Volume 22 Issue 3: June 2021
ur Southern o o t te Tes u l ter Sa s A
INSIDE: Call for Nominations for State & Southern. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . pg 3 Award Winners for 2021 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . pg 3 Summer Conference in Nashville. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . pg 5 Ideas from the May Conference . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . pg 9 Learn from a Veteran with 25+ at the same facility. . . . . . . . . pg 10
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Volume 22 Issue 2
President’s Message
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ith increasing frequency, I am hearing about teaching pro-jobs that offer salaries, benefits, and opportunities to grow professionally but go unfilled for surprising lengths of time. Such occurrences naturally raise questions about our pipeline of new pros and what we can do to bring more people into the profession. While many high school students don’t decide on their career path until much later, some students find a direction while they are in high school. The combination of an influential and caring adult who works in a job that interests a student can be very powerful. I am reminded of an acquaintance who admired his history teacher and years later became a history teacher himself. Young tennis players already have an interest in tennis and interacting with caring coaches can nudge students to consider becoming coaches themselves. Increasing interest among high school students in
tennis coaching careers won’t immediately address staffing challenges that many fine clubs are currently experiencing. However, over the longer term, connecting with high school students can make a difference. In that regard, we have formed a USPTA Southern Social Media Committee to enhance our social media presence and eventually develop and share content of interest to high school students. We believe that by engaging with younger players we can inspire more students to pursue careers in tennis. Our Social Media Committee is Chaired by Jason Hazley, and committee members are Sam Kennedy and Chris Stuart. We are always looking for quality content to post, and if you are willing to share videos with us it would be much appreciated. To learn more about sending content and about the current social media contest, please contact Chris Stuart at Stuart@sta.usta.com.
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Call for Application to the State and Southern Board
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embers of the USPTA Nominating Committees are searching for candidates who are interested in serving on the State or Southern Board for the 2-year term 2022-2023. To serve on the Southern Board you must be a member in good standing with a minimum certification level of Elite Profes-
sional. Anyone who fits these qualifications is eligible and encouraged to apply. Any member in good standing with at least a Professional rating may serve on the state board (except the President who is a Southern Board member and must be an elite Professional or higher). Those interested should contact the
While each committee may draft its own questions, here are some basic questions you should consider. 1. What board position are you applying for? (Circle all that apply) President 1st VP VP Sec/Treasurer Where Needed 2. What strengths do you bring to the board?
Nominating Chairperson listed below. DEADLINES: The application period will run through July 25th. Interview period will run through August 25th, and the selections will be published by September 10th. Thanks in advance to all that are interested in serving the Southern Division.
Contact the nominating chair of the board you will apply for. • Southern – Bo Gard - gardtennis@gmail.com • Alabama - Kevin Theos - Theos@sta.usta.com • Arkansas - Travis Johnson - tjohnson@ChenalCC.com • Kentucky - Theos@sta.usta.com
3. What is your vision for moving USPTA forward? 4. In what specific area do you believe you can most positively impact the board and why? 5. What events/workshops/meetings/USPTA programs have you participated in during the last 12 months? 6. How much time are you able to offer towards your board duties? Main duties include helping at a 1 or 2-day workshop, writing newsletter articles, contacting members, and 2-4 conference calls per year. You should also attend one of the Southern Conventions.
• Georgia - Allan Jensen - Ajensen.tennis@gmail.com • Louisiana - Grady Wilson - wilsonng@bellsouth.net • Mississippi - Billy Gip Clark - bgipclark@gmail.com • North Carolina - Adam Thomson - a.thomson@forsythcc.com • South Carolina - Mark Schminke - schminketennisacademy@gmail.com • Tennessee - MJ Garnett - windyketennis@aol.com
2021 Award Winners
Congratulations to all of our 2021 award winners. We missed celebrating in person, but hope to see you at the next live event. Not pictiured, Charity Event of the Year: Tom Ruth, U30 Professional of the Year: Austin Daglis
Allan Henry Professional of the Year: Bill Riddle
Industry Excellence Award: Allan Jensen
Assistant Professional of the Year: Devin Crotzer
Club Manager of the Year: Scott Irwin
College Coach of the Year: Jimmy Borendame
Mentor of the Year: Dave Dvorak
High School Coach of the Year John Beaube
Teaching Professional of the Year: Keith Swindoll
High Performance Coach of the Year: Daniel Shidler
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Volume 22 Issue 2
May Conference Was Another Hit
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e hope that this will be our last full virtual conference for a long time, even though many shared through the evaluation to keep some form of virtual. It is convenient, and easy on the wallet. It will be nice to see people in person and share experiences again. Tom Parkes and Bill Riddle put together a nice variety of topics and pre-
senters. A new platform was used in Coaches Clinic, and it was fantastic. Reminders were sent out for the day and before each seminar, and it was an easy click to attend. Replays were available for credit until June 3rd, and this was a first for Southern. Read below review from various people that attended the conference.
The Virtual Southern Spring Conference was incredibly informative and gave useful tips for both on and off court instruction. The speakers throughout were excellent and shed light on a variety of drills, especially for use in the intermediate and higher levels. Given the circumstances, the new remote system for the conference made attending sessions easier. A big shout out to Pat Whitworth for all of his time and effort in setting up a great conference! —Amy Bradley, Director of Tennis Savannah Country Club, GA
Next Generation Tennis, Devin Crotzer A highlight of this year’s Conference featured outlooks and views of millennials and generation Z coaches which includes their need to make an impact where they work and to know the pathways to development. They want autonomy, transparency, and frequent feedback on their performance whether positive or negative, originating from likes/dislikes on social media. They want to discuss money up front when interviewing for a tennis pro position and make an impact in their workplace. They do not use email, but they will text communicate using an app called Slack. Finally, they will work hard with 55% wanting weekly 1 on 1 encouragement from their manager and 30% crave it daily.
It was a great virtual conference. Amazing speakers, so much knowledge in one place. Easy to learn and exciting information to make you a better pro, director, coach and over all a good tennis enthusiast. Lilo Pelegrino, Northhills Country Club, NC
I was very impressed with this year’s 2021 USPTA Virtual Southern Conference. The short 45min presentations were extremely organized, concise, and informative. I loved the diversity of presentations, and I walked away with some great ideas to take back to my programs. USPTA Southern did a great job holding a virtual conference and providing a space to connect with other pros and industry leaders. I always leave these conferences motivated and inspired! Lyndsey Mixon, aising Canes Tennis Center, LA
Adult Programming, Mary Pat Faley Every detail matters for adult events, and she said print flyers, email the members 3 times for an event, and message all the pros the night before to ensure their presence. First Friday each month have a Men’s round robin mixer rotating courts with the first doubles team winning 4 games rotating to the next court. Serve pizza, beer, with a bourbon tasting. Another idea is having a round robin for juniors with doubles teams staying together for 20 minutes. Use a Piñata for the players at the end to strike with their racquet until candy spills out. Rick Willett, UTA Academy, GA
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Summer Conference August 6-8 Nashville, TN
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ive in Nashville, we are BACK. Don’t miss the first live event at this amazing city. So much to do if you want to play for an extra day or two. Held at Richland Country Club August 6-8th. Cost for USPTA member’s is $49, just $64 for non-members. The Specialty Course by Emma Doyle is included in the full registration, or only the specialty course for $15 (no conference registration, gift, or food). Register by July 26 and receive the member conference long sleeve dri fit shirt with the We’re back logo. There is a separate ITPTA pickleball on Sunday for a max of 16 people. To register, follow these directions. Visit members.iptpa.com. Open an account, fill out the profile, add an application-select Level I fill out the application and select location (USPTA/IPTPA Nashville). The $240 is the workshop fee and 1st year membership. VISIT usptasouthern.com for the link to register and the latest conference info. Current Agenda – to be updated soon via email and usptasouthern. com. Speakers already confirmed include Michele Krause with Cardio Tennis, Emma Doyle, Darryl Lewis, Ken Andriano, Todd Upchurch, Bill Anderson, and Devin Crotzer. Topics include Digital Clubs and Adding Revenue Streams, The Business of Pickleball at Your Club, College Tennis Pathways, Cardio Tennis, and much more.
Friday August 6th 8:00 – 12:00
SPECIALTY COURSE - Emma Doyle
12:00 – 1:30 LUNCH offered (sandwich buffet) and registration open at Tennis Center 1:30 – 5:30pm
Speakers - ON COURT (indoor courts)
6:00 – 8:00pm Pickleball PRO-AM (indoor courts) AND dinner (pasta buffet) at Tennis Center * beer sponsored by COURT RESERVE (by the bottle)
Saturday August 7th 8:00 – Noon OFF COURT presentations Noon – 1:00
LUNCH (sandwich buffet in clubhouse)
1:00 – 4:00
ON COURT presentations (indoor court)
Sunday August 8th 8:00 – 1:00 PTPA Course (outdoor hard courts) additional registration fee, see info above SEMINAR CONTEST: IT”S BACK ... We are excited to bring back the “Seminar Contest” (scheduled for Saturday TBA). Participants are encouraged to submit a topic for a 10-minute presentation which will be judged, scored, and prizes awarded for the top 3 presentations. Any USPTA member in good standing is permitted to submit a topic for a presentation. Anyone who has presented at a Divisional or National USPTA Conference are not eligible.
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Volume 22 Issue 2
Southern Spotlight Scott Irwin, Keowee Key POA, Inc., Salem, SC Give a brief description of your tennis/other career: Played in Westerns and So. Cal in juniors & went undefeated in singles and doubles at La Jolla HS, winning the state title in 1975. Played 2 years at Cincinnati and 2 years at Hawaii-Manoa on full ride, Asst. Men’s and Women’s Coach at Hawaii one year, 3 international pro titles (1 singles, 2 doubles), Head Pro for Dave ”The Koz” Kozlowski at MBST in the early 80’s, then Tennis Director at various clubs and resorts from 1982-1997, during which I founded the Edgewater Beach Tennis Academy in PCB, FL with Jorge Andrew. Owned part of a company that had 50 pro shops across the US, including top 10 pro shops in the country. Last Director position was at Chapel Hill Tennis Club in NC, where we hosted the Southern Jr. Open & I administrated and helped coach the Eastern NC USTA Training Center for many years with JW Isenhour, Dan Weant, Shane Wells…we had lots of great juniors come through our program. Moved into the role of GM at clubs in 1997 and have been employed in management of clubs, resorts and POA’s since that time across the country in California, New York, Michigan, Florida and the Southeast US. When did you start playing tennis? 7 or 8 years old…my mother was my first coach! What other sports did you play? I participated in many other sports. Baseball, football, basketball, soccer, judo, swimming, etc. But I was small, and tennis seemed to suit me best. What moved you to teach tennis? I began teaching tennis in high school to earn extra money, as I could make more teaching tennis than in other jobs. What is something people will be surprised to learn about you? Besides tennis, had an early career playing in many different rock bands. Gave
Bill Riddle , Men’s & Women’s Head Tennis Coach, University of Tennessee Southern Director of Tennis, Temple Hills Country Club, Nashville, TN Give a brief description of your tennis/other career: I got lucky in life and had a car accident in 1988 that moved my path in life towards tennis. Recently I received a pin from the USPTA for my 30th year with the organization and I think back to around 1991 when my boss at the time who had been a USPTA member told me that I would never make it as a tennis coach or teacher because I just didn’t have the background or the ability. I got lucky again when I decided not to listen to his opinion and pushed head first into anything and everything tennis related. I have been even luckier in that tennis has allowed me to travel literally around the world in the last 30+ years playing, teaching, coaching, speaking and promoting tennis. I spent 21 years as the Director of Tennis at Bluegrass Yacht and Country Club. I have recently received my USPTA Master Professional status and also been selected as the Allen Henry Southern Professional of the Year which both are special career milestones.
it up for tennis and sold all my equipment to fund my first trip to play the circuit in Europe in 1975. What are your hobbies? Jazz music, traveling, especially in the Caribbean, water sports, watching all sports What is your favorite movie? Lots of favorites: Casablanca, Caddyshack, Master of Disguise, Monty Python and the Holy Grail, Gladiator Are you reading anything right now? Lately, mostly construction documents, contracts and professional periodicals! Evey pro should read “Match Play and the Spin of the Ball” by Bill Tilden. What is your favorite sports team? Chargers & Padres Who is your favorite player of all time? Roy Emerson and my old coach, Pancho Segura. What person would you most like to have lunch with? My grandfathers, Lew Grummond (prominent NYC basketball coach, developed Bob Cousy) and Dr. George Allen Lyall Irwin (one of Babe Ruth’s best friends and pioneer cancer researcher) What would you be doing if you were not in tennis? Club/resort/hospitality management, which is what I’ve been doing since 1997. But I’m still very involved in tennis as well as a senior player, consulting and business. If you had a “do over”, what one thing would you have done differently in your teaching career? Well, I would have first given myself more time and effort to try and make it on the tour. Otherwise, I’ve enjoyed both my tennis and management careers, as there’s always something new to learn with new challenges and opportunities to grow as a professional in both fields. I believe there are many talented teaching professionals who should seriously look at club/resort/hospitality management as a natural progression as they get older.
When did you start playing tennis? I grew up in a small farming community outside of Nashville and learned to hit a tennis ball off the side wall of our house starting around age 10. Since there were only 3 tennis courts in our county back then access was extremely limited so I didn’t get to play on a real tennis court basically until high school. What other sports did you play? We played everything, so I played football, baseball, basketball, soccer and even softball in an adult league on summer nights. What moved you to teach tennis? A bad car accident changed my path from heading off to give college football and art school a go. When I found myself working part time at a tennis club I literally fell in love with the business of tennis as well as coaching, teaching but more importantly promoting the sport of tennis. What is something people will be surprised to learn about you? Great question and the only things that comes to mind might be that I grew up drawing, sketching and painting and had planned on an art career. We were foster parents for a number of years and worked with the Foster Care Review Board to help place kids in need. What are your hobbies? I’mnot sure if playing touchtennis, pickleball
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A Tribute to USPTA Southern Testers By Tom Daglis, USPTA Master Professional, Southern HOF, Past National President
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SPTA Certification Testing has changed and manifested itself over the years. From legendary authors of the testing process, such as George Basco, Tim Heckler, Dave Poter, and Tommy Wade, to the delivery of certification exams throughout the United States and to all cities, big and small, in the Southern Division. From the administering of tests on paper to the use of technology tablets. From face-to-face and hands-on grip exam evaluation to online delivery. From in-person stroke analysis exams to the use of video clips. From written certification examinations that required detailed essay answers, to multiple choice scanned answer sheets. From Private and Group Lesson templates that were originally somewhat subjective to templates that displayed more objective and standardized areas for grading. USPTA Testing was a learning process. It was designed not to penalize, but to identify areas that needed improvement. It was a comprehensive examination as it tested your ability to demonstrate all the grips and the strengths and weaknesses of each of them. It tested your ability as a coach to identify the root of a stroke deficiency using a coaching eye. The on-court stroke production portion was often misinterpreted, as it was designed not to see how good a player you were, but instead, it was to see how capable you are as a tennis teacher. Specifically, you were tested on the ability to be accurate for control, direction, and depth for all strokes, as well as the demonstration of spin. The Private and
Group Lessons were designed for candidates to demonstrate their depth of teaching knowledge and how the lesson(s) were organized. Although USPTA believed in multiple theories and practices for teaching the sport of tennis, USPTA tests needed to have a standardized format so that all applicants could be graded in the same and fair manner. Certification lessons allowed for feedback to the testing applicants! With that said and with the USPTA Certification Testing process as we know it coming to an end, I believe it is important to pay homage to all the USPTA Southern Testers over the years who dedicated their time, energy, heart, and mind to the craft of USPTA Certification. USPTA Certification was not a strong revenue producer for USPTA Testers. It was most certainly a labor of love. Often when you add up the hours of work and the pay scale associated with your efforts, it would come to a few dollars an hour! I know testers that would drive eight hours one way for a single USPTA candidate to administer a Certification Exam to a USPTA prospect who needed the certification for a job opportunity the following weekend! So why did USPTA Testers become testers? The answer lies in pride, giving back to the association, and the mindset that you could contribute to the growth of the USPTA membership! It was the commitment to excellence and the desire to maintain a high standard for teaching professionals entering our association. USPTA Testers were devoted to the
and traveling for tennis count but I do have a new grandson who will now take up any free time I get when I am not with my college team. What is your favorite movie? That Thing You Do with Tom Hanks Are you reading anything right now? The USPTA Southern Standard of course! What is your favorite sports team? Georgia Bulldog football Who is your favorite player of all time? All time... not sure because I just really like tennis and appreciate the time, effort, sacrifice and dedication it takes to play at the top levels. I do however really like players who are also entertainers like Monsour Barahami, Gael Monfils, Dustin Brown, etc... What person would you most like to have lunch with? My dad because he passed in 2006 and I just really miss him.
association, and in keeping the world’s largest tennis teaching trade association a viable entity. It has certainly been an important and integral part of recognizing tennis-teaching professionals into the USPTA certified ranks. Thank you USPTA Southern Testers! Thank you for the hours of mentoring and the many hours of preparation for a well-run USPTA Certification Exam. Thank you for caring about our association and adding value to it. Thank you….. Hank & Sharon Avants Jay Bewley Fred Burdick Pat Curry Tom Daglis Lane Evans Bo Gard Ron Gwyn Jonathan Hains Jimbo Hobson Peter Howell Kevin Jackson Allan Jensen Cindy Jones Jack Justice Dave Neuhart Jim Peavy Bill Phillips Bill Riddle John Sheffield Randy Stephens Tommy Wade
What would you be doing if you were not in tennis? Potentially in jail? Honestly, no idea because I can’t ever see myself not doing what I get to do. After 30 years I still love every single day of it and never want to stop doing what I do. If I won the Mega millions jackpot and never had to worry about money again I would still do what I do but I would just do it for free. If you had a “do over”, what one thing would you have done differently in your teaching career? I would give back the money for the lessons I taught the first few years because I was terrible but not sure I would do anything over. I think my plan to be diverse in my career and to constantly push forward and also try to pull others with me has led me to where I am which is totally appreciative and thankful for what I get to do as a tennis coach, teacher and ambassador for the game of tennis.
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s w e N e t a St Alabama
USPTA Alabama Winter Workshop, November 6th 2021, Greystone Country Club, Birmingham, AL , 9:00-4:00pm. Lunch provided.
Volume 22 Issue 2
North Carolina
Tournament play is on the rise in Arkansas, both junior and adult events, thanks to many pros getting back into the full swing of things. Our pros workshop will most likely happen in September or October. Location and details coming soon. Our chapter is looking for pros or coaches interested in working towards a high school tennis coaches association. Please email me at patmalone67@gmail.com for information or to lend your expertise to this mission to help improve the quality of high school tennis in Arkansas.
With the advent of summer here and our clubs and facilities getting back to normal, it’s time to have an in-person learning opportunity for NC pros. We are planning a December workshop. The site is yet to be determined, so look for more info later this year. I would like to highlight some of the great new tennis and pickleball programs that you have had great success with the past year. Please send to me at my email address and I would like to share the successful program on our Facebook site. Another area of concern in tennis is finding pros to teach at our facilities. If you are interested in teaching and possibly a career in tennis, reach out to me and let us see if we can get the ball rolling. Finally, have a great summer and take advantage of any on - line education that you can fit into your schedule. The more we know – the better we get!
Georgia
South Carolina
Arkansas
The USPTA-Georgia Board is very excited to offer an in-person learning opportunity at one of the greatest pro tennis tournaments in the United States, the Truist Atlanta Open. Please join us on Saturday morning, July 31st from 8:30-11:30, for the USPTA Georgia Summer Workshop. We have lined up multiple Georgia tennis professionals to speak about Ladies teaching/programs, junior high performance and beginner/intermediate development, event organization and execution, and traits of a great tennis professional.This workshop will be on court at Atlantic Station and a special number of attendees, who are first to sign up, will receive a ticket to the semi-finals in the White Claw tent, reserved just for USPTA workshop professionals.
Kentucky
In the Bluegrass State, the chapter board has been reconstituted and plans are underway for a fall workshop, likely sometime in October, hosted in either Lexington or Louisville
Louisiana
It seems a little weird but it makes logical sense. Last summer should have been huge. Why? Nobody could travel. This summer is the opposite. Everyone is traveling as much as they can. It doesn’t change the fact that we will all be worn out by late July and August. We are trying to set a date for a workshop in late July or August. Hopefully everyone has a good summer and could use a day of networking and education by late summer. Trying to set it before football season!—Bill Bryan
Mississippi
There will be two in-person education opportunities coming up July. The first will be held at Bayou Bluff Tennis Club in Gulfport on Thursday July 15th 12:30-2:30pm. The second will be in Oxford on Wednesday July 21st 12:302:30pm. Details will be emailed to chapter members soon.
With Dean Mays moving into the President position, we are still working our way through the process. Plans are in the works for a fall workshop.
Tennessee
Summer is upon us. Every teaching professional I have seen or talked with is absolutely covered up. JTT has started in most cities with huge participation. Adult leagues are wrapping up their spring seasons and getting ready for state competition. Pickle ball courts seem to be popping up everywhere. Of note in Middle Tennessee Adams Tennis Center is hosting quite a few state championships this year, so we are gearing up for those to begin. We hosted the TSSAA state championships and are now getting ready to host the Adult 18/40s in June and will have the JTT state championships in July. Coach Jimmy Borendame will also be hosting an ITA Circuit event later in July. Tri-cities is seeing a boom in JTT participation, adult mixed doubles leagues and pickleball. Chattanooga just hosted the NCAA Division 3 championships and boasts two High school state championship teams with the Chattanooga School for Arts and Sciences girls won the first state title in the history of the school and McCallie boys won their division title. Be on the lookout for upcoming lunch and learns in your area and the Summer Southern Convention will be hosted in Nashville in person this year, August 6-7.
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One Good Idea! Michele Krause – Fitness for Tennis Water, Water, Water. We perspire a lot of it, so it is important to replace it. Need some flavor, Hint adds some taste. No alcohol is her preference, just because it serves no purpose. Eating is for fuel, so stay as clean as possible. Sports drink – just about like a coke. Cardio vs Weights. Weights are the choice. We need strength training for muscle mass as we age. This will also help the metabolism work better. Exercise vs Diet. All the exercise in the world will not erase a bad diet. The 80-20 rule does work. Michele has a piece of chocolate every day. She can have ice cream, but it is 1 or 2 spoons. Using exercise with weights, cardio, and then a good recovery program is a perfect blend. Tennis pros are busy, and active all day long, but it is not working out. Just 10-15 minutes, and you can get a decent workout. Use the TRX to grab a quick workout or a similar device that can do multiple body parts in a quick workout. Tennis has the mind-body connection. Synapses are firing constantly as we work through tactics, strokes, positioning, and the mental stress of play. Use a spin bike and you just have to keep from falling off. Yes, the exercise can be just as good, but the total impact is not even close. The social aspect of tennis is the champ. A cardio tennis-type program not only has a very engaged instructor, but attendees will interact during the session. We see many of these people become good friends. A spin class does not have the engagement of the attendees, and they probably do not connect with the instructor in the same way as a tennis/fitness instructor. Coaches need to take care of themselves. Michele is a big proponent of active release technique. This has helped her to manage injuries and stay injury-free. We often wait too long to engage in recovery for an injury. This is why she trains for LIFE. S Lane/R Grubb - Closing the Gap with Pickleball & Tennis Shurtape or gaffers tape can be used to stripe a court Pricing of lessons. Rodney’s club charges $50/hour. The most popular lesson is 3 and a Pro. This is $30/ person. Tami Metheny – Creating Confidence The very first, very important way to create more confidence in your students is Talk the Talk. How you think, the words you use, and the way you react. 5-1 – after a match, practice, or time on the court, have your players pick 5 things that they did well, and 1 thing to work on. The same approach to when you work on a stroke for a player. Pick the 1 thing to focus on. The second step is to Walk the
Walk. Body language and expressions showcase how you feel. Nadal has such amazing body language when he plays. The body language also sends a message to YOUR brain. When our athletes start to slump and scowl, the mind will change to the body language used. 93% - Body language, expression, and tone account for 93% of communication. What we say is not as important as how we say it. Visualization - - - - - - - Studies show that athletes that perform a mental warmup will start 25% better. Allan Jensen – Diversity in Tennis The USTA Goal is to attract, engage, and retain a new generation of diverse tennis participants. • 50.6% of kids under 10 are African American, Hispanic, Asian, and Native American • By 2044 over ½ of the US population will be People of Color • By 2025, Millennials will make up 75% of the global workforce • Approximately 4.5% of the US population identify as LGBT • In 2019, Hispanic buying power reached $1.7 trillion, African American $1.4 trillion, LGBT $1 trillion, and American Indian $126 billion • Comparing US Population vs. USPTA Ethnicity & Gender • USPTA is 70% male, 17% female, and 13% unspecified • USPTA is 64% white, where the US is 58%. Our real shortage is Hispanic coaches • A goal for all of USPTA is to be diverse and continue to reach out and include EVERYONE Why Diversity? A lack of diversity can inhibit an organization’s creativity and even make it the focus of public criticism. Valuing diversity also means welcoming those with a range of experiences, perspectives, education, and ideas. Taylor/Jenny Dent Drills – the main purpose is for high repetitions to build a skill. If it is not building a skill, then just play points. It is easy to abuse a drill, to cheat the outcome. In modern tennis, being able to hit an aggressive ball consistently is a must. Hit an aggressive spin ball to a good target in the half-court. Lower-level players may need the alley. Bump is a drill where players hit cross-court, work the aggressive shot, and grind. They use an up the river/ down the river format. Any drill that helps the returner be super consistent leads to no free points. Learning to be solid on the return is so important for all levels. Story of drill vs point play.
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Volume 22 Issue 2
“Success Secrets” By Pat Whitworth, USPTA Master Professional
Crieg Matthieson
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reig has been serving as Director of Tennis at St Ives Country Club since 1993. Before joining St Ives Country Club, Creig served as Director of Tennis at Las Colinas Country Club, a premier club in Irving, Texas. Creig also served as Director of Tennis at the University Club of Dallas. He has worked with the former ATP Pro, Bill Scanlon, and Tom Cain, former ATP Tour, and SMU collegiate player. Creig and the St Ives Tennis Staff have coached numerous ALTA and USTA champions for both adults and juniors resulting in 158 representations at city finals. Creig has been a certified member of the USPTA with an Elite Professional rating for the past 40 years. He has also held board positions for tennis organizations, served as CoTournament Director for the USPTA national championships, and served as Co-Convention Chairman for the TPTA. Creig, I understand that you still work more than 40 hours a week. Why do you put in so many hours? Currently, we have a very active club with 30-40 teams each season, special events, and plenty of member play. The club is closed on Monday’s, but we run a busy on court day while golf and the club are closed. Add all the off-court with a very successful tennis/lifestyle shop which I own, a healthy stringing business, and the day-to-day administration, and it leads to very full week. In fact, I have been working over 70 hours a week since 1980. What are you looking for when hiring a professional? Fortunately, I have been blessed to have staff with me for 6-16 years. All staff are encouraged to be certified and show that they are serious. In order to move up to a director, they should be certified. I look for people that are fun, that are not too serious. Good, positive
energy is also a must. They do not have to be a great player to be a good communicator and instructor. They also have to be able to handle the hours. A strong candidate turned down a job offer when they learned they would have to work into the night, and weekends. As the director, we look to have a well-rounded staff and fill positions with the right people. This might mean a younger, more energetic person to be with the young junior tennis players. What threats do you see that are facing our industry? My big concern is there is not really an incentive to become a director of tennis. When I was in my twenties, the director I worked for made all tennis commissions, all of the pro shop, income from tournaments and events, and more. This was a business. As a career, these options are rapidly changing. Managers do not want to offer 100% of all lessons or the pro shop. At St Ives, I own the pro shop, all teaching equipment, the ball machines, and all the balls. This is my business within the club. I hope to get involved with the CMAA once I retire and help to offer education on the tennis side of the club. Many hires are expected to do the maintenance of the tennis courts and facility. When I took my current job, the GM wanted me to cover maintenance. My response was that I will do this IF you offer me the same salary as the director of golf, and require him and his golf assistant staff. to maintain the golf course. Courts are part of the grounds, and I was not hired as a maintenance person. However, I or the tennis staff will assist with maintenance as needed. When something needs to be done, and be done now, any of us are ready to get the tennis facility ready for member play. What business skills do younger pros need to be working on? In my opinion, programming is so important. The many events, holiday mixers, etc. Learn from a current director
how to build the P&L for events and various programs (all staff play in the mixers at St. Ives. It adds a neat touch). I produce an event calendar that is mailed out to all members each January. The Tennis Information Calendar has pictures of staff with bios, tennis rules, and more info (visit usptasouthern.com for a digital version). Learning how to read the club budget, P&L, income and expenses, for both the tennis department and the entire club. It is also important to just walk around and be seen while people are playing. I will walk the area with my racket to offer tips, maybe hit a few, and just be active with the members. Do you see other racquet sports like pickleball, paddle tennis, as contenders or just a fad? Well, pickleball is here to stay. We will be building 4 pickleball courts in the very near future. It is easy to learn and play. To be competitive, it is important to offer courts and a program. Will you hire a pickleball pro or train your current staff? I would not hire but will train. Two staff play in the pro-level pickleball tournaments, so they have the skills. What is your niche in this industry? Interestingly, I was at a social about 10 years ago, and a member asked how I have been so successful at St Ives, a tough place. At first, I did not have an answer, and another member jumped in and said “Creig, I know exactly how you have done it. It was never about you; it was always about all the members. You have been service to others”. Are you still involved in playing tennis? YES. I still play league play. We have the most winning ALTA team with our AA1 Senior team (highest level 45s). We are going for 17 consecutive years as city champions. I also play in some 60s tournaments. I have been able to hold high rankings in 60s age groups and father/son, and I still love to play.
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PRO PLANS Lessons Plan for Ladies Teams By Ken Andriano, USPTA Elite Professional
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esson was used for a 3.0 level team. Round 1 can be live hitting after the first volley warmup with higher level players. This was a 3 pro rotation where each pro had 15 minutes in Round 2. It can also be used in a single pro lesson. ROUND #1 25 MINUTES • Quick volley to volley for 5 • Two line feeding drill (deuce and add side). Feed a neutral, deep, and shorter ball. Deuce side should start closer to middle and add side wider to have better access to forehands. Third shot on the deuce should go down the line hard and add side should be short cross court • Feeding drill #2. Approach cross court, volley deep middle or short, and overhead down the
line with focus on footwork and getting body in position. Pick up and switch courts ROUND #2 45 MINUTES • Court 1 Working on the I formation (serving to the add side) with a focus on movement and communication. Make your opponent uncomfortable! Start round with pro feeding and finish with the players serving a few points. • ourt 2 Deuce court 1 up and 1 back both sides. Feed the back player either a neutral ball with a focus on hitting deep cross court to set up partners poach, or a high cross court that must be taken in the air either down the line, or cross court as an approach. Net players receive a low soft ball or lob. Work on
switching and communication if they cannot get the overhead. • Court 3 Ad court 1 up and 1 back both sides. If the back player gets a neutral ball they want to try and get their first shot as a forehand (to hold the net player) and hit to opponents’ backhand. Net player gets low soft ball or lobs to either hit an overhead or communicate the switch. Feeding side attacks as soon as the lob gets over the net players head. Pick up and switch courts ROUND #3
20 MINUTES
Target serving Point play using I formation at least once. Also work on poaching for fake poaching on traditional formations.
ATA South’s High School Tennis HBCU Combine
T
he event was created to showcase talented high school tennis players from the south and beyond. This event was a great success and it hosted players from Houston, Louisiana, South Carolina, North Carolina, Chicago, Virginia, Maryland, Washington D.C. and Georgia! Our girl’s winner was Virginia’s rising high school senior, Sierra Sandy (7UTR) and our boy’s winner was North Carolina’s rising high school junior, Ethan
Boswell (9UTR). Thank you to Tennis Coaches from Benedict College, Clark Atlanta University, Morehouse College, Spring Hill College and Tuskegee University for taking the time to support the players and make connections for the future. A special thanks to our sponsors: USPTA and USTA Southern. For more information on the ATA South and how to support and partner for future events visit www.atasouth.org
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Page 14
Volume 22 Issue 2
The Written Word The Confident Athlete – 4 Easy Steps to Build and Maintain Confidence by Tami Metheny Review by Pat Whitworth, USPTA Master Professional
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his book fills the perfect niche to help our athletes become more confident and ultimately play better and achieve better results. Tami has put together a fun read with plenty of stories to compliment the concepts to become more confident. Less than 70 pages, this is a quick read and good to review often. Tami has a tennis and basketball background, so the stories are from sports but this can be used for any sport. The book begins with common mistakes which include thinking you have to be born with confidence, thinking you do not need to work on it if you are confident right now, waiting to do something after you lose, blaming a bad performance, or blaming someone else for taking your confidence away. The 4 main ‘building blocks’ are Talk the Talk, Walk the Walk, See It to Be It, and Be Prepared. Each section has stories to emphasize how a person or team builds confidence from the section building block. Each area covered also has exercises to build the skill. In the Walk the Walk section, becoming more aware and intentional are Walk Faster, Good Posture, Ideal Body Language, Control Your Face, and the Walk the Walk Ritual. Each contains an explanation and an exercise. From the Walk Faster “Think about what a confident person looks like and while they are walking. Generally, they are the ones a step ahead of everyone else. One of the surest ways to tell how a person
feels about herself is to examine her walk. Is it slow? tired? painful? Or is it energetic and purposeful? People with confidence tend to walk quicker and more upright”. The See It to Be It sections works on visualizing both good and bad. Seeing the bad things that can happen helps us prepare for the issues that do happen during play. What if a string breaks on our favorite racquet? Tami presented the story of Michael Phelps at the Beijing Olympics in the 200m butterfly. He dove into the water, and his goggles started to fill with water. As he touched for the final turn, he could not see. Instead of panicking, he relied on the numerous times he had mentally practiced, and of course, he won gold. The Be Prepared section covers an area that many of our juniors need help. How often do we see them at a practice or a match on a hot, super sunny day? Check the bag, and there is no hat, no water, no tower, etc. The prepared player will anticipate the issues from the weather, and their routine will include a bag check before arriving at the courts. This really is a fun read and very helpful for both junior and adult players. We all deal with players that have lost or are losing confidence. Help them turn back the slide and pick a section to work through. It really is easy and the work is simple. The trick is to be consistent in confidence training just like a player is when training their strokes.
Social Media Contest - Win a Theragun Ways to Earn Points/Entries • Complete your profile on USPTA - 5 entries • Become an affiliate with Theragun - 10 entries • Post an IG photo to USPTASouthern - 3 entries • Post an IG video to USPTASouthern - 5 entries • Post a FB photo to USPTASouthern - 3 entries
Virtual Entries will be awarded for Completion of USPTA Profile, Social Media Tennis Posts, Articles, Likes, and Hashtags Please use #USPTASouthern and Tag us on Facebook @OfficialUSPTASouthernDivision
• Write an article for state newsletter - 5 entries
Send all entry info to Jasonh@noltc.com Deadline for August 1st and Winner announced on August 10th
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GRAND PRIZE!!! Theragun valued at $399 Elite Model
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Standard
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Southern Officers The “Standard” is the official newsletter for the Southern Division of the United States Professional Tennis Association.
President Kevin Theos theos@sta.usta.com 205-790-7256 1st Vice President Tom Parkes pvcctennis@gmail.com 910-233-4755 2nd Vice President Kaitlin Flaherty-Bisplinghoff kflaherty07@gmail.com 832-656-4472 Secretary/Treasurer Ken Andriano kandriano0507@gmail.com 336-541-5876 Past President/Regional VP Todd Upchurch tupchurch1@gmail
Directors at Large Bill Riddle tennisun@aol.com 615-243-6698 Jason Hazley usptala@gmail.com 225-247-3028 Executive Director Pat Whitworth pat.whitworth@uspta.org 800-438-7782 (phone/fax) Head Tester Ron Gwyn rgwyn@haigpoint.com 843-341-8114 ALABAMA John Beaube jbeaube@green2grocer.com ARKANSAS patmalone67@gmail.com
GEORGIA Bill Anderson banderson@capitalcityclub.org KENTUCKY Tim McCollum mccollum@sta.usta.com 502-709-0021 LOUISIANA Bill Bryan billb1481@gmail.com MISSISSIPPI Emilia Viljoen stayplaytennis@gmail.com NORTH CAROLINA Fred Pfuhl usptanc1@gmail.com SOUTH CAROLINA Dean Mays deano959@bellsouth.net TENNESSEE Meg Bandy mbandy@mccallie.org
Out of your vulnerabilities will come your strength — Sigmund Freud Every problem is a gift — without problems we would not grow — Anthony Robbins Everyone wants to live on top of the mountain, but all the happiness and growth occurs while you are climbing it. — Andy Rooney
USPTA Welcomes Our New Members Philip DeRitis . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Chattanooga TN Roland Markwalter . . . . . . . . . . . .Huntsville AL Ron Rice . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Savannah, RN
FAST FACTS
Tennis Hall of Fame Tournament The Hall of Fame Open has been held every year in July since 1976 at the International Tennis Hall of Fame in Newport, Rhode Island, the original location of the U.S. National Championships. The event, which was part of the Grand Prix tennis circuit from 1976 to 1989, features a 32-player singles draw and a doubles tournament. Each year that the tournament has been held there is an induction ceremony for the Hall of Fame. The tournament is held on outdoor grass courts, and is the last grass court tournament of the season on the ATP tour and the only grass court tournament played outside Europe, as well as the only one played after Wimbledon. Up until 2011, when John Isner won the tournament, the top seed had never triumphed at Newport, a trait that has led to the moniker «the Casino Curse», due to the location of the Hall of Fame at the Newport Casino. Florida’s Men’s NCAA National Champion coach Bryan Shelton won the event twice. John Isner has won the event 4 times and most recently in 2019. The four most famous champions are former World No. 1 Lleyton Hewitt, former World No. 4 Greg Rusedski, former two-time Grand Slam runnerup Mark Philippoussis, and two-time Australian Open winner Johan Kriek. Jordan Kerr from Australia has the most doubles titles, winning the event 5 times. The Bryan brothers have won the event twice.
USPTA SOUTHERN DIVISION
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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. 2021. 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
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