Posts tagged USTA
USTA serves up fourth arena
Mar 28th
Billie Jean King is getting a makeover.
The Billie Jean King Tennis Center in Flushing Meadows Park, the site of the US Open, will get a brand-new 3,000-seat stadium to complement its three existing arenas, the United States Tennis Association said.
The Parks Department refused to release the preliminary designs for the new facility, but said it wouldn’t require any public money and would not change the current borders beyond the 46.5 acres the tennis center already has.
It’s unclear if any of the 30 public courts would be bulldozed to make room for the new facility.
“The lease holder has the right to make capital improvements. That’s what is going on here,” said Parks Department spokeswoman Vickie Karp.
The new stadium could be ready for side matches at this summer’s US Open and will definitely open by 2012, said USTA spokesman Chris Widmaier.
But the project still needs approval from the city Design Commission, which oversees public lands.
“This stadium is not creating more free recreational opportunities for public use on what should be public parkland,” said Geoffrey Croft, president of NYC Park Advocates. “I would prefer more public-use facilities such as tennis courts or basketball courts instead of concession space.”
The USTA pays the city about $1.5 million a year to rent the park space. The stadiums, except for the US Open and a handful of other tennis matches, sit empty the rest of the year.
chuck.bennett@nypost.com
From www.nypost.com
Blind, Wheelchair-bound Students Play Tennis Through USTA Florida Grants
Mar 17th
The Miami-Dade Parks Disability Services department and the Florida School for the Deaf and Blind in St. Augustine, Fla., are introducing students to 10 and Under Tennis featuring the QuickStart play format following grants from USTA Florida’s “Share the Love” $750,000 initiative.
Miami-Dade Parks Disability Services received $5,000 for 10 and Under Tennis equipment to start the Junior Tennis Wheelchair program for children age 8 and older, and to provide new children’s sport wheelchairs.
“Sports partners such as the USTA Florida are vital to Miami-Dade Parks’ efforts to provide fun and inclusive recreational opportunities for children with disabilities in our community,” said MDPR Disability Services Manager Lucy Binhack. “Accessible-sports programs, such as our Junior Wheelchair Tennis program gives children who use wheelchairs the tools and motivation to achieve their own personal best, resulting in improved health, fitness and self-esteem.”
The program kicks off April 9, and will be held every Saturday from 10:30-11:30 a.m. at the Tamiami Tennis Center in Miami, utilizing QuickStart Tennis equipment.
USTA 10 and Under Tennis featuring the QuickStart play format is designed for children featuring smaller court sizes, racquet sizes, foam and low-compression balls, a simple scoring system, and net heights adjusted to ease kids into the sport. Similar mini-tennis formats have long been popular in Europe, where current stars such as Roger Federer and Kim Clijsters first learned the game with age-adjusted racquets, balls and court sizes. To see a video of 10 and Under Tennis in action go to: http://10andundertennis.usta.com.
Miami-Dade Parks and Recreation is the third largest county park system in the United States, consisting of 263 parks and more than 12,848 acres of land, including the Crandon Tennis Center, home of the Sony Ericsson Open professional tennis tournament. For more info go to www.miamidade.gov/parks, or call (305) 365-6706.
The Florida School for the Deaf and Blind received a $1,800 grant for QuickStart Tennis equipment and funding to paint permanent QuickStart lines to create mini-courts for students.
Performers Ray Charles and jazz pianist Marcus Roberts are alumni of the Florida School for the Deaf and Blind, which had a first entering class of 62 students in 1892, and is today the largest school of its type in the United States with 47 buildings on 72 acres of land.
“Over the past several years, ours’ and many other schools have been faced with financial challenges,” said Mary Ellen Stewart, physical education and health teacher. “Many of our students come from lower-income families, and they might never be exposed to the sport of tennis, if not from our PE program. However, as you know, traditional tennis is difficult to teach younger students, so the QuickStart program will be wonderful for our elementary teaching program to expose these students at an earlier age. Hopefully students will develop an interest and desire to continue in the sport, become involved in extracurricular activities and join the FSDB tennis team.”
Fellow physical education and health teacher Keith Young says the school plans to implement unique strategies for teaching tennis to blind students.
“We have some students who have enough vision to play QuickStart Tennis, we may have to repaint the balls or modify the size,” Young said. “For our low-vision or totals, I’m looking at designing a tether-type platform that rotates and has balls attached at different heights so those students can hit the ball. I even thought of using the platform and tethering the ball to the student’s leg so it can be returned. There are other ideas for using QuickStart Tennis, but these projects will have to wait until the courts are finished.”
Young, Stewart and fellow staffers attended a USTA Florida QuickStart Workshop, where a translator was present to assist deaf staff members.
“Having an interpreter from FSDB was very helpful, along with our PE staff who can sign very well,” Young said. “Our deaf staff members actually picked up the drills and concepts very quickly.”
USTA Florida annually directs 90% of member dollars back into the community to support tennis programs and projects throughout Florida. USTA Florida’s $750,000 “Share the Love” grant program helps fund tennis programs and projects throughout Florida communities during challenging economic times.
“It is with the annual membership dues from USTA Florida members that we are able to offer these community program grants,” said USTA Florida Director of Community Tennis Linda Curtis. “USTA membership does really make a difference in tennis in the Florida community.”
From www.florida.usta.com
USTA Announces Players and Coaches for 2011 World Team Cup
Mar 17th
USTA Announces Players and Coaches for 2011 World Team Cup
The USTA has announced the players and coaches who will represent the United States at the 2011 World Team Cup. The nation’s top wheelchair tennis players will compete against participants from around the globe, 25 April to 1May, on the hard courts of the University of Pretoria, South Africa. The university, which is one of three ITF regional training centres, has 22 hard courts and is also the main training base for tennis players in South Africa.
South Africa will become the 16th nation to host this prestigious event. Often referred to as the wheelchair tennis equivalent of pro tennis’ Davis Cup and Fed Cup competitions, the World Team Cup tournament brings the world’s best wheelchair tennis players together to compete for national pride in one of the world’s premier tennis team events.
Over 200 players from more than 30 nations are expected to participate in the 2011 event in South Africa.
Representing the United States at the 2011 World Team Cup will be:
Men’s Team Quad Team
Dan James (Coach) Oakdale, Minn. Jason Harnett (Coach) Irvine, Calif.
Paul Moran Northfield, Ill. Bryan Barten Tucson, Ariz.
Jon Rydberg Oakdale, Minn. Nick Taylor Wichita, Kan.
Stephen Welch Southlake, Texas David Wagner Hillsboro, Ore.
Women’s Team Junior’s Team
Paul Walker (Coach) Lakeland, Fla. Keri Preng (Coach) Cold Spring, Ky.
Emmy Kaiser Ft. Mitchell, Ky. Shelby Baron Honolulu, Hawaii
Dana Mathewson San Diego, Calif. Ryan Nelson Sandy, Utah
Kaitlyn Verfuerth Tucson, Ariz. Katherine Stuteville Colleyville, Texas
Team Trainer Team Manager
Jenna Street Colorado Springs, Colo. Jeremiah Yolkut White Plains, N.Y.
Team Staff
William Taylor Wichita, Kan.
The United States Quad Team will look to bring home the quad title for the fifth time in the last seven years at the World Team Cup. The two-time Paralympic Doubles Gold Medalists’ team of David Wagner and Nick Taylor are looking to defend the U.S. quad title that they won over Israel last year.
The USTA was officially designated by the USOC as the national governing body for the Paralympic sport of wheelchair tennis in June 2002, becoming the first Olympic national governing body to earn this recognition. As the national governing body for wheelchair tennis, the USTA manages wheelchair tennis in the United States, including the sanctioning of tournaments, overseeing wheelchair rankings, creating and managing a High Performance program for developing elite disabled athletes, and selecting teams to compete internationally for the United States.
-ends-
From www.paralympic.org
USTA Florida Q&A: Junior and 10 and Under Tennis Rule, Tournament Changes
Mar 9th
The emergence of USTA 10 and Under Tennis featuring the QuickStart play format in Florida is rapidly changing the way children are introduced to the game, and has kids flocking to junior tennis programs at facilities across the state. Due to rule and tournament changes at both the USTA national level and the USTA Florida Section level, it is also changing the way children ages 10 and under will compete in tournament play in the coming years.
The USTA Florida Junior Competitive Council is still in the process of developing plans for 10 and Under Tennis competitive tournaments in 2012 and beyond, but USTA Florida recently sat down for a Q&A with USTA Florida Junior Competitive Council Chairwoman Cindy Harkins, who is also the park supervisor for Seminole County Leisure Services and Red Bug Lake Park in Casselberry, Fla., outside of Orlando. Harkins discusses rule changes for 10 and Under Tennis and further changes being considered, and why recent changes were made for ages 12-18 designated draw sizes, and for endorsement rules for Florida junior players to USTA national tournaments.
The charge for the USTA Florida Junior Competitive Council is “to promote and monitor junior competitive tennis in order to provide the best competitive pathways for players of varying ability levels so they can develop to the highest competitive level possible.” The Florida Junior Competitive Council is comprised of high performance coaches, tournament directors, parents and collegiate coaches. The council monitors both national and sectional tournaments and rankings and collects data to assist in detecting trends.
The Council has led many junior competitive changes over the years, including in the early 2000s changing the rankings from the STAR ranking to the Points ranking system, changing draw sizes and monitoring draw sizes for strength and competitiveness, and eliminating the player endorsement policy for national tournaments on a trial basis with the intent to monitor the impact on the Level 4 and 5 tournaments.
Questions for the Q&A with Harkins were culled from recent parent, tournament director and coach queries, and from USTA Florida staff and volunteers:
Q: Why did the Junior Council reduce the designated tournament draw sizes?
Harkins: The tracking data showed the strength of field for the tournaments was not competitive and in many instances the draws were not filling up. For instance, the February 2010 designated, one of the strongest, had the following draw size and last-ranked player in:
Boys 18: 61/395; Boys 16s: 64/261; Boys 14s: 64/209; Boys 12s: 57/248; Girls 18s: 64/333; Girls 16s: 64/338; Girls 14s: 50/322; and Girls 12s: 53/205.
Fifty percent of the draws did not fill. This year the same tournaments had the following:
Boys 18: 32/73; Boys 16s: 32/69; Boys 14s: 32/78; Boys 12s: 32/75; Girls 18s: 32/82; Girls 16s: 32/82; Girls 14s: 32/80; and Girls 12s: 32/121.
The strength of the seeds also improved from 2010. In order for players to develop and improve they need to play in highly-competitive matches. The USTA High Performance Development staff recommended a ratio of 3 out of every 4 matches to be competitive (6-4, 6-4 or closer defines a competitive match). On an average, the Level 4 and Level 5 Florida tournaments had a competitive match ratio of 1 out of every 4. Previously there were far too many 0-0 matches to benefit either player.
Q: Can you please explain the endorsement, and the reason for the endorsement requirement, and the benefit to Florida players?
Harkins: The change to the endorsement policy was made after careful consideration by monitoring rankings and tournament participation and gathering valuable data from the national and sectional levels. Input was also provided by both the college and high performance coaches. In previous years with the STAR ranking system, the endorsement process was also limited to players who played within their age division in a certain number of specified tournaments. Those tournaments had a strong strength of field and players benefited from the more competitive matches.
When national followed the Florida Section and went to a rankings by point system, the council made the decision to open the endorsement procedure without any limitations. In recent years the level of competition has dropped drastically and more players were traveling and incurring large expenditures in order to obtain better rankings and in some instances chasing points. The council feels very strongly that Florida has an outstanding competitive base to provide the necessary competition to develop strong players. In short, our best Florida players should be playing our most competitive Florida tournaments. By requiring players to play in a Florida tournament in order to receive an endorsement to a national tournament, this makes the Florida tournaments more competitive. This is evident by the improved strength of seeds for the January sectional and February designated from 2010 and 2011.
Q: Will the same players always get into the tournaments?
Harkins: No. In a 32 draw with a full feed-in consolation there will be eight players who receive zero points, another eight players who receive 18 to 38 points. At the Super Series level a player can earn 23 points for winning one match and up to 183 points for first place. Players who perform well at the lower level tournaments will incur enough points to surpass the players who are not winning matches and earning points at the designated and sectional levels.
Q: Regarding 10 and Under Tennis, why is USTA Florida making it mandatory for all 10s division Rookie tournaments to use the orange ball on a 60-foot court?
Harkins: USTA and ITF rules for tennis adopted the 60-foot court and orange ball for 10 and Under Tennis competition beginning in 2012. Studies show that players develop quicker and develop better technique by using the age-appropriate equipment and court size. The Junior Council decided to introduce the new 10 and Under Tennis components at the Rookie level for 2011.
Q: What if a child is a great player and can play on a full-size court, but is only 8 years old? What will be left for them?
Harkins: Because a child can play on a full-size court does not necessarily mean it is the best method to develop technique and strategy, but this decision is best for the child’s coach and parent. In studying the current top 10 and under players, most are already playing up in many of the tournaments. This option will still be available for players if their coach and/or parent feel they are ready to compete on a full-size court with a regular compression ball.
Q: Will all the 10 and Under Tennis tournaments eventually be played on a 60-foot court with an orange ball?
Harkins: The Junior Competitive Council has formed two task forces to study the 10 and Under Tennis components and develop the best plan for the Florida players for 2012. The hope is to have a decision by April 1, 2011.
Q: Are these 10 and Under Tennis rule changes only taking place in Florida and why?
Harkins: The rule changes are taking place throughout the USTA. Some sections have adopted the rule change completely for 2011, and others are still developing plans for implementation.
Q: Why are these changes being made at 10 and Under Tennis tournaments, and what are the pros and the cons?
Harkins: The changes are so players can develop and compete on age-appropriate courts with the proper equipment, allowing them to become stronger and have a more complete game. The pros are just that: learn faster, develop better technique and strategy and have more players being more successful at younger ages. The cons are the difficulty in getting the infrastructure in place and the challenge to the teaching pros to have multi-level programs with different balls, courts sizes, etc.
Q: Aren’t these 10 and Under Tennis rule changes only for beginner or recreational players, and not tournament players?
Harkins: No. High performance studies show players who learn and compete on the age-appropriate size courts with the proper equipment develop quicker with better techniques and match strategy. As an example, a 9 year old who develops into a good basketball player isn’t moved to a pro size court with a 10-foot basket to compete.
Q: If my child is 8 years old but can play full-court tennis with a yellow ball, why shouldn’t (s)he be able to?
Harkins: This year the Rookie tournament level is the only tournament that is using the orange ball and 60-foot court and does not allow players to play up. If a parent or coach feels their player is too strong for the younger age division and the 10 and Under Tennis components, they can play the child up in the other tournament levels.
Q: Why can’t the USTA offer both 60-foot and 78-foot court 10 and Under Tennis tournaments?
Harkins: Currently Florida is offering both. The recommendation from USTA national Player Development is to have a balance of 80 percent orange ball on 60-foot court, and 20 percent green ball on 78-foot court.
The 2011 USTA Florida Junior Competitive Council is chaired by Harkins, and included council members Maria Cercone, Bill Clark, Harry Gilbert, Robert Gomez, Jason Pardon, J. Webb Horton, Rick Workman, staff liaisons Ann Brown and Andy Gladstone, and staff consultant Bobby Curtis.
From www.florida.usta.com
PGA/USTA: The Decline of American Men… We Already Lost Tennis; Is Golf Next?
Feb 27th
This was a great image for me growing up.
Ezra Shaw/Getty Images
When I was growing up watching golf and tennis, I can recall many great memories.
I used to love watching the conclusion of a PGA Tournament with my grandparents, provided there was no big football, baseball or basketball game on television. They all came first.
Then, I would go out to play a round with my grandfather and father the next day, and I quickly understood that I should focus my attention on my pitching in baseball games, because I sure as heck was never going to join the PGA Tour.
I also used to love watching the finals of a Grand Slam USTA event with my dad. We would critique their shots and wonder why they went for a backhand winner instead of a drop shot at the net. Then, when we tried to do it on the court the next day, we found out is was much easier said than done.
I took me very little to realize that while I could always watch golf and tennis, I would never be playing it professionally. My temper was not conducive to either sport. I needed somewhere to take out my aggression, and all golf and tennis did for me was teach me new ways to cheat playing a game.
But the good memories I had of watching these sports came from two qualities.
First, it was great to watch and play these sports with my family. It was a male bonding activity. I could always play baseball and football and basketball with my family, but never truly got to compete against them. The age differences were just too much for these sports, but age is not as big of a factor in golf and tennis.
But it was also so enjoyable because we had so many players to root for in both sports. Clearly, like most people born in the United States, re primarily rooted for Americans. I am not saying that I have never cheered for players of other nationalities, because that would be inaccurate. I will root for players who are good for the game and competitive, yet still show sportsmanship, regardless of their flag.
Yet ultimately, it is always easier to follow athletes from your own country, because there is more coverage surrounding them in the media.
In tennis, I always rooted for Pete Sampras. Sure, he was number one for so long that it was easy to follow him. He was always in the news when it came to men’s tennis.
My dad always cheered for Andre Agassi. Now, I was a fan of Agassi’s as well, but I pulled for Sampras when these two met. If it was Agassi against anyone else, I rooted for Agassi. Just like my dad.
But you didn’t just have to cheer for one or the other. So many American men were prominent in tennis when I was growing up watching. Todd Martin had some very memorable runs in the major tournaments. Michael Chang was fun to watch. There were many choices when I was younger.
The same could be said about golf. I didn’t have as many personal preferences, yet rather chose to follow who my family followed. It was fun to see them get so excited when their favorite players would make a crucial putt on the 18th hole.
My grandmother was perhaps the biggest fan. She adores Tom Watson. “Tommy Boy,” as she would always refer to him.
Now although he was well before my time, my grandfather was a big Ben Hogan fan. My dad always rooted for Jack Nicklaus and Arnold Palmer. I rooted for all of these players, as well as Tom Lehman and Davis Love III.
It was a great time to follow golf and tennis, as Americans were dominating the games.
But that has since changed, and it has been a drastic decline over the past decade. The sports have not changed, but the names of the top players and where they hail from certainly has transformed. The Americans continue to fall out of the top part of the rankings.
It has been this way in tennis for quite some time now. Only one American male is ranked in the top 10 today, and it is someone who may go down as one of the more overrated players in our history.
Although he definitely married one of the most beautiful women on the planet in Brooklyn Decker.
I am referring to Andy Roddick, of course, who is the eighth ranked player in the world..
After Roddick, you have to drop down to No. 16, where you will find Mardy Fish—a good player, but now someone you would gamble on to win a Grand Slam. Sam Querrey is No. 27 and John Isner is No. 32. That is all we have as Americans in the top 50.
That is a far cry from when I was growing up watching as a kid.
It may have taken a bit longer, but the same thing is happening in men’s golf.
Tiger Woods has fallen to No. 3, as he has fallen on hard times. The only problem there is that I do not root for Woods. My memory has gotten worse, but there are some things that I won’t forget.
We do still have three other Americans ranked in the top 10, which is somewhat encouraging, but they are falling in the rankings as opposed to rising.
Phil Mickelson is the No. 5 player in the world today. He is one of my family’s favorites, and one of mine was well. He is a solid family man, and that is important to me.
Steve Stricker (No. 
and Jim Furyk (No. 10) round out the top 10 in the world.
And while they are all getting up there in age, we do have some younger Americans who can hopefully continue to climb the rankings.
Matt Kuchar and Dustin Johnson are ranked No. 13 and No. 14, respectively. Hunter Mahan and Bubba Watson are currently at No. 18 and No. 19, and Watson impresses me from a talent standpoint. I do not know enough about him as a person yet to determine if he could become a family favorite one day.
After that, there is quite a steady decline. But after the way things were when I was younger, how could it be anything else?
Sports go in cycles. The names of the players change. Rankings go up and down. But the thing that scares me is the one thing that is trending toward being consistent.
The number of highly ranked American men in golf and tennis continues to decline.
From bleacherreport.com
USTA 96 boys team wins championship
Jan 23rd
Posted: January 23
Updated: Today at 2:00 AM
USTA 96 boys team wins championship
The United States Tennis Association 96 boys team was formed in the summer of 2010 and was designated a training team. It is the USTA’s newest team.
The Indoor State Cup was this team’s first opportunity to display its talents against other teams in a tournament in their age group. The team won four games in its bracket and then won the championship, catching the attention of many players and coaches with its technique and tenacity.
The competition included the Towamencin Topguns, Hunter Tornados, Parkland Area Pythons, and FC York Premier and CSSC United 97 in the championship game.
Prior to winning the state championship, the boys competed in a 16-year-old league in the Wyoming Valley Sports Dome and advanced to the finals. They also competed and won an indoor full-field Friendlies Tournament in Binghamton, New York.
In the spring, the team plans to play in the Outdoor State Cup and the Lehigh Valley Youth Soccer League.
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From www.timesleader.com
High School Tennis for All — Jan. 2011 USTA Florida Volunteer of the Month
Jan 20th
USTA Florida January 2011 Volunteer of the Month — Henner Lenhardt, Winter Park
by Rick Vach, ustaflorida.com
Henner Lenhardt wants kids in Florida to be able to play high school tennis — not just the high-performance world beaters, but all kids.
Many high school coaches take the minimum amount of kids on a team, while other counties in Florida are cancelling tennis programs and other sports due to budget cuts in difficult economic times. Lenhardt’s solution: create, in partnership with other organizers and USTA Florida, the Central Florida High School Conference, a “no-cut” program where students who don’t have a high school team, junior varsity (JV) students, and kids who might otherwise not even make the JV team compete against each other in a season that runs concurrently with the Florida varsity tennis season.
Last year the conference began as a pilot program with six schools, which were made part of the USTA Jr. Team Tennis league and were also allowed to compete at the USTA Florida Jr. Team Tennis Championships. In 2011 the program looks to grow, encompassing additional schools in Central Florida.
“The High School Conference league is a success because players that do not make their varsity team now have another avenue to compete on a team and represent their school on a club level,” Lenhardt says. “The players that used to try out for the team once a year now have access to their own team. The High School Conference combines the three elements you must have for players to stay in the game: improvement, friends and fun.”
Lenhardt says the success of the USTA Florida ‘Tennis on Campus’ series of tournaments for college and university club tennis teams is filtering down to the high schools, and leagues such as the Central Florida High School Conference will filter into college club tennis.
“There is no doubt that this trend will catch on around Florida and the country,” Lenhardt says. “The high school conference and Tennis on Campus program create a synergy that will be another avenue for players to pursue.”
He is also an ardent supporter of the 10 and Under Tennis (featuring the QuickStart format of play) program, which gives smaller and beginning children an easy entry into the game to learn the basics of tennis with scaled-down equipment.
“The [10 and Under Tennis] format is here to stay and the sooner professionals get on board, the sooner we can grow the game, grow the businesss, and grow champions, not just in tennis but in life,” Lenhardt said. “This format lets kids start younger, rally longer, and compete sooner.”
In 2010 Lenhardt was also the recipient of a USTA Florida “Share the Love” grant to promote his Orlando Grand Prix series of events, one-day round robin tournaments for children that expose players to competitive introductory-level play. The events are played at approximately 10 clubs in and around Orlando.
“In Central Florida, our goal is to bring together schools, tennis organizations, public and private facilities, and the best coaches in the community to grow the great sport of tennis,” Lenhardt said of the program entering its fifth year. “There is a need to make an introductory tennis event that is competitive, educational, and more abbreviated than a regular sanctioned event. I hope to create a positive first experience for players so they will make tennis their sport of a lifetime.”
He has already created a positive feeling among parents and coaches, who no longer have to bear witness to disappointed children being cut from the team, and cut out of playing school tennis.
“The idea is born from many coaches, parents, and volunteers that through the years have witnessed high school tryouts with 40 players, and only 10 players making the team,” Lenhardt says. “The work has not been done by me but by Nita Klingenberg, USTA Jr. Team Tennis Coordinator; Terri Cunningham, Winter Park High School girls and boys tennis coach, and the volunteer captains which make this league possible.”
ABOUT HENNER
Birthplace: Panama City Beach, Fla.
Family Members: wife Abby, daughter Carly, son Tanner
Favorite Movie: Gladiator
Favorite Food: Tuna Kobachi
Favorite Travel: any mountain with snow on it
Favorite Shot: “The ‘tweener,’ which as Roger Federer says, ‘You must swing very, very fast and very, very carefully.’”
My earliest tennis memory was…”Playing with family and in the community.”
If I could play tennis with three people, they would be…”Colin Powell, Roger Federer and Dave Matthews.”
When I am not playing tennis I am…”with my family.”
Best-ever tennis memories…”Playing tennis with my family, winning the Florida state doubles title with Brandon Walters…winning the Ojai Doubles title with Kelly Jones…competing in the NCAA tournament with Paul Haarhuis…practicing with Bjorn Borg at the Monte Carlo Country Club…teaching on the grasscourts of the Meadow Club in Southampton, N.Y…and helping players reach the next level in their game.”
I like to volunteer in tennis because…”The more you give, the more you receive.”
From www.florida.usta.com
USPTA, PTR, USTA Florida Plan 2011 Joint Tennis Effort in Florida
Jan 6th
A landmark meeting was held during the 61st USTA Florida Annual Meeting and Volunteer Weekend in December in Orlando, where executive members and teaching pros from the United States Professional Tennis Association-Florida (USPTA Florida), the Professional Tennis Registry-Florida (PTR Florida) and the USTA Florida Section came together to plan a strategy for further partnering to advance tennis in 2011.
PTR National President Jean Mills, USPTA National President Tom Daglis, USPTA Florida Division President Richard Centerbar, USPTA Florida past president Dave Richardson, USTA Florida President Dan Casey, USTA Florida President-Elect Bob Pfaender, and USTA Florida Executive Director Doug Booth and Associate Executive Director Andy McFarland were some of the 100+ Florida tennis movers and shakers from across the state in attendance.
Centerbar, who succeeded Richardson as USPTA Florida president, presented outgoing USTA Florida President Donn Davis with the 2010 USPTA Florida Service Award for working to bring the two organizations closer together. The USPTA’s Richardson joined the USTA Florida Board of Directors as a USPTA representative in 2010.
“Seeing all of us in the same place at the same time and getting along so well, this felt historical,” said Centerbar following the meeting. “From the bottom of my heart I thank USTA Florida for putting on such a wonderful event, making everyone feel so welcome, and putting USTA, USPTA, and PTR in the same room to discuss how we can accomplish great things by working together.”
Mills, the current PTR national president, is also a former USTA Florida president and the director of tennis at The Polo Club in Boca Raton.
“I know our tennis team of USTA, USPTA, and PTR can and will achieve significant successes working for the future of our game,” Mills said. “A special thanks to Doug Booth and Richard Centerbar for our dinner many months ago that inspired this historical get together which is a wonderful start.”
Part of USTA Florida’s initiative to increase business for teaching pros in Florida is the distribution of 10-and-Under Tennis play format equipment through its “Share the Love” campaign. Share the Love is USTA Florida’s $500,000 initiative on top of the organization’s regular annual giving to promote a wide range of community tennis initiatives during difficult economic times for public and private tennis facilities and schools. The new 10-and-Under Tennis initiative is not only an easy and fun way for small children to learn tennis, but allows for more kids on a practice court, translating into higher revenue for clubs, coaches and teaching pros.
Many programs are currently using six 36-foot courts positioned sideways on one 78-foot court, with six kids per court. With up to 36 kids on one practice court, that can mean higher revenue for court time per hour, with kids constantly in action and no more standing in lines. In addition, over the next three years, USTA National plans to invest $5 million in 100 U.S. markets to foster the growth of 10-and-Under Tennis.
“I sense a real change in the tennis culture taking place, and I believe tennis will reach new heights in the short years to come,” said Tom Daglis, the current USPTA national president and director of tennis, fitness and aquatics at the Lakewood Country Club in Rockville, Maryland.
The USPTA’s Richardson says he was inspired by both the USTA Florida Board of Directors meeting and the USPTA-PTR-USTA meeting during the weekend, and the implications for 2011.
“I hope everyone left just charged-up on how we can ignite this new tennis relationship boom and grow this game to extraordinary heights. When all three organizations do something, the impact on Florida tennis and people’s lives will be life changing.”
Booth, along with the outgoing USTA Florida President Donn Davis, made it a personal goal to bring the three key Florida tennis organizations together, with Booth traveling the state in 2010 to speak at eight teaching professional meetings, from Destin to Key Largo.
“I know we can do some special things in Florida, working together better than ever going forward, and that is what really motivates me,” said Booth, who has held the USTA Florida executive director position since 1990. “We all have such a great love for our sport, and I know some great things are going to happen.”
Bringing Yoga to Tennis: USTA Florida Dec. 2010 Volunteer Liz Kawecki
Nov 30th
When Liz Kawecki and her sister Susan DeMille stepped in to lead Amelia Island’s first QuickStart Tennis program, she saw it as an opportunity to combine her love for recreational tennis with her beloved chosen profession — teaching yoga.
Kawecki is owner and president/director of Y Yoga Inc., and a certified children’s fitness trainer. She can be seen leading large groups of 10-and-under tennis players at the Kraft Tennis Center through warm-up activities and instilling the habits that will benefit young athletes throughout their lifetime.
Her additional titles and certifications are many: certified personal trainer, integrative yoga teacher, post rehabilitation exercise specialist, assistant program director of Quickstart at Kraft Tennis Partners, and captain of the Quickstart team the AllStars.
“We said we wanted to do something for kids, and there was no tennis [for kids in Amelia Island],” Kawecki said of starting the program. “This was an opportunity to get kids involved in tennis, to get kids moving as a yoga teacher. This is just a really unique opportunity to get kids out here, and we also thought it would be fun because it’s giving back to the community.”
Part of the giving back was creating a QuickStart Kids Summer Camp at a cost of only $25 for nine weeks, attracting 94 children aged 5-10.
“The camp was conducted with the help of only volunteers,” said Kawecki, who with her sister applied for and received funding for the QuickStart program through a $1,200 USTA Florida’s “Share the Love” grant. “The volunteers are all members of the Kraft Tennis Partners. We’ve set up two Quickstart Jr. Team Tennis teams with 22 kids.”
In addition to working with school children, Kawecki recently wrote and illustrated a children’s yoga book, “Yoga ABC’s” which is currently being used by local P.E. teachers in the schools. USTA Florida recognizes Kawecki as the December 2010 USTA Florida Volunteer of the Month, a “flexible” yoga instructor who manages to fit volunteer hours into her busy schedule each month to benefit the children of Amelia Island and Fernandina Beach.
“Kids are our future,” Kawecki said. “Tennis teaches them life skills and is a relatively inexpensive sport that they can grow with during their lifetime and have still have fun.”
LEARN ABOUT LIZ
USTA sues Olympus over sponsorship deal
Nov 23rd
AP Tennis Writer
(AP) — The U.S. Tennis Association is suing Olympus Corporation of the Americas for $11.65 million for breach of contract, saying the camera company wants to get out of their sponsorship agreement for 2011.
Olympus and the USTA have been partners since 2003. In a 2007 agreement, they extended their partnership through 2013, including making Olympus the title sponsor of the U.S. Open Series of hard-court events leading up to the year’s last Grand Slam tournament.
The contract allowed Olympus to opt out of the last two years of the deal, which it recently sought to do. But the USTA complaint, filed in New York last week and first reported Monday by Courthouse News Service, says Olympus also is trying to “prematurely” shed its commitments for 2011.
According to the complaint, Olympus wants to avoid paying $11.65 million next year because it says the USTA allowed Panasonic to infringe on Olympus’ exclusive sponsorship rights – something the USTA says is “without merit.”
The USTA’s complaint says Olympus hopes to avoid fulfilling the contract because it is trying to reduce costs.
“It is unfortunate that the USTA has chosen to file a lawsuit against Olympus. The allegations asserted by the USTA are without merit and Olympus will defend itself vigorously,” Olympus Vice President of Corporate Communications Elizabeth Sullivan wrote in an e-mail to The Associated Press. “Olympus will file a detailed response to the complaint in due course. However, Olympus is not able to comment further at this time due to the pending litigation.”
The complaint says the amounts Olympus originally agreed to pay in 2011 are:
-$7 million to sponsor the U.S. Open and Arthur Ashe Kids Day, which is held on the weekend before the tournament’s main draw begins;
-$3.35 million to sponsor the U.S. Open Series and U.S. Open Series tournaments;
-$1.3 million to purchase advertising time from the USTA’s media partners.
In addition to asking the court to make Olympus pay damages – or fulfill the agreement – the complaint asks that the court declare that the USTA did not breach the agreement.
“With great disappointment, the USTA has opted to file a legal action against Olympus Corporation of America to enforce the terms of the Sponsorship Agreement between the parties,” USTA spokesman Chris Widmaier wrote in an e-mail.
“The USTA categorically rejects any allegation of breach by Olympus, and while we find having to seek judicial intervention regrettable, we also find it unavoidable,” Widmaier added. “Having worked collaboratively with Olympus for a number of years, the USTA desires to resolve this matter amicably and to continue its relationship with Olympus in 2011.”
Updated November 22, 2010
