September 2007 -- This will be my last editorial as USPTA president. It has been a great honor to serve my term during USPTA’s 80th birthday. As the leader of the largest and most respected tennis-teaching organization in the world, I have been very privileged to serve the membership in this position the past two years. Much has happened in that period of time that has had a very positive effect on our Association. Every organization deals with some touchy issues at times, but I can honestly say that the USPTA is on the right track and the Association is in good hands with the current elected Board of Directors.
I am most proud of the fact that our information technology and multimedia departments have been working very hard these past few years to offer more benefits for our membership. I created a new Technology Committee chaired by Randy Mattingley to address the constant changes that are occurring in the world of the Internet and to keep our organization on the cutting edge of this technology. When I became president, this was one of the areas that I wanted our Association to excel in and the World Headquarters staff, under the direction of CEO Tim Heckler, has done an outstanding job of expanding our Internet offerings to the membership.
Our Association has taken a giant leap forward in the field of technology with the introduction of an updated Web site that provides a multifunctional communication and education tool. Not only do the members have more access to information and ease of use, but also our divisions are better served with "Divisions Online," a site designed for divisional presidents, treasurers and executive administrators.
The home page has been improved with video clips of tips from some of the greatest tennis teachers in the USPTA, as well as user-friendly navigation tools such as the "quick links" menu. Our USPTA Find-A-Pro site offers all sorts of services, not only for our members, but the entire tennis industry and the playing public. Directors of tennis, owners and managers can post jobs online for free and players can look for USPTA-certified teaching pros in communities. This is a great tool for the new player and for accomplished players looking for a game or practice site while traveling. The USPTA personal Web site is a fantastic product that is offered as a free member benefit and is a great way to promote oneself, facility and programs. Also, our members have the advantage of using the USPTA Career Center for help in promoting themselves with public relations tools, teaching tools such as draw sheets, court diagrams and drills, and job-search tools including sample resumes and interview tips. Look for even more perks to be added to that section of the USPTA Web site.
The High School Tennis Coaches Resource Center has received rave reviews from coaches who have accessed the site and are using it to create curriculum and organize practice sessions for their students. Look for more educational resources through new sites to be developed in the future.
With the push by the USTA to launch the
Quick Start Tennis play format, we are revamping our already super USPTA Little Tennis
® site as a great supplement for this program. USPTA Little Tennis offers lesson plans, games and teaching techniques that will fit in nicely with Quick Start for youngsters 10 years of age and under.
We have begun to vastly improve our distance-learning services. In fact, the USPTA has amassed the largest file of educational content of any tennis-teaching association. This includes years worth of specialty courses, seminar presentations (both visual and audio), PowerPoint presentations, Tennis Channel programs, educational DVDs, books, papers, and manuals.
So much can be accessed now through the USPTA Web site: the membership directory,
ADDvantage magazine, member benefits such as discounted clothing and equipment, insurance offerings, calendar of events, divisional activities and newsletters, and areas where members may register for events, update personal information, and pay dues online.
Not only are our online resource centers going to be great benefits for our members, but much of our certification and testing will soon go online with the Certification Review Course and some testing questions. This will give applicants time, at their convenience, to take that portion of the test, and will also reduce the number of days and expense for the applicant and testers alike. USPTA national board members Tom Daglis and David T. Porter, Ed.D., along with the head testers, have been working very hard to make this part of testing and certification a reality.
Our Public Relations Committee, under the direction of incoming president Harry Gilbert, is going great guns with our "That’s Who We Are" campaign. Your Association is being promoted through tennis magazines, regional periodicals, Web news sites and on Tennis Channel. Our PR department has ramped up our exposure through many publications and Web sites. Another product of our PR department is our USPTA "e-Newsletter," designed to keep you current with the "goings-on" in your Association. We are working hard to promote our members in the industry, but the best promotion is when you use the PR tools and personal Web site offered by the USPTA as free benefits.
I am also extremely proud of the fact that during my presidency we had USPTA board member Mark Fairchilds come to the forefront to spearhead our surface championships. We have four surface championships: grass, clay, hard and indoor, plus our USPTA International Championships, which all offer prize money for members interested in tournament competition.
Our USPTA World Conferences are second to none in offering fun, education and resort-style accommodations at reasonable prices for our members. Thanks to Paula Scheb for working hard with the staff to make these events a real happening in the tennis industry. One of the highlights of the World Conferences is our USPTA Awards Breakfast. Many thanks to Tom McGraw and his committee for all their hard work and efforts these past two years in selecting the winners of these prestigious awards.
I hope that by the time you read this article you will also be taking advantage of the latest USPTA member benefit: your free subscription to John Yandell’s TennisPlayer Web site. This site has some great educational articles on stroke production and tactics. It includes the best high-speed tennis videos around.
I would be remiss if I did not recognize the hard-working members of the USPTA board of directors, who have the best interests of the membership and Association at heart. It has been an honor to serve my term as president with Dave Porter, Harry Gilbert, Tom Daglis, Randy Mattingley, Paula Scheb, Mark Fairchilds and Tom McGraw. It has been a real pleasure to be a part of a hardworking team such as this.
I will be serving for two more years on the USPTA Board of Directors as past president. I want to take this time to welcome our new board member, Jack Groppel, who will be replacing Dave Porter. Jack is well known in the tennis industry and will bring a vast array of knowledge and expertise to a leadership role for the USPTA. The entire board will greatly miss Dave. He has been a hardworking member of our Association for many years and I hope he continues to do so as a member of our Education Committee. Dave has been instrumental in the formation of our Player Development Program and upgrading our testing and certification process. I am personally deeply appreciative of all the hard work, time and effort he has put forth for our Association in a volunteer position. Thank you, Dave.
In closing, I need to mention the USPTA World Headquarters staff. During the past two years I have been very close to this group. I have almost daily conversations with them and have attended several staff meetings over the two years. I have seen them in action during our USPTA World Conferences, Competitive Player Development Conferences, board meetings, and Executive Committee meetings. This group of employees is very friendly, courteous, and hardworking. My hat goes off to our USPTA staff and our equally passionate and hardworking CEO. Tim Heckler is the longest-tenured CEO in the tennis industry and through his energy, intellect and passion has helped guide and grow the USPTA into the world’s foremost tennis-teaching Association. He is respected by all the leaders of the tennis industry throughout the United States and the world, and we are very lucky to have him in our employ.
I consider myself very fortunate to have been able to spend many years in the service of the USPTA as a member, divisional leader, Executive Committee member, USPTA national board member, and president of the greatest tennis-teaching organization on earth. You, the USPTA member, have made the ride a wonderful experience.
