USPTA LA 2023 October Newsletter

USPTA LOUISIANA OCTOBER 2023 NEWSLETTER

USPTA/USTA PROS WORKSHOP RECAP: JUNE 2023 USPTA Louisiana in partnership with USTA Louisiana hosted a pros workshop this past June at Oakbourne Country Club in Lafayette featuring Dr. Mark Kovacs as the keynote speaker. It was a great sight to see so many of our teaching professionals from across the state come together to further their knowledge of tennis to take back to their players. This is what elevating the standard of teaching professionals is all about! Thanks to all who participated!

CONTACT US

Lyndsey Mixon (President) John Wahlborg (1st VP) Hassan Abbas (2nd VP) Anna Monhartova (Sec/Trea) usptala@gmail.com

USPTA-LA PROS IN ACTION BEING A COACH AND A MOM: TEACHING TENNIS WHILE RAISING A FAMILY There is a need to have more equity, diversity, and inclusion within our teaching pros. One subgroup that seems to be overlooked are women raising a family. Being a teaching pro and a mom is not frequently discussed. Two highly accomplished female coaches in our state are Courtney Dugas of Lafayette and Lyndsey Mixon of Youngsville. These amazing coaches are growing our tennis communities while also dedicated moms raising their own families.

Courtney Dugas is a USPTA certified pro who has been teaching at Oakbourne Country Club since 2017. She serves as the LTA’s Director of Junior Tournaments & Player Development.

She is also a League Coordinator and a USTA certified official, involved in many competitive events each year. Coach Dugas was selected as the 2021 LTA and USTA Southern Tennis Professional of the Year.

Lyndsey Mixon founded her own public parks junior and adult program in 2017 and is now Head Pro at the Raising Cane's Tennis Center in Youngsville. She is USPTA certified pro and a Licensed Cardio Tennis Professional. Coach Mixon has been awarded USPTA Louisiana U30 Pro of the Year (2018), USPTA Southern U30 Pro of the Year (2020), and the USPTA Southern Industry Excellence of the Year (2022).

Coach Dugas and Coach Mixon impact hundreds of players each year, growing the game of tennis in Louisiana. If we want to get more young women to join our profession and help us grow the game, what work environment do we need to create for them? How do we combine the pregnancy and the maternity aspect of life with a teaching pro duties and obligations? Are private tennis clubs, public parks, and other tennis employers equipped with the resources to accommodate the needs of their employees, who happen to be expecting moms? This is just the beginning of my exploration of this topic. If you are a teaching mom and would like to share your story and/or contribute to this topic, please reach out to me at a.monhartova@asandaces.org.

EVENT SPOTLIGHT: JUNIOR PLAY DAY Junior Play Day at Bayou Bluff Tennis Club: Cross Gates Family Fitness vs Bayou Bluff.

This event lasted three hours and these juniors had a great time. These play days help players improve, and get them on a competition pathway so they can find the love of the game!

DATES TO KNOW OCT 27: USPTA/USTA Pro Relations workshop/meeting, 11:30am to 3:30pm at TCHEFUNCTA COUNTRY CLUB, COVINGTON feat Craig Jones OCT 27-28: TENNIS HAUS CONFERENCE, TCHEFUNCTA COUNTRY CLUB, COVINGTON feat Emilio Sanchez, Johan Kriek, Allen Jensen & others NOV 18-20: USTA NATIONAL LEVEL 5 DOMINANT DUO (Team Event), SHREVEPORT