Summer Conference in Nashville

Summer Conference August 6-8 Nashville, TN

Live 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.

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 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.

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. 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

A Tribute to USPTA Southern Testers

By Tom Daglis, USPTA Master Professional, Southern HOF, Past National President

USPTA 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 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

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. 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.

State News

Alabama USPTA Alabama Winter Workshop, November 6th 2021, Greystone Country Club, Birmingham, AL , 9:00-4:00pm. Lunch provided.

Arkansas 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.

Georgia 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. North Carolina 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!

South Carolina 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.