Addvantage 2019 March

March 2019

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USPTA FROM THE CEO

CMAA PARTNERSHIP John R. Embree USPTA CEO

O

ver the past several years within this column, I have commented regularly about how vital our relationship is with Club Management Association of America (CMAA). And as most USPTA members know, the fourth core pillar of our strategic plan is “being strongly aligned with our allied organizations.” Along with the USTA, there is no partnership more critical to our professionals than that of CMAA. As such, I was thrilled to be invited to participate with the CMAA Business Management Institute (BMI) in early January in Scottsdale, Ariz. The theme of this week-long workshop was to educate club managers about non-golfcentric activities at clubs.

With the decline in golf rounds and golf activity at most private clubs across the country, the premise of the meeting was to highlight those activities that clubs can offer their respective members that will keep them coming back to utilize their facilities. Clubs would prefer that members not drive down the street to participate in these activities and spend discretionary dollars elsewhere when they can just as easily do it at their own club. Youth programming, kid’s camps, lawn games, fitness and

wellness, adaptive sports, yachting and sailing, hiking, biking, bocce, croquet and aquatics were amongst the many topics that were addressed by subject matter experts in those respective fields.

Of course, racquet sports was the subject that I was asked to address for the 45 managers who were in attendance. It was important that I not only painted a truthful picture of what is going on with our industry and our market conditions, but also dive into the latest trends with platform tennis, pickleball, padel and POP Tennis (the four P’s). Managers wanted to hear about how these activities could enhance their tennis programs while also considering what real estate within their clubs would have to be dedicated to build a program around them.

Just by coincidence, the TIA hosted the Racquet and Paddle Sports Conference in conjunction with the PGA Merchandise Show in Orlando two weeks after the BMI (late January).

Held in conjunction with the TOM Conference, all four of these disciplines were showcased on the exhibition floor of the PGA Merchandise Show so that CMAA members could visit the Paddle and Racquet area to watch each of them being played, taught and demonstrated. What a unique opportunity to have each of these sports being demonstrated side by side so that clubs could make decisions about which one of them would suit their clientele!

Naturally, I gave an overview about the USPTA and why club managers should be hiring USPTA certified professionals. Finally, I offered a sneak preview as to the pending certification standards that are coming and how

the USTA will be collaborating with the USPTA to “elevate the standards of tennis teaching professionals and coaches” throughout the country.

This new accreditation agreement with the USTA is going to be a massive undertaking in order to be ready for launch in early 2020. This article will not allow me the time nor the place to delve into this matter in any detail.

More information will be forthcoming in the very near future.

But, what was essential for this audience of club decision makers to hear was how this new educational standard for teaching pros will impact clubs and their hiring practices.

Because the USPTA is now the only fully accredited tennis teaching organization in the country, the impact on the job market cannot be understated.

In a continuing effort to message CMAA management, the USPTA was also invited to present at the CMAA World Conference in Nashville, Tennessee in late February. I will gladly be sharing the stage with Kurt Kamperman, CEO of the USTA National Campus, as we discuss the new sports landscape, why tennis is positioned for another boom and how the next generation of tennisteaching professionals will help drive participation for our sport. It should be an interesting and exciting presentation to which I am looking forward.

The bottom line is simple: private clubs and country clubs hire a great percentage of our members. Thus, it makes perfect sense to educate club management personnel as to the benefits of hiring members of our association so that the customer experience being offered by our members is exceptional. Only then will those club members keep returning to the club for increased activity. Being closely affiliated with CMAA just makes good sense.*

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WILSON’S NEW RACQUET

USPTA

THE WILSON CLASH HYPE IS REAL

PLAYERS OF ALL LEVELS RAVE ABOUT IT IN PLAYTEST

by Kevin Granato, Wilson Sporting Goods Co.

T

he excitement swirling around the Wilson Clash racquet This is perhaps the most impressive attribute of Clash: its isn’t just hype, it’s backed by an incredibly unique ability to appeal to a wide swath of player types and styles after playing experience for anyone who picks it up. only a few swings.

As was the case this past spring when Wilson tour players Despite having a strong allegiance to their current racquets, play tested it before the BNP Paribas Open at Indian Wells. several players said they could even see themselves playing with “It’s a new feeling I’ve never felt before,” said 15th ranked Clash right away. And while many frames optimized for tour ATP player Stefanos Tsitsipas. players are unplayable for the average tennis player, the Clash Tour veteran Feliciano Lopez said: “It’s solid, but not racquet received rave reviews from all player types during the stiff...I don’t know how to explain...the feeling is impressive” extensive playtesting period.

The impressive playing experience is rooted in technology.

Clash is now available in stores and online, so all players can Wilson intentionally built Clash for the modern swing with see for themselves that the racquet lives up to the hype. proprietary frame construction that allows it to bend both in horizontal and vertical directions – making it the most flexible racquet on the market without compromising stability.

The result: a racquet that lets players swing away with confidence knowing the ball will stay in deep into the court.

“The ball catapults so well off the racquet and it bites,” said tour mega-star Grigor Dimitrov.

“You can just put the ball into the corners.”

“I’m not putting a lot of energy into it. It’s just flying,” said Jelena Ostapenko, winner of the 2017 French Open. For players Wilson intentionally built Clash for the modern swing with proprietary frame like Ostapenko who employ an construction that allows it to bend both in horizontal and vertical directions. aggressive mindset on the court, pace and power are critical to taking control of points.

About Wilson Sporting Goods, Co. The unique playing experience isn’t exclusive to the pro Chicago-based Wilson Sporting Goods Co., a subsidiary of Amer players – players of all ages and levels are feeling the same Sports Corporation, is one of the world’s leading manufacturers confidence when they hit with Clash. of sports equipment, apparel and accessories. Wilson is a global “It seems like everywhere I hit is the strike zone,” said one leader in a variety of sports including, tennis, baseball, softball, junior player. football, golf, basketball, volleyball and soccer. The company “I feel the ball hanging on the strings…I really do feel like I uses player insights to develop products that push equipment have more time to follow through,” said an adult player. innovation into new territories. Through the company’s Another junior player interviewed said they hadn’t hit with dedication to creating products that enable athletes at every a Wilson racquet for five years and asked when it will become level to perform at their best, Wilson has earned its place as a available. leader in sporting goods for over a century.*

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USPTA

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11/28/18 1:36 PM

USPTA VICE PRESIDENT MESSAGE

HAPPY SPRING Trish Faulkner USPTA Vice President

H

appy spring everyone! I hope your 2019 started off with many successful programs and lessons at your courts regardless of the size and scope of your facility.

Exciting news greeted us at our January board meeting as the USTA announced USPTA had received full accreditation. This will now elevate our organization as the global leader in educating and certifying highly qualified tennis professionals.

PTM programs will expand in 2019 with more locations spread across the country helping to provide an incredible educational opportunity for our young incoming members.

This entire process will also help open doors for career opportunities

Our goal for 2019 is to have every division represented in every category.

for current and newly certified professionals.

As the board member in charge of the Awards Committee, I am challenging all of you, regardless of your position or your location, to take the time to look around you and find someone in our organization who deserves recognition. Our goal for 2019 is to have every division represented in every category. Thanks to John Cornell in our national office, all award categories and nomination forms are easy to access online on our website.

You have two choices for all awards you may self-nominate using a longer form or you may nominate a very deserving USPTA member simply by submitting their name in a particular

Nominate a deserving USPTA Professional for the 2019 Awards Program

category with a short paragraph outlining their achievements. These awards are for the calendar year of 2018 including the Alex Gordon Professional of the Year. Also, please don’t forget to acknowledge a very deserving and supportive manager of a small or large facility for 2018. This award can be won by a non-USPTA member, so take the time to recognize a manager who supports you and the USPTA. I also chair the Diversity and Inclusion Committee which is an ever-evolving and changing task. Our goals are simple - make certain the USPTA is a fully diverse organization from a membership standpoint, and to encourage our divisions to reach out within their communities to design and provide programs to diverse cultures. Also, within this committee is the Women’s Task Force which focuses on arranging and promoting women’s meetings at all division conferences.

For 2019 we are again challenging every division to make certain that all seminars, workshops and conferences showcase diverse presenters, especially qualified women speakers.

Your national board is working hard to make sure you all have a very exciting and successful year. Don’t forget your award nominations!

Thanks for all you do!*

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MASTER PRO CORNER

Are Taller Servers Taking Over the Game?

James Shaughnessy USPTA Master Pro

B

ill Tilden is often considered one of the greatest players of all time.

Tilden ended his career with 21 Grand Slam titles. In 1925, the 6’2” “Big Bill” Tilden wrote a book titled “Match Play and Spin of the Ball.” Tilden wrote, “I consider that double-faults…are absolutely inexcusable and actually tennis crimes.”

Counter-intuitively, Nick Bollettieri states in his 2001 “Tennis Handbook” that advanced tennis players must not be afraid to go for their second serve.

Bollettieri says, “True you will miss some [and double fault] by being more aggressive but in time they will start falling in and your serve will get better.”

In the 1977 book “Tennis for the Future” Vic Braden advises: “to hit the serve hard on a straight line, so that it clears the net by one to six inches and lands one inch inside your opponent’s service line the center of your racquet must be ten feet in the air. But you must be 6’6” or 6’7” tall to reach this height. “ In 2013, research in “Sports Biomechanics” by Vaverka & Cernosek studied men and women in all 2008 Grand Slam matches. Statistically

significant correlations between body height and serve speed were found in the categories of maximum serve speed in a match, average 1st serve speed in a match and average 2nd serve speed in a match.

Data from Tennis Abstract (http:// www.tennisabstract.com/cgi-bin/ leaders.cgi) are taken from the pro men’s and women’s tour. The data shows taller players have a better chance to serve the ball “hard” and in. In the 2011 US Open 6’10” John Isner had the highest average 1st and 2nd serve speed. As of October 2018, Isner is the No. 1 rated server in the world on ATP World Tour. Additionally, it appears that this advantage may carry over to an advantage in achieving higher rankings.

At the time of this article there are five players 6’6” or taller in the top ten ranked ATP players.

The current serving statistics (table 1) for the past year are available for the top 100 rated servers on the WTA tour and the top 95 servers on the ATP tour.

Since it is known that a higher impact point when serving gives the player a larger area through which the ball can hit and land in the service box, it can be hypothesized the taller players will be more successful in the categories of serving used to rate professional servers. Since serving is “arguably the most important facet of the game” according to Bruce Elliott PhD. It can be hypothesized that body height should be positively correlated with player rankings.

An evaluation of WTA and ATP statistics in the categories of serve rank, percentage of 1st serves made, percentage of 1st serve points won, percentage 2nd serve points won, average aces per match, average double faults per match and percentage of service games won, was done to ascertain whether there is a relationship between a player’s height and serve ranking success and whether any of these specific variables are correlated with WTA and ATP ranking success. (See table)

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MASTER PRO CORNER

It can be hypothesized the taller players will be more successful in the categories of serving used to rate professional servers.

points won. Remarkably, we saw that on both tours the height of the server did not show an advantage on percentage of second serve points won. However, if we look at the career all-time leaders of percentage of second serve points won, we find six out of the top 10 players have reached the world No. 1 ranking and Nadal and Federer are ranked No. 1 and No. 2 with Djokovic No. 5. No other serve category has this many world No. 1 ranked players. The average height of the six players who reached the No. 1 ranking is 6’0.8” Nadal, Djokovic and Federer are listed at 6’1”-6’2”. The average height of the top 95 ATP servers is 6’1.5”.

It must be noted that returning serve is a huge factor in ranking level. We are not addressing the subject because a player is not in complete control of his or her returning success. Also, other skills are relevant once the serve is returned. These skills must also be well used to win a service point.

Photo Credit: ATP World Tour

The height of top male players is correlated with serve rank, aces per match, percent of 1st serve and percent of service games won, but not to ATP ranking.

The heights of female players are not correlated with serve rank or percentage of service games won but are correlated with aces per match and WTA ranking. Interestingly, there is a correlation between taller WTA players and a higher average double-fault rate per match.

The height categories that are the same for both men and women are that percentage of 2nd serve points won do not correlate to height. The height of the player correlates to percentage of 1st serve points won. The height of the player also correlates to average number of aces per match.

Of the performance factors listed above, only two categories correlate to tour rankings for both men and women.

First, and obviously, the percentage of service games won is correlated to tour ranking success.

Coaches typically advocate getting your 1st serve in a high percentage of the time, but 1st serve percentage does not correlate to ATP tour rankings.

In fact, for all-time career 1st serve percentage, Federer is ranked No. 192, Nadal No. 27 and Djokovic’s is No. 78 at the time of writing this article. None of the players in the top 25 all-time 1st serve percentage leaders have ever reached No. 1 on the ATP tour.

As coaches, we also typically frown upon double faults. But, on both men’s and women’s tours, double-faults did not correlate to pro ranking. The average number of double-faults per match for the top serving men and women is 3.22 and 3.76 respectively.

Therefore, double-faulting is not a crime if your average is less than four.

The only other serve category that does correlate to ranking success on both tours is percentage of 2nd serve

Males aspiring to achieve high rankings should strive to win 51.24 percentage or better. Females aspiring to make the top 100 servers should strive to win better than 45.6 percentage of their second service points. Ashleigh Barty at 5’5” had the highest percentage of 2nd serve points won in the top 100 on the WTA tour at 51.6 percentage.

Based on this study, Big Bill Tilden might like to reword his characterization of double faults. Also, Bollettieri is correct in encouraging players to go for aggressive second serves. ATP and WTA tour rankings correlate to percentage of 2nd serve points won and the height of the player does not correlate to percentage of 2nd serve points won. At the time of the study the adage “You are only as good as your second serve” is still viable with some modification. You are only as good as the percentage of second serve points won.*

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. He is an award-winning professional with over 30 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 Creating Your Teaching Methodology

USPTA

by Joao Pinho, USPTA Elite Professional

I

t’s fair to say that there are many ways to teach and to develop a competitive player. By looking at the pro rankings, we will see players with a wide variety of backgrounds and stories. While there were probably some commonalities between their developmental journeys, the actual methods and values used by their coaches have likely differed in many aspects. Despite the fact that some systems, like the Spanish, tend to develop more players and that many key

method. If you have been teaching for a while, you very likely have a process to create your lesson plans and deliver your lessons. From my observations, a small percentage of coaches have their method highly defined: that is written down with a step-by-step process and values clearly recognized. Just pause reading this article for a few seconds and ask yourself: “How would you define your teaching methodology in 30 seconds or less ?” Go ahead, I will wait for you…

is crystal clear to yourself, you will then be better able to re-shape it into whatever form you need to in order to effectively deliver to others. Think about all the times we repeat the same information relentlessly, with limited to no results. While part of someone else’s progress is outside our control, honing down your process can not only improve the player’s experience, but also create a competitive advantage for you. You will be the coach with the clear method!

So, where should you start? The stepby-step list below should help spark your thoughts.

1. Create your Mission Statement. This should be simple but meaningful to you.

• Mine is: “To utilize the simplest way to progressively move a player through the developmental journey while developing his/her fundamentals, character and love for the game.”

factors are “requirements” to become a world-class player, one topic that often gets overlooked is the methodology used by the developmental coaches.

My goal in this article is not to convince you to use my methodology, but to challenge you to formalize your own. First, let’s define what a teaching methodology is. In my view, it means a defined system with principles and procedures that shape our deliveries with the goal of enhancing the learning experience for the student.

With that out of the way, we can now focus on creating or defining your

Not so easy, huh? You may be thinking “but I’ve been teaching for a while and I know what I am doing, it’s all in my brain!” That’s a fair point, but from my experience one of the key skills needed to be an effective teacher is to be clear with your message. It does not have to be fancy but you need to be able to connect with the player and find ways for him/her to do what you find is important at that moment. If you can’t clearly explain your method to yourself, you will likely miss the mark with your players more often than you’d like, or are even aware of. Once your message

• This touches on all areas that are key to my methodology • Simplicity • Progressions • Fundamentals • Character • Love for the game 2. Pick your components. This is the time to be a chef and choose the ingredients that you find important.

Such as: • Simple language “If you can’t explain simply, you don’t understand well enough.”

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USPTA INSIDE COACHING • Technical parameters What is the range of acceptability that you’ll have for all strokes? Document it (that is write it down, use pictures/ videos) so it is “tattooed” in your mind.

• Tactical concepts. Initially, I emphasize two key concepts at the baseline: • “Directionals” Simple definition is: Hit cross-court from wide, and look to change direction from the center: Favor the inside stroke when changing directions.

• Identify the strongest pattern Which direction do I have an advantage against this opponent? Is it FH to FH, BH to BH, FH to BH or something else?

• Drill creation. My drills must: • Be simple • Have competitive element built into it • Be fed with a realistic ball path and tempo • Be easily adjustable to become easier or tougher • Portray a specific scenario that players can relate to • Communication standards • I try to use a 3:1 ratio of positive reinforcement to correction. In other words, I attempt to teach by making the player aware of the good things s/he does instead of “fixing” all the not so good things.

• Make a “big deal” when they do exactly what you are looking for!

• Disciplinary standards • I believe in creating an environment conducive to learning: fun but controlled.

• What are the actions you will not tolerate? Write them down and give them to players and parents at the first class.

3. Create a structure for your delivery • Develop a consistent flow of activities that is engaging and has good content • While our sport requires lots of repetition, there’s still plenty of room for variety and small changes that can totally change the feel of a common drill. So, be creative while keeping it simple and focused on a fundamental skill.

4. Define the process for technical adjustments. In my view, using progressions is the best way to approach most technical changes. Having a clear way to address these can boost the player’s learning curve.

My method includes: • Identify the root cause of a potential issue • Break it down into progressions Isolate the area of focus and minimize the chance of the player doing the old habit by setting the player on the new position. For example: A player has a large loop on the forehand that is outside the range of acceptability and it

does not work. In this case, I’d set the player on the position s/ he would be after the unit turn is complete so the player has less chances of doing the previous mistake, as s/he is already on the adjusted position.

• Stay on task, focusing on the above area, until the player is showing signs of progress.

• Gradually make it more challenging.

• Continue to progress and regress as needed while focusing into his/ her main priority.

While teaching cannot be put into a cookie-cutter approach and no method works every time, it’s crucial that a coach has a clear understanding of his/ her own methodology. Even if it’s to know when your system is not working and a different option is necessary. By taking the time to define your process and by documenting it, you’ll notice that it can be an enlightening process in which will make you a better teacher In a society that wants fast results, having a system that is more process based can increase the player’s likelihood to “stick around” as they’ll better understand where they are in their journey. However, that’s only possible if you know how to move them forward within your own method first.

I hope that you have found this helpful. If you have any questions/ comments, I’d be happy to hear them at joao.pinho@usta.com.*

Joao Pinho is the Head Professional of 10U and High-Performance at the USTA BJK National Tennis Center in NY. As a former NCAA DI Coach and player, he has specialized in developing competitive junior players and is currently the private Coach of three National Champions and a WTA Touring Pro. Since 2014, he has presented in fourteen different conferences and workshops across the country including the 2015 USPTA World Conference.

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5 THINGS I WOULD TELL MY YOUNGER SELF

Sid Newcomb USPTA National Head Tester

I

spent 20 years at the same beautiful private club in Northern California.

The first year at the club, I was the head tennis professional. During my second year, the tennis director left his position and I was fortunate to get a shot at the job. Something must have gone well for me to spend the bulk of my career in one place. However, I became a better tennis director with time due to a combination of experience on the job, being humbled by life’s hard knocks, my wife kicking my butt and proactively seeking continuing education to grow my skills as a tennis professional. If I could go back and tell a young me what to do right off the bat, here is what I would say.

1. Say “yes” to at least one thing a year that doesn’t necessarily pay at the time.

When I was a young pro my focus was narrow. I had enough on my plate just taking care of the club members, my family was growing and my budget was tight…I was grinding. Everything seemed to depend on how much time I was on-court, that’s what paid. I ignored many opportunities to get involved with the USPTA and the USTA on a larger scale. I just didn’t have the time to give to something that didn’t pay money.

Getting involved and volunteering for events in any capacity is connecting and networking with decision makers, and that pays off down the road. Now I would tell my younger self to budget one day a month or six times a year­— anything to

SID’S CORNE R

Write out process-oriented goals and share them with the students and with their parents if they are junior players.

get involved in the sport outside of my immediate job at the club.

2. Write out lesson plans and goals for your regular students.

I had loads of students that I gave weekly lessons to for months and months. Now, I would write out process-oriented goals and share them with the students and with their parents if they are junior players. For example, for a 10-year-old student who plays regularly and wants to ramp up their competition starting in the upcoming summer, my lesson plan would look like this: “In the next three months, our goal is that you will be able to execute both first and second serves with a continental grip and a solid serve motion. To do this, we have to do x,y and z in our lessons and you have to do x,y and z in your daily practices.”

3. Attend a local, division, or national conference yearly.

You only know how much you don’t know or how much more you could know if you expose yourself to educational opportunities. Nothing is better than face to face, peer to peer learning. I would have

loved to make an effort to get a clause written in my contract that the club or facility pays for some percentage of my yearly continuing education.

4. Play tennis for fun weekly.

The younger me wanted no part of being on a tennis court when I wasn’t working.

I lost the fun of playing. I would say, no matter how busy, leave your club with a friend (not a member), go to some court other than where you work and hit for an hour or play some points. Don’t lose the love of the game that brought you to the job you are in the first place.

5. Run a completely new and different event every year.

Its remarkable to me how my club’s calendar looked so similar year in and year out. If we ran a successful event, then everyone wanted to do it again. There are so many ideas for different types of events, even if something went well the previous time, there is nothing wrong with changing it up and doing a different event.

It’s said that “variety is the spice of life.”

This keeps a freshness about the program both for you and your clientele.*

Sid Newcomb is the National Tester for the USPTA. Before joining USPTA’s national staff, Newcomb was the director of tennis at Peninsula Community Center (PCC) in Redwood City, California since 1996. After a successful college career and a short stint in the minor leagues of tennis, he joined the coaching ranks at the Nick Bollettieri Tennis Academy where he was the European academy director for seven years.

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USPTA FLORIDA DIVISION HIGHLIGHT

Wishes granted, lives changed by A USPTA pro through 20 years of fundraising

by Tommy Cardinal, USPTA Communications

S

picked three children from Make-A-Wish and they were there. They’re gonna get their wish for sure and the rest is going to go into Make-A-Wish for the next child.”

Nicole Ruth, the development coordinator at Make-A-Wish Southern Florida, said that the success of Mertz’s final Lessons for Life event will ensure that 3-year-old Alison, from Venice, Fla., can meet the Disney princesses at Disney World for her fourth birthday; 15-year-old Aundrianna (or Aunna), from Sarasota, Fla., can go surfing in Australia; and 12-year-old Javier, from Punta Gorda, Fla., can go on a Caribbean cruise with his family. Ruth said the event raised more than $35,000.

“There were several people that donated $1,000 to the event,” Charles Sandomenico, director of tennis and fitness at the Venetian, said. “Some of them didn’t even play tennis or come.”

Sandomenico has attended the fundraisers for the past 13 years and hosted it the past two years. He said that about 150 people attended the fundraiser.

“Since I started working here, we’ve always gone to each one every year,” Sandomenico said. “All the pros in Venice and Sarasota and Bradenton all participate when we can.”

Dave Kozlowski said he has known Mertz for almost 30 years. Kozlowski, or “the Koz”, is a USPTA Master Professional and has attended Lessons for Life Events for the last six years.

“Sometime after I met her, she got into fundraising with Lessons for Life and really took an absolute, personal hold of it,” Koz said. “This was hers, and everybody respected her for that because it was hers and the way she had gotten involved.”

Lessons for Life events organized by Mertz have experienced tremendous growth in 20 years. In 1998, the first year it was organized, the fundraiser raised $1,200.

“The first year we made $1,200 and that was phenomenal with the few pros we had,” Mertz said. “We were thrilled.

I never dreamed that it would get to $35,000.”

Brenda Mertz has organized a Lessons for Life fundraiser in the Sarasota, Fla. area for 20 years in a row. This year was her last organizing the event.

Photo Credit: Janet Combs Photography

he’s been a USPTA professional since 1989 but has been a part of something bigger since 1998.

A personal struggle coupled with a USPTA initiative motivated Brenda Mertz to start a Lessons for Life fundraiser in the Sarasota, Fla. area.

“In 1998, when the USPTA asked us to give away one of our lessons’ monies to the American Cancer Society and they were gonna help a national charity, that year I happened to get cancer,” Mertz said. “I thought, ‘You know what? I can really go big with this. I can really help.’”

Mertz, a USPTA Elite Professional, has done just that since then. She’s held a Lessons for Life event 20 years in a row. The 20th Annual Lessons for Life fundraiser was held on January 12 at the Venetian River Club in Venice, Fla. Lessons for Life is a USPTA national charitable program. The goal of the program is to encourage members to organize tennis-based fundraising events to benefit people and organizations in their community.

Mertz’s 20th annual Lessons for Life event included food, a kids’ zone, silent auction and lessons for kids. Mertz said the silent auction had a big impact in fundraising. The recipient of the fundraiser changes year to year.

This year the fundraiser benefited Make-A-Wish Southern Florida. Mertz said she wanted to help different organizations and individuals through the fundraiser rather than the same year in and year out. Their fundraising goal was shattered.

“I wanted to be just one penny over $25,000,” Mertz said. “Midnight Saturday night I looked on the internet and we had gotten, at that point, $35,000. That touched me big time, my heart. We had

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USPTA

Tennis professionals celebrate at the 20th Annual Lessons for Life fundraiser at the Venetian River Club in Venice, Fla. on January 12.

Professional and mentoring youth.

Mertz and her husband James Mertz started Mertz Tennis Academy to teach children in the Sarasota area on different courts. They utilize facilities throughout town including Pine View School, Calusa Lakes and NewGate School. They also organize shuttles for children and adults to attend the

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Photo Credit: Janet Combs Photography

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Giving back to the individuals in the community has motivated some of those beneficiaries to give back themselves.

One previous recipient of a Lessons for Life fundraiser in 2007, Olivia Theiler, has returned to Lessons for Life to lend a hand herself. She’s come back every year since to lend a hand.

“She had leukemia and she’s fine now. So, every year she’ll come with her family,” Mertz said. “They went every year and helped us set up, support and we would introduce her. Now she’s taller than me and drives. We are always so happy to see her because we just saw her grow up.”

This was Mertz’s final year coordinating a Lessons for Life fundraiser but said she hopes that the event motivates attendees to give back in other ways in future years. After 20 years of organizing a fundraiser each year, Mertz said she wants to start focusing her time on becoming a USPTA Master

Miami Open tournament annually.

Mertz has used her USPTA membership and resources as a tool to help the community that she lives in.

“I feel through the core of USPTA it’s given all of us pros a chance not to just teach tennis but to give back to our communities through tennis,” Mertz said. “That’s been pretty big to me.”*

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MEMBER NEWS

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Chris Champion

Laura Berendt

Tomas Catar

Springer Jones

Laura Berendt was hired by River Forest Park District in River Forest, Ill. in August 2018 to expand the platform tennis program. Since the sport officially launched in the village in 2012, the number of members has more than doubled, and so did the number of available tennis courts. Two more courts were built in 2017, bringing their total number up to four and now has close to 200 members. Berendt is a 2007 Chicago Platform Tennis Charities 2007 Open National Tournament champion, a 2016 Illinois state champion and a winner of the 2018 Hinsdale Women’s Challenge.

Tomas Catar, Mike Ford Tennis Center manager and tennis professional at Stimpson Park in Fairhope, Ala. has been selected as the 2018 recipient of the United States Tennis Association Southern Tennis Professional of the Year Award. This award recognizes a tennis professional in the southern section that demonstrates a significant contribution to the game of tennis through their promoting of the USTA programs and their support of the USTA Mission: To promote and develop the growth of tennis.

Springer Jones was hired as a tennis professional for the Eau Gallie Yacht Club in Indian Harbour Beach, Fla. Springer graduated from Melbourne High School and played varsity tennis at the University of North Florida. Springer is a USPTA teaching professional that brings 12 years of tennis-teaching experience to EGYC. For the past three years, he coached the team his daughter Sidney played for, the West Shore Junior and Senior High School Varsity Girls Tennis Team.

Chris Champion named USTA Florida’s newest head tennis professional, overseeing all public tennis sites in Gainesville. Champion is a USPTA Elite Professional and brings a strong background in community tennis serving most recently as director of tennis for First Serve Miami. Champion majored in Sport Management from Barry University. As an undergraduate student he completed four internships with the Miami Open tournament, and last year was accepted into the national USTA Player Development Mentoring Program.

9!

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 Editor.............................................................................John Cornell Managing Editor ................................................... DeVonte’ Martin Layout/Design........................................................... Gustavo Reyes Editorial Assistance.......................... Tommy Cardinal, Risa Epstein, Ramona Husaru, Fred Viancos, 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. 2019. All rights reserved.

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

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CAREER DEVELOPMENT

Exams, Upgrades & PTCA

Online education

4 Credits for PTCA I Segment Exams, Upgrades & PTCA Mar. 2 – 3 ................................. Rome, GA Mar. 3 – 4 ..................... Potomac Falls, VA Mar. 4 ......................................La Jolla, CA Mar. 8 – 9 ................................ Austin, TX Mar. 8 – 9 ............................. Lafayette, LA Mar. 9 – 10 ....................... Boca Raton, FL Mar. 9 – 10 ............. Huntington Beach, CA Mar. 15........................... Minneapolis, MN Mar. 15........................ Oklahoma City, OK Mar. 23 – 24 ....................... Columbus, GA Mar. 23 – 24 ........................ Charlotte, NC Mar. 24 ............................. Collierville, TN Mar. 24 – 25 ...........................Burbank, CA Mar. 29................................... Skillman, NJ Apr. 5 .................................. Rochester, NY Apr. 5 – 6....................................... Laie, HI Apr. 5 – 6...............................Gulfpost, MS Apr. 6 .............................. Cottonwood, AZ Apr. 6 – 7....................................Aurora, IL Apr. 6 – 7........................... Vancouver, WA Apr. 6 – 7................................... Azusa, CA Apr. 7................................ Midlothian, VA Apr. 8 – 9 ............................... Orlando, FL Apr. 13 – 14 ............................. Naples, FL Apr. 13 – 14 .................... Johns Creek, GA Apr. 17 – 18 ................................ Tyler, TX Apr. 19 ................................. Harrison, NY Apr. 26 –27 ............ Huntington Beach, CA Apr. 27............................... Des Moines, IA 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 LEADERSHIP ACADEMY

The USPTA Leadership Academy is laser focused coaching on key tennis industry leadership principles. Led by USPTA members Feisal Hassan, Ajay Pant, Sara Morse and Jose Pastrello, the leadership academy will use case studies, selfassessments and best practices and behaviors. Additional topics to build a strong leadership base will include time management, communication

2019 USPTA Division Conference Schedule Division Conferences - 6 Credits

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

Mar. 1-3...............................Northern Division

Platform Tennis

May 3 – 5............Eastern Division Convention

Apr. 21 ........................ Certification Course Stamford, CT

The Fort ; St. Paul, MN

Mar. 2 - 3............................San Diego Division La Jolla Beach & Tennis Club; La Jolla, CA

Doral Arrowhead; Rye Brook, NY

May 3 – 5......................New England Division Foreside Fitness and Tennis Center; Falmouth, ME

May 16 - 18.........................Southern Division North Hill Country Club; Raleigh, NC

May 17 - 19 ...................... Southwest Division Grand Canyon University; Phoenix , AZ

Mar. 29 - 30................. Certification Course USPTA National Headquarters; Lake Nona, FL

May. 24 – 25 ............... Certification Course

Renaissance Meadowlands; Rutherford, NJ

July. 18 – 19 ................ Certification Course

May 30 - June 2...................... Florida Division PGA National; Palm Beach Gardens, FL

May 31 - June 1......Pacific Northwest Division Central Park Tennis Club; Kirkland , WA

Aug. 15 - 16......................... Midwest Division Western Southern Open; Cincinnati, OH

Sheraton Austin Georgetown Hotel; Austin, TX

Sept. 23 – 27 ...........USPTA World Conference

Sept. 28 – 29 ............... Certification Course

Westgate Las Vegas; Las Vegas, NV

USPTA World Conference; Las Vegas, NV

Nov. 15 – 16 ................ Certification Course

Atlanta, GA

Cardio Tennis Mar. 6......................Level 1 Training Course The Lakes Country Club; Palm Desert, CA Mar. 22....................Level 1 Training Course Crooked Creek Country Club; Atlanta, GA Oct. 12....................Level 1 Training Course Midtown Athletic Club; Palatine, IL Nov. 9......................Level 1 Training Course Methodist University; Fayetteville, NC

WHEELCHAIR Tennis June. 20 ......................................... Salem, OR Aug. 17 .........................................Wichita, KS Oct. 17 ........................................ Lakeland, FL Nov. 7 .........................................Lafayette, IN

IPTPA Pickleball Certification Workshop Mar. 1 ........................................... Palatine, IL Mar. 24 ................................. New Canaan, CT May. 19 ....................................... Raleigh, NC June. 2 ...................... Palm Beach Gardens, FL

skills, customer service, team building, budgets and HR issues. This is a very interactive course that will involve group participation utilizing group projects and exercises within each training module.

All sessions will be held at USPTA World Headquarters in Lake Nona, Florida.

Information and Location: • Dates: April 12-14 • Location: USPTA Headquarters, Orlando, FL • Cost: $499 • Education credits: up to 15 education credits 6 credits + up to 9 credits for the education sessions.

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