USPTA Southern Division: Where Excellence is STANDARD
The USPTA Southern Division
Volume 19 Issue 2: April 2018
We’re BACK
The Beautiful Atlanta Athletic Club will host the 2018 Convention INSIDE:
Convention Agenda & Info. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . pg 2-3 Success Secrets with Dr Sean Drake. . . . . . . . . . . . . pg 5 SMS Auto Reply Text . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . pg 7 12 Things Successful People Do. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . pg 11
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Volume 19 Issue 2
LEADING THE WAY
USPTA Southern Leadership & Career Still Open By Kevin Theos
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he USPTA Southern Leadership and Career Development Program is accepting applications. The program exists to help pros develop in their careers and get more involved with USPTA. Each accepted applicant will be paired with an advisor. For more information or to receive an application please contact Kevin Theos at theos@sta.usta.com. The
deadline to receive completed applications is April 15th. You are invited to attend our USPTA Southern summer convention at Atlanta Athletic Club, May 17th to 19th. We have a world class lineup including Emilio Sanzhez and Gigi Fernandez, but the most important attendee is YOU. YOU have EXPERIENCE that can instruct other pros.
YOU have accomplishments that can INSPIRE other pros and YOU have POWER to strengthen our industry. BUT only if you attend, network and share with other pros. YOU are the reason for the USPTA and we need YOU there!!!
The Social List Parent – Child Event By Tom Parkes (I run this on a Saturday morning) Food and Beverage: Make sure that you have the F & B that works for both parties. Chocolate Milk, donuts, granola, fruit, and coffee for the adults. Event: I set up my parent – child events using the 10 and under format. 8 and under play on the 36-foot court, 10 and under play on 60-foot court, and everyone else play on the 78-foot court. I have advance and intermediate levels for the 78 court events. Intermediate play with green dot balls and advanced play with yellow balls. Whatever court you play on, parent and children must play with the correct size racket. Also, use the scoring that goes with each court size. For the 78-foot court, use 5 game no-ad scoring. If you are a large club you can set this up as (father/son, mother/ daughters, father/daughter, and mother/son). When to run this event: Make this a themed event. Halloween, St. Patrick’s Day, Easter, or even a Football Jersey theme. At the end have Pizza and Snacks, maybe even adult beverages for the adults.
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Convention May 17-19th at the Atlanta Athletic Club, Johns Creek GA • Don’t miss out on this amazing event this year at one of the top club’s in the country • First time ever - Emilio Sanchez, Gigi Fernandez, Sean Drake • Also see Stan Oley, Successful Summer Camps, (5) 15 minute Tennis Ted Talks, and Super Socials • Net Generation Specialty Course • Logo attendee gift • 3 meals included + breakfast at the hotel • Network, learn, play tennis, and leave charged for your summer programs
2:00-7:00 3:00-4:00
4:15-5:15 5:30-6:30 7:00
Host Hotel: Marriott Peachtree Corners $109/night includes breakfast 475 Technology Parkway, Peachtree Corners, GA 30092 Phone: (770) 263-8558 CODE: USPTA Room block released after 4/26 - so reserve early Register and pay online at setteo.com. Search Events for the USPTA Southern Convention. If you do not have an account/profile, use your USPTA email and create your account. Purchase a TICKET for the convention and any other programs that you will attend When registering with Setteo, please choose the events you plan to attend the welcome party and/or awards/HOF. This helps us plan and not waste F&B.
THURSDAY Registration CLASSROOM Selling and Servicing Racquets in Today’s Marketplace - Bob Patterson & Nate Pagel courtesy USRSA CLASSROOM Cardio Tennis: Group Fitness or Tennis Class - Marley Woods CLASSROOM The GiGi Method of Playing Doubles - Gigi Fernandez Welcome Party & Dinner
FRIDAY 7:30 - 4:00 Registration 8:00 - 8:45 CLASSROOM USPTA National Update Cari Buck 9:00 - 10:15 ON COURT Vary Good Tennis: Resources for Creative Coaching - Bob Love 9:00 - 10:30 CLASSROOM Tennis Ted Talks - 15 minute condensed seminars • Credit Cards for Tennis Success Arnold Bradshaw • Launch Your Entry Level Program with Rocket Tennis - Kevin Theos • Make Your Program Magical, Add the Disney Touch - Pat Whitworth • Do You Want to Find Your DREAM Job? Then Put On a New Pair of Socks Dave Dvorak • TBA - Todd Upchurch 10:45 - 11:45 CLASSROOM Spanish Tennis vs. American Tennis - Emilio Sanchez 11:45 Trade Show and Lunch
•$ 135 Early Registration by May 5th, $150 Full Registration •N et Generation Specialty Course only - no charge •N ew Certified Member since May 2017 $25 (advance registration required – Southern members only) • F irst time attending the Southern Convention $75 by 5/5 (Southern members only) • U30 Team Members - $75 • Non PTR/USPTA Member $150 • One day only $90 • Spouse $75 by 5/5, Full price $90
2:30 - 4:00
N COURT Building Up Your Pattern of Play O to Become Competitive - Emilio Sanchez 4:00 - 5:00 ON COURT Building a Better Summer Camp Experience On & Off the Court - Bill Riddle 4:00 - 5:00 CLASSROOM The Body Connection: How the Body Affects the Serve, Forehand, and Backhand - Sean Drake courtesy RacquetFit 5:00 Team Meetings 6:30 ON COURT Evening Gathering & Pop Tennis Challenge SATURDAY 7:30-10:30 Registration 8:00 - 12:00 ON COURT Net Generation Coaches Workshop - Specialty Course Craig Jones courtesy USTA 8:00 - 9:30 ON COURT Solutions to Better Private, Group, and Doubles Lessons - Stan Oley courtesy Playmate ball machines 9:45 - 10:45 CLASSROOM 8 Characteristics of a Healthy Tennis Program - Jeff Chandley 11:00 - 12:00 CLASSROOM The Preparation and Strategies for the Match of Your Life: Retirement - Larry Karageanes 12:15 - 2:15 Awards and HOF 2:30 - 3:30 ON COURT Transition: Continental Grip Skills - Chris Hoshour 3:45 - 4:45 ON COURT 8 Week Lesson Plan For Adult Club Teams - Tom Parkes
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Volume 19 Issue 2
Convention Featured Speakers Gigi Fernandez is a tennis Hall of Famer and well known tennis personality who has dedicated her entire life to the game she knows and loves. First, as a junior player followed by a very successful professional career and upon retiring, as a coach to players of all levels. Gigi, a native of Puerto Rico, was a pioneer for female sports on the island. From a young age, her natural ability coupled with her instinct on the court, were signs that Gigi would reach levels that no one in the island had ever dreamed possible. Upon graduating from high school, Gigi accepted a scholarship to Clemson University where she reached the singles finals of the NCAA Championship as a freshman. The success of her first year in college prompted her to turn professional in 1983 becoming Puerto Rico’s first female professional athlete, in any sport. Her illustrious professional career included winning 2 Olympic Gold Medals in Doubles with Mary Joe Fernandez (no relation) and an astounding 71 titles on the WTA tour including 2 singles, 52 doubles and 17 Grand Slam doubles titles. Gigi is recognized as one of the best doubles players of all-time. In 2000, Gigi was honored as the Puerto Rican Athlete of the Century and was inducted in the International Tennis Hall of Fame in 2010.
Craig S. Jones is the Director of Professional Development and Education for USTA-U. In this role, he is responsible for developing coaching resources, training opportunities, and oversee USTA adjunct faculty to deliver professional development throughout the US. Before joining the USTA, Craig spent over 25 years as a Director of Tennis and club pro, working with hundreds of junior players from novice to national champions. The introduction of 10U tennis totally turned his club from a financial troubled club to a vibrant and successful club. He is a certified USPTA and PTR Pro, a USTA High Performance Coach, and also the owner of the Petersburg Racquet Club in Martinez, Ga. Jones is a frequent speaker at industry events, including ITA, ITF, and state high school tennis associations. Jones has presented at the USPTA World Conference on several occasions. His appearance is courtesy of the USTA.
Emilio Sánchez is a former professional tennis player from Spain. He won three Grand Slam doubles titles and the men’s doubles silver medal at the Olympic Games. He is the brother of multiple Grand Slam winner Arantxa. Sanchez since retiring captained his nation to Davis Cup success in 2008. Emilio is the founder and co-director of Academia Sánchez-Casal in Barcelona, Spain. ASC is renowned as the training ground for such stellar touring pros as Andy Murray, Svetlana Kuznetsova, Anna Ivanovic, Janko Tipsarevic, and others. They have a U.S. site at Naples Bath & Tennis Club in Naples, Florida. Emilio has taken up full-time residence in Naples to manage the program where he takes the courts to personally contribute his expertise. There are live in students with year round schooling as well as weekly programs for juniors and adults. The Academy uses a training method that has been continuously proven to be effective and has helped students achieve their best tennis level. This successful method enables students to obtain scholarships in universities across the United States as well as for current touring professionals.
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“Success Secrets” Sean Drake, VP RacquetFit® By Lane Evans-USPTA Elite Professional
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hen you first glance at the resume of one Dr. Sean Drake, you are almost mesmerized at the length of accomplishments he has collected in his young career. He is a clearly a well-educated person. His whole career to date has been dedicated to fitness and wellness. There isn’t much Sean doesn’t know about how the body works and how it can work best at certain sports. He is currently working on his latest project, RacquetFit®. RacquetFit® will be a cutting-edge fitness evaluation for tennis players that will enable fitness, medical, and tennis professionals better understand tennis specific movement, limitations and ways to train and maintain the body biomechanically for optimum tennis performance. Sean and his team have been working on this project for some time now and they hope to roll out the Level 1 certification by early summer. Sean was good enough to send us some of his success points for this issue of The USPTA Southern Standard. But first a little background on Sean. He received his bachelor’s degree at Florida State University where he was a walk-on to the track & field team. He received his master’s degree in Sports Health Science with an emphasis in Sports Injury Management as well as his Doctorate in Chiropractic from Life University in Atlanta. He holds numerous professional certifications including Certified Chiropractic Sports Physician (CCSP) from the American Academy of Chiropractic Sports Physicians, Performance Enhancement Specialist (PES) with the National Academy of Sports Medicine, Graston Technique Certification, and specializes in performance for athletes. In addition to running multiple chiropractic clinics, he has extensive experience in treating amateur and professional athletes, serving as the Team Doctor for the Mississippi Hound Dogs, Team Chiropractor for the Life University and Life West Rugby Teams. He is currently Medical Director for the Summer and Winter Dew Tour, Nitro Circus World Games, Nitro Circus Live Tours, and the UCI BMX Supercross World Cups. After founding and serving as the Sports Performance Institute Director at Life Chiropractic College West, Sean recently accepted the posi-
tion as Vice President and Performance Director of RacquetFit® in Oceanside, CA working alongside Dr. Greg Rose. As Vice President and Performance Director of RacquetFit®, Sean, along with their partner and sponsor the USPTA, they are expanding TPI’s worldwide health & fitness certification program to include the sport of tennis. Sean’s hobbies include tennis, surfing, cycling, swimming, skydiving, sailing, and running. Sean’s Top 10 “Success Secrets” List Looks Like This: Success Secrets 1. Mentorship 2. Collaboration 3. Humbleness 4. Seeing and adapting to trends 5. Communication 6. Constant Learning 7. Listening 8. Building the right Team 9. Having a product everyone needs 10. LOVE WHAT YOU DO When thinking about success secrets I believe it starts with looking at what successful people have done. For me I see mentorship and leadership #1; getting value and growth from someone who has innovated and mastered what you do should be the ultimate goal of anyone looking to be better. #2, competition is healthy however I see collaboration as the future of business. As an entrepreneur in sports medicine as well as the USPTA Tennis professionals collaborating would do so much for so many. Understanding there is enough pie to go around; becoming the pie maker. I see “humbleness” as #3 on my list because every successful great leader realizes title is only a title, but action is the most important. Respecting everyone with where they are. In sports we have to be ahead of the research; by the time something becomes evidence
based we already have new hypothesis being drawn up and executed on. That being said, knowing where business is going and how to (#4) communicate your product is crucial. Next is constant learning; when we believe we know everything we stop succeeding; period. Every teaching professional, coach, trainer, or doctor should always push to learn new drills, technique, or listen to other ideas and philosophy to their craft. This leads into listening at #6; success is sometimes gained by talking less. Seeing the consumer or client grow through your actions and being able to listen to where they are and helping move them through their journey. You can be successful by yourself, however, success is so much easier with the right team. Respecting your strengths and realizing your limitations; I personally like to have a team that fills the inefficient leaks in my life. They get excited because that is what drives them; if you can get your team to love their part and challenge while growing them I believe that is success. A true leader is always building others up with no worry of whether they could take their position or job. In fact I love it when I train someone and they are better than I am. And finally, have the product everyone needs; create value around the product, make it exciting, make the client realize the importance of purchasing your time and energy. You are your best marketing; this means if you can’t move or do what you are asking of your client then get after it. They watch you and decide if you’re the right coach or pro to train with; be the Gold Medalist. and Lastly, LOVE what you do. If you aren’t in LOVE with what you do every day go find what it is you love. Don’t fight the current you aren’t a Salmon :) We thank Dr. Sean Drake for taking time out to share his thoughts on success with us at USPTA Southern. Sean will be one of our key speakers at the upcoming USPTA Southern Convention in May at the Atlanta Athletic Club. Don’t miss him.
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Volume 19 Issue 2
USPTA Invited Guest
Oh Tennis, How I’ve Missed You By Chris Dudley
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hen I graduated from college in 1983, I figured I should actually use my Education degree and I taught middle school and high school English for one excruciating year. Around that time, my two best friends from school had moved to St. Louis, so I followed them out there and took an assistant pro job, learned a great deal and was offered the Head Pro position at a club where I stayed for nine years. My former spouse and I were raising a family and we decided it was time for me to get a “real job,” so in 1995 I left tennis teaching to pursue a career in financial sales. I actually did quite well in sales for several years, but when the market and my heart both sank, I floundered from one thing to another. Fast forwarding to 2015, I moved to the Atlanta area when my wife Amy and I decided we would get married. I had just accepted a fund-raising position for a church organization and thought this would finally be my perfect career fit. I was extremely incorrect in my thinking. I was let go almost a year ago to the day, with no explanation. Amy and I agreed that I needed to take several weeks off before job hunting again, so I contacted the USTA and was connected to a tennis facility near us. I had not hit a tennis ball in FIVE YEARS! I was convinced that my history of back problems would not allow me to play again, so I hadn’t even thought about it in a long time. My only reason for looking for a tennis
connection was for my own recreation. After a couple of weeks jumping in on group drill sessions, the light went on. I can TOTALLY DO THIS AGAIN! When I sheepishly approached my wife about the idea, she was thrilled. I had become so programmed to somehow believe that teaching tennis was not an actual career. She was even more enthusiastic about it than I was. When I approached the teaching pro about it, he asked a GREAT question….are you CERTIFIED? (He is a PTR pro, but I forgave him). Why, YES! I AM CERTIFIED! He told me to contact the USPTA and find out what it would take to get back into good standing. To be honest here, I dreaded this phone call. I had endured more than a decade of assuming the worst news and expected a million hoops to jump through before I could be certified again. I was so wonderfully wrong. What did it take? Pay your annual dues, a reinstatement fee, and you’re all set! What? It’s that easy? I don’t have to test again? I don’t have to pay a gazillion dollars? Wow. Awesome. I have been back on the courts as a teaching pro for about 11 months. It’s incredible. And I’m REALLY GOOD AT MY JOB! At age 55 I can still play well. I have been working independently, driving to several venues each week teaching private and group lessons. While I’m still not as busy as I need to be, it’s been a gift from God. I get to provide recreation and fun for students of all ages
and abilities. I get to be an Encourager and Exhorter for folks who are just looking for enjoyment away from the pressures of daily life. It’s amazing. If you are ever doubting whether or not teaching tennis is a “real job,” PLEASE CALL ME and allow me to talk you down off that ledge. I feel I’ve been reunited with a long-lost love. Look at the faces of your students and stop to consider how many millions of people are at jobs they hate and count your blessings.
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Play Tennis Month - Register and Start Burning
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ennis industry partners are working together to promote May as “Play Tennis Month” to help showcase the sport of tennis and associated health benefits. Thousands of tennis programs and events will be held around the country, with a goal of helping to get people moving and playing tennis, the No. 1 sport for a long and healthy life. At least 1,500 tennis facilities around the U.S. are expected to participate in Play Tennis Month. The goal for the entire month of May is for Americans to burn a combined 10 million calories on the tennis court in Play Tennis Month activities. Play Tennis Month also helps to support PHIT America. To support Play Tennis Month, tennis providers should register their location as a participating site, so consumers can find nearby locations and programs. To register a location and programs for free and to support the tennis industry and a healthy America, visit RallyTheIndustry.org.
Tech Corner SMS Auto Reply Text Message By Kevin Jackson
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re you like most of us and give your cell phone out to your clients? Do you sometimes wish certain members didn’t have your number? Do any of your clients reach out to you at inconvenient times? If you answered yes to any of these then you need to try this app. I have been testing this out for the past month and love it. SMS Auto Reply - automatic reply text message to missed calls and incoming sms when you are busy, away, in a meeting, in school, on vacation, on leave, out of office, while you are driving, watching a movie, sleeping, or just
when you would prefer not to be disturbed. Tired of receiving SMS/calls while you’re on vacation or out of the office for personal matters? Do you want to enjoy your holiday without getting disturbed all the time? Set easily automatic replies messages on your cell phone for any occasion and don’t be disturbed when you’re busy or away. You can choose between an elaborated answer or simply a short answer as “text/call me later”. I set my away message once I leave work and it notifies anyone who texts me that I will respond as soon as I return to work. You can
choose certain numbers that will not trigger the auto reply such as friends and family members. You can also set it to send a message to someone if they call you. The app can also control your phone and put it in “do not disturb” anytime you turn on the auto reply. Great way to take back a little bit of your off court time and get some balance in your life.
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s w e N e t a t S Alabama
A big thank you to former board member, Raphael Rodrigues. We wish you the best in Georgia! We appreciate your years of service and you will certainly be missed! We welcome new Alabama board member Mallory Green! We are exploring a variety of different ideas for our continuing education opportunities in Alabama this year, including webinars and podcasts in addition to our traditional workshops. We are also stepping up our social media game with our facebook, twitter, and instagram presence; so if you’re not already, please like and follow us! We hope to highlight great things happening for tennis in Alabama!!
Arkansas
Sadly, Arkansas lost two iconic tennis professionals recentl. Lora Ann Baxley and Fred Serrett. Lora Ann was nationally ranked and held the #1 Southern Girls 16s ranking in 1971. As an instructor she taught at the Westside Tennis Club in Little Rock, taught for Nick Bollettieri, and was the Head Professional at Chenal Country Club. I remember how welcoming Lora Ann was to me as a tennis professional not from Arkansas, and what a delight she was at a party or event. She and Cindy, my wife, could talk for hours about who knows what. Fred also leaves behind a legacy of tennis credits. He had been nationally ranked and played tennis for Florida State. Even though he was quite a few years older than me, we played often in Hot Springs Village, usually in the heat of the day. He loved playing and talking tennis. Fred was the professional for Hot Springs and Belvedere Country Clubs. Tis the season to be putting in the hours on the lesson courts, but if you can get away the Southern Convention is being held May 17 – 19 at the Atlanta Athletic Club. A great opportunity to gain materiel and information benefiting your club and clients. I’ll see you there is you can make it – Bob Wagstaff “There is nothing noble in being superior to your fellow man; true nobility is being superior to your former self.” — Ernest Hemingway
Georgia
USPTA GA. held the spring workshop hosted by Cristian Lopez at Eagle Watch Tennis in Woodstock,
GA. Highlights include: Jeff Chandley, tennis director at Atlanta Athletic Club. He spoke about how a tennis professional can build their income. Dos and Don’ts for tennis pros include have a lesson plan for each lesson, and spend more time listening to the student vs talking. Be aware of your tone during lesson. Don’t only focus on what the student is doing wrong. To build your junior program, review what you covered in the lesson to their parents. Since we are in ALTA season, build momentum by having an ALTA theme. Jim Richards is the tennis pro at Smoke Rise. He spoke on how to hit a biomechanically efficient serve. Teaching a fundamental serve should be taught in stages. In stage 1, use a platform stance, and don’t obsess on using a continental grip. Full backswing in stage 2. In stage 3 add body rotation. Practice second serves during serving drills. When in ready position check that student is in neutral stance. At impact point, check for looking up on serve. Suzy Ihnat is the tennis director at Smoke Rise. Her presentation was overcoming obstacles in women’s doubles. She covered the importance of covering the middle, hitting inside hip or straight ahead. For 1 up and 1 back doubles position get the ladies out of only covering doubles alley. Emphasize when they move back, go to the middle of the court. Moving forward for women is difficult; teach how to move forward by hand tossing approach shots. Overheads are weak shots generally for women to hit. Hitting lobs tend to make opponents impatient. Suzy also discussed importance to ask questions. Questions help them to think and to remember what they covered. Scott Gates is the tennis pro at Dunwoody Country Club. He reviewed getting players in better doubles positions. Have 2 players at net and 2 on baseline. Intend on moving to middle after each strike. Second formation is all 4 players start behind baseline and get them move to net. Formation 3 is 2 having 2 at net and 1 up and 1 back on other side. Feed to 1 up 1 back side. Formation 4 is again 2 at net vs 1 up and 1 back. Give the 2 at net a chance to poach. .
Volume 19 Issue 2
Kentucky
Thanks to Southern President Lane Evans and Master Professional Bob Love for their excellent presentations at our joint workshop with the Kentucky High School Coaches Association. We hope this will be an annual event and will continue to grow. One of the primary goals this year is to get Kentucky pros more connected. Getting to know your fellow pros is a great way to share ideas and challenges that we all face. With this in mind we are planning a state workshop during the Kentucky Bank Challenger Tournament in Lexington the first week in August. The workshop will include on court presentations, a hospitality tent and a chance to watch some great tennis! More info will be available soon. Thanks, and hoping everyone has a great spring season.
Louisiana
Greetings to all my colleagues! I hope all of you are enjoying a busy and prosperous spring season! It gives me great pleasure to announce our LA State Workshop on April 13th at New Orleans Lawn Tennis Club. I would like to thank all our speakers for volunteering their time and contributing to the success of the event. NOLTC’s host and GM, Mr. Lee Stall accommodated our every request and even presented on the topic of Human Resources. We are also grateful to Mr. Bobby Crifasi, the New Orleans Country Club GM and incoming National President of CMAA who spoke on Business Management Leadership. Our on court presenter Mr. Chris Dazet, the Director of Tennis at Metairie Country Club will speak on Running a Successful Adult League Program. The Friday afternoon workshop will conclude with a cocktail hour social following the presentations. Thank you to all these fine industry leaders for making this event a big success!!
Mississippi
Hello everyone, Our state workshop was held in January with a tremendous turnout. Almost 75% of our State membership was present. I’d like to thank all of our pros who made the trip to Jackson, as well as all of our speakers. Our featured speaker was Emilio Sanchez. He spent numerous hours with our pros both on the court and in the classroom. Great information! I also thank our USTA MS office for reimbursing our pros for room and mileage. They have been very supportive and we appreciate it. Our women challenger tournament will be held in April at River Hills Tennis Club. We are looking forward to some great tennis. Since the weather has been great lately, it looks like everyone is busy on the courts with lessons and tournaments.Don’t forget about our Southern Convention in May in Atlanta.See y’all the.
North Carolina
Looking at the forecast for the next ten days it appears that a long, cold, wet, sometimes snowy winter is coming to an end - let’s see what happens by the time this gets to print. Spring brings greening grass, blooming flowers, increased activity at our clubs, and hopefully new ideas. In an attempt to connect our USPTA NC community (my goal for 2018) I would like to throw out this request - take one new idea, project, goal or event and send me a brief description to usptanc@gmail.com. I will share those ideas in our upcoming newsletter and one person who contributes will receive a prize pack. You may think that your idea isn’t very creative or new, but it also might get the reaction “wow, I used to do something like that. I’m going to try it again” (happens to me a lot when I go to conventions). On that note, make plans to join us in Atlanta for the USPTA Southern Convention beginning May 17, and look for information to come regarding a “Lunch & Learn” session during the Winston Salem Open, and for our winter workshop in December. As always, your feedback and suggestions are welcome at usptanc@gmail.com or my cell 678.595.2650..
South Carolina
Spring is finally here. As most of us know we begin our busiest season in March thru December…..LOL. While I know our time is limited I must encourage everyone to make sure you are registered with NetGeneration. Currently South Carolina has over 400 providers registered with NetGeneration. Those that work at private clubs may not be able to market their programs on NetGeneration, but at a minimum have your staff register and complete the background check. The southern convention will be Atlanta in May. I would like to see more of our state professionals take advantage of the southern convention,
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Southern Spotlight Jeff Chandley - Atlanta Athletic Club, Johns Creek Georgia Give a brief description of your tennis/other career: I have been blessed to have joined the professional when I never had thought about it becoming my career. I worked as an independent professional in Nashville for 5 years before I became the DOT at Maryland Farms Club. After a great 5 years I took over the position at Sawgrass Country Club and soon after starting became the Athletic Director and oversaw the construction of a new fitness facility and aquatics program and beach guards. Years later I became DOT at the Landings Club in Savannah Georgia. 1 year later became the Athletic Director and oversaw a renovation of the fitness center costing $5 million. 10 years later I found a great opportunity to become the DOT at the Atlanta Athletic Club and have spent the last 10 years as their DOT and 3 years as Director of Athletics.
especially when it is in our neighboring state of Georgia. If you cannot attend the entire convention try to set time aside to attend at least one day of the convention. The education is important, but networking with other professionals is just as important. Thanks to everyone that nominated themselves or another pro for USPTA State pro of the year. We have put together an independent awards committee comprised of Past Presidents of USTA SC, Hall of Fame USPTA Pros, and industry elite board members. We were excited to see the interest they expressed in reviewing the nominees and deciding on the most deserving. The winner will be announced during the southern convention.
Tennessee
The first quarter of 2018 has already been a busy one in Tennessee. During the USTA Tennessee annual January meeting we hosted a coaches workshop focusing on NET GENERATION alongside a variety of annual meeting topics. 30 high school coaches and teaching pros were hosted at Richland Country Club in February for the State Coaches Workshops. The lineup of speakers showcased a number of pros from around the country including Tom Parks (NC), Jenny Robb (AL), Craig Cignarelli (FL), Joey Hall (TN), Margot Carter (TN), Tim Treat (CO), Art Turnbill (CO) and Lane Evans (NC). This group of pros served a dual role that weekend by also serving as “celebrity chefs” for the Tasting Tennis Doubles Cook Off Challenge benefiting the Sean Karl Foundation the night before at Temple Hills Country Club. Both events were organized by Southern Board member Bill Riddle who has been logging the miles representing Tennessee speaking at a number of events including the Grand Slam Coaches Conference in Australia. Davis Cup visited Tennessee in April and there were a host of activities planned for the lead up week and the weekend of the event as the USA takes on Belgium. A number of free junior clinic dates are set for the week of April 2-6 along with a coaches workshop on Friday April 6th.
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When did you start playing tennis? I started the summer before my junior year of high school, I was dating a girl and her brother played for North Carolina State What other sports did you play? I played football from the 2nd grade until my senior year of high school, my dad was a big golfer so we all played golf, I played baseball through Connie Mack League What moved you to teach tennis? While playing college tennis in Nashville I was introduced to tennis legend Peter Van Lingen, he asked me to come teach with him and he would teach me the trade. I spent 5 years teaching under him and gained a ton of knowledge. What is something people will be surprised to learn about you? That I had college football offers and turn them down to play tennis in college. What are your hobbies? Fly Fishing and watching my children grow-up. What is your favorite movie? The Greatest Showman” Are you reading anything right now? “The Shack” What is your favorite sports team? Atlanta Falcons & Jacksonville Jaguars Who is your favorite player of all time? Bart Starr What person would you most like to have lunch with? My Dad What would you be doing if you were not in tennis? I would be a Fly Fishing guide If you had a “do over”, what one thing would you have done differently in your teaching career? As I tell my young staff, keep a journal of your career and all the fun/funny things that you will experience. I have had such a great career, but I wish I could pass along all the fun and funny things that have happened over the past 36 years to those around me.
One Good Idea! From the USPTA GA 2017 Winter Workshop Allistair McCaw 7 ways to invest in YOUR career 1. Attend workshops, conferences,etc 2. Listen to podcasts & audio books 3. Keep a journal or learning book 4. Improve interpersonal skills 5. Observe other practices 6. Get more connected 7. Read more books
5 Coaching Nuggets 1. First look at what’s great in the player, not what is wrong 2. Listen to really understand, not always to reply 3. F ind the best person for the job. Don’t try and be everything to everybody 4. Provide life skills, not only game skills 5. Focus on building meaningful relationships You are not born a winner, you are not born a loser, you are born a chooser
I AM
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*Based on 2017 Wilson LABS study comparing 2017 Wilson Ultra 100 CV with Power Rib and Crush Zone versus same model without such features. Pros often customize the rackets they use, including string patterns. Consumer racket specifications may vary from models customized by Pros for match-play. Š 2017 Wilson Sporting Goods Co. Trademarks advertised other than those of Wilson Sporting Goods Co. are properties of their respective owners. 17-0232
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OUTSIDE the LINES 1
Boldly fail. Failure can and will happen, regardless of how awesome your work ethic is. The most successful people understand the reality of failure and its importance in finding success. While you may want to run and hide after you fail, you must learn from your mistakes to ensure you don’t fail in the same way the second time around.
2
Set goals. Those who are successful set daily achievable goals. Find success by solidifying goals that are S.M.A.R.T. — smart, measurable, attainable, realistic, timely. Get rid of long-term goals and establish small daily goals to achieve your vision more easily.
3
It’s not always about luck. It’s all too easy to chalk up success to being in the right place at the right time. While this certainly is an element of success, you can’t forget the crucial involvement of blood, sweat, and tears. Don’t hold yourself back by waiting for the perfect timing or idea. Some of the most successful people got there by hitting the ground running, even if timing wasn’t perfect.
4
Carefully track your progress. Often, success comes down to keeping your eye on the prize while regularly monitoring behaviors,
12 Things All Successful People Do – Forbes
strategies, and tactics. You can’t make adjustments if you don’t know how you’re doing. Be sure to hold yourself accountable by checking your progress as often as possible and getting feedback when it’s due.
5
Don’t wait to act. Successful people don’t always know the right answer, but they keep moving anyway. Taking action will lead to answers, so don’t let obstacles stall you when you’re searching for the right solution.
6
Connect the dots. Those who are successful have the ability to see the greater picture. Look at things in a “past, present, and future” context to receive favorable results.
7
Harness your confidence. You’ve got to truly believe in your abilities. Assess yourself to gain a clear understanding of what you are able to accomplish, and use this as fuel to light your own fire.
8
Commit. Success doesn’t come without effort. The most successful individuals are often the most committed to what they’re working toward. Go the extra mile every day and make no exceptions.
9
Be alert. Awareness breeds success. If you’re not keyed in to your environment, you’re sure to miss opportunities. Listen to what’s being said about your company, constantly hone feedback, and keep your eyes and ears on your entire industry.
10
Persevere. Truly successful people never give up. Do they ever fail? Yes. But as times get hard, their stamina to move forward doesn’t wane. Develop a willingness to work through the challenges you encounter along the way.
11
Communicate like a pro. Those who are successful have an ease for convincing others. They don’t manipulate or pressure but logically explain the benefits. Communicating with confidence will allow you to more easily negotiate your visions.
12
Display humility. Success doesn’t have to come with an ego. In fact, many successful people don’t have one. This is because they understand that while extraneous factors come into play, some failure can be chalked up to their own shortcomings. Never forget to hold yourself accountable for every aspect of your life. This is how you’ll remain focused and humble.
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Volume 19 Issue 2
The Written Word Reviewed by Pat Whitworth, USPTA Master Professional
Habit Stacking: 97 Small Life Changes That Take 5 Minutes or Less – By S.J. Scott
T
his is a great book to help you as a professional as well as your students. Habits are at the core of tennis as well as our careers. Developing good habits, whether it be technical, conditioning, nutrition, or just practice habits, are extremely important. Habit Stacking provides a simple method to build a habit in small pieces. The book is a self-development book which tells of many ways to developing habits and stacking these habits. It emphasis on stacking your habits by making small changes. The author shares information and advice on small habits you can form and do them on a daily basis. The key is forming and developing a daily routine that only takes a short time to complete. By writing a to do list checklist and making sure that you do things on your to do list will help you to achieve more on and will keep you motivated. Where this book really takes off for the people who like to learn by example, like me, is that you get to view the author’s morning habit stack and how it’s changed over time. This is followed by 127 examples of habits, broken down into7 key life areas, with all the tools and resources you need to make them work in your life. Here are the 8 steps, according to Scott, for building a habit stacking routine… 1. Pick a Time and Location. Build a routine around a specific location, time of day or combination of both. Scott Provides examples: • In the morning at home • The first part of the workday at the office • The end of the workday at the office • In the evening at home • At the gym while you’re working out • During travel or on the road • On your lunch break
2. Build One Routine at a Time. Focus on one routine at a time because it reduces the amount of depletion of your willpower. Scott recommends that you focus on one new routine for a month before making any changes or additions. 3. Start with “Small Wins”. Look across areas in your life where small wins would pay you back. Scott provides 97 actions organized by 7 categories. Some will not be appropriate to your tennis students, but learning this system will help them for the rest of their lives. The 7 categories of habits are: • Productivity • Relationships • Finances • Organization • Spirituality/well-being • Health/physical fitness • Leisure. 4. Create a Logical Checklist. Create a simple checklist of your habits and actions required to accomplish each habit. Scott recommends that the habits should work together and flow seamlessly. He also recommends that your checklist of habits reflect moving from one room to another to keep the progress flowing. 5. Have a “Reason Why”. Have a good reason why behind each individual action so that you don’t quit. Scott says that some people adopt habit stacking techniques to help them live longer, while others adopt them to spend more time with their families. 6. Be Accountable. Scott warns that it’s always easier to do nothing than to take action. He recommends
updating people on our progress to help you stick with it. As an example, Scott tried a scale that tweets his weight. But another way to stay accountable is to structure it. Scott suggest having an alarm on your phone to trigger you to start to use your routine each day. Scott has also tried the Lift App and that works well for him. 7. Create Small, Enjoyable Rewards. Reward yourself with small treats for getting through your routine every day for a week or month. Scott recommends you keep the reward small and choose rewards that have a positive long-term impact, such as a movie, date night, or small healthy treat. 8. Focus on Repetition. Repetition of routine helps build your muscle memory. Scott says that repetition is key for the first 30 days of habit stacking. Habit Stacking is an easy read, and will certainly help you add some variety as you help build your student’s positive habits.
Standard
Fit to Hit
Page 13
Top 10 Spring Training Tips for Your Teams and Players
By Lane Evans-USPTA Elite Professional
N
ow that spring has sprung in a number of areas around the south, it’s time to get your players up and going and back into tennis shape. But how do you do that and what are the best exercises and processes for tennis players. Here are 10 great ones that you can use.
1. Make sure your players stretch before
playing. Dynamic stretching is a great way to warm-up as well. Exercises such as “Frankie walks”, “butt kicks”, arm circlessmall to large and back again and high knee lift skipping are 4 great ways to get warm quickly.
3. Lateral eye-hand drills passing a tennis ball back and forth while laterally moving. Nothing better.
7. Check hydration and heart rates. Make sure your players can physically navigate the demands you are placing on them.
4. Directional movements with tennis
8. Work in progressions with drills. Over-
ball. Partner or pro uses their imagination to just throw ball short distances but short distances for players to chase and move back using tennis specific movements.
heads are a good example. Have players track ball, back pedal, side pedal and then catch the ball first. Then move to actual hits. Make sure legs and shoulders are warm before live ball hits begins.
9. Keep team practices to less time starting out. Maybe start with an hour and then gradually build up by half hour increments. 10. Have fun! Make sure your players are
2. Using bands are another great way to
warm-up and train. Internal and external rotations, 90-90 movements and 2-arm high lifts and lower pulls are all great. Long bungie cords can also be utilized. Hook one end to your player, the other end to the fence and then feed to them making them stretch hard to hit forehands and backhands. This is great for trunk stability.
5. Short burst interval running. Never use long distance running to train tennis players. It just doesn’t make sense. Quick burst, maybe 10-15-20 ft. sprints both straight and directional. 6. Use variations of the previous drill such as touching cones, running and jumping hurdles, picking up balls or running to certain points on the court.
not overdoing it early in the season. This will lead to injury and lost playing time.
Lane Evans is an ISSA Certified Fitness Trainer, Certified Senior Fitness Specialist, and is Certified in Exercise Therapy. He is also an iTPA Master Tennis Performance Specialist and is also TPI Certified Level 1 and Fitness Level 2.
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 Lane Evans Levans290@gmail 707-386-6206 1st Vice President Kevin Theos theos@sta.usta.com 205-790-7256 2nd Vice President Kaitlin Flaherty kflaherty07@gmail.com 832-656-4472 Secretary/Treasurer Tom Parkes pvcctennis@gmail.com 910-233-4755 Past President/Regional VP Todd Upchurch tupchurch1@gmail.com 704-258-7220 Directors at Large Ken Andriano kandriano@theriverclub-ga.com 336-541-5876
Bill Riddle tennisun@aol.com 615-243-6698 Executive Director Pat Whitworth usptasouthern@gmail.com 800-438-7782 (phone/fax) Head Tester Ron Gwyn rgwyn@haigpoint.com 843-341-8114 State Presidents ALABAMA Jenny Robb jennywrobb@gmail.com 205-902-1188 ARKANSAS Bob Wagstaff bwagstaff@hsvpoa.org 501-922-5054 GEORGIA Billy Uelze buelze@me.com
FAST FACTS Miami Open Oldest ball boy on tour: 56-year-old Glen Outlaw 2017 Roughly 400 ball persons are used during the event 2017 set a record for the MIAMI OPEN with 305,000 patrons The MIAMI Open is moving to Dolphin Stadium in 2019 The MIAMI OPEN had been on Key Biscayne since 1989 The first Miami Open was held in Delray Beach at Laver’s International Tennis Resort in Delray Beach in 1985. It was dubbed “The Winter Wimbledon” as it would be the first major tournament of the year (the Australian Open was then held in December).
KENTUCKY David White d.white@topseedtennis.net 859-361-1536 LOUISIANA Jason Hazley usptala@gmail.com 225-247-3028 MISSISSIPPI Bo Gard bogdangard@yahoo.com 228-243-3110 NORTH CAROLINA Darryl Lewis usptanc@gmail.com 828-964-8490 SOUTH CAROLINA Kevin Jackson camdencctennis@gmail.com 803-432-6711 TENNESSEE Michael Chamberlain chamberlaintennis@gmail.com 901-765-4414
USPTA Certification Tests & Upgrades April 14, Medlock Bridge Tennis Club Atlanta, GA April 28, Green Island Country Club Columbus, GA May 06, Hendrix College Conway, AR May 19, Green Island Country Club Columbus, GA May 20, Williamson County Parks & Recreation Brentwood, TN June 3, Haig Point Club Hilton Head, SC June 9, Medlock Bridge Tennis Club Atlanta, GA June 15, Millbrook Exchange Park Raleigh, NC June 23, Rome Tennis Center Rome, GA July 20, Country Club of Asheville Asheville, NC
USPTA Welcomes Our New Members Apple, John..........................................Memphis TN Bevard, Brent..................................Hattiesburg MS Borges, Caio............................................Atlanta GA Bures, Frank........................................Greenville NC Byrd, Joshua................................... Summerville SC Carella, James........................................Roswell GA Didavi, Loic......................................New Orleans LA Donald III, Douglas......................... Wilmington NC Evans, Sarah...................................Chattanooga TN Gatti, Kyle.........................................Greensboro NC Hernandez, Angel..............................Tuscaloosa AL Johnson, Jamison........................ Lawrenceville GA Johnston, Judith..................................... Athens GA Kersey, Mary.......................Saint Simons Island GA Klyuyenko, Darya....................................Jackson TN Laukys, Tomas.......................................Marietta GA Lieberman, Claire............................. Fayetteville NC Martin, Jon............................................Norcross GA Martin, Tory.............................................Atlanta GA Norsworthy, Thomas.......................Dawsonville GA Parker, Luster..........................................Graham NC Passman, Zachary............................Greensboro NC Pyle, Kaitlyn........................................Oak Ridge TN Rao, Zachin......................................New Orleans LA Silitski, Yauheni.....................................Norcross GA Vaganova, Anastasiia.............................Lorman MS Wells, Kathleen....................................Arlington TN Wood, Jonathan....................................Fairburn GA Yielding, Dillon................................. Fayetteville AR
C A good teacher can inspire hope, ignite the imagination and instill a love of learning. — Brad Henr It is often in the darkest skies that we see the brightest stars. — Richard Evans Life has no remote...You have to get up and change it yourself.
USPTA SOUTHERN DIVISION
NEWSLETTER 337 Rhodes House Court SUWANEE, GA 30024
The Standard is published every 60 days by the Southern Division of the United States Professional Tennis Association. The opinions expressed in The Standard are those of the authors and not necessarily those of The Standard, the USPTA or Southern Division. CopyrightŠ The Standard/United States Professional Tennis Association, Inc. 2018. 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