YOU TELL ME: Got Ideas for the New Year?

 WHEW!!!

Since this was our 4th consecutive Kentucky in December, it seems a tradition has been born:) and now that we've had time to catch our breath, it's time to digest what just happened. For one thing, the back-to-back tournaments (formerly known as the Winter Southern Closed + New Year's Classic) will forevermore be referred to as

THE KENTUCKY MARATHON!!!

We celebrated a quiet Christmas (the very best kind) and left early the next morning for our 26th TOURNAMENT OF THE YEAR...coincidentally the longest trip on our schedule - 7+ hours to Louisville - and we arrived just in time to set up and greet excited players as they checked in. SO FAR, SO GOOD - lots of "Happy Holidays!" - "Was Santa good to you?" - and like that.
The Christmas spirit in full force...You knew that wouldn't last.

And it certainly didn't. The tournament director got an earful DURING CHECK-IN from an angry mother who was very upset about scheduling issues that she felt gave her daughter's opponent an unfair advantage..mind you, she was referring to a potential match-up that MIGHT have occurred three days later (and of course it didn't even happen). What the...oh geeez! Then the tournament kicked off and things went downhill pretty fast...An all-time low was when a furious father yelled at Danny for a full HOUR!!! He was angry because his son was not playing well and he insisted that he needed to protect his privacy rights...blah blah blah. He argued with the tournament director, threatened to call the USTA (go ahead), and told Danny he appreciated our video service (really? this from a former customer, believe it or not) but he insisted we needed permission from BOTH parents before we recorded any match. Since he clearly had no intention of purchasing the video (and he already knew his son's opponent was not going to buy it - he'd approached them too, unbelievably), he DEMANDED that the camera come down...and he finally got his way. We have certainly researched this topic many, many times and we are NOT doing anything wrong...but just try convincing ballistic parents of that. 

I was in tears - Danny wasn't crying of course but you better believe he was very upset. It was about much more than the $55...The man was essentially questioning our integrity and implying we were doing something illegal or immoral. WOULD YOU BE SERIOUS, MAN - nothing could be further from the truth!!! I can't tell you how hurtful and disheartening it was to be repeatedly insulted in that way. Of course this man wasn't the first and unfortunately he won't be the last.

WHAT CAN WE DO ABOUT THIS?!

YOU TELL ME!

Next, a father approached us to ask if we'd object to him recording his son's match (what were we supposed to say?!? Can you bring your own steak to Ruth Chris steakhouse and sit in their booths and use their silverware while you eat?!?) and we watched as a parade of parents strolled by with video cameras (to hang their cameras beside ours, though they were not permitted to do so) - one father even went so far as to angrily shove me out of his way as he went to hang his camera (which he was not permitted to do)...

I understand it's a free country (hey, I'm all for freedom) but....well, when you factor in 7 straight 16+ hour days for 2 people covering 4 separate sites and recording 250 matches (while selling 50% of them), well, it's easy to see why we're reconsidering what the @#@#% we're doing and why.

So as we begin our SEVENTH YEAR of this crazy business, we're asking for YOUR help.
Just pretend you could tell us what to do.
You can't, of course:) but if you could, what would YOU do???
You would think that we wouldn't have to deal with this CRAP anymore---but you'd be wrong.

:(

ENOUGH IS ENOUGH!

Please keep in mind that we get virtually NO support from the coaches, NO support from the tennis association, NO support from academies, NO support from anyone.

I can't imagine giving up (and I'd hate it if the 99% who love what we do lose out to the 1% who make our lives miserable) but in spite of our best efforts, there may just be a reason nobody else is doing this...and unfortunately, TENNIS may just be the only sport on earth that isn't ready for technology.

Oh, yes, of course the best players with the best bank accounts are ready and they're already doing this and more...but the average tennis player?

YOU TELL ME!

As HIGH-TECH TENNIS Turns - August 23

THERE'S MORE TO LIFE THAN TENNIS---
JUST ASK THIS BUTTERFLY BOY (LOL)

HI and thanks for reading!!! Another month has passed - bet you thought we melted - and you'd be ALMOST right. :-) WOWOW! This summer has been the hottest in recorded history...and it has reinforced something I already knew: We simply MUST find a way to work smarter, not harder. I don't know about you (LOL) but we are not getting any younger. And 12+ hour days with triple-digit temps and/or extreme triple-digit heat-index with NO break? They are NO JOKE.

Sorry about that :( but no more whining...Time to get a grip and tell you all about the exciting details of our exciting lives, LOL!!! This month is AWESOME because YAY-we're on BREAK!!! This is not the kind of break where we're just kicking back, eating bon-bons (have never even seen a bon-bon, have you?), but we're on a FIVE-WEEK BREAK from the constant tournament trail and oh, how sweet it is!!!! Still, we know how important it is to recognize the people who help to make our lives to wonderful so we're ready for some SHOUTOUTS! Ready? :)

We kicked off the month with a trip to - where else - NORTH CAROLINA. It seems like we spent practically the entire summer in North Carolina (first Cary, then Winston-Salem, and this time Charlotte) but there are worse places to go, right? :) Besides, there were a few extra-special things about this trip: 1) we were invited to be there (ahem---so much more than I could say about most tournaments in Georgia), 2) we got to see/spend time with Danny's sister in the Charlotte area, and 3) we got to meet lots of nice people at the beautiful Olde Providence Racquet Club. GREAT THANKS to TD Randy Chamberlain and everyone at OPRC for being so nice to us but this tournament fell between two supernational tournaments and we were quite exhausted before the fun even began in Charlotte. Not sure we'll do it again next year, but we'll see how things go...
  
The more things change at the G12 National Hard Court Championships at the wonderful Windward Lake Club, the more they stay the same---which is to say YAY-THEY ARE ALWAYS AWESOME!!! This was our 4th consecutive year there and each year has been better than the previous...We miss Cannon, and we miss Patrick, but the one and only Greg Grover did a perfectly FINE job as tournament director this year. There is a reason why Windward Lake Club is THE MOST BEAUTIFUL tennis facility with THE MOST PRESTIGIOUS tennis academy in Atlanta. So GREAT THANKS to TD Greg Grover and Club Manager Amy Riley, as well as the whole cast of characters at Windward! We are very proud to be part of all the cool stuff that goes on out there and we LOVE being treated like part of the family. They recognize that we are an AMENITY to make their great tournaments BETTER...It means more than we can say.

While reading the bathroom wall (more accurately, while reading an announcement that was posted on the bathroom wall, LOL), I saw that HIGH-TECH TENNIS was offering video services at the 18 & Under tournament at Windward within hours after the G12 Hard Court tournament finished. WHAT?!?!?!?!? OH NOOOOOOO. But soon after I read it, I took a call from a father who was thrilled at the opportunity to purchase a video for his son---WOW. So after all Windward does for us, how could we possibly say no?!? GREAT THANKS to our great friend and one of our all-time, all-time favorite coaches: TD Torrey Hawkins for supporting HIGH-TECH TENNIS in every way on every day.

Wow - for a short month, this was a long list of thanks...and we're very thankful to one more person who recently brought us a GRRRRRRREAT new opportunity that we think the junior tennis community is gonna LOVE but we can't reveal it just yet. STAY TUNED-it's gonna be good! 

SORRY THIS WAS SO LONG, but as always, the greatest GREAT THANKS goes to YOU, our wonderful customer friends. We couldn't possibly do what we do without your ongoing kindness and we always appreciate your amazing support. We recognize that is a real privilege to be involved in the development of your junior tennis player --- and living this dreamy life ain't so bad either! :) For example, for the 2nd year in a row, I'M GOING TO NYC TO SEE ROGER!!! YAHOOOOOOO for that!!! Oh and after that, our video cameras will be looking for YOU on the tournament trail! :)

As HIGH-TECH TENNIS Turns - July 23

EXTREME HIGH-TECH TENNIS HUSTLE (LOL)
HI and thanks for reading!!! WOW---Once again, it's been almost a MONTH since I posted what used to be a weekly update filled with exciting details about our exciting lives, lol!!! Wait--I did share some observations about some awesome directors at some awesome tennis camps...That's because no matter how busy we are (and WOW O WOW-are we busy!!!), we know how important it is to recognize the people who do so much for us. We're shouting out some big names this week...Ready? :)

 

GREAT THANKS to Dave Power and the entire staff at the wonderful Windward Lake Club. One of the best things about being self-employed is choosing the people with whom we spend our time---and we choose Windward! :) We spent 3 fun days at the US Open Southern Qualifier over the 4th of July weekend! We saw some great tennis and we had a great time...GOOD LUCK to the players who earn wild card entries into the US OPEN!!! Oh, almost forgot-we even caught up with our friend Luke Jensen, one of our earliest supporters! It sems like just yesterday when he enthusiastically said "YES!!! WHAT YOU'RE DOING IS FANTASTIC AND I LOVE IT!!!" GREAT THANKS, Luke--You should listen to him--he knows a thing or two about tennis! :-)

Mobile is always a home run for us..and we were surprised that the Regional Segment the following weekend fell somewhat flat but GREAT THANKS to TD Scott Novak for the warm welcome. I guess we had to save our energy for the following weekend because we hit it OUT OF THE PARK at the National Clay Court Championships in Winston-Salem (what's with all the baseball references? you tell me, lol!) This was our 4th consecutive year and it just keeps getting better...so GREAT THANKS to TD Chris Cagle for recognizing the value of what we do....We sold an unbelievable 102 videos over 6 days at the tournament so we know we're making a difference and we LOVE that...which brings me to another point...

While chatting with parents in NC, I shared our excitement about being invited to a tournament next weekend in Charlotte. People are shocked (I'm talking S-H-O-C-K-E-D) to learn that some tournament directors actually expect us to PAY for the opportunity to enhance their tournament. Oh, if they only knew!!!
Why do you think we spend so VERY LITTLE TIME in Atlanta???
"I thought it was such a big tennis town???" "Well, lots of people play tennis, but ..." Trust me - nobody and I mean NOBODY - wants to spend time at home more than me (we live in paradise, remember?) - but we have VERY GOOD REASONS for avoiding most of the tournaments in Atlanta.
A mother from NJ summed it up perfectly:
"Any tournament that would charge you two for providing services that are so POPULAR would be a tournament I wouldn't want to go to!" We're slowly but surely making better choices--ENOUGH SAID.

Also, GREAT THANKS to the growing number of college recruits who contact us for help with their recruit videos---LOVE THAT! Oh and don't forget it's been about 400 degrees almost every day for the past month or more!!! UGH.

SORRY THIS IS SO LONG :( But as always, the greatest GREAT THANKS goes to YOU, our wonderful customer friends. We couldn't possibly do what we do without your ongoing kindness and we always appreciate your amazing support. We recognize that is a real privilege to be involved in the development of your junior tennis player --- and living this dreamy life ain't so bad either! :) Our video cameras will be looking for YOU on the tournament trail! :)

As HIGH-TECH TENNIS Turns - June 26

LONG LIVE THE MIGHTY FED

HI and thanks for reading!!! WOW---It's already been more than a MONTH since I updated this "weekly" blog...Where does the time go? Let me tell you---it just GOES---but we know how important it is to recognize the people who make our lives wonderful (and they surely do). We're shouting out SEVEN names this week...Ready? :)

GREAT THANKS to the other half of HIGH-TECH TENNIS, without whom nothing else would be possible, nor would it matter. It is common knowledge that Danny is the tennis brain behind HIGH-TECH TENNIS---but he's sooo much more than that. Most of all, he's MY BUDDY and for that I will always be grateful.
YOU ARE THE BEST. 

GREAT THANKS to the awesome Summer Tennis Camp directors who know how lame it is to send campers home with another t-shirt they just don't need. Sure, it takes a little extra effort on their part to coordinate our video services for their campers, but these directors know it's worth it. They GET IT and they've been doing it for the past 3-4 years. Way to go the extra mile! Coach Amy Bryant (Emory), Coach Manny Diaz (UGA), Coach Craig Jones (Idle Hour), and Coach Bryan Shepherd (Gwinnett)...YOU ARE AWESOME!

GREAT THANKS to Chris Mather for believing in us from the beginning and for helping us to see that there might just be a better way. The days of D and Me going to endless tournaments and dealing with constant drama may be numbered...We've got big expansion plans in mind and please STAY TUNED for details that could change everything...but here's a hint: COLLEGE SPORTS SHOWCASE.

GREAT THANKS to TD Sean Ferreira for standing up for us and explaining the reality of a public tennis center in a free country to a pushy parent who 'didn't want her son videotaped'. Some people just don't get the message, though---she didn't accept his response and came to us. She got her way because we didn't want to create waves...but she won't get it again. What we are doing is PERFECTLY legal and it's permitted - no, it's appreciated...even loved - by 99.99% of parents throughout the Southern section. Florida is its own section for good reason, lol. Let's just say that one of the greatest parts about being self-employed is the ability to choose the people with whom you spend your time. We are slowly but surely making better choices--ENOUGH SAID.

As always, the greatest GREAT THANKS goes to YOU, our wonderful customer friends. We couldn't possibly do what we do without your ongoing kindness and we always appreciate your amazing support. We recognize that is a real privilege to be involved in the development of your junior tennis player --- and living this dreamy life ain't so bad either! :) Our video cameras will be looking for YOU on the tournament trail! :)

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!

As HIGH-TECH TENNIS Turns - April 15

Our Favorite Women's Tennis Coach

Hi there and thanks for reading! It's been a wonderful week and a half in our world and it's time to reflect on all the amazing things that have happened. As always, we know how important it is to give credit where it's due --- so we're gonna name some names...Ready? :)

GREAT THANKS to our favorite women's coach: Coach Amy Bryant has been a longtime friend of and believer in HIGH-TECH TENNIS. Not only have we we provided video services to her annual summer camp at Emory University for the past 5(?) years (how sweet to send those sweet little campers home with sweet little video souvenirs that will be precious treasures for years to come) but this year, Coach Amy got serious about using video: she contacted us ahead of time and reserved time on our calendar for us to record doubles and singles matches throughout the spring tennis season. YAHOO! Coach Amy's team finished second last year and they're gunning for first this year. They can do it too because our videos provided the missing link-so GOOD LUCK EMORY EAGLES...Win your 6th natl championship (Coach Amy's 5th) and we'll be cheering for you!!! :)

GREAT THANKS to a great friend, great coach, and longtime supporter of HIGH-TECH TENNIS: Coach Pete Townes knows VIDEO WORKS and it was just a matter of time before we were able to bring it to his students...This pic was at the YMCA in Buckhead---a first but definitely not a last for us---cuz the players DUG it and we DUG that, lol. Most of all, we love being around people who GET IT. What is wrong with these other academies??????? YOU TELL ME. I think that many of these academies are more concerned with getting paid than with getting the message across to the players. SAD BUT TRUE - That's only my opinion but it's based on 5+ years of begging these guys to wake up. :(



GREAT THANKS to THE UNIVERSE for enabling us to be home for a very important event. "Don't Pass Me By" - A Third Annual Celebration of Sean Costello. Sean was a good friend of ours and he passed away 3 years ago tonight (Friday)-just one day before his 29th birthday. :( We have formed the "Video Does Good" program in his honor and we will donate $1 for every video sold to support the Sean Costello Memorial Fund for Bipolar Research. We hope you will consider matching our contribution. Visit our website for more information about Sean...or ask us about him when you see us. We miss him sooo much---May he rest in peace forever.

But 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! Finally, it's been a few tough days at the office for Rog, but LONG LIVE THE MIGHTY FED-FOREVER, and our video cameras will be looking for YOU at a tournament real soon! :)

As HIGH-TECH TENNIS Turns - March 26

Four Weeks Just Flew By

Helloooo and thanks for reading! It's been another wonderful FOUR WEEKS in our world (including FOUR tourneys in THREE states) but it wouldn't have been half as nice if we didn't have great support from great people. We're all about giving credit where it's due --- so let's name some names...Ready? :)

GREAT THANKS to our new friend TD Aline Trussel at the Cooper Creek Tennis Center in Columbus, GA. Many, many moons ago, we had a VERY bad experience in Columbus and swore we'd never return...Never say never, LOL! We had a great time at the National Open-B12s (even though the 32 Draw did NOT make anyone smile). :( But we know we'll have an even BETTER time at the BullFrog in Columbus next weekend because thank goodness the 32 Draw doesn't apply and TD Aline goes above and beyond...What a pleasure to discover such a helpful, kind person - best of all, she even lives in our state! Speaking of our state, we remained in our state for a soggy BullFrog in Macon...YIKES-Those tournaments make it tough to stay positive, for sure. Thank goodness my extreeeeme negativity didn't last long...because we were soon on to back2back tourneys - 10 straight days of HIGH-TECH TENNIS HUSTLE! :)

GREAT THANKS to the entire Tournament Staff at the Mobile Tennis Center for the privilege of offering video services at their awesome events---We had a big time (and set a new record!) at our 4th consecutive Spring Natl Chps-BG18s. Then it was straight to our 5th consecutive Topspin Annual Junior Classic. GREAT THANKS to TD Carlos Lozano for taking a chance on us and inviting us to be part of his awesome South Carolina tourney! Sooo much fun - and setting another record made it all the sweeter! :) 

Let's see...GREAT THANKS to some awesome college recruits for allowing us to help launch them on their college path-one of the biggest, life-changing decisions they will make. They're gonna LOVE their recruit videos-that's a promise. And GREAT THANKS to Coach Amy Bryant for counting on us for video services in support of Emory Women's Tennis, summer camps, and more. If I left anyone out, sooo sorry-it's hard to be perfect when you're exhausted! :)

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! Finally, LONG LIVE THE FED, good luck in the Sony Ericsson, and I will be watching you whenever and wherever possible!!!

As HIGH-TECH TENNIS Turns - February 21

Danny Makes Me LOL

HI and thanks for reading! It's been another wonderful week in our world but it wouldn't have been half as nice if we didn't have great support from great people. We're all about giving credit where it's due and it's time once again to name names...Ready? :)

We stopped in at the GA Tech/UGA match recently and it was so nice to chat with two of our friends. GREAT THANKS to Coach Manny Diaz and Asst Coach Will Glenn for inviting us to return to the Bulldog Tennis Camp at UGA this summer. So sorry we will miss out on John Isner's 2nd annual camp but we can only be in one place at a time and we've already committed to the Clay Court Chps in Winston Salem, NC.

We don't exactly have our own courts (since we're a mobile business) but we do have some great friends who come through whenever we ask for a favor. GREAT THANKS to Will Wright and Torrey Hawkins (Windward Tennis Academy) for making easy for us to impress our friends from TN. GREAT THANKS to Mary Nunaley for bringing her son Amadeus to GA so we could capture content for his College Recruit Video. :)

When we met a great TD last fall, he invited us to return for his very next tournament, so we did (LOL). GREAT THANKS to Cole Donley (Athens Country Club) for the warm welcome and the great suport at the Athens Winter Classic Chps. We know that Level 4 players need video love too and we made lots of new friends. See you in August! :)

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 cameras will be looking for YOU! Finally, LONG LIVE THE FED - gooood luck in Dubai!!!




 

As HIGH-TECH TENNIS Turns - January 26

Love the artwork, love the artists!

 

HI and thanks for reading! It's time to hit the highlights of our week and, as always, we think it's important to SHOUT-OUT the names of specific people who made our lives wonderful over the past week...Ready? :)

We just got home from the 1st EVER National Regional Tourney and GREAT THANKS to Scott Novak and the Marvelous Mobile Tennis Center because Saturday, January 22 was THE BUSIEST DAY EVER in the 5+ year history of HIGH-TECH TENNIS!!! How wonderful that so many people are using video to their advantage------IT'S ABOUT TIME (LOL).

We also just got home from a meeting where board members discussed proposed ideas regarding the Stone Mountain Tennis Center (former tennis facility for 1996 Olympic Games). Very exciting - but not cheap - ideas for preserving that legacy, not to mention the important restoration of a virtually new/gently used site that includes a stadium court and 16 outer courts. Sports is one of the few economic drivers in a recession and if we are unable to reach agreement, this beautiful facility will be demolished in the near future---perish that HORRIBLE thought. GREAT THANKS to anyone who can make the proposed ideas a reality and STAY TUNED.

GREAT THANKS to our customers for extreme patience after the ice-a-thon in Atlanta caused extreme delays in the postal service... Two of our customers waited 2+ weeks to receive their videos (a highly unusual and very unhappy situation).

As always, the greatest GREAT THANKS goes to YOU, our wonderful customer friends. We fully recognize what a privilege it is to play a small part in the development of your junior tennis player - and we love living this dreamy dream of a life! Thank you for your ongoing support - and our cameras will be looking for YOU! GOOOOOOOD LUCK to my champion in the semi-finals of the Australian Open and LONG LIVE THE FED!

As HIGH-TECH TENNIS Turns - January 19

"Hopefully I don't play him anymore."

FED After 6-2, 6-2, 4-6, 4-6, 6-3 Victory over Gilles Simon (Aussie Open 2010)

HI and thanks for reading! January is not typically our busiest month so we try to accomplish a big project of some sort at home. This year, we tackled CLOSETS that were just the right size when our house was built in 1952 but are a little small by today's standards. They may still may be tiny but they are now SPARKLING CLEAN---yay! Time to give shout-outs to people who made our lives wonderful over the past week...Ready? :)

GREAT THANKS to Decatur Preservation Alliance for coordinating the efforts of over 1200 volunteers as we provided free house maintenance and repair to Decatur's needy senior homeowners. Meeting and helping 90-yr-old Mr. Green to live safely, comfortably, and affordably in his home was a true joy...What an amazing way to honor Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. We will definitely SEE YOU NEXT YEAR!

GREAT THANKS to Kevin Klabunde (Southeastern Babolat Rep) for treating us like absolute G-O-L-D (wait til you see our new clothes) and forwarding our fun BABOLAT/HIGH-TECH TENNIS video to upper management at Babolat. Can't wait to share it with other members of the Team Babolat Annual Meeting, which has been rescheduled for this Friday due to Atlanta's snow/ice-athon.

GREAT THANKS to Scott and Lorraine Novak for welcoming us back to the marvelous Mobile Tennis Center for the 4th consecutive year. They realize that we just make a good tournament BETTER and Scott and Lorraine are the best at what they do. If only all tournament directors treated us so well!!! WOW - AIN'T THAT THE TRUTH...GA TDs - are you listening? Can't wait to kick off another great year in Mobile this weekend at the 1st EVER Regional Tourney!!!

As always, the greatest GREAT THANKS goes to YOU, our wonderful customer friends. As we begin the SIXTH YEAR of our existence, we are so very aware of what a privilege it is to play a small part in the development of your junior tennis player - and we love living this dreamy dream of a life! Thank you for your ongoing support - and our cameras will be looking for YOU in this new year!

As HIGH-TECH TENNIS Turns - January 10

A Snowy Day In Georgia

HI and thanks for reading! This is our FIRST blog update for the new year and we are SO EXCITED about all the exciting things to come in 2011. The more things change, though, the more they stay the same. We remain COMMITTED to improving the game of tennis through technology...and helping tennis players play better tennis. Another thing that has not (and will not) change: our reputation means the world to us and we work to protect it in every way on every day. So let's get started by hitting the highlights and giving shout-outs to people who made our lives wonderful over the past TWO WEEKS...Ready?

For the 3rd consecutive year, we were proud to offer our video services at the back-to-back Winter Southern Closed/New Year's Classic events - if you haven't been to Kentucky in December, you haven't lived! GREAT THANKS to our friend TD Chris Mather for making us feel welcome and appreciated at The Tennis Club at Springhurst in Louisville, KY. KNOW THIS: All tournament directors are NOT created equal...and Chris could show many of them a thing or two about running a tournament for the right reasons. We hate that Kentucky is sooo far but we just can't imagine a better spot to celebrate New Year's Eve (LOL)-guess where we'll be next year? :)

The work goes on and my dream will never die, LOL...I am determined to share "What Could Go Wrong? Observations from FIVE YEARS in the Trenches with Competitive Junior Tennis Players" with eager tennis enthusiasts everywhere! HA! :) GREAT THANKS to Jason Lampione (Publishing Director for Tennis World USA Digital Magazine) for encouraging me to submit the first in a series of articles. STAY TUNED! :)

We've been part of TEAM BABOLAT for the past 4+ years...We haven't always realized how important Babolat is to junior tennis players...BUT NOW WE DO. GREAT THANKS to Kevin Klabunde (Southeastern Babolat Rep) for supplying great Babolat prizes and for adding us to the agenda for the Annual Meeting. As a small way to repay this kindness, we created a fun video to promote the BABOLAT/HIGH-TECH TENNIS partnership (thanks to the Babolat players for supplying fantastic content) and we're having lots of fun forwarding and sharing that video wherever and however we can!

We've had the support of Tennis Recruiting Network for the past 4+ years...and we just didn't fully understand what that could mean to us...BUT NOW WE DO. GREAT THANKS to Julie Wrege (Editor) for endorsing us and for being willing to pursue ways that we might work together to support competitive tennis players through the recruiting process.

This is quite long because, as you can see, things are changing - FOR THE BETTER - but as always, the greatest GREAT THANKS goes to YOU, our wonderful customer friends. As we begin the SIXTH YEAR of our existence, we are so very aware of what a privilege it is to play a small part in the development of your junior tennis player - and we love living this dreamy dream of a life! Thank you for your ongoing support - and our cameras will be looking for YOU in this new year! :)

As HIGH-TECH TENNIS Turns - December 22

Merry Christmas To You!

HI and thanks for reading! As you well know, all weeks are wonderful in our world but as you might imagine, December is not exactly the BUSIEST month of the year when it comes to junior tennis. That means our interaction with the outside world has been fairly limited :) but we're still happy to hit the highlights of our past week for you...Here they come:

GREAT THANKS to our friend Daniel Furman for his interest in and his amazing support of the work in progress affectionately known as 'My Book' aka "What Could Go Wrong? Observations from FIVE YEARS in the Trenches at Junior Tennis Tournaments." Way to step up with some very helpful feedback, Daniel! :) IF (or maybe I should I say WHEN) this document actually makes it to publication and I become a hugely successful author, I will remember you....LOL.

GREAT THANKS to our friends Eric Burke (Hardcore Tennis) and Beth McCaskill (Tennis Players Network) for sharing a hysterically funny evening filled with hilarious holiday stories. We don't get to see you as often as we'd like but last night was great. Thanks for always believing in HIGH-TECH TENNIS... It really means a lot to us.

As always, the greatest GREAT THANKS goes to YOU, our wonderful customer friends. It's a privilege to play a small part in the development of your junior tennis player - and we love living this dreamy dream of a life! May your holiday season be peaceful and we can't wait to see YOU next week in Louisville... WE LOVE KENTUCKY IN DECEMBER! :)

As HIGH-TECH TENNIS Turns - December 16

VANNA WHITE 

HI and thanks for reading! As you might imagine, December is not exactly the BUSIEST month of the year when it comes to junior tennis so our interaction with the outside world has been fairly limited :) but we're still happy to hit the highlights of our past week for you...Here they come:

We've known Coach Greg Amerson since almost the beginning of our existence (5+ years) and we know a good guy when we see one! :) Greg recently took the big leap of faith and opened his own academy: Greg Amerson Tennis International. YAY for him! He's got a really wonderful facility at Clayton County Tennis Center and he's got a wonderful group of kids. GREAT THANKS to our good friend Greg Amerson for allowing us to be part of Match Play and Video Day on December 11th. We had so much fun-what a great coach and even better person! It was our pleasure (and such an easy choice) to include him on our list of Favorite Coaches. We wish him ONLY the best!!!

The work goes on and my dream will never die, LOL...I am determined to share "What Could Go Wrong? Observations from FIVE YEARS in the Trenches at Junior Tennis Tournaments" with eager tennis enthusiasts everywhere! :) GREAT THANKS to Jason Lampione, our newest tennis friend in New York, for reigniting my interest in this huge but potentially troublesome topic and for inviting me to contribute to an exciting online publication. STAY TUNED! :)

As always, the greatest GREAT THANKS goes to YOU, our wonderful customer friends. It's a privilege to play a small part in the development of your junior tennis player - and we love living this dreamy dream of a life! May your holiday season be peaceful and we can't wait to see YOU in Louisville...Kentucky in December?!? There is NO place we'd rather be!!!

As HIGH-TECH TENNIS Turns - December 9

WOW - 2010 US OPEN - WOW

HI and thanks for reading! You probably already know that all weeks are wonderful in our world :) but we're happy to hit the highlights for you...Drumroll please:

It didn't happen this week but we still can't believe it happened at all :) so GREAT THANKS to our friend Victor Bergonzoli, CEO of Dartfish, for making our 2010 US OPEN dream come true!

For the 4th consecutive year, we asked the big question: Does cold weather affect video? And the answer is KINDA, lol. Maybe it was the cold temps or the sporadic cold rain---but in spite of hoping for the best, we had no choice but to pack it in. Saturday afternoon. Sorry, Big Freeeezers! :( But GREAT THANKS to our friend Dave Power, General Manager of Windward Lake Club. Dave expects the best and surrounds himself with excellent people and excellent ideas. We are so grateful for his unending support of HIGH-TECH TENNIS and we're always proud to be part of whatever's happening at the Wonderful Windward! :)

GREAT THANKS to our friend Kevin Klabunde, Southern Territory Babolat Rep, for inviting us to the annual Babolat meeting next month and for giving us a platform to be heard. We're always proud to be part of the Babolat family and distributing FREEE prizes to unsuspecting juniors has been fun and hugely popular with appreciative players! :)

As always, the GREATEST THANKS goes to YOU, our wonderful customer friends. We work hard ("It's a tough way to make an easy living!") but we love to live this dreamy dream and we know we couldn't do it without your kindness and your amazing support. Never forget that our cameras will be looking for YOU! :)

On a very personal note, this week has been difficult and life got a little less beautiful with the passing of my friend Elizabeth Edwards. GREAT THANKS to those of you who reached out to me. EE, it was my privilege to know you and I will miss you so...

Rest in peace forever, my friend.

As HIGH-TECH TENNIS Turns - November 30

PLAY NICE, HAVE FUN, and DON'T BE A TURKEY!

HI and thanks for reading! As you might guess, it's been another wonderful week in our world and we're happy to hit the highlights for you...Ready, set, here we go:

For the 4th consecutive year, we were sooo thankful to spend Thanksgiving surrounded by those we love - at the Mobile Tennis Center, of course!!! :) Truly can't think of anyplace we'd rather be! GREAT THANKS to Scott and Lorraine Novak for another marvelous event...and you would not believe how many players/parents told us it was the best tournament experience they'd EVER had. We couldn't agree more and we're thrilled to make a great tournament better by adding the value AND the fun of VIDEO! We're sure they have big fun at the Eddie Herr tournament - but we'll never know since it's held at the same time as the National Open 14 in Mobile - and you can take this to the bank: We'll take SOUTHERN HOSPITALITY over FLORIDA - enough said, end of story.

Don't ya just love it when the universe sends positive and surprising news??? WE DO! :) We treasure great relationships w/ great people and we love being surrounded by soo much goodwill!!! GREAT THANKS to Bonnie Bajorek Daneker for years of friendship, support, and more in both my current and my former careers (LOL). GREAT THANKS also to Jason Lampione for providing opportunities for greater exposure than we'd ever dreamed possible.

But as always, the greatest GREAT THANKS goes to YOU, our wonderful customer friends. It's a privilege to play a small part in the development of your junior tennis player - and we love living this dreamy life. You may not remember Candid Camera (but I do - grrr - how did I get to be so old??? LOL) but just remember this: our cameras will be looking for YOU!

As HIGH-TECH TENNIS Turns - November 23

 

HI and thanks for reading! It has really been a wonderful week in our world. We're hitting the road early in the AM so how about some early highlights from our exciting week?!

Last Wednesday (11/17) was our 10th Wedding Anniversary!!! YAHOOO-that called for some serious celebrating (one night just was not enough). Wednesday night we had big fun (as always) at the beautiful Brick Store Pub in Decatur, GA and then on Saturday night, we branched out to discover a hot new spot called Two Urban Licks in Atlanta, GA. We're not as young as we used to be (LOL) so we had to increase the recovery time following celebrations like this but what a WONDERFUL way to celebrate an entire decade of wedded bliss. :)

Aside from celebrating and recovering, we spent the remainder of the week producing college recruit videos, planning 2011 events, catching our breath, and catching up on some much-needed R&R. BIG PROPS to local author Daniel Black for "Perfect Peace" - one of the best books I've read in such a long time. HIGHLY RECOMMENDED READING.

After five loooong years in the tennis trenches (LOL), a colleague who's developing an article for a tennis publication contacted us. We were thrilled at the opportunity to provide input...and that prompted us to think about the excellent coaches we've met. We're frequently asked to recommend a good coach or good academy --- so we posted an exclusive list HERE. GREAT THANKS to those who made the list and our apologies to those who did not. We're all in this tennis boat together so let's help each other every chance we get, o.k.

As always, the GREATEST THANKS goes to YOU, our wonderful customer friends. We work hard ("It's a tough way to make an easy living!") but it's a real privilege to live this dreamy dream and we always appreciate your kindness and your amazing support. We hope you have a wonderful holiday with the ones you love, because we know we will - at the National Open in Mobile! LOLOL. Always remember that our cameras will be looking for YOU! :)

As HIGH-TECH TENNIS Turns - November 17

 

HI and thanks for reading! It has really been a wonderful week in our world. Hope you're ready for some highlights because they're ready for you!

As you may remember, we went to the MOBILE BULLFROG last week and WOW O WOW - WE DOUBLED OUR NUMBERS OVER LAST YEAR! We finished the tournament on Monday afternoon and then we hung around for back2back Women's Clinics...See, we're not just for juniors anymore, LOL!!! Believe me, those women (of all ages and all abilities) were reeeeeeally into it. One of them even told me she worked for a local tv station and asked whether we'd be interested in them doing a feature on us? WOULD WE EVER!!!!!!!!! :) Stay tuned...We've almost hit the big time now, lololol.

So we set a goal of getting the DVDs into the mail by Friday and that meant we kicked the HIGH-TECH TENNIS HUSTLE into high gear on Wednesday morning. If you're keeping track at home, we burned and distributed 75 DVDs in two and a half days. NOT BAD, hey? :) Of course, we barely slept or ate or did anything else but we met our goal. YAAAY for us!

We brought our video services to the Athens Bulldog Junior Championships for the first time and GREAT THANKS go out to TD Cole Donley - a good guy who GETS IT. We had a great time and Cole welcomed us back to any of his tournaments next year. YAHOO!!! Since then, we watched our beloved Vikings lose on Sunday (sigh) and Danny's been busy with College Recruit Videos while I've been coordinating events for 2011 and doing everything else that needs done (Danny thinks he does all the work - but we know better). :)

As always, the GREATEST THANKS goes to YOU, our wonderful customer friends. We work hard ("It's a tough way to make an easy living!") but it's a real privilege to live this dreamy dream and we so appreciate your kindness and your amazing support. November has been a month of celebrations (HIGH-TECH TENNIS turned 5 last week) and we're celebrating our 10th wedding anniversary this weekend. No worries, though, we'll be back in Mobile at the National Open BG14 next week and our cameras will be looking for YOU! :)

As HIGH-TECH TENNIS Turns - November 10

HI and thanks for reading! Well, it's been another wonderful week in our world - OMG, has it ever! Read all about it:

We were so excited to participate in our 4th consecutive MOBILE BULLFROG and we hoped (and sort of expected) to be pretty busy but my oh my - we had no idea this would happen: WE DOUBLED OUR NUMBERS OVER LAST YEAR (and last year's numbers were nothing to sneeze at, LOL)!!! WOW O WOW - We blew past our previous Bullfrog record (set 6 weeks ago in Cary) and we just demolished our previous one day record (set 6 months ago at the Spring Closed in Mobile).

ISN'T THAT EXCITING!!!

OF COURSE, we're well aware that we owe sooo much to sooo many and this week's GREAT THANKS go to one of our favorite people on the planet: TD Scott Novak. Scott took a pretty big chance on us four years ago when we called to ask if we could be part of the excitement at the Mobile Tennis Center. We hope he NEVER regrets taking that chance and we're happy to do anything he asks of us in our ongoing effort to repay that kindness.

Then, I was chatting with a wonderful new customer friend from Athens on Sunday (what's ur next tourn, etc). She offered / made a quick phone call--next thing we know we're going to the Athens Bulldog Junior Chps this Saturday for ONE DAY ONLY. So pls reserve your matches ASAP... Can't wait to see old friends and make new ones in Athens in just 3 short days... GREAT THANKS to Angie Thompson for the Athens hookup! We just never know where the break is gonna come and we're ready for the next great adventure, LOL. Oh and don't let me forget to say GREAT THANKS to the tennis gods for making Danny's arm well enough to handle all this exciting excitement!

By far the greatest GREAT THANKS goes to YOU, our amazing customers and friends. We realize that we're surrounded by such outstanding good will and that's what enables us to live this dreeeeeeamy dream. Not only that, what a privilege it is to help your junior tennis player play better tennis!!! And don't ever forget that our video cameras will be looking for YOU!!! :)

As HIGH-TECH TENNIS Turns - November 3

HI and thanks for reading! Well, it's been another wonderful week in our world - hope you're ready for some highlights cuz they're coming at ya:

In spite of coming home from MN with his arm in a sling last week - combined with extreme anxiety caused by our JUNK health insurance (GRRRRR) - it looks like Danny will survive this blasted bicep tendon tear. Who needs full supination power - hey, who even knows exactly what it is anyway, LOL? Think about the ability to turn a doorknob or a screwdriver. Now think about having a 40% reduction in your ability to do it. Would you spend $5K+ to repair that? Didn't think so!!! :) Life goes on but would give anything for health care that cares about our health. Meantime, I've been caregiver extraordinaire this week while Danny has been in full-blown patient mode. First he had the bum arm (ice, heat, ibuprofen) and then he got clobbered with a really bad cold (nyquil, cold medicine, liquids). I am happy to report that he has made a full recovery (almost) and we will return to our normal schedule as of TODAY. I may have missed my calling. :)

As always, we are well aware that we owe soo much to soo many so this week, GREAT THANKS to a couple of college coaches: Coach Amy Bryant (EMORY) for reserving time on our calendar for the Women's Tennis Team and Coach Manny Diaz (UGA) for reserving time on our calendar for the Bulldog Tennis Camp and the Southern Intercollegiate Championships. Finally, let's not forget a couple of amazing TDs: Craig A. Jones for always welcoming us to the amazing Idle Hour Country Club in Macon and Scott Novak for letting us be part of all the excitement at the Mobile Tennis Center!!!

By far the greatest GREAT THANKS goes to YOU, our amazing customers and friends. We are surrounded by outstanding good will and that enables us to live this dreamy dream. It is truly a privilege!!! Don't forget - our video cameras will be looking for YOU!!! :)

As HIGH-TECH TENNIS Turns - October 27

HI and thanks for reading! Well, it's been another wonderful week in our world-hope you're ready for some highlights. Actually, it's more like many highlights and one very unfortunate lowlight...

We took a nice long break from HIGH and TECH and TENNIS (LOL) when we flew to MINNESOTAAAA last Wednesday AM for family fun. You see, I grew up in MN and Danny's entire family grew up (and many still live) in MN. So the main purpose of the trip was to attend the wedding of Danny's niece (Kelly)...and all the other stuff we did was just extra fun. We spent the evening and Thursday AM about an hour north of the twin cities with my dad and step-mother. It had been too long (7 or 10 years since our last trip, depending on your memory!) since we'd seen them...It was a nice visit and we're thankful to them for their hospitality. Then we spent the afternoon with my step-brother. Actually, since our parents are no longer married to one another, really not sure if we're still step-siblings but I am sure about one thing: he is one of my favorite people on the planet and I wish it weren't decades between visits. Rick, you know I love ya like crazy (and then some) - you have always been and will always be incredibly special to me.

We spent the next few days with a variety of Danny's family members. Big shout out to his nephew (Brian), who generously gave up his room and camped out on the couch. To repay the kindness, Danny gave 3 tennis sessions in 3 days (the first within 30 seconds of our arrival - before we even got out of the car - "Aren't you ready to play tennis YET, Uncle Dan?") to his 6 and 8 year old GRAND-nephews. It's pretty wild to think that Danny became an uncle at 11 years old when Brian was born. Then the big day for the big wedding, which was just as nice as nice can be. How fun to see relatives that we almost NEVER get to see...special shout out to favorite cousin J-A-N-E. :) It makes me soo happy to see you looking soo happy!

Now for that lowlight - and no, I'm not talking about the Vikings (that pain is all too familiar, unfortunately). We came back from MN Monday night with lots of happy memories and fun souvenirs; but we also brought back one very unpleasant thing: DANNY'S ARM IN A SLING. :( While helping his sister Sunday afternoon, Danny reached out to pick up something, heard a POP POP POP followed by extreme pain in his elbow, went to the ER in MN to learn the initial diagnosis: bicep tendon tear. What an unhappy ending to an otherwise wonderful trip. To have surgery or not to have surgery - that is a no brainer, thanks to a $5K deductible. Danny's gonna live with 30-40% reduction in supination strength in left arm... waahoo. Would give anything to have health care that cared about our health. GRRR. Enough said.

As always, we end this exciting report with a great big THANK YOU to you, our amazing customers and friends. We certainly couldn't do what we do without your wonderful support and we hope you know that we know it. Did you follow that? LOL. Seriously, thank you for giving us the privilege of helping to develop your junior tennis player - while enabling us to live this dreamy dream - and always remember that our video cameras will be looking for YOU!!! :)