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FROM THE CEO

MAY 15, 2017

by John R. Embree, USPTA Chief Executive Officer

W

hy is this date significant in the annals of the USPTA? Simple: on that Monday, the new staff of the USPTA came together for the first time at the Guidewell Innovation Center in Lake Nona, Florida to begin the next chapter of the association’s history. While we had anticipated that our new building across the street from the USTA National Campus would be completed by this date, we were still a long way away from taking occupancy, which meant we had to convene somewhere. With the office in Houston expected to close for good in late May, we had to keep to our original timeline and bring the team together. And, with only two weeks remaining before the Houston staff would no longer be operating, we had to dive right into learning our business through an intense training period so that we could be ready once the phones turned on June 1.

So, there we were in a crowded conference room, all 19 of us sitting at five round tables with telephone and computer cables all over the floor that were hooked up to make-shift workstations. At one table sat membership, communications at a second, finance at another, education and testing at their own and finally operations rounded out the group.

Remember, only five people relocated from Houston (Sid Newcomb moved from Nor Cal) which meant that 13 were brand spanking new. In addition, many knew nothing about tennis, which required education about the sport, let alone about our business. This was a critical time for all of us, as we not only got to know each other but the veterans could help with phone calls and questions that inevitably would come up during a normal day.

In many respects, it proved to be a challenge to work in such close quarters. But, in hindsight, the unintended consequences were such that everyone benefited from being together and the baptism by fire that everyone experienced. By the time we were able to move into our new home three months later, the team understood their respective roles and we were off to the races!

Plus, each employee had their own space in which to work and the comfort of an ultra-modern office environment.

I am incredibly proud to have this team behind me. While we did have a few misses early on, the people that are now in place are terrific. While we did lose a ton of institutional knowledge with the departure of our Houston group, the fresh perspective and new energy that this team has brought with them has made us that much better. Let me take a moment to recognize each of them: Membership Team: Amy Buchanan, Risa Epstein, Kelli Ferry , Sarah Fisher and Trevor Trudelle. The customer

service that this team brings each day is awesome. They are on the front lines with our membership and you can hear the smile on the other end of the phone when you call.

Finance Team: Michael Tomassini, Ashley Walker and Ellen Weatherford.

Mike has stabilized this department, Ellen can now live a normal life after working 15 hour days for the past three years and Ashley has our merchandising program on a roll.

Multimedia: One of the benefits of being adjacent to the National Campus are the collaborative opportunities that keep coming our way. John Gerard and Rico Edwards have so many projects on the docket, it is going to be fun to see their creativity come through their work.

Education Team: Jacquelyn Dahre and Ramona Husaru have hit their stride which is allowing Ramona to take on a variety of new roles within the organization.

Human Resources: Dana Dasch has added so much to our team with her calming influence and effervescent smile. As you know, HR is not glamorous, but Dana has garnered the respect of everyone.

Communications Team: John Cornell, DeVonte’ Martin and Gustavo Reyes. Under John’s leadership, DeVonte’ and Gus have ramped up our social media presence, our brand has a more consistent look and we have expanded USPTA messaging across all channels.

National Head Tester: Sid Newcomb has done a wonderful job managing our 71 testers, upgraded our PTCA, established a testing discipline which was long needed and is now rolling out a tablet to all testers to make our test results more efficient.

Chief Operating Officer: Fred Viancos has contributed in more ways than one in his new role: dealing with building and IT issues, handling much of the relocation from Houston, and managing his team. We would not be where we are without his guidance and expertise.

Full Dimension IT: Finally, Scott Bucic and Dan Wilson made our transition seamless from an IT perspective, even though they remain in Houston. They had our new servers and computers all configured and ready to go once we commenced operations.

Thus, we celebrate our one-year anniversary together. Please take a moment to call the office and thank this group for all that they do to exceed the customer expectations of our membership.

And, if you have not been to visit us yet, come see us……as that famous ad jingle states, “we will leave the light on for you!” *

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Vice President Message

Our Competitive Edge

by Rich Slivocka, USPTA Vice President

A

s we are through the first half of the year I want to start off by saying how honored I am to be on the national board and to represent our great organization. Our greatest asset is our membership and I am proud to be a part of that membership and extremely excited about where it will take us into the future. After serving on the Missouri Valley board for the past eight years, I know that our organization has had a history of very strong leadership and I believe that our current leadership from our President, Gary Trost through our national board and our Executive Committee will continue with that tradition. I can assure you that the national board and the Executive Committee has the best interest of our membership and organization in mind. We will have some interesting challenges moving forward but they are ones that I believe will move the USPTA into a stronger position within our sport and our industry.

The USPTA has created so many great traditions over the years from our commitment to education, philanthropic contributions, our commitment to growing the game, etc. However, one of the great traditions that often gets overlooked is the USPTA’s commitment to giving our members competitive opportunities to showcase and develop their playing abilities.

The USPTA was founded in 1927 and our first men’s tournament was offered to our membership in the same year. We’ve had legends of the game like Don Budge, Jack Kramer, Pancho Segura and Bill Tilden compete in our tournaments. The first women’s tournament was held in 1969. During the early years non-members of the USPTA were allowed to compete in the tournament. In 1983, the executive committee made the decision to only allow USPTA members to participate in the tournament. Even after this decision was made we still saw many top touring professionals that were also USPTA members compete in the event such as Kim Barry, Viktoria Beggs, Peter Doohan, Cammy MacGregor, Jim Parker and Pat Serret are just a few. I don’t think that many of our members know the history of our tournaments and how they not only provided a competitive outlet but also how they created camaraderie amongst our professionals. The ability to meet new professionals from all over the country, to network and bounce ideas off each other, and share their

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professional experiences amongst one another.

I believe that playing competitively has been overlooked by many of us.

I started playing competitive tennis again about two years ago and I feel that the benefits have far outweighed the potential revenue lost from being away from my club. As teaching professionals, we all get wrapped up in the technical side of the sport whether from a stroke production stand point or from a strategic stand point. Issues can start to arise when we try to bridge the gap between what we have taught our students in a lesson or clinic and then the application of those skills in a competitive scenario. I feel that since I have begun competing again, I have become more in tune with the potential pitfalls that a player can experience when bridging the gap between the learning of skills and then the application of those skills. We all can understand the game but to refresh our own memories in regards to the difficulty that goes into application (match play) is very motivating. I’ve also found that my club members have gotten behind the fact that I had started competing again.

They love to hear about my successes and my failures when I’ve gone out and competed in events. They enjoy the fact that they feel more connected to me and that even though the level of play is very different that we can relate to each other about the emotions and struggles that go into competition. These are all positives that can help us in our day to day lessons and clinics.

The Tournament and Rankings Committee is currently reviewing our current tournament structure. We are committed to try and rekindle this tradition but we need the support of you the membership. Everything is on the table for discussion. We are currently looking at every potential option. We are looking into going into more rating based events versus aged events, short formats, team events, U30 events, etc.. I urge everyone if you have a USPTA Surface Championship in your area get out and compete. See if we can once again get those competitive juices flowing. If you have any questions or ideas please feel free to get in contact with me at richs@prairiedunes.com.*

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Master Pro Corner

Confidence: Achieving It and Keeping It?

by Dexter Fong, USPTA Master Professional

T

he most successful tennis players walk, talk and ooze confidence. Confidence shines through these players.

You see “it” off-court as well as on-court. The confident player will generally show the following characteristics: •Wins matches •Positive attitude •Positive energy •Problem solver •Goal oriented •Open-mindedness

•Strong will •Independent thinking •Calm under pressure •Focused •Fearless

It is a universal belief that confidence is vital to winning.

In the same context, lack of confidence generally will produce less than desirable results. Most tennis players ride a roller coaster while developing their tennis game.

Sometimes you’re confident, sometimes you’re not. Against certain players you are, against others you’re not.

When you lack confidence, things just do not go your way.

Everything seems to go wrong. You don’t get any breaks. You don’t know what to do. When you’re not confident players will generally show the following characteristics: •Does not know what to do •Negative energy •Can’t think clearly •Disinterested •Out of control under pressure •Lose matches

•Negative attitude •Disoriented •Frustrated •Lack focus •Scared •No fight

Ten Ways to Achieve and Keep Confidence Up! 1. Winning! Arrange your practice matches to achieve a winning formula.

2. Develop fundamentally sound strokes. Focus on making your big shot bigger, improving your weaker shot to become more reliable, and adding new strokes to compliment your style of play.

3. Develop all your tennis strokes so that you can implement a plan B when necessary.

4. Train to compete in ways that will complement your physical and mental attributes.

5. Taking a break is necessary, return to tournament play after appropriate practice time.

6. Maintain physical training to pull out those three setters, two matches per day and to prevent injury 7. Maintain a positive environment from family members, coaches, teachers and friends.

8. Consistency in training and coaching.

9. Set short term, mid range and long-range goals that are the child’s goals and not the parents.

10. Take personal ownership of your tennis game. It is not the parent’s tennis game, it is the child’s.

Ten Ways How to Lose Confidence?

1. A negative environment will crush one’s will, desire, motivation and fight. Many times, the negative environment is not implemented on purpose.

2. Losing too many tournament and practice matches.

Players build confidence by winning. Play the appropriate tournament level at the appropriate times.

3. Strokes fail you because strokes are not sound and strong. Player does not get enough repetition.

4. Lack certain shots in your game.

5. Player does not take advantage of their strength. Using the wrong style for their body structure and abilities.

6. Taking too long of a break.

7. Injuries hurt physically and mentally. Poor technique and poor training schedule could lead to injury.

8. Inconsistent training and coaching. The player becomes confused and unsure of themselves.

9. Not having a road map, an overall plan for development.

The junior does not see where he/she is headed.

10. Expecting to have everything done for you. Juniors who take no ownership of their tennis losses. *

Dexter Fong has over 43 years of teaching experience. He has his Masters Degree in Physical Education and California Teaching Credentials, certified as a USTA High Performance Coach, and hosted one of five national pilot USTA Area Training Center programs in the 1980s. In addition to being selected USPTA Nor Cal Pro of the Year and the Nor Cal Wilson Pro of the Year, he has received the USTA Eve Kraft Community Service Award among others.

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inside coaching

Point Importance is Real and Important!

by Bob Schewior, USPTA Professional The following article is a response to USPTA Master Professional Ron Woods’ article, “Why There Are No Key Points In Tennis”, which appeared in the March 2018 issue of ADDvantage. ADDvantage Magazine and the USPTA welcome the discourse and advancement of differing points of view promoting a healthy exchange of ideas and coaching philosophies. As with all article submissions, the opinion of the writer do not necessarily reflect the views of the USPTA.

I

read Ron Woods’ article, “Why There Are No Key Points In Tennis” in the March edition of ADDvantage with great interest. I could not agree more with his talking points about process vs. outcome. However, his message about “key points”, the main idea of the article, is something I would like to discuss. Economists have studied “point importance” in tennis to see how people respond to increased levels of stress. Their research indicates that “point importance” can be quantified and it is real. This contrasts with Woods’ claim: “Adding more value or importance to any one point over another is simply a trick of your mind that often leads to failure.”

I suspect, and I will go on to argue, that it is not that points do not differ in importance, but rather that some players are not very good at handling the increased stress. Our goal as teachers is to help our students to handle the high levels of stress which important points may elicit. I say may because good practice habits and a well-disciplined between points regimen can definitely change the way that players prepare for and handle the important moments.

There is an obvious difference between the value of the 0-0, 40-0 point and the value of a point at 5-all and deuce.

Intuitively, all serious players understand this. As I noted above, these differences may actually be quantified using a concept called the “Importance of the Point.” The importance of a point is equal to the probability of winning a match given that a player wins that point minus the probability of winning the match given that he loses the point. Because point importance generates a quantifiable result, it is a fact based upon probabilities. The actual numerical values are not important. However, these values do serve the purpose of illustrating the relative importance of points at different scores. Any competitive player should familiarize himself with the relative values of points so that he is able to make a near instantaneous assessment of their importance. As I explain below, this will be an invaluable ingredient in helping your players to set the correct level of risk-taking - the correct balance between aggression and patience.

Point importance values rise at the end of a game (higher at deuce than at 15-all), at the end of a set (higher at 5-all than 1-all), and at the end of a match (higher in the third set than either of the first two).

Understanding the score and incorporating this understanding into your game plan and shot selection by adjusting the gear at which you play and the target which you choose at any given moment of a match is a crucial element in winning matches. Here is an example from a match between Roger Federer and David Ferrer at the year-end championships in London in 2011 which illustrates a change in target based upon the score.

At 5-all 15-40 in the first set, Ferrer missed his first serve.

Point importance considerations should have Federer attempting to be extra aggressive at this moment. He was. He hit a high pace forehand right down the middle, but missed the shot long by a couple of inches. By attacking down the middle, Federer was taking away the possibility of a sideline error. He was attempting to make Ferrer play from a weakened position without going for a winner. Although he missed this shot, he went on to break and win the first set 7-5. In the first game of the second set, Ferrer again went down 15-40 and second serve. Federer again was very aggressive, but this time he hit his forehand right in the corner for a winner! The point importance at this moment was lower than the prior 15-40 point and Federer took advantage of this by choosing a riskier target. Top players go for their riskiest shots at the

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Inside coaching least important moments (most of the time – pros can’t be too predictable!) The causal chain looks like this: lower importance means less pressure means better chance of hitting one’s target.

Point importance is real because all of the underlying principles of good tennis, like Percentage Tennis, are grounded in probabilities. The 4-D System which I’ve developed in my book Deconstructing Tennis provides a simple four -step process which players should always go through during the time between points.

1. See what happened 2. Adjust/plan for the next point 3. Relax 4. Remind yourself to see the blur of the racquet at contact

The score is a part of Step #2. But once the score has been used to set the appropriate gear/target, it is forgotten! Steps #3 and #4, which are crucial for executing the plan, help to mitigate against trying too hard (Relax!) and not watching the ball until contact (play the opponent and not the ball!)

Finally, consider the following thought experiment: You and I are very evenly-matched and we are each given three points that we can claim at any time. I will assign you the first point in each of your first three service games. I, on the other hand, will wait until a break point (or maybe even 30-all if you are a big server) until I use my points (or not?). Or, I may wait to use them when I am down 30-40 on my own serve. Remember, we are evenly matched and we both get three free points. Who do you think is going to win most of our matches?*

Bob Schewior has been a USPTA professional for over 25 years and has been director of tennis at the Chestnut Ridge Racquet Club in Mt. Kisco, New York since 1976. His playing accomplishments include playing No. 1 at Rutgers University 1971-73 and ranked in the Top 20 Men’s Singles in the ETA six times between 1976 and 1985. In 1988 and 1991, he was ranked in the Top 20 nationally in Men’s 35 and 40 Singles respectively as well as a No. 6 national ranking in Men’s 35 Doubles in 1988. Bob oversees all lessons and programs at CRRC.

USPTA Partners with RacquetFit to Introduce Body-Tennis Certification

U

SPTA has partnered with RacquetFit to introduce a new certification for tennis-teaching professionals, fitness coaches and medical providers. RacquetFit, an educational organization dedicated to the study of how the human body functions in relation to tennis, will be offering seminars throughout the United States for these providers who wish to earn the RacquetFit Certification.

“What RacquetFit has developed is game changing for the tennis industry,” said John Embree, USPTA CEO. “RacquetFit was developed by an Advisory Board of tennis-industry leading experts and led by the founder of TPI (Titleist Performance Institute), Dr. Greg Rose. With TPI’s cutting edge research and development and over 21,000 professionals certified through their network, we wanted to partner with RacquetFit to produce

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the same cutting-edge education for the tennis industry.”

Attendees will have the opportunity to learn from leading experts in the tennis, fitness, and medical profession.

Upon completion of the certification, professionals will Dr. Greg Rose(left) Signs RacquetFit Agreement with USPTA have the tools to CEO John Embree and RacquetFit Vice President Dr. Sean Drake. screen the physical “Up until today, tennis specific fitness limitations of a player and medical professionals could not along with the knowledge of how to get them back to performing at a high level. obtain recognition from the global leader in tennis-teacher certification, “By being able to assess a the USPTA. Now, fitness and medical player’s physical abilities, and then providers can proudly display and understanding how those attributes announce to the world, that they are relate to their tennis-specific skills, educated and recognized as a tennisis what separates an average coach specific expert through the RacquetFit from a great coach,” said Dr. Sean Certification and the USPTA.” * Drake, Vice President of RacquetFit.

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JOIN THE BEST AND BRIGHTEST MINDS IN TENNIS

The 2018 Tennis Teachers Conference returns to New York’s Grand Hyatt Hotel Aug. 24-27. Join the USTA and USPTA for an outstanding tennis educational experience for all coaches and providers looking to raise their game with world-class speakers, networking opportunities, and interactive oncourt sessions. The cost for the four days of the TTC is $399. Day passes for the TTC will be available at $175 each and registrants are qualified for the special rate of $249 per night at the Grand Hyatt. Register before early bird date of August 1 and enjoy world-class tennis in the new Louis Armstrong Stadium on Opening Day at the US Open.

FEATURED SPEAKERS

Gigi Fernandez

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F R I DAY - MONDAY AU G / 24-27 / 2 0 1 8

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ON-COURT SESSSIONS ON COURT SEMINARS AT SPORTIME RANDALL’S ISLAND

Saturday’s on-court sessions will take place at SPORTIME Randall’s Island. Randall’s Island is the largest tennis facility to open in NYC in the past 30 years. Opened in 2009, the award-winning, $19 million facility immediately became one of New York City’s premier tennis destinations and is the Manhattan home of the John McEnroe Tennis Academy.

The Club Features:

• 160,000 square feet of tennis courts and support facilities • 20 courts: 10 Deco-Turf hard tennis courts and 10 Har-Tru clay tennis courts • Five indoor hard courts, year round • Five hard courts and 10 clay courts are housed in three state-of-the-art air structures during the indoor season and are available for outdoor play during the outdoor season

C O M E W AT C H FREE TICKET TO DAY ONE OF US OPEN Everyone who registers for the TTC before the “early bird” August 1 deadline will receive a free ticket to the first Monday of US Open competition, making TTC registrants among the very first to experience the excitement of this remarkable world-class venue. A food voucher and transportation to and from the US Open that day are also included. All early-bird registrants are able to purchase guest passes for this incredible US Open experience. These are available for $125 each.

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TO REGISTER, VISIT 2018TTC.COM

Tennis service representative

:

Here to Help how USPTA Pros can take advantage of their TSR

by Bill Phillips, USPTA Elite Professional

E

ven though I had some excellent mentors, having a Tennis Service Representative (TSR) to assist me in my early years as a young teaching pro could have helped me in so many ways that would have made a positive difference.

I would have been a much better pro by taking advantage of the opportunities to further my tennis education. I would have been able to learn how to develop grassroots tennis programs, how to market myself in the community, and how to keep and retain players through appropriate competition pathways.

40 + years ago, when I started teaching what I would now consider

Whether it’s improving player retention or hiring coaches at a local club, implementing a new program at a school or securing funding to refurbish public park courts, TSRs are here for you as a clearinghouse for all things tennis.

Here in Louisiana, I worked with Crowley parks and local advocates to secure a $38,000 grant to help build the Glady Trahan Tennis Centre, a six-court public complex. I also helped the Lake Charles CTA work with a new Public Parks Commission to build an eight-court tennis complex there. Once the facility was built, I assisted with the programming models and in keeping

USPTA Elite Professional Bill Phillips with student Kirk Harrison.

very mediocre tennis lessons, I did not have that opportunity. Today, I encourage you to take advantage of it.

TSRs are your personal tennis industry consultants. As a TSR for Louisiana in the USTA Southern section, my role is to help anybody who is involved with tennis to be more successful, particularly tennis professionals. It is a broad description, but my goal truly is to help in any way that I can.

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them connected to the CTA. One of my favorite examples of helping a pro was at Lake Charles Racquet Club. When I started working with USPTA Pro Bobby Walker, the club had 235 members, a number that was declining. We identified that the 10-andUnder Tennis pathway could be a key strategy to help the club grow.

After working with Bobby through education and training, I was thrilled to see him develop a large base of red

ball and orange ball entry-level players at the club, highlighted by a large group of tournament 10-and-Under players, some ranked as high as Top 5 in the south. There is now a 75-family waiting list for membership and Bobby attributes much of that to the success of this program.

As Bobby explains: “Our club was the place to bring young children to learn and play tennis. The parents knew we had a fully-developed plan to turn them into tennis players and not just perpetual lesson-takers.”

Separately, after a flood in Baton Rouge in 2016, I was able to assist the YMCA Lamar Tennis Center with muchneeded facility grants through USTA Facility Assistance and USTA Southern.

Additional success stories are popping up across the country. In Florida, local tennis pros resurrected the JTT program in the Jacksonville area.

Working along with their TSR, they grew the program to 500 players in 2017.

Also with the help of TSRs, the USTA Eastern section created a once-in-alifetime experience for children by having them on Arthur Ashe Stadium for a Net Generation Tennis demonstration during the 2017 US Open. USTA Eastern worked along with regional certified pros to organize the demos as part of the launch for the new youth brand.

Finally, USTA Mid-Atlantic TSRs worked closely with USPTA pros to launch an adult beginner program in ACAC Midlothian in Richmond, Virginia. Today, this has become a great feeder system for USTA League.

I hope that you can work with your local TSR to add to these wonderful stories and to establish a great partnership. To learn more and to find contact information, visit USTA.com/TSR.*

TENNIS THANKS THE TROOPS

Tennis Thanks the Troops All-American Family Day Bash Junior Tennis Champions Center, College Park, MD

M

ay was Military Appreciation Month where we honor the service and sacrifice of America’s military families. Several anniversaries during the month celebrate the different branches, military spouses and children, culminating in Memorial Day when we pay tribute to those who made the ultimate sacrifice.

Since 2012, USPTA has partnered with ThanksUSA through Tennis Thanks the Troops to honor and support military families. And, for the fifth year the Junior Tennis Champions Center (JTCC) in College Park, Maryland, voluntarily hosted an All-American Family Day Bash (May 26) of tournaments and events on Memorial Day weekend. Under the management of Bonnie Vona, USTA MAS, the Bash supports ThanksUSA, the national non-profit providing needbased scholarships and pathways to employment to children and spouses of U.S. military personnel. ThanksUSA also runs a weekly tennis clinic in Maryland for wounded warriors who will be recognized with their own competition at the Bash.

Vesa Ponkka, JTCC’s senior director of tennis, is a top international junior coach with a proud military heritage: Both his grandfathers served in the Army of his native Finland; one was killed in action, the other lost a leg during World War II. Asked about the JTCC-supported Bash he says, “It is simply the right thing to do to support military families any way possible”.

Ponkka answered more questions for ThanksUSA and challenged tennis enthusiasts across the country: “I will encourage and challenge all the tennis training facilities to become leaders in their community to grow the game of tennis through inspiration and social inclusion.”

How does your military background relate to tennis, if at all?

Ponkka: Military mindset is all about service, commitment, discipline, and respect.

Those are also the main character attributes that we try to teach our players at the JTCC on a daily basis.

How important is it Veterans receive special recognition at the Thanks USA to recognize military Adaptive Tennis Tournament at the Bash. families and why? training and spending time in the one Ponkka: Military facility inspiring, mentoring, and families deserve everyone’s full support learning from each other on daily basis. and ultimate respect through their I want our youngsters to grow up in this service, commitment, and sacrifice. This kind of environment understanding, is the least that we can do here on the supporting, and promoting real social home front. inclusion. I strongly believe that creating these kinds of informal mentoring What have the young people in your relationships on a daily basis will center taken from these ThanksUSA transform the lives of everyone involved bashes and honoring military families? in the long run.

Ponkka: We want our young players to be inspired by these real heroes who demonstrate all the qualities that are How would you describe your important in life. These events give our commitment and that of your youngsters a chance to interact with these organization to ThanksUSA? heroes on the tennis court, and some great Ponkka: There will be a lot of learning learning takes place both ways! going on through this special weekend event, but this should only be a start of a lifelong journey of becoming a tennis What do you want young people to player for wounded veterans. There are take from these events at your Center? so many health benefits associated with Ponkka: I want JTCC to be an example being an active tennis player. JTCC and a leader promoting the right values wants to be a big part of that learning for young people. Our action statement process on a daily basis, and of course is: Growing the game of tennis through through these special events. inspiration and social inclusion. JTCC will be a training center where highAll-American Family Day Bash : performance tennis players, everyday bit.ly/ttttaafdb hackers, Special Olympics athletes, Tennis Thanks The Troops : Paralympic athletes, Wheelchair bit.ly/ttttmain players, and Wounded Warriors are

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TGA Premier Tennis

Honors Black Level Students TGA Premier Tennis and the USPTA would like to congratulate the Class of 2018 students who achieved Black Level in TGA’s afterschool enrichment program. These students climbed to the top of TGA’s 5-level program that combines tennis skill development, rules and etiquette, and academic and life lessons. Keep Playing!™ TGA of Douglas County, CO Sarah Appel Emilee Appel Ella Archambault Tyler Bettner Devin Bigley Lauren Brummer Maya Frolov Samantha Jacot Kendall Kapralos Liam Kinnaird Mila Kinnaird Adelaide Lord Jocelyn MacCormack Isabela Michelena Dean Newman Benjamin Purchase Claire Reyhle Jackson Reyhle Freddie Shi Reina Shibata Mason Shutter Tyler Souhrada Scott Stevens TGA of North Seattle Michael Alber Amelia Allen Gabe Bransford Ben Bransford Kezia Bransford Hunter Carlson Angela Chen Yuran He Oliver Iannotti Mateo Iannotti Ryan Kennedy Tyler Kirkpatrick Alex Kirkpatrick Max Mansour Ginger Oberg Oliver Tam Rohan Tobey Nina Wright TGA of Southern Oregon Eli Bishko Zoe Clark Parker Cole Kyan Delaney Katelyn Doerner Madeleine Faraoni Anthony He AnnaLisa Hisamoto Berkeley Kim Xanna Mortimer Cody Norgaard-Stroich Jack Post Emmett Robison Jude Rodrigues Anthony Ruh Samantha Salgado Wilfred Schmitz Yufei Su Scarlett Travis Cameron Wade TGA of Central Hennepin County, MN Mercedes Calenta Saikat Chakrabarty

Aniya Mehta Alexander Padilla Aesha Patel Benjamin Willis TGA of Mercer County, NJ Max Achtau Benjamin Cruz Nathaniel Campbell Noah Chen Victoria Gormczak Richard Hao Lucas Horowitz Lincoln Hwang Vikram Karamsetty Pranav Swarna Hasan Talukdar Raghavan Upasana Alice Wang Michael Wang TGA of San Fernando Valley, CA Elinor Berggavy Raef Deguzman Benjamin Determan Reeya Dhanani Luca Diaz Jonathan Elad Luca Epps Kiana Esmaeili Jake Feder Luke Ford Pascal Ho Tyler Johnston Rokus Kam Halyn Kim Stephen Lattuca Yitong Lian Cole Maranville Alex Mcriley Natalie Medina Nicholas Medina Matias Oliva Nicholas Romanose Alex Schneider Doreen Shabtai Maleeha Siddique Aranav Sreen Wesley Stein Patrick Thayer Jackson Thayer Chinua Ulmer Yasmin Yadegari TGA of Los Angeles Sawyer Chang Ezra “Nico” Ryan Isabel Ryan Aryeh Topp TGA of Loudoun County, VA Brayden Bradshaw Frank Pisano TGA of West Virginia Ada Lin Philip Lin Andrew Morgan Jackson Nardella Roman Patsy Harper Randolph

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Audrey Spencer Amelia Wagner TGA of Wake County, NC Hannah Abraczinskas Antonio Acosta Emily Adkins Margot Allen Audrey Ella Anderson Avery Andolsek Brendan Apple Jasmine Arias Jack Arkin Adwita Arvind Arjun Athavale Soham Athavale Christian Augustus Katherine Avery Sophie Bachmann Chase Baker Jonas Ballard Valerie Banaszak Sophia Battaglia Harrison Baublitz Evan Beaver Eliana Betz Alec Bickmore Robert Bigan Jr Logan Biggs Esha Bireddy Willow Blaze Akhilesh Boppudi Nate Borkush Claire Brenegan Isabella Brown Theo Bruch Grace Bues Joseph Bulebush Mason Burks Colin Burts Anthony Busi Annika Byzek Karina Byzek Sophie Cain Adam Campbell Susan Cantrell Chloe Carita Emma Carter Juliana Castro Lara Caugherty Caitlin Chamberlain Peter Chaney Thomas Chaney Davis Clarke Darby Claybrook Andrew Cline Daniel Cline Bella Cobb Maryn Cole Marielle Conlon Patrick Cook Gavin Cowley Lia Coyne Noah Dahlin Jackson Dalton Alex D’Anna Andrew Davis William Davis Brady DeAngelo Ava DeCamp Jacob Delaney Sophia Dell’Osso

Kate Dickinson Kayla Dimmick Natalie Dougherty Alex Douglas Taylor Douglas Madeline Dulin Sophia Dulin Maximo Durden Iglesias Aaron Eckstein Sarah Eckstein Samuel Essner Renna Farthing Ivy Felts Keira Fernandes Vanessa Fields Thomas Fisher Heidi Ford Sara Forte Grant Franklin Matthew Franzese Ivan Fuentes Liam Garner Elio Gasparini Gabrielle Girardeau Elijah Godoy Jordan Goeders Olivia Gomez Catharine Gredvig Chloe Greenhaw Mia Gregg-Kearns Grace Gunther Namish Gurram Amanda Hallacher Janeece (Evie) Hampson Alex Handest Nathan Hardesty Mary Elizabeth Harrison Benjamin Hawken Leah Heidepriem Madeleine Hemmer Luke Henderson Stone Hensley Addison High Ada Hillstrand Emma Holmes Kaley House Kalina Ilieva Finley Jenks Francis Jennings Steven Jin Lucy Johnson Everett Jones Navya Jonnalagadda Olivia Kaplan Claire Keelor Oliver Keen Hasan Khan Yusuf Khan TJ Kiel Gavin Killebrew Nicholas Kolodzieski Samantha Kordus Jordan Krueger Anna Lainez Rubi Shane Lauver Layla Lawson Emma Leddy Ian Lewis Christopher Linton Nicolas Lombardo Evan Long

Raelyn Lyons Evan Machos Luke Machos Jenna Maddox Nina Magee Paris Magee Maria Malgicheva Javier Martin Alos Paloma Martin Alos Gregorio Martinez Sarina Matai Keegan McCann Leah McClure Gracyn McCullen Kayla McMurdie Alice Medoff Matthew Mercer Maxwell Miller Amelia (Mia) Minick Emmery Minton Delaney Mize Samantha Monroe Lillian Moore Ngaire Moore Ryan Mousavi Jessica Muentener Aidan Murray Colin Murray Nathan Naseim Sebastian Nicholas Leah Nikhil Aidan O’Brien Amelie Ohlsson Katelyn Olson Cameron Osborne Meredith Overcash Caleb Owen Isaiah Owen Yana Papalava Brayden Peacher Stella Pepin Benjamin Perla Molly Perla Marie Perry Alexandra Pettaris Martin Peytchev Sofia Polsinelli Makenna Purcell Landon Quigley Simon Quinn Shehzad Riaz Elias Robinson Isaac Rogers Zoe Rogers Remy Roussin Zoe Russler Aanya Ruwanpura Natalie Sapienza Logan Sesler Nicholas Sgouros Kyla Shaw Katelyn Sheridan Terrence Sheridan Viraja Shivhare Jan Solar Hayden Stafford Naomi Stafford Elizabeth Stocum Samuel Stolz Holden Sweeney Tala Tahmaseb

Cole Tetterton Jace Thompson Linc Thompson Aedan Thorne Reagan Tomczak Blake Troskey Hunter Troskey Lorenzo Trovero Ashley Turner Madison Uhrig Reese Vick Ethan Vicuna Grace Wachtel Maggie Weller Ryan West Maggie Whitham Senuk Wijesinghe Delwyn Williams Ella Williams Hannah Williams Claire Yates Alexis Yeung Connor Yu Terrie Yu Avery Zapata TGA of Gwinnett County, GA Kelechi Ekwueme Madelynn Partiss Nicholas Partiss Johnathan Zhan TGA of North Houston, TX Charlotte Cooke Rylee Cooke McKenzie Hawkins Adelaide Latimer Jack Mueke Evan Obabkov Reese Wiseman TGA of Bergen County, NJ Anton Badushov Kevin Barnes Julia Bernard Sienna Bhatia Courtney Boyle Xander Bucher Aidan Carpenter Maria Costello Rachel Dagher Olivier Desdunes Abigail Diaz Mia Doughney Keelin Driscoll Leonardo S Fernandez Gregory Foote James Griglio Ryan Gurtman Ellie Higgins Nicholas Karpenko Yuto Kumai Kadence Moy Chloe Parsi Maya Pomeranke Daniel Pulumbarit Emma Pulumbarit Michael Rezendes Elijah Samala Oliver Tapia Haruna Tomiyasu

Member News

USPTA Member News Shawn Hedrick was named director of tennis at Naples Grande Beach Resort in Naples, Florida. Hedrick has 20 years serving in the tennis industry, gaining experience and expertise in all areas of coaching, program planning and administration, and court maintenance.

He has been named USPTA District Professional of the Year, and while serving as USPTA District President for Collier County, the region was voted District of the Year by the USPTA Florida board of directors.

Jack Foster was featured in the LMT Online article titled Laredoan Jack Foster is a tennis legend. He’s been a certified USPTA professional since 1991 and became a master professional in 2016. He has served on USPTA national committees such as the Education, Conference, Awards and Diversity and Inclusion committees along with serving on the USPTA Texas Board of directors from 2007-08 and being the USPTA Texas Conference Chairman for six years. Foster is currently the director of Tennis for FCCA, a subdivision in Sugar Land.

Mike Lange hosted a Play It Safe event at the Rush Copley Healthplex in Aurora, Illinois for Play Tennis Month with over 300 hundred families attending the event. Mike is the owner of MTL Tennis Management Group, which provides lectures to facilities and coaches.

Tracy Austin was named Tournament Honoree for the 118th Ojai Tennis Tournament. Austin won the Women’s Open Singles title when she was just 14-years-old in 1977. A Hall of Famer and former World No.1 WTA player, Austin won 35 career titles including three Grand Slam titles.

Fred Layman III was named director of operations at The Windermere Club at in Blythewood, South Carolina. In his new role, Layman will lead operational efforts to enhance public relations, membership sales and retention as well as assist, mentor and support the team of employees. In years prior to joining The Windermere Club, Layman was operations director of multiple clubs and businesses including; iBuddy Club, Inc. Earth Smart Media, LLC, North Augusta Golf and Country Club, The Club at Rae’s Creek and Mount Vintage Plantation Golf and Athletic Club.

Sean Sloane announced that he will retire from being the men’s tennis coach at Haverford College after the 2017 – 2018 season. Sloane is currently in his 21st season leading the men’s tennis program and previously served as head coach of both the men’s and women’s squash programs at Haverford from the fall of 1997 until the end of the 2009 season. Sloane has compiled a 213-142 career record as men’s tennis coach. His teams have made the Centennial Conference Tournament during 11 of the past 12 seasons.

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

ADDVANTAGE MAGAZINE Managing Editor ................................................... DeVonte’ Martin Editor.............................................................................John Cornell Layout/Design........................................................... Gustavo Reyes Editorial Assistance...................................................... Risa Epstein, Ashley Walker, Ellen Weatherford Circulation................................................................ Trevor Trudelle USPTA World Headquarters 11961 Performance Dr. Orlando, FL 32827

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.

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USPTA CAREER DEVELOPMENT

Exams, Upgrades & PTCA Wheelchair Certification 4 Credits for PTCA I Segment Exams, Upgrades & PTCA July 7 ................................Indianapolis, IN July 7 - 8 ................................... Naples, FL July 13 - 14 ................................Dallas, TX July 14 ...............................Des Moines, IA July 14 - 15 .............................Boston, MA July 15 .................................. Clayton, MO July 20 - 21 ...........................Asheville, NC July 21 - 22 .............................Camden, SC July 27 ....................................... Exton, PA Aug 3 ........................................Darien, CT Aug 3 - 4 ...............................Granbury, TX Aug 4 - 5 ................. Huntington Beach, CA Aug 4 - 5 ............................ Tallahassee, FL Aug 6 - 7 ........................ San Francisco, CA Aug 11 - 12 ............................. Atlanta, GA Aug 11 - 12 .............................Seattle, WA Aug 15 - 16 .........................Cincinnati, OH Aug 17 .............................Nichols Hills, OK Aug 20 - 21 ............................. Orlando, FL Aug 24 - 25 ................................... Laie, HI Aug 25 ................................ Eau Claire, WI Aug 25 ................................ Rochester, NY Aug 26 .............................. Brentwood, TN Aug 28 - 29 .............................Queens, NY 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

August 23 - 24........................... Lincoln, NE USPTA Certification in conjunction with USTA “Train the Trainer”

October 18 - 19......................... Orlando, FL USPTA Certification in conjunction with USTA “Train the Trainer”

November 7 - 8........................Lafayette, IN USPTA Certification in conjunction with USTA “Train the Trainer”

Division Conferences - 6 Credits

August 24 - 27 ................................2018 TTC

Grand Hyatt, New York, NY

November 16 - 17....................Middle States Wilmington Country Club, Wilmington, DE

Cardio Tennis

Aug 19 ..................... Level 1 Training Course Meadow Creek Tennis Club; Lakewood, CO

Spanish Tennis Teaching System

Sep 8 ....................... Level 1 Training Course Preakness Hills Country Club; Wayne, NJ Nov 10 ..................... Level 1 Training Course Methodist University; Fayetteville, NC Nov 10 ..................... Level 1 Training Course Sea Pines Racquet Club; Hilton Head Island, SC

At Academia Sanchez-Casal USPTA professionals can earn 10 Education Credits by participating in the Level 1 or Level 2 course of the Spanish Tennis Teaching System hosted by the International Coaches Institute.

Oct. 24 – 26............................... Naples, FL

Competitive Coaching Course Level 1

Oct. 26 – 28............................... Naples, FL

Pro Coaching Course Level 2

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

Online education

Watch webinars, seminars, On Court with USPTA episodes, specialty courses and much more on TennisResources.com to earn your education credits.