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The summer 2013 issue of Indianapolis Tennis Magazine features coverage of the IHSAA girls' state finals, as well as a look at the ball machine of the future.
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MagazineIndianapolis TennisSummer 2013
Nemesis: the next generation of tennis ball machines
IHSAA girls’ state tournament•Greyhoundsfinish unbeatenseason withsixthteamtitle
•JackieKawamoto claimsGreenwood’s firstgirls’singles championship
News & NotesBryan brothers to
headline 2013 ‘EntouRaj’
Ad In Making changes at Indianapolis Tennis
(pro)fileFive Seasons Sports Club’s Kurt Ehrhardt
Focus on FitnessUsing Pilates to
improve tennis fitness
ITM_ad_SU2013.pdf 1 6/19/13 2:50 PM
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contentsVOLUME 8, ISSUE 1
On the Cover: GreenwoodHighSchool’sJackieKawamotobroughthomethatprogram’sfirstgirls’statetitlewitha7-6,6-1winoverCarmel’sBaileyPadgettinthechampionshipmatchoftheIHSAAsinglestournament.Thejuniorendedtheseasonwithanunblemished28-0recordwhilealsohelpingtoleadherteambacktothestatefinalsroundforthesecondstraightseason.(PhotobyScottCooper)
16 TheCarmelgirls’tennisteamcaptureditssixthoverallchampionshipwitha4-1decisionoverFloydCentral,whileGreenwood’sJackieKawamotoendsanundefeatedseasonwiththesinglestournamenttitle.
Plus… 4 Ad In–ChangesintheoffingforIndianapolis TennisMagazine
5 News & Notes–USTA/MidwestSectionHallof FametoinductBillieJeanKing,JonVegosen
6 (pro)file–FiveSeasonsSportsClub’s KurtEhrhardt
10 Focus on Fitness –Pilatesisyetanotheroptionto exploreasyouimproveyourtennisfitness
Summer 2013
State high school titles have local flavor
19 Chappell tops field at Pearson Ford Open
TCUjuniorcapturessinglestitleatannualWoodstockClubevent.
24 Annual Spirit Dinner recognizes local tennis contributions
TheConnieHeldSpiritDinnerhonoredthelegacyandmemoryofJackBradshawwhilehighlightingthecontributionsandachievementsofthelocaltenniscommunity.
12 Local entrepreneurs developing a new ‘Nemesis’ for tennis players
RichCorrellandVinceRizzoarelookingtomakeanimpactontheburgeoningtennismarketplacewiththeirinnovativeNemesisTennisBallMachine.
5 Bryan brothers set to headline ‘EntouRaj for Kids’Therecord-settingworldnumberonemen’sdoublesteamofMikeandBobBryanhasagreedtoheadlineRajeevRam’sfourth-annual‘EntouRajforKids’fundraiserlaterthisfall.
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Publisher’scommentary
MagazineIndianapolis Tennis
PUBLISHERScottD.CooperMember,U.S.TennisWritersAssociation
ADVERTISING SALESIliaMacdonald
EDITORIAL CONTRIBUTORSEarlAllenTomJennings
PHOTO CONTRIBUTORSShawnBarneyTomJenningsDanMcNallyCassandraWood
GRAPHIC DESIGNNardiArt,LLC–ReginaNardiBal-BowGrafix–TerriBalon-Bowden
Foradvertisinginformation,call(317)374-4995,(317)[email protected]
IndianapolisTennisMagazineispublishedthreetimesayearby CooperMediaGroup,LLC Bargersville,Indiana
Contactusat IndianapolisTennisMagazine P.O.Box21 Bargersville,IN46106
(317)918-0726;(317)422-4559fax;[email protected]
MaterialmaynotbeusedorreprintedwithoutpriorpermissionfromCooperMediaGroup,LLC.
Copyright®2013,CooperMediaGroup,LLCwww.indytennismag.com
IndianapolisTennisMagazineandtheIndianapolisTennisMagazinelogoareregisteredtrademarksofCooperMediaGroup,LLC.
IndianapolisTennisMagazineisthewinnerofMediaAwardsfromtheUSTA/MidwestSection(2007)andHamiltonCountyCommunityTennisAssociation(2008).
Making changes to Indianapolis Tennis Magazine
Seven years ago, we debuted Indianapolis Tennis Magazine. At the time, we had the goal of providing the best coverage possible of
the local tennis scene, from youth and adult leagues to profiles and features of local teaching pros and tennis newsmakers, and coverage of the IHSAA boys’ and girls’ state finals, as well as the (former) Indianapolis Tennis Championships.
From the feedback we’ve received since then – not to mention the ongoing support of the local tennis clubs and the movers and shakers within the local tennis community – I’d say we’ve succeeded. That makes it all the more difficult to announce that we have decided to suspend publication of Indianapolis Tennis Magazine following this issue.
This isn’t the magazine’s obituary – at least not just yet. Over the next few months we’ll be taking a hiatus to re-evaluate our strategies in several areas. Without a doubt, one of those will be whether to continue with a printed edition or switch to an e-version that would be pushed out to readers via email and through www.indytennismag.com.
The future of publishing, especially print, is tenuous at best. As reading habits have changed with the onset of the digital age, you’ve probably heard of many publications that have decided to make the move away from printed (hard) copies. Much of this has been driven by either reduction in advertising revenues or increased printing costs, while others have simply accepted the reality that those in our on-the-go society simply prefer to have their sources of information at their fingertips – literally – through their smart phones, tablets and computers.
I have to admit to being a little reticent in embracing move away from print. Having been brought up in the “old school” of journalism, primarily in the setting of a weekly newspaper, I always preferred to be able to hold a publication in my hands. The smell of the ink and paper only added to its character. Still, there are many other ancillary costs beyond printing that are part of the process of producing even a niche magazine like Indianapolis Tennis that ultimately impact the bottom line.
In the meantime, we will continue to provide ongoing news and updates through both our website (indytennismag.com) and Facebook page.
Whatever the final decision may be down the road, I’d like to thank everyone for their interest and support of Indianapolis Tennis Magazine!
ad inPUBLISHER’S COMMENTARY
www.indytennismag.com
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TENNIS HAPPENINGS FROM AROUND THE AREA
Bryans set for ‘EntouRaj’
The most-decorated doubles team in men’s tennis history will headline the 2013 “EntouRaj for Kids” on November 23. Bob and Mike Bryan
will join Carmel ATP Tour pro Rajeev Ram for his fourth annual fundraiser, which will be held at Carmel Racquet Club. The brothers have won multiple Olympic medals, including the Gold in 2012 and have won more games, matches, tournaments and grand slams than anyone in history. They have held the World No. 1 doubles players jointly for 310 weeks (as of May 6, 2013), which is longer than anyone else in doubles history. They have also finished the ATP year-end number 1 doubles team a record 8 times. Between 2005 and 2006, they set an Open Era record by competing in seven consecutive men’s doubles Grand Slam finals, three of which they won. Last April they recorded their Open Era record 800th match win.
Heading into Wimbledon, the Bryans had won a record 89 tour titles. They have a Career Golden Slam and 14 Slam titles overall, more than any team in the Open Era. These include the Australian Open (2006, 2007, 2009, 2010, 2011 and 2013); French Open (2003 and 2013); Wimbledon (2006, 2011), and the US Open (2005, 2008, 2010 and 2012). They won the gold medal at the 2012 Summer Olympics and the bronze medal at the 2008 Beijing Olympics. They also won the 2007 Davis Cup along with Andy Roddick and James Blake. The Bryans were named ATP Team of the Decade for 2000–2009 and have a 20–4 record in Davis Cup doubles matches.
As part of the event, the Bryans will host a series of clinics at Carmel Racquet Club the day of the fundraiser. The 2012 “EntouRaj for Kids”, with guest pro Brian Baker, raised more than $14,500 to help fund reading and tennis programs organized by the HCCTA in addition to a new “EntouRaj for Kids” scholarship for high school tennis players throughout the state. Keep checking www.indytennismag.com and www.hccta.org for more information as it becomes available.
news & notes Fundraiser benefits wheelchair tennisTeam USA wheelchair tennis standout Emmy
Kaiser was featured during a Tennis Up/Down Round Robin event last spring at the Indianapolis Jewish Community Center (JCC-Indy). The program featured eight wheelchair players and eight able-bodied players with NTRP ratings of 3.0-4.0. A little over $400 was raised during the event, which will be used to purchase a used tennis chair. Players from northern Indiana and Chicago also participated in the event. Court time was donated by JCC-Indy and tennis director Jason Suscha. The event was followed by beginner and advanced clinics on Sunday. Kaiser, from Cincinnati, is the top-ranked female wheelchair tennis player in America and has participated in major tournaments worldwide, including last year’s World Cup in South Africa and the Paralympic Games in London. She won the gold medal in doubles in the 2011 Parapan American Games, to go along with a silver medal in singles, and has twice played in the U.S. Open. She is currently pursuing a master’s degree in sport and exercise psychology from Ball State University.
Team USA Paralympian Emmy Kaiser serves during the fundraiserat JCC-Indy.
(Photo by Shawn Barney)
The USTA/Midwest Section has announced it will induct tennis legend Billie Jean King and USTA Board member Jon Vegosen into its Hall of
Fame during ceremonies on December 6 in Chicago, Illinois.
As one of the most celebrated tennis players in history, and one of the 20th century’s most respected women, King has dedicated her life to breaking barriers both on and off the tennis court. In 2009, she became the first female athlete to be awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom, our nation’s highest civilian honor. During her impressive tennis career, she won 39 Grand Slam titles (12 singles, 16 doubles, and 11 mixed doubles), including a record 20 titles at Wimbledon. King founded the Women’s Tennis Association (WTA) in 1973, Women’s Sports Foundation in 1974, and Women’s Sports Magazine in 1974.
USTA/Midwest set to induct Billie Jean King, Vegosen
(Con’t Page 9)
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Kurt
(pro)
Well-traveled tennis pro credits the influence of a tennis pioneer in shaping his teaching philosophies
A CLOSER LOOK AT METRO INDY TEACHING PROS AND COACHES
Born to U.S. Navy family in Coco Solo, Panama, Ehrhardt and his family eventually found their way to Brownsburg, Indiana after his father left the service. There he played high school tennis (he originally wanted to play football, while his tennis-playing parents thought he was too small and eventually persuaded him otherwise). And while tennis may not have been his first sports choice, it was the game’s competition angle that kept him interested and wanting to explore other aspects of the game even further.
It was during high school that he was introduced by seven-time Indiana State Tennis Champion Florence Cartlidge to Barbara Wynne and her fledgling Washington Township tennis program at North Central High School, where he became an instructor. A scholarship to Indiana State University followed where he had the opportunity to play, study and teach tennis under yet another influential state icon, Duane Klueh.
“At Washington Township I saw how I could improve my game through teaching, and I had the chance to go with the program to several teaching conferences in New York,” Ehrhardt explained. “That was really my springboard.”
Armed with a B.A. in French and Business from ISU, Kurt held tennis teaching positions in French Lick, Kokomo and Muncie until Germany beckoned him in 1980.
“I came to a point where I just didn’t feel challenged,” he said in explaining the move. “I liked languages, and I decided I wanted to develop my languages on the tennis court. I knew that tennis was one way I could have the opportunity of really learning the language correctly, while also living in the country itself, and not trying to rely on learning it from a textbook.
By Scott Cooper
EHRH
ARD
TOne might say Five Seasons Sports Club’s Kurt Ehrhardt is a fascinating person, which he prefers
to credit to a fascinating life. Indeed, the club’s Director of Men’s Tennis returned “home” in 2006 after 28 years of teaching tennis abroad, most of those being spent in Europe.
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“At the same time, I was fortunate because that was the beginning of the ‘golden era of tennis in Germany with Boris Becker and Steffi Graff.”
Ehrhardt took a position with the Vic Braden Tennis Academy, running two of the five camps in West Germany. A legendary player, coach and instructor, Braden is probably best known for his work in dissecting the biomechanics of tennis. When Braden eventually decided to close his camps, Kurt opened his own camp in Bavaria which led to new opportunities in tennis, this time as a writer and editor.
He had already been the youngest teaching pro (at age 22) to be published in the U.S. Professional Tennis Association’s (USPTA) Advantage magazine. Now he became a technical editor for the German magazine, Tennis Revue, where he had the longest-running monthly series, “En Detail”. He also co-authored with other contributing authors, including the coaches for Becker and Graff (Gunther Bosch and Pavel Slozil, respectively), as well as German Davis Cup coach Niki Pilic. Ehrhardt also wrote a series of stretching and fitness articles with Chris Evert for Tennis Revue, titled “Muskelheizung”, that incorporated the use of the tennis racquet.
“So, I always had a camp going, and then every Friday I’d drive to Munich for staff meetings,” he said. Ehrhardt also found time to make a video, titled Turbo Tennis, with the backing of the Erbacher Ski and Tennis Company.
Due to traveling and a health issue with one of his daughters, trips back to the U.S. were few and far between. In fact, there was a 10-year stretch, from 1996-2006 (when he eventually returned to the States for good) when his schedule and commitments were such that he wasn’t even able to find the opportunity to make the trip home.
Returning to Brownsburg, it wasn’t long before he was reunited with longtime friend and colleague P.A. Nilhagen, whom he first met during his teaching tenure in the Washington Township program. Not only did he rejoin that program, but Nilhagen also invited Kurt to join him at Five Seasons Sports Club.
Ehrhardt is still writing, this time partnering with Nilhagen to publish a comprehensive teaching manual based on Nilhagen’s “P.A. System”, while also working on a DVD titled “Optical Illusions in Pro Tennis” where he uses
Kurt Ehrhardt oversees the warm-up period for his annual “Spring Fling”, one of Five Seasons Sport Club’s most popular tennis activities.
Photos by Scott Cooper
video analysis to compare and contrast the stroke production of the tennis tour’s top players.
Braden’s study and research of the biomechanics of tennis continue to be an influence on Ehrhardt’s teaching philosophy, as well as Nilhagen’s long-successful target system.
“Braden is my mentor because, first of all, he’s a psychologist, which is very important in order to be a good teacher,” he said. “And also, when I first met him, he told me, ‘your job isn’t to teach, it’s to help the student understand how to learn’. And I liked his scientific approach to it. The way he was able to visually show the effect of the racquet angle on the ball, the spin, and the importance of the wrists and elbow angles, it totally excited me. I always base my teaching philosophy on him and always refer back to him.”
That has translated into Kurt’s teaching motto of “Learning is Winning”, as well as his cornerstone teaching axiom of “the height of the ball and your court position determine your target, and your target determines your technique.”
Ehrhardt believes he has the broadest tennis library of any pro, owing to his multiple language skills. And he’s not done yet as he masters his fifth language, Guarani, which is spoken in Paraguay where he still maintains a tennis and guest ranch.
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Location, location, locationCourtpositioningisalwayscriticalforgooddoublesplay
ByEarlAllen
on courtTIPS TO HELP IMPROVE YOUR GAME
Choose your strategy
The two up positioning is usually best for establishing the best offensive advantage at the net. It is the one most doubles players favor, especially those who serve-and-volley or chip-and-charge on the return. One player (A) should be covering the middle shot from the cross-court player while the partner (B) covers the down-the-line and lob. In this position the lob is the key shot you’ll need to be acutely aware of, as it’s the one shot that can put your side into a serious defensive attitude! If you and your partner hit a deep shot, be aware and alert for that lob and be ready to react. Learn to read the returning player’s racquet face; if you see it opening up, a lob is likely coming your way.
The two back scenario is a more defensive set that gives you and your partner a bit more time to prepare and execute your shots against an aggressive opponent. This is usually a transitional position – a means to an end – as you will likely try to regain an offensive
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When it comes to real estate, you often hear the most important thing is “location, location,
location”. Well, the same principle applies to playing doubles, where one of the most-repeated mantras for doubles is – court positioning is everything. Putting yourselves in the right positions, while getting your opponents out of theirs and opening up the court, is one of the most important strategies for winning doubles.
In this issue we’ll be looking at the advantages of three of those positions: two up; two back; and one up and one back.
advantage by moving to the more traditional one up and one back or to the more aggressive two up stance that we mentioned before. The third position, one up and one back, is one that most players are familiar with. You can take this positioning and then try and move forward to the front court and apply pressure to your opponents.
Different teams can and will employ any of these three options but you need to find out what works best for you and your partner. And don’t be surprised if you see or use all three during a single point! Changing up the game
When your partner is hitting or serving the ball, focus your eyes on your opponents, particularly the net player, and not your partner. Depending on the level of play, things can happen quickly and your lack of tracking could cost you the point. When facing hard-hitting players, try taking the speed off the ball by using backspin, lobbing, or chipping. By doing this, you can neutralize their rhythm and force them into making errors just by slowing things down for both you and your partner. An accurately-placed first serve is much more important than a weak or ill-placed second serve. It’s much easier to be offensive and get to the net by getting your first serve then trying to do so with attackable second serves. Unless you can hit bomb after bomb like Andy Roddick or John Isner, then you will only frustrate your partner as it not only inhabits his movements or aggression at
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For more than 20 years, King dominated the world of tennis. In 1973, King defeated Bobby Riggs in the most talked-about tennis match in history. The “Battle of the Sexes” was a turning point for women in athletics, proving that skill is not dependent upon gender. In 1971, she became the first female athlete in any sport to earn more than $100,000 in a single season, and in 1974, she became the first woman to coach a co-ed team in professional sports, the Philadelphia Freedoms. In 1984, King became the first woman commissioner in professional sports history. To honor her contributions to tennis, sports and society, the National Tennis Center was renamed the USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center in 2006. Vegosen currently serves on the USTA Board of Directors and is Chairman of the USTA Major Construction Oversight Committee and the Past Presidents Committee. In addition, he is Vice President of the International Tennis Federation (ITF), chairs the ITF’s Joint Media Commission, and is a member of the ITF Finance Committee. He also serves as a member of the USTA Serves and International Tennis Hall of Fame Board of Directors. Vegosen served as the USTA Chairman of the Board and President in 2011 and 2012. During Vegosen’s Presidency, the USTA carried out the largest youth tennis initiative in its history – 10 and Under Tennis. Vegosen also oversaw two of the most successful U.S. Opens in history and the unveiling of a strategic vision conceived by his predecessor to refurbish the grounds of the USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center to allow for growth for years to come. At the USTA/Midwest Section level, Vegosen served on the Junior Competition Committee, the Bylaws Committee, and as a Delegate at Large. He served as USTA/Midwest Section Vice President and Midwest Youth Tennis & Education Foundation (MYTEF) Vice President in 2006. Vegosen has played a significant role in raising funds for the USTA/Midwest Hall of Fame Charity Gala Auction to benefit MYTEF and the youth it serves. He served as Co-Chair or Honorary Chair of the Charity Benefit Gala Committee for several years.
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the net, but can also make him/her vulnerable and a sitting target (which he/she certainly won’t appreciate)! Also, spend time developing different types of serves such as a kick serve, slice serve, and the traditional flat serve. You may be surprised that some players may not like a certain serve and you won’t know that unless you can deliver that particular one. I know a player who always has a hard time returning a kick serve to his backhand, so guess which one I’m going to hit to him every time, even on a second serve? Communication in doubles is absolutely important. If you are an accurate server, be sure to take a few seconds before your serve and let your partner know where you are planning to serve and likewise get feedback about whether it might be a good time to poach. Remember, too, that a fake poach can be just as important as a committed one – that little, short and aggressive movement around the net could certainly influence the returner and force an error. One of my favorite sayings to my doubles players is “down the middle solves the riddle”. I really advocate hitting through the middle of the court, as it can often cause confusion on which player will take the shot. This also prevents them from hitting a crazy angled shot against you. If you watch any professional match, i.e., the recent French Open men’s doubles final, you will notice that both teams utilized this type of strategy quite often and effectively in that match. Conversely, take you and your partner out of that problem by communicating beforehand on which player will take those down-the-middle shots against you. On the return of serve, the cross-court return is always the most logical and safe shot, but there are other strategies that can work as well and change the complexion of the point quickly into your favor. Be the game changer by chipping short and cross court, or open your racquet face and lob down the line. Both are quite effective and can easily change the complexion of the point in your favor!
Earl Allen, USPTR, is a teaching pro at Community
Healthplex Sports Club.
news & notesCONTINUED FROM PAGE 5
USTA/Midwest set to induct Billie Jean King, Vegosen
Local player named to Team USARichard Noel of Indianapolis has been selected to represent Team USA in tennis in the 2013 Deaflympics in Sofia, Bulgaria. He joins two others from the USTA/Midwest Section, Jenny Woyahn and Howard Gorrell, as those chosen by the Tennis Committee of the USA Deaf Sports Federation to participate in the game.
Nearly 5,000 athletes from 80 countries are expected to compete in the game, which begin later this month. Noel, who plays out of West Indy Racquet Club, said he was at dinner with a friend when he received the notice over his cell phone. “I began clapping and thanking God,” he said. “Sports has taught me to be proud of my accomplishments and that anything is possible.”
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onfitness
focu
sUsing Pilates to help your tennis game? You bet! ByTom Jennings
Med,ATC,NASM-PES
focus on fitnessOFF-COURT STRATEGIES TO HELP YOUR GAME ON THE COURT
THERE ARE MANY DIFFERENT WAYS tennis players can “cross-train”, using other types of exercise to help improve their tennis game. One that’s gaining popularity is Pilates.
Top 5 Pilates exercises for tennis
There are many different exercises within Pilates that translate well for tennis players, but let’s take a look at what I consider the top five.
• Split squat twist (intermediate)
Start with your right leg forward and left leg back (both legs are straight). Keep a medicine ball in
front of you. Drop the back knee towards floor and twist to your right. Repeat with left leg forward,
twisting to left.
The high speed and high impact nature of tennis means more wear and tear on the joints,
particularly if you’re playing on harder surfaces. Tennis players need strong stabilizing muscles in
order to cope with all the stopping and starting.
• Side plank hip abduction (advanced)
Start in side plank position- feet stacked, elbow under shoulder, hips up, and top arm parallel with lower arm. Raise the top leg up and slightly back, then, lower. Repeat on other side.
Side plank hip abduction is a great exercise for tennis because it strengthens the shoulders, stabilizers and lateral hips. Shoulders are susceptible to injury in tennis, especially with serving. Strong rotator cuff muscles are essential to stabilize and mobilize the shoulders through the range of movement required to serve with power. Weakness in the lateral hips can create knee, hip and low back pain. This exercise helps to strengthen both.
What is Pilates?
Pilates has grown immensely in popularity over the past decade. However, I still run across people who are not familiar with it. Or, they think it is more of a stretching type program. In at nutshell, Pilates is a total body conditioning program that focuses on the development of strength, providing stability, mobility, and balance for the entire body.
It is an exercise system that keeps the body balanced and is essential to provide support and mobility for the spine, legs and arms. Pilates teaches awareness of spinal alignment with deep core muscle recruitment that is essential for care and prevention of back pain, the rehabilitation of many musculoskeletal problems, and improvement of athletic and physical performance.
How can Pilates benefit tennis players?
Pilates is a great complement to many sports, including tennis, and many athletes are making Pilates an integral part of their fitness program to enhance performance, improve technique, and keep their bodies strong and injury free.
Pilates is excellent for hip, back, shoulder and leg strength. Most of the power in tennis comes from the large hip and leg muscles. Not to mention the speed and agility needed to get around the court. Improving strength and stability in the hips and knees will translate to more power, speed and agility on the court. Increased shoulder strength
will also help with more power, but more importantly prevent rotator cuff injuries and tennis elbow.
Improving leg strength will also help prevent upper and lower extremity injuries. We often see lower leg, back, shoulder, and elbow injuries because of weak legs. If the legs are weak, the back and shoulders have to provide the power. They get over-worked, break down and cause injury.
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• Quadraped twist (beginner)
Start in all four-point position. Place right hand on right ear, and extend opposite leg back. Bring right elbow towards left knee- trying to touch elbow to knee but don’t force. Repeat 10-15x
and try on opposite side. This looks easier then it is!
In tennis, much of the power comes from rotation and extension throughout the spine. To produce these movements, you need
a balance of stability and mobility. The quadraped is a great way to improve shoulder, hip and spine stability and mobility.
• Seated trunk rotation (advanced)
Keep the abdominals pulled inward and spine in neutral (don’t let lower back arch). Move the ball from side to side, trying to touch the floor with ball. If you feel this in lower back then stop. You should feel this in the abdominals.
Obviously, in tennis there is a lot of twisting, and some of the power in tennis comes from our torso. It is necessary to prepare the body for all of the twisting by including twisting-type exercises. They also help to improve mobility in the spine, which is just as important as stability.
• Single leg bridge (intermediate)
Start with hips on floor. Pull abdominals inward, and raise one leg off ground. Pull toes up on support leg. Raise hips off ground and focus on using the glute (butt) muscles to lift you off floor. Lower to floor and repeat again. Repeat on opposite side.
Much of the power in tennis comes from the legs, especially the glutes. In addition, many of the low back, hip and knee injuries can be attributed to weak glutes. This is a simple and effective way to strengthen your glutes.
O’Fit Performance Therapy and Fitness in Indianapolis is now offering Pilates on Tuesday evenings (6:15-7:15 p.m.) and Wednesday afternoons (noon-1 p.m.). One-on-one sessions are also available.
Contact Ceci Jennings ([email protected]) for more information or call (317) 691-8998.
You can also visit www.ofithealth.com for more information and click on our YouTube link for exercise videos.
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Players, meet your ‘Nemesis’
By SCOTT COOPER
Numerous people have tried over the years to build a better mousetrap, but few have tried to build a better tennis ball machine. Enter Rich Correll and Vince Rizzo, the principals behind the Nemesis Tennis Ball Machine.
The back story is a familiar one. When Correll decided to take up tennis seven years ago, he wanted to buy a ball machine in order to hit as many balls as possible and maximize his practice time. After doing extensive research into which of the many models on the market and buying the one he believed would best meet his needs, he quickly found several areas in which it could be improved.
“When I bought it I thought, ‘Everybody should have a ball machine; it’s a great way to hit a lot of balls’,” he explained. “And when I was at the courts I would have several people come up and want to try it. So I saw first-hand this interest in ball machines.”
Two years later, when one of the machine’s parts broke, his attempts to interact with the company made him realize it was sorely lacking in the type of online marketing savvy that could really make their product even more attractive, not to mention a few tweaks to the machine itself.
“I proposed buying 50 units if they’d simply change the name from some jumble of letters and numbers and a few other things,” Correll added. The company’s response wasn’t quite enthusiastic, but they did offer to make Correll a distributor. “I looked at the wholesale price sheet and realized that wasn’t what I wanted to do. They wanted to keep everything the same, whereas I wanted to change a few things in order to sell more units.”
Even more investigation and research into the worldwide tennis ball machine market led to the discovery of a Chinese-made unit that Correll initially felt held some promise. The company listened to his suggestions on how to improve the unit and shipped one over.
“I finally put it on the tennis court, and the remote is like a big walkie-talkie with a huge antenna,” he said. “And then it would spray balls everywhere – long, short, wide, over the fence.”
Thecombinationofa“tennisguy”(RichCorrell,left)andan“engineeringguy”(VinceRizzo)hasclickedtoformapartnershipthathasdevelopedthe“nextbigthing”intennisballmachines,theNemesis.
(PhotobyScottCooper)
Local entrepreneurs entering the tennis ball machine market
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Correll figured there was one more thing he could do – have the machine reverse-engineered to see how much it would cost to actually try to build one himself that would include all of the features he desired. An overture to the engineering company to become a partner in the venture was met with resistance, still leaving Correll with the need to find someone with the technical and engineering know-how.
Sell a boat, find a ball machine
As an engineer, Vince Rizzo had already enjoyed several successes, including a high-end telescope. But he also had a boat he was trying to sell on Craig’s List. At the same time he was listing his boat, another post looking for an engineering-type to help with a sports machine caught his eye.
“I thought I’d just look over the classifieds, and (Correll) had just placed the ad,” explained Rizzo, who’s starting to learn the game through Correll. “So, since I’m always involved in different projects, I thought I’d respond to it. I’d been doing engineering for 40 years, mostly the medical device field, which is very controlled, so I’m always looking for entrepreneurial things to do. This is a non-regulated industry, so it gives me a lot more space to work in from an engineering standpoint.”
“I had several calls about the ad, but there was this one guy (Vince) who called, and after talking with him he seemed very ‘right’ for this kind of machine development,” Correll said. “For him, this was like kindergarten; a device that throws tennis balls at high speeds.”
An equal partnership was developed, with Correll being the “tennis guy” and Rizzo the “engineering guy”. And, two years and three prototypes later, the Nemesis Tennis Ball Machine is ready to meet the public through a series of “road shows” around the country this summer.
“When I look at where it is, versus my initial intent, it’s far superior to what I expected,” Correll acknowledged. “As a tennis guy, the end product is going to be a little more costly than I had wanted ($2,799 per unit), but when you see its features, it blows away the traditional machines like the Playmate Lobster or the SpinFire Pro 2. It’s just a better ball machine.”
The hopper atop the machine can hold at least 300 balls, and a selector interface on the backside (designed by Rizzo) lets the user choose between several play modes, from simple groundstrokes – with varying degrees of top- and backspin to a Baseline-Volley-Overhead warm up drill (through built-in speakers, a voice (Correll’s wife) prompts the player to “come to the net for volleys” and then “clear balls from the net and prepare for overheads”).
While most other ball machines require a few minutes to dial in the proper depth, Nemesis is designed to deliver the ball to a pre-determined space on the court, further maximizing the workout.
Incorporating sonar technology
In its second phase, Nemesis will have net-mounted ultrasonic devices and a sensor pad that will challenge players on how well they target different areas of the court based on their positioning. Rizzo said he looked at several detection options, including lasers and sound.
“The player will wear a key fob, which also acts as a remote, and the court is zoned,” Correll explained. “When the player moves on the court, the ball machine selects one of four shots in a millisecond and shoots it to player as a challenge ball. We currently hold the patent for using sonar ball-throwing technology. The initial Nemesis will simply be the better ball machine, taking it to another level, but (Phase II) will be the real market-killer. We have the patented technology to make Nemesis evolutionary.
Twoyearsindevelopment,thedevelopersoftheNemesis Tennis Ball Machine hopetoultimatelycapture1%ofthe$5.4billiontennisequipmentmarketintheU.S.
(PhotobyCassandraWood)
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Theballhopperstowsawayneatlyatoptheunit,whichcanbecustomizedwithvariouscolorsandmolded-ingraphics.
(PhotobyCassandraWood)
“So, we already have a Swiss Army Knife ball machine that will work great and do a lot of cool things,” he added. “Then, when we have cash flow and lessons learned, we’ll come out with the next one. And if something happens and we have issues, we still have our basic ball machine to fall back on.”
Another concept on the drawing board is a smaller, lightweight, and cheaper version, nicknamed “Nemi” (with a heart dotting the “i”), that would be geared toward the women’s market. Yet another is a commercial version of Nemesis aimed at tennis clubs, which would be able to be networked among several courts.
Through various contacts, Correll has already aroused the interest of Tennis Channel founder (and fellow Hoosier) Steve Bellamy, who also owns several tennis clubs in southern California, as well as Howard Moore at the Saddlebrook Resort.
The team still has a few issues to resolve, most notably including increasing the power of the portable battery.
“This machine does so much,” Rizzo said in discussing the various engineering challenges. “The technology was one thing, along with the wireless capability and getting the right speed and feel on the ball. I built several prototypes just to study the control of the ball to get it to be the best in the industry. Then there’s the court-positioning system (Phase II). Yet we still wanted to make it as simple and easy to use as possible. So, each one was its own challenge; a little hurdle.”
Taking the machine to the people
The next key is to take the machine on the road later this summer and fall to both demonstrate it and generate interest among the tennis community.
“We can talk, talk, talk, but actually playing it is the sealer,” Correll said. Initial reaction from players at all levels – from beginners to high level – has been extremely positive. “Beginners have fun and see the value of having and using a ball machine, but the high-level players say it’s the best ball they’ve ever seen out of a ball machine. Unlike other machines, Nemesis will put enough spin on the ball that it’ll bite and kick off the court. And this is the only machine with three levels of play.
ItsprogrammingwilldistanceNemesisfromthecompetition,withavarietyofsettingsandprogramsforthebeginning,intermediateandadvancedplayer.
(PhotobyCassandraWood)
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“With Vince’s programming, you’re always looking at a parameter that keeps the playability high,” Correll noted. “It can be programmed for short balls, slice, baseline balls, and we have a warm-up program.
Correll has a lengthy list of people who’ve expressed interest in trying the demo model, including a potential investor in New York. Although the tennis ball machine isn’t broken out specifically, it’s lumped into the overall $5.4 billion U.S. tennis equipment market-place. With Nemesis, Correll and Rizzo are hoping to capture just 1% of that. But, as with any large-scale business endeavor, money ultimately drives the process. Correll estimates they’ve already invested nearly $100,000 in the design and development of Nemesis, and they’re actively looking for a $400,000 investment that would include a one-third equity stake.
Besides money, time is another factor since both Correll and Rizzo are doing this as a part-time endeavor. “We both have to make a living, but we’ve reached the point where, if we can raise the capital we can start getting the tooling done and begin selling units so we can satisfy our investors,” Correll said.
For the time being, though, demonstration videos can be found on YouTube, and more information will be rolled out later this summer through www.nemesistennis.com.
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Following the interview, I had a chance to try out Nemesis for myself. In the “Warm Up” program,
what struck me right off the bat was how the ball set up in the perfect hitting zone and at the right depth – no need to waste balls while dialing in the machine.
After about 20 or so shots, both forehand and backhand, the selector was moved to “BVL Drill” – baseline, volley and lob. The baseline phase moves the ball around a lot more, spreading the shots wider along the baseline than in the warm-up program. Then the machine prompted, “Come to net; prepare for volleys”. Again, the balls sit up at the perfect position so you can concentrate on technique rather than trying to guess where the feed is coming from. Then I was prompted to “Clear balls from the net; prepare for lobs”, where the feeds stayed primarily mid-court.
All in all, Nemesis is a “hit”. Should funding come through and development continue, Rich Correll and Vince Rizzo are on to something unique and special!
Scott Cooper
On the court with Nemesis
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Neither rain (nor Floyd Central) can stop Carmel girls
Undefeated season lifts Greyhounds to sixth team championship
After a spring that saw numerous practices and matches either cancelled or postponed due to rain, cold, and – yes – even snow, it was only fitting that the Indiana High School Athletic Association (IHSAA) girls’ state
tennis finals were moved indoors due to weather.
But for Carmel High School, Mother Nature was just another foe to be conquered as the Greyhounds swept to their third state team title in five years with a 4-1 win over Floyd Central High School in the tournament final at the Indianapolis Racquet Club.
The championship was the sixth in the team’s history and put second-year head coach Mike Bostic in select company as only the second coach to win IHSAA titles in both boys’ and girls’ tennis, joining Park Tudor coach Dave Heffern.
“They’re all special,” Bostic said of his sixth coaching title. “They’re all unique because you have a different group of kids, a different set of opponents, and a different road to it. So, you just have to take it one step at a time.”
After having defeated Fort Wayne Carroll in the quarterfinal round (5-0) and then dispatching defending champ Evansville Memorial in the semifinal (4-1), Carmel wasted little time in securing the three points it needed to claim the title, dominating all three of the singles positions.
“You never know what’s going to happen,” Bostic said when asked if winning the singles courts were a foregone conclusion given that his three girls had posted a combined record of 56-1 heading into the state finals. “Obviously, we were a pretty darn good one, two and three today, but I felt pretty good about the doubles, too. They’ve gotten better throughout the season, so we felt like we were balanced and strong at every position.”
By SCOTT COOPER
THE CARMEL GIRLS celebrate their third state
championship in five years and the school’s
sixth overall.
JUNIOR BAILEY PADGETT capped a 22-0 season at
No. 1 singles with a 6-2, 6-2 win in the
final match.
MOLLY FLETCHALL’S 6-2, 6-2 win at No. 3 singles locked up the title for the Greyhounds.
A freshman, LAURYN PADGETT got the Greyhounds on the board first with a quick 6-0, 6-1 win at No. 2 singles.
A pair of freshmen,
MARY VOIGT (volleying) and EMMA LOVE were 6-1, 6-4 winners at No. 2 doubles in the championship match.
Freshman CLAIRE REIFEIS paced a young North Central squad to the state finals,
where the Panthers lost to defending state champ Evansville Memorial, 4-1.
Freshman Lauryn Padgett was off the court quickly with a 6-0, 6-1 win over Alexis Applegate at No. 2 singles, followed by sister Bailey, who was a 6-2, 6-2 winner over Olivia Boesing at No. 1 singles. Barely thirty seconds later, Molly Fletchall staked Carmel’s claim to the title with a 6-2, 6-2 No. 3 singles win over Alex Jamison.
The teams split the two doubles courts, with Floyd Central’s team of Whitney Batliner and Dana Frank defeating Carmel’s Linnea Peters and Amy Brentlinger, 6-2, 6-3. Carmel’s No. 2 doubles duo of freshmen Emma Love and Mary Voigt topped Katherine Dauby and Erin Patterson, 6-1, 6-4.
Area schools well represented
Metro-area schools made up half of the eight teams that advanced to the state finals. Greenwood made its second straight trip to the quarterfinal round, led by Jackie and Jade Kawamoto, before falling to Floyd Central, 3-2. North Central lost a 4-1 decision to Evansville Memorial, and Park Tudor lost, 4-1, to Penn.
The Mental Attitude Award was presented to Evansville Memorial’s Macie Elliott, last year’s state singles champion, who played No. 1 doubles this season for the Tigers.
(PhotosbyScottCooper)
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Girls’ All-State teams announced(PhotosbyScottCooper)
Greenwood’s JACKIE
KAWAMOTO helped to
lead her team to its second
straight trip to the state finals, but the Woodmen lost a 3-2 decision to Floyd Central.
T he Indiana High School Tennis Coaches Association
(IHSTeCA) has released its post-tournament listing of girls who have been named to All-State teams in singles and doubles, as well as those selected to the All-Academic team. Those representing Indianapolis metropolitan schools are:
SINGLES – FIRST TEAM: Kaily Eaton (Fishers); Brigitte Hodge (Park Tudor); Kelly Iden (Hamilton Southeastern); Jackie Kawamoto (Greenwood); Grace Koscielski (Cathedral); Grace Langford (Avon); Bailey Padgett (Carmel); and Claire Reifeis (North Central).
SINGLES – SECOND TEAM: Leah Bullock (Ritter); Veronica Clark (Lawrence Central); Meghann Fitzpatrick (Mooresville); Emily Jones (Center Grove); Jade Kawamoto (Greenwood); and Lauryn Padgett (Carmel).
DOUBLES – FIRST TEAM: Caroline Combs/Meredith Goshell (Cathedral); Hannah Hook/Kristen Conoley (Franklin); Hannah Klapper/Ali Lebovits (Park Tudor). DOUBLES – SECOND TEAM: Shelby Hornback/Emily Doehrman (Brownsburg); Olivia Ruthsatz/Ellen Hornett (Fishers); Maddy Ochs/Mallory Noble (Hamilton Southeastern); and Allison Himes/Mackenzie Spicer (Lawrence Central).
ACADEMIC ALL-STATE – FIRST TEAM: Roshni Bag, Victoria Kreyden & Melanie Metzman (University); Sarah-Kate Brenner (Alexandra); Kailey Eaton & Olivia Ruthsatz (Fishers); Claire Gallman (Greenwood); Mikala Hillis (Avon); Hannah Huxhold (Bishop Chatard); Bailey Jackman (Plainfield); Emily Jones, Abby Long, Grace Neathery & Hollis VanFossen (Center Grove); Maddy Ochs (Hamilton
Southeastern); Andie Reinhart (Southport); Marlow Rumreich (Lawrence North); Marie Schloneger (North Central); and Kristen Swanson (Lawrence Central).
The Academic All-State team is comprised of seniors who have been nominated by their coaches. Players must have played in at least 50% of their team’s varsity matches; must have at least a score of 1100 on the 1600 SAT, 1650 on the 2400 SAT, or 24 on the ACT; and must have at least a 3.6 GPA on a 4.0 scale. The IHSTeCA has established an index based on previous years’ results, and all girls who meet or exceed the index are chosen for Academic All-State. The GPA counts for 40% of the final score; the SAT/ACT score counts for the remaining 60%.
For a complete listing of the Singles, Doubles, and Academic All-State teams, including honorable mentions, please see www.ihsteca.com.
Carmel’s LINNEA PETERS (left) and
AMY BRENTLINGER gave up the team’s only point in the final match,
falling 6-2, 6-3.
Park Tudor advanced to the state finals through the Center Grove semistate with sophomore BRIGITTE HODGE at No. 1 singles. The Panthers lost in the quarterfinal round, 4-1, to Penn.
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(PhotosbyScottCooper)
Pearson Ford OpenNick Chappell takes singles title at Woodstock Club event
Indianapolis’ own Nick Chappell seemingly owned the clay at the annual Pearson Ford Open, dropping just 13 games over four matches in rolling to the singles title at the four-day event held for the third year at Woodstock
Club. The former IHSAA state singles champion and current junior at Texas Christian University added his name to the list of previous winners that includes Bryan Smith, Brandon Currie, and Rajeev Ram.
Getting service breaks in the third game of each set, the second-seeded Chappell was in cruise mode over third-seeded Joel Kielbowicz, 6-2, 6-2. Kielbowicz, the 2010 winner, found himself the runner up for the second straight year.
“I didn’t serve as well as in other matches in the tournament, but I was hitting my forehand really well and controlling the points,” Chappell said in evaluating his play. “I’ve been working on being more aggressive the last year, and I think it’s starting to pay off in tournaments.”
Speaking of the payoff, Chappell earned $4,000 for his title; however, since he’s still an amateur, that can only be applied to any expenses incurred for the tournament. Kielbowicz earned $2,000 as a finalist, but he picked up another $1000 as he and Malcolm Harrison came back later in the afternoon to beat Chappell and his brother, Paul, 6-3, 6-3 in the doubles final for their second straight title.
The tournament’s top seed, Clement Reix of France, entered into the event with an ATP Tour ranking of 404, but was forced to retire during his semifinal match with Kielbowicz due to injury.
By SCOTT COOPER
Nick Chappell came into the Pearson Ford Open as the number two seed, but ended
up number one at the end with a 6-2,
6-2 win in the event’s championship match.
He lost in last year’s semifinal to eventual champion Ruben Gonzalez, but
Nick Chappell hoisted the trophy last month as the
2013 singles champion. With Chappell is Woodstock head
tennis pro Brian Hagman.
Michigan’s Joel Kielbowicz, who won the singles title in 2010, fell in the championship match for the second straight year, but did win the doubles title with Malcolm Harrison for the second consecutive year.
Clement Reix of France, making his first appearance in the Pearson Ford Open, came into the event with an ATP Tour ranking of 404 and was designated as the top seed.
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Steady as she goesGreenwood’s Kawamoto claims girls’ singles state title
Greenwood’s Jackie Kawamoto and her coach, Steve Gantz, had a sound strategy heading into the championship match of the Indiana High School Athletic Association (IHSAA) girls’ singles tournament against Carmel’s
Bailey Padgett: the longer the match, the better her chances.
“We knew that Bailey could smack the ball so well, a good pace player and good server, so we knew we had to keep it out of her hitting zone,” Gantz explained. “I told Jackie we want a three-and-a-half hour match – a long, drawn-out match.”
The first set certainly worked in their favor, although eight straight service breaks started the set before Padgett was able to hold at 5-4. But it was the 11th game of the set that would be the difference maker as Padgett fell to the ground with a left calf cramp during her service game. Afterward, she said that a two-week battle with mononucleosis had left her legs – and her game – a little wobbly.
She was able to finish out the game with a hold after a medical timeout, but Kawamoto charged back to force a tiebreak, which she would ultimately win, 7-5.
The second set was completely different. While Padgett tried to shorten the points by going for winners, Kawamoto stuck to the new plan, angling off short shots and keeping the injured Padgett moving.
“Jackie did what she does best, she moved the ball around,” Gantz added. “She doesn’t beat herself.”
The result was a 6-1 second set and the first girls’ tennis singles championship for the Woodmen, which equaled Chris Herron’s accomplishment for the boys’ team in 2006.
Kawamoto said her semifinal match, a 7-5, 6-3 win over Hamilton Southeastern’s Kelly Iden, helped her prepare for the final.
“I thought I learned a lot from that match, especially about how to approach players at this level,” she said. “I just needed to stay with them and keep the ball in play.”
Padgett, whose pain was somewhat eased by the team title she helped Carmel win just a week earlier, admitted to a “shaky” start to the match.
“Both (Kawamoto) and Leah (Barnes of Fort Wayne Canterbury, whom she defeated 6-0, 6-4 in her semifinal) are completely different players, so I knew I’d have to change something,” she said. “I thought I had a pretty good strategy at the end of the first set, but obviously…”.
For Kawamoto, the title capped a 28-0 season that also saw her lead her team to the state finals for the second season in a row.
By SCOTT COOPER
Greenwood’s Jackie Kawamoto stayed steady all weekend and put an exclamation mark on an undefeated season with her first singles state title.
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Fort Wayne Canterbury’s Barnes defeated Iden in the consolation match, 6-7, 6-3, 6-3. Iden needed three sets to top North Central freshman Claire Reifeis in the quarterfinal round, 6-3, 3-6, 6-3.
Doubles to Evansville Memorial
Macie Elliott, who already had a state singles title in her bag from the 2011 season, added the doubles championship, teaming with Brenna Wu for Evansville Memorial’s third team
doubles title. The two seniors, who also led the Tigers to the team championship last year, ended a perfect 23-0 season with a 6-3, 6-1 win over Park Tudor’s Hannah Klapper and Ali Lebovits.
Klapper and Lebovits had advanced to the final match with a 6-4, 6-1 quarterfinal win over Miranda Camp and Nicole Howe of Terre Haute South and then backed that up with a 6-0, 6-3 victory over defending state runners-up Elizabeth Maxson and Audrey Rang of Fort Wayne Bishop Dwenger.
Indianapolis Cathedral’s doubles team of Caroline Combs and Meredith Goshell won their first-round match against Sydney Anderson and Sara Vanderkolk of Columbus North, 6-2, 6-0, before losing a three-setter in Elliott and Wu in the quarterfinals, 5-7, 7-5, 6-2.
A state champion just a week earlier in the team tournament, Carmel’s Bailey Padgett had to settle for runner-up in the singles final.
Kelly Iden of Hamilton Southeastern lost in the semifinal to eventually
champion Jackie Kawamoto and then dropped a three-setter to
Fort Wayne Canterbury’s Leah Barnes in the consolation match.
Hannah Klapper (volleying) and Ali Lebovits had the home court advantage, but the Park Tudor duo fell in the doubles championship final to Evansville Memorial’s Macie Elliott and Brenna Wu.
Caroline Combs (left) and Meredith Goshell of Cathedral lost in the quarterfinals to
Evansville Memorial, 5-7, 7-5, 6-2.
Macie Elliott (foreground), the 2011 state singles champion, teamed with Brenna Wu to win the doubles title for Evansville Memorial with a 6-3, 6-1 win over Park Tudor.
Photos by Scott Cooper
North Central freshman Claire Reifeis’ run in the state singles tournament ended with a 6-3, 3-6, 6-3 quarter final loss to Kelly Iden.
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South girls top North for ICGSA All-Star Cup
HCCTA honors adults, students for achievements
C enter Grove High School hosted the North vs. South High School All-Star Tennis Cup matches on June 9. Twenty-four graduating seniors competed in this 15th annual event, organized by the Indiana Coaches of
Girls Sports Association under co-chairs Sharon Rosenburgh and Debby Burton.
After three rounds of competition in both singles and doubles, the South team came out on top, 37-17. Coaching the South were Mark Noe of Indianapolis Cathedral and Ray Trapp of Evansville Memorial.
The victorious South squad was made up of Emily Doehrman (Brownsburg); Simone Deighan (Cathedral); Emily Jones, Abby Long, Kimber Marsh and Grace Neathery (Center Grove); Macie Elliott, Rachel Swartwood and Brenna Wu (Evansville Memorial); Kristen Conoley (Franklin Community); Meghann Fitzpatrick (Mooresville); Gretchen Wilder (Oldenburg Academy); and Morgan Riley (Jeffersonville). Jones, Neathery, Wu, Conoley, and Wilder went undefeated in their three contests to lead the South’s victory.
Playing for the North All-Stars were Marianne Sergi and Morgan Paras (Bishop Chatard); Natalie Alexander, Ashley Loffer and Marissa Morris (Delta); Allyson Davis and Jenna Dickerson (Lebanon); Kelsi Tammen (Mt. Vernon); Ada Kirby (Muncie Central); Madelyn Lee and Haley Meekhof (Penn); and Paige Heuer (Munster). They were coached by Eric Bowers of Penn and Matt DeVault from Alexandria.
Coaches in attendance also voted for District Coaches of the Year. Honorees were District 1 - Bill Heuer (Munster); District 2 - Eric Bowers (Penn); District 3 - Mike Teders (Mooresville); District 4 - Steve Gantz (Greenwood); and District 5 - Scott Yarbrough (Jasper). Heuer was chosen as Indiana State Coach of the Year.
T he Hamilton County Community Tennis Association (HCCTA) held its 19th Annual Awards Luncheon early last
month, recognizing business groups, adults and students who made significant contributions to the group’s success over the last year.
Director Helen Petersen gave an overview of the group’s accomplishments, noting that 416 Hamilton County kids were able to participate in HCCTA’s increasingly popular School’s Tennis program. A new program this summer is a series of “Play Days” at Carmel High School for the Special Olympics, which will be the
The South All-Stars captured the 15th annual All-Star Tennis Cup, played at Center Grove High School. (Photo courtesy of Dan McNally)
Kelsey Sigman (left), Jamie Masnyk (center) and Amy Brentlinger were honored for their work as student volunteers and as recipients of HCCTA scholarships.
2013 TENNIS LEAGUES
For more information contact Toby Gaynor at 317.844.6105 or [email protected].
www.centralindiana.usta.com
www.centralindiana.usta.comGet in the Game!
Team Registration Open: Now through July 22nd
Match Dates: August 5th to September 9th
Cost: $25 per player – balls are not provided
Format: 1 singles/2 doubles
League Info: Only 5 players are needed to form a team. GAP offers a chance to continue to play summer matches with friends. Matches do not count toward NTRP ratings. All play is in the Indianapolis area
GAP LEAGUE
Team Registration Open: August 5th through August 30th
Match Dates: September 23rd to November/December
Cost: $30 per player; $13.25 per match paid to the facility at the time of play
Format: 3 doubles courts
League Info: Enjoy tennis this fall playing doubles with your friends. Six players are necessary to form a team. All NTRP combinations are valid as long as they do not exceed the desired play level. Winning teams do progress to playoffs; however, matches do not count toward year-end NTRP ratings.
COMBO
Team Registration Open: Now through July 22nd
Match Dates: August 5th to mid-September
Cost: $49.50 per player – balls, awards, playoff fees included
Format: 3 doubles courts (one each at 3.5, 4.0, and 4.5)
League Info: Only 6 players are needed to form a team. Tri-Level offers a chance to with friends of varying NTRP levels. Matches do count toward year-end ratings. All play is in the Indianapolis area.
TRI-LEVEL
only adaptive tennis program in the Midwest. Carmel High School girls’ tennis team member Molly Fletchall is coordinating the program.
Along with Carmel ATP Tour pro Rajeev Ram, the HCCTA stages the annual “EntouRaj for Kids” fundraiser, which brought in $14,500 last December to benefit the group’s reading scholarship programs. Also this year, Ram created the EntouRaj for Kids Scholarship to benefit high school players from throughout the state. The inaugural recipients were Sarah Brenner, Alexandria-Monroe; Ashely Garner, Crispus Attucks; Luke Garrison, Fort Wayne Carroll; Morgan Reilly, Jeffersonville; Claire Schroeder, Mt. Vernon; and Hailey Stiver, Concord.
The Glick Family Foundation was recognized as the Corporation of the Year, with Steve Schneider and Libby Padgett receiving adult volunteer recognition awards. Amy Brentlinger, Jamie Masnyk and Kelsey Sigman were recognized both as student volunteers, as well as HCCTA scholarship recipients.
The HCCTA honored Libby Padgett (left) and Steve Schneider for their contributions to the group during the past year.
(Photos by Scott C
ooper)
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24This page is compliments of the Indianapolis Junior Tennis Development Fund
Kathy Shaw received the Connie Held Spirit of Volunteerism Award from Kathy Risacher (left) and Andrew Held.
Mark Noe (left) presented the Marianne Nilhagen Award to Simone Deighan.
Michael Makio, with Dan Brunette (left) and Andrew Held, received the Dr. Greg Millis Memorial Scholarship.
Mark Kite (right) was the recipient of the Ann Schafer Award, presented by Steve Wakefield.
Barbara Wynne presented Kate Booker with the Rita Stoeppelwerth Memorial Scholarship.
Photos by Scott Cooper
The annual Connie Held Spirit Dinner, held at the
Barbara S. Wynne Tennis Center, not only paid recognition to those adults and juniors within the local tennis community who had made significant achievements, but also took time out to remember local tennis legend and national champion Jack Bradshaw.
Although Bradshaw, who passed away last December, took up tennis late in life, he attacked it with an indescribable passion. He would go on to win several national championships, was a fixture at many local tournaments as he continued to study the game, and was selected for the U.S. national team that competed for the International Tennis Federation’s Gardnar Mulloy Cup in Turkey in 2010. Barbara Wynne, Steve Mackell and Kylee Johnson announced that a new tennis camp would be established in Bradshaw’s name.
Jack Bradshaw remembered at Spirit Dinner
Others honored during the evening were:
• RonnieSchneider&KellyIden – Stan Malless Award• KathyShaw – Connie Held Spirit of Volunteerism• CarleyPrimavera&AndrewStutz – Connie Held North Central Award• MichaelMakio – Dr. Greg Millis Memorial Scholarship• MarkKite – Ann Schafer Award• SimoneDeighan – Marianne Nilhagen Award• DanRodefeld&CharlieEmhardt – Super Doubles Award• KateBooker – Rita Stoeppelwerth Memorial Scholarship• BrookeAustin&BaileyPadgett – Dottie Meyer Memorial Scholarship• SameerKumar – Kurt Freudenthal Memorial Scholarship
Several up-and-coming juniors were also recognized for their participation in the 10 and Under tennis program, and the Indianapolis Junior Tennis Development Fund made a donation to the Indianapolis Chapter of the National Junior Tennis League.
