INSIDE: Virtual Business Conference 2/11-12

USPTA Southern/Florida Convention 6/3-6/6

MAKE PLANS NOW - This is a MUST attend event, and basically a World Conference for the Eastern side of the country (Las Vegas is the site for the World Conference in 2021). Many of us will be able to drive to Orlando for the conference, and hopefully some fun at Disney and surrounding entertainment. DATE: June 3-6, main days are ThursdaySaturday SITE: Hyatt Grand Cypress located 1 mile from Disney property. Courts on property CONVENTION REGISTRATION: $250, we have a much higher rate due to the cost of hosting at a top level resort HOTEL COST: with resort fees and parking, $200/night Visit www.usptasouthern.com to view an agenda from a previous conference. This site will be updated as we have new information

USPTA Southern 2021 Online Business Conference

We are very fortunate to have the opportunity to bring amazing talent from across the country for our online conference. This collection of speakers could not happen for us live, but we are able to take advantage of our current conditions and experience a very high-level conference The very diverse agenda is listed below.

Meet the Speakers: Full bios at usptasouthern.com. Zoom will be used for presentations. Login info will be sent to attendees by 2/9. Registration: for USPTA members is only $10. Registration link at usptasouthern.com. More Information will be posted at usptasouthern.com, including info, bios, notes, and more. Education Credits are now issued at 1 credit/hour. Members need 12 hours every 3 years during the current period ending 2022. Thursday, February 11th (all times eastern) • 1:30 PM, Rod Heckleman - New Programming for Our New

Opportunities • 2:35 PM, Kim Bastable - How To Gain an Advantage and Increase

Fulfillment in Your Tennis Business Career • 3:40 PM, Alan Cutler - Where Do You Want to Be in Five Years

Friday, February 12th (all times eastern) • 9:30 AM, Ajay Pant - Learning vs. Teaching • 10:35 AM, Jarrett Chirico - Connecting the Dots Through Racquet

Sports: Monetizing and Using Pickleball to Grow Tennis • 11:40 AM, Candace Kauffman - Marketing Beyond Programs

Using Correct Language when Teaching Red, Orange, and Green

By Dan Beedle, USPTA Elite Professional

When are we going to play real tennis? Can we use the “real ball”? As coaches we have heard these questions from our 6-11 years olds countless times. What is your response? My response to this question is always we are playing real tennis, we are using the “real ball.” The real ball is dependent on where the child is in the developmental pathway.

We are responsible for educating the students and the parents about the game. Parents will typically ask when their child will move up and play with the real ball. They are all real balls. They are round and they bounce. If a child is 6 years old and has not played before then the red ball is their real ball.

We can use correct terminology but we also need the parents to use it when they are with their kids. When the coach or parent use the term ‘real ball’ to describe the yellow ball, that can make the child think that the ball they are using is not correct and they are not playing real tennis.

Bill Bryan - Staying on Course

We all know people who are very busy all the time but accomplish very little. They say how hard they work but don’t have much to show for it. They suffer from lack of purpose and focus. If you have a junior program for example, you need to know the purpose. Is it to do high numbers and introduce the game to kids? Is it to produce as many college players as possible? Is it just to say you have a junior program but it really isn’t a major entity at your facility? Knowing the purpose affects all of your decisions. If it is to do high numbers and introduce the game, I would hire high energy, happy people to run the program.

If the purpose is to create college players, I would hire great coaches who may have a much rougher attitude. The thought would be the program will actually weed out players until you get the ones who really want to be great instead of drawing large numbers. It’s the same with all aspects of business. There are many things that will throw you

Countless times I have heard parents refer to the red and orange ball as a baby ball. I had to explain that the ball is not a reflection of their skill but another tool in the pathway. Could this miscommunication contribute to some of the problems retaining kids in our programs? I believe so.

Correct language goes beyond just the ball. It needs to also be used for the court sizes. When a student asks if they are going to use the full court I ask what they mean. When we warm up, I hear coaches tell the 8-10 year old orange ball players to line up on the doubles side line as the coach points or stands on the doubles sideline for the 78ft court. For off course so just be aware of it. Most people don’t even know the purpose of what they are doing so how can they accomplish much?

Find your purpose, get on the highway, and don’t take an exit. Stay on Course!

Tom Parkes - The Secrets to Communication 1. Show respect.

Everyone, no matter what position or role they are in, deserves to be treated with respect. By being respectful you will set the tone of what your leadership is about and how you like to be spoken to. Respect begets respect.

2. Connect with yourself.

To be a great communicator you must first know who you are and have confidence in yourself and your ability to connect with others.

3. Truly listen.

Make a point of listening to what the other person is saying. It not only gives you more a nine year old using an orange ball, the 60 ft. court is their full size court. When they progress to the 78 ft. court with the green dot ball then that becomes their full size court. As coaches we need to teach according to the young player’s world not our own. Tennis is the only sport where people refer to things as real or full size. When I played little league baseball I never heard my coaches or parents refer to a “real bat” or “big field”. Were we playing real baseball? Of course. As pros we need to monitor how we phrase things to the kids in our programs and their

One Good Idea!

parents. Don’t make your job harder. insight into whatever’s being discussed, but it also shows respect and builds connection.

4. Look beyond the words.

Do not spend your time mentally preparing your next response. Instead, ask questions for clarification and to make certain you thoroughly understand what the other person is trying to say.

5. Be consistent.

Live your message and practice what you preach -- you will have a wider reach and can carry more influence. Your credibility comes from your consistency of character.

6. Two-way traffic only.

Communication should never be a monologue. The best leaders create a dialogue by listening and inviting others to express themselves. When you adhere to the secrets of communication of great leaders you can begin to develop strong relationships, gather important information, and increase your understanding of yourself and those around you.