TENNESSEE TIEBREAK USPTA NEWSLETTER
STATE BOARD
Dan Beedle – President
Knoxville
Geoff Brown – Vice President
Nashville
Devin Crotzer – 2nd VP
Nashville
Sarah Evans – Secretary
Chattanooga
Daniel Shidler – Treasurer
Memphis
USPTA SOUTHERN CONFERENCE
The USPTA Southern Conference was held in May and what a great event it was. There were many great speakers and topics including: Serve+1, Doubles Poaching, Teaching Singles to 2.5 – 3.5 players, Cardio Tennis, and connecting clubs, communities and parks. If you did not attend, plan to be at the Southern Conference next year. Networking, and great education await!
USPTA Tennessee State Workshop – Saturday December 2nd in Knoxville
A weekend with the Masters:
Three USPTA Master Pros are slated to speak at our state workshop in December! This is more than some regional or national conferences have. You don’t want to miss this!
Below we will introduce our speakers.
Kyle LaCroix has a proven track record of service and success in the tennis industry. A United States Professional Tennis Association (USPTA) Master Professional and a decorated industry veteran that is also certified by Professional Tennis Registry (PTR), Registro Profesional de Tenis (RPT), Global Professional Tennis Coaches Association (GPTCA) and the United States Center For Coaching Excellence (USCCE). Kyle has spent the past 20+ years as one of the foremost experts and leaders in coach development. Having worked with players of all levels, as well as coaches, Kyle brings with him a wealth of knowledge through work at clubs, academies, and on the pro tour.
Kyle has served the tennis industry as a multitude of capacities including being a USPTA Florida Division Tester for 15 years and a member of the USPTA National College Curriculum Committee, The USPTA National Membership Committee as well as other board appointments. Kyle has tested, certified and mentored over 1400 individual tennis coaches from around the world.
In 2014, Kyle became the youngest recipient of the USPTA National Tester of The Year Award.
Kyle is The Chief Education Officer of SETS Consulting. He holds a B.S. Degree from Ferris State University in Professional Tennis Management. A B.S. Degree in Marketing as well as an MBA from The University of Michigan. He also has an M.Ed. from Stanford University.
Ken DeHart
Director of Racquets at Alpine Hills in Portola Valley
USPTA NorCal Hall of Fame
USPTA Master Pro
George Baso USPTA Lifetime Achievement Award Winner
3 time USPTA Continuing Education Award Winner
4 time USPTA Divisional Pro of the Year
PTR International Hall of Fame
PTR International Master Pro
2 time PTR International Pro of the Year
Former PTR Executive Director
International Speaker at Australian, Wimbledon and Italian Coaches Conference
Darryl Lewis is the Director of Athletics at Old Town Club in Winston Salem, NC where he manages Aquatics, Fitness, and Racquet Sports (Tennis, Platform Tennis, and Pickleball). Darryl is one of less than 20 pros that are designated as both a USPTA Master Professional, and a PTR International Master Professional. He is certified by both USPTA Pickleball and PPR and is the Head Coach Developer for USPTA Southern Pickleball. Darryl was certified by ACE as a Personal Trainer, is a Certified Tennis Performance Specialist, and a USTA High Performance Coach. He has worked in all areas of the industry, including private country clubs, corporate clubs, public parks, resorts, the USTA, and was part of the management team that ran the tennis event at the Atlanta Olympic Games. He is a leader in coach education and enjoys growing the game and expanding the knowledge of racquet professionals.
Tennis Tips from Sarah Evans
Cooperative, Change of Direction Drills
This is a drill for two players. Both players start on the deuce corner of their side of the net. One player starts the feed or a coach can feed the ball as well. Player A is focused on changing the direction of the ball while Player B is focused on steady and accurate crosscourt placement. Player A strikes the ball twice and changes the direction on the third hit. Have players practice for a couple of minutes, then change directions and then positions with Player B now changing the direction. A progression of this drill is to rally the point out crosscourt, focusing on driving the ball deep. Once a player creates a weaker shot from their practice partner, that player will move up and change the direction. You can also have players play out the points in each situation.
Another, more advanced drill is as follows - Players rally crosscourt for six shots, on the seventh shot, the player changes the direction down the line. Then the players continue to rally out on the other crosscourt for five shots, with the sixth strike changing the direction down the line. The goal is to continue the point all the way to one! Make sure each person takes turns feeding or have the coach feed to different sides to create opportunities for each player to change direction both off of the forehand and the backhand. Good luck!
