Volume 23 Issue 3: July 2022
Celebrating Our Finest
The Hall of Fame INSIDE: Conference Wrap Up, Awards, and Photos. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . pg 3-5 String Ping - Text to the Masses. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . pg 7 Stepping Up to the Challenge with Kevin Theos . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . pg 9 6 Fundamental Leadership Lessons. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . pg 11
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Volume 23 Issue 3
President’s Message By Tom Parkes
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hope everyone is having a great start to your summer. First, I would like to congratulate Pat Whitworth for being inducted into the USPTA Southern Hall of Fame. Pat has been an integral part of USPTA Southern and National for over 40 years The Southern Convention was a big success thanks to the great job Ken Andriano and the Atlanta Country Club did in providing a great atmosphere to learn and socialize. It was great to see a bunch of first-time attendees at the Southern convention and we
hope you will consider experiencing a convention or workshop in the future. The headline speakers Jeff Salzanstein, Commander Mark Broukers, and Dr. Sophie Woorons, provided a diverse lineup of topics. This year’s convention also headlined Pickleball, from how to make it a profit center to taking tennis drills we already know and translating them into pickleball drills for your clinics. Moving forward we would like to get more content on USPTA Southern Facebook and
On The Rise - ELEVATE
Fun Ideas to stay cool By Devin Crotzer
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ith temperatures reaching triple digits and heat indexes surpassing 110 on court it is important to keep everyone cool and safe. Here are some fun ways to keep everyone cool! Water Mister- who doesn’t like running through a sprinkler during the summer? A water mister station is a fun and safe way to keep cool during those hot days. Most misting stations can be found on amazon for less than $40 however they need a water supply. Don’t have a water supply? No worries, Lowes and Home Depot offer misting fans that sit on top of a 5-gallon bucket for around $100 Water bottle mister- Yes the one your barber uses to wet down your hair.This is a low cost way to keep cool. Fill it up each class with cold water spray when needed. Shade/Fan Station- Crank up the box fan and let the hair fly in the wind! If you don’t have built in shade you can use a pop up tent or beach umbrellas to help keep the sun off A super fun one from Bill Riddle. Purchase the super inexpensive freezer pops. Kids love their pops, and will show up just for these. Hand out during multiple breaks. For ease of eating, cut them in half, and they are opened and ready to eat and do not melt and make such a mess. Don’t forget about yourself during the summer! Wear a neck cooler and keep hydrating. Elevate is a membership growth and retention initiative that focuses on members who have been in the USPTA for five years or fewer. Formerlly known as U30.
Instagram pages. This is where you, the members come in. This content can be a tennis tip video, an event that you have put on at your club (send pictures), to simply wishing a Happy Birthday to a fellow USPTA member. Send the content to Jason Hazley, the USPTA Southern media administrator at Jason Hazley at (Whats App) or email him at jasonh@noltc.com. Thank you for being part of the USPTA and building the game of tennis. Please remember that the USPTA National convention is in New Orleans this year and we would love to have a great southern turnout. Have a great summer and I look forward to talking to you soon.
& Inclusion By Allan Jensen – D&I Chair
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hat a great southern conference we had this year. The chance to see each other face to face was special after 2 years of lockout. This was my 15th southern conference and I was glad to see diverse coaches attending. I remember one of the first conferences that I attended and that I might have been the only Hispanic coach in attendance. At one point, The table I was sitting at represented 5 continents. That was cool! The Diversity and inclusion committee generated these 4 goals. 1. recruit more women into USPTA 2. have more diverse speakers in the state and southern conference
3. a mentoring program where the mentor and mentee are from diverse backgrounds. 4. see more diverse coaches in leadership positions in the state and southern board. Hopefully I will be able to report to the southern board that we were able to accomplish some of the goals this year. Please don’t hesitate to reach out if you have any questions or concerns to your state representative or myself at ajensen. tennis@gmail.com. I would love to hear from you. I will finish with a quote from Arthur Ashe. “Start where you are, use what you have and do what you can”
USPTA Southern YouTube Channel Near 200 Videos Not only can you view some of the hot videos from the recent Southern Conference, but you can view videos from various events from the last 10 years. While you do not receive credit, the information is priceless. Great to view, share, and continue to learn from the experts. The easiest way to find all the videos is to search for usptasouthern on YouTube.
On the Cover
We were blessed to get to meet in person after 2 years off. The Hall of Fame had a great attendance at the Awards and Hall of Fame induction. On the cover from L-R are Jeff Hawes, Tom Daglis, Jorge Andrew, Tom Cascarano, Pat Whitworth, Reedy Toney, Fred Burdick, Bill Phillips, and Dave Dvorak. The group had a special VIP dinner that evening and the stories and fellowship were unmatched. Visit usptasouthern.com to see all of the Hall of Fame along with brief bios of each inductee, starting with our very first Bill Tym.
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Congratulations to our recent award winners and Hall of Fame Inductee Held at the Atlanta Country Club during the USPTA Southern Convention on Friday, May 13th. We send out a hearty CONGRATS to all of our latest award recipients for their efforts and accomplishments in 2021.
Hall of Fame: Pat Whitworth
Allen Henry Southern Professional: Seth Redelheim
Industry Excellence: Lyndsey Mixon
Charity Event/Lessons for Life: Wilmington CTA - Chris Tatum
Not pictured: Fred Burdick USPTA Pride of the South: Kevin Theos Mentor: Bill Tym Teaching Professional: Paul Bartholomai Elevate Professional: Allison Himes Manager: Brett Schwartz Assistant Professional: Bevan Hewett
High Performance Coach: Chris Hoshour
College Coach: Rolando Vargas
USPTA Southern Conference
Continued on next page.
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Volume 23 Issue 3
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Southern Conference YOU SHOULD HAVE BEEN THERE
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OW is all we can say. What a great conference host and conference chair Ken Andriano hosted for us. Two new world class speakers in Jeff Salzenstein and Dr. Mark Brouker were fantastic, and our own Dr. Sophie Woorons was right alongside. A host of other topics including
drills, doubles, technique, and pickleball were all top notch. We also welcome our Executive Director Pat Whitworth into the Hall of Fame, and honored many others for their accomplishments in 2021. Top honors to Kevin Theos as the Fred Burdick Pride of the South, and Seth Redelheim as the Alan Henry Pro of
the Year. The trade show was smaller, but well attended with a great group of vendors. All of this closed with Bill & Todd’s Excellent Adventure, and it was entertaining and educational. We hope to see you next year, or maybe even in New Orleans for the World Conference.
USPTA Southern Conference - FANTASTIC By Dan Beedle – USPTA Elite Professional
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hat a weekend it was in Atlanta. Thank you to Pat Whitworth, Tom Parkes and Ken Andriano, as well as his staff for a great weekend of learning and networking at the Atlanta Country Club. Thursday kicked off with Farley Youman speaking about how to use different doubles formations to your advantage and how to play against those formations. Bill Anderson followed with ways to build up the pickleball programs at your club. Southern President Tom Parkes and Bill Riddle wrapped up the first day with quick fixes for club players, how to fix technical and tactical errors. The audience participations was very good as many pros chimed in with their own fixes for certain situations. Friday was heavily focused on drills to use for our juniors, USTA and ALTA teams. Drill sessions were led by Dr. Sophie Woorons, Rob Carver and our Executive Director Pat Whitworth. I heard many great comments about Rob Carvers presentations. He took a unique approach and used a group of 2.5/3.0 ladies to demonstrate his drills. This was refreshing as it showed what
the drills will look like as we take them back to our home clubs. Players will make mistakes, the drills will look messy for a bit but they will get better as the players skills improve. One of the two keynote speakers Dr. Mark Brouker also spoke on Friday. His talk was focused on leadership and building trust and culture with your team from a manager/ director perspective. Drawing upon experiences from his time in the Navy and running large hospital organizations his presentation was energizing and inspiring. You can purchase his book “Lessons from the Navy” on Amazon. Congratulations to our USPTA Southern Award winners and a special congratulations to our fearless leader Pat Whitworth on his induction into the USPTA Southern Hall of Fame! USPTA Southern would not be what it is today without your efforts. Jeff Salzenstein was our second headline speaker. On Saturday Jeff started the day with a two hour serve presentation. Tips and drills to improve the serve for every level. Jeff is part of the RacquetFit team which leads workshops to
help coaches and medical professionals learn the ins and outs of the serve and how to screen your athletes for physical limitations that could be preventing them from allowing the body to move properly. His presentation was excellent and educated everyone to some of the more overlooked but very important aspects of the service motion. Darryl Lewis who is our Southern Head Pickleball tester taught us nothing new, which was his goal! He showed many simple drills that have been used on tennis courts around the world and how they can be implemented into pickleball clinics. We do not need to be intimidated by teaching pickleball. The skills and energy used for our tennis lessons transfer over to the pickleball court as well. Thank you to all the vendors from the trade show especially USPTA partners Wilson, Tennis Warehouse, String Ping and McMahon Careers! Bill Riddle and Todd Upchurch closed out the conference by taking everyone on a most excellent adventure! You had to be there.
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Volume 23 Issue 3
Southern Spotlight Pat Whitworth, now an Independent Pro, Suwanee GA Give a brief description of your tennis/other career: I started tennis in high school amid the other big 3 sports. I was able to make the team for Perimeter College in the Atlanta area, but had to remove myself due to conflicts with my studies in the music program. I quickly learned that tennis was the direction for me and I was learning from everything and everyone that I could. Over a 40+ year span I was working at 5 clubs: Peachtree Station Swim & Tennis, The Atlanta Athletic Club, Smoke Rise Golf & Tennis, Hamilton Mill, and the River Club. It was great to be ‘working’ in a sport that I loved. I played on many city winning teams. As I gained experience, I started sharing in presentation at the state, regional, and national levels including the USTA National Tennis Teachers, The SuperShow, USPTA World Conference, and multiple division conferences.
What moved you to teach tennis? I quickly learned how much I loved tennis, and with a bit of a late start, I knew I was never going to make it big, but thought I could make a difference sharing my love of tennis with others. What is something people will be surprised to learn about you? I have been a working musician since age 15, including headlining a festival with 10,000 people, backing up Jefferson Starship and Mothers Finest, and being the #1 song on the 96 Rock Home Cookin’s album.
When did you start playing tennis? As a junior in high school.
What are your hobbies? My big hobby right now is disc golf. I have more time, and this has become a big passion including playing tournaments. This is neat since I am now the novice and can bring so much of the tennis competition knowledge to my new sport. I also got hooked on Disney pin trading about 5 years ago.
What other sports did you play? Basketball was my big love, but baseball was another sport I played a lot.
What is your favorite movie? I love to watch movies on some down time and I have a nice theater in my basement. Great place to chill.
Hard to pick, but I will choose the Matrix and Red. Just the idea that we are living a simulation was such a brain tease from the Matrix. Are you reading anything right now? A good friend in Atlanta, Rob Carver’s tennis book 366 Days of Tennis: A Tip A Day. What is your favorite sports team? the Atlanta Braves Who is your favorite player of all time? John McEnroe What person would you most like to have lunch with? Walt Disney, and of course, my Mom & Dad that have been passed for over 20 years. What would you be doing if you were not in tennis? Probably something in computers If you had a “do over”, what one thing would you have done differently in your teaching career? I would have gotten involved in USPTA sooner. So many doors were opened from being involved, and I waited nearly 10 years to get certified.
Seth Redelheim The Atlanta Athletic Club, Johns Creek, GA Give a brief description of your tennis/other career: I started working in a Front Desk/Assistant Pro position at a swim & tennis club in Nashville in my high-school and college Summers. But, after getting my degree in Music Business, I took an almost 10-year hiatus from the game to work all around the music [and hospitality] industry in Nashville. I came back to tennis when I moved to Chicago in 2012. I discovered Midtown Athletic Club’s flagship club was just a couple of miles from my house and I rode my bike over to check it out, and wound up talking to the Tennis Director (shoutout to Mike Insko!), who decided to take a chance and hire me. The rest is history. I’ve been a full-time coach since 2012, and have been incredibly lucky to have received amazing training and mentoring in a short
amount of time. I am a total geek when it comes to continuing education, and I try and attend conferences and do online education as much as possible. I love working with every age and level of athlete, and I try to spread my training across every possible facet of the tennis industry. In doing so, I have held nearly every position imaginable in the biz: Tennis Dir., Junior Dir., Mixed Dir., CardioTennis Dir., Non-Member Dir., Video(Playsight) Dir. I have a passion for coaching and love seeing my players fall in love with the game over and over again! When did you start playing tennis? After an “illustrious” racquetball career that took me
into the Top10 in the nation in boys’ 8U & 10U, I first picked up a tennis racquet around age 11 and made the switch almost immediately. What other sports did you play? As many as possible! Racquetball, Baseball, Basketball, Ice Skating, Gymnastics, Soccer, Swimming, … What moved you to teach tennis? Being able to share my enthusiasm and love for tennis with others, and seeing them improve and fall in love with the game. There is no better feeling. What is something people will be surprised to learn about you? I was very into Jam bands
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Tech Corner StringPing – Get Your Text to the Masses By Pat Whitworth – USPTA Master Professional
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tringPing is one of our newest endorsees, and they offer a very unique product. Rick Kerpsak, the former head of Wilson Tennis, and now the CEO for Tennis Warehouse, is the brains behind the product. Simply put, Stringping will allow you to send group texts from the app or computer. Of course, there is much more to Strinping. I used it at our recent conference for sending messages each day to attendees. Day 1 was a reminder of the time and place of the welcome party. Day 2 was a reminder for the awards and Hall of Fame. Day 3 was a reminder for the trade show. All of these messages were set up earlier in the week, and were set to distribute at a selected time. All of this just took minutes and is very easy to accomplish. This is the perfect tool for quick messages to your students. It is a fact that text messages have a much higher chance of being read
than an email. Whether the message is a current update, upcoming news, and basic info, this is the simple solution. Just started raining – no problem. Quickly send a group text to the list of students that would be attending on the current status of the courts. Changing courts for practice – no problem again. Collecting the information on your client list is a simple step. StringPing can create a QR code that only needs to be scanned, and the date entered. Now you have captured the information needed and that you setup. If birthdays are part of this set, then you can have StringPing send out a birthday note automatically. StringPing will do much more for those that are looking for a deep dive. Just a few additional features are auto responders, splash page builder, contests, polls, loyalty programs, and much more.
in my past life! I have seen Phish almost 40 times, and many other bands 10+ times. My love of live music has taken me to concerts and festivals all over the country, including Phish’s Y2K show on a Seminole Indian Reservation, 12 of the first 13 Bonnaroos, multiple SXSWs, and Hangout Fests!
at work, listening to Atomic Habits by James Clear on audible in my car, and keeping Emotional Agility by Susan David at my bedside.
What are your hobbies? I love the outdoors and spending time in the creek behind my house with my 2 sons. Also gardening and keeping my yard looking as good as I can. I still enjoy concerts and live music as much as possible, and I have grand aspirations of winning a BBQ contest someday! What is your favorite movie? WAY too many to choose from. Big Lebowski, Royal Tenenbaums, Back to the Future, Tombstone, are just a few. Are you reading anything right now? I do try to keep a few books in rotation, but I sometimes feel like I crawl through them. Right now, I’m reading Essential Tennis by Ian Westerman
What is your favorite sports team? Tennessee Titans Who is your favorite player of all time? Gotta be Agassi. You never forget the player(s) that helped you fall in love with the game, and in my early teens, he was the absolute coolest. The Agassi/Sampras rivalry was one of the main reasons that I fell in love with competitive tennis, so I’ve got to reach back to them. Of the big 3, I’ve always been a Djokovic fan. Yes, he’s cold and doesn’t get the personality points that the other guys get, but his technique is incredible, and he’s won just as much as Fed and Rafa without the crowds on his side, which makes him stronger in my eyes. What person would you most like to have lunch with? My dad, who passed away in 2018. What would you be doing if you were not in ten-
As a USPTA member, you receive a free 1-month trial. The cost is really minimal to use StringPing on a regular basis. $19.99 will let you book 1000 text messages (135 characters). Higher level programs exist at a reduced rate per text. StringPing really is a no-brainer. We have a tennis industry genius that is behind the system. It is very simple to use, and can save us so much time in communicating at a moments notice. Your students will appreciate receiving a text instead of an email, and there is no way that you would call everyone. I encourage everyone to at least give it a try with the free trial, and beware, you will be hooked.
nis? Probably struggling a lot more than I am now. My career in tennis has been the most rewarding thing I have ever done in my life. It has helped define me as a person, and has opened the door for so many other parts of my life to flourish. If you had a “do over”, what one thing would you have done differently in your teaching career? I once left a job that I REALLY loved to chase a higher job-title and what I thought would be more money. It was a huge mistake, and I took it as a blow to both my career and my confidence. I have since come to understand a much better work/life balance, and have been committed to spreading myself across more facets of the tennis industry than before. I tried to expand my role outside of my own individual club-space, and get into other areas besides just on-court coaching. I aspire to do more mentoring of new coaches, and I have written articles, and gotten into the pipeline to present at industry conferences, all of which have led to much more personal satisfaction than the job-titles and money could ever have given me.
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s w e N e t a t S Alabama
Our president, John Beaube, has stepped down from his presidency for personal reasons. We are forever grateful for John’s enthusiasm and commitment to the continued growth of tennis education as our president. John’s charisma and passion for tennis and people are unmatched. For example, John was one of the few presidents who successfully put on a safe, live workshop during a calmer stage of the pandemic. J.C. Freeman will become Alabama’s new president, moving up from the position of 1st VP. J.C. is honored for the opportunity to help USPTA AL. He is currently the Director of Tennis at Inverness Country Club in Birmingham. He has been a member of the USPTA since 2010 and takes pride in prioritizing continued growth and education no matter how experienced one becomes. He will strive to match John’s passion for education as well as try to find other new, unique ways to help grow the USPTA in Alabama. Al Garret and Rachel Nix will move up a position, and a new secretary/treasurer will be appointed as soon as possible. If you have any questions or advice for our board, please don’t hesitate to reach out to jc@diamondclubs.com.
Arkansas
The Arkansas Chapter annual workshop at Rebsamen Tennis Center was a great success. Big thanks to Chris Stuart, Bill Dopp, Allan Jensen, and Camden Riley for the on court presentations. Our high school tennis coach’s association led by Paul Pautsch is working with the AAA to help Arkansas High School tennis and high school tennis coaches. Included is a mentor/mentee program between USPTA certified pros and high school tennis coaches on a regional basis.
Georgia
USPTA GA is excited to cohost with the GPTA the upcoming coaches’ workshop at the Truist Atlanta Pro Open on Saturday, July 30. It will start at 8:30 a.m. on one of the tournament practice courts and finish at 11:30 a.m. The $25.00 cost includes a day ticket to the men’s semi-final singles and doubles matches. We will have 6 speakers for 30 minutes each. The topics will range from strategy, tactics, formations, playing smarter, defensive foundations, and anticipation. Our goal with this workshop is to take advantage of our under 30 talent of coaches who can bring us some great presentations in all these areas. Thanks to the board and committee for helping to organize this event. If you know of a high school coach who might be interested in attending, let one of our board members know, and there may be some scholarships available as well. We also want to thank Dunlop for their support with a tent to keep us cool during the hot days of summer in Atlanta during the workshop. Dunlop is the official ball of the Truist Atlanta Pro Open.
Lousiana
We are excited to announce the date of our first USPTA/USTA Louisiana Pro Workshop being held indoors at Red Lerille’s Health and Racquet Club on Friday, June 24th, from 1pm to 6pm. We are honored to welcome Mike Barrell as a presenter. As some of you know, Mike is one of the world’s foremost experts on youth tennis programming, competition, and overall program retention. Whether a Director, Assistant, School Coach or tennis enthusiast interested in the coaching profession, this is an event you won’t want to miss!! Please mark your calendars for this FREE event that will include gifts, food and beverage for all attendees. Register at https://buytickets.at/ usptasouthern/712551
Volume 23 Issue 3
Mississippi
Our State Workshop was held Saturday April 9th ,2022 8am- 5pm at the Country Club of Jackson. It was a full day of networking and learning, in the classroom and on court. Our strong line-up of guest speakers included: Michele Krause (Cardio Tennis and Triples Events), Walker Sahag (High Performance Coaching), William Foreman (Digital Updates) and Allan Jensen (Singles Strategies for all levels) . The Workshop was held in conjunction with the USTA Annual Awards Luncheon and Hall of Fame Induction Dinner. We would like to congratulate Billy Gip Clark, a long standing USPTA Member on his induction into the USTA MS Hall of Fame. Rod Hartzog was inducted posthumously. Rod was also a long standing USPTA Member at the time of his passing in 2018. Our USPTA Chapter 2021 Award Winners were recognized during the USTA Luncheon. Congratulations! • Pro of the Year : Dean Clower - FitLife - McComb,MS • Coach of the Year : Zubin Engineer - USM - Hattiesburg,MS • Assistant of the Year : Kennedy Rodriguez - Northwood CC and Meridian Community College, Meridian, MS. Several of our member also received USTA Awards and recognition. • USTA Coach of the Year - Rachel Causey - Jackson Prep. • USTA Pro of the Year - Trey Wood - Reunion Golf and Tennis - Madison, MS • USTA Adult Tournament of the Year - Ben Berry - Laurel CC - Laurel , MS • USTA Junior Tournament of the Year - Toby Fasth - Bayou Bluff TC Gulfport ,MS
North Carolina
Your USPTA-NC board is busy working on several projects. Allison Himes and Sean Smith are working on better ways to support our professionals who are younger or new members. More details coming in August on this project. David Marquina is creating a partnership with Abilities Tennis. If you are interested in supporting this great initiative, please contact David (david.marquinam@outlook.com). Our next workshop will be in conjunction with the Winston-Salem Open. We will begin at 8:30am on Saturday, August 20th assisting USTA/ North Carolina with the WSO Kid’s Day, followed by a lunch education session and matches to follow. More details will be sent next week. If I or the board can help any of our USPTA members, please contact me at LHandback@methodist.edu.
South Carolina
Greetings from the Palmetto State. A new initiative has begun to recognize excellence as it happens. Mirroring an idea used in business and the military on the spot excellence coins are being presented by the SC board members to those making a positive impact on the game of tennis both on and off the court. One of our own, Dr. Sophie Woorons of Anderson, SC, will be a featured speaker at the World Conference. Recently the Palmetto Championships were held in Belton, SC. A rich tradition of tennis that celebrated its 65th year.
Tennessee
Things in Tennessee are very busy which is a good thing. Congrats to USPTA member and Collierville High School Coach Tony Cherone on his boy’s team winning the state championship and the girls team finished in the final four. WOW! We are looking forward to the World Conference in New Orleans, Louisiana and hope to see you there September 18th -22nd. Many great speakers will be there and it’s a wonderful time to learn and network. Save the Date! Saturday December 3rd will be the USPTA Tennessee State Workshop in Murfreesboro. A Grand Slam Champion is slated to speak. Could it be Rafa? You’ll need to sign up and attend to find out. More information will be coming as the date gets closer.
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“Success Secrets” Kevin Theos – Stepping Up to the Challenge By Pat Whitworth & Jeff Hawes, USPTA Master Professionals
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ur Pride of the South recipient and current National Board member Kevin has walked many directions in his tennis career path. He started as a Park & Rec coach, moved into the community tennis sector, commercial clubs, E.D. of a community tennis association, a Tennis Service Rep, coach and clinician, and even more. A tennis renaissance man with an ability to make things happen. Here are some of the trials and tribulations that Kevin has experienced. How did you get started teaching tennis? I started teaching in the Chicago park district as a summer job while I was in college. I was hired by the long-time director at the McFetridge Sports Center, where I played as a junior. After college, I was an assistant coach at Northeastern Illinois University, taught at McFetridge, for Frank Sacks Tennis Camps, and at other locations. During this time, I met some pros who were certified and wanting to improve myself I became certified as well. Where did you go next? I worked with a pro that had been teaching for decades and saw the physical toll that on-court teaching can have, so I decided to pursue my longstanding interest in law and went to law school. After law school and while I was practicing law, I met my wife. She was offered a chance to start a medical practice in Birmingham, so we moved. While in Birmingham, I was hired as the first Executive Director of the Birmingham Area Tennis Association, which was a CTA/NJTL. I built programs and fundraised for 3 years, and the organization is still going strong today. From there, I was hired by USTA Southern as the Tennis Service Rep for Alabama. What was your college major? I had 2 majors. Political Science and Philosophy. I received honors in both and published my Political Science thesis. Initially, publications rejected my submission and provided scathing feedback, but I made significant adjustments and edits and was eventually published in a professional journal. ED NOTE - this is one of Kevin’s superpowers - to keep on track even when things do not work out at first. You have a real ability to see a challenge and
attack it. Do you have a system that you use to allow you to complete the challenge where so many drop out early? Rather than allowing criticism to discourage me, I consider feedback and make adjustments. I try to accept challenges presented in feedback, believe in myself, and focus on improvement. At the same time, I strive to be realistic about what it will take to accomplish goals and if I’m willing to do the work and endure boredom. Achieving difficult goals inevitably involves working at things that will be boring at times. Some people move on to new goals when they get bored without realizing that occasional boredom is part of the deal. In general, when I set a goal, gauge what’s necessary to accomplish the goal, and then create a schedule so that working on the goal becomes a habit. ED NOTE - this does sound like the skills that a tennis player learns along their path of discovery to being a complete tennis player. It looks like your ability to take on challenges and be successful led to the TSR job that you held for over 15 years. What new challenges did you take on? One benefit of the TSR job was that the USTA created the role to promote TENNIS and not just USTA; we could do anything that would help tennis grow. The big challenge was to develop a more informed mental model for how tennis works in schools, parks, clubs, etc.. Through the years I considered and tried numerous things to increase the number of tennis players and I learned a lot about how community tennis works and how to fill courts in Alabama. I also wanted to gain a better understanding for how tennis works outside of Alabama and benchmarked top performing junior team tennis programs throughout the south and conducted a volunteer retention study with Jason Miller. As our USPTA Southern President, you brought back the Mentoring Program even though it had either failed in the past or at best been very weak. How do you design the current program to be different than its predecessors? I wanted to create a program that could be sustained where so many others faded. In exploring previous programs I found that
some were too rigid while others were too loose. The challenge was to create a balanced program that was administratively manageable. Our USPTA Southern program enjoyed terrific success right from the start, and with the blessing of then USPTA president Gary Trost, we turned it into a national program. You have recently completed another educational venture. What have your added? Two years ago I started a Master’s degree program in Instructional Design, which involves the creation of evidence-based online and inperson education. It has been a rewarding challenge to learn and use tools for creating, evaluating, and improving education. With so many online needs these days, it was a perfect storm for learning Instructional Design and getting involved in an educational field that is evidence-based and cutting edge. I am designing some modules for USPTA, Auburn University, and freelance. I understand you want to use this in the tennis/facility arena. How can this help? We already know that CMAA provides content for its members, but the modules are generic. Facilities often benefit from content that is specific to their facility, situation, and staff. An Instructional Designer will create a custom program that fits the needs where an off-theshelf program will not. You have also moved from a USPTA state president to a southern president to now a National Board Member. What do you see as the new challenges here? The first one that I saw was to revise the selection process for the nominating committee. I wrote a proposal to revamp the process to be more accessible to our members. Also, I am still in charge of the mentoring program and I am working toward making it a centerpiece of membership and a valuable reason to be a USPTA member. Anything else to add? Always believe that you and your students can get better. Follow through on your commitments. If you give your word, let it be known that you can be counted on. Plenty of good people are weak in the follow-through area. It is an important lesson to be known for the right things.
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Volume 23 Issue 3
Why I Teach Pickleball, and Why You Should Too!!! By Austin Daglis, Atlanta Country Club
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n my eyes, pickleball gives an opportunity to be active, socialize, develop paddle/ racquet skills, and simply have fun! There are more things that correlate between tennis and pickleball than the average person or player may think. At my facility, I encourage ALL tennis players to at least try pickleball once or twice and then form their own opinion about the sport. What I have found is that once the tennis player tries pickleball, they tend to come back for a second or third go with it. Since the game is played mostly with a continental grip, the extra repetitions in that grip helps my tennis player’s volleys, timing, reaction, and footwork. Personally, I am looking forward to growing my pickleball program and also mastering my skills as well.
The Social List Pickleball Party: "Dinks & Drinks" By Tom Cascarano – USPTA Elite Professional
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s it time for you to come up with a new event at your facility! Then it’s time to bring in a Pickleball Party. You need to embrace the fastest growing sport in America. Pickleball will bring together a vast group of demographics (young or old, tennis or non-tennis players). This is definitely a sport and activity for everyone. First, when planning for any social it is important to put an outlined event schedule together. • Name of the event • Date and time • Food and Beverage (be sure to have adult beverages) • Decorations • Marketing and advertising of event • Type of games • Round robin • Music • Camera for picture taking • Follow-up email after event This event name is the “Dinks and Drinks” pickleball social. Once I have come up with a Theme, then I put a date and time together to promote the event. Since pickleball is so social, I will organize a menu of food and beverage list trying to stay with the theme (finger food,
beer, wine and a special alcoholic drink). Don’t forget the decorations, again that goes along with the theme. It is time to advertise and market the event in all your available avenues. Now the main part of the social, which is participating in the event. Start with a game (similar to tennis), this is the easiest and most enjoyable way to get players having fun at the start of the evening. Since the theme is dinks and drinks, start off with a doubles team dink game on either one or two courts (mini tennis for a better understanding), Winners stay and losers switch after each point. Once everyone has warmed up with the game, it’s time to start your pickleball round robin and that’s what all the players come to this event for. Work your round robin using rally scoring (which is win a point and team scores a point, this goes faster). Mix players by using up court, down court split partners after each round. It is important to stop between rotations to let players eat, drink and socialize (don’t forget to take pictures). Once you have gone through multiple round robin rotations, finish the evening with one last game (king and queen of the pickleball court) and end with a drawing for prizes. After the event is complete it is important to send out an email with pictures that shows how enjoyable the event was. I hope this gives you a new event idea as you prepare and schedule your calendar of events.
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USPTA Invited Guest 6 Fundamental Leadership Lessons from a Navy Captain By Stephanie Vozza
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o be effective, author and retired U.S. Navy captain Mark Brouker says leaders need to demonstrate these six critical behaviors. If you ask today’s leaders the secret of their success, they’ll probably credit trusted managers who motivated them along the way. One of the greatest impacts you can have on your career is a caring boss, but those same leaders aren’t always paying it forward, says retired U.S. Navy captain Mark Brouker, author of Lessons from the Navy: How to Earn Trust, Lead Teams, and Achieve Organizational Excellence. “On the one hand, leaders understand through firsthand experience what motivated them as they climbed the corporate ladder: caring leaders whom they trusted,” he says. “On the other hand, and quite paradoxically, these same leaders are not practicing the relationshipbuilding behaviors required to build that trust.” As commanding officer of a large naval hospital in Bremerton, Washington, Brouker observed good leadership skills, as well as practices that damaged teams. To be effective, Brouker says leaders need to demonstrate these six critical behaviors. 1. KNOW YOUR STAFF After the hiring process, conversations with the boss often revolve around the job and expectations. That won’t do. “Game-changing behavior requires going beyond that,” says Brouker. “You don’t get to know a person if you only talk about work. Get to know their hobbies and goals. Where they traveled and how they spent their childhood. Listen, and don’t check your cell phone. And this type of conversation can’t be a one-off.” Brouker says there is no better way to build a solid foundation of trust than getting to know your staff. “Most organizations do not do this,” he says. “But if you’re running a company, it could be a huge competitive advantage.” 2. BE VISIBLE When leaders proactively schedule time to interact and connect with employees, employees often feel empowered to speak up. This step can optimize decision-making because it provides insights that may not be obtained otherwise. “People want to see the leader; they want to know they’re there,” says Brouker, who learned this behavior firsthand during a government
shutdown, when hundreds of his employees were going to be furloughed. Even though he knew he wouldn’t be able to answer all their questions, he scheduled a town hall meeting with his team anyway. Six weeks later, the government sent a command client survey, the military equivalent of an employee engagement survey. What was amazing was that my trust level with my group of cohorts was much higher than other groups,” says Brouker. “Many comments said, ‘The captain took time to answer our questions.’ I didn’t have the answers, but leaders who get in front [during] a crisis, even when they don’t think they have the answers, read as being honest and transparent.” 3. SHOW RESPECT Respect can impact employee engagement more than any other leadership behavior, says Brouker, citing a study from Harvard Business Review that asked 20,000 employees, “What behavior gets you excited to come to work?” “The possible answers were ‘a boss who has an inspiring vision,’‘being paid well,’‘opportunity for growth,’‘being praised,’ or ‘having a boss that treats me with respect,’” he says. “All five are important, but being treated with respect blew the others away and was ranked highest. As a leader, it’s imperative.” It’s easy to treat people with respect when things are going well; it’s not when bad news comes in, says Brouker, but showing respect means treating employees with respect. “Bad news is coming, there’s no getting around it,” he says. “You’re getting paid to take the bad news and figure out what to do with it. You can’t control what’s coming, but you can control how you react. Anger and disrespect change the dynamics in a room.” 4. RECOGNIZE GOOD AND POOR PERFORMANCE Recognizing employees can deliver a disproportionate return on investment, says Brouker. When you acknowledge good work,
employees will be more engaged, productive, and trustful. But you have to take the good and the bad. Ignoring poor performance puts leaders at risk of losing respect, confidence, and trust. “If we are on the same team, and you are working hard and I’m not and the boss never brings me to their side to address it, you will think less of the boss,” says Brouker. “Performance then becomes measured by what the boss tolerates. If they tolerate subpar, that eventually becomes the new norm, with everyone dropping to that standard.” Part of the reason poor performance isn’t addressed is because it’s stressful. “Seek first to understand when someone isn’t performing,” suggests Brouker. “Not accusing and taking the position of trying to figure out what’s going on is a powerful way to address performance.” 5. BE OPTIMISTIC A leader’s attitude can give employees hope that goals are within reach and good things are possible. An optimistic leader creates confidence in the greater cause, which can inspire trust in the leader even in uncertain times. “It can be difficult to maintain optimism when things aren’t going well,” says Brouker. “You can’t always be optimistic and upbeat; there are times when you must grieve. Great leaders maintain optimism but don’t minimize danger. Don’t be dishonest, but be a source of hope. People will have a great deal of concern when they don’t know what is happening.” 6. KEEP LEARNING Being a good leader means being a lifelong learner, continuously working on leadership skills, says Brouker. “Reeducate and recommit to understanding leadership development,” he says. “Be willing to change the way you lead. If you don’t relearn or reintroduce new methods, you could slip into bad habits.” Brouker recommends reading, listening to podcasts, talking to other leaders, and seeking out new information at all times. “By examining the impact of their behaviors, leaders are more likely to act in a caring way, especially when challenges arise,” he says. “They will proactively find opportunities to capitalize on the hundreds of interactions with their team members each day. Leading with care and compassion can be powerful.”
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Creating the Desired Relationship
Presented by McMahon Careers
By Brian Armstrong, CCM| McMahon Careers Executive Search Consultant
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n most clubs, the racquets program is working well until it isn’t. If that happens, you will wish you spent more time getting to know the Racquets Department. “The time to fix a roof is when the sun is shining.” —JFK Most GMs of a full-amenity club spend time with their Chef and their F&B Department by spending time “working the dining room” or “helping in the kitchen.” It is widespread, if not expected, that the GM spends time with their Superintendent on the golf course--what GM hasn’t heard; “The golf course is our greatest asset.” A good GM walks the buildings with their facilities engineer often to address issues. A good GM spends time with the Golf Pro. How much time does a GM spend with the Director of Racquets? “If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it.” I have been guilty of this as a GM. Many times, the racquets program is located in a separate building and “runs itself.” As a GM, or as an aspiring GM, I recommend you spend an equal amount of time with the Director of Racquets as you do with your other department heads. Noticing I was not spending a similar amount of time with the racquets program, I changed my ways. There are so many ways to stay involved with what is going on “down at tennis”, but here is what I suggest: Weekly lunches with the Director of Racquets
• Take lessons (in off times) with some of the teaching pros. • Learn about the member experience--. Does the booking process work efficiently? What does the member experience walking onto, and leaving the courts? • Get to know the Pros better. • Show up day for a lesson without a racquet. Do they provide one? What condition was the racquet they provided? • Add the racquet events to your calendar. • Make a point to drop in on several member events. • Attend the Committee meetings (if you don’t already). Many GMs already do many of these actions, and that is great. But a General Manager will spend a significant portion of their time putting out fires or dealing with problems that they never have enough time to get as involved, as they desire, with all the departments. The benefit far outweighs the time invested. Take this entire thought process and flip it to the Director of Racquets (or aspiring DoR). Does your GM spend time in your department? If not, how do you get him/her more involved? Perhaps tell them you would like a fresh set of eyes on the shop’s layout, teaching style, Kids Camp brochure, etc. Everything that I have mentioned that a GM should be doing, a Director of Racquets should want their GM to do.
GMs (like most humans) are creatures of habit. Help them create new habits that include racquets. As a Director of Racquets, how much time do you spend in the GM’s office? If the buildings are separated, how much time do you spend in the other building? Are you changing your habits? Do you ask for 30 minutes of your GM’s time a week to catch up? Do you only venture to the “main building” once a year for budget discussion? Ultimately the goal is for both the General Manager and the Director of Racquets to have a substantial relationship where each can depend on the other and understand how their action affects the other. I often hear from General Managers that they are frustrated when they feel blindsided by a situation. Nobody wants to listen to a voicemail, read an email, or be standing in front of a member discussing a situation where they have absolutely no knowledge. A healthy and robust relationship with all department heads is the best way to solve this challenge. I would always appreciate a late-night text from my Director of Racquets saying Mrs. Smith complained about the lights out in the parking lot, over having Mr. Smith ask me the following morning if I knew the lights were out in the parking lot. Do you have a relationship with your GM where you can send that text at midnight? Does your Dir of Tennis know to send that text at midnight?
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
PRO PLANS 2 hour Lesson Plan for Adult Team Drill By Jason Hazley USPTA Master Professional Focus: Doubles positioning and shot selection 6 players per court on multiple courts Warmup Mini Tennis or Volley/Volley. Double tap for advanced (10 minutes) 3 balls across- briefly explain areas of focus before starting each drill (20 minutes) Ball 1 & 2 - deep groundstrokes
Ball 3 Very short ball (bordering a drop shot) requiring player to return ball with racket out in front while running. Player should attempt drop shot of their own on Ball 3 Feeds need to be accurate and timely to keep the line moving Switch direction of feeds after 10 minutes
Live ball point play- one up one back versus one up one back in opposite formation. 2 points and rotate. Feeds vary from regular ball to short ball which causes player to work on skill practiced earlier in clinic (30 minutes) Play regular service games (extra serve given to start point in each player’s first service game as there is no service warm-up) (40 minutes)
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Volume 23 Issue 3
The Written Word Essential Tennis: Improve Faster, Play Smarter, and Win More Matches By Ian Westermann Review by Pat Whitworth, USPTA Master Professional
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an is the founder and continuing force behind the very successful online tennis site, Essential Tennis. Not only has he been a leader in the online community, he stepped up during the Covid shutdown and offered all teaching professionals a chance to earn income with referrals. THANKS Ian. The book starts with a look at what keeps players from improving. Ability, time, money, and more. Ian says it is the BALL. The swing looks great, until the ball is in play. Then the goal changes to just strike the ball instead of swing and let the ball get in the way. The principles in the book are based on 2 major philosophies 1) For every aspect of tennis, there is one element that is most important and 2) If you can make even a tiny improvement in that element, you will improve faster. The book is divided into 3 sections: The Improvement Process, On Court, and The Mental Game. Most chapters have a TAKE Action portion and Progressions, with some including a QR code link to videos. The Improvement Process starts with the idea of what is the end goal. Many people will say to hit 100mph forehands, and dominate every single point. Craig O’Shannessy is referred to at this point, and the analytics from pro matches. The number 1 player on the men’s tour will win 55-57% of points played. Your players must understand that to be VERY successful, they just need to up the percentage slightly to see the wins stack up. Players also think that time is key, and they need more practice. This will only make them better at the mistakes that they currently make. Video is an important element in seeing what a player is doing, tracking changes, and seeing improvement. Where and what to video is covered. On Court start with building the proper kinetic chain with large muscles and how good may feel bad because it is not natural. The NEW feel must be practiced enough to make it a habit. He asks the question “What do you think Roger Federer thinks about as
he is about to serve?”. Ian thinks it is target and purpose. Now dwelling on how he is playing, reminder to bend his knees, etc. Just the target and purpose of the serve. Focus and intention are what should be in our mind. Whatever bad habits a player has will not change in the match. There is a huge difference in what a player will focus on in practice vs. what they will focus on in competition. In practice, it is internal – all about YOU. In matches it is external - the circumstances of the point and the opponent. Next how to warmup with a nice outline of a dynamic warmup and preparing the mind, body, and strategy for competition. A really neat chapter focusing on how our players hit so much better and harder in practice than in matches, and includes a nice series of exercises to quantify the best speeds and spins to implement in match play. Another neat concept to remember is all the extra things to watch beside the ball for special clues. I really like his breakdown of helping a player determine the choice if they win the toss. Another neat concept was on the volley. So many people
use the term PUNCH for a volley, but Ian likes to use receive the ball into the strings. This should help reduce muscle tension. Doubles is not to be forgotten, and the main portion here is choosing a partner and perfecting communication between partners. The last section is the Mental Game, which begins with dealing with nerves, and even the pros have to deal with nerves. This will take training just like developing technique for strokes. An idea is to use ‘Mental Shadow Swings’. Rehearse in you mind what you will do in a match. Try to really envision a match situation, and how you want to behave and deal with the situation. How will you react on an important point? A bad break? A big shot by your opponent? A bad miss by you? You can even use normal life stressors to help deal with the on-court stress. Distractions are something we all have to deal with during a match. The big question is are you going to let it bother you? Or not bother you? Acknowledge what is happening, accept that the circumstance is beyond your control, and alter your focus. Cases like this showcase that tennis is not just about skills, but which person is best suited to handle the circumstances that come up. Since a tennis match is at least 75% of nonhitting, it becomes very important on how we operate during the off time. Intensity has to be turned on and off constantly because there is no way to stay hitting intense for over 2 hours. You just need to be on when the ball is in play. There is also momentum and dealing with the 2nd set slump. WHY DOES THIS HAPPEN? Tennis can be stressful, and even lead to quitting. Ian suggests that if the game becomes too intense, then take a pause. The book ends with some stories related to earlier concepts, a glossary of tennis terms, and 30 Progressions for Tennis Improvement. This book serves as a great reminder for an experienced coach, and a solid framework for a player ready to work and improve their tennis.
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Southern Officers The “Standard” is the official newsletter for the Southern Division of the United States Professional Tennis Association.
President 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 JC Freeman jc@diamondclubs.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 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
The Queens Grass Court Tournament Queen’s is one of the oldest tennis tournaments in the world and serves as a warm-up for Wimbledon. Originally known as the London Athletic Club Tournament, established in 1881 at Stamford Bridge, Fulham. In 1884 the tournament was given the title of the Championship of London, and it was held on outdoor grass courts. In 1890, the tournament moved to its current location, the Queen’s Club, and consisted of a men’s and women’s singles event. In 1903 a men’s doubles event was added followed in 1905 by the mixed doubles competition. In 1915 the addition of a women’s doubles event completed the tournament roster.
The women’s tournament was discontinued in 1974 During the 2004 singles tournament, Andy Roddick set the then-world record for the fastest serve, recorded at 153 mph (246.2 km/h) during a straightset victory over Thailand’s Paradorn Srichaphan in the quarter-finals. Andy Murray won the singles title for a record fifth time. Seven men have won four singles titles: Major Ritchie, Anthony Wilding, Roy Emerson, John McEnroe, Boris Becker, Lleyton Hewitt, and Andy Roddick. The Queen’s Club Championships are held every year in June. They start one week after the clay-court French Open
“A mentor empowers a person to see a possible future, and believe it can be obtained — Shawn Hitchcock “Productivity is for robots. What humans are going to be really good at is asking questions, being creative, and experiences” — Kevin Kelly “If you change the way you look at things, the things you look at changes” – Alan Cutler “Think like an Owner” — Ajay Pant
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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
