From The Director s Desk Summer is here and there is no denying it! My advice if you want to continue playing tennis is to take advantage and come early in the morning for a lesson or get involved in one of our 9AM clinics for a great workout. We have also moved our seniors clinic to 8AM on Wednesday mornings. The evenings are much cooler and if the coast is clear come out and join us for one of our tennis mixers offered Monday and Wednesday at 7PM. As for me, I always enjoy a little heat and humidity, maybe because I was born on a tropical Island. I like to get a good sweat when I work out, it makes me feel alive! You may have noticed I am in summer camp mode Monday thru Friday working with the little ones. This is the time of the year when summer camp takes over the club during the day. Kids are running around the club like they own the place, having a blast! We are keeping them busy with all sorts of activities from tennis, arts and crafts, soccer, basketball, scavenger hunts, dance offs and talent shows. I feel much younger at heart with each passing day It s as if I m becoming a kid again myself! See you on the court! Max Mangones Director of Tennis IN THIS ISSUE From the Director s Desk 1 Membership News 2 Tip of the Quarter 2 Staff Spotlight 3 Event Recap 4 Summer Camp at GTC 4 Bag Check! 5 FOLLOW US! Grove Isle Tennis Center on Facebook: Facebook.com/coconut.grove.tennis Cliff Drysdale Tennis on Twitter: Twitter.com/CdrysdaleTennis Grove campers hard at work on their artistic masterpieces! 1
INtroducing tennis to your kids How will your child enjoy the game of tennis? Every child is different. Some may immediatley show interest in the game of tennis and some will require more motivation. Here are a few tips to keep your little ones interested. Membership News Using proper equipment- appropriate racket size, proper balls, and customized court size. Developing the right motor skills- throwing, catching, and coordination drills. Having a positive attitude - most importantly keeping it fun! My personal life contributes to my experience in introducing tennis to little ones; I have two young daughters! My 4 year old and 6 year old are both in the midst of their own introduction to the sport. Although I am not encouraging the girls to become the next William sisters, if they choose to pursue it I am all for it! My point is, I am simply interested in them learning and developing the fundamental skills, while at the same time enjoying the game now and beyond. At this time, teaching them the proper motor skills required to become a good tennis player is our priority and we will continue from there! Max Mangones Director of Tennis Escape to paradise Enjoy this amazing view and relax after a day of tennis. This is paradise and you are just a few steps away! Summer is here and along with it comes the Grove Isle singles tennis ladder! Every year we get excited to add this event to our calendar. This is an occasion where players have the opportunity to challenge and play different members and guests for 12 weeks in a friendly competition. The summer tennis ladder is a fun event that brings a great opportunity for members and guests to become acquainted and gain exposure to different game styles, all while making the summer season more enjoyable. Membership Referral RewardS! $100 to be used at the pro shop/lessons/clinics when you refer a friend. The new member will also get 50% off of the enrollment fee! Ximena Trujillo Director of Membership 2
STaff spotlight: GarretT Vinson Q: If you could have dinner with Richard Gasquet, what 3 questions would you ask him? A: I would ask if I could be his hitting partner? Why did you get rid of the backwards hat look? What was your most memorable match? Q: What is your favorite food? A: Shrimp Alfredo Pasta Q: What is the worst injury you ve had?? A: Back Problems Q: Can you cook? If so, what is your signature dish? A: I can cook but I don t do it a lot. I m pretty good at making cereal. Q: Finish the sentence: Tennis is A: Frustrating Q: What is your favorite thing to do on a rainy day? A: Watch movies Q: So, we recently learned you ride a motorcycle. What is the farthest you have traveled on your bike? A: I went to Las Vegas with my brother s motorcycle club. Took us about 34 hours in all. Q: What are the top 2 things on your bucket list? A: Jumping off a mountain in a wingsuit. Meeting Roger Federer. Q: If you had the chance to play one Grand Slam, which one would you choose, and why? A: French Open. Clay is my best surface and I think it suits my backhand. Q: What is your favorite thing about Miami? Least favorite? A: Favorite is the selection of restaurants. Least is the paying to park. Interviewed by Daniela Pedroza 3
EVENT RECAP! 2013 FRENCH OPEN MIXER by Max Mangones, Director of Tennis We woke up the Saturday morning of our event to our courts soaked from the overnight rain, but with Jorge working bright and early and the sun shining all was ready by 11 am just in time for the mixer! We had 20 participants in the round robin and 14 for our usual morning clinic. The club was finally full of action! Mixers are always a lot of fun for me to organize! On the social side, the idea is to have players play with someone different each round giving them a chance to meet new people and make new friends. On the competitive side, players have to adapt quickly to different styles each round. Sometimes the groupings are perfect where all 4 players are the right level which brings out great tennis and other times you may have a mix doubles round which makes the competition interesting, the strategies are very different and the challenge a lot more fun. Well done to Allan Fuller for finishing in first place, and to Suzie Conroy, Lina and Patrick Visan who finished with a three way tie for second place. Why is SUmmer camp at GTC the best around? Whether your child attends for a day, a week or all summer, they will always remember their fun-filled summer adventures at the Grove Isle Tennis Camp! Our camp breaks down the fundamental skills of tennis through easily understood games and exercises to help improve the campers overall coordination and technique. Guided by expert instructors and experienced counselors, campers will enjoy a tennis program that focuses on skill refinement, practice, and match play; as well as a wide variety of smallgroup activities including basketball, hockey, swimming, arts and crafts, scavenger hunts and edible crafts. By Charlotte Phelps, Camp Coordinator 4
Bag CHECK! With JC Santamaria Swimsuit, because he is a member and likes to swim after tennis Cone cups Band-aids Sunblock Tape Unroll overgrips Advil! With Esteban Kadamani With Flynt Griffin Lucky water cup Towel Wallet 3 wristbands (red, white and black; he chooses based on the outfit he is wearing ) Car keys iphone Overgrips Gatorade+Vodka for the Saturday fun clinics 3 Blade 98 Wilson racquets Grove Isle Membership card to use at the Spa s Watsu Pool With Ivan Rincon 3 Yonex rackets Baby sunblock Advil Clif bar Grips Socks More socks The Mission neon yellow and grey cooling towel 2 Ziploc bags with assorted colors of overgrip (very organized) Racketball glove, in case of blisters Green stretch band Oakley sunglasses Ziploc bag with Gatorade energy gel and Cliff turboshot (again, very organized) Nike fuel wristband Sunscreen and Voltaren gel Waterproof adhesive tape Grip enhancer ( It s great for summer! ) Business cards (always prepared) 5