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108 Long Island Tennis Magazine • January/February 2019 • LITennisMag.com
COMING IN MAY
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This edition will feature: • A Guide to Long Island’s Top Tennis Apparel Stores • 2019 USTA Long Island Awards Dinner Program • Tennis in the Hamptons • 2019 French Open Preview • L.I. Boys High School Tennis
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MAR/APR 2019 • Vol 11, No 2
Table Of Contents
The Life of Reilly By Brian Coleman
Reilly Opelka captures his first ever ATP title at the 2019 NY Open … we look at what’s in store for the American star for the remainder of the year and beyond. See page 24
Photo credit: New York Open/Ron Angle
Joel M. Berman President (516) 409-4444, ext. 310 • joel@usptennis.com Eric C. Peck Editor-in-Chief (516) 409-4444, ext. 312 • eric@usptennis.com Brian Coleman Senior Editor (516) 409-4444, ext. 326 • brianc@usptennis.com Joey Arendt Managing Art Director Francine Miller Advertising Coordinator (516) 409-4444, ext. 301 • francinem@usptennis.com Emilie Katz Assistant Marketing Coordinator Scott Koondel VP of Operations (516) 409-4444, ext. 324 Sidney Beal III Staff Photographer
Lee Seidner Staff Photographer
Advertising To receive any information regarding advertising rates, deadlines, and requirements, call (516) 409-4444 or e-mail info@usptennis.com. Article Submissions/Press Releases To submit any material, including articles and press releases, please call (516) 409-4444 or e-mail info@usptennis.com. The deadline for submissions is the first of the month preceding the target issue. Subscriptions To receive subscription information, contact (516) 409-4444 or e-mail info@usptennis.com or check out our Web site: www.litennismag.com. Fax subscription changes to (516) 409-1600. Statements of fact and opinion in Long Island Tennis Magazine are the responsibility of the authors alone and do not imply an opinion on the part of United Sports Publications Ltd. Long Island Tennis Magazine reserves the right to edit, reject and/or postpone the publication of any articles, information or data.
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Highlights 8 16 28 42 64
2019 New York Tennis Expo Recap Long Island Tennis Magazine’s 2019 Boys High School Preview By Brian Coleman 2019 New York Open Recap 2019 Long Island Tennis Magazine’s Camp Guide Your 2019 Guide to Court Builders and Suppliers
Features 3 4 6 19 20 22 34 35 36 38 39 59 60 67 68 70 72 74 75 76 78 79 80
Bethpage Park Hosts High School Clinic With Special Guests USTA Eastern Honors Sunny Fishkind Across Long Island … News and Notes From Across the L.I. Tennis Community PGA Tour Superstore: A Destination for Tennis Players The Untold Secret Behind the Big Win: Your More Beyond the Score By Rob Polishook, Mental Training Coach MA, CPC 2019 Australian Open Takeaways By Peter Mendelsohn New York Open Hosts Long Island Adult League Finals Inaugural JTT Tournament Played at NY Open USTA Eastern Long Island Region Update Windridge Still Going Strong as It Enters Its 52nd Year Improve Your Hard Court Game By Gus Alcayaga USTA Eastern Holds Annual Conference in White Plains So What’s the Big Deal About a Split-Step? By Lisa Dodson SPORTIME World Tour Brings Aussie Open to Kings Park A Panel of Superstar Coaches Discuss the Secrets to Success By Dr. Tom Ferraro Who Is the Greatest Tennis Instructor of All Time? By Steve Kaplan Tennis Therapy: A Story of Motivation, Un-Intentionally Corrupted By Tonny van de Pieterman Adult League Wrap-Up By Kathy Miller The Jensen Zone: The Fed Approach By Luke Jensen Ten Extremely Off the Radar Things That Can Help a Junior Player Reach Their Tennis Goals: Part I By Ricky Becker Creative Tennis Positioning By Mike Puc Are You a Fight or Flight Player? By Barbara Wyatt Long Island Tennis Charitable Initiatives: Carefree Racquet Club Honors Susan Alvy With Memorial Tournament
March/April 2019 •2019 LITennisMag.com Long Island Tennis Magazine • January/February • LITennisMag.com Long Island Tennis Magazine is published bi-monthly by United Sports Publications Ltd. • Copyright © 2019 United Sports Publications Ltd.
Bethpage Park Hosts High School Clinic With Special Guests ach year, Steve Kaplan and the Bethpage Park Tennis Center hosts an instructional High School Coaches Clinic, which brings together coaches from the middle school, junior varsity and varsity levels as they prepare for the upcoming season. Prior to the New York Tennis Expo and the New York Open, the facility hosted this Clinic once again, and were joined by legendary coach and IMG Academy’s Nick Bollettieri, Columbia Men’s Tennis Associate Head Coach Howie Endelman, former Columbia standout and current professional Max Schnur, and Frank Dolan of Sports and Fitness Performance. “I have been running a high school and junior high school tennis workshop for coaches for more than 15 years to help bridge the gap between clubs and schools on Long Island,” said Kaplan, Bethpage Park’s Owner and Managing Director. “It’s more important than ever that we promote such cooperation because school tennis is not thriving as it once was.” There can be a divide between clubs and public school programs, and one of Kaplan’s primarily goals to try and close that gap by emphasizing the importance of high school tennis to the junior tennis experience. “Nick Bollettieri has amazing energy and
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when he speaks, people listen,” said Kaplan. “Both Howie Endelman and Max Schnur are strong advocates of high school tennis, and they could not have been clearer that college coaches do highly value the importance of high school tennis.” The Clinic was not just limited to coaches and also included players, with more than 160 people in total coming out to learn from these top tennis minds. Bollettieri spoke to the young players about
the mental toughness and discipline needed to take your game to the next level, and Schnur and Endelman brought their extensive knowledge of collegiate tennis and the pro tour to the clinic. “A special thanks to coach Frank Dolan who I work closely with,” said Kaplan. “He explained the value of a simple and correct form intensive functional warm-up. I plan on working with IMG, Nick, Howie, Max and Frank, and adding more high school tennis advocates for future clinics.”
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USTA Eastern Honors
Sunny Fishkind At the 2019 USTA Eastern Conference, the Section honored longtime tennis coach and current USTA Long Island Executive Board Vice President Sunny Fishkind with its 2018 Woman of the Year Award. “It almost seems embarrassing because I never thought of recognition,” said Fishkind. “I really do it because I love the sport and always have.” The honor is given each year to a female volunteer of USTA Eastern in recognition of their outstanding service in the tennis community, and few embody this mantra more than Fishkind. Fishkind served as the Boys Varsity Head Coach at Bethpage High School from 19791990, and the Girls Coach from 1979-2005, and is a former Assistant Coach of the Men’s And Women’s Tennis Teams at Hofstra University. She is the Co-Director of the Hofstra Summer Camps tennis programs alongside her husband, Eddie. In her time at Hofstra, Fishkind has touched the lives of hundreds of campers, one of those being Lena Diller, a former collegiate player at Union College, who
USTA 2018 Woman of the Year Award Sunny Fishkind instructing campers at Hofstra Summer Tennis Camps began as a camper in the program and is currently a camp counselor. “Sunny always made tennis fun, regardless of your skill level,” said Diller. “And she would more than just observe and bark orders. She’d physically show you how to improve. I came back to camp year after year because I enjoyed learning from her.” After more than five decades of teaching tennis and donating her time to the growth of our sport, Fishkind still continues
to be one of the most recognizable faces in the Eastern Section. She doesn’t plan to stop anytime soon. “Tennis has given me the opportunity to make friends, young and old, and has made me feel healthy and active,” said Fishkind. “It has allowed me to share what I love with others including my husband, Eddie. It really has helped me define myself and I hope I can be involved with it for many years to come.”
TENNIS SPECIALTY CAMP For boys and girls entering grades 2-10 | Sunny and Edward Fishkind, Directors
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Long Island Tennis Magazine • March/April 2019 • LITennisMag.com
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Across Long Isla JTT Teams Honored During New York Open
The New York Open honored and celebrated clubs, programs and teams that make up the grassroots tennis effort on Long Island. Before Night Sessions on Stadium Court, the Junior Team Tennis teams who had won the inaugural Long Island Junior Team Tennis Tournament at the New York Open were honored.
Christopher Morley’s New JTT Team Gets First Victory Christopher Morley Tennis debuted its new Junior Team Tennis tournament team recently. The CMT Elite 12U Junior Team scored its first victory under Coach Frederica Piedade, and will continue to compete on the new JTT circuit on Long Island.
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SPORTIME Kings Park Hosts Super Camp Sunday The campers at SPORTIME Kings Park celebrated the Super Bowl by hosting their own “super-themed” event. “Super Camp Sunday” brought a football theme to the camp, as many of the kids wore gear from their favorite teams, and those wearing New England Patriots jerseys would turn out to be very happy.
Ross School Gets a Special Guest Visit Players in the Ross School Tennis Academy recently has a chance to hit with and hear from a special guest, as Larri Passos, who coached former world number one Gustavo Kuerten, spent an afternoon with the Academy’s players and coaches. The program plans to reciprocate the visit when it heads to Brazil for its Field Academy later this spring.
Carefree and Tennis for All Honored by USTA Eastern Carefree Racquet Club and its affiliated Community Tennis Association, Tennis for All, were honored at this year’s USTA Eastern Conference and Awards Ceremony. The team received the 2019 USTA Eastern Corporate Service Award, which is given to an organization whose sponsorship of tennis and programs has helped to grow the sport in the Section.
Long Island Tennis Magazine • March/April 2019 • LITennisMag.com
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… News and notes from across the L.I. tennis community Semon Wins L2 Long Island Open
USTA National Tennis Center Hosts Parents-Kids Day
Skylar Semon, who trains at Bethpage Park Tennis Center, had a great start to 2019 on the USTA tournament circuit. She won the Level 2 Long Island Open at Deer Park Tennis Center in the Girls 16s Division, playing excellent tennis in the finals to win, 6-0, 6-0.
Tennis is a sport for all and one that can be enjoyed by the whole family, and the USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center embodied that as it hosted a Parents-Kids Day on its campus. The event brought together the program’s kids and their parents for a day of fun and tennis.
Hofstra’s Pasion Named USTA LI College Coach of the Year
Garden City’s Graham Climbs National Rankings Photo credit: University of North Carolina
Alexa Graham is enjoying an outstanding junior campaign for the University of North Carolina. The Garden City native is up to fifth in the Oracle/ITF Division I Women’s Singles Rankings, and has helped lead the Tar Heels to an 11-1 record to start the season. In her college career, she has posted a 69-15 record in singles play.
Photo credit: Hofstra University Athletics
Jason Pasion, Head Coach of Hofstra University’s Men’s and Women’s Tennis teams, was named the College Coach of the Year by USTA Long Island. It is Pasion’s third season at the helm for Hofstra, and over that span, has led the men to 19 dual match wins, and the women to 20 victories. Pasion will be honored at the Annual Award Dinner in May.
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Discounts available for players with qualifying UTRs! Email jmtacombine@sportimeny.com LITennisMag.com • March/April 2019 • Long Island Tennis Magazine
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2019 New York Tennis Expo Recap ack and better than ever, the New York Tennis Expo returned to NYCB LIVE, home of the Nassau Veterans Memorial Coliseum on Feb. 9, with more than 5,000 people coming out for an all-day celebration of tennis as Long Island and New York Tennis Magazines joined forces with GF Sports to kick off the second year of the New York
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Open with the largest tennis expo in the country. The event would not have been possible without the support of the community, and especially all of those who attended. “The sixth New York Tennis Expo was our best yet! Each year, as our publications grow, our relationships with the community and attendance at all of the events we host does as well,” said David Sickmen, Pub-
Long Island Tennis Magazine • March/April 2019 • LITennisMag.com
lisher of Long Island and New York Tennis Magazines. “I’m most proud of how everyone came together in the community from juniors to adults, from high school teams to college teams, from teaching pros to businesses, so that everyone was a part of this big tennis day. Our event partners for the second year in a row, GF Sports and NYCB LIVE, were vital in their support and, at the end of the day, everyone was smiling.”
The Expo had something for everyone … whether young or old, tennis fan or nontennis fans, there were activities and games for all to enjoy. Tooty and the Mother Pluckers provided live music, as attendees entered the event with their eclectic mix of Pop, Classic Rock, RnB and Latin music, while DJ CM brought his high energy all-day long inside the Expo Hall. The 2019 New York Tennis Expo featured on-court clinics with local college programs, Adelphi, Farmingdale State, Nassau Community College and NYIT, along with special guest Nick Bollettieri, as kids and adults stepped out onto the Stadium and Grandstand Courts to play. “We had little kids, college kids and even parents on the court with us. It was good to answer many of the questions parents had about things like how to judge their children as players. It was a great turnout,” said Bollettieri. “It couldn’t have been bet-
ter. The crowd was fantastic. I did about three or four clinics, and the enthusiasm of both the kids and adults was outstanding.” Throughout the day, players of all ages and levels got to learn from some of the best college tennis players in the area through drills, match play and lessons, and were joined by Bollettieri who shared the insight and knowledge that has made him one of the sport’s most revered coaches. “The 2019 New York Tennis Expo was a gift to Long Island Tennis and an incredible event because it had something for everyone,” said Steve Kaplan, Owner and Managing Director of Bethpage Park Tennis Center, and a sponsor of the Expo. “If you love tennis and live on Long Island this is THE event to support and attend." Players from the New York Open took the time to sign autographs and take pictures with attendees. Andy Roddick and Steve Johnson conducted Meet & Greets
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with guests, while Johnson and Peter Polansky joined industry leaders to discuss their tennis careers in interactive Speaker Sessions. The crowd to meet Roddick wrapped around the Broadcast Plaza area, as adults and kids alike came on stage to get an autograph and take a picture with the American tennis great. The panels, which were headlined by Bollettieri, Johnson, Polansky and Luke Jensen, and featured top local coaches, discussed everything from junior tennis to the professional ranks, and sparked intriguing conversations for audience members to engage in during the two Coaches Roundtable Live segments. Guests were able to ask questions to the panelists which resulted in interactive discussions in both the morning and afternoon speaker sessions. continued on page 10
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the new york tennis expo continued from page 9
Inside the Expo Hall, attendees had the opportunity to kick off their shoes and step onto the sand in the Beach Tennis Arena, while the 10 & Under mini-court was packed with young tennis players allday long. The Activity and Kids Zone had a bouncy house, inflatable pop-a-shot game, thanks to the Long Island Nets; and a Speed Serve Booth, presented by SPORTIME; not to mention the more than 70 exhibitors who had their products and services on display. “USTA Eastern was proud to sponsor the
Net Generation Court which was filled throughout the day by children who were able to pick up a racket and play red and orange ball tennis, many for the first time,” said Jonathan Klee, USTA Eastern LI Regional Director. “It’s this type of fun grassroots tennis which helps us to grow the game.” The newest gear and tennis apparel was put on display thanks to multiple companies and brands, as local high school players showed off the latest tennis outfits, hats, shirts and other gear in the Tennis Fashion Show.
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See details on seasonal programs at www.ross.org/rssta
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Long Island Tennis Magazine • March/April 2019 • LITennisMag.com
For the second straight year, the Expo served as the opening event for the New York Open, which brought professional tennis right here onto Long Island. The tournament featured some of the world’s best players, including John Isner, Frances Tiafoe and the Bryan Brothers, and served as the home of young American Reilly Opelka’s first career ATP Tour title. The Wolfpack Ninja obstacle course was a popular activity for guests as they tested their athletic prowess with the help of trained instructors. “The collaboration between the New York Tennis Expo and New York Open resulted in record-breaking attendance for the Expo and a perfect kick-off to the tournament’s calendar of weeklong events,” said Josh Ripple, Executive Vice President of GF Sports and New York Open Tournament Chairman. “Our mutual objective was to provide the community with a family-friendly and free platform for people to learn about the great sport of tennis. For Expo/Open 2.0, we undoubtedly met and exceeded the metrics we set for success, and we look immediately to build bigger and better in 2020.” Sickmen added, “With a crowd of more than 5,000, vendors and sponsors were thrilled with the enthusiasm. This platform created a way for all the supporting businesses to be successful, while all the attendees had fun. We believe everyone involved with the event, including tennis as a whole, was a winner!”
What They Are Saying ... "Our participation in this year’s New York Tennis Expo gave us the ability to engage and interact with a very meaningful tennis audience. The New York tennis community embraced the event, so it was a great opportunity for us to expose the Evert Tennis Academy and give face-to-face details about our programs!" –Ricardo Acioly, Tennis Director, Evert Tennis Academy “The New York Tennis Expo was a fantastic event, and I was proud to be a part of it. It is amazing what can happen when the tennis community locks arms and works towards growing the sport that we are all so passionate about. I am already looking forward to next year!”—Jackie Clark, USPTA Eastern Treasurer and High School Tennis Coach “We were very pleased with the overall turnout at the New York Tennis Expo. We were able to connect with many families from Long Island and the surrounding areas. We look forward to attending this event next year.”—David Cotrone, Head of Business Development, IMG Academy “The New York Tennis Expo is a one-of-a-kind event. I have participated in many tennis fairs, trade shows and promotions, and this is, by far, the best-attended and the best run. There are so many options for families, players and the general public … meeting top tour professional players, buying cool stuff, lots of tennis giveaways, unique demonstrations, and so much more. The turnout of participants is tremendous!.”—Lisa Dodson, Owner and Developer, ServeMaster “The 2019 New York Tennis Expo was a gift to Long Island tennis and an incredible event because it had something for everyone. If you love tennis and live on Long Island, this is THE event to support and attend."—Steve Kaplan, Owner and Managing Director, Bethpage Park Tennis Center “The USTA Eastern LI Regional Council was proud to participate and be a part of the 2019 Tennis Expo. We had volunteers at the USTA Membership Appreciation table where we handed out thank you gifts. USTA Eastern was also proud to sponsor the Net Gen Court, which was filled throughout the day by children. It's this type of fun, grassroots tennis which helps us to grow the game.”— Jonathan Klee, USTA Eastern LI Regional Director “The Expo was again a huge success. It’s a great opportunity to network with the community and the other vendors. Thank you to
David Sickmen and his staff for organizing this incredible event.” —Kathy Miller, General Manager, Carefree Racquet Club “It was great! The New York Tennis Expo is growing every year we’ve been here. For a technology company like ours, it’s really important for us to get out in front of people, so we can educate them about our app. This is the perfect forum for us.”—Neil Parthasarathy, Founder and CEO, Sports Made Easy “The New York Tennis Expo provides a unique opportunity for tennis players from around the Tri-State Area to gather and explore the latest in sports innovation. We were able to introduce our courtbooking app to a diverse group of players looking to improve their everyday tennis experience. We had a great time meeting everyone, and the AceSpace team is already looking forward to next year's Expo!”—Chris Sabaitis, Founder, AceSpace "Thanks again to Long Island Tennis Magazine for welcoming us to the New York Open and the New York Tennis Expo. Each year, we develop valuable new connections with local tennis clubs and players, and are able to re-establish ties with our existing friends and travelers. We'll see you all in 2020 for sure!"—Lisa Scholtes, Managing Partner, Elite Tennis Travel “I was really impressed. It was a tremendous success. I was happy to see the large number of people in attendance. There were plenty of fun activities for the kids, especially as we all continue to strive to promote the game of tennis. It is also pretty neat to have the kids participate in some of the on court drills.”—Pablo Sierra, USTA Eastern Metro Regional Director “This event gave exhibitors and attendees the chance to talk faceto-face, an increasingly difficult struggle in the era of video communication, e-mails and text messages. It was a great opportunity to network and build relationships with current clients and potential prospects.”—Michelle Stoerback, League and Adult Tennis Director, Christopher Morley Tennis “The Expo created a lot of excitement around the Long Island tennis community, and it was a great time for everyone, offering tennis fanatics and casual fans alike the opportunity to bring their families to a free event where you can meet professional tennis players with tons of activities, on-court demos and off-court information sessions is great for the game of tennis.”—Jason Wass, Regional Director of Tennis, SPORTIME
LITennisMag.com • March/April 2019 • Long Island Tennis Magazine
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Scenes From 2019 New Y
February 9, 2019 • NYCB LIVE, Home of Th
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Long Island Tennis Magazine • March/April 2019 • LITennisMag.com continued on page 14
om the w York Tennis Expo
of The Nassau Veterans Memorial Coliseum • Uniondale, N.Y.
LITennisMag.com • March/April 2019 • Long Island Tennis Magazine Photo credit: USTA/Brad Penner
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The 2019 New York Tennis Expo was a huge success as more than 5,000 guests came out to enjoy our one-day celebration of tennis. Once again we displayed the latest and trendiest in tennis apparel with our Tennis Fashion Show, as players from local high school teams modeled tennis outfits, and gear from some of the top tennis companies.
Long Island Tennis Magazine’s
2019 Boys High Schoo Nassau County Preview Player to Watch: Kabir Rajpal, Syosset High School The first singles spot for the Syosset Braves has been held down by one of the best players in Nassau County for the past few seasons. That was Neel Rajesh two years ago and Daniel Pellerito last season. And while there will be a new face holding that spot down in 2019, Syosset expects a smooth transition with Kabir Rajpal entering the mix. Rajpal previously played second singles for the Braves as a freshman in 2017, and after taking a year off in 2018 to focus on his tournament training, returns this year in hopes of leading Syosset to a fifth straight Nassau County Championship. “Anytime you have someone as talented and competitive as Kabir back in the lineup, it’s a huge addition,” said Syosset Head Coach Shai Fisher. “I know he’s been training extremely hard with his private coach over this time to be the best player he can be. People might not remember that he played second singles for us in eighth and ninth grade, and went undefeated both of those years. So to have him back in his
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junior year, more mature and even more motivated, will make the team that much stronger.” It was an easy decision to come back, Rajpal says. He was already eager to re-
Long Island Tennis Magazine • March/April 2019 • LITennisMag.com
turn, and after speaking with both Fisher and his older brother Preet, who was a captain last year and a back-to-back County Doubles Champion, that decision was made even easier. “Coach Fisher is a great coach. He really wanted me to play, and I really wanted to do it for him and the team because we have the best team on Long Island, in my opinion,” said Rajpal. “We want that fifth straight title. My brother is in college now, but was the captain last year, and we talked on the phone for hours about all of the factors which really helped me make my decision.” His tennis has improved a great deal since his freshman season, and Kabir says his game has a come a long way. “I wanted to focus on the transition from younger junior tennis, to the ‘big boy’ stage of tennis … a big serve and forehand, coming to the net and being aggressive,” said Kabir. “I feel more comfortable being a big hitter now.”
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PREVIEW
And while he didn’t compete with the team last season, he wasn’t too far away from his teammates. “I think it was a good decision to take the year off, but I tried to come watch the team play as much as I could,” Kabir added. “I was at the County and Long Island finals to see them take it again and it was great.” Being around that winning culture has been commonplace for Rajpal since he was in middle school, so being immersed right back into won’t be too much of an adjustment for him. “There is always pressure, but I look at it more as motivation. It’s all about how you handle it,” Kabir said. “It’s almost like a changing of the guard. The older players go to college and it’s our time now; we become the upperclassmen. I remember how I felt as an eighth and ninth grader. I always looked up the older players and loved talking to them to get advice. And now it’s exciting to be in this spot. It provides perspective on just how fast time goes. The captains we have, Miles Capell and Peter Bakary, are unbelievable. They’re going to fill in perfectly, and we gel really well together as a team. Everyone knows each other. I’m really excited for this season. The team comes first, so my team and I will do whatever we can to get this fifth straight Nassau County title.” Syosset has been one of the most dominant programs on Long Island over the last few years, and much of that success can be attributed to its pipeline of players, and the development of those players as they get older. Despite taking a year off, Kabir was still a part of the program and that culture, and will now be tasked with leading at the top of the lineup as his Braves begin defense of its Nassau County and Long Island titles. “It will be a completely different and youthful team, but I know this year’s two newly named captains are super excited for the upcoming season,” said Fisher. “Kabir will definitely be providing leader-
By Brian Coleman
ship in his own way as well. It’s not his first time on the varsity team, he knows the other captains extremely well and I feel that
the chemistry he has with them and the other boys on the team will make for a smooth transition for everyone.”
Nassau County Players to Watch in 2019 l Alex Karman—Port Washington l Jared Phillips—Plainview JFK l Gabriele Brancatelli—Port Washington
l Griffin Schlesinger—Cold Spring Harbor l Mike Weitz—Roslyn
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Long Island Tennis Magazine’s
PREVIEW
2019 Boys High School
Suffolk County Preview Player to Watch: Alex Rzehak, Harborfields High School One of the best traits an athlete at any level can have is their ability to continually improve on their skills from one year to the next. Alex Rzehak of Harborfields possesses that trait. “Alex has been on the varsity team for the past four years and has been our number one singles player for the past three years,” said Harborfields High School Head Coach Bob Davis. “His steady improvement over that time has lifted him up to the category of elite players in Suffolk County. He’s really improved his overall game.” That improvement has resulted in Rzehak being an All-State player in each of the last two years, and has helped Harborfields remain competitive inside a tough League 1 in Suffolk County. “His serve has become more of a weapon and he can rely on it more now. His groundstrokes are more accurate and his volleying has become more reliable as well,” said Davis. “But his biggest improvement is how he approaches each match. He has a plan and stays with it throughout the match. He’s a very methodical player. Alex has been the state alternate for the past two years, and I know one his goals this year is to play at the state tournament and do well there. He has certainly put in the time and effort.” The Tornadoes reached the quarterfinals the playoffs last year, and Rzehak played an integral role in that run, as he defeated Danny Tocco at the top singles spot in straight sets to lead the team in a second round showdown with Westhampton Beach. And now, as Rzehak heads into his senior season, both he and the team will
strive to build on the success of the past couple of seasons. “We are going to have to put a lot of hours in on and off the court in preparation for each match,” said Rzehak. “Hopefully with enough work, we will be able to take down some of the top teams like Hills East, Hills West and Commack this year to win the conference.” One of the main aspects of his game that Rzehak wanted to work on as he heads into this season was his mental strength during his matches. He was defeated in the Suffolk County semifinals, and wants to improve upon that result. “Last year, I felt as though I cracked under pressure at Counties,” said Rzehak. “So I have been working on my mentality during big matches and important points so I can get through those tough opponents.” On an individual level, Rzehak’s goal this
season is to go one step further than he has in the previous two, and go on to compete at the New York State Public High School Athletic Association (NYSPHSAA) Championships. In order to do so, he will need to finish in one of the top three spots in the County’s Individual Championships later this spring. But until then, Rzehak’s focus is to maintain the steady improvement that he has demonstrated over the last couple of seasons, and which has elevated him to the player he is. While individual results are important, the senior is excited for one more season together with his Harborfields teammates. “I am really looking forward to spending time with my team again,” Rzehak said. “We had a lot of fun last season and competing with a team behind you is a great feeling.”
Suffolk County Players to Watch in 2019 l Connor Cochrane—Bay Shore l Josh Kaplan—Westhampton Beach l Matthew Kronenberg—Ward Melville 18
l Alan Sabovic—Connetquot l Matthew Strogach—Commack
Long Island Tennis Magazine • March/April 2019 • LITennisMag.com
PGA Tour Superstore: A Destination for Tennis Players
GA Tour Superstore in Westbury, N.Y. is a reputable golf retail destination, but if you walk the store floor, engage with its staff and ask around, this national retail chain is quickly making a name for itself in tennis and with the tennis community. Located at 1254 Corporate Drive in Westbury, PGA Tour Superstore has everything tennis players and fans are looking for, carrying all of the latest tennis rackets and equipment from the top names in tennis, including Prince, Babolat, Head, Wilson and more. They also carry a wide selection of tennis apparel and footwear from leading brands, such as Adidas, Asics
P
and Nike, as well as grips, strings and other accessories. PGA Tour Superstore offers on-site stringing, and its expert staff, led by Master Stringer Adam Moramarco who runs the tennis department, are players just like you, so they can help you out with any questions on stringing and products, and make sure you walk away with the product that is right for you. PGA Tour Superstore hosts in-house events and fundraisers year-round, and can help customize your event or tournament by offering gift cards, products, memberships and much more. Many PGA Tour Superstore customers
play both golf and tennis, and whether they are looking for expertise in one sport or the other, the national retail chain is changing the reputation of traditional big box stores by providing personalized customer service often found at smaller, local (tennis and golf) pro shops. In addition, PGA Tour Superstore hosts in-store events, such as contests, clinics, fundraisers, parties and many more functions, which can enhance your cause. The store is involved with numerous charities, including Ronald McDonald House and Tuesday’s Children, and takes great pride in being a part of and contributing to the betterment of the community.
For more information on PGA Tour Superstore’s products and services, call (516) 824-3000 or visit PGATourSuperstore.com/Tennis. LITennisMag.com • March/April 2019 • Long Island Tennis Magazine
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The Untold Secret Behind the Big Win Your More Beyond the Score By Rob Polishook, Mental Training Coach MA, CPC Most of us saw Novak Djokovic’s dominating win over Rafael Nadal in the finals of the 2019 Australian Open. Usually, coaches, parents, fans and even the athletes themselves write off this kind of big win as: “He just played great.” But this explanation is often too simplistic. In sports and in life, we tend to miss the larger story beyond the score. The underlying reasons for the win are not just skill, talent, technique and physicality, but also that which is unseen. I call this a player’s “More.” The More is a unique combination of heart, en-
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ergy and spirit that fuels and sustains performance, even under the most adverse of conditions. To get a clear picture of a player’s More in competition, imagine Roger Federer playing against Nadal. In both players, you see skill, but you also see a synergy of heart, energy and spirit. This is their More, and it is what makes these athletes champions. Part of Nadal’s More may be his unbelievable grit. Federer shows us his More when he exhibits his calm and stylish grace. Mark Twain pointed to the More, when he said, “It’s not the size of the dog in the fight, it’s the size of the fight in the dog.” Bringing your individual More to the
Long Island Tennis Magazine • March/April 2019 • LITennisMag.com
court is often the difference between winning and losing. We see the elements of your More when we look below the surface—the heart, energy and spirit braid together in symbiotic relationship with skill, talent, technique and physicality, like a steel rope, that once intertwined, the sum is greater than the parts. The first part of the More is the heart. Heart manifests as desire. Think about Nadal. Rafa has a tremendous love of the game. Rather than looking at his opponent as better or worse, he respects the opponent as a person, and is grateful for being able to play. He is not playing with expectation or ego, he is playing for love … his love for competi-
tion and the game, and love for always trying to be the best that he can be. If you think of something greater than yourself when you play, it can power your game. In doing this, clients of mine have identified their big “I,” an inspiration for playing. It might be to inspire other young siblings or disadvantaged athletes. The second part of the More is their energy. How many times have you heard a commentator discuss a player’s energy or the crowd’s energy feeding a player? Think about a grueling five-set match when a player’s emotional energy fluctuates up and down, similar to an EKG. Energy can shift from none to low, to balanced to hyper, to overwhelmed. Like anyone, Federer’s energy shifts throughout a match, but he always knows where his energy is, and he is able to stay in control of his game because of it. Observing junior tournaments, one can sometimes see players forcing points from a state of hyper-energy, rather than patiently waiting for an opportu-
nity to attack. Without knowing it, they keep pressing, until they finally feel so overwhelmed, they crash. Conversely, if you are playing tight and in a state of low energy, by focusing on your breath or movement, you can bring it back to balance. Knowing where your energy is can be a critical part of staying balanced, and staying balanced is one of the keys to peak performance. The third part of the More is spirit. Spirit is a person’s spark, their passion and resiliency. Spirit is how a player navigates success, failure and adversity during competition. Think about Novak Djokovic … his spirit is unlike any other player’s. There is a calm, Zen-like way about him, yet he also has a beautifully explosive spark to him. This allows him to manage adversity, while others players crash under the same situation. Spirit is not about the knock down, it’s about the get-up. When you play, you can show a strong spirit by bouncing back rather than spiraling out of control or giving up. A player is more than an athlete. Ath-
letes are often trained based on their skill, talent, technique and physicality, but a player is more than that. Their More—the combined effort of their heart, energy, and spirit—actually defines their game. Playing from their More is really the only way an athlete can maximize one’s full potential. Next time when you see a player pull off that great win, look below the surface. Sure they may have played well, but why did they play well? Most likely because they were connected to their More. When a player brings who they are to what they do, More happens … every time. Rob Polishook, MA, CPC is Founder and Director of Inside the Zone Sports Performance Group. As a Mental Training Coach, he works with athletes and teams, focusing on helping athletes gain the mental edge. Rob is Author of Tennis Inside the Zone: Mental Training Workouts for Champions. He may be reached by phone at (973) 723-0314, email Rob@InsideTheZone.com or visit InsideTheZone.com.
LITennisMag.com • March/April 2019 • Long Island Tennis Magazine
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2019 Aust Credit all photos: ATPWorldTour.com and WTATennis.com
Novak Djokovic continues to dominate After winning the last two Grand Slams of 2018, Novak Djokovic continued to assert his dominance in Melbourne. Djokovic annihilated Rafael Nadal 6-3, 6-2, 6-3 in the Final to capture his seventh Aussie Open title. The 31-yearold Serb shows no signs of slowing down, having won 45 of his last 49 matches going back to 2018. With 15 Grand Slam Singles titles, Djokovic sits five back of Federer for the all-time lead, and is six years younger than the Swiss maestro. Nadal cruises … until the Final After missing more than four months of action, Rafael Nadal showed little rust at the Australian Open. The 17-time Grand Slam winner made it all the way to the Final without losing a set. Over his first six matches, Nadal lost an average of just eight games per match. However, that statistic was turned on its head in the Final, when Nadal won just eight total games in a straight sets defeat at the hands of Novak Djokovic. Tiafoe digs deep Frances Tiafoe appeared to be on the verge of defeat. The 21-year-old American was down a set and a break to world number six Kevin Anderson. He had lost all three matches he played against the South African in 2018. Instead of giving up, Tiafoe battled back for a thrilling comeback win. “I dug insanely deep,” said Tiafoe after 22
the match. The Maryland native continued to dig deep, beating Andreas Seppi in five sets and Grigor Dimitrov in four before falling to Nadal in the quarterfinals. American struggles continue As Tiafoe became a household name Down Under, many of his compatriots fell by the wayside. Ninth seeded John Isner (pictured here), the number 31 seed Steve Johnson, and Sam Querrey all lost in the opening round. Other than Tiafoe, Taylor Fritz was the only American male to make it past the second round, falling to Roger Federer in round three. Tsitsipas won’t tell you his secret In 2018, Stefanos Tsitsipas’ breakthrough came in Toronto when he defeated Dominic Thiem, Novak Djokovic, Alexander Zverev and Kevin Anderson in four consecutive matches to reach the Rogers Cup Final. In Melbourne, the 20-year-old made his Grand Slam breakthrough with a spirited run to the semifinals. No win was more significant than his four-set defeat of Roger Federer in the Round of 16. After beating the 20-time Grand Slam champion, Tsitsipas was careful not to divulge the strategy he’d used to pull off the upset. “If I tell you, it won’t be a secret anymore,” he said. Kvitova shows her mettle In December 2016, an intruder broke into Petra Kvitova’s apartment and attacked her with a knife. The two-time Wimbledon champion sustained severe injuries to her left hand, and underwent surgery to help
Long Island Tennis Magazine • March/April 2019 • LITennisMag.com
repair her ligaments and tendons. In Melbourne, the 28-year-old showed the world what she was still capable of by winning her first six matches, advancing to the Final without dropping a set. After her semifinal win, Kvitova discussed her challenging journey. “I’ve been through many things, not really great ones … I didn’t know if I was going to hold a racket again,” said Kvitova. Osaka’s second Slam Last September, Naomi Osaka became a household name after she beat Serena Williams to capture the U.S. Open title in Flushing Meadows. In Melbourne, the Japanese native notched her second straight grand slam title, defeating Petra Kvitova, 7-6(2), 5-7, 6-4 in the Australian Open Final. Osaka rose to the number one spot in the WTA Women’s Singles Rankings as a result of her triumph. The 21-year-old is the youngest player to hold the top spot in the WTA rankings since Caroline Wozniacki reached number one in the rankings at the age of 20 in 2010. Serena’s surprising collapse Leading 5-1 in the third set against Karolina Pliskova, Serena Williams seemed moments away from reaching her ninth Australian Open semifinal. Instead, Pliskova won six consecutive games to take the third set 7-5, saving four match points in the process. Following the match, the 23time Grand Slam winner was quick to give credit to her opponent. “I can’t say that I choked on those match points,” said Serena. “She
ustralian Open Takeaways BY PETER MENDELSOHN
literally played her best tennis ever on those shots.” American Collins wins first Grand Slam match … and more Entering the 2019 Australian Open, American Danielle Collins had never won a Grand Slam singles match. The Florida native won’t have to worry about that statistic after Melbourne. Collins defeated three seeded players en route to a semifinals appearance. After a dominant 6-0, 6-2 win over the second-seeded Angelique Kerber in the Round of 16, the 25-year-
old made it clear that her run was no fluke. “I may not have won a Grand Slam match before this week,” Collins said. “But I have to tell you, I think it’s going to keep happening.” The rise of Amanda Anisimova After a junior career that included winning the 2017 U.S. Open Girls Singles title, big things were expected of 17-year-old Amanda Anisimova. But it would be understandable if it took the teenager some time to post major results on the professional tour. Instead,
Anisimova won her first three matches in Melbourne, before bowing out in the Round of 16. Her run was highlighted by a 6-3, 6-2 defeat of 11th-seeded Aryna Sabalenka in the third round. “I loved playing out there today,” said Anisimova after the match. “I never had that match fun in a match before.” Peter Mendelsohn is the Owner of TennisDork.com. He is currently pursuing a degree in sports journalism. He may be reached by phone at (647) 984-5509 or email at Peter.R.Mendelsohn@gmail.com.
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The Life of Reilly Opelka captures first ATP title at NY Open By Brian Coleman
Standing above the rest in New York is no easy task … even if you stand at 6’11”. But that is just what Reilly Opelka did over the course of a week at NYCB LIVE, home of the Nassau Veterans Memorial Coliseum in Uniondale. The 21-year-old American captured the second-ever New York Open singles title with a masterful run on Long Island and raised the first ATP Tour level championship trophy of his young career in the process. “This is definitely my biggest title yet, the one I’m most proud of for sure,” said Opelka. “It’s been a lot of years coming ... It’s been a million people along the way, so many different people have helped me, and now I want to go a lot further than this.” His win in the finals capped off a fantastic week of tennis, winning five matches in six days that saw him unleash an unmerciful amount of aces on his competition. In all, Opelka hit 156 aces during his week on Long Island, including 86 combined in the semifinals and finals, an even 43 each in both matches. Opelka credits his success with his serve during the tournament on a key adjustment he made in the early rounds after he dropped the opening set to France’s Adrian Mannarino in the first round. “First of all, it was in my match with Mannarino … my first serve percentage was 48 percent in the first set. I lost 6-2 and that number is way too low; I should be around 70 percent,” Opelka said, impressively remembering his numbers from a match five days prior. “So I made an adjustment first with my toss on my serve by moving it further in front, and I think served 70 percent or higher every single set after that. So that was one, and then after my match with [Denis] Istomin, I wasn’t happy with my return serve and my forehand, and I made some adjustments there and started paying more attention to my folly through, and that helped my forehand a lot. As the week went on, I progressed a lot with my tennis, and by keeping myself in those matches when I wasn’t playing well it gave me the opportunity to fix it.” That sentiment is what Opelka will take away from his week in New York. With his height, he has always been known as a huge server, and rightfully so, especially when you see the numbers, but it was his ability to play an all-around game and make adjustments that led to his success. John Isner, the player with whom Opelka is most often compared to because of their stature and style of play, has seen that type of progression up close in recent months. Opelka scored one of the signature wins of his career earlier this year at the Australian Open, when he outdueled Isner, 7-6(4), 7-6(6), 6-7(4), 7-6(5), in the type of score line you would expect from these two. “It’s been helpful watching him, but at the same time, we’re different,” Opelka said of trying to emulate the success of Isner. “There are similarities, but the ball comes back a lot more for me 24 24
Long • LITennisMag.com continued on page 26 Long Island Island Tennis Tennis Magazine Magazine •• January/February March/April 2019 •2019 LITennisMag.com
Credit all photos to: Lee Seidner, Brian Coleman & NY Open
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the life of reilly continued from page 24
than it will for him. At least for now.” And just a few weeks later, Opelka would have another opportunity to see the ball coming back from Isner. After defeating Mannarino, Istomin and Guillermo GarciaLopez at the New York Open, Opelka faced off against Isner in the semifinals. With a spot in the finals on the line, Opelka and Isner played a thrilling match
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that spanned more than two-and-a-half hours. Once again, Opelka came out on top, this time with a 6-7(8), 7-6(14), 7-6(4) victory. “He’s definitely maturing,” said Isner of Opelka. “Of course he serves extremely well, but for a big guy, he moves well too. Just like me, he’s going to be in a lot of matches, even if he’s not playing great,
Long Island Tennis Magazine • March/April 2019 • LITennisMag.com
because of his huge serve. He’s going to be a force for a long time in this sport.” With the way that Opelka and Isner both serve, matches between them come down to just a couple points here and there. And in key points in both the second and third set tie-breakers, Opelka was able to get himself into points on Isner’s serve with his length and movement, which proved to be the difference. “They won’t always turn that way for me,” said Opelka. “Look at John [Isner]— with a match point on serve. He’s a very clutch player I would say, so I think just with our styles there’s going to be moments where it goes my way and I play clutch in those moments, and then obviously there will be instances where it doesn’t.” His success in those tiebreakers would foreshadow and play a decisive role in his finals match against 23-year-old Canadian Brayden Schnur. After rolling through the opening set in just 18 minutes, Opelka had multiple chances to break Schnur’s serve in the second set, but was unable to, resulting in a tiebreaker. There, Opelka had two match points, but Schnur saved
both as Opelka double-faulted on the second one. That allowed Schnur the opening to take the set and force the New York Open finals into a third set. It seemed inevitable that this set would head into a tiebreaker, so few were surprised when it eventually did. This time, Opelka used his tiebreaker experience to his benefit. He challenged a first serve from Schnur at 7-7 in the tiebreak and won it, resulting in a second serve from Schnur. He double-faulted, and on the ensuing point, Opelka dialed up his 156th ace of the tournament, a blistering 135 milesper-hour out wide to seal the first tour level title of his career. “This is definitely what I’m most proud of. I was tough mentally, especially losing a lot of first sets this week, and my first serve really helped me out,” said Opelka. “I was able to play clutch in those big moments.” The excellent start to 2019 for Opelka shouldn’t come as a huge surprise, and while his first ATP title wasn’t something even he expected this quickly, he knew he was getting close. In 2018, Opelka saw his game take a huge leap, as he won three ti-
tles on the ATP Challenger Tour, and reached the quarterfinals of the Delray Beach Open, where he scored the first Top 10 win of his career. Those performances helped him finish the year ranked inside the Top 100 for the first time. “Last year was huge for me. It was the first time I consistently put together a lot of matches in a row,” he said. “I reached a lot of semifinals and I think the year before there wasn’t one week where I had won three matches in a row. Being able to play on the Challenger Tour and not as many ATP Tour events helped me string all those matches together. It gave me a lot of confidence and I learned a lot about myself and my tennis. It allowed me to work on some things that I knew needed to be addressed.” Opelka may not have to worry about playing in Challenger events anymore. With his New York Open run, he saw his ranking climb to 56th in the world, which will allow him entry into many tour level tournaments. Long Island will now always be a special place for Opelka, who was born in Michigan and moved to Florida when he was fouryears-old. While he grew up all the way
down the coast from New York, his mother and father were both in attendance to witness his breakthrough tournament. “I’m just so proud of Reilly,” his mother, Lynne Opelka, told FlagerLive.com “Because he’s come so far and put in so much work.” And the title meant a lot more knowing his family was there to see it. “She probably looked calm, but I don’t think she was calm,” Opelka joked during his post-match press conference. “Yeah, that was awesome. My mom’s been amazing to me through all of this. Her commitment is unreal—and her love for tennis is something she shared with me. I’m really happy she was there.” With his New York Open victory as a stepping stone and a 43-spot ascent up the rankings, Opelka’s strong start to the year propels him into the top five of Americans in the ATP Men’s Singles Rankings, and one of the new faces of American tennis looking to make an impact in 2019. Brian Coleman is the Senior Editor for Long Island Tennis Magazine. He may be reached at brianc@usptennis.com.
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2019 NE
February 9-17 at NY
The packed floor of NYCB LIVE during the Taste of New York Open event featuring celebrity Chef David Burke Krawietz & Mies Win First ATP Title Together Playing in just their fourth ATP Tour main draw as a team, Kevin Krawietz & Andreas Mies captured their first title together, winning the 2019 New York Open Doubles Championship with a 6-4, 7-5 victory over Mexico’s Santiago Gonzalez & Pakistan’s Aisam-ul-Haq Qureshi. “It means the world to us at the moment. It’s unbelievable, this feeling. It’s hard to describe,” said Mies. “It’s really a dream come true for us. We worked so hard for it. It’s our first ATP title. It’s a special feeling. I didn’t know what the feeling would be like, but I can tell you it’s an amazing feeling. And we’re super happy to win it.” Krawietz & Mies secured the decisive break for a 4-3 lead in the opening set, and would go on to serve out the set to take the early advantage. In the second, both duos continued to battle closely with holds of serve through the first 10 games. But that’s when Krawietz & Mies worked 28
Andreas Mies & Kevin Krawietz captured the 2019 New York Open Doubles Championship themselves deep into a service game and a running passing shot from Mies won the break and put them ahead 6-5. In the ensuing service game, Mies served out the match and closed it out with an overhead smash on championship point.
Long Island Tennis Magazine • March/April 2019 • LITennisMag.com
“It was an unbelievable tournament. This is the best tournament that we’ve played together,” said Krawietz. “From the first match here we felt very good.” Over the last year-and-a-half, the German duo have developed a chemistry together on the court which resulted in six Challenger titles. They cracked into an ATP Tour level main draw for the first time together at last year’s Wimbledon Championships, and went on to reach the Round of 16. And on the final day of the New York Open, they took home their first hardware together and became the second doubles champions in New York Open history. The duo was visibly thrilled with their triumph during the post-match press conference with Mies unable to control his smile, and Long Island will forever be a special place for the German duo. Despite it only being their fourth tournament together, Krawietz & Mies quickly developed chemistry over the last year or so,
Credit all photos to Sidney Beal III, Brian Coleman, Lee Seidner & the New York Open
NEW YORK OPEN RECAP
at NYCB LIVE, Home of the Nassau Veterans Memorial Coliseum
Canadian Brayden Schnur celebrates a point during the finals of the 2019 New York Open which they attribute to being good friends away from tennis. “Communication is key in doubles, and in any relationship. If it’s on the tennis court, if it’s in real life, communication is so important,” said Mies. “We get along off the court. We have fun together, and you can see that on the court. We almost communicate without talking. I know what he’s doing in certain moments, and he knows what I’m doing without even saying it to each other. We had a great tactic going into every match, and executed very in all the matches.” Schnur’s Emotional Run to New York Open Finals In early February, Brayden Schnur reached the quarterfinals of the RBC Tennis Championships, an ATP Challenger Tour tournament in Dallas. But he was soon under the weather, and didn’t know what his next move would be. “Coming from Dallas, I wasn’t even sure
if I was going to show up here,” Schnur said at the New York Open. “I wasn’t feeling good, I was tired. But I just ended up coming here.” Schnur took a spot in the New York Open qualifying draw, a decision he would not come to regret. The 23-year-old Canadian, who is a star at the University of North Carolina, put together the best week of his professional career. It began in qualifying when he took on Long Island native Cannon Kingsley in the first round. Still fighting through his illness, coughing in between nearly every point, Schnur fell behind 1-4 against Kingsley. He would come back to win that match, and then ousted Australia’s Alexei Popyrin 6-4, 7-6(8) to secure his spot in the main draw. Taking on compatriot Jack Lin in the Round of 32, Schnur scored the first tourlevel victory of his career as he posted a 6-1, 6-3 win. “It’s been a good week so far. A week of firsts for me. It’s my first tour level win today,” Schnur said after the win. “So I’m pretty happy about that.” His breakthrough week continued with
over thrilling three-set wins over Steve Johnson, Paolo Lorenzi and Sam Querrey, putting him in the 2019 New York Open Finals. “It’s a dream come true,” said a reflective Schnur. “It’s been an amazing week for me.” Schnur would battle Reilly Opelka in the finals, a two-hour affair that saw incredible rallies and an enormous amount of resiliency from Schnur. He saved eight break points, and five match points in total, but would come up just short. In his runner-up speech on court afterwards, Schnur couldn’t help but shed his emotions, wiping away tears as he spoke about all the injuries he has gone through, and the hard work both he and the people around him have put in. He would continue in his press conference. “I’m not the most talented guy out on the court, but from 14-years-old, my coach asked me to wake up every day at 5:30 a.m. to train,” said Schnur. “I did that for years, all the way to college. And coming out of college with a really bad knee injury, continued on page 30
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2019 new york open recap continued from page 29
Jim Courier returns a shot against Andy Roddick in an exhibition to kick off the 2019 New York Open
Andy Roddick faced off against Jim Courier in an exhibition to launch the 2019 New York Open
and never really knowing if I was ever going to be able to play at my full potential again. Two years later recovering from that, and then obviously now being here. It’s just a roller-coaster ride. So many times, I doubted myself, and having this week has been unbelievable.” His week earned him 150 ranking points, a career-high ranking of 107th in the world, and maybe, most importantly, the validation that he belongs competing at this level.
NY Open Kicks Off With Roddick-Courier Exhibition and NY Tennis Expo While the main draw and qualifying matches didn't start until Sunday, the New York Open got underway Saturday with the New York Tennis Expo, which had more than 5,000 attendees and featured 70-plus vendors and sponsors. That was followed by the debut of the Taste of New York Open.
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Long Island Tennis Magazine • March/April 2019 • LITennisMag.com
Before they took to the court, Roddick and Courier competed in a culinary challenge with the help of celebrity Chef David Burke. The two demonstrated their talents in the kitchen as Burke presided over the competition. In the end it was Courier who came out victorious. “It shows the power of skill,” said Courier afterwards. Roddick would exact some revenge during their match, defeating Courier 6-4, 6-3. The 2003 U.S. Open champion, who signed autographs and took pictures with fans earlier in the day, talked about the importance of tennis in New York. “It’s great. This market has so much history with the game,” he said. “Obviously the U.S. Open is the one that comes to mind. But the year-end Masters was here so many times. There’s so much tradition of tennis in Madison Square Garden. There is so much history in this market and it’s nice to see new tennis history being made with the New York Open.”
Players sampled an array of fine cuisine at the Taste of New York Open event The 516 Expo Plaza and Other Week-Long Activities Long Island possesses such a passionate tennis community, and that was on display during the 2019 New York Open, as the tournament hosted numerous activities to engage with clubs, programs, teams and organizations in the area. Throughout the week-long event, there were many teams, both junior and adult, who were honored on court with pre-match celebrations and award presentations.
The Bryan Brothers take part in a meet & greet with fans
A new feature to the event was the 516 Expo Hall which, in addition to the multiple vendors inside, played host to a Beach Tennis Arena and the Wolfpack Ninja Obstacle Course, which provided fans a free and fun way to enjoy their time at the event. “The fundamental basis for this tournament to succeed is the ‘open’ aspect of the New York Open, meaning that the fans and the players are literally in closer proximity than at other events, especially the amazing New York Open,” said Ripple. “We think the ability for us to have immersive and up-close personal experiences is really a differentiator. And now after a second cycle, we know how NYCB LIVE plays into all that. The integration of our sister companies—such as Wolfpack Ninja and New York Riptde— into these experiences provides the entertainment content we need to broaden the offering. We are confident these adds will play huge dividends in the years to come.” Players from the tournament, including John Isner, Frances Tiafoe and the Bryan Brothers, took part in meet and greets and autograph signings with fans. There was also multiple Q&A sessions, where guests
had the opportunity to present their own questions to some of the sport’s biggest stars. The growth of the tournament experienced this past year provides optimism heading into 2020, set for Feb. 8-16 back at NYCB LIVE. “We’re very excited. Everyone has already started on preparations. Renewal sales are occurring, recaps being pro-
duced, targets being identified, player agents already being contacted,” Ripple said. “We know this will be a compelling winter entertainment property for New York. We have no time to waste, but we also know that Rome wasn’t built in one day. Our ownership is incredibly trusting and committed not only to the New York Open, but all GF Sports initiatives being planned for Long Island and at NYCB LIVE.”
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SCENES FROM THE 20
February 9-17 at NYCB LIVE, Home of the
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2019 NEW YORK OPEN
of the Nassau Veterans Memorial Coliseum 01-John Isner fields questions from fans during a Q&A session 02-The team of Andreas Mies & Kevin Krawietz celebrate winning their first ever ATP title together at the New York Open 03-An emotional Brayden Schnur during his post-match speech to close out the 2019 New York Open 04-New York Open winner Reilly Opelka celebrates his victory
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05-Doubles runners-up Santiago Gonzalez & Aisam-ul-Haq Qureshi with 2019 New York Open winners Andreas Mies & Kevin Krawietz 06-New York Open guests had the opportunity to run through the Wolfpack Ninja Obstacle Course during the tournament 07-Local Noah Rubin returned to Long Island to take part in the 2019 New York Open
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08-Jason Jung in singles action on the black courts of NYCB LIVE 09-John Isner signs an autograph for a lucky fan 10-A victorious Jim Courier was winner of the Taste of New York Open 11-Nortport’s Cannon Kingsley in action at the New York Open Qualifiers
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New York Open Hosts Long Island Adult League Finals
7.0 Women’s Finalists Laurie Schoenfeld & Mitra Klepper with winners Kim Oricoli & Marilena DiScala
7.0 Men’s Finalists John Russell & Adam Bell on the black courts of NYCB LIVE with winners Adam Moramarco & Rick Rivas
8.0 Women’s Division Finalists Evangeline Boutin & Maryna Iytnieva with the 8.0 Women Division winners Donna Ryan & Tatyana Battaglia
8.0 Men’s Finalists Jeff Deweever & Peter Morgis with 8.0 Division winners Brian Connor & Paul Schnabel
ver the last few months, Adult League teams from across Long Island have been competing in tournaments at various local clubs for a chance to play for a championship on the same courts at NYCB LIVE used by the professional players at the New York Open. On the day of the singles and doubles semifinals of the New York Open, eight Adult League teams took to the Grandstand Court at NYCB LIVE to battle in their own semifinals and subsequent finals. In the 8.0 Women’s Division, Donna Ryan & Tatyana Battaglia captured the title. The duo led 5-0 in the finals, but saw their lead dwindle, as Evangeline Boutin & Maryna
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Iytnieva won three straight games to bring things to 3-5. But Ryan made sure to stop it there, and held serve to win the match and the championship. “I told myself to just keep serving the way I had been serving,” Ryan said. “Trying to pull her out wide with the serve, and make sure to keep it on the court.” It was the second straight time competing in the finals for Battaglia, as she finished as a runner-up last year, but came out on top this year. “It was all about perseverance and confidence,” Battaglia said of keeping their cool during the comeback bid. “And it
Long Island Tennis Magazine • March/April 2019 • LITennisMag.com
helps knowing that you have a really great partner with you.” Below are the full results from the Adult League Finals at the New York Open: l 7.0 Women: Kim Oricoli & Marilena DiScala defeated Laurie Schoenfeld & Mitra Klepper l 7.0 Men: Adam Moramarco & Rick Rivas defeated John Russell & Adam Bell l 8.0 Women: Donna Ryan & Tatyana Battaglia defeated Evangeline Boutin & Maryna Iytnieva l 8.0 Men: Brian Connor & Paul Schnabel defeated Jeff Deweever & Peter Morgis
Inaugural JTT Tournament Played at NY Open
The Suffolk County JTL team took home first place in the 18 & Under Division
The New York Tennis at Great Neck crew captured first place in the 14 & Under Division
The team from New York Tennis at Great Neck won the 12 & Under Division at the inaugural Long Island Junior Team Tennis Tournament
Participants in the first-ever Long Island Junior Team Tennis Tournament gather for a photo
STA Long Island played host to the inaugural Long Island Junior Team Tennis Tournament at the New York Open this year. Teams from across Nassau and Suffolk Counties competed at Carefree Racquet Club in a round-robin format in three divisions: The 12 & Under, 14 & Under, and 18 & Under Divisions. “It was a great success,” said Neil Thakur, USTA Eastern’s Tennis Service Representative for Long Island. “We have a series of tournaments planned in the upcoming months with additional teams participating.” Below is the order of finish for each division:
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18 & Under Division 1. Suffolk County JTL I 2. Suffolk County JTL II 3. Carefree Racquet Club 4. EAC Blue Point 5. Suffolk County JTL III
14 & Under Division 1. New York Tennis at Great Neck 2. EAC Blue Point 3. Carefree Racquet Club
12 & Under Division 1. New York Tennis at Great Neck 2. EAC Blue Point Blue 3. Carefree Racquet Club 4. EAC Blue Point Green
Sportsmanship awards were given out in each division to the following players: l 18 & Under Division: Louis Gennaro (EAC Blue Point), Michael Kulikowski (Carefree Racquet Club) and Declan Leonard (Suffolk County JTL)
l 14 & Under Division: Ella Romano (EAC Blue Point), Giancarlo Gladd (EAC Blue Point) and Aaron Mashieh (New York Tennis at Great Neck)
l 12 & Under Division: David Krass (Carefree Racquet Club), Noah Ahdoot (New York Tennis at Great Neck) and Melissa Romano (EAC Blue Point)
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U S TA E A S T E R N L O N G I S L A N D R E G I O N
Mark Your Calendar for a Night to Remember lans are underway for the 29th Annual USTA Long Island Region Awards Dinner, which promises to be the best yet. Scheduled for Thursday, May 2, 2019 at Chateau Briand Caterers in Carle Place, the Dinner will bring together many Long Islanders who have made an impact on the local tennis community. Awards will be presented to those who made their marks on the court as players, volunteers, coaches, teachers, parents and more. “Our Annual Dinner is a wonderful evening of celebrating the best of Long Island tennis,” said Jonathan Klee, Regional Director, USTA Long Island Region. “We look forward to sharing this event with the broader community and hope to see many familiar and new faces that night. We are grateful to this year’s sponsors for their commitment to growing the game in our Region. I also want to thank everyone who took the time to nominate their peers. Your efforts ensured that we will, as always, honor the most deserving candidates.” According to Klee, dinner sponsorships are still available. E-mail USTAOnLongIsland@gmail.com to learn how you can put your business in front of more than 300 members of Long Island’s tennis community by becoming an Awards Dinner Sponsor. This year, awards will be presented in categories including Junior and Adult Rankings, High School Champions and Prestigious, Excellence and Sportsmanship Awards. The evening’s highest honor will go to Karen Cadorette of Huntington, who will receive the Hy Zausner Lifetime Achievement Award, recognizing a lifetime of achievement both on and off the court. The award is given in memory of Mr. Zausner, the Founder of the Port Washington Tennis Academy. Karen Cadorette and her husband, Phil, last year purchased Park Avenue Tennis in Huntington. As other tennis clubs have closed, the Cadorettes renovated Park Avenue and dedicated their resources to make it a top-notch tennis facility. Karen has been working at and managing tennis clubs on Long Island for close to 40 years and has been a tennis volunteer throughout that time. She is a true lover of the game of tennis. Additional prestigious awards will be given to:
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l Bruce Moodnik, the Vitas Gerulaitis “For the Love of Tennis” Award: A tennis pro for more than 40 years, Moodnik is the Head Pro at the Hamlet Golf and Country Club, where he has hosted, helped organize and promoted numerous tennis events and fundraisers. He co-founded the Suffolk County Women’s Tennis League and is the Varsity Boys Tennis Coach at Cold Spring Harbor High School and
Men’s and Women’s Assistant Coach at NYIT College; the women won the 2018 ECC Championship. l Nicholas Haridopolos, the Arthur Ashe Multi-Cultural Award: A 94-year-old U.S. Marine who served in the Battle of Okinawa, Haridopolos is a lifelong tennis player. A longtime resident of Northport, he continues to play tennis as a member of the Northport Tennis Club. In his day, he was ranked as high as 4.5/5.0. l The Perri Family, Rose Buck Scalamandre Tennis Family of the Year: Joe and Barbara Perri of Floral Park are longtime USTA League players. Joe recently played on three USTA teams that qualified for Sectionals; two of those teams played at Nationals. Barbara played on five USTA teams last year; two of those teams qualified for Sectionals. Daughter Samantha plays tennis for Adelphi University and has been voted NE10 All-Conference First Team in both singles and doubles. She was named NE10 Women’s Tennis Player of the Week this past September. Son Vincent, who has special needs, attends all of his family’s matches and was a big part of the Men’s 40 & Over 4.5 team that finished fourth at Nationals last year, as he handed in player lineups and was at all the matches through Sectionals and Nationals. High school awards will include Coaches of the Year Brian Hoffner of Roslyn (Nassau) and John Czartosieski of Westhampton Beach (Suffolk). In 2018, Long Island was proud to be home to both the boys’ and girls’ New York State and Nassau County Singles Champions, Patrick Maloney of Oyster Bay and Rachel Arbitman of Hewlett. Both will receive awards at the dinner. Additional awards will be presented to Gene Morris of Newsday (Press Service Award), for his ongoing excellent coverage of high school tennis; Al Silverstein and Sue D’Alessandro (Innovative Tennis Program), who brought 65-and-Over League Tennis to Long Island; Old Mill Road School in North Merrick (USTA School Tennis Program), for providing robust after-school tennis programming for its students for a decade; South Side High School (Long Island HS Team of the Year), in recognition of its many community service initiatives throughout the year; Geri Verola (Birdie Tarulli League Captain Sportsmanship Award), and Lionel Goldberg (Blane Magee League Captain Sportsmanship Award). To see a complete list of awardees or to attend the awards dinner, visit LongIsland.USTA.com.
For more information on the USTA Long Island Region, please visit LongIsland.USTA.com, e-mail USTAOnLongIsland@gmail.com, visit us on Facebook at USTA Long Island and follow us on Twitter @USTA_LI. 36
Long Island Tennis Magazine • March/April 2019 • LITennisMag.com
U S TA E A S T E R N L O N G I S L A N D R E G I O N
Hewlett’s Rachel Arbitman won the New York State and Nassau County Singles Championships
Patrick Maloney of Oyster Bay was New York State and Nassau County Singles Champion
South Side’s Varsity Tennis Team hosted its fourth annual student-faculty tennis tournament to raise money for a breast cancer charityion
With the support of Principal Laura DeLuca and PTA Past President Maria Small, Old Mill Road School has been offering after-school tennis lessons and evening tennis programs to its students for the past 10 years
Al Silverstein and Sue D’Alessandro created the first 65 & Over Tennis League on Long Island
Under the stewardship of Coach John Czartosieski, Westhampton Beach High School’s Girls Varsity Tennis Team won the Long Island Championship
Lionel Goldberg, who has captained many men’s teams over the years, shepherded the Men’s 40 & Over 4.5+ team out of Robbie Wagner’s/Point Set to a fourth place finish at Nationals in Las Vegas in October
USTA Long Island Executive Board Jonathan Klee, President • Sunny Fishkind, Vice President • Mike Pavlides, Past President Craig Fligstein, Treasurer • Terri Arnold-McKenzie, Secretary LITennisMag.com • March/April 2019 • Long Island Tennis Magazine
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Windridge Still Going Strong as It Enters Its 52nd Year
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or more than a half-century, Windridge Tennis & Sports Camps in Vermont have been attracting young athletes from more than 30 U.S. states and 20 countries around the world. There has been one constant in the camp’s illustrious history: Ted Hoehn. In 1968, Hoehn and Alden Bryan founded the Windridge Tennis Camp in Jeffersonville, Vt. After six years, such a long waiting list had developed that a second facility was purchased in Craftsbury Common, Vt. As that camp flourished and developed a long waiting list of its own, Hoehn and Bryan purchased the Teela-Wooket Camp, an allgirls riding camp, in 1985, and transformed it into a co-ed tennis, soccer and horseback riding camp for youngsters ages eight through 15. Hoehn, now 77, still oversees the Windridge Tennis & Sports Camp’s operations. The former Jeffersonville camp is now the site of the town’s Community Center. The Craftsbury facility was sold nearly 10 years ago, and is now a nonprofit aerobic fitness and nature camp. So what was once a three-camp operation that Hoehn oversaw for several decades is now down to one location in Roxbury, a rural Vermont village located only 10 miles 38
from the Sugarbush Ski Resort. Growing up in Hanover, N.H., where his father was the tennis and squash coach at Dartmouth College for 25 years, Hoehn was a talented all-around athlete. He was ranked number one in singles and doubles in New England in the 13, 15, and 18 & Under Divisions, and also achieved National Rankings in the 18 & Under, number 32 in singles and six in doubles. In addition, he captained the Hanover High School’s football, hockey and baseball teams in his senior year, earning All-State honors in football and hockey. After weighing multiple offers, Hoehn accepted a tennis scholarship from the University of North Carolina, one of the NCAA’s most prestigious programs. Hoehn played second singles first doubles for the Tar Heels, and captained the team in both his junior and senior year, and won the ACC and Eastern Intercollegiate Doubles Championships on two occasions. It was in college when Hoehn realized that tennis was the sport that he was most passionate about, and offered him the most rewarding future. And while Windridge offers a first-class tennis experience, Hoehn’s multi-sport background is at the heart of what Windridge’s philosophy is all about. He is a
Long Island Tennis Magazine • March/April 2019 • LITennisMag.com
strong believer in letting kids play a variety of sports, and not specialize in just one at too early an age. “That’s a sure recipe for burn-out,” said Hoehn. “It’s important that the young athlete has a balance in his/her life. I think it’s best to let the individual decide at the age of 14 or 15 what they are passionate about after having experienced a number of different sports.” In addition to tennis, soccer and horseback-riding, Windridge also offers electives in golf, basketball, mountain biking, archery, swimming, arts and crafts, and pickle ball. The camp runs from mid-June to mid-August. “I was a shy teenager from a small corner of the United Kingdom,” said Niki Babbott, a former camper. “I landed in the U.S. with not a lot of life experience. The only tool I knew was how to use my tennis racket. I left four summers later with a suitcase full of experience, best friends and so many fond memories. I can honestly say that Windridge played a big part in shaping me into the young woman I am today.” It has been more than 50 years since the Windridge Tennis Camp was founded, and with Hoehn at the helm, it’s still going strong all these years later.
Improve Your Hard Court Game By Gus Alcayaga
come to the net and close out the points where your opponent is completely subThe following are six easy dued and out of position. steps to get you ready for the upcoming outdoor season … 3. Shorten the points Try to be the aggressor and finish points as 1. Play the baseline soon as possible. Otherwise, a good counWhen we play on clay, we normally entrench terattack by your opponent could lead to a ourselves way behind the baseline to play quick end. Keep in mind this surface gives high balls and try to force the opponent’s you a small margin for reaction time. mistake, since the court slows down the ball. On a hard court, the situation is very 4. Accelerate your first serve different, the court is much faster. The best It is always important to have a big first option is that we stand on the baseline or serve. On a fast surface, serving big, along just behind it, to develop a more offensive with plenty of speed and power, gives your tennis game that allows us to dominate the opponent less time to react. Therefore, I recommend you work on flat power serves rival and hit more winners. that will allow you to win points with ease. 2. Offensive tennis As you should know, this surface is best 5. Stretch! suited for offensive players. Ideally, you You must stretch! Stretching before startshould look to hit a flatter shot with de- ing to play on any surface is a must, especreased height, taking advantage that the cially on fast courts. Here, the joints and surface will not take away from the muscles go through plenty of strain due to power/speed you’ve put on the ball. This the rapid changes of direction and the high also gives you the ability to put pressure on pace this surface demands of us. your opponents’ second serve. This will have your opponent second guessing their 6. Work on fitness game play. You will also have to be ready to As you probably know, on hard-courts, we
usually don’t have long points. It is also true that due to the fast pace, we are forced to use more speed and have quicker reflexes. When we’re consistently moving, changing direction and running short sprints, our body must be prepared to withstand this type of game play. Therefore, we must have good cardio and continually strengthen our legs. These steps have been tested over the years with all levels of play and it’s been very successful. However, how we really get to perfect our game is by putting these concepts into practice and hitting the gym now. Go and get to work, and as I always say, you have to “Talk with your racket and play with your heart.” Gus Alcayaga is a Senior Staff Professional and Tournament Training Director for New York Tennis at Great Neck. Gus has coached numerous ranked junior players, college players and is certified by the Argentine Tennis Association, USPTA, PTR, Net Generation, USRSA, is a USTA High Performance Coach, a USTA Competitive Training Coach, Wilson Advisory Staff and a Loriet Brand Ambassador.
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S ORTIIME SPO and
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SUMMER C CAMPS - NASSAU SPORTIME Bethp page - (516) 933-8500 SPORTIME Lynbrrook - (516) 887-1330 SPORTIME Rosllyn - (516) 484-9222 SPORTIME Syossset - (516) 364-2727 SUMMER CA AMPS - SUFFOLK SPORTIME Kings Park - (631) 269-6300 SPORTIME Quog gue - (631) 653-6767
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SPORTIME Camp location. Long Island Tennis Magazine • March/April 2019 • LITennisMag.com
JOHN McENROE TENNIS S ACADEMY SUMMER TENNIS TRAINIING CAMPS 6) 364-2727 JMTA Long Island - (516 JMTTA East Hampton - (631) 267-3460 JMTTA New Yo York City - (21 12) 427-6150 JMTTA Westchester - (914) 777-5151
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LITennisMag.com • March/April 2019 • Long Island Tennis Magazine
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2019 Tennis Magazine 2016 GuideLong to the TopIsland Clubs/Programs for New York Tennis Players
Camp Guide
Bethpage Park Tennis Center Summer Tennis Camp 99 Quaker Meeting House Road, Building #4 l Farmingdale, NY (516) 777-1358 l BethpageParkTennis.com To be your best, you need the best program, facilities and players Bethpage Park Tennis Center’s Summer Tennis Camp is designed for maximum time efficiency and productiveness. Bethpage Park’s wealth of tennis courts enables the facility to provide indoor and outdoor courts, hard courts and clay courts. No camp provides a more favorable camper to court ratio than Bethpage Park. This means campers can play singles and doubles matches daily. These opportunities for match play are most beneficial because they are with the finest players the East Coast has to offer. To be the best, you need the best staff! Bethpage Park Tennis Center trains players to excel with greater success than any other eastern camp because of its unique staff. Since year-round program are conducted, Bethpage Park employs proven, full-time professionals to oversee the camp. The rest of the staff is comprised of top-ranked students, many of whom are college standouts, to ensure quality, enthusiasm and continuity of instruction. Bethpage Park Tennis is very flexible, with nine one-week, as well as partial-week, sessions so that tournament players can design a schedule that accommodates their individual needs. The facility believes that the summer is a great time to drill skills, get match tough and develop fitness habits that will help year-round. Is this program right for you? At Bethpage Park Tennis Center’s Summer Tennis Camp, the standards are high, the prerequisites are not! They encourage and value beginners equally with nationally-ranked players. All that is required is the desire to attend a serious tennis camp to learn in an intensive, personal and fun environment, and the drive to achieve your personal best! Transportation is available, and a daily deli or pizza lunch is included. 42
Long Island Tennis Magazine • March/April 2019 • LITennisMag.com
2019 Long Island Tennis Magazine Camp Guide Carefree Racquet Club 1414 Jerusalem Avenue l North Merrick, N.Y. (516) 489-9005 l CarefreeTennis@gmail.com l CarefreeTennis.com Where can you find a junior summer tennis camp highlighting the excitement of competition, high-structured instruction and plenty of all-around play time? At Carefree Racquet Club, complete with seven air-conditioned indoor tennis courts, two racquetball courts that convert to walleyball, a half-court basketball court, a cozy lounge and snack area … that’s where! At Carefree’s Summer Camp, the staff encourages the social and healthy aspect of loving sports just for the fun of it. Carefree Racquet Club is proud to celebrate its 26th year of its Junior Summer Camp. The success of the summer program comes from the outstanding facility, fun to win attitude and superior pro staff. Camp hours are from noon to 5:00 p.m. Students come in fresh and relaxed with energy, and ready for action. Pre-Camp Tennis: Beginner to Elite Players Monday-Friday, May 20-June 21 This camp is open to players from the beginner to the elite levels. You choose the day of the week to come during this four-week program, which can be done for one hour a week or two hours a week. It includes drills, instruction and match play. Summer Camp This runs from Monday-Friday, July 1-Aug. 23 from Noon-5:00 p.m. A typical day at camp consists of stretching and warm-up, stroke production, instruction, drills and thrills and ladder matches! Cross-training is also involved including basketball, walleyball and racquetball. Carefree also offers an Elite & Varsity Program, great for tournament and varsity level players. You must qualify for this program.
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LITennisMag.com • March/April 2019 • Long Island Tennis Magazine
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2019 Long Island Tennis Magazine Camp Guide Centercourt Tennis Academy Annual Players Program & Performance Camps Chatham l Morristown l Florham Park 25 miles from Manhattan (862) 308-3029 l CentercourtAcademy.com l Conrad@CentercourtClub.com A commitment to excellence! Centercourt Performance Tennis Academy has quickly earned the reputation as one of the sport’s premier destinations for player development in the Northeast. With multiple world-class facilities from clay- to hard-court, indoor and outdoor, our players experience top-tier tennis training in all key aspects of the game.
l l l l l l l
Centercourt’s points of difference l International tennis professionals lead daily programs in our cuttingedge environment l Attention to detail allows athletes to improve in multiple dimensions: Technical, Fitness, Mental and Tactical Centercourt’s official UTR events offer opportunities for athletes to apply what they learn after training and improve their rating Centercourt is dedicated to meeting the individual needs of each and every one of its players Centercourt’s players are among some of the leading Sectional- and Nationally-ranked competitors from around the country Centercourt puts the needs of the player first, in a development-focused model of training Athletes are grouped in level by UTR; featuring small group training, match play, individualized fitness plans, mental coaching and video analysis Tournament, supervision, coaching and travel are available Players who commit to Centercourt’s training will see themselves develop life skills that will enable them to become champions, both on and off the court.
Centercourt Performance Tennis Academy provides a superior junior player pathway that satisfies the needs of Sectional- and Nationally-ranked juniors. Centercourt Performance Tennis Academy offers programs with rolling admissions year-round and Summer Camp from June 10-Aug. 31.
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Long Island Tennis Magazine • March/April 2019 • LITennisMag.com
2019 Long Island Tennis Magazine Camp Guide Christopher Morley Tennis 500 Searingtown Road l Roslyn, N.Y. CMTTennis.com l (516) 214-1900 There is a new camp in town! The Christopher Morley Tennis/Sports Summer camp offers the finest summer camp and sports facilities on Long Island for children and teens, ages three to 18. Campers enjoy world-class athletic facilities, expert and caring instructors, and an exciting, diverse sports curriculum. Tennis-intensive campers spend the bulk of their camp day participating in tennis instructions, drills, games, and match play. Tennis camp features include “Shot Tactic of the Day”, camp ladder rankings, development goals, USTA tournament play, inter-camp competitions and “ACE” fitness with Anthony Morais. Christopher Morley’s High Performance Camp offers a team of experienced and talented tennis coaches. Together with its knowledgeable staff, the team brings a strong background of teaching and playing experience to summer camp. The focus at Christopher Morley Tennis is player development and providing a great tennis environment for players of all levels. At the summer camps, we strive to provide every player with the training, skills, strategy and understanding of the game of tennis to maximize his or her talents. Whether you are a beginner, an intermediate or an advanced player seeking to excel at the highest levels the sport has to offer, Christopher Morley Tennis has the right level of instruction and resources available to provide you with an outstanding and rewarding tennis experience. Lunch and snacks are included for all full-time campers.
CourtSense Tennis Training Center at Bogota Racquet Club 156 West Main Street l Bogata, N.J. CourtSense at Ramapo College 505 Ramapo Valley Road l Mahwah, N.J. (201) 489-1122 l CourtSense.com l Info@CourtSense.com With CourtSense, you’ll achieve your personal best, because our training is of the highest professional caliber and easily tailored to suit your age and skill level. We use tennis as a vehicle to teach life lessons by tapping into the spirit of every player, with lots of passion, expertise and character. Students have access to 32 outdoor and 15 indoor tennis courts and to CourtSense’s revolutionary PlaySight smart court system. High Performance Summer Tennis Camp at Bogota Racquet Club and/including Overnight option at Ramapo College. This camp is geared towards High Performance Tournament and high level High School players. CourtSense has trained and is currently training players who have become ATP- and WTA-ranked players, U.S. Olympians, as well as many college scholarship athletes. CourtSense’s International High Performance Coaches, in collaboration with its fitness staff and a sports psychologist, have developed a program that maximizes all athletes’ strengths, both on and off court. l Full Day High Performance Tennis Camp at Bogota Racquet Club runs from Monday-Friday, June 24-Aug. 23 (nine weeks), featuring 10 hours of tennis training; five hours of fitness and eight hours of match/point play) for players ages 11-18. Campers will have access to outdoor and indoor hard and clay courts, with a 3:1 student-to-coach ratio. Weekly dual matches with other academies, and mental toughness training are also included. Transportation service provided from Bogota Racquet Club. l Sleepaway Option at Ramapo College runs from Monday-Friday, June 24-July 12 (three weeks), featuring 10 hours of tennis training; five hours of fitness and eight hours of match/point play) for players ages 11-18. Campers will have access to outdoor and indoor hard and clay courts, with a 3:1 student-to-coach ratio on a beautiful college campus. Campers will have access to an indoor swimming pool and lunch is provided at a brand new, air-conditioned cafeteria. Two players per fully air-conditioned room with their own shower and bathroom. Round-trip transportation service from Tenafly and Bogota Racquet Clubs. LITennisMag.com • March/April 2019 • Long Island Tennis Magazine
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2019 Long Island Tennis Magazine Camp Guide Eastern Athletic Club’s Summer Camp Multiple locations across Long Island and New York City EasternAthleticClubs.com l EACTennis@yahoo.com Eastern Athletic is family-owned and is one of the New York’s original and finest tennis and fitness facilities, offering tennis camps during July and August. With three locations throughout Suffolk County to accommodate the ever changing needs of our clientele, Eastern Athletic has 17 Nova Ultra cushion indoor tennis courts, seven racquetball courts, and much more. Eastern Athletic’s camp is directed by Laurie Tenney Fehrs and the multi-cultural tennis staff that all have a commitment to see their students happy and successful in all aspects of their lives. Eastern Athletic Tennis Camps integrate strength and agility training, drill sessions, group lessons and match play. Eastern Athletic offers camp from two hours up to five hours per day for one day up to eight weeks. In addition, Eastern Athletic has one of the best performance training programs, integrating tennis with athletic performance programs. All of their programs are offered year-round in a climate-controlled tennis facility. Eastern Athletic has produced some of the top tennis players on Long Island under the direction and supervision of Laurie Tenney Fehrs and a renowned tennis staff. Eastern Athletic has programs for juniors and adults of all ages and level of play, and is confident they have something for you. To find out all about what Eastern Athletic has to offer, visit EasternAthleticClubs.com. For more information and to join the growing family, e-mail EACTennis@yahoo.com or visit one of Eastern Athletic’s locations: l EAC in Blue Point, 9A Montauk Highway, Blue Point, N.Y. (631) 363-2882 l EAC in Dix Hills, 854 East Jericho Turnpike, Dix Hills, N.Y. (631) 271-6616 l EAC in Melville, 100 Ruland Road, Melville, N.Y. (631) 773-6293 l EAC in Brooklyn Heights, 43 Clark Street, Brooklyn, N.Y. (718) 625-0500 l EAC in Prospect Park, 17 Eastern Parkway, Brooklyn, N.Y. (718) 789-4600
Ed Krass’ 31st Annual College Tennis Exposure Camp® & Clinics University of Rhode Island: Saturday-Sunday, June 29-30 Lehigh University: Sunday-Thursday, July 14-18 & Saturday-Wednesday, July 20-24; Sunday-Wednesday, July 14-24 (10-day program) Harvard University: Saturday-Sunday, July 27-28 (813) 684-9031 l CollegeTennis.com Coach Ed Krass’ 31st Annual College Tennis Exposure Camp & Clinics, for ages 14-18, are taught exclusively by head college coaches who will work with you on-court to improve your singles and doubles match play strategies and provide college recruiting guidance. Instructional drills and match play competitions will be conducted in the same style and intensity as a college team practice. The two-day College Tennis Exposure Clinics will be offered at University of Rhode Island, Saturday-Sunday, June 29-30 (with a limited enrollment of 40 players) and at Harvard University Saturday-Sunday, July 27-28. There will be four-day residential College Tennis Exposure Camps at Lehigh University Sunday-Thursday, July 14-18 and Saturday-Wednesday, July 2024, and a 10-day residential camp session Sunday-Wednesday, July 14-24 for players seeking maximum instruction, match play and exposure to college coaches. The residential camp at Lehigh University includes air-conditioned dormitory accommodations, healthy cafeteria meals and 24-hour adult supervision. Coach Ed Krass, Founder and Director of College Tennis Exposure Camp & Clinics, has coached varsity tennis teams at Harvard University, Clemson University and the University of Central Florida prior to founding the College Tennis Academy. For more information, call (813) 684-9031 or visit CollegeTennis.com.
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2019 Long Island Tennis Magazine Camp Guide Evert Tennis Academy 10334 Diego Drive South l Boca Raton, Fla. (561) 488-2001 l EvertAcademy.com l Evert@EvertAcademy.com The Evert Tennis Academy is located in sunny Boca Raton, Fla., and is considered by many as one of the best tennis camps in the country. John and Chrissie Evert set out to continue their father’s legacy 22 years ago by installing core values: Excellence, Resilience, Integrity and Leadership. “Our core values are the roadmap to coaching every student-athlete towards reaching their full potential.”–John Evert Evert Tennis Academy clinics will focus on technical development, tactical training and competitive settings. Players will experience a typical Evert program that includes tennis lessons, strength and fitness conditioning, mental conditioning and competitive match play against players from all over the world. Players will get a coach’s evaluation during their stay here to review at home. Top five reasons why to attend this summer (Monday-Sunday, June 3-Aug. 18): 1. Coaches/program: Our coaching staff continues to put a program together that is second to none. Each program is designed so that each player will get the personalized attention needed to improve his or her game while having fun. Whether you are an intermediate player looking to fine tune your game or a high-level nationally ranked player we have the program for you. 2. Facility/boarding: Evert Tennis Academy is one of the only academies to provide boarding services for any student wishing to stay only steps away from the courts. Its eight-acre facility provides a safe environment nestled in the beautiful and secure Mission Bay residential neighborhood, surrounded by lakes, manicured lawns and lush Floridian foliage. 3. Competition: The Evert Tennis Academy provides match play for each student every day. The Evert Tennis Academy will also be hosting two UTR tournaments (July 6-7 and July 27-28) this summer for any player looking to get match play prior to the Clay Court & Hard Court Nationals, Zonals or just get access to players of equal playing level. All levels are welcome. 4. College Showcase: The Evert Tennis Academy will be hosting a College Showcase on Friday, July 13 and Saturday, July 14 for any student interested in attending for the week of July 9. 5. Location: Located in the beautiful town of Boca Raton, Fla., the Evert Tennis Academy is located only a few minutes away from the beach and only 30 minutes away from the Fort Lauderdale and West Palm Beach airports making it an easy trip from the northeast.
A SUMMER CAMP TENNIS ACADEMY FOR KIDS At IHCTA we believe that every child should have the opportunity to enjoy the game of tennis. Discover a different tennis experience in an incredible setting, located in the beautiful Pocono Mountains of Pennsylvania. • Incredible, highly skilled & caring staff • 17 indoor & outdoor state-of-the-art courts • Fully equipped fitness center & yoga studio • Lakefront watersports and pool • 5-part zip line & ropes course
2019 DATES JUNE 9TH - 15TH AUGUST 19TH - 23RD
CONTACT
NICO DUARTE TENNIS DIRECTOR NICO@CAMPIHC.COM
3287 HANCOCK HWY, EQUINUNK, PA 18417
914-345-2155 WWW.CAMPIHC.COM/TENNIS
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2019 Long Island Tennis Magazine Camp Guide Future Stars Summer Camps (914) 273-8500 l FSCamps.com Purchase College SUNY 735 Anderson Hill Road l Purchase, N.Y. l (914) 273-8500 The College at Old Westbury 223 Store Hill Road l Old Westbury, N.Y. l (516) 226-CAMP (2267) Farmingdale State College 2530 Broadhollow Road l Farmingdale, N.Y. l (631) 769-CAMP (2267) Future Stars Tennis Club 1370 Majors Path l Southampton, N.Y. l (631) 287-6707 St. Joseph’s College-Patchogue 155 West Roe Boulevard l Patchogue, N.Y. l (631) 572-0232 Future Stars Summer Camps offer the finest weekly tennis day camps at five outstanding locations: Purchase College SUNY, The College at Old Westbury, Farmingdale State College, St. Joseph’s College-Patchogue and Future Stars Tennis Club in Southampton, N.Y. Programs are directed by experienced and qualified teachers and coaches who share a passion for working with children. Weekly programs are offered for boys and girls entering grades K-12. Tennis camps offer the perfect mix of match play, drill work, strategy sessions and off-court activities to challenge players of all levels. The program is designed to improve every facet of the game, including technical, tactical, physical and mental components under the guidance of our experienced and enthusiastic tennis professionals. Campers will be carefully grouped according to skill level and age and will be encouraged to enhance their strokes and strategies via group lessons, skill building drills organized play, target training, fitness routines and more. At Future Stars Summer Camps, we play with confidence, enthusiasm and a genuine love of the game! Stop by our regular on-campus open house events to view the facilities, meet the directors, and take advantage of enrollment savings.
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Long Island Tennis Magazine • March/April 2019 • LITennisMag.com
2019 Long Island Tennis Magazine Camp Guide Gotham Tennis Academy-Montauk 91 South Fulton Drive l Montauk, NY 11954 (631) 267-8525 l GothamTennis.com l Info@GothamTennis.com Gotham Tennis Academy’s newest location in the Hamptons, Gotham Montauk, is on a beautiful nature preserve just minutes from the center of Montauk, its famous beaches, parks, restaurants and other attractions. Gotham Tennis Academy is now taking bookings for its popular spring and summer offerings in the Hamptons, including: l Gotham Montauk Sports and Tennis Camp l Home lesson packages throughout the Hamptons l Private tennis parties l Lesson packages, leagues, clinics and court rentals To enroll now or for more information, please call (631) 267-8525 or send an e-mail to Info@GothamTennis.com. Ask about multi-week and early-bird packages! At Gotham Tennis Academy, we are passionate about teaching tennis. From beginners to rising stars, Gotham’s PTR-certified pros are experienced in teaching the fundamentals, while stressing sportsmanship, hard work and fun.
Hofstra Summer Tennis Camp Hofstra University 1000 Fulton Avenue l Hempstead, N.Y. (516) 463-CAMP l Hofstra.edu/Camp A great tennis experience for two, four or six weeks The Hofstra Summer Tennis Camp is suitable for both the beginning player through the advanced player interested in tournament play or wishing to participate on high school tennis teams. Basic techniques are taught to beginners and the Camp also offers the experienced player advanced skills and game strategy. Each child is instructed according to their ability and previous training is not required. Most lessons are taught in the form of a game. Additionally, all of Hofstra’s instructors have been trained in the 10 & Under Tennis/Quick Start program, the newest approach to teaching tennis to youngsters 10 years of age and younger. QuickStart is sanctioned by the USTA and its format takes a new approach to introducing kids to the game. Campers spend half the day in tennis and the other half participating in swimming, recreation and special events. Elite Tennis is a new full day specialty camp for experienced campers entering grades 6-10. Each morning, campers will participate in a supervised practice and competition. Afternoons will consist of learning new skills and strategies, with supplemental drills and specific games to enhance the campers’ full tennis skill set. Admission to this program is selective—campers will be interviewed by the Tennis Directors to assess whether this is the right program for them. Transportation and lunch is included in tuition. No instructors are below college age. Tennis Camp Directors Sunny and Eddie Fishkind have been running the camp for more than 30 years and have won many awards. Hofstra Summer Tennis Camp’s philosophy is that you cannot make a child a great tennis player in two weeks, but you can make them love the game for life! For additional information about Hofstra Summer Tennis Camp, call (516) 463-CAMP or visit Hofstra.edu/Camp. LITennisMag.com • March/April 2019 • Long Island Tennis Magazine
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2019 Long Island Tennis Magazine Camp Guide Huntington Indoor Tennis 100 Broadway l Huntington Station, N.Y. (631) 421-0040 l HuntingtonIndoorTennis.net l HITennis@HITennisNY.com Huntington Indoor Tennis is celebrating 38 years as the top tennis facility in the greater Huntington area, and is proud to be once again offering our Summer Camp. Huntington Indoor Tennis Camp combines the learning and fun of the game of tennis through personalized instruction, interclub matches, round-robins, ladder matches and drill games. Huntington Indoor Tennis offers a Full-Day Junior Tennis Camp, from 9:00 a.m.-3:00 p.m., as well as a Half-Day Mini Camp, from 9:00 a.m.12:15 p.m. One-week sessions begin Monday, June 24 and run through Friday, Aug. 23. Lunch is included! Visit HuntingtonIndoorTennis.net or contact HITennis@HITennisNY.com for more information.
The IHC Tennis Academy (914) 345-2155 l CampIHC.com/Tennis l Nico@CampIHC.com The IHC Tennis Academy (IHCTA) is the best of both worlds—an incredible tennis program nestled within a beautiful summer camp facility where kids can truly enjoy what we call “Childhood Unlimited.” Take your child’s game to the next level with one week of tennis instruction filled with ziplining, water-skiing, and other fun outdoor summer activities. At the IHCTA, our program welcomes a wide range of playing levels and experiences, from the tennis enthusiast who is only starting to take the sport seriously, to the intermediate player thinking about trying out for their school varsity team. Everyone has a place here and no matter your child’s ability level they are going to fit in, have fun and experience summer as it should be. Our one-of-a-kind program includes: l Drills and stroke production adapted for each players individual level l Match play and fun inclusive games l On-and off-court conditioning (advanced players) l Nutritional guidance (advanced player) l Alternative activities such as: Yoga, zip-lining, water skiing, paddle boarding, rock climbing, swimming, ropes course, flag football, basketball and more IHCTA’s top-notch campus includes: l 17 tennis courts l Four indoor court complex l State-of-the-art gym l Dedicated yoga studio l Swimming pool l Indoor multi-sport complex l Traditional wooden cabins l State-of-the art facilities and unlimited outdoor spaces with sports fields, lake, trails and stunning views of the beautiful North Eastern Pennsylvania Mountains Visit IHCTA at CampIHC.com/Tennis for dates, rates and more information. IHCTA offers pick-up and drop-off from airports in the New York and Long Island areas. 50
Long Island Tennis Magazine • March/April 2019 • LITennisMag.com
2019 Long Island Tennis Magazine Camp Guide Joel Ross Tennis Camp (914) 723-2165 l JoelRossTennis.com l Info@JoelRossTennis.com No need to go to Florida for a summer camp! Joel Ross Tennis Camp in Kent, Conn. will host many ranked players this summer including more than a dozen nationally ranked juniors and several number one sectionally-ranked juniors from the East, New England and Middle States. This is our 29th year! Our tennis facilities include 12 tennis courts, including four indoor and eight new outdoor hard courts. The campers drill in the morning and play matches in the afternoon and on alternate evenings. Private lessons are given each night after the matches have concluded. Some of the electives are swimming in our indoor pool, canoeing and kayaking on the Housatonic River, squash in the new squash center, archery, golf on our driving range, basketball, soccer, etc. Joel Ross, Owner and Director, is a native Long Islander, having grown up in Westbury, N.Y. He won the New York State High School Singles Championships two consecutive years and earned a full tennis scholarship to the University of Michigan, where he captained the team and played number one singles. In 1971, Joel was Big 10 Singles Champion and was featured on the cover of Tennis Magazine. His best circuit wins include John McEnroe and Tom Gullikson. He currently resides in New Rochelle, N.Y. with his wife, Ellen. Their four grown children each attended and worked at the camp. Contact Info@JoelRossTennis.com or visit JoelRossTennis.com for more information.
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2019 Long Island Tennis Magazine Camp Guide New York Tennis at Shelter Rock Tennis Club 100 Long Island Expressway l Manhasset, N.Y. (516) 233-2790 l NYTAGN.com l Info@NYTAGN.com The New York Tennis Academy at Shelter Rock Tennis Club is under the Direction of Brian Stein and Chris Tasso. For more than 20 years they have both developed and coached some of the top juniors in the Long Island/New York City area. They will be sure to look after every junior’s personal needs, as well as instill a real competitive presence at the camp. In addition to their leadership at the camp, Brian and Chris are also the Directors of Junior Tennis at New York Tennis at Great Neck. The coaching staff at the camp will feature a highly accomplished set of former ATP, ITF and NCAA players, as well as current college players that were once juniors in the program and fully understand the hard work philosophy. The camp is hosted at a beautiful facility of Har-Tru courts, a large pool that campers can enjoy in the afternoons, and is centrally located right off of the Long Island Expressway in Manhasset. On days it rains, the camp utilizes several indoor courts located on-premises to keep up the tennis fun. Finally, the New York Tennis Academy’s mission is that every junior player loves going to camp and has an incredible summer tennis experience. The entire staff will be dedicated to giving campers a summer they’ll never forget.
Nike Tennis Camps (800) NIKE-CAMP (645-3226) USSportsCamps.com/Tennis Come join the fun and get better this summer at a Nike Tennis Camp! With more than 80 locations nationwide, both overnight and day options, there is a camp for everyone. Nike Tennis Camps provide young players the opportunity to improve their tennis skills, work hard, make new friends and have a lot of fun. Dedicated camp directors have a passion for teaching and a gift for helping you take your game to the next level. Locations include: Stony Brook University (Stony Brook, N.Y.); Lawrenceville School (Lawrenceville, N.J.); Randy Mani Tennis Academy at Hardscrabble Club (Brewster, N.Y.); Colgate University (Hamilton, N.Y.); Amherst College (Amherst, Mass.); Curry College (Milton, Mass.); and Colby College (Waterville, Maine). Who says that only kids can go to camp? The Nike Adult Tennis Camp at Amherst College has hosted more than 30,000 adult tennis players since 1972. Camp Director Reiny Maier is an outstanding teacher who inspire all players to get better and love the game. Multiple camp options and dates offered throughout June and July.
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Long Island Tennis Magazine • March/April 2019 • LITennisMag.com
2019 Long Island Tennis Magazine Camp Guide Peter Kaplan’s Westhampton Beach Junior/Adult Tennis Academy 142 Montauk Highway l West Hampton, N.Y. (631) 288-4021 l (914) 234-9462 l WestHamptonBeachTennis.com l PeterKaplan2002@yahoo.com Peter Kaplan’s Westhampton Beach Junior/Adult Tennis Academy, and the affiliated Grassmere Inn, is a wonderful destination for beginners to nationallyranked players of all ages. Private instruction, clinics, one to seven full- and half-day camps are offered. The flexibility of the programming enables participants to enjoy the nearby beautiful ocean beaches, charming village, Performing Arts Center, movie theatre, wine country, shopping, cafes, restaurants and nearby water park. Resident students/families/teams stay at the historic, newly-renovated and highly-honored Grassmere Inn, located on quiet, tree-lined Beach Lane, 50 yards from the beginning of the charming village, yet less than one mile from a beautiful ocean beach. The Grassmere’s 22 guest rooms all have air conditioning, WiFi, cable TV and private bathrooms. Ideal for families, are two suites or interconnected rooms. A delicious breakfast is included daily. The Tennis Academy features 12 soft courts and features an enthusiastic staff, renowned for its high-quality instruction with an average student/staff ratio of 2:1. Most participants seek a less intensive program of three to five hours of instruction daily. Visiting tennis pros bring students with Kaplan’s staff available to supplement the pros. Here, you can play tennis during the day, go to the beach and have a glass of wine at sunset, and then dine at a great restaurant, or take in a movie or a show at the Performing Arts Center. We are the only academy in the world the USTA selected for the members benefits program for both juniors and adults. And we are annually selected among the top 25 in the world and number one in the East by TennisResortsonline.com. Packages, including accommodations, breakfast and instruction, begin at $99. Also, we will once again be offering partial and full scholarships to both adults and juniors, for our tennis academy. These are for beginning tennis players who have made contributions to their community, and are in the names of two of Peter Kaplan’s Cornell roommates.
CENTURY TENNIS INC. Specializing In All Phases Of Tennis Court Construction
Post-Tensioned Concrete Now offering up to 15 year warranty "Expanding the game of tennis one court at a time." 56 Brook Avenue l Deer Park, NY 11729 l 1-800-660-PLAY l www.centurytennis.com LITennisMag.com • March/April 2019 • Long Island Tennis Magazine
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2019 Long Island Tennis Magazine Camp Guide Port Washington Tennis Academy Camp Programs 100 Harbor Road l Port Washington, N.Y. (516) 883-6425 l PWTA.com Port Washington Tennis Academy’s Summer Camp and Year-End Camp There is a difference in tennis day camps. The “unique” concept at the Port Washington Tennis Academy starts with a limited enrollment of only 50 juniors (a maximum of four per court). Tournament players to beginners receive special concentrated training from an elite international staff of Academy-trained professionals. Specific additional training on an exclusive 1/4-mile indoor running track provides the unusual benefit of maximizing each student’s speed and endurance performance capability. At Port Washington Tennis Academy (PWTA), 17 indoor courts guarantee 9:00 a.m.-4:00 p.m. all-weather instruction. PWTA’s proven method includes intensive instruction, supervised practice and match play. Daily tennis-specific fitness drills provide for a super summer experience. Each camper will return home a much improved player. Luncheon (prepared in PWTA’s own kitchen) and additional weekend and weekday playing time is available for our students at no extra cost. The Junior Summer Camp consists of two five-week sessions, held Monday to Friday from 9:00 a.m.-4:00 p.m. Mini-Camp and Junior Clinics are also held from 4:00 p.m.-6:00 p.m., Monday to Friday. The End-of-Year Junior Camp takes place during the December school vacation period. Call (516) 883-6425 for additional information.
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2019 Long Island Tennis Magazine Camp Guide Ross School Tennis Academy 20 Goodfriend Drive l East Hampton, N.Y. (631) 907-5162 l Ross.org/Tennis l TennisAcademy@Ross.org The Ross School Tennis Academy (RSTA) is a beautiful tennis facility in the Hamptons that is open to the public and located on the Ross Upper School campus in East Hampton, NY. The tennis center features six Har-Tru tennis courts that are enclosed by a bubble from mid-fall through mid-spring, allowing for year-round play. The courts are directly adjacent to the state-of-the-art Field House, featuring amenities such as locker rooms, lounge, snack bar, and ping-pong tables, and the staff provides a fun and supportive atmosphere that allows for the greatest amount of success. RSTA Summer 2019 l Monday-Friday, June 24-August 30: From specialized U10 programs with orange and green dot balls designed for developing competitive tennis players, to our highperformance training with live ball drills and match play series for players entering middle and high school, this 10 week all-encompassing summer program is our most intense and complete junior tennis education offered. Players considering this program should be serious about their commitment to tennis, consistently practicing at least three days per week year-round. All training in each age and development level includes a daily fitness and match play component. Players can sign up for this weekly but space is limited. Tryout required (videos accepted). Boarding available certain weeks for grades seventh through 12th, including an option to combine academics and tennis in our new Combination Program that allows you to be a student in the morning and an athlete in the afternoon. l Full Day (8:30 a.m.-3:00 p.m.)/Green and Yellow Ball: Our most intense summer tennis training program is for USTA/ITF junior players grades fifth through 12th. The program is specially designed for a small group of players who are dedicated to intense training in preparation for regular weekly USTA tournaments. In addition to four hours of on-court group and private training, players undergo video comparison analysis and practice one hour of fitness daily. Program limited to 24 players. Tryout required. l Half-Day (8:30 a.m.-12:30 p.m.)/Orange and Green Ball: Specialized U10 training program designed for developing competitive tennis players entering grades first through fourth. All training uses orange and green dot balls and includes a daily fitness and match play component. Players must be able to serve and keep score. Program limited to 16 players. Tryout required. For tryouts, call (631) 907-5162 or e-mail TennisAcademy@Ross.org to schedule.
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2019 Long Island Tennis Magazine Camp Guide SPORTIME EXCEL Tennis Camps and JMTA Summer Tennis Training Camps (888) NY-TENNIS l (888) 698-3664 Camps@SportimeNY.com l SportimeCamps.com l SportimeCamps.com/JMTA Locations on Long Island, in Manhattan and Westchester No one knows tennis training for juniors better than SPORTIME! And with multiple tennis camp locations across Long Island, including the Hamptons, and in New York City and Westchester, aspiring tennis players can enjoy John McEnroe Tennis Academy and SPORTIME tennis training programs throughout the summer. SPORTIME’s and JMTA’s training methods are fun and fast-paced, and feature technical and tactical training. Innovative tennis training techniques are rooted in competitive games and tennis-specific conditioning regimens. Newer players learn and enjoy the sport in age and level appropriate groups. Higher level training prepares serious juniors for the physical, mental and emotional demands of match and tournament play. SPORTIME’s international coaching staff is dedicated to turning weaknesses into strengths and strengths into winning games. For our youngest players, ages 10 and under, campers work through clearly defined stages of development that follow an internationally accepted progression of court sizes (red 36’, orange 60’), ball types (red, orange) and net heights that make it possible for kids to actually play tennis from the moment they step onto the court. With our fun and unique “gamification” approach, our junior players don’t just take lessons—they get sent on missions, acquire skills, collect points and achieve milestones. Campers also enjoy instruction and competition in a variety of team sports activities. Visit SportimeCamps.com to find the SPORTIME EXCEL or JMTA Summer Tennis Training Camp nearest you, or e-mail Camps@SportimeNY.com to find out more. Programs vary by location.
SPORTIME Summer Camps (888) NY-TENNIS l (888) 698-3664 l SportimeCamps.com l Camps@SportimeNY.com Locations across Long Island, in Manhattan, Westchester and Schenectady “Last year, I had the best summer ever!” Who said that? Every kid who attended a SPORTIME Summer Camp last summer! That’s because at SPORTIME summer camps our staff of teachers, coaches and counselors makes sure that every camper has a positive and memorable experience. SPORTIME knows how to make camp fun! How does SPORTIME do it? Our experienced, certified, international staff are skilled at providing camp programming that is challenging, innovative and educational, all at facilities that are state-of-the-art, safe, and easily accessible. From preschoolers to pre-teens, kids who enjoy tennis, sports, friendship and fun love coming to SPORTIME summer camps, which offer programs and events tailored to every age group and interest. With camp locations across Long Island, including the Hamptons, and in New York City and Westchester, we’ve got your summer covered! Go to SportimeCamps.com to find the perfect camp for your child or e-mail us at Camps@SportimeNY.com. Programs and facilities vary by location. High-level tennis, volleyball and hockey camps are also available.
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2019 Long Island Tennis Magazine Camp Guide Windridge Tennis and Sports Camps 1215 Roxbury Road l Roxbury, Vt. (802) 860-2005 l WindridgeCamps.com l Misha@WindridgeCamps.com Windridge ... a tradition of tennis, soccer and horseback riding and so much more for 50 years. Located in the Green Mountains of Vermont, the Windridge Tennis and Sports Camps stand unique in that they feature specialized sports programs within the framework of a traditional New England camp setting. Since 1968, children have come to Windridge from most of the 50 states and more than 30 countries to share in the Windridge experience. Campers make a commitment to hard work, good sportsmanship, and wholesome fun and laughter, within a warm and friendly environment. Windridge offers two- and three-week coed sessions from June through August, serving ages seven through 15. Windridge’s 4:1 camper-to-counselor ratio is an important factor in its warm and nurturing environment. In addition, we offer three 10 day Rookie Camps for 7-10 year-old first time campers. Windridge offers “majors” in tennis, soccer and horseback riding, and also offers many elective programs, such as golf, mountain biking, archery, a ropes course, basketball, volleyball, arts and crafts, and more. Windridge adds to this a wide variety of exceptional evening activities and special events, such as Carnival Day and Teela-Games to create a well-rounded experience for each camper. For more information, visit WindridgeCamps.com or contact Camp Director Norbert Auger at NAuger@WindridgeCamps.com.
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2019 Long Island Tennis Magazine Camp Guide USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center Flushing Meadow-Corona Park l Flushing, N.Y. (718) 760-6200 l NTC.USTA.com The USTA Billie Jean National Tennis Center will once again offer fun in the sun tennis day camps starting in June. Enrollment will soon be available online and you may choose registration for one, two or as many as seven weeks. The weekly program runs Mondays through Fridays, 8:30 a.m.-5:30 p.m., with a one-hour lunch break or a twilight session from 4:30 p.m.-7:00 p.m. Campers work on the development of tennis techniques, tactics, sports conditioning, multi-sports and strategy geared toward maximizing the learning experience in a fun presentation. As the juniors develop, they are advanced to more challenging groups. Tennis activities include Stroke of the Day, team games and competitive match play. The camp also offers cross-training activities, such as soccer, softball and basketball in the park or at the Corona Park multi-purpose recreational facility, off-site field trips include ice skating, Mets games, and more, and full access to the many fun activities on the grounds of the USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center. The program accepts junior players, ages four- through 10-years-old for the 10 & Under programs. Recreational players 11-years-old and up are enrolled in the Junior Camps (8:30 a.m.-5:30 p.m. or 4:30 p.m.-7:00 p.m.). Advanced High Performance Tournament training campers will also be invited to participate in an intensive Tennis Academy training program. The National Tennis Center has 22 outdoor courts, 12 indoor courts, and four stadium courts. Also on-site are ping-pong tables, ball machines, a fitness center, and other age-appropriate fun activities like arts, multisports, arts and crafts, and other engaging sporting events. The primary focus will be on developing tennis skills, while offering other activities to enhance the learning and summer camp experience. Also offered are junior evening and weekend programs, as well as adult daytime, weekday evening and weekend camps. Detailed information will be available soon at NTC.USTA.com. You may contact the USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center at (718) 760-6200 for more information about year-round and summer day camp programs.
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USTA Eastern Holds Annual Conference in White Plains
STA Eastern once again brought together all the pieces that make up the Section’s puzzle for a weekend as it hosted its annual Tennis Conference at the Renaissance Westchester Hotel in White Plains, N.Y. The Conference serves as the Section’s annual professional development gathering, where leaders and professionals in the tennis industry and join forced to learn about the state of tennis, both competitive and community-oriented, talk about new trends in the Section and provides a platform for innovative collaborations to be formed. “One of the most important things about the conference is the amount of networking that occurs,” said Jenny Schnitzer, Executive Director and Chief Operating Officer for USTA Eastern. “So many people are able to get together and share what’s working, what can be done to improve things and discuss how to get new people involved in the game.” The Section brings in experts in their respective fields to discuss teaching techniques and methods. This year featured Mark Bey, USPTA Elite Professional, TV analyst and Assistant Coach of the Bryan Brothers; Emilio Sanchez Vicario, Co-Founder of the Academia Sanchez-Casal and former number one-ranked doubles player on the ATP Tour; and Craig Morris, General Manager of USTA Community Tennis. There were sessions both on and off court to promote things like business development, competitive development and community development. One of the main initiatives discussed was getting tennis into
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local schools throughout the Section, something that USTA Eastern has put an emphasis on in recent years. Beyond bringing tennis into the schools, the discussion focused on how to build on the next steps of it to create a pathway forward. “We have been doing the schools program for a long time now, and it’s our number one initiative,” said Schnitzer. “We want to make sure that they have community partners in order to move forward, whether it’s a club, community tennis association or a local parks & recreation department. Once we get the schools program started, in a physical education class or after-school program, then these partners have the chance to get the kids to their facility, parks program or community tennis association. It’s all about developing that pathway for kids to get them to love tennis and stick with it.”
The discussions also circled around programs for young adults, to create some more leagues and events that combine competitive tennis with a social atmosphere, as well as continuing to grow the Junior Team Tennis leagues, which gained a great deal of traction in 2018. The Junior Award Lunch and Adult Awards Dinner honored those who have had a positive impact both on and off the court in the Eastern Section. The Junior Award Lunch featured special guest speaker Jessica Long, an American Paralympic swimmer who spoke to the players about the obstacles she has overcome in her life, and even brought her Gold Medals. With the Annual Conference in the books, it will be exciting to see what the tennis world in the Eastern Section brings and how the sport continues to grow in our community in 2019.
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So What’s the Big Deal About a Split-Step? By Lisa Dodson t’s important that players understand the importance, function and movements of the splitstep. When you finally “get it,” tennis becomes a very different game. Split-steps link together movements and create a brief pause allowing players to make decisions, react efficiently, see where the ball is going and change direction quickly. Split-stepping is as important to movement on a tennis court as breathing air is to our bodies.
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What is a split-step? Think of the split-step as gaining a perfect ready position from movement. Because of the brief pause, it lets you see and respond, in advance, to shots efficiently. It is the basis 60
of correct footwork and technique when approaching an incoming ball. There is a forward split-step and a lateral split-step. These two have to be technically different because you are approaching the position from different directions. This article will be referencing the forward split-step. In order to split-step, it’s good to know what a good ready position is. For reference, please see my article, “Ready Position? Who Cares?” in the November/December 2018 issue of Long Island and New York Tennis Magazine. Why is the split-step so important? Balance in movement is essential to playing any sport well. Since tennis is a game that requires coverage of a large court, we need to enable good vision, quick changes of direction, explosive movement and specific foot-
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work. All of these elements start with balance. With a timed “stop,” players can see an incoming ball, and move to it efficiently. Here is one example of using a split-step: You are coming forward to attempt a first volley. A volley has specific footwork that stems from ready position. If you land a balanced split-step, you have created a ready position from movement. Then, you will be able to transition directly into the volley. Another example: As you are approaching the mid-court you are watching your opponent. They look to be in a defensive position and you anticipate a lob. Make your split-step in order to balance and anticipate where the ball might take you. If the lob is successful, then you can use your specific overhead footwork to move back. If the lob is unsuccessful and is coming slowly over the net, then you use your volley footwork to go forward to the ball. The split-step will allow you time to make a
conscious decision and to use appropriate Take-off footwork for each shot. It’s much easier to do this movement from a short run so that you have some momentum How do you physically for the one-legged leap. So, start at the create a split-step? baseline, shadow a forehand, run forward a A split-step is a specific movement done the few steps and take off one leg to land softly same way each time, but with some modifi- on two feet. You should travel anywhere from cations depending on how far the ball you one to three feet from take-off to landing. hit will travel. It is basically two move- Your upper body is in a ready position bements—the take-off and landing—with the tween take-off and landing. upper body in a ready position and the head Also, most people have a “take-off” leg or still. one leg that feels more natural to jump off of. Many of you may have played hopscotch That is perfectly natural. when you were kids. In this footwork game, you jumped forward off of one foot and Landing landed on two feet, then stepped into the Momentum is good, but it can also be unnext move. Split stepping is the same basic manageable. A forward-moving jump can be difficult to land in a balanced stance. Your movement. If that is not familiar, try this exercise … feet should land “toe-heel” in order to soften stand two feet behind the service line with the landing. Basically, the balls of your feet your weight on one foot, leg flexed. Jump off will hit the ground first and then your heels. of one leg towards the service line and land This also allows the feet, legs and body to with both feet hitting the ground at the same act in a propulsive manner known as a plyotime. This may be difficult due to a lack of metric movement. Then, you will be able to momentum, but it’s important to attempt this produce a dynamic movement to the next to isolate the movement. Practice taking off ball. With this landing, you’ll sink down with of your right leg and your left leg.
your ankles, knees and hips to absorb shock. Your center of gravity will naturally be back when you are in the air and when you land. Otherwise, you’ll spill forward. When you land, your knees will allow your weight to shift forward onto the front of your feet. This bouncy position will blend into an immediate push off of either the right foot or the left foot to the next hit. It will also allow you to balance to go back for an overhead. A good way to practice the landing is to jump off of a low lift (eight- to 10-inches), landing on two feet. Instinctively, you will have your feet in a wide position and you will land toe-heel, letting your knees bend and your butt go towards the ground. This instinctive shock absorption is our way of softening the landing so that it doesn’t hurt. Your arms will also get involved in the slowing down process. Later on, you’ll need more specific positioning with your arms out away from your body. After practicing your landing, then shadow a movement to a forehand or backhand volley. This will help you understand how the continued on page 62
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so what’s the big deal about a split-step? continued from page 61 feet, knees, legs and hips move powerfully hit a hard, low ball, it will get to the other side quickly so you’ll get a shorter distance in from the landing to the next move. than if you hit a slower, higher ball. When do you produce a splitCommon errors step? What is the timing? You make a split-step every time after you l A split-step is not just a stop. Many players shuffle, slow down or strike a ball. When exactly that is varies. How completely stand still in random areas hard and high you hit your ball, the distance of the court. These attempts are not you are coming in from and how far apart split-steps. They merely hinder gaining you are from your opponent are big factors good court position, the ability to in when to split-step. respond quickly and to change Generally speaking, you will split-step direction. after your ball lands on the other side of the court and before your opponent strikes the l Most players split without accuracy. Good timing and technique are both ball. That’s a lot of space and distance for necessary to respond well to a ball the ball to travel, so you need to understand and to once again gain good court a few things in order to be successful. position. How quickly the ball will get to your opl Another common error is trying to get ponent is the number one consideration. too far into the court before making a On paper, this is pretty easy to undersplit-step. It’s best to split early so that stand. Being in the moment makes it a lot you are always coming in with the ball more difficult. well in front of you. For example, many If you hit a hard and low ball, it will get to players think they need to get to the the opponent faster, giving you less time to service line each time when they are run before the split no matter where you are coming forward. That is incorrect. coming from and no matter where your opponent is. You’ll naturally get a shorter dis- l Many players approach the split-step either too slowly or too aggressively. tance in because your ball is traveling faster. Too slowly will leave you short of good If you hit a higher and slower ball, then your court position. Too aggressively leads potential to get further forward is greater. to going in too far and being out of So, for example, if you and your opponent control for a balanced split-step. are far apart (baseline to baseline) and you
Decision-making time means you are in control If you are in control of your body and you can see what is coming then you have the ability to make good decisions. Anything else is reflexive and reactive. While those two qualities are good to have, we don’t want to depend on them as our basis of play. When you split-step at an appropriate time and in an organized manner, you are poised to be able to make great decisions. A split-step is your decision-making time. Should you volley or half-volley? How quickly should you move to a ball, where would you like your shot to go? Being able to think quickly on your feet is extremely helpful. Remember, when you split-step, it is a powerful, balanced and propulsive ready position. If you do this before your opponent strikes each ball you can clearly see how and when the ball is hit by the opponent and how it is approaching you. This gives plenty of time to respond to each incoming ball. Then, you will have the ability to move athletically and with precision to a ball that you can see. That is the recipe for success for any player. Lisa Dodson is the Developer and Owner of Servemaster, a USPTA Elite Professional and a former WTA world-ranked player. She is currently the Director of Tennis at Shenorock Shore Club in Rye, N.Y. She may be reached by e-mail at Lisa@TheTotalServe.com or visit TheTotalServe.com.
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Century Tennis 56 Brook Avenue Deer Park, N.Y. (631) 242-0220 CenturyTennis.com Since 1965, Century Tennis has been dedicated to the growing sport of tennis by building quality tennis courts and providing a specialized service to the tennis club industry, as well as the private community. By maintaining a high-quality of service and customer satisfaction over the years comes a trust that is ever so hard to attain. “We simply want to be the best at what we do.” In order to build great tennis courts, you have to start at the bottom with an understanding of soil conditions and converting it to a good base. Laser-controlled road graders enable Century Tennis to build with accuracy. Building Post-Tensioned Concrete, instead of the old asphalt type courts, are proving to be a great alternative for “crack-free” tennis courts. Whether it is a hard court with the softness of Deco-Turf or Classic Turf Rubber or whether it is a soft court like Har-Tru or Hydro Court, or a surface that offers a little of both like Nova Synthetic Turfs … Century Tennis can deliver. The company is a member of the American Sports Builders Association (ASBA), Better Business Bureau (BBB) and the Long Island Builders Institute (LIBI). Century Tennis’ building techniques meet and or exceed those of the ASBA and the USTA and with its “Certified Tennis Court Builder” staff assures this quality. The company’s intention is to deliver the very best tennis courts for the most demanding players and tennis club owners. “Expanding the game of tennis, one court at a time.”
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Gold Coast Tennis 31 Prospect Street Huntington, N.Y. (631) 547-5200 GoldCoastTennis.org Info@GoldCoastTennis.org Tennis and Sports Courts Since 1984 Gold Coast Tennis has been trusted for more than 35 years by Long Island’s top clubs and hundreds of homeowners to design, build and maintain tennis and sport courts. Gold Coast’s in-house team of experienced and knowledgeable tradesmen use only the best quality materials and have the ability to address any situation to ensure your court is ready for you to play at your highest level. Gold Coast Tennis is a specialist and expert in both clay and asphalt courts, including Har-Tru, Deco Systems, and Douglas sports equipment for multi-use courts. Gold Coast provides annual Har-Tru reconditioning, as well as weekly/biweekly/monthly court servicing. All weather court repair incorporates the use of Rite-Way crack repair system. In addition to building and maintaining the court surfaces, Gold Coast Tennis designs and builds the entire court environment including fencing, irrigation, lighting, panting, masonry and seating furniture. Gold Coast’s approach ensures that your tennis or sport court enhances the appearance of your home and fits with your outdoor living lifestyle.
Har-Tru LLC
Lux-Craft Inc.
2200 Old Ivy Road, Suite 100 Charlottesville, Va. (877) 4-HARTRU HarTru.com
101 Bloomingdale Road Hicksville N.Y. (718) 934-3600 LuxCrafters.com LuxCrafters@gmail.com
Har-Tru LLC is a global tennis company based in Charlottesville, Va. It is the world’s leading provider of court surfaces, court consultation, court equipment and accessories. The company strives to help others build and maintain the best courts in the world, leveraging its products, knowledge, and experience to most effectively meet the needs of each customer. Har-Tru stays active in the in the industry as an advocate for the sport and sponsor of tennis-related activities.
Lux-Craft Inc. is a leader in LED lighting manufacturer for indoor and outdoor sports facilities. Located in Hicksville, N.Y., Lux-Craft Inc. is dedicated to the latest technological advances, resulting in the most advanced LED solutions for the sports industry. Lux Craft’s third-generation 540-watt fixture outperforms all other competitors. In 2016, the company introduced highly advanced outdoor fixtures. The indirect nature of the outdoor model reduces glare and improves playability like no other fixture on the market. Lux-Craft is continuously working to make improvements and advances in LED lighting technology. The company is determined to manufacture high-quality luminaires for sports facilities. All assembly and testing is done locally in New York, and with a five-year standard guarantee, Lux Craft is confident that they can vastly improve the lighting systems at tennis clubs. All of that, combined with substantial energy savings, is guaranteeing that we are going to see more LED technology in the future of the tennis industry. Local clubs have greatly benefited by converting to LED lighting, and the ability to have relationships with a local manufacturer provides confidence and convenience as a major decision factor. For more information, call (718) 934-3600 or visit LuxCrafters.com.
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The Farley Group– Air-Supported Structures 6 Kerr Crescent Puslinch, Ontario, Canada (888) 445-3223 TheFarleyGroup.com The Farley Group has installed more than 20 tennis bubbles in the New York City and Long Island areas, helping tennis facilities extend their season into the winter months. For seasonal or permanently installed tennis bubbles, The Farley Group is your number one source for quality, service and dependability. As a manufacturer, supplier, installer and service provider of air-supported structures, The Farley Group works with you from conception to implementation and beyond. The company’s philosophy is built around the belief that a customer never leaves The Farley Group—from project planning and installation to ongoing service and maintenance—we become a trusted member of your team. The company’s expert staff of sales consultants, designers and highly-skilled production and service professionals are well-experienced in all facets of air structure technology, ready to help you through every phase of your tennis bubble project.
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VelveTop Products 1455 New York Avenue Huntington Station, N.Y. (631) 427-5904 Velvetop.com VelveTop Products is a family-owned and operated business since 1968. VelveTop is a stocking distributor of a full line of tennis court materials and equipment, including: l l l l l l
Deco Turf: The Cushioned Tennis Surface of Champions Har-Tru: Developing Champions Since 1932 Douglas Sports: Nets, Windscreens, Divider Nets RiteWay Crack Repair Systems Deep Root: Tree Root Barriers Hadeka Red Clay
For more information, call (631) 427-5904, e-mail BWalsh@VelveTop.com or visit VelveTop.com.
SPORTIME World Tour Brings Aussie Open to Kings Park Credit all photos to: Sophia and Angelina Remnek
With the ATP and WTA Tours competing for Australian Open glory Down Under, local junior players took to the courts of SPORTIME Kings Park for a special event, as the SPORTIME World Tour made its annual stop in Melbourne for an Australian Open-themed event. “The Melbourne World Tour event at SPORTIME Kings Park went really well. We had many first-timers who were excited about the event, had a great time and cannot wait to play the next one,� said Jason Wass, SPORTIME’s Regional Director of Tennis and the Director of the World Tour. “Each event takes on a life of its own, and we are trying to offer new on-court games and off-court activities to make each SPORTIME World Tour event unique.� DJ CM was on hand, keeping parents and kids entertained in the party room, where food and beverages were being served for the groups waiting to go on court. On the court, players showcased their skills and talents through different drills and clinics, as parents and guests enjoyed the day.
SPORTIME’s World Tour continues to be a popular and unique series of events that gives young players in SPORTIME’s programs a fun experience and allows them to have a small taste of a professional tennis tournament experience.
“Our next event is scheduled for March 23 at SPORTIME Syosset,� said Wass. “Syosset is one of the bigger facilities that we use to host our World Tour, so we are gearing up for our biggest and best event ever with an Indian Wells theme!�
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Legendary Legendary coach coach Nick Nick Bollettieri Bollettieri on on the the black courts of NYCB Live during the black courts of NYCB Live during the 2019 2019 New New York York Tennis Tennis Expo Expo
A Panel of Superstar Coaches Discuss the Secrets to Success By Dr. Tom Ferraro t’s always fun to sit on the dais with some of the great thinkers in the world of tennis. I was recently invited to participate in a panel discussion at this year’s New York Tennis Expo at NYCB LIVE. The panel consisted of Steve Johnson, the California-born powerhouse currently ranked 34th in the world; and Nick Bollettieri, the famed philosopher/coach who trained the likes of Andre Agassi, Maria Sharapova, Monica Seles and Jim Courier. Also on the panel was Brazilian tennis guru Ricardo Acioly; the psychologically-gifted tennis coach Jay Harris; serving mastermind Lisa Dodson; and the astoundingly bright tennis coach, Steve Kaplan of Bethpage Park Tennis Center. And then there was me. I tried desperately to fit in and not feel outmatched, but how does one compete with a panel full of superstars? The room was filled and they were asked to provide questions to each of us.
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Steve Johnson, who took part on the Coaches Roundtable Live panel discussion at the 2019 New York Tennis Expo, described his experiences playing with Roger Federer
Johnson was asked to describe what separated Roger Federer, Rafael Nadal and Novak Djokovic from the rest of the pack and Johnson made the wise comment that they do exactly what every other tour player does, but just a little bit better. He
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then made the interesting remark that when you play against these three, you do feel their aura which is also something you are playing against. Bollettieri, Dodson, Acioly are all highly experienced coaches and all made
interesting comments. But there were two remarks made during our talk that are worth expanding upon in some detail. The first was made by Jay Harris in response to a question from a high school player who asked if it is wise to contact a college coach more than once. Jay answered that you show interest by contacting the coach on a weekly basis and that it would be a sign that you were enthusiastic and highly motivated. The other comment I want to mention was that of Steve Kaplan, in response to a question about what it takes to get to the top. Kaplan said that the three traits of the high achiever include optimism, perseverance and opportunism. He went on explain that optimism means that you believe in yourself and remain hopeful; perseverance means that you do not stop if at first you fail; and opportunism means that when an opportunity occurs, you take advantage of it. These are all sensible words to live by, and of course, if success were a mere matter of astute verbal instruction, then I would be out of business. The fact of the matter is that most athletes already know that optimism helps, perseverance is crucial and opportunism works. But exactly how does a parent, coach or therapist instill these traits in an athlete? Here is what I say … if the coach or parent wants to instill optimism, perseverance and opportunism in their charges, they must do the following and they must do it over many years: 1. As many of the panelists remarked, each athlete is different and one must hone all interventions towards each individual, rather than make believe there is a cookie-cutter approach. 2. Spend most of your energy watching and listening to the athlete, rather than talking to them. 3. Support the natural intuitive instincts of the player and support their efforts. 4. Allow the athlete to ventilate frustrations. There is much healing that occurs when feelings are freely expressed. 5. Slowly and repeatedly build self-image, self-esteem and dignity. 6. Exercise patience with the athlete so that they see you are not frustrated with their progress. 7. Understand that building optimism, per-
Steven Kaplan and Ricardo Acioly discussed the path to collegiate tennis during the New York Tennis Expo severance or opportunism is a gradual process that takes a long time, but is worth the effort. 8. Recommend movies, books or articles that explain or demonstrate these traits and discuss the stories after. 9. Reinforce remarks or behaviors that demonstrate optimism, perseverance or opportunism by the athlete.
anything, it is that learning to be a success takes time and support. To be a good parent, good coach or good sport psychologist takes patience, focus and willpower. The successful coach is the one who is always optimistic, unendingly perseverant and opportunistic, just like all of the panelists I sat with at the 2019 New York Tennis Expo.
Anything short of this process is like saying to the athlete, “Don’t worry, be happy.” That little slogan makes a nice jingle, but in fact, doesn’t work in reality. If my experience as a sport psychologist has taught me
For consultations, treatment or on-site visits, contact Dr. Tom Ferraro Ph.D., Sport Psychologist, by phone at (516) 248-7189, e-mail DrTFerraro@aol.com or visit DrTomFerraro.com.
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Who Is the Greatest Tennis Instructor of All Time? By Steve Kaplan recently had the pleasure of hosting legendary coach Nick Bollettieri as the featured speaker at my annual High School Coaches Clinic. Nick is an engaging speaker and his record of elevating the most gifted athletes to great heights is unmatched. Nick Bollettieri, like all great messengers, is inspirational and an extraordinary leader. Leadership can take many forms; however, wisdom based upon a deep understanding of theoretical knowledge is often the fastest and safest road to improvement, especially when laying the groundwork for future development. Coaching tennis is the synthesis of art and science, and the science behind this art is the foundation of most sound coaching. While many believe that Nick is the best
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“coach” in history, the world’s best tennis “instructor” does not have an academy named for him, nor has a “system” (a laughable way pros describe their work on social media to make themselves appear more substantial), and has never even hit a tennis ball. If you don’t know and use his work as a guiding principle to understand tennis, you are making an unforced error. Isaac Newton is the founding father of modern sports instruction, because he is the originator of the physical laws of motion, and we live and play in an ever-moving physical world. Coaches may debate best practices all day long, but Newton’s ideas are laws, both universal and immutable. Below are my top five favorite instructional ideas based on principles of (mostly) Newtonian physics. 1. A student recently asked me my
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thoughts on the following bit of instruction he heard given to a group at a well-known academy. The coach asked the group the following question: “Since most coaches say that power comes from your legs. If this is true, how is it that wheelchair athletes can serve within 15 percent of the speed of able-bodied athletes and they don’t have use of their legs?” His conclusion was, “Power therefore comes from your upper body.” Of course power does not come from your legs or any other body part. Instead, power comes from the ground and is transmitted through your body. It doesn’t really matter if it is your feet or your wheels on the ground (except that you can load your legs with greater elasticity— see Hooke’s Law). Newton’s third law of equal and opposite force says it clearly, “Force comes from pushing
into the ground and from the ground ‘pushing’ back.” 2. How low should you go to load? I hear instruction all the time focused on the “lower the better,” but getting low comes at a cost: Greater gravity. Therefore, it’s not a big drop, but a quick and well-timed dip, almost like taking your foot and thinking of pressing a button on the ground that will get the job done best. Power starts with a quick, elastic push into the ground that stores energy, and an explosive, yet efficient, release. 3. Balance is the most important quality in tennis or so I’m told, and we all know it when we see it. But to teach balance, you really need to understand balance. Here is a simple explanation. Newton’s first law states that: “A body in motion stays in motion, a body at rest stays at rest unless acted upon by an unbalanced force.” In the physical world of tennis, balance as we recognize is achieved by exerting a force equal to gravity, or achieving zero acceleration in movement. In the most practical of terms, balance is enhanced by displaying no change in movement velocity. Since the goal of striking a ball is to gain speed, a most stable body is needed to counter the unbalanced strike force. So don’t change the speed of your foot movement while you ac-
celerate your racket to stay balanced while displaying power. You got all of that? There will be a test at the end of this article. 4. The net is lower in the middle, so aim to hit over it and you will make more shots. Right? Well … not so fast. Howard Brody, Professor of Physics at The University of Pennsylvania in his book, Tennis Science for Tennis Players, points out that while the net is lower, it is also further away and these two factors cancel one another out since cross-court and down the line net areas have the same ball trajectory acceptance angles. Think of it this way … if you are shooting a basketball into a net from 12 feet away, the arc of your shot (all other factors being equal) will need to be higher than a shot from 10 feet away. Lower the net to let’s say nine feet high from 12 feet away and you can now have the same arc as the 10 foot shot to the 10 foot basket. 5. The faster your racket swings, the faster you will hit so I hear. Again … not that simple. “The Trampoline or SpringLike Effect “says that the force of the swing must match the depression or elasticity of the ball, strings and racket or much of the energy created from the strike will be lost making a faster swing so inefficient that it will have little effect on the work performed. Power is more
than speed. Power is the result of greater energy applied to the hit. Ultimately, players don’t need to understand the science behind their skills. Ask Nick Bollettieri and he will tell you, “Just hit the damn ball!” Such advice for high-performance is sometimes this simple and can be highly effective. Coaching for skill development is different, however, in that it requires instruction based on a deep and clear understanding of how the physical world works. A knowledge of physics encourages coaches to filter and simplify information into practical teaching cues to ensure that students progress safely and quickly. Steve Kaplan is the Owner and Managing Director of Bethpage Park Tennis Center, as well as Director Emeritus of Lacoste Academy for New York City Parks Foundation and Executive Director and Founder of Serve & Return Inc. Steve has coached more than 1,100 nationally-ranked junior players, 16 state high school champions, two NCAA Division 1 Singles Champions, and numerous highly-ranked touring professionals. Many of the students Steve has closely mentored have gone to achieve great success as prominent members of the New York financial community, and in other prestigious professions. In 2017, Steve was awarded the Hy Zausner Lifetime Achievement Award by the USTA. He may be reached by e-mail at StevenJKaplan@aol.com.
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Tennis Therapy Therap
By Tonny van de Pieterman Who cried after losing an insignificant match? I did, your honor … guilty as charged! I remember it as if it were yesterday. I had just lost a match in a junior team event. It was a match between two local clubs separated by a mere five miles in an average-sized town in Southern Holland. I was sobbing in the locker room, and I was accompanied by my friend. We were both feeling blue as my mom walks in and says, “C’mon boys, you can still win this match. Let’s go outside to cheer on your teammates.” That was the adult version of what happened … want to know what really happened? Here it goes … I had just lost the most important tennis match of my life. After a summer full of 72
victories, we had finally made it to the championship. I was picked to play singles and I was so proud. I had figured that if I won singles, as well as doubles, that we would need only one more win out of the remaining three matches to take the title. That wouldn’t be an easy feat since I did not have much faith in the girls on our team, but I would be our only shot. Did I mention that I was 11-years-old at the time? I knew my opponent well. His name was Martin, and he was the best player on my soccer team. He was a good athlete, but I strongly believed that I could beat him. He didn’t even care that much about tennis. He only played because it was the summertime and the soccer season was over. Nevertheless, I unexpectedly lost the match. Martin played steadier than I did, and my shots weren’t going to the right spots. As Martin joyfully chased down all my shots, I saw my mission go up in flames. I bit my lower lip as I shook his hand to congratulate him. I quickly made my way to the locker room
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where I burst out crying. My teammate, Mark, also 11-years-old, soon joined me to console me and discuss our upcoming doubles match. As I was trying to get myself together, the door swung open. My mother walked in and said, with a disapproving tone, “Are you crying? ARE YOU CRYING? There’s no crying in tennis!” (I made up this last line). I remember how embarrassed I was that my mother just walked into the men’s locker room, and how ridiculed I felt for crying like a baby. The reason I remember this story so well is that I never cried again after a match. I just got angry instead. If being and acting disappointed was not “allowed,” I would try something else. Now what does this story have to do with motivation? Genuine intrinsic motivation has three key ingredients: Autonomy (self-governance), Mastery and Purpose. At the age of 11, I had just picked up the sport of tennis and I instantly loved it. I
py: A Story of Motivation, Un-Intentionally Corrupted come from a soccer family, and I always enjoyed being part of a team. However, all summer long, I had practiced my tennis game and enjoyed it. All the different skills that I learned were executed, and most importantly to me, it was all on me in a match … I was the one in charge! I consider the event I described the origin of my struggles on the court as a competitive tennis player. My parents had watched me play soccer for many years, where we won or lost as a team. This was the first time, however, I received feedback on my individual performance and behavior after losing. Children make decisions without the perspective of an adult, and often it can have lasting negative effects. I decided
never to cry again after a loss, not to be myself. My ‘decision’ to an angry boy all the time hurt me more than it helped me. It was confusing, and I was struggling with doubts and motivational issues during my entire junior tennis career. In my collegiate tennis experience, I had a breakthrough. I was lucky enough to be guided by a very wise coach. He was tough on me, but fair, and he instilled in me a great respect for my opponent, myself and for the game of tennis itself. He encouraged me to always play “within myself,” and he showed tremendous faith in me. I had never felt this before. This resulted in a new trust in my own ability to problem-solve. I never let down my coach,
and even better, I feel I never let myself down again. To parents and coaches … the autonomy part of motivation is a huge factor. It’s important that we show faith in our youngsters so they will develop faith in themselves. Tonny van de Pieterman is director of tennis at Point Set Indoor Racquet Club. He was recently named USTA Tennis Professional of the Year for the USTA/Eastern-Long Island Region and helped the Eastern Section win this year’s Talbert Cup. He may be reached by phone at (516) 536-2323 or e-mail Tonny@PointSetTennis.com.
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rganizing the upcoming Men’s and Women’s USTA League Tennis season is now underway!
The USTA League consists of the 18 & Over League (players must turn 18 in the 2019 calendar year), the 40 & Over League (players must turn 40 in the 2019 calendar year) 55 & Over and 65 & Over Leagues. The 18 & Over League will begin early May, with the 40 & Over League starting in later May/the beginning of June. The 55 & Over and 65 & Over League will begin mid-June. All matches are two sets, regular scoring, with a super tie-break (first one to 10 by a margin of two) in place of a third set. 18 & Over League Teams are formed at the NTRP Levels of 2.5, 3.0, 3.5, 4.0, 4.5 and 5.0+. The 2.5 and 5.0+ Levels play one court of singles and two courts of doubles. The 5.0+ Level may have two players at the 5.5 Level on their roster who must play singles or on the first doubles court with just one of them permitted to play in each match. The 3.0, 3.5, 4.0 and 4.5 Levels play two courts of singles and three courts of doubles. The 2.5 and 5.0+ Levels may carry up to 15 players on their roster, which the 3.0, 3.5, 4.0, and 4.5 Levels may carry up to 22 players on their roster. 40 & Over League Teams are formed at the NTRP Levels of 74
3.0, 3.5, 4.0 and 4.5+. The 3.0, 3.5 and 4.0 Levels will play one court of singles and four courts of doubles—this is being done for local matches on Long Island. Once a team gets to playoffs, which is now considered the first level of championships, you will play two courts of singles and three courts of doubles. The 4.5+ Level may have up to three players at the 5.0 Level on their team. Two may play in a match and must play first singles or first doubles. The 4.5+ Level, for local play throughout championships, will play two courts of singles and three courts of doubles. All levels may carry up to 22 players on their roster. 55 & Over League Teams are formed at the combined levels of the 6.0 Level (two 3.0 players or a 2.5 and 3.5) 7.0 Level, (two 3.5 players or a 3.0 & 4.0), 8.0 Level (two 4.0 players or a 3.5 and 4.5), and the 9.0 Level (two 4.5 players or a 4.0 and 5.0). All levels play three courts of doubles and may carry up to 18 players on their roster. 65 & Over League Teams are formed following the same format as above. We presently have men’s teams at the 7.0 and 8.0 Levels and women’s teams at the 8.0 Level. We are in the process of trying to get a League to compete and the 6.0 and 7.0 Levels. The 65 & Over League also plays three courts of doubles, and can carry up to 18 players on a roster.
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Fees for Men’s & Women’s Leagues Players must be a USTA member (fees vary based on length of membership). There is a $29 fee to join a team and then each match played is $22 per person, which is paid to the club where the match is being played. Long Island also has a 65 & Over Mixed Doubles League, which plays outdoors during the spring, summer and fall months. This is a recreational league which was started last year by Al Silverstein and it continues to grow by leaps and bounds! There is a reduced roster fee of $10 per person, and a match fee would apply if there is a park fee where the match is played. The 18 & Over and 40 & Over Mixed Doubles Leagues are presently playing with the deadlines to add players to the rosters now closed. The 18 & Over League will play until the end of April, with the 40 & Over League playing until mid-June. We will have a full list of teams advancing to Regionals and/or Sectionals in the next issue of Long Island Tennis Magazine! If you are interested in forming a team or being placed on a team, please email me at Miller@Eastern.USTA.com. I look forward to hearing from you! Kathy Miller is Manager of Carefree Racquet Club and is also the Adult League Coordinator for USTA/Long Island. She may be reached by e-mail at KathyM65@aol.com.
The Fed Approach By Luke Jensen hope you had a blast watching the 2019 Australian Open. The Aussie Open always provides opportunities for those who properly prepare in the offseason and can sneak up on the ones who are not necessarily ready for the year’s first Grand Slam. Danielle Collins, a two-time NCAA Champion from UVA and Francis Tiafoe, who made his deepest run ever in a Grand Salami, were two Americans who showed up on the big stage Down Under! American ladies have more play- Photo credit: USTA/Darren Carroll ers in the top 100 than any other country. The men show promise, but are still looking for the next Andy Roddick, the last Ameri- never a good loser. Losses stayed with me can male winner of a Grand Slam back in a long time after, and even jump-started 2003. The USTA has been locked in on de- significant training regimens that lifted my veloping a Team USA mindset and culture. level of play. I have found there is always When you’re at pro events, you will see the something to work on. I don’t think any real coaches and players wearing USA gear. competitor is ever really satisfied with their Back in the day, wearing USA gear gave all results, as there is something you wish you of us a real sense of pride representing our could do over or play differently. I was doing my Aussie Open research country. Even at events away from the Davis before and during the tournament. It reCup matches, various team members would quires tons of reading and digging out continue to wear the Team USA gear. nuggets that can add to a studio segment But anyway, how is your game going or interview. One thing that really stood out these days? You should be learning someto me was what Roger Federer worked on thing about your game at every opportuover the offseason leading up to the Aussie nity. For example, the last time you played, Open. He took a family vacation towards did you think about the match or practice the end of November and then set up his on the way home from the court? I always training camp in Dubai. It’s hot there and found I would do my best self-evaluating it’s much closer to Australia than taking the on the way home. My tennis was still very full 25-hour flight from Europe. fresh in my mind, and by the time I reached Federer talks about his goals in 2019, home, I could get any of the bad feelings looking to back his “Full Force Forehand,” after a bad day out of my system. I was
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and improve his fitness for a possible clay court run at the French, a run he has not done the last couple of seasons. Fed also spoke about a couple of swings he had back in 2018. One was against Juan Martin DelPotro in Indian Wells and Kevin Anderson at Wimbledon. Imagine your entire calendar year in the balance between one or two swings of the racket. How can you use the Fed approach to your own approach to better tennis? Keep learning how your game works and learn how to fix shots when they are not working. Most players that I speak with discuss losses because of the opponent on the other side. I tell them maybe the opponent is within unlocking that mystery that can result in greater performance. Don’t get too complicated! The best shot is always the one that goes in and the second best shot is the one away from your opponent. Use your mind as a competitive weapon and go out and compete with consistency!!!! Fire up your game and improve it until we touch base again in the next Jensen Zone. Raised in Ludington, Mich., Luke Jensen’s resume includes 10 ATP Tour doubles titles. He was also a member of the U.S. Davis Cup Teams that reached the finals in 1991 and won in 1992. His ambidextrous play, including his ability to serve the ball with either hand at 130 mph, earned him the nickname “Dual Hand Luke.” Luke is currently Director of Racket Sports at West Side Tennis Club in Forest Hills, N.Y. He may be reached by phone at (315) 4030752 or e-mail LukeJensen84@yahoo.com.
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junior tennis spotlight
Ten Extremely Off the Radar Things That Can Help a Junior Player Reach Their Tennis Goals: Part I BY R I C K Y BE C K E R
By Ricky Becker efore my year-long hiatus from contributing to Long Island Tennis Magazine, I published the following formula on junior tennis success. It goes like this … Ten percent of junior players walk onto the tennis court for the first time with clearcut talent. If they really push themselves to the max and go for it, they can potentially make a career as a professional player. With slightly less effort on- and-off-thecourt, they can still achieve a good level of junior and college success. Eighty percent of junior players walk onto the tennis court for the first time and will go as far on the junior or collegiate circuit as
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their effort, commitment and proper guidance takes them. The hardest workers can reach the top levels of junior and collegiate tennis. A successful career in pro tennis for the hardest workers can be tantalizingly close, but truthfully, out of reach. I should know, this was my category as a player. Ten percent of junior players walk onto the tennis court for the first time and just find tennis extremely difficult. It doesn’t mean they won’t be able to enjoy tennis as the great lifelong sport that it is or even make their school team one day, but achieving a high level of junior and collegiate success is probably not going to happen even with maximum effort. Any well-educated coach will tell you that you need to learn good technique, develop a weapon, think on the court, control your
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emotions and get into good shape. This is all true. From my 30-plus years of being around junior tennis, there are many other things that come into play when it comes to a player reaching their potential. Some are talked about from coaches more than others. Here are five of them. The next five will appear the May/June 2019 issue of Long Island Tennis Magazine: 1. Athletic confidence Athletic confidence is very innate. It’s a simple sense of entitlement one gets when they are in the sports arena. Have you ever watched five-year-old children play soccer? At this age, most kids know pretty much the same about the game. However, some kids are more aggressive and are just more confident out there. This athletic con-
fidence permeates across all sports. If you walk onto the court believing you are more athletic and work harder than anybody you play against, the potential is limitless. This athletic confidence is a born talent that can be improved in many cases. 2. Flexibility When it comes to physical skills, we often hear about power, speed and hand-eye coordination. Flexibility is right up there in terms of importance. How low can you get? How wide can you stretch? How elastic are you? Most importantly, flexibility decreases your risk of injury. Once again, flexibility is a talent people are born with, but can improve. 3. Parents commitment When a parent of a young prospect asks me if their child can be “good,” one of the first things I ask them is if they, as a parent, are willing to sacrifice. Yes, tennis is usually very expensive. There are ways around it sometimes though. Just as important though are the parents willing to put in the time. If you the parent don’t want
to go to New Jersey on weekend evenings or upstate New York for a Super Six, it will hamper your child’s development. Another thing parents often have to deal with is other children’s schedules. Do you have other children who have other activities in other locations which will prevent you from getting your child to tennis practice and tournaments? 4. Sibling influences As we all know, younger siblings often look up to older siblings. This can be good or bad for a child’s development. This can be good if their sibling is a hard-worker, loves tennis and views tennis positively. It can even put the younger child on a faster track because they have seen their older sibling go through the process. It is not as new of an experience to them and the younger sibling has something to strive for. Often, a parent of a talented, high-ranked player will tell me their child plays simply because their older sibling plays the same way. It can be a negative if the older child mocks tennis, is lazy on the court or pulls them into another activity.
5. Social distractions Of course this goes into the “How badly do you want it” category. Players who do well don’t perceive missing social functions as a sacrifice. Ivan Lendl had a great quote. He once said, “I’m certainly not sorry that there were some things I missed. You may think you’re missing something at the time, but later when you look at it, you didn’t miss anything.” Of course, if you are in the culture of having a lot of social distractions, there are more temptations. Don’t even get me started with phones, please … Ricky Becker is the Director of Tennis at Pine Hollow Country Club. He independently coaches high-performance juniors and adults of all-levels year-round at Bethpage Park Tennis Center. He has coached hundreds of ranked junior players. As a player, Becker was awarded Most Valuable Player for the 1996 NCAA Championship Stanford Tennis Team and 1989-1992 Roslyn High School Tennis Teams, and was ranked number four in the United States in the 18 & Under Division.
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Creative Tennis Positioning By Mike Puc s players age, the tactics of the game of tennis also change. The typical, albeit annoying, byproduct of getting older is the loss of mobility and power. Instead of remembering how fast and strong you were and trying to recapture this younger innate characteristic, it would be wise to accept the changes, and modify and adapt your game to suit your current abilities. A good tactic in doubles to compensate for reduced foot speed is to shorten the court and play three feet inside the baseline, or even further forward to the service line as your new backcourt home base. Depending on the quality and speed of your opponent’s serve, this can be an ideal position to aggressively return the ball to start the point. By playing closer to return serve,
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you may now penetrate with a deep cross court return, drop a weak serve or drive down the line. While this position does limit the lob area to down-the-line, it will reduce your area to cover and allow you to get to the dreaded short ball. After both the return and serve, experiment with playing in “No Man’s Land.” The old adage of playing all the way back or all the way up does not apply if you cannot get to the ball. You will however find yourself hitting some specialty shots in this zone that you should practice. More balls will be hit to your toes, requiring a half-volley. The halfvolley is a shot that should be perfected as it occurs in all positions on the court. Stay low, shorten the backswing, and take the ball early for an effective return. Taking deep balls out of the air from this position will save you from stepping backward while reducing reaction time for your opponent. Hit this shot as a positional shot
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and not an aggressive winner by setting your racket face on the proper angle to deliver a deep or short return. It is also easier to judge out balls from this position and let them go. When you are forced to move forward, you will be there in five steps instead of 10, allowing you to drop low balls and drive high balls. While this positioning idea is great for senior players, it can be equally effective for all ages and levels to accommodate reduced foot speed. Less running will save your energy and control the play. Mike Puc has been the Director of Tennis at Gleneagles Country Club in Delray Beach, Fla. since 1998. A winner of 15 national titles and an ATP world ranking, Mike directs 25 teams with 350 players in nine leagues, while offering the most extensive Calendar of Events in South Florida that includes tournaments, lectures and social round-robins.
Are You a Fight or Flight Player? By Barbara Wyatt Have you uncovered the magic elixir to an improved tennis stroke or strategy? Was it discovered on a tennis instructional video somewhere in YouTube Universe? I discovered a new mental dominance tactic to add to my arsenal of tennis strokes, strategies and prayers while watching a video authored by Gigi Fernandez, Puerto Rican athlete of the century. She was inducted into the International Tennis Hall of Fame with a record of 17 Grand Slam doubles titles, earned with various partners, along with two Olympic Gold Medals with Mary Joe Fernandez. The video focused on the “Physiology of Fight or Flight.” Gigi explained reactions to stress … whether it’s the sight of a large furry bear in the forest or a competitive tennis opponent on a court, the flight reaction is to freeze, then run. The player’s feet will feel like lead, accompanied by a sense of “I’m not enjoying myself; I don’t want to be here.” You’ll want to run from the match. To regain composure in the match, flight players need to move their feet, be aggressive and go for a hard put-away. They begin a soft chant, “Move my feet.” After losing several points in a row in doubles matches, I follow my partners’ leads. My partners were always the better players; they bounce on their toes and chant, “Move the feet, move the feet.” I imitate their behavior and bounce on my toes and chant with them. Gigi showed me another way based on my physiology tendencies. Staying light on your feet is critical for all
players. But when confronted with a competitive opponent, like many others, I want to stand and fight. My fight physiologic response is to be aggressive, go for the winner, and leap into a poach, no matter how far the stretch. Players with fight response hear inner voices that cry out, “Win the point! Now! Right now! Charge the net for an awesome put-away!” You know what happens next … balls soar out of the court or in a wild poach, rackets connect with the ball and volley it into the bottom of the net. The chant, “Move your feet,” was not the best for my game. Fighters, like me, need to focus on the opposite mental approach as those of flighters. I need to say, “Calm down. Take a deep breath. Have patience. No, you don’t have to put away that shot. Wait for the right one.” In a tennis match, players may have butterflies in the stomach, dry mouth, tight muscles, a tightness in the chest, tunnel vi-
sion; they may sweat profusely in the match; or feel a pounding heart … these physiological responses are completely normal. Welcome them, and learn how to identify and manage them. When I need better control, I will be chanting, “Patience, breathe, wait for the right ball, then show your controlled aggression.” My partners, who always knew the correct chant for their game, will hum, “Move your feet, go for it, stay loose and poach!” We will be in perfect harmony. Barbara Wyatt is a Writer, Photographer, USTA Official, and Mobile App Developer of iKnowTennis!, the tennis rules app. Her poem, Ode to Tennis, an amusing poem on the joys and frustrations when learning tennis, is available at Amazon. She can be reached by e-mail at BarbaraW@iKnowTennis.com.
2013 ETA Recipient “Innovative Tennis Program of the Year” LI’s first Tennis Academy devoted to the USTA’s 10 & under Initiative. Butch Seewagen is a former varsity coach at Columbia University. He holds over 15 national and international titles and is the owner/program director of the Children’s Athletic Training Schools.
For Boys and Girls 3 – 10 years old.
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charitable initiatives Carefree Racquet Club Honors Susan Alvy With Memorial Tournament
Susan Alvy Memorial “A” Division champions Justin Laible & Brad Shafran
Brian Connor & Chris Wolfe captured the “A” Division title at the 2018 Susan Alvy Memorial
Chris Chan & Casey Schnabel finished runners-up in the “A” Division
Gary Simeone & Doug Pierno took second place in the Susan Alvy Memorial Men’s Doubles Tournament “B” Division
very year during the winter break, Carefree Racquet Club hosts the Susan Alvy Memorial Men’s Doubles tournament, held in honor of Susan Alvy, former Manager of Rockville Racquet who served on the USTA Long Island League Committee and was one of Long Island’s best tennis advocates. “We at Carefree are happy to continue running the tournament Susan ran for years and to keep her name alive in the tennis com-
munity,” said Carefree’s General Manager Kathy Miller. The tournament is broken up into two divisions, the “A” Division for 4.5-5.0 players, and the “B” Division for 3.5-4.0 players. All proceeds from the tournament were donated to the American Cancer Society in Alvy’s name. In the “A” Division, the team of Brad Shafran & Justin Laible defeated Casey Schnabel & Chris Chan, while in the “B” Division, it was Brian Connor & Chris Wolfe victorious over Gary Simeone & Doug Pierno in the finals.
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