Addvantage 2010 January

contents the total professional – enhancing your career

departments 3 CEO’s message

Ask the Professor 7 Tennis research empowers teaching pros –

by Jack Groppel, Ph.D., FACSM, USPTA Master Professional

5 First vice president’s message 14 Classifieds 23 USPTA drills 24 Career development

9 What’s in a name? – by David T. Porter, Ed.D., USPTA Master Professional

17 Pros save PE classes with volunteer time – and tennis –

by Jill Phipps, USPTA staff writer

26 Industry action

20 Tennis the right sport for ADHD kids – by Jian (Jose) Li, Ph.D., USPTA

news 12 USPTA/HEAD member benefit information 14 Cardio Tennis Shootout Rules – 2010

On the cover – USPTA leads the industry in online resources for teaching professionals.

Visit the USPTA Technology Tools button on our Web site to learn more.

volume 34 • issue 1

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 Fax – 713-358-7794 e-mail – magazine@uspta.org

Shawna Riley Kimberly Forrester Kathy Buchanan John Dettor

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

www.ADDvantageUSPTA.com

Editor Managing editor Circulation Advertising

ADDvantage is published monthly by the United States Professional Tennis Association.

The opinions expressed in ADDvantage are those of the authors and not necessarily those of ADDvantage or the USPTA. Copyright© United States Professional Tennis Association, Inc. 2010. All rights reserved.

Reproduction of any portion of the magazine is not permitted without written permission from USPTA. ADDvantage/January 2010

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CEO’s message Going ‘green’ boosts services and cuts waste for USPTA members

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hile “going green” is a popular idea these days, it is something that USPTA has been working on for many years, thanks in large part to our use of technology.

Just a few years ago, going green meant planting trees, turning off lights when you weren’t using them and recycling. Today, the concept is much broader, and there are many more things we can do to save resources and limit waste.

In the mid-1990s, USPTA started using e-mail. This action alone has saved many trees in the 15 years since we rolled out e-mail ­addresses for our World Headquarters and staff. It also increased the speed and efficiency of member service. So, instead of receiving and sending letters by mail, which uses paper, ink and postage, we answer most inquiries electronically, which is naturally faster than sending replies through the regular mail.

Since we introduced our Internet presence in 1995, we’ve worked to make many member services easier, and greener. According to your active participation, you like this option, and several statistics prove it.

through electronic messages. These measures speed up the entire testing process.

Now, a new member tool, accessed through “My membership” in the members-only Web site, allows you to print membership documents from your home or office computer, including membership cards, membership certificates, education report cards, insurance verification letters and dues invoices. Each document is personalized, dated and includes a security verification code for your protection.

Only members in good standing will be able to print documents that verify membership.

Probably the most amazing green project will be implemented in the coming year – a document management system. This huge “green” project will: • Convert 1.5 million paper documents to electronic form, increasing security and saving costs in filing cabinet space and personnel effort.

• Reduce in-house printing requirements by 12,000 pages per month.

• Save electricity and toner.

• Enable USPTA to better serve our members by having these documents readily available on demand.

• Approximately 95 percent of new members apply online, which means they don’t request or mail in Tim Heckler hard copy applications. This not only cuts paper use and printing costs, but cuts down on the amount of filing Our latest green effort also coincides with a new look for our space required to store these records. We’ll talk more about online ADDvantage magazine. It will allow us to further reduce document management later. our use of paper and ink. We will begin printing only six issues of • More than 52 percent of you prefer to register for and pay for the magazine instead of the current 11. However, we’ll increase our World Conference attendance online. This speeds up our prototal issues by one with the production of 12 digital issues – six to cessing time and helps us plan the event each year. coincide with our printed magazines and six digital-only issues to • About 70 percent of you pay your dues online each year. This be released every other month. The first printed issue for 2010 will means you don’t write a paper check or have to mail it in. debut in January (with its online version), followed by a digital-only • We also work with HEAD to promote its online-only application issue in February. We will also continue to use the latest technology procedure to participate in the USPTA/HEAD racquet program. to offer more video through the digital magazine and drills that you This year marks the second year that HEAD’s equipment concan print and use on court. tracts are done 100 percent online.

Other tennis companies have already adopted the trend of printing fewer hard copy magazines, including the popular Tennis In the last decade, USPTA’s Education Department has switched magazine. It will cut its printed issues to eight this year and promote almost all of its communications to e-mail or Web-based forms. its digital version of the magazine complete with video.

For example, it sends all of the forms, updates and deadlines elec Also beginning this year, USTA will begin a digital version of tronically to World Conference speakers, who also return their its USTA Magazine. correspondence the same way.

Going green for USPTA means providing you with efficient ser Our Membership Department conducts most of its business vices and instant access to member benefits. The fact that we’re saving via e-mail and the Internet. It now e-mails study materials to each trees and cutting waste is a great byproduct of our use of technology. new applicant for certification, offers an online review course and I hope you’ll take advantage of the many services that technology practice tests through the Professional Tennis Coaches Academy I, places at your fingertips when it comes to membership management, sends testers their reports via e-mail and promotes reinstatements online resources and more.  www.ADDvantageUSPTA.com

ADDvantage/January 2010

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First vice president’s message What’s your excuse?

NATIONAL BOARD OF DIRECTORS President

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hat’s your excuse for not realizing your of what we can achieve. Another favorite quote was dreams? Could it be that you don’t have by Eleanor Roosevelt: “Every day do one thing that enough time or money? Are you not sure scares you.” In 1984, the Los Angeles games was you can? Are there obstacles or events in your life the first Olympics to include wheelchair events and that prevent you from even trying?

Randy was there. Imagine the exhilaration of being We all have difficult times. There are many cir- in the Olympic stadium preparing to participate in cumstances in all our lives that can be challenging an event. Add to that the fear of not knowing how and, at times, overwhelming. However, you have 80,000 people would respond to wheelchair athletes dreams of things you want in your life. Take the or whether they would be accepted as “real” athletes.

Randy’s dreams didn’t let those fears time to plan and pursue the things you stop him from reaching for the highreally want. There is no excuse. est goals he could set and working As many of you know, we recently hard to achieve them. lost a wonderful person and a great With his successes in wheelchair ambassador for tennis. Randy Snow sports and his infectious personaloffered no excuse. “NO XQs” became ity, he was able to inspire people to the theme for his company. He lived a think big and work to achieve their full and meaningful life. He taught by own goals. He was a 10-time U.S. example and leaves a legacy of many Open singles champion, seven-time lessons for all of us to follow. Those U.S. Open doubles champion, and lessons, to name just a few are: Accept Paralympic gold and silver medalist. changes, dream big, and never quit.

He was the first Paralympic athlete Randy Mattingley to medal in three different sports Accept changes You must learn to accept changes in your life. Randy – tennis, basketball, and track. He was inducted was not willing to let one event keep him from living into the Texas Tennis Hall of Fame, USPTA Hall life to its fullest and committing to reaching very of Fame, Paralympic Hall of Fame and in 2004, he high goals. One of Randy’s favorite quotes is by became the first and only Paralympian inducted into Wilhelm von Humboldt: “How a person masters his the Olympic Hall of Fame. fate is more important than what that fate is.” What He was a pioneer in a number of ways. He was happens in our lives may not always be within our involved in the design and development of wheelcontrol, but how you handle those events determines chairs for various sports. Randy was a business owner and author as well as a motivational speaker your future.

Randy was a great athlete and an outstanding to Fortune 500 companies. Dave Kiley, who played tennis player as a junior in Terrell, Texas. He had on the gold-medal Paralympic basketball team a dream of becoming an Olympic athlete. After with Randy, made a statement that I also believe Randy was injured in a farming accident that left to be true: “There is no other athlete of any kind him without the use of his legs, he had to adjust his that engaged people as well as Randy Snow.” As a dreams. Because of his positive outlook, he was able philanthropist and pioneer, he had the opportunity to make many major achievements. He became an to meet several United States presidents and many innovator in the wheelchair industry who not only celebrities. He even has a street named after him. helped improve designs for athletes, but improved RANDY DREAMED BIG. the lives of so many disabled people. All this was because he was able to accept the change in his life. Never quit You must have the determination to never quit.

Dream big There are many obstacles out there that will keep you Randy showed us that you should dream big. He from reaching your goals and realizing your dreams. learned that we are only limited by our own vision Don’t let these obstacles stop you. Find a way around continued next page www.ADDvantageUSPTA.com

Tom Daglis

First Vice President

Randy Mattingley

Vice Presidents

Bunny Bruning Mark Fairchilds Chuck Gill Jack Groppel Jim Loehr

Past President

Harry Gilbert

WORLD HEADQUARTERS CEO

Tim Heckler

Director of Operations

Rich Fanning

Administrative Director

Marty Bostrom

Director of Communications

Shawna Riley

Creative Services Director

Julie Myers

Publications Manager/ Kim Forrester Managing Editor Director of Public Relations

Poornima Rimm

Communications

Jill Phipps

Director of Marketing

John Dettor

Sports Marketing Coordinator

Rick Bostrom

Digital Asset Director

Timothy Heckler

Digital Asset Coordinator/ Ramona Husaru Tennis Multimedia Management Video Production Director

Joe Birkmire

Video Editor

H.R. Topham

Video Editor

Nick Warwick

Video Editor/ Flash Designer

Aisha Nelson

Director of Fred Viancos Professional Development Corporate Janice Stollenwerck Services Administrator Receptionist

Erin Ortbal

Director of Information Technology

Dan Wilson

Information Technology/ Multimedia

Scott Bucic

Divisional Executive Administrator

Kalin Cogar

Director of Computer Service

Kathy Buchanan

Membership and Certification Manager Membership Membership/ Insurance Assistant Director of Finance Payroll/Benefits Controller Merchandise/ Accounting Assistant

Vicky Tristan Sylvia Ortiz Melony DeLoach Kathy Ladner Renée Heckler

Ellen Weatherford Shelina Harris

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 uspta@uspta.org www.uspta.com Office hours: 8:30 a.m. - 5 p.m. Central time

ADDvantage/January 2010

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from previous page them or seek an alternative that will keep you moving forward. You must keep your eyes on the prize and your mind clearly focused on your goals.

Randy loved sharing the game of tennis and seeing the smiling faces of those he helped to discover the benefits of playing tennis.

Randy devoted his life to wheelchair sports and wheelchair tennis in particular. He loved sharing the game of tennis and seeing the smiling faces of those he helped to discover the benefits of playing tennis. His last days were spent doing what he loved – leading wheelchair tennis clinics in El Salvador.

Randy’s greatest legacy is how much he did for other people. He wanted to help those with visible disabilities and those whose disabilities aren’t so visible. Randy was proof that in order to succeed today, you must have a 100 percent able-bodied mind. He pioneered an industry and forever changed the way the world sees a wheelchair athlete. He was a great athlete, inspiration, and friend.

He refused to let one event keep him from living a full and valued life. There is no excuse.

“Avoid regrets by leaving, in each day, everything you have.” – Randy Snow. 

In August 2006 Randy Snow traveled to Guangzhou, China, to teach wheelchair tennis and promote wellness and independence. Collaborating with the China Disabled Person’s Federation and the National Paralympic Committee, Snow conducted two tennis camps.

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ADDvantage/January 2010

www.ADDvantageUSPTA.com

Tennis research empowers teaching pros

by Jack L. Groppel, Ph.D., FACSM, USPTA Master Professional

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Question: I realize that sport science has been playing a role in tennis for quite awhile but I am interested in how much really goes on in the scientific community specific to tennis research. Could you share some of the latest findings?

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Answer: In my last column, I reported on some of the latest research findings in tennis that might be applicable to your work as a tennis-teaching professional. This month’s column will serve as the conclusion of that report and, hopefully, you will have gleaned some useful information for your teaching and coaching programs. You might remember that in my last

column, I was discussing the research from the Strength and Conditioning Journal that was completely dedicated to our great sport. I will first continue with that reporting, then discuss some research being conducted by leading investigators.

In the August 2009 issue of the above-mentioned journal, Todd Ellenbecker (a USPTA Master Professional), along with Pluim, Vivier, and Sniteman, discussed common injuries in tennis and the exercises that one might do to address these injuries. Notably, they discussed the lower back and hip, citing several studies that show the impact of repetitive loading on tennis players, which can

Growth spurts in young players can affect balance, footwork, and movement patterns.

Jack Groppel, Ph.D., USPTA Master Professional, is ­co-founder of the Human Performance Institute. He is the author of The Corporate Athlete and co-author of World Class Tennis Technique. Information can be found at­­­energyforperformance.com. www.ADDvantageUSPTA.com

lead to various hip pathologies, lumbar disc disease, sciatica, and facet syndromes. However, these authors discussed that coaches must concern themselves with preventative conditioning strategies to help players, which would include core stability exercises, as well as lunges involving rotation, and various hip rotation training.

Ochi and Campbell, of the USTA Player Development program, discussed the progression of a high performance player, but of note they centered on prepubescent children and training strategies. For males (ages 8-11) and females (ages 9-12), they believe a core concern should involve the nervous system.

However, they advise us to “err on the side of caution, underestimating rather than overestimating the athlete’s neural development.” They believe that “high repetition, low intensity training performed twice a week for 30 minutes is appropriate to develop adaptations in strength, coordination and muscular endurance.” These authors suggest focusing on fundamental skill development such as agility, balance, coordination and speed, in addition to emphasizing whole body strength development and injury prevention.

Another key point from the work of Ochi and Campbell is that pubescent boys (ages 11-15) and girls (ages 10-13) may need to train differently. Since matu-

ration occurs at different points, girls will have the ability to train and develop strength earlier. Boys will definitely develop strength but the ‘window’ is different for strength improvements. They go on to cite that, since growth spurts in young players can affect balance, footwork, and movement patterns, a temporary loss of coordination will occur with rapid height increases. This would create the need for the young athlete to relearn some fundamental movement patterns. Moreover, these authors alert us to the importance of understanding all the issues with young, high-performance athletes, so we can deliver a safe and effective conditioning program.

U S P TA m e m b e r Ma rk ­Kovacs gave a tremendous treatise on lateral movements in tennis, discussing the jab step, pivot step and gravity step in detail. After an examination of the neural aspects of movement required in tennis, he offered practical suggestions for training.

Aside from the specific exercises, however, he observed that the “demands of tennis movement are vastly different from that of other sports, and appropriate training programs should address the work-to-rest ratios, distance, number of directional changes, and the types of movement.”

In the journal’s concluding article, Jeff Greenwald, USPTA,

continued next page ADDvantage/January 2010

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from previous page presented the case that mental skills need to be part of a coach’s arsenal when working with an individual on strength and conditioning. Citing a study from the Institute for the Study of Youth Sports, Greenwald noted that “excess focus on winning was the No. 1 parental factor impacting the players that coaches work with.” And, as parents and players become more focused on outcome, coaches may find themselves in a difficult position.

But, the author offers up that this may also be an opportunity to shift from the outcome goal to a goal of skill mastery. This begins with a player’s sense of autonomy, enhancing focus, and improving the emotional connection between coach and player. Noting that strength coaches and tennis coaches have similar objectives, they should work together, to develop positive relationships and training protocols that will facilitate performance.

Greenwald discussed reflec-

tive listening, the ability to selfdisclose, and the use of positive reinforcement. He concludes his article with comments on goal orientations for parents and players, how to reframe negative self-talk, and how to cultivate a relationship of empathy. A key point in all this seems to be that these are life skills we are teaching to parents and players and not just some specific skill that will only help them be better tennis players.

Changing gears to another arena of research, Professor ­Bonita Marks, at the University of North Carolina, has been conducting fascinating research that can and will continue to have major ramifications for our sport. Dr. Marks has been conducting tennis-specific research for years, examining nutrition habits as well as training and physiological phenomena, but has been aligning herself recently with the effects of exercise on the brain. Dr. Marks has turned her attention to the more seasoned player to find out just what tennis,

along with other types of exercise, does for the brain. We all know the health benefits derived from a lifelong affair with tennis – better reaction time, more muscle, stronger heart, lower cholesterol.

But what about the other part of the body – our brain? We hear a lot about the mind-body connection, especially when it comes to match play or stress management.

But is there more to it than that?

Do people who exercise regularly have stronger brains? More brain power? And if so, are some sports and activities better than others?

There’s a lot of science talk about aerobic activity being “related” to more brain mass and maybe even “causing” more brain volume via less atrophy, but does quantity translate to quality? With the help of a small army of collaborators, including experts from cognitive neuroscience, computer science, radiology, brain resuscitation research and athletic training, Dr. Marks is using MRI techniques to look at the structural integrity of

those brain fibers used to transmit and process thoughts. Specifically, she is comparing brain images of middle-aged and older adults who have been ‘historically’ active to those who have basically been couch potatoes to see if those who have higher aerobic fitness have fibers that have more “integrity” than those who would rather sit and watch Oprah day after day.

The preliminary results are promising – and affirmative. Her next step is to examine people playing tennis, and track what happens to their brain as well as their game.

Dr. Marks is conducting other research that has ramifications for seniors relative to the effects of activity (e.g., tennis) on their overall balance and coordination. After all, falling is a major concern in an aging population.

Dr. Marks is definitely a leading researcher in her field and she loves the game of tennis. I will definitely stay in touch with her and keep you posted on her research findings. 

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ADDvantage/January 2010

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What’s in a name?

by David T. Porter, Ed.D., USPTA Master Professional

I

n Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet, Act 2, Scene 2, Juliet is talking to herself, not knowing that Romeo is listening. She says: ‘‘Tis but thy name that is my enemy; Thou art thyself, though not a Montague.

What’s Montague? it is nor hand, nor foot, Nor arm, nor face, nor any other part Belonging to a man. O, be some other name!

What’s in a name? that which we call a rose By any other name would smell as sweet; So Romeo would, were he not Romeo call’d, Retain that dear perfection which he owes Without that title. Romeo, doff thy name, And for that name which is no part of thee Take all myself.

For some time the tennis industry argued, discussed, challenged one another, took sides, changed sides, closed off their minds, opened up their minds, refused to learn or accept, traveled and/or invested time and money to learn about what was termed Modern Tennis.

Some prominent coaches thought they invented it, owned it, and had the exclusive rights to teach it or develop it. But in reality, it was the term Modern Tennis that was the problem. In 1903, 1904, 1915, 1927, 1928, 1933, 1934, 1957, and in 1975, leading professionals wrote about the current tennis of their day. Each of their books was called Modern Tennis.

Tennis is a constantly changing game influenced by research in

Dave Porter helps professional player Zheng Jie adjust a service motion technique. www.ADDvantageUSPTA.com

Dave and Jie confer on a changeover during a practice set.

science and technology. That research has made and will continue to make advancements in equipment, fitness training and nutrition, strategy (based on statistical analysis and individual player tendencies), technique, mental preparation through the power of full engagement, and more. That is why despite all our discussion there will be other books by other top coaches and writers in the future called Modern Tennis.

Today we have another “rose.” It is referred to as High Performance. Just the mention of that name “high performance” intimidates many teaching professionals and brings with it a fear of inadequacy. Once again, like with the term Modern Tennis, we have a phrase that means different things to different people. To some coaches, players, and even spectators, high performance is competitive tennis, to others it is player development, to still others it is elite tennis, to another group it is limited to professional tennis, and to others it is an attitude or a work ethic. The list could certainly be longer.

In China, where I have the opportunity to visit frequently, parents will ask me to watch their child play and give them some advice or suggestions. The parents tell me their child is a professional player and they have great hopes for his or her future. When I go on the court I often see a child under 10 years old, sometimes as young as four or five. In China, professional is an attitude, a commitment to train and practice, not a designation of economic reality and results and certainly not level of play. Occasionally I am asked to watch these children’s grandparents as they are adopting a professional attitude toward learning the game late in their life.

In December, prior to Christmas, I went to Beijing and invested a week working with Zheng Jie on her serve. As you know, Zheng Jie won both Wimbledon and the Australian Open in doubles in 2006 and in 2008 became the first woman from Asia to reach the

continued next page ADDvantage/January 2010

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from previous page semi-final of a Grand Slam in singles (Wimbledon).

When I returned I began preparation with my college teams for the 2010 spring season. I also returned to some after hours teaching of some talented young pre-teens. I also am fortunate to go on the court with special university guests who bring their racquets with them when they briefly visit our campus. Some of the other coaches, professors, and staff at BYU-Hawaii are always asking me for time on the court, where they hope to improve their game, their results, and their enjoyment. During the summers I travel to New Hampshire and work with 400 young people between the ages of 7-15. These young people are not at Camp Walt Whitman for tennis but tennis is an important part of their weekly schedule and daily options.

Which of these situations is High Performance? Certainly most would agree that training with Zheng Jie is High Performance, but what about training an NCAA Division II nationally ranked men’s and women’s program? Some would say yes, others maybe no.

Is working with collegiate All-Americans High Performance but coaching two of Hawaii’s best young players not High Performance?

What about adults from all over the world who visit our picturesque North Shore campus and bring their racquets hoping to improve their game? Is this time of training considered High Performance for them and for me? What about the summer camp?

Is working with a 5-year-old in China, whose parents have decided to invest the majority of the child’s leisure time in tennis, more or less high performance than working with a seven or eight year old at Camp Walt Whitman whose parents hope that one day that child may try out for the high school team or at least enjoy the game throughout life?

No, there is no difference. I am the same person who steps on each of these courts. My knowledge is the same, my skills are the same, and my intensity and focus are the same. In most cases, the drills are the same.

It is the responsibility of the professional to know what the level of the learner is, what and how much should be introduced, and how much to push the learner (through encouragement and motivation).

High Performance has more to do with the coach than with the student. Certainly a more accurate term might be Player Development (the development of players). As illustrated below players can

develop at all ages.

The USPTA has a Player Development Council, designed and instituted for players of all levels and all ages. A number of the best coaches and tennis minds in the world are members of USPTA’s PDC. They include, Nick Bollettieri, Rick Macci, Emilio Sanchez Vicario, Zina Garrison, Tom Gorman, Yue Wang, Tim Heckler, and Dr.’s Paul Roetert, Jim Loehr, Jack Groppel, and Dave Porter. In addition, special advisors to this committee include, Luis Medeiro, Dr. Martin Baroch, Bill Tym, Brett Hobden, and Lorenzo Beltrame.

The goal of USPTA’s player development program is to assist tennis teaching professionals in becoming better coaches and business men and women within the tennis industry. Its purpose is to help our membership get and keep jobs. Its purpose is to provide knowledge, tips and suggestions, and expertise from decades of research and experience.

High performance, modern tennis, age-group tournament tennis, competitive tennis, junior development, club championships, league tennis, high school tennis, college tennis, professional (prize money) tennis, full engagement, or Tenniscize (Hawaiian Style) for exercise and life satisfaction are all different approaches to the same thing. Becoming the best you can be on a tennis court.

The greatest college basketball coach of all time is considered to be UCLA’s John Wooden. He said once, “I treat all my players the same, differently.” A good example of this principle in our own profession is Mike Van Zutphen currently working in Gadsden, Alabama. Mike has worked with world class players and club players alike. He expects his players, whether tour or club, to give their best, to work their hardest, to learn, to apply lessons, and to perform at their highest level. This is high performance. Mike teaches them the same but also teaches them differently. This is player development.

It is a true professional helping anyone who steps on his court to become better. Mike doesn’t feed every ball the same way, or run every drill for as long or as intensely, but he does expect each player’s best.

What’s in a name? As USPTA professionals we must not get caught up in limiting our growth or our students’ growth because of terminology. High performance is really just player development – a part of overall player development – a piece of the pie.

Seven-year-old Wang YuHui and her 78-year-old grandfather, Wang AnMing, are equally committed to learning today’s “modern” forehand.

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greater depth of knowledge to draw upon when working with a club level 3.5 ladies league team.

USPTA has been and will continue to lead the way in player development.

What’s in a name? Whether we call it high performance, competitive, elite, or player development, we should all be striving to learn the most we can about the various components of the game we teach for a living. This constant search for knowledge is critical to the growth of our membership, our Association, and our profession.

Most of us are past our playing peaks.

We remember our skills at their highest level. Our reference point for our own games is our best year, or tournament, or match.

As player developers, as high performance coaches, as the best tennis teacher in our town, as whatever we may choose to call it, A recreational player moves for a forehand in a A collegiate All-American prepares to nail a let’s help our students raise the level of what backhand in dual-match competition.

3.5 league match. will become their reference point.

I have personally seen Nick Bollettieri work with a 3.0 business Some USPTA professionals like to work with a senior clientele, man, a young talented player (eventual Grand Slam Champion), and others with children of little tennis age, still others with tournament a group of young hopefuls many of which never even made a college playing juniors, or college teams. Some want the thrill of coaching team. And the one constant was Nick. The drills were similar, the and traveling on the professional tour, and others want to spend their intensity and duration different, but the voice, the focus, the man professional lives introducing or maintaining tennis in the lives of was the same. the middle-aged in their communities. All of the professionals who True professionals, like Nick Bollettieri, Mike Van Zutphen, and work in the areas listed above and many others I haven’t mentioned many others can teach anyone of any age. They continue to learn are player-developers. There is a place in our trade association for and to share their knowledge. They are as comfortable with a 3.5 all of them. Their needs are the constant focus of the USPTA Player ladies group as they are with a tour player. I remember Rick Macci Development Council. speaking at our World Conference and talking about an 80 year old These professionals bring the USPTA standard of excellence on man who kept coming back for lessons on his serve. Whether the the court wherever they go, to whoever they teach, regardless of age student is eight or 80 Rick teaches a high performance lesson. Rick or level. Let’s all think of ourselves as the player developers we really has developed skills that allow him to work with any age, any level, are. Let’s continue to learn; for our students’ sake, for job security, on any surface, at any altitude, at any time. These should be our for personal challenge and satisfaction, for our profession. goals. If I can help one of my college players I can help a member Let’s make our trade association truly one that determines the of the English faculty. If I can help a Wimbledon semi-finalist I can way the world learns to play tennis. To do that we must develop help a first year junior camper. To develop players, to expect their and nurture an attitude for learning. It may mean learning things best, their highest performance while giving back our own best is we don’t know (and that can be frightening), understanding how the goal of USPTA professionals worldwide.  and why movement patterns are important, developing an “eye” for seeing the cause and not the effect of a problem, learning the best Partial modern tennis bibliography (by year rather than author): ways to give feedback and why.

1903 Whitman, Malcolm D., The Theory of Play in Modern Lawn ­Tennis, George Bacso used to say, “the best teachers should teach the J.F. Taylor & Co., New York beginners.” As a professor of exercise and sports science with an 1904 Vaile, P.A., Modern Lawn Tennis, William Heineman, London emphasis in motor learning I wouldn’t disagree with him.

1915 Vaile, P.A., Modern Tennis, Funk & Wagnalls, New York A good friend of mine from Camp Walt Whitman is Rob Sherry. 1915 Paret, J. Parmly, Methods and Players of Modern Lawn Tennis, Rob received his doctorate degree from Princeton University in pure American Lawn Tennis, Inc., NY mathematics. For many years Rob chose to teach math at a middle 1927 Alvarez, Lili De, Modern Lawn Tennis, John Lane the Bodley Head, London school. Today he is teaching high school. What a blessing for those 1928 Ritchie, M.J.G., Lawn Tennis the Modern Game, Athletic Publications, London young people to have Rob as an instructor. One of Rob’s strengths 1933 Jacobs, Helen Hull, Modern Tennis, Books, Inc., NY is the knowledge, well beyond what he uses in the classroom, that 1934 Round, Dorothy, Modern Tennis, George Newnes Limited, London he draws upon.

Similarly, a teaching professional who understands the subtle 1957 Mottram, Tony, Modern Tennis, Nicholas Kaye, London nuances in stroke production among today’s top players will have a 1975 Smith, Stan & Lutz, Bob, Modern Tennis Doubles, Atheneum/SMI, New York www.ADDvantageUSPTA.com

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USPTA/HEAD member benefit information To participate in the HEAD equipment program you must enroll only online by going to uspta.com. Enter by logging into uspta.com using your last name and member number. Go to the member benefits section and click on the HEAD logo and follow the instructions. Contracts must be submitted before Jan. 31, 2010.

International members are eligible for the equipment program. However, due to licensing agreements worldwide, HEAD cannot ship product internationally, so you must provide a shipping address in the United States.

Information available at uspta.com: l Racquet l How

contract link

to earn additional racquets

l Master

Pro, P-1, P-2, P-3 and Recreational Coaches allocations

l District

salesmen information

l Link

to the HEAD Web site

And more.

Should you experience any problems with the online contract or need any additional information, please contact Team HEAD at 800-237-5497 or e-mail TeamHEAD@us.head.com.

Sports Attack ad

Cardio Tennis Shootout Rules – 2010 Classifieds The 2010 shootout will consist of a three-ball feeding pattern that emphasizes feeding with rhythm, speed, depth and accuracy.

1. There will be three target areas on the court. (Refer to court diagram.)

2. There will be a wheeled feeding cart full of Pro Penn balls.

3. The contestant may stand anywhere he or she wishes behind the line at the three-fourths court mark.

4. Contestant will have 60 seconds to feed in a set pattern. See court diagram for pattern (left, center, right).

5. Feeds that lands in either “alley” target are worth 2 points. Feeds that land in the “middle” target area are worth 1 point.

6. Each contestant will be allowed six practice feeds. Contestants may not have any balls in their hands at the start of the contest.

7. The winner will be the professional who records the highest number of feeds in the competition.

8. The “time keeper” will call down the time starting at 45 seconds.

9. The “judge” will be the official organizer of the shootout and will likely be a member of the National Cardio Tennis Speakers Team. The judge will collect the scores from the three scorers after each contestant participates. When the contest is over the judge will announce the names of the top three finishers.

10. The judge will also be responsible for foot faults. If the feeder steps out of the designated feeding area the judge will yell out “foot fault” and continue to say “foot fault” until the feeder steps back into the proper feeding area.

11. The judge will get the name, e-mail address and phone numbers of the top three finishers and e-mail the information immediately to Michele Krause at michele@cardiotennis.com.

12. If the feeder disagrees with the final total from the judge, the judge has the final say. (It is actually too distracting for the feeder to feed and count their balls at the same time).

13. If there is a tie, there will be a playoff with the same rules.

Targets and Sequence 1) The target areas are in color and are worth various point values as shown in the diagram.

2) The sequence (order) of targets goes from left to right.

3) The feeder may stand anywhere behind the dotted line. The line should be halfway between the service line and the baseline (9 feet).

4) There are three scorers who stand where shown in diagram.

5) Three scorers are required and count only the target area in front of them as shown in the diagram.

Scorers meet after each round and total the scores for the score keeper.

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DRILLS NEED TENNIS DRILLS? USPTA Master Professional Jorge Capestany’s new Web site has more than 700 videos of tennis drills and tips. Log on to www. tennisdrills.tv to see (and print) more than 18 free samples.

EMPLOYMENT USPTA’s Find-a-Pro. The best job-posting service so you can find the best jobs, free. For more information, visit uspta.com.

REAL ESTATE Private Golf and Country Club in Southeast for sale or lease.

Great upside. 100 percent financing at $15,000/month. Well established facility. Financially secure may contact sportclubsouth@ aol.com.

SUBSCRIPTIONS “Where The Tennis Jobs Are.” A daily list of who is hiring tennis people for only $10 monthly. bob@tennisnews.com.

VACATION OPPORTUNITIES Vacation opportunities for ­tennis professionals at the No. 1 all-­ inclusive Sandals and Beaches ­resorts in Jamaica and St. Lucia for you and your partner. Certification required. For information contact Mike ­Romisher at 847-207-9475 or ­­­­­e-mail Vis10sPro@aol.com.

Vacation/Exchange Program.

Stay at the Iberostar in Mexico in exchange for tennis lessons. www.vacationingcoaches.com.

Telephone 937-885-0468.

Five-Star Caribbean Resorts are Waiting for You! Working ­vacations available for certified tennis professionals. Family and couple resorts available. ­Contact: www.fitbodiesinc.com or call ­Denise Cox, 678-778-4673.

La Quinta, Calif., adjacent to famed La Quinta Resort – 3 bedroom, 3.5 bath, sleeps six. Ideal tennis, golf and swim vacation. Mountain views from all windows. Head pro – former Davis Cup captain, Tom Gorman.

Contact: Brett Arias at 760-7774988.

TENNIS PRODUCTS PRO/COACH PRICING on racquets, apparel, shoes, bags, balls, strings and accessories. Get baskets, carts, training equipment, books, videos and more. www.

TennisExpress.com/800-8336615.

SLINGHOPPER DRILL BAGS Endorsed by Nick Bollettieri and Brad Gilbert. Offering a special $20 rate to USPTA Professionals.

Visit www.slinghopper.com and enter “USPTA” in the promo code at checkout.

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 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 713978-7780, attn: ADDvantage classifieds. No classifieds will be accepted by telephone.

No exceptions are made. USPTA cannot verify nor be responsible for the contents of any advertisement. The USPTA is committed to the policy that all people have equal access to its programs, facilities, employment and membership without regard to race, color, creed, religion, national origin, gender, age, disability, marital or veteran status. USPTA is an equal opportunity employer. USPTA reserves the right to reject any advertisement at its discretion, or to edit the advertisement to be certain that any employment requirements set forth in it conform with the law.

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GetCourtside ad

HEAD ad

Pros save PE classes with volunteer time – and tennis

by Jill Phipps, USPTA staff writer

S

id Newcomb, like the church-sponsored center where he works, is committed to serving the community.

So when he was asked to help fill the growing physical-education void in local schools, this USPTA Professional stepped right up.

Newcomb and two other tennis pros from the Peninsula Covenant Community Center in Redwood City, Calif., are volunteering their time to teach “PE Tennis” in lower-income elementary schools that have lost funding for physical-education classes.

Newcomb, who serves as head tester for the USPTA Northern California Division, is joined by USPTA Professional Francisco Lopez Jr., tennis coordinator at Peninsula Community Center. Jose Avalos, a parttime employee of PCC, also is helping.

The program serves approximately 600 third- through fifth-graders, with about 30 students in each class. The volunteers set up portable nets on the blacktop, or synthetic grass at one school, and provide racquets and balls.

“It’s totally new to the students,” Newcomb said. The coaches teach the basics of forehands, backhands and volleys, and the last two weeks they have the kids playing QuickStart triple format with a foam ball so they get a feel for a competitive rally. But most of all, “the coaches make it fun.”

Newcomb is employed as director of tennis at Peninsula Community Center, a private swim, fitness and tennis club operated by Peninsula Covenant Church in a suburb of the San Francisco Bay Area.

The 43-year-old Newcomb also is an ordained pastor and serves as missions pastor of Peninsula Covenant Church. He has made short-term mission trips to Africa and took players from the community center to the Republic of Malawi to teach tennis.

“It certainly is my personal passion to invest in our community and especially in kids with socioeconomic issues that my children and others at our center don’t have,” Newcomb said. www.ADDvantageUSPTA.com

At the more affluent schools in the area, including the one where two of Newcomb’s five children attend, the Parent-Teacher Association was able to raise enough money to keep physical education in the curriculum.

PE Tennis grew out of an afterschool program Peninsula Community Center runs on a much smaller scale, Newcomb said. Eight years ago he started a program called Life Advantage Tennis and Tutoring, with local high school students and members of the club volunteering as tutors.

“The principal from the school we’re working with told us they were having to drop their PE program and asked if there was anything we could do,” Newcomb explained. In fact, half of the elementary schools in Redwood City were forced to

completely cut their PE programs this fiscal year in the midst of California’s budget crisis.

Along with the tennis outreach, another team of PCC members is teaching basketball at two elementary schools in order to cover all the schools that would have dropped PE. “This is going on all over California,” Newcomb said. He finds this trend particularly disturbing when two of society’s biggest problems are obesity and poor nutrition, he said. Plus, the physical-education pinch affects teachers who lose classroom preparation time when PE periods are dropped.

Peninsula Community Center is sponsoring PE Tennis in conjunction with the Serve the Peninsula Foundation, designed to assist public schools in Redwood City.

“They’re trying to come up with more resources and I’m trying to come up with more people so we won’t burn ourselves out,” Newcomb said of the current

continued next page

Sid Newcomb, USPTA, shares tennis – and smiles – with public school children in Redwood City, Calif., who would have no PE classes without volunteers like him.

ADDvantage/January 2010

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from previous page v­ olunteers.

The volunteer pros have a grueling schedule, teaching five one-hour classes every day. “Then we come back to our club and teach all afternoon and evening,” he said.

They would like to have at least one volunteer to lend a hand during each class.

Each school has five PE classes every weekday – for a total of 25 one-hour “spots” to fill per week.

The pros are spending the first eight weeks of the school year at three of the campuses and will then switch to the others, Newcomb said. The problem is that students at the first three schools won’t have any PE at that point, he pointed out.

“If we have enough resources we will try to run eight-week modules through the end of the school year (in May),” Newcomb said. “It’s not really our goal to teach PE to public schools forever. We’re hoping the budget will be in a better place next year.”

But that doesn’t mean their mission is complete yet. “The kids love the tennis – they’re learning to hit balls and having a blast. Hopefully the exposure will translate

Sid Newcomb helps potential players get pumped up about tennis.

into some kids pursuing it if they have an opportunity,” Newcomb said.

“We have built some scholarships into our junior program and summer camps at the club, and we’re hoping other local clubs and parks and recs will do the same,” he said. “We would like to target some of

these kids that like it and have the ability.

We’re always looking for the talent in the next generation.”  For Newcomb’s contact information, go to peninsulacommunitycenter.com and click on the tennis ball, then the “staff ” button.

Dartfish ad

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ADDvantage/January 2010

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Aer-Flo ad

Tennis the right sport for ADHD kids

by Jian (Jose) Li, Ph.D., USPTA

A

s a tennis-teaching professional and USPTA Ambassador, I have found a unique way to promote Tennis – for the health of it! Since 2006, I have had many opportunities to teach tennis to children with Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder.

ADHD is one of the most common childhood neurobehavioral disorders, affecting 4.5 million American children. A recent survey showed that a total of 15 to 19 million Chinese children suffer from ADHD as well. Inspired by the success of wheelchair tennis and its founder Brad Parks, I thought that if wheelchair tennis can help those people who have physical disabilities, tennis should make a positive impact on millions of children who are diagnosed with mental disorders. In the last three years, I have tried to prove that tennis is the right sport for ADHD kids.

I frequently see questions in my ADHD-tennis Web site mail box such as this: “Besides physically taking his chin in your hand and pointing his face at yours if your ADHD student is not looking at you during the instruction time, do you have other methods to share with us?” I would like to take this opportunity to share with other teaching professionals my hands-on experience with these children.

ADHD kids lack focus, and are moody and hyperactive. ADHD is known to hamper a child’s academic performance. ADHD kids have difficulty reading social cues and have a tough time making friends. They need sports to channel their hyperactivity, however, because they are many times perceived as untalented athletes, they often avoid athletics or are cut from teams by coaches.

Sport participation seems to have a positive effect on the lives of children with ADHD. Tennis is a combination of action and reaction, a physical and mental game. With my years of tennis-coaching experience, I am convinced that tennis could be the right choice for most ADHD kids for two reasons: 1. A few-second ball rally and little “down” time in the game fit the short attention spans of these students.

2. Tennis can provide a training ground to improve concentration skills and emotional control.

“Children with ADHD have the same difficulty with sports that they have in the classroom,” says Jan Seaman, Ph.D., executive director of the American Association of Active Lifestyle and Fitness.

ADHD kids often want to skip the rules in the game. They tend to act before thinking with impulsive behavior. They can be easily distracted, especially during the idle time or game-setup period. They may be prone to tantrums and rages with low frustration tolerance.

All of these student characteristics are nightmares for tennis coaches.

The feeling of “not fitting in” the realm of sports is one of the common threads among ADHD kids. However, we should not overemphasize the odds against these children. They can be very smart. We can make a long list of people who more or less had mental disorders but demonstrated tremendous success in their professions. Looking from another, more positive angle, I try to pay more attention to their thinking habits and reasoning patterns, which are different from those of “normal” people. Understanding those differences can help parents and coaches choose the right sports

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ADHD kids need sports to channel their hyperactivity. and effective drills for them.

When we play any kind of sport, our brain can process both short- and long-duration visual cues within two separate systems that affect our motor behaviors. These two neural systems work together in non-ADHD kids. The short- and long-duration information passes effortlessly from one system to the other, resulting in smooth visual-motor coordination.

Joan N. Vickers, a professor in the faculty of kinesiology – the science of human movement – at the University of Calgary in Calgary, Alberta, Canada, conducted research and showed that, in kids with ADHD, the short-duration system seems to be working normally (this is good news to ADHD-tennis), while the long-duration system may be the problem.

Below I share three instructional tips and drills for dealing with ADHD kids on the tennis court: mind, eye and racquet ­(orientation).

Converging mind When I coach ADHD kids in tennis, I find that they tend to ask more questions (deep questions) than other kids. The two mostasked questions are: • “What does good timing mean?”

• “Where should I look when striking the ball – the target or the ball?”

These are smart questions. It is my turn to satisfy their curiosity by following their thinking patterns. It seems that ADHD kids can perform well if they are convinced up front that what they are doing makes sense to their neural systems. In tournaments, players cannot play well on court if they do not use their brains; however, over-thinking when striking the ball is equally detrimental. When I coach ADHD kids on court, I normally divide instruction and www.ADDvantageUSPTA.com

drill time into three parts: Part I is just for trial-and-error time so they can “verify” the instructions; Part II is dedicated to a “Q & A” focusing on “why to do this”; and Part III is the drill time in which players strike the ball out of “trust” and instinct. Part II is not necessary for other kids, but adds value to the lesson for most ADHD kids on the tennis court.

I translate their “where to look” question into “what should a tennis player’s mind aim at when hitting the ball?” On groundstrokes, the average ball flight time for an 80-mph forehand is about 1.3 seconds. At the end of the flight time, when the ball bounces forward, the receiver needs to respond to the ball by: a) reacting (human beings’ reaction time is about 0.2 seconds) b) acting in multitasks (e.g., grip change, hit zone setup, and ball strike).

Normally, the receiving player has enough time to react, but feels “too busy” and has “no time” to act. Managing the reaction and action times wisely is a big challenge to every tennis player, and especially to children with ADHD who lack concentration.

I coach ADHD kids to first consider the value-added tasks only (where to hit, shot selection, opponent’s signals) when reacting to an opponent’s groundstroke. And, then teach them to mentally converge on critical targets to act when the ball bounces in about 0.2 seconds. Finally, I teach them to concentrate on the only object: the ball at impact.

Figure 1: Converging-mind diagram The mind’s path in ball striking follows the “3C” sequence. In about a 1-second time span, as a process: Consider (requiring sound judgment), converge (requiring good habits) and concentrate (requiring discipline). Figure 1 illustrates my converging mind pyramid, which explains the mind target in a dynamic fashion. It applies to every tennis player. However, the second “C” (converge) is more important to ADHD kids. They need the second C to bridge the judgment phase to the concentration phase. A “converging mind” is a good trait that most ADHD kids can be trained to develop on a tennis court.

In the last 1/200th of one second at contact, when the ball is fully compressed, our eyes cannot see the ball on the sweet spot, but our minds can “see” the ball impacting the racquet by imagination and sensation. Here, emphasizing the mind rather than the eye makes more sense to ADHD kids. I keep telling them that “If your eyes are busy as you radar everything (called “bouncy eyes”) on court, your mind cannot guide you to time the ball right.” It makes more sense to emphasize mind converging ability first before asking them to “look at the ball” in the game. Learning how to converge their mind on court will help ADHD kids to improve their attention ability in their daily life as well.

Quiet eyes A couple of years ago, I read an article, “My quiet eye,” which was featured on PBS’ “Scientific American Frontiers” program Web site. www.ADDvantageUSPTA.com

Alan Alda not only narrated the piece, but also demonstrated Joan Vickers’ eye-tracking apparatus to tune up his basketball free throw.

“All along I thought I was focusing my eyes on my target. Little did I know that my eyes were actually busy looking around,” he said. In Vickers’ recent study, the data reveals exactly how ADHD adversely affects a person’s ability to take in and process the visual information needed for good eye-hand coordination in table tennis.

The basic idea behind “quiet eye” is that your brain needs a window of time to receive the right information in order to organize the movement and then control it while it is occurring. Focus and concentration through QE needs to be directed to the locations or objects that matter, while all else can be ignored.

Do ADHD kids have trouble tracking the ball? Vickers’ research results showed that: 1. ADHD kids have much jumpier eyes with a frequency almost double that of other kids.

2. ADHD athletes have different think paths in processing visual information.

3. ADHD mainly affects the long-duration system, which requires both memory and concentration skills and they should do as well as other kids in dealing with short-duration tasks.

In tennis, the player has to track the ball early in flight in order to determine where it will be when it is hit by the racquet. The research shows that ADHD players tend to see it later rather than earlier, so they should track the ball closely as it comes off their opponent’s racquet and during the first part of its flight. The flight of the ball has to be assessed early so the hitting action can be set up and organized correctly. The challenge is to improve the gaze of ADHD kids so they can obtain all the visual information they need to accurately return the fast ball.

Vickers’ research results helped me to develop a “focus on the right thing” drill for ADHD kids. One exercise we use to help ADHD players see the ball while it is coming toward them is to mark signs and numbers (with different colors) on the tennis ball and ask the players to call out the color, sign and number before the ball is received. The drill causes ADHD kids to focus on the ball and also tells the coach if they did see the signs and numbers marked on the ball.

Use imagination: flashlight drill The brain is thought to process visual and tactile motion separately; however, the latest neuroscience research shows that the senses of vision and touch are closely linked, and that each can influence the other. We mentally rehearse or imitate every action we witness. The power of visual instruction in tennis has been demonstrated and promoted by many tennis-teaching professionals in the past 10 years thanks to the availability of advanced high-speed digital camera systems and sophisticated analysis software. For coaching certain skills, I have found that traditional verbal instruction is not as effective as visual instruction when coaching ADHD kids. In the last two years, I have tried several coaching methods using visual instruction and imaginary drills. Both seem to play key roles in linking the senses of vision and touch as well as the short- and long-duration systems.

For example, when teaching the forehand, I use two stroke keys: 1) Use the racquet cap (butt) to point to the coming ball before the forward swing, and 2) use the racquet butt to point toward the ball continued next page ADDvantage/January 2010

23

from previous page as it leaves the racquet face at the finish of the stroke. Those two keys are the “anchors” for coaching the right form of locked wrist at contact and the windshield follow-through on the forehand. I have no trouble with non-ADHD kids following these two instructions.

Simply showing the visual images (see photos below in Fig. 2) can help students remember these two keys.

Figure 3: Flashlight drills help understanding correct racquet orientation

Figure 2: Racquet orientations before and after striking the ball When coaching ADHD kids on these two stroke keys, I had a different experience, which led me to develop more effective drills for them. I realized that using a flashlight in this forehand drill is really helpful to ADHD kids (see photos below). The visual images show the two checkpoints: before contact and after the follow-through. The first photo shows the flashlight pointed to the coming ball, while the second photo shows the flashlight pointed at the ball after it leaves the racquet. When both keys are applied to the forehand, students have a better understanding of racquet orientation. Making contact with a laid-back wrist and finishing with a windshield follow-through are automatically conducted with ease in forehand coaching.

A combination of medications and behavioral therapy is the mainstream ADHD treatment. Playing tennis is a helpful sport supplement for ADHD kids in managing their hyperactivity, impulsiveness, inattention, and symptoms of anxiety and depression.

According to Dr. Paul Wender, author of the bestselling book “The Hyperactive Child, Adolescent, and Adult,” many ADHD children tend to behave several years younger than their chronological age. To be a successful ADHD tennis coach, my advice is that you should be prepared and experienced to coach young kids with fun, encouragement, method and passion.

I would like to share a quote from tennis great Martina Navratilova to conclude my ADHD tennis introduction in this article: “I just try to concentrate on concentrating on the tennis court.”  Jian (Jose) Li is a tennis-teaching professional certified by USPTA. He is the founder of ADHD-Tennis, a nonprofit organization (www.adhdtennis.org), in California’s Bay Area. He holds a Ph.D. from Cornell University. He can be reached at jose@adhd-tennis.org.

Sportmaster ad

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ADDvantage/January 2010

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USPTA drills Approach and passing shot drill

Type: Singles Levels: Intermediate/adv.

prepared by USPTA

Description and goals: This drill works on approach and passing shots, and allowing the net player to hit volleys as the point is played out. Approaching player should focus on keeping the approach shot low and covering the net. Passing player should work on keeping the passing shot low to the net.

Organization: The pro hits a short ball near the service line so Player A must move in and hit an approach shot. Player A hits the approach shot to Player D’s backhand. Player D can hit the passing shot either down the line or crosscourt. Players then play out the point. After the point ends the next player rotates in to play

Crazy doubles

Description and goals: Drill designed for doubles practice with emphasis on controlling and taking away the net. Baseline team should focus on keeping the ball low. Net team should work on controlling the net and winning points with volleys.

Organization: Team A starts at the service line and B starts at the baseline. Pro feeds the ball to team A. Team A hits volley and the point starts.

Players can hit the ball anywhere and any shot. The point is played out and score kept for best of three. If team A wins, it stays for another game with team C. If team B wins, it replaces team A www.ADDvantageUSPTA.com

the approach shot. Players rotate to the other side of the court after 7 points.

Variations: Passing shots must be hit either down the line or crosscourt. Approach shots are hit down the line. Have the approaching player move in early on her own. Play to 11 points.

Key points: Approach shot should be low to keep from getting passed too easily.

Passing shots should be kept low to keep net player from hitting a winning volley.

Type: Doubles Levels: Beginner/int./adv.

prepared by USPTA

Category: Approach/passing/volley Time/players: 15 minutes/1-6

Category: Doubles Time/players: 10 minutes/1-8

opposite the pro and plays team C. Pro should feed next shot as soon as possible to make the new net team run and move as much as possible.

Variations: Have team B start on the service line. Do it for singles with player B on the baseline and player A hitting low volleys. Have team A start on the baseline and approach the net.

Key points: Players should focus on keeping the ball low to net players and net players should focus on controlling the net and staying aggressive.

Generated by iTennisSystem – www.InterTennis.com

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Career Development conventions (division conventions, 5 credits) Jan. 15-17

Jan. 29-31

Jan. 30-31

Feb. 5-6

Feb. 5-7

Feb. 11-14

Feb. 12-14

Feb. 19-21

Feb. 27- March 1 March 5-7

New England Division Rye, N.H. Northern Division Eden Prairie, Minn.

California Division Manhattan Beach, Calif.

Middle States Division Landisville, Pa. Northern California Division Stanford, Calif.

Texas Division Grapevine, Texas Intermountain Division Denver Missouri Valley Division Prairie Village, Kan. Midwest Division Dublin, Ohio Mid-Atlantic Division Charlottesville, Va.

specialist degrees Little Tennis®



Facility Management



Computer Technology



exams, upgrades & certification review courses (4 credits for PTCA I segment) Jan. 8 Jan. 9-10 Jan. 10 Jan. 14-15 Jan. 17 Jan. 23-24 Jan. 25-26 Jan. 31 Jan. 31 Feb. 5 Feb. 6 Feb. 7 Feb. 7-8 Feb. 7-8 Feb. 11-12 Feb. 12

Minneapolis Aurora, Ill. Ormond Beach, Fla. New Castle, N.H. Lexington, Ky. Boca Raton, Fla. Houston* Clive, Iowa Manhattan Beach, Calif.

Landisville, Pa. St. Louis Hilton Head Island, S.C. Los Angeles Palo Alto, Calif.

Flushing, N.Y. Greenwood, Colo.

Feb. 12 Feb. 13 Feb. 13-14 Feb. 13-14 Feb. 14-15 Feb. 15 Feb. 20 Feb. 21 Feb. 22-23 Feb. 27-28 March 13 March 13 March 14 March 14 March 20-21 March 21

Phoenix Gastonia, N.C. Atlanta Seattle Dallas Williamsburg, Va. Memphis, Tenn.

Clearwater, Fla. Houston* Columbus, Ohio Rochester, N.Y. Oklahoma City Bonita Springs, Fla. Jackson, Miss.

Boca Raton, Fla. Birmingham, Ala.

* 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 PTCA I unless noted. Exam cancellations must be received no later than 14 days before the exam, or a cancellation fee will be charged accordingly. Applicant: 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 The ABCs of stroke production, Jan. 30, Manhattan Beach, Calif., D. Henson Creative drill design, Feb. 14, Grapevine, Texas, J. Dinoffer Right clicks: Making technology and the Web work for you, Feb. 11, Grapevine, Texas, R. Mattingley

Sport Science



Competitive Player Development



Pro Shop Operations





Wheelchair Tennis

CPD (Competitive Player Development) – Gained through the USA ­Tennis High Performance Coaching Program ­administered by the USA Tennis Coaching ­Education Department.

For more information about USPTA’s specialist degrees, including applications, please visit our Web site at www.uspta.com or contact the USPTA Education Department at 800-USPTA-4U or education@ uspta.org.

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. Schedule is subject to change.

Call the USPTA Education Department for more information or e-mail education@uspta.org.

Earn education credits from World Conference DVDs (Seminar DVDs, ½ credit/specialty course DVDs, 2 credits) Receive your education credit report card via e-mail by visiting the members-only section of uspta.com.

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ADDvantage/January 2010

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Industry action

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Industry action

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