Addvantage 1999 March by RSPA

uspta

~~~~ ~~

the magazine tor men and

wom)!~1]P:tsssg e ~ '

Teaching pros, players c elebrate a decade of USPTA's Tennis Across Americaâ&#x201E;˘

the total professional - enhancing your career

departments

1 0 Tennis for perfectionists

3 President's message

by Tom Nelson, USPTA - A perfectionist resists t he basic nat ure of ten nis - a game in

4 USPTA mailbox

which many points en d wit h an error. But it's possible to modify his attitude to allow him to approac h t he game in a more rational mariner.

5 CEO 's message

7 Little Tennis tips

12 The power of speech

27 Career development

by Matthew Cosso lotto- A six-point checklist for successful presentations.

30 Industry action 31

14 Seven financial rules of thumb

Classifieds

Basic principles t hat ensure your finances security.

20 USPTA pros shar~ tennis tips

special section

25 Compiling a player database is worth the effort by Nick ·Get~ USPTA - Databases provide a detailed record of players' habits , injuries

and preferences.

This issue

of ADDvantage

features the annual USPTA Tennis Across Ame1·ica pullout guide. It

28 Tips to breeze your way through a conference

includes promotional tips, p1·ess

Maximize you time and take t he righ t approach to get t he most out of t he event.

information, a colotjul poster and an outline on running a 90-minute clinic.

32 Pro Penn Quarterly Discount

news

On the cover ... ADDvantage magazine celehates 10 years of

USPTA and Special Service Systems team up

Tennis Across America. Past covers featured Tim Gullikson, Arthur Ashe, Pam Shrive1; Zina Gan·ison and Pete Sampras.

I AOOvontage magazine editoria l offices One US PTA Centre, 3535 Briarpark Drive

volume 23 • issue 3 Ed itor Managing editor

Showno Riley Julie Myers

Houston, TX 77042

Circulation

Kathy Buchanan

Phone - (713) 978-7782

Advertising

Diane Richbourg

(800) USPTA-4U Fox - (7 13) 978-7780 e-mai l - magazine@uspta.org

Office hours: 8:30. a .m.- 5 p.m. _5:entraltime

ADDvantage is published month ly by the United States Professio nal Tennis Association .

The opinions expressed in AOOvantoge ore those of the authors and not necessarily those of ADDvantage or the US PTA. Copyright© United Stales Professional Tennis Association, Inc. 1999. All rights reserved . Reproduction of any portion of the magazine is not permitted without written permission from US PTA.

ADDvontoge/Morch 1999

Everywhere YOU are ... Everyday. Greener cities

Clearer communications

L Smoother traffic Aow

Higher quality foods

L___ _ _

More accessible sidewalks

. . . E v eor y t h i n g ' s B e t t e r b y A s s o c i a t i o n . During the course of an ordinary day, assooanons everywhere are doing extraordinary things. Setting quality and safety standards, researching new technologies, developing learning programs for workers in every kind of industry, lobbying and shaping legislation, and

AMERICAN SOCIETY OF ASSOCIATION EXECUTIVES

certifYing professionals. In fact, in almost every corner of the world, associations are working to build a safer, stronger, and smarter future for us all. Wouldn't you agree that everything's better by association?

This message is brought to yo u by the American Society of Association Executives, in recognition of the nearly 100,000 associations who work to make our lives Better by Association. For further information about this campaign, please email pr@asaenet.org or fax 202-408-9633 or visit http://www.asaenet.org.

President's

message---~.--.

A new program that is a real '1 0'

usptao

NATIONAL BOARD OF DIRECTORS President

Will Haag

First Vice Presid ent

Joseph Thompson Harry Gilbert Mark McMahon David T. Porter Ron 'v\'oods

Vice Presidents

It has become routme for the tennts industry How does the program work? from time to time to call on the USPTA professional to become invoived in programs that they Step I Introduce a new player or bring back a feel benefit our sport. Some of these programs are player who has dropped out of tennis through a free lesson program or a private good, and a few not so good. I told yo u in my first president's message that I would• represent, promote or group program offered at yo ur facility. and defend you, the tennis professional, to the best . Step 2 Have the player participate in a six-week of my ability. I also said that I would never ask yo u program (private or group) whereby they are taught th e basics of tennis (into become involved in a program that was not beneficial to you personally cluding scoring) . or one that does not promote the Step 3 Involve the player in some game of tennis. I will stand by thi~ type oflow-level competistatement throughout my final term tion (entry-level leagues, of office. challenge ladders , round robins, etc.). Now, with that having been said, the tennis industry has again come Step 4 Monitor their play and to the tennis-teaching professionals keep them supplied with with a program to promote tennis. adeq uate playing partners . The program is called the " I 0-newThe industry has a ready-made players program. " It simply asks you, the tennis professional, to bring 10 program , USA Tennis I-2-3 for Will Hoag those of you who may be looking new or previous players back into the for a new idea. It is simple to imgame. This is one program that I personally supplement, easy to run and the USTA would be happort I 00 percent and encourage you also to get behind for the following reasons: py to help any of yo u get this program started at your facility by simply contacting them. I would also be interes ted in hearing about the I. Many of our members are bringing 10 and even programs at yo ur facilities that have been successmore new playe rs into the game each year ful. I encourage each of you to send a description through ~;heir current programs. All that I ask of yo ur program to the World Headquarters so of you is to document what you have been that we can sha·re them with our m embers. doing all along. _ 2. To those members who are not achieving this The TIA and \}STA have funds for any goal already, our industry is basically asking , USPTA member whose programs qualify to receive them. I would encourage each of you to back you to make an effort to find I 0 new tennis this program IOO percent. Tennis is our game, players each year to take lessons, enter your our business and yo u, the USPTA professional, programs, support your shop and possibly even can make this game successful. ~ join your club. This is only good for our business.

Secretary-treasurer Townsend Gilbert

Past President

Kurt Kamperman

WORLD HEADQUARTERS CEO

Tim Heckler Rich Fanning

Diredor of O pe rations

Executive Assistant

Marty Bostrom

Showno Riley

Director of Communications

Communications/

Courtenay Dreves

Divisional liaison

Communications

Jill H. Phipps

Publications Coord inator

Julie Myers

Public Relations

Don Saine

Coordinator Marketing Coordinator

Dione Richbourg

Director of Career Development

Jim Peavy

Educational Administrator

Thelma Holmes

Career

Mathew Thompson

Development Assistant Sports

Elizabeth Ten Broeck

Marketing Assistant Webmaster/ Corporate Services Manager

Christi Cal l

Corporate Services Secreto ry

Kendra Garcia

Computer Services/

Kathy Buchanon

Club Relations Membership/

- Vicky Tristan

Education Financial M anager Controller

Renee Heckler Theresa Weatherford

Insurance/ Merchandise Services Merchandise Services

Ellen Schmidt

Susa n Wright-Broughton

LEGAL COUNSEL Attorney-at-low

Paul Waldman

For information, write the World Headquarters

US PTA One US PTA Centre 3535 Briorpork Drive

Houston, TX 77042 Phone (713) 97·USPTA (BOO) USPTA- 4U Fox (713) 978·7780 e-mail - uspto@ uspta.org Internet- www.uspto.org

Office hours: 8:30a .m. • 5 p.m. Central time

ADDvontoge/Morch 1999

USPTA mailbox Dear USPTA members, I've tried to write personal notes to many of yo u, but I find at this time I am overwhelmed. To each and every one of yo u who has prayed for George and our family, the many people who have sent cards, letters, books, th ose of yo u who have called, left messages, se nt plants or flow ers , ma y I humbl y say " thank yo u." Those two words • seem inad equate for the s upport, love and caring we have received. If I could fly around the country and sp eak wit h ea~h one of you personally, I would do it. I have called or written to many of you . Please know that each person who was touched by George in some way is in my heart today. To those who traveled to the memorial service in Boca Raton, we thank you for taking time out of your busy schedules to share in the celebration of George's life. To t hose of you who helped with the service, thank you. It was truly inspiring. I know yo u are there, my frien d s. I have received m any letters telling me how George made a difference in your life. Please continue to write if yo u choose to. My family is collecting these wonderful letters to save for our precious grandchildren , Lindsay and Dillon (and perhaps the grandchildren yet to be born) . They will know the attributes their " Pops " stood for - humility, honesty, hard work and love of family. Sincerely, Nancy Bacso Boca R aton, Fla.

4 ADDvontoge/March 1999

Dear Tim, I wo uld like to sincere l y thank yo u for promptly letting me know the very sad fact that G eorge Bacso left us all las t week. Tim, to yo u as a p erson who was very clo se to George, I would like to express my deep sympathy. Although only in the last few years did I have the chance to be ir! closer contact with George, he has had a lasting impact on my thinking and my professional growth. I feel very grateful for the opportuni-

To each and every one of you) ... may I humbly s~y a thank you.)) -Nancy Bacso

for

ty to have spent two weeks wit h George las t year in the Czech Republic. With George, one of the biggest insiders and real professionals of the teaching world is gone forever. Best rega d s, Martin Baroch, USPTA Czech Republic

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GEe's mes-say_e-------.. 1 Qth annual event celebrates inclusiveness and global ~ reach of Tennis Across America ,-

When US PTA hosted the inaugural US PTA's peer of the program so that any individual or group Across America Tennis Day in I 990, we had no could be a part of its success. Tennis Across America has been a tremendous idea that it would grow into such a large program and have an enduring effect on USPTA members boost to not only USPTA professionals and our and the sport of tennis around the world. But, Association, but to other groups and programs as well. For example, we have always promoted nonthanks to our members and the support of our industry, we are celebrating its IO'h year! USPTA programs as follow-up activities to the free clinics offered through Tennis Across America. Also, The success of the project, now called Tennis Across America, can be attribut~;;d to both tennis and non-tennis compathe continued participation of tennies have received positive exposure nis-teaching professionals, the incluthrough their affiliations with Tennis Across America. Some of these sive nature of the program for everyone in tennis and USPTA's commitgroups have included the President's Council on Physical Fitness and ment to the program that has grown into much more than a one-day celSports, the USTA and its USA Tenebration of tenni; activity. nis programs and the Hispanic American Cultural Effort. What's For the past nine years , USPTA has called upon its members and even more exciting is that for the last six years, USPTA has had the all teaching professionals to provide clinics and lesson programs as honor of hosting one or more of a wa y to stir interest in tennis . It's these groups at special clinics on the Tim Heckler White House tennis court. been the teaching pro ' s way of To celebrate the IO'h annual Tenshowcasing his or her contribunis Across America, USPTA wanted to invite even tions to local communities and the tennis industry. It promotes what we feel is the most impormore people and groups to reap the benefits of a successful tennis promotibn. To do this, we've ortant link in the tennis chain - the tennis teacher. ganized Tennis Around the World 5M in partnership Without this link, there would be no organized with tennis~teaching organizations worldwide. This delivery system for implementing any industry initiative- which will be symbolic of hitting a tenprograms. USPJA members prove year after year nis ball around the world on May 8 - will include that they are the link to the current and future success of tennis . free public lessons to encourage people to try tenWhile pride of ownership ensures the col'i-tmitnis and media opportunities to generate coverage for the sport. USPTA is.working to organize events ment ofUSPTA members to Tennis Across America, the noncommercial appeal of the program al- 'in England, South Africa, Australia, New Zealand, lows the Association to gain support f tem many ,. Canada, Japan, Singapore, the Czech Republic, Switzerland, Mexico, the Caribbean and several manufacturers, not only our endorsees. Over the years , we've received donations of racquets, balls , other countries. As we share Tennis Around the World, we hope string and other tennis accessories. From the beginning, USPTA stressed the noncommercial assee Tennis Across America, page 18

US PTA members prove year after year that they are the link to the current and future success of tennis.

ADDvantage/March 1999

Co~rdtulati ons to the following USPTA members who paid their member dues by Nov. 30. Their names were chosen in a random drawing from more than 3,468 eligible names. The first three names chosen received a special USPTA merchandise package

Macky Dominguez, Southem Division James Head, Midwest Division Avis Murray, New England Division All others received two cases of Pro Penn tennis balls.

Ronald Allison, California Division Jonathan Bailin, Ph.D., California Division Scott Barr, Mid-Atlantic Division Jeff Barrett, New England Division Tommy Bartlett, Southem Division Mark Bohren, Califomia Division Jose Collazo, Florida Division Glenn Davis, Northem California Division Jack Dunham, New England Division Maxine Frazer, Southem Division Mark Goldin, Middle States Division Christopher Gorman , Florida Division Thomas Komassa, Midwest Division Heather Lake, New England Division Brady Lindsley, Midwest Division James (Buster) McCoy, California Division Eugene McGeehan, Hawaii Division Joan Melahn, Midwest Division Marc Moran, Northem Califomia Division Terrell Motley, Florida Division Andrea Peltosalo, Pacific Northwest Division Cliff Price, Missouri Valley Division Doug Proudian, Eastem Division "''Michael Reilly, Florida Division Craig Sandvig, Missouri Valley Division Jack Schnei~er, Northem Califomia Division Jennifer Swing, Intermountain Division " David Tejeda, Texas Division Fred Thompson lll, Southwest Division Doug Welsh, Florida Division Steve Wilkinson, Northwest Division Khangshain Wong, San Diego Division Greg Wyzykowski, Middle States Division

•

little Te nn1 ~ tip ~ c

•

by Michael D. Shires, USPTA Ring around the racquets (ages 4 to 6) Thi s is a variation of musical chairs. Take a number of racquets o ne less than the total nun1ber of kids in the class. Line up the racquets in a circle with enough space between them so that the children won' t bump into each other when .the music stops. Whenever a student does not com e up with a racquet , he goes to get some water, and then practices d rop- hit groundstrokes or se rves on another court. After each round, rem ove another racquet un til all t he players are on the other court. T his gam e is a great wa y to get t he g~oup mo ving and warm up their muscles .

Simon says

(ages 4 to 7)

Thi s ga m e is fun d u ring the middle of a lesson. Begin by lining up t he children on the baselin e or se rvice line. The pro calls o ut commands , such as, "Simon says hit a forehand groundstroke." If t he pro doesn' t say, "S imon says," when he gives a command, and a child p erforms the action anywa y, the player loses a "life." Each child gets three lives. The winner of the ga m e can either be t he next Simo n o r be excused from picking up tenni s balls.

Limbo

(ages5 to 10)

Begin by dividing t h e class into two o r mo re teams (try to equal the size and skills of the kids) . Eac h team needs to elect t wo playe rs to hold their racqu et s ou t with the hea ds tou chin g to fo rm a limbo stick. The remaining team members may bounce the ball under th e stick (for 2 points) o r carry it on the racqu et head (for I point) . If the group is hav· n g trouble, the students holding the racquets may raise them to form a st eeple or bridge. This is a good gam e to play in the middle of a lesson .

•

Mines or prizes

cau ages)

T his gam e is good to do at t he end of a session o r birthday party. For the gam e you will need 10 to 15 cones. Und er each cone place either a prize ( overwrap , candy or $ 1 toy) o r a tennis ball painted blac k t o look like a bomb . Line the children up and let t hem try to hit the con es. ( D epending on skill level, th ey ca n drop hit o r hit balls tossed by the pro.) Try to allow eac h playe r to win only one prize.

& ADDvontoge/Morch 1999

USPTA and Special Service Systems team up Twenty-six years ago in a Tulsa 'strip center storefront, Special Service Systems started as a sma ll business in Oklahoma. The year was I973. Initially, it performed a credit card embossing overload service for banks and oil companies. Over the years , the company added many credit card related services. In I 990, Special Service Systems began offering bank card services to small and medium-sized banks in t he Midwest and Southwest. The company represents First of Omaha Merchant Processing, one of the oldest financial institutions in the United States, serving on numerous Visa and MasterCard committees. (First of Omaha has been actively involved in helping its customers with credit card processing since I 9 53.) Today, Special Service Systems, combined with First National Bank of Omaha, offers Visa, MasterCard and American Express processing, ATM acceptance, check verification and check guarantee processing. To enhance these services , the company offers various turn-key credit card transaction capture devices (credit card terminals) to fit no~ only the transaction requirements of merchants but also their budgetary reqUirements. Much has happened in 26 years, and the company is proud to add USPTA to its fine list of partnering clients, and is looking forward to many years of happy partnership with the Association. - Allen Ledbetter SSSI Bank Card Representative

• $3 for 3-month subscription (Outside the U.S. $6) • AMAZING $33 VALUE. • Receive 3 60-minute digital audiotapes over 3 months. • Hear Great Ideas from hundreds of U.S. and lnt'l. Tennis Conferences while driving to the courts. • FREE fax or e-mail service for you to request Top Tips. • Great to Train New Pros and Refresh older ones. • Monthly Discounts on other great products. • PLUS! Coach Tennis America is Now USPTA Approved for up to 5 Continuing Education Credit Points Per Year! Introductory Offer

ONLY $3 CALL NOW! 800-752-7673 or 214-823-3078 Ask for Marc

8 ADDvontoge/Morch 1999

SPECIAL

SERVICE Following are the fees that will be charged to USPTA members processing th~ough SSS and First National Bank of Omaha. Charges will appear on the monthly processing statement provided by the bank.

MasterCard and Visa Monthly statement/ ACH fee Additional location, same DDA Voice authorizations Transaction fee - retail merchant Base discount rate Monthly support service Retrieval requests or chargebacks

$2 Free 20 cents 1.88 percent* $6.50 Free

* This rate is for retail card swipe transactions processed on the National Data Corporation network only. Each transaction of the Association's member merchants must qualify to obtain the stated base discount rate. Transactions that do not qualify for payment at this rate will be processed at the applicable rate level for that particular transactiOn.

USING ANY OTHER STRINGING MACHINE WOULD BE LIKE MICHELANGELO WORKING WITH PAINT-BY-NUMBER. Welcome, serious stringers. You are entering the realm of Babolat. Amateurs, turn back now. This is no hobby corner. These are the tools that turn a task into an art. These are the machines that transform a stringer into a craftsman. You're looking at the Babolat Star 3 and Babolat Star 4 (smaller).

Take note

of the support stand. It's adjustable to your height. Easy on your back. Quick and simple, huh? We're just geHing started.

These machines

have a breakthrough turntable support system that turns 360 degrees. You don't have to walk around the racquet. Worried about frame pressure and distortion? We are, too. You ruin frames, you lose money. That's why

e See the arm support posts and the two adjustment knobs? They let you mount any type of frame fast, whatever its thickness or head surface area. No tools necessary. e Ready

there's a 10 point free-floating support system. (Don't get us going on how few points most of the competition has.)

to talk clamps? Get this. They're diamond dust coated so there's less pressure needed to hold tension, and less stress during stringing.

Okay, a

tennis string is supposed to be round, right? Right. That's why the self-clamping pulling head is equipped with a diabolo drum that redistributes the pressure to prevent string distortion. e Now take a look at the housing on the Star 3. There's an easy-to-read dial that lets you adjust the tension in pounds or kilos, according to customer request. It has a range of 10 to 90 pounds, and it au_tomatically sets the pulling speed depending on the tension you set.

e The Star 4 has several added features including a digital readout, three adjustable pulling speeds, a more accurate sensor and a

knot function key that raises the tension on th~ last string before the knot by five pounds for only one pull. That way, you won't forget to reset it. By the way, these are all" constant pull" tensiooers. They tak_e the initial stretch out of the string for a more accurate, truer tension. And they always pull at the same speed for consistent tension on every string. How sure are we of our superiority over other machines? Our five year limited warrantee covers even the electronics. Inspired? Find out more about Babolat stringing machines by contacting your Penn/Babolat sales representative, or call

BABQ_LAl WINNER OF MORE THAN 50 GRAND SLAMS

1-Boo:BUY-PENN. Because why settle with a velvet Elvis when you can have the ceiling of the Sistine Chapel?

Tennis for perfectioni by Tom Nelson, US PTA

Tom Nelson, a 23 -year USPTA member, has coached men's college tennis and boys' and girls' high school tennis, and has been director of tennis at several clubs. He currently teaches tennis at Olympic Swim & Racquet Club in Columbus, Ohio.

10 ADDvontoge/Morch 1999

ennis is not wellsuited for the perfectionist . He resists the basic nature of a game in which many, if not most, points end with an error. Unlike golf, where mistakes show up on the scorecard, tennis errors are merely part of the ebb and flow of every match. Tennis players often recover from bad games and even bad sets to go on to win matches. Complicating the situation for the perfectionist is that there are many different kinds of errors in a tennis match . There are forced errors, unforced errors and poorly hit balls that, while technically not errors, often result in a resounding winner hit by the opponent. Every player, regardless of level, makes all of these kinds of errors . So why is it that some play. . ers agomze ever every mISSstruck ball when others swing away with little or no caution, happy as long as their last shot of the match goes in? Many times, the perfectionist looks like he's losing even when he's winning. Although the vast majority of his shots may be hit well, the perfectionist only remembers the clinkers . He is oblivious to the

A peifectionist remembers only his errors, regardless of the cause, and gives the impression that he's losing, even if he is winning.

fact that his opponent may have double or even triple the number of errors that he has. Often the perfectionist makes no distinction between forced errors, unforced errors and just poorly hit balls. In his mind, they all run together in a continuum of failure . He refuses to let himself enjoy the good shots as long as he can beat himself up over the bad ones. There is no question that this attitude saps the pleasure from tennis for this person. Personality plays a big part in determining what type of tennis player a person is. Inherent traits determine, for example, whether

a person develops into an ~ggresÂ sive serve and volleyer or a steady baseliner. We can't change a person's basic personality. We may, however, be able to slightly modify his playing tactics to increase his chances of being successful. We might convince the impatient, hard-hitting player to temper his power on certain shots that call for a more defensive response. We might persuade the "retriever" to hit an approach shot and come to the net on a short ball now and then. But in spite of our best efforts, we are not going to be able to turn the "pusher" into a serve-and-volley-

on the shot at hand. It will be necessary during a match for the player to make judgments as to whether or not an error was a controllable one. If the opponent created any degree of difficulty, then the player cannot count ir as a controllable error. If rhe player chose a high-ri sk shot, hit it cleanly and missed, rhen it cannot be counted against rhe allowable total of controllable errors. The number of allowable erro rs chosen by the player prior to a march is not particularly significant, but should be realistic. ally playi ng. . The numb er should b e hig h The most devasta ting errors enough to take into accou nt a to the perfectionist are the conplayer 's predictable mistakes, such trollable balls. Any situation in which the player has plenty of â&#x20AC;˘ as double faulrs. (If double faulttime to execute a routine shor ing is an ongoing problem, a separa t e allowable number ca n be and fails, simply du e to a lac k of used for them.) After a few matchconcentratio n ( including double es, the number can be ad justed fa ults), wo uld fall into this cateither up or down according to the egory. The second category of player's ability to stay within the errors includes rhose in which the limit set. player misses while go ing for a As wit h orher mental-trainhigh-risk shot. The third cateing tools , practice will be regory is made up of errors that quired befo re rhi s procedure are, at leasr in part, caused by any reaches its full usefulness in comdegree of opponent-created difpetition. I suggest that the playficulty. Difficu lty, of course, is er first use it in games played relative to a player's skill level. against the teaching pro and idenIn order to modify the perfectify our lo ud how he classifies his tionist's attitude, he must be willerrors. The pro can ass ist him in ing to admit that everyone makes errors and that such errors are a part of playing the game. Next, he must acknowledge that, during a march, he will make some errors on controllable balls. H e t hen arrives at an allowable number of rhese types of errors. Let us say, for example, that the number chosen is six per set. When he makes an error of this type, he simply says to himself, "That's one ." (Not, "You idiot! How could you make such a stupid mistake!") One concentration error is wirhin rhe allowable number that he has set for himself The fact that he has used up one of his allowable errors serves as a reminder to focus more completely er any more than we can change the "rush and crush" player into a passive baseliner. It is much the same with the perfectionist. We can't teach him not to be a perfectionist - it is in his personality. It may, however, be possible to modify his attitude to allow him to approach in a more rational manner rhe error-filled wo rld that is rennis. T he first step is to break down and classify the conglomerate of errors rhar obsc ure the player's realistic view of how he is ac tu-

this process . For example, the player might perceive an error to be a con trollable one when in fact , ir was caused by opponentcreated difficulty. T he nexr ~rep wo uld be to further refine the use of this tool in practice sets wirh the player 's" peers. To add some positive incentive to rhis system, the player should be allowed to "erase" a controllable error with a good shot. For example, he might be able to ger out of a difficult situation by hitting a great passing shot or a perfect topspin lob. H e would then subtract a previous controllable error fro m his total. In rhis way, rhe perfectionist learns the forgiving nature of tennis. Unlike many other sports, rh e cl ock never runs out in a tennis march. It is always possible to come back righr up until rhe last point is played. Hopefully, in using this method of error management, the perfectionist will have fewer temper flare-ups because, by the time he stops to rhink of what kind of error he made, his initial anger will have subsided. Eventually, rhis type of person may permit himself to be "human" and not let his mistakes ass ume a greater significance than they deserve. '{;>o

Errors made during a highrisk shot or an opponentcreated difficulty will not be counted as controllable errors. lj such shots are made, however, the player may "erase" a controllable error.

ADDvontoge/Morch 1999

The power ol SPEECH© The six-point checklist for successful presentations by MaHhew CossoloHo

trong start Don't open with predictable pleasantries. Surprise the audience with an interesting quote, a little-known fact or an unusual observation. Then link the opening to your topic ... and your close.

P E E C H

ause for effect and drama Well-timed pauses help to emphasize key points, create drama and pique the interest of the audience. Pausing also conveys an impression of self-confidence, command and poise.

ye contact Establish regular, one-on-one eye contact with audience members. This allows you to "connect" with the audience, keeps them alert and also lets you "read" audience reaction.

nthusiasm and energy Enthusiasm and high energy are essential. Banish monotony by stressing key words and using natural hand gestures and facial expressions. Imagine you're talking with a friend.

onversational style Using a conversational sryle of delivery helps yo u " talk" to the audience. Speeches need to be written for the ear, not the eye. You should use everyday language, short sentences and memorable word pictures . umor Any speech is part entertainment, part information transfer. Using appropriate humor- not necessarily canned-jokes - to reinforce your m4in points will help get yo ur message ··across and increase your "likability." An audience that laughs with you also likes you.

Article courtesy of Ovations Intemational Inc. - www.ovations.com Matthew Cossolotto is president

of Ovations International Inc.,

a company

whose services include speechwriting, speech coaching, media relations and a writer's bureau. He has worked as a communications executive and speechwriter for GTE, PepsiCo Foods & Bevemges and MCI Communications.

12 ADDvontoge/Morch 1999

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Seven financial rules of thumb ,..

rom the time most of us re old enough to ea rn r first allowance, we are ght that "a penny saved is a penny earned." For many of us , that adage becomes even more true when the quality of our retirement years - from our lifestyle to our peace of minddepends in part or in who le upon the decisions we make regarding accumulating, protecting and eventually drawing from the assets we've set aside. When that time comes, most of us will be faced with the question of where to put that hardearned money so that it.provides the things that are important to us : things like security, a comfortable lifestyle and the assurance that we aren't likely to outlive our assets. But bifore that time comes , there are a number of steps we can take to ensure that our financial house is Âˇ- and remains - in order. One of the first and most important of those steps is to define, and then prioritize, our personal and financial objectives. Of equal importance, we need to think about achieving our goals within the framework of both our investment tolerance (how much risk are we willing to take?) and our investment horizon (how long until we plan to retire? ) . Investments with which we aren't entirely comfortable, or which don't mesh with how much time we have before we plan to retire should not be part of our asset accumulation strategy.

What other steps can we take? These seven basic principles of finance can be a good place to start.

Work on es tablishing an emergency fund- liquid assets that can be accessed immediately - equaling at least three months takehome salary. It m ay take a little while, but it can help you avoid going into expensive debt should an emergency anse.

As a general rule , try to avoid spending more than 30 percent of your income on home mortgage or rental

paym ents .

Remember the home mortgage 28 percent rule: When applying for a home mortgage, banks generally want to make sure that your total monthly payment ( including mortgage interest and principal , real estate taxes and homeowners insurance) does not exceed 28 percent of your total income.

Avoid taking out consumer loans that exceed three-year terms . Otherwise , interest payments become exceedingly high and can negatively affect cash flow. The same is true with credit card debt. High interest rates combined with minimum payments can stretch repayment out over many years, resulting in interest payments far exceeding the original debt.

Try to limit monthly payments on consumer loans to no more than 20 percent of your net take-home pay. Examples of such loans include auto loans, student loans , unsecured personal loans and revolving credit card debt.

Long-term debt should be no more than 3 0 percent of a family's total assets. This means that , id ea lly, ~ou should owe no more than 3 0 percent of your total worth.

According to most experts, at retirement, yo u will re-

quire approximately 70 percent of your net pre-retirement income. For example, if you are earning $75,000 per year at the time you retire, your annual retirement cash flow needs will be roughly $52,000.

In addition to these seven rules , it's also a good idea not to put off doing financial , business and estate planning for too long because often, too long turns into too late. Changing tax laws , insurability issues and the simple uncertainty of everyday life can m ake "putting off planning for a rainy day" extremely costly. But that notwithstanding, scores of us do put it off, some for very good reasons . Consider a recent survey done for National Life Insurance Company of Montpelier, Vermont: National Life surveyed 3 56 independent business owners to determine

see Seven rules, page 18

14 ADDvontoge/Morch 1999

Tennis Across Ame

Your Tennis Across America kit contains: • • • • •

Ideas for optional activities A sample lesson plan Promotional tips that will help you publicize your event A colorful poster for promoting your event Press information . Fill in the appropriate blanks on the public service announcement and press release (photocopy or create your own) and deliver them to newspapers and televi sion and radio stations • A free lesson sign -up sheet • A form to register"your event

Tennis Across America 1 999

Suggested guidelines Run a 90-minute clinic

Optional activities

Introduce yourself and your sta'ff to the participants. Briefly discuss USPTA and how it promotes tennis in the grassroots through programs such as Tennis Across America , USPTA Little TennisÂŽ, the USPTA Adult Tennis League 5 M and USA Tennis 1--2-3 . Point out tennis' lifetime benefits and how your teaching programs can help improve their skills.

Conduct a free demo If your facility has a pro shop, you may wish to conduct -a free demo session to encourage your members to try new products. This would also be an excellent time to have a pro shop sale, since most shops are fully stocked with spring and summer goods. The options are endless put your imagination to work. Tennis Across America is a great opportunity to increase lessons, pro shop sales and exposure for you, your staff and your club .

The depth of your clinic will depend upon the skill levels of your participants. Your clinic may consist of any skill level , and students may be juniors and adults. The sample lesson plan is ideal for social-level players , For more advanced players, you may wish to incorporate a drill format.

Run a social round robin Assign each player a number and begin with social roundrobin doubles. Play may be divided into men 's and women's doubles. This is a great public relations opportunity. Have the teaching staff socialize with the participants and offer advice and tennis tips .

A large group lesson plan is included in this pullout. This lesson plan was designed to get the students playing quickly and having fun.

Add a luncheon Your social program can include a reasonably priced luncheon or cookout at the courts . The cookout should follow the clinic or the optional round robin .

Review the clinic Allow 10 to 15 minutes to review the points discussed in the clinic and have a question-and-answer session. Explain the importance of regular practice and offer practice tips, such as how to use backboards and ball machines. This is a good time to distribute information on lessons and pro shop merchandise.

Tennis Across America 1 999 Sample lesson plan E. Use .the step of the service motion progression with which the s'tudents are most comfortable (e.g., the trap, tray, V position or full serve) .

The following lesson plan is based on a series of progressions to help tennis professionals handle clinic participants with varying degrees of tenn is ex perience and ability. However, all players should not be expected to make it through every step of each progression. While this lesson plan concentrates on the forehand groundstroke, many of the same progressions may be used to teach the backhand .

Introduction (2 min.)

II.

Warm-up (5 min.)

Ill.

1. Throw at the target 2. Shadow a serve 3. Serve at the target If players do not hit the target with the serve, have them continue to throw, shadow and then serve . When they hit their target, players should take one step back and repeat the sequence. Note: If the toss is keeping players from having success, have those players return to the toss and trap the ball as in the first serving practice drill.

Ball-handling drills (1 0 min.) A . Bump-ups

B . Bump-downs C . Bump-ups with a bounce

IV.

Forehand basics (8 min.)

A. Demonstrate the grip.

G. Scoring game (5 min.) Again, half the players are on the service line facing the net and half are facing their targets on the fence from 6 feet away. Explain the tennis scoring system, and then have the players play a game. Players should get two serves for each point. If they make their first or second serve, they win the point. If they double-fault , they lose the point. Without alternating from deuce to ad court, have the players keep score for an entire game.

B. Practice self-feeds with the nondominant hand . C . Explain contact point and the length of the backswing and follow-througr . D. Have players drop-hit balls from 5 feet from the net, from the service line and halfway )Jetween the service line and the baseline.

Toss and hit (1 0 min.) Have pairs face each other across the net, each standing inside the ser:vice line. Place targets midway between the net Âˇ and the service line.

VIII. Serve and return (1 0 min.) Place two players on each end of the court. The four players each serve once and return once before the whole group is replaced by four more players. The goal of the returners is to get the ball back, aiming for the middle of the court. Points should not be played out. Those waiting may want to shadow the serve or return .

A. Teach players to feed one another by controlled toss. B . Have one partner toss and the other hit the ball back, using controlled toss and hit and then switch. C . Let the players take two steps back and then try to rally with one another using the same gentle taps again. .

IX.

D . When the players reach the service line, have them start points with a self-drop and rally until they miss. If the players can get five in a row, move them further back. E. Have the players count consecutive hits as partners or hold a contest for most consecutive hits.

VI.

Doubles play (10 min.) Place a doubles team on each baseline . Again , each player should have a chance to serve (each should get two chances at a successful serve) and return . This time, the points should be played out. After four points have been played , bring new doubles team s onto the court.

Play mini-tennis (8 min.) Be sure at this point to promote your follow-up program , such as USA Tennis 1,2,3. This is a critical time for these players. If they do not continue through some type of follow-up program , many will not continue at all.

VII. Serve (25 min.) A . Trap- Students extend their arms reaching their racquets upward , use an underhand toss and trap the ball against the fence as it reaches its peak. Discuss proper grip.

Additional notes:

B. Tray- The forearm and palm of the hand are laid back so that the racquet face is in the position of a tray carried above the head of a waiter.

A . Breaks 1. Offer breaks between the forehand and service portions of the lesson . Have half the class break while the other half plays more mini-tennis, and then switch. 2. Offer another break after the service lesson and before practicing the serve and return. Have half the class serve, return and play out the points while the other half breaks, and then switch.

C . V position -The elbow is high with the racquet hung back from the wrist (almost in back-scratch position) .

Target game (5 min.) Let the players at the net and the fence serve every ball. They must make one of every two serves (in the service box or in the target area) in order to take a step back> ward.

D. Full serve- Racquet drops behind the back, making a loop before coming forward to trap the ball as it reaches its peak. Note: Students may not progress to a full serve in this lesson . Throughout the service lesson, ask them to use the service motion closest to the full serve with which they have success.

*If you would like a more detailed sample lesson plan , contact the World Headquarters at (800) USPTA-4U

Tennis Across America 1 999 Promotional checklist ~

Tennis Across America is an excellent opportunity to promote tennis as a fun means of physical fitness and to generate publicity for you and your facility. Whether your event is for the public or for club members only, the following steps to promote your clinic can help ensure its success:

Organize committees or solicit pros to assist with various aspects, such as public relations, refreshments and invitations to local dignitaries.

Contact local VIPs or dignitaries, such as city council members, the mayor or local celebrities , and invite them to attend your clinic. Make one of them an honorary chairman, which would provide good photo opportunities for advance press releases and .would encourage greater publicity through local media. If you are hosting or assisting with a public clinic, contact local volunteer groups, such as the Boys Club, the Girl Scouts, community tennis association CCTA), high school coaches or'the local chamber of commerce , to help organize the event and to increase the number of participants.

Ask your facility, CTA, coaches or local parks and recreation department to donate racquets and tennis balls for participants who may be unable to provide their own.

~ ;Encourage local, soft-drink bottling companies, snack

distributors and restaurants to gain public exposure by providing free or low-cost refreshments for participants during the event. Hold drawings for donated prizes.

Compile a local media list of daily and weekly news papers, television and radio stations, regional tennis publications and community newspapers, as well as contacts at the USPTA national office. You may also wish to include the chamber of commerce, the local tourism bureau and school newspapers. Be sure to gather information regarding deadlines, too.

Your media list should include the names of contacts for: Newspaper: Sports editor, tennis writer, lifestyle editor, photo editor Television: Sports director, news director, assignments editor

Send a press release to those on your ia list announcing the event. You may type the appropriate information in the blank spaces on the sample press release provided, or you may create your own . If you write your own press release, remember these basic rules: The press release should be typed and doublespaced; provide your name and phone number where people may reach you for more information; number and label each page; and check for proper spelling and that all facts are correct. Send a public service announcement to the television and radio stations on your media list. You may use the sample public service announcement provided, or you may create your own. If you write your own, follow the same basic rules for press releases and b'e sure to include the length (30 seconds or 60 seconds) of the announcement for programming purposes. Remember that public service announcements are much shorter than releases for print media. Encourage your students to invite friends and family to participate in the event. Remember, Tennis Across America is a great opportunity for introducing new players to programs and lesson series. Display the poster and sign-up sheet included in this packet at your facility or other locations where people will see them, such as health clubs or doctors' offices. Appoint three people to take photographs of your event and send copies to the local newspaper, the USPTA national office for possible use in ADDvantage magazine and USPTA's web site, a__nd to other tennis-related publications. Remember to identify those in the photo (from left to right), the location of the event and the host professional. Also, be sure to include your name and phone number and mention that you are a USPTA professional. Create a follow-up press release with information on the attendance, location, pros who participated and any notable happenings. This release should be sent to those on your media list within 24 hours of the event (preferably the day of the event) . Try to write the release before the clinic, so that you may simply fill in the details at the end when time is more pressin g.

Radio: News director, sports director, community program hosts 4

Tennis Across America DATE: _ _ _ _ _ _ __ THE FOLLOWING EVENTS

LOCATION: _ _ _ _ __

ARE PLANNED:

TIME: _ _ _ _ _ _ __

FOR MORE INFORMATION, CONTACT: PHONE:

:A~.·- ________

us·p. . . fa _______ : :

cc:::

NEWS RELEASE UNITED STATES PROFESSIONAL TENNIS ASSOCIATION, INC. World H eadqqarters, 3535 Briarpark Drive, Houston, TX 77042 (713) 97-USPTA (978-7782) • fax (713) 978-7780 toll free: (800) USPTA-4U (877-8248) e-mail: uspta@uspta.org • web: www. uspta.org

PUBLIC SERVICE ANNOUNCEMENT TIME:

:30

C ONTACT: (.nam e)

(phone)

Join the f u n - - - - - - - - - - - for a free Tennis Across America clinic at (date)

---------------:--:-:-~::-:-:------------· The event, sponsored by the United (club/faci lity)

States Professional Tennis Association, will be held from ________ to _ _ _ _ _ _ __ . Be (starting time)

(ending time)

among the thousands of players hitting millions of tennis balls in this 1Oth annual nationwide celebration of the sport for a lifetime. Contact------.,----,------- at -----,---,------,------ for (name)

more details.

USPTA is a nonprofit organization of tennis-teaching professionals.

-30- ·-

(ph one)

NEWS RELEASE UNITED STATES PROFESSIONAL TENNIS ASSOCIATION, INC. World H eadquarters, 3535 Briarpark D rive, Houston, TX 77042 (713) 97-USPTA (978-7782) • fax (713) 978-7780 toll free: (800) U SPTA-4U (877-8248) e-mail: uspta@uspta.org • web: www.uspta.org

CONTACT: (name)

(date)

(phone)

Free tennis lessons offered

~hrough

USPTA's Tennis Across America ™

------------------~~=-=-~------------------

(club/faci li ty)

-----------------~~------------------

will

(city)

be part of the nation's biggest tennis ev~nt in M ay, that will involve hundreds of thousands of players hitting millions of tennis balls, according to --------------...,..--,----------- - -' tennis professional at -------------..,...,....,-=-._,.,..-,---------- - (pro)

(club/facility)

The lO'h annual U SPTA Tennis Across America program is sponsored by the United States Professional Tennis Association . The events will be free to the public and will feature an instructional tennis clinic. Beginners and advanced players, both juniors and adults, as well as those w ho have never played tennis before, are invited to ----------~..,.,-...-r-~-;----------- (cl ub/ fac ili ty)

------------------------------- on ----------,-..,.---..,.------ beginning at - - - :-:---:--- to participate in this (date)

(time)

nationwide tennis event. "Millions of Americans have already discovered that tennis is an enj oyable way of keeping fit," said Tim H eckler, CEO of USPTA. "Through this event, we hope to show millions more that it can be fun for them, too, and that tennis is a sport for life." USPTA is the world's oldest and largest nonprofit organization of tennis-teaching professionals. Tennis Across America is designed to promote tennis as a means of exercise and fun, bringing new players to the gam e and fo rmer players back to the courts. For more information on USPTA's Tennis Across America, call --------------,.------,.--------------- at (name)

--------,.----.--.-----' or contact the USPTA World H eadquarters at (800) USPTA-4U . Information about the nationwide (number)

program , as well as player tips, is also part ofUSPTA's web site at www.uspta.org. -30-

Tennis Across America 1 999

Free lesson sign-up sheet Date Name

Phone

.Â· '

....

Clinic Yes No

USPT'A's lfennis"Across America brings th·e~, sport to nearly 150,000 players each year.

reated expressly to help grow the game,

USPTA's Tennis Across America is for new players looking f or a fun , social w ay to exercise , current players who w ant t o play more and former players who would like to get back int o t he sport. TM

What is Tennis Across America™?

or sign up on the internet at www.uspta .org . Your registered clinic earns your division points toward national USPTA

Sponsored by the United States Profess ional Tenn is Assoc iation - the world 's oldest and la rgest organi zation of

awards .

tenni s-t each in g professionals - Tennis Across America is

USPTA promotes Tennis Across America through national

an exc it ing instructional g rassroot s program cons ist ing of

advert ising and publicity campaigns. Calls to USPTA from

th ree segments : •

the public are referred to local pros and clinics nationwide. This year, USPTA will list local events on the Internet

Free c l inics held during the month of M ay at publ ic

through its web site at www.uspta.org.

an d private f aci lities across the nation

e e

Division awards:

100 multicultural clinics to in trod uce t he sp ort to groups t hat do not normally have the opportu nity to

D ivisions will be rewarded at the World Conference for their

play

various achievements. 1.

Follow-up programs t o provide players w ith an

The division that has a minimum of 20 percent of its members part icipate in the program will receive

oppo rtu nity to pu rsue their new enthusiasm fo r tenn is

recognition. 2.

Who can run clinics?

Plaques will be awa rded to the divisions who recruit the highest number of participants in Tennis Across America. (First , second and third place)

A ny USPTA professional or tennis enthusiast w ho w ant s to 3.

help grow t he ga me can participate.

Plaques will also be awarded at the World Conference t o the divisions with the highest percentage of members participating in this program . (First , second and third

Why register? To register your event, return t he form below to USPTA

place)

,-------- - - - ------ --- - ------------------, Register for USPTA's Tennis Across America! Copy this form , comp lete and mai l to the address be low. Use add itio nal sheets if needed. 1

Yes, I will participate in USPTA's Te nn is Across America as a/ an

D host professiona l USPTA member

D assistant D yes D no

Member nu mber - - - Division _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ __ _ _ _ _ _ Club/ fa cility - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -- Street add ress _ __ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ __ _ _ _ _ __

City

1 1

Na me

State _ _ _ ZIP _ __

Daytime phone ( _ __

I Date of clini c _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ My clin ic/ socia l will be open to D the pub lic D members on ly I Location of event - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -- - - - - , - - -1

- - - - - - Street address _ _ _ _ _ _ _ __ _ __ _ _ _ __ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ __ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ __

I City _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ State _ _ _ ZIP _ _ _ Faci lity phone ( _ _ _ I The fo llowing people will ass ist at my event: Member num ber _ __ _ _ _ USPTA member D yes D no I USPTA Member number - - - - - mem ber D yes D no I I USPTA Wo rld Hea dqua rters, One USPTA Centre, 3535 Briarpark Drive, Houston TX 77042 I Questions? Ca ll (7 13) 9 78- 7782 or (800) US PTA-4 U, fa x {7 13) 978-7780 or se nd e-mail to sports@ us pta .org

_ _ _ -

L---------- - ------ -------------------- - -~

TENNIS MAGAZINE POWER:

A+

STABILITY:

A+

CONTROL:

WITH HYPER CARBON RECEIVING THE FIRST

A+ RATINGS IN BOTH POWER AND STABILITY, DARE WE SAY A STAR IS BORN.

Seven rules from page 14 what they had 'done in the way of planning for the future. The results were surpnsmg: • One in four hadn't taken the time to purchase individual life insurance • Four in 10 didn' t own any kind of disability income insurance • Four in fiv e didn' t have a buy-sell agreement in place • Only one in seven had key person insurance • And incredibly, one in three respondents said they didn't even have a simple will, one of the most basic and inexpensive of all planning tools. Most of us are not ignorant of the importance of planning for the future. It's just that we' re pulled in so many di-

rections every day that we put off dealing with our financial p lanning issues until we can give them the time they deserve and require. But whether we realize it or not, that time seldom comes on its own. We have to make it. And the reality is, if we fail to address t hese issues the results can mean serious and costly prgblems down the road. So what's one answer? It's making the time- not spare time, but real time- to plan. It's making the time to put our insurance, estate and retirement plans in order. It's making the time to keep them current so that they continue to address our specific needs and objectives. Because a little time spent planning now, for most of us , will save a lot of time- and money - down the road. For more information, call National Life's toll-free number reserved exclusively for USPTA members - 88-USPTANLV. ~

Tennis Across America from page 5 to expand this program into a true glo bal tennis celebration. And here in the United 8tates, we will continue to increase efforts to bring children and their fami lies into the sport through special events for kids. We hope to accomplish two goals with this year 's Tennis Across America: get more children and parents o ut to the free clinics for the event, and encourage professionals to set up Little Tennis® programs as a follow-up for those children and parents who want to continue playing the sport. By using Little Tennis activities, professionals will also be able to promote their summer programs for children.

. . . thanks to our members and the support of our industry) we are celebrating its zoth year! Over the years , Tennis Across America has grown into one of the most strongly supported programs by tennisteaching professionals, and we' re_looking for a large turnout of pro participation this year. USPTA members- this is your event. Your support of Tennis Across America helps us promote and publicize the many other valuable things you do for our sport. Your efforts have helped us to reach hundreds of thousands of people over the life of this program, and with a continued commitment from you and your fellow teaching professionals around the globe, we can make a difference. ~

18 ADDvontoge/Morch 1999

USPTA pros share tennis tips Cue words

Play doubles in the Bermuda Triangle Many doubles teams are defeated by their opponents hitting down the middle of them. The mistake they make is not moving with the ball. If more teams wou ld form a triangle with the ball being the t9p of the triangle, they would cover the court so that their opponents could not pass them. So play doubles in the Bermuda Triangle. Michael D. Shires, USPTA Dallas Âˇ

Run to the net! There are two situations in whic h you must run to the net. The first is when yo u break a string in the middle of a point. This results in a loss of tension in yo ur strings and thus control of the ball. You must end the point quickly. Since a volley is a much simpler and more compact stroke than a gro undstroke , rushing the net at least gives you an opportunity to steal the point. The second situation is when the ball hits the net cord and drops over onto your opponent's side. Your opponent may look up at yo u rather-chan -focusing on the ball and either mishit, overhit or hit into the net. In addition, you will cut off possible angles and force him to try a low percentage shot that he is not capable of making. T.J. Cardwell, USPTA Islamorada, Fla.

((Tennis for life)) means playing tenr:is your whole life) that tennis gives you longer life) and you enjoy your life more.

Using cue words while playing tennis can have great results by en hancing your concentration. A cue word is one that you say softly to yourself so that you will achieve a desired task. Saying "win" to yourself will backfire because it focuses on outcome instead of performance. Of all the cue words, I think the best ones are "bounce-hit." Players that use "bounce-hit" say "bounce" when the ball bounces on their side of the net and "hit" as they make contact with the ball. When I am serving a second serve in a tight situation, I will say "accelerate" as my racquet approaches the ball. My goa l is to hit the ball correctly instead of just pushing it in to avoid mtssmg. Be sure to use words that get yo u to perform a particular task rather than outcome. Dave Romberg, USPTA Cherry Hills Village, Colo.

My top 1 0 tennis tips I. For more control, hit the ball

3. 4. 5. 6.

20 ADDvontoge/Morch 1999

back in the same direction. Three times as many errors are made when changing direction in your shot. Split step so that your feet touch the court when your opponent is striking the ball. Lob high with the wind and low into the wind. Spin your serve for more control. Analyze your oppon ents' game during the warm-up. Drink water before, during and after you play.

7. When feeling nervous, take a deep breath and visualize the shot you want to make. 8. Use more body rotation for more power. 9. For improving strokes and conditioning, use the ball machine for 20 minutes three times a week. IO. To enjoy your game and play your best, focus on your performance rather than winnmg.

Dave Romberg

.. Who is Jeff Glover?" When I was coaching at Paradise Valley Country Club in 1975, Jeff Glover was running the tennis pro shop. At that time he was 76 years old and ranked No. I nationally in the men's 75 doubles. When I asked him if he would do as well the following year, he responded, "I doubt it, because there are a lot of young ones coming up." Jeff is now 94 and still playing tennis. After a couple of trips to the emergency room from falling on the courr and bumping his head, Jeff now plays wearing a bicycle helmet. "Tennis for life" means playing tennis your whole life, that tennis gives you longer life, and yo u enjoy your life more. With the physical health that exercise gives you and the mental health froJTl relieving stress, maybe you'll be playing with a helmet in your 90s. Grab your racquet, come to the courts, and maybe yo u'll be the next Jeff Glover.

Dave Romberg

Help wanted? ~

Help found. Say you're a club owner looking to hire the ideal tennis director, tennis manager, head or assistant professional. Or, you're a pro looking to land your dream job in the tennisteaching profession. Where do you start? Try the US.PTA Job Listings. In the sport of tennis, it's the only place where leading tennis c:tubs connect with leading USPTA teaching professionals. If yoU:.re a USPTA pro looking for a job, give us a call to sign up for a six-month subscription. Or if you have a club job to fill, just call us to list the opening. It's that simple- so simple it actually works. Just call (800) USPTA-4U to connect with the best people - and jobs - in the game. /

UNITED

STATES

"We've used the USPTA Job Listings for many years to attract some of our best teaching professionals and streamline our hiring process. It's a ve.zy valuable resource!" -Peter Burwash, USPTA Master Professional, President, Peter Burwash International

The USPTA Job Listin_gs. Delivering the best people to the best jobs in tennis

PROFESSIONAL

TENNIS

ASSOCIATION

A•uds

for

~ --

r---=-i-

David

Kathy

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State

City

ZIP

Phone (area code) Daytime phone (area code)

Member No.

Shipping and handling charges 1. Contiguous 48 U.S. states . 2. Alaska, Hawa ii, Puerto Rico a nd Canada . 3. International orders (via express mai l only)

add $6.95 contact office contact office

US PTA Little Tennis®merchandise

Nonmember M ember cost cost

Item

Total Qty.

Total Amo unt

Men's po lo shirt $40

(white, e mbroidered

$30

SEND ORDER TO: USPTA Gift Shoppe, One USPTA Centre 35 35 Briarpark Drive, Houston, TX 77042 TEL (713) 9 7-USPTA • FAX (713) 9 78-5096 (800) USPTA-4U

w/logo)

PAYMENT METHOD:

Women 's sleeveless polo (white, em broidered

$38

$28

$ 15

$ 11

$6.75

$ 12

V ISA

M ASTERCARD

CH ECK

International o rders must pay by Visa o r MasterCard

w~ogo)

Cap

(white, e mbro idered

Name as it appears on credit card

w~ogo)

Chi ld's 50150 T Sh irt Chil d's tank dress (white)

Credit card No.

Exp. date

Cred it card b ill ing address: Signature

Subtotal SH IPPING A DDRESS (No P.O. boxes, please):

Business

Residence

H o usto n (MTA) res idents add 8.25% tax

ot her Texas res idents add 7.25% tax

Shipping and handling: see be low

N ame Address

City

Children's sizing: T-shirts

Dresses

(5) (M)

6/8 10/ 12

(X5) (5)

2T 4T

(L) (XL)

14/ 16 ad ult 5

(M)

5/6

Z IP

State

Phone (area code) D ayt ime ph o ne (area code)

Member No.

Shipping and handling charges 1. Contiguous 48 U.S. states 2. Alaska, Hawaii, Puerto Rico and Ca nada 3. International orders (via express mail only) .

. add $6.95 contact office contact office

Out wear your opponent. Athco, Inc. is an authorized licensee of Wilson Sporting Goods.

1-800-990-0000.

Wand Wilson are regiSlered uademarQ ol Wilson Sponmg Goods Co. C 1993 Wdson Sport1ng Goods Co.

Compiling a player â&#x20AC;˘ database 15 worth t he effort by Ni c k Getz , USPTA

ne of the most important things a tennis professional can do is to create a data base that includes every single tennis player at his facility. There are several important reasons for us all to be interested in such a major undertaking. Not only is this a convenient source from which calls for tournaments, leagues and other events can be made, bui: it also provides a detailed record of players' habits , which can include any injuries , preference for certain tourna ments and leagues , or even traveling itinerarIes . Creating this database rather than just keeping lists in a file , enables yo u to easily maintain or change the player profiles as needed. This information will be useful to a tennis pro if an explanation is needed for his general manager, tennis board and club owner in the event that certain aspec ts of the tennis operation may not be thriving, particularly the tournaments. There are- several steps that need to be taken in order to compile the most complete pla ye r database. The first step is to gather all the names of every tennis-

playing member. This is a group effort, with the entire tennis staff participating. In addition, key members of the men's, women's , or senior and junior groups should be called upon to help recollect players. It is important to include every single tennis player at your facility. The second step is to have an appropriate rating assigned to every pl aye r, for example, NTRP for adults, "seniors " for old-

er players, and " open , satellite, novice and mighty mites " for the juniors. In addition to ratings , have each player 's home and work telephone numbers included , as well as membership billing numbers if applicable ( to aid in billing). After the names are put into a computer program, you are ready to use them. If yo ur events are all too often being cancelled or poorly attended , it might be because the program newsletter, mailers or bulletin board posters and fliers are not doing the job. The only way to know if an event will work is to personally call every player. This is the most effective way of communicating with players. Once the initial work of compiling the names and entering them into the system is done, the

Continued next page

Nick Get~ USPTA, is the di!Âˇector of tennis at Hillcrest Country Club in Los Angeles. He currently is serving on the USPTA California Division board of directors as the first vice president. He is also on the regional advisory staff of Yon ex.

ADDvontoge/Morch 1999

BRINGING TENNIS COURT TECHNOLOGY TO THE WORLD

p R ES EN T S

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Organizations ITA: \vww.temusonline.c'om/ita ITF: www.itftennis.com International Tennis Hall ofFame: www.tennisfame.org TIA: www.sportlink.com/individualsports/market/tenni~/index. h tml USPTA: www.uspta.org USPTR: www.usptr.org USIA: www.usta.com Van der Meer: www.vandermeertennis.com Tennis Product Manufacturers Gamma: www.gammasports.com/index.html Head USA: WW\v.headusa.com Nike: www.nike.com Penn: vvww.pennracquet.com Prince: www.princetemus.com Wtlson: www.wilsonsports.com/wilson/Tennis/tennismain.html Tennis Shopping Holabird Sports: www.holabirdsports.com Tennis Direct: www.tennisdirect.com Hotel The Roger Smith Hotel: www.rogersmith.com Tournament Sites Australian Open : wvvw.ausopen.org French Open: W\VW.frenchopen.org U.S.Open: www.usopen.org Wimbledon: www.wimbledon.org USA Network: W\VW.usanetwork.com (Frehch & US. Opens) Fan Pages Hingis: www.stack.nlj-geertt/martina.html Sampras: W\vw.sportsline.com/u/sampras

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From previous page task of calling each player should be delegated among yo ur ten.pis staff. This may seem like a tedious task, but if the calls are divided up evenly yo u will be surprised at how short an amount of time this will take. Some important tips: â&#x20AC;˘ Be sure to specifically ask for a return call, whether or not they intend to play. If they cannot play, always try to get a reason for their absence (e.g., injured, out of town, doesn' t like tournaments, etc.) â&#x20AC;˘ Have several copies made of each computer-generated list. The name of each event should be recorded on top of the particular list that calls will be made from. In the end, each event should have a list of all the players who were called, and the reason each had 1 for missing the event. Over a period of time, the recorded responses from phone calls will indicate trends or patterns with certain players. These results can be used to update the player profiles easi ly with the use of a computer. This "tracking" system enables us to tailor our programs to better suit playe rs ' needs. By undertaking this task, you will see dramatic improvements to your programs, while at the same time, impressing your players and superiors with yo ur professionalism and effort. If there is a poor showing for an event, yo ur database will provide a means to research the reason. Remember, the only thing a tennis professional can control is his own effort. The information in your database can be a valuable asset in assessing the state of yo ur tennis program. If an event is unsuccessful , there will always be a number of reasons , such as a state tournament format or poor scheduling. However, yo ur effort will never be the reason! ~

Career Division meetings/activities

Exams, upgrades &Certification Training Courses

(I / 2 credit and up)

(4 points for CTC segment)

March 12

March 5-7

Las Cruces, N .M.

April 24-25

Midlothian, Ya.

March 5-7

Des Moines, Iowa

April25-26

Atlanta, Ga.

March 7-8

Will iamsburg, Ya.

April 25-26

Tyler, Texas

Midwest D ivision Grand Rapids, Mich.

March 26-27 Midwest Division Big Rapids, Mi ch. April II

M idwest D ivision Winnetka, Ill.

Coaches workshop (2 credits) March I 3

Eastern D ivision DeWitt, N.Y.

Burbank, Calif

May 1-2

Nashville, Tenn.

March 13-14

Los Gatos, Cali£

May 2-3

Frederick, Md.

March 13-14

Louisville, Ky.

May 5-6

Freeport, N.Y.

March 20-21

Bonita Springs, Fla.

May7-8

Bradenton, Fla.

March 21-22

Arlanta, Ga.

May 7-9

St. Louis, Mo.

May 8-9

Mandeville, La.

Streetsboro, O hio

May 8-9

Panama City, Fla.

San Diego Division San Diego, Calif

March 27-28

Charleston, S.C.

March 27

May 9- IO

Evergreen, Colo.

March 27-28

Augusta, Ga.

May 15-16

Fremont, Calif

March 5-7

Mid-Atlant ic D ivision Williamsburg, Va.

April 25 -26

Northern California Divison Reno, Nev.

April29 -May 2

New England D ivision Brewster, Mass.

May 18-23

Florida Division Orlando, Fla.

D . Ko<.}owski

March 13-14

March 22-23

Building and repairing fundamentals , March 5, Williamsburg, Ya. (4 hours),

Brewster, Mass.

March 27-28

c2 credits per four-hour course; 4 credits per eight-hour course)

1 ,.~

Houston, Texas

April29-30

Eastern D ivision DeWitt, N.Y.

Specialty Courses

111

April26-27

Manchester, N.H.

March 21

(5 credits)

Ill

Flushing, N .Y.

March 13-14

Houston, Texas

Division conventions

March 10-II

Th e deadl ine ro register and/ or cancel a ccfurse is 15 workin g days befo re th e event. Anyone canceling late or failing to cancel will forfeit one-half th e course fee. This schedu le is subject to change. CaU th e US PTA M embership Departm ent for addition al information o r wr ite via e-m ai l to membership@ uspta.org.

April 2-3

Bloomington, Minn.

May 15- 16

Conway, Ark.

April 3-4

Haines City. Fla.

May22

April 7-8

Merrick, N.Y.

O rlando, Fla. (upgradts only)

April 10-II

Birmingham, Ala.

May22-23

Burbank, Cali£

April 17-18

Industry Hills, Cali£

May24-25

Houston, Texas

Apri l 23 -24

Reno, Nev.

May 26-27

West Orange, N.J.

April 24-25

Bonita Springs, Fla.

May 29-30

Hilton Head Island, S.C.

April24-25

Aurora, Ill.

Exam reservations must be made at least 21 days prior to the dates listed. Each date includes an exam, upgrade and CTC unless noted. Exam cancellations must be received no later than 14 days before the exam, or a cancellation fee will be charged accordingly. Affdiate members: late cancellation fee - $75; failure to cancel- application fee is forfeited. Certified members: late cancellation fee- $25; failure to cancel- $25 plus the. upgrade fee is forfeited. Registration for another exam will not be accepted until cancellation fees are paid.

USRSA certification testing ( 3 credirs) March 7

Brooklyn, N.Y.

April25

Hilton Head Island, S.C.

March 7

Wesrboro, Mass.

April25

Clearwater, Fla.

March 2 1

Oahu , H awaii

May 2

Chicago, Ill.

March 22

Forr Walton Beach, Fla.

May 14

Lansing, Mich.

April 8

Boulder, Colo.

May 15

Palm Coasr, Fla.

April I I

Boca Raton, Fla.

May 15

Seatde, Was h.

April I I _

Raleigh, N.C.

May 17

Adanta, Ga.

April 18

Arlington , Ya .

For more information about a test, call Phy llis Zarro

April 25

Arlington , Texas

USRSA at (619) 481-3545. ADDvontoge/Morch 1999

Tips to bree:ze your vvc.y through c.

con,erence professional conference or seminar can be well worth the time away from your tennis facility if you maximize your time and take the right approach. Here are a few tips to make sure you get the most out of the event:

Bring plenty ot' business cards- When someone gives you a card, write down what you discussed with that person or something distinctive about him or her - that makes it easier to remember your discussion when you want to get back in touch with them.

Vse brealc ti,.e to netvvorlc and socialize_ Socialize and make p lans with as many different people as possible. Talk to your peers during seminar breaks. Look for new business associates and clients. Learn new drills and business tips. You just might even make new friends.

Collect handouts- These provide handy review materials and summarize the seminar for coworkers and employees back home.

Prepare yourselt' ahead ot' ti,.e- Take some time to jot down several pertinent topics or questions that you have before heading to the event. Think about what you want to learn at t he conference and from whom you can find t hat information. Be specific.

Vse your notes- Review seminar notes on the trip back home. You could even summarize them for a newsletter article. And, you could show them to your coworkers, employees and even your boss.

Dress to i,.press_ Take the time to look sharp. A conference might be the only time you make an impression on someone during the entire year. Down the road, it might pay to look your best today.

'Follovv up vvith speakers- A thank-you note or fo llow- up letter goes a long way. You could even write to request more information on their specialty or delve deeper into a particular point from a seminar.

P'leet the cont'erence organizers- Association staffers like to put members' faces with names. Plus, it always helps to know who does what at various tennis associations -for one, it makes it easier when you call the office with a question or a comment.

28 ADDvontoge/Morch 1999

Th a 0

future t en n

-s

starts here

1999 USPTA World Do r a I

Conference on Tennis

Golf Resort September

Where is tennis headed in the new millennium? Who will emerge as tomorrow's top players and teachers? What will it take to excel in our industry? More than 1,500 top teaching professionals, VIPs and an unparalleled lineup of tennis experts will share answers to these questions, and more. They'll compete for prize money in the USPTA International Championships,

& Spa, 1 8 - 2 5

Miami

browse the USPTA International Tennis Buying Show, learn the latest at more than 60 seminars and network with the best and brightest in the game. Make plans now to join your peers at the world 's premier tennis-teaching conference. Stay ahead of the curve. Know the trends. Make a difference in your sport. The future of tennis starts here ...

US PTA Rick Grisham, USPTA , of Broken Arrow, Okla. , is now the executive director of the Georgia Tennis Association.

Allam

US PTA member Paul Allam has accepted the position of direcror of tennis at

Charswood Tennis C lub in North Sydney, Australia. The club is owned by USPTA pro Peter Gibson.

Mitch Adler, USPTA, is the new direcror of tennis at the Princess Anne Country Club in Virginia Beach, Va. , where he joins fellow USPTA members Andrew

i)lll

PfiRK PRESENTS

Bob McNichols, USPTA, tennis directo1• at University Park Country Club in Sarasota, Fla ., presents a check to Carolyn Robinson, the coordinato1· of Take Stock in Children of Sarasota County. Proceeds of $l,jOO were raised during the 1998 Tropicana Tennis Challenge.

30 ADDvontoge/Morch 1999

Hinkle and Todd McClamrock. Adler was previously the director of tennis for the Goldsboro Country Club in Goldsboro, N.C. , and recipient of the I 998 Alan Henry award for USPTA Southern Division Teaching Professional of the Year. Roy Barth, USPTA, of Charlesron, S.C. , was inducted inro the Southern Tennis Hall of Fame recently, which honors individuals who have brought substantial recognition and esteem ro themselves and the USTA/ Southern Section. Barth is the director of tennis at Kiawah Island Resort on Kiawah Island, S.C. Hugh Thomson, USPTA , was also inducted into the Southern Tennis Hall of Fame. Originally from Australia, Thomson is currently the senior professional at Ansley Golf Club in Atlanta. USPTA member Greg Hiers is now director of tennis for the new Oakdale Tennis Club in Minnesota. Hiers , a gradu ate of the Professional Tennis Management program at Ferris State University, is also the tennis director at the historic St. Paul Tennis Club during the summer season.

Rick Billings, USPTA, is now president of the Utah chapte r of USPTA's Intermountain Division. The University of Illinois ' men's tennis coach Craig Tiley, USPTA, has been selected as the Davis Cup captain for his native South Africa, becoming one of rhe few college coaches to receive this prestigious honor. Tiley, the I998 Big IO Coac h of the Year, has led his team to back-to-back Big 10 rides and national prominence.

Tiley

Member product showcase Curly Davis, USPTA, has a new video: "Play Smarter Not Harder." Davis, a regular contributor to Tennis magazine and adult tennis director for Saddlebrook Resort, says the video teaches you to let the other person do all the work by explaining how you can play smarter. Copies are $29.95 plus $ 3 postage and handling. To order, send check to Pro Shop Publications, I6057 Tampa Palms Blvd., Suite 3 I4, Tampa, Fla. 33 64 7, or call (8oo) 442-I722 (PIN #9792).

A web site, www.teammaster mind.com , enables USPTA members to receive discounts on training secrets, mental enhancement products and performance enhancing supplements. For more information, call toll free (877) 44-MASTER. "Coach Tennis America" AudioMagazine subscribers are now eligible to receive up to 5 USPTA Career Development points per year. Subscribers receive IO 60minute audiocassettes each year that feature ·highlights from hundreds of coaches workshops around the world, as well as reviews of all the latest coaching books , videos and training aids. This series is published by USPTA Master Professional Joe Dinoffer and is currently in its third yea r of publication. Call (800) 752-7673 for a free sample cassette or visit www.oncourtoffcourt.com and listen to a sample over the Internet.

Manufacturers Two members of the Babolat team finished No. I in I 998 - Pete Sampras and Lindsay Davenport. Both players favor the Babolat racquet string. More than half of the top 40 professional tennis players use Babolat

racquet strings, according to Penn Racquet Sports , distriburor of Babolat string. Two district sales managers at Head USA were recognized for their trem endous contributions to the company in I 998 - Dick Booker and Bob Patterson. Over theÂˇ last year, Head's market share has increased by more than 200 percent in the United States, moving the company into the No. 2 spot in tennis worldwide. GenCorp. announced plans to divest its Penn Racquet Sports division. In a press release, GenCorp . stated that it believed Penn would have a greater opportunity to capitali ze on its brand name equity as a n ew company, perhaps with a consumer products or sporting goods parent. Penn President Gregg Weida stated that this in no way diminishes Penn's commitment ro the tennis industry.

Miscellany Peter Burwash International will now assume operation of the International Tennis Center in Stone Mountain Park in Atlanta. In addition to its Olympic history, this world-class tennis facility hosted the USA vs. Russia Davis Cup tie as

well as the U.S . Women's Hard court Championships. The Super Show, America 's largest trade event, is moving ro a new city and a new time slot. Beginning in 2001 , The Super

Show will begin a threeyear stay in Las Vegas, with a plan to shift sites from the eastern U .S. ro the west every three or four yea rs. The show will also move from February ro a January time slot.

(LASSIFIEDS BUSINESS OPPORTUNITIES TENNIS PROFESSIONALS/ENTREPRENEURS: Is yo ur NETWORKING as good as yo ur NET GAME? After 20 years, I found rhe perfect match and strategy for creating wealth and financial freedom. (800) 607-6006, ext. 3321.

DRILLS New, exciting clinic formats and group drill s, plus drills for private lessons. Fre.e samples! Our products make yo ur job easier ' Call Club & Reso rt Marketing, (800) 5 69-4661.

EMPLOYMENT 30-year-old Fox Cities Racquet Club Inc. in Appl ~ ton, Wis., see ks full-rime experienced tennis professional with proven playing or coaching history to reach all age and abili ry levels. Attractive sala ry, percentage of lessons and fringe s. Fax res um e to (920) 7 3 9-2096 , attn: Kathy Casperson. BERKHEIMER'S TENNIS SERVICES, a pro-placemenr service in Vero Beac h, Fla. , is actively matching US PTA managers, tennis directors , hea d pros and assistanrs to clubs, resorts and academies nationwide. Call Gerry Berkheim er for details at (561 ) 388-5491. Summer tennis director and staff needed for top privare camp in the Northeast. High salary, full travel, room and board in-

eluded. Great facilities and staff Call (800) 494-623 8 or e-mail winadu@campwinadu. com. Want to be a college coach? Bob Larson 's College Tennis Employment

news letter lists what jobs are open. Sample $5. P.O. Box 24379 , Edina, MN 55424.

www.tennisjobs.com The Tennis Job Line is a tennis professional's empl oyment service. It advertises tennis openings at coun try clubs, t ennis clubs , resorts , public fac ilities, co lleges and summer camps.

EQUIPMENT FOR SALE 2-court opaque bubble . 1992 Thermoflex model. All inflation package , lights, ere. Contact Mike Carroll at (816) 942- 3292 or e-mail , mea rroll@ sprin tmai l.com.

FREE TENNIS NEWS New revolutionary web site provides conrinuous updatin g of tennis new s and results. www. tennisnews.com.

OPPORTUNITIES Christian Tennis - Tennis Ambassadors -Interactive network around the world . Monthly chats, news, bulletin boards, contacts . Contact: info @ rennismini str y.co m or www. rennisminisrry.com. Address: P.O. Box 884, Fanling, NT, Hong Kong.

New Mexico Military Institute is a ten nis academy rhar doesn't stress tennis. Junior college (Div. I) and high school t ea m s are ava ilabl e. Sunn y Roswell , N .M ., 12 great courts. Scholarships availa ble at rhe JC level. At NMMI, players are first students, then cadets and finall y fine yo ung tennis players. Cont act Coach Ge n e H ardm an (NMMI JC '62; USNA '66) at (505) 624-8 259 or hard man @yogi.nmmi.cc.nm.us.

VACATION OPPORTUNITIES WANTED! Tennis professionals and tennis coaches. The Professional Coaches Association offers numerous opportunities for tennis pros and coaches to participate in PCA Working Vacation Programs at exclusive resorts throughout rhe Caribbean. Join this long-runnin g and successful program that so many profess ionals have enjo ye d . For information, contact Mark Burns at (617) 552-3171. Rates: $30 for 20 words, minimum per issue . 50 cents per word thereafter. Pay by check, money order, Visa or MasterCard . Prepayment is required. Supply typed copy and include full nome, telephone number, credit cord number and expiration dote. (No agency or cosh discounts .) Issue closes 15th of month, two months preceding cover dote. Fox to (713) 9787780, attn: ADDvantage clossified s. No clossifieds will be accepted by telephone. No exceptions ore mode. US PTA cannot verily nor be responsible

for the contents of any adveriisement. It reserves the right to reiect any advertisement at its discretion.

ADDvontoge/Morch 1999

SAVE 20e PER DOlEN ON(ForPRO PENN USPTA Members Only.)

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6-114 Dz

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Freight prepaid o n 96 dozen tennis balls (384 cans) shipped at one t ime to one location. Terms: 3% 30 days, 2% 60 days, net 90 days. Pricing subject to change without notice. All orders shipped and invoiced during the months of March, June, September and December.

FOR EVERY DOlEN PRO PENN TENNIS BALLS PURCHASED: • 20¢ discount directly to the USPTA Pro • 10¢ cash rebate to Pro's D ivision • 10¢ cash rebate to USPTA Headquarters T hese funds are used to help support programs for your association. For more information or to place an order, call you r Penn sales representative or:

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WE'LL GIVE YOU AFREE CASE OF PRO PENN STARS IF YOU SEND US YOUR lWO CENTS. No, we don't want your money. We want your advice. We've created lots of great training exercises using new Pro Penn Stars pressureless training balls. Now it's your turn. Mail or fax your teaching tips and exercises to Penn. If yours is selected we'll send you a free case of Pro Penn Stars and print your ideas in future ads.

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Here's an idea to get you started: • Place students back-to-back in middle of court on service line, then have them step t hree paces and face each other. Once they can ral ly five or more times·in a row, let them take one step back Repeat the process until both are standing in the doubles al leys. Progress from forehands to backhands. Send ideas to: Pro Penn Stars Contest, Penn Racquet Sports 306 South 45th Avenue, Phoenix, AZ 85043 Fax: 1-888-FAX-PENN

United States Professional Tennis Association, Inc.

usptao

World Headquarters One USPTA Centre 3 53 5 Briarpark Drive Houston , TX 77042-5235

BU LK RATE U.S. POSTAGE PAID Permit No. 2491 Birmingham, AL