1st Serve - Tennis Manitoba

FALL2012erveTHE OFFICIAL PUBLICATION FOR TENNIS MANITOBABack to School & IndoorTennis Fun / Pros inWinnipeg at ManshieldITF Futures / 2012Manitoba Open RevisitedJunior “Snapshots” /Coach Shares Progressive TennisEXPERIENCE / Tennis &theMeaning of “love”

ContentsMessage from the Executive Director 3Back to School, Back to Indoor Tennis Fun! 4Manshield ITF Pro Circuit Event 52012 Manitoba Open Recap 6Junior High Performance Snapshots 8Coaches Corner 12The Meaning of “Love” in Tennis 14A Message From OurExecutive DirectorI can hardly believe the summer is nearing its end! Thesummer has been a wonderful whirl of the adult, junior androokie tours, clinics, club lessons and leagues and specialevents (with a few remaining, such as the Manshield ITFFutures and the Sharon Pollack Tennis Marathon) led andsupported by many.A personal highlight was the privilege of working with anexceptional team of summer employees: Alex Lesiuk (AdultTour Liaison), Saul Shrom (Junior Tour Liaison), Clarissa Chen(Special Events and Marketing Coordinator), Sean Bailey(Communications and Marketing Coordinator) and Erika Fridrik(Community Tennis Development Coordinator). They are eachprevious high performance juniors in the midst of their collegecareers. Their passion to give back to their tennis communityand excellence in their work will have a lasting impact. Theyhave added to the Board’s wise efforts toward strengtheningTennis Manitoba’s (TM’s) infrastructure after years of change.This stabilization will set TM up to effectively and increasinglyassist the communities and growth of tennis in Manitoba.Boardof DirectorsPresidentBruce WaschukVice-PresidentMohamed IsmathTreasurerGlen ZiprickCommunity Development Committee ChairTrevor SkidmoreCompetitive Structures Committee ChairDavid ScrapneckHigh Performance Committee ChairHeath VermetteResource Development Committee ChairDavid BlattMember at LargeJake BergenMember at LargeMarni MillerI wish I could mention all those who have made significant“Your full service printer”Printing with passion, providing peace of mind!Call 204. 985.9625Dublin Square • 1650 Field Street • Winnipeg MBNew crop of Rogers Rookiescontributions to facilitating our experience of tennis fun,friendships and opportunities. I trust that you are celebratingthem in your midst. And I invite you to pass along some oftheir stories so TM can share them through its variousvenues too!Savor these last few weeks of summer bliss! And here’s to afall still full of tennis for everyone.If you are interested in participating on oneof Tennis Manitoba’s committees or volunteeringfor one specific project or for a numberof projects through the course of the year,please contact the Tennis Manitoba office.We would love to collaborate with you andgain the use of your skills and passions toenhance and/or grow the Tennis ManitobaManaging Editorcommunity and its programming and events.Kirby GilmanPublication DesignDenice Girdner, Graphiti GraphicsPrinting & ProductionDave’s Quick PrintOn the Cover:Kevin Kylarphoto courtesy of Boris Minkevich WInnipeg Free PressCheers,Angela EarlExecutive DirectorTennis ManitobaGive us a ring @ 925.5660.tennismanitoba.com I FALL 2012FALL 2012 I tennismanitoba.com3

Back toSchool,Back toIndoor TennisFun!TennisFutures2 0 1 2ManshieldAn ITF Pro Circuit EventWINNIPEG — HELPING BUILD PROFESSIONAL TENNIS CAREERSWith great excitement we announce that for the first time men’s professionaltennis is coming to Winnipeg in August 2012!The International Tennis Federation (ITF) Pro Circuit is an entry levelprofessional tennis initiative. The ITF and its member nations worktogether to grow the game. As part of the building process, Winnipeghas been chosen to be a host city on this prestigious circuit of pro tournaments.Athletes from around the world will be on hand at Sargent Park TennisGarden to compete for valuable world ranking points along with cashprizes totalling $15,000 USD. Most exciting of all is the opportunityprovided to local players to springboard their professional careers.Tennis Manitoba (TM) has been workingvigorously to prepare for the start of a newschool year and season of indoor tennis.This involves training additional community instructors for Progressive Tennis and teamplay, developing community contacts and networks, and applying for school gymnasiumpermits for extra programming. Most importantly, TM is building on previous years experienceand creating a school/community/business partnership program to help facilitate communityclusters (which includes local clubs) of year-long tennis, and a pathway of learning and fun. A fluxand flow of school programming to community programming to club programming is the goal.It’s exciting to see recreational tennis activity as well as those who catch a true love of the sportand begin training with high level coaches.Championing a fun healthy active lifestyle, community connections, affordability and accessibilitypositions tennis as a wonderful option for families. Age and level appropriate developmentthrough the use of Progressive Tennis accelerates the ability to play the game . And team playensures extra hitting, tactical development and fun with friends. We are keen to introducefamilies to tennis at a grassroots levels and see play flourish all year. If you would like to see acommunity cluster and partnerships grow in your area, please give us a shout! You may reachRob Langan, Manager of Community Tennis Development, via rob@tennismanitoba.com or204.925.5660. You may also visit www.tennismantioba.com for a listing of TM member clubs tobegin to discover the programming they offer.Photos of Winnipeg interschool leaguetennis courtesy of Derek BramadatSCHEDULEAugust 15-17Wild card EventSunday, August 19Qualifying—singles round 1Monday, August 20Qualifying—singles round 2Carbone Restaurant Pro-AmTuesday, August 21Main draw—singles round 1Main draw—doubles round 1Wednesday, August 22Main draw—singles round 1Main draw—doubles round 1Be a part of building opportunities for our aspiring athletes!Tournament DirectorGeorge Kylar204.290.4815gktennis1@hotmail.comThursday, August 23Main draw—singles round of 16Main draw—doubles quarter finalsFriday, August 24Main draw—singles quarter finalsMain draw—doubles semi finalsSaturday, August 25Main draw—singles semi finalsMain draw—doubles finalSunday, August 26Main draw—singles finalFree AdmissionLocation: Sargent Park Tennis Gardenmanshieldtennis.comTournament ChairmanMark Arndt204.799.2224mark@outfitters.ca4tennismanitoba.com I FALL 2012FALL 2012 I tennismanitoba.com5

Manitoba OpenRecap2012Kildonan Tennis Club (KTC) held this year’s ManitobaOpen where spectators enjoyed entertaining tennisaction at all levels of play, as well as a great rangeo f h o s p i ta l i t y.KTC offers a beautiful patio and view of the Red River. At their lounge, thefrozen yogurt and smoothies were an ongoing hit to beat the heat. There wasalso some karaoke fun and a delicious brunch by Urban Prairie Cuisine over theweekend.Manitoban Saul Shrom had a great tournament run but came up short, losingagainst Tony Larson in the Men’s Open final. As he has done in the past, Larsondrove up from Minneapolis to play in the Manitoba Open. The Shrom/Larsonfinal can be viewed on www.ustream.tv with broadcast commentary from TrevorBorland and Peter Otto.Albertans Alessandra Miller and Mikaela Bennett played in the Women’s Openfinal. Miller defeated Bennett after a tough battle in windy conditions. (Bennettand Miller came from Alberta to play in the WinnipegCanadian Mid-West ITF U18 at the Winnipeg LawnTennis Club, where Miller was also a finalist.) Earlier inthe tournament, Manitoban Evann Waschuk made thesemis where she put up a good fight, falling 4-6, 4-6 tothe tournament winner, Miller.Manitobans dominated the Open Doubles events.In Men’s Open Doubles, locals Sean Bailey and SaulShrom teamed up to defeat another Manitoban,Sean Lacap and Albertan Vuk Radovic in a three-setbattle. Going even deeper in another event, SeanLacap picked up the Mixed Open Doubles title withManitoban, Erika Fridrik. Lacap and Fridrik won in twotough sets against Alan Gardiner and Evann Waschuk.Finally, the Women’s Open Doubles champions wereEvann Waschuk and Mikaela Bennett. They won 6-4,6-4 against Kylie Waschuk and Alessandra Miller.Other exciting Manitoba Open action involved playat the 3.5-5.0 levels and Senior division. In Men’s andWomen’s 4.5 play, both winners were unseeded. TyDilello came out of nowhere and won the Men’s 4.5Singles final against Patrick Fu. Angela Earl did thesame thing and won the 4.5 Women’s Final. The 4.5Men’s Doubles winners were father and son Thomasand Douglas Leyden who defeated Miraj Soni andJeff Koffman. Go to www.tennismanitoba.com for fullresults (see Baseline eDraws).Thank you so much to Kildonan Tennis Club and all thoseinvolved in organizing and hosting the tournament. Wecan’t wait for next year!Versus Photography, info@versus.caAlessandra Miller,Women’s Open Singles champDave Scrapneck congratulates Women’s Open Doubles winners, Mikaela Bennett &Evann Waschuk (left) and runners-up, Alessandra Miller & Kylie Waschuk.photo credit: Bruce WaschukMixed Open Doubles winners,Sean Lacap & Erika Fridrikphoto credit : Versus Photography(from left) Runners-up Vuk Radovic & Sean Lacap with official, Dave Scrapneck, andMen’s Open Doubles winners, Saul Shrom & Sean Bailey.6 tennismanitoba.com I FALL 2012FALL 2012 I tennismanitoba.com7

High PerformanceJunior SNAPSHOTSThere are a number of talented, passionate and dedicatedhigh performance juniors in Manitoba.With a love of the sport, a fire for Regional and National competition, and dreams of university tennisscholarships, these student athletes know how to have fun and train hard. With the aid of Tennis Canada’sLong Term Athlete Development Plan, they actively pursue competitive, technical, physical and mentaldevelopment in the context of a supportive tennis community. Let us introduce you to some of them whohave participated in provincial programming this year. This next year, these and other high performancejuniors will be competing for the opportunity to play in the 2013 Canada Games. Hope you get to meetand cheer on these players and others in person!U12Mackenzie MillerAka: MackDog, MackAttack, BigMackYear of Birth: 2001Trains @: Winnipeg Winter ClubCoached by: Peter Otto and Robert KennedyYears Playing: 5Favourite Players: Serena Williams and NadalInterests: Tennis, shopping, tubing at the lake andhaving fun!Favourite Music: Lady Gaga, Adele, Katy Perry & RihannaTennis Dreams: Earn a tennis scholarship and be coachedby Serena!H a n n a h B l a t tYear of Birth: 1999Trains @: Winnipeg Winter ClubCoached by: Peter OttoYears Playing: 4Favourite Player: SharapovaInterests: Squash, wakeboarding, flag footballFavourite Music: Top 40Favourite Song: Whistle by Flo RidaTennis Dreams: Scholarship to an Ivy Leagueschool. Rank in top 100 in the world.U14Daniel GharagozlooYear of Birth: 2000Trains @: Taylor TennisCoached by: Jared ConnellYears Playing: 7Favourite Player: Roger FedererInterests: Soccer, basketball, road hockey, piano, readingbooks, snowboarding and roller bladingFavourite Music: SkrillxTennis Dreams: Play in a Grand Slam, Davis Cup andOlympicsAnna ZaifmanAka: (Anna-)BananaYear of Birth: 1999Trains @: Winnipeg Winter ClubCoached by: Peter Otto, Robert KennedyYears Playing: 6Favourite Player: Nadal and SharapovaInterests: Dance, ringette and drawingFavourite Music: Eminem, One Direction, RihannaTennis Dreams: Play forever!8 tennismanitoba.com I FALL 2012FALL 2012 I tennismanitoba.com9

U16Co n n o r D a v i e sYear of Birth: 1997Trains @: Taylor TennisCoached by: George KylarYears Playing: 5Favourite Player: Roger FedererInterests: Hockey, running, baseball,basketballTennis Dreams: Play college tennisHigh PerformanceJunior SNAPSHOTSMiraj SoniAka: RajYear of Birth: 1997Trains @: Taylor TennisCoached by: Jared ConnellYears Playing: 4 1/2Favourite Player: DjokovicInterests: Soccer, badmintonTennis Dream: Play onWimbledon’s main court andearn a tennis scholarship tothe StatesKylie WaschukAka: KyYear of Birth: 1996Trains @: Taylor TennisCoached by: Jared ConnellYears Playing: 7Favourite Player: Andre AgassiTennis Dreams: Earn a tennis scholarshipto the StatesShrey GuptaYear of Birth: 1997Trains @: Taylor TennisCoached by: George Kylar,Jared ConnellYears Playing: 2Favourite Players: RafaNadal, Roger FedererInterests: Go-Kart racing,basketball, drums andpianoFavourite Music: Akon,Drake, Chris BrownTennis Dreams: Playcollege tennisEmily FridrikAka: TacoYear of Birth: 1995Trains @: Winnipeg Winter ClubCoached by: Peter OttoYears Playing: 6 yearsFavourite Players: Rafa and FedInterests: Pottery, art, photography, dance, music,swimming, naptime and walks on the beach andwatching sunsetsFavourite Music: Bon Iver, Mumford & Sons, Adele,Coldplay, Ellie Goulding, Gemini, Pretty Lights, CalvinHarris, Kanye West, Jay Z, Lil Wayne and DrakeTennis Dreams: Earn a tennis scholarship to the tropicsU1810 tennismanitoba.com I FALL 2012FALL 2012 I tennismanitoba.com11

OACHES CORNERProgressive Tennis:NOT an Overnight SuccessFour years ago, the Winnipeg Winter Clubstarted using the Progressive Tennisequipment Tennis Canada endorses forDaniel Derksenteaching young players the game.As a coach, it made sense. Smaller and lighter rackets,graduated court sizes for different ages and abilities,and mini nets for the youngest students. All tiedtogether with three different types of balls withvarying compressions: Red (lowest bounce) for half court training. Orange (medium bounce) for three-quarter courttraining. Green (almost full bounce) for full court transitionto regulation tennis balls.Year one was the most difficult.Dividing the tennis courts into the proper size for thefirst two types of training was one of the big challenges.We installed divider nets on one of our courtsto help organize players and coaches. This also helpedthe parents visually see the training space for the halfand three-quarter progressive programs. Full courttransition, the third type of training, was on a court byitself.The second hurdle was to divide the players intothe proper progressive groupings. There was someresistance, particularly with students who previouslyhad lessons with regulation tennis balls. Change canbe tough, but if the goal is to create more efficientplayers, necessary.Years two and three saw some positivetransitions.Committing to the progressive tennis approach hascreated a group of students who can rally consistentlyand have more shot variety than they’d have playingon a full court. Juniors graduating from red andorange balls swing the lighter rackets with greater efficiencyand can maintain proper grips, as the bounceof the transition balls stay in their hitting zone moreoften.Teaching recovery and tactics is easier since studentsare in a smaller court and the slower speed of the ballgives them extra time for setting up for their shot.They do not have to move as far, so they don’t have toplay as many defensive shots as they would on a bigcourt. They can transition to counter attacking, hit rallyballs, and attack short balls all because of the reducedcourt size and special equipment.New red and orange ball players and parents cannow look over to the neighbouring full court and seethe students who have progressed to the green ballsplaying with skill.Resistance to the progressive equipment is a thing ofthe past!Year four saw some juniors starting to looklike little pros.Advanced U10 players have graduated from theRogers Rookie Tour and entered regular junior events,playing with regulation balls. The court is now larger,but the movement and reception skills learned in theearlier stages of Progressive Tennis have preparedthem to read and react to incoming balls.We now have a history of graduates: the past. A groupof juniors continues with their progressive skills: thepresent. The real fun involves introducing new playersto the game and watching the recent graduates movethrough the junior tour and beyond: the future.After four years, Progressive Tennis is now part of TheWinter Club tennis culture.This edition of Coaches Corner waswritten by Peter Otto, Head TennisProfessional at the Winnipeg Winter Cluband Kildonan Tennis Club.Reece Carter andMarcello Audino12tennismanitoba.com I FALL 2012FALL 2012 I tennismanitoba.com13

The Meaning of “Love” and other Tennis OdditiesHave you ever wondered wheretennis terms such as “love” and“deuce” originated? What aboutthe unusual scoring system of love,15, 30, and 40? Most of us haveheard Tennis Canada’s popularOf course the English have wantedto offer their own opinions about“love”—don’t we all. Pam Perdueon Askville suggests the phrase“playing for love” may provide aclue. When you only have a scorephoto credit:Karen O’Neiltennis was first scored by followinga clock face. So 15, 30, 45, 60. Inorder to win by two (worth 10points each) and stay within the60 points allotted, 40 was usedinstead of 45. This is explained inHiroko KumagaiWinnipeg tennis players visited Palm Springs for theInternational Team Tennis Tournament in March.Our men’s and women’s 4.0 “Winnipeg Jets” teams livedup to their names with second place finishes.photo credit: Karen O’NeilTennis Manitoba member club Victoria Beach hosts anOver 18 tennis tournament every August long weekend.The 127 participants in the 2012 tournament luredspectators away from the beach.SPORT FOR LIFEadvertising slogan “Love Meansof zero (which happens way tooa fun Pierre Knows YouTube videoNothing”; yes, a score of zero isoften on my end) you aren’t muchcalled “Why Has Tennis This Strangecalled “love” in tennis, but what’sgood, so you are playing for theScoring System?”the deeper meaning of “love”?The use of “love” as zero intennis scoring is peculiar.The use of “love” as zero in tennisscoring is peculiar. Tennis waspopularized in France, and manybelieve a score of zero there wascalled l’eouf, or egg, because itlooks like the number 0. The termlove of the game. I don’t think thisis a likely theory, but I included itbecause of the romance.Others have suggested that to“play for love” means no wagershave been laid. Too mathematicalfor me.“Deuce” is easier. “Deuce” originatedfrom the French word deux,meaning two. When we are at“deuce”, we have two points to play.Others think 45 was changed to 40because it was easier to say on thecourt. Sometimes it’s that simple.So, getting back to the slogan “LoveMeans Nothing” courtesy of TennisCanada. We now know the tennisterm “love” probably originatedbecause a score of 0 looks like agiant goose egg. So “love” doeshave higher meaning in tennis, and(thankfully) in life, after all.Doubles funl’eouf became Anglicized into “love”later on.Now comes the tricky part—tennisscoring. A popular theory holdsBy Kirby Gilman14tennismanitoba.com I FALL 2012FALL 2012 I tennismanitoba.com15