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contents

ADDV antage nis-teaching professionals ""^

the total professional - enhancing your career 16 Professional Web sites. No assembly required.

Really.

departments 3 President's message 28 USPTA drill 29 Career development 30 Industry action

features

32 Classifieds

14 Going tO the top - by Jill Kite, USPTA staff Writer -Roger Mitten helps economically disadvantaged children reach their potential through tennis.

5 CEO's message Tennis Opportunity Program 24

Where do I go from here? - by Howard Chodak, USPTA Education is the key to getting and keeping the job you want.

Association renews Wilson apparel and footwear endorsement for three more years.

news 2 USPTA welcomes new members 6 High tech and fashionable: a designer's take on tennis wear 7 Wilson/USPTA equipment program 12 The Super Show®/2001

On the cover, the famous Vegas Strip will be home to The Super Show 2001. Exhibits will be features at the Sands Expo Center and the Venetian Convention Complex in Las Vegas.

Cover photo credit — Las Vegas News Bureau.

www.ADDvantageUSPTA.com ADDvantage magazine editorial offices USPTA World Headquarters 3535 Briarpark Drive, Suite One Houston, TX 77042 Phone-(713) 978-7782 (800) USPTA-4U F a x - ( 7 1 3) 978-7780 e-mail - magazine@uspta.org

Editor Shawna Riley Managing editor Julie Myers Assistant managing editor Kimberly Forrester Circulation Kathy Buchanan Advertising Diane Richbourg Office hours: 8:30 a.m. - 5 p.m. Central time ADDvanfage is published monthly by the United States Professional Tennis Association.

2001 volume 25 • issue 1 The opinions expressed in ADDvanfage are those of the authors and not necessarily those of ADDvantage or the USPTA. Copyright© United States Professional Tennis Association, Inc. 2001. All rights reserved.

Reproduction of any portion of the magazine is not permitted without written permission from USPTA. ADDvantage/January 2001

1

USPTA welcomes new members Congratulations to the following new USPTA members who fulfilled requirements for membership between June 1 and Oct. 31, 2000.

Educational Subscribers Caccam, Stephen F. Dean, Cathy Grady, Joan Corporate Members

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California Affue, Arthur Bahrami, Afshin Beckman, Darren Carter, Stan Caruso, Joey Diaz, Felipe Elwood, Christopher Espinoza, Alissa Johnson, Kyra Kerr, Andre Lansdorp, Robert Lester, John Mitton, Mirya Onaga, Kirby Smith, Christopher Sotura Wells, Anna Swendler, Alicia Wesely, John Eastern Brunstein, Steven Buschi, Patricia Buschi, Tina Chuy, Alaric Dalessandro, Ronald Gellene, Joe Gerardi, Jon Gisler, Peter Holmes III, Joseph Mutter, Karl Poncelet, Michael Rakic-Fish, Tobi Strauss, Wendy Thormahlen, Matthew Vandepieterman, Anthonius Florida Anderson, Patricia Balao, Traci Bende, Herbert Chall, Erick Crosswhite, Perry D'Andrea, Marty Del Fierro, Michael Gadoua, Greg Gallant, Elaine Heacock, James House, Lance Ingersoll, Keith Larsson, Martin

Mason, Le Irone Panoutsos, Bret Pila, Alina M. Scruggs, Deb Twente, Bryan Yiu, Leng Kar Intermountain Bain, Trevor Beach, Douglas Brown, Bradley Davenport, Kevin Escobedo, Ruthann Hsieh, Li-Wen Ishoy, John Knight, Andy Newell, Jason Tindle, Ashley Mid-Atlantic Byerly, Terry Jahi, Jumanne Lissner, Mike Mendenhall, Tom Najdi, Karim Noble, Joshua Wallace, Mic Zinn, Lloyd

Middle States Garrell, Marshall Greenstein, Karen Klingenberg, Larry Zink, George Zink, Lauren Midwest Arnold, Eric Ascencio Jr., Ruben Badea, Cristina Barnes, William Bartolomeo, Todd Chopra, Chris Coleman, Katrina Craft-Denton, Alanna Currea, Richard De Paula, Estela Davis, Erin Downey, Robert Eckles, Jason Figenshau, Kathryn Germic, Catherine Gutin, Mikhail Hadziabdic, Rusmir Hoff, Nicole Janow, Lou Johnson, Mark Krowczyk, Scott Kruzman, Sherry Mascarin, Drew Orme, Jeremy Paddi, Emmanuel Panosian, Jack Patterson, Joan Peiser, Craig

Pennington, Christopher Pepino, Raul Redshaw, Heather Richards, Joseph Samonte, Gerardo Tinjaca, Jerold Townsend, Laura Tressler, Jim Wong, Fu-Chung Missouri Valley Hightower, Victoria Moses, Michael Rand, Eric Valladares, Mark White, Luke Wyatt, Daryl New England Bearce, Chan Boden, Jim Brown, Heather Carr, Devin Chase, Neil Costello, Megan Crowley, Debbie Tice Cutter, Joan B. Gilman, Courtney Hawkes, Claudia Horgan, Christopher Hullett, David Kelly, Derek Lea, Colin Lozano Jr., August Miller, John Moore, Tom Neider, Alan Parker, Barry Schachter, Robb Shee, Bill Ventimiglia, Kenneth J. Young, Hong Northern California Arballo, Peter Brewer, Christopher Gelatti, Kenneth Kuo, Jasper Loleng, Michael M. Mason, Emily Rosenberger, James Smallman, Chris Totten Mack, Nikki Northwest Champlin, Paul Fazekas, Peter Idi, Abdul Klonecki, Nathan Matuska, Douglas Stingley, Tony Vaught, Rod Pacific Northwest Apaydin, Enver

Bassett, Keisha Berlin, Kirby Bodnar, Jennifer Brown, Deborah Chronister, Mark Gripe, James DeVorss, John Delaney, Glenn Easterbrooks, Skip Eliason, Michael Halberg, Kyle Johnson, Kyrina Lall, Niren Moore, Ryan Oman, David Samuel, Christine Schoettler, Sue Stoynov, Hristo Tille, Charles Wright, Steve San Diego Craig, John Feldman, Michael Lyle, Mike Owens, Yolanda Southern Armstrong, Alex Baird, David Banahan, Andy Beard, Christopher Black, Todd Blassingame, Jennifer Bryans, Jennifer Bryde, Bruce W. Burleigh, David Case, Rick Clark, Tripp Coleman, Claudia Cox, Brian Esqueda, Jorge Forrester, Keith Fortel, Robert Gazeley, David Hain, Christel Harrison, Raymond Lawrence, Ryan Leventhal, Rob A. McDowell, Aaron Mallory, John Muller, Scott Sinkins, John Vaughn Jr., Jimmie Verstraete, Lisa White, Natasha Wolos, Jennifer Lynne Southwest Foster, Vicki Hendricks, David Janes, Zachary Martin, Laurie Montoya, Edward Schoenly, Douglas

Texas Brownfield, Brian Cole, James (Jim) Foster, Shawn Green, Timothy Howell, Shawn Lester, Andrew J. Moran, Ruben Nguyen, Vinh Ochoa Sanchez, Delfin Omana, Rafael Pham, Phy Prescott, William Reese, Curtis Reyna, Daniel Savedra, Daniel Dominic Senko, Dave Wrzeszcz, Aleksander U.S. Territories & Canada Dmytruk, Paul International Arias, Tomas Barrell, Mike Bolek, Jan Cech, Michal Chui, Wai Kei Gomez, Ruben Alberto Halter, Veronique Has, Pavel Jelen, Ladislav Novak, Jaroslav Pogorelova, Elena Pospisil Jr., Jan Rattenbury, Adrian Rawstorne, Francis Rodriguez, Luz Ma Skaramuca, Bozidar Smith, Ian JPTA Abe, Haruyuki Gorai, Shigeaki Hasegawa, Takuya Hasegawa, Tsutomu Ishikawa, Miki Ishiwari, Keiichirou Kankawa, Yukiko Kawabata, Takami Kitamura, Kouji Kobayashi, Yugo Matsuoka, Toshiaki Niikura, Manabu Suzuki, Kazuhiro Takahashi, Tomonori Tanaka, Kohji Taniguchi, Sachiko Tomita, Yoshinori Tsukada, Kouichi Yaguchi, Jinya Yamazaki, Masakatsu

President's message The reasons USPTA has invested NATIONAL BOARD OF DIRECTORS President

Joseph Thompson

First Vice President

T

his question has been posed to me during changes in the way businesses operate. You will my tenure as president of USPTA. For me, see more companies, specifically retailers, direct the real question should be: Is there a fuconsumers to their Web sites for purchases. ture in the Internet or is it just a passing fad for this Colleges and universities will develop more disgeneration? tance learning opportunities, and people around the globe will communicate through Internet I believe the Internet and its technology will teleconferencing that will soon feature two-way change our future by dramatically changing the interactive television. Advances world, how we communicate and how in multimedia transmission have we get things done. We will see unbealso contributed to the high lievable changes in our society within quality video, audio, and graphic the next 10 to 20 years because of this files found on the World Wide technology. Even today, technology Web. There's no question that has changed the way we do our work, computers and the Internet have the actual work we do, and the reason fathered new ways of communiwe do it. Statistics show that, on the cating, as well as storing and disaverage, companies spend between 1.8 seminating information. percent and 5 percent of their budgets on computing technology in an Providing information and effort to try to keep up with closing services to customers is the key to windows of opportunities, shortened success in the new economy. It's Joe Thompson now more than a technical issue; product life cycles and faster marketing sequences. You will see this budget item increase it's a management philosophy. Experience shows as more and more people start accessing and using that successful companies implement a philosothis medium. phy of information democracy and are able to reap great returns from it. According to Bernard LiauAccording to at least two online Internet retaud, (e-Business Intelligence), "The road to full insearch groups, there are currently between 370 formation demillion and 375 mocracy is virmillion Internet USPTA has and always will be on the tually guaranusers. And, many cutting edge of technology because it teed to be a believe this numone. In ber is doubling helps us more efficiently provide services long order to get every year. Not there you need only is the numand information to our members. to deal with the ber of Internet overload of information and to define and impleusers growing, but also the number of Web sites ment an e-business intelligence strategy that enthey can visit during their online time. There are ables you to let any user access any data at any millions of sites that feature research material, entime." tertainment venues, online chat rooms, news outlets and other issues too numerous to mention.

Today, technology has reduced the transaction The bottom line is the Internet is getting big, and costs of collecting and exploiting information so it's happening fast. that those who use new technology gain a significant advantage over those who merely sit and wait As more people use the Internet, you will see Continued next page

Mark McMahon

Vice Presidents David I Porter, Ed.D. Ron Woods Harry Gilbert Tom Daglis Secretary-treasurer Randy Mattingley Past President

Will Hoag

WORLD HEADQUARTERS CEO

Tim Heckler

Director of Operations Executive Assistant

Rich Fanning Marty Bostrom

Director of Communications

Shawna Riley

Creative Services Director

Julie Myers

Director of Public Relations

Diane Richbourg

Director of Sports Marketing Publications Coordinator Communications/ Divisional Liaison Communications

Jill Kite Shannon Kopp

Director of Fred Viancos Professional Development Educational Administrator

Lynn Lazarz

Corporate Janice Stollenwerck Services Administrator Receptionist

Norma Martin

Computer Services/ Kathy Buchanan Club Relations Computer Services/ Data Entry

Sylvia Ortiz

Computer Systems Administrator

Quincy Kwok

Divisional Executive Administrator

Yvonne Hung

Membership and Vicky Tristan Certification Coordinator Membership Assistant Danielle Mead Payroll/Benefits

Renee Heckler

Insurance/ Ellen Weatherford Merchandise Services Insurance Services

Charlene Davis

LEGAL COUNSEL Attorney-at-law

Paul Waldman

For information, write the USPTA World Headquarters 3535 Briarpark Drive, Suite One Houston, TX 77042 Phone (713) 97-USPTA (800) USPTA-4U Fax (713) 978-7780 e-mail - uspta@uspta.org Internet - www.uspta.com Office hours: 8:30 a.m. - 5 p.m.

Central time

ADDvantage/January 2001

3

from previous page

Thanks to our CEO's insight under the direction of the USPTA Board of Directors and Executive Committee, we are and will continue to be way ahead of our competitors in servicing our membership. to see how it's all going to play out before they jump in. That's the good news and a wake-up call for small businesses.

And, how does this all relate to USPTA's business philosophy and our Internet strategy? USPTA has been and always will be on the cutting edge of technology because it helps us more efficiently provide services and information to our members, to all tennis professionals and to the public. Even more importantly, it will impact the workplace and we need to be on top of any new developments that will open up job opportunities for tennis-teaching professionals.

Thanks to our CEO's insight under the

direction of the USPTA Board of Directors and Executive Committee, we are and will continue to be way ahead of our competitors in servicing our membership. Within the next year, you will see USPTA offer to its members, more and more opportunities to access the use of this new technology through distance learning, B-to-B opportunities for tennis-specific purchasing, employment opportunities, testing, communication at the divisional and national level and more exciting options for USPTA's personal Web site program.

So you might ask, "Is USPTA spending too much of its resources on the Internet?" What do you think?^Âť

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USPTA and its endorsees enjoy mutually beneficial relationships

U

SPTA's endorsement program is one of nis players or the public. Today, sales of the Pro Penn the oldest and most successful in the tenball make up a significant portion of Penn's total nis industry. The reason is USPTA's comball sales, and the Penn brand name is a top seller throughout our industry. mitment to endorsing the highest quality products and services available to both our members and tenUSPTA works to develop this same type of relanis consumers. tionship with the companies of all of its endorsed One of the companies that meets this and many products. We create a strong sense of loyalty and other criteria is Wilson Racquet good will toward endorsees that we Sports. USPTA first endorsed the promote among our members. Evcompany's tennis racquets in 1994 eryone plays a part in supporting and less than a year later endorsed its this program. Our Board of DirecWilson apparel and footwear lines. tors and Executive Committee promote the benefits of our endorseI'm happy to report that USPTA recently renewed its Wilson apparel and ment program to members at large, many of whom own or have buyfootwear agreement through 2003.

(See the related interview with Wilson's ing influence in pro shops around apparel designer on Page 6.) the nation and world.

Wilson's dynamic promotional USPTA's marketability and its style has proven invaluable to USPTA ability to provide benefits to endorsand some of its programs, including ees is in its strong divisional strucHeckler Little Tennis'". Not only does the ture. Large corporations search for company produce shoes, clothing and racquets for endorsements based on our potential to reach a wide young players, but it also produces the best, gradu- geographical and demographic market. Our tennis ated equipment - peeWee Tennis® and Tennis Car- professional network and divisional support have nival products — for young players. Wilson's prohelped to bring in sponsorship dollars from some of motion of these items has helped in our efforts to the largest companies in the tennis industry. get children and their families back onto the tennis Through this series of networks, we can ensure courts. It's been a win-win situation because through the support for our endorsed companies, which is our joint efforts, we've been able to get a lot of pubevident in most — if not all — of the pro shops run by licity for Little Tennis, and Wilson has sold more our members. It's even obvious in those pro shops equipment geared specifically to young children and run by professionals who are members of competbeginner players. ing advisory staffs. Most of these carry and recomWhile USPTA's endorsement program provides mend endorsed products in their pro shops. USPTA's funds for member benefits and special programs, endorsements include: we believe our endorsements also benefit manufacturers and other companies we endorse by increas• Wilson racquets, racquet accessories, footwear, ing the public's awareness of specific products and apparel, bags, string and peeWee Tennis® and Tenservices - especially within the tennis community. nis Carnival equipment For example, before USPTA endorsed Pro Penn • Pro Penn tennis balls, including Pro Penn Stars balls, sales to USPTA members were minimal and and Pro Penn Titanium balls the Penn brand was not widely recognized by ten• Bolle sunglasses Continued Page 8

I'm happy to report that USPTA recently renewed its Wilson apparel and footwear agreement through 2003.

ADDvantage/January 2001

5

High tech and fashionable: a designer ADDvantage magazine conducted an interview with Wilson tennis apparel designer Mary Beth Barenborg of Source Lab Inc. Barenborg directs the conceptual and creative approach for Source Lab and its concerns. Her responsibilities include both creative and business aspects, including research, scheduling, apparel design, graphic design and strategy. Among her unique assets is her respect of the importance of building a cohesive brand identity, as well as the techniques of building a brand conceptually in the marketplace. Barenborg currently designs Wilson's technically inspired men's and women's tennis lines.

What are the trends in the tennis industry ind clothing design?

Tennis is a niche sport that is targeted to the consumer for a very focused end use. This would lead you to believe that it should be easy to hit the right trends for the tennis player. Not so, since there are many different types of players. For instance, there's the serious athlete who counts on a functional garment to enhance his or her game and who purchases clothing the same way he or she buys a tennis racquet or tennis balls. There's the country club player who has to wear the appropriate clothing on the court, such as 90 percent white; the consumer who has a new outfit for every outing and treats tennis as a social/fashion experience; and the player who casually knocks around a ball at the local court and couldn't care less what he or she is wearing. There are also players who are conservative, loud, youthful, tall, short, large or slender. I could go on and on. So with that, just about anything goes. I believe this is why so many different brands have been able to survive the rough times the tennis industry has witnessed in the last several years. My company truly believes in the importance of branding product. If done properly, branding allows each type of player to choose an image that has been pre-developed, with which they can identify themselves or the type of game that they play.

We are currently designing Wilson tennis apparel and have chosen to develop a product that is in keeping with Wilson's overall brand image, while at the same time remaining current with the overall fashion trends in the marketplace. For this reason, we have developed a new concept in apparel called Hyper-Tec. It is a technology-based collection that utilizes not only hi-tech fabrics, but also incorporates many very functional details that are performance and comfort enhancing for the individual who actually plays tennis. This technology is not just a fabric story, but more importantly, a totally engineered system of apparel. It incorporates Hyperdry, Hyper-vent, Hyper-move, Hyper-microbial and Hyper-stretch (to name a few elements) all working together to enhance playability. This collection is offered by name, detailing and function6

ADDvantage/January 2001

Mary Beth Barenborg (right) on a recent research shopping trip to Paris. ality for both men and women, and comes in white and black with a dash of red. So you could say that at Wilson, we believe technology is a very important trend in fashion and the tennis market.

How are some of the specialty fabrics (e.g., lightweight, moisture management, stretch, wrinkle resistant, etc.) affecting tennis apparel design?

Fabric, now more than ever, is the key to success. I used to design for Le Coq Sportif and while fabric was important back then, we never offered the variety of fabrics I recommend to my clients now. All of the above fabric types are an absolute must. Fabric is becoming a scientific experiment these days with all the finishes, technology-driven treatments and constructions, and it can be overwhelming and extremely exciting.

Are there new fabrics or fabric combinations that are becoming more popular among designers and buyers?

For the Wilson collection this season, the fabrics I chose for the Hyper-Tec Collection had to meet many criteria. They had to be functional, breathable, lightweight but not limp, soft to the hand

take on tennis wear and include other moisture management properties, with minimal shrinkage and wrinkling and, of course, stretch qualities where needed. We have utilized several fabrics in one garment for maximum functionality. For instance, in a short made of poly interlock with moisture management Hyper-dry technology, we constructed pocket bags made of Hyper-dry mesh that will be against the wearers body and a light weight micro baby terry inside the pocket to dry moist, perspiring hands when reaching in the pocket for a new ball (not to mention the pocket opening construction so that the ball and your hand can get in and out easily). We have used many fabric combinations to maximize functionality and wearability.

How do street fashions of workout wear affect the kind of clothes tennis players want?

Today the lines that once separated each apparel product category have become very fuzzy. It is more important than ever to be versatile and maximize the ability to wear a particular item for many activities. When I design, I always look to other markets even outside of apparel for inspiration. I think all good designers do that.

What do you think most buyers are looking for today?

The perfect item or collection that has 100 percent sell through the first 10 minutes on the floor (just kidding). For starters, a gfeat color combination so that every person who sees it can't take his or her eyes off of it or leave the store without it. The perfectfitting collection that no matter what size you are would look terrific on you, all at the right price.

Realistically buyers are looking for each brand they choose to carry in their store to be consistent. Consistent in philosophy, brand image, product offering and quality, customer service and shipping. So many companies make these fundamental elements so complicated. I also believe that buyers are looking for answers and would like the apparel company to be confident enough to stand up and say, "We believe this will sell and this is why." I think it only makes the line stronger in the long run. hat are the steps to creating a new design?

For me there is no particular recipe or formula. It is always different.

Some ways have been more interesting than others, some easier than others, some have come with a lot of tears and others with smiles.

What is more important for tennis, functionality or fashion?

Both are inseparable, but we use both in varying degrees depending on the type of collection or item within the collection. It used to be that if you wanted to be fashionable, functionality and performance qualities in garments would diminish. Not so! With all the new fabrics, trims and fuzzier lines defining categories of apparel, there are virtually no limits . . . you can have it all.

Are designs incorporated into a full range of items?

Yes, for the lines it is important to have items that coordinate together. Each item or design is held together by a concept or more simply by color, fabric type, trims and detailing, construction and styling.

Where do you get your inspiration?

You would be amazed. That is the best part. But unfortunately, it's top secret.

Wilson/USPTA equipment program 2001 Wilson equipment contracts are being mailed to USPTA-certified members in late December and are due back to your local Wilson territory manager by Feb. 28, 2001. Any member who does not receive a contract by Jan. 15 should fax his or her name, address, phone number and USPTA member number to Tim Beyer, Wilson's liaison to USPTA, at (773) 714-4581. Information also may be e-mailed to Beyer at tcbeyer@racquet.wilsonsports.com.

ADDvantage/January 2001

7

from Page 5 • American Airlines • Tencap - a tennis handicapping and rating system • Tennis Week magazine • Tennis magazine

USPTA's endorsements include: •

Wilson racquets, racquet accessories, footwear, apparel, bags, string and peeWee Tennis® and

It's important that all members support our endorsed products and services, since these agreements provide funds that support our educational programs and are also used to improve skills and activities of tennis-teaching professionals.

You'll be seeing representatives of most of these companies at your divisional conventions this year. When you do, please say hello to them and do your part to support them so USPTA can continue to promote the relationships as beneficial ventures for everyone concerned.S?"

IDibon

Tennis Carnival equipment: (800) 272-6060 •

Pro Penn tennis balls, including Pro Penn Stars and Pro Penn Titanium balls: (800)

BUY-PENN

•

Bolle sunglasses: (888) 847-3676

•

American Airlines

•

Tencap - a tennis handicapping and rating system: (913) 789-8580

•

Tennis Week magazine

•

Tennis magazine

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AmericanAirlines

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ONE TOUGH PLAYER Just ask anyone who owns one.

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The Super Show®/2001

T

he Super Show® 72001 will be held Jan. 21-24 at the Sands Expo Center and Venetian Convention Complex in Las Vegas.

The Venetian Convention Complex's new exhibit hall connects to the Sands Expo Center, for a total of more than 1.4 million square feet of exhibit space. A partial list of show locations at The Super Show is located on Page 13.

The USPTA booth can be found in The Tennis Show (5363C) at the Sands Expo Center. The Super Show hours are 10 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. Thursday through Saturday and 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. on Wednesday. For more information about The Super Show/2001 call (800) 327-3736.

The various shows featured include:

• The Activewear Show • The Bowling/Billiards and Darts Show • The Cycle Show • The e-Sports Show • The Fitness Show • The Footwear Show • The Golf Show • The In-Line Skating Show • The Imprint and Apparel Show • The International Show • The Licensed Sports Show • The Marine and Water Sports Show • The Outdoor Sports Show • The Sports Nutrition and Health Show • The Team Sports Show • The Tennis Show • The Trading Cards and Collectible Products Show • The Trophies and Awards Show • The UrbanWear Show • The WinterWear Show

12

ADDvantage/January 2001

Hall C Sands Expo Center (The Tennis Show)

The Super Show Exhibit halls A-D and Venetian ballroom Hall A: The Licensed Sports Show The e-Sports Show The Footwear Show

The Cycle Show

affordable tennis training tool that provides realistic repetitive practice against any serve or shot in the game.

The Bowling, Billiards and Darts Show

Ball release point can be

The Golf Show

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The Activewear Show

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Hall B: The Footwear Show The Team Sports Show The Outdoor Sports Show The Marine and Water Sports Show Hall C: The Tennis Show

serving heights delivering Hall D:

left or right handed serves

The Fitness Show The International Show

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The Sports Nutrition and Health Show

and second serves with authentic high kicks.

Ball release point can be

The X-Treme and In-Line Skate Show

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Venetian Ballroom:

ground strokes including

The Fitness Show

volleys, forehands, backhands and lobs.

sot Call for more information and a FREE video or cd.

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Visit our web site at www.sportsattack.com ADDvantage/January 2001

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by Jill Kite, USPTA staff writer

I The goal of TOP is not just to develop better tennis players, but also to help children reach their potential as students

t all starts with the grassroots programs - growing the game of tennis. It's mentioned every day throughout the tennis industry and USPTA Pro 1 Roger Mitten is taking action. He is helping underprivileged children break through tennis' glass ceiling. Although tennis has traditionally always been linked to the upper class, the grassroots programs now offered by USPTA and its members are helping lower-middle class children break into the sport, which is also growing the game.

Mitten, head pro at Mid-Town Tennis Club in Chicago, has helped many children break through the tennis glass ceiling in the past 11 years. He founded TOP Tennis Opportunity Program - in 1989 out of his love of the game and children.

His mission is to provide economically disadvantaged children with free tennis instruction and equipment. The goal of TOP is not just to develop better tennis players, but also to help children reach their potential as students and people.

"In the very beginning we concentrated on a grassroots program where we tried to introduce as many children to the game as possible," Mitten said. The program has proven so successful that TOP has taught more

than 1,500 children in Chicago and Evanston, 111., how to play tennis since its inception.

"As TOP's students improved their tennis skills, the tennis pros and I realized we were laying the groundwork for a more important transformation," Mitten comments. TOP's students not only improved their tennis skills, but also exhibited higher levels of self-esteem, self-discipline and saw the value of goal setting and perseverance.

After a few years of teaching lessons during the summer months, Mitten came to understand that TOP could become a catalyst for fundamental and permanent change by offering nine-month, indoor tennis scholarships that

and people.

A new TOP scholarship program offers girl-only scholarships. These five 5-year-old girls were the first recipients chosen by the Chicago Youth Center to receive a five-year scholarship to the TOP program.

Program director Roger Mitten poses with the five scholarship winners who all happen to befriends and live in the same neiv 14

ADDvantage/January 2001

were linked to academic progress. In Chicago, Mitten wanted to expand to a yearround program and help children develop as students as well as tennis players.

In 1996, TOP launched an indoor tennis scholarship program aimed at lowranked tennis players or children who were not ranked at all, but showed great promise. The students who received these scholarships were able to choose any indoor tennis facility, but many elected to use the Mid-Town Tennis Club.

"The kids eligible for the program show tremendous talent for the game, but it is obvious that their attempt to make it to the upper reaches has been stopped because of the economic situation of the family," Mitten states. This is where TOP takes over and pays for the student clinics from September through May. "This acts as a springboard for the kids to be able to pursue the game the way they want to and in addition we provide academic mentoring," Mitten added. Scholarship recipients have traditionally been 10 to 18 years old and are required to maintain a Bgrade point average in order to remain eligible to win a scholarship the following year.

The results of the indoor scholarship program have R.K. Bacalla been extraordinary. Nearly all of the scholarship recipients have earned Chicago District and Midwest sectional tennis rankings; a few have earned national rankings as well. Over 90 percent have performed well enough in the classroom to maintain their scholarships; many of these children are now honor roll students at their schools. One of the remarkable students that has emerged from this program is R.K. Bacalla.

Bacalla's father, Chris, approached Mitten in 1997 and said that he had taken R.K. as far as he could and that they didn't have any more money. Mitten talked with the family and saw that R.K. was not only a great student, but also was well-behaved.

Armed with that information, TOP was able to give a scholarship to R.K. and find him a sponsor to help with his training.

Two years later, R.K. was nationally ranked

in the top 10 of the boys' 12-and-under age group and this past year was named the "Outstanding Graduate" of his student body at the Phillip Rogers School for his academic and athletic achievement.

TOP has certainly made a difference in the Bacalla family. R.K. now has a private coach and travels the nation to tournaments and camps. R.K. reached the quarterfinals of the Boys' l4's USTA National Open which was held over Thanksgiving.

"Tennis is a tremendous game and ought to be there for everybody to enjoy, and underprivileged children really don't have much of an opportunity to learn the

(right), hopes to be No. 1 in the world.

game in depth," Mitten said.

Where does Mitten find the children to participate in TOP? Private institutions such as St. Vincent-DePaul that do everything for economically challenged families, from providing shelter and food, to tutoring the children, to helping the parents find jobs.

"We go to these institutions and tell them we would like to help some of their families and ask them to find us some children who they think would get the most out of these lessons," Mitten said.

In January 1999, TOP began "Future Stars," a program that helps children ages 4 to 10 by giving them excellent instruction from USPTA-certified pros and guidance at an early age. TOP has partnered with Chicago Youth Centers in order to reach out to more children and help pro-

mote tennis as a lifetime sport. Mitten believes that by the time a child is 10 or 1 1 years old, he has already chosen the two or three sports he considers himself a specialist in and has closed off other options. Mitten feels the best way to grow the game is to reach out to the younger kids; introduce them to the game earlier in life and give them that option to be a specialist in tennis.

TOP is funded by an annual pro-am tournament, silent auctions and sponsors.

Advertising is largely driven by word of mouth and articles printed by the media.

The initial money to start the program came from a $ 1 ,000-grant from the USTA, and Wilson donates tennis racquets to TOP. "One Mid-Town member was so impressed with the program that he donated $7,000 to TOP," Mitten said. "Basically, we are just a small organization where everything that is done is done as a labor of love. No one on the board is ever paid for anything; I have never received any money."

"I love TOP so I try to give it what I can and that is the weakness of the program," states Mitten, who does as much as possible for TOP after his regular workday is over.

"It would be nice if we could get to that point some day where we could actually hire one or two people to facilitate the program," he added.

Mitten's first job is to be the head tennis pro at Mid-Town Tennis Club, but without the support from the club and other USPTA pros he would never be able to make TOP and the indoor scholarship program available to the economically challenged children around Chicago.

What started out as an outreach program 1 1 years ago has developed into a successful program that has introduced many underprivileged kids to the game of tennis. Mitten has had a substantial impact on the lives of many children as they have developed self-confidence in themselves and have learned to choose right over wrong.

"The children are really the stars of TOP, the ones that are making it all happen," Mitten ADDvantage/January 2001

15

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Professional Web sites. No assembly required. Really.

When you become a certified member, you are automatically given a Web site - all you have to do is activate it.

SHip™'

HB

ou can get free Web space anywhere. But, only USPTA gives you a site that's already built with all the accessories a tennis pro needs to promote himself to those who matter most. With a new name, a new look and immediate access without passwords, USPTA's personal Web sites provide members with an exciting vehicle with which to promote themselves and build their careers. If you think you've seen this benefit before, look again. Promotion is the key to a USPTA pro's visibility and USPTA has made it easier than ever to present your achievements.

When you become a certified member, you are automatically given a Web site-all you have to do is activate it. Just say the word and we'll put your name behind the

WPETO

" '"I"

Welcome to my Web site IS YOUR TENNIS TEACHBl "THE BEST BY TEST"?

Explore Pro.com Tour my site Welcome to my site. Pro.com has been created as a valuable resource for every tennis enthusiast. It helps me reach my students, friends and club members and keep them abreast of everything in tennis.

It also includes a series of convenient links and points of interest for the entire family.

Along with personal information such as my biography, current facility and a series of regularly updated tennis tips, there is a carefully selected list of links with sites of Interest to everyone whether they're tennis players, fans or just looking around. These alternate sites are Included under menu headings listed as: o " o o

Go Tennis Go Tools Go Family Go Invest

'Being apart of this important member benefit puts USPTA professionals on the forefront of technology." ~ Tim Heckler, USPTA CEO »»

16

ADDvantage/January 2001

three Ws. Each new site is personalized for every member, even down to the name.

For example, Joe Pro's Web address can be: www.joepro.usptapro.com, jp.usptapro.com, joetennis.usptapro.com, or any other name he chooses to use. No password is required.

Since 1997, the USPTA personal Web site program has delivered the latest Internet technology to members. Visitors and the general public can view a member's biography and facility information, weekly rotating tennis tips and links to valuable educational and professional tools, health and nutrition sites, entertainment and more.

A brand new feature is an e-mail forwarding option. For pros who already have an e-mail account, this option is a great addition. Visitors to the site can send an e-mail directly to your usptapro.com address. The message is then forwarded to your private e-mail account, while your private address is never revealed. So, you can protect your privacy, have a business and private e-mail address, all without the hassle of checking two separate accounts.

USPTA makes getting a Web site as convenient as possible. We do all the set up and maintenance after you provide us with your personal information and photos. Sign-up sheets are located at www.uspta.com or by calling USPTA at (800) USPTA-4U. All you have to do is return the information sheet with your personal photo (for your biography). If you want a facility site, send your facility questionnaire and photos, too. Send them by regular mail or via the Internet to our e-mail address, uspta@uspta.org. It's that simple! Don't let the Internet pass you by; let USPTA help you become part of the World Wide Web today.

e you own Web site?

V

V

It's a whole new way to reach students and potential employers who want to know more about you.

It's free.

Your boss will be impressed.

It's free.

Don't take our word for it here's what your fellow pros have to say: "When I hand out (business cards) to new clients and they see the Web site address, they are always impressed ... The juniors always enjoy reading the tips offered on the Web site every month, and when they come to lessons, they like to try them out." ~ Christopher Colesanti "The USPTA has streamlined this process at no cost to the individual members. It is a great tool for marketing yourself and your facility and adds professional credibility to those that are utilizing this free service." ~ R. J. Tessier

You take the credit - we do all the work.

'As a resort pro ...I have gotten guest business due to the fact that I had a Web site ... and in some cases other pros didn't." ~ Jerry Winder

It's free.

Your club gets great promotion with colored photos and description.

8 It's free.

Your most important job selling yourself to students and employers - gets easier.

10

Did we mention it's free?

"The updated Web page looks terrific. Thank you for letting your members be a part of it."

-Ann Bartek When sending out event promotions for upcoming tennis events via e-mail, I always place a link for quick access to my personal Web site ...In our monthly newsletter, I place a notice about getting a monthly tennis tip via my USPTA site." ~ Mike Doty

One of the reasons I got my last job was because I had the 'edge' in having a USPTA Web site ... I use my site as a teaching tool regularly. ~ Mark Pachtner ADDvantage/January 2001

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by Howard Chodak, USPTA

L

ike you, I am a tennis professional. For more than 20 years I have enjoyed all the unique advantages that our profession has to offer, including the opportunity to work outside, wear tennis clothes instead of a suit and tie, be physically active, and make a positive difference in the quality of many people's lives. At 44 years old, I am in my seventh season as head tennis professional at the Indian Spring Country Club in Boynton Beach, Fla., where I receive full benefits, and my salary and lessons add up to about $40,000 annually.

For several years now, my efforts to find a higher-paying position have come up empty, which has made me wonder, "Where do I go from here?" I know from talking to my colleagues that there are many of you who are in a similar situation or may be in the not-too-distant future, and this has motivated me to write this article.

There are several ways that I might increase my income.

1. I could wait until the tennis director decides to move on and hope they give the job to me.

2. I could move to another head professional position where the salary and benefits are equal and the lesson activity is greater.

3. I could find a teaching position with little or no salary, but a very high lesson volume.

4. I could land a tennis director's position at another facility with a high income potential.

Each one of these possibilities poses a different challenge.

1. The tennis director does not appear to be going anywhere for quite sometime.

2. Only a handful of head professional positions would yield a significant increase in income. They rarely open up and, when they do, they are often filled internally.

3. Taking a position strictly as a lesson giver might yield more income, but would involve taking several steps backward in some respects. Usually these positions are at public facilities where the lesson rates are some24

ADDvantage/January 2001

what lower, still require that a pro gives a percentage to the director, and require working much longer days since teaching at night is often a necessity. These positions rarely include benefits. When you factor in the unpredictability of the weather, the high cost of health insurance, the lack of a 401k, and the increased physical demands and exposure to the sun along with my age, the increase in income would have to be quite substantial to outweigh the negatives.

4. This brings us to finding a job as a tennis director. For the last several years, the number of people applying for these jobs has steadily increased. Recently a position became available at a large facility and well over 100 applications were received. This has become the norm rather than the exception. Although I am not privy to exact figures, I would say that conservatively 20 of those applicants are currently directors.

Of those, a high percentage are extremely qualified and capable of doing an excellent job. In order for a head professional to get interviewed and hired for a position like this requires some fresh thinking in today's job market. To get a sense of where our profession is heading and what kind of opportunities we might expect to see in the future, I decided to gather some information.

I spoke to 97 professionals who were an almost even split - 49 country club pros and 48 public facility pros. Although the information is specific to South Florida, I believe these trends extend to our industry as a whole. Of the 97 professionals, 35 were directors, 19 were head professionals and 43 were assistant professionals.

Average number of years at current job Public Private Directors Head professionals Assistant professionals

7.9 6 3.3

4.9 5.8 3.2

As you can see from the chart, there is a clear trend of professionals staying at jobs longer than we might have seen in the past, and I believe this will continue as better positions become more and more scarce.

In fact, 2 1 of the directors have been at their current positions for five years or longer.

USPTA's continuing education program can certainly take some credit for professionals being better prepared and able to survive longer in today's rapidly evolving marketplace. The downside is that director jobs will be opening up less frequently. For the 62 professionals who are not currently directors, this will pose a major problem, as I have already experienced.

Unless new jobs become available, twothirds of the professionals surveyed will have little opportunity to move up unless they replace an existing director or one retires, and no one in our survey will be retiring for quite sometime. This means that more head and assistant professionals will be staying in their positions longer than ever before. As an industry, we are still relatively in our infancy. We are just entering a time when the first large wave of career professionals will be entering their 50s and 60s. For those who still make their living primarily on the court, the physical demands of teaching 30 to 40 hours per week

sentations worldwide that you could not possibly attend on your own.

— Read as many books as possible. Do not limit these specifically to tennis, but include all aspects of business and personal growth. This pertains to educational videotapes as well.

— Be open to the idea of taking coursework at local colleges on issues of business, computer and interpersonal relationship skills. I personally took six COMPETING courses in computer network engineering recently.

Again, if you can make a case for how this will benefit your club, they may cover or share in the expense.

— Be open to the idea of income diversification. Although not pleasant to face, some professionals have found it necessary to change careers, and more will be faced with this prospect in the future. Whether Education, Education, Education it's getting a real estate license or becoming involved in insurance or stocks, be So how do you prepare for a better job? on the lookout for opportunities to diNow more than ever, it is important to versify. It's not a bad idea to have someimprove yourself through every means thing to fall back on in case unforeseen possible. Some examples of how to accomcircumstances such as injury or unemplish this are: ployment should occur.

— Attend state and national conventions.

- Take full advantage of the USPTA's Web These can no longer be considered luxsite, which not only offers an opportuuries, but requirements to remain curnity for your own personal Web page, rent in an increasingly competitive enbut allows you to search for jobs and vironment. Your clubs should be pickexpose yourself to potential employers. ing up the costs, since it is in their best interest that you learn and grow. If you — Subscribe to job listings. This includes can't attend, you can purchase tapes of USPTA's own listings, as well as indeselected seminars that may meet your pendent services both on and off the needs. You can join with some fellow Internet. professionals to defray the cost or per- Be open to a possible relocation. Choose haps your USPTA division can create a the three top areas where you would most like to live, and foSUCCESS IN Hi IS NOT A BUT A cus your job THAT WILL BE THROUGH HARD WOK, pi HE WHLsearch in those areas.

RGUNDED YOU ARE AS A PROFESSIONAL, THE BETflBR CHANCE YOU You can then try to HAVE OF AND KEEPING THE JOB YOU WANT, network library of these tapes that can be made with professionals you know from those available to everyone. areas so you can learn of any available jobs and how to get an inside track.

- Subscribe to industry newsletters such as, "Coach Tennis America." PublicaFor the entry-level professional in the tions provide you with the information beginning stages of your career, you have a given at countless conferences and pregolden opportunity to get a jump on the until retirement becomes more of a concern. The natural progression would be that later in our careers our responsibilities would shift from on-court duties to more administrative and managerial obligations, but the number of professionals in these positions will simply make this impossible. In fact, of the 62 non-directors, 26 have more than 15 years' experience, and 11 of those are older and have more experience than their bosses. Of the 62, 21 are over 40 and six are over 50.

At private facilities, the average number of years of experience for directors was 18.7; 14.2 for head professionals and 12.9 for assistant professionals. The average difference in experience between directors and assistant professionals is less than five years, but the difference in average income between these two groups is an alarming $45,000. At public facilities, the number of years of experience for the three groups was 23.8, 12.3 and 8.8 respectively, which is more what we might expect.

future. By doing all the things mentioned, you will be going a long way toward ensuring your success for a long, fruitful working experience.

For the head professional who has possibly neglected some educational avenues, there is no time to waste. You will be competing against younger pros who may be hungrier and more enthusiastic to prove

BE MORE AND MORE PROFESSIONALS FOR FEWER POSITIONS AND ONLY THE AND BEST PREPARED WILL SURVIVE. themselves, and have been participating in education from day one of their careers.

You need to take full advantage of your director's knowledge and experience by learning every aspect of the business from him or her that you can.

For the tennis director who is on top, you want to make sure you stay there.

There may be a tendency to think you can relax a bit because you've made it, but this could be a big mistake. As the numbers show, there will be more and more professionals competing for fewer positions and only the strongest and best prepared will survive.

The nature of the relationship between tennis directors and the professionals who work for them may need to change along with the changing market in regard to the sensitive issue of lesson percentages. There was a time when taking a cut of a professional's lessons was a reflection of a difference in years of experience or teaching skills, and involved some sort of a tutorial relationship. This is becoming less and less the case, yet the practice continues merely out of tradition. This is a problem for those professionals who are making a small salary (or none) and rely only on lesson income for their livelihood.

In public facilities, the problem is amplified because not one head or assistant professional surveyed receives either a salary or benefits. In the most extreme case, I spoke with a professional who has been at the same facility for 35 years and still only receives 70 percent of his lessons and no benefits! There has been a tendency to diminish the work that takes place on court Continued next page ADDvantage/January 2001 25

from previous page as the role of the professional has diversified in recent years. Directors need to look at teaching professionals less as income producers and more as highly skilled and integral parts of member satisfaction. The golf industry is already leading the way in this area. For example, all the golf professionals at my club receive 100 percent of their lessons as compensation for their knowledge and expertise. As professionals stay at facilities longer, directors might need to consider making a little less from them for the benefit of member familiarity and program continuity over time, and to ensure that those working for them can survive and prosper. Some professionals suggest that a 10 percent increase in lesson percentage annually is a fair and equitable way to reward professionals who remain at a facility, but this is not an industry standard at this time.

At the very least, directors will need to be much more responsible for training their professionals in every aspect of the business, in return for whatever lesson percentage they do take. They should ensure that teaching pros can develop budgets, oversee court maintenance, deal with personnel issues including hiring and firing, and develop skills for interviewing and resume preparation. This will further enhance the director's role as a leader and create even more respect from those who work for them. Ultimately, the resume of the head professional should look almost identical to that of the director. This will allow the liead professional to have a greater chance of competing for better jobs.

I he message here is one of urgency.

Success in the future is not a guarantee, but a privilege that will be earned through hard work. The more well-rounded you are as a professional, the better chance you have of getting and keeping the job you want. As in a closely fought five-set match, the smallest of margins will separate the winners from the losers.S> Howard Chodak is head tennis professional at the Indian Spring Country Club in Boynton Beach, Fid. He has received numerous awards for service to the industry and is also a Florida Division Seminar Contest winner.

Chodak can be contacted at chodak@iwon.com.

26

ADDvantage/January 2001

,«',,

Take the next step in your career.. become a USPTA specialist USPTA's Career Development Program offers tennis teachers the educational opportunities to excel in their field and strive for personal excellence both on and off the court. The program provides education and certification opportunities to those who work or aspire to work within the profession.

The Association has taken education one step further with the introduction of specialist degrees. This training will allow members to specialize in one or more specific areas of the tennis-teaching profession.

The Specialist degrees will: • Create a market demand for certified members who become specialists.

•, Promote and recognize USPTA professionals as the most elite in the profession.

• Create an ongoing career track for USPTA members.

• Offer advanced education to improve more specific competencies.

Specialist degrees offered are Specialist in Little Tennis, Specialist in Competitive Player Development and Specialist in Computer Technology. Future areas are being developed.

For an application or more information on the specialist degrees call (800) USPTA-4U.

Specialist training dates Specialist in Competitive Player Development and Little Tennis training weeks Date/location

Deadline

Degree

May 6-12/Texas June 22-24/Houston August 16-22/Southern California November 12-18/New York

Feb. 1 March 20 May 15 Aug. 15

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Applications are available by contacting the USPTA Education Department.

US **»-u

ADDvantage/January 2001

27

Close-in

Purpose: To work on volleys and build up wrist reflexes.,

Description: 1. Four players start at the net in normal position.

2. The players on the instructor's side put the ball in play, volleying straight ahead.

3. Players on the other side volley crosscourt.

4. Maintain rally as long as possible.

Options: For a large group, six to eight people can use the net and rally over it. The rest can stand anywhere on the court and work with a partner over an imaginary net.

28

ADDvantage/January 2001

D D O D O D D C3 CD C3 D CD O cJ C3 CD CD CD CD CDiQ CD CD CD C=> CU 55 CD CD CD C3 C3 CD D Q D D O CD D O CD D D O CD CDi O CD CD CD CD CZTO O D O O Q CD D CD O CD CD CD O Q D O D D D gOCDCDCD D CD[CD CD O Q CDQ CD C3VCD CD l~^/'~i 'p r~> CD CD CD

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Jan. 19-21

ÂŁ>

Feb. 1-4

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Feb- 2'4

Feb. 9-10 Feb. 16-18 Feb. 21-25

March 2-4 March 2-4 March 2-4

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New England Division Haverhill, Mass, (winter convention) Texas Division Dallas Missouri Valley Division Leawood, Kan. Midwest Division Troy, Mich.

Northern California Division Santa Rosa, Calif.

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Activities/meetings 0/2 credit and up) Jan. 17 Jan. 19-21 Jan. 19-21 Jan. 27 Feb. 1 -3 Feb. 2 Feb. 7

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Texas Division Houston New England Division Haverhill, Mass.

Midwest Division Aurora, III. Texas Division Grapevine, Texas Midwest Division Indianapolis Intermountain Division Denver

Feb. 9-11

Midwest Division Aurora, III.

Feb. 17

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exams, upgrades & certification training courses (4 credits for CTC segment) Jan. 6-7 Jan. 6-7 Jan. 12-14 Jan. 13-14 Jan. 13-14 Jan. 15-16 Jan. 17-18 Jan. 19-20 Jan. 20-21 Jan. 20-21 Jan. 20-21 Jan. 27-28 Jan. 27-28 Jan. 31Feb. 1 Feb. 2-3

Charleston, S.C. Jackson, Miss.

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Haverhill, Mass.

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Feb. 10-11 Feb. 16-17 Feb. 16-17 Feb. 19-20 Feb. 22-23 Feb. 23-24 Feb. 23-24 Feb. 24-25 Feb. 24-25 Media, Pa. Feb. 24-25 March 2-3 * This course is held at the USPTA World Headquarters.

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.

Affiliate 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.

specialty courses (2 credits per four-hour course; 4 credits per eight-hour course) tittle Tennis (Book II), Jan. 19-20, Haverhill, Mass. (4 hours), T. Gilbert I bought a ball machine, now what do I do?, Feb. 1, Dallas, (4 hours), S. Oley Singles strategies and tactics, Feb. 1, Indianapolis, (4 hours), F. Hassan Group lessons for the new millennium, Feb. 4, Leawood, Kan., (4 hours), J. Dinoffer Team coaching, Feb. 9-10, Dallas, (4 hours: 2 hours per day), D. Porter Taking sports psychology to the courts, Feb. 10, Troy, Mich.

(4 hours), B. Young The deadline to register and/or cancel a course is 15 working days before the event. Anyone canceling late or failing to cancel will forfeit one-half the course fee. This schedule is subject to change. Call the USPTA Membership Department for additional information or write via e-mail to membership@uspta.org.

specialist program Specialist in Competitive Player Development Degree

Date/location

Deadline

CPD LT

Feb. 1 March 20

CPD

May 6-12/Texas June 22-24/Houston August 16-22/Southern California

May 15

CPD

November 12-18/New York

Aug. 15

Applications are available by contacting the USPTA Education Department or education@uspta.org.

CPD - Gained through the USA Tennis High Performance Coaching Program administered by USA Tennis Coaching Education Department.

ADDvantage/January 2001

29

Members Dan Aubuchon and Jim Leupold, USPTA members, broke the world record for the longest rally with 15,848 hits during the annual Hit-AThon for the United Way on Oct. 19 at the Desert Springs Marriot in Palm Springs, Calif.

George Brome, USPTA member and head tennis coach at the Pratt Institute in Brooklyn, N.Y., was named Tennis Brome Coach of the Year for the 2000-2001 season by the Hudson Valley Women's Athletic Conference.

Juan Chavez, USPTA, has been named certification and education coordinator for the Mexican Tennis Federation.

USPTA Northern California Division Vice President Corky Cramer is now serving on the board of directors for the Advanced Tennis Research Project, a nonprofit educational foundation dedicated to advancing the sport through technology.

Cramer is the tennis director of the Montecito Racquet Club in Santa Rosa, Calif.

USPTA tennis professionals Jeff Hawes and Pat Whitworth have developed a Web site specifically designed for tennis-

teaching professionals, www. Tennis Pilot.com. The site was created for the purpose of providHawes ing a unique information resource and link center for tennis pros.

Bernie McGuire, USPTA, was selected as the 2000 South Carolina Tennis Hall of Fame Inductee.

McGuire is McGuire the tennis professional at the Richland County Tennis Center in Columbia.

Donald Martin, USPTA, of Tri-State Athletic Club in

The Schoenbrunn Fitness and Racket Club in New Philadelphia, Ohio, raised $390 for USPTA's Lessons for Life.

USPTA Pro Dean Pocock ran the event.

30

ADDvantage/January 2001

Evansville, Ind., received the 2000 Wilson Advisory Staff Member of the Year Award for his positive influence on the sport. Martin is a USPTA Midwest Hall of Fame member.

USPTA member Brad Minns won the men's title at the USA Deaf Sports Federation 2000 National Tennis Championships/Tryouts Minns at the Albright Tennis Complex on the Wittenberg University campus in Springfield, Ohio, last August.

Mark Pachtner, USPTA Pro ^|^^ 1, was named treasurer of | the USPTA Board Georgia Chapter and director at large of the Pachtner Georgia Professional Tennis Organization.

Stephen GordonPoorman, USPTA Pro 1, is now the junior development director at Southlake Tennis Center in Southlake, Texas.

Brad Wolverton, USPTA, won first place in the annual Best Drills Contest with his drill, "ShootOut."The event, sponsored by the Georgia Professional Tennis Association, was held last October in Stone Mountain, Ga. Other USPTA pros whose drills were in the top 10 included Jim Carella, Greg Grover and Paul Bartholomai.

Miscellany Icon Health and Fitness, the world's largest manufacturer and marketer of home fitness equipment, will display more than 20,000-square feet of booth space at the 2001 Super Show in Las Vegas, Jan. 21-24. Other companies at the show include VF Knitwear, Russell Athletic, Huffy Bicycles, WHN.com, New Balance, Riddell, Igloo, Wilson Sporting Goods and Head Sports. For show and rate information, call (800) 327-3736.

USPTA Eastern Division Regional Vice President Steve Diamond will appear as an extra on the HBO series "The Sopranos" this March. Diamond, tennis director at the Green Brook Country Club in North Caidwell, N.Y., was asked by Cy Reitmeyer, general manager of the Glen Ridge Country Club, to assist with an on-court tennis segment for the series being shot at his club. Diamond helped cast members learn the

â&#x20AC;˘

ropes of playing the role of a teach-

iing professional. He also took a few swings himself during the filming and most of the balls shooting over the net were actually struck by Diamond.

The Texas Tennis Museum and Hall of Fame will host a reception, dinner and awards ceremony for the USPTA Texas Division Feb. 3, at the Dallas-Fort Worth Airport Hilton in Grapevine, Texas. Tickets can be purchased by calling (254) 756-2307 or online from txtennismuseum @ea rthlink.net.

The first annual Hall of Fame Celebration for new and past inductees of the Texas Tennis Museum and Hall of Fame will take place April 21 in Waco, Texas. Events will include a tennis clinic for kids, a Hall of Fame pro-am, a sponsors' reception and dinner.

USPTA member Jack Justice (far left) poses with Professional Tennis Management members at Methodist University in Fayetteville, N. C., during a USPTA test last November.

ADDvantage/January 2001

31

400va

CLASSIFIEDS

BOOKS AND VIDEOS

REAL ESTATE

TIPS FROM THE MASTER written by Jay Hardman, USPTA Master Professional. Send $15 check payable to Tennis Concepts, 3714 Farnham St. N.W., North Canton, Ohio, 44720 or visit www.tennisconcepts.com.

Southwest Florida. Six lighted clay courts, clubhouse and cabana on 3+ acres. Excellent opportunity, established club. $375,000. Terms negotiable. Serious inquiries only.

All responses confidential. (941) 458-5537.

www.TennisExpress.com: biomechanics, mental tennis, movement/ footwork videos. Drill books, training products, ball machines, coaching manuals. FREE catalog. (800) 833-6615.

Private tennis/swim club for sale in the Southeast. Thirteen lighted tennis courts (clay and hard), two pools, 2,500-square-foot clubhouse. Appraised $1.1 million to $1.3 million. $950,000, financing 80 percent. Serious inquiries (717) 319-8707.

FREE Lesson Flier and Drills. Make your job easier with this new program.

E-mail lkarageanes@aol.com for sample.

TRAINING PRODUCTS

The Pre-Stroke Trainer is a 7 oz. performance enhancing training aid that attaches to your racquet EMPLOYMENT face and is molded to look like a TENNIS EMPLOYMENT and ten- tennis ball. It is used to stretch, nis news is now available from Bob strengthen and train your tennis Larson. For FREE one-month trial, specific muscles before play and send your name and "Free 'USPTA for off-court workouts. The Pretrial" to tennisnews@aol.com.

Stroke Trainer retails for $17.50 WTS International requires quali- and is available to pro shops and fied professionals for "seasoned" specialty stores as well as to indipositions from May - September viduals. Call (561) 563-2200 or 2001. Please mail or fax resume to fax (561) 388-0193.

Rotes: $30 for 20 words, minimum per (301) 622-3373, and visit our Web issue. 50 cents per word thereafter. Pay by site at www.wtsintl.com. check, money order, Visa or MasterCard. â&#x20AC;˘wTvrv.tennisjobs.com The Tennis Job Line is a tennis professional's employment service.

It advertises tennis openings at country clubs, tennis clubs, resorts, public facilities, colleges and summer camps.

32

ADDvantage/January 2001

Prepayment is required. Supply typed copy and include full name, telephone number, credit card number and expiration date. (No agency or cash discounts.)

Issue closes 15th of month, two months preceding cover date. Fax to (713) 9787780, attn: ADDvanfage classifieds. No classifieds will be accepted by telephone.

No exceptions are made.

USPTA cannot verify nor be responsible for the contents of any advertisement. It reserves the right to reject any advertisement at its discretion.

membe knowledge from their field of expertise, sue pro shop management, sport science and c management. Having an article published pro's career or add to a resume. Also, beii ADDvantage is worth 25 points towaH ' ^ Professional certification (a maximum

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