Midwest Connection - Fall 2022

Greetings USPTA Midwest Members,

I hope everyone has had a wonderful Summer and is transitioning to inside Tennis and Pickleball. Those of you that teach Platform Tennis and organize leagues are extremely busy rightnowTherearehopefullyafewgoodweekslefttoenjoyoutsideracketsports Overall,thepastfewmonthsintheMidwesthasbeenfantasticweatherifyoulove sunshine

SincemylastmessagewehavehadafeweventsthatIwouldliketorecap,andyou willseethewriteupswithpicturesinthisissueoftheUSPTAMidwestConnection ThefirstthattookplaceinmidAugustwasourSummerSymposiumWestartedout withourEducationatHarpersPointwith3presentersandanicesocialgettogether after.ThankstoSteveandMarioContardifortheuseoftheircourtsandfacilityfor theevent.Thenextmorning,wehadourHallofFameBanquetBrunchonthe WesternandSouthernTennisGroundsOver90peoplewereinattendanceandthat wasourhighestturnoutsincehavingthebanquetthereLuckilytheweatherwasnot hotandhumid,soeveryonewascomfortableinthetentCongratulationstoallthe AwardWinnersandespeciallyourHallofFameInducteeKatieOrlandoIwouldalso liketorecognizeourtwoNationalAwardWinnersBrianDean(NationalDiversity AwardandMikeFriedman(NationalEducationWinner)

OurnextbigeventwasinNewOrleansattheHiltonRiversideHotel.Theweather wasverysteamyandanadjustmentforusMidwestfolkTheseminarswere excellentandtheUSPTANationalstaffdidafantasticjobwithmakingsure everythingransmoothlyaspossibleWehad28membersattendtheconference withmanysocialactivitiesplannedforeachnightThankstoGregAtenour ExecutiveDirectorforgettingtheMidwestmembersorganizedIfyouhavenotbeen toaWorldConference,IsuggestyoutrytogetthereWewillhavescholarshipsto helppayfornextyear’sconferenceinOrlandosostaytunedformoreinformationon that.

LookingforwardinNovemberwewillhaveafantasticvirtualeducationopportunity foryoutotakeadvantageofThe2022USPTANovemberVirtualConference “MakingMoneyontheCourt”willtakeplaceonNovember9th(130pm530pm)and November10th(930am130pm)Thisisagreatopportunitytogetyourcredits takencareofbeforethecycleisup,soyoustaycurrentwithyourmembership. ManyUSPTADivisionsareworkingtogethertoputthisonfortheirmembers.Allthe detailswillbeinthisissueofthenewsletterIhopeyouwillsignupandgetyour educationcreditsIt’sarockstarlineupofspeakersandaPickleballsessionaswell sodon’tmissit

Inclosingthankstoallofyouwhohavewrittenarticlesorsentuspicturesforthe newsletterThecontentremainsstrongduetothecontributionsofmembersfrom eachstate.Ifyouareinterestedinwritinganarticleonsomethingthatmembers wouldlearnfrom,pleasedon’thesitatetoletusknow.OurNewsletterChairisChip FazioandGregAtenourExecutiveDirectorifyousenduscontentHaveasafe Halloweenandgoodluckwithyourlessons,leagues,andprogramming!

2022 Midwest Officers

President

Matt Davis • 224 247 2483 tenace4@gmail com

Regional Vice President John Frausto • 920 860 0751 johnfrausto@gmail.com

Second Vice President

Cathy Thomas • 513 218 0782 cthomas6@cinci rr com

Third Vice President Matt Boughton • 715 559 3168 mboughton@ymca cv org

Treasurer Secretary Chip Fazio • 313 670 3277 chipfazio@gmail.com

Past President

Mike Graff • 248 866 0508 mike@baselinetennis net

Executive Director Greg Aten 330 283 5837 greg.aten@uspta.org

State Presidents Ohio

Todd Wojtkowski • 216 905 7463 todd wojtkowski@gmail com

Wisconsin

Dan Oliver • 920 227 7005 danonhgb@aol com

Illinois

Lindsay L. Geiger • 773 960 4117 lindsaygeiger@sbcglobal net Michigan

Kyle Warner • 269 207 9236 kywar8@gmail com

Indiana

Umang Chadda • 309 255 3224 umangrk@hotmail.com

USPTA World Headquarters 407 634 3050 uspta@uspta org

“Making Money on Court” Virtual Conference, November

REGISTER HERE

Len Simard

Hiring and Staffing for Success Your Most Important Asset Wednesday, November 09, 2022, 1:30 PM

Mike Woody

4 Programs You Must Have to Grow Tennis these valuable programs are must haves to grow your tennis business Key ingredients and tips to implement and conduct these great programs Wednesday, November 09, 2022, 2:20 PM

Butch Staples

How to Maximize Your Return on ROGY Junior Programming Potentially your Best Profit Center Wednesday, November 09, 2022, 3:10 PM

Meika Ashby

Successful Tennis Programming to Increase Revenue Wednesday, November 09, 2022, 4:00 PM

Tom Daglis

31 Money Making Tips for Tennis Professionals Thursday, November 10, 2022, 9:30 AM

Dominique Lemperle & Nancy Meyer

Pickleball can be a money maker: talking programs to competitive play Thursday, November 10, 2022, 10:20 AM

Matt Prevedi

The Complete Coach" Why stringing your players racquets will increase profits and help your students improve faster Thursday, November 10, 2022, 11:10 AM

Brian Park

Developing Mental Habits and a System with your players that can legitimize you as a Coach and Make you More Money Thursday, November 10, 2022, 12:00 PM

DATES that DRATE ATES that RATE

NOVEMBER/22

8th 9th Virtual Conference Click HERE to Register:

JANUARY/23

27th 28th Michigan High School Tennis Coaches Association Workshop, at Hope College, Holland, Mi

FEBRUARY/23

2nd 4th Indiana High School Tennis Coaches Convention / USPTA Midyear Forum

3rd Illinois High School Tennis Coaches Winter Workshop, Five Star Tennis Center, Plainfield, Ill

12th Wisconsin High School Tennis Coaches Clinic, Hitters Sportsplex in Middleton, WI , 2:00 6:00 pm

25th 26th Ohio High School Tennis Coaches, Chagrin Valley Athletic Club, Chagrin Falls, OH

Timon Corwin, the General Manager of Western Racquet Club (WRC) in Elm Grove, Wisconsin, joined the Club in 2010 serving as the Managing Director of Tennis at Western Racquet Club until 2017 Taking on the additional role of General Manager of WRC in 2012, Corwin brings collaboration between tennis and clubhouse operations, guiding the vision of Western Racquet Club Corwin previously served as the Senior Director for Junior and Collegiate Competition for USTA Player Development in Florida from May 2007 2010 Prior to joining the USTA, Corwin served as the Men’s Athletic Director, Men’s Tennis Coach, and USTA National Junior Championships Tournament Director at Kalamazoo College Corwin is currently the Co Chair of the Transition Task Force for the STA/Midwest Section, a member of the Milwaukee Tennis Classic Board of Directors, and a member f the Board of Directors for the Milwaukee Tennis and Education Foundation He served as the resident of the Milwaukee Tennis and Education Foundation from 2014 2016

Angela Farley Wilson is currently the General Manger/Director of Tennis at Western Athletic Club located in Cincinnati, OH which her family purchased in 2004. She has over 35 years in the tennis club the business Angela was the University of Cincinnati Women’s head tennis coach from 2007 2014 Currently, she is the President of the Greater Cincinnati Tennis Association and on the board of the Greater Cincinnati Indoor Tennis Association Angela played tennis at Indiana University and graduated in 1987 with a BS in Accounting. In 2019 she graduated from Mount St. Joseph University located in Cincinnati with a Master of Science in Organizational Leadership Angela appreciates all the “coaches” in her life and how they have helped her navigate tennis on and off the court In her pare time, she enjoys being with her family and digging in her garden

Brian Smith (Indiana Pro of the Year)

Bryan started Smith Tennis with Jeff, his dad, in 2011 and it has continued to strive for excellence under the guidance of Bryan, Stephanie Hazlett and Jeff. They have helped produce 14 of the past 19 boys individual state champions in IHSAA Smith Tennis works at Pearson Automotive Tennis Club in Zionsville, Indiana

Bryan has coached players at every level including state, regional, national, and professional He has worked with Rajeev Ram since the age of 15 and was voted USOC developmental of coach of the year for tennis 2007 He has been USPTA Midwest Individual coach of the year in 2007 and 2012 as well as an Indiana Tennis Hall of Fame Inductee in 2013

Timon Corwin (Large Facility Manager of the Year)

USPTA 2022 Midwest Hall of Fame Awards Luncheon Lindor Family Tennis Center, Mason, Ohio

Angela Wilson (Small Facility Manager of the Year)

Erick Martinez (Wisconsin Pro of the Year)

Erick Martinez is the Director of Junior Development at Western Racquet Club in Elm Grove, WI He has been an Elite Professional certified by the USPTA since 2006. Erick is a native of Mexico City and played Division 1 NCAA tennis at Northern Illinois University As a coach, Erick has made a significant impact on the Wisconsin tennis scene Under his tutelage, Erick’s students have amassed over 20 Wisconsin High School State Individual and Team Championships There have been over 50 players from Western Racquet Club that have been able to play collegiate tennis and beyond. Erick enjoys all aspects of teaching; he constantly seeks new learning opportunities to promote tennis at the club d volunteering to coach Wisconsin junior teams in Sectional and National competitions

Adam Ford (Michigan Pro of the Year)

Ford formerly served as the Director of the Tournament Training Program (TTP) and Director of Junior Tennis at the Greater Midland Tennis Center He spent four years as Hope College men’s and women’s tennis coach and his teams earned three Michigan Intercollegiate Athletic Association titles and four NCAA Division III Tournament appearances in his 4 seasons He played college tennis for four years at Division I Northern Illinois University He and a doubles partner were ranked as high as 33rd nationally among Division I players He is a USPTA Elite Professional, a PTR Professional and United States Tennis Association (USTA) High Performance Tennis Coach. He is also a Certified Human Performance Institute Mental Toughness Specialist, Racquetfit Certified Coach and an Etcheberry certified speed and agility trainer His teaching prowess was recognized by the essional Tennis Registry (PTR), which named him the 2011 Michigan Tennis Pro of the Year Ford eared in Racquet Sports Industry Magazine's "30 Under Thirty" list of those in the tennis industry are helping move the industry forward

Todd Wojtkowski (Ohio Pro of the Year)

Todd is from Youngstown Ohio where he attended Ursuline HS and is a member of the Athletic Hall of Fame for tennis and soccer In the USTA Junior Circuit, Todd reached a high of 15th in the Midwest and as high as 118 in the National Rankings while advancing to the OHSAA state semi finals his senior year He then went to University of Toledo on a tennis scholarship before transferring into The Ohio State University and finishing his playing career as the 2006 Varsity “O” Postgraduate Scholarship winner He then attended The Citadel MBA program in Charleston, SC while helping to coach the Men’s team and teaching under Roy Barth at Kiawah Island Resort from 2006 2008 Todd finally landed in Cleveland, Oh as an Associate Professor and Head Men’s and Women’s Tennis coach at Case Western Reserve University Todd is also the Director or High Performance at the Cleveland Racquet Club This High Performance program is home to a boys or girls OHSAA State champion for the past 8 years running Over 25 students from this program have landed at top tier D1 D3 rograms. Many of which have gone on to become All American.

Experienced Director of Tennis with a demonstrated history of working in the health wellness and fitness industry. Skilled in Sports Psychology, Event Planning, Sports Industry, Sports Management, and Coaching Strong community and social services professional Graduate from USTA High Performance Coaching Program, the Vic Braden Tennis College Coaches Academy, and the German Tennis Federation Tennis Trainer License United States Professional Tennis Association (USPTA) Master Professional. Member of the USPTA Midwest Hall of Fame.

Tim became a USPTA professional in 2018 and currently works as the Tennis Team Lead at the Wisconsin Athletic Club Lake Country in Hartland, Wisconsin In his role at the WAC Lake Country, Tim leads more than 10 Tennis Teaching Professionals and 15 Tennis Assistants, all while actively promoting tennis in the Lake Country area, just west of Milwaukee In addition to his work at WAC Lake Country, Tim is a current Board Member and the Junior Development Chair for the Wisconsin Tennis Association He has worked as the Tennis Director for Oconomowoc Lake Club, has been a speaker for the Wisconsin High School Coaches Association, and assisted the Milwaukee Tennis and Education Foundation in the development of their staff With all of these experiences, Tim feels fortunate to have the ability to make an impact on hundreds of players in Wisconsin He had his wife just welcomed their first child as well

Paul MacDonald (Illinois Pro of the year)

Tim Hartwick (U30 Pro of the Year)

Shaun Keenan (College Coach of the Year)

Shaun was born in New Zealand and was raised in Perth, Australia. In 1993, he was ranked #2 in Western Australia under 18's and #10 in all of Australia In 1994, at Wichita State University, he was a top 100 Singles player in NCAA Div 1 as well as a top #20 ranking in Doubles while earning his BA in International Business Shaun earned his MBA at the University of Louisiana where he also held coaching duties in 1998 1999.

Shaun joined the Paramount Medina teaching staff as Director of Tennis in 2010 He was also the head coach for men's and women's tennis at John Carroll University where he has been named OAC Coach of the Year a total of nine times and won nine OAC Championships between both the men's nd women's teams He was named the 2017 Wilson/Intercollegiate Tennis Association Division III Women's Central Region Coach of the Year Shaun is a USPTA P 1 Elite certified professional

Tariq Ismail (Individual Coach of the Year)

Tariq Ismail is the founder and Director of Ismail Tennis Training, one of NorthEast Ohio's top junior development programs Tariq is also the Director of Tennis at North Ridge Racket and Paddle Tariq was coached and trained by former #53 in the world ATP Haroon Ismail Tariq was the top ranked junior tennis player in Zimbabwe as well as ranked in top 300 in the International Tennis Federation (ITF). Tariq played tennis for Youngstown State University(D1) Men's Tennis Team where he played number 1 singles and doubles, for four seasons During this time, he won over 100 matches making him one of the winningest players in program history Tariq has been coaching tennis for over 15 years and has coached several state qualifiers and college tennis players of various levels Tariq also is a high school science teacher at Oberlin High School. Tariq brings his knowledge of educating young people together with his tennis experience to help his students reach their goals and learn out life along the way

Brian Dean (Midwest Diversity/ National Diversity Award Winner)

USPTA member since 1992 / USTA Lifetime member / USRSA Member since 1992 USTA/Midwest Wheelchair Committee Member, 7 years’ 2021

Introduced the AH Sports/Hunter Heck/Lynn Bender Junior Wheelchair Tennis Grant Donated $10,000 to USTA/MTEF to fund the grant.

The grant awards $1000 to a junior wheelchair tennis player We awarded four $1000 grants in 2021 Also, awarded one new sports chair ($4000)

Organized a fundraiser for the grant that raised $15,000(estimate)

Coached several Wheelchair tennis events and camps: Train The Trainers @ Center court Tennis Club, Broadview Heights, Ohio 20 adaptive and wheelchair players and coaches

Directed and coached Free Intro to Wheelchair Tennis one Day Camp, in Columbus, for juniors and adults. 20 wheelchair players. hed at Holland Michigan Two day Camp @ Hope College 25 junior tennis players ed and coached One Day Kids Camp for junior wheelchair players @ Schroeder Tennis Center, City, Ohio 8 players

Michael Friedman (Midwest High School Coach of the Year)

Meg Minton (Nancy Mickler Award)

Presented to the Midwest woman member who has done the most to promote tennis within the Midwest

Meg Minton started her career as a tennis professional with Peter Burwash International in 1980 on the island of Kauai, Hawaii She was the resident Tennis Professional for 13 years at the Sheraton Coconut Beach Resort Meg received the Kauai Woman of the Year in Sports award in 1988 for her work in establishing and nurturing the first junior tennis program on the island.

She has been a USPTA certified professional since 1990, with a current Elite Professional rating Meg was inducted into the University of Nebraska at Kearney Athletic Hall of Fame in 2010 in honor of her college tennis accomplishments Along with coach Jane Moorehouse and other women, Meg helped establish and compete in the first women’s tennis team at UNK in 1976.

Meg has been employed at the Eau Claire YMCA since 1993, serving as the tennis center director from 1993 1997 and as a tennis professional since 1997

Nancy Sobecks (Star Award)

USPTA Stars are members who have dedicated many years to volunteering in grassroots tennis and through initiatives incorporating multicultural and other aspects and bring the sport and sportsmanship to the players they touch Their giving spirits have made them stars in their own communities We may not have heard of the people who receive this award, but their stories are inspiring, and almost all of us know at least one person who deserves a nomination

Nancy Sobecks MD, USPTA became the owner of Center Court Tennis Club in Broadview Heights, Ohio in 2019 She started playing competitive tennis in 2008 and became a USPTA instructor in 2021 She is the current Vice President and co founder of THRiVE Through Tennis Foundation, a nonprofit organization that utilizes tennis as a therapeutic model to positively impact the health and wellness of individuals and the community. Her passion for health and wellness comes from her background of being an Internal Medicine physician for 25+ years She currently practices at the Cleveland Clinic She is proud to have developed new tennis programs in Northeast Ohio including CYO, Adaptive and Wheelchair tennis

Charity Event of the Year (Volley for VeloSano) Greg Aten

The Volley for VelaSano event was held on October 28, 2021, at the Chagrin Valley Athletic Club The event featured a Pro Am with 6 USPTA professionals and players from the Case Western Reserve (NCAA DIII Runner up) college team

The players were treated to an hour of drills, lunch & Pro am Tennis along with a Silent Auction, wine pull and door prizes

The professionals donated their time and lessons for the auction and the Cleveland Clinic was the sponsor with 100% of the proceeds going towards Cancer Research Chagrin Valley Athletic Club was the host club and provided the courts, staff & lunch to the players

The fundraiser total amount that was donated was $6,171 25

Each year the club has held a fundraiser to benefit different charities, with this year being the Cancer Research We have had several members diagnosed with Cancer in the past year and we wanted to show our LOVE by hosting an event where their team members and club friends could how support while playing the game they love in support

Leads High Performance program at Midtown Athletic Club in Bannockburn, Illinois and has been coaching competitive junior tennis at USTA and ITF levels for over 20 years

Maciek holds a master’s degree in business administration from University of Notre Dame, and a bachelor’s degree in finance from DePaul University

Among Maciek’s most notable achievements, as a player, are National Arthur Ashe Award for Sportsmanship and Leadership, and a full scholarship to play Division I tennis As a coach, Maciek has raised a number of blue chip, Division I, II, III players; founded Chicago Polish Tennis Association; Time 4 Tennis, a non for profit organization, and organized 100+ events to promote tennis in Chicagoland.

Maciek has been a National Coach at the spring team Nationals for the past 9 years; coached at dozen of USTA regional training camps and has been a head coach of boys super excellence program in the Chicago district for the past three years He has been a USPTA member since 2011 Maciek was born in Poland, and currently resides in Northbrook, IL with his wife Natalia, and three sons, Julian, Frederick, and Vincent

Maciek Jozwiak (Midwest Pro of the year)

USPTA 2022 Summer Symposium The Club at Harper’s Point, Cincinnati, Ohio August 13, 2022

By Angela Wilson, USPTA Elite Professional

The University of Notre Dame Women’s Tennis Head Coach, Alison Silverio spoke at the 2022 USPTA Summer Symposium on the format of Notre Dame’s team practices Alison grew up in Northeast Ohio and was a top national junior and college player and has been coaching college tennis for over 15 years

ND team practice format starts with three fundamentals:

Preparation: right equipment, mind and body ready to play, no technology (cell phones or Apple watches)

Discipline: with your actions take care of details on the court, urgency of footwork, smile Consistency: work every day to get better in all aspects of being a student athlete

Most ND practices are 2 2.5 hours and are broken down into three sections:

Warm up: 20 40 minutes includes dynamic warm up then players go right into high volume, high repetition, rhythm hitting Players count shots and sometimes do fun competitive games as they work on consistency, spin, and depth Alison showed multiple two on one drill options that help her players work on positioning, legs and footwork, and a high volume of consistent stroke repetition.

Skill Work: 30 50 minutes includes more specific work on what players and coaches believe the team needs to get ready for the next competition. Groups are now a little smaller and drills includes feeding, competitive games with pressure, serves and returns (technique and targets)

Competitive play: 30 40 minutes includes tiebreakers and sets sometimes with stipulations Alison tries to have her players play 4 5 sets per week, “the more they play and put drills and skills into play, the better they perform ”

Alison had some help from a few pros in attendance as she demonstrated some of the on court drills used in the different sections of ND practices. She was an awesome presenter and one can see why she has been and will continue to be a great coach!

by John Frausto, USPTA Elite Professional

Chuck and John did a great job introducing their Congruent Tennis Model (CTM) to the group. They covered the following principles in their presentation

SMART Targets these targets are positioned so a player has options on hitting with depth or by creating short angles to open the court. Many times, depth is emphasized with players. Chuck and John demonstrated that oftentimes rally shots and winners are hit near the service line.

The Fade and Draw are two shots that CTM are founded on Like golf, the fade and draw can be hit in tennis The basis behind these two shots is to provide feel, margin and to pull opponents off the court

Chuck and John did a great job with their presentation. There was a wealth of information in their presentation. They could have used another 2 hours to cover their material Thank you, Chuck, and John, for joining us all the way from Atlanta!

Tennis Thanks the Troops recently joined with military non profit No Greater Sacrifice (NGS) to support the families of our nation's fallen and wounded service members NGS delivers scholarships and resources to improve the quality of life for military children through higher education.

Tennis or pickleball clubs & players can support this mission by adding No Greater Sacrifice as a beneficiary to an existing event or new fundraiser

Schedule your event today whether it's a pro am, tournament or clinic, we are here to help make it a success Through your favorite sport, you can truly make a difference for a family who has made immense sacrifices for our country. Contact us.

PICKLEBALL PICKLEBALL! !

The USPTA began offering a pickleball certification workshop in the spring of 2022 There have now been 270 USPTA professionals certified across the country with the Midwest Division having 15 of those. This opportunity is a great benefit to your clubs and your careers as we all know how pickleball is changing our club landscape.

We had a great turnout in Cincinnati on August 13th, as part of the Summer Symposium. Thanks to Angela Wilson at the Western Racquet Club for being an amazing hose to our group and for supporting our goal of becoming the top pickleball certification organization. Six great pro's took the four hour workshop and are now ready to expand their offerings in their local clubs and communities

Our next certification will be on November 12th at Hitters Sportsplex in Middleton, WI (just outside of Madison) as part of the Wisconsin High School Coaches Association Clinic. It will run from 2:00 pm 6:00 pm on their indoor courts. Registration can be done on the USPTA website and we are limited to 6 participants. Please reach out to me if you would like to register or host an event.

Scott Ficks

USPTA Midwest Coach Developer scottfickstennis@gmail.com 414 704 5562

55 Years of Service

Jim Doessel

50 Years of Service

Sylvia Gothard Rod Schroeder

45 Years of Service

Barb Skurdall Guy Parks

40 Years of Service

Wayne Muskievicz Anna Hazlett

Dr.Jack Groppel George Wideikis Dan Hopkins

35 Years of Service

Shannon Carney Randy Payne Marty Capestany Tom Gullikson

Tim Rice Margaret NiccolI David Tebo

Jacquelin Wingand Ken Gore

Rose Bennett Greg Aten

Frank Sachire

Steve Wise

Joan Melahn

Tim Chorney

Peter Moore

Bob Meyers

Paul Kobelt

Nancy Budde Roger Junge Robert Kronauge

35 Years Cont...

Kendal Hammel

Cory Sandgren

Laura Gresinger

Brian Dean

Richard Pier Cheryl Bromley Ed Nagel

Greg Prevette

Kristen Harrison Jerry Gerig Ross Graham Meg Minton Ralph Dunbar John Bowbin Richard Beijer Matty McCormick Joel Tinnison Mike Rahaley

25 Years of Service

Rochelle Wild Harry Bromer Brad Dancer

Jody McBain Todd Willing Todd Oaks

Tony Brock Buddy Strawn Wendy Revak

Chad Docktor Greg Llewellyn

Kristin Reed

Jesse Burleson

Pintu Patel

Robert Hardin Beth Druffel Mike Terry

20 Years of Service

Sara Davy

RoxAnn Krahn

Christian Connors

Laura Graham DeDe Hibinger

Kristine Gambrell

Jing Nestle

Charles Skalsky

Suzanne Lemery

Jacqueline Engelhoff Michael Parker Matt Dektas Zane Fulton

Joanne Kirk Lynn Rottschafer Jennifer Lutgert Michael Bonnell Waverly Hill

15 Years of Service

Larry Stark

Thomas Kuskowski Steve Klaas

Keven Hornik Keith Ginetti Mark Nunez

Tim Shaw Ruth McGuire Jeff Hagman Jeff Modrow

George Lowe Chris Nelson

Bob Runyan Mike Mossburg Jake Dowdell Lee Keating

Q/A with Dr. Jack Groppel and Dr. Jim Loehr

The Q/A with these two remarkable professionals was very enlightening. From how they became colleagues to the dreams that they both made come true

Years ago, when sports science and psychology for mental toughness wasn’t even thought of. These Drs. collaborated with companies to get their vision accomplished. Working with great tennis professionals to have them realize they do have the skills and talent to rise above any obstacle placed in front of them

Dr. Loehr has written many books on this topic and his first book sold out in a matter of days, since this was a new way for the professional to deal mentally with this game of tennis Making better choices and continuing pushing yourself to learn is how these two Drs. Made this vision become reality.

USPTA World Conference22, John Embree Interview with Chanda Rubin

By John Frausto, Elite Professional

We had the pleasure to listen to Chanda Rubin and USPTA CEO John Embree in a sit down, interview format at the 2022 USPTA World Conference in New Orleans, Louisiana Chanda was a former top 10 player in the world on the WTA Tour As a junior she reached a high of #2 in the world in the Girl's ITF rankings and the Girl's Wimbledon title as a junior.

The interview really focused on what Chanda is doing after her career on the WTA Tour She went on to Harvard and received her degree from Harvard University. She started up her own foundation and is working at the Tennis Channel and ESPN as a commentator. The challenges in her life after tennis are similar to what she faced on the tour, but in a different format She recommended to continue to push yourself and get out of your comfort zone if you want to succeed in life. Thank you, Chanda, for your insight and great advice!

USPTA World Conference22, “Creating Events that will Sizzle”, Mike Woody, USPTA Elite Professional

By Cathy Thomas, USPTA Elite Professional

Mike Woody has always had a creative session, and this was no different

When events are being held, usually you do the “Same Old” Mike was giving wonderful ideas to put some sizzle on your event. The staff plays an important part of the event, and everyone should have a task, such as deciding from how the registration has a pop, to it to when they enter the club (Red Carpet). Having the staff come up with different word plays to promote the event.

Most of us need to think outside the box and add that sizzle to the event and how does this make the member feel while attending the event at your facility

One example was the plain vanilla cupcake, add some major toppings and more frosting and this will be different than the plain cupcake Having brighter lights and costumes as well for the event, mascots are always a favorite

In closing change your event up from year to year and your members will feel excited to attend.

The Way Back: How Coaches Can Support Youth Athletes After the COVID-19 Pandemic

By Meredith Wekesser, M.S., Institute for the Study of Youth Sports, Michigan State University

The COVID 19 pandemic challenged the entire youth sport system by forcing the removal of sports People stayed at home due to government imposed lockdowns, making it increasingly difficult for youth to spend time with their friends or receive in person training and instruction from their coaches

Consequently, one study surveying 13,000 youth athletes during the pandemic found that athletes reported worse anxiety, depression, and quality of life compared to athletes before the pandemic. Youth sport coaches should be concerned because mental health and well being are necessary components in supporting athletes’ physical and personal development This article provides practical suggestions for coaches to combat negative effects of the COVID 19 pandemic on youth and increase athlete well being moving forward

Components of self determination theory have been used to increase athlete motivation and well being in sports. This theory explains that each athlete has three basic psychological needs of autonomy, competence, and relatedness that must be met for the athlete to experience growth, healthy functioning, and optimal well being Youth sport coaches play a key role in helping athletes fulfill those basic psychological needs, as they spend many hours working with athletes during practices, team activities, and competitions. Below, each basic psychological need is described as well as practical behaviors coaches can apply during practices and competitions to support athletes’ basic psychological needs, development, motivation, and well being

Autonomy is nurtured when an athlete feels a sense of control over their situation, can make their own choices, and is provided with reasoning for decision making. Since coaches are in a position of authority, they naturally have increased control during practices and games. Coaches can bridge this gap by adopting the following behaviors:

Acknowledge athletes’ perspectives and feelings While decisions may not be entirely made based upon athletes’ needs and feelings, acknowledging individual differences demonstrates you care about athletes’ unique needs and feelings regarding the sport, tasks, etc and will do your best to address or take them into consideration if you can.

Create opportunities for athletes to have choice during practice Some easy ways to incorporate athlete choice could include athletes selecting the order of drills, choice of drill, songs to play, or choose their opponent/partner

Provide a rationale for tasks and rules When explaining drills and rules, provide athletes with reasoning for your decisions. This allows athletes to better understand why they are completing a task and can help them see why it is meaningful It can also help athletes appreciate why team rules are in place and the importance of following them (e g , safety, contributing to team culture)

Competence occurs when an athlete feels a sense of mastery over their behaviors and feels confident in their skills and abilities. Competence is an important factor contributing to fun and long term participation in sport. Coaches can encourage competence by implementing the following behaviors:

Provide positive and encouraging feedback individually and in group settings Provide feedback to communicate to your athletes how they are progressing One strategy to provide positive and encouraging feedback is to use the feedback sandwich method. Use a positive statement followed by a constructive criticism, while ending with positive feedback. Example: “You are staying in the points well (positive)! I noticed you are having some trouble closing out the points (constructive) Get up early and focus on playing one point at a time (positive) ”

Encourage athletes to set individual and team goals Setting goals gives your athletes something to work toward so they can demonstrate mastery of their skills and abilities Help athletes set goals that are specific and attainable, then, follow up regularly to evaluate progress.

Acknowledge mastery and success Praise an athlete when you see them using excellent technique, adhering to their strategy, reaching a goal, or overcoming a challenge This helps promote positive athlete behaviors and builds confidence Strive to provide equal attention and communication to all athletes Be mindful of your interactions with players Ensure you give each athlete adequate time and attention While you may not be able to give athletes equal attention and communication at every practice, be aware of patterns that exclude certain individuals or groups.

Relatedness involves establishing connections and creating a sense of belonging. Not only is it important for a coach to establish relationships with athletes, but coaches should also seek to nurture connections among teammates. Coaches can build relatedness in the following ways:

Inquire about athletes’ interests and lives beyond sport Set aside time before and after practice to check in with your athletes Show interest in how they are doing in school or at home Follow up on conversations and keep your door open

Incorporate plentiful opportunities for peer connection Consider ways you can incorporate meaningful peer interactions in practices and matches. Strategies to facilitate more connection could include designing teambuilding warm up activities or games, setting daily group challenges or goals, or switching up partners/opponents Additionally, promote and model pre and post practice face to face conversations rather than cell phone use whenever you are at the tennis facility

While several recommendations have been explained, coaches should choose one or two strategies they can start using immediately in the next practice. Pay attention to how athletes respond to these behaviors, and think about how you can continue promoting autonomy, competence, and relatedness in practices and competitions It’s on everyone to ensure sport participation is favorable for healthy athlete motivation, development, and well being!