SEPTEMBER 2013 - United States Tennis...

SEPTEMBER 2013

N RTHERN EXPOSURE

Tickets Available For Hall of Fame Ceremony September 27

USTA Northern will induct four new members into its Hall of Fame on Friday, Sept. 27 at The Minneapolis Club in downtown Minneapolis from 5:00-8:00 p.m. The event opens with a recep-tion and silent auction benefitting the Northern Tennis Founda-tion from 5:00-6:00 p.m., followed by the induction ceremony and more socializing. KFAN Radio personality and two-time Minnesota State High School Tennis Champion Justin Gaard will serve as emcee for this bi-annual event.

The four distinguished members making up the Class of 2013 include former USTA Northern Executive Director Marcia Bach (Bloomington, Minn.), standout player Chuck Darley (originally from Rochester, Minn., now living in Iowa City, Iowa), North Da-kota tennis legend Larry Dodge (originally from Fargo, N.D., and now living in Santa Cruz, Calif.) and long-time USTA Northern vol-unteer and league player Susie Neet (Minneapolis, Minn.).

Bach has over 30 years of service with USTA Northern first on its Board of Directors (1982-87), followed by her becoming the first full-time paid employee of the Section as Executive Director (1987-2003). She has been actively involved with Parks and Recs at both a local and national level, while still serving in a volunteer capacity with the USTA at a Sectional and National level.

Darley compiled a high school record of 72-0 at Rochester John Marshall and won three Minnesota state championships. He played college tennis at Cal-Berkeley where he was a two-time All-Amer-ican. He was a member of the United States Junior Davis Cup from 1963-67 and was ranked in the top 20 of the country, playing the likes of Arthur Ashe and Stan Smith during his career.

Dodge is arguably the best player to come out of North Da-kota before relocating to the San Francisco Bay Area in the late 60s. He attended North Dakota State and won six consecutive North Dakota Closed Singles and doubles titles from 1957-62. He was ranked as high as #3 in the Section during that time. Once he moved to California, he became owner and architect of La Ma-drona Swim and Racquet Club in Santa Cruz, Calif.

Neet has been a long time player and volunteer within the Sec-tion for over 30 years. She has been a ranked tournament player, high school coach, USTA League Tennis player and captain and has volunteered with many programs including InnerCity Tennis

and the Fred Wells Tennis & Education Center. She was also the volunteer coordinator for the Boston Scientific Women’s $50,000 Tournament from 1999-2007. For her efforts, she was named the 2006 winner of the USTA Northern Wolfenson Ratner Commu-nity Service Award, and in 1993, won the Albert Teeter Adult Sportsmanship Award.

Tickets are $50 each and can be purchased by contacting Lisa Mushett at (952) 358-3282 or at [email protected]. Attire is business casual as NO jeans or tennis shoes are allowed in The Minneapolis Club.

USTA Northern Annual Meeting & Awards Dinner November 22; Member Event November 23

Save the date as USTA Northern will host its 2013 Annual Meeting and Awards Dinner on Friday, Nov. 22, at The Minneapolis Club in downtown Minneapolis. The Annual Meeting is from 4:30-6:00 p.m., followed immediately by the Awards Dinner from 6:00-9:00 p.m.

The Annual Meeting is open to the public and free to at-tend. Tickets to the Awards Dinner, also open to the public, are $45 and can be purchased by contacting Lisa Mushett at (952) 358-3282 or at [email protected]. Attire is busi-ness casual as NO jeans or tennis shoes are allowed in The Minneapolis Club.

On Saturday, Nov. 23, USTA Northern will be hosting tennis games and a brunch for all current members at a location to be determined. Please check back in the November issue of Northern Exposure Magazine for more information about this FREE event!

Congratulations 2013 Hall of Fame Class Come Honor Them September 27

USTA Northern Accepting Awards Nominations; Deadline September 12

Nomination a deserving individual or group in your area for one of nine awards given by USTA Northern annually including:

•WardBurtonJuniorDevelopmentAward•JerryNoyceJuniorSportsmanshipAward•AlbertTeeterAdultSportsmanshipAward•JackDowAdultDevelopmentAward•BobLarsonMediaExcellenceAward•FamilyoftheYear•MemberOrganizationoftheYear•FrankVoigtProoftheYear•Wolfenson/RatnerCommunityServiceAwardFor more information, and a nomination form, visit

www.northern.usta.com. Deadline for nominations is September 12.

Larry Chuck Marcia Susie Dodge Darley Bach Neet

www.northern.usta.com 3

4 magazine SEPTEMBER 2013

Anne Craney and Pat Rost inducted into SD Hall of Fame

T wo players who made their mark in tennis play-ing out of Sioux Falls, Pat

Rost and Anne Craney Olson, were inducted into the 2013 South Dakota Tennis Hall of Fame on July 28 at McKennan Park Ten-nis Complex in Sioux Falls dur-ing theAsfora/Clayton SDAdultOpen tennis tournament.

Craney, who now lives in Bloomington, Minn., was ranked #2 in the Section for her age group for many years and played in two USTA national tourna-ments. Craney won the women’s singles title in 1968 at the SD Closed, plus four doubles titles between 1966 and 1975.

Rost, who now lives in San Diego, Calif., was a two-time state high school champion for O’Gorman (1978, 1980) and qualified for national tournaments all over the country, in addition to playing in international events such as the Easter Bowl, Fiesta Bowl and Orange Bowl junior tennis tournaments. Rost

was ranked #1 or #2 in the Northwestern Section/USTA for his junior career, win-ning over 50 singles championships. He attained a ranking of #16 nationally as a 16-year-old.

Also, honored on July 28 was Reid Hans of Sioux Falls with the 2013 SD Ten-nis Achievement Award for contributions to grow the game of tennis over a 25-year span. Hans’ tennis accomplishments in-clude coaching at St. Cloud State, serving on the Board of Directors of the North-western Tennis Association and owning/managing tennis clubs in South Dakota.

Free League Team Up Event September 25League tennis is a game shared with friends, old and new. A game fueled by com-

petition within the lines and camaraderie outside them. A game that inspires your passion for tennis. And now, it’s time to get back in the game or join all the fun.

Attend a FREE USTA League Team Up Event at the Fred Wells Tennis & Education Center (100 Federal Drive, St. Paul) on September 25 from 6:30-8:00 p.m. and enjoy a fun tennis social, refreshments and learn about our upcoming Fall USTA Leagues. Have tennis friends who have not played leagues in a while or have never tried them? This is the perfect event to get them back in the swing of things.

To RSVP, please contact Sandy Smith at [email protected]. Phone inquiries to 952-358-3288.

Reid Hans, Anne Craney Olson and Pat Rost.

N RTHERN EXPOSURE

1001 West 98th Street, Suite 101Bloomington, MN 55431

(952) 887-5001 • (800) 536-6982Fax: (952) 887-5061

STAFF DIRECTORY

Kristi Bushinski (952-358-3280)Junior and Officials Programming Assistant [email protected]

Pat Colbert (952-358-3283)AssistantExecutiveDirector/DirectorofJunior [email protected]

Jean Forbes (952-358-3292)Junior Teams [email protected]

Mike Goldammer (952-358-3284)Executive [email protected]

Cory Haugen (952-887-5001, ext. 0)Executive [email protected]

Brandon Jackson (952-358-3291)Director of Junior [email protected]

Carolyn Kramer (701-238-1515)Tennis Service Representative – North & South [email protected]

Nancy Lundberg (952-358-3286)Director of Adult [email protected]

Lisa Mushett (952-358-3282)Director of Marketing and [email protected]

Christine Nickels (952-358-3290)Director of Community [email protected]

Kelley Okerman (952-358-3287)AdultCompetitionSpecialist/TwinCitiesAreaLeague [email protected]

James Poehler (952-358-3281)[email protected]

Sandy Smith (952-358-3288)Director of Membership & [email protected]

Tony Stingley (952-358-3289)DirectorofDiversity&Inclusion/TennisService Representative Minnesota & Northwestern [email protected]

Carol Thies (952-358-3285)Adult Competition [email protected]


President’s message

As we conclude our first season of the new USTA League Tennis structure with 40 & Over Mixed and NTRP Doubles right now, we wanted to hear from you, our members,

and get your feedback about how the first year with the new league tennis structure went. What did you like? What needs to be improved? Where can USTA Northern help make the experience better and how can we educate our players more in areas that are out of our control.

We received 507 responses from our league players back in May. Although we were hoping to hear from more of you, we are thankful to those who shared your thoughts and opinions with us. Of the 507 responses, 54 percent were female, while 52 percent were between the ages of 40-64 years old. Eighty-three percent of the respondents were current players, and 68 percent of those were either from the 3.5 or 4.0 levels.

Some interesting finds from the survey included:•75%ofrespondentsdidorplannedonplayingonlyoneNTRP

level. This is different from years past as many players com-peted at two levels, but with play now weekly, and with mul-tiple leagues for those 40 & Over or 55 & Over, people were less likely to play at a higher NTRP level.

•72percentof theplayers liked thechangeofplayingeveryweek during the Early Start and Winter seasons rather than bi-weekly.

•Also,44%oftherespondentsexpressedinterestplayinginamore recreational and social league that did not advance to National Championships… similar to beer-league softball.

We were also interested in how the age division restructure (18 & Over, 40 & Over, 55 & Over) had changed your league partici-pation. What we found was people appreciated all of the new op-portunities to play, but there were some concerns:

•Toomanyleagueoptionstochoosefrom.•Captains struggled because they had to administer more

teams. •Wealsoheardloudandclearfromseniorsinregardstothe

reduction of play opportunities for them. We agree and will look into more options in the future.

Most importantly, we needed to hear from you about how we could improve your league experience since we know it is the backbone of the USTA and why you are members. Here are some concerns expressed from you:

•The USTA needs to do something about late match times - Unfortunately, USTA Northern has nothing to do with match times. It is the individual facilities who decide when they can dedicate court time to USTA matches. We have shared the results of the survey with the facilities, but ultimately it is up to the facility. We encourage you to talk to the facility directly in regards to match times.

•Not being able to complete matches - USTA Northern will encourage facilities to schedule 1:45 for matches (Baseline

& Reed Sweatt Family Tennis Center already do this), but once again, that is a facility decision. We also want to remind players to keep warm ups at 10 minutes and changeovers to one minute. This will help the progress of your match.

•The restructure has made getting indoor courts more difficult - We do not believe this to be true and was why we adjusted the days of play prior to the 2013 season so we could maximize the court usage each day of the week, giving people the maximum opportunity possible to play tennis.

•Teams need more players to complete their rosters - USTA Northern offers a Matchline service which pairs cap-tains with players looking for teams. We have placed over 1,200 players on teams through Matchline the past two years. Contact [email protected] and see how this free service can work for your team.

•Offer more benefits for league players - USTA Northern hosted a number of drills and social events for its members in 2013 (including the Swingle & Mingle Mixed Doubles Tour-nament, Gopher Member Appreciation Events, the Member ThankYouGamesandBBQ).Theresponsewasextremelypositive to these events and we plan to do even more in 2014. If you have not attended one of these special member-only events, try to hit one next year!

Onceagain,thankyoutoallwhorespondedtothesurvey.Yourparticipation in USTA League Tennis is very important to us, as we want it to be “your” league. If any of you have further feedback about USTA League Tennis within Northern, please feel free to contact myself or Mike Goldammer. We Are Northern!

See you on the courts!Roshan Rajkumar

2014 Early Start League Registration Open

Registration is open NOW for 2014 Early Start USTA League Tennis in the Twin Cities. This 10-week league opens in October, finishes in mid-December and uses a player’s early start rating, which was released on August 12.

Early Start leagues feature 18 & Over, 40 & Over and 55 & Over Adults and 18 & Over Mixed offerings. Team regis-tration deadline is September 3.

For more information, please contact Kelley Okerman at [email protected].

Tony Larson Wins US Open Northern Qualifier Again

Tony Larson won the men’s singles title for the third time in four years after defeating Brian BattistoneofLasVegas,Nev., in the finals of the 2013 US Open Northern Section Qualifier.LarsonadvancedtotheUSOpenNationalPlayoffsAugust 16-19 in New Haven, Conn., at Yale University,stagedduringtheNewHavenOpenatYalepresentedbyFirst Niagara, an Emirates Airline US Open Series event. The winner of that earned a bid into the qualifying draw at the 2013 U.S. Open. (Results were unavailable before publication.)

Larson, who also won the title in 2010 and 2011 and ad-vanced to the semis last year, lost the first set 4-6, before rallying to take the final two sets 6-3, 6-4.

Nicole Melichar of Stuart, Fla., claimed the women’s singles title after defeating Rochester’s Jessie Aney in the finals 6-2, 3-6, 6-3.

Melichar and Battistone, who won the US Open National Mixed Doubles Playoff in 2012 and played in the main draw of the US Open last year, earned a return trip to New Haven August 21-24, defeating Larson and Alexis Nelson of St. Paul, Minn., in the finals 7-5, 7-5.


Everything Turning Up Roses For Late Bloomer Tony Larson

Tony Larson admits he was a late bloomer when it comes to tennis. Growing up in Long Prairie, Minn., Larson started playing tennis around the age of 9 and didn’t get “serious”

about the game until 12… as “serious” as one could in a small cen-tral Minnesota farm town with limited tennis resources. Still, he improved every year and eventually became one of the top junior players in the Section. He even won the Minnesota Class A Singles championship in 2000.

Still a relative unknown, Larson accepted a scholarship to West-mont College, a NAIA school in Santa Barbara, Calif. Larson quickly learned college tennis was a much higher level than what he was used to playing. He was losing more and more, but it was one loss, in particular, which Larson has never forgotten, and ultimately, changed his tennis future.

Playing Point Loma, another highly-ranked NAIA school in San Di-ego, Calif., the team score was tied 4-4 with Larson’s singles match the deciding match. All eyes were on Larson’s court, and after four hours, he lost 7-5 in the third set. It was there and then, he knew something had to change.

Larson returned home to Minnesota after the season and imme-diately adjusted his entire training regimen. He changed his diet and started eating at set times. He made sure he was getting enough sleep and not staying up late. He was practicing and training with 100 percent effort at all times, and perhaps the ultimate sacrifice in completing his transformation, he gave up playing video games.

“That loss (to Point Loma) was devastating to me,” Larson said. “Not only did I let myself down, but I lost it for all my teammates. It was at that point, I decided was going to do everything I could do to be the best player I could be. I was going to use every opportunity to improve as a player. I knew I would never get those missed op-portunities back.”

The next year, Larson played #1 singles for Westmont and was ranked in the NAIA Top 50 for singles, but something was still not right.

Ultimately, Larson decided to stay closer to home and wrestled with playing at the University of Minnesota before finally transfer-ring to St. Cloud State in St. Cloud, Minn., who was highly-touted in the Division II ranks at that time. It was there, he started to see the fruits of his almost military-style training, making real progress with his game. He also entered every tournament he could during the summer and started getting closer to, and even defeating, some players he had lost to over the years.

But it was after college when this flower really started to blossom, winning every Open tournament within USTA Northern multiple times and a majority of the regional tournaments he has entered. He has several wins over players ranked in the top 700 of the world, as well as many college superstars. He has won the US Open North-ernQualifierthreeofthelastfouryearsandtheAquatennialTour-nament five of the last six years. He also was named the USPTA ProfessionaloftheYearin2012.

Tony Larson

N RTHERN EXPOSURE


“There were so many great players – like (former Gopher) Avery Ticer – who seven or eight years ago were killing me,” Larson said. “I would always say, ‘I wish I could be that good.’ Now I am beating him. Seeing that progress over the years has been encouraging.”

With progress comes some despair and Larson has suffered his share over the past year. Last summer, he struggled both on and off the court, and for the first time in his career was wrestling with the effects of burnout. Larson, also a teaching professional at Life Time Fitness – Fridley, then sustained a severe ankle injury and was not able to fully train for months. At age 29 – an old man in tennis years – he was not sure if he would ever return back to his winning form.

That doubt was erased in June after defeating former touring pro-fessional and 2012 US Open Mixed Doubles participant Brian Bat-tistone in a three-set thriller at the finals of the US Open Northern SectionQualifier.IfonelookedcloselyafterBattistonenettedmatchpoint, you could see a tear or two rolling down the face of Larson as he approached the net to shake hands.

“Knowing Brian’s past success and background, I just wanted to stay in the match,” Larson said. “I thought maybe I could play with him, but I am not sure I truly thought I could beat him. Once I won, everything I had put into tennis, and all I had overcome the past year, came back. I was pretty emotional.”

NowLarson isoff toplay at theUSOpenNationalQualifyingevent August 16-19 in New Haven, Conn., with the winner earning a spot in the qualifying draw at the 2013 US Open. Two years ago at the same tournament, Larson won one match before losing in the quarterfinals to eventual winner Blake Strode 6-1, 6-2. This year, he hopes to go one step farther than 2011, when he opens the tourna-ment against New England qualifier winner and current Stanford player Nolan Paige.

“Honestly, I am not sure I am capable of winning the whole thing, but I hope to do a little bit better than last year, while knowing I can hang with some of the best players in the world.”

Tony Larson and Melanie Yates Win 2013 Aquatennial Singles Titles

Tony Larson (Blaine, Minn.) and Melanie Yates (New Brighton, Minn.) took home the singles titles at the 18th Annual Canadian Pacific Aquatennial Tennis Classic pre-

sented by Lipton Tea & Honey July 8-19 at Canadian Pacific Plaza in downtown Minneapolis.

Larson claimed his fifth Aquatennial title in six years with a 6-4, 6-4 win over former Gopher great Avery Ticer(Edina,Minn.).Yates,a sophomore at Gonzaga University in Spokane, Wash., defeated 2013 Air Force Academy graduate Hannah Dake6-4,6-4.Yatesavengedher2012losstoDakeinthefinals.BothYatesandLarsonwon $750 as the total purse for the 2013 event was almost $7,000.

The men’s doubles team of former Gophers Andres Osorio (St. Paul, Minn.) and Sion Wilkins (Plymouth, Minn.) won their second Aquatennial title with a 6-4, 6-3 win over brothers-in-law Raoul Schwark (Edina, Minn.) and Hamish Weerasinghe. Osorio and Wilkins also claimed the 2011 doubles title. In women’sdoubles,YatesmadeitacleansweepassheandpartnerSierra Halverson (Burtrum, Minn.) defeated the sister act of

Laurel and Sierra Krebsbach 6-3, 6-3. Dake did not go home empty-handed though as she and partner

Kevin Whipple (Minneapolis, Minn.) won the mixed doubles title with a 7-5, 6-2 victory over former Gophers Alexa Palen and John Pratt. It was the first mixed title for Hake and Whipple as doubles winners in each event split $600 between them.

The 2013 tournament was supported by Title Sponsor Canadian Pacific; Presenting Sponsor Lipton Tea & Honey; Champion Sponsors Dorsey & Whitney LLP, Hempel, Implex, Life Time Fitness and Sport Court North; Advantage Sponsors Baseline Tennis Center, CryoSauna Minneapolis, Huberts Sports Bar & Grill, Take Care Chiropractic and Twin City Tennis Camps.


Congratulations Section and State Champions

Junior Section ChampionshipsCongratulations to all of the USTA Northern Section Champions who played June 7-13 at Baseline Tennis Center, Lakeville South High School and Life Time Fitness - Lakeville.

Boys 18s Singles: Elliott Sprecher (Cadott, Wis.) def. Charlie Adams (Wayzata, Minn.) 6-0, 6-0

Boys 16s Singles: Kavir Kumar (Minneapolis) def. Greg Wischer (Grand Forks, N.D.) walkover (illness)

Boys 14s Singles: Jackson Allen (Shakopee, Minn.) def. Paul McCallie (Burnsville, Minn.) 6-3, 6-4

Boys 12s Singles: Harry Neel (Rochester, Minn.) def. Sam Dobbs (Sioux Falls, S.D.) 6-1, 6-1

Boys 18s Doubles: Sprecher/Myles Tang (Minneapolis) def. Adams/T.Conner Shives (Rochester, Minn.) 8-4

Boys 16s Doubles: Nick Beaty (Wayzata,Minn.)/Wischerdef.Kumar/Luke Moorhead (Mound, Minn.) 8-5

Boys 14s Doubles: Allen/Kaleb Dobbs (Sioux Falls, S.D.) def. Jake Kuhlman(GrandForks,N.D.)/Sebastian Vile (Rochester, Minn.) 8-4

Boys 12s Doubles: Sam Dobbs/Joe Mairs (Edina, Minn.) def. Michael Cao(Shoreview,Minn.)/Hunter Heck (New Brighton, Minn.) 8-1

Girls 18s Singles: Jessie Aney (Rochester, Minn.) def. Alexis Nelson (St. Paul, Minn.) 1-6, 6-4, 6-2

Girls 16s Singles: Caitlin Merzbacher (Eden Prairie, Minn.) def. Kylie Boyer (Rochester, Minn.) 3-6, 6-3, 6-2

Girls 14s Singles: Catherine Lindsay (Eau Claire, Wis.) def. Savannah Crowell (Savage,

Minn.) 6-3, 1-6, 6-0

Girls 12s Singles: Monterey Knewtson (Fargo, N.D.) def. Cecelia Obetz (Minneapolis, Minn.) 7-5, 6-2

Girls 18s Doubles: Aney/Nelson def. Helen Klass-Warch (St. Paul, Minn.)/Kelly Yang (Plymouth, Minn.) 8-2

Girls 16s Doubles: Hayley Haakenstad (Chanhassen,Minn.)/Merzbacherdef. Katelyn Tarrolly(St.Cloud,Minn.)/Taylor Tarrolly (St. Cloud, Minn.) 8-1

Girls 14s Doubles: Zoe Klass-Warch(St.Paul,Minn.)/Libby Rickeman (Wayzata, Minn.) def. Margaux Boyer(Edina,Minn.)/Lindsay8-2

Girls 12s Doubles: Knewtson/Ellen Puzak (Minneapolis, Minn.) def. Meredith Benson(SiouxFalls,S.D.)/Libby Nachtigal (Sioux Falls, S.D.) 8-5

Spring State Champions – Minnesota Class AA BoysJune 5-7, Baseline Tennis Center, MinneapolisTeam: Wayzata def. Minnetonka 7-0Singles: Joey Richards (Minnetonka) def. Toby Boyer (Forest Lake) 7-5, 3-6, 7-5Doubles: Nick Beaty/Jack Graven (Wayzata) def. Maalik Konop DeFreitas/Aren Wilson (St. Paul Highland Park) 6-4, 2-6, 6-2.

Minnesota Class A BoysJune 5-7, Reed Sweatt Family Tennis Center, MinneapolisTeam: Blake def. Breck 6-1Singles: Charlie Adams (Blake) def. Kavir Kumar (Blake) 6-0, 4-6, 7-5Doubles: Taylor Parr/Kai Skallerud (Blake) def David Alper/Brenham Wong (Breck) 6-2, 6-4.

North Dakota GirlsMay 24-25, Choice Health & Fitness, Grand Forks, N.D.Team: Grand Forks Red River def. West Fargo 5-0Singles: Caitlin Bakke (Bismarck – St. Mary’s) def. Karen Moe (Fargo South) 6-4, 6-4Doubles: Lalangi Marasinghe/Mimi Yunker (GF Red River) def. Alicia Beck/Mary Roller (Bismarck-St. Mary’s) 6-3, 6-0

South Dakota BoysMay 17-18, Brandon and Sioux Falls, S.D.Team: Watertown (600 points) followed by Rapid City Stevens (580 points) and Sioux Falls O’Gorman (567 points).

SINGLESFlight 1: Tommy Entwistle (O’Gorman) def. Jordan Feige (Watertown) 6-2, 6-3Flight 2: Chuck Tang (RC Stevens) def. Tanner Heiser (Watertown) 6-4, 6-3Flight 3: Austin Noldner (SF Lincoln) def. Mark Despeigler (Watertown) 4-6, 6-3, 6-4Flight 4: Jake Moran (SF O’Gorman) def. Brent Heflin (SF Lincoln) 7-5, 7-6 (5)Flight 5: Alex Hegg (Mitchell) def. Mason Schultz (RC Stevens) 6-2, 4-6, 6-3Flight 6: Trae Olson (RC Stevens) def. Brenden Lehr (Mitchell) 2-6, 6-3, 7-6 (5)

DOUBLESFlight 1: Jordan Feige/Tanner Heiser (Watertown) def. Tommy Entwistle/Ben Czarnecki (O’Gorman) 6-4, 6-4Flight 2: Austin Noldner/Brent Heflin (SF Lincoln) def. Mark Despeigler/Tommy Nealon (Watertown) 6-1, 4-6, 6-3Flight 3: Trae Olson/Sean Feehan (RC Stevens) def. Alex Hegg/Brenden Lehr (Mitchell) 6-4, 6-2

Girls 14s Winners Zoe Klass-Warch & Libby Rickeman

Watertown boys

N RTHERN EXPOSURE


W ith a change in the USTA National Junior schedule set to take place on January 1, 2014, USTA Northern will also be mak-ing changes to the Section’s junior tournament schedule. Below is a summary of the proposed changes that are set to take place on January 1, 2014. The USTA Northern Junior Competi-

tion Committee is meeting at the end of August to approve the proposed changes with a final schedule ready by September 15, 2013.

For more information, or questions, please contact Pat Colbert at [email protected].

National Points TournamentsUSTA Northern will go from 12 National Points Tournaments down to

six (6) National Points Tournaments. USTA Northern will have two (2) Level 3 tournaments and four (4) Level 4 events. Level 5s will no longer count for national ranking points.

Schedule for Levels 3 & 4 (Count towards national and section ranking points)LEVEL 3s (2 NATIONAL POINTS TOURNAMENTS)January 17-20, 2014 June 6-12, 2014

LEVEL 4s (4 NATIONAL POINTS TOURNAMENTS)Format and dates to be determined at August meeting of the Junior

Competition Committee.

Proposed 2014

Junior Tournament Changes


Jessie Aney Finishes 4th At Clay Courts; Wins Sportsmanship Awards & Hockey Honors

Congratulations to 15-year-old Jessie Aney (Rochester, Minn.). After earning finalist honors at the US Open North-ernSectionQualifierinwomen’ssinglesin late June, Aney went undefeated in singles and earned the Girls Sports-manship Award at 16s Intersectionals in Shreveport, La. She then traveled to the 18s National Clay Court Championships in Memphis, Tenn., where she earned the Girls Sportsmanship Award, de-feated the #1 seed in singles (Beatrice Liang) and finished fourth in doubles in

her first-ever Level 1 18s tournament. Unseeded, she played 15 matches and advanced to the singles consolation semifinals. She also was named an individual day Sportsmanship Award winner, as was another Northern section player Alexis Nelson (St. Paul, Minn.) the following day.

After Clay Courts, she then pursued her other passion – hock-ey – and attended the USA Hockey National Development camp where she was named one of 60 girls with a shot to make the USA National 18s team.

Finally, Aney led the USTA Northern Girls 18s National Team to its best-ever finish (13th) in San Diego, Calif.

David Nash Serves As Captain of U.S. Avory Cup Team At Wimbledon

David Nash (Bloomington, Minn.) served as the captain of the United States team at the 2013 Ted Avory Cup July 25-26 at the All-England Club in Wim-bledon. This was the ninth Ted Avory Cup, played every other year between Great Britain and the United States, and is hosted through the International Ten-nis Club of the United States. Great Britain defeated the United States 37-19.

“It was amazing to play on the grass there,” Nash said. “It is so cool. Words cannot even describe it.”

Ray Ranello, Charles Supplee Win Gold At 2013 Senior Games; Ruby Rott Silver

Congratulations to Ray Ranello (Minneapolis, Minn.) and Charles Supplee (Bloomington, Minn.) for winning the gold med-al in Men’s 90s Doubles and Ruby Rott (St. Paul, Minn.) the silver medal in Women’s 80s Singles at the 2013 Senior Games July 19-29atChagrinValleyAthleticClub,WesternReserveRacquetand

FitnessClubandMayfieldVillageRacquetClubinCleveland,Ohio.Ranello and Supplee defeated Albert Hatala (Troy, Mich.) and

James Kales (Bonita Springs, Fla.) 7-6 (6), 6-4 in the doubles finals. Supplee also won silver, and Ranello bronze, in Men’s 90s Singles when Supplee defeated Ranello 5-7, 7-5, 1-0 (6).

Participating in her 11th Senior Games once she started playing tennis at the age of 55, Rott, who was unseeded, had her best fin-ishever,defeating#2seedRosaliaGiola(Albertson,N.Y)inthequarters 6-2, 7-6 (in a match that lasted 2 ½ hours) and then tak-ingout#3seedCarolynVanacore(NorthHaven,Conn.)6-1,6-2inthesemis,beforefallingtoAnitaMurchie(Alexandria,Va.)6-1,6-0. Rott and Patricia Dahlman (White Bear Lake, Minn.), who have played in the last seven Senior Games together, were fourth in Women’s 75 Doubles.

Mark your calendar to play the 2015 Senior Games as Baseline Tennis Center in Minneapolis will serve as host!

Bryanna Williamson Wins USTA Serves ScholarshipBryanna Williamson of

Champlin, Minn., was award-ed the USTA Serves College Education Scholarship, valued at $8,000. This scholarship is awarded annually to high school seniors who have ex-celled academically, demon-strated community service and participated in an organized tennis program.

Williamson participates and is a volunteer instructor in the Kidspeed program through In-nerCity Tennis in Minneapolis. She was a member of the var-sity tennis team at Minnehaha Academy where she served as

captain, earning Honorable Mention All-Conference and Most Im-proved accolades and the Sportsmanship Award. She was also the manager for the Boys Tennis Team.

She served as the Diversity Club president, a member of the Gospel Choir and was active in Wyldlife as a program leader.

She hopes to major in child psychology in college.

Section Mourns The Passing of Hall of Famer Joan Warner

USTA Northern Hall of Famer Joan Warner (Edina, Minn.), passed away June 20 at the age of 92. Warner was a big supporter of athletics, especially for the University of Minnesota, her alma mater. As an active alumna, she was the chapter advisor for Gamma Phi society for decades. She was also a member of Woman’s Club and inducted into the USTA Northern Hall of Fame

N RTHERN EXPOSURE


in 1981. The memorial service was June 28 at St. Paul’s Episcopal Church.DonationscanstillbemadetotheVitreoretinalSurgeryFoundation.

Steve Wilkinson Entering USPTA Hall of FameSteve Wilkinson (St. Peter, Minn.), Nick Bollettieri and Vic

Braden will join the ranks of only 13 others when they are induct-ed into the United States Professional Tennis Association (USPTA) Hall of Fame on September 27 during the USPTA’s national awards luncheon in Orlando, Fla.

Wilkinson was the head men’s coach at Gustavus Adolphus Col-lege for 39 years from 1971-2009 and is the winningest coach in the history of men’s collegiate tennis with 923 victories. He has coached 46 players to 87 All-America honors. He founded the Tennis and Life clinics/camps more than 25 years ago and hasdedicated his time and effort to improving tennis performance of youth and adults while teaching life lessons that can be used off the court.

“I cannot think of three other tennis-teaching giants who de-servethisrecognitionmorethanNick,VicandSteve,”saidUSP-TA CEO John Embree. “In their own individual ways they have contributed mightily to our mission of elevating the standards of tennis-teaching professionals and coaches across the country and around the world. This will be a special occasion for all.”

Hannah Dake Wins ITA Arthur Ashe Sportsmanship Award

The Intercollegiate Tennis Association (ITA) named Hannah Dake(Minnetonka,Minn.)thewinnerofthe2013Women’sITA/

Arthur Ashe Jr. Award for Leadership and Sportsmanship. Dake was one of 14 people who received awards during a ceremony at the University of Illinois in conjunction with the NCAA Division I Team Championships.

Dake has helped contribute to a number of firsts in Air Force women’s tennis history. The three-time co-captain was part of thefirstAirForcedoublespairtowinaroundattheITA/RivieraWomen’s All-American Championships, along with helping her team finish with a winning record for four consecutive seasons, a feat never before accomplished in the history of the program. She finished her career with a total of 85 doubles victories, the second most of any Air Force player.

She is a two-time member of the Commandant’s List and the Athletics’ List. Dake served as a Squadron Superintendent, as well as a Squadron PEER, making herself readily available as a go-to person for any cadet who is having problems or needs advice.

During her career at Air Force she devoted her time to a num-ber of community service efforts including organizing cadets to help out with the Skyway Elementary Halloween Carnival and the Starfit Kids 5K Race. She also spent time to help raise money for causes such as the March for Babies, which raises funds and awareness for premature babies, and the 5K Buddy Walk, which raises funds for children with Down Syndrome.

Last year, Dake returned home and won the women’s singles championships at the 2012 Aquatennial Tournament. She donated all of her prize money to charities that provides assistance to those families who lost their homes due to forest fires near the Air Force campus last summer.


“Hey JB - I’ve been told the socks I wear aren’t cool. What kind of socks am I sup-posed to wear on the court these days?”

— Mark, Bloomington, Minn.”

Glad you brought up this important issue, Mark. When you’re on a tennis court, you’re on stage. People are looking at you, judging you, making hundreds of decisions

about you with their eyes. Nobody fears a player who doesn’t look like a player. Nobody respects the knowledge of a coach who clearly hasn’t watched tennis since short shorts were acceptable. There have been studies on this topic—especially on the short shorts.

The problem, Mark, is when it comes to dressing oneself, I’m only slightly less clueless than you. That’s why I turn to former University of Rhode Island standout and Hey JB Fashion Consultant, Grace Hedstrom. Grace has a nasty forehand and more fashion sense in her pink Nikes than I have tennis knowledge in my whole body. She could get Radek Stepanek ready for the Oscars.

Not only is Grace kind enough to help with the sock question, she’s willing to walk us through all of the major fashion questions facing male tennis players. Pay attention, and we might not look like fools, gentlemen.

JB: Let’s start with Mark’s question, Grace. Where does one begin with tennis socks? GH: This is a great question. Men botch their sock decisions regularly. Start with the cut: no-show socks are too feminine on guys, and high socks (covering the calves) are for basketball play-

ers and old guys with varicose veins. Low cut (the ones that cut just above the shoe line) or quarter cut are the way to go.

JB: It seems like a lot of the guys on tour have the socks that go part way up the calf. GH: I’m not sure why. It’s not a good look. Only select few can pull it off—guys who are really tall (more leg to cover) and Roger Federer. Chances are, you’re neither. So don’t try it.

The biggest problem for men, given the trend of black shoes, is bigwhitesockswithdarkorblackshoes.You’rekillingme,guys.Ifyouhavedarkshoes,youHAVEtoweardarksocks!

JB: Speaking of legs, can someone finally tell me the correct length for shorts? How much leg should I be showing? GH:Anothergreatquestion.Youwantyourshortstobeslightlyabove the knee. If you go below the knee, you’re basically wearing male capris, like Nadal circa 2005.

JB: Okay, but what’s too short? GH: Put your hands on your thighs, and then go at least an inch or two below that. Above the hands is a women’s skirt. A short skirt.

JB: Do men still do that?GH:You’dbesurprised.Canwetalkaboutaccessories?

JB: Like, hats and stuff? GH:Yes.Thefeweraccessoriesformen,thebetter.Iwillaccepthats and wristbands. Anything else is offensive. I suppose injury braces are acceptable, if you want to admit weakness (Ha!) .

JB: Is there any acceptable way for a man to rock a visor?GH: Only if your name is Andy Roddick. There is an attitude that goes with it, and it’s hard to define. I just know that most guys have no business attempting it.

JB: What about chains or Janko Tipsarevic and his shark’s tooth necklace?

Hey JB

The Fashion edition

N RTHERN EXPOSURE


GH:EuropeanguyswearskinnyjeansandSpeedostoo.Youcan’tnecessarily trust their fashion sense. Chains are bad. No chains. Ever.

JB: Here’s a big one: how do I know whether to wear col-lared or crew neck shirts? GH: Part of it is chest hair. If you have copious amounts, go crew neck. Nobody wants to see your chest rug poking out of your shirt. Beyond that, it’s really a lifestyle choice.

JB: Like, if I want the valet to know he’ll get a decent tip, go with a nice collared shirt?GH: Right. It’s a personal-style decision. What matters is how you put it all together. Can we talk about matching? I have some strong feelings about color coordination.

JB: Let it fly, G. GH: Too much matching makes you look like a little kid, like your parents picked out your clothes. Adidas is notorious for this—some obnoxious bright color scheme that goes head-to-toe. Nothing is worse than seeing the guy who went to the tennis shop and came out with some head-to-toe lime green business. The idea is to complement, guys, not match from the ground up. Marketers are deceiving you. When in doubt, go with neutral colors. If you’re not sure if it goes together, it probably doesn’t. Oh, and another pet peeve: navy blue and black do not go together. Only do that with royal blue.

JB: How am I supposed to know what “royal” blue is? GH: Hmm. Good point. Bright blue. Not dark blue.

Oh, and another thing, be aware of the level of wear on your clothes. If you have stains or rips, or it’s just not looking so new, it’s time to go shopping. No yellow armpits.

JB: You’d think that’s common sense.GH:Youwould,butit’snot.

We need to talk about fit, too. If you’re a smaller dude, you’re not fooling anyone with the large shirt. It just looks like you’re bor-rowing your older brother’s clothes.

JB: So baggy is not cool anymore?GH: It never was.

JB: So how tight is too tight? Boris Becker’s shorts?GH: Too tight. Bottom line, we don’t want to see every contour of your body. Most guys definitely don’t want that. Boris at least had a good body. He just needed a tan and three more inches of fabric.

JB: Finally, Grace, is there one ultimate piece of advice you could give all the guys out there who want to look cool? One thing even the most clueless man can do to avoid look-ing bad on the court?GH: Get better at tennis!

Children’s Clothing Boutique

612-310-8073 3001 Hennepin Ave S

Calhoun Square • Uptown Open 7 Days a Week

20% OFF

Single non-sale item, not valid with any other offers or sale items. Expires 12/1/13www.facebook.com/idouptown

sizes newborn

to 12 years


Congratulations JTT Section Champions & Sportsmanship Winners

The 2013 USTA Northern Jr. Team Tennis Section Championships were July 21-31 at the Baseline Tennis Center on the University of Minnesota campus. The event opened with the 18s and 14s Advanced championships July 21-22, followed by the 18s and 14s In-termediate divisions on July 23-24 and the 12s event on July 25. The first-ever 10U JTT Extravaganza on July 31 closed out the festive week! Congratulations to all the team and individual winners!

Advanced DivisionsLife Time Fitness - Fridley won the

18s Advanced title, while Life Time Fit-ness - Bloomington South won the 14s Advanced crown. Fridley advances to JTT Nationals October 24-27 and Bloomington South October 17-20, both in Cayce, S.C.

Fridley, a past National Champion, won its first title in three years after defeating the Chanhassen Phoenix in the finals 40-24, while Bloomington South won its first-ever JTT Section Championship at this level with a 33-25 win over Life Time Fitness - Fridley.

Intermediate DivisionsLife Time Fitness - Fridley won the 18s

title, while St. Paul Urban Tennis Como won the 14s championship and will play in the JTT National Championships October 24-27 and October 17-20 in Cayce, S.C., respectively.

Fridley defeated Sioux Empire Fitness in the finals a 33-26, while St. Paul Urban Tennis - Como won its first-ever JTT championship at any level, defeating Hibbing 34-28.

12s DivisionThe team from Sioux Empire Fitness

took the Advanced championship, while Life Time Fitness - Bloomington South won the Intermediate title. Sioux Empire defeated Life Time Fitness - St. Louis Park in a three-match event 68-63 in the total-games-won format, while Bloomington South defeated Sioux Empire Fitness in the finals 26-21.

10 and Under DivisionLife Time Fitness - St. Louis Park and

Shakopee won their respective flights at the first-ever 10U JTT Extravaganza. St. Louis Park finished with 59 total games won in the Red Flight, while Shakopee won the White Flight with 51 total games.

14 Advanced ChampionsLife Time Fitness – Bloomington South

14 Intermediate ChampionsSt. Paul Urban Tennis – Como

12 Intermediate ChampionsLife Time Fitness – Bloomington South

10 & Under Red Flight ChampionsLife Time Fitness – St. Louis Park

18 Advanced ChampionsLife Time Fitness – Fridley

18 Intermediate ChampionsLife Time Fitness – Fridley

12 Advanced Champions Sioux Empire Fitness

10 & Under White Flight ChampionsShakopee

N RTHERN EXPOSURE


Advanced Sportsmanship Winners18s Girls: Gina Nguyen, D Wilson Tennis Academy18s Boys: Tommy Entwistle,SiouxEmpireFitnessRAQCity14s Girls: Katie Inderieden, St. Cloud14s Boys: Josh Anderson, While Bear Lake

18 Boys Advanced Sportsmanship Tommy Entwistle

14 Girls Intermediate Sportsmanship Gabby Law

18 Girls Advanced Sportsmanship Gina Nguyen

18 Girls Intermediate Sportsmanship Jen Fisk

14 Boys Advanced Sportsmanship Josh Anderson

18 Boys Intermediate Sportsmanship Colton Johnsontaylor

12 Advanced Girls Sportsmanship Brynn Heinert

12 Int Girls Sportsmanship Sara Marawan

10 and Under Sportsmanship

Sonia Baig

10 and Under Sportsmanship

Jack Griffin

10 and Under Sportsmanship Savanna Smith

12 Advanced Boys Sportsmanship George Nottley

12 Int Boys Sportsmanship Dominick Warzecha

Intermediate Sportsmanship Winners14 Girls: Gabby Law - Life Time Fitness - White Bear Lake14 Boys: Collin Doffing - Hastings18s Girls: Jen Fisk - Eagan18s Boys: Colton Johnsontaylor-ValleyAthleticAssociation

12s Sportsmanship Winners12s Advanced Girls: Brynn Heinert, Sioux Empire Fitness12s Advanced Boys: George Nottley, Life Time Fitness - St. Louis Park12s Intermediate Girls: Sara Marawan, Eden Prairie12s Intermediate Boys: Dominick Warzecha, Hibbing

10 and Under Sportsmanship WinnersSonia Baig - Life Time Fitness - St. Louis ParkSavanna Smith - BrainerdJack Griffin - Wayzata Country Club


Player Profile USTa League Player Wenmei Qi

Q. Name A.WenmeiQi

Q. HometownA. Originally from Beijing, China, but then I moved to the United States to attend graduate school at the University of Minnesota to earn my Masters in Electrical Engineering.

Q. What is your current profession?A. Electrical Engineer.

Q. How did you get involved in tennis?A. I found myself attracted to tennis when I was attending college in Beijing, China. At that time, I was not given much opportunity to play since I was one of the key members of the track team. Plus, tennis facilities were very limited back then in Beijing.

Q. How do you currently participate in tennis?A. I am playing in a Women’s Daytime League, but only as a sub due to my work schedule. I also have played USTA evening leagues for many years at the 4.5 adult and 9.0 mixed levels. I wish I could play more.

Q. Who and what motivated you to get involved in tennis?A. I was pretty much a self-starter once I came to the United States. I started practicing on my own at nearby tennis court in sum-mer. I joined USTA a couple years later. With my competitive spirit as a former college athlete, I continued to improve my tennis skills, which allowed me to do well in matches.

Q. What is the best part of being involved in tennis?A. The best part of being involved in tennis is that it boosts my confidence and allows me to be myself. I see tennis as a sport that can benefit us in many ways. For example, tennis is a sport which of-fers great flexibility depending on players’ mental and physical situ-ations. In addition, tennis uses a large variety of skills. Working hard to improve through practice and playing, while being able to apply new skills, are wonderful experiences and gives me a sense of ac-complishment.

Also, when I am on the court, I forget everything else going on in my life. When I play tennis, all the issues and problems that I am dealing with are gone. It allows me to be in this ideal world for a while.

Q. What do you hope to accomplish in tennis?A. I know I have a lot of potential if I have time to practice. I am hoping to play in the Pine Tree Apple Tennis Classic one day to help raise money for cancer research. I can use my passion for tennis in a meaningful way.

Q. Who has inspired you?A. My daughters (Patty & Claudia) inspire me by looking up to me and believing in me. My boyfriend, Jeff, always comes to my matches and supports me.

Q. What are you favorite tennis memories?A. One time, I was in this match against a similar-style player as me, and our match lasted 4 hours! I was cramping during the first set tiebreaker. I fell down and couldn’t move. I have a history of cramp-ing and had always retired from the match when it happened. In this match, I lost first set, but then I changed my strategy in the second set knowing the match could last for a while due to the long points. I tried to save my legs for important points. Lucky for me, my cramp-ing didn’t come back. I lasted for a long time and managed to win the second set by successfully identifying and going for the weaker side of my opponent.

When it came down to a super tiebreaker, I had no idea what was going to happen. We had been tied all the way to 11-11. I don’t remember the point that got me into the match point, but I do remember the last point. I was put in the defensive position right away. My opponent was running me side-to-side as I was strug-gling getting to the ball one more time. She came to the net after hitting a deep ball to my forehand. I barely got it back and she was ready to put the ball away. I was sure I lost that point, but I didn’t. She ended up dumping the ball into the net.

I was so happy I had won after 4 hours of battling with my poor physical conditioning. It was the first time I had persevered and won a match after cramping.

Four months later, my opponent from that day was joking that she was still having “nightmares about the match.” She also told me that she got pulled over when driving home that night for going too slow since her head was replaying those points.

Q. Your children are excellent tennis players as well (daughters Patty, 17, and Claudia, 13). Why do you want your children to play tennis?A. It is true that we are born with certain characteristics that are hard to change. In my opinion though, our personalities can be shaped to some degree while we are growing up and influenced by others who are close to us. I think a lot of who I am, and my posi-tive attitude, are from playing competitive sports when I was young. I believe my children will benefit from playing competitive tennis. For example, to work hard for our dreams, to not give up when we lose, to help others when needed, to enjoy the success … those are valuable lessons one can learn from sports. Tennis was the sport that taught me all those things. So it makes sense to let them play … and we can do it together!

Q. What would you say to other Asian-Pacific-American parents about why they should get themselves and their children involved in tennis?A.Youshouldtryplayingtennis.Itisagreatsportforafamily.Youdon’t have to be a superstar to enjoy it. Tennis is for everyone due to its flexibility and low cost. It is a great way to spend quality time with your children, who will become your best friends someday, and now you share a common interest for the rest of your lives.

N RTHERN EXPOSURE


Why Does “The Pusher” Have more Trophies Than me?

by Bruce gullikson

The list of excuses for anyone who has lost to a so-called pusher (also called a dinker, lobber, hack,

moonballer and a multitude of other less-than-flattering names) is virtually endless. Pushers are frustrating to play, and are probably responsible for half of the hair loss in this country! But the real question is why do they play like that and what can I do to beat them?

What exactly is a pusher? He (or she) is someone who has an extremely high shot tolerance, meaning he is willing to hit more balls back than his opponent. He is typically level-head-ed, patient and crafty as he knows tennis is a game of error management and willingly accept that fact. Those who resist opt instead for the SportsCenter highlight-reel-shot which they generally never make. (Note: I have yet to see the ESPN cam-eras at the local USTA league or tournament match!) Where you would try an in-between-the-legs, Roger Federer-like return, the pusher would toss up a bor-ing, but deep lob, that is usually very effective in prolonging the point. Yes… the “tweener” canbe impressive to watch, and fun to try (although word of caution gentleman that you don’t miss), but it seldom wins the point. Pushers realize the ordinary points are the key to winning, not the extraordinary ones!

You also need to respect thepusher before stepping on the court. While his strokes may not look the prettiest, and often times put both him and his oppo-nent in great peril physically, this player deserves respect. In fact, one of the pusher’s best weapons is others underestimating his ability level as his opponents are often ready to jump off a building after playing him.

So what should one do to handle the most troublesome of pushers?

1) Respect their game and what they bring to the table.

2) Seek out this style of player until you have mastered them as most people think that if they avoid the pusher like the plague that somehow they will magically be able to beat

them. Instead, embrace the challenge and play them at ev-ery opportunity.

3) Be patiently aggressive - you may need to improve your shot tolerance, but when you have the chance to take con-trol of the point … seize it!

4) Play all directions – too many players only try to move their opponents east and west and fail to move people north and south. Most pushers are great moving laterally, and generally, do not take the attack if you hit it short to them.

5) Develop a drop shot and a short angle - these shots take the pusher out of their comfort zone.

6) Be willing and able to take high floaters out of the air with either an approach or swing volley.

7) Angle shots off the court when given the chance - people often hit too deep when close to the net and have to chase down a lob, then become hesitant to attack which is exactly what the pusher wants… for you to be indecisive and cautious.

8) Get a high percentage of first serves in play - usually a push-er is not trying to be offensive on the return, but just getting it back in play.

9) Look to attack the second serve by either approaching the net behind your return or hitting a drop shot.

10) Gradually increase the pace of your shots.

11) When you are in trouble, pushback as the weakness of a pusher is usually their inability to finish a point.

12) Strategically place a banana peel and hope they slip …just kidding.

Remember… stay focused, respect your opponent and learn how to deal with this style of play instead of hiding from it. If none of this works, get their autograph and put it on e-bay hop-ing they one day make the Hall of Fame. Good luck!

“

“

That’s not real tennis.

I can’t stand how slow

they hit the ball!

Why would anyone

play like that?


Community Tennis Updates new Courts and new Hires

Linden Hills Tennis Courts Grand OpeningOn Tuesday, June 18, Minneapolis Park and Recreation Board

Commissioners Brad Bourn, Bob Fine and John Erwin, mem-bers of the Linden Hills neighborhood and local youth celebrated the grand opening of the Linden Hills Athletic Courts. The event included a ribbon-cutting ceremony, on-court games and clinics led by USTA Northern and InnerCity Tennis.

Through the work of the surrounding community, the Linden Hills courts have been upgraded with new fencing, net posts and basketball hoops and a full court replacement on all tennis and basketball courts.

These improvements were made possible through the support of Hennepin County Commissioner Gail Dorfman and the Hennepin County Youth Sports Program, the neighborhoodfundraising committee ‘LOVE at Linden Hills,’ the Linden HillsNeighborhood Council, the USTA and USTA Northern.

Altoona, Wis., Celebrates Its New CourtsCongratulations to Altoona, Wis., who celebrated the Grand

Opening of its new tennis courts on May 18. The city had received a $35,000 USTA Facility Grant from USTA National earlier in the year, and combined with the $10,000 they received from USTA Northern last year, Altoona was able to take five existing tennis courts in

disrepair and create a new six-court facility. The new facility also has blended lines for six 60-foot courts and four 36-foot courts.

InnerCity Tennis & Fred Wells Tennis & Education Hire New Leaders

InnerCity Tennis in Minneapolis and the Fred Wells Tennis & Education Center in St. Paul announced the hiring of Janet Hallaway and Lea Favor as their new CEO and Executive Director, respectively, this summer.

HallawaycomestoInnerCityTennisfromTheBridgeForYouthin Minneapolis where she was the Communications & Community Engagement Manager. Prior to that she was an Executive Recruiter, as well as the Director of Retail Operations for Nordic Track from 1992-97. She is a graduate of Boston College and was the 2007 Min-neapolisPark&RecreationBoardVolunteeroftheYear.Shealsoisthe President of the Lowry Hill Neighborhood Association.

Favor joins Fred Wells after serving as Executive Director of Eco Education since 2009. Prior to that, she was the Director of Education&Evaluation forYouthFrontiersandwas theGradeDean at The Blake School in Minneapolis from 1995-2007. Origi-nally from Edina, Favor has a Masters in Educational Administra-tion from the University of Minnesota, where she also played bas-ketball. She is an avid USTA League Tennis player.

• Workwithustoselecttheproductsanddecorations.

• Wewillcreateacategoryjustforyourprogram(LikeSouthSt.PaulTennis)

• Yourcustomersorderonlinethesizesanditemstheywant.

• Weprocessallordersandshipdirectlytotheplayerortothecoach.

Middle & High School Coaches . . . Use www.ustanorthernshop.com for your Booster Club clothing sales!

To set up your own booster club store, contact us at [email protected]

USTA NO Web Ad_HalfPg.indd 1 2/14/13 12:19 PM N RTHERN EXPOSURE


The USTA announced the 10 winners of the15thannualUSTA/NJTLArthurAsheEssay Contest including 14-year-old

Alex Exsted of Savage, Minn. The 10 winners, ranging in ages from 10 to 18, were selected out of 1,800 entries submitted.

Each winner received round trip airfare to NewYorkCityforthemselvesandaparent/legalguardian; two nights stay at the Grand Hyatt 42nd Street; tickets to a professional sporting event, and President’s Box tickets to the 2013 Arthur Ashe Kids’ Day presented by Hess on August 24 at the Billie Jean King National Tennis Center. The weekend wraps up with an awards luncheon on August 25, hosted by former New York City Mayor and USTA Board MemberDavid Dinkins, where the winners will receive an honorary plaque.

Exsted will be accompanied by his mom.“I am shocked, but very excited about this opportunity,” Exsted

said. “I really cannot believe I won. I actually thought my mom was joking when she told me I won.”

Exsted plays high school tennis at Shakopee High School, as well as USTA tournaments and Jr. Team Tennis. This year, he represented USTA Northern at the 14 Zonals in Kalamazoo, Mich., and two years ago participated in the Jr. Team Tennis National Championships in Surprise, Ariz., where his team placed seventh. He and his entire family also play and volunteer with the InnerCity Tennis program in Minneapolis. A huge tennis fan, his family has

attended the Western and Southern Open every year since 2010, and he is an avid autograph and memorabilia collector. He also likes basketball, and when he was seven, played with current NBA superstar Kevin Garnett. He is a member of the National Junior Honor Society and hopes to attend the University of Minnesota. He is an avid reader of Mad Magazine and enjoys comedy shows and movies.

To enter the contest, children were asked to write an essay of 350 words or less, responding to a specific question around Arthur Ashe and his great accomplishments. This year’s question – “If you could follow in Arthur Ashe’s footsteps and ‘give back’ to tennis, what would you do to give back to the game and how would it impact others?” A USTA sub-committee selected the winning essays based on knowledge of Arthur Ashe, message clarity, and writing style.

“Once again, the annual Arthur Ashe Essay Contest provides an opportunity for NJTL students to showcase their talents through written expression,” said Kurt Kamperman, USTA Chief Ex-ecutive of Community Tennis. “This year’s essay question should generate some thoughtful responses in reflecting on the principles that Arthur stood for. In its 15th year, the essay contest continues to honor talented students who aspire to follow in his footsteps. This year marks the 20th anniversary of Arthur’s passing, and we are proud that his mission and legacy continues to thrive in NJTL programs throughout the country.”

Savage’s Alex Exsted Wins arthur ashe essay Contest

Exsted’s essay answer was the following:

“From what we get, we can make a living; what we give, however, makes a life.” - Arthur Ashe

These words once spoken by Arthur Ashe can summarize his basic morals on how vital it is to give to others. The formation of National Junior Tennis and Learning (NJTL), founded by Arthur

Ashe in 1969, has worked wonders with kids, especially inner city children. To summarize, NJTL gives fitness, health, community and a feeling of belonging through the simple game of tennis. This allows people with more to give back these same opportunities to everyone, no matter the cost, for equality is the killer of jealousy.

This quote means to me that receiving is more fun and exciting than giving; giving gives us life through our actions of

passion. Those that give, truly respect the person and through their actions, show how much they really care about them. Those that give do not ask anything in return because their reward is in the joy of helping others. If I could give back to tennis, I would give back to the people that have helped me the most and those that might need the most help. I would volunteer on a court at Reed Sweatt and teach the kids the wonderful game. I would also give out free tennis rackets and balls to those that could not afford them for they should get the same chance that everyone else has.

I hope to impact others by inspiring others to truly love the game; to love it like I do every day; to see where it takes them in their career not only as a tennis player, but also as a person. Youwantkidstobeinspiredatayoungage.Tennismayhelpchildren find pleasure and enhance their development, teaching them lifelong skills, such as sportsmanship and respect, through friendly competition on the court. Just as negative influences grow and fester, positive influences and joy can multiply and grow which is the end goal of inspiring the love of the game.


I Miss TLC…By Dave Vilhauer

Dave Vilhauer and his son Isaiah of Aberdeen, S.D., were two of the eight winners USTA Northern sent to Tennis&LifeFamilyCampaspartofitsMother’sDay/

Father’s Day contest. Read Dave’s account of his awesome (and tiring) experience at his first-ever Tennis & Life Family Camp.

Thursday, July 18 It is late afternoon as we pull into the Gusta-

vus Adolphus campus. As we prepare to check in, the first person there to greet us is Camp Di-rector Neal Hagberg. He is very warm and welcoming and informs us that before the camp is over, every staff member will know every camper by name. Yeahright, I think to myself.

As the first evening commences, we head over to the outside courts and begin light warm-ups. As we rotate through lines, staff members high-five us and start to memorize our names. After a few minutes, Neal and another staff member have us line up in a circle. They then proceed to go around and name each of the 100 or so campers by first name without missing a single one. Incredible!

After we go through a few more drills out in the 90-degree weather, we start to head inside the Swanson Tennis Cen-ter, also known as The Bubble. Finally, a chance to get out of the heat and play in air conditioning. Wrong!

The Bubble on a hot day in a word is suf-focating. I have never played inside a green-house before, but if I ever did, I imagine it would feel like this. Soon the sweat is pouring off at all angles.

Worse yet, the inside drill is all about vol-leys. Being a life-long baseliner, the only time I come to the net is to shake hands. Dur-ing the next 30 minutes, I manage to hit (or should I say miss hit) more volleys than I have in the past 30 years. There is no excuse for missing the shortest shot in tennis, except for the fact that I seldom practice it.

After the end of each session, each group gets together and everyone puts their hand in a circle for a simple shout. Our two-word shout is “Group 1” in honor of our group. My two-word shout would have been something like “Let’s Rest.”

We head outside where the hot weather feels like a reprieve compared to The Bubble. It does not take me long to realize the

most important piece of equipment at TLC is your camp-issued water bottle. Thank goodness each court contains a giant cooler of ice water which is literally a life saver.

We begin to work on ground strokes. The guys in my group aregood.Verygood.

Kevin Roop is an absolute monster, Ned Groves can crush forehands and backhands, and Mark Carson has

a solid all-around game. I am starting to feel intimidated, but all the guys are great team-mates and very encouraging.

Once the action on the court is over, we head back for songs led by Neal. The first

thing I notice is how involved all the staff members are. To get college-aged kids to join in and sing and do actions to the songs is remarkable. You can tell everyone is having agood time.

As it closes in on 10 p.m., it is time to wind down for the day and get prepared for some major ten-nis days ahead.

Friday, July 19After a solid breakfast (all you can

eat), we walk over to the courts about four blocks away. One of my first drills of the morning is to try to re-turn serves. Not just any serves mind you, but ones off the racket of Amrik Donkena, one of Gustavus’s top play-ers and a two-time All-American. And he is not standing at the baseline. He

is standing at the T in the middle of the court.

Now, I know he can hit the ball a lot harder than he did, but at that distance, we have literally no chance of getting balls back. Soon, I break a string on my racket. The guys in my group all offer me one of theirs, but I decide to use

my son’s spare and get mine restrung.After a robust lunch (again, every meal is all you can eat), it

is more drills and instruction in the afternoon. Again, the staff members are top-notch. Every one of them is pleasant, caring and friendly; wonderful people who must have a ton of patience working with recreational players like me.

Following the afternoon session, Isaiah and I decide to play in a team doubles event. We face another father-son duo. The young boy, who goes by “Luker,” comes up to about my waist. I am used to playing people one-half my age, but not one-half my size.

N RTHERN EXPOSURE


Luker begins to knock off one shot after another and I can’t seem to get a ball by him. The best part about it is the joy that results between father and son on the opposite side of the net.

After supper, I head over to the optional drill session to work on my serve. Neal and legendary Gustavus coach Steve Wilkin-son are there and point out tips to help improve my technique. Veryhumbling,butveryhelpful.

After more singing, it is time to call it another day. I am sore, but having a great time.

Saturday, July 20 The day starts off much the same with breakfast, reflections,

stretching and more drills.We are having a great time in our group until something hap-

pens that changes the mood of the entire day. Ned reaches for a ball on the baseline and goes down. He has suffered a torn Achilles tendon.

This is a major injury, one that I suffered at 4 p.m., July 12, 2005 (you don’t forget things like that). I know the long road ahead for Ned. As they take him away for treatment, our group is stunned. The rest of the day our shout following each session becomes “Missing Ned.”

Being short one of our group members means the rest of us have to work a little harder in drills. The lines and recovery time are shorter and the hitting longer. I am definitely starting to feel my age.

My son and I play in a team singles event this time to close out the afternoon. As the day wears on, my body gets more and more drained.

We begin to walk back to the dining hall and Isaiah says to me, “Youlookexhausted.”

To which I reply, “I am exhausted.”He says, “Why?”I say, “Because I am four times your age and I have been play-

ing tennis for about eight hours a day for the past two days.”For the only time during the camp, I decide not to go to op-

tional drills tonight, instead choosing to rest and recover. I hurt everywhere and my arm feels like it’s about to fall off.

The night concludes with a variety show. If there was ever an aptly named event, this would be it. The show features every-thing from a girl on stilts to a man drinking a raw egg. Again, the staff members make the event memorable to hooting and holler-ing the whole way through.

Sunday, July 21I struggle to get out of bed and can barely put my socks on to

start the day. The good news is, I probably won’t have to hit as many balls on the final day of camp.

We start outside before rain forces us to head into The Bub-ble. It is time for the volley challenge. Great. More volleys.

Kevin is an absolute machine. (I find out he is a high school ten-nis coach who has a court in his own yard). He nails one volley after another. In fact, the ball machine runs out of balls before he misses!

Mark comes over and says, “Maybe we should get out lawn chairs.”

To which I reply, “No, because if I sit down, I probably won’t feel like getting up.”

Kevin goes through stretches of 32, 38 and 32 volleys in a row without a miss. He tells me his all-time record is something like 85.

Are you kidding me? I am not sure I can even tie my shoes 85 times in a row without an error.

As the final optional hitting sessions take place, I head outside where Isaiah is playing a game of GVS (ground stroke, volley,smash). People are having a good time as the camp winds to a close.

As instructor Pat Clark feeds balls as it is nearing lunch time, he calls out, “OK, one final ball.”

It happens to go to Isaiah who laces a perfect shot down the middle of the court for a winner. A great way to end the camp.

We head over to the Awards Program. Ned shows up which is a highlight of the day for us members of Group 1.

We each get a certificate showing that we completed TLC. On the certificate it states we have passed “an intensive training program.”

I knew it. There it was in black and white: intensive.Now, I feel much better. I have made it through an intensive,

fun and interactive tennis experience of a lifetime.Not that I needed a reminder, but the staff members prove

again how genuine they are by busing our tables, singing another song and then carrying our luggage to our vehicles.

As we head home, we aren’t even 15 minutes down the road before Isaiah says, “I miss TLC.” Can’t say I blame him.Isaiah and Steve Wilkinson

SEPTEMBER 2013 - United States Tennis...

Documents

Transcript of SEPTEMBER 2013 - United States Tennis...