Addvantage 2018 February

National Head Tester Sid Newcomb

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FROM THE CEO

We Have built it and they are coming...

John R. Embree, USPTA Chief Executive Officer

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experience for their tournament y the time you read this issue of Tennis Industry, the directors and staff totaling 55 people United States Professional Tennis Association will have from all over the country who came occupied our new high tech, eco-friendly headquarters for in for 2 + days of meetings. What a a little over five months. Our new staff could not be more spectacular event it was! engaged and could not be happier with the environment that Two days later, USTA National then the new building provides. Members who have been able to held a negotiating seminar for 40 tour our complex and industry personnel who have dropped in people followed by Fromuth Tennis to see what we have constructed have shared their enthusiasm hosting their Christmas party the very next night. On the for the vision that was created and the outcome. schedule in the coming months, USTA Player Development People have asked me, if anything, what would I have done will hold two of their high-performance coaching seminars in differently now that we are fully operational. Candidly, there is January and May, each for five days, while USTA Diversity & very little that I would change. From the planning stages to the Inclusion will conduct its two and one-half day session in midbuildout, this structure has met all our expectations and much January for 40 plus people. And there will be more to come! more. We continue to tweak things and improve upon what I would never have imagined that we would have received was constructed but the ongoing modifications are minor in this kind of overwhelming response. If our environment was the grand scheme of things. not top drawer and first class, this would not be happening. We The only issue that we must address is the shading of our windows. Because of our north/south orientation and the floor to ceiling windows throughout, the morning sun with the easterly exposure and the afternoon sun with our westerly exposure can really heat up the windows, thereby making it uncomfortable for the staff who are stationed there. In addition, the sun’s glare makes it a bit difficult to focus on our four beautiful 55” TV screens in the training/classroom during presentations. Had we known better, we would have installed shades to minimize these issues.

No problem: we are addressing this concern and will have ample shading in the space by the time you read this column.

USPTA CEO John Embree gives a tour of the new offices in Lake Nona.

Meanwhile, one of the most unexpected and unintended consequences of our new digs happens to are delighted to have these groups being exposed to the USPTA be the size of our training room with its incredible flexibility. and how we can work together to grow the game. This is true As it turns out, we happen to have the only meeting space collaboration in every sense of the word. This can only foster available anywhere on the National Campus that can host a relationship with the governing body that is healthy and meetings, training sessions, receptions, etc. for more than positive.

30 people. We have the capability to allow groups up to 70 I have no idea how many events we will bring to our people, either in schoolroom or theatre style, to enjoy the headquarters in 2018. But, what I can guarantee is that it will surroundings. Additionally, the café area that bleeds into the be numerous. We will welcome them all and our membership classroom is ideal for catering lunches, dinners, etc.

As a result, we have held multiple events in the space already at large can take incredible pride in what our new USPTA home offers. This would not have happened had we remained with various departments at the USTA and USTA Florida. in Houston. Had we stayed, it would have been the biggest In early December, our neighbors, USTA Florida, hosted a mistake in our association’s history: that I am convinced. two-day sales training for their entire staff of 45 people. That Yes, we have built it and they are coming… * following weekend, USTA Pro Circuits created a lovely dining

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FROM THE Board

Looking ahead Feisal Hassan, USPTA First Vice President

I

and uniform from Pocatello, Idaho n the past two years, it has been an honor for me to co-chair to Brunswick, Georgia. The goal is to both the National Testing and Certification Committee and provide a certification pathway that the National Education Committee. is easily accessible from any location I would like to reflect on what these committees in the country. accomplished in 2016-2017 to help meet USPTA’s mission statement to elevate the standards of tennis-teaching Finally, it had become apparent professionals and coaches. that there were too many barriers The National Testing and Certification Committee entered to a smooth transition from certified Professional to Elite 2016 with three goals. First and foremost, to bring a “personal Professional. To make upgrading to the Elite classification touch” back to the organization. We reached out to our members level attainable, a task force was created to research and review to see how we were doing. While much of the feedback was the upgrade process. Based on these findings, the process was positive, some felt that the USPTA was only interested in getting significantly streamlined. Applicants still must be 22-years-old membership dues and have scored Elite Professional on all and that we lacked the aspects of stroke production, private, personal touch, or caring and group lessons. Next, they must take of members after the and pass the online Elite stroke analysis testing and certification exam. Third, the applicant must take exam. and pass the online written Elite exam.

As a membershipLastly, the certification requires taking based trade association, three online courses and a webinar this was concerning. It focusing on the business side of the is imperative that we are profession. All courses are available doing the best we can online. to serve our members, To improve tennis-teaching as they are the lifeblood professionals off-court development, of the association. the National Education Committee National Head Tester Sid Newcomb giving a lesson.

The first thing we did developed the Leadership Academy. This was instill a paradigm two-and-a-half-day event is tailored shift from “testing and certifying” to “educating and for tennis-teaching professionals looking to transition from evaluating.” We geared the Professional certification level to teaching on-court to off-court managerial roles like tennis on-court education and evaluation, and structured the Elite directors or general managers within a club or organization.

Professional certification toward off-court training, growth, The Leadership Academy will provide in-depth training of and development. We also developed three education modules new concepts and trends such as supervision, management, for the Professional level. These education modules will help and leadership skills that will help tennis-teaching applicants be better equipped to deliver high quality tennis professionals in their current and future positions. The instruction in their professional setting. inaugural Leadership Academy will be at the USPTA National Headquarters in Lake Nona in July 2018. Registration for Second, we sought to develop and maintain consistent the Leadership Academy will be announced later along with policies and procedures in both testing and training. This goal was developed and implemented to ensure equity in the application requirements.

As I stated earlier, we are here for our membership. And we educating and evaluating of members. The implementation continue to strive to make the USPTA the premiere tenniswas led by National Head Tester, Sid Newcomb, with teaching certification association. But to improve, we need to significant input from our regional head testers. Sid travels listen to our members. I thank every one of our members for the country and works closely with our head testers and the their support and commitment to the USPTA. Here’s to having National Testing and Certification Committee to provide a a great 2018 on and off the court. * certification training and testing process that is consistent

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MASTER PRO corner Roger Federer photo courtesy of Wilson Sports

Timing the Serve of World’s top Players Does the kinetic chain model benefit tennis-teaching technique?

by James R. Shaughnessy, USPTA Master Professional

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he sciences of kinesiology and biomechanics have long lauded the benefits of the kinetic chain model and Duane Knudson, PHD explains that, in 1955 the term “kinetic chain” was modified from what was, originally, an engineering term - the “kinematic chain.” “Despite the original major problem classifying human movement in engineering terms, the ‘kinetic chain model’ is currently, a commonplace tool in the top professional, fitness, allied health, and sports coaching realms. In their literature, both the International Tennis Federation (ITF) and the United States Tennis Association High Performance Coaching Program (USTAHPCP) have adopted the kinetic chain concept as a crucial teaching construct.

By coaching players to obey the principles of the kinetic chain, it is thought that, players will create the most effective tennis shot, with the most efficient use of energy and a low chance for injury. This article examines a recent study quantifying the frequency of use of the kinetic chain model

by ATP World Tour#1 ranked players, and examines ways the USPTA pro can easily detect and employ three newly identified paired technique events used by these #1 players.

As the kinetic chain is a purported guidepost to efficient play, tennis professionals considering its usefulness in developing and correcting tennis serving technique, naturally expect the world’s #1 players to exhibit the characteristics of the kinetic chain. In the typical representation of the model, kinetic chain force is transferred sequentially from ground to legs to hips to trunk and back to shoulders then, to elbow to wrist (shown in Figure 1.)

Research in the study showed however, there is a quantifiable time span of less than one second for the observation of the summation of the forces in the kinetic chain to occur. The naked eye, of even the most experienced observer cannot quantitatively assess the multitude of essential data, i.e.; the positions, the joint displacements, the joint angular velocities, and the angular velocities of the many body parts responsible in less than one second. In its attempt to aid coaches, the ITF and the USTAHPCP recommends the use of slow motion video so that coaches, well versed in kinetic chain theory, may more accurately speculate to a player’s efficiency. Beyond speculation, however, accurate, objective assessment requires viewing the serve, in multiple planes simultaneously, with quantifiable velocities, preferably from unfettered live tournament play.

Therefore, for corroboration of the use of the kinetic chain in developing and correcting tennis serving technique and reducing injury with accurately measured kinematics, a quantitative analysis was performed on some of the world’s #1 ranked ATP players in live match play using advanced technology.

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Roger Federer

Two methods of quantitative analysis were used to check for evidence of use of the kinetic chain model (shown Figure 1.) For example, does use of the chain transfer force (dependent on linear velocity) or muscle torque (dependent on rotational velocity?)

Are these forces blended in a certain sequence?

Therefore, linear velocity and rotational velocity was measured both independently and blended using advanced software and multiple highspeed video cameras. (Ariel Performance Analysis System and SCIO 3D Library of Live Match Play.)

RESULT #1

Figure 1

Djokovic, Federer, Murray, and Roddick break the kinetic chain model. None of the 10 serves displayed the perfect sequencing of segment rotations demanded by the kinetic chain model.

Figure 2 displays the results of the average sequencing of serving events of Djokovic, Federer, Murray, and Roddick.

RESULT #2

Surprisingly, the study also revealed three events that occur simultaneously in the motion of all the #1’s in the study, in all 10 serves. These three identified events are easily seen by slow motion video and might be used by tennis pros daily for more easily assessing a players’ kinetic energy transfer while serving. The serves of Djokovic, Federer, Murray, and Roddick all sequence three pairs of events which occur simultaneously: a) The toss arm begins to drop (upper arm abduction) at the same moment the ball toss reaches its peak. b) The left toes leave the ground at the same instant Figure 2 the racket reaches its lowest point in the power loop or windmill position. c) When the toss hand and forearm complete their dropping THE ANALYSIS or braking action, the hitting hand wrist reaches maximum Four players with a #1 ranking on the ATP Tour were analyzed. extension at the wrist (hand bent back.)

The players were Novak Djokovic (before and after changing his serve), Roger Federer, Andy Murray (before and after back surgery), and Andy Roddick.

RESULT #3 Players’ data was captured from 2009-2014 at ATP Tour For the most part the concept of a summation of forces via a 1000 events during live match play. 10 strokes were selected “kinetic chain” held true, although the sequence used by the for analysis - seven ace serves of 127-134 mph and three second #1’s does not match the commonly taught kinetic chain model. serves of 97-104 mph.

See Figure 2.

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1

Toss at peak

Ball not at peak

HOW THE ANALYSIS CAN BE USED

Coaches can use the new knowledge and observation of the three newly revealed sequenced pairs to: 1) Peak and Drop Improve timing and maximize cartwheel motion of the shoulders and upper trunk (which research shows, is responsible for most of the momentum created by the trunk motion.)

Arm dropping too soon

Incorrect

2 Incorrect

Arm drop and shoulder cartwheel too early

Correct Racquet at lowest point

Racquet not at lowest point

3

Incorrect

3) Brake and Bend Perfect the timing of maximum hand extension at the wrist, to ensure an efficient stretch shortening cycle of the muscles which are responsible for rotating the hand and racquet about the wrist into impact. (In this study, Andy Roddick reached a maximum hand rotation angular velocity of 2216° per second while Roger Federer achieved 2397° per second.)

CONCLUSION

Toe off

Toe off

2) Toe Off Racket Down Perfectly time the leg drive. Timing the left toe off correctly is an indication of efficient momentum transfer from the legs to the trunk and back which is said to be responsible for 54 percent of the force in serving according to Dr. Ben Kibler. Additionally, Bruce Elliot PhD states that, timing the leg correctly will efficiently transfer momentum into a maximum stretch on the internal rotators of the humerus at the shoulder joint.

The analysis of the serving technique data of Djokovic, Federer, Murray, and Roddick to confirm their use of the kinetic chain model revealed that, they do not perfectly conform to the classic model in every way. Additionally, three pairs of cues were discovered in every serve studied regardless of player, stance, toss height, Maximum or backswing style. With the use of wrist extension a simple camera phone these paired technique points can easily be detected in any student’s serve and used to contribute to maximal summation of forces.*

Correct

Arm has not dropped Maximum wrist extension Arm drop complete

James R. Shaughnessy MSS, CSCS, is a USPTA Master Pro specializing in the application of sports biomechanics to elite tennis players at the USTA Regional Training Center, at Tucker Tennis Academy in Tulsa, Oklahoma. He is an award-winning professional with 28 years of experience as a speaker, researcher, analyst and consultant in sports biomechanics, 3D motion analysis and computerized exercise prescriptions.

He is the founder of SCiO 3D Sports.

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inside coaching

Timing and the Contact Zone

By Scott Ford, USPTA Elite Professional

R

andom House defines timing as: “selecting the best time for doing something in order to achieve the desired effect.” In tennis, the desired effect is the ball going over the net and into the court. Nowhere in the definition of timing does it say that this desired effect needs to be achieved through the performance of biomechanically sound stroking techniques. It just says that you have to select the best time for doing something to achieve the desired effect. The one thing you have to do for the ball to go over the net and into the court is create a contact event between the ball and your racquet. Timing then, is all about selecting the best time to create the event of contact. So, how do you select the best time to create contact?

(Fig. 1) Snapshot of the contact zone.

A Snapshot of the Contact Zone

Let’s look at timing relative to your contact zone by using two imaginary windows as a visual representation of your contact zone.

Imagine one window spanning the court in front of you at a comfortable arm’s length and another imaginary window of the same dimensions located right against your body. You then have two imaginary windows; a front window representing the front side of your contact zone, a middle area, and a back window representing the back side of your contact zone.

Now you have a 3-D contact zone spanning the court in front of you containing height, width, and depth, and if we assign numbers to the different depths of your contact zone, you can start to measure the relative timing of your own strokes. (Fig. 2, 3, 4)

3-Depth (Fig. 2) The front side of your contact zone is a 3-Depth.

Positive, Neutral, and Negative Timing

Every ball that enters your contact zone can be contacted at one of these three depths and where you make contact gives you an objective look at your timing relative to your contact zone. Contact at a 3-Depth means that your stroke was in full control of the contact zone; the ball never penetrated the contact zone. Contact occurred at the exact point in space and time that the ball first entered your contact zone, the 3-Point. Contact at the 3-Point is positive timing.

If you make contact at a 2-Depth, then the ball controlled the positive half of the contact zone and your stroke controlled the negative half. Contact at the 2-Point is neutral timing.

Contact at a 1-Depth means that the ball was in complete control of the contact zone while your stroke never entered into your own contact zone. Contact at the 1-Point is negative timing.

2-Depth (Fig. 3) The middle of your contact zone is a 2-Depth.

Contact Point Awareness

Using this simple measuring system for your contact, you can start observing and identifying the contact depth of each and every ball you hit. Did contact occur at a 3-Depth, a 2-Depth, or a 1-Depth? A good drill is to call your depth of contact; you made contact somewhere. Was

1-Depth (Fig. 4) The back side of your contact zone is a 1-Depth.

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inside coaching

Ball

OSITIVE)

3-Depth (P

Front Side Middle

Contact Zone

Back Side

EUTRAL) 2-Depth (N EGATIVE) 1-Depth (N

The diagram above shows positive, neutral, and negative timing;

it a three, a two, or a one? Immediate verbal feedback on your depth of contact.

You will find that identifying your depth of contact on every ball is not as easy as it sounds. But with practice, you will soon be able to observe and identify your contact depth every time you hit the ball. You will also start to observe the areas of your contact zone in which your timing is positive and the areas in which your timing is neutral or negative.

If you watch professional tennis players from the perspective of their contact zones, you will notice that the majority of their contact occurs in the positive half of their contact zone: at a 3-Depth or a 2-Depth. But when you watch recreational players from the same perspective, you will notice that the majority of their contact occurs in the negative half of their contact zone: at a 2-Depth or a 1-Depth. You can also take a look at your own game from the perspective of your own contact zone, and find out whether you are making contact in the positive or negative half of your contact zone.

Fixing Bad Timing

So how do you fix a student’s bad timing? If their timing is negative, how do you make it positive? I have found that using their contact zone as a standard of measurement makes it not only possible to observe and objectively measure their depth of contact, but it is also possible to make measurable changes to improve their timing. For instance, if they are making contact at a 1-Depth in the lower right quadrant of

their contact zone, you know their timing is negative in that quadrant. Perhaps their timing is variable in their lower left quadrant, meaning their timing varies in that quadrant; they make contact at a 2-Depth one time, a 3-Depth the next, and a 1-Depth after that. Variable timing is a common problem with recreational players and is a root cause of many of their technical errors. Solving the problem is a matter of changing their variable timing into constant timing, and for consistency in timing they can use the front window of their contact zone (3-depth) as their timing constant.

Here’s a drill that gives your students a firsthand experience of what constant positive timing feels like and what it can do for their overall performance on the court. It is a timing exercise and it involves concentrating only on making contact at the 3-Depth.

Think of it this way: if all they had to do with the oncoming ball was contact it at the front window of their contact zone; that would not be a difficult task to complete. So that’s their task. And it is their only task. Instuct them to use their strokes to make contact with the oncoming ball at their front imaginary window. Nothing more, nothing less. Say “yes” if they are successful. Say “no” if they are not. Again, immediate verbal feedback.

As your students begin to make consistent contact at the front window of their contact zone not only will they be changing their variable timing into constant positive timing, but they will also see what positive timing can do for their game.*

Author, clinician, and performance specialist, Scott Ford has been a USPTA Professional since 1977. He is the author of Design B: How To Play Tennis In the Zone (1984), Welcome To The Zone: Peak Performance Redefined (2014), and Integral Consciousness and Sport: Unifying Body, Mind, and Spirit through Flow (2016). Scott teaches peak performance in tennis at Rocky Mountain Tennis Center in Boulder, Colorado.

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inside coaching

personality traits that make a great Director of Tennis?

by Boris Fetbroyt, USPTA Elite Professional

A

let his staff settle with what they have.

Continuous education is a must in the tennis industry.

s a director of tennis, it is important that you lead by example. With that in mind, here are 13 traits I believe will make a for a great director of tennis for any organization.

Adaptablity

It’s important as a director to understand how to deal with each staff member in a certain way. What might work for one staff member might not work for the other. So as a director be ready to adapt to each one of your staff members; it’s important to understand there are many different ways of getting the message across to each individual.

A great example can be when giving a lesson, you might breakdown a forehand to a client one way, but the next client won’t understand it as well, so you have to find a different way to deliver your message.

Positivity

It’s important to understand that employees at all levels make mistakes, it’s how you as a director react to those mistakes will determine the success of your employee. By reacting with a positive outlook and showing some other possible solutions that could have taken place, you as a director show that you care about your employee and in return the employee would try and make sure they don’t repeat the same mistake again. Creating positive feedback will create a positive and hardworking environment; negative feedback will have a complete different result.

Honesty

Honesty is a very important trait to have and understand. It’s important a director is honest with all his employees because honesty will only provide growth for the employee’s professional development.

In a tennis situation, be honest as a director about some of the things that you enjoyed about your staff’s lesson and some of the things you would like to see improved in their lesson plans. Honesty

Open Mindedness

shouldn’t be looked at as negative feedback. The staff must understand it’s a way for them to get better in their development and all types of feedback should be encouraged.

As a director, make sure to encourage your employees to keep growing their personal brand. Motivate them to continue obtaining certifications and professional development credits through the USPTA Education Program.

By pushing them to better themselves, you show that you care about your staff and that you want what’s best for them. I personally think a director should never

Even though directors run the program and oversee staff, it’s very important a director stays open-minded. I would recommend having a meeting every 7-8 weeks with staff to discuss potential new programs and have each staff member present an idea. You never know what your staff will come up with. Being a close-minded director will limit your tennis programs.

Passion

A director’s position requires a passionate individual. As we know, a tennis professionals job isn’t the normal 9 to 5, we put in 70-hour work weeks between lessons, admin work, facility management, stringing, events, and committee meetings. It’s very important that we enjoy what we do because we spend the majority of our life at the club.

If you aren’t passionate about what you do in life you should seriously reconsider your career.

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inside coaching

Communication

In order to be an effective leader, one must have clear communication skills with staff and members. Some tips in effective communicating are: Prepare how you’ll communicate • Simplify the goal.

• Anticipate the receiver’s viewpoint and feelings.

• Plan wisely before sending out messages or meeting in person.

Carry out the message • Direct your meaning with conviction.

• Relate the message to your bigger goals.

• Identify the action to be taken.

• Confirm the other person understands.

Receive the message • Keep an open mind.

• Identify key points in the message.

• Value constructive feedback and use it to grow.

• Confirm your understanding.

Creativity

It’s very important to keep your tennis program creative. Members will get bored and tired of the same old programs every week. In order to run a successful program and keep the interest of members, we must continue to be creative. Adding new programs every eight weeks will keep your tennis program fresh and can also potentially gain the attention of new members.

Confidence

Employees like to work with leaders who are confident. There is an expected

tendency to trust people more when they appear self-assured. Dealing with a confident person helps assure us that the person is also experienced. Of course, you could argue that someone could be trusted, but not confident, or confident, and not trusted. This could be the case sometimes but it’s not typical.

Consistency

To be a great leader, it’s important to stay consistent in your programming. I often have seen situations where directors implement a policy and don’t follow through with it. An example could be having a tennis staff meeting every other Friday. Often, we start the program with great intentions just to have it fade as the months go by. Staying consistent in staff policies and procedures will help you achieve your long-term tennis goals.

Some examples where tennis programs tend to fade in the private club industry are women inter and intra club teams along with USTA teams. There is usually a lot of excitement during practices and as the season comes to an end, players tend to drop off. Be creative! Create an offseason tennis clinic to prep ladies for the upcoming season. Stay consistent throughout the whole year and remember to keep the momentum going and build on it.

Vision

Every tennis program is different; some clubs are super active, and some clubs are low key. Every club has different goals depending on what type of club they are and what they are looking for in their tennis program. As a director, it’s your responsibility to make sure your staff understands the vision of the tennis program that you and management share. Long and short-

term goals for the tennis program can help staff understand what is wanted and needed in the program. Often upcoming clubs would love to fill up their courts anyway they can just to gain interest of members; sometimes a way of doing that is by allowing non-members to participate. Financially stable clubs might have other plans. They might like to leave the courts open so that members have better access to them at any time during the day. The need for revenue isn’t as important in that particular case.

Commercial clubs rely on tennis revenue whereas Country Clubs receive revenue through membership dues. So the vision factor plays an important role on what is expected.

Care

A director must understand that life happens and sometimes it can’t be always about work. Great directors tend to always care about what’s going on in their staff’s lives. If there are any personal issues that staff members need to talk about, a director should always have their door open. A director that cares about their staff and not only about work, will connect with staff members in a greater way than a director that cares about results and revenue.

Responsibility

It’s important to understand we all make mistakes and we are just as human as everyone else. To gain respect from employees, it’s important we own up to our mistakes and take responsibility.

Playing the blame game will only create a distant and negative relationship among employees, which could lead to negative results at your club. The most positive and beneficial thing that comes from personal mistakes is the learning experience. *

USPTA Elite Professional Boris Fetbroyt is the director of tennis at the Country Club of Fairfax and a USTA High Performance Coach. He also serves on the USPTA Mid-Atlantic board of directors as the vice president and is on the USPTA U30 National Committee.

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PADEL

International PADEL DAYS in Madrid, Spain Industry leaders meet to dicuss the future of padel in the United States

U

SPTA CEO John Embree and tennis industry leaders from the United States were invited to attend the All for Padel summit in Madrid, Spain in December. The fourday summit, known as International Padel Days, included tennis industry leaders from Cardio Tennis, California Sports

Services, Tavistock, Tennis Channel, TIA, USPTA, and the USTA. Attendees discussed the business aspects of padel, watched the top eight men’s and women’s teams from around the world participate in the Padel International Masters Championships, and brainstormed opportunities to promote and develop padel into the U.S. Industry leaders also had an opportunity to tour clubs in Madrid to get a firsthand look of the facilities, their padel and their tennis programs. By touring clubs and organizations that have integrated padel into their program, leaders from the U.S. were able to envision how padel could be introduced in North America and outlining the next steps for padel in the U.S. The USPTA currently offers tennis-teaching professionals and coaches the opportunity to be certified in padel with the padel certification.

Certification is intended for those at least 18 years old who derive or intend to derive a major portion of income from teaching Padel.

Applicants must pass an oncourt and written exam and complete level 1 and level 2 certification conducted

by The United States Padel Association (USPA) along with Registro Profesional de Padel (RPP). For more information, contact the USPTA Membership Department at 800-8778248.

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Member News

USPTA Member News Susan Allen and

family were honored as the United States Tennis Association Northern Section’s 2017 Family of the Year. The award is given to the family that has been outstanding in promoting tennis both on and off the court.

Allen is a board member of both USTA Northern and the Shakopee Tennis Association. She has worked with people of all ages and ability levels and was a standout player at St. Cloud State. She serves as the head coach of the Shakopee High School tennis teams and is currently spearheading efforts to build an indoor tennis facility in Shakopee Minnesota.

Tyson McGuffin was featured in The Coeur

d’Alene Press sports article titled Happy to Be in a Pickle. McGuffin was a 2x state high school champion in tennis for Lake Chelan High School and played two years of collegiate tennis at Scottsdale Community College and Spokane Falls Community College. After college, he became a tennis professional at Pine Forest Country Club in Houston, Texas for two years and then moved to Yakima, Washington to become a head tennis professional. He is now the head tennis/ pickleball professional at Peak Health & Wellness Center in Coeur d’Alene, Idaho.

Darrell Smith was inducted into the Illinois State University Hall of Fame. Smith was a four-year letter winner at No. 1 for singles/doubles competition and ranks in the top-five for career singles win at ISU. NATIONAL BOARD OF DIRECTORS President.......................................................................Gary Trost First Vice President..................................................Feisal Hassan Vice Presidents...................Cari Buck, Mark Faber, Trish Faulkner Bill Mountford, Richard Slivocka Immediate Past President..............................................Chuck Gill CEO........................................................................... John Embree Legal Counsel.........................................................George Parnell

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Warren Rohmfeld of Kerrville, Texas will

assist TJ Hyman, former coach of ATP player Leander Paes, to train the Indian Institute of Technology Kharagpur tennis team.

Rohmfeld is an Elite USPTA tennis-teaching professional with over 30 years of experience.

He is currently the senior tennis instructor and personal trainer at the Dominion and Fair Oaks Country Club located in San Antonio, Texas.

Bobby Schlink joined the Lyme Shores

Tennis & Conditioning Center as the director of junior tennis. Prior to joining Lyme Shores, he was the tennis director and head pro at Mystic Indoor sports, where he created new tennis programs, camps, and leagues for players of all ages.

David Minihan was named the director of tennis at the new Kickingbird Tennis Center in Edmond, Oklahoma. He recently was the director of tennis at Westwood Tennis Center where he raised over $150,000 for improvements to the tennis center and played a major role in getting a new pro shop built and the tennis center court expansion. Minihan is a Master Professional and earned his Bachelor’s of Business Administration in Management from Oklahoma.

Claudette Laliberte organized the inaugural Happy Volleydays at Poco Diablo Resort in Sedona, Arizona. The event served as a food drive for the Sedona Community Food Bank and saw 40 players play matches of friendly mixed doubles tennis. Among the 40 tennis players at the event was Master Professional Larry Lineberry. 150 pounds of food were donated from the event.

ADDVANTAGE MAGAZINE

Managing Editor ....................................................... John Cornell Editor...................................................................DeVonte’ Martin Layout/Design........................................................ Gustavo Reyes Editorial Assistance......................... Amy Buchanan, John Gerard

Ramona Husaru, Ashley Walker Circulation............................................................. Trevor Trudelle

USPTA World Headquarters 11961 Performance Dr. Orlando, FL 32827 Ph: 407-634-3050 • Email: magazine@uspta.org • www.uspta.org

ADDvantage is published monthly by the USPTA The opinions expressed in ADDvantage are those of the authors and not necessarily those of ADDvantage or the United States Professional Tennis Association.

Copyright© United States Professional Tennis Association, Inc. 2018. All rights reserved.

Reproduction of any portion of the magazine is not permitted without written permission from USPTA.

2matchpoints@gmail.com

For more information: www.uspta.com 800.877.8248 membership@uspta.org

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USPTA CAREER DEVELOPMENT

Exams, Upgrades & PTCA I Cardio Tennis 4 Credits for PTCA I Segment Exams, Upgrades & PTCA Feb. 8 - 9 ..............................Centennial, CO Feb. 10 - 11 ............................... Atlanta, GA Feb. 10 - 11 .......................... Chapel Hill, NC Feb. 12 - 13 ............................... Orlando, FL Feb. 17 - 18 ...............................Boston, MA Feb. 17 - 18 ...............Huntington Beach, CA Feb. 17 - 18.........................Nicholasville, KY Feb. 18 ..................... Hilton Head Island, SC Feb. 22 ...............................Mission Hills, KS Feb. 24 .................................. Eau Claire, WI Feb. 24 - 25 .................... Horseshoe Bay, TX Mar. 2 – 3.......................................Boise, ID Mar. 3 – 4 ....................................Rome, GA Mar. 5 ........................................La Jolla, CA Mar. 9 – 10 ...............................Camden, SC Mar. 10 ..............................Nichols Hills, OK Mar. 10 – 11 ........................ Boca Raton, FL Mar. 10 – 11 .............Huntington Beach, CA Mar. 10 – 11 ........................... Portland, OR Mar. 15 ............................ Minneapolis, MN Mar. 16 – 17 .......................... Charlotte, NC Mar. 18 ................................Columbus, OH Mar. 23 - 24 ............................Burbank, CA Mar. 26 - 27 ....................San Francisco, CA Exam reservations must be made at least 21 days prior to the dates listed. Each date includes an exam, upgrade. PTCA I is included in the two day exam. 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 – $95; 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.

USPTA

Feb. 16 .........Cardio Tennis Training Course Level 1 Rochester, NY Apr. 8 ............Cardio Tennis Training Course Level 1 Isle of Palms, SC Apr. 15 ..........Cardio Tennis Training Course Level 1

Marlborough, MA May. 11 ........Cardio Tennis Training Course Level 1

Midlothian, VA Sep. 8 ...........Cardio Tennis Training Course Level 1

Marlborough, MA

Division Conferences - 6 Credits February 5...................................... Hawaii Turtle Bay Resort

Oahu, HI February 10-11................... Intermountain

Lifetime Fitness

Centennial, CO

February 22-24.................. Missouri Valley

Kansas City Country Club

Mission Hills, KS February 22-25................................. Texas

Horseshoe Bay Resort

Horseshoe Bay, TX February 24-26............................ Midwest

Columbus Marriott

Columbus, OH

Visit www.cardiotennistraining.com to register.

Platform Tennis Feb. 25.............................. Garden City, NY

Garden City Country Club Mar. 19-20...................................... Golf, IL

Glenview Club

Webinars

Watch all recorded webinars at tennisresources.com More info: visit uspta.com/ Education

requires all certified members to earn 6 credits of continuing education in a three-year period. (International members, recreational coaches and those 65 or older are exempt.) The time period coincides with the date you completed the certification exam or reinstated your membership. Please login to My USPTA to check your Professional Development Program end date.

If the requirement is not met, you will have your membership suspended. To help you meet that goal, USPTA provides hundreds of hours of education every year in the form of conferences, workshops, webinars, DVDs and more. TennisResources.com is an excellent resource for free education opportunities. In addition, the Coach Youth Tennis website offers six free online courses that earn a 1/2 education credit each.

Upon completion of the sixth course, you will receive 3 bonus credits (one-time only), bringing the total to 6 credits and completing the continuing education requirement. (you do not need to complete the online workshop unless you are completing your USPTA certification) Go to coachyouthtennis.com for more information.

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2018 USPTA Division Conference Schedule

March 1-4...............................Mid-Atlantic

Army Navy Country Club

Arlington, VA

March 4..................................... San Diego

La Jolla Beach & Tennis Club

La Jolla, CA April 28-29..................Southern California

SeaCliff Country Club Huntington Beach, CA

May 4-6................... Eastern/New England

National Tennis Center

Flushing, NY May 17-19...................................Southern

Atlanta Athletic Club Johns Creek, GA May 18-20................................ Southwest La Camarilla Racquet, Swim & Fitness Club

Phoenix, AZ May 30-June 3................................ Florida

Hyatt Regency Grand Cypress

Orlando, FL June 1-2..........................Pacific Northwest

Yakima Tennis Club

Yakima, WA

August 22-23...... USPTA World Conference

Grand Hyatt

New York, NY November............................Middle States TBD*

*Middle States is the last division to hold their conference every calendar year.