We are looking forward to seeing familiar and new faces, plus I will be looking for some tips on my tennis game. See you there!

Jeff Gearheart – SportMaster Sport Surfaces
(800)326-1994
www.sportmaster.net

SportMaster Sport Surfaces booth

I attended my first USPTA national convention in 1970. It was at the T Bar M Resort near New Braunfels, Texas. I had just re-entered the tennis business after working in medical research. While I didn’t really know what to expect of the USPTA event, I was very excited about who I might meet, including a few teaching heroes I’d only heard and read about – George Bacso, Jack Barnaby and Paul Xanthos, to name just a few. You’d have to say I was star struck and considered myself beyond lucky to be attending an event that featured such big names. Jack Barnaby was the tennis and squash coach at Harvard for seven decades and was wrapping up his term as USPTA’s national president when I met him. George Bacso, a career educator, was USPTA’s resident “teacher of teachers,” and Paul Xanthos was a tennis-teaching pioneer and college coach.

Tim Heckler (left) greets John Newcombe at the 1981 National Convention in Hawaii.

Not only did I get to meet these and many other people at the first convention, but I was asked to sit in on a meeting where these wonderful volunteers would begin to formulate the first USPTA national certification test. What an honor!

The 1970 convention marked some important shifts in USPTA’s future and its potential for growth. I knew then that the organization was dedicated to education and a strong national image. And, we haven’t looked back since.

Thinking back now, there were probably only 175 people at the convention. The event lasted only a few days, and I don’t recall a trade show, but if there was one, it was small. The awards program was rather low key and took place during an evening dinner. The education schedule was easy to manage. Just one seminar at a time drew almost everyone in attendance, and each event was held either in a large room, (which also doubled as the dining room during meal times) or on a tennis court.

Of course, the national convention has been turned into a “World Conference” that draws more than 1,000 annually, including many international members and speakers. It features the largest tennis-only trade show in the country, which is highlighted by a very entertaining silent auction. Also, it’s now one of the biggest tennis gatherings in our industry, hosting fellow tennis teachers, world-renowned tennis experts, manufacturers and their reps, allied association leaders, wholesalers and more.

Wow. Times have changed, but the most valuable benefit of the greatest annual gathering of tennis teachers on earth continues to be – networking!

While the marquee names are different these days – Patrick McEnroe, Tracy Almeda-Singian, Jose Higuerras, Rick Macci, Dr. Martin Baroch, Emilio Sanchez Vacario and many, many more – I know your main goal for attending our World Conference continues to be your ability to associate with as many speakers and fellow professionals as possible.

Not only are you able to gather invaluable resources for teaching and selling the game of tennis to consumers, but you’re also able to hear about the latest research on the game, view and even try out the latest sports products and services, and trade stories with people who also have a vested interest in making sure tennis and our profession remain successful.

Networking was the single most important thing to me when I attended the convention for the first time back in 1970, and it’s the reason most of you will attend in 2011. I look forward to meeting you at Saddlebrook!

This will be my third year at the USPTA World Conference, and I’m so PUMPED for all of the festivities the week has to offer.  What an appropriate theme for the year – GET YOUR GAME ON! Are you ready? I know I am, and can’t wait to see everyone in September.

The USPTA World Conference offers so many valuable resources for teaching pros. From new teaching techniques, to tips on how to sell tennis products at your facility, the conference is sure to be a week of education you don’t want to miss out on.

The USPTA World Conference also showcases the largest tennis buying show of the year. This is your chance to meet up with manufacturers from all over the country and learn about new tennis products on the market.  I can’t wait to show you what HEAD Penn has been up to the past year.  With the success of Novak Djokovic and his YouTek IG Speed, to signing our newest tennis and fashion icon Maria Sharapova and developing her new racquet, the YouTek IG Instinct – we have a lot to show you! 

We will have a suite set up with our latest and greatest products, will have some conference buying specials (only for USPTA pros that attend) and will have a USPTA gift.  Be sure to stop by the HEAD Penn Suite and also our HEAD Penn booth at the trade show and say hello. AND don’t miss our Ad Staff meeting for pros that are huge HEAD Penn fans – we have some great surprises in store!   

Not only will it be a week of great education and product information – but also will be a lot of fun.  I can’t wait to you see there – Get ready to GET YOUR GAME ON!

Allison Barnett
Communications Manager – HEAD Penn Racquet Sports
602-447-2324
abarnett@us.head.com

UPDATE:

How the treasure hunt works
Four clues a day will be posted on Twitter (USPTA_Tennis) and Facebook (facebook.com/USPTA.Tennis). You will need to follow/like USPTA in order to receive the clues. (If you don’t have a smart phone, you can set up an RSS feed to deliver our tweets to your phone while you are at the conference.)

Each day will feature a different set of clues leading to a new prize. For example, Tuesday’s clues will lead to a prize on Tuesday. Wednesday’s clues will lead to a new prize on Wednesday.

Each clue will be preceded by the hashtag #USPTAhunt. When you figure out where the clues are leading you, approach the location at the designated time and ask for a treasure hunt badge. Four badges are available at each location and they are numbered 1 through 4 to indicate the order that they are claimed. When you receive your badge, please take a picture and post it on USPTA’s Facebook wall.

Take your badge to USPTA registration in Pegasus South during operating hours to claim your prize. You will need to show both your treasure hunt badge and your World Conference nametag. Prizes include product from HEAD Racquet Sports, Nike product from Fromuth and gift certificates from the U.S. Pro Tennis Shop. In some cases, you may need to leave your information in order for your prize to be shipped to you.

Treasure hunt prizes:
Gift certificates from the U.S. Pro Tennis Shop

Product from HEAD*
1st place – 1 racquet, a bag, string and one case of Pro Penn ­tennis balls
2nd place – 1 racquet and string
3rd and 4th places – backpacks and string

Product from Fromuth*
1st place – A pair of shoes up to $135 retail value
2nd place – 2 shirts up to a total of $120 retail value
3rd and 4th place – 1 shirt up to $60 retail value

*Winners will need to provide their name, member number and contact information when they present their badge to USPTA registration in Pegasus South. We will contact you after the World Conference to get the specifics regarding racquet selection/clothing order. Backpacks and string will be handed out at USPTA registration. (Winners will be verified for eligibility.)

Racquet winners may choose from Extreme, Speed, Radical, Prestige and Instinct, depending on availability.

Rules:
Only paid conference attendees are eligible to play.

This is an individual treasure hunt and there is only one prize package for each place. If participants choose to work together as a team, they will need to decide among themselves how to split the prize.

USPTA staff, Executive Committee and EA/EDs are not eligible to play.

You must follow USPTA on Twitter and Facebook to receive the clues.

Treasure hunt badges may only be claimed between the hours indicated in the clues and only four badges will be available at each location.

To claim your prize, take your treasure hunt badge and conference name tag to USPTA registration in Pegasus South. Operating hours are Tuesday, 7 a.m.-5 p.m.; Wednesday, 7 a.m.-5 p.m.; Thursday, 10 a.m.-4 p.m.; and Friday, 8 a.m.-5 p.m.

Five years ago, my first USPTA World Conference and Trade Show was in Saddlebrook and I am very excited to be going back to the place where so many friendships were formed.  Attending this convention and trade show is a highlight of our year!  

Kelly and I look forward to planning inventory, scheduling flights, booking hotel rooms and deciding how many parties we can fit in one night!

While the atmosphere is “fun in the sun” we take very seriously the opportunity to make personal connections with our customers.  We make notes and lists of concerns, questions and needs of our customers; bring them home and work on the best way to help.  Listening and learning from our customers is key to making us the “pro shop pros.”

Fromuth's Annette and Kelly with USPTA friends Avis Murray (left) and Anni Miller (right).

There is no better venue to meet and work with customers than the USPTA’s World Conference. 

We are counting down the days till September!

Annette Vail
Fromuth Tennis
USPTA Liaison
800-523-8414
annettev@fromuthtennis.com

I have been in the tennis industry since the time I had a full head of hair. About 30 years ago, much to my father’s dismay, I made the decision to give up medical school plans to pursue teaching tennis. Since then, unlike my hair line, my love and passion for teaching tennis has not receded.  One of the annual highlights of celebrating our wonderful profession is the USPTA World Conference.

If you are in the tennis industry, you can ill afford to miss the USPTA World Conference.

Connecting

In this world of Facebook “friends,” the World Conference is a chance to connect with “real” friends in the industry. It is always reassuring and amazing to see how many good people are in our business. Yes, a subset of this friend connection is the extensive networking. However – and this is important – the networking is a subset. Take care of your friends. They will take care of you.

You will make, and reconnect with, many tennis friends at the World Conference. These are invaluable in our industry. Besides the obvious “who you know,” these friends will serve many vital roles, including mentor, confidant and even employer!

Learning

Let us now look at the education module at the USPTA World Conference. Would you allow an orthopedic surgeon to perform surgery on your knee?  Before you say “yes,” would your answer be swayed if you knew this surgeon last learned something new about the knee in 1980?  Forget the rhetorical answer “no,” why would anyone take a tennis lesson from you if you are not up to speed with all the teaching nuances?  The World Conference has a plethora of world-renowned tennis experts speaking on virtually every relevant industry topic. In addition to the obvious expertise of the speakers, the World Conference is a wonderful opportunity to chat with these tennis gurus one on one in an informal setting. I am amazed at the number of mentors and people I respect immensely who have joined me for breakfast/coffee at the conference. My plan for a half-hour breakfast often morphed into a two-hour chat with an expert!

Playing

He who can, plays. He, who cannot, teaches. This is a popular myth, and nowhere is this more evident than the World Conference. It is always reassuring to see us teaching pros play. Walk your talk!  Besides the obvious “wow” aspect of watching former world-class players compete, there is also the human factor of watching pros like me compete. We are good players, but not world-class. Like the rest of the tennis world, we have tactical and stroke weaknesses and flaws in technique. New pros to our industry can watch many of the giants of the teaching industry play like mere mortals. This is reassuring! 

Speaking of playing tennis, let us not overlook the sheer, pure joy of playing. At the USPTA World Conference, you will repeatedly see teaching pros celebrate the joy of striking a yellow ball. Most matches, even the fairly competitive ones, make it clear to spectators that the competitors are in this for the fun. Isn’t our love for playing tennis the reason we got into our noble profession in the first place?

Education, playing our sport of a lifetime and great friends set in a nice, warm, upscale resort setting. Let me count the reasons not to go. I come up with zero. Why would you want to miss the USPTA World Conference?  See you in Saddlebrook in September!

Ajay Pant is the national tennis director for Midtown/TCA clubs.

Clockwise: Jorge Capestany, Scott Ficks, Mark Ficks, Adam Ford

Our experience at the USPTA World Conference in La Quinta, Calif., was awesome. When we flew out of Milwaukee, the temperature was 41 degrees, so the weather in La Quinta was obviously a highlight, and we enjoyed some terrific pool time, but we’ll get to that in just a bit.

Among the highlights with regards to the seminars was Hank Pfister’s presentation on serving and volleying, specifically the half volley. Hank discussed the percentage plays with regards to taking half-volleys cross-court versus down-the-line, and he stressed keeping the body very still and primarily utilizing the shoulder joint when executing this under-practiced shot.

We also attended the Randy Mattingley-moderated “New Style Pro” forum. This round-table discussion focused on the benefits of the various social-networking platforms that are available to USPTA Professionals. Facebook and Twitter were the main topics and pros shared how they were using these sites to increase visibility and communication at their facilities which in turn boosted revenue.

Another stand-out experience for us was the USPTA awards breakfast. From Jack Groppel telling the story of his adoption experience and Ron Woods thanking his wife, to the emotional acceptance speech by Randy Snow’s father, this was an extraordinary morning. Hearing the stories about all of the oncourt and off-court successes was inspiring and fired me up to get back to my club and raise my game as a tennis director.

But, back to the pool! While the seminars were very helpful, I would have to rank “hang-out time” as perhaps the most productive use of my time during my stay in La Quinta. I would say this not just about the World Conference, but about divisional conferences that I have attended for the past 15 years as well. The benefits that you get from networking at these events are truly priceless, but don’t take my word for it, take my brother’s!

Mark Ficks is the director of tennis at the SouthShore Health and Fitness Club in St. Joseph, Mich., and was named the Michigan State Pro of the Year in 2007.

Clockwise: Jorge Capestany, Scott Ficks, Mark Ficks, Adam Ford

My brother, Mark, and I have attended many conventions over the years and this was our first trip to the World Conference. Although the long list of speakers and presenters was a who’s who in the world of tennis, the real education was at the pool, at the bar, and at the coffee shop. It cannot be overstated the amount of information you can gather from spending some time during the week by talking to pros from all over the country about how they do things. I left La Quinta with a long list of conversations with some great people.

Each of my days began with a great cup of coffee and conversation with my former boss and a great view of the mountains. In the four days we were there, we covered every possible topic from junior lessons to QuickStart to special programming. I left each morning with a new idea for my club and members. After a seminar or two my brother and I usually found ourselves at the pool for some fun in the sun. These pool visits always turned into a sort of “mini-convention”. As the day grew warmer, more and more pros and conference attendees would join us and the conversation would always turn toward our jobs, our programming, and everything else you could think of. We even kicked around an idea with Carol Anderson of hosting one of the seminars in the pool next year. It turned out to be a very casual but lively and productive discussion that created new friendships and better pros returning to their clubs.

We have found that it is very important to quickly find out where the bar is located at every convention. That seems to be the place where everyone is welcome and willing to talk about all things tennis. My brother and I met some great people over some beers and again were able to learn so many things regarding what the best and brightest are doing in our industry.

The great part regarding these conventions is the access that all attendees have to the top pros in the world. I was able to meet Nick Bolletierri for the first time and the next afternoon we ended up getting lost on the resort after telling Nick that we knew where the tennis courts were. The entire time he told us great stories about his coaching career and talked to us like we had known him forever. He was only a few minutes late for his presentation. I also had a nice conversation with Tim Heckler regarding the conference and he spent several minutes answering questions and talking tennis with me. Those kinds of conversations are priceless.

We want to encourage all pros to make attending these education events a priority in your careers. You need to stress to your managers, directors, athletic directors, and your members that these events can improve the way you do your job and are an investment in your future and theirs. We hope to see you in Indianapolis on the court, in the classroom, or you just may find us at the bar, the pool, or the coffee shop.

I have spoken at the USPTA World Conference at least six times. I would have to describe it as a “green and growing” experience, not a “ripe and rotting” one.

I feel re-energized when I get back to my club with all the new knowledge I gained.

I also get to meet my fellow pros that I haven’t seen for a while, as well as foster new relationships with new pros.

Can’t beat it. Learn and meet.

Feisal Hassan presents a specialty course.

I truly believe one of the highlights each year in the tennis industry is the USPTA World Conference. It’s what I view as the epitome of higher education for a young adult.

Seldom in a young person’s lifetime will he or she be in one place with people of the same interests, likes and dislikes, all wanting to grow and achieve. However, at the USPTA World Conference, you will find in one location, people of the same interests, needs, and yearning to grow, in addition to a world-class trade show, elite presenters, dignitaries from all over the world, and a social atmosphere second to none.

For these reasons, I have missed only three World Conferences since 1978, and the reason I missed all three was for family needs/emergencies. I would recommend that everyone in tennis attend the USPTA World Conference. It’s an investment in your future!