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1968 US Open Champion Arthur Ashe

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FROM THE CEO

:

1968 WHat a year

by John R. Embree, USPTA Chief Executive Officer

W

e are just weeks away from going to New York for the TTC and our World Conference where we will celebrate 50 years of open tennis and the completion of the strategic transformation of the Billie Jean King National Tennis Center. This issue provides you with all the information that you need to entice you to join us at this year’s convention.

My intent in this space is to offer some historical perspective on what was taking place in the world in 1968 and what lead up to the creation of open tennis. So many of our members were not yet born nor do they have any recollection of the political and social upheaval that was captured in the news each day. While 2018 may be a milestone anniversary for the modern game of tennis, nothing compares to the tumultuous year that was 1968 (certainly the most difficult year in my lifetime) and the seismic shift occurring across the globe in terms of civil rights, political turmoil, the sexual revolution, a much-hated war, and cultural rebellion.

While I am by no means a US historian (although I was a history major in college), I think it is important that our members understand the backdrop of the global events

The assassinations of both Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. and Attorney General Robert F. Kennedy in 1968, rocked the nation to it’s very core.

that played out on TV screens daily with the dawning of the television age. There was global conflict in Czechoslovakia (that eventually lead to a Russian invasion and occupation), North Korea (the capture of the USS Pueblo and the incarceration of 83 US sailors) and of course, Vietnam, where the unpopular and dreaded war raged on. US troop casualties were on the rise with no end in sight to the conflict.

Americans were split over its support of the war as heated student protests and urban unrest created a massive divide that cut a nerve in our society. Demonstrations at Columbia University (where students occupied several buildings) to riots in Paris with hundreds injured in May was a forbearer to the anti-war demonstrations that lead to bloody clashes between activists and police during the Democratic National Convention in Chicago in August.

As if these events were not monumental enough, one cannot forget the assassinations of Martin Luther King Jr. in April and Robert Kennedy in June that rocked the nation to its very core. And just prior to a hotly contested presidential election between Richard Nixon and Hubert Humphrey, John Carlos and Tommie Smith bowed their heads and raised their black-gloved fists in a recognized salute to the Black Power Movement during the playing of the Star Spangled Banner during their awards presentation at the Mexico City Olympic Games in October. The cumulative effect of this social strife had a huge impact on me, 15-years-old at the time, coupled with personal loss that I experienced during the summer of 1968 seeing my own mother succumb to cancer. While at home in her hospice bed watching all of this unfold on television in front of our eyes, she worried so much about the world in which we would be living after she was gone.

Meanwhile, the world of tennis was going through its own revolution, as Tennis.com wrote in July of 2009, “the amateur ideal was slowly corroding. Tournaments were paying large under-the-table fees to lure top players to play their events while the big-name players were leaving the amateur ranks” in droves to play where money was being offered. Professional players were unable to play the Grand Slams because those events were restricted to amateurs only, but pressure was building on the biggest tournaments to open their doors to all players. “A wide chasm existed between the games administrators, who wanted to retain control of the game, and the players/promoters who sought expanded freedoms.”

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FROM THE CEO

1968 At the Democratic National Convention in Chicago, police and the National Guard battle with thousands of demonstrators, much of the violence was seen on national television causing outrage throughout the nation.

Martin Luther King Jr. is assassinated on april 4th. The shooter james earl ray flees the U.s. Days later, riots nationwide leave 39 people dead, more than 2,600 injured and 21,000 arrested.

AUGUST

April

JUNE

A riot breaks out between police and thousands of university students in Paris. Meanwhile in america, Robert F. Kennedy, wins the California primary, later He is assassinated at the Ambassador Hotel in Los Angeles.

What was happening in tennis was a microcosm of what was going on in the world itself.

Tennis.com continued its article: “Calling the situation a ‘living lie’, The British Lawn Tennis Association and the All England Club announced that starting in 1968, the championships would be open to amateurs and professionals alike.” Imagine the turmoil that enveloped the entire tennis bureaucracy at that time!

Roland Garros became the first grand slam to welcome both professionals and amateurs. Nancy Richey and Ken Rosewall won those titles, but most people do not recall that student riots were gripping Paris during the fortnight. In fact, many players felt that the tournament should not have even been played, telling of harrowing stories of how difficult it was just to get to the grounds from their respective hotels because of the mayhem on the streets of Paris. Four weeks later and across the English Channel, Billie Jean King and Rod Laver took home the Wimbledon crowns on the grass, historic victories as well.

As the summer wound down, the 88th staging of what was formerly the US National Championships was played at Forest Hills, New York, now known as the US Open. Arthur Ashe made a resounding statement beating Tom Okker in

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september Arthur Ashe wins the U.S. Open, becoming the first African american man to win a Grand Slam title. CBS-TV’s “60 Minutes” debuts. It is now the longest continuously running prime-time program in U.s. history.

the finals but had to turn down the winner’s prize money of $14,000 because he wished to remain an amateur. On the women’s side, Britain’s Virginia Wade captured the crown and took home a whopping $6,000 for her efforts.

My, how things have changed in 50 years!

For those of you who are history buffs like I am, I trust you enjoyed this little trip down memory lane. 1968 was unlike any year that I have experienced in my lifetime.

Not only did the tennis landscape change forever (and may I say, for the better), but the whole world experienced mind-blowing social and political metamorphoses that I will never forget. Images from newspapers, magazines and television broadcasts during that gut wrenching year are indelibly inscribed in my mind. What a year...

So, let us celebrate the 50th anniversary of open tennis together in New York in late August at the Tennis Teachers Conference. Be one of the first spectators on the first day of the 2018 US Open to walk into the newly constructed Louis Armstrong Stadium with its iconic roof and watch the best players in the world test their skills on tennis’ grandest stage. Unless you are planning to live another 50 years to witness the 100th birthday, this celebration will only happen once- be there! *

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Immediate Past President Message

If you want to go far... Go together

by Chuck Gill, USPTA Immediate Past President

T

here is an African Proverb that states “if you want to go fast go alone, if you want to go far… go together”. I strongly believe this is true for the tennis industry. When I think of the most popular events at my club, we need the tennis staff (front desk, court maintenance, tennis professionals, etc.) to be “aligned” with the F&B team, the communications department, the set-up crew, and of course the member committee that helps in the conceptual planning of events. If any of the above are not aware of what is happening, the event will not be as successful. Sadly, at times something as simple as alignment is often overlooked in our business. When you look at successful sports teams, while teams may have superstars, the extraordinary teams are almost always selfless, and can put personal goals and spotlights aside to make sure the group succeeds.

USPTA is no different! For us to reach the goal of elevating standards and creating better jobs in our industry, doing so in the proverbial silo is foolish, inefficient and destined to fail. One of our CORE PILLARS is centered on developing partnerships with stakeholders in tennis where collaboration can be mutually beneficial. I would like to list a few that have been nurtured and established both inside and outside our organization.

Central Florida USPTA and NET GENERATION: For this initiative to succeed, pros need to be engaged in the process. Two hours “up the turnpike” from my club, one of our U30 professionals Greg Heartt (with Section assistance) has formed five active school partnerships in Orange County. As part of this, he has visited the schools and assisted PE teachers with their curriculum on how to best bring tennis to kids. While Greg is currently teaching at a private club and will likely receive no direct benefit to himself…. he has the foresight to know that more youth tennis players will benefit the “teaching pro” community and provide a long-term demand for the services of him and his peers at some point. Greg works with Magali Holt who is the Youth Recreational TC to partner and provide play opportunities for kids that would not have access otherwise. Around the country, many pros have been doing this for years to help kids get exposed to our sport.

Section and Division Contracts: Several of our divisions have actually aligned with their sections to sign partnership agreements that serve as notice of the intent to grow tennis together. To date there are agreements in Florida (the first), Middle States, Southwest, with others in discussion. These agreements are more than just symbolic and can involve how they intend to jointly promote Net Generation, Leagues, alternate format tournaments and the Youth Pathway. In Florida, the section has agreed to support the U30 Initiative, hold joint conferences, and

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support grassroots efforts for tennis pros who promote the sport locally. While attending the Southwest meeting in May, it was great to see the SW division board operate seamlessly with the SW section leaders. Not only was the weekend supported financially, but the President Susan Grabham and Executive Director Eric Mitchell were visible (and engaged) throughout the meeting as were other staff members and volunteers! Growing tennis helps everyone, like the proverbial “rising tides lifts all boats”!

Teaching Professionals volunteering for USTA positions: At the recent USTA Annual Meeting, the importance of a welleducated and engaged teaching pro population was expressed to our industry and out of nearly 500 volunteers in attendance, about 100 volunteers stood up to be recognized as members of the “tennis/pro-coaches” group. It was evident that we as tennis professionals are key to the growth of the sport and without this group, programs will have a difficult time being launched.

Currently half of our national board are members of USTA national committees and others are involved with their sections.

Many of our division leaders and Executive Committee members volunteer at the national and/or section levels. Not only do they provide input and leadership, they also help keep the coaches community aware of what programs are being developed in conjunction with the governing body. During the most recent executive committee meeting at our home in Lake Nona, it was apparent that our 17 division leadership team is the most informed and aligned group we have ever had at USPTA.

Collaboration with CMAA: In addition to being the Boardroom Magazines “Association of the Year” several years ago, we continue to work together on education that benefits professionals in the private club sector.

In addition to regional workshops and joint conferences, we now feature well known CMAA managers as part of our national and division conventions, along with having speakers at their education events. In the first quarter of 2019, we will have tennis seminars at their World Conference, and will be featured in their first BMI (Business Management Institute) on Sports and Recreation. While this group has historically been very golf centric, tennis is an important part of their recreational offerings that help to make a club more family friendly. In closing, I urge all professionals to volunteer in groups outside of USPTA and engage others in the effort to grow tennis…and their business. *

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Master Pro Corner

So You Want To Be A Director of Tennis

by Ken McAllister, USPTA Master Professional

W

hen the USPTA was looking for volunteers among the Master Pros to be mentors for younger pros, I immediately volunteered. I did it in order to play it forward for all the mentoring I was fortunate to receive as I entered the tennis profession over 50 years ago. Among my early mentors were Dalton Hill, tennis coach at El Paso Irvin High School and David Kent, long time men’s coach at Texas A&M. As I became a teaching pro and director of tennis, my initial mentors were Tim Heckler and Dennis Van der Meer. They taught me much through advice and training, but most of it was by example.

be organized in a way to keep the respect of even those assistants who may have applied for the position. How? By showing respect for all who work for you in the same way you would expect it, and of course, by leading through example.

Anticipate that you will be expected to be the expert on tennis equipment, on the latest teaching methods, on the games of current top professionals, on leagues and tournaments, and on the USTA. The following are bullet points of the priorities of becoming a DOT. What may be noted is that continuing education and keeping up with the latest in tennis knowledge is not high on the list. This is mostly because that should be a given just by being in our industry. This list has the less measurable qualities that are the real reasons that a pro gets and keeps a director of tennis job.

Humility

USPTA Master Professional Larry Lineberry accepts award from former USPTA CEO Tim Heckler.

As I hired full time assistant professionals in the 1970’s and 80’s, my goal was to prepare them to move from the job with me to becoming a director of tennis. I am pleased to say that eight of my first nine became directors of tennis. Most of those are still working in the industry. The purpose of this article is to share what seem to be the most important lessons for someone to become the all-purpose professional expected by owners, boards, and customers of the director of tennis (DOT).

The first thing that a pro, who changes from assistant to DOT, should realize is that expectations from others will immediately increase. The customers will assume that you will know everything that all the assistants know, as well as being able to manage them as a team. The pro must

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Humility can be an elusive quality in a competitive industry full of egos. However, in a profession reliant on happy customers, it is crucial. The best advice for those of us challenged by this is low-key your qualities by letting them speak for themselves. Let others discover your skills by being quietly confident and never arrogant. Part of this is learning the difficult lesson of being tactfully honest at all times.

Related to this is a lesson I learned from Tim Heckler while he was giving me the USPTA test in 1974. He noted that I was very proud of my knowledge of teaching skills and techniques. He burst my bubble by saying it was good and well that I had such ability, but I should face the reality that customers will sign up with me because they like me long before they do it because of my knowledge.

Fairness

A close cousin to humility is fairness. At a club, all sorts of folks will try to draw you into their web for various reasons. Some will try to dominate your time; others will simply allow you into their clique. A good DOT will spread himself or herself as equally as possible outside of time paid for such as lessons and events. Treat everyone the same in the tournaments, leagues, group lessons, and other events. This may sound obvious and simple, but trust me, it is not easy. In the long run, your reputation for fairness will win out over someone being upset because you did not make an exception for him or her. When it comes to having to choose sides, side with ideas but never people. This will certainly be easier to accomplish if you have the habit of being fair in your personal life.

Master Pro Corner Respect

When you work at a club or tennis center, there should be no distinction of hierarchy when it comes to how you treat your fellow workers. The court and grounds maintenance people will often be the folks who will save an event when the electricity or plumbing goes out. If you have been respectful of them, they are more likely to put in the extra effort for you in these situations. Respect everyone for each one’s contributions to the club. The staff is in this together and a DOT should not only know everyone’s names, but they should know that the director cares. Again, this is much easier if this way of treating others is part of your personal life, it is much easier to make it real in your professional life.

Knowledge

The one last bit of advice is to continuously keep improving by studying and going to workshops and seminars on the latest in tennis. At the same time, share and listen to your fellow professionals, including the younger pros. Finally,

listen to non-tennis people when they reflect on what they see from outside the tennis industry. Although it sometimes seems as if our tennis world is an island to itself, the reality is that we are not. *

Ken McAllister has been a master professional since 1987 and has more than 51 years of experience in the tennis industry. McAllister’s experience includes 10 years as a high school coach, 17 as a teaching professional, and 24 years as the executive director of USTA Texas. He has been a USPTA member for 43 years and was a USPTA tester for 20 years. He was inducted into the Texas Tennis Coaches Hall of Fame in 2000 and the Texas Tennis Hall of Fame in 2013. He also served on the USPTA national board during the 2016-17 calendar year.

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Inside coaching

Why breathing is so important in tennis

by Milos Dimic, USPTA Elite Professional

of #1Importance breathing How many of us coaches are spending time at our practices teaching our athletes how to breath and the importance of correct breathing in sports?

We are trying to find so many ways to correct the stiffness in the stroke technique to create power and accuracy. We are including different kind of mental practices to lower down the anxiety levels and build up the concentration levels. For the players to build a strong core and to delay the feeling of the fatigue, they are working hard to condition their bodies.

So how can the proper breathing technique make things easier? Implementing breathing in the practice can upgrade the game of our players no matter their level.

up the constant ATP production for the fuels. The heart and the muscles responsible for breathing will take priority of the oxygenated blood over leg and arm muscles. Therefore due to the lack of oxygen in the blood, limb muscles will be the first for an athlete to feel premature fatigue.

Lack of oxygen If the oxygen can not be delivered on time, the muscles begin converting glucose into lactic acid instead of energy, resulting in performance decrease and fatigue. Oxygen is used in the process of cellular respiration producing ATP for energy and removing the CO2 from the working muscles, therefore uncontrolled breathing decreases the performance as CO2 is not properly removed, causing a buildup of waste and altering the pH of the body.

Implementing breathing in the tennis routine will enable players to: 1. Rely on the kinetic chain as the source of power and control 2. Have more constant timing of the strokes 3. Relax the muscles during the contact point 4. Perform with effortless and fluent follow through 5. Decrease the levels of anxiety and stress during and after the points 6. Increase the levels of concentration and confidence 7. Stabilize the core 8. Move more efficiently 9. Delay the feeling of fatigue 10. Reduce the chances of injuries 11. Correct the posture

of #2Physiology breathing Oxygen and fuels for the activity

Inhaling and exhaling

Our bodies obtain oxygen from the air we breathe in. It enters the blood stream and is carried to the muscles, where some of it is used immediately to break down glucose and create fuel for the muscles called ATP (adenosine triphosphate). The rest of the oxygen is stored by a compound called myoglobin.

Both phases of the breathing have different focus and benefit.

The inhaling should be used to energize and expand the upper body, which is exactly what the tennis player needs when loading and winding the hips and shoulders. Deep inhaling expands the upper body part which contributes to the body posture stability as the chest and shoulders open upwards.

Due to expansion, the player feels more energized and powerful while loading and coiling sending positive image and thoughts to the brain resulting in the more efficient and confident stroke.

Oxygen and feeling of fatigue When muscles work hard during an exercise, the need for oxygen increases. The body increases its breathing and heart rate to pump the oxygen into the working muscles to keep

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Inside coaching Exhaling stabilizes the body, making it secure and grounded, which is important for the tennis performance.

Balance and stability of the lower body are much needed in order for the upper body to uncoil efficiently. Pace of the exhaling should be associated with pace of the follow through motion which results in the fluency and efficiency of the stroke mechanics and properly timed strokes as the muscles of the upper body are relaxed during the contact point and the follow through motion.

Importance of inhaling through nasal pathway Breathing through the nose enables an athlete to take deeper breaths, which stimulates the lower lung to distribute greater amounts of oxygen throughout the body. Lower lung is triggering the parasympathetic nerve receptors which are calming the body/mind and reducing hypertension and stress.

On the other hand, mouth breathing stimulates the activity of the upper lungs (associated with the hyperventilation) triggering sympathetic nerve receptors, which results in the fight or flight reaction. Mouth breathing accelerates water loss, leading to early dehydration.

Importance of diaphragm breathing Practicing how to activate diaphragm as the dominant respiratory muscle and creating intra-abdominal pressure (IAP), will result in increased activation of the deep core stabilizing system and protection from the back injuries. With conscious and well-adjusted breathing, the core stabilization can be achieved and this can lead to the more efficient energy transfer from the ground up, efficient movement patterns, decreased chances of injury, increased power and performance overall.

of #3Psychology breathing Inhaling and preparation for the stroke Inhaling should begin as soon as the player anticipates the cues from the opposite side of the court. These cues are usually the trajectory and pace of the ball or the opponents reactions.

The inhaling should follow the pace of the game. The greater distance between the players and slower pace of

the ball, the inhaling should be deeper and at slower rate as the time of reaction is slower. Shorter distance between the players emerges the faster reaction therefore inhaling should begin at the moment of the opponent’s impact point or even before (as the ball bounces in the opponents field) if player feels urgency of a quick reaction to the opponents stroke.

Exhaling and following through Focusing on breathing keeps the upper body more relaxed even if the lower body part is under extreme pressure. Lower body and core should enable players to keep balance before, at the moment and after the stroke but the upper body muscles should be relaxed until the arm finishes the follow through motion. Exhaling should begin with the unloading of the kinetic chain movement towards the impact zone (not from the contact point), making it smooth and relaxed. Depending on the type of the stroke and the pace and intensity of the body unloading, exhaling can be long and relaxed or short and aggressive.

Breathing, emotional control and reducing anxiety The biggest source of stress, no matter of the level of the player, is the ball. Firstly, when the ball is approaching, the player is feeling stressed to position properly towards the contact zone. Secondly, as the ball is leaving the player’s racquet after the impact, the feeling of stress comes from the player’s doubtful thoughts if the ball is going where intended to go. Both of these situations, caused by the ball, will negatively effect the performance.

Inhaling, the player is relaxing and sending messages to the brain that there is a lot of time to prepare for the stroke.

If inhaling (through practice and repetition) is connected automatically with the positioning and loading phase, then the player can always FEEL safe and ready for the execution of the successful stroke.

Through exhaling, the player is relaxing the upper body which will successfully lead to the efficient contact point as the head of the racquet will always be below ball level.

Exhaling enables an efficient follow through, as with the relaxation of the arm muscles the racquet follows the trajectory of the ball finishing on the opposite side of the body using the joints (elbow and shoulder) rather then forearm muscles.*

Milos Dimic is a USPTA elite professional, USPTA sports science specialist, and RPT and ITPA tennis professional. His tennis-teaching professional experience includes working with the WTA seniors and ETA, ITF ranked junior players. Milos is currently head of junior development at the YCAC Tennis Academy in Yokohama, Japan and a graduating student of the master studies in Training Technology.

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US Open Series

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201 8 TTC S C H EDULE F R I DAY - MO NDAY AU G / 24-27 / 2 01 8

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S U N DAY, AUGU ST 2 6

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TO REGISTER, VISIT 2018TTC.COM

2018 USPTA HALL OF FAME INDUCTEES Jimmy Evert

(posthumously) Jimmy Evert earned a reputation as the world’s greatest tennis parent.

As a tennis supervisor at holiday park Fort Lauderdale, Florida he taught each of his five children to play from the age of five including 18-time Grand Slam champion and International Tennis Hall of Famer Chris Evert. Evert was raised in Chicago, Illinois where he learned the game of tennis by working as a ball boy at the then Chicago Town and Tennis Club. His love of the game of tennis from then on began to flourish. He earned a tennis scholarship to the University of Notre Dame and after college, became ranked No. 11 on the US rankings along with capturing the men’s singles title at the Canadian Championships in 1947. He passed away at the age of 91 on August 21, 2015.

Kathy S. Woods

Kathy served as President of the United States Professional Tennis Association (USPTA) from 1994-1996 and held the distinguished honor of being the first and only woman to serve the Association in that capacity. She is the co-author with her husband Ron of Playing Tennis After 50. Currently Kathy is the Director of Tennis at the USTA National Campus, the 100-court home of American tennis.

She was responsible for the set-up and implementation of all national campus programs and hiring teaching professionals/ coaching staff. Kathy directs a staff of 30 tennis professionals with comprehensive year-round programs for all ages and levels of play (over 30 programs and 130 class offerings), as well as adult and youth camps.

From 2004 to 2016, Kathy was the manager and director of tennis at the Racquet Club of St. Petersburg, Florida. She has been a certified teaching professional for more than three decades.

SID’S CORNER

Learning from a Rookie

by Sid Newcomb, USPTA National Head Tester

I

ts 99 degrees on court 11 at La Camarilla Racquet, Fitness & Swim Club in Scottsdale, Arizona. I’m at the Southwest Division Conference, in the middle of an education and certification session. As I step back for a moment to take in what’s happening, I can’t help but feel excitement for the future of our association. Here’s the picture — a group of 11 coaches, diverse in gender, age, ethnicity, you name it, all on one side of the court. They are split into three distinct teams, each in an animated discussion within itself. There are swings and stances, positions, postures, all very lively with lots of laughter. “This,” I think to myself, “is cool. Even in the heat.”

What I am witnessing is an Educational Module taking place as new applicants go through their USPTA certification.

This is a 2018 addition to the certification process. The intent is that our new applicants get a taste of what we are all about as a tennis-teacher certification and professional development association. To continue to “elevate our standards as tennis-teaching professionals and coaches”, we collectively and individually need to never stop learning and growing within the tennis industry. The certification experience is often the first personal touch an applicant has with the association. With that being said, all of our applicants, whether they are being tested here in Scottsdale, Arizona, or in Pensacola, Florida deserve to see who and what we really are, not just get “tested”. The various applicants have already been evaluated on their group lesson and still have the private lesson to come. But in this moment, they are together, learning and having fun.

Each of the three teams is guided by an experienced tennisteaching professional, which is one of today’s testers. The task at hand is to identify cures for a recreational player’s abbreviated follow-through on the forehand groundstroke.

Each team has three minutes to come up with their best antidote to solve the problem, and then they present their big idea to the entire group. (The big idea, by the way, is presented by the least experienced member of each team!)

At first glance, you would think the most experienced member out of the group should be presenting the solution to the group. By having the least experienced pro present the solution, that pro is learning how to present their ideas in front of their peers and this gives them practice when it comes time to present to their students.

All of us that were on-court had a total blast at the education and certification session. The interaction, presenting and the teaching aspect during the session all were very lively. Peer to peer and master to novice, we

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USPTA National Head Tester Sid Newcomb along with USPTA Southwest testers and applicants during the Southwest Division Conference at La Camarilla Racquet, Fitness & Swim Club in Scottsdale, Arizona.

coaches couldn’t get enough. The ideas, tips, concepts and even philosophies that were expressed during the session all were thrilling. I thought to myself during the session as the applicants were collaborating, there is no other place I would rather be. Quick, back to your groups — “too big of a swing on the volley” — how can we fix that? And the teams are back at it.

45 minutes in the sun pass in a flash, and it’s time to wrap it up and get on with the private lesson evaluation. Was it worth it? The time spent to give the applicants a firsthand look on how we evaluate lessons? Yes, that may have been the most valuable time spent all day. During our Educational Module, one common stroke error after another was discussed, and one big idea after another was presented. There are so many ways to get a point across! Good pros can never stop adding tools to their belts and today I walked away with some valuable knowledge.

In my current role as the USPTA national head tester, I travel to many of our 17 divisions certification days and I see a lot of tennis lessons... I mean a lot. What I have come to find

SID’S CORNER

Applicants and USPTA testers working together to solve the follow through on a forehand groundstroke.

out during my experiences is that the least appealing tennisteaching professionals and coaches are the hot shots; you know the ones who think they are the greatest in the profession and that they have arrived at some pinnacle at which there is no longer a need to learn anything. With the acknowledgment that our game is ever evolving, we must continually strive to keep up and to keep improving, regardless of what level we are at; that is the sign of a true professional. Be humble enough not to be surprised where you might learn something. It can come from a wise old coach (those “Master Professionals” you see sauntering around at conferences with the sagacious presence of some kind of tennis Yoda), witnessing a beautiful match, or an ugly match-- even a red ball student, pretty much anywhere there is tennis going on!

I think about these things as I fly home to Orlando, Florida and then my mind drifts to Brian, a 31-year-old student I have there. You might ask why is your student that is miles away

on your mind on the flight? Well, let me tell you about Brian.

Brian started playing tennis 18 months ago, when I first moved into my Lake Nona neighborhood and began giving evening lessons. He is an absolute tennis junky. He went from being a total beginner to a 3.0 league player and now he can’t get enough! His story is a prime example of why tennis-teaching professionals and coaches do what we do. To have a student go from never being exposed to tennis, to wanting to be out oncourt hitting balls is amazing!

But as I think about how far along my student has come, one thing immediately comes to my attention on the plane.

Brian’s forehand is stiff. He uses too much grip pressure and muscle on-court. I had been struggling to loosen him up, to lengthen his follow-through and add fluidity to his stroke.

And now I can’t wait to show him a tip I learned from a novice coach, a USPTA applicant – a rookie, on a sizzling hot court in Scottsdale, Arizona. *

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. He launched Bollettieri Academies in Belgium, Germany, France and England before leaving Europe for Northern California.

51 - USPTA ADDvantage Magazine

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Setteo: Building Up the Tennis Community Through its App, Ranking and Cryptocurrency

By Olivier Gracia, Chief Marketing Officer of Setteo

S

etteo, the biggest racquet sports community, launched a new app for players and the first universal and unisex P2P ranking.

The four-year-old company Setteo with the vision to “Make the world play together” is writing history with their new app, Setteo Player available on both the App Store and the Google Playstore.

The objective is simple: connect 650M racquet sports players worldwide.

Right now, Setteo is the international reference racquet sports community, offering its services to hundreds of clubs and associations, connecting more than 150k players worldwide.

The next step in Setteo’s development is driven by a fundamental change in their technology: they will use the blockchain technology to decentralize the racquet sports ecosystem giving back the power to the players and creating a truly engaged community.

The current observation of the racquet sports ecosystem is as follows: • No easy way to find a partner, a court or a coach, join a match and book a lesson as the community is fragmented and limited to the club environment.

• Static regional rankings and oldfashioned competition formats that requires slow and expensive thirdparty validation and management.

• Incentives distributed only to a very few top players and not necessarily to the ones effectively engaging the community and adding value to it.

The new Setteo Player app has been launched to solve these problems. The app connects the global community of racquet sports, featuring a universal and unisex P2P ranking called the Setteo Ranking

and the SETcoin, the currency of racquet sports, and first and foremost a new way to reward the active players in the racquet sports ecosystem.

The Setteo ranking is a universal and unisex ranking system based on a peer to peer model turning every single match into a competition. To reach that goal three main elements were implemented: ATP top 10 player David Goffin made the • A trusted method to officialize first-ever transaction with Setcoin at the Mutua Madrid Open. a match result: a system where two authenticated players/ divisions: Setteo Events (tournament teams could turn every match into organization), and Setteo Force (network a competition. No need of thirdof ambassadors). part institutions or organizations to We truly believe in this community of validate a match result. individuals making the world play together • A reliable, independent and by organizing and promoting racquet transparent way to store all historical sports activities worldwide and want to results such as matches, rankings and empower them by building up a strong player stats. network around those ambassadors.

• An algorithm to manage the Setteo Ranking: a trusted, transparent and Setteo is putting solutions together to immutable ranking based on Artificial help them grow and make the best out of Intelligence, that will provide a their activity: universal and unisex real time ranking.

• Gain visibility • Engage your audience through online With its clear goal to “Make the world cutting-edge solutions: low cost, better play together” Setteo also wants to reward traffic and interactions the ones that are the most active, as a • Grow your credibility player but also as an organizer.

• Get new certifications A rewarding tool, in the form of a new • Manage your online and offline cryptocurrency called SETcoin, was activity introduced to reward the players and • Stay up to date with the latest trends organizers in exchange for their activities and training possibilities such as booking courts through the app, • Share and promote your content easily organizing competitions, play matches to a qualified audience and more.

Since its foundation, Setteo has Furthermore, Setteo offers financial developed strong grassroots programs reward through the SETcoins, an whether through its SaaS offer to clubs and important technological advantage and associations or through its other strategic access to its worldwide community.*

53 - USPTA ADDvantage Magazine

beyond the court

How video analysis can give you a competitive edge

by Nataliya Bredikhina, Communications Intern

T

here is an old Asian proverb saying that it is better to see something once than to hear about it a thousand times.

This profound thought is perfectly applicable in today’s tennis world, where the importance of video analysis is hard to overestimate. Video analysis is a helpful tool in many stages of the training process: development of proper stroke technique, injury prevention and rehabilitation, analysis of a player’s body language, strategy execution, performance evaluation and goal setting. Yet, the amazing potential of video analysis is still often overlooked even by those coaches and players who dig deep into other aspects of the training process and pre-match preparation such as equipment specifications, diet and lifestyle, customized fitness programs and periodization, and so on. I hope this article will push you to reflect on the opportunities presented by the video analysis and ensure that it is integrated into your teaching process.

To begin with, video analysis should be an integral part of both closed skill and open skill drills facilitating players’ technical development. How often do we see a coach repeatedly tell a player to correct an old mistake? Repetitive old errors in the movement are not only hurtful for a tennis player’s performance and confidence, but they can also make all parties involved – coaches, players, and parents – frustrated with the process. However, what if the issue is not the quality of a coach’s instructions or a lack of talent or focus from the young player’s part, but merely the player’s inability to envision his movement from the side? In fact, multiple research studies have shown that over 60 percent of population are visual learners. Others may prefer a different learning style, but still rely heavily on the visual information.

Therefore, video analysis should become an important component of the technical development, making training more accessible, efficient, and enjoyable for players, parents, and coaches.

Installing portable cameras up on the rear fence of the court during the match play can also be a good idea, as it will allow for evaluation of strategic and mental components of the player’s performance. While for most players, in the heat of the game, it would be hard to objectively assess their actions and identify the areas for improvement in the future, video analysis offers the luxury of re-watching and re-evaluating the game a few hours or days after the match.

It can provide both players and coaches with invaluable information not only in regard to the strokes execution during the match, but also strategic thinking and body language, which are all invaluable parts of the player’s tactical and mental development.

One might ask, what is the right age to start introducing video analysis into the training process? Of course, the response is that it will vary depending on the player’s needs and maturity as well as the training process format. At the same time, I am confident that even many youngsters in the “10 and Under” age group would benefit from an occasional video analysis introduced into their training sessions. Moreover, with today’s smartphone technology, video recordings do not have to be facilitated with expensive or bulky video equipment – a simple video clip of a player’s forehand or serve recorded on the phone from the sidelines could help the player, and sometimes also the coach, to see what needs to be corrected in the movement.

As technological advancements are marching forward, we are being presented with more accessible, yet quite sophisticated video analysis opportunities. It is great to see that many modern tennis clubs and facilities around the world now come with pre-installed cameras and sensors connected to interactive cloud-based video analytics platforms, which conveniently allow players to watch the videos of their matches and practices at home or on the go.

Continued page 57

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56 - USPTA ADDvantage Magazine

beyond the court These video analytics platforms provide tournament and recreational players with a chance to obtain a professionalquality recording and evaluation of their performances during training and match play sessions. These technologies also allow us to generate numerous performance metrics such as strokes depth and speed, ball placement, and spin trajectory and velocity. Computerized modeling of a player’s movements takes us further creating opportunities for biomechanical analysis of athletes’ strokes technique and has a potential for facilitating the task of designing optimal fitness and on-court training programs helping each player individually to achieve their maximum potential. Further in this article, we will take a look at tools and resources that can facilitate and enhance the process of video analysis.

After making its impressive appearance on the American tennis horizon just a few years ago, PlaySight Interactive technology has now been introduced into numerous tennis facilities across the nation, including the USTA National Campus in Lake Nona, Florida. It has also been actively incorporated into NCAA college tennis matches to facilitate livestreaming. PlaySight turns a tennis court into a SmartCourt equipped with an interactive touch-screen kiosk, which allows players to view an instant replay of videos. The system creates a wide range of possibilities for enhancing training and match play experience: from audio line calling, to stroke statistics, to a variety of on-court drills and games.

PlaySight is very user-friendly, allowing players to log into the PlaySight website from their desktop computer or the official app on their phone and review video-recordings and statistics.

Performa Sports is another analytics platform that is worth exploring. The platform allows to evaluate match performance

and currently offers several one-year plans, at a cost ranging from $499 to $1899 a year with a 21-day free trial. The system provides fascinating real-time and post-match performance analysis, enhanced with drawing tools, “key performance indicators” statistics, multiple camera angles, and more. A cloud-based platform synchronizes data and enables you to review replays of your matches at home. Overall, Performa Sports sounds like an amazing addition to the training process. It eases the task of player’s post-match self-reflection, improves communication between players and coaches, and helps to bring the training process to a new level.

In case you are interested in having a video recording of your match analyzed but the product options you have come across seem a little pricey, check out Cizr Tennis. In contrast to many other offers in the market, Cizr provides video analysis on a match-by-match basis, starting with a cost of $60 for a one-match package. To make delivery of the video analysis even more convenient for its users, Cizr Tennis compresses matches by extracting points and making videoreplays very time-efficient.

Zepp Tennis 2 is a great tool for those who are interested in digging a little deeper into analysis of their on-court motions.

For $99.99, you will receive an equipment kit includes a sensor attachable to your racquet and access to a free mobile app.

This tool will allow you to analyze your swing pattern, create video highlights, and interact with others.

Finally, there are numerous free online resources that can make the process of video analysis more accessible and engaging. One such resource, Kinovea, is a software translated into several languages and focused on the study of an athlete’s movement kinetics. The software allows players to use images and videos to identify angles, length, and coordinate points of the stroke.

Whether you are a tennis professional or a club manager, I truly hope you are an active proponent of integration and promotion of video analysis. Implementation of video analysis will allow your athletes to train efficiently and smart and will add to the training process a flavor of creativity and exploration. It does not matter whether a recording is created with amateur or professional-quality equipment, video analysis can elevate the standards of teaching and become instrumental in giving a competitive edge to both you and your students.*

Nataliya Bredikhina hails from Moscow, Russia. She graduated from the University of Maryland where she earned degrees in French and Sports in Society while also competing on the varsity women’s tennis team. After college, Nataliya coached at Junior Tennis Champions Center in College Park, Maryland and helped out as a women’s tennis volunteer assistant coach at her alma mater. Currently, Nataliya is a graduate student in the Sports Management MBA program at the University of Central Florida and a Communications Intern at the USPTA Headquarters in Lake Nona, Florida.

57 - USPTA ADDvantage Magazine

Member News

USPTA Member News Stephen Thirolle, Skidmore College’s women’s tennis coach, was named the tasc Performance ITA Northeast Assistant Coach of the Year. Thirolle, who also earned the USPTA Northeast Volunteer of the Year Award, helped lead the Thoroughbreds to a 17-6 record and another sweep of the Liberty League with an 8-0 league record and their eighth consecutive Liberty League title. Thirolle played singles and doubles for Middlebury College, VT, and after graduating moved to New York City where he has instructed at many clubs including the Wall Street Health & Racquet Club, the Fila Racquet Club, Sutton East Tennis, Town Tennis Club, and at Manhattan Plaza Racquet Club.

Meika Ashby, director of junior development at The Oaks, received the District of the Year Award for her leadership as president of USPTA District 11, which serves Boca Raton and Delray Beach. In her role as director of junior development, Ashby oversees member education and programming, events and professional league play, and professional development opportunities.

A native of Michigan, she was a highly ranked junior in the Midwest Section as well as nationally. She went on to compete at the Division I level at Western Michigan University. Meika has worked with high level juniors of all levels, from 10 and under tennis to elite/high performance athletes.

Josh Molino was named the head men’s and women’s tennis coach at Kansas Wesleyan University. Molino comes to Kansas Wesleyan after serving as the director of junior tennis at Genesis Health Club in Salina. Under his leadership the program has grown from 60 to 80 participants and he has seen three boys win Missouri Valley Section tournament titles and has coached four players ranked in the Section Top 100 rankings. Before Genesis, he spent a year at the Country Club of Orlando, Florida and prior to that he spent five years at the Sports Club of West Bloomfield, Michigan where he was the assistant director of junior tennis.

Greg Prudhomme was named USTPA southwest district coordinator for the Phoenix area and the head tester for the USPTA Southwest Division. As the district coordinator, Prudhomme will be responsible for providing news regarding the USPTA Pros for the USPTA Southwest Magazine as well as hosting a couple of educational and recreational events in the valley throughout the year. Serving as the head tester, Prudhomme will have three testers under his direction that will be spread out throughout Phoenix and the rest of the southwest.

John Ciarleglio has been named the USPTA New England Division College Coach of the Year. Ciarleglio has developed both the men’s and women’s programs at Regis College into ones of regional prominence. Both teams won five straight NECC titles before moving to the Great Northeast Athletic Conference. Ciarleglio began his tenure with both teams in 2009 and this past season notched his 100th career win on the men’s side, only the third Regis coach across all sports to do so. He was also twice named NECC Men’s Coach of the Year.

Andy Booth was inducted into the Miami Valley Tennis Coaches Association Hall of Fame. An Elite Professional, Booth served on the Intermountain board for seven years along with being elected president twice and serving on the USPTA Executive Committee for three years.

While president in 2014, he was among the tennis pros helping with Kids Day on center court at the US Open tennis tournament. Currently, he is a tennisteaching professional at the prestigious Gates Tennis Center in Denver, Colorado.

58 - USPTA ADDvantage Magazine

Member News

USPTA Member News Lynne Rolley was named the director of tennis at Meadow Swim and Tennis Club. With over 40 years of teaching and coaching expertise at every level, Lynne has been director of tennis at Berkeley Tennis Club, Sleepy Hollow Tennis Club and Moraga Country Club; director of women’s tennis for the United States; coached the Fed Cup, Pan Am Games and National Teams. Most recently, she served as the director of tennis at La Quinta Resort and PGA WEST, consistently ranked one of the top tennis resorts in the United States.

Kyle LaCroix, who is the assistant director of tennis at The Oaks at Boca Raton, received the Florida Division U30 Award for his contributions to the USPTA U30 initiative. A native Floridian and member of the USPTA since 2004, Kyle is an original staff member of The Oaks. Kyle is heavily involved in all facets of the Oaks tennis operations, from starting the junior program, to teaching private lessons and clinics, administrative responsibilities and leading the highly successful SPBCWTA ladies teams.

Don Nead was featured in the Northwest Herald article titled “Crystal Lake South coach Don Nead to retire after 50 years.”

In 50 years as a boys tennis coach, and the past 23 years as the Gators girls tennis coach, Nead’s teams have gone 867-256 in varsity dual matches, won 21 conference team titles and 29 district or sectional titles. In singles, 59 of his players reached state, along with 82 doubles pairs.

Richard Mount was featured in the Boston Globe article A cross-country road trip for the love of the game. A member of the United States Tennis Association New England Hall of Fame, he compiled a record of 282-72 over 19 years as the Brookline varsity girls’ tennis coach. He’s played over 27,000 sets and has won 23 championships in Bermuda at the Coral Beach & tennis club.

Steve Dunmore was honored as the National Junior College Coach of the Year by the Intercollegiate Tennis Association (ITA). This award recognizes Dunmore as the top women’s tennis coach for all community and junior colleges in the US. It follows Dunmore’s selection as the ITA’s California Coach of the Year.

Ryan Bean was named director of tennis at Lake Naomi Tennis Center in Pocono Pines, Pennsylvania. A graduate of Quinnipiac University, Bean has over 15 years of experience in the tennis industry and brings a wide knowledge base both on and off-court.

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.

On the cover ; The late Arthur Ashe at the 1968 US Open in New York. Ashe became the first African-American male to win a Grand Slam. ( Illustration by Ashley Walker, compositing by Gustavo Reyes.)

59 - USPTA ADDvantage Magazine

USPTA CAREER DEVELOPMENT

Exams, Upgrades & PTCA Wheelchair Certification 4 Credits for PTCA I Segment Exams, Upgrades & PTCA 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 Sept 8 - 9 ...................................Aurora, IL Sept 8 - 9 ............................ Clearwater, FL Sept 9 ............................... Midlothian, VA Sept 13........................... Minneapolis, MN Sept 15 - 16 .............................. Rome, GA Sept 20 - 21 ............................. Tucson, AZ Sept 21 - 22 ........................... Houston, TX Sept 22 - 23 .............. Gleneden Beach, OR Sept 22 ..............................Des Moines, IA Sept 22 - 23 ..................... Coral Gables, FL Sept 30 ..................... West Bloomfield, MI 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.

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

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

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

2018 USPTA Conference Schedule Division Conferences - 6 Credits

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

Grand Hyatt, New York, NY

November 16 - 17...... Middle States Division Convention TBD

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

USPTA

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.

60 - USPTA ADDvantage Magazine

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