Southwest Magazine March 2024

Suk Ong President Tempe, AZ

John Perry Secretary Tucson, AZ

Greg Prudhomme PhD Regional VP Glendale, AZ

Leslie Banks Treasurer Phoenix, AZ

Amy Badger Past

Ryan Johnson Vice

President’s Message

Dear SW USPTA Professionals,

As I enter the next two years as President of the Southwest Division, I am humbled and honored to lead such an incredible organization. Thank you to Amy Badger for her leadership in the past term. Amy will take over the task of Hall of Fame for the Southwest Division. Your new Executive Board of Directors are as follows: Greg Prudhomme (Regional Vice-President), Ryan Johnson (Vice-President), John Perry (Secretary), Leslie Banks (Treasurer), and Amy Badger (Immediate Past President). The District Coordinators are; Eusebio Sarabia (Phoenix), Alex Mouquin (Southern New Mexico and El Paso), Cameron Hamilton (Southeastern Arizona), Dick Johnson (New Mexico), and Andrea Meyer (Northern Arizona). Jack Michalko is in his 34th year serving as our Executive Director, as he is very passionate about his work, and he makes all our jobs easier.

My life has been enriched by the people that I have met while serving on the board and volunteering my time. I look forward to working with these devoted tennis professionals as we continue to grow the game. We are here to serve you. I encourage each of you to get to know your District Coordinator and get involved. Please send pictures of your events to Leslie Banks (lesliealison16@gmail.com) for Southwest social media.

Our 2024 division conference will be held on May 1718 at Arrowhead Country Club. This is the second year for our division conference to be held at this beautiful facility. We would like to thank Arrowhead for continuing to work with us. Greg Prudhomme and Ryan Johnson have been working hard to find incredible speakers for our division conference. I encourage you to attend and if the cost is prohibitive, the Southwest

USTA has an Adult Scholarship grant opportunity that could help you with the registration fee.

As we are all busy growing the game, sometimes we may overlook our peers who have done great things in their community. Please take a moment and nominate your peers for the division awards. I am proud to say, because of your nomination of your peers, each year we had at least one winner of a USPTA National Award. The award categories are; Pro of the Year, HS Coach, College Coach, Star, Proud, Lifetime Achievement, Industries Excellence, Lessons for Life, Elevate, Diversity, and Large/Small facility. Please contact John Perry to nominate a worthy pro.

Lastly, as I begin my term, please feel free to reach out to me with any questions or ideas you may have. I look forward to seeing you at our division conference.

Suk Ong - USPTA Southwest President

2024-25 Southwest District Coordinators

Eusebio Sarabia-Phoenix

Dick Johnson-Northern New Mexico

Andrea Meyer-Northern Arizona

Alex Mouquin-Southern NM & El Paso, TX

Cameron Hamilton-Southeastern Arizona

USPTA/USTA SOUTHWEST CONFERENCE & TRADE SHOW

ARROWHEAD COUNTRY CLUB

May 17-18, 2024

CONFERENCE SCHEDULE

Thursday, May 16th Location

6-8pm USPTA Southwest Board of Directors Meeting Washita

Friday, May 17th

7am-4pm USPTA SW Registration Ballroom

9am-9:50am Alex Mouquin - Holistic Approach to Movement and Footwork Stadium Court

10-10:50am Mike Baugh - 3 Steps to Better Doubles Stadium Court

11-11:50am Kim Bastable - Equilibrium in Action: Navigating Work, Wellness, and Purpose for Racquets Professionals Ballroom

12-1:45pm USPTA SW General Membership Luncheon Meeting Ballroom

2-2:50pm Panel: Racquet Sports Program moderated by Dave Moyer. Panel Speakers: Greg Prudhomme (DOT @ the Village), Ryan Johnson (DOT @ PVCC), Nicole Chambers (DORS @ Forest Highlands) Ryan Shomo (DOT @ Arizona Country Club), Melissa Tafoya (Owner of On Court Adventures; Pickle Ball) Ballroom

3-3:50pm

Jill Davis - Modernizing Tennis Lesson Management: The Shift from Chaos to Efficiency Ballroom

4-4:50pm USPTA National Update with Jenny Gray Ballroom

5-8pm Court Reserve Cocktail Party & Trade Show Ballroom

Saturday, May 18th

7am-4pm USPTA SW Registration Ballroom

7-8:30am USPTA/USTA Board Breakfast Washita

9-9:50am Mike Baugh - The 6 F’s to Keep Your Practices Fantastic Stadium Court

10-10:50am Greg Prudhomme - Doubles: The Most Important Positions, Movement, & Tactics for All Levels Stadium Court

11-11:50am Todd Ellenbecker - Common Lower Body Injuries in Elite Tennis Players. Strategies to prevent injuries & Allow for Improved Footwork. Ballroom

12-1:15pm Lunch with Peter Hall & Zach Frampton of the USTA: Serve Tennis and WTN Adoption Ballroom

1:30-2:50pm Panel: Alternative Careers in the Racquets Industry moderated by Ryan Johnson: Brian Dillman (CEO USPTA) Greg Prudhomme (College Tennis), Ryan Johnson (Consulting), Mike Dowse (Wilson/USTA), Tatum Prudhomme (HEAD Corporate), Jill Davis from CourtReserve (Tennis Software), Caroline Eberhart (Wilson Rep), Todd Snow (Owner of Tennis Equipment Sales & Services) Ballroom

3:10 - 4pm Southwest Awards Program & Hall of Fame Inductees Ballroom

Division Awards Nominating Form

United States Professional Tennis Association 2024 Awards Program

GENERAL RULES:

* Award period is from January 1 – December 31, 2023 unless otherwise noted in award category.

* Only USPTA certified members, (Master Professional, Elite Professional and Professional) in good standing are eligible for USPTA member awards.

* Only USPTA members in good standing may submit nominations in all categories.

* Self-nominations are acceptable.

* All award categories may not necessarily be awarded on an annual basis.

* Awards Committee will determine if there are qualified candidates in any category.

* Awards will be presented at the 2024 USPTA SOUTHWEST Division Conference

APPLICATIONS AND AWARD NOMINATIONS MUST BE RECEIVED NO LATER THAN April 15, 2024

NOMINATION FORM

AWARD CATEGORY:_________________________________________________

NAME TO BE NOMINATED: ______________________________ USPTA# _______

NOMINEE CONTACT DETAILS: phone: ____________________ email: ________________

INFORMATION ON NOMINEE: __________________________________________________________________

Additional detailed information on nominee as to why this member deserves this recognition is encouraged. Please submit a bio if possible and as much in-depth information as you can.

NOMINATING MEMBER NAME: _____________________________________ USPTA#________________

NOMINATOR CONTACT DETAILS: phone: ____________________ Email: ____________________________

ALL NOMINATIONS MUST BE SENT VIA EMAIL TO: John Perry

QUESTIONS: Contact: John Perry, 520-403-8290 or jptennis25@gmail.com

USPTA SOUTHWEST AWARDS CATEGORIES 2024

STEVE WILKINSON COLLEGE COACH OF THE YEAR AND HIGH SCHOOL COACH OF THE YEAR AWARD - recipients are usually selected based on their results as team coaches, however, individual coaches may be considered.

DIVERSITY AWARD – recognizes the USPTA member who has demonstrated an outstanding ability to unite diverse populations within his/her community through tennis

GEORGE BACSO LIFETIME ACHIEVEMENT AWARD – recognizes a member who, over a career, has demonstrated exemplary achievement in seven areas, including: contributions to USPTA and USTA, as a teaching professional, player, and coach; in education, research, and publications; and with other organizations, achievements and contributions.

USPTA SOUTHWEST PROUD DIVISIONAL AWARD – DIVISION AWARD ONLY - recognizes a member who exemplifies integrity, respect, and passion for tennis on and off the court. (This award may or may not be given out each year. This award is at the discretion of the USPTA Southwest Awards Committee.)

INDUSTRY EXCELLENCE AWARD - is given to teaching professionals who take both an altruistic and entrepreneurial attitude toward their jobs. They use their own resources and those offered by the industry to build programs that bring tennis to more people. At the same time, they are successful in growing a tennis business.

ALEX GORDON PROFESSIONAL OF THE YEAR – recognizes a member who, over a calendar year, has demonstrated exemplary achievement in seven areas, including: USPTA, allied organizations, club achievements, career development, volunteerism, coaching achievements and playing achievements.

USPTA STARS – are members who have dedicated many years to volunteering in grassroots tennis and through initiatives incorporating multicultural and other aspects; bringing the sport and sportsmanship to the players they touch. Their giving spirits have made them stars in their own communities. We may not have heard of the people who receive this award, but their stories are inspiring, and almost all of us know at least one person who deserves a nomination.

USPTA Elevate Award - recognizes a new USPTA Pro, 5 or less years as a member that, through their tennisteaching and volunteer spirit, has increased opportunities for others to participate in tennis. This member exemplifies and emphasizes individual achievement and sportsmanship along with teaching the physical attributes of the sport. This member has served the USPTA in one capacity or another and has made a commitment to grassroots tennis and an indelible impression on his/her community.

SOUTHWEST HALL OF FAME

The USPTA Southwest Division Hall of Fame honors those individuals, who by excellence of their activities and accomplishments, have brought recognition and esteem to themselves and to the USPTA organization.

Applications must be made in writing and submitted to the HOF Committee.

To nominate someone, CLICK HERE!

* One candidate will be chosen each year based on the following criteria:

Eligibility:

 Must be a member of the USPTA Southwest in good standing for a minimum of 10 years.

 Involvement in USPTA at the local, state, sectional and/or national level

 Teaching and/or coaching accomplishments

 Playing accomplishments

 Publications/innovations

 Involvement in allied organizations; and other contributions to the teaching profession and the promotion of tennis.

* The committee may also consider a nominee who is nominated posthumously in addition to the one candidate per year.

Amy Badger

USPTA Southwest Past President Southwest HOF Chair

Northern New Mexico

by Dick Johnson

Hi everybody!

We recently had a terrific New Mexico Coaches Clinic that was coordinated with the USTA Southwest and our NMHS Coaches Association. It was very well attended and everyone is looking forward to a wonderful high school season.

This is my 34th year at La Cueva High School and we had over 30 players show up for our first day of matches. I have a no-cut policy (over 30 years) and we will probably have two JV teams along with our Varsity squad.

I am looking forward to our conference in May. Always a great time to see old friends, and the networking is very valuable.

I hope everybody enjoyed the Super Bowl. As I reflect on the value of coaches - we as tennis professionals have the ability to help our students grow, young or old, and achieve goals that help them succeed in life.

Have a great Spring everybody!

Amy Badger

It’s been a fun start to 2024 with the running of a few junior tournaments. Also, we are gearing up for the high school season. I’ll be starting my 25th year at the Albuquerque Academy. I’m also very excited to be a part of our school’s initiative to see our private courts open as a community hub. Guided by a strong leadership team, this will bring additional courts and programs to the north end of town. Working in part with the USTA, we look forward to seeing this project develop through its phases to completion later this year.

Joe Felice celebrating 53 years as a USPTA Professional. Joe is having a hip replacement on Feb 14th (Valentine’s Day)…71 years of running around the tennis court. Hope to be back on the court playing and captaining USTA League Teams. He is the Director of the highly successful Super Senior Tennis Program starting its 16th year on April 1st.

Doug MacCurdy

Target and Teaching Aid madness:

For the past several years, the number of tennis coaches that place videos, tips and the like on the internet has increased exponentially. Many of these “drills” or exercises are being used in live coaching sessions worldwide. The use of cones, throw-down lines, ropes on the ground to show angles of possible returns, ropes over the net to help promote net clearance and depth, steppers and many other devices can be effective in reinforcing teaching concepts if used rationally and correctly. However, if used poorly, many of these props are actually counterproductive. As an example, some coaches use large cones or even huge items like ball baskets or ice chests to teach footwork patterns on the baseline. An exercise might look something like this:

1. A player may be directed to start behind a large cone or basket placed behind the middle of the baseline.

2. The player runs a few steps to hit a ball tossed or racket-fed to their forehand.

3. After the forehand, the players moves forward and

Joe Felice

around another cone to promote linear momentum into the shot.

4. The player then returns to the position behind the object in the center of the court.

5. The player repeats the sequence on the backhand.

6. The exercise probably lasts for several repetitions on each side.

The reality is that when the players are executing the exercise described above, their overwhelming concern is usually trying to avoid tripping on, or colliding with the teaching aids. While the players are so focussed on where they are putting their feet, concepts like watching the ball or returning to the center of possible returns based on the placement of their own shot go out the window. Sometimes it appears that the players are like robots performing drills instead of moving smoothly and naturally to the ball.

By all means do use cones or anything else as targets on the other side of the net from the player. In fact, larger targets are usually better because the players get motivation from hitting them frequently. To delineate spaces or desired movement patterns on the player’s side of the net, throw-down lines are probably the best teaching aid because the player can be aware

of where they are without having to worry too much about avoiding them. Try to think out why you may choose to use certain teaching aids in a certain way and how it relates to playing better tennis. I would not recommend copying an exercise because it looked pretty good on the internet.

John A Damgaard III

Punxsutawney Phil 2024 says the forecast is for an early spring. Some days are good and others not so good for tennis in NNM. But when we do get out and the courts are dry we have a good time in the hot sun!!!

Pickleball is going strong from dawn to dusk at Fort Marcy and two new courts have been built at St John’s College.

Santa Fe Prep Tennis Team can now shuffle down the street to the two new tennis courts at St John’s College.

I am excited that the High School season will start this coming Monday February 12th. I am looking forward to being an assistant coach with Head Coach Bonnie Rogers at Santa Fe High School.

Every day, the Forked Lightning Racquet Club takes shape. From the concrete being poured for the courts, to the framing of the First Serve classrooms, FLRC is moving right along!

The $15 million dollar indoor/outdoor complex will have 12 acrylic-based hardcourt Plexicushion tennis courts, 8 pickleball courts, 3 Padel tennis courts, 3 classrooms for 3rd to 12th grade students along with locker rooms and a fitness area.

The First Serve Academy at the Forked Lightning Racquet Club will continue the teaching of academic excellence, life skills mentoring and intensive tennis training.

We, in Santa Fe, are also looking forward to the USTA League Season beginning in March.

Northern Arizona

by Andrea Meyer

The first week of high school tennis practice in northern Arizona began in gymnasiums for Elite Pro Sterling Fetty who coaches Prescott High’s boys’ and girls’ teams, and for me at Mingus Union in Cottonwood. The PHS courts were blanketed under heavy snow, and Mingus’s courts were soaked with rain and light snow for four days. Nevertheless, I’m pleased with a large turnout (15 girls and more coming when basketball and soccer finish post-season play). Sterling had 35 girls and 12 boys come out to his gym and weight-room workouts.

classroom. I teach 6 to 9- year -olds in Carrie Fredricksen’s Primary Intervention Program at Cottonwood Community School. Carrie herself took some lessons with me and told me about her students. In their young lives they have experienced poverty and abuse. Many have parents who are incarcerated. They need help with anger, impulse control, frustration tolerance, and finding success.

My USTA work as a tennis instructor in Verde Valley schools continues to pay off as more and more of my high school players had their first taste of tennis in their middle school programs with me. In January and February, I have been teaching mini tennis for middle schoolers at American Heritage Academy and Mountain View Prep in Cottonwood. “It’s not dumb, it’s fun,” the Mt. View Prep teacher overheard a student report to a friend. High praise, indeed. My own thrill has been starting an innovative tennis program with primary kids who have suffered severe trauma and have been unable to function in a regular

Together, Carrie and I designed tennis sessions that incorporate fun, cooperative games, and learning to handle frustration. I take it as a compliment that the kids vie for the chance to carry “the tennis lady’s” equipment bag each Friday.

In the far reaches of NAZ, Sterling will be directing the first-ever WTN tournament for all ages in Lake Havasu City on March 16. Lake Havasu HS will host the one-day tournament with flighted draws at the school’s excellent new court complex. The tournament is the fruit of Sterling’s continuing efforts with high school coaches in Northwestern AZ to foster tennis involvement in Mohave County.

At a USTA high school coaches’ workshop Jan. 20 in Phoenix, Sterling presented information on the USTA’s partnership with the SmartAccess system. The system is an online court reservation and security system that Prescott High adopted 7 months ago with great success and increased revenue. USTA grants can be used to purchase the necessary gate locks. Get in touch with Sterling at fetty@southwest.usta.com for more information.

Primary Intervention Program students in Mrs. Fredricksen’s class work together to move Coach Meyer’s equipment to the cafeteria.

Southeastern Arizona

by Cameron Hamilton

Over at Jim Reffkin Tennis center Ronnie Smith and John Perry hosted the Arizona Open and USTA Wheelchair tournament. Several top 50 ranked ITF professionals attended the tournament, including Tucson’s very own Jason Keatseanslip (pictured below).

Up at La Paloma Country Club we hosted our Ladies’ Invitational. Our members and guests had a great time competing in a doubles round robin format based on their respective NTRP ratings. We had 28 players compete at the invitational and we plan for many more fun mixers and events in the future!

Ronnie and John also hosted the 54th Annual Jim Reffkin High School Invitational. 32 of the best high school tennis players in the Tucson area were invited. This year the tournament was renamed to honor the late Jim Reffkin who had previously held roles as Southwest and National USPTA president. This year’s boys champion was Austin Cohen of Catalina Foothills High School, and the girls champion was Lacey Kaufman of Salpointe Catholic High School.

Phoenix, Arizona

by Eusebio Sarabia

Hi USPTA Southwest Pros.

My name is Eusebio Sarabia, and I will be your Phoenix Area District Coordinator for the next two years. I’m a USPTA Professional who started my teaching career in 1997 and live in Cave Creek, AZ.

I attended San Dimas High School in San Dimas, CA where I was undefeated in tennis and MVP for soccer and selected to the all-star game. After high school I was a Mechanical Engineering Major and earned degrees in Mechanical Drafting Design & Autocad. I decided to pursue a tennis coaching career instead and started teaching in the South Bay at Palos Verdes Country Club. After 8 years there I decided to focus on High Performance and was Head Pro at Player Development Tennis Academy in Anaheim, CA. I got married and started a family in 2011, moving to Arizona to raise our daughter. During his time here, I have worked at DC Ranch Village, was the head coach at Great Hearts Academy in Phoenix and am continuing my career coaching throughout North Phoenix.

The Phoenix District held their first area meeting in late January at USPTA Pro Todd Ellenbeckers new facility instide the Banner Sports Medicine High Performance Center. Thirty-Eight pros turned out for the meeting and were treated to a free lunch! A good time was had by all!

Southern New Mexico & El Paso

by Alex Mouquin

Hello all from Sun City, the beautiful El Paso, Texas. As the new coordinator for the Southern New Mexico & El Paso district, I am looking forward to helping our division strengthen and grow in membership.

For my first time, I would like to introduce myself a little. I am originally from France, and I have been teaching and coaching tennis for over 30 years now. I am certified by the French Federation, and a USPTA Professional member since 2019. I am in the process of upgrading my certification to Elite status as well as getting certified for Pickleball.

I am married to Nicole Fintell, USTA Southwest Junior Player Development Manager (also a USPTA member), and I am the father of 8 years old twins.

I am currently the Director of Tennis and Racket Sports at Tennis West in El Paso.

As I move forward in my position here with the USPTA, I will keep reaching out to our local members to serve as a liaison between them and the Division Board if needed. I will also reach out to past members and continue to promote certification and professional standards required by our industry to prospect members.

SOUTHWEST OFFICERS

President

Suk Ong 602-881-0467 sukong.uspta@gmail.com

Regional VP

Greg Prudhomme 602-301-1394 pruperformance@gmail.com

Vice President

Ryan Johnson 480-267-0725 m.ryanjohnson@gmail.com

Secretary

John Perry 520-403-8290 jptennis25@gmail.com

Treasurer

Leslie Banks 419-302-7663 lesliealison16@gmail.com

Past President

Amy Badger 505-379-6728 badgertennis505@gmail.com

Executive Director

Jack Michalko 602-740-0126 jack.michalko@uspta.org

SOUTHWEST COORDINATORS

Northern New Mexico

Dick Johnson 505-507-6795 lctenniscamps@gmail.com

Phoenix

Eusebio Sarabia 310-292-2788 eusebio.sarabia@gmail.com

Southeastern Arizona

Cameron Hamilton 480-276-1123 chamilton8815@gmail.com

Northern Arizona

Andrea Meyer 928-300-4352 andreameyertennis@gmail.com

Southern New Mexico & l Paso Alex Mouquin 575-571-0389

frenchtouchtennis@hotmail.com

Tennis Coach Developer

Greg Prudhomme 602-301-1394 pruperformance@gmail.com

Pickleball Coach Developer

Ryan Johnson 704-281-1713 m.ryanjohnson@gmail.com

The Southwest Magazine is the official Publication of the USPTA Southwest Division of the United States Professional Tennis Association.

Tennis West new stand-alone pickleball courts nearing completion.

Senior Moment

by Brett Hall - USPTA Elite Pro

Dan Hopkins - Master Professional Casa Grande, AZ

How did you get started in tennis as a career?

My family, father, mother, and brother played tennis recreationally for many years in my pre-teen years. I was a cross country and track and field guy. I had no desire to play tennis. I picked up tennis my freshman year by participating in the summer recreation program and then team. I played a few tournaments, was somewhat successful and actually enjoyed the game. My first coach was Bob Fischer, who later became my advocate, mentor, and close friend. Bob just retired from coaching this past year, 1969-2023. Amazing to say the least, and shaped countless lives and careers. My first paid job was a recreational tennis director at age 14 for the Vigo County School Corporation, Terre Haute, Indiana. The same became my career position as a Social Studies teacher and High School tennis coach. I spent the eight and seventeen years respectively, coaching both boys and girls. Summer initially involved Camp Timber Tops for Girls, Greeley, Pennsylvania for 5 years and then founded the Terre Haute Jr. Tennis Association in Terre Haute. College coaching came after the high school gig.

Describe your different positions in the tennis industry

Listed below are the various paid and unpaid positions I’ve had over my 41+ years as a USPTA Professional. Not included are the various speaking engagements, clinics, written articles, public promotions, and presentations.

1975-78 Recreational Tennis Director - Vigo County

School Corp, Terre Haute, IN

1980-85 Head Tennis Professional - Camp Timber Tops, Greeley, Pennsylvania

1980-2008 Teacher Woodrow Wilson MS, Vigo Co. School Corp, Terre Haute, Indiana

1986-2017, 2020-2023 Founder / Instructor of Terre Haute Junior Tennis Association, Inc.

1986-92 Secretaries - Indiana High School Tennis Coaches Association

1987-96 Convention Chairman - Indiana Tennis Coaches Workshop

1990 – 2021 Rose-Hulman Institute of Technology –Men and Women’s Tennis Coach

1992 & 1996 USPTA Midwest Divisional Convention Chairman

1989-90, 95-98 USPTA Midwest Division, Indiana District Secretary

1991-94 USPTA Midwest Division, Indiana District President

1992-98 USPTA/RCA Indianapolis Hard-court Ladies and Seniors Day Clinic Chairman

2020-24 Palm Creek Tennis Club – President and Director of Tennis

What are some major contributors to your success as a tennis professional?

My personal family spent many years helping their father with running the summer program and being involved in my coaching positions. My wife held up the family when I was gone to the some two thousand or more team competitions. She also spent an enormous amount of time with our own children’s tennis participations. Both of my kids played, and one actually coached college tennis for Indiana Tech. I never could have been successful if it wasn’t for the initial Board of Directors for Terre Haute Jr. Tennis and my colleagues in the business. Russ Williams helped teach me how to operate the business. Jim Cook became my closest friend, director, and professional for thirty plus years. I was lucky to have former player of mine, Wes Kirk, assistant coaches, Curt Howard and Dallas Kelsey, to carry on various aspects of the program. We had great financial support from sponsors Hardees, McDonalds, Terre Haute First National Bank, Old National Bank, AG Edwards and Sons, Numerical Concepts, Outdoor Equipment, and the Gibson and Patterson Families.

Describe how you have given back as a volunteer or administrator of charity events?

Running a non-for profit, 501c3, is in itself a volunteer position. We were sometimes referred to as “that give away program” by the larger Indianapolis for profit community. We/I would like to think that we were contributing to the development and health our community. We were paid and we never did without. As an organization we provided thousands of entry and advance paid jobs. We facilitated a volunteer army to keep our community courts, one hundred or more, with constant supervision and policing. We raised funds to pay all the necessities of those courts. We developed a true community based program.

Who are your mentors in and out of the tennis industry?

USPTA Master Professional – Mike O’Connell – Indiana University Tennis Center, Bloomington, Kirk Anderson (USPTA) Lake Oswego, OR, Indiana IHSTeCA Hall of Fame – Robert (Bob) Fischer – Honey Creek Middle School, Terre Haute, Indiana, Curt Howard (USPTA) Sullivan High/Middle, Sullivan, Indiana, Wes Kirk (USPTA) Sullivan High/ Middle, Sullivan, Indiana, Dallas Kelsey (USPTA) The Brickway Tennis and Pickleball, Terre Haute, Indiana, Leo LaPane (former USPTA) Casa Grande, Arizona, Tim Shum, Sun Lakes, Arizona, Jim Munsil (former USPTA) Florence, Arizona.

What advice would you give younger pros coming up in the tennis industry?

First of all, I found that my full time job, was a public school teacher, and my part-time job was tennis coach and professional. I found that much of the time I taught school was more part time and coaching and teaching tennis was full time. The only difference was the amount I was paid for each. It’s just an observation, after the fact, of what my position was for over forty years. I made an incredible living from both positions and I enjoyed and still enjoy both in retirement. I think that you can multi task at either a full time tennis position or part time. The benefits, if disciplined in your investments and saving will come full circle after many years. I see so many talented youngsters side step the profession because they only limit their involvement to just teaching tennis. There are so many places to go with your career. This industry has so much more to offer than just being a court professional. I still believe I was out to change the world by raising young people to become good productive citizens. Many today are still my closest friends.

What is your definition of Retirement?

My wife and I agreed that after the initial retirement year we would use our talents to help benefit others. We’ve work hard over the years. We saved, invested, and have been conservative enough to live a very comfortable life today. My wife is a full time quilter and donates her works to veterans and charities. I donate my talents to the tennis community by teaching, educating, running events, sponsoring teams, stringing racquets for free, gripping racquets, and generally looking out for our tennis communities. Having not been able to work on my own game during my career days, I now dedicate my days to preparing and playing competitive tennis. I travel the Valley (Phoenix) daily to play at various places with different groups of senior tennis players. I look for ways to connect and help other groups.

I’m fortunate to have both of my children and their spouses less than thirty minutes away on the south side of Phoenix. We don’t have grandchildren, yet we hope, like many, that we will be blessed with that event. Meanwhile, we truly are grateful for just having our family close and doing what we do.

How have you benefitted from your involvement with the USPTA on a personal and professional level?

The network never ends. Many of my closest friends are members of our organization and have helped me and my family become what we are. I hope that I lead by example by participating in USPTA events and promotions. I continue to do my yearly continuing education requirements and spend hours on the phone encouraging my fellow colleagues in coaching and teaching to excel in their positions. My connections have helped my retirement community to have a better experience. I literally get to spend another day in the sun, daily.