SPRING 2020
LINE CALLS USPTA SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA
President's Message Jeff Miller
My Fellow USPTA Southern California Members, I hope this message finds you well. This is not what I envisioned as my first newsletter message, but we are currently faced with unprecedented circumstances. I speak for the entire board when I express our disappointment in being forced to cancel our annual conference because of the pandemic. I know many people reading this message are unable to teach and are seeking creative ways to keep moving forward. I would urge each of us to look for the opportunities on the other side of what we are going through. How can we create something positive here? How can the tennis industry, as a whole, create something positive? I have seen virtual support groups created, online analysis from coaches and overall, a greater sense of community among our Southern California Pros and among the USPTA community nationwide. Now is the time for us to join together and support one another. I want to reassure each of you that the board, both individually and collectively, are here to serve you. We are a resource for education, the promotion of future local events and a sounding board to grow the game of tennis. If you need any assistance, please feel free to reach out to me directly.
DESPITE THE CURRENT SITUATION, I HAVE NEVER BEEN MORE ENCOURAGED AS PRESIDENT OF THE SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA USPTA OR AS A BOARD MEMBER. WE HAVE A DIVERSE GROUP OF PEOPLE ON OUR BOARD, CREATIVE WAYS OF THINKING AND A ZEST TO MAKE SO CAL TENNIS THE BEST IT CAN BE. WE ARE COMMITTED TO SERVING OUR PROS WITH OPEN AND TRANSPARENT COMMUNICATION, HONESTY AND RIGOR. WE LOOK FORWARD TO COLLABORATING AND CREATING SUCCESSFUL FUTURE EVENTS, NEW AND CONTINUING METHODS OF EDUCATION AND BEING A SOURCE OF CONNECTION FOR THE WEALTH OF TENNIS PROS WE HAVE. I AM HUMBLED TO SERVE AS YOUR PRESIDENT AND LOOK FORWARD TO A BRIGHTER FUTURE FOR ALL OF US.
ABOUT JEFF: THROUGH ACCOMPLISHMENT COACHING’S LEADERSHIP AND COACHING PROGRAM JEFF HAS RECEIVED TRAINING FROM ONE OF THE FINEST AND MOST RENOWN COACHING PROGRAMS IN THE WORLD. JEFF ALSO HOLDS A MASTERS OF BUSINESS ADMINISTRATION FROM PEPPERDINE UNIVERSITY. SPORTS HAS ALWAYS BEEN JEFF'S GREATEST PASSION. HE FOUND HIS NICHE IN TENNIS AND PLAYED AT THE COLLEGIATE LEVEL AND ALSO WENT ON TO PLAY PROFESSIONALLY. WHEN JEFF DECIDED TO STOP TOURING HE IMMEDIATELY BEGAN COACHING TENNIS. ON THE COURTS IS WHERE SOME OF THE MOST MEANINGFUL COACHING OCCURRED. WHILE COACHING CLIENTS TO MASTER THE TOOLS TO SUCCEED ON THE COURTS HE ALSO FOUND HIMSELF COACHING MANY OF THEM ON THE TOOLS TO SUCCEED IN LIFE. WHAT JEFF LEARNED WHILE ON TOUR IS THAT NO MATTER WHERE PEOPLE ARE IN THE WORLD, MOST OF THEM HAVE THE SAME STRUGGLES, BELIEFS AND DESIRES, BUT MOST DON'T HAVE THE SUPPORT OR STRUCTURES TO MOVE FORWARD. JEFF WANTS TO SEE EVERYONE SUCCEED AND BE THE GREATEST VERSION OF THEMSELVES. HE HAS MADE IT HIS LIFE MISSION TO HELP PEOPLE WIN. JEFF MILLER 310-948-1727 JEFF@JEFFMILLERCOACHING.COM
REGIONAL VP MESSAGE Dear Southern California Professionals, I wish as your Regional Vice President my first message to you were under much different circumstances. Sadly, we are dealing with what may well be the worst historical event of our lives collectively. We as competitive athletes know best how to adapt and teach adaptation to our students when challenged by a stronger opponent. We must strategically battle our way through and never stop fighting, win or lose. Battling COVID 19 is no different. I hope by the time you are reading this we will have successfully mitigated this monster. I, like so many of you, have exhausted every effort to find resources for assistance and are attempting to keep our clientele close. Be it a phone call or maybe just a text to let everyone know that we are thinking of them goes a long way. For us and our players. We have many exciting things going on in Southern California during my next two years of board service. We have an almost entirely new Board of Directors lead by our new President Jeff Miller. Sadly, the fantastic conference we the board had worked so hard to prepare has become a victim of the COVID 19. Rest assured we will have a busy event schedule moving forward. Your division presidents are busy looking for and planning events near you. If you have ideas for an event please contact them. We are all here to serve you. We have an amazing population of talented teaching professionals to network with and learn from here in So. Cal. It will always be my professional goal for Southern California to stand above all other divisions around the country. Your input is necessary for us to continue to improve as a division. Feel free to reach out to myself, or anyone on your board of directors for any reason. Again, we are here to serve you.
About Scott: USPTA Elite Professional. Head Professional for the City of Ojai. Director of Tennis Ojai Valley since 2017. Curriculum designer for both Junior and Adult tennis. All tennis related aspects of the Libbey Park. Responsible for tennis programing at the historic Libbey Park. Scott Burton and his wife, along with their two daughters reside in Ojai, CA. Scott is a 20-year professional tennis coach and hold a science degree in manufacturing. He had worked as Vice President of manufacturing for 28 years in Ventura County before chasing his passion as a full-time certified professional coach. He was voted California’s 2013 Pro of the Year by his peers, and holds numerous awards for his service to the community, and to the furthering of education for fellow certified teaching professionals. He is a past president of California’s (District 1) largest body of teaching professionals. He has also served Southern California as Board Secretary. As a player, Scott has earned 3 State championship titles in the USTA Men’s 4.5-5.0 divisions, and taught tennis for the City of San Buena Ventura from 2003 - 2016. During his years with the City of Ventura, he regularly hosted community tennis events with guests attending from 80 to 140 players over his 8 courts at Camino Real Tennis Center. Now his efforts have shifted to the residents of the beautiful Ojai Valley. In addition to coaching The Thatcher School of Ojai to Two State Championship CIF titles, Scott currently has over 80 players in his Jr. program., He coaches an 18 and under girls & boys JTT/USTA team, and has trained 2 All-American Collegiate student athletes. Scott has acted as travel coach for the Prestigious Ojai Tournament. He coached the 2016 Girls 16's Champion, as well as the 2017 Girls 18's Champion. He is also a USRSA racquet technician and stringer. Scott Burton 805-320-1733 burtontennis@gmail.com
1ST VP STEVE RIGGS
About Steve: Married 18 years to Malou and they have two sets of twins; Patrick and Mikayla, Julianne and Catherine Director of Tennis for the City of Irvine for the past 16 years. Board of Directors; USTA Southern California 2 yrs Orange County Community Tennis Association 5 yrs Steve has taught tennis for 25+ years. Steve also played for College of the Desert and Club Tennis in Germany. Steve Riggs 949-232-9200 sriggs@cityofirvine.org
2ND VP OTIS SMITH
About Otis: Otis, Ritz-Carlton Bacara, Santa Barbara, Tennis Director has a vast tennis background. A native of Los Angeles , Otis grew up playing junior tennis before heading to University of California Los Angeles( UCLA) where he played number 1 in singles and doubles before embarking on a professional career. As a junior , Otis was coached by some of the best coaches in the world including Robert Lansdorp, Nick Bolleteirri, and Glenn Bassett. He has modeled for legendary coach Vic Braden in his book, Teaching Children Tennis. A veteran of 10 years on the pro tour, Otis has played at Wimbledon, US Open and ATP World Tour Masters events. He has played against the world’s best including Pete Sampras and Jim Courier. With the help of Arthur Ashe, Otis helped break the color barrier at the prestigious Los Angeles Tennis Club( LATC). Otis Smith 213-268-3720 osmith900351@yahoo.com
Tennis Resources is offered at no charge thru April 30th. Get your credits!
TREASURER JULIO RIVERA
About Julio: Julio Rivera, a former National Top 100 in the 45's in 2015 and 2016, and a 2017 District 3 Pro of the Year, is a New York transplant who grew up playing tennis on the south shore of Long Island. Rivera was a junior college standout. Part of USPTA since 1992, he taught for six years at Sport Time in New York. Rivera then left tennis for finance and fashion only to return to teaching his first love, tennis, in 2008. He is the former Head Coach at Archer School for Girls. He is currently the founder and creator of the popular Underground Tennis Movement, a virtual tennis club.
Julio Rivera 949-874-4513 julriv@yahoo.com
SECRETARY STAN CARTER
About Stan: I am grateful to to be on the Board of Directors of the Southern California Division of the USPTA. I will serve as Secretary for the division, recording the board meetings and preparing the minutes for approval. I will offer assistance for events, speakers, and subjects that are presented in our mandate to offer educational events to the members of the division. I am a full time teacher of adults and juniors at the La Canada Flintridge Country Club in La Canada Flintridge and am the director of USTA Jr. Team Tennis. My teaching goal is to give the players the tools they need to take their game to as high a level as they want. I am happy to serve on the board in order to give back to the organization and the people who have made my 20 plus career as a tennis teacher. The people that I have met through the division have shaped my decisions about how to teach, who to teach and realize my goals and ambitions. I want my small contribution to the division to help give others the opportunities to to realize their goals and ambitions and prosper in the tennis teaching business. Stan Carter 213-321-8699 stancartertennis@gmail.com
DISTRICT NEWS
District 2 President District 2: San Fernando Valley & Kern County
Dina McBride has been a top teaching professional for over 20 years. She started her playing career in Southern California ranked among the top 10 juniors in So Cal. During her junior career she competed nationally and was ranked #6 in the nation in Girls 18s in doubles. She attended the University of San Diego on a full scholarship finishing as
District President: Dina McBride 661-904-6237 dinamcbride3@gmail.com
the #1 singles player and top 40 nationally in Division I. She played and traveled internationally on the WTA circuit earning world rankings in singles and doubles. With over 50 open wins and 15 national championships she remains one of the top women in her age division.
She was the former Director of Tennis at the Paseo Club, Valencia Ca and recently has taken a teaching position at the Malibu Racquet Club, Malibu Ca. As an instructor her passion for playing has never wavered. She is certified by the USPTA and was the USPTA Player of the year in 2012 and continues to be an Elite Professional. As a coach, she has helped many junior players earn D1 college scholarships. She also loves working with adult players to help them to continue to improve and reach their highest potential. She is known for being a high level singles and doubles strategist and a highly regarded technical coach. She is married to Desi McBride and they have three children who share their love of tennis. All three are highly ranked SoCal juniors, and one of Dina's favorite memories is winning the Mother Son Nationals with her son on the same day her husband and daughter won the Father Daughter Nationals!
DISTRICT NEWS District 3 Happenings Tennis Director, Challengers Tennis Academy, 2006-2019 Program Coordinator, Boys & Girls Clubs of Metro Los Angeles – Challengers Clubhouse, 2019-present
District 3: Los Angeles & Immediate Suburbs , Beach Cities (Malibu to Marina del Rey)
District President: Matt Jones 323-842-5592 matthew.s.jones@me.com
Matt, who was born and raised in the Los Angeles area, began his tennis journey later than most, at the age of 14. After competing for only a few years in juniors and playing for his high school team, Matt left sunny So Cal and made his way to Atlanta, GA to compete at the collegiate level after receiving an athletic scholarship to Morehouse College to play for the Maroon Tiger’s tennis team. Before departing Morehouse, he and his teammates captured back-to-back SIAC Conference championships where Matt earned Conference MVP. Upon returning to Los Angeles, Matt, began his tennis coaching journey, becoming a USPTA certified professional in 2008. A big grass roots tennis advocate, Matt’s passion for introducing the sport of tennis to young people, and adults alike, in areas where they wouldn’t otherwise get the opportunity to experience it, is what drives him every time he steps on the court. In joining the USPTA Southern California board of directors, Matt hopes bring his knowledge, experience and passion to the table and help build and grow our sport.
Pro: LeGeorge Mauldin LeGeorge, as with most tennis instructors, was caught off guard and blindsided by recent events involving COVID-19 and as a result finds himself asking the question many of us have been asking ourselves: “What am I supposed to do?” Prior to the closures of nearly all tennis facilities, including the two facilities he teaches at, LeGeorge, or “George” as most people refer to him, said it best, “tennis was going great!”. He noted that lessons were up 10% from last year and they’d even added a few new programs at the Donald Bly Tennis Complex in Inglewood, CA. George, along with the other coaches and staff, headed up an afterschool program for kids ages of 4-18 years old which would meet Tuesdays and Thursdays from 4pm-6pm. The program provides academic tutoring and tennis instruction to players with levels ranging from novice to high performance, tournament players to collegiate players. Although, things are on hold for now, he is optimistic and upbeat and is confident that once this begin to return to normal, the program will pick up where it left off and continue to grow. Tips from Coach George – For anyone who misses the game! Shadow Tennis - I can’t stress it enough how much this helps hone and improve your technique. From practicing your backswing to your follow-throughs to grip changes to footwork, everything you do during your regular lessons or hitting sessions, find a space, be it your backyard, driveway, garage or living room and practice using shadow tennis (no ball needed). Remember, proper technique repetition is the recipe for good habits! Cardio - Another thing is to keep your cardio up! Go for an easy jog or light run around your block a few times. Strength Training – You don’t need a gym for this! Get in a routine of doing exercise that promote strengthening your body with push-ups, sit-ups, pull-ups, squats, lunges and the list goes on and on. The key is to stay consistent. Footwork & Agility - Work on your footwork. There are hundreds, if not thousands, of YouTube videos on footwork and agility drills and workouts you can perform right at your own home! Utilizing these will keep your footwork sharp and your body agile. Match Analysis – Just as YouTube is good for workouts and drills, it’s also great for watching old tennis matches and analyzing the pros, paying close attention to this like technique, footwork and strategy. Coach LeGeorge’s Quarantine Routine 6am-8:30am Workout o 3 mile run o 12-15 mins jumping rope o 200 push-ups/sit-ups o 100 dips o 75 squats 8:30am-9am – Cool Down 9:30am-10:30am - Breakfast 10:30am-11am - Meditation 11am-12:30pm - Lunch 12:30pm-2:30pm - Calls 2:30pm-4:30pm - Reading 4:30pm-5:15pm – Evening Jog/Run 5:15pm-5:45pm – Shadow Tennis 5:45pm-6:15pm – Footwork Drills 6:15pm-6:30pm – Cool Down 6:30pm-7:00pm – Match Analysis 7:00pm-8:00pm – Dinner
DISTRICT NEWS
District 4 Happenings District 4: South Bay to North Orange County (Including Fullerton & Huntington Beach District President: Rhonda Rabanal 424-282-3675 hi@rhondar.com
I am a passionate and open minded woman. I've been playing tennis since the age of nine, and it is my heartfelt hobby. I also love to play other sports recreationally such as cycling, basketball, throwing a football, and golf. I competed in USTA leagues and tournaments starting at ten years old until the end of high school. As an undergrad student at UCLA, I was an active member of the Bruin Tennis Club. I am also currently a graduate student in the M.S. Professional Tennis Management program at SDSU (expected 2021). Fun/random facts about me: Hometown: San Diego, California Zodiac sign: Leo Favorite color: White Favorite cereal: Cinnamon Toast Crunch Favorite dessert: Dark chocolate with hazelnuts Favorite sound: Opening a new can of tennis balls Favorite scent: Korean BBQ and In-n-Out Kryptonite: My twelve inch memory foam mattress First car: 5-speed 1986 Acura Integra LS
"LEFTY GEM IN SOUTH BAY LOS ANGELES" WHEN PRACTICING TO PLAY IN ANY MATCH, IT'S IMPORTANT TO SIMULATE THE MOST REALISTIC SCENARIOS POSSIBLE DURING PRACTICE. ONE VARIABLE THAT IS SOMETIMES OVERLOOKED IS ASSUMING THE NEXT OPPONENT IS RIGHT-HANDED. HAVING A DEPENDABLE LEFTY HITTING PARTNER THAT CAN HIT BIG CONSISTENTLY IS A RARE FIND. IN SOUTH BAY LOS ANGELES, THERE IS A FAMILY OF EIGHT (TWO PARENTS AND SIX CHILDREN) THAT PLAYS TENNIS NEARLY EVERY DAY. NATHAN, THE ELDEST OF SIX SIBLINGS IS A STRONG LEFTY WHO IS STILL COACHED BY HIS DAD, PAOLO CAOILE. DESPITE BEING ONE OF THE NICEST PEOPLE AND CARING OLDER BROTHER, THE MOMENT NATHAN STEPS ONTO ANY TENNIS COURT, HE UNLEASHES UNREAL POWER INTO EVERY BALL BUT ABLE TO FINESSE HIS SHOTS WHEN NECESSARY. IF YOU'RE IN THE SOUTH BAY OR WEST LOS ANGELES, YOU'LL LIKELY RUN INTO THE CAOILE FAMILY AT SOME POINT. INTRODUCE YOURSELF AND SAY HELLO BECAUSE THEY'RE NICE PEOPLE AND TRULY BREATHE TENNIS AS A FAMILY TOGETHER.
DISTRICT NEWS
District 5 Happenings District 4: East LA County & North Orange County, San Bernadino & Riverside Counties District President: Evan Parry 951-694-2408 evanmparry@gmail.com
Greetings District 5 Pros! I write to you all of you with both a heavy and hopeful heart. I know it is very difficult for some of us to navigate each day not being on court doing what we love. However, I am encouraged by staying in contact with many of you as well as my fellow USPTA board members, students, and my college team through social media, video chats, and uplifting text messages. One of the ways in which I’ve been able to stay connected during these uncertain times, is by creating a regular virtual meetings on social media. I would love for all of you to join me on Instagram Live as i continue to host interviews with various teaching pros, college coaches, & pro players. You can follow me at @parry_tennis as well as view past interviews on my IGTV channel and Facebook page.
HERE’S A LINK TO A COUPLE QUARANTINE TENNIS VIDEOS I MADE FOR MY STUDENTS. HOPEFULLY THEY’RE HELPFUL FOR YOU AND YOURS. STAY STRONG, STAY HEALTHY AND STAY UNITED.
DISTRICT NEWS District 6 Happenings
District 6: South Orange County (from Anaheim & Newport Beach) District President: Tim Ludeke 714-553-1473 Timludeke@gmail.com
I began my teaching/coaching career as a high school tennis coach at Santiago HS in Garden Grove. Then I coached at Servite HS in Anaheim and Edison HS in Huntington Beach. After coaching high school for several years I began teaching at La Habra Tennis Center in 1990. I got injured in 1994 and took several months off to recover. Once I recovered from my injury I started teaching at Woodbridge Tennis Club in Irvine in 1995. I taught there for over 20 years. In 2016 I began teaching in Tustin where I am currently teaching. I am most proud of how long students take lessons from me. I have two ladies who have been taking lessons for over 20 years! It's pretty common for kids to take lessons from when they're 7 or 8 until they graduate and go to college. Once students pass the one year mark they tend to keep taking lessons for many years. The other thing that I'm really proud of is being invited to concerts, performances, graduations and weddings. I love it when little kids make me a drawing that I can put on my fridge. I have been on the USPTA Southern Californina Division (it was called the California Division then) before. I served as District 6 President and Secretary. I look forward to meeting all of the Division 6 members as well as all of the Southern California members. Keep an eye out for upcoming information regarding COVID-19 assistance from USTA and USPTA.
MIKE VAN ZUTPHEN PAST PRESIDENT Mike lives in Newport Beach California and is the Director of Tennis at SeaCliff Country Club in Huntington Beach. He has 2 daughters and a wonderful wife of 35 years. He is still coaching tour players in the 200 level ATP and 100 Level WTA. He works on his website the one minute tennis lesson to help his members and clients with mechanical proficiency. Mike trained 2 NCAA Division 1 National Champions and the Junior Wimbledon Champion Wesley Whitehouse. He played World Team Tennis for Phoenix Racquets and also worked with Pat Dupre who achieved ATP world ranking of 12 and had wins over John McEnroe. Mike has worked with some of his heroes teaching clinics for, Roy Emerson, Rod Laver, Vic Braden and Dennis Van Der Meer. I have taught in New Zealand for a year working with top Juniors and did testing for the USPTA. Mike is a USPTA Master Professional and Inductee into the Tennis Teachers Hall of Fame. I enjoy teaching all levels of players from tiny tots to young up and coming stars. The method of progressions I use can and does developing players quickly. The majority of my lessons are club players who want to climb the NTRP ladder to the next level. I look forward to working with you to develop your game. Please see the latest project by clicking on the video. Mike Van Zutphen 480-292-2159 mikevz29@yahoo.com
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Bo Gard,USPTA Elite Pro UNIVERSITY SCHOOL OF PHYSICAL EDUCATION GALATI, ROMANIA
PLANNING AND PERIODISATION FOR THE 12-14 YEARS OLD TENNIS PLAYERS In this article we are going to focus on the game of tennis at the age of 12-14 years old. As we know, all tennis players develop differently thought out their tennis career and often we see that coaches modify training to accommodate the player because, at the end of the day, it is a player centered coaching. Although that is valid, us, coaches, we have to respect certain rules in order to avoid lack of optimal development. The player development must be planned systematically from the very beginning. Unfortunately the training process of the majority of junior players around the world is not precisely planned and the proportions between different types of practices are not specified. The training is usually done as a general development, without any load plan or written periodization. If training is planned, the plan for juniors does not differ from seniors' or professionals'- only it is minimized. A lot of parents and some of the coaches think that a player should practice as much as he/she can take and/or have to play a bunch of tournaments to gain experience. Just before entering puberty and during puberty lots of things can be done to help the player. For experienced coaches, it is obvious that kids are not “small adults” and they should organise the training in the circle of INFORMATION – GOAL SETTING – PLANNING – ACTION, in a different way. At the age of 11-12, just before puberty, a gifted tennis player has to finish the stage of all round basic training and may begin the next stage of semi-specialised training. It is the beginning of periodisation as a rule of planning. During this period, a player has to be all round developed and also he/she has to be able to start gaining experience, raise the level of motor abilities, mental skills and improve major tennis-specific abilities. Therefore, the player either has to practice or to play quite a lot of matches. The best possible performance should not be the main goal and peaking must not be the aim of planning for this age. We should praise the effort and the execution of technical skills. We should remember that the age of 12 is the best period for developing the two most important motor abilities in tennis; agility and speed.
Before puberty, a player has to posses all the advanced strokes (e.g topspin lob, drive volley) but these shots do not need to be perfect. Also, the coach, has to remember that disproportion in biological development should be taken into consideration. The difficulty in periodisation for 12-14 years old lies in coordination and planning of proper proportions between learning,training and competing. The only way to co-ordinate the development of all factors affecting future performance is the proper periodisation. Principles of the periodisation for this age are: 1) To plan different types of training 2) To co-ordinate them with competitions in order to gain experience and other practical skills General rules (obligatory for players and year-round plans): Fitness: all-round to tennis-specific and complex training. Tennis: basic training to competitive training (whole-part-whole situations) Goals for this age are: All-round based development of tennis-specific fitness directed into the needs of the game, Developing tennis-specific abilities (open stance, kick serve, topspin, slice, patterns of play) Gaining experience and developing tennis-specific skills by participating in a set number of matches (50-70 singles/year and 30-40 doubles/year) On average, tennis play and other activities together should not be more that 1216 hours per week max. Building up the highest performance possible is not the goal at the age of 12-14! Peaking should not be the main goal either. Peaking for the first time should be allowed at the age of 13 but the goal has to be to learn how to peak not how to win to gain experience how to prepare for important competitions. Two peaks are allowed for gifted 14 years old players - for exceptional talents maybe 3. In order to prepare a training plan it is crucial to set personal goals and to keep track of the training (planning). The goal of the competitions for players under 12, 13 years of age should be to test skills and abilities practiced during training. This will give information (feedback) to a coach and will help to establish goals and plans for future work. Tournaments should be treated as an exercise, kind of progress’ test and a chance to identify most talented players.
The annual plan or macrocycle is composed out of lots of micocycles and 3-4 mesocycles. Microcycle: is the shortest training period during an annual training plan, lasting typically a week. Mesocycle: is the intermediate period (block) during an annual training plan, lasting 3-6 microcycles (weeks). Macrocycle: is the whole season (year) The annual plan should contain two preparations phases and two competitive phases. No peak for a 12 year old! For 13 years olds, one peak is allowed and for 14 years old one or two peaks- in some cases even 3. 1ST PREPARATION PHASE- Starts in the beginning of the year (15-17 weeks) The task: development of all-round base needed for future progress. -In general, the volume of basic training (all-round effect) should vary from 75% to 50% of the whole period -The volume of semi-specific and tennis specific practices including tactical preparation should be 20% to 40%. -Training should be geared towards: developing an aerobic endurance base, develop strength, improve in flexibility, play lots of ball sports, exercises to developing co-ordination, agility and footwork. No tournaments. 1ST COMPETITIVE PHASE (Spring, 10-11weeks) The task: advance into the tennis-specific abilities (for example practical technique, tactics, mental preparation, motivation and feedback, using new skills in a competitions). Start counting shot, keep score, play matches. No peaking! 2ND PREPARATION PHASE (Summer-Fall 8-10 weeks) The task: development of tennis-specific fitness and skills, further development of all-round abilities. Training more complex and more specific. Add regional and team competitions. 2ND COMPETITIVE PHASE- (Fall-main competitive phase 5-7 weeks) The task: developing of tennis-specific abilities, gaining experiences without dropping the all-round base Play several weeks of different types of competitions. TRANSITION PHASE (3-5 weeks) The task: active rest and play other sports, basketball is the closest sport to tennis in regards of footwork. Also must do injury prevention , learning new skills and new techniques.
TYPES OF EXERCISES (ABBREVIATIONS FOR THE TABLE): 1. All Round (other sport disciplines, all- round sports, versatile exercises (AR) 2. Semi-specific – the tennis specific exercises; - (SS) Off-court (example: strength training with medicine balls, stretch bands) On court (example: speed and agility training with rackets and balls, 3-4 ball drills) 3. Specific tennis drills (on-court drills - technical, tactical, etc.) (S) 4. Tournaments (T) Typical problems for 12 year olds: 1.
Teaching the backhand slice
2.
Teaching backhand volley with 1 hand
3.
Forehand backswing-difference between boys and girls
4.
Changing the grip, how to let them feel it
5.
Footwork on court
6.
Serve
7.
Coordination games on court
8.
Playing doubles -Where to stand? Where to go? What to do?
9.
Attacking a weak serve
For any questions or comments please contact Bo Gard directly at bogdangard@yahoo.com
Line Calls is edited and published by Sara Morse, Executive Director, USPTA Southern California