USTA Northern Highlights

Transcription

1 USTA Northern Highlights February 2014 Membership Numbers USTA Northern Individual Memberships Juniors Adults Total January ,197 7,358 12,555 December ,200 7,377 12,577 USTA Northern Organization Memberships Clubs CTAs Park & Recs Schools Service Orgs Total January December USTA Northern News & Notes The Stingley Family Named USTA National Family of the Year Congratulations to the Stingley Family (Tony, Ronda, David, Marc, Lisa and Langston) of St. Paul, Minn., who was named the Ralph W. Westcott USTA National Family of the Year. The Stingleys will be honored at a banquet on March 16 as part of the USTA Annual Meeting in Carlsbad, Calif. USTA Northern Yearbook Now Available The 2014 USTA Northern Yearbook is now available online. If you would like a printed copy, please contact Cory Haugen. Join Us For Member Appreciation Event March 1 At Gopher/Wisconsin Men s Tennis Match USTA Northern is hosting a free Member Appreciation Event in conjunction with the Minnesota/Wisconsin men s tennis match March 1 at Baseline Tennis Center. The event kicks off with two Cardio Tennis Clinics followed by lunch, a chalk talk with Gophers head coach Geoff Young and the match. Food, drink and prizes will be provided. A few spots remain for the 11 a.m. Cardio Clinic. Please contact Lisa Mushett at (952) to attend the clinic or to RSVP for only lunch and the match. World Tennis Day and Tennis Night In America March 3, 2014; Register Your March Youth Play Event Today! Celebrate World Tennis Day on March 3, 2014! As part of World Tennis Day, USTA National, in conjunction with Madison Square Garden in New York City, will be hosting Tennis Night in America and the BNP Paribas Showdown. Included in the night s events are exhibition matches between Novak Djokovic and Andy Murray, as well as The Bryan Brothers vs. The McEnroe Brothers. Tennis Night in America is the kickoff for Youth Registration Month in March. Organizations and facilities can host a Youth Play Event any time during the month of March to help jumpstart spring and summer programming in your community. All March Play Events will receive a Celebration Pack which includes a Youth Tennis banner, bracelets and Bounce magazine. USTA Northern is also offering up to $150 in marketing money for any firsttime event. To register your event, visit For tickets to Tennis Night in America, click here. USTA Northern to Host Partner Resources Webinar March 6 Want to make sure you are in the loop on the best and most popular partner resources through USTA and USTA Northern? Join Sandy Smith, Director of Membership, and Christine Nickels, Director of Community Tennis, for our Top 10 Partner Resources List on Thursday, March 6, from 6:00-6:30 p.m. Reserve your seat now! Click here to register. Thank You USTA Northern Sponsors and Partners

2 Coolibar: UPF 50+ Protection Ideal for Tennis Great play, no burn. Moisture wicking, lightweight tennis wear with reliable UPF 50+ built in. Protect your skin and look good doing it! Shop Coolibar.com Use code USTA14 to receive 20% off at USTA Northern To Accept Applications to Serve On Board of Directors; Webinar April 17 Beginning April 1, USTA Northern is accepting applications for qualified candidates to serve on the Board of Directors for the upcoming term. Deadline to apply is June 1, Need to know more about what being on the Board entails? Join us for a webinar on April 17. For more information, please visit on April 1 or contact Mike Goldammer. Alexis Nelson Ranked No. 1 In Country and Invited To Fed Cup Camp Congratulations to Alexis Nelson (St. Paul, Minn.) who continues her magic carpet ride since December after earning the No. 1 ranking in the country for Girls 16s on January 29. Nelson became the first junior girl from USTA Northern to be ranked #1 in the country. Then, Nelson joined five other top junior girls in the country as part of the Fed Cup Development Camp February 5-9 in Cleveland, Ohio, when the United States played Italy. Nelson was the only girl not from Florida selected to the camp. Eric Butorac Finalist at Australian Open; Wins Memphis Congratulations to Rochester s Eric Butorac who also achieved new heights in his career when he and partner Raven Klaasen of South Africa earned finalists honors at the Australian Open in January and then won the Memphis U.S. National Indoor Championships in February. In both tournaments, Butorac and Klaasen defeated The Bryan Brothers. Aquatennial Tennis Tournament Dates Change To July The 2014 Aquatennial Tennis Tournament dates have been changed to July at Canadian Pacific Plaza in downtown Minneapolis. Qualifying draw matches will begin July 14, while main draw matches could start as soon as July 16. Deadline to apply is July 1. For more information, contact Lisa Mushett. USTA Northern Mourns Death of Don Grebin, Matthew Little, Lynda Schweich USTA Northern is mourning the passing of many tennis contributors to the Section in the past month including Hall of Famer Don Grebin, life-long tennis advocate Matthew Little and USTA League Player and Captain Lynda Schweich. Grebin of Sioux Falls, S.D. died on Feb. 11, at the age of 82. Known as the Godfather of Tennis in South Dakota, he taught at Axtell Park Junior High for 36 years and coached tennis at Washington High for 12 years. He served as the city tennis director for 17 years, was co-director of the South Dakota Open for 15 years and was the pro at Westward Ho Country Club in the 1970's. He won 25 sanctioned amateur men's doubles titles, including nine state doubles titles and was named to the South Dakota Tennis Hall of Fame in 1992, USTA Northern Section Hall of Fame in 2002 and Washington High Athletic Hall of Fame in He also received Augustana's Lefty Olson Award in 1997 and the Distinguished Service Award from the South Dakota High School Activities Association. Little of Minneapolis, Minn., died January 26 at the age of 92. Little was a life-long tennis player and member of the Senior Tennis Players Club and the Martin Luther King Tennis Buffs. He was a long-time leader of the NAACP and worked closely with political leaders and government agencies. He was elected five times to the Minnesota State Executive Committee, four times to the Democratic National Convention and another four times as an elector from Minnesota as part of the U.S. Electoral College. Schweich of Lakeville, Minn., succumbed to cancer on January 29 at the age of 55. Schweich and her husband, Mark, have played on and captained numerous adult, senior and mixed teams over the years, playing on multiple Section championship teams and advancing to Nationals. Junior News 2014 Junior Tournament Changes 2014 National Junior Tournament Calendar 2014 Junior Endorsement Requirements Deadline to register is now April 30

3 Paul McCallie Wins Singles and Doubles At Closed Regional Paul McCallie (Burnsville, Minn.) won both the singles and doubles championships at the 2014 USTA Boys 14s Closed Regional at LifeTime Fitness Lakeville. McCallie, who was seeded No. 2 in the tournament, won five matches en route to the title. In the finals, McCallie beat Morgan Ihrig of Munster, Ind., 6-3, 6-4. McCallie (left) and his partner Ben Ingbar (Minneapolis, Minn.) won four matches in the doubles draw, defeating top-seeded Tristian Fjelstad (Bloomington, Minn.) and Nikita Snezhko (Plymouth, Minn.) 8-5 in the finals. USTA Northern Taking Applications For Section Training Camp; Video Deadline March 3 USTA Northern is taking applications for the 2014 Junior Sectional Training Camp for players born from Players will be evaluated by video submission, USTA Northern ranking and player record. The videos should be no more than two minutes in length and should encompass all strokes, preferably in a play/point environment. Videos are due no later than March 3 to Pat Colbert. No videos will be accepted after March Jr. Team Tennis Updates JTT has undergone an upgrade and adopted some new changes for Some of the changes include: The creation of new play levels The requirement of coaches to be in compliance with Safe Play (visit USTA Safe Play Home USTA for more information) New days of play at Section Championships Updated cost structure New scheduling options for the Twin Cities, including POD weeks for more match play. For a complete list of the 2014 upgrades, click here. If you are interested in hosting a JTT tournament this summer, please contact Brandon Jackson. Save the Date: Twin Cities JTT Spring Forum March 15 USTA Northern will play host to a Twin Cities JTT Spring Forum on Saturday, March 15, from 2-5 p.m. at Champps Restaurant in St. Paul (2401 W. 7 th St.). Food and drink will be included in this event to help JTT providers with the 2014 JTT Updates, as well as understanding POD play and much more. Minnesota State High School Coaches Convention February 28-March 1 The Minnesota State High School Coaches Convention is February 28-March 1 at the Fred Wells Tennis & Education Center in St. Paul, Minn. To register, click here. For more information, contact Rick Engelstad. Adults/Seniors News Registration is Open for 40 & Over Mixed Doubles and ONE Doubles In Twin Cities Registration is now open for 40 & Over Mixed Doubles and ONE Doubles in the Twin Cities. Team registration deadline is March 7. For more information, click here, or contact Kelley Okerman. Rochester ONE Doubles Registration Now Open Register now for ONE Doubles leagues in Rochester. Team registration deadline is March 1. For more information about ONE Doubles in the Rochester area, click here. Spring Fling Mixed Doubles Event April 5 at Life Time Fitness Lakeville Register now for the 2014 Spring Fling Mixed Doubles event Saturday, April 5, at Life Time Fitness Lakeville from 6:00-10:00 p.m. USTA Northern will provide food, while players are asked to bring their favorite appetizer, salad or dessert. Adult beverages will be served at this FUN, team-format event at the 6.5, 7.5 and 8.5 levels. Registration fee is $30 a person. To register, click here. For more information, contact Lisa Mushett. Team Cutie Wins The Love Games Team Cutie was the winner of the 2014 Love Games at Life Time Fitness - St. Louis Park. Twenty-eight couples participated in the fun mixed doubles event which was a team competition based on total-games won. Team Cutie finished with 87 total-games won, followed by Team Sweet Pea with 80 total games, Team Hot Stuff (71), Team Be Mine (67), Team Crazy 4U (66), Team XOXO (61) and Team Yes Dear (58). Members of Team Cutie were Ron Brandon, Galena Rosenberg, Jov Tuplano, Michelle Fredrickson, Prab Perera, Marge Saunders, Crista Gilmore and Kevin Fox. Dinner and beverages were provided by USTA Northern, while each participant brought an item to share.

4 Tennis On Campus Section Championships March 1-2 at LifeTime Fitness - Lakeville The University of Minnesota is going for its 11 th straight USTA Northern Tennis on Campus Section Championship March 1-2 at Life Time Fitness Lakeville. For more information, contact Brandon Jackson. Qualify for the 2015 Senior Games at Baseline Tennis Center This August Save the date as the Baseline Tennis Center will play host to the 2014 Minnesota Senior Tennis Games August 7-8, The 2014 event serves as the qualifying tournament for the National Senior Tennis Games scheduled from July 5-15, 2015, also at Baseline Tennis Center. Age groups are 50-54, 55-59, 60-64, 65-69, 70-74, 75-79, 80-84, 85-89, 90-94, and 100+ with singles, doubles and mixed doubles available in all categories. Participants should register according to their age as of 12/31/14. To register, click here. Registration deadline is July 11, 2014, or must be postmarked by July 5, Registration fee is $40. For more information, contact Minnesota Senior Games. Community News Anonymous Donor Makes $5,000 Contribution In Memory of John Mueller An anonymous benefactor donated $5,000 to the Park Rapids Tennis Association in the memory of the late John Mueller. Wanting to grow tennis at the grassroots level like John did, the donor was looking for a CTA that had a small budget, but a big heart for tennis. Park Rapids had exactly that with eight courts and an annual budget of about $1,700. John also has family in the area that will benefit from the donation. In addition to supporting the boys high school team, the gift will also be used to expand existing tennis programming in the area, as well as develop programs for those from lower income neighborhoods or with special needs. USTA Serves and Community Tennis Grants Awarded USTA Serves, the national charitable foundation of the USTA, awarded $450,000 in grants to 40 organizations that provide tennis and education to underserved populations including $22,500 to InnerCity Tennis in Minneapolis and $20,000 to the Fred Wells Tennis & Education Center in St. Paul. USTA Northern also awarded two Community Tennis Grants in January including: Altoona Middle School in Altoona, Wis. Received $1,510 to start an after school program. The program (left) which is maxed out at 35 fourth and fifth graders, started in mid- February and will continue through March. InnerCity Tennis in Minneapolis, Minn. Received $1,500 for the development of a strategic marketing and communications campaign, along with a branding strategy. Apply For USTA and USTA Northern Grants and Scholarships Today! The giving season continues into early 2014 with grants and scholarships including: Community Tennis Grant Up to $3,000 to support programming and capacity building efforts. Next deadline of the year is March 1. View a recording of the CT Grant Webinar here explaining the process. Adopt-A-Court Grant As a not-for-profit organization whose mission is to "promote and develop the growth of tennis," USTA Northern recognizes the importance of making financial investments in the infrastructure of tennis facilities to foster the sport s continued growth. All tennis facilities that are open to the public and meet additional requirements as outlined in the application are invited to apply for the USTA Northern Adopt-A-Court Grant. New in 2014, there is no longer a requirement for the facility owner to be a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization, school or local government unit. There are three categories of funding available including: Category I: For basic facility improvements and fixed court amenities (e.g. windscreens, backboards, fencing, lighting). Matching Grants up to $2,500 Category II: For reconstruction/renovation of facilities with less than 4 courts. Up to 10 percent of project cost with cap of $5,000. Category III: For new construction and reconstruction of facilities with 4 courts or more. Up to 10 percent of project cost with cap of $15,000. For sample applications, click below: Sample Application #1 - New Construction Sample Application #2 Amenities Sample Application #3 Reconstruction Deadline to apply is March 1, For more information, contact Christine Nickels.

5 USTA Serves Grants Funding amounts typically range between $3,000 - $30,000 to support at-risk youth and people with disabilities through tennis and education programs. Next deadline is March 14. USTA Serves College Scholarships applications are due February 21, 2014 to USTA Serves Foundation. Marketing Grant For First-Time March Event Hosts USTA Northern is offering up to $150 of marketing money for organizations who host a Tennis Registration Event in March. These grants are only for organizations who have never hosted a March Registration event. For more information, contact Lisa Mushett. Attention North Dakota Schools: USTA Northern is Coming To Your City In April USTA Northern trainers will be on the road in certain parts of North Dakota the week of April 1 and have a limited amount of openings to come to your school for a Teacher s Workshop and/or PE Class sessions. To set up a workshop or school session in your area, please contact Carolyn Kramer. 10 and Under Tennis Line Grants Still Available Matching funds (up to 75% of cost) are available through USTA and USTA Northern for creating permanent courts/lines for 10 & Under Tennis. For more information, contact Christine Nickels. Dreams in Motion event photo USTA Northern staffers Tony Stingley and Carolyn Kramer went to Bismarck, N.D., in January to do a wheelchair tennis clinic for "Dreams in Motion," which introduces different activities to those in wheelchairs. Over 50 people participated in the event. The Bismarck media also covered the event. Serve Up Some Love To Those In Need "Serving Up Love" is the mantra for the Northern Tennis Foundation, operating as a part of the USTA Northern Section. The Foundation is an endowment fund that will forever ensure that kids who would otherwise not have access to the sport get a chance to play the game and achieve their dreams. Our scholarships are inclusive of youngsters from all cultural and ethnic backgrounds and encourage kids to reach their highest potential by not only succeeding on the court, but in school and the community as well. By supporting our work, your tax-deductible contributions open the doors to a brighter future for kids that have the desire and passion to improve, but need your help to achieve success. For more information about the Northern Tennis Foundation, or to make a donation, please contact Sandy Smith. Other USTA Northern Notes, Special Offers and Promotions Visit The USTA Northern Online Store Looking for USTA Northern branded apparel? Then visit the USTA Northern online store. There are plenty of selections available for adults and juniors with your choice of the USTA Northern, Jr. Team Tennis or USTA League logos. Stay Connected To USTA Northern Via Social Media Stay up-to-date on the latest information regarding USTA Northern through Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, You Tube or our Web site. Web Site: Facebook: "Like Us" at Twitter: You Tube: Instagram: Keyword: USTA Northern YouthTennis.com Revamped YouthTennis.com is the ultimate resource for all information related to youth tennis for both customers and providers. Customers can enter their zip code and see a listing of registered programs and tennis events within a certain radius. They also can learn more about equipment, games and why tennis is a sport of a lifetime. Organizers can use the site to learn more about how to grow their business, the different play opportunities available, USTA support and much, much more. FREE USTA Marketing Materials Available USTA has developed an ad customization system where you can design marketing materials for use in your community for things such as USTA Jr. Team Tennis, USTA League Tennis, 10 and Under Tennis, Youth Registration Night and much, much more. To use this FREE system, please click here. FREE USTA Membership for Kids 10 and Under The USTA is offering a free 1-year membership to all first-time members who are 10 and under between now and December 31, To register your child, please click here and enter source code FYF14PRV or call (800)

6 Tennis Providers: Take Advantage of Free USTA Membership For Kids Ages 10 and Under Did you know that kids 10 and under, who are first time members of the USTA, can receive a FREE USTA junior membership for 2014? To receive the FREE membership, you can complete a bulk membership form or click here. Register Your Program With PlayTennis.Com Register your facility or programs with The biggest names in the tennis industry are joining forces to make it easier for millions of players across the country find teaching pros, courts, programs, partners and equipment. Be a part of it today by updating your information. Upcoming Tournaments and Events For a list of junior tournaments coming up in USTA Northern, click here. For a list of adult tournaments, click here. For a calendar of Section events, click here. For more information about USTA Northern information and events, please contact Lisa Mushett at mushett@northern.usta.com or at (952)