summer 2017
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home! USTA.com is your new home for all things USTA Missouri Valley Plus: Find your summer play opportunities inside!
The USTA Missouri Valley publishes Serve three times per year, focusing specifically on the members and events in the section. All material copyright USTA Missouri Valley, unless otherwise noted. Your feedback is welcomed.
Summer 2017
USTA Missouri Valley 6400 West 95th Street, Suite 102 Overland Park, Kansas 66212
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Summer Calendar
facebook.com/USTAMissouriValley twitter.com/USTAMoValley instagram.com/USTAMoValley Mary Buschmann Executive Director Manon Eilts Marketing Communications Director Emily Steinwart Communications Coordinator Graphic Design and Digital Media Andrew Robinson Communications Coordinator Digital Engagement For questions about your USTA membership, please contact USTA Member Services at 1-800-990-USTA, or visit www.membership.usta.com
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Sock in the City
FEATURES
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Join the NetGeneration Summer 2017 Calendar
Sock in the City
SUMMER SERVE 2017
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Leading by Example Nick Taylor Q&A Net Notes
LET’S SHAPE THE FUTURE OF TENNIS Net Generation, powered by the USTA, makes it easier and more fun to get kids and teens into tennis. We provide the tools, world-class curricula, marketing materials and training to empower coaches, teachers, parents, volunteers, NJTL networks and community organizations to grow the game.
The next generation of tennis starts now!
Here’s what we’re serving up: • Comprehensive print and digital curricula • Equipment starter kits and/or welcome packs (depending on provider) • Free online and in-person training • Marketing campaigns promoting your program • Free registration with helpful digital tools including a Program Management Center, educational support, and the Net Generation Coaching App
Join The Net Generation today:
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JUNE USTA National Husband & Wife Hardcourt Championships, USTA Missouri Valley Senior & Super Senior Husband & Wife/Same Gender Couples (TennisLink ID: 400031517) June 9-11 in Kansas City, Missouri Fred Johnson All Stars Adaptive Tennis Event June 10-11 in Wichita, Kansas Fred Johnson
USTA Missouri Valley Summer Sweet 16 June 13-18 in Kansas City, Missouri
ALL Stars Event
USTA National Women’s Senior 65, 75, 85 Indoor Championship (TennisLink ID: 400006617) June 19-25 in Overland Park, Kansas Men’s Pro Circuit $25,000 Week of June 26 in Tulsa, Oklahoma
JULY Men’s Pro Circuit $25,000 Week of July 3 in Wichita, Kansas Adult 65+ Section Invitational July 7-9 in Overland Park, Kansas Springfield Lasers World TeamTennis Season (See page 7 for full schedule) July 16 - August 5 in Springfield, Missouri Junior Team Tennis Section Championship July 25-27 in Topeka, Kansas USTA Zone Championships (12s, 14s & 16s) July 27-31 Various Sites USTA Missouri Valley Section Family Championship (TennisLink ID: 400049317) July 28-30 in St. Louis, Missouri 4
SUMMER SERVE 2017
AUGUST Men’s Pro Circuit $25,000 Week of August 7 in Edwardsville, Illinois USTA Missouri Valley Adult League Section Championship I August 10-13 in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma USTA Missouri Valley Central Region NTRP Championship (TennisLink ID: 400030417) August 11-13 in Kansas City, Missouri USTA Missouri Valley Adult League Section Championship II August 24-27 in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma US Open USTA Wheelchair Championships (TennisLink ID: 400013117) August 29-September 3 in St. Louis, Missouri
SEPTEMBER USTA Semiannual Meeting & Conference September 2-4 in New York City USTA Missouri Valley Adult League Section Championship III September 7-10 in Omaha, Nebraska/St. Louis, Missouri USTA Missouri Valley Adult League Mixed Sectional I September 14-17 in Topeka, Kansas USTA Missouri Valley Adult 5’s, 0’s & Open Outdoor Championship (TennisLink ID: 404328317) September 15-17 in Kansas City, Missouri
LEAGUE Visit USTA.com and check out Stay Current for all the latest from the USTA Missouri Valley this summer!
USTA Missouri Valley Adult League Mixed Sectional II September 21-24 in Springfield, Missouri SUMMER SERVE 2017
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Sock in the City Andrew Robinson
It’s nothing new for the Springfield Lasers to have the top American male on its roster as John Isner joined the Lasers the last two seasons, but this summer the team’s addition of Jack Sock hits closer to home. Sock, who was born in Lincoln, Neb., and grew up training and currently resides in the Kansas City area will join the Lasers as a marquee player on July 21. It’s a homecoming of sorts for Sock who is sure to be welcomed by a large crowd of hometown supporters. Sock grew up on the USTA Missouri Valley junior circuit and was fortunate enough to win his first USTA National Championship at age 11 at the Cooper Tennis Complex in Springfield where the Lasers play its matches. For Paul Nahon, general manager of the Lasers, Sock’s homecoming has been long in the works. Nahon and the Lasers have wanted Sock to be a part of WorldTeam Tennis for several seasons, but logistically it never seemed to work out. Then this year, Sock was willing to play in the league, and the Lasers traded with the New York Empire in the marquee draft to be in a position to pick up Sock.
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“From the standpoint of him being a former USTA Missouri Valley player, it’s very exciting to have the top American player returning to Springfield,” Nahon said. Nahon hopes the Lasers’ match on July 21 will be just the beginning of a big tennis weekend in the Ozarks. Nahon and Cooper Tennis Complex plan to host a WorldTeam Tennis recreation event drawing players from across the Midwest. Nahon said the plan is to include a general admission ticket for the Lasers’ Friday night match as part of the registration fee for the tournament. A few other notable names will also make stops in Springfield including Sloane Stephens with the Philadelphia Freedoms and former tour player Mardy Fish will stop in Springfield with the New York Empire. Ryan Harrison, who has played very well in 2017, is also expected to play in Springfield. The Lasers have six home dates on the schedule this season beginning Sunday, July 16 and Nahon is confident it will be a successful season. “We want people to get down here and see there’s some great tennis we provide,” Nahon said. “Of course we’ll still have the music, food and entertainment prior to matches.”
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2017 Lasers Roster & Home Schedule July 16: Washington July 20: Philadelphia (Sloane Stephens visits) July 21: San Diego (Jack Sock) July 27: San Diego July 28: Washington July 30: Philadelphia Aug. 2: New York (Mardy Fish visits)
2017 Lasers Roster: Coach: JL De Jager Marquee player: Jack Sock Jean-Julien Rojer Daria Kasatkina Benjamin Becker Michaella Krajicek
To purchase tickets, visit Springfieldlasers.com
SUMMER SERVE 2017
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Leading by Example
Two Junior players named to national Leadership team William Gleason and Alisa Prinyarux have been named to the second USTA Junior Leadership Team, which recognizes the finest U.S. junior tennis players who exhibit leadership, sportsmanship and character on and off the court. Gleason and Prinyarux are among 32 players nationwide named to the USTA Junior Leadership Team. Each player was nominated by his or her USTA section for excellence in tennis and in the community. “These players truly are role models who exhibit character well beyond their years, both on the tennis court and in the community,” said Bill Mountford, the USTA’s Director of Junior Tournaments. “We’re happy to have a way to give them some of the recognition they truly deserve with the USTA Junior Leadership Team.” Gleason, a resident of Lincoln, Neb., has been ranked No. 6 in the 18-and-under division of the USTA junior rankings in USTA Missouri Valley and was the 2016 Nebraska Prep Sports Player of the Year. He won state high school No. 1 singles titles in 2015 and 2016 at Lincoln Southwest and was the Lincoln Junior Tennis Association Player of the Year in 2015. He’s also a member of the USTA Missouri Valley Junior Culture and Sportsmanship Council. Prinyarux, 14, from Overland Park, Kan., has been ranked the No. 1 junior girl in USTA Missouri Valley in both the 12- and 14-and-under age groups and has ranked among the Top 100 14-and-under players nationally. She’s won a number of national and sectional singles and doubles titles, in addition to the 2016 Kansas State Class 6A doubles title at Blue Valley Northwest High School.
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Each year, more than 120,000 players compete in USTA junior tournaments. Players compete in levels of competition through earned advancement in the 10s, 12s, 14s, 16s and 18s age divisions. USTA junior tournaments help kids take their game as far as they want – high school, college or pros – or just have fun competing. In their own words... William Gleason: Tennis is my life. I don’t know where I’d be without it. My grandpa taught me the game when I was 6, and he played every day until he passed in 2012. I’ve learned tennis is eternal and will never be boring as long as you care. Alisa Prinyarux: Tennis has taught me more than just hitting a forehand. It has taught me how to be a good player on court and how to be a good person off court.
USTA Missouri Valley is committed to the principles of the Positive Coaching Alliance (PCA) which focuses on creating a positive environment and discourages a “win at all costs” mentality.
SUMMER SERVE 2017
Mobility Awareness Month: Q&A with Nick Taylor USTA Missouri Valley’s own wheelchair tennis legend, Nick Taylor, and his partner, David Wagner, helped Team USA capture the bronze medal in the quad division at the World Team Cup. May was also National Mobility Awareness Month, which is why USTA.com chatted with Taylor about how far wheelchair tennis has come over the past two decades and what can be done to raise the profile of the sport even more in the coming years. USTA.com: Why is it important to recognize National Mobility Awareness Month? Nick Taylor: I think it's so important to recognize because a very high percentage of our population has a disability and so many people don't realize that. It's important because as a disabled person, we do need things to be accessible and functional for us. Without it, we're completely trapped, like when we play tournaments in other countries that don't have these laws and regulations. We were just in Italy and we had to pick the restaurant based on what we could get into, not based on where we really wanted to go to. USTA.com: How does it feel to know you're in a position to inspire others and show how people with disabilities can lead active lifestyles? Taylor: It's very humbling. For a long time, I absolutely despised the word "inspirational." I hated the idea that I was an inspirational. Then, I finally just grew to get it and understand it. It's not that it's my motivation to want to play or do things, but now I look at it and say that if I can play tennis with the severity of disability that I have, it might show another disabled kid or a parent of a disabled kid, that if Nick can do it, my kid who is only half as disabled as him can do it. It doesn't have to be someone with a disability. It could be a fully able-bodied person that is looking for excuses not to do something. If them seeing me do something inspires them to do something, that's awesome. USTA.com: How have you seen attitudes toward wheelchair tennis change over the past 20 years or so? Taylor: It has become and is continuing to become more and more professional from every angle, from the players to the training regimen to the coaches that are coaching it to the people running tournaments and officiating. USTA.com: What's the next step the sport can take to help highlight wheelchair tennis even more? Taylor: It has to get more media attention. It has to get on TV. Until it becomes a somewhat regular thing on TV, not just a one-off, 30-minute thing a year, that's when you'll start to see the top players start to get some really big sponsorships. It's not going to happen all of a sudden, but it has to happen over time. USTA.com: What's the one thing you'd like people to know specifically about the quad division of wheelchair tennis? Taylor: That it is in many ways we're the most severley disabled of everyone playing wheelchair tennis, and as a result, we have to think the most creatively and adapt and do some things differently. David has to tape the racquet in his hand. A lot of people might not even see the tape or realize that he's stuck in that one grip for the entire match. If you see pictures of me, I'm holding onto the racquet completely backward and using my foot to serve. The quad division is a testament to human creativity and adaptability. There are very few of us are doing it the way a "normal person" would do it. We're having to do things very, very differently. USTA.com: When you look back at everything you have accomplished, what stands out the most? Taylor: If I had to pick one, it would probably be that gold medal match in London. The other two golds and all the other Grand Slams are close. For more information on wheelchair tennis, visit usta.com and choose Play - Lots of Ways to Play. SUMMER SERVE 2017
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NET NOTES USTA Missouri Valley Teams Represent Well at USTA Tennis on Campus National Championships Among the first to compete at the new USTA National Campus in Lake Nona, Fla., three teams from the USTA Missouri Valley represented the section well at the recent USTA Tennis on Campus National Champions. Washington University-St. Louis, the USTA Missouri Valley champion, finished with a 5-2 record while the University of Iowa finished 3-4. Both teams advanced to the Silver bracket after going 2-1 in their round robin matches. Iowa State University advanced to the Copper bracket after going 0-3 in their round robin matches and finished 1-6 overall. Tennis on Campus is a USTA program that is designed to give college students an opportunity to keep their competitive spirits alive, stay in shape and meet fellow college students from around the country. The program is flexible, incorporating players of all ability levels and teams of all sizes in a fun, competitive environment outside of the Division I atmosphere. Garlington Named Tournament Director of the Quarter The USTA Missouri Valley is honoring a junior tournament director during each quarter this year. The goal of the award is to identify potential mentors for new tournament directors and set a standard for other tournament directors. The tournament directors must be a USTA member, and must host at least one section tournament and one district tournament. His or her tournament must be staffed with officials, and he or she must take initiative and express a willingness to learn and try new ideas. Honorees will receive a certificate of recognition and an Amazon Gift Card for their achievements. The first quarter honoree is Kevin Garlington. Kevin is a tournament director in Tulsa. When asked the one thing he’s learned as a tournament director, Garlington said, “It sounds corny, but being a coach, the biggest thing is you want to put your best foot forward in terms of welcoming people to the facility. As the tournament director, you're the person who's either going to make things great or screw things up. I try to be the first person to lending a helping hand and see how I can help someone before they ask for help.”
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Baxter Inducted into ITA Hall of Fame Francis Baxter joined Nick Bollettieri, James Blake, Matias Boeker and Bill Otta in this year's Intercollegiate Tennis Association Men's Collegiate Tennis Hall of Fame induction class. The induction took place May 25 in Athens, Georgia. Baxter enjoyed tremendous success during his long tenure as tennis coach at UCO, directing the men's program for 36 years (1970-06) and women for 26 years (1980-2006). Prior to coaching college tennis, he spent 14 years coaching high school tennis and won three state titles. At Central Oklahoma, he led the men's and women's teams to six NAIA District 9 championships in the 1980s while taking the men to three NAIA national tournaments and the women to one. Baxter was named District 9 Coach of the Year eight times in the 1980s. Baxter also guided his teams to eight combined NCAA Division II national tournament appearances, six for the men and two for the women. Baxter was named Lone Star Conference Coach of the Year for the women in 1998 and the men in 2004, while also claiming Division II Coach of the Year accolades for the men in 1996. He coached 14 players who earned NAIA or Division II All-America honors a combined 25 times, including the school's first-ever Division II national champion (Charl Bornman). Baxter was also the driving force behind UCO hosting the NCAA Division II national tournament in 1991, '92, '93 and '96 in addition to the ITA/Rolex National Small College Championships in 1993 and '94. SUMMER SERVE 2017
For only $99+ applicable taxes, (double occupancy) you will enjoy: • One (1) Night stay at the Red Coach Inn • $10 Food Voucher at the Red Coach Restaurant • Voucher for your choice of indoor tennis, golf or a live production Red Oak Country Club
Visit www.redcoachredoak.com or call 1-800-544-6002 for details & reservations!
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**Advance Reservations required. Blackout dates and other restrictions may apply.
For more great places to visit while you’re in town, go to www.redoakiowa.com!
6400 West 95th Street • Suite 102 Overland Park, KS 66212
For all things related to USTA Missouri Valley and its districts, visit USTA.com/ustamissourivalley
