Ch-Ch-Ch-Changes!

I still don't know what I was waiting for...And my time was running wild...A million dead-end streets...Every time I thought I'd got it made...It seemed the taste was not so sweet...
So I turned myself to face me, but I've never caught a glimpse...Of how the others must see the faker...I'm much too fast to take that test

Ch-ch-ch-ch-Changes...(Turn and face the strain)...
Ch-ch-Changes...Don't want to be a richer man
Ch-ch-ch-ch-Changes...(Turn and face the strain)...
Ch-ch-Changes...Just gonna have to be a different man
Time may change me...But I can't trace time

I watch the ripples change their size...But never leave the stream of warm impermanence and...So the days float through my eyes...But still the days seem the same...
And these children that you spit on...As they try to change their worlds....Are immune to your consultations...They're quite aware of what they're going through

Ch-ch-ch-ch-Changes...(Turn and face the strain)...
Ch-ch-Changes...Don't tell them to grow up and out of it
Ch-ch-ch-ch-Changes...(Turn and face the strain)...
Ch-ch-Changes...Where's your shame
You've left us up to our necks in it...Time may change me...But you can't trace time

Strange fascination, fascinating me...Changes are taking the pace I'm going through

Ch-ch-ch-ch-Changes...(Turn and face the strain)...
Ch-ch-Changes...Oh, look out you rock 'n rollers
Ch-ch-ch-ch-Changes...(Turn and face the strain)...
Ch-ch-Changes...Pretty soon you're gonna get a little older
Time may change me...But I can't trace time...
I said that time may change me...But I can't trace time.

I've got NO idea if David Bowie is a tennis fan, but what a clever video someone put together in honor of a hardcore Bowie fan. Actually, I never realized the message in that song was so profound---I think I liked it more than I thought I did!

ANYWAY, as you probably know, the USTA just approved some massive changes to the format and structure of junior tennis competition that will take effect in 2013 and 2014. As you probably also know, I've been following this VERY, VERY closely, which is not that surprising, considering this has DIRECT EFFECT on our ability to pay our mortgage. You see, HIGH-TECH TENNIS is fun, but it is a J-O-B and it's the only one Danny and I have got.

While in Mobile for the USTA National Spring Championships recently, we met Tom Walker. Tom describes himself as a high-performance coach from MI with decades of experience with junior tennis. Tom asked us to help forward his Call to Action (alerting people to the proposed changes and encouraging them to stand up and be counted by contacting their sectional office - he even gave numbers for each!) so we did. We forwarded that Call to Action via email blast to approx. 3000 tennis enthusiasts on March 14th and several people responded to thank us for the heads-up and tell us they tried to contact their section. The vote took place over the following weekend and we learned on March 19th that the changes were approved 16-1 (Southern was the only "NO" vote) so I sent a follow-up email to let everyone know the results. We received responses from many, many, many people responded: WHAT? CHANGES? HUH??? WHAT???

So in the interest of keeping folks informed, we distributed a list of 8 major changes that I discovered at ZooTennis (thanks, Colette) and here they are:

1. 18s Spring Championships will be eliminated
2. The Easter Bowl, now including the 12s, will be reduced to 32 draws except for the ITF, which will remain 64
3. The clay and hard courts will be 128 draws (starting in 2013) for the 14s, 16s and 18s,; the 12s will be 64 draws.
4. The Winter Nationals will now be team events for the 14s, 16s and 18s, with the 12s competition eliminated.
5. There will be a National Doubles tournaments for the 16s and 14s age divisions.
6. Two new "Sweet 16" events for 14s and 16s and a new "Grand Masters" event, with small compass draws in 14s, 16s, and 18s have be introduced.
7. Quotas have been changed to emphasize strength of competition in the section, not simply membership, which is the case now.
8. Regional tournaments are restricted geographically.

Since that time, we've received MANY, MANY, MANY responses from people and I'll list some of them here so you get a feel for the reaction:

• Thank you. I am glad you sent this out as I did not know anything about any changes. Again, Thank You. Thank You!
• USTA Development should now be called "Destroyment".
• This is so frustrating, especially for the player who isn't top 20 material but is a solid player. The regional tournaments are now harder to get in (with 32 draws instead of 64 due to 'time constraints') and then you can't play in the Nationals because the draws are smaller and it looks as if you won't get in if you aren't top 20 in your region. Ugh.
• So glad that we age out of the juniors for all practical purposes this year when Ama goes away to college. So bad for tennis in general :(
• You can add many tournament directors and officials not in favor of these changes!
• I am sorry for all the kids, but I’m also sorry for you and so many other businesses that will be hurt. I tried hard… I sent out an email describing the issues to dozens of tennis parents more than a month ago… I forwarded your email with Tom Walker’s letter and got a bunch of Florida families to email the USTA (we all got form letter responses)…
• Thank you very much for sharing this important information. It is too bad that they do not pay attention to the majority of people's opinions. Please keep us updated.
• I think they have bigger issues with the magically disappearing draw sizes. First with the 8s then the 10a and now the 12s. There won't be enough kids for these national events if the Usta doesn't stop with quick start in the tournaments. Don't get me wrong, the equipment is fantastic, but is better suites for developing beginners. Once they are ready for tournaments green dot ball on full court maybe for 10s. 12s in tournaments should always be yellow. If you are not ready for yellow ball, you are not ready for tournaments!
• I really didn't think they'd go through with this but it never surprises me what the USTA does. Well, this will surely stop the discovery of unknown breakout players. They have always spent too much money on staff and it is showing. Parents better wake up. I say play ITF and leave USTA juniors alone. If your child doesn't start playing before the age of 7, they can't get into this system.
• One problem is a clear lack of concern with what the membership thinks. Why not poll us? They have our emails. Another problem is that they truly believe this is the way to go, that they know better than the rest of us, and that this gives them a chance to achieve their goal: the creation of a new US champion. My son’s coach, a member of the Florida USTA Junior Competitive Council has drunk the Kool Aid and there is simply no give in their position. Very sad.

Then a customer asked me if I knew what the strategy behind all these changes might be. I'm sure I don't know a thing, but here's what I told him:

As far as strategy, your guess is as good as mine, but there are soooo many things going on--it makes my head hurt! Think about it...I know there are more than this but even I can see they're DESPERATE to find the next American champion, while also trying to:

• Grow the game via QuickStart (aka 10U tennis) - HUGE pushback regarding mandatory rules vs. coaches/parents/players deciding for themselves when they're ready to advance to "big" court and compete with "regular" racquets/balls
• Reduce expenses/missed school days for junior tennis players via reduced draw sizes - HUGE pushback because players can't get into tournaments since 32 draw (with who knows how many wild cards) means only the very top, top (read: ELITE) players can play
• Justify outrageous salaries of Player Development staff - HUGE pushback from parents/coaches who resent USTA for stepping in and taking over over when a player shows real promise, without any recognition for the hard work being done on the local level
• And do not get me started on HUGE pushback from American parents regarding inability of players to obtain scholarships (and prevalence of foreign players playing tennis in American schools, which American parents pay for through taxes)

As for me, my offer still stands to kiss Wayne Bryan ON THE LIPS for using his big voice to speak out on behalf of junior tennis players. I've talked about this topic with dozens and dozens of parents and coaches and I have not met a SINGLE person in favor of a SINGLE one of these changes...NOT A SINGLE ONE. I hope I'm wrong and this will be tremendously successful for all of us, but my OPINION is that this is very bad news...and it's an absolute FACT is that this is very bad news for HIGH-TECH TENNIS. Not trying to be dramatic, but this changes everything... We'll still help tennis players where it makes sense but starting TODAY, our priority will be other sports via our newest "division" - HIGH-TECH SPORTS VIDEO. Soo sorry for young tennis players... :(

Deep Thoughts

Uploading player intros from Spring Natls and thinking about the come to jesus meeting for team jelena... Wow, what a difference a loss makes-hard to imagine the pressure of so much depending on so much that the player cannot control. Hope our junior friends think long & hard about these realities before trying to play pro tennis!

In such a mental sport, I can't even imagine the pressures of so many who depend on you to not only compete well (who cares about that?) but to WIN - coaches, parents, associations... I remember discussing exactly this w/ one of top juniors... Then there was the player sobbing after he lost a match he was convinced that his parents "expected" him to win... Then there was the "we spend way too much #*@ money for you to play like that" ...

Then you just gotta look at results - How is it possible that tiny little countries like Switzerland can produce more tennis champions than we can in a huge country like ours... Then there's the whole notion of American players not being good enough? to earn college scholarships at top schools...

Then there's quickstart... Gosh, I sound and feel like Wayne Bryan!!! :) My offer still stands to kiss him ON THE LIPS for using his big voice to speak out on behalf of junior tennis players!

DAY 5 - Part 2 - Jerry's Journey Ends

I have to say there is something very peaceful about writing and getting what you want off your chest, out of your mind and on paper. It's probably different if you are doing it for work that is for sure, more pressure. Right Jason and Pete?

Which brings me to pressure, from the moment that first game was underway yesterday there was stress. From Jelena to her support team.  I was sitting there calm and relaxed actually because I knew she would get into the match and figure it out. (though she didnt) The first game Jelena was wondering what was going wrong and how can this be happening instead of I'll find my range and figure this thing out. It seemed I had more confidence in Jelena then her whole team did because they were worried from the beginning and trying very hard from the sidelines to make a difference. Finally at 3-0 Jelena said in Serbia "calm down" to us in her box. I felt finally she's going to stop worrying about her box and get her mind on the task at hand.  We on the sidelines need to realize when the match starts it's not about us.

I always say anytime you start a match it's a new identity.  You may have played the person 100 times and know everything about them, but once that racket has been spun it's a new match that has never been played.  The player needs to figure that out during the match and get used to the ball and the spins all over again and recognize what your opponent is doing to make you uncomfortable and try to turn that around. Thats what i love the most about matches. You can even watch someone hit and scout and tell your player what they are going to do and it wont make a difference until they feel the ball coming at them and handle the spin. 

Sargis Sargisian former top 40 male player in the world used to tell me he hated watching everyone else play because everyone looked so good. A match is it's own journey, with a beginning, middle and end. The best ones are the ones that are neck and neck throughout. I call them coin flips and those are the reasons we play this game. To be in a match in which no one has any idea who is going to win. Many of the matches people play believe it or not are decided before hand because of level. I'm not going out and beating Nadal in the next 100 times we play. Even though they will all be different matches. (hope I would get 1 game in 100 matches maybe not but I'm sure a point or two on some days).

You need to keep your thoughts in check and not off task,  for example, what if I lose this match? what is so and so going to think ?what is so and so going to say? These are all things that bring the players level down because now the task is no longer the main focus.  You are now wasting precious energy worrying about outside circumstances. 

As a team of coaches,trainers and family our job is many. From practice, transportation, support, education, to eating and sleeping, but once that racket is spun everyone needs to learn to enjoy the match. I have to say I truly did enjoy watching that match and didn't feel any pressure like I felt  Jelena, her mother and her fitness trainer were all feeling and it showed. I've always tried to be a calm coach on the sideline because I learned at a young age that when your parents or coaches are upset on the sideline you are disappointing them, or they are not happy.  I'm not sure any person playing this game is out there trying to miss, not move their feet or having poor execution to disappoint their parents or coach.  I promise everyone is doing there best at that possible time. Someone may feel they can do better and we probably all think we can but not at that particular moment for whatever reason that is.  We tried our best.

How many times has someone come off the court and mentioned that wasn't my best performance today? I will always tell them yes it was,It was your best and worse performance because that is what you gave that day and that is what we have to go by. We on the sidelines yes including you Beth who shouted out last week to Earl while playing his match "hit to his backhand" need to realize these coaching tips during performance are not only cheating but also cheating the growing process of the student. They won't figure it out or find the word search if we continue to tell them what to do or where the word is. By the way the strategy did work and was very successful for Earl. Earl thanks you Beth. 

I don't want anyone to think I haven't done it or it's not going on even at the pro level. You should have heard all of the Serbian coaching coming from my box ( not from me i wasn't there long enough to learn any) and from Jack Socks box the other day by the American coaches. Everyone's doing it but it's still cheating.  Even something as simple as "move your feet", or " hit the ball" is cheating, i should hope in my training i've covered these areas properly and if i didn't this may be my new career. These along with "watch the ball and bend your knees" are my favorites.   This is not easy for the people on the  sideline to understand. I  feel matches are the students test or exam. I like to tell my players they've done their homework and now it's time for the test. My role during the test is enjoy,  observe and support. Not help. Not easy on anyone's ego that is for sure. Everyone wants to feel needed and wanted in their role as part of the team. It's now the players responsibility and everyone on that team needs to know that.

I don't want anyone to think this is anything against my parents and how they raised  me in tennis. I wouldn't be where i am today. I am totally grateful to the amount of money they put into my career, but even more the support and time they have given me. My mother driving to RI for a match that lasted about 45 min and then we had to come home and I wouldn't even let her stop for coffee. (by the way I lost)   I wasn't a very graceful loser at that point of my career and I'm still working on that mom. My dad I think of more of the countless hours of hitting balls with me and never missing a match instead of his sideline antics during my matches. Even though I'm sure I can blame some of those loses on him and he wouldn't mind now.

I'm currently on my flight home and I wanted to mention Christmas cards with stories. We all have either written or read one.    Now I know why people do it. Its an amazing feeling to get my 5 day journey on computer for my loved ones and all of my supporters in life.  I hope everyone enjoyed the journey as much as I have riding and writing it. If  you didn't then no worries, you can always just hit delete. The same way you can throw away those Christmas cards. It's your choice.

I  wanted to let everyone know my hit on match day was great.  I may have missed only 2 balls in the 30 minutes. No broken strings, jet lag or 50 mph winds. (my excuses) (also my best and worst right?) We were hitting on the Stadium and it felt awesome, thinking back if I had to tell you my favorite part it was that hit. It felt like Field of Dreams for a tennis player, and  day I hit a home run. Beth could feel my excitement when I called.

My advice for Jelena would be build a team consisting of coach, hitter and  trainer. Pay for the best and relinquish your responsibilities to enjoying the game, enjoying life, playing the matches and of course Work Hard.....You can't lose....

Thank you, thank you, thank you all for the support. It feels great knowing so many people were behind me.

Sorry about the grammar and structure, remember I'm not like my daughter Liza. Tennis was always higher on my priority list than school. "world needs students to".

Love

Former coach of Jelena Jankovic,

Jerry Albrikes

DAY 5 - Part 1

My gut tells me this will be the final day of this journey  but I'm so excited for many other journeys to come. That's why I'm up once again at 4:30am.

Coaching styles is something that is developed over time. Mike K who coaches Duke was mentored by Bobby Knight. Could you have any two different styles of coaching? The reason I bring up coaching styles because many times in life you will be questioned about what you say, when you say it, how you say it and what you mean when you say it. During my coaching career I have always felt my number 1 asset is to take each individual and reach them. That means getting them to get on your page, believing your on the right page and know when we need to turn that page.  Saying this it's very hard to reach certain individuals when there are other factors involved.  Including other voices and outside tips that may not be on your exact page of what you believe in and not just about tennis but about living and morals and values.

When I worked with Jelena when she was young it seemed she always had this God given knack to hitting a very clean ball. Working with her was always more about what do to with that clean ball and how to process what happens when she hits that ball and what happens when that ball is not in play. It seems to me those issues may still be keeping her from reaching her potential, or she may have already reached her potential by getting to  #1 in the world. Jelena to society is the most successful person I have ever been associated with in the field that they are in. In what other career path can you actually say you reached #1.  I know I think I reached that in 2010 in Platform tennis when that was my goal from the beginning when I started that sport. I never reached number 1 but I won the Super Bowl of platform. If you ask any platform player if you have a choice between reaching 1 or winning the Super Bowl I'm sure most would choose the Super Bowl.

The reason I bring up success is because I don't feel you can measure success by just results. Society  makes it this way because in a world with so much information everyone has an opinion and loves for their opinion to be heard and valued.  I was brought up believing I'm only being judged by One and that will be when the time comes. So success to me is not your results in your career path but the way you make that path, the way you travel that path and who is with you on that path, and finally are you carrying the cross while on that path. That is the true meaning of success to me. So in other words I believe I'm very successful despite my recent journey and my results.

I know I said this is the final chapter and it is but just part 1 of it. I have a long journey and path ahead of me to getting home to my family tonight.

Jerry

DAY 4

As many or all of you know Jelena lost today 6-4, 6-3. To be honest with you it wasn't as close as the score says it was. So many things to write so let's get started. My first thing is Jamie Hampton, she came out and from the start of the match took it to Jelena and wasn't intimidated in any way playing a former Champion. Hampton was ranked 99 in the world and said it was her best win by far in her career afterwards.

Jelena has definitely had better days, she was off from the start. Never got her legs underneath her to allow herself to move Hampton around and Hampton went for her shots. If Hampton missed it still kept Jelena from getting any kind of confidence or groove because she was continuously going big with purpose. It was very exciting to be on the Stadium for the match, but to be honest with you I didn't see this result coming. I'm not sure when Jelena lost in the first round before. Yes Hampton played well but Jelena said it best afterwards that she allowed Hampton to play that well.

After the match we had a meeting similar to the Jack Sock meeting and talked some things through. One of the things was coming from Malaysia on Monday and not having your legs quite ready to compete yet. Another thing is Jelena not having a team to travel with and make sure she is ready to perform at the level she wants to. Jelena is very tired right now mentally and physically and is going to take a few days off. I felt and she agreed it would be best for me to go home. As for the upcoming tournaments in Miami and Charleston I'm leaving that up to her.

Beth's brother Jason and my friend Tony came out to watch the match today and that was great. I'm sorry I missed Beth's other brother Pete and family they came out today for the weekend and we probably passed him on my way to Hollywood. I'm flying home to Charleston tomorrow and I can't wait to get home.

I will probably write a final chapter to this journey on my way home tomorrow which will be day 5 on the plane and at the airport. Right now I need some sleep but before I finish this tomorrow I want everyone to know how happy I am that I went and how lucky I am to have had this opportunity. Just being able to see Tony, Jason and Andrea would have been worth the trip but also to see Nadal, Federer and Djokovic made it that much sweeter. Looking forward to the final chapter.

I love going home.......
Jerry

Sorry not sure last email went through. I don't want you to think I'm like the kids I coach that don't call me when they lose and only if they win. So I'm sending this out after a loss.

DAY 3

So I have been trying to get into some sort of a routine here. Going to bed around 9 and getting up before 5 so far I'm 2 for 2. I try and get a workout in which I've always done but my friend Ben takes that to a whole different level. It's good for me to get my physical workout in because coaching is more of a mentally and emotionally tough job.

This morning we had about 45 minutes of warmup exercises and stretches before practice. She then hit with Nadia Petrova who I worked with a bit during my time at Bollettieri's.  At the end of the hour they played a couple of games and Jelena was down 3-2. She was whining about her legs not be quick enough right now and Kory the trainer who is also here said it's only her third day since the trip and has a plan to get her legs ready for tomorrow. They were doing some interesting footwork drills and training that I have video of that I will get out when I figure out how.

She is done for the day and is now going to rest.  I'm going to try and watch some more matches. Nadal  came on the court right after us and it's amazing to see him practice. Even the other pros stop and watch the way he goes about his business. There is something magical about that guy that makes everyone want to watch including his competitors. I was sitting next to him at lunch while talking to Beth and almost asked him to just say Hi. I will if he's closer next time,our backs were to each other.

I'm finishing up my day back at the hotel room and going to change up the schedule a bit. I left the grounds early today but not before watching Jack Sock the #1 junior American lose a match, 5-7, 6-0, 6-1.  I ended up charting the third set to see how Jack would play it after tanking the last two games of the 2nd. He lost the first game of the third but then came back and held and the crowd was really behind him, but that was it. He missed everything and seemed uninspired I heard Jose Higueras the USA coach say. It's  amazing to realize everyone is just like us when it comes to tennis. No matter what the level is when you lose confidence in your game you can and will miss the easiest balls that you have made all of your life. He has a huge serve and if the guy just got it in play he was fine because Jack was falling so hard mentally. That's why it's never a good idea to give away games to end a set especially if you're losing confidence.

So when you have a bad day remember you're just like the #1 boy in the Nation-missing everything. I also liked watching all of the American coaches talking it over together after the match about what happened and what they need to do. Again the answer is quite simple like yesterday get back to work.  It was an intense meeting and you hear these type of meetings often after a bad performance. What happened? What do we need to change? How can we make sure this doesn't happen again? If it is becoming a pattern by all means make some changes, but if that bad day is an exception, take the loss and move on to tomorrow.

It's tough out here after losses I'm seeing. It seems like life is based on the wins and losses in a major way. It seemed like the Jack Sock loss affected everyone, family and coaches. That's a lot of pressure right there knowing you are responsible for your family and coaches happiness. Doesn't sound like a good thing to me.

So onto my upcoming day. Jelena plays against young American Jamie Hampton first match on the Stadium at 2pm Eastern time so check your live scoring updates.(wta/atp) i phone app. We are warming up on Stadium at 8:30-9. TV coverage doesn't start until Saturday so you won't be able to watch this one.

Last thing - as I have mentioned the back to work concept it was great to get there so early today and  seeing the players getting on the courts before all of the hoopla. Kirilenko doing foundation work with her coach basket after basket of fed ball at 8am. Hear  that Emma? Get that foundation. Good foundation leads to less bad days. Even though as I've mentioned every one will have one at some point. Hopefully it's not Jelena tomorrow morning or I'll have a bad day. Good night.

Jerry



Jerry's Journey Begins...

At HIGH-TECH TENNIS, we meet loads of people. Some great, some not so great, but few as genuinely genuine as our favorite coach from South Carolina: JERRY ALBRIKES. We met him last year at the Macon BullFrog(!) and he asked us to record match(es) for him. Since that time, we've recorded probably dozens of matches for him...THIS COACH GETS IT! He recognizes the extreme value of using video to his advantage when it comes to getting the message across to his players - and his players are all the better for it! If you're in the Charleston area, do yourself a favor and stop in to meet Coach Jerry at Live to Play Tennis.

We still don't really know Coach Jerry very well, but we know he's a Minnesota Viking fan - and there just aren't that many of us around so that makes us like him all the more! We also think he's pretty special because he's always so genuinely nice to us: "Danny and Julie: Thanks again for the work you guys are doing. I truly appreciate it!" Wow - what a guy! Why is he the exception and not the norm? We know virtually all the coaches in the Southern Section and sure, we're friends with most of them, but I really have to wonder: why don't more coaches use video to SHOW their players instead of just TELLING them? YOU TELL ME.

Anyway, we saw Coach Jerry several times in passing over the weekend and, as usual, he asked us to record several matches for him...and this morning, we were included on the distribution of an email to share his big news: He'll be coaching Jelena Jankovic for the next 3 tournaments (Indian Hills, Miami, and Charleston)!!! :) I did some digging and it turns out, he was an impressive college player and was even named Athlete of the Year during his senior year in New England. His coaching career spans over 20 years and while he was at the Bolletteiri Tennis Academy in Bradenton, he trained tennis champs Maria Sharapova and Jelena Jankovic (when she was just 11 years old).

I'm not into women's tennis even a tiny little bit (for one thing, it's way too LOUD) and anyway, I'm ALL FED, ALL THE TIME (if you know me, you surely know that--LONG LIVE THE FED), but I think it'll be interesting to follow Coach Jerry's Jelena Jankovic Journey since he's planning to send updates (maybe daily). Before I get to his report, though, I'm going to share what he wrote in the email: "I'm very excited about this opportunity, I hope everyone will be as excited as I am, and I want as many people as possible to share this with me. So many people have supported me over the years in so many things and in so many ways. I have always felt like I'm the luckiest person alive because of the people in my life. I will do my best to make you proud of me and to keep you updated the best I can."

THAT TOUCHED MY HEART and I've been thinking about it all day long. My instincts were right on: there's something VERY SPECIAL about Coach Jerry Albrikes. I just love it when AWESOME GOOD things happen to AWESOME GOOD people...and I'm truly glad this is happening for Coach Jerry.

Here's his report as his journey begins: "I'm flying from Charleston to Houston - already a one hour delay in Houston - to Palm Springs. I have my first hit with Jelena at 4PM. Funny story is when I called to book the court on Monday, they said I couldn't book it yet. I mentioned Jankovic was on her flight to CA and then the man said "unless you mention that name - then you can!" We're going to hit from 4-5PM. She just arrived in California from Malaysia. The tournament starts on Wednesday but she has a bye so she won't start until either Friday or Saturday."

I'll post more when he does. Thanks for reading! :)

End of DAY 1

So the day started at 3:45am eastern time and is now ending at 11:48pm eastern time. I'm beat. Yesterday while watching my students Emma and Earl play in a bullfrog in Macon, GA the winds were 15-20 mph. I thought that was rough, until today hitting with Jelena we had 50-60 mph.  We practiced right next to Monfils and Bogomolov.  I had one racket and broke that string early on in the hit, so I tried her racket and then proceeded to hit the next couple of forehands over her head. I think she got a kick out of it because there were a bunch of people standing right behind the court and she turned and said something to them about my control.

Jelena is going to practice in the morning at 9 with Cibulkova. I have tons of pictures of her from the open this past year. Very small girl with tons of power with great loading on her groundstrokes....hear that Emma. I got some pictures today but I don't want to feel like a tourist so I do it at the end of the day. Gasquet and Jo Willy were playing together so I had to get some of Jo Willy for Earl.

Jelena plays on Friday her first round against the winner of Hampton (USA ) and Hercog (SLO). I'm going to go and watch that match after her hit. Jelena is also in the doubles and plays her first match 4th court on Stadium 2 after 11am. That should be around 7pm east coast time. Time for bed signing off at midnight back east.

Jerry

DAY 2

Here they do allow coaching once per set from the players if they request. Jelena had a good hit this morning with Cibulkova and now another short hit before her doubles which should be around 4. I'm going to try and watch Sloan Stevens tonight another young American who is getting some praise. She is in the USA Today today.  Today today I like that. Ok off to another practice.

I didn't even know the girl she practiced with before doubles but I took out my phone and got some good pics of Jelena's return of serve. Djokovic got off the court when we were going on and after practice he played in a pickup soccer game right by the court. There is an area that is gated off so the players and coaches can hang, warm- up and stretch and not be bothered. Coco lost, then Vania King was on the stadium I watched some of that and then this evening I watched Sloan Stevens she is in the 3rd set as I write. Jelena lost her doubles match today with Danilidou, nice girl from Greece. They lost in a super breaker for the 3rd. Jelena was in the wrong position too often in doubles. Her partner was getting her killed and she wasn't backing up. Mystic ladies doubles 101.

Tomorrow I'm getting to the club at around 7:30 Jelena is only going to do a 1 hour hit with Petrova and then rest the rest of the day. I told her each day she is hitting the ball cleaner and deeper. She is going to be very fresh for Fridays match against Hampton.

As I watched her hit in practice today I realized how clean she hits the ball with the same contact point. Most of the other girls hit some good shots but not that consistent "thump" over and over again. Jelena has been doing a lot of work with a trainer here from Las Vegas. His name is Kory and he has worked with her before and flew in for the tournament. Not sure I mentioned this on the first day but I drove from the airport with Brian who is Roddick's masseuse he is Australian and works on Andy and Mardy Fish. They stay at the Laquinta Resort just up the road from the tournament and they have their own court at the Resort. Had my first Federer sighting today getting interviewed.

Time for bed I'm shooting for another 9-5 sleep night. Make sure everyone gets the live scoring of matches on the WTA/ATP app. Just click on Indian Wells and it gives you live scores, schedule of matches and the draw. So check it out.

Last thing - I was sitting watching the Stevens match this evening and 3 of the 4 American coaches sitting next to me weren't American. I guess we don't have enough good coaches in the US or other countries just know the secret. I know it....work hard.

Jerry

The Curse Is Broken!



We've been in business---and going to Macon several times a year---for 6+ years...I wish I could explain why but we almost never have a positive experience there...The only explanation is that we're cursed when it comes to junior tournaments in Macon.

We arrived on Friday (after watching FED come back from 0-5 in the 2nd set tiebreaker against Del Potro in the Dubai semi-finals OMG-LONG LIVE THE FED!!!) We'd planned to leave by noon but I have my priorities and FED is my obsession so we didn't leave until after 2PM. No matter - we arrived and set up, determined to break the curse this year. Alas, mother nature had other plans, she was was causing heartbreaking destruction throughout the midwest, and she had her eye on the south. :(

Fortunately, the storms we faced on Saturday in Macon didn't even come close to the devastation that they dealt with in the midwest - THANK GOD! The only thing we had to deal with was a huge rain delay that prevented things from starting as scheduled (we finally got started at 2PM) and then the day got rained out for good at 6PM...So far, we'd been in Macon for more than 24 hours and players played for 4 hours...not good for anyone, including video companies that are trying to make money to pay their mortgage. Then a former customer asked if we were randomly recording matches - YES - and he said he might randomly buy the match for his son if we randomly recorded it. Of course we did but at the end of the day, the score was 1-0 (the rain was the winner). :(

Determined to make up for lost time, we kicked the HIGH-TECH TENNIS HUSTLE into high gear (even had an awesome teenager from Macon helping us) on Sunday... We had sunny skies and totally DRY conditions (not even a tiny threat of rain) - but we had another element to deal with: W-I-N-D!! We're here to tell you that the number of people who want to purchase a match during which the players are constantly battling ferocious winds is VERY, VERY low. :( We fought that wind all day long as it blew tents, tables, and paperwork all over the tennis center...and when Mr. Random Customer requested that we make a special trip to an alternate site to record a 2nd match for his son (and he promised to buy one of the two), we sent our teenaged helper to accommodate, even though we thought that was a bit much. But when he later asked us to make yet ANOTHER special trip to the alternate site to record a 3rd match, we had to ask: "how many matches were you planning to purchase anyway?" He said he was going to purchase the best of the three...Seriously??? You want us to drive all over Macon all weekend for a mere $59??? Get real, DUDE!!! You better make it the best of the two we already recorded. :( Score was 3-0...The rain + wind + mr. random customer had 3, we had NADA.

Monday was the best weather day of all, but unfortunately, by that time the damage to our numbers and to my frame of mind was so DONE. Please realize that we have to PAY good money for the sheer opportunity to present our video services at the John Drew Smith Tennis Center...Now I'm sure you can understand why we eliminated the Qualifier from our schedule several years ago, we eliminated the National Open in May (due to 32 draw), and we are now breaking the curse by eliminating the spring bullfrog. :(

Some of our best friends (players and parents) live in Macon, but in 6+ years, we just don't have anything positive to say about Macon tournaments...with the notable exception of those run by Craig Jones at the Idle Hour Country Club, which are AWESOME and HIGHLY RECOMMENDED.