As HIGH-TECH TENNIS Turns - May 24

Hi there and thanks for reading! It's been a wonderful SIX weeks (WOW) in our world but the amazing things that happen just wouldn't "happen" without the help of some great people.
As always, it's time to shout out some names and give credit where it's due --- Ready? :)

GREAT THANKS to all who have contributed to our VIDEO DOES GOOD program in honor of the Sean Costello Memorial Fund for Bipolar Research. Inspired by the vision of Arthur Ashe, we are "starting where we are, using what we have, and doing what we can" to make a difference-thank you for caring about something that means soo much to us.

We are exhausted but excited about EIGHTEEN straight days of fun in THREE different states (maybe the most exciting part is that it's over, LOL). First up was the Hilton Head BullFrog, which was terrific, even though five sites proved to be a logistical nightmare for us and also prevented too many players from having the opportunity to use video to their advantage. We are working to remedy this even as i type-STAY TUNED. Next up was our favorite spot on the planet where we set two new ALL-TIME records: Best Single Day (May 7) and Best Southern Tourney (Southern Spring Closed). GREAT THANKS to Scott and Lorraine Novak for taking a big chance on us back in 2007, which they will never regret. The last stop on our 18-day extravaganza was Macon. While fun, it wasn't fantastic and we're still struggling to understand how/if we can support National Open players going forward...STAY TUNED.

GREAT THANKS to our favorite CEO (Victor Bergonzoli) for sharing our belief in the HIGH-TECH TENNIS + Dartfish equation, even when we're not sure what it all means. The path to success is not always clear but we're enjoying the ride - and choosing the people with whom you share your time is one of the best parts about being self-employed.

As always, the greatest GREAT THANKS goes to YOU, our wonderful customer friends. It is truly a privilege to play a small part in the development of your junior tennis player - and living this dreamy life is tough to beat! :) Thank you for your ongoing support and our video camcorders will be looking for YOU!

When the "Professionals" Are Unprofessional...

I am NOT a tennis player, I am NOT a tennis coach, and I am NOT a tennis parent...but I am someone who cares deeply about junior tennis and I spend the majority of my time surrounded by junior tennis players. As such, I think I've got a unique perspective and I've been sharing "Observations from 5+ Years in the Trenches with Competitive Junior Tennis Players" because I want to do whatever I can to improve junior tennis.

I am not writing this (or anything else) to be mean-spirited or to cause any controversy whatsoever. I can’t possibly solve every issue associated with junior tennis, but what I can do is reflect on what I see and hopefully shine a light of awareness on it so that positive change can occur…or at least that’s my hope. Finally, I am not a tennis historian, LOL, and my daily involvement with tennis goes back just six years. Prior to that, I was a very casual tennis fan and am only vaguely aware of tennis happenings during the days of Jimmy Connors, John McEnroe, and others in the 70s.

If you know anything about me, you know that I admire (o.k., I adore) the FED. What an amazing athlete but, perhaps even more importantly, what an amazing human being and role model. "It's nice to be important but it's more important to be nice." WOW, I love this guy and it is such a pleasure to be associated with a sport that has such a gracious, graceful individual as its ambassador.

That probably explains why I've been so offended by recent behavior of so-called tennis "professionals" on the tour. I am speaking of three recent examples but (unfortunately) there are many more: David Ferrer (hitting the ball in the direction of the stands because he was frustrated by a noisy child), Donald Young (sending a First Class F-BOMB via Twitter to the USTA), and Andy Roddick (throwing his latest in a too-long series of temper tantrums, complete with expletives and insults).

"Tennis is a classy sport and that’s one of the reasons we all love it so much. Let’s all do everything we can to improve the junior tennis tournament experience!"

 In my opinion, the "professional" tennis players above are behaving like spoiled children (and I'm being kind in case kids are reading)...but in fact they are grown men who are being paid to play a game. Admittedly, that game can be excruciatingly frustrating, but their behavior is unacceptable and if they cannot control it, I think they should find another way to earn a living. Tennis is not for everybody - I know for CERTAIN that I couldn't cope with it - so I wouldn't even dream of trying (nevermind that I have NO TALENT, lol).

"Some people define sportsmanship as the “golden rule” of sports – in other words, treating the people you play with and against as you’d like to be treated yourself. You demonstrate good sportsmanship when you show respect for yourself, your opponent, and all referees and officials."

I certainly can't guide a player on the technicalities of a backhand slice, LOL, but I can and do try to guide them when it comes to "sportsmanship." I recall a time in Chattanooga when a young junior reacted each time he made an error by shouting loudly in agony. His voice could be (and was) heard throughout the entire tennis center that day and I felt embarrassed for him because everyone knew it was him. When he lost the match (which of course he did), I talked with him for quite some time about how he needed to find a way to control his frustration and what it would be like if every tennis player behaved that way during moments of extreme frustration. I am no miracle worker, LOL, and I'm not saying I could or did solve his tendency to have multiple meltdowns during a match, but I could and I did let him know that I care and I hope my message got through on some level. That was several years ago and he has matured quite a lot...but we still talk about it whenever I see him.

"A big part of good sportsmanship is having a good reputation. So why not strive for the reputation of a gracious player who is always pleasant and always fair. Our cameras have seen this player and he is admired by fans and opponents alike."

Another player that I care a lot about is well known on the junior circuit because, according to his reputation, he's a cheater. I don't know whether he deserves that reputation or not but there was always extreme controversy on his court. It hurt me to hear so many people (players and parents) complaining about him and I felt it was my obligation as a friend to talk with this player and his parent to try to help. Again, I don't know that I helped but I did let him know I care and though he's also matured over the years, the first thing I ask when I see him is "how's your sportsmanship?"

"We all know that tennis is about so much more than just a series of backhands and forehands, with the occasional serve mixed in for good measure.  It’s about valuable life lessons and the game of tennis is really just a disguise.  It’s kind of like mixing a little sugar with medicine to make it easier for kids to swallow."

Just this weekend, I gave a pep talk (about how he must stay positive, always give his very best, and never get down on himself during or after a match) to a sweet player I met almost 2 years ago (he was just 8). His spirits were very low but he's now just 10 and I told him I was so proud of him for making it to Monday at a BullFrog Southern Designated tournament for 12 year olds. I reminded him that mental toughness is just as important as a big serve and that he should never, never, never quit. I asked about his footwork and gave him my H-TT MOVE YOUR FEET wristband and a big hug. With tears in his eyes, he hugged me back and said he didn't know where or when his next tournament was but he hoped I'm there too. awwwwww. ♥

In conclusion, I don't know what can be done about it but I am just so offended by the behavior of Roddick and others and I wanted to express it. He is being paid well to play a game but he's behaving like a spoiled punk. He should realize that part of being a "professional" is accepting the fact that so many kids look up to him and try to be like him. He is sending the exact opposite message that I and so many others are trying to convey. We're trying to make a difference - one player at a time - and when the "professionals" are so unprofessional, something is just not right.

THANK YOU FOR YOUR SUPPORT!

We may not have kids of our own
but we're watching these kids grow up before our eyes!
Juniors just don't stay juniors forever-they grow into adults.

Junior tennis is a journey, not a destination…
You might as well enjoy it!