Momentum Fall 2010 USPTA World Conference Written by: Tylor Schlader Well, another September has come and gone, of your competitors. which means another USPTA World Conference has Throughout the week there were opportunities passed. The 2010 World Conference was held at the to attend numerous social events such as the welcoming beautiful La Quinta Resort and Spa in La Quinta, California party, tennis buying show, awards breakfast and, my from September 27 October 2. The convention fondest memory of this year s convention, the Missouri included daily seminars, luncheons, testing upgrades, Valley Division party. The party was held in the skybox tournament play, special events and much more. of the Indian Well s Tennis Center in Palm Springs. We The USPTA World Conference is always a wonderful had an appetizer entree and cocktails while mingling educational experience for any USPTA tennis with fellow Missouri Valley members. At the end of the professional seeking to night we were given a full increase their knowledge tour of the facility, which of the game of tennis. You was a neat experience. leave the conference with I would highly recommend a new sense of motivation attending next year s along with fresh ideas for conference in Saddlebrook, your members. Florida, and bringing your Attending seminars is one of the main benefits USPTA-certified teaching professionals along for the of the conference. Each teaching professional has an experience of a lifetime. All three of the certified professionals array of options to choose from. Examples of seminar at my club, including myself, have attended topics are serving technique, modern forehand and the World Conference the past two years. My members backhand, creative drills, doubles strategies, clay court have noticed and acknowledged our continued efforts to maintenance, etc. Some of the speakers that enticed us improve our education. Each year we have come back with their knowledge of the game during these seminars with various new drills and strategies that make their were Rick Macci, Nick Bollettieri, Ken DeHart and Feisal lessons fresh and exciting. I have experienced the consistent Hassan. Along with the speakers, various technology growth of my club through continued education. tools were introduced, such as CourtsideUSA and Tencap The USPTA World Conference is a great way to Power Tennis, which will further help put your club on top Up Your Profession! 2 3 MOmentum 1 5 6 8
2010 Board of Directors President/Head Tester Gary Trost OKC Golf and Country Club 7000 N.W. Grand Blvd. Oklahoma City, OK 73116 405-848-2994 tennis1@coxinet.net Regional vice president Convention Coordinator Kendell Hale 2205 N.W. 81st St. Kansas City, MO 64151-3738 816-501-4163 halekl@umkc.edu Vice president membership Kent Womack 431 Gobbler Court Beaufort, MO 63013 573-484-3144 wowo@mlc.net Vice president Committee Chairs Kevin Kowalik 6510 Mission Rd Prairie Village, KS 66208 913-262-0445 kkowalik@hcc6510.com Val ley iewpoint My Farewell Message Well this is it. My last message to you as President. It's been fun! - Support the incoming Board of Directors! Your new President Kendell Hale and Regional VP Angie Koumaris and the rest of the Board are the best, and need your help to keep our momentum going. Many thanks to all the board members and volunteers over the years. - Education was one of my priorities throughout the past few years, and we have achieved the highest education percentage every year over other divisions. Our convention is first rate, and the feedback from National Board members is always the highest marks. - HEAD/ Penn, and our other endorsees continue to be our greatest friends. We must continue to support them in any way possible. Get some demos, buy the USPTA Pro Penn ball, string your demos with HEAD string; contact Jason Thoerner our rep. and let;s show our support for them. - I am confident in the job we have done, and the future of the Mo Valley. The National Awards reflect the hard work Best Small Division (for the first time), Most Improved Division (twice), numerous player, coach and tester awards have come to our division and will continue with the leadership and teamwork that is the heart of Mo Valley. Thanks to everyone, I am excited about the future and I am just a phone call away! Cheers, GT V Gary Trost, USPTA Missouri Valley President Vice president Education Rich Slivocka 3601 Radcliffe Terrace Hitchison, KS 67502 620-622-1140 richs@prairiedunes.com Treasurer Angela Koumaris OKC Golf and Country Club 7000 N.W. Grand Blvd. Oklahoma City, OK 73116 405-848-2994 abtwonder@yahoo.com Secretary Laura Puryear 2100 Pine View Terrace Edmond, OK 73003 913-322-4839 puryear@movalley.usta.com Past president Bunny Bruning 27836 Meadowview Lane Adel, IA 50003 515-996-2859 bunnybfs@aol.com Executive administrator Kalin Cogar 3535 Briarpark Drive, Suite One Houston, TX 77042 888-877-8232 divisionea@uspta.org Momentum 2 MOmentum 2
On July 28, Okalhoma City was host to an amazing Tennis Across America event. There was a court of Cardio Tennis, forehand, backhand, volley and serve. Everyone rotated every 15 minutes. There were also two pros on a court with two nets of QuickStart Tennis play format. Pros who assisted were Steve Henry, Jenny Marcos, Randy Painton, Christian Pensavalle, Arnaud L'official, Ron Vanderwal and Luther Lauderdal. USPTA members Kent Womack (far left) and Mark Lohan (far right) hosted a Tennis Across America event at the public courts in Hermann, Mo. The event, which was held on May 1, included instruction, oncourt games, prizes and food and drink. This was the first TAA event held in the tiny town of Hermann, which has a population of only 2,717. The event was attended by both juniors and adults, and a good time was had by all. Hermann is nestled in the hills of central Missouri, and is famous for its German heritage, wineries and vineyards. This is the Tennis Across America event we held at the Kids Plaza on Saturday, Oct. 9 in Kansas City, Mo. The free clinic was host to about 20 children. The USPTA pros in attendance were Kendell Hale, Dante Cipulli, Eric Rand, Elliott Mc- Dermott and Kyle Marcum. Thank you to all the pros who volunteered their time. MOmentum 3 Momentum 3
World Conference 2010 HOT, HOT, HOT would be three words to sum up the USPTA World Conference in Palm Springs, California! Missouri Valley was the HOT division this year as we won the Small Division of the Year AND Most Improved Division! Missouri Valley also racked up individual awards with Vince VanPelt II (High School Coach of the Year), Cliff Price (Men's 55 and Over Player of the Year) and Marina McCollom (Women's Open Player of the Year). Hats off to all the winners who represented the Missouri Valley at convention this year. The USPTA World Conference continues to be the premier educational event for the tennis industry. It is a great way to get reenergized as a teaching professional. It was great to see such a great representation of Missouri Valley pros at convention this year and hopefully we can continue to grow as a division and give you more educational opportunities in the future. Our division party this year was also very special. We received a tour of the Indian Wells Tennis Garden and got a behind-the-scenes look at what happens at one of the major tennis events in the United States. The buying show was probably one of the biggest I have seen at a convention in many years. It was great to see so many manufacturers and wholesalers in one place. The silent auction for Lessons for Life, a Missouri Valley initiative, brought in $6,500 dollars for various charities. Rick Macci, Nick Bollettieri, Ron Holmberg, Ken DeHart and Joy Macci were just a few of the incredible speakers that presented. We hope that in February, at the Missouri Valley Convention, we can also have a star-studded display of speakers as well. Overall, LaQuinta is an incredible place to get away, learn, network and enjoy our wonderful game of tennis. Hope to see everyone in February in Kansas City! Written by: Kendell Hale Wrap-Up Momentum 4 MOmentum 4
Not at the... World Conference... Here's what you missed! MOmentum 5 Momentum 5
Copy Cat By Kent Womack, USPTA Do your students have a hard time sustaining a rally? If so, try this drill. It is absolutely one of my favorites, and the best I have ever used for working on this problem. This drill addresses every aspect of hitting that is necessary to keep a rally going. This is primarily a feeding drill. However, you can adapt it to a back-and-forth hitting drill, depending on how good you are at hitting your target areas. This drill works on various aspects of long rally hitting, and is good for students of all ability levels. The pro stands at the service line to feed; the student stands at the baseline. A ball is fed to the forehand side of the student, who, in turn, has to hit a good shot into the pro s court. If the shot is successful and DONE CORRECTLY, the pro then feeds a ball to the backhand side of the student, who has to make a good shot on that wing; hence, copying the previous shot. If the student does not make a good shot, or does not do it correctly, he has to keep hitting from that side until he does. Then the process starts over again. The idea is to be able to alternate shots from wing to wing, without having to repeat on any side. A variation is to have to hit two shots in a row on one wing before going to the other one. Then three on each wing, four on each wing, etc. You should get the picture by now. Another variation is to hit the ball to various locations on each side to make the student move to get to the ball. This way, he can practice hitting from different stances. As with any drill, make sure it is fun. You can make a game out of it by implementing a scoring system. With the younger ones in a group, the winner can be the Top Cat. This drill addresses not only hitting the ball into the opponent s court multiple times in a row, but also works on footwork, movement, stamina, different stances, proper stroke technique, and preparation. Give it a try. A long rally is only a drill away. The leader in modern tennis certification and education That s Who We Are Momentum 6 MOmentum 6 Momentum 5
Anda Perianu of Coralville, Iowa; Maggie Russell of Omaha, Neb,; Scott Slezak of Omaha, Neb. and Douglas Stone of Broken Arrow, Okla. Stanley Bergman of Broken Arrow, Okla.; and Larry Huitt of Willow Springs, Mo. Dates to Remember Testing Dates Jan. 23 Des Moines, Iowa 7 Flags Fitness & Racquet Club Feb. 19-20 Prairie Village, Kansas Homestead Country Club March 18 Oklahoma City, Okla. Oklahoma City Golf & Country Club April 24 Des Moines, Iowa Wakonda Club May 14 St. Louis, Mo. Frontenac Racquet Club June 5 Des Moines, Iowa Wakonda Club USPTA T-shirt program is back! USPTA and Havana Bob s are now offering all USPTA members 3 different options of stock USPTA T-shirts for only $4 each! Minimum orders of 12 T-shirts. To order call 877-887-8811 or click on Benefits in the Members Only section at USPTA web site at www.uspta.com. Order today! Jason Thoerner District Sales Manager (Iowa, Kansas, Missouri, Nebraska, Southern Illinois) 328 E. Glendale Street Manito, IL 61546 Office: 309-265-0488 Cell: 309-840-5485 Email: JThoerner@us.head.com MOmentum 7 Momentum 7
MO VALLEY NAMED BEST SMALL By Kent Womack, USPTA DIVISION FOR FIRST TIME The MO Valley Division was presented with six national awards during the 2010 World Conference, which was held Sept. 27 Oct. 2 at the La Quinta Resort and Club in La Quinta, Calif. Four of its members, as well as the Division itself were recognized for hard work and dedicated efforts. The MO Valley Division was recognized as the Most Improved Division (for the second time), and also as the Best Small Division. These two awards are a direct result of all the hard work of our Division membership and the leadership of our Division Board. We had four of our members singled out for awards. They are: Vance VanPelt II. High School Coach of the Year Kendell Hale.. College Coach of the Year Cliff Price Player of the Year (55 and over) Marina McCollom. Female Player of the Year Congratulations to the MO Valley Division and all of its members for a job well done! Female Player of the Year Marina McCollom Marina McCollom of West Des Moines, Iowa won four out of five USPTA surface tournaments in 2009 and won both the Clay Court and Indoor Championships this year. She was USPTA s No. 1-ranked player in women s open singles and co-no.-1 ranked player in women s open doubles in 2009. McCollom is the director of junior tennis at 7 Flags Racquet & Fitness Club. Player of the Year / 55 and Over Cliff Price Even though Cliff is one of the senior members of our award recipients, he is by no means ready to turn out to pasture. Cliff is like the Eveready Energizer Bunny, he just keeps going, and going, and going. Cliff has had a stellar tennis career, and one that anyone could be very proud of. He is a former Conference singles champion in college, having been ranked No.1, and was ranked No.1 in Men s singles in Oklahoma 4 out of 5 years in the late 1970s and early 1980s. At that time, he also earned 5 ATP points. Cliff has been ranked in the top 10 in the USA in Men s e5, 40, and 45 singles. He was elected into the USTA/MO Valley Hall of Fame in 1999. He won 9 USPTA National Championships, most recently the Men s 60 singles and doubles title, and the Senior Father and Son National Hardcourts Championship in Newport Beach, Calif. He was also named the Men s 55 and over National Player of the Year. In his off-the-court time, Cliff stays busy with his business, Totally Tennis, Inc., located in Tulsa, Okla., which was voted by RSI Magazine in their 25th anniversary as one of the top 3 tennis shops in the country. Momentum 6 MOmentum 8 Momentum 5
College Coach of the Year Kendell Hale Kendell is the tennis coach for the University of Missouri at Kansas City. He started at UMKC two years ago as its first ever full-time tennis coach. When he started, he had only three players on the men s team, and, in his first year coached the team to a third place finish. Last year, the UMKC tennis men s team made the NCAAs for the first time in The Summit League, by winning the Summit League Championship. The men s squad finished the year with a 14-6 record, the first winning season in 10 years. Here is a sample of what Kendell has accomplished at UMKC in the short time he has been there: UMKC s only third appearance in post season play, since 2000 Team GPA over 3.0 (2nd highest on campus for men s programs) NCAA Public Recognition Award Tied School Record for Most Wins in a Season Three all-league players Six winter/spring academic all-league selections and four Commissioner s List of Academic Excellence honorees Kendell also coaches the women s team. He helped them halt a 58-match losing streak. In two years, they have gone from 9th to 5th place in The Summit League. Some of the highlights for the women s team are: GPA over 3.0 (Second overall for all sports at UMKC) Team earned ITA all-academic Team honors, and two players were named ITA Scholar Athletes The five wins in 2009 were the most in a single season since the 99-2000 season The four league victories were the most in a single season in school history Two all-league honorees Kendell is the Vice President on the MO Valley Board of Directors, and is a certification tester. He has also been the Convention Co-coordinator for the last two conventions in Kansas City. During the summers, Kendell is the Tennis Director at Oakwood Country Club. He runs Lessons for Life events, and runs USPTA Little Tennis Clinics. High School Coach of the Year Vance VanPelt II Vance is the Head Coach at Hutchinson High School, in Hutchinson, Kan. He coaches both the boys and girls teams. Some of his accomplishments as a coach are as follows: He implemented a no-cut policy for both teams He has qualified players for the state tournament for 11 consecutive seasons, medaling in each tourney His teams were ranked in the top 5 in both the boys and girls in each weekly ranking. The girls finished in the top 8 at state with a doubles team finishing higher than any other doubles team in the past 30 years of the program. The girls had two all-league and all-academic, all-state participants. Their TEAM GPA was over 3.5. After the girls season, Vance was voted by his peers as the Kansas Coach of the Year The boy s team had the most successful season in the history of the program. They finished 2nd in State (highest ever for the school) They won their Regional title for the first time in 20 years. They had 4 all-league players, 2 state players, and 5 all-state academic Honorees. The varsity team boasted a 3.8 GPA After the boy s season, Vance was nominated as Kansas Coach of the Year, by his peers. Vance ran the Kansas Special Olympics Tennis Tournament in 2009. He has set up scholarships for tennis clinics, so no student will be rejected due to costs. He helps with local tournaments, and will be conducting a seminar to all Kansas High School Coaches this winter, promoting the USPTA. Vance and his High School Team have volunteered their time cleaning the Kansas State Fairgrounds and helping with its upkeep. He also gets his team involved in helping the local Special Olympians. They also visit local grade schools and read to the students MOmentum 9 Momentum 7
SAVE THE DATE The Missouri Valley convention is set for February 17-20. It will be a great convention, as always, with wonderful speakers and great education. Thursday we will have USPTA certification and upgrades along with USPTA Lessons for Life. Friday and Saturday will be filled with education seminars and fun events such as a fun fest and doubles tournament for all levels. Feisal Hassan will be presenting a specialty course on Sunday. He will be coming to us courtesy of HEAD/Penn. Don t forget about the buying show on Friday. Please be on the look-out for a save the date post card and a brochure coming soon!! Momentum 8 MOmentum 10
USPTA Announces Launch of New Education Credential The United States Professional Tennis Association has announced the launch of its Accredited Professional Coach credential, a new classification that includes mandatory education, and becomes effective January 1, 2011. The classification is open to Professional 1, 2 and 3 members and Master Professionals. USPTA Professional members are required to take continuing education in order to earn and maintain APC status. The benefits of APC designation include opportunities for career enhancement through a commitment to tennis and tennis education and demonstration of expertise, and building the image of tennis-teaching professionals and tennis as a profession overall. The APC is earned by accumulating 20 APC continuing education credits within a two-year period. The designation is maintained by continuing to earn 20 APC credits over every two-year period. APC credits can be earned in a variety of ways including attending the USPTA World Conference, USPTA division conventions, USPTA specialty courses, USTA High Performance education, viewing DVD seminars, and more. Two hours of qualifying education will constitute one CEU. The opportunity to earn credits at USPTA World Conferences and division conventions will require members to fill out a form for credit at the beginning of the seminar or specialty course (that is collected at the end of the seminar), in order to verify attendance for credit. For more details regarding qualifying credits, e-mail education@ uspta.org. Once members achieve this distinction, they will be issued a special certificate with an expiration date and the designation will be added after their professional rating. The certificate will be available online to print from the member management area of www.uspta. com, where members can log in with name and member number. While the APC classification is not effective until January 2011, those members who attended specialty courses at the World Conference in September and completed the forms for credit, will have those credits count toward the APC classification. To apply for this new membership classification, in addition to being certified at the USPTA professional level, members must also take the Professional Tennis Coaches Academy I and pass a competency exam at the 80th percentile or higher. Those who have already taken the PTCA I and scored 80 percent or higher do not need to retake it. The official distributor of Nike footwear and apparel to the USPTA. www.fromuth.com/uspta MOmentum 11 Momentum 9
Momentum Newsletter of USPTA s Missouri Valley 33535 5Briarpark 3 5 Drive Suite B rone i ahouston, r p TX a77042 r k 888-USPTA-EA Fax: 713-978-7780 e-mail: divisionea@uspta.org Editor Contributors Kalin Cogar Tylor Schlader, Kent Womack, Kendell Hale, Angela Koumaris and Gary Trost MOmentum is published quarterly by the Missouri Valley Division of the United States Professional Tennis As so ci a tion. The opinions expressed in MOmentum are those of the authors and not necessarily those of MOmentum or the USPTA Missouri Valley Division. Copyright Missouri Valley Division/United States Pro fes sion al Tennis Association, Inc. 2010. All rights reserved. Reproduction of any portion of the newsletter is not per mit ted without written permission from the USPTA Missouri Valley Division. Advertising information Ads will be in black and white. Prices are per issue. Full page...$115 1/3 page...$45 2/3 page...$100 1/4 page...$30 Half page...$57.50 Business card...$18.50 Discounts are given for ads whose frequency rate is two or more per calendar year. Contact Kalin at 888-USPTA-EA for a rate card and circulation information. 1910-2010 The Ball Matters www.pennracquet.com MOmentum 12