Frequently. t pathway? Junior Competition: Tennis, Junior. Development. philosophy encompasses

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1 Frequently Asked Questions 1. What is the mission of USTA Player Development?? The mission of USTA Player Development is too develop world class American players through a clearly defined training structure and competitive pathway as well as through the implementation of a comprehensive coaching philosophy and structure. 2. How do you define the USTA Player Development t pathway? The USTA Player Development Pathway is broken down into four areas: 10 and Under Tennis, Junior Competition, Collegiate Competition, and Professional Tennis. 10 and Under Tennis: The modified formats create a controlled environment that allow for players to learn the fundamental skillss needed to be successful while having fun. The focus is to develop more players who display the competencies required to train and compete at the highest level of each format. Junior Competition: The junior competitive system is a key element in our Player Development Pathway. Junior tournaments help players advance their game through local, sectional, national, and international competition. The intention is to provide appropriate developmental competitive opportunities that are affordable and that do not require an excessive amount of time away from school. Collegiate Competition: The majority of junior players should aspire to play college tennis. Some of thesee players will have the opportunity too move on to a professional career. There will be some exceptions who will attempt to make the jump from junior tennis to the professional ranks, based on an assessment of their results at the junior and/or professional level (Pro Circuit events). Professional Tennis: The USTA s player development pathway now proceeds from USTA junior tennis, ITF junior circuit and collegiate tennis to the professional ranks. An aspiring pro may take any of a number of thesee pathways. 3. What is the teaching and coaching philosophy of USTA Playerr Development? USTA Player Development (USTAPD) adheres to a teaching and coaching philosophy that encompasses the entire continuum of Player Development and is applicable to athletes at all stages of development. The foundation of the philosophy is the belief that coaches should teach and develop the fundamental skills that enable the player to have the most complete game possible. The Five Principles of thee Teaching & Coaching Philosophy are:

2 a. Patience: Teaching tennis takes tremendous self control, passion, and discipline from the coach and player. b. Progressions: Everything that is taught must follow ordered progressions based on the fact that the game of tennis is played first, with the mind and eyes, secondly with the feet, and finally with the hands. In teaching the game, the progression should be taught in the opposite order: hands (grips and swing paths), feet (movement) and eyes/mind (ball recognition and strategy). c. Parameters: From the onset of training, teaching must be executed carefully using proper technique within a range of acceptability. d. Planning and Goals: Player development plans should be devised and designed jointly by the player and coach (the more advanced the player is, the more input the player should provide) based on clearly defined performance goals. e. Problem Solving: Players need to learn how to think independently and develop self reliance. The coach s role should be to show the player the correct path to follow. 4. How is USTA Player Development involved with developing players? Regional Training Center Camps: Enables Player Development the opportunity to give juniors in the Sections an opportunity to receive High Performance training near their homes as well as competitive opportunities for talented juniors who might not otherwise be able to afford the training. The camps help develop relationships between the players, parents, and personal coaches. Regional Training Centers (In House Programs): Allows USTA Player Development to create extensions of the National Training Centers, where players have organized year round training that is in line with the USTA Player Development Teaching and Coaching Philosophy. The players stay connected to USTAPD through regular communication with USTAPD staff, personal coaches and parents. National Training Center Camps: There are training opportunities at one of the three National Training Centers. Players come together from across the country to train for various amounts of time, participate in wild card events, and prepare for international travel. National Training Centers: Training takes place for players who have applied and been selected to train full time at one of our three National Training Centers (Boca Raton, FL, Carson, CA,or Flushing, NY). 5. Does USTA Player Development have training centers? If so, where? USTA Player Development has Training Centers in three different locations: USTA Training Center Headquarters in Boca Raton, FL. USTA Training Center West in Carson, CA. USTA Training Center East in Flushing, NY. 2

3 6. How are players selected to participate in the three USTA Player Development Training Centers in Boca Raton, FL, Carson, CA and Flushing, NY? a. USTA Training Center Headquarters (Boca Raton, Florida) The USTA Training Center Headquarters runs a full time boarding program. Players must apply and be selected to train at this location. Acceptance is limited and is based on results, commitment and an assessment of potential to become a Top 100 player. The application and overview of the program is available on the USTA web site at: /About USTA/Training Centers/TrainingCenter/. For more information, contact Elke Juul (juul@usta.com). b. USTA Training Center West (Carson, California) Players are selected into either the day program or after school program based on results and performance in tournaments, hard work, the ability to listen to feedback and incorporate suggestions and an assessment of potential to become a Top 100 player. Players who are highly ranked need to contact the Director of the USTA Training Center West or the Lead National Coach. Once selected into the program, players are expected to take what they learn and put it into practice on a daily basis. Players will be involved in a variety of activities which include drilling and match play as well as on court and off court conditioning. Players are continually tested physically and are expected to improve their conditioning from previous tests. Parents are expected to attend mandatory parent seminars. For more information, contact John Lansville (lansville@usta.com). c. USTA Training Center East (Flushing, New York) Players are selected into either the day program or after school program based on results and performance in tournaments, hard work, the ability to listen to feedback and incorporate suggestions and an assessment of potential to become a Top 100 player. Open tryouts available to all bi annually at the center; for the latest information on player tryouts please visit USTA/Training Centers/USTA_Training_Center_East/. Players who are highly ranked need to contact the Manager of the USTA Training Center East or the Lead National Coach. Once selected into the program, players are expected to take what they learn and put it into practice on a daily basis. Players will be involved in a variety of activities which include drilling and match play as well as on court and off court conditioning. Players are continually tested physically and are expected to improve their conditioning from previous tests. Parents are expected to attend mandatory parent seminars. For more information, contact Joe Ceriello (Ceriello@usta.com). 7. Why are some players selected to train in Boca, Carson or New York and others (who may be ranked higher) are not selected? There are a number of factors that are taken into consideration when selecting players to participate in the program, such as what openings may be available, how the potential participant may fit with the group, results, assessment of the player s potential, attitude, work habits/ethic, commitment, fitness level, etc. 3

4 8. What sorts or educational opportunities are provided for the players in the program at the USTA Training Center Headquarters both formal and informal? As education is of the utmost importance to USTA Player Development, we fully subsidize the cost of K12 International Academy tuition for students enrolled in the Full Time program for the school year. K12 is a fully accredited private online high school that has been specially tailored to meet the on court and off court demands of the USTAPD National Training Program. It has been designed for student athletes who are pursuing a professional tennis career while simultaneously preparing for admission into top colleges and universities. In addition to school, USTAPD involves the athletes in community events (including: Habitat for Humanity, Samaritan s Purse, Special Olympics, Broward Homeless Shelter, Food For the Poor, Kids and Police Tennis Association KAPTA and various other organizations). Educational seminars are provided to the athletes, such as nutritional seminars (group and one on one work), media and PR training, etiquette training, WTA seminars, and seminars covering other topics that can support the development of studentathletes. 9. What is the daily program at the USTA Training Center Headquarters in Boca Raton, Florida? The USTA Training Center Headquarters currently offers two types of programs, which include full time residency or a day program for players. The full time program requires players to live and train every day at the center. The day program is for players who live close to the USTA Training Center and have been selected to participate in the program with the full time resident players. 10. What is the daily program at the USTA Training Center West? The USTA Training Center West currently offers two types of programs for aspiring young players during the school year. There is a day time program which allows players who are not attending traditional school to train during the day and an opportunity to work out with our strength and conditioning staff after their tennis workouts. In addition, we offer an after school program which runs from 4 7pm each day and is for those players who attend traditional school. This dual program allows players who are at various stages of age and development to meet their specific needs while training at our center. During the summer time, the programs are combined into one program and coordinated to optimize court time, coaching opportunities, and practice and competitive opportunities. 11. How can players who do not live by the training center train at the USTA Training Center West? Players who are highly ranked at the national level and do not live near the training center are welcome to contact us to make arrangements to train at the USTA training Center West. Players should contact the Director of the USTA Training Center West or the Lead National Coach at the training center to ascertain scheduling and coordinate training. Such training, however, is at the player s expense. Factors that we take into account in coordinating visits 4

5 to USTA Training Center West include the ability and age of a player as well as the factors set forth in item 6.b. above. 12. What is the daily program at USTA Training Center East? The USTA Training Center East currently offers two types of programs for aspiring young players during the school year. There is a day time program which allows players who are not attending traditional school to train during the day and an opportunity to work out with our strength and conditioning staff. In addition, we offer an after school program for those players who attend traditional school. This dual program allows for players who are at various stages of age and development to meet their specific needs while training at our center. During the summer time, the programs are combined into one program and coordinated to optimize court time and coaching opportunities. For specific information on our current programming hours please contact Joe Ceriello (Ceriello@usta.com). 13. How can players who do not live by the training center train at the USTA Training Center East? Players who are highly ranked at the national level and do not live near the training center are welcome to contact us to make arrangements to train at the USTA Training Center East. Players should contact the Manager of the USTA Training Center East or the Lead National Coach at the training center to ascertain scheduling and coordinate training. Such training, however, is at the player s expense. Factors that we take into account in coordinating visits to USTA Training Center East include the ability and age of a player as well as the factors set forth in item 6.b. above. 14. Who comprises the coaching staff at the three training centers and what are their backgrounds? Jose Higueras Director of Coaching Joined the staff in Originally from Spain. Has worked with a number of the world s best players including Pete Sampras, Jim Courier, Michael Chang, Roger Federer, Jennifer Capriati and Mary Joe Fernandez. As a professional, he won 16 ATP singles titles and was ranked as high as #6 in the world. He reached the semifinals of Roland Garros in back to back years in 1982 and Received ATP Sportsmanship Award in Was a mainstay on the Spanish Davis Cup team, playing for eight years. Jay Berger Head of Men s Tennis Joined the staff in 2003, became Head of Men s Tennis in Served as the head men s and women s tennis coach at the University of Miami. Played professionally for 5 years and reached a career high of #7 in the world. Member of the US Davis Cup team in 1988 and 1990, posting a 2 0 singles record. During his pro career, posted wins over Pete Sampras, Michael Chang and Boris Becker, among others. 5

6 Played collegiately at Clemson, where he was an all American in Won the USTA Boy s National Championship, which earned him a main draw wild card to the 1985 US Open where he reached the fourth round the best finish of any reigning Boys 18s champion in the open era. Ola Malmqvist Head of Women s Tennis Joined the staff in 2002, became Head of Women s Tennis in Originally from Sweden. American citizen. Has worked with Mikael Pernfors, Chanda Rubin, Petr Korda, Luke and Murphy Jensen, and Bethanie Mattek Sands among others. Served as the head coach of the women s tennis team at UNLV. While with the USTA, has had more than 10 different players that he coached move into the Top 100. Has helped Fed Cup Captain Mary Joe Fernandez coach the Fed Cup Team since As a collegian, was a three time all American at the University of Georgia, where he won the NCAA doubles title in Lead National Coaches: Ricardo Acuna (Men s Boca) Joined the staff in Originally from Chile. American citizen. Worked at the ATP Club in Ponte Vedra Beach, FL where he was the director of tennis. Played professionally for 11 years and won three tour level doubles titles and eight titles (three singles and five doubles) on the USTA Pro Circuit. He qualified for Wimbledon in 1985 and went on to reach the quarterfinals. Reached a career high of #47 in the ATP rankings. Spent ten years playing for the Chilean Davis Cup team. Played collegiately at Northwestern (Louisiana) State University, where he earned all American honors in That same year, he won the silver medal in both singles and doubles at the Pan American Games. Leo Azevedo (Men s and Women s Carson) Joined the staff in Originally from Brazil. Started as a coach in Brazil, working with junior players. Then became part of Equelite/J.C. Ferrero in Spain, where for three years, he coached juniors and pros including Guillermo Garcia Lopez and former world #1 Juan Carlos Ferrero. Aided the Brazilian Davis Cup team and was captain of the 2008 Olympic team. He continued to develop players on the ATP Tour including Ricardo Mello, Falvio Saretta and Thomaz Bellucci before joining the USTA. 6

7 Tom Gullikson (Women s Boca) Joined the USTA in Was one of the earliest USTA Player Development coaches where he coached Jim Courier, Todd Martin and Jennifer Capriati, among others. Later served as the program s Director of Coaching from Served as US Davis Cup captain from , leading the 1995 team to the Davis Cup title. Served as the men s Olympic coach during the 1996 Games in Atlanta, where he helped Andre Agassi win the gold medal in singles. As a professional, he captured 15 career doubles titles (10 with identical twin brother Tim) and reached the Wimbledon doubles final in 1983 with Tim. One year later, he won the US Open mixed doubles title with partner Manuela Maleeva. Reached a career high of #4 in doubles. Diego Moyano (Men s Boca) Joined the USTA in Originally from Argentina. Played professionally from and won four ATP Challenger singles titles, all on clay (also reached four other finals and five other semifinals). He also qualified for the main draw of the 1999 French Open, and reached a career high No. 130 on the ATP Tour rankings in He has worked with 2004 French Open finalist Guillermo Coria, 2007 Australian Open finalist Fernando Gonzalez, and American Robby Ginepri (ATP #15). Has also worked with Paul Capdevilee (ATP #78), Diego Hartfield (ATP #73) and Carlos Berlocq (ATP #38). Speaks four languages: English, Spanish, Italian and French. Adam Peterson (Women s Boca) Joined the USTA in Began coaching professionally in 2001 following a five year playing career on the ATP Tour. During that time, he worked with Lindsay Davenport, Samantha Stosur, and 2008 US Open girls champion CoCo Vandeweghe. Peterson played professionally from , where he achieved a career high doubles ranking of #102. He was a two time All American at the University of Southern California, where he helped the Trojans capture back to back NCAA titles in He also won the Pac 10 singles title in Kathy Rinaldi (Women s Boca) Joined the USTA in Won WTA Newcomer of the Year her rookie year on the tour and also received Comeback Player of the Year several years later. She is a former Top 10 player in both singles and doubles highest singles ranking was #7, winning three singles titles and two doubles titles on the Sony Ericsson WTA tour. 7

8 Reached semifinals of all Grand Slams in singles, doubles or mixed doubles. Mentor for Anna Kournikova for WTA Mentoring Program. Rinaldi served as coach of the U.S. Fed Cup team under Captain Zina Garrison in 2006 and Rinaldi won eight USTA national junior titles, as well as the Girls 18s title at the Orange Bowl International Junior Championships in 1981 at the age of 14. Michael Sell (Men s Boca) Joined the USTA in Has worked with a number of America s top young talent, including Mardy Fish, Donald Young and John Isner, as well as a number of the country s top juniors. Sell served for two years as Monica Seles personal coach and played professionally on the ATP tour for five years, reaching career highs of #136 in singles and #83 in doubles. He won 14 Challengers on the USTA Pro Circuit (three singles and eleven doubles titles) and was also a Davis Cup practice partner in Sell played for the University of Georgia, where he was a four time all American and received the Arthur Ashe Sportsmanship/Leadership Award in Jorge Todero (Men s and Women s New York) Joined the USTA in Originally from Argentina. He was the Owner and Director of the Todero Tennis Training Academy in Florida. Jorge has also worked as the personal coach for several professional players including Catalina Castaño, Martine Jaite, Alberto Mancini, Carlos Salamanca, Meghan Shaugnessy, Patricia Tarabini and Fabiola Zuluaga. From , Jorge was the captain of the Argentinean Fed Cup team which included Gabriella Sabatini. He was also the Argentinean Women's Tennis Team Captain at the 1996 and 2000 Olympic Games. National Coaches: Richard Ashby (Women s Boca) Joined the USTA in Originally from Barbados. American citizen. Served as a personal coach to Jennifer Capriati, David Wheaton and Tommy Ho, among others, and also spent ten years coaching at Harry Homan/Saddlebrook International Tennis and the Palmer Tennis Academy. He played professionally from and also played Davis Cup for five years for Barbados. Ashby played collegiately at the University of South Carolina, and graduated in Stanford Boster (Men s Boca) Joined the USTA in Originally from South Africa. 8

9 American citizen. Spent over 13 years operating Boster Tennis Management, during which time he coached and managed such players as Andy Roddick, Mardy Fish, Todd Widom and David Martin. Previously, Stanford spent four years at the Evert Tennis Academy in Boca Raton, first as a High Performance Coach and then as Academy Director. Andy Brandi (Men s Boca) Joined the USTA in Originally from Puerto Rico. American citizen. Served as a partner of the Harold Solomon Tennis Institute since 2007 before recently joining the USTA staff. From , Brandi was the Director of Tennis for IMG at the Evert Tennis Academy in Boca Raton, and from , he was the head coach of the University of Florida women s team. During his career, Brandi has worked with top professionals such as Olympic Gold medalist Elena Dementieva, Shahar Peer, Maria Kirilenko and Ryan Sweeting. During his tenure at the University of Florida, Brandi led the Gators to three NCAA Division I Team titles and coached four NCAA women s singles champions. Jay Devashetty (men s and Women s New York) Joined the USTA in Originally from India. Jay was working at the Hardscrabble Club in Brewster, NY where he had served as Director of Player Development since During his tenure at Hardscrabble, he served as primary coach to four different USTA National Champions and four players who have reached the top 100 in the ITF World Junior Rankings. Previously, Jay spent five years working at the Randy Mani Tennis Academy, first as a Tennis Pro, and then as Assistant Director. Jay Gooding (Men s and Women s New York) Joined the USTA in Originally from Australia. Prior to joining USTA, he was a Founding Member and Head Coach at Pro Form Tennis in Rye Brook, NY. Previously, he spent two years as a private tennis coach on Long Island and as head coach of the Sleepy Hollow Country Club in Sleep Hollow, NY. He was a touring professional on the ATP Tour from He achieved a career high ranking of #488 in Sylvain Guichard (Women s Boca) Joined the USTA in Originally from France. 9

10 American citizen. Prior to the USTA, he enjoyed a three year stint as Manager and Director of Coaching at The Racquet Club of Lake Bluff in Lake Bluff, Ill., where he helped Michael Redlicki capture the boys 16s singles titles at both the USTA National Clay Court Championships and USTA National Hard Court Championships in Previously, Guichard spent 15 years in the men s tennis program at Mississippi State University first as a player, then as an assistant coach, and finally as head coach from His teams participated in 14 NCAA Championships during that span, and Guichard was named SEC Coach of the Year and Intercollegiate Tennis Association Southeast Region Coach of the Year in Troy Hahn (Women s Boca) Joined the USTA in Served one year as the Assistant Men s Tennis Coach at Purdue University before joining the USTA staff. He played professionally from , winning six ITF doubles titles and peaking to #410 in doubles. He also served as a practice partner for the U.S. Fed Cup team for five ties. Hahn played at the University of Florida, where he helped lead the Gators to two SEC titles. Lori McNeil (Women s Carson) Joined the USTA in Played professionally on the WTA Tour for 17 years and reached career high rankings of #8 in singles and #4 in doubles. She won 12 singles titles and 40 doubles titles, including a mixed doubles championship at the French Open and semifinal appearances in singles at both Wimbledon and the US Open. Additionally, McNeil represented the U.S. for three years in Fed Cup competition. McNeil played for Oklahoma State University where she was named an all American after her sophomore year. She was an assistant coach for the U.S. Olympic team in both 2004 and David Nainkin (Men s Carson) Joined the USTA in Originally from South Africa. American citizen. Was the personal coach of Wayne Ferreira and spent considerable time in the last few years working with Sam Querrey and Mardy Fish, as well as many other professional and top junior players. He played collegiate tennis for UCLA, where he played #1 singles in Nainkin played on the ATP Tour for several years, reaching a career high ranking of #

11 In 1998, he advanced to the third round of the US Open and also represented South Africa in Davis Cup Competition in 1998 and Freddie Rodriguez (Women s Boca) Joined the USTA in Originally from the Dominican Republic. Prior to joining the USTA, he was the Director of Tennis at the Coosa Country Club in Rome, Georgia, where he coached a number of top junior prospects. Recently, he also served as the coach in the Nike Junior Tour for the Southern team and worked as the Director of Boarding Summer Camps for the Darlington Schools in Rome, Georgia. As a tennis player, Freddie was a member of the Dominican Republic Davis Cup Team from 2004 to 2006 and represented the Dominican Junior National Team in several ITF tournaments from In 1997, Freddie won the gold medal at the Dominican Republic National Games. Freddie attended Shorter College and was a member of its tennis team which earned a ranking as high as #2 in the NAIA. Dustin Taylor (Men s Boca) Joined the USTA in Has worked with Americans Ryan Sweeting, Robert Kendrick, Brendan Evans and Tim Smyczek, all of whom have achieved career high ATP rankings under Taylor s tutelage. In 2008, Taylor served as head coach of World TeamTennis New York Sportimes (who finished 2 nd in the league), and in 2005, Taylor worked with Rhyne Williams and helped Williams capture the boys 14s title at that year s Junior Orange Bowl title. In 2003, as a junior at the University of Tulsa, he was named an all American and reached the quarterfinals at the NCAA Division I Championships. Nicolas Todero (Men s Boca) Joined the USTA in Originally from Argentina. American citizen. Served one year as a touring professional coach, most recently as the coach for American Jesse Levine. He played professionally from , predominantly on the ITF Pro Circuit, achieving a career high ranking of #219 in Todero won 10 ITF Futures events during his career, and competed in qualifying tournaments of all four Grand Slam events. Reached finals in the ATP Challenger Circuit and competed in ATP Tour events. Played team tennis in the Netherlands league for Breda in 2007 and Played team tennis in the German league for Stuttgart Waldau in 2005 and Played team tennis in the German league for Wies Baden in 2007 and USTA Coaches: Marc Lucero (Women s Carson) 11

12 Joined the USTA in Marc was working as a Private Professional Tennis Coach. He spent time working with top local juniors in the San Diego area and has coached Lyndsay Kinstler, the 2005 National Hard Court Champion in the 16s category. In addition, he worked with Mallory Cecil at the 2009 Family Circle Cup. Marc has also served as a hitting partner for various top 25 WTA Tour players. Prior to joining the USTA, he was an Assistant Tennis Coach for Women s Tennis at Princeton University. As a student at Boston College, he played on the Men s Varsity Tennis team and was the first freshman to record a 20 win season. 15. Does USTA Player Development provide grants to deserving players? USTA Player Development offers four types of grants for players: Grand Slam Grants, Excellence Grants, Player Development Grants and Collegiate Team Grants. Grand Slam Grants are awarded to players who get into the main draw of a junior Grand Slam; Excellence Grants are awarded to players who meet the criteria established for their birth year, and the national coaching staff awards Player Development Grants to players they feel are deserving based on performance and potential. Collegiate Team Grants are awarded during the summer to assist the top American Collegiate players playing Pro Circuit Events. These grants are provided through the Collegiate Competition Department. Multicultural Grants are also provided to players through the USTA s Diversity and Inclusion Department. To find out more, please go to: USTA/Player Development/Player Services/110792_Player_Grants/ 16. What are the criteria for providing grants? USTA Player Development awards Grand Slam Grants to participants in the main draw of the Australian Open, French Open and Wimbledon Junior Championships. Excellence Grants are awarded to players who meet the established criteria for a player s birth year. The Head of Men s Tennis and the Head of Women s Tennis award Player Development Grants to players who are showing success at USTA National Championships, ITF Grade A and Grade 1 Events, as well as professional events. These grants are used to assist players with the cost of travel to tournaments and other training service costs. For criteria for the Collegiate Team Grants, please visit the USTA College Tennis web site: Does one have to apply for grants? If so, how? Players must apply for Excellence Grants, but players do not have to apply for Grand Slam Grants or Player Development Grants. Grand Slam Grants are awarded once the event is completed. The Player Services Department sends Grant Letters to all players who participated in the three junior Grand Slams not held in the United States. The Head of Men s Tennis and the Head of Women s Tennis award Player Development Grants. None of these grants are based on need, but rather on performance and/or an assessment of potential. The Player Services Department administers these grants to players once the players have been selected by the coaching department. 12

13 18. I received a grant and signed the grant letter, but I have not received any of the money yet how come? Once a player receives a grant, the player does receive a check for the entire amount. The USTA requires players to submit a Tournament and/or Service Grant request form. The tournaments which are eligible and the amounts a player is reimbursed are listed in the USTA grant procedures document. For more information, please go to: USTA/Player Development/Player Services/ Player Grants/ 19. How long does it take to receive the check once I have submitted the request form? Once a player submits his or her request form, it will take 3 4 weeks to receive the check. 20. I heard that the USTA has multicultural grants for players. How do I apply for one of those grants? Players need to complete the multicultural grant application. These grant applications are usually available in mid October of each year and are due back to a player s sectional office by mid November. For more information, please go to: USTA/USTA Awards/AwardsandGrants/ 21. How are players selected to participate in various USTA Training Camps? a. National Camps at USTA Training Centers The USTA National Coach in charge of the camp selects the players. Players are selected based on ranking, tournament performance, and work ethic. Players selected may invite their Personal Coaches to attend these camps. b. National Camps at USTA Certified Regional Training Centers The USTA National Coach in charge of the camp selects the players. Players are selected based on ranking, tournament performance, and work ethic. Players selected may invite their Personal Coaches to attend these camps. c. Regional Camps at USTA Certified Regional Training Centers The staff of the department of Player Identification and Development, with assistance from the staff at the USTA Certified Regional Training Centers, selects the players. Players are selected from an area around the regional training center. Players are selected based on ranking, tournament performance, coach recommendation and work ethic. Players selected may invite their Personal Coaches to attend these camps. 22. Generally, how are wild cards awarded? 13

14 Wild cards vary depending on the event. Remember that a wild card is wild, thus no one automatically deserves or is guaranteed a wild card. That being said, there are different procedures for requesting wild cards: a. ATP/WTA Events The tournament director determines who receives wild cards in these events. Players should contact the tournament director directly. b. USTA Pro Circuit Events The wild cards for these events are divided between the USTA and the tournament director. The USTA has a certain number of wild cards it can award. The tournament director decides who will receive the local tournament wild cards. Players must apply online at the website listed below. c. ITF Junior Events in the US The wild cards for these events are also divided between the USTA and the tournament director. The USTA has a certain number of wild cards it can award. Players must submit a wild card request form. The tournament director decides who will receive the local tournament wild cards. Players must apply online at the website listed below. d. ITF Junior Events outside the US The tournament director decides who will receive wild cards for these events. e. USTA National Championships A committee composed of the USTA Director of Junior Tennis, USTA National Coach, Tournament Director, Junior Competition Committee Chair and Junior Ranking Chair decide who will receive these wild cards. Players must apply online at the website listed below. f. USTA National Schedule Events The tournament director decides who will receive wild cards. For more information regarding wild card procedures, please go to: Development/Player Services/Wild cards/ Wild Cards.asp. 23. For the various wild card playoffs conducted by USTA Player Development, such as for the Australian Open, French Open and US Open, how are the players selected? USTA Player Development selects players based on factors such as rankings, good wins over highly ranked players, results over the last few months (also taking into account the surface the matches are played on), work habits, fitness level, professionalism and attitude. 24. What is USTA Player Development s involvement in 10 and Under Tennis? Player Development has been a partner with Community Tennis in both the development of 10 and Under Tennis and also the many educational efforts that have been initiated to support the growth and understanding of 10 and Under Tennis throughout the United States. USTAPD has taken an active role in supporting changes in the rules of tennis and in competitive structure to align with the goals of 10 and Under Tennis. Our outreach to the coaching community continues to be a main priority for USTAPD and is accomplished 14

15 through both resource development and conducting 10 and Under Player Development Workshops. 25. Is USTA Player Development involved in coaching education? If so, how? Since its inception in 1999, the USTA Player Development Coaching Education Department has been offering educational programing and developing education resources for the coaching and teaching community. The acclaimed USTA High Performance Coaching Program has seen nearly 1,000 coaches successfully complete the program. Many of the program s graduates are leading High Performance Coaches throughout the country and they support the many programs that Player Development conducts like the Regional Training Center Camps, Zonal Coaches and members of the Sections Coaches Commissions. The Coaching Education Department also produces resources for the Coaching Community. The High Performance Coaching Newsletter is an example of a resource which over 25,000 coaches and tennis professionals receive on a quarterly basis. 26. How does USTA Player Development support collegiate tennis? The USTA Player Development s department of Collegiate Competition works in partnership with the Intercollegiate Tennis Association (ITA) to support and help grow college tennis through Player Development and Advocacy & Programming. We provide our top American collegians opportunities and support in collegiate, professional, and international events while providing college tennis information and resources to junior players, parents, and coaches. We strive to create and grow strong relationships with college coaches and serve as their point of contact to the USTA. We are committed to assisting American tennis players in achieving their goals of playing varsity college tennis, and potentially continuing on with a career in professional tennis. Some examples of Player Development Programming include: USTA Collegiate Teams Provides elite training and playing opportunities for the top American varsity collegiate players. Pro Tour Transition Camps Annual summer camp for USTA Collegiate Team members designed to prep players for their summer schedule as well as for a future as a professional player through training and daily educational sessions. Master U Team Six top American collegians (3 men, 3 women) are selected annually to represent the USA in France at the Master U BNP Paribas event, an international collegiate competition. Team USA has taken home the gold in 2009 and Title Sponsorship of the USTA/ITA Regional Championships, Small College National Championships, National Collegiate Wheelchair Championships, and National Indoor Intercollegiate Championships (NIIC) Hosting of the NIIC at the USTA BJK National Tennis Center Hybrid Events Events pitting junior players against college players in a number of formats. 15

16 o Junior Events for College Coaches USTAPD assists tournament directors and section staff at making their 16s and 18s events more college coach friendly. At USTAPDrun events, college coaches are provided with player Bio Books to assist them in their recruiting of American players. o Fall Tournaments: Orlando, Napa, Portland USTA Juniors square off against college teams in a dual match format. Coaching Education Programming for College Coaches Some examples of Advocacy Programming include: Information Sessions, Showcases, & Forums Events to assist American junior tennis players in the recruiting process through education and exposure. o Information Session Informational meeting on college tennis and the recruiting process. Generally open to junior tennis players (in high school), their parents, and their coaches. Lasts 1 2 hours with 1 2 speakers or a panel for Q&A. o Showcase An opportunity for junior players to play in front of college coaches in organized match play. o Forum These types of events are extremely popular at bigger tournaments where college coaches recruit generally these must take place after July 1. Preparation and Publication of the USTA Guide to Tennis on College Campuses Campus Showdowns One day, short format tournaments held on college campuses that are open to junior players, college players, professionals, and adults. Campus Kids Days Designated college dual matches that have programming for kids and parents. Designed to get kids exposed to college tennis and to develop an interest at an early age. Campus QuickStart Recognition program highlighting college coaches who are administering 10 and Under Programming on their campuses. College Spotlights on USTA.com Q&A s with our top American college players and coaches. For more information and details regarding USTAPD s collegiate programming, visit: How is USTA Player Development involved in junior competition? The Director of Junior Competition, Lew Brewer, is a USTA Player Development staff member and is Player Development s representative on the USTA Junior Competition Committee. The Director helps to ensure that the philosophy and goals of Player Development are reflected in the activities and programs under the Committee s purview. The Junior Competition staff is responsible for publishing and maintaining the National Junior Ranking system as well as the publishing of the National Junior Tournament Schedule. Player Development also has a major role in the selection of wild cards for USTA National 16

17 Championships. The Junior Competition department is responsible for organizing and supervising all the International Tennis Federation (ITF) Junior Circuit events in the United States. Player Development is directly responsible for the three most important ITF Junior Circuit tournaments in the United States, the US Open Junior Tennis Championships, the Orange Bowl International Tennis Championships and the International Spring Championships. 28. Is USTA Player Development involved in sport science? USTAPD is actively involved in Sport Science from three perspectives. First, from a training and player performance point of view, USTAPD has on its staff a group of Strength and Conditioning Specialists and Certified Athletic Trainers who support the efforts and mission of Player Development by working with the athletes that we coach on a daily basis to help them stay healthy and be at peak performance on the tennis court. Second, USTAPD is actively involved in Sport Science through the USTA Sport Science Committee. This Committee is comprised of world leaders in the Sport Sciences. The Committee supports the mission of Player Development by offering counsel on areas of policy and procedures that affect player development, as well as helping to produce, evaluate and disseminate sport science information relevant to tennis. Third, Player Development is active with Sport Science by working with the coaching education department to provide current sport science related information to the coaching community. 29. Can you explain USTA Player Development s Regional Training Centers? The establishment of Regional Training Center s (RTC s) enables us to partner with the best programs in the country, building relationships between our best coaches, and raising the level of training for our best 8 14 year old juniors. The partnerships also make the transition of the very best juniors in the country into our National Program more seamless. Currently, USTA Player Development has partnered with twenty four (24) RTC programs across the country. These programs help train hundreds of our junior players (ages 8 14) close to home and help facilitate relationships between personal coaches and our National Staff. USTAPD tracks the development and performance of these juniors and builds strong relationships with their coaches and parents. Regional Training Centers are important because: A player s technical foundation is built between the ages of 8 and 14. The most critical coaching phase is 8 12 (girls), (boys). Maturity is a function of socialization. It s a TEAM effort. RTC s help us create hubs of collaboration and cooperation, which will greatly increase the number of juniors we develop. 30. How does USTA Player Development interact with Personal Coaches? We work closely with them. Regardless of who the primary coach is, the goal of USTA Player Development is to develop world class American players and to work collaboratively with the primary coach towards that end. The USTA staff is sometimes the primary coach 17

18 for a player and, at other times, a secondary coach. We understand that some players work primarily with another coach and, therefore, it is extremely important that players let us know who their primary coach is so that we can have regular communication. It is the parent s responsibility to let all coaches involved in a child s development know that they are receiving input from various coaches so we can all work together to help the player reach his/her maximum potential. In addition, personal coaches are always welcome to come to any of our training centers or to call any of our coaches regarding a player s development. 31. What would you identify as successes for USTA Player Development? First, the Ten and Under Tennis initiative is certainly a success in terms of getting more kids playing tennis (and at an earlier age) and having a greater number of these players entering the competitive pathway. They are developing better technical skills at an earlier age. Overall, the result is more and better players playing junior tennis. Second, we now have something that we did not have before in the United States a unified coaching philosophy. Third is the success of players that Player Development has worked with and is working with, either primarily or secondarily. The bar has been raised for all of American tennis with the success of American players competing in ITF events and at the highest levels of junior tennis. Hopefully, more and better American players will result in more American players winning junior Grand Slam tournaments and receiving scholarships to play varsity college tennis. Our goal is to have more Top 100 players, more players competing for major titles and Grand Slams, Davis Cup and Fed Cup titles, and Olympic medals. 32. What challenges and opportunities does Player Development have moving forward? Some of the challenges and or opportunities that Player Development sees moving forward are getting more kids playing tennis and attracting talented athletes to tennis. This includes increasing the affordability and accessibility of the game, getting the best young athletes possible interested in playing tennis through 10 and Under Tennis and working closely and in collaboration with the private sector. Other challenges include the global nature of the sport and its popularity, world wide, trying to maximize the resources that Player Development has available, and trying to raise the level of coaching, overall, in the United States. Finally, it is important to recognize the importance of patience in developing players, especially through the USTA s Player Development Program. For many years, the USTA merely facilitated the development of players. It has only been a few years since the USTA has also begun to be fully responsible for developing some young players as summarized in this FAQ. In the long run, the USTA s investment in developing players will pay off, but investments such as the one we are making in developing players will take time to reach fruition. 18