November/December 2013

2 President’sMessage3,5 EducationExtravaganza,Cincinnati4 18StepstoaGoodLesson RSIAward5 ReadingAboutSomethingElse

BesidesTennis6,7 WorldConferenceandAwards

8 SixSimpleStepstoSetUpYourOwn10andUnderTennisNight

9 HowtoBringNewMemberstoYourClub

NationalFamilyTennisChampionships Shadowknows...10,11 Drills

12 MidwestConferenceandAwardInformation

NewMembers13 USPTAFoundation14 RevisedMembershipStructure15 USPTAAnnouncements

More awards on page 6

USPTA MIDWEST CONNECTION WINS USPTA NEWSLETTER of THE YEAR

Having the opportunity to serve as Newsletter Chair the past two years has been a great experience for me. Our division’s goal for the newsletter was to make sure that we always have useful and relevant information covering a variety of topics to help our Midwest membership with their careers. I have had the chance to work closely with Carol Anderson, our Executive Board members, and State Presidents in several areas including; newsletter themes, article concepts, newsletter formats, and finding writers for articles. They have all been instrumental to the quality and content of our newsletter. However, The Newsletter of the Year award would not have been possible without so many willing and able tennis professionals in our division who have taken the time to share their ideas with us. I would like to thank all of our writers for the past year for their contributions to the newsletter and our division.

Chris Chopra, USPTA Newsletter Chair

Matt DavisPaul MarcumRyan MillerSam KerchevalMichael ParkerSebastian GlinzlerMatt DektasBrian ShomanMike GraffDavid KamisarNick LaskarisWes Kirk

Dave BrownEvan ValeriDan OliverJohn FraustoWendy WhitlingerMark FaberEd WatsonMike O’ConnellWill HoagJoe WilkersonBill KirschDenny Shackter

Molly Card BeckmannAnnette MalloyGreg AtenNeeru JayanthiTate WhitlingerEric MoranDan McKenzieScott AnsayJames NewmanLinda KonoupCathy ThomasDr. Craig M. Ross

Chris Chopra, newsletter chair, holding the award.

2 | Midwest Connection • November/December 2013

a reportfrom the president

The USPTA put on a fantastic World Conference this past September in Orlando! There were “block days” specializing in specific areas of tennis, a “Battle of the Divisions” event, daily USPTA updates on a variety of national items, and some family/personal time if needed. Mark Faber and I even spent some time at the Disney store to treat our family. The highlight for me would be that our Midwest Division brought home three nice awards: Newsletter of the Year, second place for Greatest Number of Members Participating in Tennis Across America and third place for Greatest Percentage of Members Participating in Tennis Across America. The USTA/USPTA Community Service Award went to Mark Faber. It was an enjoyable, beneficial week and I hope you all consider attending next year’s conference to be held in New York City Aug. 22-25. Also join the Midwest members for our division conference March 1-3 in Columbus, Ohio.

Let’s not forget that if you want to be a USPTA Elite Professional, you must upgrade and pass all non P-1 level areas by Dec. 31, 2013. The new certification category levels take full effect on Jan. 1, 2014. Good luck with your upgrades.

Lastly, I hope you have a WONDERFUL holiday season with your friends and family. Enjoy the changes in season and embrace the New Year to come.

Please contact me with any questions or concerns at 248-626-9880 X4006. Thank you and Happy Holidays!

Sincerely,

Paul Marcum, USPTA

Midwest President2013 Professional Tests

and UpgradesContact USPTA 1-800-USPTA-4U

Nov. 16 Mequon, Wis. Mequon Racquet ClubNov. 16-17 Big Rapids, Mich. Ferris State University

Midwest ConferenceMarch 1-3

Columbus, Ohio

Midwest Connection • November/December 2013 | 3

Brian Gottfried Presentation Scott Perkinson, USPTA applicant

USPTA/USTA Midwest Extravaganza

Lindner Tennis Center Mason, Ohio

Brian Gottfried former ATP touring professional emphasized three main points during his on-court presentation at the USPTA/USTA Midwest Extravaganza held

at the Western & Southern Open.

1. The majority of junior players are too focused on perfect strokes and technique during their matches and not on their game plan. Brian stressed

the importance of practicing the technical side of the game during practice but focusing on the strategic part of the game during

matches.

2. Players of all levels need to react quicker by judging the depth of the ball. They need to recognize which balls are going to be short, neutral, and deep. The depth of the ball determines what type of shot you should hit.

3. All players should work on the slice backhand. It is becoming a more important shot in today’s game and allows players to give their opponent a different speed and spin to get them out of their comfort zone.

Bryan Smith PresentationMario Contardi, USPTA; Cincinnati, Ohio

Bryan Smith gave a very insightful talk during the Western & Southern Open in Cincinnati. He spoke about a variety of topics on developing junior players. His two main topics were spotting talent and the “Magic Recipe”..

In spotting talent, Smith talked about the importance of the athlete’s ability to multi-task, their listening skills, coach-ability, and their ability to learn visually. Smith believes that even if you take a child with average athletic ability, you can develop them into a good tennis player. If they are coached and trained properly, they can acquire the attributes needed to be a successful player.

The “Magic Recipe” as Smith puts it, is made up of these five simple ingredients.

Ingredient One: Passion – If the athlete doesn’t have the desire or the drive, it’s going to be extremely difficult to have success.

Ingredient Two: Hard Work – There is no substitute for good old fashioned hard work.

Ingredient Three: Do the little things right – Don’t ignore the little things because they add up to the big things.

Ingredient Four: It’s not about winning or losing – It’s about the development of the player and their journey!

Ingredient Five: Be a student of the game – Have a plan based on what you’ve learned about your game and your opponent’s game. Never stop learning! Continued page 5

4 | Midwest Connection • November/December 2013

The Midwest Connection,the official newsletter,

of the USPTA Midwest Division is published six times a year. Submit items to the editor.

2013 Officers

PresidentPaul Marcum •

248-626-9880 x4006paulmarcum@comcast.net

Regional Vice PresidentMark Faber • 419-381-9661

faberm10s@aol.com

Second Vice PresidentScott Ansay • 262-241-4250

scottansay@hotmail.com

Third Vice PresidentMike Graff • 248-866-0508mike@baselinetennis.net

Treasurer-SecretaryChris Chopra • 812-855-8750

cchopra@indiana.edu

Past PresidentMolly Card Beckmann •

317-582-1550 x229Mollyc317@aol.com

State PresidentsOhio

Joe Wilkerson • 859-992-7143JWilkerson@health-partners.org

WisconsinDan Oliver • 920-227-7005

danohgb@aol.com

IllinoisMatt Davis • 847-593-0580

tenace4@wowway.comIndiana

Michael Parker • 260-432-0502mparker@wildwoodracquetclub.com

MichiganTalaya Schilb • 989-859-8059 tstevens@midlandtennis.com

Head TesterMike Lange • 630-978-6746mike.lange@rushcopley.com

Newsletter ChairChris Chopra

EditorCarol L. Anderson

USPTA Midwest Division888-740-3318

usptamw@gmail.com

USPTA World Headquarters800-USPTA-4U

uspta@uspta.org

Eighteen Steps for a Good Lesson

Adam Ford, Holland, Mich., is honored to be one of Racquet Sports Industry’s “30 Under Thirty,” a distinction of young professionals leading the sport of tennis. Ford is the head women’s tennis coach at Hope College. He is founder and owner of Baseline Video LLC, which makes tennis related videos for the industry.

RSI’s 30 Under Thirty

Midwest Connection • November/December 2013 | 5

Butch Staples - Adaptive skills for young playersJoe Leo, USPTA; Maineville, Ohio

Every tennis program needs structure, content, and delivery. With young players, how we “deliver” is the most important part of the program. Butch said, “Think of it as your party plan.” Kids remember not what they are taught, but what they learned, so change the paradigm into a playful learning environment. Learning is shaping, experiential, and requires positive reinforcement.

To instill a passion for tennis in young players:• Teach skills not process• Be playful, make it fun in a creative way, encourage and show them how to

derive pleasure from trying• Don’t over teach• Reward risk• If the coach is having as much fun as the kids then you are doing well!• Have a process goal and tie it into your outcome goal.

Butch then went into several drills; with each drill he showed how to adapt the paradigm to the skill level.

• Kids learn by working cooperatively, start there.• Break the skill being taught down to skill level and then progress to

increasing skill levels. • At any time adapt the drill by defining the space. Ex. service line, baseline,

targets, etc. • Solicit feedback and understanding from the child by asking questions.• Use imagery, creativity, and imagination when teaching. Example, Butch called the continental grip the “alligator stun grip” and the follow

through the “over the shoulder whipper gripper.”• Create spaces, make use of the whole court, don’t be afraid to get rid of the cart• Challenge kids to higher skill levels using risk and rewards, remembering to always be positive, (ie.. He asked a student, “What happened

with your shot?” and when she didn’t answer he said, “Well, I guess the net just got in the way.”)• Remember, the outcome goal is what drives kids.

Thanks Butch, you were great!

USPTA/USTA Midwest Extravaganza

Continued from page 3

Being semi-retired gives me an opportunity to read two newspapers daily, several magazines and spend lots of time on the Internet. I know I am an old guy, but I sure like holding a newspaper or magazine. Two of my favorite magazines are Fortune and Forbes. Trust me as a sports nut, Sports Illustrated and ESPN magazine are a huge part of my reading routine, but to increase my business profile, I do like F and F. Fortune is fun because each month they interview successful business men and women and many times they tell you what the core of their business philosophy is. In the July 1, 2013 issue of Fortune there is a very good article on LinkedIn whose CEO gives a short rendition on “Five Things you can do to make LinkedIn work for you.” Among the suggestions is to “broadcast or share information that illustrates your professional expertise.” Forbes is written for business and about business. The September issue has an extensive article on “Top 100 Innovative Companies in the World.” The capsules on each company give us an idea of what’s new. Ironically, Amazon

who is No.7 is constantly working to improve their customer experience. Those of us that teach tennis probably should be reminded that we need to do that once in a while.

I guess my message is that there’s a lot out there to capture. Those of you working full time probably have little time to spend with your families, much less time to read. However, you might schedule 15 minutes a day and get online just to relax and digest something new. What you gain in those few minutes might help add spice to your next lesson!

Reading About Something Else Besides TennisDenny Schackter, USPTA; Palatine, Ill.

6 | Midwest Connection • November/December 2013

Congratulations USPTA Midwest Division members

YOU won USPTA 2013 Newsletter of the Year, received second place for the Greatest Number of Members Participating in Tennis Across America AND third place for the Greatest Percentage of Members Participating in Tennis Across America.

Midwest Pros receiving celebratory years of service

30 YearsMary Beth KilianDouglas MartinFloyd MunsonKris NajdovskiPhillip RodriguezRyan ShafferKristine Stofey

40 YearsTheodore GordonJim MusgraveJames NelsonDenny SchackterRick VetterMike Ware

35 YearsMarcia BrownJohn CookKeith CullenKevin CummingsTim EiffBruce GouldJim Head

James LoveDon MartinSimon MeredithJay MorganRex NyquistGary RicheyLyle SchaeferJohn Weil

45 YearsSteve Contardi

Mark Faber of Toledo, Ohio, is the recipient of the USTA/USPTA Community Service Award for his

contributions to his community through tennis, presented annually by the United States Tennis

Association as part of the USPTA’s awards program. In his 20 years as a USPTA member, Faber has

contributed to several charities, including the American Cancer Society Make-A-Wish Foundation.

He helped a local non-profit community mental health center establish a summer tennis program

and an after-school program, exposing more than 250 children to tennis. Faber is also a three-

time High School Coach of the Year award winner.

Faber has been in the tennis industry since graduating from Methodist College (now, Methodist

University) in 1994, and has been a USPTA member since the year prior. He is currently the

Director of Tennis at Laurel Hill Swim and Tennis Club in Toledo, Ohio. In his 19 years as a high

school tennis coach, Faber has coached teams to state team and individual championships

and amassed more than 300 wins. His success was recognized when he was named the USPTA

Midwest High School Coach of the Year in 2001 and 2002, and USPTA Boys’ National High School Coach of the Year in 2003.Mark Faber, right, with USPTA President

Tom McGraw

Ohio’s Mark Faber Receives USTA/USPTA Community Service Award

Midwest Connection • November/December 2013 | 7

8 | Midwest Connection • November/December 2013

Six Simple Steps to Set Up Your Own 10 and Under Tennis NightMatt Davis. Illinois USPTA President

On the night of July 24, local volunteers and tennis coaches participated in 10 and Under Tennis Night. We had two nets set up in the stadium parking lot of the professional baseball team, the Schaumburg Boomers, so kids could come out and try tennis before the game. Around 75 juniors participated in the event and each junior player went home with a prize, and some even signed up for a USTA membership. Below are six simple steps to remember if you ever decide to organize an event similar to this.

1. Set up a meeting with the professional team’s marketing department to begin discussing details of your event.

2. Let the marketing department know that you will help promote their team and sporting event by handing out flyers to potential players for your event.

3. Schedule the event in the middle of the summer so kids are out of school and you will get a good turnout.

4. Create a mailing list to the USPTA and the USTA for promoting the event to coaches and their families so they can encourage their local membership and students to attend.

5. Invite the baseball staff to come out and participate in the event so that you have extra help on hand and so that they can learn about tennis.

6. After the event make sure to attend the game and mingle with the fans and tell them how great TENNIS IS!!

These ideas helped us run a successful event at the Boomers ballpark. If you ever have any questions or are interested in doing an event like this please contact me at tenace4@gmail.com.

Midwest Connection • November/December 2013 | 9

ringing in new members to your club is one of the most challenging tasks we have in the tennis industry. Many would argue that it is the most important one of all. Although I

would argue that the most important task is to retain your existing members, bringing in new members is what grows your member base and keeps vibrant energy driving the club. There are certain strategies that must be employed in order to bring in new members.

First, you must advertise your club in every possible venue. Start from within. We know that there is no more powerful a tool to recruit new members than through a referral. Advertise discounts for your current members to bring in new ones. Then, use local media to get the word out, Newcomers groups, PTO, e-newsletters, newspapers, fliers, etc. Recruit from clubs within your club (cross pollination) - such as getting golf players to play tennis or fitness only members to play tennis.

Second, you must offer programs that attract your intended market. Do you really have something for everyone? If the answer is no, then why don’t you? How can you create programs and amenities for everyone? Know who your market is. Is your club more of a “junior” club specializing in youth tennis? Is it more of an “adult” club with leagues, lessons, tournaments? Once you figure out who

your intended market is, you can really create attractive programs to offer your clientele.

Third, you must have the best customer service for the purposes of retention. The old saying, “a bird in the hand is better than two in the bush.” It is much easier to keep your members with excellent customer service skills than to continually reinvent your membership base.

There is no doubt that tennis clubs need new members. If we offer the programs that attract our intended market, then it is just a matter of getting the word out to get new members.

How to Bring in New Members to Your ClubEric Moran, USPTA; Lake Villa, Ill.

B

The USPTA is seeking 250 USPTA members to host local round tournaments. Teams advance from local to regional play onto the National Championships. Regional winners receive an expense paid trip to the Championships round held in New York in late August.

If you are interested in hosting a tournament, go to familytennis.com/sanction to complete the sanction application. Once approved, you will receive your marketing materials in early March, followed by your tournament materials 10 days prior to your tournament date.

This is a great opportunity for the USPTA, you, your facility and tennis!

The Shadow knows …All of us can fall victim to the allure of power, but in the world of tennis, power ranks dead last in order of importance for a developing tennis player. Consistency is No. 1 – how many times can you hit the ball back over the net and in? Placement is No. 2 – how many times can you hit the ball back over the net AND to your targets? Power is last at No. 3 – how many times can you hit the ball back over the net AND to your targets WITH your maximum amount of power? Remember that with great power comes…a great many errors and with great consistency comes…a great many wins! Focus first on your consistency. A great pro once told the Shadow, “Over the net is half a point!”

10 | Midwest Connection • November/December 2013

C r a z y 8

Cardio Tennis

Anish Manrai, USPTA; Palatine, Ill.

Players: 8-12

Segment: Game Based

• Players 1 and 2 start at the net with their racquet touching the net.

• Players 7 and 8 are on deck at the net posts.

• Players 3 and 4 start at the base line.

• Players 5 and 6 are waiting at the curtain and will be the next team to play from the baseline.

• Coach feeds the lob to the net team and they must let the ball bounce and point is played out.

• After the point ends, the net team (players 1 and 2) exit and go to the end of the line at the baseline (curtain).

• Players 7 and 8 become the new net team.

• Players 3 and 4 move to the net posts.

• Keep track of points on either side of the court.

• First team to 11 wins.

P

Midwest Connection • November/December 2013 | 11

Wimbledon

Cardio Tennis

Anish Manrai, USPTA; Palatine, Ill.

Players 4-10

Segment: Drill

This drill helps players develop proper movement for tracking lobs for overheads

• Have players go through the movement pattern without hitting balls initially.

• The drill is synchronized when the lead player touches the net, the next player in line moves forward.

• First player in line moves forward to tap the net in the alley and then moves diagonally towards the spot to hit the overhead.

• The player then moves forward and taps the net at the center strap and moves diagonally back to hit the next overhead.

• The player then moves forward diagonally to tap the net in the other alley (completing the “W”) and exits through the ladders.

• Make sure when players exit the drill, they do not get too close to the players hitting overheads.

P

12 | Midwest Connection • November/December 2013

Nominations are now being accepted for the 2013 USPTA Midwest awards. The winners will be honored at the Awards breakfast at the Midwest Division Conference at the Columbus Marriott Northwest, 5605 Blazer Parkway, Dublin, Ohio.

You can self-nominate or nominate others. You are the most familiar with your accomplishments during the past year and most likely to have access to any supporting documentation for your nomination.

We have made it easy for you to nominate worthy candidates!Send an e-mail to: scottansay@hotmail.com with the nominee’s name, e-mail, phone number and the award for which he or she is being nominated.

The Midwest Awards Committee will contact the individual directly to have them send supporting documentation.

It’s that easy!

CATEGORIES:• Midwest Professional of the Year• State Professional of the Year• Rookie of the Year• Touring Coach of the Year• College Coach of the Year• High School Coach of the Year• Individual Junior Coach of the Year• Facility Manager of the Year• Men’s and Women’s Player of the Year• Lessons for Life Charity Award• Fay Tooley Memorial Award• Nancy Mickler Memorial Award

Awards information and nomination forms can be found at the Midwest website, www.uspta.com. Use Quick Links to direct you to Midwest Division site or click here.

Questions: Scott Ansay 262-241-4250 or Carol Anderson 1-888-740-3318.

2014 USPTA Midwest Division Conference

Awards Breakfast and General Membership Meeting

In conjunction with the Ohio High School

Tennis Coaches AssociationMarch 1-3

Columbus Marriott NorthwestColumbus, Ohio

March 2, 2014

2013 AWARDS NOMINATIONSDeadline January 12, 2014

2013 AWARDS NOMINATIONS

2014 Professional Tests and Upgradescontact USPTA 713.978.7782

Jan. 18-19 Aurora, Ill. Rush-Copley HealthplexApril 12-13 Aurora, Ill. Rush-Copley HealthplexApril 26-27 Big Rapids, Mich. FSU/PTM students onlyJune 7-8 Aurora, Ill. Rush-Copley HealthplexJuly 12 Ft. Wayne, Ind. Healthplex Sports Club

Aug. 17-18 Big Rapids, Mich. Ferris State UniversityAug. 23 Columbus, Ohio The Racquet Club of ColumbusSept. 13-14 Aurora, Ill. Rush-Copley HealthplexOct. 5 West Bloomfield, Mich. The Sports Club of West BloomfieldNov. 15 Mequon, Wis. Mequon Racquet ClubNov. 15-16 Big Rapids, Mich. Ferris State University

WelcomeNew Members

Alexandra Bastock Hudson, OhioShaun Capers Chicago, Ill.Kyle Grubb Indianapolis, Ind.Brian Jansen New Berlin, Wis.Chris Ludwig Warren, Mich.Samit Shah Troy, Mich.

Mark your calendar for the USPTA Midwest Convention in partnership with the Ohio Tennis Coaches Association, March 1-3 in Columbus, Ohio. Saturday evening will kick off the weekend with your choice of on-court education at The Racquet Club of Columbus or classroom sessions at the Marriott Columbus Northwest. Sunday will be a full day of court and classroom seminars at the Marriott followed by a complimentary half day of seminars on Monday. Some of our featured speakers will include Master Professionals Jorge Capestany, Kirk Anderson, Ajay Pant and USPTA CEO John Embree. Keep watching for more details. If you have any questions please e-mail Mike Graff at mike@baselinetennis.net.

Midwest ConferenceMarch 1-3

Columbus, Ohio

Midwest Connection • November/December 2013 | 13

Getting to know your USPTA Foundation. How can you help? How can it help you?

The USPTA Foundation was incorporated in the State of New York in May of 1977 and many of you have donated gener-

ously over the years. Until now, some of you may not have known that the USPTA had a foundation, but the association wants to get you thinking about how you can support it.The foundation is a 501 (c) (3) charitable foundation and was established to serve as the charitable arm of the USPTA. The mission statement of the foundation reads, “donations will be devoted to programs that help economically disadvantaged people.” The USPTA Board of Directors, along with CEO John Embree, looked closely at the activity of the foundation and made it a priority, under Strategic Plan Pillar 5 – Diversity and Inclusion, to be pro-active in the allocation of foundation funds to programs that fit the criterion of the mission statement.

As a USPTA member, you are encouraged to identify local pros or local programs and events that fit within the Foundation’s mission statement and then encourage those involved to complete the application to become grant recipients. Qualifiers are those who use tennis as an avenue to help those in need in their communities. Please click on, or type in the link below to access the grant checklist, grant application and narrative outline:

http://uspta.com/html/Grantapplicationandnarrativeoutlinerevised04-2011.pdf

14 | Midwest Connection • November/December 2013

Elite ProfessionalAll existing Professional 1-level members will be reclassified as “Elite Professional” and remain the highest tested level of member. If you are a P-2 or P-3 and would like to upgrade to P-1, do so by the end of the year and you will only need to test in the areas which you scored below P-1. After January 1, any existing P-2 or P-3 member who wishes to become an Elite Professional must successfully complete the following new exams:

• Written Elite exam (online) - based on four subject areas. There are at least two specialty courses available that are associated with each topic.• Business (budgets, management, staffing, retail, customer

service, etc.)• Programming (lessons, clinics, activities, events, etc.)• Sport science (motor skills, biomechanics, sport physiology,

sport psychology, etc.)• Tennis operations (program implementation, program calendar,

staff supervision, court maintenance, etc.)

• Feeding competency (Elite level)

• Stoke analysis (revised online exam)

* Required education - earn 16 specialty course credits in the four areas listed above and 24 APC credits. Once this has been met, it does not have to be repeated.

ProfessionalAll existing Professional 2 and Professional 3-level members will be reclassified as “Professional.” If you choose to upgrade, follow the requirements for Elite Professional.

All new applicants will test into this category and will earn the Professional-level by successfully completing the following:

• Written exam (online)

• Feeding competency

• Lessons

• Private (one-on-one, 25 minutes)

• Group (three or four students, 25 minutes)

• Grip exam

• Stroke production

• Stage 1 and 2 of the Youth Coaching Education Program*

*Current applicants will not be required to complete Stage 1 and Stage 2. They will, however, need to meet the other professional requirements. Only those who apply after Dec. 31, 2013 will be required to complete Stage 1 and Stage 2.

Recreational Coaches who wish to upgrade to the Professional level before the end of the year should contact the Membership Department. After January 1, they will need to complete the new Professional-level requirements.

New member requirementsAlso beginning Jan. 1, 2014, all new applicants will be required to complete Stage 1 and Stage 2 of the Youth Coaching Education Program prior to taking the USPTA certification Exam. State 1 is an online course. Stage 2 consists of five 30-minute online courses and a 3.5 hour live workshop. More information about these courses will be available on uspta.com at the end of the year.

Continuing educationIn our efforts to raise the standards of tennis-teaching professionals and coaches, which is our stated mission, it is vital that every professional have some continuing education toward that end. Starting in 2014, all Elite Professional and Professional members will be required to earn six credits every three years to maintain their membership. This is the equivalent of attending or watching three specialty courses (two credits each), 12 conference seminars (.5 credits each) or attending a World Conference (eight credits each) over a period of three years.

USPTA revised membership structureIntroduces new requirements for membership

Beginning January 1, 2014 the USPTA professional rating structure will change. All USPTA Professionals categorized as Professional 2 and Professional 3 will be reclassified as Professional, and all members categorized as Professional 1 will be referred to as Elite Professional. The Recreational Coach and Master Professional categories will remain the same.The membership was notified of these changes in the summer and given the option to upgrade before the changes take effect Jan. 1.

The new structure will be:Master Professional (unchanged)Elite Professional (formerly P-1) Professional (formerly P-2 and P-3) Recreational Coach (unchanged)

Highlights

- If you are a P-2 or P-3, you will be classified as a Professional.- This is not a downgrade to your current status.- If you want to upgrade before January 2014, you don’t have

to retake the entire test. You only need to retest on the areas in which you scored lower than a P-1.

- If you upgrade to a P-1 before Jan. 1, you will become an Elite Professional in 2014.

- Membership pricing will be the same for Elite Professional and Professional.

- All changes take effect January 1.

How to pick up 6 credits- Go to or watch on DVD three specialty courses (2 each)- Go to or watch on DVD 12 conference seminars (.5 each)- Attend one World Conference- Attend one division conference (5) plus attend two seminars

(.5 each)

Midwest Connection • November/December 2013 | 15

Health care insuranceFirst, we have partnered with Digital Insurance and Woodruff-Sawyer & Co. to provide health care resources exclusively for USPTA-certified Professionals. Digital Insurance, the nation’s largest and most technologically advanced agency, and Woodruff-Sawyer & Co., one of the largest independent insurance brokers, will work with USPTA to provide expanded resources along with expertise and education for members to help navigate the complexities of health care reform required by the Affordable Care Act beginning on Jan. 1, 2014.

Retirement planUSPTA has partnered with High Street Securities, Goldleaf Partners and Paloma Financial Services to provide a retirement program exclusively for USPTA-certified Professionals. The retirement package and savings plan is the first of its kind to be offered to USPTA Professionals and is modeled after the Professional Golf Association’s (PGA) Golf Retirement Plus plan that has been in existence for the past 13 years. Beginning on Oct. 1, 2013, High Street will provide investment support and insurance products and services for USPTA members, including offering non-qualified, tax-deferred savings plans, qualified savings plans and a variety of individual insurance and investment solutions for association members.

ADDvantage and Tennis Industry magazines join forcesWhere will you read ADDvantage magazine in 2014? USPTA and Tennis Industry magazine have formed a partnership. Tennis Industry is the former Racquet Sports Industry magazine, the largest tennis trade publication in the world, which recently announced its name change to start in 2014. Both the print and digital editions of TI will contain ADDvantage. All U.S. subscribers as well as USPTA members in the U.S. can receive the printed edition.

Tennis Industry will continue to publish 10 issues a year. The USPTA ADDvantage section will appear in each issue and average 16 pages, except for a 36-page section in the August issue that will preview the annual

USPTA World Conference. All of the regular ADDvantage features will continue to be published at addvantageuspta.com.

Getting to know your USPTA Foundation. How can you help? How can it help you?The USPTA Foundation was incorporated in the State of New York in May of 1977 and many of you have donated generously over the years. Until now, some of you may not have known that the USPTA had a foundation, but the association wants to get you thinking about how you can support it.

The foundation is a 501 (c) (3) charitable foundation and was established to serve as the charitable arm of the USPTA. The mission statement of the foundation reads, “donations will be devoted to programs that help economically disadvantaged people.” The USPTA Board of Directors, along with CEO John Embree, looked closely at the activity of the foundation and made it a priority, under Strategic Plan Pillar 5 – Diversity and Inclusion, to be pro-active in the allocation of foundation funds to programs that fit the criterion of the mission statement.

As a USPTA member, you are encouraged to identify local pros or local programs and events that fit within the Foundation’s mission statement and then encourage those involved to complete the application to become grant recipients. Qualifiers are those who use tennis as an avenue to help those in need in their communities. Please click contact the USPTA World Headquarters to access the grant checklist, grant application and narrative outline:

Now Serving: Family TimeThe USPTA is proud to announce a new collaboration with the National Family Tennis Championships - a new national family doubles tournament that puts families at center court. This provides the USPTA member with an opportunity to host a local round tournament, and represents new revenue opportunities for you - both from tournament commissions and potential lesson revenue. See page 13

USPTA Partners with TGA to Promote Innovative Business Model and Job Opportunities to its MembershipUSPTA has partnered with TGA Premier Youth Tennis (TGA) to introduce TGA’s business ownership opportunity and school-based activation model to USPTA members. The partnership will help grow tennis at the grassroots level and attract new business for USPTA Professionals.

TGA, which stands for Teach Grow Achieve, pioneered a school-based youth sports franchise model that makes tennis accessible to youth and families through a five level, instruction-based program for elementary students, and a play-based program for middle school students. Its specialized curriculums were developed in partnership with the United States Tennis Association (USTA) and focuses on instilling a passion for youth tennis while promoting advancement, achievement and the attainment of life skills on and off the court.

The USPTA recognized that a relationship with TGA would positively impact its membership through the creation of new business ownership and job opportunities.

$5,000The USPTA (that is you) donated $5,000 to the ThanksUSA organization as a part of the Tennis Thanks the Troops campaign.

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United States Professional Tennis Association

Midwest Division

246 Route 37 New Fairfield, CT 06812-2202

Midwest ConferenceMarch 1-3

Columbus, Ohio