World Access Project

Transcription

1 A Division of the USPTA June 2011 World Access Project Inside: Richard & Hazuki St. Denis World Access Project 2-5 President s Message 6 Division News 7-12 Would they recognize you? National News 14-15

2 You Can t Play Tennis - You re in a Wheelchair Editor s Note: I first met Richard at this year s Southwest Conference in January. I thought his story was worth sharing with all of you. If any of you have any ideas or suggestions that would help Richard with his project please contact me or Richard directly. They need racquets, balls and pros that would be willing to help with instruction. In 1998 I was in Mazatlan, Mexico staying at a hotel that had tennis courts and, a tennis pro who gave lessons and played with the guests. My wife was tired and didn t feel like playing so I decided to hit with the tennis pro the next day. I went to the courts, signed up, and showed up the next morning to hit with Roberto. He was a Mexican national, who had graduated from a U.S. university, and spoke English very well. I m a paraplegic, and use a wheelchair, as the result of a ski injury when I was 21. As I rolled up to the tennis courts Roberto was reviewing the sign-up list. He turned and looked at me with a confused look on his face. I said, I signed up for 8 am, are you ready to hit with me? He said, no. Now I was confused. I said, I paid my 100 pesos, are you ready? He said, no. What s going on here, I wondered. I have my racquet, let s go, I said. Again he said, no! I asked, what s the problem? He said, You can t play tennis, you re in a wheelchair. At the time I was 42 years-old, I had been playing tennis in a wheelchair for many years, had competed and won trophies in several tournaments. I competed in weight-lifting competitions, could bench-press more than 300 pounds, competed in a variety of other sports, and considered myself in good shape. Then it struck me. I m in Mexico, and in Mexico you don t see many people in wheelchairs out in the public. If they are in the public they re on the street begging for money. Roberto could not conceive in his mind that someone in a wheelchair could play any sport, let alone move fast enough to play tennis in a wheelchair. I later came to find out that some of the Spanish words for someone in a wheelchair are sinvalido (without value), minusválido (less value:), and disminuvalido (diminished valued). No wonder he didn t think I could play tennis! This was the second time I had been to Mexico. The first time was the year before, when a pastor friend asked me if I wanted to go with him to visit a Mexican hacienda that his church was sponsoring. When the owner of the hacienda heard that an American wheelchair user was coming to visit them, they asked if I would be willing to talk to the indigent disabled people in the surrounding rural, agricultural, impoverished area of San Felipe del Progreso, and encourage them. The only two Spanish words I knew at the time were Hola and Adios. I found a used wheelchair in the U.S. and decided to take it with me just in case someone might use it. I had no idea what to expect, and I could never have imagined what was about to happen. I arrived the night before, went to bed, and Saturday morning, after breakfast, I was taken to a small chapel located in very rural, mountainous, indigenous of Mexico. People were crawling into the chapel from the outside on their hands and knees, a woman used a branch of a tree for a crutch to hobble in, an older man arrived as his son pushed him in an old, rusty wheelbarrow. I had never seen such poverty, disability, and lack of resources. About 30 people arrived. Only one had a wheelchair. It looked like something you would find in a grocery store parking lot for by Richard St. Denis - USPTA Professional Director of World Access Project 2

3 customers to use, but it was old, corroded, bent up, and looked like it could collapse under his weight at any moment. The last person to come in the chapel was a teen-aged girl, whose mother carried her in a serape. The girl and the mother were about the same size. The girl had a beautiful smile that lit up the whole room. I later found out the girl was Leti, 17 years old, who contracted Polio at a very young age, never able to walk, lived on a dirt road in the middle of a huge corn field, and the only time she ever got out of their tiny wooden shack was when someone in her family carried her. Yet as her mother set her down on the chapel pew Leti had the biggest smile I had ever seen in my life. Somehow she was happy. How could someone with no mobility, stuck in her house, with no life have such a beautiful smile? Her smile radiated like she was a princess, a Cosmopolitan model and a millionaire, all in one. I told them who I was, and with hopes of encouraging and motivating them I told them that I had broken my back while serving in the U.S. Air Force. I told them I spent almost a year in the hospital for my rehabilitation and that after being discharged from the hospital I went to college and then law school, and was an attorney in Colorado. I told them I played many sports in my wheelchair, was active in my community, I was married and had a good quality of life, and that they could have one too, if they worked hard and didn t give in to depression, fear, or lack of confidence. After I spoke each sentence in English it was translated into Spanish. In the time delay of my words being translated, I couldn t believe what I was telling them. They were in a horrible situation. It was clear they had no money and they had no way of moving around because they didn t have wheelchairs. How could I give them such words of hope when I couldn t imagine any hope for them? As I was speaking my heart was breaking, thinking that, although I couldn t walk, I had so much, in comparison to these people who had nothing. At the end of my 20 minute talk it was time to give the wheelchair away to someone. But who to give it to? They all needed it. I had never given a wheelchair away to someone before. I quickly looked around the room, and somehow picked Leti. It was her smile. If anyone could do something with that wheelchair, she could. With that smile she had to have a positive attitude. I thought, I hope it fits her, and I hope it affects her life. Her mother carried her and slowly lowered her into the wheelchair. As she was being lowered Leti s smile went away. She looked a bit uncomfortable. What is this thing? What is a wheelchair? What am I supposed to do with it? As a wheelchair user myself, I would have been ecstatic, knowing I would have new mobility, that I could get around, that my life would be so much better. But to Leti it was all strange. It was clear that she was used to being carried by her mother. Her mother s arms were comfortable. She trusted being carried by her mother. What is this chair with wheels for? Without using words I began to show her how to use the wheelchair. By pushing the left wheel forward she could turn to the right. By pulling the left wheel back she could turn to the left. By pushing both wheels together she could go forward or backward. Within a few minutes she was chasing me around. We went outside, and as I turned around to watch her, her face was sparkling, she was laughing, loud - out-ofcontrol laughing. She was so happy. She had stopped pushing because she was laughing so hard she couldn t push. Leti s laugh and gratefulness changed my life. Her appreciation and gratitude were beyond words. She had grasped that she could now get around, her life would never be the same. She was free. She didn t need to be carried by her mother continued on page 4 3

4 continued from page 3 any more, at least until the dirt road in front of her house turned to mud in the rainy season. But for now it didn t matter. Welcome to your new life Leti. As I looked around, everyone was watching Leti. Everyone was smiling. Everyone was happy for her. I knew in my heart that they needed a wheelchair too. Someone had to get wheelchairs to these people so they could experience the freedom and independence Leti now knew. On the flight home my mind was full of images of Leti, and the opportunities she would have with that wheelchair. Before the plane landed I realized I had just received the calling for the rest of my life. Back to Roberto You can t play tennis, you re in a wheelchair. He just didn t understand. I said, I have already paid my 100 pesos, no one else is here, just hit with me for an hour, and at the end of an hour tell me what you think. Reluctantly he said, OK, we ll see. We went to the net, played some mini-tennis for about 10 minutes. He asked me to move back to the service line and hit some volleys for another 10 minutes. I moved back to the base line and we began to rally. The ball seemed to move slowly in the cool, humid morning weather of Mazatlán, 200 yards from the ocean. I was hitting the ball hard and deep in the court, trying to hit the corners to make him move, but Roberto always seemed to get to the ball and hit it back effortlessly, with little motion or energy. He was a good tennis pro. There was little talking, just a nod of approval or good on his side once and a while, a lot of groans on my side as I tried to hit it hard enough to get him to make an error. A few times I got the ball past him, and couldn t avoid the shouts of victory. It was a great work out, and at the end of the hour I felt like I had hit the ball well and really enjoyed playing with him. As we went to the side of the court for a drink of water, he looked at me incredulously, and asked, are you the best wheelchair tennis player in the world? I almost choked on my water. It was a great compliment, but I had to be honest, and tell him I was an average player, and there were many players much better than I was. He didn t say anything. As I was putting my racquet away I mentioned to him that I had seen some other people in Mazatlan in wheelchairs on the street begging for money. I asked, what would you think about putting on a tennis clinic here at the hotel to teach people in wheelchairs how to play tennis? His response, No, maybe you can play tennis in a wheelchair but no one else can. 4 I guess our time playing tennis together must have changed something inside him, because he went and talked to the director of the resort and asked him about having a tennis clinic for people with disabilities. That was in For the past 14 years we have been hosting a multi-day sports camp in Mazatlan, teaching them how to play tennis, basketball, and other sports. The participants arrive at 9 am, after lunch we show them sports videos, encourage them, and play until 4 pm. In 2009 we began hosting the Sinaloa Open, a Mexico national wheelchair tennis tournament, where last year 35 players came from all over Mexico to compete for ranking points to participate in the Para-Panamerican games that will be held in Guadalajara, Mexico in November. Last year was the first year that Mexico had a national wheelchair tennis circuit which consisted of 5 tournaments. This year there will be 7 tournaments. Also, last year was the first year Mexico hosted a sanctioned International wheelchair tennis tournament, where players from throughout the world participated. Life is getting better for people with disabilities in Mexico! As for Leti, she is now married, has a job, and she has a 4 year old daughter, Ceci. They recently built their own wheelchair accessible house. I believe that things happen to us for a reason. The reason is to do the best with the situation we re in, use what we have, and what we don t have (the use of our legs), and positively impact other people s lives. I don t know what Leti would be doing now if she hadn t received that wheelchair. If I hadn t broken my back skiing, and lost the use of my legs 35 years ago, I don t think I would have been invited to go to Mexico to encourage people with disabilities. I m glad I was the one that had the opportunity to give it to her. I ve come to find out that there are thousands of people in Mexico just like Leti. They have been without mobility and without a wheelchair for years. Just last November we gave the first wheelchair to Monica, a 34 year old woman, in a city of more than 1 million people. She had been getting around her house in a wooden kitchen chair, because no one in her family knew what a wheelchair was. That first day, giving the wheelchair to Leti, her smile, her appreciation, did change my life. I began driving a van full of wheelchairs 30 hours, every year from Boulder, Colorado to Mexico. In 2001 I quit my law practice because my energy and my heart were primarily focused on Mexico. I now live in Mexico 10 months out of the year. I

5 am the director of World Access Project, Inc., a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization that provides wheelchairs and other mobility equipment to people in Mexico who don t have them. Last year, including crutches, walkers, canes and wheelchairs, we provided mobility to more than 400 people. We give the equipment to the poorest of the poor, those who don t have the resources to buy them themselves. If we just gave them wheelchairs and didn t teach them how to use them, instead of sitting in their houses on the couch they would be sitting in their houses in their wheelchairs. We teach them how to move around, how to do wheelies, how to maneuver difficult terrain, and how to play sports. Athletes from the U.S. who play sports in wheelchairs come to Mexico to be role models, inspire and encourage them, and show them that they can have a better quality of life. The primary sport we teach is tennis, and we also teach them how to play basketball, baseball, football, soccer, swimming, and many other sports. We make homes, schools and other places wheelchair accessible so people can get out and get around. Many people with disabilities can t go to a normal school because they re not accessible, and they don t have transportation to get there. Two years ago a team of U.S. volunteers put in seven ramps and passageways so Daniela, a girl who was run over by a car when she was two, could get an education. Last year we started a school to give people an opportunity to get an education. After 10 years in Mexico, those who have received wheelchairs from us, have become teachers and coaches. They teach others that they can be active, independent and have a better quality of life. As a Christian, I teach them that God loves them, and that He has a purpose for their lives; and just because they can t walk doesn t mean that they can t be as good, and accomplish as much, as someone who can walk. It s not what life has done to us that matters, it s what we do with our lives to help others that is important. We invite able and disabled tennis instructors to join us, to help donate wheelchairs and to help teach sports. This year, amongst other activities, we will be doing a wheelchair distribution and sports camp in Puerto Vallarta October 8-15, and our sports camp and tennis tournament in Mazatlan will be December In both locations we stay at a 5- star hotel (time-share) on the ocean, and provide new mobility, hope and encouragement to people with disabilities of Mexico. It s an amazing thing to give someone their first wheelchair, then get them out on the courts and teach them how to move around and play tennis, then see them get a job, become independent, and maybe later get married. We have the opportunity not only to change their lives, but also to change the lives of their parents and families, who had no idea that their disabled sons or daughter could do something with their lives. By the time we pick up a used wheelchair, refurbish it, and transport it to Mexico, the cost of getting a used wheelchair to someone in Mexico is approximately $200 U.S. dollars. We are always looking for sports wheelchairs, used racquets, gently-used tennis balls and other equipment to teach tennis. We just received our first Lobster from the University of Arizona disabled tennis program director, and we re excited to start using it soon. All volunteers are welcome. Like my life, many of our volunteers lives have been changed by participating in wheelchair distribution and sports camps. The volunteers come back year after year, not only to make a difference in the lives of those who have so little, but also to return to see their new friends and to see the progress in their lives. Please join us. For more information about making donations, joining us in Mexico, sponsoring an athlete, etc., please review our web site at Follow us on Facebook! USPTASouthwest 5

6 President s Message Sara Stablein - President Hold on to your hats summer is coming! I cannot believe that we are gearing up for another busy and hot summer here in the Southwest. I hope that all of you have been busy on and off the courts this spring. In the last newsletter article I strongly encouraged you all to get on and get familiar with Courtside USA. How many of you have done so? Remember this is a great tool to make your life off the court so much easier and more lucrative. This tool will run your leagues, tournaments, social events and schedule your lesson and court-time, just to name a few. Courtside USA is made specifically for the teaching professional and it s at no charge to you! I would like to take a moment to talk about the new Accredited Professional Coach category for the USPTA. This credential is earned and also retained through mandatory education. In order to achieve the APC you must earn 20 approved hours of continuing education over a two year period, as well as pass a competency exam. This is a great way to enhance your career and set you apart from others in your field. With good jobs in high demand this APC will put you in a category above most. All of the information is available at under the education category. Jump on to the website and get the details and you can decide if this is right for you; yet another benefit to your membership with USPTA. It is with great disappointment that I let you all know that in April, during our Executive Committee meetings in Houston, two of our highly respected and dedicated board members resigned. Jack Groppel and Jim Loehr both delivered their letters of resignation effective immediately. There are many reasons behind their respective resignations and there is a lot of turmoil on the current board and throughout the Executive Committee. The new slate of proposed officers has been released to the membership and there are also several opposing candidates that are seeking signatures to be named on the ballot. I highly recommend that you get all of your information ahead of voting for anyone in the upcoming election. I, as well as Vicki Foster, am happy to give you any information that we are able regarding the recent happenings. Please keep in mind that this is your organization and that your thoughts and opinions should be heard and we encourage you to speak up. Good luck with all of your summer programming and stay cool out there! Your comments and questions are always welcome; don t hesitate to call me or me. The next USPTA certification exam will be held on June 17, 2011 at Phoenix Country Club. If you are interested in an upgrade or know of someone who would like to be certified have them contact me. The preliminary speaker line-up and agenda for the 2012 Southwest Division Conference will be out in our next newsletter. The committee is hard at work putting this all together for January. If you would like to speak/present at this next conference please contact me right away. Also, award nominations will be taken in the fall and the Awards Committee is led by Gerry Winder. 6

7 Southeastern Arizona by David Hendricks Here in Tucson summer has arrived and the sun lotion is in use. There was a lot going on in May for Tennis Across America. I ran a doubles tennis clinic on May 24, Gerald Winder, Head Professional at Ventana Canyon Resort, did a Munchkin Shoot-Out for prizes in late May as a Tennis Across America Program. A Tennis Across America, U of A Day had approximately 90 children that received tennis rackets and t- shirts. The program was done by USPTA Professionals Britt and Jill Feldhausen and Serena Quarelli, the Executive Director of the Tucson Community Tennis Program. Britt and Jill Feldhausen, Gerald Winder, Serena Quarelli, and Mike Gleason assisted at the Gootter Grand Slam Tournament to raise funds for the Gootter Foundation. The Gootter Grand Slam is an annual tennis tournament and pro-exhibition drawing Tucson s top players and featuring matches between tennis legends. Named after Steve Gootter, an accomplished athlete, the event is held each spring. Music, food, and a wellness fair create a wonderful environment to play, watch and learn more about sudden cardiac death. A gala dinner kicks off the tournament, featuring foods from around the world, entertainment and a live auction. The total raised was approximately $270,000, you heard right, I said $270,000. The last USPTA Southeastern District Pro Meeting for the summer will be an on court program at Tucson Racquet Club May 24, There was an notice sent to all Southeastern USPTA Professionals. I look forward to seeing all there and have a great summer. SOUTHWEST DIVISION BOARD OF OFFICERS President Sara Stablein sstablein@phoenixcc.org Regional VP Vicki Foster vicfoster@cox.net Vice President Chris Brewer Chris.Brewer@surpriseaz.com Secretary Dayna Maltby Guizzetti dsmaltby@cox.net Treasurer Glenn Gerbino ggerbino@carefree-resort.com Past President Britt Feldhausen brittfeldhausen@mac.com Pro Emeritus Gerald Winder usptapro@msn.com Executive Director Jack Michalko usptasw@cox.net Southwest Coordinators Northern New Mexico Corey Matney cmatneystc@yahoo.com Phoenix Mark Pachtner mpachtner@trooncc.com Southeastern Arizona David Hendricks david-hendricks@leavitt.com Northern Arizona Larry Lineberry Tennis@srcs.us Southern New Mexico & El Paso Lalo Vicencio lalovic74@yahoo.com The Southwest Magazine, official Publication of the USPTA Southwest Division, is published four times annually. Items for the next publication must be in the hands of the editor no later than July 10, USPTA Southwest Division c/o Jack Michalko 77 East Missouri Avenue Suite 62 Phoenix, AZ , Fax USPTA World Headquarters 800-USPTA-4U, Fax uspta@uspta.org 7

8 8 Phoenix, Arizona by Mark Pachtner We had our first couple days of 100+ degree days, which is a sure sign that summer is around the corner. A lot happened the last couple of months and we have quite a few upcoming events: Our last district meeting attracted more pros and I am already planning the next one. It will be later in the summer, so stay tuned for updates. I recently was appointed to the USTA Southwest Section Diversity Committee and feel honored to be part of this elite group of pros and volunteers. This year, I also started coaching the Boys Notre Dame High School team and under my guidance the team took 2nd place in the 4AI Division State tournament at Paseo Racquet Club, only losing to last year s champion Arcadia. The young team (only 1 senior) showed great morale and spirit to improve to a 12-2 record. Glenn Gerbino is in his fifth year coaching the Boy s & Girl s Tennis teams at Valley Lutheran HS. He is assisted by fellow USPTA Pros Danica Dunn and Zac Janes. The Boys finished with a 4-3 record this season, while the Girls finished with a 6-1 record. Here are Valley Lutheran s results from this year s 1A State Qualifier Tournament at the Tucson Racquet Club - the #2 Girls doubles team took 5th place winning the consolation round, the #1 Boys doubles team won the 1A Doubles Championships and the Boys Team qualified for the 1A State Team Tournament at the Paseo Racquet Club. Laurie Martin reported that her Xavier girls high school team was the state runner-up in 5A division 1, losing to Salpointe in the finals. She also had her doubles teams place 2nd and 4th in the individual tournament and one of her singles players reached the quarterfinals. They won their region and ended the season with a 17-2 overall record. The USTA Southwest sponsored a free workshop on 10 and Under Tennis. Anne Davis, USTA National Manager of Recreational Coaches & Programs will conducted the workshop which held at Scottsdale Chaparral Suites on Friday, May 20, 2011 from 9:30 a.m.-4:00 p.m. Anne took us on court in the morning for a training session using the QuickStart Tennis format. The afternoon session was in the classroom and consisted of the USTA national plan for 10 and Under Tennis, the rule changes, court lining and the Pathway to success in junior tennis. Eric Anderson, Director of Tennis at Desert Highlands reports that with the addition of two newly constructed state of the art hydro grid clay courts, his club now has the largest number of combined grand slam surfaces in the entire Southwestern U.S. with 6 clay, 4 grass, and 3 hard courts. Eric also announced that the Desert Highlands members are proud to give back throughout the year with many annual events centered around fundraising for various local programs and charities. Five fundraising events held during the 2010/2011 season raised money for these programs: Breast cancer research, Arizona State University ladies tennis program, Scottsdale Community College men s tennis program, St. Mary s high school athletics, and St. Vincent De Paul. Eric also announced that the always successful 9th Annual Desert Highlands Junior Grass & Clay tournament will be held August 27-28, Desert Highlands also allows many ATP and WTA touring professionals to practice at the club to prepare for major events like the French Open and Wimbledon. Sara Stablein, Director of Tennis at the Phoenix CC, and Head Pro Dan Stablein ran a Rally for The Cure event at their club in April. Twenty-five ladies participated and raised $1000 for breast cancer awareness! Please welcome David Moyer, the new Tennis Director at The Country Club at DC Ranch to the Southwest Division. David wants to let everyone know how excited he is to be a part of our division. He moved here in February from the Missouri Valley Division, specifically from the Kansas City area and absolutely loves Arizona! He mentioned how extremely impressed he is by the support received from the pros in the Southwest Division. Dave has been involved with the USPTA since 1996 and was on the Missouri Valley board for several years as a vice-president. He moved from Lincoln, Nebraska to Kansas City in 1997 and was there until this past February when he came to Scottsdale. He is married to Wendy and has two amazing

9 sons, Dawson (5) and Jake (2). He is really excited to get involved with the Southwest Division and says thank you again for all the support. John W. DenBoer, Ph.D., USPTA, will be traveling to the French Open to conduct mental coaching services with ATP and WTA players as part of his business. Premier League 11l-r l-r Mats Wilander and Dave Moyer, new Director of Tennis at The Country Club at DC Ranch. Tennis, a new men s tennis league for 4.5 players, has formed in the Phoenix area. The league currently has 100 players playing on seven teams throughout the Valley. More information can be found at bonus pool money on the line. And, if that isn t enough tennis for you, you won t want to miss it when tennis greats, and U.S. Open Rivals, Chris Evert and Tracy Austin are reunited on the tennis court at the Surprise Tennis and Racquet Complex on Sunday, October 9, Michael Chang and Jim Courier will battle it out in a singles match followed by an epic mixed doubles match. The quest for a shot at a potential Grand Slam appearance was on the line, April 14-15, as the US Open National Playoff Southwest Qualifying Tournament took place at Scottsdale Ranch Park. The tournament, which brings the US Open to the local level, drew several competitors, many local and others from across the nation. Players played matches over two days, competing in men s singles, women s singles and mixed doubles, hoping for the automatic bids that came with winning the men s and women s singles as well as mixed doubles titles. When the smoke cleared, three new champions were crowned - Bojan Temunovic in men s singles, Sylvia Kosakowski in women s singles and Sam Harrison and Nicole Melichar in mixed doubles. An all-star Champions Series lineup of Pete Sampras, Jim Courier, Mats Wilander, and Michael Chang will head to Surprise, AZ on Saturday, October 8, 2011 for the Cancer Treatment Centers of America Championships presented by Sanderson Volvo at the Surprise Recreation Campus Tennis & Racquet Complex. The newly reformatted Champions Series travels through 12 US cities this fall, with star-filled one-night tournaments in each venue. Come see the legends in this historic night of tennis there will be 3 matches: two semifinals followed by the Championship match. Its high-stakes tennis with $1 million dollars in series 9

10 10 Northern New Mexico by Corey Matney As we move in to the middle of the year, the busiest time for tennis is upon us here in Northern New Mexico. Currently our pros are moving from the high school and adult league season onward to junior camps and mixed leagues for the adults. Lots of new and exciting things are going on this time of year and it seems like everyone who owns a tennis racquet is on the courts right now. The high school season just wrapped up and a congratulations goes out to USPTA Pro and past winner of our High School Coach of The Year Award Dick Johnson. Dick s La Cueva boy s team took home the Boy s State 5A team crown this season and also captured the individual doubles title in 5A. On the adult side of things, our adult completive leagues are just finishing up and we will now be focusing on the mixed doubles side of things. It was a great year for the adult leagues and I am told participation was up again this year, which tells me that our pros are doing a great job facilitating new players. It was another great year for the New Mexico Adult Open run by David Pitts at Tanoan. Each year David puts on the crown jewel of the tournament season with his event and this year was no exception. If anyone from out of our neck of the woods ever gets a chance to come play David s tournament, I highly recommend it. In junior tennis a lot of our pros will be starting their summer tennis camps in the coming weeks. At this point it looks like all of our pros at the larger clubs have solid summer programs for the kids and should be in for a full summer of junior tennis. In other areas of tennis D Wayne Begay from Four Hills, who is our local diversity chairman for the USTA is doing a great job getting tennis out to many new players in new areas. D Wayne is currently instructing numerous 10 & under training sessions around the area, which should see us experience even more youth playing tennis. He is also helping get tennis into more of the tribal associations in the area; this will introduce the game of tennis to more Native Americans, which will only enrich our tennis population even further. D Wayne is doing all of this while still keeping a firm hand on his programs for wheelchair and adaptive players. Exciting news has recently been announced here in Santa Fe. Shellaberger Tennis Center, where I am Director was recently purchased by Colorado Tennis Management out of Shellaberger Tennis Center Denver. This ends a two year span with no ownership. The center was previously owned by the College of Santa Fe which closed its doors in May of The center has been in the possession of the bank that held the mortgage since that time and though it was running well, there was no certain future in place. The new ownership gives the center a great future and insures the tennis community of Santa Fe will get to enjoy it for many years to come. On the courts a few of our local USPTA pros have turned in some great results lately. Jimmy Parker and Warren Fulgenzi both of Santa Fe both brought home gold balls in April from USTA National Championships. Jimmy won the singles title at the 65 s National Clay Court Championships in New Orleans. That was Jimmy s 105th gold ball won. Warren won the 40 s Indoor Singles Title in Park City, Utah the same week. For Warren it was his first gold ball. Jimmy and Warren also both took home bronze balls for finishing third in doubles at those same national tournaments. In May Jimmy also went on to win the Atlanta Senior Invitational Championships in the Warren Fulgenzi 65 s. This is just a brief list of all the things our pros are doing right now, I know that many more of us out there are doing exciting things as well. As we move through the summer and toward the fall I encourage all of us to keep up the good work. As always, if any of you are doing anything interesting on or off the court, please let me know about it so I can give all of our programs and happenings a mention in the coming newsletters.

11 Southern NM & El Paso by Lalo Vicencio It has been a very active and interesting spring season for the El Paso area. The clubs are getting ready for the summer tennis camps and flyers with information are available at all facilities. Our USPTA colleagues Ruben Carrillo and Dave O Donell continue directing the Intelligence Tennis Academy at the El Paso Tennis Club. They are not only building a strong reputation in a short period of time, they are growing the sport. Their QuickStart classes have been getting bigger and bigger over the last weeks. Congratulations to these two tireless teaching professionals on their successful efforts. Bill Ellis, a USPTA 1 teaching pro, moved back to El Paso after 10 years of being away. He started a number of junior tennis programs around the city and his success was clearly and rapidly seen by the tennis community. Bill is the engine behind the opening of the Bill Ellis Tennis Center, formerly known as The El Paso Youth Tennis Center. After countless hours of hard work and dedication, the Bill Ellis Tennis Center will have its grand opening on August 10, Bill Ellis has the leadership skills, the vision and and the right group of individuals around him to make it happen. I have no doubts he will succeed on this new endeavor. On a different note, this past March I had the opportunity to work as the fitness coach for Mexico s Davis Cup team in the tie against Canada. I did not know how special it is to be part of a national team Mexican Davis Cup Team until the day I wore the uniform and the stadium was completely full. I did not know what happens inside the locker room right before the opening match; all the players are pumped and ready to go except for the one who plays that first point. You can feel it, you can see it in his eyes, there is a mixture of stress, motivation, energy, concern and the feeling of an empty stomach. There was not a lot of interaction between Canada and Mexico before the event. Milos Raonic was hard to read at all times, he was always quiet and calm. It was impressive to watch him serve but I think it was more impressive to see him work so hard. He was the only player that l-r Lalo Vicencio with fellow Davis Cupper Dany Garza would come out of the training sessions with his shirt completely soaked in perspiration and he would listen to his coach, Galo Blanco like a 13 year old player listens to a coach. Milos was the big star of the tie and the player to beat, he showed that he is a warrior on the court and he has a lot of class and respect for the game. At the end of the day Canada proved to be better than the Mexican squad with a solid victory of 4-1. If you have comments please reach me at: lalovic74@yahoo.com or call me at Northern Arizona by Larry Lineberry USPTA Master Professional, Larry Lineberry and current NAZ district president of the SWS of the USTA, has negotiated an affiliation with Fit Kids of Northern Arizona, an initiative created by the Verde Valley Medical Center, to receive a $15,000 grant for the purpose of beginning USTA QuickStart programs throughout the Verde Valley. The Fit Kids/ Quickstart program will begin conducting five week segments in Cottonwood and Sedona beginning in late May and will be ongoing well into This is perhaps the most important work in my 30 year continued on page 12 11

12 continued from page 11 career as a teaching professional said Lineberry. The grant will allow kids of all ages to learn tennis for $1 per hour including equipment from qualified, trained teaching professionals. The Fit Kids initiative is taking aim at childhood obesity. We were able to show through research that tennis players are among the healthiest individuals both physically and mentally of all activities studied. The grant will allow many children to learn tennis early in life which hopefully will last a lifetime. This project is going to have a very positive effect on Verde Valley children. New Sedona resident, USPTA professional Susie Brown from FL is working with Lineberry to direct the project. Susie is one of Lineberry s new associate professionals and owns international rankings as a player in her age division. In late June, Sedona Racquet Club (SRC) will host a SWS clay court training camp for top sectional juniors to help prepare them for the upcoming USTA Clay court season. SRC and Lineberry will also host a USTA regional training center camp for top Sectional players from the SWS and So Cal sections several days later. FLAGSTAFF USPTA professional Nicole Williams has been appointed the director of tennis at the exclusive Forest Highlands Country Club in Flagstaff, effective mid-may. Nicole is also bringing her successful junior tennis academy to Forest Highlands and will continue her affiliation with Flagstaff Athletic Club in the winter season. She has developed her first nationally ranked junior with more sure to follow. PRESCOTT USPTA professional Jonathan Przybyl and his wife Sherrie are expecting their first child in late May. Jonathan is a recent appointee to the NAZ board of directors. USPTA professional Sterling Fetty continues to direct his junior tennis academy in Prescott with the number of participants continuing to grow. Ron Barron and USPTA professional Tim McClintock are the new professionals at the Prescott Racquet Club which is under new ownership. They are emphasizing the QuickStart programming and member retention as priorities for the club. 12

13 from the professor Just wondering...if someone new, or at least new to you, came looking for a quality USPTA Certified Tennis Professional, would they be able to recognize you quickly? Would they be able to watch a lesson, observe a program, or perhaps watch you run a full sized tournament? If so, by that observation, would they be able to tell if you are a USPTA Professional? Would you stand out in any of those endeavors, or perhaps some others which are routine to our job descriptions? Or is a viewing of what you do actually that vanilla as far Lessons as being the for top echelon Life of Reminder our association? Not that everyone has to be a Master Professional, or even a P- 1...but at the very least, be able to stand out as part of our profession in general, and the USPTA in particular! Would you be able to stand that level of scrutiny if someone came to observe your work and efforts in our great sport? Think about it...would the USPTA, and you in particular, stand out as denoting a standard of excellence that people could initially tell apart from other associations, and other professionals? It has been said long ago that most of what one learns, a full 80% actually, is done after you leave school. Personally, I believe this figure is just a bit on the conservative side. If any of that is true, as a USPTA Professional, is getting certified in our association the end all/be all for you? While I, as well as many of you, wanted to be certified in our association as it does denote a level of excellence and professionalism, my question to you is...is that all there is? Is that it for you? Ok, you made it to whatever level of the USPTA, you passed the testing requirements...now what? What would you say if your doctor stopped there? What would you say if your lawyer stopped there? Personally, I always read what is on my doctor s office walls. I want to know where he finished medical school, and then did he stop in his educational endeavors! I can assure you I would by Gerald Winder - Education Chairman Would they recognize you? be finding a new medical professional very quickly, as I would hope you would do also. Well, since I assume every reader of this column is a USPTA member in whatever division, I would hope that, for you, USPTA membership is simply a starting point, not a place to park, so to speak. We as members of our association have great opportunities to further the technical skills of our profession, and along with that knowledge, get verifiable credit for our efforts. I think we can all agree that with technology changing so fast, if we don t keep up with those changes/opportunities, then we are automatically behind. So, I repeat my original question...would it be possible for you to stand out as a top level USPTA Professional, just by being observed? Are you that current in our industry? If not, why not? Or, when some new potential member/client comes your way, do you just blend in with all the other pros in your area? If you don t stand out, at least in some areas, then why should you be chosen over the guy/girl down the street? Now, your strength may be juniors, leagues, large groups, QuickStart...whatever you may stand out in is fine. But, if your are just the vanilla pro, wouldn t that just get boring after a while? I submit that it would, because you are doing the exact same things for years! Are you aware that any of us, as USPTA members, can pull up each other s Educational Credits from the main USPTA website? I can pull up yours and you can pull up mine. I do it all the time, both to check my own and in order to possibly recommend pros in other divisions when I am asked. Now, just because you have more credits than anybody around you doesn t automatically make you the best professional in your area, but it does show that, at least, you are current in the trends/happenings in our industry. To my knowledge, I lead the in Educational Credits. I have said for many years that I wish my totals would be in last place...as that would mean, at least to me, that our entire division, top to bottom, is very current! It would be the same for any other of our divisions also. With all of our modern technology, and Houston being always on the cutting edge of that, it has been possible for any member to get additional educational credits by CD or internet, so that the costs of new learning has decreased. Of course, you cannot network with a CD or an internet continue on page 14 13

14 continued from page 13 course. Which is why I always encourage pros to attend, at the very least, their divisional conventions, and hopefully our World Conference...the best bang for the buck! I might add that every good job, here and in Europe, I have had over a 40 year career has come from a networking opportunity. Many new things I learned were not in a formal course setting, but at dinner, or a divisional party...or a team match, or over lunch at a conference. How or where you keep upgrading your knowledge, skills, or professionalism is not as relevant as IF you do. With that in mind...think about it...within your geographic areas, do YOU stand out? If so, great! If not, why not? As always, comments/criticisms are always welcome. Please to usptapro@msn.com. Hope everyone has a great Summer season with all your endeavors! 14 National News USPTA accepting nominations for annual awards Recipients to be honored during USPTA World Conference in September The United States Professional Tennis Association is now accepting nominations for its 2011 National Awards Program. As the leader in tennis-teacher education and certification, each year the USPTA wants to recognize members who are true leaders through tennis. The USPTA will honor those members who go above and beyond to grow the game and use tennis as a vehicle to impact people and communities, and to make a difference. The USPTA is accepting nominations until the July 1 deadline. Recipients will be honored during the annual awards breakfast during the USPTA World Conference Sept at the Saddlebrook Resort in Wesley Chapel, Fla. All Professional-level USPTA members are eligible. The award categories are: USPTA Stars are members who have dedicated many years to volunteering in grassroots tennis, and through initiatives incorporating multicultural and other aspects, bring the sport and sportsmanship to the players they touch. Their giving spirits have made them stars in their own communities. We may not have heard of the people who receive this award, but their stories are inspiring, and almost all of us know at least one person who deserves a nomination. The USPTA Industry Excellence Award is given to teaching professionals who take both an altruistic and entrepreneurial attitude toward their jobs. They use their own resources and those offered by the industry to build programs that bring tennis to more people. At the same time, they are successful in growing a tennis business. The recipient of this award will receive a $1,000 grant from the Tennis Industry Association and a Tennis Tutor ball machine from Sports Tutor for use in his or her grassroots programs. The Alex Gordon Award for Professional of the Year recognizes a member who, over a career, has demonstrated exemplary achievement in seven areas, including: contributions to USPTA and USTA; as a teaching professional, player and coach; in education, research and publications; and with other organizations, achievements and contributions. The Large and Small Facility Manager of the Year Award is the only USPTA award available to nonmembers. Applicants/nominees must be the general manager (in function, if not in title) of a club or tennis facility. College Coach of the Year and High School Coach of the Year award recipients are usually selected based on their results as team coaches, however individual coaches may be considered. The Touring Coach of the Year is selected on the basis of his or her work with a playing professional on the ATP tour or the WTA tour and/or touring juniors. Players who have been the most successful at the USPTA International Championships and/or USPTA national surface tournaments, as well as international, national and sectional competition may apply for the Player of the Year award. The eight categories for this award are: men s open, women s open, men s 35-and-over, women s 35-and-over, men s 45-and-over, women s 45-and-over, and men s 55- and-over and women s 55-and-over.

15 The George Bacso Tester of the Year award recognizes the USPTA tester who does the most to advance certification opportunities and the certification process. The USPTA Lessons for Life Award recognizes those USPTA members who have done the most to raise money for charities through tennis events. While the award spotlights individuals who have raised large amounts of money, it also honors those hosting the most creative, original or unique tennis event to raise money for charities. An individual hosting an event raising the most money will not necessarily receive this award. The USPTA Tennis Across America Award recognizes those USPTA members who have done the most to get people to play tennis. Established in 1990, TAA is the original, free, grassroots lesson program. It also has a multicultural segment that targets various communities and potential players who may not otherwise have the opportunity to play. While the award does look at individuals who have held the most free clinics with the greatest number of participants, it also looks at individuals hosting the most creative, original or unique free tennis event to get people to play the game. The USPTA Diversity Award recognizes those USPTA members who have demonstrated an outstanding ability to unite diverse populations within their community through tennis. The USPTA Tennis-for the health of it Award recognizes members who have come up with the most unique tennis-for the health of it programs. Award nomination forms and guidelines are available at by calling or by sending a request to pr@uspta.org. 15

16 Need Something? Go to USPTA members can find it all at one location. Go to for all your tennis needs. Create a personal website, check your educational credits, find lesson plans, watch USPTA.TV, register a Tennis Across America event, research career center PR tools and much, much more. 16 Southwest

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18 A Publication of the USPTA Southwest Division Jack Michalko / editor 77 East Missouri Avenue # 62 / Phoenix, AZ / usptasw@cox.net The Southwest Magazine is published quarterly by the Southwest Division of the United States Professional Tennis Association. The opinions expressed in the Southwest Magazine are those of the authors and not necessarily those of Southwest Magazine or the USPTA Southwest Division. Copyright Southwest Division/United States Professional Tennis Association, Inc All rights reserved. Reproduction of any portion of this newsletter is not permitted without written permission from the USPTA Southwest Division. Advertising information: All ads must be camera ready and in color if possible. Prices are per issue. Full Page...$150 Half Page...$100 1/4 Page...$70 18