Players
Jeremy, Amira, Michael, and Sheldon: YTA Players Invited to Level 1 Regional Training
Center Camp at Stanford University
It’s not every day that a child receives a letter
from Patrick McEnroe, General Manager of USTA Player Development and Jose
Higueras, Director of Coaching for USTA Player Development, but in early March
four YTA players received such a letter.
Jeremy of the YTA Laney College program, Amira of the YTA Bear Trax program at Cal Berkeley, Michael of the
YTA John McLaren Park program and Sheldon of the John McLaren Park program
were some of the fortunate eight and nine year olds from the Bay Area invited
to attend the Regional Training Center Camp held March 11-13 at Stanford
University. The QuickStart Tennis format
was highlighted at the camp. Be on the look out for these local tennis stars
who are bound for success!
The new USTA Player Development unit has been
created to identify and develop the next generation of American players by
surrounding the top juniors and young pros with the resources, facilities and
coaching they need to reach their maximum potential. The Player Development
program is based at the USTA Training Center Headquarters in Boca Raton, Fla.,
and also utilizes the USTA Training Center-West in Carson, Calif., and the USTA
Training Center-East at the USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center in Flushing,
N.Y. In 2008, the USTA began implementing its Certified Regional Training
Center program as part of its effort to expand the USTA Player Development
program’s reach throughout the country by partnering with academies, clubs and
tennis centers that have a proven record of identifying and developing tennis
players.
Below is a quote from USTA/NJTL National Manager, Dan Limbago:
"NJTL is lucky to have the interest and support of USTA Player Development under the leadership of Martin Blackman and his Regional Training Centers. Every year NJTL chapters across the country introduce tennis to hundreds of thousands of youth, and our best chapters provide a continuing pathway of development for those kids who have the determination and talent to stick with the game. Now that Player Development recognizes the value that NJTL provides to the sport, everyone wins. The scholarships to the Regional Training Center camps, the complimentary coaching at the RTCs, the coaches education for our NJTL coaches--it all fits into a very forward-looking vision of how community programs can contribute to player development outcomes. Both sides are equally important and by working together everyone benefits."
*QuickStart Tennis is a play format that has been developed to help kids 10 and under play the game of tennis. To make the game more accessible to children, several elements have been modified including the court size, the racquet size, the balls, the scoring system, and even the net height.
Ariann, Talia, and Nicholas: An
Opportunity of a Lifetime
Ariann, Talia, and Nicholas are the three YTA Bear Trax Scholar Athlete members selected
to participate in the Berkeley Tennis Club Foundation’s (BTCF) pilot program,
which was made possible through the generous contribution from an anonymous
donor.
“We hope this [pilot program] will spearhead their enthusiasm for wanting to get to the next level in tennis and increase their awareness of how much work it takes to get to that level,” says BTCF President, Steven Cornell.
During interviews for the pilot program, Ariann, Talia, and Nicholas impressed Steven with their high level of enthusiasm, passion for tennis, and knowledge of tennis history. Furthermore, all of them displayed great ability and potential on the court as well as academic performance in the classroom.
The pilot program will begin this month at the historic Berkeley Tennis Club (BTC), and be led by renowned BTC Director of Tennis and BTCF Advisor, Lynne Rolley. Ariann, Talia, and Nicholas will each receive four, one-hour private lessons with Lynne. Her impressive resume includes being the Director of Women’s Tennis for the USTA and working with legendary tennis professionals like Jennifer Capriati, Lindsay Davenport, and Chandra Rubin. This truly is an opportunity of a lifetime (times three).
Nancy
An ambitious teenager, Nancy sets her sights on winning the Girls All-City tennis championship. Hong said that she was disappointed with her fourth place singles title this season, but she plans to take her experiences from this season and continue to improve her game. A high school sophomore at San Francisco’s prestigious Lowell High School, Hong is #3 on her school’s tennis team.
She began playing tennis as a 5 year old when her dad wanted her to exercise and be his hitting partner. Living near Ella Hill Hutch Playground, her dad frequently drove past the tennis courts and saw a group of kids, surrounded by tennis balls and ball carts. Along with Nancy, he decided to stop by to see what was going on. That was the day Nancy and her dad learned about YTA. Initially, she attended the program sporadically but within a year she was coming out to the program several times per week.
Nancy has been with YTA and Coach Carl Mendoza for 6 years now. She continues to hone her tennis skills. Through this program, she met many new friends, interacted with a variety of experienced pros, and learned life skills. Hong said that YTA offered her many opportunities to be involved in the tennis community. She has been a YTA ball kid for the past several years. She has volunteered at tennis tournaments and other community events.
Now that tennis season is winding down, Nancy is focusing
all of her attention towards her education. She wants to do well in school and
tennis in hopes of receiving a tennis scholarship for college. For now, her
goals are to take at least four Advanced Placement courses before she graduates
and win first place at the All-City championship.
Brandon
As
a young child, Brandon played tennis recreationally. He never thought about playing tennis
competitively until he and his father saw a young YTA tennis player hitting
extremely well for his age. The
rest, they say, is history. At the age of 11, Brandon became serious about tennis. With the guidance of YTA coaches such as Carl Mendoza, Brandon honed his tennis skills and quickly rose through the ranks. His goals for his senior year in high school are to continue to get straight A’s and finally win the All-City Tennis Championship that has eluded him for the past three years.
Brandon said he will continue to work hard and looks forward to the challenges ahead. Brandon’s long range goal is to attend a California university and continue to play tennis competitively at the collegiate level.
Laura, YTA’s Most Promising Player
At just 8 years old, Laura is already making her mark in the tennis world. Her strong baseline play recently earned her an exclusive spot in the USTA’s Regional Training Center, led by tennis greats Jose Higeras and Tom Gullikson. She is undefeated in novice team tennis play for mixed doubles and singles.
Laura “is one of YTA’s most promising players,” said Carlton Jones, Youth Tennis Advantage’s (YTA) Laney College Site Director.
Laura’s talent for tennis is not something new; it’s in her blood. She grew up with the sport all her life, holding her first racquet when she was 2. Her father plays, and her older sister Layla, a former YTA Laney College player, is now a high-ranked junior being recruited by top universities across the nation.
On the court, Laura is tough and focused. Jones describes her as being “athletic” and “agile,” and notes that Laura “has all the court smarts to reach the highest level.”
Laura has a powerful forehand to match her fearful grunt like her favorite tennis pro Serena Williams. Every week Laura trains hard, hitting hundreds of tennis balls in order to get her technique and footwork down to the tee.
Off the court, Laura stands proud as the tallest over her second grade classmates. But other than that, she is just like any other kid. She enjoys playing four-square with friends, reading books from the series “Flat Stanley," and drawing. She just entered her artwork in the 2010 National USTA Arthur Ashe Essay and Art Contest.
Laura definitely has a bright future ahead of her. She is a prime example of a potential YTA high-performance player. And although she has not yet entered her first tournament, one thing is for certain, she is determined to win her first trophy.
Krista
Since stepping foot on the Mosswood Park tennis courts two years ago, Krista has grown into a talented girl with many goals and dreams. One of which is to become a famous tennis player just like her heroes, the Williams sisters.
Born and raised in Oakland, Krista joined Youth Tennis Advantage (YTA) to spend more time with a friend that was already in the program. On her first day out, she learned how to hold a tennis racquet, get into a ready stance, and swing at tennis balls. Krista never gave up and after much practice she improved her game, so much so that now she can rally back and forth with just about anyone.
One of her memorable moments with YTA was when she attended the 2009 Esurance Tennis Classic Kids Day. “I met so many interesting and famous players but the most fun part was when we were able to play and interact with them! It was so much fun! I can’t wait for our next trip” Krista says.
In addition to her new found tennis skills and love of the sport, Krista is a top student. She does well in her studies always making sure she completes her homework during the academic portion of the YTA program. Krista realizes the importance of an education and continues to works hard to get good attendance and grades.
Nick: Awesome Student Volunteer
When high school senior Nick first came to the YTA’s Bear Trax program some months ago, he merely wanted to find an outlet for his impressive tennis expertise, which he did, but he also ended up finding an ideal mentor in Coach White, and in himself.
Through his association with Bear Trax, Nick discovered that he could become an ideal youth mentor for boys and girls participating in the program, boys and girls much younger than his 17 years. In fact, after participating in various junior tennis tournaments in his youth, Lautoa realized he could lend some helpful advice for children just getting their start with the game of tennis.
“It has been very rewarding helping kids learn this game and build confidence, “ Nick said. I’ve been watching Coach White over the years, starting back when he was coaching over in Hunter’s Point, and I have admired his style and ability to inspire young kids ever since. Now, I’m in a position to do the same through the Bear Trax program at UC Berkeley.”
What Nick has also found through his volunteer hours at UC Berkeley where the Bear Trax program operates from, is the same dedicated mentoring he provides to the young bestowed to him through the UC Berkeley students volunteers who provide a key piece of the YTA’s life skills component.
“The UC Berkeley students have been awesome,” Nick said. “When I first began studying for the SAT, my scores were ok, but not impressive, but after learning some important study habits focused on memory, and other skills, the results of my SAT were boosted by 500 points!”
Looking ahead Nick anxiously awaits a response from one of the colleges he has applied to, with Stanford University being at the top of his list. Given the results of his SAT, his mature approach to life, and his desire to study International Relations, he’s more than well on the right path to achieve his goals.
One Junior Pilots a Course Toward Maturity and Self Acceptance
At age 17, in a prescient act of defiance that would prove to illustrate her adventurous and curious nature, Michelle set aside her tennis racket, more than likely for good, to explore life and a career at a higher altitude with the aspiration of learning aeronautics and aviation with the dream of piloting an airplane one day.“My parents I’m sure were very worried about the amount of the time and effort I devoted to tennis might have been wasted,” Michelle, who is now 18 told me about her foray into piloting some months ago. But after some soul searching about her waning junior tennis career, and her emerging passion for aviation she acquired when she took a 'College and Career' course at her high school, she stepped out on faith one brisk and crystal clear Saturday morning to visit the local Aviation Museum to take her first flight accompanied by seasoned pilots. Prior to take off, Michelle’s head was in a swirl of jitters, however, upon embarking the plane and taking off, her nerves gave way to calm, clarity, and an utter realization about life, her life, and its endless possibilities. Describing her first flying experience as “perfect,” Michelle said it was also transformative. The notion that her future would include a professional tennis career was never challenged, but the reality of her achieving this, and the passion she experienced flying in the Cessna that day, seemed to change the course of her future tennis goals.
“Being in the air is like no other feeling before. It was as if time just froze and everything was perfect,” she said. “When I was in the air, I was able to forget about all of the disappointments of not living up to my lifelong dream of becoming a tennis pro. I left all my worries on the ground. Upon returning to the ground I felt so free and relaxed. I haven't felt that way in years! I felt light, stress-free, happy, and peaceful. I didn't even want to get off the plane.”
Since that day, Michelle has carefully studied the variety of careers available in aviation. She has also come to a place of self awareness and acceptance about the number of dedicated hours and time she spent playing and competing in junior tennis, and that fact that it will likely not lead to the professional career she once sought. She also realizes that this realization is alright and that the number of years and the time spent focused on tennis had not been in vain. In fact, her startling maturity about a dream unrealized belies her years and foretells a very wise young woman who’ll more than likely make a name for herself in her chosen career as a pilot or anything else she might choose.
Others who have seen Michelle blossom over the years, see the same transition. YTA Academic and Life Skills Coordinator, Leona Lewis has seen the remarkable quality in Michelle’s coming of age, underscoring the fact that she’s off to a great start. For example, Lewis counseled Michelle on writing a thorough essay, one that would provide insight into her character and passion, one that would help anyone reading it gain insight about Michelle know clearly what makes her tick. Lewis also provided a much needed recommendation in order for Michelle to be considered for an Eva Leah Gunther scholarship to attend an Aviation and Aeronautical Conference in Atlanta, Georgia earlier this year. Thanks to Lewis’ life skill’s coaching, Michelle received the coveted scholarship to attend the conference of her dreams and is undoubtedly at the very beginning stages of attaining her career goals. Michelle has many years of study ahead of her, but will surely meet her goals with success. And who knows, perhaps from time-to-time, when taking breaks from her aeronautical adventures, she just might dabble in a friendly game of tennis, just for old time’s sake.
Jennifer: Althea Gibson Leadership 2007 award recipient
When Youth Tennis Advantage participant Jennifer opened the letter mailed from the United States Tennis Association (USTA) recently, her first reaction was one of fear.
“Well, I was scared because here was a letter mentioning that I was the winner of this award and there was a check there too,” said Jennifer who’d never been so honored for her tennis and leadership effort before. But Jennifer’s fright quickly melted into elation realizing that the Althea Gibson Leadership award was indeed hers.
The Althea Gibson Leadership award is an inaugural award created in honor of the 50th anniversary of Althea Gibson’s U.S. National Championship title, and was announced exactly 50 years to the day Althea Gibson won. Gibson, who died in September 2003, beat incredible odds to compete and win in tennis, a sport which was overwhelmingly unwelcoming to African Americans and other people of color at the time.
“Althea Gibson was an amazing person, just hearing her name is enough, she won so many awards and great tournaments and she made everything seem possible,” Jennifer commented.
She also said that her commitment to the YTA program and her involvement at the California Tennis Club have been important factors which led her to receiving the award. “I am 16 now, but I started playing tennis when I was 7 at Golden Gate Park where my family was into it and I watched them and then became active, Jennifer said. “I’ve been inspired by my sister Jancie who played #1 for UC Davis and she has been a great role model to work hard and think beyond looking pretty.” Jennifer’s immediate goals are to continue doing well academically and work towards getting accepted into a good college.
