TRADE EVENT LEADERSHIP PLAYER PERFORMANCE MANAGEMENT

Join the industry at the Wilson’s Dowse Help your students For facilities, Kourts
Racquet & Paddle to take over as USTA improve their software is helping
Sports Show executive director visual fitness players connect
January 2020 / Volume 48 / Number 1 / $5.00

Formerly Tennis Industry

PERSON OF THE YEARI

Dan Faber,i
executive directori

CHAMPIONS
of the USTA Foundationi

OF TENNIS 2019

rating
USPT
A pg
.4
9

orpo
Our annual awards honor those who are Inc

making a difference in this industry.

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Contents January 2020

DEPARTMENTS
C O N G R AT U L AT I O N S TO :
4 Our Serve
DAN FABER JESSICA MCMILLEN JOHN DEVORSS SARA RASMUSSEN
7 Industry News JOLYN DE BOER RENNER SPORTS SURFACES CITY PARK/PEPSI TENNIS CENTER JANE HINES

14 Letters T BAR M RACQUET CLUB ROME TENNIS CENTER AT BERRY COLLEGE SAN FRANCISCO RECREATION AND PARKS TIM ROSS

GARRY RAMEY STEAMBOAT TENNIS ASSOCIATION DOUG CHAPMAN JARRETT CHIRICO

16 Facility Management FROMUTH TENNIS MARK GONZALEZ PAULA HALE SID NEWCOMB

18 Court Construction USTA NE PROVIDER APPRECIATION MONTH DAVID KIMANI MACH ACADEMY USTA SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA

22 Racquet & Paddle Sports Show

42 Teaching Pros: Visual Fitness
44 String Playtest: Prince
Diablo Prism 17 PRESENTS
46 Tips & Techniques
48 Your Serve, by Brent Zeller

CHAMPIONS
INDUSTRY NEWS
7 Racquet & Paddle Sports
Show set for Orlando

OF TENNIS
7 Wilson’s Michael Dowse
to take over as USTA CEO
7 USTA Coaching Fellowship
Program seeks applications

2019
8 Tennis Channel opens control
room at Lake Nona
8 Plexipave, BNP Paribas Open
extend partnership
8 USTA partners with National
League of Cities P. 25
10 Daxko acquires TennisSource
facility management software
10 WTT announces record prize JUNIOR TENNIS
CHAMPION OF THE YEAR
ADAPTIVE TENNIS
CHAMPION OF THE YEAR
money for 2020 season David Jane
11 Oracle to add more than 25 Kimani Hines
new U.S. pro tournaments P. 32 P. 38
11 High school tennis association
expands education offerings
11 Newport grass-court tourney MUNICIPAL TENNIS HIGH SCHOOL COACH
TENNIS INDUSTRY
joins US Open Series SERVICE AWARD FACILITY OF THE YEAR OF THE YEAR

12 Short Sets Jolyn Rome Tennis Doug

de Boer Center Chapman
13 Selkirk announces pickleball P. 27 P. 33
P. 27
paddle donation program
13 Peoplewatch

PLUS
C OV E R P H O T O C O U RT E S Y U S TA F O U N DAT I O N

p.49 51 From the CEO

53 President's Message

54 57 60 65 57 Master Pro Corner

From Stay-at- Exploring How Does The New 63 ThanksUSA

Home Moms the Serve-and- Sportsmanship Department 64 Paul Waldman Award
to Tennis Volley Paradigm Affect On-Court of Labor Rule
66 Career Development
Coaches Shift Performance? May Affect You
68 USPTA Social Media
Read more articles online at www.ADDvantageUSPTA.com 68 In Memoriam

2 RACQUET SPORTS INDUSTRY January 2020 www.tennisindustrymag.com

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 OurServe
PUBLISHER
EDITOR'S NOTE JEFF WILLIAMS

Right Name, Right Time EDITOR

PETER FRANCESCONI

As our audience continues to find MANAGING EDITOR

SCOTT GRAMLING

success beyond tennis, we welcome back CREATIVE DIRECTOR

IAN KNOWLES

the name Racquet Sports Industry SENIOR EDITOR

ED McGROGAN

ART DIRECTOR
CRHISTIAN RODRIGUEZ

PRODUCTION EDITOR

C
 
ANDREA WOO

SPECIAL CONTRIBUTOR
BOB PATTERSON

hances are you’ve already
noticed something differ-
ent about this issue. As this
magazine enters its 48th
year, we’ve changed our
name back to Racquet Sports Industry.
was finding success branching out from
tennis into related sports, particularly
pickleball. We even added an annual pick-
leball section in our April issue.
For many court builders, facilities,
teaching pros, retailers and manufactur-
CONTRIBUTING EDITORS
CYNTHIA CANTRELL, PEG CONNOR,
DAVID LASOTA, JUDY LEAND, KENT OSWALD,
CYNTHIA SHERMAN, MARY HELEN SPRECHER
CONTRIBUTING PHOTOGRAPHERS
BOB KENAS, DAVID KENAS

I say “back” because, in February 2004,
Tennis Industry magazine merged with
Racquet Tech magazine, which was the
official publication of the U.S. Racquet
Stringers Association, to first form
Racquet Sports Industry. We merged
for business reasons—the industry was
contracting, and both magazines were
going after the same advertisers. So with
the support of major manufacturers, we
partnered for one publication to serve
the industry’s needs. At the time, the RSI
name was simply a compromise between
Racquet Tech and Tennis Industry.
But even before that merger, and
continuing after it, the magazine carried
news and information on racquet (and
paddle) sports other than tennis. Our first
pickleball story appeared in the August
2007 issue of RSI, and we annually would
run special sections geared toward “other
racquet sports.”
Then, with the January 2014 issue,
after much discussion with tennis
industry stakeholders who were predict-
ing optimism as youth and adult tennis
initiatives were being rolled out in ear-
nest, we made the change back to Tennis
Industry. It seemed to be the right move
at the time, signaling our support for an
industry in which we all were investing.
But the magazine still continued to
cover other racquet and paddle sports,
ers, pickleball has been an important
lifeline over the last few years. In fact,
both professional tennis teaching orga-
nizations now have education geared
toward pickleball, and the USTA has been
sponsoring pickleball play at its National
Campus in Orlando.
Now, in recognition and in support
of the diversity of racquet and paddle
sports that our audience embraces, we’re
pleased to bring back the name Racquet
Sports Industry. Whether you deal strictly
with tennis, or cater to players of pickle-
ball, badminton, racquetball, squash, POP
Tennis, paddle tennis or any other related
sport, it’s fair to say that we’re all in the
“racquet and paddle sports” business. As
we move into a new decade, we’re going to
find success not as one sport over another
sport, but by working together—and
growing together.
For this magazine, and this business,
Racquet Sports Industry is the right name,
at the right time.
(Note: As we continue with the name-
change transition, the TennisIndustry-
Mag.com website and email addresses will
continue to operate as usual.)
Peter Francesconi
Editor
Peter@TennisIndustryMag.com
ASSOCIATE EDITOR
TIM McARTHUR
EDITORIAL DIRECTION
10TEN MEDIA
RACQUET SPORTS INDUSTRY
250 Park Avenue, Ste 825, NY NY 10017
646-381-8735
info@tennisindustrymag.com
ADVERTISING DIRECTOR
JOHN HANNA
770-650-1102, x125
hanna@knowatlanta.com
APPAREL ADVERTISING
CYNTHIA SHERMAN
203-558-5911
cstennisindustry@gmail.com
Racquet Sports Industry is published 10 times per
year: monthly, January through August with combined
issues in September/October and November/
December, by Tennis Channel, Inc., 250 Park Avenue,
Suite 825, New York NY 10017. Periodical postage
paid in Duluth, GA and at additional mailing offices
(USPS #004-354). January 2020, Volume 48, Number
1 © 2020 by Tennis Channel, Inc. All rights reserved.
Racquet Sports Industry, RSI and logo are trademarks
of Tennis Channel, Inc. Printed in the U.S.A. Phone
advertising: 770-650-1102 x 125. Phone circulation
and editorial: 646-381-8735. Yearly subscriptions
$25 in the U.S., $40+ elsewhere. POSTMASTER: Send
address changes to Racquet Sports Industry, 250
Park Avenue, Suite 825, New York NY 10017. Racquet
Sports Industry is the official magazine of the USRSA,
TIA and ASBA.
Looking for back issues of Tennis Industry/Racquet
Sports Industry? Visit the archives at our website
at TennisIndustryMag.com for free digital versions.

and continued to recognize and support

the growing segment of our audience that

4 RACQUET SPORTS INDUSTRY January 2020 www.tennisindustrymag.com

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IndustryNews Information to help you run your business
INDUSTRY EVENT
Racquet & Paddle Sports Show
Set for Jan. 21-24 in Orlando
T
he second annual Rac-
quet & Paddle Sports
Show will bring together
industry leaders, sports
professionals, facility
suppliers and product manufacturers
from around the world for four days of
merchandise sourcing, product testing,
education and professional networking.
The event will be held on Jan. 21-24 at
C O U RT E S Y T I A / R E E D E X H I B I T I O N S ; U S TA
the Orange County Convention Center
in Orlando, Fla. For those in the racquet/
paddle sports industry, registration for
the show is free. For more information,
visit RacquetPaddleSportsShow.com.
The RPSS, which is co-located with
the PGA Merchandise Show, will feature
over 200 exhibits, multiple demonstra-
tion courts, two presentation stages and
the Tennis Owners & Managers (TOM)
Conference, Jan. 22-24. (There is a
www.tennisindustrymag.com
The 2020 RPSS will
feature demon-
stration courts on
the show floor.
separate fee for the TOM Conference.
TOM sessions are eligible for continuing
education credits.) The show floor will
feature a main stage with complimenta-
ry education sessions and presentations.
On Tuesday, Jan. 21, there will be a
Demo Day at the USTA National Cam-
pus in Lake Nona. A one-day compli-
mentary education program for tennis
coaches and teachers will be Jan. 22, pre-
sented by USTA, USPTA and RacquetFit.
Also new in 2020 will be a “Pop-Up
Retail Talks” area; a focus on fitness,
performance and nutritional products
on the show floor; and additional exhibit,
demonstration and educational space
devoted to racquet facility construction
and court renovations, said Elizabeth
Reed, the senior director of industry
development for Reed Exhibitions and
the RAPS event director.
IndustryNews
Wilson’s Michael Dowse
to Take Over as USTA CEO in 2020
Michael Dowse, president of Wilson Sport-
ing Goods Co., has been named CEO and ex-
ecutive director of the USTA, replacing long-
time CEO Gordon Smith, who announced
that he would retire at the end of 2019.
Dowse will be charged with leading the
USTA’s overall vision and strategy for the
growth of tennis participation, while also
ensuring diversity throughout the sport.
He will provide direction and support and
collaborate with USTA sections, districts,
Community Tennis Associations and national
committees for all of the USTA’s grassroots
efforts. Dowse will also set the strategic
direction and lead the USTA’s involvement in
professional tennis in the U.S. and through-
out the world. The 53-year-old will be based
at the USTA National Campus in Orlando, Fla.
Dowse has served as president of Wilson
since 2013, responsible for the company’s
global strategy, corporate operations and
manufacturing. He oversaw the company’s
growth and productivity initiatives, includ-
ing innovation, digital transformation,
product development, the formation of new
business and partnerships, and the expan-
sion of Wilson’s footprint in racquet sports,
team sports, baseball, softball and golf.
“Michael’s experience as a proven in-
dustry executive and his long history with
our sport make him the ideal candidate for
this position,” says USTA President Patrick
Galbraith. “The USTA is poised for growth,
and we believe Michael will be the catalyst
we need.”
USTA Coaching Fellowship
Program Seeks Applications
USTA Player Development’s
Postgraduate Fellowship Program in Pro-
fessional Coaching, an 11-week coaching
program geared toward recent college
January 2020 RACQUET SPORTS INDUSTRY 7
IndustryNews
graduates, is accepting applications
through February.
The Fellowship Program, now enter-
ing its seventh year, takes place dur-
ing the summer and runs through the
US Open. It is structured to provide
experiential training and opportu-
nity to help young professionals in
the industry transition from college
into coaching and sports analytics
careers. Participants in the program,
which takes place at the USTA National
Campus, will learn how USTA Player
Development operates, and then get
paired with a mentor. For more info,
visit playerdevelopment.usta.com.
Plexipave, BNP Paribas Open
Extend Partnership to 2022
ICP Building Solutions Group has
renewed its partnership with the BNP
Paribas Open to supply its California
Sports Surfaces’ high-performance
Plexipave tennis surface system to the
tournament for another three years.
All-in-one
tennis
management
software
Get access today www.kourts.com
8 RACQUET SPORTS INDUSTRY January 2020
Plexipave has been the BNP Paribas
Open’s surface for over 19 years. The iconic
Tour Purple and Light Green surface is made
up of a special formulation of the Plexipave
product—specifically developed to provide
optimized performance for the arid desert
conditions in Indian Wells, Calif.
“We look forward to continuing to provide
a high-performance surface system where
the world’s top tennis professionals can
compete and showcase their remarkable
skills,” says Tom Magner, director of sales op-
erations for California Sports Surfaces. Visit
californiasportssurfaces.com for more info.
More bookings, less admin
Online booking for players
No contracts
5 Star FREE customer support
Tennis Channel Opens
Control Room at Lake Nona
Tennis Channel has opened a fully
equipped broadcast control room on
the site of the USTA National Campus
in Orlando, Fla., giving the network a
year-round presence at the training
center. The facility, which establishes
an East Coast production base for the
West Coast-based network, provides
Tennis Channel with greater access to
National Campus competitions and
players, in addition to Florida's exten-
sive tennis community.
“Tennis Channel East” is now able
to cover matches that take place on
any of the National Campus’s 100
courts. The control room will produce
numerous events each year, includ-
ing College MatchDay, USTA League
Championships and Junior National
Championships. Tennis Channel car-
ried the NCAA Division I Men's and
Women's Tennis National Champion-
ships on the campus in May and will
do so again in 2021.
The network also will produce
short-form, lifestyle and instructional
content from the new control room.
Additionally, Tennis Channel is part-
nering with Full Sail University to give
local students hands-on, real-world
experience in live sports production.
USTA Partners With
National League of Cities
The USTA and the National League
of Cities (NLC) have joined forces in an
initiative to promote children’s physi-
cal activity while developing social and
emotional skills.
Under a pilot program, three cities will
incorporate quality tennis instruction
based on USTA’s Net Generation cur-
riculum and coaching support into their
local afterschool programs, with an eye
to ensuring underserved children and
youth from lower-income communities
have meaningful access to the sport.
With support from the USTA, NLC’s
Institute for Youth, Education and Fami-
lies will select three cities to implement
at least two six-week sessions of tennis
instruction over the next year into
afterschool or summer programs located
AP PHOTO
throughout their citywide afterschool
system, including city-sponsored after-
school programs, as well as school- and
www.tennisindustrymag.com

STRINGS
Ashaway’s Crossfire Strings
Offer Hybrid Options
F
or many years, hybrid stringing
has been popular among many
types of players. Hybrid string-
ing allows players to fine-tune their
racquets to their particular style of play.
“Many players don’t like the impact
of polyesters,” says Ashaway’s Steve
Crandall, “and everyday players just
don’t get enough benefit from these
strings to warrant the additional cost.
10 RACQUET SPORTS INDUSTRY January 2020
Players of all stripes are using polyes-
ters or aramids for stiffness and dura-
bility, but mixing them with a softer
string for playability.”
Crandall says Ashaway’s Crossfire
strings offer more combinations of
main and cross strings than any other
brand. The Crossfire family includes
six different material and string gauge
combinations. Visit ashawayusa.com.
community-based programs.
All participating programs will receive
free, state-of-the-art tennis equipment
and provider training.
WTT Announces Record
Prize Money for 2020 Season
A record amount of player prize
money—including a new additional
increase of $1 million for the post-
season—will be at stake when the 45th
World TeamTennis season hits the
courts July 12-Aug. 1, league officials
have announced.
The prize money will increase to $5
million for the season, with the added
$1 million awarded in WTT Playoffs
compensation, including a $500,000
bonus to the team that hoists the King
Trophy in 2020. The WTT Playoffs will
return to Orleans Arena at The Orleans
Hotel & Casino in Las Vegas, home to
the Vegas Rollers, for the second con-
secutive year, with the semifinals set
for July 31 and the WTT Final on Aug. 1.
In addition to the prize money
increase, World TeamTennis will be
announcing two new franchises in the
months ahead, boosting the league to
a total of 10 teams. Visit wtt.com.
Daxko Acquires TennisSource
Facility Management Software
In October, Daxko acquired Tennis-
Source, a provider of tennis facility man-
agement software solutions. Financial
terms of the deal were not disclosed.
Coupled with Daxko’s existing Club
Automation brand, which serves over
200 tennis centers, the company further
enhances its offering for tennis clubs in
the health and wellness industry.
Daxko is a leading provider of business
solutions and payment services to the
nonprofit, enterprise and small business
segments, serving over 10,000 facilities
through its family of brands. Tennis-
Source was founded by COO Richard
Moore and CEO Kristina Moore.
“Partnering with as company that is
already in the fitness market was key for
us,” says Richard Moore. “And now, we
are enhancing our capabilities to serve
C O U RT E S Y A S H AWAY
the tennis market by joining one of the
leading solutions in the health and well-
ness industry. The Daxko team has com-
piled an enviable portfolio of solutions,
and we easily see how our company can
be a part.”
www.tennisindustrymag.com
 IndustryNews

USRSA Adds New with its original home in Newport, R.I.
Certification Tester Scheduled for July 12-19, 2020, the Hall
of Fame Open will launch the 17th year
of the US Open Series. The tournament
will now receive the same level of on-site,
broadcast, digital and grassroots support
from the USTA provided to all US Open
Series tournaments.
The Hall of Fame Open is the only ATP
grass-court tournament played outside of
Europe.
U.S. H.S. Tennis Association
Expands Education Offerings
Steve Milano, executive director of the U.S.
High School Tennis Association, says the
organization is becoming more active in edu-
cational offerings. The USHSTA offered a pre-
season coaching workshop in metro Atlanta
in November, and has another workshop
scheduled for February in Pennsylvania.
“High school tennis programs have a
more difficult time competing for funding

The U.S. Racquet Stringers Associa-

tion has added a new certification
tester, Dimitar Yazadzhiev of Ojai,
Calif., who has been a Master Racquet
Technician since 2011.
In 2009, Yazadzhiev opened a tennis
academy and tennis pro shop in Santa
Barbara, Calif., then added the man-
agement of a six-court Santa Barbara
club to his business—and was string-
ing 100 to 150 frames per month at
the two locations. In 2019, he started
managing tennis at the Ojai Valley Inn.

Oracle to Add More Than

25 New U.S. Pro Tourneys
Oracle recently announced the creation
of the Oracle Pro Series, a schedule of more
than 25 new ATP, WTA and ITF World Tennis
Tour professional tournaments to be held
across the U.S. over the course of 2019 and
2020. The Oracle Pro Series will create more
than 40 percent new playing opportuni-
ties in the U.S. for tennis professionals.
Nearly all of the tournaments will be
combined men’s and women’s events,
with equal prize money ranging from
$25,000 to $108,000 per tournament.
The final schedule for 2020 will include
more than 20 tournaments. The series
will expand the pathway for the next
generation of aspiring champions from
college tennis up to the tours.

Newport Grass Tournament

Joins US Open Series
The Hall of Fame Open, an ATP 250
grass-court tournament that has long
C O U RT E S Y U S R S A

kicked off the U.S. summer tennis

season, will officially join the US Open
Series beginning in 2020, increasing
the number of ATP events on the Series
to six and reconnecting the US Open

www.tennisindustrymag.com January 2020 RACQUET SPORTS INDUSTRY 11

IndustryNews

Short
Sets
The Dunlop Fort All Court TS was the
official ball of the 2019 Davis Cup, won by
Spain. The week-long finals, a new format
for Davis Cup, saw 18 countries vie for
the trophy on the indoor hard courts of La
Caja Mágica in Madrid in late November.
In addition, Dunlop reached a multiyear
agreement to become the official ball and
racquet for the Miami Open beginning in
2020. Visit dunlopsports.com.
Three college tennis programs have
received Intercollegiate Tennis Associa-
tion grants based on their participation in
the third annual ITA Community Service
Month presented by Limoneira, during
the month of October. A total of $2,000 in
grant money was awarded to the Bucknell
University and North Carolina Central
men’s teams, and the Converse College
women’s tennis program.
USPTA has partnered with the Light-
house Insurance Group LLC for a new
membership health insurance benefit,
including options for major medical, short
term health plans, vision and dental plans,
critical care coverage, life and several
different supplemental health
options. Contact LIG at 888-831-7561 or
visit ligmembers.com/uspta.
The Macon (Ga.) Tennis Association has
been selected as the host of the 2020 and
2021 USTA Southern Junior Team Tennis
Section Championships. At least 55 teams
with about 500 players from throughout
the Southeast are expected to play each
year. The tournament, played in August,
will be at the John Drew Smith Tennis
Center along with South Bibb Recreation
Center and, if needed, Mercer University.
France defeated Australia, 3-2, to win
the 2019 Fed Cup by BNP Paribas Final,
held in early November in Perth, Australia.
Both teams have also qualified for the
2020 Fed Cup finals in Budapest in April.
The Evert Tennis Academy and Boca
West Country Club have renewed their
long-time partnership, in which Evert
Academy rising tennis stars and scholars
are able to train at Boca West.

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12 RACQUET SPORTS INDUSTRY January 2020 www.tennisindustrymag.com

 IndustryNews

and facilities in states where there is

People no dedicated high school tennis

Watch organization,” Milano says. “That allows

The USTA Foundation, the national
charitable arm of the USTA, has appoint-
ed 2017 US Open Champion and world
No. 23 Sloane Stephens as the National
Excellence Program Ambassador. She
kicked off the Excellence Program
College Pathway Camp on Nov. 8 at the
USTA National Campus in Orlando.
Longtime tennis supporter and philan-
thropist Mark Hurd, co-CEO and board
member of Oracle Corp., passed away
Oct. 18, at age 62.
Former world Top 10 player Kathleen
Horvath and investor George Haywood
were recently elected to the JTCC Board
of Directors. On the staff side, senior
director of tennis Vesa Ponkka has been
named president, and the organization
also added Vice President Joe Wilkerson
and Director of Marketing Alex Soti-
ropoulos, who will oversee operations
and marketing, respectively.
Industry veteran Cari Buck is the new
director of tennis for the Los Angeles
Tennis Club.
Longtime Smith College head women’s
tennis coach Christine Davis has been
selected as the 2019 recipient of the ITA
Meritorious Service Award, presented
by ConantLeadership. She received the
honor in early December during the 2019
ITA Coaches Convention in Naples, Fla.
coaches from the major sports to
restrict when tennis teams can use
school facilities, such as on rain days, for
example. Currently, only 12 states have
active high school tennis coaching asso-
ciations, and several of those are loosely
organized.”
If you are interested in bringing a
USHSTA workshop to your state, or
helping start a state high school tennis
association, contact the USHSTA at info@
ushsta.org. For more information on
upcoming workshops, visit ushsta.org.
Selkirk Announces Pickleball
Paddle Donation Program
Pickleball paddle and accessories
brand Selkirk Sport has launched the
Selkirk Growth Program, a philan-
thropic campaign in which the com-
pany plans to donate 1,000 paddles
to schools, youth organizations, first
responders and charitable groups.
The campaign was created to fur-
ther support the growth of pickleball.
For information, visit selkirk.com.

USRSA Names MRTs, CS, PRAs

THE EXPERTS IN Master Racquet Technicians

STRINGING MACHINES • Kadjann Arulnesan, Sydney, Australia

• Davel Hernandez-Padron, Virginia
Beach, Va.
• Karl Leclerc, Scottsdale, Ariz.
SPECIAL OFFER • Joshua Parker, San Diego, Calif.
• Zachary Pointer, Big Rapids, Mich.
REFURBISHED NEOS 1000 • Cole Tonge, Yuma, Ariz.
BY OUR WORLD-RENOWNED TECHNICIANS Certified Stringer
• Yonas Woldetsadik, Hilton Head Is., S.C.
Professional Racquet Advisors
• Leigh Hales, Fayetteville, N.C.
• Kyle David Klinek, Fayetteville, N.C.

REFURBISHED Clijsters to Return to Tour

CALL US NEOS 1000 Three-time US Open women's singles
TODAY! $899 champion Kim Clijsters was officially
inducted into the US Open's Court of
Champions in a ceremony during the
2019 tournament. The 36-year-old
Belgian Hall of Famer, who retired in
2007, then returned to the tour and
Since 1934, Tennis Machines has been selling, servicing, and repairing retired again in 2012, has announced
stringing machines from every major brand in the industry. that she will again come out of retire-
ment and play on the Tour in 2020.
1.800.572.1055 WWW.TENNISMACHINES.COM ST. LOUIS, MO
“I want to challenge myself and I
want to be strong again,” she said.

www.tennisindustrymag.com January 2020 RACQUET SPORTS INDUSTRY 13

 Letters to the Editor
‘If I Were Tennis
Commissioner…’
As someone who switched from the
tennis industry to the fitness industry
several years ago, I read with interest
Michele Krause’s article “If I Were Ten-
nis Commissioner…” in the September/
October issue. I believe her No. 1 item,
“Emphasize tennis’ health and fitness
benefits,” is right on the money.
As a health and fitness activity, tennis
is different, which gives it an advantage.
It's fully interactive, blending physical
fitness with cognitive challenges that
engage and connect neural pathways
in the brain in ways that most fitness
activities do not.
University studies have demonstrat-
ed that if your brain is challenged while
exercising, the cognitive benefits will
be greater, for example, than running
on a treadmill. Well before high-tech
workout experiences were available at
your local fitness club, tennis and other
sports were the “original interactive
fitness solutions.” Other studies have
shown behavioral and academic ben-
efits for kids who play tennis.
To communicate the differentiat-
14 RACQUET SPORTS INDUSTRY January 2020
ing value of tennis as a fitness activity
for all ages and abilities, focus on the
all-around health benefits—physical,
cognitive, social and emotional.
Tom West, USPTA
Director, North American Dealer
and Retail Partnerships,
Interactive Fitness Holdings LLC.
If we don’t engage in the kind of out-
of-the-box thinking that is represented
in the article by Michele Krause, the
grassroots of tennis will dry up. I thank
Michele for taking a bold, creative posi-
tion, and I hope to see more big ideas
like this in Racquet Sports Industry.
Greg Childers
USPTA, IPTA, ACSM-CPT
Sarasota, Fla.
I strongly agree with Michele Krause
that tennis is “still living in the 1960s.”
This industry, while making positive
strides, can still benefit from more
women, people of color and different
sexual orientation participating as
stakeholders and decision-makers in
shaping the future of our sport. Inclu-
sion and representation invite fresh
perspectives and help welcome more
people into game.
This industry also has antiquated
views of maternity and paternity leave.
If you want to have children, but can’t
afford to because your livelihood is
based solely on teaching, why would
you stay in tennis?
In terms of compensation, we need
to move away from the “eat what you
kill” approach. As Michele notes, teach-
ing pros need to focus on growing this
sport. There are talented and eager
individuals who are passionate about
tennis and ready to grow our sport. Let’s
make sure we are open to receive them.
John Borden
General Manager, JTCC, College Park, Md.
Pros Need Ball
Machines
In regards to Stan Oley’s article in the
July issue on the importance of having
a ball machine, I keep two machines
going at my club. I refer players to them
for post-lesson and between-lesson
repetition. Just as important is that
ever-growing group of players, from
beginner to advanced, who simply want
private time to hit on their own and
work on shots they encounter when
playing matches. In fact, many of my
ball machine users come from local
clubs that do not own a machine.
My lessons have increased because
I use ball machines. Whatever fear
or paranoia you may have about ball
machines replacing the pros at your
facility, it’s time to change it. Increase
your value as a professional and your
club’s value as a full-service facility and
get a ball machine—or two.
Gerry Berkheimer
Tennis Director, Vero Fitness
Vero Beach, Fla.
SHUTTERSTOCK
We welcome your letters, opinions and
comments. Please email them to
info@tennisindustrymag.com
www.tennisindustrymag.com
 Facility Management
TENNIS SOFTWARE can make, and more. And because the
apps and desktop software automati-
Streamlining the Process cally sync with each other, there are no
double bookings.
For facilities and clubs, Kourts Training on Kourts is free for facility
staff. Jonathan Fralick, general manager
software is helping thousands of at the Peachtree City Tennis Center
in Georgia, is in the process of having
players connect with the sport. Kourts installed at his award-winning
24-court public facility.
By Peter Francesconi “Our staff really likes its functional-
ity,” Fralick says. “It is an incredible
product.”

I
For facilities, Fattah says Kourts
reduces manual work for club staff and
n today’s world, accessibility is key—to information, products and services, has fast, easy reporting for instructors
and to improve interaction with businesses. For Walid Fattah, CEO and that would normally take hours to com-
co-founder of Kourts, accessibility is what his software provides to players, pile. The system can also be set up to al-
club management and teaching pros. low clinics and courts to be promoted to
“We have more than 120,000 players in our database,” Fattah says. “When the Kourts tennis community. In addi-
a new club comes into our platform, they upload their member database, inviting tion, Kourts runs marketing campaigns
players to use the Kourts app.” and social-media initiatives.
Currently, nearly 150 clubs in 27 states are using Kourts (www.Kourts.com), “We do all racquet sports, not just
which automates court bookings, handles payments and organizes schedules. tennis,” adds Fattah. “You can create
settings for each type of court and
customize to do all different options.”
Kourts has three main tools, all of pants at any time of day. Kourts charges facilities a 50-cent
which automatically sync to a schedule: • Kourts Player App is a mobile app for convenience fee for every booking
• Kourts Desktop is a cloud-based sys- players to book courts, lessons and made on the app, but bookings or activ-
tem that allows facility staff to manage clinics on their own, 24/7. The app ity performed on the Kourts Desktop
courts, instructors, scheduling, clinics, automatically charges players, which software is free. For accounts with few
prices, hours, club rules and more. can increase revenue since there are or no app bookings, there’s a minimum
• Kourts Instructor App is a mobile app no forgotten charges or unpaid no- fee of $19.99 per month. Kourts also
that allows instructors to see real-time shows. Club management sets the rules, works with any type of facility: private
club schedules, allowing them to enroll determining how far in advance players club, commercial club and public parks,
and schedule lesson and clinic partici- can book, how many bookings they

Kourts is easy to use

and very fast. It’s made our
procedures much easier
and user-friendly for
our staff and our members.
including unmanned parks or home-
owners’ associations.
“As staff, we are able to monitor
members’ playing times and make sure
all members are up to date and abiding
by our rules for reserving courts,” says
C O U RT E S Y KO U RT S

Adam Tucker, of the Toluca Lake Tennis

and Fitness Club. “Kourts is easy to use
and very fast. It’s made our procedures
much easier and user-friendly for our
staff and our members.” •

16 RACQUET SPORTS INDUSTRY January 2020 www.tennisindustrymag.com

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 Court Construction
INDOOR COURTS
Cover Story
Fabric structures can mean better
business, year-round, for racquet and
paddle sports facilities.
By Nicole Pulyado
C
reating an enjoyable ex-
perience for both athletes
and spectators is always
top priority when it comes
to the design of a racquet-
or paddle-sports facility. Athletes rely
on access to well-maintained courts,
while fans seek thoughtful designs that
18 RACQUET SPORTS INDUSTRY January 2020
enhance their viewing experience.
To increase revenue, facility owners
should consider using fabric structures
to transform outdoor courts to indoor
venues. Fabric structures are becoming
more popular thanks to their flexibility
in design, which allows businesses to
accommodate everyone who will use
Businesses will experience
savings with a fabric
structure thanks to their
low initial costs to build,
and the longevity this
quality structure provides.
the facility, and their low initial costs.
A fabric building provides versatil-
ity when planning an efficient layout.
Since fabric structures have no internal
support posts or obstructive walls,
they feature expansive floor plans that
mimic the openness of the outdoors.
Fabric structures can be built to nearly
any size, and cover numerous courts
without players or fans feeling claustro-
phobic or closed in.
The clear sight lines with fabric
structures mean virtually endless pos-
sibilities when arranging court layouts.
Facilities can cover any number of
P H O T O S C O U RT E S Y C L E A R S PA N
courts to accommodate events of any
size, including large national tourna-
ments. This also means businesses can
utilize a court configuration that best
suits their needs, with plenty of room to
integrate bleachers and other types of
spectator seating.
These clear span interiors also make
incorporating amenities an easy and
www.tennisindustrymag.com
 Court Construction
simplified process. Venues can create
a mezzanine to utilize overhead space
for additional seating, or dedicate floor
space to restrooms, locker rooms, visi-
tor centers, food courts and more.
Covered and Comfortable
Fabric-covered indoor courts create a
level of comfort that outdoor racquet
facilities can’t match. Translucent
fabric covers allow natural sunlight to
filter in, creating a well-lit environment
that has exceptional visibility for play-
ers, and is soft on the eyes for fans. This
natural lighting creates a comfortable
atmosphere comparable to sitting out-
side under the shade of a tree, rather
than leaving spectators and players
exposed to the harsh and harmful sun.
Fully enclosing a racquet facility in
a fabric structure maintains the best
aspects of the outdoors while leaving
behind the undesirable parts. Temper-
ature-regulating fabric covers keep the
20 RACQUET SPORTS INDUSTRY January 2020
inside of the building warmer in the
winter and cooler in the summer, while
reducing energy usage and utility costs.
It also keeps away mosquitoes and
other pests.
Uninterrupted Playing Time
Since fabric buildings ensure users are
comfortable year-round, the result is
fewer interruptions and more playing
time. Cancellations due to rain and
snow are eliminated when playing
on an indoor court, so the number of
matches that need to be rescheduled
drops considerably. Indoor facilities
also mean no wind interference, which
can cause havoc for players.
Being able to play all year long on an
indoor court means players can con-
tinue to work on their games uninter-
rupted. It also means that all levels of
players, especially beginners, can more
easily remain engaged in the game
year-round. Winter doesn’t need to
With an indoor fabric
structure, all levels
of players, especially
beginners, can more easily
remain engaged in the
game year-round.
put a damper on the skills and progress
gained through the year. Indoor courts
keep athletes in shape and ready to
play. And it means businesses are gen-
erating revenue year-round.
A Recipe for Success
Ultimately, an improved court design,
more enjoyable experiences and fewer
playing interruptions make fabric
buildings a smart business solution to
enclose athletic facilities for racquet
and paddle sports.
Businesses will experience savings
with a fabric structure thanks to their
low initial costs to build, and the lon-
gevity a quality structure provides. In-
door facilities will also save big on court
maintenance expenses in the long run,
preventing harsh outdoor conditions
from causing premature fading, crack-
ing and uneven surfaces for players.
Benefits like these are what indoor
facilities should consider when plan-
ning for the long haul. Creating an
environment where everyone can enjoy
the game is what will attract new and
returning athletes, and even convert a
few to full-time indoor players. •
P H O T O S C O U RT E S Y C L E A R S PA N
Nicole Pulyado is the former Public
Relations & Digital Content Special-
ist for ClearSpan, which specializes in
fabric, metal and hybrid structures for
racquet and paddle sports facilities.
For more information about ClearSpan,
visit www.clearspan.com, or call 866-
643-1010.
www.tennisindustrymag.com
THE FUTURE OF
TENNIS STARTS HERE
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JOIN TODAY AT NETGENERATION.COM

OFFICIAL YOUTH TENNIS OF THE USTA © 2019 USTA. All rights reserved.
 ALL IN ONE PLACE, ALL AT ONE TIME
The Racquet & Paddle Sports Show is a four-day experience designed
to bring racquet sport professionals and industry leaders together for a
unique future-focused business-to-business event to learn what’s new
and next. Co-located with the PGA Merchandise Show, attendees gather
in Orlando to discover the latest trends and innovations in equipment,
technology, court surface/construction and maintenance as well as
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 DEMO DAY: EXHIBITS &
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CO-LOCATED WITH THE PGA MERCHANDISE SHOW ORLANDO, FLORIDA

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MAIN STAGE PROGRAMMING

Located directly on the Show floor, enjoy
complimentary education featuring a variety of
industry stakeholders sharing the latest research,
insights, best practices and trends to help you
enhance your business. Speakers include: Henry
Wallmeyer, President & CEO of the National Club
Association; Carlos Silva, President & CEO World
TeamTennis (WTT); Dent Wilkens, Senior Vice
President of Operations, US Squash and many more to be announced soon!

DEMO DAY: LAKE NONA EXPERIENCE

Taking place on Tuesday, January 21 at the USTA National Campus,
play test the latest equipment including racquets, paddles,
ball machines and much more. This is your chance to learn
from curated trainings developed by the USTA specifically for
tennis coaches, teachers and professionals.

REGIONAL EDUCATION DAY

A one-day complimentary education program for tennis
coaches and teachers taking place on Wednesday, January
22, presented by the USTA, USPTA and RACQUETFIT. Sign
up at racquetshow20.com/REDTIM.

SUPPORTED BY:
TOM CONFERENCE
Presented by the Tennis Industry
Association, the TOM Conference
features short presentations led by experts,
followed by roundtable discussions, to generate
and share best practices and innovative ideas.
 LET'S
LET'S
LET'SBUILD
BUILD
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YOUR
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IDEAL
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IDEALSTRUCTURE
STRUCTURE
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ClearSpan
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structures
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areare
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built WARRANTIES
to
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 For the past 19 years, Racquet Sports Industry’s annual Champions of Tennis Awards
have spotlighted the often-unheralded heroes of this sport and this business. These individuals
and organizations continue to go above and beyond in helping to make a difference in
this industry. Their stories and their service should serve as inspiration to the thousands of
dedicated “champions” who, every day, continue to move this industry forward.

PRESENTS

CHAMPIONS
OF TENNIS
2019

C O N G R AT U L AT I O N S TO :

DAN FABER JESSICA MCMILLEN JOHN DEVORSS SARA RASMUSSEN

JOLYN DE BOER RENNER SPORTS SURFACES CITY PARK/PEPSI TENNIS CENTER JANE HINES

T BAR M RACQUET CLUB ROME TENNIS CENTER AT BERRY COLLEGE SAN FRANCISCO RECREATION AND PARKS TIM ROSS

GARRY RAMEY STEAMBOAT TENNIS ASSOCIATION DOUG CHAPMAN JARRETT CHIRICO

FROMUTH TENNIS MARK GONZALEZ PAULA HALE SID NEWCOMB

USTA NE PROVIDER APPRECIATION MONTH DAVID KIMANI MACH ACADEMY USTA SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA

www.tennisindustrymag.com January 2020 RACQUET SPORTS INDUSTRY 25

 2019

CHAMPIONS
OF TENNIS

PERSON OF THE YEAR

Dan
Faber
As a kid in Michigan,
Dan Faber and his friends
played many sports, but
tennis stood out.
“Some of our fathers
played tennis, which then
got us involved,” Faber
says. “Kirk Anderson was
one of my junior coaches,
and Tiger Teusink was
my high school history
teacher and coach. He was
a no-cut coach and easily
had 40 kids on the team.”
It was this melding
of tennis and educa-
tion, through teachers
and mentors such as
Teusink and Anderson,
that became woven into
the fabric of Faber’s life. nis and Learning (NJTL) charitable arm, and the topped $40 million in
Decades later, as execu- of Trenton, N.J., where he organization has been awards for services, grants
tive director of the USTA became director of pro- thriving. Faber, along with and scholarships.
Foundation, whose mis- grams and development. USTA Foundation Board “When I reflect on how
sion is to bring tennis “I realized the educa- President Thomas Chen, those two pieces of my
and education together tion component had an helped lead a refocusing of life—tennis and educa-
to change lives, Faber is opportunity to be more the Foundation on NJTL tion—came together, and
having a profound impact impactful,” Faber says, “so and what it represents. now that I’m at a national
on America’s youth. And I engaged a couple of my In 2019, the Foundation level able to impact hun-
it’s his dedication, passion teaching colleagues and we celebrated the 50th year of dreds of thousands of kids,
and effectiveness that created the Academic Cre- NJTL. There are 264 reg- I feel very lucky,” Faber
earned him Racquet Sports ative Engagement (ACE) istered NJTL’s in the U.S., says. “I couldn’t ask for a
Industry’s 2019 Person of Curriculum.” with more than 165,000 better situation.”
the Year Award. NJTL of Trenton leased youngsters participating. —Peter Francesconi
Faber played tennis at ACE to NJTLs across the When Faber joined
Albion College, where country. Eventually, the the USTA Foundation,
he studied education. He USTA bought ACE, further fundraising was about $1.8
then taught elementary expanding the program. million a year.
school while continu- In 2005, Faber was named “Now,” he says, “it’s Tip for Success
ing to coach and play. In executive director of the between $8 million and It’s important to have a
COURTESY USTA

2000, while working with
the Council Rock School
District in Bucks County,
Pa., he was introduced to
the National Junior Ten-
NJTL of Trenton.
In 2013, Faber was
tapped to be the execu-
tive director of the USTA
Foundation, the USTA’s
$10 million a year. Our goal
is to get to a $20 million
sustainable level in three
to five years.”
In 2019, the Foundation
business-minded and
sophisticated board of
directors, who also know
how to raise money to
deliver the programs.

26 RACQUET SPORTS INDUSTRY January 2020 www.tennisindustrymag.com

 These individuals and organizations continue to go above and
beyond in helping to make a difference in this industry. Their stories
and their service should serve as inspiration for all.
MUNICIPAL TENNIS FACILITY OF THE YEAR
Rome Tennis Center
at Berry College
The Rome Tennis Center at Berry College in Rome, Ga.,
was constructed for $11.9 million and, in its first two years,
already earned an estimated $9.8 million in tax revenue.
But that’s not the only reason it is RSI’s Municipal Facility
TENNIS INDUSTRY
of the Year. America’s largest hard-court facility is a tennis SERVICE AWARD
haven for local families, all while hosting regional, national
and international events. Jolyn de Boer
The Berry College tennis team plays its home matches at
the center and runs a Professional Tennis Management pro-
gram on site. Tennis programs for all ages and abilities take Jolyn de Boer’s lifelong
place on the 60 lighted courts. There are also eight perma- avocation melded with her
nent 36-foot courts. Six indoor courts will be added soon. career more than 30 years
“What makes the Rome Tennis Center at Berry College a ago when the marketing
tremendous success,” says Interim Executive Director Col- and advertising executive
lin Cadwell, “is the truly collaborative effort from so many moved from New York
different organizations and people within the City of Rome City to Hilton Head
and Floyd County.” —Kent Oswald Island, S.C., to work with
industry pioneer Dennis
Van der Meer. In 2003, she
became executive direc-
Tip for Success tor of the Tennis Industry
Don’t just say you are reaching out to the community. Association.
Make sure they know you are asking them to be a part of De Boer has been closely
your efforts. involved in the develop-
ment of many important
C O U RT E SY U S TA S O U T H E R N, T I A , U S TA PA C I F I C N O RT H W E S T
industry initiatives,
research, marketing and
technology innovations—
rallying all sectors of the
industry toward the goals
of increasing business and
participation.
For all of her efforts and
unceasing dedication to
the health and vitality
of the tennis business,
RSI is pleased to honor de
Boer with the 2019 Tennis
Industry Service Award.
—Peter Francesconi
Tip for Success
Every business has its challenges,
but with passion, dedication
and collaboration, goals become
clearer and more attainable.
www.tennisindustrymag.com January 2020 RACQUET SPORTS INDUSTRY
W H E E LC H A I R T E N N I S
CHAMPION OF THE YEAR
John Devorss
Whether it’s leading a
successful wheelchair ten-
nis program at the Salem
(Ore.) Tennis & Swim
Club—where he’s been a
teaching pro for nearly
two decades—or serving as
Team USA’s Quad Coach
for the National Wheel-
chair Tennis Team that
traveled to Israel for the
2019 BNP Paribas World
Team Cup, John Devorss’
passion for wheelchair
tennis is undeniable.
Devorss joined the
USTA’s national coaching
staff in 2012 as junior team
captain and has served
as the quad captain since
2013. He was named 2016
USOC/USTA Paralympic
Tennis Coach of the Year,
and he was awarded the
Order of Ikkos medal by
the USOC in 2017 for his
contributions to wheel-
chair tennis. For 2019,
Devorss is RSI’s Wheel-
chair Tennis Champion of
the Year. —Judy Leand
Tip for Success
If you have a winning attitude, it
will help to expand opportunities
in tennis and to attract new players
to the sport.
27
 2019

CHAMPIONS
OF TENNIS

C O M M U N I T Y T E N N I S A S S O C I AT I O N O F T H E Y E A R

STRINGER OF THE YEAR
Mark Gonzalez
There are a handful of
racquet technicians that
have been around long
enough and have been so
immersed in the industry
that everyone seems to
know them. Mark Gonza-
lez is at the top of the list.
With decades of service at
Alpha Sports and Yonex,
NJTL CHAPTER OF THE YEAR
MACH Academy
Since 1992, Augusta, Ga.-
based MACH Academy
has provided educational
and recreational programs
and services to children
ages 3 to 18, with special
emphasis given to those
living in disadvantaged
circumstances. For all
that MACH Academy does
Steamboat Tennis
Association
The Steamboat Tennis Association wants every child in
the Yampa Valley of Northwestern Colorado to have the
opportunity to play tennis.
“They see the whole picture—how building character
through the sport begins at an early age and continues
through high school,” says Loretta Conway, business devel-
opment director at the Tennis Center at Steamboat Springs,
which partners with STA to serve the resort town of 12,000.
“Running a nonprofit in a small town can be a challenge,”
says STA Board President Bo Stempel. “You have to work
well with your city council and parks and rec program.”
So the 250-plus members of STA all pitch in. STA is the
primary source of funding for junior tennis in the area.
Donations provide free tennis camps, grants, free adaptive
clinics, pay court fees for the high school tennis teams and
fund four college scholarships per year.
“We couldn’t do what we do without our tremendous
sponsors and volunteers,” says Stempel. —Wendy Anderson

Gonzalez is the epitome of
a racquet service expert.
“Mark goes out of his
way to be the best in every
avenue of the business,”
says USRSA Executive
Director Bob Patterson.
“He is also instrumental
in mentoring new techni-
cians learning the trade.”
It’s all these qualities
that lead Gonzalez to be
RSI’s Stringer of the Year.
A Master Racquet
Technician, Gonzalez has
long served as a USRSA
Certification Tester and
has led many workshops
and seminars, sharing his
expertise with others on a
wide range of topics.
—Peter Francesconi
C O U R T E S Y M A R K G O N Z A L E Z , M A C H A C A D E M Y, S T E A M B O A T T E N N I S A S S O C I A T I O N
for youngsters, it is RSI’s
NJTL Chapter of the Year.
MACH’s youth pro-
grams, which run year- Tip for Success
round at the Fleming Ten- First and foremost, partner with a strong facility that will
nis Center and Diamond support your efforts.
Lakes Regional Park,
include a wide variety of
junior clinics, leagues,
camps and tournaments,
and the academy also pro-
vides academic education
in math and science.
“MACH Academy
understands that a young
person’s development
academically, athleti-
cally and socially is key
to a brighter future,” says
Darren Potkey, executive
director of USTA Georgia.
—Judy Leand

Tip for Success Tip for Success

First and foremost, you need to Use tennis and education as tools
enjoy what you do. Once you do to promote character and to offer
that, it will set everything on the opportunities for young people to
right course. become successful adults.

28 RACQUET SPORTS INDUSTRY January 2020 www.tennisindustrymag.com

A GREAT JOB
OF DOING GOOD
Congratulations to Dan Faber for being selected as Tennis Industry
Magazine’s “Person of the Year.” Your remarkable leadership,
unparalleled vision and unyielding commitment have helped the USTA
Foundation succeed in its mission to enhance young lives through
the powerful combination of tennis and education. Your dedication
has helped thousands to realize their dreams—and that is the true
definition of a champion.

Your friends and colleagues at the USTA Foundation & USTA

The USTA Foundation Incorporated (“USTA Foundation”) provides grants and scholarships for programs that combine tennis with education to enrich the lives of under-resourced youth. USTA Foundation
is a 501(c)(3), tax-exempt, not-for-profit, charitable and educational organization. IRS ID #13-3782331. A copy of USTA Foundation’s most recent annual report is available by contacting USTA Foundation
Incorporated at 70 West Red Oak Lane, White Plains, NY 10604 or the New York State Attorney General Charities Bureau at 120 Broadway, 3rd Floor, New York, NY 10271. ©2019 USTA Foundation
Incorporated, 70 West Red Oak Lane, White Plains, New York 10604. All rights reserved.
 2019

CHAMPIONS
OF TENNIS

T E N N I S A DVO C AT E
OF THE YEAR

Paula Hale
Tennis, as Paula Hale
knows, provides myriad
benefits for players and
communities. And she
has been promoting and
growing the game as one
of the sport’s most ardent
advocates for many years.
“The real success of
tennis is local,” she says.
“To grow the game, local
organizations must be
P R I VAT E / C O M M E R C I A L FA C I L I T Y O F T H E Y E A R
advocates to their local

T Bar M Racquet governments and groups.”

For her volunteer efforts

Club and devotion to the sport,

Hale, of Raleigh, N.C., is
RSI’s 2019 Tennis Advo-
cate of the Year.

COURTESY T B AR M RACQUET CLUB, USTA S OUTHERN

Listen to the staff of the T Bar M Racquet Club in A past president of
Dallas and you might be overwhelmed by their devotion USTA Southern, Hale has
and passion to improving the life and play of tennis players Tip for Success been recognized with the
of all levels and ages. That commitment to the game and its Being the best tennis national USTA Barbara
devoted players by T Bar M’s staff are just two of the char- club requires a keen Williams Service Award
acteristics that have led to the venue being named 2019 focus in all areas— for her dedication to
Private/Commercial Facility of the Year. everything needs to growing the sport. Impor-
T Bar M features 14 outdoor hard courts, six outdoor support that one end tantly, she helped promote
clay courts, an indoor facility with eight courts, three padel goal: being the best. restarting the USTA’s
courts, a weight room, pilates/yoga/spin room, dining national Advocacy Com-
room, wellness center, pool, massage room and more. mittee in recent years.
Teaching pros hail from around the world and provide op- —Judy Leand
tions on styles, expertise and programs. The 6,000-square-
foot health facility is staffed with tennis people who are Tip for Success
Look beyond the tennis court.
also chiropractors, fitness trainers and massage therapists. Advocates need to build
“Our goal is to provide great customer service every day,” partnerships with local
says club owner Glen Agritelley. “We want to make this the governments and agencies,
and tell the story about all the
best part of your day.” —Kent Oswald good that tennis does.

30 RACQUET SPORTS INDUSTRY January 2020 www.tennisindustrymag.com

CONGRATS!
USTA SOUTHERN CONGRATULATES
PRESENTS

SIX CHAMPIONS OF TENNIS

SouthernTennis.com
FROM OUR NINE-STATE SECTION! FB/USTASouthern IG/USTASouthernTennis @USTASouthern

Public Park of the Year Tennis Industry Service Award

City Park/PePsi tennis Center, new Orleans, la. Jolyn de Boer, Hilton Head island, s.C.

Sales Rep of the Year Tennis Advocate of the Year

Garry ramey, alpharetta, Ga. Paula Hale, RaleigH, N.C.

NJTL of the Year Municipal Facility of the Year

MACH Tennis ACAdeMy, AugusTA, gA. Rome Tennis CenTeR aT
a BeRRy
RRy College, Rome, ga.
RRy
 2019

CHAMPIONS
OF TENNIS

JUNIOR TENNIS CHAMPION OF THE YEAR

GRASSROOTS TENNIS
CHAMPION OF THE YEAR
Jessica McMillen
Jessica McMillen has a
gift for energizing youth to
play tennis in the Austin,
Texas, community. Her
efforts to promote and
deliver youth programs
span many years, and her
knowledge and effective-
ness have been such that
the Capital Area Tennis
Association created the
position of Net Generation
Coordinator just for her.
McMillen, who is RSI’s
2019 Grassroots Tennis
Champion of the Year,
SALES REP OF THE
YEAR
Garry Ramey
Garry Ramey, RSI’s 2019
Sales Rep of the Year,
has spread his A-game
throughout the Southeast
region for more than 30
years, currently repping
Volkl, Tourna and Lucky
in Love, in addition to
lines for other sports. The
Georgia-based relation-
ship practitioner brings
to his manufacturers and
accounts the prep work,
dedication and multi-
faceted abilities that
first gained him national
David Kimani
David Kimani is the director of tennis at Norwalk
Grassroots Tennis & Education in Connecticut, one of New
England’s largest NJTL chapters, and he prides himself on
being the best coach, mentor and role model he can be to
his more than 250 students.
One of the most respected junior leaders in New Eng-
land, for 19 years, Kimani has largely been responsible for
the successful development of thousands of local tennis
players and students. In 2016, he was honored by USTA
New England with the William Freedman Award for his
outstanding contribution to junior tennis, and for 2019, he
is RSI’s Junior Tennis Champion of the Year.
“Tennis and teaching kids is my life,” Kimani says. “Even
though it’s a job, it has become a lifelong duty of teaching
youngsters and getting them to do the right things and
mentoring them with education, and tennis is a small piece
that connects us.” —James Maimonis
Tip for Success
We must build and repair courts in our communities,
hold more local tournaments and jamborees that will get
youngsters excited, and create a pathway of success that
can be achieved by being involved in the sport.

volunteers countless
hours at tennis events.
For USTA Texas, she also
chairs the Local Participa-
tion Committee, and for
USTA National, she leads
the Junior Team Tennis
Committee.
“Jessica has been a huge
part of our grassroots ten-
nis journey here in Texas,”
says Mike Carter, the
director of Net Generation
strategy for USTA Texas.
—Judy Leand
C O U R T E S Y U S T A T E X A S , G A R R Y R A M E Y, U S T A N E W E N G L A N D
prominence as a May 1979
Sports Illustrated “Faces
in the Crowd” for winning
at both college tennis and
track on the same day.
As tennis fashion brand
Lucky In Love owner Brad
Singer says, “Garry has
helped make Lucky in Love
what it is today through
his product knowledge,
customer relationships
and industry connections.
He has a passion like no
other.” —Kent Oswald

Tip for Success Tip for Success

Foster youth involvement by Find your niche, be disciplined and
providing a variety of tennis play be prepared to stay the course in
opportunities and programs the lean times as preparation for
throughout your community. when business improves.

32 RACQUET SPORTS INDUSTRY January 2020 www.tennisindustrymag.com

 Congratulates
Tennis Industry’s 2019 Champions of Tennis
New England Winners

TENNIS PROVIDER APPRECIATION MONTH

Innovative Tennis Event of the Year

HIGH SCHOOL COACH OF THE YEAR

DAVID KIMANI
Doug Junior Tennis Champion of the Year
Chapman DOUG CHAPMAN
High School Coach of the Year
Doug Chapman stands alone in the
Massachusetts record books. He is
the all-time winningest tennis coach
in state history, compiling just under
600 wins (and counting) over his
illustrious 42-year career at Somerset
Berkley Regional High School. Chap-
man has been inducted into five Halls
of Fame, earned state, regional and
PRESENTS

national honors, and has coached and

mentored hundreds of boys and girls
into NCAA athletes. And now, he is
Racquet Sports Industry’s High School CONGRATULATIONS
Coach of the Year.
In addition to his peerless high-
school coaching record, Chapman,
who is a no-cut coach, is the current
president of USTA Rhode Island and
is also in in his seventh season coach-
Wheelchair Tennis
ing the UMass Dartmouth women’s
tennis team.
Champion of the Year:
“One of the best things about being John Devorss
a no-cut coach is giving people an
opportunity to try a lifetime sport
that they might not otherwise if they
thought they could be cut,” Chapman
Thank you to John, as well as to all of the
says. “It’s gratifying to see them prog-
Champions of Tennis winners, for all that you do
ress from beginners and see how far
they can go.” —James Maimonis for growing and developing the game of tennis.

Tip for Success

Some who start in a no-cut program
will develop into solid players and
be assets to your teams. It helps you
become your own feeder system.

www.tennisindustrymag.com January 2020 RACQUET SPORTS INDUSTRY 33

 2019
CHAMPIONS
OF TENNIS
PTR MEMBER OF THE
YEAR
Jarrett Chirico
As director of racquets
at the Baltimore Coun-
try Club, Jarrett Chirico
oversees tennis, pickleball,
paddle and squash, and
A D U LT T E N N I S P R O V I D E R O F T H E Y E A R is a member of both the
Tim Ross Professional Tennis Reg-
istry and the Professional
Pickleball Registry.
“Jarrett is the first
As a dedicated USTA League player for more than 20 person to run a clay-court
years, Tim Ross, from Livonia, Mich., has taken on social pickleball tournament,”
play programming and made it his mission to create tennis says PTR/PPR CEO Dan
awareness throughout the USTA Midwest Section. He has Santorum. “He’s also a
a passion for including tennis in all communities, particu- leading advocate of the new
larly those that are diverse and underserved, and volun- PickTEN program,
teers his time to help grow USTA League Tennis by serving designed to grow both ten-
on the Southeastern Michigan Tennis Association USTA nis and pickleball.”
League Committee. For his involvement in
In 2019, Ross hosted more than 10 social Sets in the City growing sports for teaching
Mixers across the Midwest—some of which were held pros, Chirico is RSI’s PTR
before GLTA tournaments—that each drew 20 to 100 play- Member of the Year.
ers. It’s his initiative and drive that have made him Racquet A former top-ranked ju-
Sports Industry’s Adult Tennis Provider of the Year. nior, Chirico started train-
Says Amanda Susnak, adult tennis participation coor- ing at the Bollettieri Tennis
dinator for the Midwest Section: “The events Tim hosts Academy on full scholarship
have helped educate and engage current and new players, when he was 11. Today, he
proving that there are tennis offerings available for every re-creates that experience
player.” —Judy Leand as co-founder of the Chirico
Cohen Tennis Academy.
—Peter Francesconi
Tip for Success
Tip for Success With the right opportunities,
quality coaching and smart
Reach out to new and returning players by offering preparation, players can
low-stakes, inclusive events. become champions.
34 RACQUET SPORTS INDUSTRY January 2020
PUBLIC PARK OF THE
YEAR
City Park/Pepsi
Tennis Center
The Big Easy isn’t just for
food and music lovers—it’s
also for tennis players. The
City Park/Pepsi Tennis
Center in New Orleans has
existed for 118 years and
is a top-notch facility that
prides itself as the center
of tennis in the city. And
for 2019, the venue is RSI’s
Public Park of the Year.
The center has 26 light-
ed courts (16 hard and 10
clay), plus a practice court
with two backboards. It
hosts the annual Sugar
Bowl Tennis Tournament
as well as a summer tennis
camp for kids, a variety of
C O U RT E S Y U S TA M I DW E S T, P T R , U S TA S O U T H E R N
adult and youth clinics,
plus a Special Olympics
Tennis for Kids program.
City Park/Pepsi Tennis
Center “rose from the ashes
[of Hurricane Katrina] to
become a new and im-
proved world-class tennis
facility,” says Bruce Kings-
dorf, president of USTA
Louisiana. —Judy Leand
Tip for Success
For parks and facilities, connecting
with outside businesses and a USTA
district can provide a pathway to
host new programs and events.
www.tennisindustrymag.com
CONGRATULATIONS TO THE 2019 CHAMPIONS OF TENNIS

AWARDWINNERS

John Devorss Jarrett Chirico Sidney Newcomb

Wheelchair Champion PTR Member of the Year USPTA Member of the Year
USPTA Professional USPTA Professional USPTA Master Professional

PRIVATE/COMMERCIAL RECREATIONAL FACILITY PROFESSIONAL/SPECIALTY

FACILITY OF THE YEAR: OF THE YEAR: RETAILER OF THE YEAR:

T Bar M San Francisco Fromuth Tennis

Racquet Club Recreation and USPTA Endorsee
Parks
General Manager
Chris Wade Tennis Programs Coordinator
USPTA Elite Professional Louis A. Maunupau
USPTA Elite Professional
Head Tennis Pro
Ryan Haley
USPTA Elite Professional
W W W . U S P T A . C O M
 2019
CHAMPIONS
OF TENNIS
PARK & REC AGENCY
OF THE YEAR
San Francisco
Rec & Parks
When a 125-year-old
public tennis center with
17 courts gets a complete
overhaul, it’s worth cel-
ebrating. The renovated
Golden Gate Park Ten-
nis Center will include a
stadium court, clubhouse,
locker rooms and space for
a learning center, thanks
to San Francisco Recre-
ation and Parks, which
is RSI’s 2019 Park & Rec
Agency of the Year.
Billie Jean King, Alice
Marble and Rosie Casals
all played at Golden Gate
Park, and the facility has
been a hub for under-
served youth.
“More than 70 percent
of all tennis is played at
public facilities. This proj-
ect will greatly enhance
the programming available
to the community,” says
Beau Fieldsend, the USTA’s
manager of Strategic &
Section Infrastructure.
—Mary Helen Sprecher
Tip for Success
Forge a strong public-private
partnership, and make sure to rally
strong political support.
36 RACQUET SPORTS INDUSTRY January 2020
U S TA S E C T I O N O F T H E Y E A R
Southern California
N
Ti
Ya
Eh
N
M
D
The USTA Southern California section consistently W
elevates the tennis experience for all players, which is why B
Kr
SoCal is RSI’s 2019 USTA Section of the Year. Ev
The section focuses on pathways for development, along C
with producing signature events like Junior Sectionals, Adult A
Ka
Open Sectionals and the inaugural Final 8 Junior Masters M
P R O / S P E C I A LT Y R E T A I L E R
OF THE YEAR
Championships. Adult Tennis flourishes with opportunities Kr
M
such as Fast4, Leagues and the innovative Glowball.
Fromuth Tennis
H
In 2019, USTA SoCal worked with L.A. Rec & Parks and Ka
H
the L.A. Unified School Districts to provide training for
more than 250 recreation and park staff and to introduce
Fromuth started as an tennis in P.E. classes at over 150 schools. With the after-
art-supply shop in 1972 in school program “Beyond the Bell,” tennis was incorporated
Reading, Pa., co-founded into 18 elementary and middle schools. Additionally, the
by Jim Fromuth and his section escalated capacity-building for six NJTL chapters.
father. A high school and “Tennis is a social experience, a confidence builder and
college tennis player, a vehicle for young players to excel in so many ways,” says
Fromuth brought the Marla Messing, CEO at USTA Southern California. “We’ve
sport into the business. provided opportunities that will benefit these children for
The company has been years to come.” —Darryl Nash
dedicated to national
distribution to tennis and
racquet sports pro shops
and independent retailers Tip for Success
ever since. To ensure seamless continuity of tennis programming,
But Fromuth also runs promote cohesion between local tennis providers.
two top retail stores—
at its West Lawn, Pa.,
headquarters and at the
USTA National Campus
in Lake Nona, Fla.—de-
voted to customer service
and offering unparalleled
expertise, along with an
extensive selection from
the top brands in tennis,
and many smaller, well-
respected manufacturers.
It all adds up to RSI’s 2019
Pro/Specialty Retailer of
the Year award.
—Kent Oswald
Tip for Success
Build and nurture partnerships in
your local community and in the
industry.
www.tennisindustrymag.com
 CONGRATULATIONS

U
Nancy Abrams Aisling Bowyer Anthony Chatfield Kevin Finkelberg Mary Gastro Sophie Geha Maria Goldberg Ken Grassel Gina Havelka Megan Heneghan Martha Katsufrakis Trevor Kronemann Tony Lee Marjorie Levin Scott Lipsky
Tiffany Mai Ai Takamori Malawy Will Mauriz JT Mellecker Marla Messing Linda Milan Jon Mulvey Darryl Nash Loren Nelson Ali Ordonez Hillary Phu Karen Ronney Madeline Segura Evan Smith Rachael Wheat Donald Wong Justin
Yang Chris Lewis Chris Boyer Tom Fey Jim Buck Geoff Griffin Bob Hochstadter Kenneth Bentley Gregory Hickey Pam Austin Richard Y. Chang Fred Ho, M.D. Chet Kronenberg Carlos Cruz-Aedo Nam Jack William J. Kellogg Ellen
Ehlers Cathy Jacobson-Guzy Franklin R. Johnson Hank Pfister Marianne Werdel Robert Kramer Steve Riggs Leonard Lee Pam Shriver Angel Lopez Peter Smith Peggy Michel Richard Spurling Anthony Montero Brittany Trabert Carolyn
Nichols Philip Tseng Nancy Abrams Aisling Bowyer Anthony Chatfield Kevin Finkelberg Mary Gastro Sophie Geha Maria Goldberg Ken Grassel Gina Havelka Megan Heneghan Martha Katsufrakis Trevor Kronemann Tony Lee
Marjorie Levin Scott Lipsky Tiffany Mai Ai Takamori Malawy Will Mauriz JT Mellecker Marla Messing Linda Milan Jon Mulvey Darryl Nash Loren Nelson Ali Ordonez Hillary Phu Karen Ronney Madeline Segura Evan Smith Rachael Wheat
Donald Wong Justin Yang Chris Lewis Chris Boyer Tom Fey Jim Buck Geoff Griffin Bob Hochstadter Kenneth Bentley Gregory Hickey Pam Austin Richard Y. Chang Fred Ho, M.D. Chet Kronenberg Carlos Cruz-Aedo Nam Jack
William J. Kellogg Ellen Ehlers Cathy Jacobson-Guzy Franklin R. Johnson Hank Pfister Marianne Werdel Robert Kramer Steve Riggs Leonard Lee Pam Shriver Angel Lopez Peter Smith Peggy Michel Richard Spurling Anthony Montero
Brittany Trabert Carolyn Nichols Philip Tseng Nancy Abrams Aisling Bowyer Anthony Chatfield Kevin Finkelberg Mary Gastro Sophie Geha Maria Goldberg Ken Grassel Gina Havelka Megan Heneghan Martha Katsufrakis Trevor
Kronemann Tony Lee Marjorie Levin Scott Lipsky Tiffany Mai Ai Takamori Malawy Will Mauriz JT Mellecker Marla Messing Linda Milan Jon Mulvey Darryl Nash Loren Nelson Ali Ordonez Hillary Phu Karen Ronney Madeline Segura
Evan Smith Rachael Wheat Donald Wong Justin Yang Chris Lewis Chris Boyer Tom Fey Jim Buck Geoff Griffin Bob Hochstadter Kenneth Bentley Gregory Hickey Pam Austin Richard Y. Chang Fred Ho, M.D. Chet Kronenberg Carlos
Cruz-Aedo Nam Jack William J. Kellogg Ellen Ehlers Cathy Jacobson-Guzy Franklin R. Johnson Hank Pfister Marianne Werdel Robert Kramer Steve Riggs Leonard Lee Pam Shriver Angel Lopez Peter Smith Peggy Michel Richard Spurling
Anthony Montero Brittany Trabert Carolyn Nichols Philip Tseng Nancy Abrams Aisling Bowyer Anthony Chatfield Kevin Finkelberg Mary Gastro Sophie Geha Maria Goldberg Ken Grassel Gina Havelka Megan Heneghan Martha
Katsufrakis Trevor Kronemann Tony Lee Marjorie Levin Scott Lipsky Tiffany Mai Ai Takamori Malawy Will Mauriz JT Mellecker Marla Messing Linda Milan Jon Mulvey Darryl Nash Loren Nelson Ali Ordonez Hillary Phu Karen Ronney
Madeline Segura Evan Smith Rachael Wheat Donald Wong Justin Yang Chris Lewis Chris Boyer Tom Fey Jim Buck Geoff Griffin Bob Hochstadter Kenneth Bentley Gregory Hickey Pam Austin Richard Y. Chang Fred Ho, M.D. Chet
Kronenberg Carlos Cruz-Aedo Nam Jack William J. Kellogg Ellen Ehlers Cathy Jacobson-Guzy Franklin R. Johnson Hank Pfister Marianne Werdel Robert Kramer Steve Riggs Leonard Lee Pam Shriver Angel Lopez Peter Smith Peggy
Michel Richard Spurling Anthony Montero Brittany Trabert Carolyn Nichols Philip Tseng Nancy Abrams Aisling Bowyer Anthony Chatfield Kevin Finkelberg Mary Gastro Sophie Geha Maria Goldberg Ken Grassel Gina Havelka Megan
Heneghan Martha Katsufrakis Trevor Kronemann Tony Lee Marjorie Levin Scott Lipsky Tiffany Mai Ai Takamori Malawy Will Mauriz JT Mellecker Marla Messing Linda Milan Jon Mulvey Darryl Nash Loren Nelson Ali Ordonez Hillary Phu
Karen Ronney Madeline Segura Evan Smith Rachael Wheat Donald Wong Justin Yang Chris Lewis Chris Boyer Tom Fey Jim Buck Geoff Griffin Bob Hochstadter Kenneth Bentley Gregory Hickey Pam Austin Richard Y. Chang Fred
Ho, M.D. Chet Kronenberg Carlos Cruz-Aedo Nam Jack William J. Kellogg Ellen Ehlers Cathy Jacobson-Guzy Franklin R. Johnson Hank Pfister Marianne Werdel Robert Kramer Steve Riggs Leonard Lee Pam Shriver Angel Lopez Peter

SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA

TENNIS INDUSTRY MAGAZINE

SECTION OF THE YEAR
Thank you to all of the people of Southern California
who dedicate their time, resources, and talent to the
great sport of tennis!

We salute you with this extraordinary recognition.

Special thanks to the Board of Directors and Staff

at USTA Southern California!
 2019
CHAMPIONS
OF TENNIS
I N N OVAT I V E T E N N I S
EVENT OF THE YEAR
USTA NE
Provider
Appreciation
Month
Beginning in 2018, USTA
New England has dubbed
April “Provider Appre-
ciation Month.” To show
appreciation to those
who grow tennis in their
communities, the section
hosts free “Lunch and
Learn” events that feature
presentations from staff
and local experts, provid-
ing tools and tips to help
tennis providers increase
their business.
“Our tennis provid-
ers are out there day-in
and day-out delivering
and promoting our great
sport,” says USTA NE
Director of Marketing
Alex Wesley, who created
Provider Appreciation
Month. “We see them as
our greatest partners, and
to us, it’s important to cel-
ebrate that relationship.”
—James Maimonis
Tip for Success
The more you show your
appreciation for people, the more
they want to do great work.
38 RACQUET SPORTS INDUSTRY January 2020
ADAPTIVE TENNIS CHAMPION OF THE YEAR
Jane Hines
About 15 years ago, while working at a Nebraska Special
Olympics tennis event, Jane Hines felt compelled to es-
tablish a year-round tennis program for adaptive athletes,
so Special Olympians can play in organized programs for
more than just the six weeks prior to the state event. Start-
ing with seven athletes in 2005, Hines and colleague Tam-
BUILDER/CONTRACTOR
OF THE YEAR
my Hill created Omaha “Tennis Buddies,” which has now
grown to 45 players. Just as importantly, Tennis Buddies
Renner Sports programs have sprouted in other communities throughout
Surfaces USTA Missouri Valley.
In getting Tennis Buddies off the ground, Hines assumed
many roles, including grant writer, webmaster, photogra-
Tennis has a long and pher, mentor, tournament director and cheerleader. In 2011,
distinguished history, so it she was on the steering committee that created an event for
seems only fitting that this all these programs to come together for a friendly annual
year’s Builder/Contrac- competition called the Fred Johnson ALL Stars Event,
C O U R T E S Y U S T A N E W E N G L A N D, R E N N E R S P O R T S S U R FA C E S , U S T A M I S S O U R I VA L L E Y, U S P T A
tor of the Year also has an attracting more than 100 athletes. For her dedication to
excellent pedigree, too. promoting tennis to the adaptive community, Hines is RSI’s
Located in Denver, 2019 Adaptive Tennis Champion of the Year. —Manon Eilts
Renner Sports Surfaces,
under CEO Lee Renner,
got its start in the 1960s.
Over the years, it has Tip for Success
held true to its values Don’t be afraid to strategically try new things. Success is
of delivering a quality engineered through a combination of consistency and a
product on time. In addi- touch of well-designed chaos.
tion to its original court-
construction business, the
company has expanded its
repertoire, building tracks,
pickleball and basketball
courts, as well as inline
hockey rinks—all with the
same attention to detail.
A longtime member
of the American Sports
Builders Association, the
company has two Certified
Tennis Court Builders on
staff: Colin Donovan and
Scott Starman.
—Mary Helen Sprecher
Tip for Success
Provide quality work on time and
on budget, and communicate
throughout the project.
www.tennisindustrymag.com
U S P TA M E M B E R O F T H E Y E A R

Sid Newcomb
Sid Newcomb has served as the
USPTA’s National Head Tester since
2016, overseeing the organization’s 81
certification testers nationwide.
“Sid had been integral in increas-
ing both the quantity and quality of

Congratulations
our testing,” says USPTA CEO John
Embree, “and that’s been a key to
the USPTA delivering tennis at the
grassroots, and helping this sport and
business to grow.”
Congratulations
Congratulations
It’s also why Newcomb is RSI’s 2019
USPTA Member of the Year.
Under Newcomb’s leadership, the
number of tests conducted by him
and his testers increased by 28 per-
cent over the last two years, and the
number of coaches tested increased
to our 2019
by 12 percent. Newcomb also coordi-
nates testing for pickleball and plat-
form tennis, all of which has helped
Champions of Tennis!
the USPTA grow its membership by
10 percent. In 2019, he implemented Sara Rasmussen Jane Hines
the use of mobile tablets for a more Youth Tennis Adaptive Tennis
efficient, consistent testing process.
Newcomb is the host of “USPTA Provider of the Year Champion of the Year
Quick Tips,” which are posted on
USPTA’s social media every Tues-
day. This past September, he earned
USPTA Master Professional status.
—Peter Francesconi

Tip for Success

Education and certification are
keys to success in this industry, but
they also ensure that you’ll make
an impact on people’s lives.

www.tennisindustrymag.com January 2020 RACQUET SPORTS INDUSTRY 39

 2019

CHAMPIONS
OF TENNIS

YO U T H T E N N I S P R OV I D E R O F T H E Y E A R

Sara
Rasmussen
Sara Rasmussen, RSI’s Youth Tennis
Provider of the Year, personifies the
servant-leadership philosophy, first
exemplified in her role as director of
local community centers, where she
incorporated youth tennis instruction.
In 2018, Rasmussen became director
of the Ralph Wulz Riverside Tennis
Center, an indoor/outdoor facility in
Wichita, Kan. Under her direction
and tireless work, Riverside serves all
facets of community youth players.
“Sara is incredibly patient with the
kids and coaches,” says JTT Coor-
dinator Janet Glaser. “She’s a real
problem solver.”
Rasmussen organizes USTA
Smashers events, Team Challenges,
Junior Tournaments, Junior Team
Tennis, lessons and more. She helps
with Net Generation events and orga-
nizes free community lessons. River-
side is now the largest Net Generation
COURTESY USTA MISS OURI VALLEY

School Partner in USTA Kansas.

“Sara’s energy and commitment to
junior tennis show me the kids have a
great future in the sport,” says former
district president Ron Wherritt.
—Manon Eilts

Tip for Success

Work closely with your local Tennis
Service Representative to keep up
to date on program offerings and
opportunities.

40 RACQUET SPORTS INDUSTRY January 2020 www.tennisindustrymag.com

2019 STATEMENT OF 8. Complete mailing address of preceding 12 months. h. Total 15,056 14,830
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AND CIRCULATION office of publisher: 13. Publication Title: Tennis Industry
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www.tennisindustrymag.com January 2020 RACQUET SPORTS INDUSTRY 41

 Teaching Pros
PLAYER PERFORMANCE
Are Your Students
Visually Fit?
Eye strength is important, too. Help
your players see their way to better
on-court performance.
By Jonathan Bailin, Ph.D. & Gary Polan, O.D.
A
teaching pro can glance
at a new student and tell
whether they are physi-
cally fit. But what they
can’t see is whether they
are visually fit—and that’s a problem.
Americans stare at screens for, on
average, over 10 hours a day. This can
harm essential eye skills necessary to
see a tennis ball in flight. Using our
questions, tips and suggestions, you can
assess a student’s visual fitness starting
with their first lesson, and help them
to improve their on-court performance.
When meeting a new student, most
teaching pros will ask, “Do you have any
injuries or surgeries I should be aware
42 RACQUET SPORTS INDUSTRY January 2020
of?” Most students will have something
to report here that dictates whether
the workout intensity should be dialed
back. It might also provide clues as to
what physical testing, stretching or
warm-up routine to provide.
To cover all physical bases, coaches
should also ask, “Are you cleared by
your doctor to play tennis?” Assuming
you get a “Yes,” it’s time to assess visual
fitness. Here are the questions we use:
When was your last eye exam?
It would be nice to know if your student
had a recent standard exam that checks
Static Visual Acuity. In most cases, this
is a simple exam to see if the eyes can
focus on an eye chart, like that at the
Department of Motor Vehicles. But
tennis demands much more.
Ideally, tennis players should have
a Dynamic Visual Acuity examination
every year. This exam assesses diver-
gence/convergence and tracking skills,
in addition to focusing.
Be aware that visual skills are
learned; they are not genetically pre-
determined. From infancy, the visual
skills that we take for granted have
been built gradually over time—and
they can be improved in a clinical or
private practice setting. (Visit www.
TennisDr.com for more on visual skills,
including 24 distinct skills we’ve identi-
fied—all of them learned.)
Do you wear contacts? Do you use
multifocal lenses? Are your glasses
made of polycarbonate?
Some optometry patients use just one
contact lens to see better, either near
or far, so that the brain must put the
images together. This optometry prac-
tice, called “monovision,” will inhibit
athletic performance. In this case,
contact wearers should get a single pair
of distance lenses for tennis.
Players who attempt to play tennis
with bifocal or trifocal lenses are in for
trouble, as the ball must pass from one
lens to another in flight. Like contacts,
www.tennisindustrymag.com
only one pair of single-vision lenses for
distance is best. A non-glare coating on
these is recommended for all sports.
Impact injuries to the eyes may be
uncommon in tennis, but they are still a
risk. To ensure maximum eye protec-
tion, spring for polycarbonate lenses.
Putting great optics into polycarbonate
lenses pushes the price point up, which
is why few manufacturers are willing to
do it. But proper polycarbonate lenses
can protect the eye from impact, many
degenerative diseases and can improve
vision in all light conditions.
Do you struggle with reading? Do you
frame tennis balls more frequently as a
session continues?
Often, the effect of visual fatigue can
be seen by a coach but not felt by a
student. Whether playing sports or
reading, visual fatigue is a sign of exces-
sive stress on the eyes. They are forced
to comply under conditions of flawed
“eye teamwork,” poor visual fitness
www.tennisindustrymag.com
or lack of rest of the eye muscles. Like
other muscles in the body, eye muscles
fatigue—and can fatigue more quickly.
A student who consistently frames
the ball despite plenty of practice
sessions is likely struggling with eye
teamwork issues, and should consult a
developmental optometrist for Dynam-
ic Visual Acuity testing. Software pro-
grams (for example, RightEye) at these
offices can easily reveal these flaws.
Many three-dimensional and virtual-
reality tools are used to help cure these
visual flaws, but an accurate dynamic
acuity diagnosis is still dependent on a
skilled vision therapy practitioner.
On court, if you have a student who
frames more shots toward the end of
a session, he or she is likely suffering
from visual fatigue. Between points,
have them close their eyes for a few
seconds, to rest and “reboot” the eye
muscles. Neurologists now acknowl-
edge that the eyes are part of the brain,
so resting the eyes rests the brain, too.
For people who stare at a screen for
10 hours a day, keep your eye muscles
fit by taking a few seconds to focus on a
far object and back to the screen, a few
times, every 10 minutes.
By assessing your students’ visual
fitness, you can help them learn how to
keep their eyes on the ball. •
Jonathan Bailin, Ph.D., USPTA, received
his doctorate in Biomechanics/Exercise
Physiology while coaching for the USC
women’s tennis team. A nationally noted
author, speaker and consultant on sports
medicine and ergonomics for 30 years, he
coaches in Marina Del Rey, Calif. (visit
TennisDr.com or ErgonomicsDr.com).
Dr. Gary Polan, O.D. (DrGaryPolan.
com) has a private optometry practice in
Pacific Palisades, Calif. In 1984, he was
one of the original researchers in the new
field of vision training. He is the president
of the Los Angeles County Optometry
Society, the largest in the U.S.
January 2020 RACQUET SPORTS INDUSTRY 43

EQUIPMENT
Prince Diablo
Prism 17
By Bob Patterson
P
rince Diablo Prism 17 is
a unique co-polyester
monofilament with an
additive that enhances
spin, control and snap-
back, according to Prince.
This string is unique in that it contains
two colors in each string and gives the
impression of a rainbow color once
installed in the racquet. According
to Prince, a special mold is used to
combine the two colors into one string
during the extrusion process.
Diablo Prism is available in 16 and
17 gauges and is packaged with two
coils in each color combo (Red/Yellow
and Blue/Green). It is priced from $6
for 42-foot sets (two 21-foot coils). For
more information or to order, con-
tact Prince at 800-2 TENNIS, or visit
princetennis.com. Be sure to read after
the comments for information about
getting a free set to try for yourself.
In the Lab
We tested the 17-gauge Diablo Prism.
44 RACQUET SPORTS INDUSTRY January 2020
StringPlaytest
The coils both measured 23 feet, 1 inch.
The diameter measured 1.23-1.25 mm
on both coils prior to stringing, and
1.23-1.24 mm after stringing. We re-
corded a stringbed stiffness of 73 RDC
units immediately after stringing at 60
pounds in a Wilson Pro Staff 6.1 95 (16 x
18 pattern) on a constant-pull machine.
After 24 hours (no playing), string-
bed stiffness measured 67 RDC units,
representing an 8 percent tension loss.
Our control string, Prince Synthetic
Gut Original Gold 16, measured 78 RDC
units immediately after stringing and
71 RDC units after 24 hours, repre-
senting a 9 percent tension loss. In lab
testing, Prince Synthetic Gut Original
had a stiffness of 217 and a tension loss
of 11.67 pounds, while Prince Diablo
Prism 17 had a stiffness of 196 (Blue/
Green) and 193 (Red/Yellow) and a
tension loss of 16.25 (Blue/Green) and
17.4 (Red/Yellow) pounds. Diablo Prism
17 added 16 grams to the weight of our
unstrung frame.
The string was tested for five weeks
Playtester Ratings:
Ease of Stringing
(compared to other strings)
Much easier: 2
Somewhat easier: 6
About as easy: 15
Not quite as easy: 9
Not nearly as easy: 0
Overall Playability
(compared to the string played most often)
Much better: 0
Somewhat better: 7
About as playable: 9
Not quite as playable: 9
Not nearly as playable: 7
Overall Durability
(compared to other strings of similar gauge)
Much better: 9
Somewhat better: 8
About as durable: 13
Not quite as durable: 2
Not nearly as durable: 0
Rating Averages
From 1 to 5 (best)
Playability: 3.6
Durability: 4.3
Power: 3.4
Control: 3.8
Comfort: 3.3
Touch/Feel: 3.2
Spin Potential: 3.5
Holding Tension: 3.5
Resistance to Movement: 4.2
by 32 USRSA playtesters, with NTRP
ratings from 3.5 to 6. These are blind
tests, with playtesters receiving
unmarked strings in unmarked pack-
ages. Average number of hours play-
tested was 21.4.
Several of our testers noted that
the string had almost no coil memory,
which is unusual for a co-poly, and
most found it easy to string, with one
tester commenting, “Just about the
easiest string to install crosses in all 48
years I have been stringing! Absolutely
zero coil memory. Great knot cinching.
No noise, creaks or groans from the
string at any time.”
No playtesters broke samples during
stringing, six reported problems with
coil memory, one reported problems
tying knots, one reported friction burn,
and two reported other problems.
C O U RT E S Y P R I N C E
On the Court
Testers were split on whether they
liked the unique coloration of the
string, but most were impressed that
www.tennisindustrymag.com
the string provided good performance
along with the color splash.
Two playtesters broke the strings
during testing, one after 16.5 hours and
another after 14 hours. No playtesters
reported premature fraying or peel-
ing, one reported buzzing and eight
reported notching.
Conclusion
Our testers first noticed the unique
coloring of the string, which was what
Prince intended. The tag line, after all,
is, “Add some color to your game!”
While most playtesters loved the
color splash (some of our playtesters
didn’t), a majority thought there was a
place for Prince Diablo Prism in their
string inventory.
Playtester Comments
“It has nice power and there is good
potential for spin. The string has a
softer feel so it would make it arm-
friendly. It showed no signs of excess
movement or notching so durability
THERE IS ALWAYS TIME TO PLAY.
iGENIE Ball Machine
Stan Oley, Product Marketing Specialist
HalfPage-InsideTennis.indd 1
www.tennisindustrymag.com
should be good. It's easy to string—no
coil memory.” 5.0 male all-court player
using Babolat Pure Drive strung at 50
pounds CP (Babolat RPM Rough 17)
“This is not your typical splashy
junior string with all glitter and
no go. This is a solid poly with good
playability and sound durability
numbers. I'd buy this and use it in a
hybrid.” 3.5 male baseliner with mod-
erate spin using Wilson Clash strung at
54 pounds CP (MSV Focus Hex 19)
“This is a nicely accessible string,
really user-friendly for a co-poly. It
provided a good combination of pop,
control and comfort throughout the
playtest.” 4.0 male baseliner with heavy
spin using Wilson Six.One S strung at 48
pounds CP (Luxilon ALU Power 16L)
“This string was easy to install and
looked good. I have been waiting for
colorful string and this was it; how-
ever it provided nothing special in the
FREE
iGenie
DEMO
TM
power, feel and spin departments.”
4.0 male baseliner with moderate spin
using Wilson Steam strung at 50 pounds
CP (Tourna Big Hitter Black 17)
“String was fairly comfortable for a
poly, hit the ball with decent spin and
kept its tension well with high resis-
tance to movement. Also, durability
was very good. Control over power
with this string.” 4.5 male all-court
player using Wilson Clash strung at 45
pounds CP (Gamma Professional 16)
FREE PLAYTEST STRING PROGRAM
Prince will send a free set of Diablo Prism 17 to the first 350
USRSA members who cut out (or copy) this coupon and
send it to: USRSA, Attn: Prince Diablo Prism String Offer,
1000 Peachtree Industrial Blvd., Suite 6-492, Suwanee, GA
30024-6777, or fax to 760-536-1171, or email the info below
to: stringsample@racquettech.com. Offer expires Feb. 1,
2020. Offer only available to USRSA members in the U.S.
Name: _______________________________________
USRSA Member number: _________________________
Phone: ______________________________________
Email: _________________________________________
If you print your email clearly, we will notify you when your
sample will be sent.
playmatetennis.com
(800) 776-6770
11/17/19 2:19 PM
January 2020 RACQUET SPORTS INDUSTRY 45
 Tips&Techniques
Checking the Tone
After I string the mains on a two-piece
job, I will gently pluck the strings,
starting with the two center strings (1
and 2), listening to the tone that they
make. Since they are both the same
length, they should have the same tone.
If one is higher pitched than the other,
I stretch that string slightly by hand,
pulling the center of the string to the
side about an inch, and then check the
pitch of the two strings again. Some-
times it takes multiple attempts. I don’t
try to get them perfect, just close.
After I’m satisfied that the two
strings have a similar pitch, I move on
to the strings on each side of those two
center strings (3 and 4) and repeat the
process, working my way out to the
sides. I’m not overly concerned about
getting the job done as fast as possible.
I’m just trying to do the best job for
my clients. The only problem with this
method would be if the stringer were
tone deaf.
Note: This method was used to string
racquets prior to having machines pull
a designated tension. While it may not
be necessary in most cases today, it is a
good check system. If there is a large
46 RACQUET SPORTS INDUSTRY January 2020
discrepancy in the tone, it likely indi-
cates you may have a clamp that is not
holding on one side.
5 sets of Dunlop NT Max Plus to:
John Kelley
Hanover, Ind.
Alternative One-Piece Tie-Off
On one-piece string jobs where the
outer mains finish at the head of the
frame, rather than tying off the last
main on the short side, we will take
the short side string and string the top
cross string before tying it off. The long
side string then becomes the second
cross string and proceeds down the
string bed. This way the top and bottom
strings are the strings used for tie-offs.
You need to add about 6 inches to what
you typically use on the short side, but
both the outer main strings will now
have consistent tensions.
Note: While this technique works on
most frames and patterns as described, if
the pattern requires directional stringing
of the crosses, you would need to start
the short side on the “wrong” side for
the crosses to fit properly. Also, on some
Gently pluck strings
of the same length,
starting with the two
center strings, to see
if they produce the
same tone.
frames, this procedure would cause the
second cross to double back down from
the last main in an awkward tight turn
that may stress a stiff or fragile string.
Before proceeding with this technique,
make sure you have tie-off holes avail-
able in the proper places.
5 sets of Gamma Ocho TNT 16 to:
Cathy & Gordie Lehman
Raleigh, N.C.
Gearing Up for a Busy Day
If you are going to be stringing more
racquets at the shop than normal or
will be doing a week of stringing at a
tournament, try taping up your fingers
when you start out. Using athletic tape
or cotton first-aid tape, wrap the tape
around your index fingers. Leave the
tips of the fingers free for weaving. Do
your other fingers as needed. The tape
will prevent your fingers from bruising
and cutting, which will keep your hands
in shape for later in the week.
5 sets of Yonex Dynawire 16 to:
Roger Gough, MRT
Davis, Calif.
C O U RT E S Y R O G E R G O U G H
Tips and Techniques submitted since
1992 by USRSA members and appearing
in this column have all been gathered
into a searchable database on
www.racquettech.com, the official
website of the USRSA. Submit tips to
Bob Patterson at bob@racquettech.com.
www.tennisindustrymag.com
 SX
SPIN
SERIES

IT’ S NOT JUS T ABOUT MORE S PIN ,

IT’ S ABOUT MORE IN .

DUNLOPSPORTS.COM

TEACHING TENNIS
Master Before the Match
There is plenty of fun in fundamentals.
Stop all competition and focus more
time on learning the sport.
By Brent Zeller
W
e constantly hear
people in this
industry lament
the decline in
tennis participa-
tion. While we’ve been talking about
this problem for decades, participation
continues to wane. Is tennis such a bad
sport that people simply don’t want to
play it? Definitely not!
As tennis professionals, we are teach-
ing the best, yet one of the hardest,
sports. Let’s face it, it takes a lot of work
and many years to get good at tennis. Yet
we throw our students into competition
before they’ve learned the fundamental
skills of the game, then we wonder why
they don’t stay with it. To grow tennis,
we have to shift our emphasis away from
competition and over to learning.
Tennis has been all about competi-
48 RACQUET SPORTS INDUSTRY January 2020
YourServe
tion—having people compete, in one
“fun” game or another, from basically
their first day on court. It’s been ac-
cepted wisdom that the best way to get
people used to the challenges of compe-
tition is to have them compete, as soon
as possible and as much as possible.
Unfortunately, competing too soon
programs problematic physical and
psychological habits into a player’s
memory. Once bad habits are ingrained,
improvement is difficult, and requires
a lot of effort and desire. After a signifi-
cant amount of poor performance and
losing, people quit and go elsewhere. So,
why do we make people compete before
they “know” the fundamentals?
Can anyone give me a legitimate rea-
son why people should compete before
they’ve developed mechanically sound
serves, groundstrokes and volleys? If
someone can’t demonstrate competence
in all the strokes, why are they keeping
score? Once competition begins, the goal
shifts from developing skills to trying to
win or trying not to lose, and that’s a big
problem that limits long-term potential,
performance and participation.
We need to teach people the physical,
mental and emotional fundamentals
of the sport—before they start com-
peting. Competing before owning the
fundamentals is a recipe for disaster, as
participation rates show. Why do you
think tens of millions of people have
tried tennis over the years, and only a
few million currently play? It’s simple:
They didn’t learn the basics, so they lost
a lot of matches, and it wasn’t enjoyable.
It’s no fun being a loser.
The learning period in tennis needs
to be significantly longer, without any
competition, so that people can learn not
just the physical fundamentals, but also
mental and emotional fundamentals.
The physical skills by themselves take
a lot of practice and time to learn, and
when you add in the mental and emo-
tional skills, which every expert recog-
nizes are the most important to success,
there’s no good reason to rush people
into competition. Let players learn with-
out the added pressure of competing.
After recognizing the devastating
effects of the premature introduction of
competition on people’s games, I decid-
ed to remove all competition from my
program, which I call “Effortless Ten-
nis,” in 1992. I believe a non-competitive
learning system, such as this, can be a
key for how we can grow the game. With
a non-competitive approach to learning,
there is more success, more enjoyment
and increased participation.
It’s time to recognize that throwing
people into competition before they
are prepared is the reason our sport is
struggling. When people know how to
play the game, they will stay with ten-
nis—and the game will grow. •
USPTA pro Brent
Zeller of San Rafael,
Calif., is the author
SHUTTERSTOCK
of “Evolutionary
Education: Moving
Beyond Our Competitive
Compulsion.”
www.tennisindustrymag.com
 January 2020

USPTA Professionals Marci Cooper

(left) and Dawn Diaz (right) coach
youth tennis near Phoenix, Ariz.

1142019_Addvantage_January.indd 49 11/26/2019 3:55:09 PM

1142019_Addvantage_January.indd 50 11/26/2019 3:55:11 PM

Exciting News to Share
I f you have been following my
messaging over the last year, you
are well aware of the changes that the
USPTA will be undergoing as a part
of our new accredited status from the
USTA. In case you may have missed
it, here is what you need to know.
Commencing on Jan. 1, 2021:
To become a USPTA-certified tennis
professional, new applicants will be
required to accumulate 1,200 hours of
hands-on learning/work experience
(generally eight months to 12 months)
at a club or facility under the watchful
eye of an approved USPTA mentor.
In addition, 300 hours of online and/
or face-to-face education will be
part of the new standards of the new
certification pathway.
The credibility of our members
and the safety of their students are
paramount for the USPTA. For that
reason, we are excited that every
USPTA member in good standing will
be Safe Play trained and complete a
background screening every two years.
This cost will be absorbed by the USTA.
The tennis public can rest assured that
USPTA professionals will be well-
vetted and of the highest standards in
order to ease the decision about who
will coach their children.
The continuing education
requirement will increase 25% from
12 hours to 15 hours for all USPTA
members who are required to
participate.
The USTA will be promoting these
new higher standards to those who
employ tennis professionals, so that
1142019_Addvantage_January.indd 51
From the CEO USPTA
John R. Embree, USPTA CEO
these new higher standards mean
something in the marketplace.
Without question, this is a paradigm
shift for our Association. It is going to be
a heavy lift to make sure that our entire
membership and any new professionals
entering our industry understand
what will be taking place 12 months
from now. As difficult as this will be,
this initiative underscores our stated
mission of “elevating the standards
of tennis-teaching professionals and
coaches” and will help tennis attract
and retain more players.
As a part of the new certification
pathway, I am pleased to announce
an upgrade to the Recreational Coach
membership category that will make
it more attractive to those first-time
professionals, high school/college
players or part-time coaches who
want to be a part of the new USPTA.
Launching in 2020, the Recreational
Coach category will become USPTA
Instructor, which will be a new
certified category that includes liability
insurance for the same dues of $199.
This USPTA Instructor level will
require applicants to have face-to-
face training in the newly developed
Teaching Essentials 1, a two-day
workshop that focuses primarily on
the all-important job of teaching entry
level programs for beginning youth
and adults. In addition, it will require
approximately 16 hours of online
learning that will include Coach Youth
Tennis, plus Safe Play, CPR and AED
training and a background screening.
The remaining hours will be filled
January 2020 — ADDvantage Magazine - 51
by other online courses that will be
communicated once we are ready to go
to market. More details on this category
and the impact on Recreational Coach
members will be coming soon.
In collaboration with the USTA,
the Teaching Essentials 1 workshops
are scheduled to start late in January
so that interested professionals can
attend.
These Teaching Essentials 1 sessions
will be administered under the capable
tutelage of Steve Keller and Craig
Jones of the USTA, in addition to other
USPTA coach developers. The feedback
from the initial pilots held in 2019 has
been phenomenal.
If there are any USPTA members who
wish to host one of the TE 1 workshops,
please reach out to me with your club
information and potential dates so we
can bake it into our planning. I cannot
guarantee that your facility will be able
to hold one of these workshops but we
will do our best to make it work.
Finally, and because of the popular
demand, we have extended the PTR
equivalency for PTR members who
wish to join the only fully accredited
tennis teaching organization through
August of 2021.
Over the course of the next 12
months, we will be highlighting the
changes that are coming with the hope
that no one will be caught unaware
when 2021 rolls around. The USPTA is
the clear-cut leader in education and
we will be positively impacting how
tennis is delivered in the USA. Let’s get
after it! *
11/26/2019 3:55:11 PM
 TENNIS MAGAZINE 2019 EDITOR'S CHOICE AWARD FOR

BEST NEW INNOVATION

TENNIS MAGAZINE 2019 EDITOR'S CHOICE AWARD FOR

BEST NEW INNOVATION

1142019_Addvantage_January.indd 52 11/26/2019 3:55:12 PM

20/20
Clear Eyes on a Bright Future
Feisal Hassan, USPTA President
I t is with great excitement that I
write my first column as USPTA
President. What an opportunity – for
me, for you, for us. Welcome to 2020!
First, I’d like to thank my
predecessor, Mr. Gary Trost, not just
for all he’s done for the Association
these past few years, but for all the
guidance he’s offered me as I begin
this next chapter in my service to
the USPTA. And thank you to the
previous Board of Directors, who
helped shape my perspective on
USPTA affairs.
I am pleased to tell you our
Association is doing great. We are
on strong financial footing. We’ve
increased both the quality and
quantity of our testing, which has
helped increase our membership by
1,000 tennis professionals in the last
calendar year. We’ve also increased
membership reinstatements, which
brings me to my next point.
As we work to execute our mission
to elevate the standards of tennis-
teaching professionals, we also
want to elevate the standards of the
education they’re receiving, both
through the education itself and the
way it’s presented. For the past year,
the USPTA Education Department
has been working very closely with
the USTA-U team to make getting
your six a more rewarding experience,
so look out for those new modules in
the very near future.
Speaking of the future, mark your
1142019_Addvantage_January.indd 53
President’s Message USPTA
calendars! We’ll be at the Hilton New
Orleans Riverside for the 2020 World
Conference from Sept. 20-24. This
event is unbelievable every year. We
were in the Crescent City in 2015 and
it was fantastic – the best conference
Hassan was a featured speaker at the 2019 USPTA World Conference in Las Vegas.
to that point, in fact. The 2019 World
Conference in Las Vegas eclipsed New
Orleans from four years ago, though, so I
can’t wait to see what the National Staff
has in store for us in eight short months!
Now, it’s time to get down to
business. I’m happy to report that
our national committees and task
forces are being selected as we speak.
They’re operating in a completely new
structure that I feel will streamline
their effectiveness and cultivate new
ideas while retaining valued previous
contributions. I’ve already selected
the chairperson for each committee
January 2020 — ADDvantage Magazine - 53
and task force and I look forward to
seeing what they produce. Thank
you to all who applied to serve as a
volunteer; you made the decisions
very difficult.
Our new Board of Directors will
meet for the first time at the World
Headquarters at the beginning of
January. I’m really looking forward
to working with each of them as we
tackle 2020 and prepare for a huge
year in 2021.
This year, we enter our second
year of full accreditation. Earning
this distinction was a huge
accomplishment of Gary, John and
the rest of the Board, but now it’s up
to us to carry the torch forward and
implement the requirements that
Gustavo Reyes / USPTA
come with full accreditation.
It’s been almost 30 years since I
first joined the USPTA; I cannot tell
you how humbled I am to become its
President. I am prepared to take on
this responsibility, but I cannot carry
this weight alone. As a member of the
USPTA, you also have a duty to live
out our shared mission to elevate the
standards of our profession. We must
continue to do this every day.
This is such an exciting time in the
history of our Association. And so it is
with clear eyes on the future that we
take on 2020 and beyond.*
11/26/2019 3:55:15 PM
 USPTA
FROM STAY-AT-HOME MOMS TO
TENNIS COACHES
W hen Dawn Diaz and Marci
Cooper started playing tennis,
they never imagined they would get
into coaching.
“It’s kind of a funny story. We only
played for about five years and just
got really into it, started playing every
day,” Diaz said in Las Vegas at the
2019 USPTA World Conference. The
two were stay-at-home moms in the
Phoenix area looking for “a part-time
gig” when they noticed a need for youth
tennis coaches.
“We’re like, maybe we should
consider coaching,” Cooper continued.
“We’re not elite tennis players, but we
can coach little kids!”
They started shadowing a coach
near where they live in Phoenix to see
what it was like. He was welcoming
Diaz (back, blue), Cooper (back, pink) and Newcomb ( front, right) at their certification experience at Grand Canyon University in Phoenix.
54 - ADDvantage Magazine — January 2020
1142019_Addvantage_January.indd 54
Lucas Casás, USPTA Communications
and encouraging, they said, and he
recommended that they get USPTA-
certified. Motivated, they gathered old
USPTA testing manuals from coaches
they knew and started studying.
When they started the certification
process, they thought it was “a means
to an end,” Cooper said. “I thought we
would get the certificate, just to say
we had it, plus have insurance, then
we would do whatever continuing
education credits we needed to keep it
current and that was the end of it.
“But through the process, we came
to realize that the group was so much
more than just a certificate. The
education itself was valuable to help
us along the path. There were mentor
programs and training and emails made
available that helped us along the way.”
Though they were relatively new
to tennis – they’d been playing for a
few years, while other coaches in their
class were former professional players
– they were lifelong athletes and fully
committed themselves to learning.
They were tireless in their
preparation. Their practice sessions
became practice testing sessions.
They interviewed testers to know
what they should expect.
“They were both incredibly well-
prepared for their test,” USPTA
National Head Tester Sid Newcomb
said.
After they passed their certification
test in May, they started coaching
through the USTA’s Net Generation
program. Though they often coach
together, each started their own
Courtesy of Marci Cooper
11/26/2019 3:55:17 PM
 “
USPTA

T he USPTA is more than just a certificate.

It’s an organization that helps develop
better coaches through a community, through
education, through support and networking.
It has been a really great experience.
— Marci Cooper

program – Diaz’s is called Top Spin

Tennis; Cooper’s is Exceptional Tennis
Academy – and offer lessons in the
morning and evening to avoid the
midday Arizona heat.
“It was great. We started going
forward with setting up programs for
kids, so red ball, orange ball, green
dot,” Diaz said. “We work with our
community center, we work with a
school and we just set up programs,
camps, different things to get kids
interested to grow the sport.”
“Once we started doing that we
started getting all these leads,” Cooper
continued. “We promoted on Facebook,
we just posted some pictures and then
people we knew started contacting us
being like, ‘Hey, you have a program,

Courtesy of Dawn Diaz

what can you do for my kids?’ We’re
doing some high school and we’ve done a
few adult lessons, but the majority is the
Net Generation. I love it.”
While they were getting certified,
Newcomb told them they “couldn’t
afford not to go” to the World
Conference in Las Vegas. At the time,
they didn’t fully understand why. But
since it was close enough to Phoenix,
they decided they’d go together.
“I see the real truth of that statement
now,” Cooper said. “The USPTA is
more than just a certificate. It’s an
organization that helps develop better
coaches through a community, through
education, through support and
Cooper (right) and Diaz (middle) coach youth tennis through USTA Net Generation.
networking. It has been a really great
experience.
“We were thinking that when we got
here it would be mostly higher level
stuff,” she said. “But everything had
something for us in it that really works
that we can take home and use with our
kids.”
Diaz and Cooper’s journey into
coaching was an unexpected one. It
started by noticing a demand for youth
tennis coaches. It took off with their
decision to join the USPTA.
“Every time we put out a program,
there’s a wait list,” Diaz said. “There’s
just constantly people asking questions,
wanting to get their kids involved. It’s a
lot of brand new families who have never
played tennis before. It’s really nice that
we feel we’re contributing in that way
where we can introduce children to a
sport. Hopefully they stick with it.” *

January 2020 — ADDvantage Magazine - 55

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1142019_Addvantage_January.indd 56 11/26/2019 3:55:18 PM


EXPLORING THE SERVE-AND-VOLLEY
PARADIGM SHIFT
James Shaughnessy MSS, CSCS, USPTA Master Professional
I n the 1960s, four of the world’s five
top-ranked players – Rod Laver, Roy
Emerson, John Newcombe and Arthur
Ashe – used the serve-and-volley style
(SVS) of play. A pure SVS player is one
that almost always rushes the net on
both the first and second serve and
rarely stays back for the return after
their serve. The objective is to use
the serve to force the highest, easiest
return, which the server can then
volley to win the point. Sounds easy,
doesn’t it?
Of the nine players to reach the No.
1 ranking from 2000 to 2010, only
Pete Sampras was a pure SVS player,
and the style effectively died after his
retirement. Although SVS is rarely
used by top-100 players today, serve-
and-volley as a tactical strategy (SVT)
continues to be used by the top servers
of all time, such as Andy Roddick and
Roger Federer.
The ATP World Tour website
lists Roddick, Sampras and Federer,
1142019_Addvantage_January.indd 57
Master Professional Corner USPTA
respectively, as the top three in career
serve rating among No. 1-ranked
players. For their careers, Sampras and
Federer held serve 89% of the time.
Roddick held 90%. Sampras averaged
three double faults per match. Roddick
and Federer average two.
SCiO 3D Sports at Tucker Tennis
Academy conducted a study to
determine what could be learned from a
quantitative investigation of serve-and-
volley as a style and/or tactic, as used by
these No. 1-ranked servers. The study’s
objective was to determine if and
how serve-and-volley might be more
effectively deployed in today’s game.
Both the Ariel Performance Analysis
System and the SCiO 3D Sports Library
were used to analyze the biomechanical
differences during live match serve-
and-volley points of the SVS player,
Sampras, and the SVT players, Federer
and Roddick.
Serving statistics show that the
minimum average first serve speed
required to win
a Grand Slam
against a No.
1-ranked player
is 115 mph.
Additionally,
the serve must
be reasonably
disguised, very
well-placed and
with varied pace.
The potential
disadvantage
January 2020 — ADDvantage Magazine - 57
of a high average speed is that the
opponent often hits the ball off
center, inadvertently returning it to
the server’s feet. Additionally, if elite
returners connect with the ball solidly,
they can use the service pace to return
the ball quickly, sending it to no man’s
land on the serving side, before the
server can get through it.
The advantage of the high average
serve speed is that it results in more
service winners and a high number
of weak returns. The combination of
speed, disguise, variety and accuracy
causes more returns above net level
that can be hit hard downward or
driven to force a passing shot error. The
name of the game for a high SVT win
rate is getting returns that are close to
the net and above net level.
The data revealed that a server has
1.5 seconds after contact with the ball
to reach reasonable volley position if
the serve is 115 mph and the return is
50 mph. The calculated times take into
consideration the average air density
and spins over 2000 rpm.
Sampras executes his serve from
a platform stance, with his feet 26
inches apart. His left foot lands 34
inches inside the baseline .167 seconds
after making contact on his serve.
Consequently, to make it to the service
line, Sampras must run 15 feet, 2 inches
in 1.33 seconds. Federer’s feet are
positioned 25 inches apart in a platform
stance. Federer’s left foot lands 7.51
inches inside the baseline at .229
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Sampras (white) and Federer ( blue) in the
platform stance. Roddick (green) uses a
pinpoint stance.
seconds after his serve, requiring he
cover 17.38 feet in 1.18 seconds.
Roddick uses a pinpoint stance; his
left foot lands 4.94 inches inside the
baseline .233 seconds after contacting
the serve, requiring he run 17.59 feet in
1.1 seconds.
Servers land with forward speed
from the service motion. When hitting
the ground, Sampras is moving 4.3
mph, Federer is moving 2.15 mph and
Roddick is moving 1.94 mph.
Previous benchmark research on
pinpoint and platform stances suggests
the platform stance tends to give
players more horizontal push to the
net. Roddick uses pinpoint stance with
feet 15.5 inches, toe to toe. Sampras
and Federer use platform stance, their
feet 26 and 25 inches apart, toe to toe,
respectively. 3D analysis shows Federer
pushes predominantly vertically out
of a platform stance. Roddick pushes
downward, vertically, out of pinpoint
stance. Only Sampras pushes laterally
from his platform stance, producing a
large horizontal force toward the net.
Sampras uses the horizontal
technique, making contact with
the ball when his center of gravity
is at its highest. This minimizes his
time in the air, giving him a head start
1142019_Addvantage_January.indd 59
Master Professional Corner USPTA
and twice as much forward
running speed on landing.
Roddick and Federer opt to
push downward forcefully,
causing their centers of
gravity to continue rising after
impact (vertical technique).
Consequently, Federer and
Roddick, both considered all-
court style players, are airborne
longer, arguably giving them
some technical advantages.
These advantages tend to result
in slightly more consistent
serves, but drastically
decrease the time to position for volleys.
Here are suggestions on how to use
the SVT more effectively in today’s
game (right-handed players):
1. When serving to the deuce box,
vary heavy, wide, short slices with a
heavy kick to the T.
2. When serving to the ad box, vary
heavy slices to the T, with heavy
kicks, short to the wide side of
the box.
3. If the receiver is on the baseline,
jam the player by aiming a fast
flat or fast-mild slice at the hip on
the forehand side. Note: pinpoint
accuracy is required on this serve.
Sampras (white) lands while moving forward the vertical technique when using
at 4.3 mpg. Federer (blue) lands at 2.15 mph.
Roddick (green) lands at 1.94 mph.
January 2020 — ADDvantage Magazine - 59
4. Meet the ball at the peak of your
jump with plenty of horizontal
leg drive toward the net using the
horizontal technique.
5. When using SVT, hit the ground
sprinting and avoid the arabesque
position when landing.
6. The use of SVT in the modern game
must be unpredictable and used
in combination with varied serve
placements, spins and speeds.
7. Be aware when using SVT on
serves over 115 mph that you only
have 1.5 seconds or less to reach
good volley position.
Here are suggestions for coaches on
advising their players when to use SVT:
1. SVT is best used when the opponent
stands well behind the baseline to
return serve. The receiver’s position
gives extra time to the server to
travel to good volleying position.
2. SVT is best employed after
serving at least two consecutive
fast first serves.
3. Avoid using SVT when hitting
second serves or on game points.
4. Utilize SVT when the opponent
is floating deep returns down the
middle.
Using the horizontal
technique when
employing the SVT may
cause an extra double fault but
will also produce a higher winning
percentage than the vertical
technique by getting higher and easier
volleys, resulting in more winners and
forcing volleys. This data suggests the
horizontal technique is superior to
the SVT.*
11/26/2019 3:55:20 PM
 USPTA

DOES SPORTSMANSHIP AFFECT

PERFORMANCE?
Dr. Gregory Prudhomme, USPTA Elite Professional

R ecognition, personal advancement,

and the sheer thrill of victory
are incentives for winning in sport.
These incentives for winning,
combined with outside pressures
from parents, coaches, administrators
and teammates can cause an athlete
to adopt a win-at-all-costs mentality.
This overemphasis on winning often
leads to unethical behaviors such as
committing intentional fouls, acting
aggressively towards opponents or
officials, using performance enhancing
drugs and employing gamesmanship

(which is an attempt to gain a physical
or psychological advantage through
behavior that might not be considered
obvious cheating).
The occurrence of unethical
conduct by athletes has impelled the
sport psychology field to examine the
behavior of athletes, which is known as
sportsmanship. Much of the relevant
literature has examined causes of poor
sportsmanship and interventions in
order to improve athlete behavior, but
there is an important research question
that had not been investigated until
recently. In order to fill a gap in the
sportsmanship literature, a recent
dissertation attempted to answer the
following question through empirical
research: Is there a performance
benefit for possessing high levels of
sportsmanship?
The possibility of a performance
benefit for possessing high levels of
sportsmanship would provide extremely
valuable implications for competitive
sports. Most importantly, if a positive
relationship were discovered between
sportsmanship and performance,
then athletes, coaches and parents
would promote good behavior not
only as the ethical thing to do, which
is a worthy reason itself, but also as a
means to improve performance. What is
particularly interesting about this study,
and could cause skeptics to question that
such a relationship is an impossibility,
is that previous research has shown
that lower levels of sportsmanship are
more common among elite athletes than
non-elite athletes. Furthermore, there is
a common belief among many people in
sports that athletes must be intimidating
or arrogant in order to compete and win
at higher levels.
So why conduct this study? The
sports world often seems to overlook
Shutterstock
the possibility of a connection between
sportsmanship and performance.
Consider Roger Federer and Nick
Kyrgios. It is clear to see that the
sportsmanship-performance
combination of Federer is very different
from that of Kyrgios. In fact, Federer
and Rafael Nadal are perhaps the two
best male players in the history of
tennis and it would be difficult to argue
that they do not possess high levels of
sportsmanship. Regarding the women’s
tour, Bianca Andreescu, Naomi Osaka
and Ash Barty have shown high levels
of sportsmanship; at the moment, they
comprise three of the top five female
players in the world.
There is more to the sportsmanship-
performance connection besides
these examples. The instrument that
was used to measure sportsmanship
levels of participants for this study

60 - ADDvantage Magazine — January 2020

1142019_Addvantage_January.indd 60 11/26/2019 3:55:23 PM


Naomi Osaka during the 2018 US Open semifinal. Osaka was lauded for her sportsmanship after defeating Serena Williams to
win her first Grand Slam.
was the Compliant and Principled
Sportspersonship Scale (CAPSS),
designed by Dr. John Perry (2014)
and his colleagues, who are Sport
Psychology researchers. The CAPSS is a
24-question survey that includes items
in five different subscales: compliance
with officials, compliance with rules,
attitude towards committing injurious
acts, attitude towards opponents, and a
principled game perspective, such as an
individual’s attitude towards winning
at all costs. In analyzing sportsmanship
through this instrument, it seems that an
athlete would require a certain amount
of mental strength, emotional control,
discipline and professionalism to score
highly in these areas, especially while
competing under pressure. It also seems
that these same attributes could be of
strong value towards performance.
In order to analyze the sportsmanship-
performance correlation, this recent
dissertation examined sportsmanship
scores and winning percentages of 163
NCAA Division I tennis players in the
western United States. The winning
percentages were provided for the
1142019_Addvantage_January.indd 61
USPTA
Leonard Zhukovsky / Shutterstock.com
individual singles tennis matches Sports are celebrated as an
from one college season. A Pearson’s environment in which an athlete’s
correlation was used to analyze the data, character can be developed, but the
which revealed no relationship between influence of an overemphasis on
sportsmanship and winning percentage winning in competitive sports often
among males and females separately, contradicts character development.
and a very weak negative relationship Character development in sports must
among gender combined. While the be a deliberate goal promoted by sport
study cannot suggest that higher levels leaders. This dissertation has generated
of sportsmanship were related to higher recommendations for future research
winning percentages for these college in the area of sportsmanship and
tennis players, it suggests that high levels performance, but for now, the results
of sportsmanship and high winning of this seminal research suggest that
percentages are not mutually exclusive; coaches, parents and others involved in
they can exist together. In other words, competitive sports should communicate
the results of the study suggest that to their athletes that competing with
athletes do not have to sacrifice good high levels of sportsmanship does not
sportsmanship to win, which is an idea jeopardize chances of winning.
that many in the sports world do not To read the full dissertation, visit:
know or believe. https://bit.ly/2rl1dcp.*
Gregory Prudhomme is a USPTA Master Professional and has a doctoral degree
in Psychology with an emphasis in Performance Psychology from Grand Canyon
University, where he also serves as an adjunct professor and coaches men’s and
women’s tennis. Prudhomme was named Steve Wilkinson College Coach of the
Year in 2018. He has been a USPTA member for 25 years.
January 2020 — ADDvantage Magazine - 61
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1142019_Addvantage_January.indd 62 11/26/2019 3:55:29 PM


ThanksUSA CHANGING LIVES
THROUGH TENNIS CORPS
Amanda Folks, ThanksUSA Development Manager
W hen Damian Wright enlisted in
the Marine Corps in 2009, he
knew he was treading the right path for
his future.
“That was my identity,” Wright said.
“All my hard work, the sweat, the pain
and the joy came from the Marines.”
But for Wright, treading that path
would prove to be more challenging
than expected.
Courtesy of Jean Pletchette, ThanksUSA
Coaches, veterans and junior players enjoy weekly Tennis Corps clinic at JTCC,
College Park, Md.
Flash forward 10 years and you
won’t find Wright in a Marine field
uniform, but on the tennis court.
Wright is now one of the head coaches
for Tennis Corps, a sports therapy
inclusion program that brings veterans
and junior champion tennis players
together on and off the court. As a
leg amputee from his Marine Corps
service, Wright knows firsthand the
importance of physical determination,
mental strength and resilience.
Founded in 2018 by ThanksUSA, a
non-profit organization that provides
higher education scholarships for
military families, Tennis Corps meets
every week at the Junior Tennis
Champions Center in College Park, Md.
1142019_Addvantage_January.indd 63
“We want our young players to be
inspired by these real heroes who
demonstrate all the qualities that are
important in life,” said Vesa Ponkka,
Senior Director of Tennis, adding that
Tennis Corps is the most inspirational
program at JTCC. “I strongly believe
that creating these kinds of informal
mentoring relationships will transform
the lives of everyone involved.”
By inviting veterans and junior
players to share their love for the
game, Tennis Corps helps to overcome
physical, emotional and social barriers.
“It’s so much more than a
rehabilitation program for our veterans
and a teaching program for the junior
champs,” ThanksUSA President and
CEO Jon Rosa said. “It’s an opportunity
for two unlikely groups to build
friendships, share experiences and
overcome barriers.”
ThanksUSA national spokesperson
and Tennis Corps ambassador Frances
Tiafoe finds inspiration through the
program.
“Working with the veterans is great.
They know what it means to sacrifice
January 2020 — ADDvantage Magazine - 63
USPTA
and work hard and that’s what it takes
to be a champion. You have time for
anything if it means something to you,”
he shared.
And Tiafoe makes time for the
veterans and junior players of
Tennis Corps. He spends much of his
home training sessions on the court
volleying, rallying and sharing a good
laugh. Like the staff of ThanksUSA and
JTCC, Tiafoe sees the impact of Tennis
Corps and is working to expand the
program nationwide.
“We want to share the joy of this
program with veterans and youth
everywhere,” Rosa said. “And to
continue to bring people together
through tennis.”
For Wright, there’s no place he’d
rather be.
“I didn’t actually want to start playing
tennis again,” Wright said. “When I
stopped in 2009, I was at a good place in
my career. I stopped because I forgot the
importance of why I played tennis in the
first place, which was to have fun. So, in
December of 2018 my wife dragged me
onto the courts and I haven’t left since.”
Like Wright, we all tread paths
that are unexpected and challenging.
Through Tennis Corps, veterans and
youth tennis players are trailblazing
a new path of physical and mental
rehabilitation. And tennis is better
because of it.
ThanksUSA is currently seeking
partnerships within the tennis industry
to join us in sharing this inspirational
program. If you’re interested in
learning more about the Tennis
Corps, or in bringing the program
to your community, please contact
Jean Pletchette at jeanpletchette@
thanksusa.org. *
11/26/2019 3:55:31 PM
 USPTA

PRESIDENT’S PAUL WALDMAN AWARD

WINNER: GEORGE PARNELL
G eorge Parnell has seen a lot of
growth from the USTPA in his six
years as General Counsel.
He’s been with the Association
through some challenges, but he’s
helped lead us to the great heights
we’ve achieved. With Parnell’s advice
and expertise, the USPTA has built
and moved into a brand new, state-of-
presented Parnell with the President’s
Paul Waldman Award at the World
Conference in Las Vegas. “I was on the
committee that hired him. It was one
of the best decisions I made.”
Parnell also oversees contract
negotiations including sponsorship
and endorsement agreements,
employee relations, ethical matters

Gustavo Reyes / USPTA

the-art World Headquarters in Lake
Nona and earned full accreditation
from the USTA – the only tennis-
teaching association to do so.
“I have had the pleasure of working
alongside him and witnessing the
body of work he has accomplished,”
USPTA President Gary Trost said as he
and assists the Association develop
and implement best practices.
In addition to his work with the
USPTA, Parnell works with other
corporations, not-for-profits and “Ladies and gentlemen, it’s fitting
individual clients. He also serves as an that the President’s Paul Waldman
adjunct professor at his alma mater, Award,” Trost said, “goes to my friend,
Tulane Law School. George Parnell.”*

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1142019_Addvantage_January.indd 64 11/26/2019 3:55:33 PM


HOW THE NEW DEPARTMENT OF LABOR
RULE COULD AFFECT YOU
Dana Dasch, USPTA Human Resources
F or years we’ve anticipated the
Department of Labor releasing its
new rule on salary level and overtime
requirements. In September 2019, the
DOL finally announced the rule stating
that effective Jan. 1, 2020, unless
employees are paid at least $35,568
annually or $684 per week, they must
be classified as non-exempt/hourly and
be eligible to receive overtime pay.
Shutterstock
Some other highlights of the rule
include:
• Employers may use non-discretionary
bonuses and incentive payments such
as commissions paid at least annually
to satisfy up to 10% of the salary level.
• Total annual compensation
exemption threshold for highly
compensated employees is raised
from $100,000 to $107,432.
The DOL did not revise the duties
test to determine exempt/salaried
status. Still, this is a good time for our
members and their Human Resources
professionals to review positions, job
descriptions and actual job duties to
1142019_Addvantage_January.indd 65
make sure all employees who are exempt
and who are to remain exempt also meet
the duties test and not just the salary
requirements. Job title and salary alone
don’t determine exempt status. You
can learn more about the duties test by
visiting www.DOL.gov.
How does this affect our members?
Our members hold many types of
positions in the tennis industry. This new
rule could affect your
clubs, your employees
or yourself. Members
need to work with their
HR department to make
sure you are complying
with this new rule. If
you currently have
employees classified as
exempt from overtime
who make less than this
new salary threshold,
you have a couple of
options:
1. You can raise their salary to meet or
exceed the new threshold of $35,568
annually. If these employees are
already paid close to this threshold
and consistently work more than 40
hours per week, it will probably be
advantageous to your organization
to bump up their salary.
2. If your employee doesn’t
consistently work overtime and is
being paid well below the threshold,
you would probably want to consider
switching them to being paid hourly.
If they do work more than 40 hours
a few weeks a year, it shouldn’t be as
big of a hit to your bottom line than
bumping up their salary to meet the
new threshold.
January 2020 — ADDvantage Magazine - 65
USPTA
3. If your employee consistently
works more than 40 hours per
week but is being paid well below
the threshold, you could switch
them to being paid hourly and
restrict their hours to 40 per
week. Try to redistribute their
workload to others or you could
consider hiring temporary or
seasonal workers during busier
times.
Other things to consider would be
the increase in organizational costs
for benefits. Some organizations
have different levels of benefits for
exempt and non-exempt employees.
If employee salaries go up, so would
your costs for short- and long-term
disability insurance and any employer
retirement plan contributions. If you
switch employees from exempt to
non-exempt and they lose previous
benefits that they had, you are facing
morale issues. Be sure to consider any
potential benefits that would be taken
away from employees before making
any decisions. Sometimes it makes
sense for an organization to spend a
little bit more than to risk losing some
of their best employees.
While this is a new federal rule,
certain states and cities have laws
that are stricter than the new
federal requirements. Currently the
states that have even higher salary
thresholds are California, New York,
Alaska and Maine. If you work in any
of these states, you’ll want to make
sure you are complying with those
state specific requirements. Certain
cities in those states have even higher
thresholds than their state amount.
Check your local laws for any potential
requirements.*
11/26/2019 3:55:36 PM
 USPTA Career Development

Career Development
USPTA Certification Testing Dates 2020 USPTA Division Conferences
Feb. 14-16 Intermountain.............................Life-Time Fitness
Centennial, CO
Jan. 3.....................................Reed Sweatt Family Tennis Center
Feb. 14-17 Northern California .............. Taube Tennis Center
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Stanford, CA
Jan. 4-5.................................................Rush Copley Healthplex Feb. 20-23 Texas....................................Horseshoe Bay Resort
Aurora, IL Horseshoe Bay, TX
Jan. 11-12....................................................Oaks at Boca Raton Feb. 21-22 Missouri Valley................................Kansas City CC
Boca Raton, FL Mission Hills, KS
Jan. 11.........................................Parham Bridges Tennis Center Feb. 28-Mar. 1 Northern..... Fred Wells Tennis & Education Center
Jackson, MS Fort Snelling, MN
Jan. 18-19................................................ Club Green Meadows Mar. 7-8 San Diego..................La Jolla Beach & Tennis Club
Vancouver, WA La Jolla, CA
Jan. 24....................................... Oklahoma Golf & Country Club Mar. 12-15 Mid-Atlantic.....................Country Club of Virginia
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May 1-3 Eastern............. International Tennis Hall Of Fame.
Jan. 25-26......................................................... iTennis LaHabra
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La Habra, CA May 1-3 New England.... International Tennis Hall Of Fame
Feb. 22.................................................Haig Point Tennis Center Newport, RI
Hilton Head Island, SC May 14-16 Southern......................................................... TBD.
Feb. 8................................McCormack-Nagelsen Tennis Center Atlanta, GA
Williamsburg, VA May 15-17 Southwest...................... Grand Canyon University
Feb. 8-9......................................................Atlanta Athletic Club Phoenix, AZ
Johns Creek, GA May 28-31 Florida................. Naples Beach Hotel & Golf Club
Feb. 10-11..................................... USTA National Tennis Center Naples, FL
Orlando, FL June 5-6 Pacific Northwest.......................... Linfield College
McMinnville, OR
Feb. 12.....................................................................Carefree RC
Sept. 20-24 USPTA World Conference............. Hilton Riverside
North Merrick, NY
New Orleans, LA
Feb. 13-14..........................................................Lifetime Fitness
Centennial, CO Visit www.uspta.com for a complete listing of certification and
Feb. 15-16................................................ Sea Cliff Country Club educational opportunities
Huntington Beach, CA • Wheelchair • Pickleball
Feb. 20................................................Kansas City Country Club • Padel • RacquetFit
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Feb. 22-23................................................Horseshoe Bay Resort
Horseshoe Bay, TX Visit TennisResources.com to find hundreds of exclusive
educational and instructional videos, audio material, articles
and drill diagrams related to all levels and aspects of the game
Exam reservations must be made by calling the USPTA World of tennis. Search for material on specific drills, instruction
Headquarters at 407-634-3050 ext. 2 at least 21 days prior to on technique, tactics and strategy, and business and facility
the dates listed. Each date includes an exam, upgrade. PTCA I management from some of the nation’s most knowledgeable
is included in the two-day exam. Exam cancellations must be teaching professionals. The user friendly video interface is great
received no later than 14 days before the exam, or a cancellation for watching on a desktop or mobile device and makes it easy
fee will be charged accordingly. to #GetYourSix wherever you are!

66 - ADDvantage Magazine — January 2020

1142019_Addvantage_January.indd 66 11/26/2019 3:55:36 PM

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1142019_Addvantage_January.indd 67 11/26/2019 3:55:36 PM

 USPTA
Get Social with USPTA Official Tuesday The following is a list
Social Media Channels
Quick Tip with Coach Sid of active USPTA Master
Professionals that were
facebook.com/USPTA.Official inadvertently omitted
from the Nov./Dec. 2019
Wednesday issue of ADDvantage
twitter.com/USPTA_Tennis
Member Profile magazine. We apologize
for the oversight.

instagram.com/uspta Sheryl Behne

Throwback Thursday Manuel Cervantes
linkedin.com/company/
Jay Hardman
united-states-professional-
tennis-association Jo Ann Kurz
Dave Power
youtube.com/TheUSPTA Emilio Sanchez Vicario
Friday Groundstrokes
Nick Saviano
issuu.com/uspta Randy Stephens

In Memoriam
Ted Withall (1918-2019)
Mr. Ted Withall passed away on Aug. 8 at the age of 100. Withall was a lifelong coach and ambassador
of tennis. He started coaching in California in 1951 and taught for nearly 70 years in New York, the U.S.
Virgin Islands, New Jersey and throughout Florida. Withall joined the USPTA in 1950, was the first
president of USPTA Florida and became USPTA President in 1972. He was among the first to earn the
Master Professional distinction and was the first inductee into the USPTA Florida Hall of Fame.

Barbara Fackel (1938-2019)

Mrs. Barbara Fackel passed away on Aug. 22 at the age of 81. Fackel was a passionate supporter
of tennis. She served as the chair of both Player Development and the Nominating Committee of
the USTA and was very involved with the Missouri Valley Tennis Association and the Iowa Tennis
Association. Fackel received the Eve Kraft Community Service Award in 1997 and was inducted into
the International Tennis Hall of Fame in 2006.

JoAnn Padgett (1932-2019)

Mrs. JoAnn Padgett passed away on Oct. 18 at the age of 87. Padgett was a fixture in the Texas tennis
community for many decades. She started volunteering with the Houston Tennis Association in the 1970s.
She was the first Executive Director of the USPTA Texas Division and held the position for 20 years and
was inducted into the Texas Tennis Hall of Fame in 1997. She was a leader in tennis at the local, sectional
and national levels, bringing different programs and initiatives everywhere she went to grow the game.

NATIONAL BOARD OF DIRECTORS ADDVANTAGE MAGAZINE

President................................................................. Feisal Hassan
First Vice President.............................................Richard Slivocka
Vice Presidents...............Lane Evans, Mark Faber, Trish Faulkner,
Jason Gilbert, Bill Mountford
Immediate Past President............................................ Gary Trost
CEO...........................................................................John Embree
Legal Counsel........................................................George Parnell
Editor.................................................................................John Cornell ADDvantage is published monthly by the United States
Managing Editor.................................................................Lucas Casás Professional Tennis Association.
Layout/Design............................................................... Gustavo Reyes
The opinions expressed in ADDvantage are those of
Editorial Assistance ...........................Jacquelyn Dahre, Alegna Hollis, the authors and not necessarily those of ADDvantage
Ramona Husaru, Sid Newcomb, Ellen Weatherford, Fred Viancos or the United States Professional Tennis Association.
Circulation.................................................................... Trevor Trudelle
USPTA World Headquarters Copyright© United States Professional Tennis
11961 Performance Dr. Association, Inc. 2020. All rights reserved. Reproduction
Orlando, FL 32827 of any portion of the magazine is not permitted
800-887-8248- www.uspta.com without written permission from the USPTA.

68 - ADDvantage Magazine — January 2020

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