the growing irritation. Players on the adjacent court snarl. Like a hound dog on the search, I leave the court and stand by the nearest tennis bag and listen. The noise was not from Amalia’s bag. I take another step and stand near my bag. The phone calls out. Whew! Not mine. I spy a blue bag and stop abruptly in front of Grace’s, one of our opponents. The phone chimed out

By Barbara Wyatt

from deep inside. Grace had left her phone on. “I can’t believe it,” she said. “I know I turned it off.” The phone answered her wail with another ring as she unzips her bag. Its full volume echoes throughout the indoor courts. Grace made a mistake. It stopped the match. It is against the rules. I said, “No worries. We won’t take the point. It’s a simple mistake.” What on earth was I thinking? The mistake was mine; I should have followed the rules and taken the point. My reasoning at the time was understandable. We were friends. I didn’t want to be contentious. But if I arbitrarily decide to toss that rule

aside, which other rules should we toss? The rules are provided to ensure a fair and enjoyable game of tennis. A fellow official mentioned that if she was the offender with the ringing phone, she would have refused to accept my offer of a re-do. She would have insisted the penalty be upheld. “Because I know the rules, and because I wouldn’t want my opponent to feel our friendship was in jeopardy if they imposed the penalty.” That is an example of sportsmanship. Learn from my mistake. Show your sportsmanship by relishing in friendship, enjoying the game, and abiding by the rules.

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

NYTennisMag.com • July/August 2021 • New York Tennis Magazine

The Tennis Guru: The Meeting his is the 10th and final installment of Dr. Tom Ferraro’s “The Tennis Guru” series. To read the first parts, visit www.NYTennisMag.com. When Yin entered the castle, he was amazed at all he saw. The Tennis Guru had created a magnificent Mecca for tennis. There must have been fifty courts in all, with lots of talented players of all ages hitting balls, playing matches and doing drills under the careful eye of instructors. Some courts were grass, some were Har-Tru, and some were clay, and all were groomed to perfection. He recognized some professionals as well. All in all, this was what you would call tennis heaven. The he saw a tanned tall man walking toward him and was sure it was The Tennis Guru himself. When they approached, the man said to Yin: “Why, welcome my young friend, you must be Yin. We’ve been waiting for you. How was your journey up the mountain?” Yin seemed a little bit in awe of the man but got over his fear and said: “You have no idea what it was like getting here. Does everyone go through such a trial of twists and turns to get to these hallowed heights?” “Well, Yin” said The Tennis Guru. “I’m afraid that they all must. You see, before anyone gets here, we want to separate the boys from the men. And you have passed the test. Tell me what you have learned along the way up.” Yin began, “Well I first met Virgil who taught me patience above all

things. He told me that there was no easy way up to the top and that I would need courage along the way. I got a ring from a guy named Charon and I even faced a demon that seemed to have magic powers. I met a beautiful girl named Rebecca who seemed to give me strength the more I was with her. But she was so charming that I nearly forgot myself and almost drowned in a flood. Virgil told me to learn to be ready for all surprises, and to expect and resist all temptations.”

By Dr. Tom Ferraro

“Well Yin,” said The Tennis Guru. “You seemed to have weathered many a storm on this trip. How did you get past The Oracle? She is often difficult to pass.” “Well I gave her my golden ring and she then told me an odd poem to memorize.” The Tennis Guru smiled and asked “Well, do you recall the poem by any chance?” “Yes I do. It went something like this: Many ask for my counsel, so to you I shall say, Practice and focus and often do play, But the tried and true secret all heroes possess, Is an inner belief they hold fast to their chest. “Well now,” said the Tennis Guru. “What does that little poem mean anyway?” Yin thought for a while and said, ‘I think it means that no matter what occurs along the way, always know that I am good and strong, and brave and courageous. And it also means that hard work eventually pays off. And that I am well-loved and should always be faithful to myself, my friends and my family.” “WOW!” said The Tennis Guru. “You have learned many things on the way up. My work with you will be easier than I had first thought. Let’s go hit some shots.” And off they walked, straight into Yin’s big, bright future in tennis. The End.

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.

New York Tennis Magazine • July/August 2021 • NYTennisMag.com

You Are Good Enough By Rob Polishook

magine this…you just turned pro. You play a few tournaments, and in your first year, your record is 2-3. Okay, fair enough, as you’re just getting into things. In your second year, your record is 12-14. You play two Davis Cup matches and lose both and then lose in the first round of all seven outdoor tournaments you entered. You also fail to reach the main draw of the U.S. Open and Australian Open Grand Slams due to losses in the qualification rounds. Okay…so this is going to be hard. Then, in your third year, you lose in 21 out of 38 first round matches! Your season ending record is 27-30. In your first three years as a pro, you compile an overall record of 4147. Hardly what you expected. If this happened to you, how would you feel about your game? What would you think of your prospects in terms of making a living as a pro tennis player? What would you think about reaching your goals? As a mental training coach, when I ask kids these questions, most say, “It would be rough!” others have even said, “I’d look for another job!” Well, thankfully, the fellow I am talking about above didn’t look for another job. This is the story of how Roger Federer began his professional career. Roger and his camp must have known or believed what others didn’t: That he was “good enough” to do this. Clearly, early in his career, he was not good enough as a tennis player, otherwise he would have been winning more matches. But while it would take time and experience to get traction, he must have had an intrinsic feeling that, regardless of the mounting losses, he was good enough

to keep going. This spirit would act like fuel in a car. It would allow him to persevere, learn from adversity, not overreact to losses and not judge every match as an indicator of his future or if he was good enough. Certainly the rest is history. Federer continues to amaze. It seems at every level he plays, whether he wins or loses, he seemingly doesn’t define himself by the outcome. Rather, his focus is on what he can control: Doing the best he can, bouncing back and improving. Similarly, if we look from the outside in at Stephen Curry and Tom Brady, both of them were not good enough early in their college careers. If people only looked at the stats, no one would ever have predicted the greatness they have achieved. It took time for them to be the superstars they are recognized as now. Somewhere deep inside, they must have believed, “Hey, I can do this.” Seemingly, they were comfortable where they were, being good enough at the present time as a person and athlete, not trying to rush the process to be something they weren’t. Their real game was about learning, improving, working hard and cultivating a spirit of courage, confidence, humility, resiliency and purpose under pressure, especially when others didn’t believe. Coming from this place, even if they found they were

not good enough on the athletics field, they could walk away knowing they gave 100 percent. Their score did not determine their worth, and, as people, they were good enough. I know, you’re not Roger, Stephen or Tom … so what does this mean for you? Just like them, you are good enough! No matter what level you are currently playing at, or whether you win or lose in your next tournament, you are good enough. Don’t let others or the results be an indicator of the future. You are more than an athlete. Knowing this will provide the freedom you need to let go of the results, so that you can stop feeling like you have to prove anything to anyone, and instead, focus on what you need to do to continue progressing and bring all the attributes of who you are to the court. That’s what the players and commentators mean when they say, “So and so is playing within themselves, they are letting the game come to them and are not forcing things.” This is the point where the magic happens. When you bring your spirit, your whole self, and your heart to the competition, the results begin to speak for themselves. Then, even if you lose on the court, you still know you are good enough! Trust your process. Trust in that little voice that says: “I can do this.” Federer, Curry and Brady were good enough and so are you!

Rob Polishook, MA, CPC is the founder of Inside the Zone Sports Performance Group. As a mental training coach, he works with the whole human athlete helping them to unleash their mental edge (heart.energy.spirit) through mindfulness, somatic psychology, animal wisdom and mental training skills. Rob is author of 2 best-selling books: Tennis Inside the Zone and Baseball Inside the Zone: Mental Training Workouts for Champions. He can be reached by phone at (973) 723-0314, by e-mail rob@insidethezone.com, by visiting insidethezone.com, following on Instagram @insidethezone NYTennisMag.com • July/August 2021 • New York Tennis Magazine

JensenZone By Luke Jensen

Tennis From Coast to Coast Tennis is ON! Seven million new tennis players picked up a racquet in the United States in 2020. That is great news for the tennis industry coming out of a pandemic. Now the question is, how does the tennis industry keep those new players engaged in our sport? I recently just finished a tour of clubs, public facilities and high school tennis programs out west. A tour that covered Illinois, Nebraska, Iowa, South Dakota, Wyoming, Colorado and Montana. It was so much fun and I was able to take in some great tennis in different parts of the country. What I found was the local tennis leaders in the various communities spend time assuring that new players align with existing players to find matches and social tennis experiences. As the leagues come back in play, these tennis opportunities really fuel the tennis participation at all levels. I couldn’t believe the number of high school players on the teams that I worked with. I’ve found putting that level in live ball drills right away was very beneficial because most of those players are seasonal and need real-world tennis situations to be successful and continue improving. Live ball is when you are rallying with someone, and a dead ball is when someone feeds a ball to you. I start out every live ball session with reflex volleys, with both players at the net working on a cooperative and consistent rally. Then both 56

players back up and do the same thing with groundstrokes. I do various situations with moon balls back and forth combined with slice shots. Any situation a player will see on the court, I want them to prepare on the practice court. I’ve had a ton of success teaching the live ball method. Next time you jump on the court to work on your game run drill and games based around the live ball that will serve you well! On the pro tour, the big news has been Naomi Osaka refusing to do press conferences. That is a $15K fine each time she misses a mandatory media event. For a player that made $37 million in 2019, and $55 million in 2020, that fine seems like chump change. Naomi is a very smart person and player. She is always on the cutting edge of dynamic situations and seems to play even better with noise surrounding her. This time she feels that the press can be harsh and extremely critical, and she opened up about the mental health issues that exist for players, using her own cause to bring this to the forefront.

Players with the money to absorb the fines have skipped press conferences in years past, but Naomi raises an issue that we should all take time to look into. I have worked with many young people over the years and the number one challenge that always holds them back is a lack of mental toughness. That can also be categorized as a mental health situation. The competition is so tough and harsh in tennis. I’ve worked with players that felt their self-esteem was directly tied to the result of a match. If they won a match, they felt they were a good person, and opposite when they lost. I loved the game but never felt a loss defined me as a person. Naomi shines a light on a very important issue. I have learned to listen first and take detailed notes on players to give important feedback. So many emotions are tied into the result and it is very important to be ultra positive with the feedback you give in order to build a greater person that will play better tennis the next time they walk on the court. Go have fun this summer and always go for the tweener!

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.

New York Tennis Magazine • July/August 2021 • NYTennisMag.com

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NYTennisMag.com • May/June 2021 • New York Tennis Magazine

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New York Tennis Magazine • May/June 2021 • NYTennisMag.com