Excitingtimesaheadasweapproach thesummerseason.Therainhas beenamazing,yetI’llbehappier whenwearenotreschedulingour programsandprivatelessonsso often!
I’msoexcitedforourupcoming SoCalUSPTAConference.Itis
(continuedfrom1)
shapinguptobeafantasticeducational opportunity,aswellasaweekendforus tocometogetherandnurturetennis friendshipsandnetworking.
Ourline-upofpresentersisstellar,and wehavesomesocialfunscheduledtoo.
Somakeyourcalendarsfortheweekend ofMay6&7.Saturdaythe6thwewill beginregistrationinthelatemorning toallowprofessionalstoteacha Saturdaymorningclass,orlessons.So, pleasecomejoinyourfellowcolleagues foraweekendoffun,andeducation.
(continued....)
(continuedfrom2)
Itseemsthateveryweekendthereare tournamentsaroundSoCal,butI wantedtoremindyouoftheoldest Juniortennistournamentinthese
UnitedStates.The121stOjai tournamentisontracktobethebest ever!Whetheryouareenjoyingthebest ofHighSchoolball,Men’s&Ladies Professional(OpenDivision)orthePac 12(Saturday,April29th.)
Championships.TheOjaihasitgoing on.It’salwaysbeenrightuptherewith Christmasforme!Whilevisitingplease joinofDistrict1MartinParksfora
(continuedfrom3)
USPTAroundtableheldatOjai’sJava &Joecoffeehouse.Letusbuyyoua coffeeandhangouttodiscussthe current,andfuturestateoftennishere inSoCal.Youareourfuture,andthisis aperfectsettingtocatch-upand networktogether.
Socometoourbeautifullittletownof Ojai,Ca.Thetournamentwillrunfrom April26-30.Ifyoulikecollegetennis, besuretoattendtheSaturday afternoon,andeveningPac12 Championships.
(continuedfrom4)
Theladieswillbeginat3:00&theMen tobeginat6:00.Allmatcheswillbe streamedliveviathePac12Network.
Thesedualmatchesareabsolutemagic, andsinceUSC&UCLAhavedecidedto leavethePacificTwelvefortheBigTen conferencewewillonlyhavethemfor twomoretournaments.
Inclosing,Ihavetwofinalthoughts:I wouldlikeyoutokeepaneyeoutforour USPTAconferencecomingthefirstweek inMay.Pleaseseethearticlefromour RegionalVicePresidentSimonPaekfor thePickleballCertification (continued)
(continuedfrom5)
thathewillbeofferingatthe conference.Secondly,pleaseloginto yourUSPTAaccountandmakesure allinformationisuptodate.Thisis howwereachouttoyou,andthiswill
alsobewhereyoufindyour educationalreportcard.Thisbeinga cycleyear,youcanlocatewhatmaybe necessarytomaintainyoueducational credits.Ipopineveryonceinawhile justtocheckmyprogress.It’ssuper easy. (continued)
Thankyouforcontinuingtoraise thestandardsofteaching professionalsandcoaches,andalso forpromotingagreaterawareness ofouramazingsport!
Iwishyouallwell,andI’llseeyou onthecourts.
REG VP
By Simon Paek, Awards Chair
The Awards Committee has been hard at work finalizing and standardizing the awards nomination process.The goal was to make it as easy as possible for our members to nominate and recognize outstanding members in
the division in their respective categories. By the time that this newsletter article comes out, this process should be finished and “live” for us to use. Please look for emails, social media posts of Facebook and Instagram for a “LIVE” link and nominate a worthy candidate.
The following is a list of Award Categories and the winners will be celebrated in our upcoming SoCal Division Conference at Peninsula Racquet Club in Rancho Palos Verdes May 6-7.
· All awards are based on 2022-2023 year or season
Professional of the Year –
This award embodies “SoCal Division
Professional of the Year”.This person has demonstrated exemplary achievement and service to the SoCal Division and has excelled as a leader both on and off the court including but not limited to education, active participation within the division and serves as an example of professionalism and leadership to others’.
Use "Alex Gordon
Professional of the Year Award"
– Award recipient is a member who has demonstrated exemplary achievement of service in seven areas throughout their career –contributions to the USPTA and USTA, achievements in teaching and playing both on and off the court, contributions of time and expertise to other organizations and/or charities and commitment
to growing the game through published articles, presentations, education and communications. Use "George Bacso Lifetime Achievement of the Year Award."
SoCal Coach Developer of the Year – The recipient has shown exemplary achievement as a Coach Developer in all areas of service in Tennis, Pickleball and others.
(continued)
Promotes USPTA in all areas as well as working hand in hand with the certification department at National to promote USPTA Certification. Coach Developer works closely with the National office to promote certification. Use "Coach Developer of the Year Award."
SoCal COLLEGE COACH OF THE YEAR – Award recipient is selected based on his/her results as a college team coach.
Nominee may be nominated for success during the college year or for long term commitment and continued success as a college team coach. Include both Spring and Fall schedules and data. Use "College Coach of the Year Application."
– recognizes the USPTA member who has demonstrated an outstanding ability to unite diverse populations within his/her community through tennis. Use online "USPTA Bob Ryland Diversity Award Application."
REG VP
THE YEAR – This nominee may be a non-member or a USPTA SoCal member. Nominee need not be a General Manager by name but must function in the position of Manager of a USTA Member facility. The facility itself is not eligible for the award. Use online "USPTA Facility Manager of the Year Application."
– Award recipient is selected based on his/her results as a high school team coach.
Nominee may be nominated for success during the High School season or for long term commitment and continued success as a high school coach. Use the "High School Coach of the Year Application."
This award is presented to a USPTA member with 5 or less years of service by the end of the 2023 calendar year. This member exemplifies the future of the organization and he/she must show dedication to the growth of the game and the desire to learn all aspects of the business of being a USPTA professional. This nominee must show initiative and be involved in activities in their respective districts.
This member needs to demonstrate sportsmanship, teamwork and willingness to reach out to other newer members in the USPTA through social media or direct contact. This award winner should have served on a committee, task force or initiated a program to help fellow members. Use online
"USPTA Elevate Application."
SoCal District 1-6
Professional of the Year Award – This award is presented to one in each of the 6 districts that make up the SoCal Division. This award recognizes an outstanding professional in their respective district who has made contributions by way of leadership both on and off the court. Use
"USPTA Generic Award Application" (total of 6 awards).
Division Player of
- A USPTA pro that is competing in tournaments and that is giving back to the game through their love, passion and commitment to the game. This pro typically has a top USTA sectionally or national ranking. – Use
USPTA "Generic Award Application"
My name is Evan Parry and over the last four years, I have been privileged to serve as your district 5 president, Treasurer, and currently now as 1st Vice President. Your new Treasurer is Rajeev Datt, and your current district 5 president is Gabriel Jacob.
(continued)
Universal Tennis Team
Tennis has been growing rapidly throughout SoCal.
I have been active in promoting it at my facility, as well as connecting pros from other areas, like Corona, Fontana, and LA. Our current Winter League has been a great success, and it has been super fun to coach!
Some other highlights from my area, include, the ITennis Arcadia Pro Circuit
WTA event. This amazing event is designed as a “warm up” tournament for Indian Wells. Tournament Co-Director, iTennis CEO, and USPTA Elite Professional, John Letts, shares more information about this great event here: https://www.itennisproope n.com/a-message-from-john.
"START WHERE YOU ARE. USE WHAT YOU HAVE. DO WHAT YOU CAN." (ASHE)
The USPTA is so it d f this year’s t the re securing ch touring akers. We lue your pertise, so the annual conference scheduled for May 6th and 7th will be a perfect opportunity to gather, network, and learn from each other.
The board has been working extremely hard in hopes of providing a ys at The quet Club. rs the new board ways looking for new talent and speakers. One of those speakers can be you! Socal has such depth and a wealth of knowledge between all of us and we encourage you to be a presenter. Please send a
video and a bio to the USPTA and a topic for the 2024 conference to the are selected arrange for senter. for a sizable s year's ve the date and hope to see you there. Please make sure to say hi to me (Dina McBride) as getting to know our members is our priority. If you have any questions, or concerns please don’t hesitate to reach out.
District 1 Members & Racquet Sport Community,
Hope your 2023 has kicked off well!
Great news coaches! Our racquet and tennis industry is on the way up according to various national governing bodies of tennis and sports!
Pickleball has clearly hit California and positively created an influx of new people playing racquet sports and greater demand for facilities. I truly believe it's caused a greater buzz for all racquet sports, more opportunities and provides greater financial support for our professionals in the industry. Tennis will always remain in my
professional opinion the King/Queen of all individual and racquet sports, but the customers both young and old are demanding more inclusion, engagement and social opportunities as outlets to their enjoyment and experience within our industry!
My goal is to embrace the new, yet understand what the new sports
offer, so we can gain perspective, become more creative, focus on collaboration and learn how to coach and better serve our community, members, players and colleagues we wish to impact!
What’s coming up in District 1 and SoCal!
The Ojai 121st Annual Tennis Tournamenthttps://theojai.net/even t-schedule/ “Save-the-Date”
(continued)
April 29th (12-5pm)
Planned District 1 Educational Event Opportunity and “Meet and Greet District 1 President Martin Parkes and fellow community coaches at the Ojai event!” Please contact Martin Parkes directly to request more information or follow ups will be posted at USPTA SoCal emails or social media platforms and communications! (continued)
* April 6-7th USPTA
SoCal Conference @ Peninsula Racquet Club, Rancho Palos Verdes * President Parkes’s Request!
Highlight yourself, your club or your fellow District 1 Pro’s - please share any and all coaching stories, events and highlight reels, so we as a board and membership can celebrate those people making the difference or simply learn more about (continued)
who is in our community!
Examples of stories I’d love to share:
Coaches achieving milestones, years of service at a club or within the industry
Great past/upcoming special tennis celebration events or Grand Openings
New coaches, promotions, positions or locations
Teams you coach or that represent your club winning state
titles or equivalent Photos are always welcome as visuals to compliment and highlight these stories best
Spotlight:
At this year ' s #USTA Annual Meeting, #TeamSoCal is pleased to recognize the National Junior Scholar Athlete award recipient Masato Perera of Santa Barbara.
Masato was recognized not just for his on-court (continued)
Hello friends and fellow tennis professionals. So, you’re a young tennis pro, just starting out?
Maybe you were a college player, or you were a great junior who discovered years later that you have a passion for teaching tennis and landed your dream job at your local country club. Or maybe you (continued)
find yourself working for Parks and Rec. In either case, you will discover that depending on the time of day, your roster of students will include middle aged to senior adults, either just starting in the game we all love, or coming back to tennis after a long career that took up all their time, and kept them off the courts for decades. I know when I was a young pro, I made the mistake of trying to teach such students “high performance” techniques and styles of play. Oh boy, did I take my job seriously!
I wanted to make every client as good as I could possibly make them! Well, unfortunately, I ended up losing a lot of these clients sooner or later, either to injury - because I worked them too hard - or because I was offering a service they just were not interested in. Over the years, I learned some valuable lessons; one of which is to customize the content and style of lessons to what the customer wants. As professionals, our job is to ask the right questions and be great listeners - sometimes we
even need to read between the lines. What kind of lesson does a potential client want? Is it really to develop great technique? Or does this person want to get just good enough to be included in a regular doubles game? Is this person only taking up the game to spend more time with a spouse or loved one? Is this person simply out to get some exercise? The reason I mention all of these options is because of the following reasons. If you regard the human being first, facilitate this person feeling comfortable and happy, you
will not only develop great friendships, but you will guarantee yourself a long term client and such friendships also lead to referrals, amongst other business opportunities.
When I was the director at the Turtle Bay Resort on Oahu, Hawai’i, I invariably would leave half an hour to a whole hour between lessons to shoot the breeze with my students. I’d regularly bring cut up fruits onto the court for a drill group to enjoy. These simple gestures of giving your time to others will endear you to your clients.
I regularly had people from places like Australia, Japan, or Hong Kong plan their vacations based on whether I would be available for them.
Currently, I find myself coaching parents on how to be great tennis parents, by encouraging them to simply tell their children how much they love them and how proud they are of their child. Sometimes, as parents of juniors that compete at a high level, they forget that tennis is just a game. A gentle reminder and setting a good example yourself never hurts. I understand this might simply
be common sense to some, or a foreign concept to others. I’m simply sharing what has allowed me to have a pretty good career in this field for over 35 years. I hope you will continue to grow and blossom as a friend and a professional. Aloha to one and all, until the next article! I hope to see you and shake your hand at the SoCal convention on May 6th and 7th, at the beautiful Peninsula Racquet Club, in Palos Verde, CA.
Rajeev Datt
(NOTE: Rajeev is now the Treasurer) end
Let me first start off by saying greetings to all of my fellow District 3 teaching pros! As your District 3 president, I hope that 2022 treated you all well and your year was a prosperous one. As 2023 is in full swing, I hope that this first quarter has brought with it much success and happiness to you, your families and your tennis!
As your district president, it is my responsibility to represent our region and its members that live within it. In order to do so, one of my major goals is for me to get to know all of you. As many of you know, a great way for us to get to know each other, is by hosting educational events within our district so that we can all come together and meet and greet, all while earning those much sought after continuing educational credits. Stay tuned and
check those emails and social-media for upcoming events, both in our district and beyond!
Lastly, it is my pleasure to extend an open invitation for you to reach out and contact me any time to offer my assistance and answer any questions regarding your membership and tennis-related inquiries!
DISTRICT 3!
Upcoming Events:
April 22nd-24th -
Teaching
Essentials 3 (Teaching Groups): In Person at Cerritos Tennis Center.
May 6th-7th – USPTA
SoCal Division Conference at Peninsula Racquet Club.
May 6th – Pickleball
Certification at Peninsula Racquet Club.
Santa Monica Pickleball Center – Director of Pickleball, Julio Rivera.
Pickleball has found a new spot in Santa Monica. The Santa Monica Pickleball Center, located at 2501 Wilshire Blvd., offers courts, the largest pickleball retail shop in the LA area and individual and group lessons. At the helm, fellow USPTA District 3 pro and Director of Pickleball, Julio Rivera, brings with him years of both tennis and pickleball experience,
competing and teaching.
“Pickleball is very community based and the inclusivity of the sport allows an easy way to enter the sport and play the game and the community gets very big fast. It’s just very inclusive, people from all ages can play, you can have your family all play – it doesn’t take intensive training to go out and play…it just gives you a variety of options, you can do it with friends or people that you just meet.” -
Julio Rivera
AISLING
DISTRICT 4!
I am feeling Spring in the air! As I write this, we are preparing for St. Patrick’s Day at our club. A reminder that we can all use these holidays as an opportunity to create one-off social events.
take this time to highlight Coach Jesus Garcia. Jesus is always thinking outside the box and coming up with ideas to create events.. he’s a real team player and gets the job done. He recently came to me with an idea about a Pro Am as a one off event.. his commitment to the client and their progress is commendable. The client feels like an athlete, a contender, someone who is justified in being there.even at a 3.0 level. It’s important to feel
important and relevant. It has been a tough start to the year, if you are like me, you have been greatly affected by the rain and heavy winds. Hope not too much damage done to both your facility and your clientele! I am super excited that USPTA
SoCal annual conference will be held at my club, Penninsula Racquet Club, in Rancho Palos Verdes on May 6th and
7th. I hope that most of our local professionals can make it, and event not to be missed. If you have any questions or ideas to help our area grow, please reach out! My email is
DISTRICT 5! "INTRODUCTION"
I am honored to be your new District 5 President and as a former president of this district, I am looking forward to the opportunity to meet old and new friends, to listen to any concerns, and to serve you to the best of my abilities.
I am a USPTA ELITEcertified teaching professional with over 40 years of experience. I have a Bachelor of Arts degree in Administration and a Master of Science degree in Physical Education. I am the former Head Men’s Tennis Coach at Cypress College and former Head Women’s Tennis Coach at San Bernardino Valley College. I am the former Director/Head Tennis Professional at the Redlands Country Club.
I currently serve as a faculty member at Crafton Hills College and as the Director of Tennis at Match Play Tennis Academy. District 5 members, your participation is paramount to a successful year. Please submit articles for future SoCalifornia Division newsletters. Identify pros in our district who are deserving of recognition. Email me your ideas for district events. I am eager to work on your behalf to enhance professional development and networking.
Hello District 6, I hope you have been staying as warm and dry as possible these last few weeks. The season is changing and the days are getting longer and warmer. Soon it will be the crazy busy summer season.
Our So Cal Division conference is coming up soon.
If you haven’t attended one of these events you are really missing out. They are a fantastic source of enthusiasm, learning, and networking. Whether you’re a new pro or have been teaching for 40 years you will get something very valuable out of attending. The energy and camaraderie are so invigorating. Even if you only learn one or two things it is worth it.
As a high school tennis coach I see many of the kids who are trying out for my team not having all of the skills they need to play at a competitive level. The overall level of high school tennis in Orange County is pretty high, especially in South Orange County. We don’t know if one of our young students in a group lesson will be bitten by the tennis bug and decide he/she wants to play tournaments and/or be on his/her high school team.
We owe our students the best possible instruction. We owe them the best opportunity to be as good as they want to be. We can’t make them exceptional athletes. We can’t give them amazing eye-hand coordination. We can’t give them a tremendous desire to compete. But, we can teach them excellent technique. Everything is learnable. Everything is teachable.
I work very hard to make sure that none of my students are limited by poor technique. We work on topspin serves, topspin backhands, and volleys/chips/slices with a continental grip right from the beginning. Why allow poor technique that will need to be changed in the near future anyway? Also, I place very little emphasis on winning. The goal is to improve a player’s technique, court coverage, and shot selection. We don’t play “fun” games. We work on skills that increase a player’s chances of playing well next week, next month and next year. Improvement is fun.
The look on a student’s face when he/she hits a topspin serve, a sliding slice backhand, a heavy forehand or backhand well for the first time is so rewarding. I’m pretty sure I enjoy it more than they do. It is so enjoyable, for them and for me, when they realize that they really can play tennis at a good level.
I am going to host a District 6 event on Monday May 29 in which I will discuss and demonstrate drills and methods I have found to be very effective at teaching
WHEN: SEPTEMBER 27–29, 2023
WHERE: ORLANDO, FL
KUDOS TO SOUTHBAY PRO, KIP BRADY AND LAST YEAR'S HS COACH OF THE YEAR!
HE INITIATED AND THEN HIS PALOS VERDES HIGH SCHOOL BOYS TENNIS TEAM CONDUCTED A CHARITY EVENT AND RAISED MONEY DURING THEIR SEASON SINCE THEY ARE PASSIONATE IN SUPPORTING THE LEUKEMIA & LYMPHOMA SOCIETY,
THEY WERE INSPIRED BY TEACHERS/PARENTS AT THEIR HIGH SCHOOL WHO HAVE GOTTEN LEUKEMIA.
THEY LEVERAGED NATIONAL 501C3 NON-PROFIT "TENNIS LOVERS FOR CHARITY"
WHAT NON-PROFIT
CAN YOU CONSIDER SUPPORTING IN 2023?
SHARE YOUR STORY.
KUDOS TO USPTA SOCAL REGIONAL VP, SIMON PAEK, FOR HIS SECOND (YES) NATIONAL AWARD.
HE WAS RECENTLY AWARDED BY TIA AND OTHERS AS THE "USPTA NATIONAL PICKLEBALL MEMBER OF THE YEAR."
WAY TO GO.
SOCAL IS SO LUCKY TO HAVE SOMEONE SO DEDICATED TO ALL RACQUET SPORTS IN OUR REGION AND NATIONALLY.
KINDLY TAKE JUST A COUPLE OF MINUTES TO UPDATE YOUR USPTA.COM PROFILE AS NEEDED (EMAIL, PHONE NUMBERS, CLUB, CITY, ETC.)
THIS HELPS US TO BETTER CONNECT WITH YOU ON IMPORTANT MATTERS THAT HELP YOU AND YOUR CAREER PLEASE.
