Some came to honor the lifelong friends they met playing the sport of a lifetime. Others came to make new friends in the tennis industry, and learn how USTA Eastern can help them develop new tournaments and improve their courts.
But no matter what attracted them, all of the more than 250 people attending the section’s Annual Meeting last month were focused on one topic more than any other: 10 and Under Tennis.
The conference, which was held January 20-21, 2012 at the Westchester Renaissance Hotel, featured a wide range of on-court workshops and classroom sessions devoted to how to implement the new initiative, where children learn to play tennis with shorter, kid-friendly racquets, balls and courts.
"The 10 and Under Tennis initiative is critical to growing our sport," said D.A. Abrams, Executive Director of USTA Eastern. "The Annual Meeting was a great way for participants to learn how to use 10 and Under Tennis to develop junior players and create successful tennis programs."
Teaching 10 and Under Tennis
The meeting kicked off on Friday morning with a workshop led by Jason Jamison, National Manager of Schools Tennis for the USTA. The participants learned how to introduce 10 and Under Tennis to schools, and got a chance to try out exercises and drills with the 10 and Under equipment in the hotel ballroom.
At the opening session the next day, Geoff Russell of USTA Player Development, discussed some of the techniques being used with 10 and Under Tennis to develop the next generation of America’s tennis champions. That was followed by 10 and Under Tennis instruction in the tennis bubble with kids from the Yonkers Tennis Center.
"If we can continue to teach fundamentals to these kids, allow them to be successful and develop an all around game, then the coaching is going to be a lot easier," said Russell. ‘We’re going to be able to spend a lot more time talking about tactics of the game."
The Business Side of 10 and Under Tennis
In addition to tennis instruction, there were also sessions to help managers and volunteers with the business side of the sport. On Friday evening, Julie Bliss, USTA Eastern Director of Competition and Player Development, provided a Tournament Directors workshop, which included information on how to run 10 and Under Tournaments. On Saturday, Larry Dillon, Manager of 10 and Under Tennis for USTA Eastern, led a panel discussion on how to increase a tennis facility’s profits through 10 and Under programs. There was also a session on USTA grants available to develop 10 and Under Tennis courts.
Simon Gale, General Manager of Yonkers Tennis Center, said introducing 10 and Under Tennis has had an impact on the center’s success.
"We started about five years ago and totally changed the way we taught – our whole methodology – and the way we sold it to parents," said Gale. "As a result ,we’ve seen considerable growth and just commitment to the club and the sport, which is something that we were lacking."
Awards for Juniors and Adults
Of course, the day would not have been complete without the Junior Awards Luncheon and Annual Awards Dinner. At the luncheon, the section recognized 16 outstanding students for their sportsmanship and their appreciation of Arthur Ashe’s legacy . The section also gave out awards for parent sportsmanship and tournament director of the year, and presented the Henry Benisch Award. The Henry Benisch Award, which was established in memory of the USTA Eastern Past President and awarded on behalf of the Junior Tennis Foundation, is a scholarship given to a top junior player who has exemplified good sportsmanship.
USTA Eastern President Jeff Williams congratulated the juniors, and told them what they gained was more than just a tennis award.
"If you work hard in the classroom, and you continue to develop the skills for which you are being honored here today, you will turn out to be someone that is unbeatable in the most important sport of all – life," said Williams.
The celebration continued at dinner, as USTA Eastern honored 28 volunteers, tennis pros, players and organizations for the range of ways they helped grow tennis in the section: from providing free tennis lessons to organizing programs for players with special needs.
Among the award recipients were Michael and Kris Starke, and their children Allie and Noah, who were honored as the USTA Eastern Family of the Year.
"It’s different that winning any individual awards or accolades. When you get your whole family aboard with you, it’s just special," said Michael, who owns and manages the Binghamton Tennis Center. "For me, it’s really a lifetime achievement award."