TM Inside this issue 4 USPTA National Award Winners 5-6 USPTA World Conference Photos 10 What s Your I Cue? by Steven O Connell 12-15 How You Can Master The Lob by Paul Fein 2 President s Message 6 High School Coaches Conference Pics 11 USTA New England Event 17 USPTA News
President s Message Phil Parrish Dear USPTA Member, We hope everyone is off to a great start this fall with full courts, full clinics and full teams. Fall is definitely the busy part of the New England USPTA Members. Mike Mercier, Michelle Brown and I just returned from the World Conference in Indian Wells and wanted to give you an update on what is going on with USPTA. New Ball, Racquet, String Endorsee - As many of you have heard, Wilson is now the new Ball, Racquet and String Endorsee of USPTA. We are excited about Wilson being part of the USPTA again. The USPTA ball will be available in January and the ball is wonderful, so we hope everyone will be able to convert some of your current ball business to Wilson. The new racquet line is simpler, hit s great and looks fantastic. We all know that Wilson has great strings and grips, led by the Luxillon, NXT and Sensation strings. Again, we ask that you support Wilson, which in turn, helps support USPTA. Your local rep is Jackie Carleton (267-895-5309) or jackie.carleton@wilson.com Move to Orlando - The USPTA is still awaiting their building permit, so at this point, they are running slightly behind on the anticipated move. We will know more hopefully in our November conference call. Educational Credits (Get Your 6) - From a National perspective, the movement is going well with the amount of members getting their 6 is higher than we anticipated and we still expect more to receive their credits before the end of the year! For New England, of our 594 members, 480 have fulfilled the educational requirements! We have 67 members who have ZERO credits. We have 47 members who have some of their required credits. TM National Convention Schedule - The 2017 USPTA National Convention is in Orlando, Florida. 2018 - New York City alongside the Tennis Teacher s Conference. 2019 - was voted to go to Las Vegas (what happens in Vegas, stays in Vegas!) The rest of the conference was packed with great educational opportunities and fun events, like our New England Party. We hosted our Division party with Northern, Mid-Atlantic, and Middle States. New England had the largest group with 22 members attending. For New England, we still have an opportunity to get professional development credits at the Tennis Weekend in New England in Newport on Friday, November 11-12. While the registration for the USTA portion of the Tennis Weekend has closed, you can come to the International Tennis Hall of Fame for the on court portion of the weekend. The USPTA has lined up three fantastic speakers Saturday afternoon with Sean Brawley, Tim Mayotte and David Benzel. Come on down and see some great speakers and have some fun in Newport. Contact Michelle to get registered usptaneweng@ gmail.com. Also, as a reminder, please check your educational credits by going to the USPTA Website to make sure all your credits have been counted. We would like to thank everyone for their support of USPTA New England this year and would love to have you be part of a committee and run an educational event at your club. Get involved with your USPTA New England Division. Contact me for more information. Phil Parrish, Tennis Director The Longfellow Club President USPTA New England 2
USPTA National Award Winners New England Takes Many Awards! USPTA Recognizes Industry Leaders at USPTA World Conference September 29, 2016 The United States Professional Tennis Association (USPTA) honored those members who stand out and go above and beyond in all aspects of the tennis industry at the 2016 USPTA World Coference this week. USPTA, the world s oldest and largest association of tennis-teaching professioals, recognized tennis coaches, industry leaders and volunteers during its annual national awards presentation at the Hyatt Regency Indian Wells Resort & Spa in Indian Wells, Calif Six USPTA members earned Master Professional status, the highest professional rating within the tennis profession: Larry Dupleich Puña (Tokyo, Japan), Jack Foster(Sugar Land, Texas), Paul Marcum (Bloomfield Hills, Mich.), Michael Mercier (Beverly, Mass.), Mark Rearden (Sumter, S.C.) and MarkSavage (Wallkill, N.Y.). Patrick LaSalle (Coventry, R.I.) was awarded the USPTA Star Award for his efforts to bring tennis to socioeconomically challenged communities as the tennis program director with the Town of Coventry Parks and Recreation. Kirk Andeson (Portland, Ore. formerly Conn.) received the USPTA Alex Gordon Professional of the Year Award, the association s top annual member award. In recognition of his business acumen and advancing the sport of tennis in his community, Jeff Bearup (Duxbury, Mass.) received the USPTA s Industry Excellence Award. 4
Angelo and Ettore Rossetti (Hamden, Conn.) are the recipients of the Lessons for Life Award for their extensive contributions to their community. In 2015, they helped raise more than $104,300 for the Save the Children charity organization through tennis. USPTA New England Vice President, Aaron Brown, played in the USPTA Masters Invitational Open Division Singles and Doubles 2016 USPTA Masters Invitational Men s 35 Doubles Champions Juan Arraya (Old Greenwich, CT) - Patricio Misitrano (Wilton, CT) USPTA New England member John Henry Reeves played the USPTA Masters Invitational Open Division USPTA New England Past President, Chris Stevens checks out our newest sponsor Wilson s equipment USPTA New England Past President, Avis Murray catches up with USPTA CEO John Embree 5
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EARN YOUR EDUCATION CREDITS STREAMING VIDEOS ONLINE.com New England State Presidents Maine/New Hampshire Chris Stevens cstevens@wentworthbytheseacc.com 603-969-2648 Western Mass Mike Kolendo m_kolendo@charter.net 413-374-9738 Connecticut Steve O Connell oconnusa@gmail.com 203-895-3655 Vermont Tom Hopewell tennis@woodstockinn.com 802-457-6658 Rhode Island Patrick LaSalle plasalle57@gmail.com 401-385-9421 7
Upcoming Events for New USPTA New England Members Upgrades & Testing: Rye, New Hampshire - November 12-13 Wentworth by the Sea - Nov. 12-13 Start Date: Saturday, 11/12/16 End Date: Sunday, 11/13/16 Event Description: 60 Wentworth Rd., Rye, NH 03870 - (603) 433-3050 PTCA I - 8:30 a.m., Nov. 12 Written, grips - 5 p.m., Nov. 12 On-court portions - Nov. 13 - times will be assigned on Nov. 13Questions: wayne.turner54@icloud.com National Education Day Events: On Court Education with David Benzel, Tim Mayotte, & Sean Brawley November 12, 2016 2PM - 5PM. Please be checked in by 1:45PM so you don t miss a moment! USPTA and PTR credit courses on-court $50.00 International Tennis Hall of Fame, Newport, RI David Benzel is the Founder and Executive Director of Growing Champions for Life, Inc. and the author of several books including: From Chump to Champ How Individuals Go From Good to Great and Five Powerful Strategies for Sport Parent Success. He is an eight-time National Water Ski Champion, former coach of the U.S. Water Ski Team, and recipient of the Award of Distinction from the Water Ski Hall of Fame. David also served as a commentator on ESPN for the X Games and the Professional Water Ski Tour. Tim Mayotte presents on The Framework; Teaching Technique in Stages. Tim Mayotte was ATP ranked #7 and semifinalist at Wimbledon and Australian Open and a former USTA National Coach. Sean Brawley, presenting Extraordinary Coaching: Seeing with New Eyes, is the Founder and CEO of the Brawley Institute. For the past 20 years he has helped leaders in business and coaches in sports learn innovative, cutting-edge ways to achieve sustainable high performance and optimal learning. Sean s sports clients include the New York Yankees, Seattle Mariners, San Diego Padres, USTA Player Development and the PGA. For nine years he served as USC head football coach, Pete Carroll s coach advisor and the team s primary mental performance coach helping the Trojans win 2 National Championships. New Platform for USPTA New England USPTA no longer has a partnership with Courtside. Our new online platform is Setteo. Setteo is socia way of connecting with our members. The next two pages has information to help you get started. We will continue to connect to you via email, Twitter, Facebook, and now Setteo. Our website will no longer be updated but directed to one of our online platforms. Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/official-uspta-new-england-division-116444365034111/ Setteo: https://www.setteo.com/federacion/usptanewengland Twitter: https://twitter.com/usptane 8
HEART PUMPING FITNESS WHAT THEY RE SAYING The CT Course is an outstanding day which is active, inclusive, safe, fun and addresses different skill and fitness levels of participants. Our coaches left the training more excited, energized and inspired. Madeleine Dreith DIRECTOR OF COMMUNITY TENNIS & TENNIS SERVICE REPRESENTATIVE: USTA Hawaii Pacific Section CARDIO TENNIS TRAINING COURSE LEVEL 1 start CTTCL1 WHAT YOU LL LEARN The six components of Cardio Tennis How to deliver a proper Cardio Tennis session The importance of heart rate training Sunday December 4th, 2016 Date: 9:00am - 4:00pm Time: River Valley Club, Lebanon New Hampshire Location: $150.00 Registration Fee: Where to Register: www.cardiotennistraining.com start CTTCL1 pump up CTTCL2 ace TRXCT 9
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TM A V A I L A B L E N O W W I L S O N. C O M / F R O M F E D E R E R W I L S O N I S T H E O F F I C I A L E Q U I P M E N T S U P P L I E R O F T H E U S P T A
USPTA New England Awards Due by Feb. 1 USPTA New England is now accepting nominations for its 2016 New England and National Awards Program. As the leader in tennis-teacher education and certification, each year the USPTA honors members who are committed to excellence as tennis teachers and as ambassadors using tennis to impact people and communities. The awards period for 2016 is from January 1, 2016 - December 31, 2016. All Professionallevel members are eligible. USPTA NE is accepting nominations until the Feb. 1 deadline. The awards categories are as follows: 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. USPTA Star Award is for members who have dedicated many years to volunteering in grassroots tennis and through initiatives incorporating multicultural and other aspects and 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 National 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. 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 USPTA Diversity Award recognizes those USPTA members who have demonstrated an outstanding ability to unite diverse populations within their community through tennis. USPTA Manager of the Year is the only USPTA award available to nonmembers is for Manager of the Year, Large and Small Facility. Applicants/nominees must be the general manager (in function, if not in title) of a club or tennis facility. Award nomination forms and guidelines are available at www.usptanewengland.com or by sending a request to usptaneweng@gmail.com. Since changes have been made to some individual categories, as well as criteria, please be sure to read the general rules and requirements for each award carefully. Winners will be informed via telephone or email. All USPTA New England winners will be encouraged to submit their information to National for consideration. 13
Nominations must be submitted by February 1, 2017 Submit online or by mail. All mailed forms go to: USPTA New England 103 River St Acton, MA 01720 USPTA New England 2016 Nomination Form Choose the Award New England Pro of the Year Facility Manager of the Year College Coach of the Year Senior Player of the Year M/F Regional Pro of the Year High School Coach of the Year U30 Pro of the Year 35 & Over Player of the Year M/F 45 & Over Player of the Year M/F 55 & Over Player of the Year M/F Star Award Tennis Industry Excellence Award USPTA Diversity Award Nominee's Name Nominee's Full Address Reason for Nomination Nominator's Name Your phone number E-mail 14
While speaking with Sylvia Swartz about tennis, it becomes evident early on that she has a true passion Ball for machines the sport and are a great for practicing your doubles shots if positioned correctly. unique dedication to helping others. Tennis begins can with spend love. more time hitting. That may include taking turns putting balls in the machine People who while have disabilities are not not defined make by their it over the net when you do have to pause to pick up the balls to work on your either of you are hitting then rotating turns. Consider serving all the balls that did disability. They are people serve as part of your practice. just like us and I think some people forget 5. Write that, down Swartz drills you create or ask your tennis professional to suggest some drills that adds. That is would why she be has good for your doubles game. dedicated much of her life to helping others and providing a place for people with dis- Ball Machines - Using Them For Doubles Practice by Ken DeHart 5 things NOT to do when using a ball machine: She has 1. devoted Do not the place last 28 the ball machine on the baseline in the center of the court years of 2. her Do life not to the have sport, the ball machine oscillate from deuce court to ad court both as 3. a Tennis Do not Professional and as Executive Director use the ball machine to practice only your ground strokes 4. Do not stand still after each of your shots of Handi-Racket Tennis, the longest 5. running Do not instructional return random shots of the in-coming ball tennis program for people with 5 disabilities things TO in the consider United doing when using a ball machine: States. 1. Handi-Racket Place the Tennis was awarded the USTA ball machine in the deuce court near the singles side line 2. Have the ball machine direct the shots to your deuce court alley Adaptive Tennis National Community 3. If Service you wish Award to have the ball machine oscillate, have it direct the ball to your deuce court in 2008. USTA alley Award and Video then toward the center service mark in the deuce court as though you were pulled wide to return a shot and the next ball was directed up the middle to your center of It really takes the a court. community to raise a child with disabilities, says Swartz, whose 4. After each shot recover to a new position on the court to keep your feet in motion 41-year-old simulating daughter has real match play benefited 5. from Direct the Handi-Racket Tennis depth program as you send the ball back over the net. each ball you receive back toward an intended target. Aim for a direction and since she was a little girl. There are many options to consider in planning your practice to improve the quality and Based in Wayland, MA at The effectiveness Longfellow Club, of you practice time with the ball machine. Handi-Racket Tennis is a non-profit 5 things that offers to consider the opportunity 1. to Getting learn the sport advice from someone on how to adjust the ball machine and how to vary when PLANNING your practice: of tennis to a population that deliveries of the ball might not otherwise have the chance. 2. The It was length founded of time you want to practice half an hour or an hour based upon your goals, in 1977 by Laury shots Hammel, you wish to work on and conditioning level the current 3. CEO Having of The a friend join in with you to practice volleys off your ground strokes or lobbing off Longfellow Club. your Swartz volleys when at the net. They can even practice poaching on every other shot that took over the program in comes out of the ball machine and you can practice switching after the poach. 1987. 4. It also helps when it comes time to pick up the balls when the machine is empty so you 15
10 options to make your PRACTICE PRACTICAL: 1. Select real doubles targets: deep cross court to square #2, short underspin or heavy short angle shots to square #1, down the line toward the net players alley or lobbing high and deep to square #3 over the opposing net players head. 2. Even though the ball machine is set to send the ball to you as a ground stroke, practice moving forward after your initial shot to play a half-volley and then moving in further to play a volley or two. 3. As you play shots moving in toward the net, select targets for direction and depth that you would actually use if your opponent were on the baseline where the ball machine is located and your were attempting to capture the net. 4. When you get to the net, recover back quickly and retreat back toward the baseline as though you were put on total defense by your opponent. Pause to make a shot from your position and then retreat further back until you choose to advance forward again. 5. Vary the speed of your shots. Use the 3 speeds mentioned in other articles: level 1 is slower and has lots of spin, level 2 is a rally speed and level 3 is as hard as you can hit without missing. 6. Vary the spin of your shots. Use varying degrees of topspin and underspin to improve your weapons in match play. 7. Vary the frequency of the shots delivered by the ball machine. Allow little time between shots or too much time like an opponent who plays softly and slowly with their returns. 8. Vary the spin of the shots delivered by the ball machine to help you learn how to receive different shots that may be difficult for you in your matches. 9. Limit the number of shots you make without pausing. Hitting 3oo balls in a row just because that is how many the ball machine holds is not effective not efficient practice. After about 40 or 50 balls, use the remote and turn off the machine and reset some feature of the ball you are receiving change the direction of the in-coming ball, speed, spin or depth of the ball. 10. Change your targets often. Practice enough returns to specific targets until you are confident with that target then move on to a new target that demonstrates your ability to control the direction, depth, spin and speed of your returning shot. Ask your tennis professional to use a ball machine in your next lesson to see how it can be used effectively in your practice session. Ball machines are great ways to allow you repetition in learning how to hit a shot. They also assist in developing confidence in your strokes so you can play them in match play without having to think about how to hit. This will allow you to focus more on the strategy of where to direct your shots and enjoy playing the game TENNIS. 16
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE October 31, 2016 2017 USPTA Annual Awards Program Open for Nominations Awards Committee updates award criteria and nomination period HOUSTON The United States Professional Tennis Association (USPTA) is now accepting nominations for its 2017 National Awards Program. As the leader in tennis-teacher education and certification, each year the USPTA honors members who are committed to excellence as tennis teachers and as ambassadors using tennis to impact people and communities. The awards period for 2017 is from Jan. 1, 2016 Dec. 31, 2016. All Professional-level members are eligible. USPTA is accepting nominations until the April 10, 2017 deadline. Recipients will be recognized during the USPTA World Conference, Oct. 10-15, at the Renaissance Orlando at SeaWorld. The awards categories are as follows: The George Bacso Lifetime Achievement Award is the highest honor awarded by the USPTA. It was developed to honor individuals who set the highest standards in volunteerism on behalf of tennis teachers. This is the first year the award has been open to applications and is not awarded every year. The Alex Gordon Award for Professional of the Year recognizes a member who 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. USPTA Stars are members who have dedicated many years to volunteering in grassroots tennis and through initiatives incorporating multicultural and other aspects; bringing 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. Steve Wilkinson 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 Tim Gullikson Touring Coach of the Year is selected on the basis of his or her work with a playing professional on the ATP World Tour or the WTA Tour and/or touring juniors. 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 U30 Award recognizes a USPTA member under the age of 30 who, through their tennis-teaching and volunteer spirit, has increased opportunities for others to participate in tennis. This member exemplifies and emphasizes individual achievement and sportsmanship along with teaching the physical attributes of the sport. This member has served the USPTA in one capacity or another, and has made a commitment to grassroots tennis and an indelible impression on her community. The USPTA Diversity Award recognizes those USPTA members who have demonstrated an outstanding ability to unite diverse populations within their community through tennis. The only USPTA award available to nonmembers is for Manager of the Year, Large and Small Facility. Applicants/nominees must be the general manager (in function, if not in title) of a club or tennis facility. Award nomination forms and guidelines are available at www.uspta.com/awards or by sending a request to pr@uspta.org. Since changes have been made to some individual categories, as well as Division of the Year criteria, please be sure to read the general rules and requirements for each award carefully. Also there are changes to the awards format and presentation at the conference, so please note that while all awards will be announced in writing at the conference, not all awards will be presented formally as they have in the past. About USPTA Founded in 1927, USPTA strives to raise the standards of the tennis profession while promoting greater awareness of the sport. USPTA offers nearly 70 professional benefits to its more than 15,000 members worldwide, including certification and professional development. With more than 300 days of educational opportunities throughout the year, USPTA offers the most comprehensive continuing education program in the tennis industry. For more information visit www.uspta.com, or follow us at setteo.com/federacion/uspta, facebook.com/uspta.official and @USPTA_Tennis. New England Board of Directors Phil Parrish President Lftennisdirector@hotmail.com Michael Mercier Regional Vice President mercier@fas.harvard.edu Doug Eng Immediate Past President douglas.w.eng@gmail.com Andrea Georgian Secretary ag4tennis@yahoo.com Steve Thout Treasurer sthuot@adirondackclub.com Aaron Brown Vice President aaron@thoreau.com Paul Gagliardi Vice President gagliardip@sacredheart.edu Patricio Misitrano Vice President patricio.misitrano@gmail.com Michelle Brown Executive Administrator Editor usptaneweng@gmail.com ###
USPTA New England 103 River St Acton, MA 01720 TM Advertising Rates: Size 1 issue 2 issues 1 Year Bus. Card $35 $63 $89 1/4 Page $60 $108 $153 1/2 Page $85 $153 $217 3/4 Page $100 $180 $255 Full Page $115 $207 $293 Advertise with us! Publication goes to all USPTA NE members in good standing. Become an author. Send us your article. Submit all requests to usptaneweng@gmail.com by May 20. Ship to: is published quarterly by the New England Division of the United States Professional Tennis Association. The opinions expressed in are those of the authors and not necessarily those of, the USPTA or New England Division. Editor: Michelle Brown