August 2007 -- Happy 80th birthday, USPTA!
As our organization celebrates its milestone, onlookers might be surprised to learn how many of our quality teaching pros are or were quality players.
Since I still enjoy lacing ’em up and playing tournaments competitively, I thought I’d peruse our 2007
USPTA Membership Directory for the names of the players who have won our International Championships over the years.
The list is truly amazing. Names like Bill Tilden, Don Budge, Jack Kramer, Bobby Riggs, Fred Perry and Pancho Segura jump off the pages. The women include Kim Barry, Susan Eastman and Cammy Salumaa.
The USPTA is always promoting the high quality and expertise of the USPTA teaching professional, but I truly believe that our organization should also highlight the outstanding talent and expertise we have as tournament players.
Sure, we can teach the game of tennis, but we also can PLAY THE GAME.
Our members not only participate in our USPTA national tournaments but also are a powerful force in the USTA national events. The final 2006 USTA national rankings for all the senior-age singles divisions had 34 USPTA pros ranked among the top five in the country. We also have an abundance of USPTA pros ranked in the top 10.
A few things come to mind when looking at these rankings.
First, how many different USPTA pros have won gold balls? The answer: hundreds or maybe even thousands of USPTA pros during our organization’s history.
Second, how many USPTA pros have won the ITF World Championships? The answer could possibly number in the hundreds.
The point I am trying to make is that at the end of a national or world championship it is often a USPTA pro raising his or her arms in triumph.
Three USPTA women members were ranked No. 1 in their age groups in 2006 - Julie Cass (women’s 35s), Mariana Routh Hollman (women’s 40s) and Kathy Barnes (women’s 55s).
These women were very dedicated and committed to achieving their rankings by playing in at least six tournaments in their age group and winning at least one gold ball.
Julie Cass won the National Clays, Grass and Indoors. Mariana won the National Clays, and Kathy won the Indoors. Many other women have excelled at the national level, but these three show what kind of quality and ability our USPTA women pros possess as players.
Three USPTA men were ranked No. 1 in their age groups - Guillaume Gauthier (men’s 30s), Val Wilder (men’s 45s), and Jim Parker (men’s 60s). Val Wilder played in seven tournaments in his age group, winning three gold balls at the National Indoors, Grass and Hard Courts. Guillaume Gauthier played five tournaments, winning the National Indoors and getting silver balls at the Grass and Hard Courts. Parker, a veteran competitor in national and world senior championships, won several tournaments in 2006.
I am so impressed by these pros because they are able to play such a high level of tournament tennis yet still be quality instructors and USPTA Professionals.
As we turn our attention back to our USPTA championships, please take a look at our 2007
USPTA Membership Directory. The directory lists the winners of all of our USPTA national events over the past 79 years, and the list is impressive.
It would be easy to pick out the players who have compiled an amazing number of USPTA tournament wins. The problem would be deciding which person to highlight. Some people have more than 15 USPTA career tournament wins; others have won the same tournament in the same age class for five or more consecutive years.
I am very impressed with anyone who can win an age group in singles for five straight years or more. To me, that indicates that the player is not only talented but extremely dedicated and willing to put in the work needed to win our International Championships that many times.
As we enter the 80th year of our existence, the tournament committee has decided to offer its own reward to any player who wins a national surface championship. The USPTA will now give the USPTA gold star to the winners of these events.
Hopefully, as years go by, we can talk about people who have won maybe 20 or 30 USPTA gold stars. Who will be the first USPTA pro to win 10 stars? Who will win all four gold stars in singles in the same year?
As the National Surface Championships continue to gain exposure, the ability to win one of these gold stars will become more and more challenging.
Our Association’s goal is to recognize the quality of our professionals who not only teach at a high level but also play at an extremely high level. I hope I haven’t omitted any players who have truly reached great heights as tournament competitors.
The USPTA really does want the tennis industry as well as the general tennis public to know how well our USPTA pros can play the game of tennis. The singles winner of the first-ever International Championships was Vincent Richards. That was 80 years ago!
The question 80 years later is: "Who will be our 2007 international singles champions?"
Come to Saddlebroook September 17-22 and help show off how well we can play the game. Maybe it will be you who will be celebrating with an international championship in our 80th year.
