TENNIS INDUSTRY ISSUES
Table of Contents
1) OPEN LETTER: USPTA Transparency & Conflict of Interest (2/12/07)
2) UNPUBLISHED ARTICLE: Cardio Tennis Arrest (8/05) --Submitted to Addvantage, Tennis Magazine, Tennis Week, and Inside Tennis
3) TOUR TRENDS: Roger and His Loopy Lefty
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1) OPEN LETTER: USPTA Transparency & Conflict of Interest
2/12/07
Dear USPTA Leaders:
I was informed last week that Jack Groppel has been appointed to the post interviewed for by Chuck Gill's nominating committee in Las Vegas last year. Dr. Groppel is obviously capable enough to serve the USPTA, but an appointment of this "type" is another event in a series of troubling USPTA developments to me and I want to put those concerns in writing, and propose a first step toward a solution, to USPTA leadership.
As a 30 year member, I believe appointments like this do not serve the needs of the rank and file members.
-->>> Officers and Board Members should not have leadership/policy making appointments in both the USPTA and USTA.
This is because while some of the positions for the USPTA and USTA on the issues in the tennis industry are similar, some are not. The issues where our positions may differ present obvious conflicts of interest. The membership currently has no means to assure it that its appointees are excused from such conflicts when they occur. Self-policing by leaders with these conflicts is insufficient.
Since USPTA interests take precedence with our members, individuals who have appointments/positions with the USTA should be excluded from holding leadership or policy making positions in the USPTA. USPTA policy makers and leaders who have other affiliations in leading/creating policy outside our organization should be asked to choose the USPTA or relinquish that appointment immediately.
This issue is just one of many "transparency" issues that I believe are preventing USPTA leadership from serving its members to the fullest. Accessory to this fact is that there is no forum in which this opinion can be shared with the membership.
===>>>>> We need a centralized forum/section/blog/discussion board within our USPTA website where members who log in can exchange ideas, drills, opinions freely (given appropriate "rules of engagement" and discussion threads).
The United States is BOTH the historical birthplace of freedom of speech, as well as, information on the internet (ARPANET 1969 at UCLA). That tradition, of leadership in freedom as US citizens remains the first expression in our name as an organization, should be remembered at all times. Thus, if the idea of free flowing daily discussion among our "citizens" intimidates you, you should not be in a leadership position in the US, or the USPTA.
I look forward to your action on these matters.
Sincerely,
Jonathan
Jonathan Bailin, PhD, USPTA
Tennis Coaching & Sport Science
Personal Websites: TennisDr.com & ErgonomicsDr.com
Charity Website: www.nevadayouthtennis.org (Southern Nevada Youth Tennis Foundation, Inc.)
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2) Cardio Tennis Arrest
CARDIO TENNIS ARREST (Submitted to Advantage Magazine, unpublished, wonder why?)
By
Jonathan Bailin, Ph.D., USPTA
September 2005
Before Andre Agassi made his stadium filling run to his 4th Los Angeles Open title on the UCLA campus, I attended the introduction of the Tennis Industry Association’s (TIA) new vehicle to attract fitness customers with high hopes. By the time the Cardio Tennis demonstration for more than 50 tennis teachers was half over, this injury prevention expert was heartbroken. To my sincere disappointment, this would not be that vehicle.
My conflict came from the gratitude I have for all those who have tried to make the game I love more competitive in the fitness market. Monolithic public interests, normally adversarial tennis manufacturers, leagues of coaches from all types of facilities, and experts from outside the game have laudibly pulled together to, unfortunately, unveil this new “Corvair” of a marketing vehicle. This car analogy is not merely poetic.
In the early 60’s, the design flaws of the General Motors Corvair helped spawn a consumer revolution. That car helped spark Ralph Nader and many of the life saving vehicle safety systems we take for granted today. I’m sorry to say that Cardio Tennis also is, “Unsafe at Any Speed”.
Just like a consumer watch dog, the experienced eye and voice of a tennis professional is necessary to help students safely test drive thousands of repetitions of new motor skills. Unfortunately, that critical voice and keen eye of safety are overwhelmed in Cardio Tennis. By itself, that makes it time for a TIA recall.
Boom Back & Busted
We all want the golden days of the “Tennis Boom” back. Some of us remember those halcyon times before jogging, before aerobics, and long before super models made DVD’s of Tai Quan Do, low impact, home gyms, and kick boxing to the oldies! But ya gotta give credit where its due.
All those new fitness crazes helped get Americans off the couch, the way tennis did by itself after Billy Jean kicked the stuffing out of Bobby Riggs. It would be great to have a program to put tennis back on top of the fitness heap.
So believe me when I say I take no pleasure in calling Cardio Tennis the “exploding Pinto” of tennis marketing. It should be recalled, busted, and arrested. Until then, allow me in this note to poke some serious fun at it for your amusement.
Tennis still needs a way to attract the passive viewer and general fitness enthusiast to stop pumping the remote control and start pumping their heart muscles on court. Providing an arena for large numbers of non-players and beginners to have a fun, quick, and inexpensive exposure to tennis as exercise is a sublime mission.
This program should help shed the image that our sport requires long, expensive hours studying advanced motor skills to have fun. It’s a concept, that all coaches should find inspiring. The multi-flawed execution, in the case of Cardio Tennis however, is what I find objectionable and justification for the first…
“Tennis Un-Safety Awards”
Seriously, even when tennis teachers were used as students in the UCLA demonstration, the program presented some considerable safety challenges to all. Not the least of which is to the teacher feeding the balls. This is as good a place as any to begin the “Awards”.
The “Lame Elbow” Award
Tennis coaches who do not utilize a ball pitching machine to help provide the high number of repetitions that their students need already face the increased prospect of shorter careers, burn out, and chronic injury. In this case input from fitness experts outside the sport, who also helped provide the demonstration, is revealed .
All teachers feeding balls to the group are taught to double or triple the frequency of impact with a different, very elbow centric, movement. I’m sorry the word “lunacy” doesn’t sound very scientific. Now for our poor, but valuable, new customers…
The “Concrete Impact” Award
As the only significant sport to be played on concrete, tennis enthusiasts from beginner to professional are witnessing its ravages on joints, tendons, and ligaments. The “good” news is that these types of injuries are usually chronic in nature in that participants have some warning time as they gradually become “un-ignorable”.
Any program that requires, encourages, or condones beginners/non-players who are not hitting balls to do jumping jacks and run through rope ladders on cement (exercises designed for, or best performed on, turf) is…oh oh… here comes that word again! But this is not the only potential source of acute injury.
The “Eye On The Ball Award” (A.K.A. “Ball on the Eye Award”)
Having three or more active players on each side of the net has long been a novel way to provide intersquad rivaly at an elite level of skill such as college. In this case the high degree of skill provides the safety. The net players are trained not to look back at the hitter.
In Pee Wee Tennis, the low ball velocity and spacing of smaller bodies which are holding smaller implements at slower speeds provides some degree of safety too. But to have one or more adult beginners facing away from the hitter, but looking back to see another beginner overplay a shot is….uhhh….here comes that “L” word again!
The “Video Editing” Award
Watching the free DVD before going to UCLA made me a bit quizy, but at the time I couldn’t quite put my finger on why. After seeing Cardio Tennis in the flesh it occurred to me that the editing of the DVD conveniently trimmed the action as it approached significant risk. This leads us to our most significant “Un-Safety Award”.
The “Look Out for that Land Shark” or “Na Na Na Na” Award
Over the years the use of music has often been used as a way to break the monotony of tennis practice for intermediate and advanced players. Even beginners in private or smaller groups can find it easier to relax and relate to the metronomic timing that good tennis rhythm requires. But that is not the way music is really used in the fitness industry is it?
Loud, heart pumping music has been used for years in fitness classes to push away the discomfort of those last few repetitions as the class goes for the “burn”. We again see the questionable influence of “fitness outsiders” here.
Cardio Tennis proposes that you ask up to 10 beginners to run across the court within seconds of each other, chasing machine gun style rapid ball feeds, with little if any swing technique, to heart pumping loud music similar to an aerobics class. Unfortunately, that heart pumping volume will often drown out the inevitable, frequent safety warnings from the instuctor. Of course, this assumes that even the trained eye of the instructor can even spot the hazard in this extremely challenging field of view. Now guess who’s going for the burn?
Finally, from a source within the USPTA itself, I provide the…
“Oh, Don’t Forget” Award
Speaking of burn, one of the “Tips from the Pros” to the pros in June’s Addvantage Magazine for USPTA members is to “Have players sign a waiver or release” before starting a Cardio Tennis program. In 29 years of membership, which now includes $4 million of liability protection, this is the first implication I’ve come across saying that it wasn’t enough. Nuff said?
In summary, I want to sincerely thank all those whose hearts were in the right place to help our sport reach out to the uninitiated. On the other hand, every unsuccessful attempt to popularize our sport with non-tennis players costs us valuable time, money, and reputation. In so doing, it further relegates this great lifetime sport to its infancy.
The concept of “Tennis for the Masses” still needs to be developed. I believe the best minds in our sport can do much better without the “fitness outsiders”. What do you think?
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3) Tour Trends: Roger and His Loopy Lefty
By Jonathan Bailin, Ph.D., USPTA
June 2005
Before the Men’s Final of the 2005 NASDAQ 100 Tennis Championships, few industry notables gave unseeded Raphael Nodal much of a chance against the reigning Swiss wizard of the industry, Roger Federer. Patrick McEnroe, the US Davis Cup captain sang Nodal’s praises, but those came from the far off land of clay humiliation. Surely, Nodal’s lightning couldn’t strike twice against the best in the business on a cement stage. Or could it?
Only one man really took the threat seriously. So seriously, he even recorded a prophetic TV message and said that it would take the number one player in the world a set and a half to even get his bearings. Who could possibly be so exact about his coming disorientation and challenge? Roger Federer himself, that’s who!
Despite his near flawless year in tournament finals, Roger took his last loss to Nodal 12 months earlier more seriously than practically all the industry observers around him. But why? The answer is fascinating to those who appreciate tennis history--“Loopy Lefties”.
It’s a funny description that came to mind after their match. A chuckle that took this author back to tennis days of yore, when most of the worlds majors were decided on clay. In those days, lefties ruled the roost with a rich tradition going back to the Australian “Hoppmanoic” era. None were more revered than two time Grand Slam winner Rod Laver. A tradition that began a lefty stranglehold on the sport for many years.
Until the waining days of “Johnny Mac’s” can opening service domination of the ad court, lefties reaked havock on our sport and the slower surfaces made them that much more infuriating to all “right” thinkers. The funky looping curves even popped!
Do I stop hitting my steady backhand crosscourt because its going to their strength? Should I change my forehand down the line approach shot to stay away from his wheel house? Do I go away from my favorite serve locations to get to the backhand?
We have all struggled with these questions against those godforsaken genetic anomalies who play this game with the wrong hand. In short, lefties can make you loopy. And loopy lefties even loopier!
But surely Roger the Wiz, the man who might take the “best of all time award” would have the situation in hand. Or not!
By the time several “makeable” volleys found the net, a couple double faults appeared, a few “sitter” overheads strayed, and an anguished yodel or two echoed out of the Alps that could make a mountain ox blush--the audience appeared stunned by the absence of wizardry. In a mixture of familiarity and shock, the game of the best player in the world was looking like there own game in the park last Tuesday!
After the TV time out a new feeling of sympathy and humanity struck us. Slow motion instant replay confirmed that an athlete with almost godlike coordination had actually crushed his racket in frustration. Roger could be reached. He was real. He was one of us!
Unlike past champions Roger wasn’t prepared. Borg had McEnroe. Connors had Vilas. Newcombe had Laver. Federer didn’t even have Ruzedsky! Two points from loosing the match in three straight sets, Roger the Magician appeared to be stuck in his own hat. The industry held its breath as the hare headed for the Hassenpheffer. Then just as we were convinced of his frailty, out of the fire he flew.
Federer had some how hung around. From 2-4 down in the third, Roger lengthened the rallies and seemed to focus on his side of the net instead of that of his inspired antagonist. Then we started to see familiar flashes of brilliance that make educated tennis audiences around the world make funny noises like, “Oooooof”.
To the tennis intelligencia these flashes have become folklore. Veteran television commentator was once forced to ask her co-host Patrick McEnroe, “What shot was that?”. His reply was, “I don’t know”. This author/tennis coach inadequately tried naming it a “topspin, forehand, approach, dink”! But meanwhile back at the match…
As the third set approached its climax in the tiebreak, Mary Joe reported from courtside that after two and a half hours, Nodal showed some signs of fatique. Roger had more than survived the assault, he had begun to find his game as the Spaniard noticeably sputtered enough for him to snatch the third set tiebreaker coming from behind.
The last two sets, though brilliant displays of Federers reestablished confidence, lacked the suspense of the first three. Nodal was clearly emotionally spent from blowing his opportunity and lead in the score. Physically, he was spent after firing his afterburners for almost 3 hours, but two points short of his target. For that day, the carriage had clearly turned back into a pumkin.
Its clear that Nodal will remain on the world’s tennis stage and that Federer will get a lefty practice partner. What is fun to speculate is how much more motivated Roger will be to improve now that he has finally been exposed by his “Loopy Lefty”.