Volume 23 Issue 1: February 2022
Tone Up Your Business Skills with the
February Virtual Conference INSIDE:
Virtual Business Conference Agenda & Info . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Ladies Event Merchandise Show. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2022 Awards Nominations Now Open. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Stan Smith Some People Think I Am a Shoe Book Review . .
pg 3 pg 4 pg 5 pg 7
The Post Covid Tennis Professional. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . pg 14
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Volume 23 Issue 1
President’s Message By Tom Parkes
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hope everyone had a great holiday season and is having a great beginning to 2022. My focus the next 2 years are Diversity and Inclusion, Elevate, Social Media growth, and Pickleball. Each one of these pillars has an individual chairperson to focus on their specific topic. No one topic is more important than the other. These are the platforms I have chosen, in an effort to grow the USPTA membership and retain the members we currently have. I invite all members to get involved with these pillars on the community level with CTA’s, on the state with your boards, or the southern committees. This could be
as a mentor or as a committee member. Any help promoting these ideas will hopefully create more collaboration of thought and motivate more of our members to expand their minds. We should all be on this journey together with a goal to promote ourselves, the game, and a healthy life. My door is always open to new ideas and suggestions! Please contact me concerning any ideas you have and how you can contribute to our efforts in making those ideas a reality. Together as doers and not just thinkers, we can achieve great things. Without our members, USPTA and tennis growth fails!
USPTA Southern ELEVATE PROGRAM By Ken Andriano, USPTA Elite Professional
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am the chairperson for our new Elevate program. Elevate is a new program from the USPTA that is a merging of our U-30 program and any USPTA certified professional that has been in our organization for 5 years or less. Our goal is to make sure that these professionals understand what a vital part of our organization they are. We have a few goals going into 2022 that I believe will help us reach our objectives. The Elevate professionals are our future leaders in the industry and we need to make sure USPTA is here to help in any way we can. We have a committee with representatives that include me, Bill Riddle, Allison Himes, Austin Daglis, Liam Villante, and JC Freeman and we are excited to get started!
One Good Idea! FROM THE 2021 WORLD CONFERENCE IN LAS VEGAS Jim Loehr – Leading with Character
our marketing.
We serve in a sherpa role, like those leading the ascent up the mountain. Guide and lead to help others succeeds
How do you stand out? What you love, what you are good at, what you can be paid for, what the world needs. Where are 4 meet is your ‘sweetspot’. Address the first 2 to find your brand.
The 2 most important days in your life are when you are born, and when you discover why. What will be your coaching impact for this year? For better or for worse, and this has never been so important than during the recent pandemic. Treatment of others is a character trait present in champions. It is important as a coach to reflect this in how we deal with and treat others. This is so true when not in the spotlight and on show to others. An exercise in his book is 6 words that people will say about you at the end of your life. Shikha Uberai – Creating Your Brand & Capitalizing on Your Community We do a great job in our 1 to 1 connections. This needs to be used in
Video is KING. Photo is Queen.
All types of platforms can be used. TikTok is not just for the younger set. Plenty of doctors and professionals use it for their message. Things to build 1) Build a profile using at least 3 platforms – Instagram, Clubhouse, TikTok, etc. Different ones will connect to different sets of people. 2) POST. What you post should be authentic and consistent. 3) Use hashtags which serve as categorizing your posts. Find the popular ones if they can fit. 4) Find your target audience, and it is not everyone. 5) BE CONSISTENT Meike Babel – Shot Selection 101 Meike likes to use a lot of guiding questions to teach. Examples: How did you move differently that time? Why did that shot work so well? What will you do next time? Get your players thinking and engaging instead of just telling them what to do.
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Virtual Business Conference February 24-25
Presented by Southern, Florida, Southwest, Missouri Valley, New England, and Hawaii Divisions Hosted on CoachTube. Visit usptasouthern.com for link USPTA Members $35 non-member $45 8 education points for attending all sessions - available online for credit for 3 weeks after the live webinars THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 24TH (TIMES EASTERN)
FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 25TH (TIMES EASTERN)
1:30 pm GM Panel moderated by Dave Dvorak, USPTA Master Professional, Brett Schwartz - New Orleans Lawn & Tennis Club, Mike Woody - National Director of Brett Schwartz Tennis Genesis Health Clubs, Country Club GM Brian Armstrong
9:30 am Connecting Communities through events Scott Mitchell
Mike Woody
Brian Armstrong
How do GM’s see our tennis industry in the next 5 years and the next 10 years and how that correlates to us today 2:15 pm If you build it, They Will Come - Vicki Foster The business of growing and expanding pickleball participation and profits Vicki Foster
3:00 pm Roles of Management - Alan Cutler
Understanding the difference between leadership and heartfelt leadership, what traits leaders are forgetting and what employees are craving. Current trends in the workforce and The “Great Resignation. What characteristics are clubs looking for and favorite interview questions.
Alan Cutler
Topics Discussed Include: Follow the Tennis Ten Commandments, How to Co-Exist with your GM or Boss, Tennis Committees: The Do’s & Don’ts, League Team Management
Tom Daglis
11:00 am YOU: The CEO of YOU, Inc. - Doug Wenger
Doug Wenger
11:45 am Marketing Your Business: IRL (In Real Life) to Digital - Tracy Almeda Singian Learn how to maximize your center of influence by leveraging in real life experiences and digital engagements
Len Simard
Scott Mitchell
10:15 am How to Keep Your Job . . . The Finer Points Tom Daglis
Applying the principles learned from 40+ years of international business to the “business” of the tennis/racquet sports professional - and how you can improve your current and future results
Learn what is expected from different levels of management so you clearly understand how best to continue to move up within a employer 3:45 pm Heartfelt Leadership and Prize-Winning Staff Performance - Len Simard
A great way to connect communities, customers, or members is through your events. Follow these steps to see your community, your members, and more organizations get involved and support all that you are doing.
Tracy Almeda Singian
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Fit to Hit By Suzanna McGee
Volume 23 Issue 1
Hip-flexors Triangles Solve Your Problems
Excerpt from Tennis Business Solutions
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am going to ask you two questions. Take your time, think a little bit and try to answer before your continue to read. 1) Do you think that your hip-flexors are tight and shortened? (think… answer…) The majority of people answer “yes”. Most of us sit too much and the hip-flexor get shortened. We feel the tightness. 2) Do you think that your hip-flexors are weak? (think… answer…) This is a little bit harder to answer. Maybe they are? Most probably not? We run, walk stairs, play tennis, exercise… we use our hipflexors in each of these steps. They must be pretty strong, right? WRONG. I haven’t seen yet one person who has strong hip-flexors. Maybe they have them “not horribly weak”, but nobody is strong, or “too strong”. They are actually never strong enough. But is it really important how strong the hip-flexors are? We don’t see any fancy videos or read much about them much after all. Until now… keep reading and you will learn a life changing (and performance improving) exercise. The short hip-flexors (and quadriceps) start pulling on the pelvis and creating an anterior pelvic tilt (too much arch in your back) and you get constant discomfort in your lower back. It can become pain and overtime chronic pain. Because of this anterior pelvic tilt, the hamstrings need to get the pelvis
back to the correct position and work overtime, and get overused… and tight. You see the problem, right? Now everything is tight and fighting to get the pelvis back in the balance. And you go to the tennis court or the gym after all day of sitting, and start abusing these tight and shortened structures, and it just gets progressively worse. Also, you cannot expect an optimal performance if your muscles don’t work in full range of motion. There is a way out of this vicious spiral: strengthen your hip-flexors Hip-flexors Triangles • sit comfortably on the floor, your hands behind you • don’t use your upper body to do the work, keep it fully relaxed • don’t “jerk” the movement
• keep your knees completely straight the entire time • lift one leg off the ground one inch, move it as far as you can to the outside, hold for half second (side of the triangle) • lift the leg above the other leg, as high s you can and hold it for a half second (top of the triangle) • then move it down to the other leg, 1 inch off the ground and hold for a half second (bottom of the triangle) • hold each “corner” of the triangle for a moment, that’s when you are working and strengthening the HFs • go as high as your body lets you, keep your knee straight at all times • repeat 20 times, then switch legs • do 2 sets of 20 • as you can stronger, lift higher, or add ankle weights on your legs • watch the video https://www.youtube.com/ watch?v=L-FM2E2y15E&feature=youtu.be Here is a simple yet extremely effective exercise to strengthen your hip-flexors really fast. Within weeks-if you do the work-you will feel how everything is relaxing, your quads and hamstrings, and your stretching routines become more effective too. You will run faster, jump further, squat stronger and deeper. Your lower back pain will disappear.
The Social List By Tom Parkes, USPTA Elite Professional
Ladies Merchandise Show Luncheon
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adies are the buyers for apparel, and we all have local stores that our members go to even when we have our own shops. Here is an event to give members and guests an opportunity to socialize and have fun. Once or twice a year, set up a lady’s luncheon where you put on a tennis apparel and merchandise show for your members and outside guests. This works whether or not you have a pro shop.
Teams sign up and sit together. Each team creates a centerpiece for their table. Have a contest for the best centerpiece and award prizes for the best center piece. Be creative on the award. Offer a complimentary beverage bar during the first half of the luncheon. Invite local apparel shops to display during the event. Each team chooses a team member to model the clothing from the shops. Give
those participants that model a larger discount than those that are just there to buy. Give each shop an opportunity to add commentary (MC) to their shop›s apparel or displays. An option is to have guest speakers from the local community address the ladies, and make sure they have interesting topics. This is a great way to have a non-tennis playing event and drive sales!
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USPTA Southern Awards Awards are for accomplishments from 2021. This year, awards will be accepted via online system along with supporting documentation. You can choose to self nominate (most common method), or to nominate someone else and have the committee connect for supporting information. The person must be a current member including all of 2021. We have 2 newer awards. First is the Mentor Award, which will recognize the USPTA professional that has inspired and had a big impact on current professionals or those joining. Second the High Performance Coach, which will replace Touring Coach.
ALAN HENRY SOUTHERN PRO OF THE YEAR
Online Application and info at usptasouthern.com on the AWARDS tab
DEADLINE: March 5th Awards to be presented at the Awards Lunch during the Southern Convention at the Atlanta Country Club on Friday, May 13th. Any questions should be directed to: Allan Jensen, Ajensen.tennis@gmail.com
PLAYER OF THE YEAR
This award shall be presented for achieving excellence in performing the duties of a USPTA Tennis Professional. Areas of achievement might include teaching and coaching, management and administration, competitive play, research and publication, and community service. Relevant criteria for this award would include contributions to national, regional and local tennis organizations and programs as an officer, director, founder, committee member, project leader, speaker, participant tand the like. Other criteria would be contributions as a teaching professional and coach in regard to innovative programming, notable students, continuing education, and player rankings.
This award shall be presented for excellence and achievement in competitive men’s and women’s play. Relevant criteria for all above competitive men’s and women’s player’s awards should include results and rankings from ATP, USPTA National and Division, USTA, STA, and/or District. Tournament record should be provided.
FRED BURDICK USPTA PRIDE OF THE SOUTH
This award shall be presented for achieving excellence in performing duties of an Assistant Tennis Professional. Areas of achievement might include teaching and coaching, competitive play, research and publication, and community service. Relevant criteria for this award would include contributions to national, regional and local tennis organizations and programs as a committee member, project member, or an active participant. Other criteria would be contributions as a tennis professional and coach in regard to innovative programming, notable students, continuing education, and rankings.
This award is appointed by the awards committee and is not up for nomination. MENTOR AWARD
This award recognizes a USPTA member who has, through their coaching and character, made an enduring and positive impact on those around them. While special consideration will be given to those who have inspired others to work in the tennis industry, what is most important is the ability to provide anecdotes and examples of how a coach influenced the lives and character of individuals. In that regard, providing information about individual player rankings is welcome but not necessary. ELEVATE PRO OF THE YEAR
This award shall be presented to the individual who has made an impact to the tennis industry. Relevant criteria should include contributions, notable accomplishments, and involvement in tennis activity throughout the state, the south, and nationally. This person should also be a member of the Elevate team. HIGH SCHOOL COACH, COLLEGE COACH, HIGH PERFORMANCE COACH
These three awards shall be presented for excellence in contributing to the notable accomplishments of your team(s) or student(s). Relevant criteria for this award would include competitive record, demonstrated improvement in skills and accomplishments, and other achievements and distinctions earned by your team(s) or player(s) in which the nominee is wholly or partly responsible, such as Scholar-Athlete and Sportsmanship Awards.
CHARITY EVENT OF THE YEAR
This award is given to the Professional that raises money for a charity. Please verify the event on the letterhead of the charity or with a newspaper clipping. SOUTHERN ASSISTANT PRO OF THE YEAR
MANAGER OF THE YEAR
This award shall be presented to the club manager who has shown dedication to the USPTA and its members. Criteria may include USPTA membership, hiring and supporting USPTA members. INDUSTRY EXCELLENCE
This award recognizes those USPTA-certified members who have done the most to promote tennis at the grassroots level and thereby increased player participation in the sport. Entrepreneurial initiative also is an important criterion. TEACHING PROFESSIONAL AWARD
This award is presented for having demonstrated excellence in teaching. Considerations include: use of the ROGY pathway for juniors and adults; consistent use of teaching aids such as ball machines, video analysis, as well as any other implements to help players grasp concepts; demonstrated ability to modify teaching styles based on the learning needs of students; and success in having inspired beginners of all ages to become lifelong tennis players.
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Volume 23 Issue 1
Cardio Corner
New Cardio Tennis Instructor website By Dan Beedle USPTA Elite Professional
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ardio Tennis went through a bit of a transition over the past few years but has been on the upswing since mid2012 and Michele Krause is leading the charge as the USTA Cardio Tennis consultant. To educate and reach more coaches, a new website has been put together to help coaches learn how to run Cardio Tennis properly and provide a better workout and customer experience. Cardiotennisinstructor.com is the place to go for Cardio Tennis education. As soon as you register you will receive immediate and complimentary access to an online introductory course. Eight modules will help you learn how to run a Cardio Tennis workout. Topics covered include an over-
view, understanding Cardio Tennis nuances, things to know before the class starts, signature activities, heart rate monitors, and more. Once completed there is a short quiz and once passed you will receive a certificate of completion. This certificate can be sent to the USPTA and PTR for education credits. This platform is where all education and programming will be accessed so look for many new courses in 2022. Also, make sure to join the private Facebook group https://www.facebook. com/groups/cardiotennisinstructor and follow the Instagram account cardiotennisinstructor. I have been involved with Cardio Tennis since 2013 and have been on the Trainers Team since
2015. I can say with confidence that going through the training has been one of the best things I have done for my career. In 2021 eight live training courses were delivered and more will be scheduled in 2022. Even if you do not offer Cardio Tennis at your facility This course is still for you and will elevate your coaching skills across all segments. You will learn how to move and rotate players in groups, how to handle larger groups with juniors or adults. This would be fantastic for high school coaches who have large teams and are limited by court space. If you have any questions, please do not hesitate to reach out and I am happy to answer any questions.
PRO PLANS 2 hour Lesson Plan for Adult Team Drill By Jason Hazley USPTA Master Professional 2 hour Lesson Plan for Adult Team Drill - 6 players per court on multiple courts Focus: Doubles; Offense & moving forward
for volley to go aggressively DTL Rotate out and switch lines Brief ball pickup before next drill if necessary
1. Warmup Mini Tennis or Volley/Volley. 10 minutes. Double tap and return to partner for advanced players 2. Fed Ball Groundstrokes – briefly explain format and areas of focus before starting each drill. Depth on groundstrokes and low volleys, split step, and directing high volleys with speed at the opposing net person’s half of the court.
Fed Ball Drill #2 8-12 minutes 2 lines from doubles baseline position Ball 1 Approach shot cc Ball 2 Deep volley cross court. Waist high feed or lower is necessary for volley to go deep CC Ball 3 Overhead Down-the-Line (attack opposing net player) Rotate out and switch lines * Add an extra shot in each fed ball drill if 4 players on court*
Fed Ball Drill #1 8-12 minutes 2 lines from doubles baseline position Ball 1 Groundstroke cross court Ball 2 Approach shot cross court Ball 3 Volley Down-the-Line (attacking opposing net player). A weak, high feed is necessary
3. Live ball point play. 25-35 minutes One up one back versus one up one back; play 3 games to 15. With 6 players, have one team play on the same side as the pro for an entire game to 15 with the other two teams combining their score on the far side. When one game
is complete, have a new team come over to the pro side. Do this for a total of 3 games. 1st & 2nd game have baseliners on the Deuce side. Baseliners start 3rd game on the Ad side First point is approach shot and second point is a volley. Rotate out after 2 points. adjust the difficulty of feeds according to the player’s levels. Point of emphasis is shot selection. High, attackable volleys at net person; low volleys deep to baseliner; low volleys near the net are angled off the court on opposing baseliner’s half of the court. 4. Serves. 15 minutes. Consistency is king at the adult club level, 2.5-4.0. 5. Play 10 point tiebreakers. 20-30 minutes. Emphasize consistency before power especially early in a game or tiebreaker. This rings true at all levels unless the opponents show you to the contrary.
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The Written Word A New Photo Book Celebrates the Iconic Stan Smith— Both Man and Shoe By Monica Kim
Photo: Juergen Teller / Courtesy of Rizzoli New York
thing unique,” Smith says, recalling an incident when Trevor asked whether his father was named after the shoe, or the shoe after him. “I am not sure if it was so innocent or if he was being a bit of a wise guy (I think the latter), but he did ask the question. I gave him some grief about that comment.” There is no bigger fan of the Stan Smith than Stan Smith. “When the shoe came out with my photo on the tongue, I kept looking at it during my matches and it was distracting, humbling, and exhilarating,” he says. Smith maintains a personal cache of about 60 versions stored in two different closets: one for regular wear, one for sentimental gems, like a black and maroon suede pair customized in Hong Kong 10 years ago (“as close as I could get to my school USC colors”). “I wish that I had kept the shoes from the early days but I had no idea that they would be around for so long and have the legacy that was created,” he adds. Out September 4, the 336-page tome is a visual celebration of that legacy, filled with Smith’s personal recollections of his life and storied career and the shoe that bears his name, as seen throughout history in 200 photographs. There is a shot of Yoko Ono and John Lennon perched on a love seat, the latter wearing black Smiths with single cuffed jeans; flip forward and you’ll find a Snowdonlensed portrait of David Bowie, sockless in chinos, a peach button-up, and yellow tie on a dilapidated white park bench. Sprinkled in among the anecdotes and archival images are modern day testaments to the shoe’s enduring power, starting with a
forward from Pharrell. “I have a personal connection with the Stan Smith, as it is fair to say that for ten years, from my teens well into my 20s, I didn’t wear any other shoes—only Stan Smiths,” Raf Simons writes. There are quotes from photographer Petra Collins, Colette’s Sarah Andelman, and a selection of snapshots from Daniel Arnold, who set out to capture them in the wild. Photo: Courtesy of Rizzoli New York
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n the pantheon of iconic shoes, Adidas Stan Smiths are the unassuming ne plus ultra. The classic trainers have been widely beloved for decades, particularly worshipped by fashion people for their clean, minimal lines (Phoebe Philo and Raf Simons are noted devotees). But what of the man behind the sneaker? The titular Stan Smith, former world number one tennis player, is often forgotten—a fact cheekily referenced by Smith himself in a new book from Rizzoli called Stan Smith: Some People Think I’m a Shoe. The title is a playful nod to a conversation the now 71-year-old tennis titan once had with his son Trevor. “When he was about 8, he finally figured out that the shoe was some-
Smith’s favorite Smiths cameos go as follows: on the dancing feet of Mikhail Baryshnikov in 1985’s White Nights, and a slew of candids of John Lennon. “It was neat to see him in photos looking very comfortable in them,” he says. More recently, Smith happily met with Ranveer Singh in Mumbai, a top Bollywood star who wore the trainers in Bekikre. “In the film his character transitioned from a nerd to a cool guy who wins the girls heart when he starts wearing my shoes,” Smith says. Then, of course, there are more humbling encounters. “Last year, I was in Paris waiting in line for a restaurant and three of the four teenage boys near us were wearing my shoe,” Smith recalls. “My friend asked them if they knew who Stan Smith was and in fact I was him. They said no way and talked among themselves. They went away disbelieving. They must have done some homework and were convinced that I was the real thing because after dinner when I was leaving they asked me to sign their shoes.”
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s w e N e t a t S Alabama
USPTA Alabama would like to recognize Kevin Theos (Homewood, AL.) for being elected to the USPTA National Board. Congratulations Kevin. We are also happy to announce three new committees that have been formed and their committee chairs. Diversity and Inclusion: Al Garrett (Madison, AL), Elevate / U30: JC Freeman (Birmingham, AL), Social Media: Rachel Nix (Tuscaloosa, AL) Email usptaalabama@gmail.com if you would like to participate in one of these committees or if you have any questions. Lastly we are coming to Huntsville. Be looking for an announcement soon concerning a March/April event in Huntsville, AL.
Arkansas
has rescheduled the Annual Pros Meeting to June 3rd. This will include a Hispanic Family Night during the Little Rock Open and a USPTA Certification workshop with help of Allan Jensen June 4-5th at Burns Park. Agenda as follow: Friday, June 3rd (times may change a little) at Burns Park. -11:00-12:00 - Bill Dopp (TSR for USTA Georgia) - “Tools to work with players of all ability levels” -12:00-12:45 - Lunch -1:00-1:30 - Jim Merriman - “Adaptations of a Tiny Tots Class” -1:30-2:00 - Chris Stuart (TSR for USTA Arkansas)- “Tutorial of Cardio Tennis for 2022 & Triples Play” -2:00-3:00 - Paul Pautsch - “High School Tennis Association Round Table, how can we (Tennis Professionals) help grow high school tennis” -3:00-3:30 USPTA Business Meeting for all USPTA members Fee includes workshop, lunch & gift! USPTA Certification – Level 1 Instructor Certification Date: June 4th and 5th at Burns Park. USPTA Arkansas Committee Members Brandon Kiker– Diversity and Inclusion, Camden Riley – Elevate/U30, Chris Stuart – Social Media Chair. 2022 USPTA Board Members Pat Malone patmalone67@gmail.com (870) 834-9576, Barry Brady brady6517@gmail.com (501) 804-2756, Gail Nankervis rg.nankervis@sbcglobal.net - (501) 551-6060
Georgia
We ended the year hosting the 2021 Winter Workshop at Atlanta Athletic Club. Thank you Jeff Chandley, for doing a masterful job hosting us. Dr. Mark Kovacs, Dr. Neeru Jayanthi, and High-Performance Team coaches, Jeff Clark, Meg Bandy, and Gary McIntyre, from McCallie School in TN, No. 2 ranked team in the country were our speakers for the day for the 75 attendees. The McCallie team began with building team character and goals, through high performance drills, philosophies, expectations, and player development, on and off the court. Dr. Mark Kovacs showed us how to improve students’ explosive power and speed. Knowing we deal with students who are not great athletes, he showed us how to improve player’s flexibility and balance at many different levels. Dr. Neeru Jayanthi, his specialty being injury reduction and prevention, also taught us how to improve student’s development using other sports and games, keeping everyone engaged. This was followed by a wonderful awards luncheon, in a new venue with a 240-degree glass view of the golf course. Following lunch, a professional drill exchange then immediate Past President Bill Anderson gave a marketing presentation on how to build a successful pickleball program. We ended playing pickleball and utilizing the skills Bill has gained the past few years at his Capitol City club
Kentucky
In collaboration with USTA Kentucky and the Kentucky High School Tennis Coaches Association (KYHSTCA), USPTA Kentucky will be hosting a spring workshop in Louisville for all teaching pros and high school coaches.
Mississippi
Our Pro Workshop has been rescheduled for April 9th, 2022 at the Country Club of Jackson. Make plans to join us. The Pro Workshop, USTA Award Luncheon and Hall of Fame will be on the same day. Billy Gip Clark, one of our long-standing teaching professionals is being inducted into the Hall of Fame along with Rod Hartzog (Posthumously).
Volume 23 Issue 1
Louisiana
We are excited to hit the ground running in 2022. We have a dedicated and passionate board ready to get to work. We are in the process of designating representatives for the following pillars: Diversity & Inclusion, Elevate, Social Media, and Pickleball. A big priority for our board is outreach to existing, new, and potential pros. We don’t just want numbers, we want new, quality pros who are committed to the industry and helping us grow tennis throughout the state. Our state board will be planning a series of Lunch & Learn events throughout the state to take a pulse on what our pros need and how we can best serve them, as well as identifying barriers to entry for USPTA. This will help guide our annual workshop. We look forward to serving you in 2022 and heavily encourage you to reach out to us as a board with questions or to get involved with our efforts. Lyndsey Mixon (President) lyndsey.michelle@gmail.com John Wahborg (!st VP) jwahlborg1@gmail.com Hassan Abbas (2nd VP) hassanabbas101@gmail.com Anna Monhartova (Sec/Trea) a.monhartova@asandaces.org
North Carolina
I hope everyone had a great holiday season. Our 2022 NC Board consists of Karen Rembert (Raleigh Racquet Club), Sean Smith (Forsyth Country Club), Allison Himes (Chapel Hill Country Club), David Marquina (Carolina Country Club) and myself, Scott Handback (Methodist University). David will serve as our representative for the Diversity and Inclusion Program, which will work to ensure we are reaching out to ALL tennis communities across the state. Allison will serve as our representative for the Elevate Program, which is for Professionals under the age of 30 or who have been certified for five years or less. We are working on several events for 2022 including a meeting and access to tickets for the Billie Jean King Cup event in Asheville in April and the Winston-Salem Open in August. There will be a one-day workshop in Charlotte in November. We are in the process of developing more events around the state during the year.
South Carolina
Greetings from the Palmetto State. As we move into 2022 there are some updates to the board’s leadership. Craig Wells from Six Mile will serve as the president. Dean Mays, of Anderson, Tom Ruth, of Hilton Head, and Tom Simpson of Hartsville will serve as vice presidents. In addition to their vice president duties, Dean will focus on the pickleball priority, Tom Ruth will focus on social media, and Tom Simpson will focus on the Elevate program. We are in the planning stages for our spring workshop that will be at Hilton Head. We welcome our neighboring Georgia professionals to join us. An initiative to seek admission to an early round of the Charleston Open is in the works. Details on the workshop and Charleston Open are coming soon. Tennis related USTA highlights: One of our own, Jorge Andrew, was selected for induction into the USTA Southern Hall of Fame. A USPTA/ PTR Master Professional and long-serving USTA volunteer Jorge has set the standard for tennis excellence in SC and continues to serve. He will work with his friend Allan Jenson to develop our diversity and inclusion program in SC. A link to the featured article is: https://sctennis.com/jorgeandrew-to-be-inducted-into-southern-tennis-hall-of-fame/ As part of the USTA SC annual meeting in Clovis, Tom Simpson was recognized as coach of the year and Lane Hinson was recognized as professional of the year.
Tennessee
Happy New Year to our USPTA Tennessee and Southern members! My name is Dan Beedle, I will be serving as the new USPTA TN President. We are looking forward to another year of growing our programs and growing as instructors and coaches! I would like to welcome the new state board, 1st VP - Geoff Browne, 2nd VP - Devin Crotzer, Secretary - Courtney Collins Treasurer Daniel Shidler We look forward to assisting our members in Tennessee and around the South and to host more educational events locally throughout the year. If you are interested in hosting a Lunch and Learn or another educational event in your area, please let us know how we can help. We are working to put together a state workshop later this year. We would also like to invite our members to contribute more to the Southern Standard and State Newsletter. If you would like to write an article that you are passionate about, please let me know. Please don’t hesitate to reach out with any ideas or concerns. You can email me at dan.beedle10s@gmail.com
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USPTA Invited Guest Leadership Tips – From the Boardroom to the Court By Lee Cockerell, former Executive Vice President of Operations for the Walt Disney World® Resort. While these tips are business oriented, many will work for your teams and programs. 1. Your employees will not be committed to you unless they are 100% sure you are committed to them. Be careful what you say and do, because they are watching you and judging you every second of every day. What they see you say and do causes them to either trust you or not trust you. Trust is everything. If you don’t have trust, your results will fall well below their potential. 2. A Leader’s job is to do what has to be done, when it has to be done, in the way it should be done, whether he or she likes it or not. This applies at work with your employees and at home with your children. You have to develop your children - you can’t fire them. If you focused more on developing your employees, you would not have to fire them. 3. What should you do today that will not pay off for 5, 10, 15, 20, 25, 30, 35, 40, or even 50 years? a. Exercise daily. b. Don’t smoke. c. Have a clear retirement plan. d. Find out from your boss what you need to do now to be a candidate for that big job 10 years from now. e. Make sure your children have a love of reading by the time they are 6 (which means you have to limit TV, computers and Game Boys). f. Get your annual physical. g. Tell your loved ones you love them every day. h. Keep current by reading the paper every day, watching the news, reading Time or Newsweek, and reading industry publications. i. Attend training and seminars to educate yourself so you do not become a dinosaur. j. There are many more. Make your own list and get with it so you don’t have a long list of regrets later on in your life, saying things like I wish I had quit smoking, I wish I had spent more time with my son, I wish I had gotten my annual physical, I wish I had exercised more, and on and on and on. 4. Be the same person 24 hours a day. Don’t change when you come to work. Sometimes leaders act unnatural at work. Treat everyone with respect. Be humble. You are there to help support and inspire your team, not to tell them what to do. Tell them the outcome you want and they will figure out how to deliver the results.
5. Leadership is hard. It is full of paradoxes. You often have to do two opposing things like cut costs and keep the customer happy; or sometimes you have three different things which don’t sound like they are possible. Great leaders do the impossible. 6. Being excellent is hard. So when you have something hard to do, remember you are being excellent. Do you want to be remembered for being good or great? 7. When you are in a senior leadership position you must be an inspirational leader and not just an administrator if you want to get the results which are possible with a team of inspired followers. So many top leaders today are just administrators who focus on doing things instead of inspiring people. 8. Just because someone does not speak your language does not mean they don’t understand a cordial hello with a cheery good morning. Don’t ignore people because they don’t speak your language. A smile is a universal language. 9. The most important time to bond with a new baby is the first few months. The best time to bond with a new employee is the first few months. Funny how a little common sense can make a big difference. 10. Leadership is not about a salary grade or a title. It’s about responsibility and making things happen for the organization and for the people in the organization. It’s also about personal responsibility. As a leader you impact the lives of the people you work with more than you will ever know. YOU have a direct impact on the quality of their lives, careers and future. 11. You can’t fire your children, You have to develop them; so let’s do the same for our employees. 12. The quickest way to destroy an organization’s culture is to not do a great job setting up the organizational structure. When people no longer understand or believe in the way an organization is structured they lose faith in the vision and in the top leadership. The best way to avoid this pitfall is to involve those further down in the design of responsibility, authority and accountability. 13. Routine is a good thing. Having the right routines in your life can improve your whole life. Routines around your health such as working out daily at the same time, using a day planner to plan your day every day before you start your day, thinking about the responsibilities you have signed up for in your life every day are just a few routine things
which are important. What routines do you have now in your life? Which new ones should you establish? 14. Someone asked me recently how you deal with leaders who are not performing or have poor leadership behaviors. I told them the same way you deal with your children. You sit down and tell them the truth. You tell them the consequences of continued poor performance or poor behaviors. Give them concrete examples of what they are doing which is unacceptable and soon you will see a change in their performance. 15. I saw a sign in a restaurant recently which said, “The gap between enough and more never closes.” This is really true in business so you have to constantly be going through change to get more. More service, more customer satisfaction, more commitment from your employees, more profit, more cost management and so on. Without an attitude of constant change is necessary in this world we live in you will soon fall behind. 16. You may not always be able to help someone in need but you should always try. 1. Don’t get bored with the basics. Walt Disney and JW Marriott Sr. both said almost the same thing. Keep it clean and keep it friendly and things will turn out just fine. They both understood the basics. Treat people respectfully, train them and they will take care of your business for you. Mr. Marriott even said it a different way. If you want the food to taste good use salt and pepper on it. Salt and pepper is about as basic as it gets and it works. 17. It is a lot easier to get done what you want done if you know what you want. Your employees want to do what you want so figure out what that is and tell them... also tell them why. You will be quite happy with the results of being candid and clear. 18. Sit down right now and make a list of the people in your life that you appreciate and then go about telling them before the week is out. If any of them faint this is a sign you are not doing it often enough. You can not do it too often. This builds self confidence and self esteem. Your actions in this area will make a big difference in how people in your life succeed. We all need appreciation, recognition and encouragement. 19. Bill Marriott told me once... “Lee, if you have flies in your operation it is because you like flies.” This quote I will never forget because it reminds me that I get what I want in life. If I have rude employees that is what I must want. If I have rude children that is what I must want.
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Volume 23 Issue 1
Southern Spotlight Lyndsey Mixon, Raising Cane’s Tennis Center, Youngsville, LA Give a brief description of your tennis/other career: I serve as the Director of Junior & Adult Programming where I organize programming for juniors and adults, social events, tournaments and Cardio Tennis for our public parks facility. When did you start playing tennis? 13yrs old as a Freshman in high school What other sports did you play? Ski Racing, Figure Skating, Soccer, Softball What moved you to teach tennis? A passion for the community tennis provides, and being able to create a safe, fun and supportive environment for all ages and abilities to learn the game. What is something people will be surprised to learn about you? I have a secret talent of being able to perfectly parallel park under high pressure situations What are your hobbies? Spending time with my dogs and husband, trying new restaurants, escape rooms
What is your favorite movie? I’ve never had a favorite! Are you reading anything right now? Nothing at the moment so please send suggestions my way! What is your favorite sports team? N/A Who is your favorite player of all time? Rafael Nada. Hands down. I’ve been a loyal fan since ‘04 What person would you most like to have lunch with? Jacinda Ardern What would you be doing if you were not in tennis? I hit the jackpot finding my dream job so I couldn’t imagine doing anything else. If you had a “do over”, what one thing would you have done differently in your teaching career? I would have backed myself more as a young pro. Learn from those around you but don’t allow others to take ownership of what you’ve created.
Craig Allen Wells, Spindle Tree Racquet Club, Seneca, SC Give a brief description of your tennis/other career: I served in the military for over 25 years. While stationed in Heilbronn, Germany I had the opportunity to play on a local Bundesliga team as the lone American. The tennis was great but the post-match celebrations were even better. While assigned to Fort Leavenworth, KS I made time to get certified by a Missouri Valley teaching professional Jaime Vargas to begin my tennis teaching journey. I balanced military duties with my love of tennis teaching until retirement in 2007 where I could shift focus more on tennis. At a USPTA conference in Atlanta I was introduced to Mr. Rex Maynard who quickly got me involved with USTA and served them until recently. At the encouragement of my mentor I inquired to become more involved with the leadership of USPTA and now have the privilege to serve as the SC president. When did you start playing tennis? At approximately the age of 9 as a curious youth wondering what the game is all about. Facilitated by a patient mother feeding balls that were joyously launched all over the place. What other sports did you play? Youth football, basketball, cycling, and baseball. High school football, and wrestling. What moved you to teach tennis? I wanted to learn more about the game of tennis and thought the best way to do so is commit to the goal to become certified to teacher.
What is something people will be surprised to learn about you? Served in the Army as both an enlisted military policeman and commissioned engineer officer. My greatest honor was to lead soldiers in high intensity combat during the Gulf War. What are your hobbies? Other than tennis I enjoy riding my bicycle on organized tours in the South. What is your favorite movie? The Great Santini, with Robert Duval. Filmed in my hometown of Beaufort, SC. Are you reading anything right now? Essentials of Strength Training and Conditioning. Part of my classwork in the Athletic Leadership Master’s Program I am enrolled in at Clemson University. What is your favorite sports team? Clemson Tigers. Who is your favorite player of all time? Arthur Ash. An excellent ambassador for our sport. What person would you most like to have lunch with? Roger Federer. What would you be doing if you were not in tennis? Managing our farm and horses. If you had a “do over”, what one thing would you have done differently in your teaching career? Latched onto a mentor early to seek counsel to avoid the mistakes from not knowing any better. Thankful for the mentors I have had. Bill Riddle and Mark Centrella.
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Ladies Vantage
“If you build it, they will come.” By Julie Moultrie USPTA Elite Professional
T
his couldn’t have been more true than in the town of Arlington, a suburban area 20 minutes outside of Memphis, TN. Arlington had never had its own tennis courts before, but people have been flooding into this area known for good schools and family-friendly activities. When the newly constructed Arlington Tennis Center opened 6 outdoor lighted courts in 2019, parents signed up 70 kids for programs in the first 24 hours. Over 400 individual youth and adults have since registered for official leagues and seasonal tennis sessions in the last two years. Countless others come out for drop-in programs, recreational play, and as spectators. Some weeks we have over 700 people come through our facility. The middle and high school teams have been flooded with new players. Coaches expect to have over 100
students come out for their no-cut programs. But kids aren’t the only ones having fun. Adults started flocking to clinics, socials, and forming new USTA teams. It’s been unbelievable trying to keep up with the growing demand and now I have 7 certified instructors on staff, plus parent volunteers and older juniors who help. Players of all ages are having so much fun, improving, and are asking for new programs all the time. As soon as we recognize a need, from beginner intramurals to holiday-themed ladies’ days of coached match play, we start a new program. This is grassroots tennis exploding like I’ve never experienced in 4 decades of involvement in this wonderful sport. But it shouldn’t be a surprise. This is a small family town, and it was the perfect place to offer residents such a fun, social, and healthy activity that is for a lifetime.
Pickleball “A Conversation About Pickleball” Points By Darryl Lewis USPTA Master Professional
This is a new column which will focus on tips and ideas to implement or grow a program. Please help and add your tips and ideas by sending to Darryl
U
ntil recently, a piece about pickleball published by the tennis trade association is likely to have been touting the damage the game was having on “our” sport. Please note the intentional reference to the “game” and the “sport”. Even still, pickleball can be a polarizing subject. It seems that many are totally against it, a few are very accepting of it, and some are warming up to its existence. What don’t we like about pickleball? It’s pulling people away from tennis; pickleball players don’t take lessons; they spend very little on equipment; the scoring makes no sense; the noise is horrible, and so on. While on the surface much of this might be true, try digging a little deeper. Is pickleball taking players away from tennis? The numbers I heard were that pickleball had a total of 4 million players, while in the pandemic tennis grew by 4 million players! Pickleball players don’t take lessons and don’t buy
much equipment – maybe that is our fault. Have we taken the time to know paddle technology as well as we know our racquet technology? Are we as comfortable, and as excited about teaching a pickleball lesson as we are a tennis lesson? The scoring makes no sense – have you ever thought about tennis scoring – 15, 30, 45… oh wait, Ad-In, Ad-Out, and then there is the tiebreaker and as an added twist the Coman format tiebreaker. The noise is horrible – well, you might be right there. I was a late adopter of pickleball for all the reasons above. Most of the players I see trying pickleball at my facility are not tennis players, and many have never been to the facility before. So, if I try to create my program with broader brush strokes, I now have another avenue to gain or maintain members, and I have another amenity to offer my existing players. Pickleball players LOVE to play, and they LOVE the social atmosphere. Drive some income with mixers, shoot-outs, racquet triathlons, and all the other outstanding events that we as “tennis” professionals are known for. The tennis players that
take lessons from you now likely do so because they trust you and they appreciate your knowledge. You can sell them into taking a tennis lesson. Become more knowledgeable about pickleball and you will gain the same trust and lessons may pick up. One of my roles on the USPTA Southern Board is to drive pickleball and spearhead the effort being implemented by the national office and I will be looking for lots of help. As the USPTA Southern Head Tester I am charged with setting up sites for certification and training additional testers. We are looking for individuals who have had success programing for pickleball to share their ideas. We are looking for additional Ambassadors to help grow this new-to-us sport that is currently all over the news. Please reach out if you would like to help. The racquets professional you indirectly assist may lose an aging or injured player from their tennis program, but may be able to keep that player active on their courts with pickleball. d.lewis@aussie10s.com
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OUTSIDE the LINES
Volume 23 Issue 1
Look the Part - “Pearls of Wisdom” for the post-COVID Tennis Professional
Presented by McMahon Careers
By Stefan Laporte, USPTA Elite Professional & McMahon Careers Executive Search Consultant
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he tennis and racquet sports industry has changed rapidly as a result of COVID. Professionals who have remained successful over the past two years have had to stay ahead of these changes by being more engaged in their business and practicing many of the basic concepts that are relevant to any industry. No longer should you assume that you are settled into your job for years to come and that you are entitled to your position. The philosophy “there is work to be done and always room for improvement”, has never been more accurate. Here are some tips that I hope resonate and maybe even change the way you approach some aspects of your business: Tennis is a Business: Tennis might be a job or a passion for you, but it’s a business for your General Manager or Owner. Be passionate and have FUN with tennis, but in your professional role you must treat it as a business designed to meet the needs of your members. In turn will garner great respect and stature, but this must be earned. Don’t take it lightly. Show your pride and passion by constantly educating yourself on both racquets-sports trends and club industry trends “Dress for Success’’: This old motto is still relevant and should always be remembered. We have the power to influence what our members buy in the pro shop. Make sure as your pro shop stocks the latest items, that you and your staff wear these same items. Members like to see apparel “live and in living color”. Never wear a logo from another club or a brand that your shop doesn’t carry. Ask your GM for a staff uniform budget and note that most vendors will give you a 10-15% discount off the cost price for purchases you make for yourself or your staff. Zoom meetings are here to stay: Zoom isn’t going anywhere so-make sure you are dressed for success whenever using the platform. For staff or club meetings make sure to look professional and take off your cap so your face can be seen. For an interview, it’s best to wear a collared shirt, with a jacket. Remember, you are a businessperson first,
and a racquets-professional second. Your image is top priority so play, and look, the part. Prepare - Preparation is the pathway to confidence: An example can be found again in those Zoom meetings. Take 10-15 minutes of time to prepare, at minimum to make sure the background is professional, and the lighting highlights your face. Consider investing in a Ring Light that diffuses the light all around your face and makes you stand out. Set the stage and pay attention to details that will make the participants think - “Wow, he/she looked great.” Try not to use a phone for Zoom unless necessary and if you do use a phone, make sure it’s secured - no one wants to follow you on a handheld phone that is constantly moving. If your preparation is poor, your presentation on Zoom will show your flaws. Take off your hat and sunglasses: It’s good practice to occasionally remove your hat when not teaching, so members can see your face. When talking to members close up on the court, or in the pro shop, take your sunglasses off so they can see your face, and your eyes. While on the subject of hats and sunglasses, remember too - Don’t forget sunscreen. Protecting your skin, and your life is more important than anything else. Take care of yourself first, so you can then take care of others. Be prepared to provide metrics to your GM or Committee Chair: Avoid general statements such as “we are really busy”- instead, provide measurable insights such as “lessons are up 20% from the same week last year” or “Weekend cardio clinics are up 30% this season from last season.” Know your numbers and provide facts. When necessary, be prepared to provide rationale or reasoning for changes while being careful to define what you know, from what you believe or think. If you have not worked on your financials, get started now. The business of a professional or Director today is not just about how to teach a lesson - it’s about how to manage the business. Take a 360-degree View: Look at yourself
McMahon Careers offers career coaching and excutive education programs for racquet sports professionals and executive search services for employers. The firm also manages and delivers all services offered through USPTA DirectorSearch. For information visit: mcmahoncareers.com or USPTADirectorSearch.com
physically, socially, and professionally, in the same way you would be seen by those you work with, work for, and by those who work for you. Make a strategic plan for self- improvement, even if it is just one little thing such as “actively engaging in continuing education opportunities rather than passively attending” or “improving my posture so my members and staff see a strong, confident professional.” The smallest improvements can make a significant difference in your current role, and in your ability to secure a future opportunity. Apply to participate in business-focused education programs such as the USPTA Director of Racquet Sports program, or the Certified Racquet Sports Executive Program (CRSE) program offered by McMahon Careers. If your career goal is ultimately to be a Director - or a more confident and competent Director, or if just want to become more involved in the operations of your facility, you should commit to learning as much as possible about the off-court responsibilities that are expected of today’s professional by General Managers and Owners. Whatever your current role in the industry, it has a critical impact on your employer, as well as your own career-path. Don’t underestimate the impact that you have on those around you, or how the work you do today, can impact your future. Dressing and making yourself look successful is the first step to being successful. As professionals, we are in positions that are typically multifaceted requiring that we “run on all cylinders”, at all times. We are in the spotlight constantly; in fact, many people equate our roles as being similar to being in the entertainment field. Like Entertainers - we must always “look the part” and come prepared to “play the role”. McMahon Careers offers career coaching and executive education programs for racquet sports professionals and executive search services for employers. The firm also manages and delivers all services offered through USPTA DirectorSearch. For information visit: mcmahon careers.com or USPTADirectorSearch.com
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Southern Officers The “Standard” is the official newsletter for the Southern Division of the United States Professional Tennis Association.
Tom Parkes tparkes@pinevalleycountryclub.com 910-233-4755 1st Vice President Ken Andriano kandriano@atlantacountryclub.org 336-541-5876 2nd Vice President Allan Jensen Ajensen.tennis@gmail.com 404-483-6591 Secretary/Treasurer Jason Hazley jasonh@noltc.com 225-247-3028 Past President/Regional VP Todd Upchurch tupchurch1@gmail 704-258-7220 Directors at Large Bill Riddle tennisun@aol.com 615-243-6698
Darryl Lewis d.lewis@aussie10s.com Executive Director Pat Whitworth pat.whitworth@uspta.org 800-438-7782 (phone/fax) ALABAMA John Beaube jbeaube@green2grocer.com ARKANSAS Pat Malone patmalone67@gmail.com GEORGIA Dave Neuhart dneuhart@greenislandcc.org 706-324-1533 KENTUCKY Tim McCollum mccollum@sta.usta.com 502-709-0021
“Believe you can and you’re halfway there.” — Theodore Roosevelt “It is never too late to be what you might have been.” — George Eliot
LOUISIANA Lindsay Mixon-Kelly lindsay.michelle@gmai.com 337-303-6993 MISSISSIPPI Emilia Viljoen stayplaytennis@gmail.com NORTH CAROLINA Scott Handback lhandback@methodist.edu 828-406-7383 SOUTH CAROLINA Craig Wells craigw@g.clemson.edu 864-643-9637 TENNESSEE Dan Beedle dan.beedle10s@gmail.com 219-510-3608
FAST FACTS This time is in honor of my friends, the Baron family, who have been running their ATP 250 tournament for 30 years! Congratulations Guys! The VitaCost Open or Delray Beach Open The tournament was previously named the Delray Beach International Tennis Championships before being changed to its current name The VitaCost Open in 2014. The event was held in Coral Springs from 1993 to 1998. The first singles winner was Todd Martin, the doubles winners were Patrick McEnroe & Jonathan Stark Other Americans to win the event are Riley Opelka, Francis Tiafoe, Jack Sock, Sam Querrey, Marty Fish, and JanMichael Gambill.
“What you get by achieving your goals is not as important as what you become by achieving your goals.” — Zig Ziglar
2 Grand Slam Champions have won or participated in the tournament, Andy Roddick and Jaun Martin del Potro. The Bryant brothers have won the doubles event 6 times.
USPTA SOUTHERN DIVISION
NEWSLETTER 337 Rhodes House Court SUWANEE, GA 30024
The Standard is published every 60 days by the Southern Division of the United States Professional Tennis Association. The opinions expressed in The Standard are those of the authors and not necessarily those of The Standard, the USPTA or Southern Division. Copyright© The Standard/United States Professional Tennis Association, Inc. 2022. All rights reserved. Reproduction of any portion of the newsletter is not permitted without the written permission from the USPTA Southern Division. Advertising information: All ads must be camera ready and in color, if possible. Prices are per issue. Full Page...........$400 Half Page..........$275 1/4 Page...........$140
