We have a great team working on our social media. Jason Hazley is the board member in charge, and Chris Stuart is the lead commi ee person keeping us updated on Facebook and Instagram. If you have anything to share, please forward to Jason at jasonh@noltc.com or Chris at stuart@sta.usta.com
The Social Media team is working hard to keep content ac ve and current. HELP them with fun content. Currently they are working on 1 minute tennis ps. Video can be produced on your phone, and then forwarded to Jason or
While you are not able to earn credit on the videos posted, anything you may want to learn about is probably on our Youtube Channel.
There are over 175 videos from conferences and workshops during the last 10 years.
Just search on Youtube for usptasouthern (no spaces) and the first item is our channel.
Currently both TN & GA have workshops scheduled in December. Both feature Luke Jensen, and then a diverse group of speakers. Links below to the TicketTailor registra on page, which also has the agenda and full schedule.
GA h ps://buy ckets.at/usptasouthern/792757
TN h ps://buy ckets.at/usptasouthern/779233
NC TBA since the NC/SC joint workshop was canceled.
Have you seen all of the Facebook quick video reviews from the World Conference? Hear thought from our Southern Members, and even a few guests, on seminars immediately a erwards. Many thanks to all of our amazing members that shared their thoughts.
Click for just one of the many quick reviews on FB.
We are calling for you to help and submit your ar cles for the upcoming newsle ers. Below are areas that are needed. Ar cles should be 450 1400 words. Our next deadline is August 10th, but we are always collec ng and can use your ideas. This is a great opportunity to be published as you work towards resume building or your Master Professional por olio.
Social List Social events that work well for you.
Pro Plans Share your clinic ideas. Especially good for team plans. Can be 1 lesson, or a group.
Cardio Tennis/Fit to Hit 2 different but related sec ons. Cardio Tennis for your best ideas in running and promo ng. Fit to Hit for how to implement fitness into your program.
Book Review Something that is relevant to our business of tennis. It does not have to be a tennis book.
Invited Guest This is our sec on that is a general area related to tennis and business.
Send to pat.whitworth@uspta.org
The mul ple division Virtual Business Conference is back for February 9 10th. Future updates, bios, and registra on informa on will be posted on usptasouthern.com and on our Facebook page.
Cost will only be $35 for USPTA members.
1:30 Ashley Owens Listening and Why It ’s Crucial to Our World Right Now
9:30 Bill Anderson Pickleball: Build It and They Will Come
2:15 Mark McMahon
The Difference Between Management & Leadership
3:00 Mark Brouker Lessons from the Navy: How to earn trust, lead teams and achieve organiza onal excellence
3:45 Paula Scheb Master commi ee mee ngs, staff mee ngs and COO/General Manager mee ngs
WOW. What a great conference and a great city to host the conference. The Hilton Hotel is located in a prime posi on right at the edge of the French Quarter, on the river with a very scenic view, and close enough to the airport for a fairly quick ride. Our staff did a tremendous job hos ng the conference, and the educa on director Ramona Hasaru, gathered a fantas c variety of speakers and topics. The ac on started with 2 great Specialty Courses on Sunday, and hardly slowed down through Thursday.
Southern was well represented in the speakers with Sophie Woorons, Walker Sahag, Craig Jones, Bre Schwartz, Mark McMahon, Mark Kovacs, Davor Dekaris, and Chanda Rubin. Special thanks to Darryl Lewis for the Pickleball Cer fica on Workshop. It was also Southern Member’ s that introduced each of the speakers. While all will not be listed, special thanks to Dave Neuhart and William Foreman, and Neil Witherow, and to Allan Jensen and Emilia Viljoen for demo court monitors. It really did take an army.
Sunday was an all day Na onal Board mee ng a ended by Tom Parkes, Todd Upchurch, Ken Andriano, and Pat Whitworth. You are well represented in these mee ngs and we always hope to make you proud. During the lunch break, we wandered to a close by eatery for a nice lunch during the Saints/Bucs game. On the stroll back, we discovered Manning’s and we took a short stop to see the game with a crazy crowd. The rest of the week some of us s ll had mee ngs, but it was the educa on that took front and center. What a treat for a chat session with Chanda Rubin, and the next day with Hall of Fame inductees Jim Loehr and Jack Groppel. Tues-
10:15 Sco McCollough Building Successful Programs for Your Club
11:00 Jose Pastrello A Racquet, a Paddle and a Briefcase: Skills needed to midlevel management
11:45 Tim Buwick How to Keep the Fire Burning When the Wood's All Gone
day night was the division party at Mulates, and they did a great job for us and 4 other divisions. It was a party. A Riverboat ride was on for Wednesday early evening along with dinner. It was fun to cruise the river and chat with friends.
It takes a few days to unwind and collect your thoughts a er such a busy week. Next year is s ll in our area as the conference moves to Orlando Florida. A great me for a li le me off to enjoy what the area offers, and then a end a great conference.
See photos on the next 3 pages
I can no longer say I have never been to a USPTA World Conference.
It was an incredible event. Kudos to the Na onal staff and their reless efforts to prepare and execute such a large scale conference with so many moving pieces. It was a good challenge to have to decide which session to a end with both on court and off court presenters occurring simultaneously. The programing was first class. The leaders and legends of our profession were everywhere. One of the most enjoyable aspects of the conference for me was the camaraderie. Without excep on every subject ma er expert I approached made the me and effort to help. Such a huge opportunity to grow professionally. But wait, there is more. Our sponsors brought their A game. The social ac vi es were one of a kind. For me It was a perfect balance of work and play. It was a privilege to a end.
Jack has set a standard that I do not think will ever be equaled. Holding a job for 39 years is amazing, but that is not the really astounding part of his story. The kicker is that it was his first real job in the industry, and it was also his last. The Phoenix Country Club was his post for all those years, and alongside for a good por on of the me was his wife Rita, who managed the shop and did the buying before raising their children. Jack is also the longest tenured Execu ve Director for the Southwest division at 32 years. He has been a division officer and on the USPTA Na onal Board. He has received numerous awards over the years and has recently been inducted into the USPTA Southwest Hall of Fame.
What led you to a career in tennis? I was an athlete growing up, and my mom would tell me I am too small for football, too short for basketball, but tennis may be a good fit with your speed and strength. I started playing tennis at age 9, and when we moved to Kansas City at age 11, I really pushed hard for tennis. Football was dropped, but since tennis was a seasonal sport, basketball was s ll a sport for me. A solid high school career led to a scholarship at Colorado State University. By age 16, I decided I wanted to be a tennis professional. Even though I am self taught, there have been years of studying the game.
Since you knew at 16 your wanted to be in the tennis business, what moves did you make early on? As I played in tournaments and match-
es, I started to pay a en on to the facili es that I was playing at and the type of pros that worked there. I made up my mind early on that I wanted to be a Country Club pro, and I think it is so important to find your fit. I had also decided I wanted to be at a member owned club, and I wanted to own the pro shop and be a retailer. It was important to be at a club that service to the membership was more important than making a profit. As I finished graduate school, I was on the way to Richmond Racquet Club to interview, and on a vaca on, I bumped into a person that men oned that his best friend just lost his job at Phoenix Country Club. As a major coincidence, Jack's long term goal was to work at the Phoenix Country Club. I dropped from considera on at the Richmond Racquet Club and quickly applied for the job, along with 167 others. At this point, I thought I had no chance against this group, many with major accomplishments, and me with no experience beside some very basic help at the Tucson Country Club while s ll in school.
How did you get hired? I really think that they were looking for me. I had the skills and style that they wanted. The world class players that had been their pros in the past did not work out well. I asked them what they were looking for in my 8 hour interview, and they made it clear that they wanted programs, and this was my strength. The pros that had been there were all about teaching and did not program. I put together a book with ac vi es and programs, and had it professional
typed and laid out. I was coun ng on the fact that nobody else would go to this level.
Did you have a mentor early in your career? YES. When I was in graduate school, the Tucson Racquet Club and their director Bob Evans. I had no ced as I traveled to various clubs that all the pros looked similar, some mes sloppy. Bob was a different animal. He was dressed well, and presented a very professional image. The bulle n board was well done with all types of programs. I cornered him and asked where he learned all of this. He said the first thing to do is to join the USPTA. Everything he learned was from other USPTA pros and at educa on events. Jack immediately joined in 1969. At my first conference. I a ended a lecture by River Oaks director Harry Parten. He was a step up from Bob with more unique ideas. I cornered him and asked for more info and how he built his programs. We became great friends over the years. I would travel to his club once a year to learn more and share ideas. He taught me to think WAY outside the box. I knew it was working when I was able to show him some things that appealed to him. By the end of my career, I was only teaching 10 hours at most, and was spending me programming. The ac vi es drove the lessons.
Please give us 3 5 ps on your secrets to success in longevity at your job?
1) Communica on. A good communicator is so important, and was the top reason for my success. I had a
rule at the club that the staff could not leave un l all calls were returned (or emails later on). This communicates to the members how important they are to you.
2) Listen to your membership (a p from Harry). So o en, in a regular conversa on, I would learn about what people liked and make notes. Once I heard a similar message, I was able to offer programs and items to the membership before they really asked for it. As an example, members would make a sugges on which I thought would fail, and it boomed. Then I would implement what I thought was a great idea, and it would flop. Try things and listen, and keep it fresh.
3) Customer service/experience. I was always looking to adapt and make things as convenient as possible for members to par cipate and play. I spent my career looking for opportuni es to plus an experience. Don't ignore the person that does not support you, instead go right at them and win them over. I wanted to prove that I am here to offer a great experience and find a way to win you over. We wanted to earn their respect, which would lead to their business. Quick story, I had a woman that was a involved in everything we offered, and a strong buyer in the pro shop. Her husband would par cipate, but purchased everything off property. One year, she purchased Christmas presents early, but needed to rush off. I told her I would wrap them, and put under the shop tree for her to pickup later. I no ced on Christmas Eve
that the presents had not been picked up. We closed at 4:00, and as I leave I grabbed the packages and plan to drive to Sco sdale, which is over an hour away. I ring the doorbell and he answers. I explain that Marge purchased these and never did pickup. He asked that you make the trip out here on Christmas Eve? A er that day, he purchased everything at the shop.
4) Hard work. I knew that weekends would be ed up, as well as
holidays. I might not get a day off in 2 weeks. That is what it would take to do the job properly. Un l I re red, it was never a 40 hour week. The club did not require this, but I knew it was what it took to excel.
You have served USPTA as a Board member and Execu ve Director for over 30 years. WHY? I wanted to get as much bang for my buck as a member and this would help me to be a be er professional. I also wanted to give back since so many
had helped me grow. As Execu ve Director, there were mes that it was tough to manage both jobs, and as me moved on, the job has demanded more hours. My club was always happy that I was involved in the associa on and they supported financially the travel and conference expenses. I owe the USPTA a lot. It was also a requirement that the en re staff had to be USPTA Elite Professional.
How important has educa on and a ending confer-
ences? MONUMENTAL. I don't know how successful I would have been with all the conferences I a ended. So many ps from so many different professionals, it was so important. I have not missed a World Conference since 1971, and only the 1986 Southwest conference when my father passed a few days before. Whenever I had an issue, I could call a Will Hoag, Ron Woods, etc and learn how they handled this. The single most important thing that I did for my success is to join the USPTA.
The Mentoring Program championed by Kevin Theos is truly a game changer for USPTA. What a fantas c opportunity for a younger/ newer professional to learn with a veteran, and for those same vets to give back from their experiences.
Kevin and his commi ee are very diligent to match up with people of similar interest ie: country club pros with similar, high performance with similar, etc.
There are almost 200 people in the program, but it is s ll a surprise that it is not much bigger. While the program started in the South,
it is now a na onal program.
The current session just ended registra on. YES, you do have to sign up, and fill out a very brief ques onnaire to help determine your best fit. There is another brief ques onnaire at the end of your year.
CLICK HERE to see a recent video from Kevin with an explana on of the program. Make sure to make this part of your New Years resolu on when the next sessions are open to register.
The USPTA has been a springboard of ideas, learning, and building rela onships throughout my me as a member. I got cer fied as soon as I could (age 21) in order to begin my career. I did not say tennis career, but career. There have been years where I was not in the tennis industry, but s ll renewed my membership and stayed in connec on with events, people, and job pos ngs. I personally would not be where I am today without the USPTA. The amount of knowledge and experience in one associa on is
truly remarkable, which allows people like myself to grow and learn from some of the best professionals around. From conferences to commi ee boards to online resources, the USPTA offers a great deal of informa on to help with all parts of the game.
Aus n Daglis, USPTA, Elite Professional
I remember my first day as a Director of Tennis like it was yesterday; full of hope, excitement, and an absolute fear of failure. I had adopted a mindset of what some would refer to as Impostor Syndrome: “I don’t know what I’m doing. It’s only a ma er of me un l everyone finds out.” As a new leader, I felt immense pressure to be the one with all the answers. Looking back, I would tell my younger self to have more self confidence in my ability to learn. A mindset that I later learned to adopt was a Growth Mindset: “I don’t know what I am doing yet. It’s only a ma er of me un l I figure it out.” While serving as a Director and observing other well respected leaders, I quickly came to realize that they don’t always have the answer but possess a commitment to learn and seek out informa on.
If you are currently serving as a new Director of Racquet Sports, or you are on your way to the role, then my hope is that you find these lessons learned useful on your journey.
Take Time to Learn In most cases, you have what is o en referred to as the “Honeymoon Period.” U lize this me (o en 90 days), to observe the exis ng programs, connect with colleagues and members, and develop a strategic plan on how you and your team will move the program forward and enhance the member experience. Where possible, avoid making substan ve changes, as this your first and only chance to make a posi ve first impression. This is your me to learn the culture and build coali ons.
Secure Early Wins Your opportunity to build credibility will never be stronger than during the first few months
on the job. It’s vital to iden fy opportuni es to make a posi ve impression with your colleagues and members. This doesn’t have to be a large or complex undertaking. Look for the low hanging fruit at the beginning. As you begin to learn the culture, you may discover that it can be something as easy as making yourself visible, ensuring the facility is clean, or taking the first step to create bridges across different departments. Towards the end of your transi on, you want your boss, your colleagues, and your members to feel that something new something good is happening. Early wins will excite and energize your staff and members and build your personal credibility.
bysional. Think about when a pro resorts to being conserva ve or careful with programming. It’s easy to con nue to produce the same thing, but with this approach, we risk the program becoming stale, predictable, and boring. Find ways to keep the program fresh. Take chances with new ideas and concepts. Tap into your network and u lize the amazing professionals that likely surround you in your own club or facility. As Winston Churchill once said,” Perfec on is the enemy of progress.”
Build a United Team As leaders, it is incumbent on us to build the culture and community we desire with our teammates. We can disagree and have different opinions behind closed doors, but to the members and other staff, we are 100% suppor ve of one another and must always present a united front. We are each other’s greatest supporters.
Don’t be Afraid to Make Mistakes As leaders, there is no doubt that it’s easy to buy into the percep on that we must be perfect and have all the answers. This mindset can be crippling and impede your ability to grow your program and grow as a profes-
Don’t Stop Learning One of the greatest a ributes that I have observed from the best leaders is that they never stop learning. They are constantly finding ways to build their network and learn new informa on. This probably goes without saying, but it’s vital to get involved with your local tennis community and organiza ons like the USPTA. Addi onally, I would encourage you to commit me to con nuing educa on programs, such as the Cer fied Racquet Sports Execu ve (CRSE) Program or USPTA Director of Racquet Sports program that are targeted towards enhancing the success of leaders in the racquets sports industry.
Ryan Johnson is the Director of Racquet Sports at Paradise Valley Country Club. Ryan lends his exper se to McMahon Careers as the Liaison to the firm’s Young Professionals Group and its work with young Racquet Sports Professionals who aspire to career success and leadership roles in the sports industry.
We are excited to announce that our annual conference will be held on Sunday a ernoon, December 4th from 1 PM to 5 PM at the Inverness Country Club Tennis Center in Birmingham, AL. A erward, we'll have dinner and drinks un l 6 PM. The agenda is s ll developing but it will certainly be an engaging and educa onal a ernoon.
In other news, Al Garre has been promoted to 1st Vice President and Rachel Nix has been promoted to 2nd Vice President. These promo ons are certainly deserving and we are grateful for their con nued service! We are s ll looking for a new secretary/treasurer who is also skilled in general media. If you have any recommenda ons, please email me at jc@diamondclubs.com.
Last but not least, please be on the lookout for a USPTA member ques onnaire. We want to start 2023 strong by providing the best experience for our members. We believe this starts by listening to you in order to have a be er understanding of what you desire out of your UPSTA membership. Thank you for belonging and we hope to see you on December 4th!
Nineteen par cipants a ended the L1 Coach Development Workshop hosted October 8th and 9th at the beau ful Bass Rudd Tennis Center on the campus of the University of Louisville. Coordinated by Timothy McCollum (USPTA) and instructed by Allan Jensen (USPTA) and Devin Crotzer (USPTA), a endees learned how to deliver clinics to all ages and skill levels. There are plans to offer two L1 workshops in Kentucky in 2023!
The Arkansas chapter recently hosted a USTA Level 1 coaches workshop with 20 par cipants. Many of these coaches will assist our teaching pros across the state with beginner adult and junior programs.
The newly formed Arkansas High School tennis coaches associa on has been endorsed by the Arkansas Ac vi es Associa on as well as USTA Arkansas. Teaching professionals will be called upon to mentor some of our high school coaches. Regional workshops are being put together for Spring 2023.
We are looking forward to our next USPTA GA Winter workshop and Annual Awards mee ng, which will be held on Friday, December 2, 2022, at beau ful Atlanta Athle c Club. We have a great speaker line up of topics, as well as our headline speaker, Luke Jensen. Our speakers include Dave Dvorak, Execu ng Large Events, Seth Redelheim, Cardio Tennis to the Max, Tim Smith, understanding how to manage and grow Pickleball and Open Play, and Luke Jensen, talking about Progressions with Juniors Start to Finish From a young age to an upper level collegiate/pro level player and Taking your League Teams from Compe ve to Domina ng. We will also have a wonderful lunch overlooking the golf courts and awarding all the great efforts that our many wonderful professionals have put in this year in Georgia of USPTA Southern.
USTA GA is also offering a program to help uncer fied pros became cer fied with a grant to offset the cost of the cer fica on process. Please pass this informa on on to anyone you know who is interested in becoming USPTA cer fied.
We are coming off a busy season, with New Orleans hos ng the 2022 USPTA World Conference. Louisiana represented well in both speakers and a endees. The USTA fall tennis fest has also been encouraging a range of tennis events across our state. Coming up soon we have the Tennis Haus Conference November 19th in Covington. As adult leagues wind down and the holidays approach, now is the perfect me to use those nuggets of wisdom learned from your conference colleagues and implement some fun holiday events to keep your players and members engaged. We encourage you to con nue to reach out to our state board for mentorship, job vacancies, employment, to shine a light on a deserving pro, or to spread the word on events happening in your area.
It was great to see so many of our members a end the World Conference. The year is closing out fast. Nomina ons for our 2022 State awards will be sent out with our State News Le er in the early part of November. Please take me to nominate your fellow pros for the awards. The nomina ons will be electronically availability and submi ed to make it easier on everyone. Our State Workshop date has been set for Friday January 6th and will be held at River Hills Club in Jackson. USTA Mississippi annual mee ng, awards luncheon and HOF dinner will be held on January 7th. Pros who a end Friday and Saturday annual mee ng will be eligible for mileage and travel reimbursement. Please save the date! This is always a great day of networking and learning.
Football season is in full swing and so is tennis in the Volunteer state! Not only is Tennessee winning but so are many league teams around the state. The Knoxville 3.0 Men's team recently won Na onals! Your state board has been working hard pu ng together our state workshop for Saturday, December 3rd. It will be a great day of educa on and networking. Speakers include Luke Jensen, Barry Buss, Mike Baugh, and Devin Crotzer. Lunch will be provided as well as a nice USPTA logo pullover for those who register early enough. Please plan to a end this one day event which will be held at Sequoia Swim and Tennis Club in Nashville. The workshop will run from 10am 4pm. If you have any ques ons please email our state president at dan.beedle10s@gmail.com Link to Register: USPTA Tennessee State workshop
Our plans for a joint SC / NC workshop are being rescheduled for next year. As an alterna ve for this year some Lunch and Learn events will occur. Details soon. South Carolina Tennis Hall of Fame The South Carolina Tennis Patrons Founda on and USTA South Carolina are proud to announce that Mary Carlisle White Gambill and Ann Hunt will be the 2022 inductees into the South Carolina Tennis Hall of Fame. The event will occur at the USTA SC annual mee ng on 5 November in Columbia.
Hoping everyone is having a good fall and ready for the holidays. Details will be coming out soon about the winter USPTA/NC Workshop. It will be part of the USPTA Newsle er also coming out by Thanksgiving. Please feel free to reach out if I or any of your state board members can be of assistance (uspta.northcarolina@gmail.com).
USPTA Elite Professional Rob Carver has been able to put in wri ng what we all do ps, tweaks, and play ideas. What he has done that is neat is to reference students that he works with as he gives the ps and instruc on. Topics are equipment, technique, mental game, singles, doubles, and general info to play be er. Instead of trying to give ideas from each area, I am going to quote the book. Tips have been abbreviated in order to allow lis ng more ps.
#23 EYES UP Your serve is all about rhythm. When you control your toss, you typically have a good serve. A bad toss leads to all kinds of errors. When you prepare to toss you should look up. You want your eyes up to where you intend to place your toss.
#25 - WHY? Hall of Fame band director, Gene Inglis, told me a great story from his days in college. His philosophy professor gave them a one ques on final exam. The ques on was: "WHY?" The next point you lose in a match, ask yourself, Why? More specifically, when your opponent hits a winner, ask why? Do they just have an awesome forehand or did you hit the ball in his strike zone? Do they have a great lob or did you hit your shot
straight to them?
#50 YOU CAN"T COVER 100% KJ hit s sharp backhand which made Angel run off the court. Angel then hit an incredible backhand down the line in the alley past KJ's partner. There were only about two feet of space. KJ's partner asked how she could cover that. Unfortunately you can't cover 100% of the court. If your opponent hits an incredible shot, you just have to give it to her.
#86 MAKE THEM FRANTIC How do you feel when you are running off the court to hit a low shot? Calm or fran c? Your opponents have also closed in and are both at net. The score and possibility of losing the point make your shot even more challenging. Leigh and Melanie are great at making their opponents feel fran c. They hit short angles to run their opponent off of the court and lob over the net player to make the baseline player run. Forget about winning with your shots and just think how to make then run and feel fran c.
#143 WHY DO I LOSE? Jenn, a fairly new player, asked this ques on during a lesson. I answered her with a ques on of my own, "What happens when you lose?" She ex-
plained the many mistake she and her partner make. The bo om line is that the losing team makes too many errors. Seventy percent of the points lost at the pro level are ended by an error. You shouldn't focus on winning points, but instead focus on making your shots.
#206 CLOSE THE SHOWER CURTAIN The high volley is a shot that looks easy but is o en missed down into the net or several feet long. Missing beyond the baseline and in the net is the result of swinging. If you picture yourself closing a shower curtain your arm moves forward several feet. It's okay if your high volley is not a winner because you end your swing in an offensive posi on.
The book is loaded with great ps and ideas. This would make a great captains gi , thank you gi to a volunteer or VIP, and a great book for the tennis fana c. Thanks to Rob for wri ng this and reminding us of the many ps and ideas. I have already stolen a few snips from the book.
WIN THIS BOOK just CLICK HERE and answer the 2 ques on survey on live conferences.
I Highly recommend this book
Tennis players who start to play pickleball have a name in the pickleball community “Bangers”. They come on the court and hit every ball as hard as they can. Of course it’s fun. But losing is not. We train our tennis players to make their opponent bend at the net by using a combina on of spin and speed of the ball. If your opponent is hi ng up to you then you probably have the advantage. If they are hi ng down at your then you are most likely compromised. Pickleball is no different. All four players get to the net very quickly and then it is a ma er of who can finesse the ball long enough that their opponents give them the chance to hit down and hard. Have your players spend the most amount of me working on their dinks, and being able to move their opponent from side to side.
Birmingham, AL Saturday, December 3
Pine Tree Country Club
Memphis, TN Sunday, December 4 Windyke Country Club
Atlanta, GA Sunday, December 11 Atlanta Athletic Club
Looking to get certified or interested in hosting a workshop, contact Darryl Lewis. 678.595.2650. d.lewis@aussie10s.com
By Todd Upchurch USPTA Master Professional
It’s been less than a year and I’ve already spent an unhealthy amount of money at our new USPTA endorsee, Tennis Warehouse. I tell myself it’s okay because I can always “write it off on my taxes,” but it’s definitely similar to a Starbucks coffee addic on (that I thankfully do not have). However, I can say that our new 30% off discount is a really nice perk that will leave you clothed professionally and quickly!
For those of you who are unaware, Tennis Warehouse is a new USPTA endorsee for 2022. We get 30% off MSRP on all clothing and shoes, free 2 day shipping for orders over $50, and free flexible returns. You can use the emailed link from USPTA (or link at the end), fill out the 4 part form, and you’ll get a discount code that you can just copy and use on all future orders. A er filling your cart you simply enter the coupon code like you would on any
website and BAM, 30% off your total. I’ve even tried to sneak some non clothing/shoe items in my cart and have been surprised with some mes a 10% discount. One thing to note, our discount will not take an addi onal 30% off items already on sale. It will just increase the discount to 30% total.
The 30% off is a great perk on its own; but the free 2 day shipping and free returns has made shopping with Tennis Warehouse an absolute breeze. As someone who bounces between a size small and medium, I find myself ordering both sizes, trying them on when they arrive, and then returning what doesn’t fit. Tennis Warehouse includes a prepaid shipping label with every order so returns are as simple as repackaging the box, slapping on the label, and dropping off at a UPS shipping sta on. Their website also keeps great records on what
you’ve purchased and returned through their profile sec on.
So if you’re s ll rocking work clothes from 1980, this is a sign to treat yourself to some new clothes and threads. Whether it be Nike, Adidas, or the other brands offered, Tennis Warehouse has got you covered on all your clothing and shoe needs. Iif buyers remorse hits you hard, just ship it back for free! Quick p, buy your significant other something every me you make an order to avoid those “do you really need that?” stare that I’ve been ge ng since June.
To access the Tennis Warehouse discount, visit www.h ps://www.tennis warehouse.com/ uspta/. Fill in member number, phone, and email, and you will be provided with your discount code.
The USPTA’s ADD Program or Advancing Development and Diversity program offers free training, networking, tennis educa on, and professional cer fica on opportuni es to socioeconomically disadvantaged people with a desire to teach the sport. Qualified applicants also receive a free year of prorated membership dues for the Tennis Instructor category, as well as, a free Teaching Essen als 1 course.
Following their free introductory year of USPTA membership, Tennis Instructors may choose to con nue their involvement in the associa on and further develop their career. Their dues for the second year will be 50 percent off, and their dues for the third year will be 25 percent off.
USPTA division leaders are responsible for implemen ng the program regionally. In addi on, USPTA’s na onal and divisional diversity commi ees will work to iden fy prospec ve applicants for the ADD program. Each year, ADD applica ons are mailed to each division liaison.
As part of our con nued effort to retain current membership, we ask that you personally invite these ADD program par cipants to your state and division conference free of charge. Currently, our reten on rate for these individuals is very low. To increase this number, we will be imple-
men ng these three ac on steps:
1.Encourage them to select a USPTA mentor in or near their area
2.Encourage divisions to reach out to them the first year (to get them to a end the division conference free of charge)
3.Rather than wai ng un l the third “please pay your dues” reminder to men on the monthly payment plan, we will inform them of this offer from the start.
Each ADD applicant's socioeconomic posi on should be determined through the short answer ques onnaire that includes ques ons about income, community involvement and future plans once cer fied as a USPTA Professional. Once we have received and approved the applica on, the ADD applicant has 2 years to complete the cer fica on pathway. If they do not take the exam within this me, they forfeit their applica on and will not be able to re apply for the ADD category.
Click the Link to access the ADD form.
If you have any other ques ons or want to start the process, please contact: Allan Jensen ajensen.tennis@gmail.com
If you want to watch adults turn back into 10 year olds, give this social event a try.
My games were as follows: Cornhole, yes lawn darts, beer pong (a.k.a. drop and hit tennis balls into trash cans). You can add volleyball, bocce ball, and even kickball with a large autograph tennis ball. Just anything that is not racket or paddle related.
You can put boys against girls, couples, or draw teams out of a hat at the beginning. That’s up to you.
Each event had its scoring rules.
I borrowed cornhole sets from members. The only thing more prevalent in the south other than the love of football is cornhole sets. I followed Cornhole & lawn dart’s regular scoring.
Beer Pong tennis (setup) 4 trash cans across the center baseline 3 more cans in front of the 4, 2 cans in front of the 2, and 1 can in front of the 2. (Scoring) I gave 10 points for the back 4, 5
points for the 3 can row, 3 points for the 2 cans, and 2 points for the 1 can row. you had to hit from the opposite baseline, and you got 5 balls for each round. We kept each round to 20 mins with break me to (a.k.a) hydrate\eat and get to the next game.
We had DJ and a grill with burgers, chicken, and wings. We served sides of corn on the cob, potato salad, salad, and fruit. We have members that DJ or you can get one of your student’s kids to DJ
I got a member who owns a restaurant to donate, buy one get one free coupons for the winning team. For the second place team, I got a local sandwich shop to donate BOGO coupons.
This event started at 6:00 pm and the events stopped at 8:30 pm. At 10:30 I had to boot them out and we s ll had 2/3rds of the par cipants playing the games
Some mes it’ s good to run a social but not a tennis social.
Pro #1 is on sta on 2 supervising sta ons 1 & 3 Pro #2 is on sta on 5 supervising sta ons 4 & 6
6 Sta ons all on one 78’ courtPair them with another child of similar level Rotate sta ons every 4 or at most 5 minutes.
Sta on 1 Rollerball (rally along the ground)
Sta on 2 Groundstroke Technique court
Sta on 3 Drop hit. Emphasize sideways turn and ge ng set before hit
Sta on 4 Toss/Tap & Catch with cone switch roles a er 2 mins.
Sta on 5 Volley Technique Court
Sta on 6 Rally over net or a second rollerball sta on if necessary for younger kids
Game of your choosing to end clinic: Dodgeball Goalie 4 hi ers volley/ 2 defend the goal. If you score you take the goalie’s place Jail (players can toss ball instead of hit if necessary) 10 minutes total game me
When you add in water breaks this will equal 60 minutes.
Points of interest: Place dots on court showing where to start at each sta on.
Introducing fresh drills can be challenging for these ages as explana on on new drills takes up me and is confusing for 4 6 year old’s. Build confidence in drill execu on and repeat drills on a weekly basis.
Fitness looks and takes on different shapes and forms and in today's world, especially "post covid" I am finding more and more that our "mental fitness" is just as important as our physical fitness. On any given day of any given week, it seems we all are confronted with a heightened awareness of the struggles our friends, family, players and even us are with mental fitness. Maybe it is just the compounded awareness we now have of mental fitness and mental struggles but now more than ever is the me to address our issues or help those that are struggling.
Mental fitness also can take different shapes and forms so what I'd like to do is share with you some of the ways I have found through research and some trial and error to find " me" in the last few years.
TAKE TIME FOR YOU Taking me for you looks different for all of us. Maybe your getaway is the gym li ing weights or maybe it's as simple as a long walk. Whatever it is or whatever it becomes for you, the goal is something that makes you happy and allows your mind the me to find some peace and space away from the stress of life.
CONSISTENCY Consistency is the hardest easiest thing to do right. Let me say that again but in a different way. Being consistent is done every day by each of us in ways such as, ea ng lunch, checking emails, watching the weather forecast, etc. Being consistent with yourself is much more challenging. Finding a way to priori ze "you" for many of us is the challenge. Start as I did by wri ng in "my me", which for me was going to the gym
on my actual schedule. If it is there in wri ng then I am more likely to do it and s ck with it.
I am finding more and more that our "mental fitness" is just as important as our physical fitness
over lunch once a month could be way more meaningful than you realize. The chance to just vent, share or discuss the stress of our jobs with someone who also understands it could be massive in our ability to let go. We may also find it easier to get through our challenges when we understand how others struggle and deal with the same challenges.
for 10 to 15 minutes per day may be tough but is so powerful. Because of the demand for tennis, and pickleball and our me as professionals or leaders in our towns or at our clubs this can be a huge challenge. Once again, wri ng down on our "To Do" list the words "DISCONNECT" could be the way to help you get started. Start with 5 minutes in the car with your eyes closed no engine or no radio could help you on your way to a planned 10 15 minute mental break during the day.
Although we are face to face with our students, members, and people around our club and sport, it is just not the same. Re connec ng or simply connec ng with fellow pros and coaches
YOGA Now it's easy to say I may be the last person you would see in a yoga studio but this has been one of the best things I have done to not only disconnect, reset and also connect with be er physical fitness. Although I am horrible at yoga it does give me some much needed me where I can let go of everything going on in the world for 45 minutes and it also is or can be a great physical workout all while my mind clears itself.
Hopefully, some of these thoughts or ideas on taking me for you will or can help you or those around you.
