A Short History of the US Clay Court Championships

Found this short history of the US Clay Court Championships on the Supernetters blog - http://supernetters-teejohn.blogspot.com/2009/12/14us-mens-clay-court-championships.html. Its amazing to me that this is the only men's ATP clay event in the US. If the governing body of our sport is truly committed to bringing clay into the mix and inspiring our young players to spend time on this surface that will have to change.

It seems to me that there is a clear opportunity in the schedule. After the Australian we have a mini hard court season in the US with San Jose, Memphis, Delray Beach, Indian Wells and Miami. Meanwhile the clay court players are getting entrenched on their favorite surface in places like Vina del Mar, Costa do Sauipe, Buenos Aires and Acapulco. Why not transition one or two more US events to clay and give our guys a chance to play at home? I can't believe Federer or Nadal or any of the Europeans or South Americans would complain if Miami went to clay. A few might even stay to play in Houston.

China

During the last three years I have been traveling in China quite a bit trying to set up a network and create demand for our Courts in China. When I tell people about being over there they ask about lots of the usual things like food, language barriers, getting around and etc. One of the most interesting things to me however is how the culture works from a business perspective and how they get things done. As you would imagine it is a double edge sword, no pun intended, those were the old days. Things are for the most part dominated by the government and the government agencies you deal with on the front end. Most of us who have had experience with our own government associate that process with delays, paperwork, unreasonable red tape and crazy demands. Well China has all that as well except the process is quite different when you are dealing with the decision makers. One of my first experiences was to have dinner with the head man in charge of building the highway system in the Beijing area. During dinner I asked him a question that points out quite a difference, I asked him how long was it before they began construction on the 4th ring road (which he was in charge of) once the decision was made to build it. My question was prompted by the fact, that 39 years ago when I came to Charlottesville word was that a connector road or bypass was going to begin right away connecting downtown to route 29 north of town. As you might guess from this example it is just now getting started and I still have my doubts whether it will be finished based on all the special interest groups that have fought it for at least the last 39 years. Anyway, my friends answer may not surprise you based on this long set up, but he looked at me like I had three heads and very matter of fact said “We started construction the next day”. They displaced several million people and basically gave them notice to vacate the next day. Neither of these systems seems quite fair but in a Communist World that’s the way it works.

The good news is when they make decisions it happens quickly as you can see from the two photos below. The first one shows the building just beginning in the last of August this year while I was there. The second photo shows them playing tennis in a finished facility basically 90 days later. Business happens fast in China and you win or lose quickly when you are selling to them. The good news is they are extremely loyal and friendly people and they do like Americans, unlike what you may have heard. The total experience of introducing them to Clay courts has been a joy and a great overall experience. If you ever get a chance to go there, take it; China is a fascinating place to go and the best news is we now have our courts scattered around the countryside and Tennis is alive and well in China.

The pictures below show Construction in late August ’09 and Playing in late November ‘09

Progress happens fast in China and they love American Red Clay.
John Welborn, Lee Tennis Court Products

China - Big Country, Bigger Opportunity for Tennis

After just having completed my first trip to the Peoples Republic of China, it is easy to see what great opportunities China has taken advantage of as one of the world’s manufacturing powers and how extremely large the gap is between those who “can” play tennis and those who “want” to play tennis in that country.

Without a doubt tennis, like the entire Chinese economy, continues to grow and accordingly, most, if not all, of the major tennis companies in the US look towards China as one of the few true growth markets in the world right now. While their economy has taken a bit of a hit, I was struck by the amount of commerce being done and construction being built…if I saw one high-rise building going up in Shanghai, Shenzhen, and Hong Kong I saw a thousand – the skyline is riddled with tall cranes building 20 to 40 story tall buildings everywhere.

In addition to housing and factories, tens of thousands of tennis courts have been built since the Beijing Olympics, and it seemed as though every city had built, or was building, a world-class sports venue. Cities you have never heard of are building 50,000 seat soccer stadiums, NBA quality indoor arenas, Olympic size tracks, modern aquatics centers, and huge tennis facilities. It’s becoming commonplace for a relatively small cities like Nantong or Changshu to build a tennis center with over 100 courts…I know…it’s mind boggling to most Americans.

But what is even more confusing is trying to understand how “Tennis” will find a way to become a part of the recreational choices made by the majority of the “people” in China?

While the factory owners and business people are doing fairly well, the vast majority of the population earns very, very little. Of the five factories we visited last week, the average wage of the workers was about $4 ¥ (Yuan) or 60¢ in US dollars (USD) per hour. So with the vast millions of people making less than $2,000 USD a year and the majority of the “middle class” making only between $10,000 – 20,000 USD annually, who has the time or disposable income to invest in a love of the game of tennis?

Assuming a factory worker could buy a “knock-off” tennis racquet for $15 USD at an open-air market in a Chinese city, he or she would need to invest 1% of their entire yearly salary to do so…that’s a tough sell in any country. And even if their passion for the game ran so deep that they did acquire a racquet and balls, most of the tens of thousands of courts are locked out to the masses. Operators would rather let the courts stay vacant, than allow the commoners to enjoy our sport.

In fact, one of the companies we visited had built a beautiful tennis court on their property to showcase the products that they made, and even though the factory had an on-site dormitory to house its hourly workers and sales staff, the company kept the court pad-locked and would not allow access to it for the people who lived and worked there. The same people who had built the products being showcased on it and the same people who had made their company profitable and a successful seller of tennis goods.

It seems to me that while the cities, provinces, and national governments build top-notch facilities to show-off to the rest of their country and the world, they are overlooking the opportunity to invest in their biggest and largest asset they have – their people…and until they do, tennis will never truly flourish in China.

I urge the Chinese government and the American tennis companies doing business in China to reach out, take action, and help grow tennis at all economic levels in China. For if we chose not to, the entire global tennis community will have missed a golden opportunity to build-on and expand the “game” that we all dearly love.

Randy Futty
General Manager
Lee Tennis Court Products

Tennis Players Are Not Athletes!!! Are You Kidding Me?

Here I am sitting in a sports bar last night watching a football game and next to me were two men who were deep into a conversation about which are the better athletes, football, basketball, or baseball players? After about fifteen minutes of eavesdropping on their conversation and hearing the same old arguments… NBA players can’t take the contact that is associated with the NFL and no NFL player can play 60+ nights a season like the NBA does… Enough was enough, I had to throw out the comment for argument sake, what about professional tennis players? Shouldn't they be considered?

One guy looked at me like I was a freak and the other guy started to laugh. I saw this reaction as an invitation to get my point across. My first comment, tell me what your NBA and NFL players are doing in the off-season. Instantly they went into weight training, and endurance training, and hill work. As I started to laugh, the two men said what are tennis players doing in the off season? My point exactly, there isn't an off season for tennis players! At this point I had the two guys quiet and listening. Unlike football and basketball, the pro tennis player is playing in four major slams and starting in February and wrapping up in September. Not to mention the indoor season that follows the US Open and the other tournaments leading up to the slams so that they can stay on top of their games. I went on to talk about the 5+ hour match between Roger and Andy this past year at Wimbledon and made reference that most players in a NFL game are only seeing on average about 60-70 plays per game which might translates into roughly 10 minutes of actual playing time. Let’s go back and visit that endurance comment again please!

After about 30 minutes of conversation back and fourth, I had convinced the two guys of my point of view. I’m not saying that professional tennis players are better athletes than those players in the NBA and NFL, but I’m saying that they are world class athletes and should be given the recognition that they deserve. Too often I believe that tennis players are over looked as world class athletes when in fact they are some of the best!

Tracy Lynch
Wholesale Accounts Manager
Lee Tennis Court Products

Musings on Andre Agassi's Admissions

I was wondering at first if Agassi’s admissions were just to sell his book but after watching the interview I feel differently. It can’t be easy for him to deal with his demons. I admire the fact the he admitted to many of the things in his past. It takes a lot of courage and strength especially when you are in the public eye. It was very interesting for me personally to hear the story of the drug use as well as him wearing a wig. If his intentions were to sell his book…. It worked for me!! I am curious to learn more about his life. I fully intend on purchasing a copy.

Rebecca Thompson
Inside Sales Rep
Lee Tennis Court Products

Building a Clay Court - Learning First Hand

These are exciting times for Lee Tennis! We are installing a HydroCourt at our manufacturing facility and we are doing the work ourselves. In fact the surface went down Friday and the tapes will go down today.

One of the reasons for installing the court is to be able to test new products and new technology. This court will be a learning laboratory for us for everything from maintenance equipment to irrigation systems. We have very generous clubs in Charlottesville, VA that have aided us with our testing on many occasions but this can be burdensome for them and inefficient for us trying to monitor things from a distance. Now we can test and make adjustments at any time quickly and efficiently.

We also used this experience so associates could learn first-hand how our products are used by tennis court builders, tennis court owners, teaching professionals, maintenance professionals and tennis players. We believe that this will lead to innovations in our practices and products that will make the experience of building and owning a clay court simpler and more rewarding for everyone involved.

Lastly, this court will provide a platform for our associates to learn more about the game of tennis. Tennis has such a large impact in the health and well-being of people of all ages and backgrounds. It brings tremendous joy, good health, treasured friendships and character to individuals' lives. We want to have a piece of that internally to help us become better students of and advocates for the game.

For pictures of the court at various stages of construction visit our Facebook page - Lee Tennis. It can be accessed directly from www.playtheclay.com.

The Dirt on Dirt

The last few days, I have had the pleasure of playing tennis at three different clay court facilities in central Italy, and for a clay court junkie such as myself, it has been a real education.

Without a doubt, there is something special for an American to hit balls on “the dirt.” The red clay in Italy is more “powdery” than the Har-Tru we offer in the US and makes a very different sound under foot as you play. It is, for lack of a better word…a sexier surface. But like a flashy Italian sports car that spends a lot of time in the repair shop, it is not without its issues. Even after a wonderful two days, I still don’t think it is as good as the green stuff back home and here is why…

1. The Dirt is Dirty – This is coming from a guy that didn’t shower for 10 straight days in college…and I lost the bet to my roommate, which stunk in more ways than one. Anyway, I now know why so many of the Europeans where grey or black socks and dark colored tennis gear. I always thought there sense of style was poor, but “tennis whites” on a red clay court is not a good idea. I will have to throw the white sox I had on today in the trash. There is no way my wife would allow them back in the house.

2. The Dirt is Inconsistent – One of the better points of a Har-Tru court is that it plays fairly similarly when it is really wet or nearly dry. The dirt…not so much! On one half of one court, the surface played at least 4 different ways. From hard-and-fast to wet-and-gummy; the courts were a little bit of everything all wrapped into one. And on top of that, they had been hand watered in an effort to make them as consistent as possible.

3. The Dirt is Mobile – We saw a good bit of accumulation due to wind and water erosion. In fact, I heard a story about a private club near Roland Garros in Paris where the housewives who lived around the courts raised so much hell, that the club had to remove the red clay courts. Want to know why? Because the clay was so fine and powdery on top that when the wind blew and the courts dried out, all there laundry would have a red haze from the “dirt” settling on it while the clothes hung in the backyards to dry. I would have gotten tired of double and triple washing my laundry as well.

4. The Dirt is Expensive – A ton of red clay topdressing costs about $200 Euros ( a little over $300 USD) plus the freight to get it there. Har-Tru is usually about half the cost…and since the red clay washes and blows away easier, they have to put down more each year than the clubs in the US.

Now I admit that I may be a bit partial on this subject, and I would be lying if I said I didn’t have a great time playing on the dirt, but for all of you in America who yearn for real red clay, watch what you wish for … ‘cause you might just get it.

It may be more exotic, more sexy, more traditional, but I will happily look forward to next week, when I get to play on good ‘ole green Har-Tru in my beloved USA again.

Arrivederci!

Randy Futty
General Manager
Lee Tennis

Tennis and Social Media

Tennis has been enjoying significant growth in the last 8 years and is the only traditional Sport to do so in that time period. We know there have been many efforts within the Tennis Community to grow the game and we have tried to do our part to support these efforts. Lots of innovative new programs have evolved like Cardio Tennis, Tennis Welcome Centers, Quick Start Tennis and of course the continued emphasis on league play with teams forming up through local clubs and community tennis associations. This is the largest growth in the game since the tennis boom of the late sixties and early seventies when tennis grew to 34 million players. Tennis was something that most young people did which was part fad and part “just the thing to do”. Courts sprang up all over the place and most places know for recreation were into tennis and had facilities available. Being in the court building business, this time was great for business but hectic as well, as the pressure to get facilities on the ground was intense. A lot of this was driven by the convergence of Tennis on TV and the personalities of those who played the game back then and the success of Americans in the Tennis World. The bottom line is that the baby boomers through the attraction of the game itself and the social media of the time, TV, made Tennis the sport it is and drove the infrastructure of Tennis Facilities that created the play opportunities that many of us enjoyed for many years.

More as an assumption for comment that a conclusion I think it interesting that Tennis which is a social sport to start with, is making its comeback during the rise of the Y generation and the media of the day which is electronic social media. Many of the initiatives of the Tennis world, although driven by people in the end, have been introduced and spread electronically which happens to be the media of the day for the Y generation. As you look at websites, facebook and twitter you also find a crossover to baby boomers as well, who happen to be the fastest growing segment in facebook right now. The irony of all this is that it comes back to Tennis’s social aspects and its adaptation to the modern form of communication that may have converged to help Tennis regain its momentum and once again become “just the thing to do”. I don’t want to sell the game short here as in the end it is always about the game itself and the fact that it is a great way to combine athletics, fitness, competition and socialization. I do think it ironic that because those in the game have had the foresight to adapt to modern media and have taken advantage of the new forms of social communication that Tennis has grown through the process.

I think we can draw two conclusion at least partially from all this conversation: Tennis is a great game and given the right exposure it will always have its place in the recreational activity world. The second conclusion is that if you’re not keeping up with the way folks are communicating your falling behind and to keep our sport viable we have to stay on the cutting edge. That is true with any industry or organization and I hope we will continue to be diligent in the area. Your thoughts are appreciated.

Got Advocates?

The opportunity to blog here could not have come at a better time. I spent the last 3 days at the ACAC Tennis Academy in Charlottesville, VA. What I experienced there with Tennis Director Jason Grigg and his assistant Dan Manilla brings to mind Kouzes and Posner’s classic work “The Leadership Challenge”. In it the authors discuss 5 exemplary principles of leadership, “modeling the way”, “inspiring a shared vision”, “challenging the process”, “enabling others to act” and “encouraging the heart”. To this end, these guys truly exceeded my expectations. I was inspired, challenged, pushed and encouraged into incremental improvement. All that knowledge and work in a short period of time was like drinking from a fire hose. The extra strength pain reliever came in handy Saturday and Sunday.

This experience only reinforces my belief in just how much of an advocate or “key influencer” the Teaching Tennis Professional is or can be, on and off the court. Advocates provide necessary stimulus to make change happen in any organization. I have seen this through our Facility Analysis Services work at over 150 clubs all over the US in the past 5 years. This opportunity has provided a first-hand glimpse into the advocates behavior. One common denominator I see for making enduring change happen is “sustained advocacy” by the Teaching Professional. This advocate also inspires others to the same enduring cause, like developing a master plan that ensures the long-term success of the tennis program and the facility where the game is played.

The Teaching Professional has the most knowledge of where the facility and the program are now and where they could be in the future. That knowledge is difficult to forge into a vision without the help of other advocates. And although some advocates “emerge” on their own, some need to be identified and recruited from the court. And we all know there is precious little time to waste on this effort.

When you think of all the committees in your organization and the fact that most people rotate off every few years, you begin to feel like one of the few “constants” in the organization. I feel that everyone who plays the game has the potential to be an advocate in some way. How has inspiring a shared vision, challenging the process, encouraging the heart and enabling others to act worked for you?

Ed Montecalvo
Consulting Services Manager
Lee Tennis Court Products

Three Wrongs and a Black Eye for Tennis

Just a few weeks ago I expressed that officiating in tennis needed an overhaul. The phantom foot-fault call on Serena reinforces my view point. You are officiating in the most highly viewed tennis tournament there is and you are going to make a foot-fault call that is not conclusive on video replay? Are you serious? Now you can argue that the lady lines person deserved to be working on the main stage, but I’m not buying it! We have a philosophy in football officiating called the Whale philosophy, which means you catch all the whales, but let the minnows go. Basically make sure your calls are big and show up on tape.

I could ramble on forever on the poor officiating in tennis, but my focus point is on the reaction to the call by Serena. Was her behavior wrong? Was the punishment enough? I’m on the fence with her reaction. I think she had every right to show her displeasure with the horrible call. I do not believe she had the right to make a threat such as she made. I’m all in favor of her screaming and yelling and even calling the official bad names, but a threat is unacceptable. If a basketball coach came out on the floor and told the ref that he was going to shove the ball down his throat, what do you think the punishment would be? It would probably cost him his job! I’m not saying that Serena should be banned from WTA events, but the punishment she received was a joke! A $10,000 fine and a half hearted apology.

The unfortunate part of all this is that two great weeks of exciting tennis and some wonderful story lines, is all over shadowed by three wrongs! A wrong call by the official, a wrong reaction by Serena, and a wrong punishment for her reaction, leaves tennis with a black eye during the last major event of the season. Not the perfect ending for the game!

Tracy Lynch

Wholesale Accounts Manager

Lee Tennis Court Products

Wait for it...clay courts for junior development are on the way

I wonder if the rest of the country is seeing the tennis world and specifically the future of US tennis the way I have perceived it the last year or so. To me, it seems as if the country is on the cusp of experiencing a shift in thinking about how we need to develop players. The change of thinking involves using clay courts to develop junior talent.

On the east coast of the US, clay courts have always been part of the makeup of most clubs and most tennis players are familiar with the American, green clay, (which is really a crushed stone) called Har-Tru. This surface facilitates development of a player by providing many different aspects of play that allow a player to develop patience, a variety of shots and strategies, and an understanding of the court and angles to play and win points.

But you know all that already, right? You might, but there are a lot of folks out there who don’t realize how much the type of surface contributes to the type of player you become. If we take the hypothetical example of developing two players; one grows up on clay courts and one grows up on hard courts and all other factors equal, how would the players develop? We may not be able to do this experiment, but I know the clay court player would have a variety of shots and a better sense of balance and movement than our hard court player. How do I know? Because this experiment has been happening since tennis became a world wide sport. Many, if not most of the top players in the world, grew up on clay. If you look at the year end rankings for men since they were kept, 103 made it into the top ten. Of those 103 that made it, 91 of them grew up on clay or spent at least half of their formative years on clay. If you believe that each one of these players received great coaching and had a great desire to win, the surface becomes the variable and an undeniable difference.

I have seen this evidence many times over in the past year. Clay courts are a part of almost every conversation of developing players. At the recent USTA Tennis Teachers Conference, in the opening session with Patrick McEnroe, Darren Cahill, and Brad Gilbert, all three of them mentioned the importance of clay. Other actions such as the hiring of Jose Higueras by the USTA to be in charge of coaching and the statements recorded in various articles all lead to the same fact; clay courts are great for developing talent. One article that explains the trend was in USA Today; it can be found at http://www.usatoday.com/sports/tennis/2008-11-05-USTA-overhaul_N.htm

The best article I have found that explains the concept of developing juniors on clay was published in the Wall Street Journal. That article can be found at http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052970203771904574177702269085642.html

Will the US be able to produce more top players in the future? Will clay courts be a part of that? I hope the answer is yes to both of them. We want to give our players the best chance to compete and learn and clay courts are a big part of that.

Serena Needs to Deliver a Real Apology

Serena's outburst last night was highly uncharacteristic. She has absorbed more than a few uncomfortable and unfair situations handling herself with grace and class. Clearly losing in this semifinal was hitting a very raw nerve because she lost it worse than anything I have ever witnessed at a grand slam.

I should state that I wish the foot fault had not been called. If it was terribly blatant that would be one thing, but at that stage in the match umpires and line judges should do their best to allow the match to be decided by the players. Football and basketball officials work very hard at this and a little coaching for tennis officials may be in order. But that being said, Serena's outburst was unfair to the line judge, unfair to the fans and bad for the game. Its been front page news on the internet and, on a day of incredible college football games, it was the lead story on ESPN. Her expletives, despite being bleeped, were heard all around the world and will continue to be heard for months to come. That's one spotlight our game could do without.

Part of me empathizes with Serena. I have had my share of shameful outbursts on a tennis court, however one thing I have always striven to do is to apologize completely and take ownership for my behavior. It doesn't make the behavior right but it does help people to give you the benefit of the doubt, especially when you have a good track record to begin with. This is why I was very dismayed to hear the statement issued by Serena. I quote here:

"Last night everyone could truly see the passion I have for my job. Now that I have had time to gain my composure, I can see that while I don't agree with the unfair line call, in the heat of battle I let my passion and emotion get the better of me and as a result handled the situation poorly. I would like to thank my fans and supporters for understanding that I am human and I look forward to continuing the journey, both professionally and personally, with you all as I move forward and grow from this experience."

Am I the only one who thinks this sounds like it came right from her publicist? Not only that, but it appears that the publicist was forced to compromise as Serena didn't really want to say she was sorry at all. From the post match interview to this farce of an apology, she has taken on the air of the victim rather than the perpetrator. That is incredibly disappointing to me, and I expect to many of Serena's fans, because I expected better of Serena. She has been so classy despite all the adversity she has faced that I was sure she would work hard to make this right but so far its the exact opposite. I hope she is suspended (if the US Open had real courage they would suspend her from the doubles final) and fined to a much greater degree. Its important for the governors of the sport to stand up for what's fair and what's right. I hope before its all said and done Serena will to.

Pat Hanssen
Director of Sales
Lee Tennis Court Products

Balance

Recently, while on a business trip to the Chicago-land area I experienced a great moment of learning.

My work week was scheduled pretty full. Club visits, contractor dinners, and vendor meetings are par for the course each year; leaving little free time. But this year was different, I found myself with an open afternoon, and knowing I had a USTA league match the Saturday morning of my return, I decided I would find a local tennis club and take a tennis clinic.

So when you are on the road and have no idea where the best or most easily accessible place to go play tennis is, I did what most people would do … I went to the internet and typed “G-O-O-G-L-E.” A simple keyword search for “West Chicago Indoor Tennis Courts” turned up over 1.3 million choices.

Lucky for me, one of the listing was familiar; The Wheaton Sports Center. I had been there on last year’s trip and knew they had both indoor hard and clay courts. So after clicking on their listing and visiting their website, and I was in luck. The club offered daily clinics called “Penn’s Drills.”

Drills? How great I thought. A tennis “drill instructor” working me for an hour … I could only image the teacher … a super fit, middle-aged, ex-marine drill sergeant in a camo t-shirt two sizes too small, yelling instructions at me for an hour. I could almost hear the “jarhead” as I quickly changed in to my tennis clothes. “Bend your knees soldier, follow through on that backhand, my mother used to hit me harder than that for not eating my vegetables…drop and give me 50, fat-boy.”

Sweet I thought, a killer workout and some tough love, just what I needed to jump start my game and breakup a business trip. But what I got was nothing of the sort … except for the killer workout.

I arrived at the club, paid my guest and clinic fee and proceeded to the court to meet Sergeant Penn.

I was the first one on the court, and soon was joined by a quiet, fit gentleman in his mid-60’s. The two of us spoke for a minute or two and then “Penn” entered the court pushing her teaching cart. She was no “jarhead” … she appeared to be in her mid-50’s, walked with confidence, and had a wonderful ease about her.

An hour later, I was drenched in sweat and a better player and person based on her teaching. In no way was she a drill sergeant, but the subtle messages she offered have since been ingrained into my head and in my life.

Her main message – you need to find better balance.

Her game was ultra-smooth, her footwork flawless, always in the right position, and the precision of her ground strokes and crispness of her volleys seamed effortless…she had impeccable balance in her game and in her manor.

After leaving the club that day, I realized that finding balance may be a true key to life...and certainly my tennis game. Whether it be through fitness, footwork, awareness, caring, preparation, learning, repetition…finding balance is ultra critical to our success.

Mrs. Penn was quite profound in her teaching of me that day. Since then, I have committed to finding better balance…balance in my job, with my family, and least importantly, with my tennis game.

Thanks Mrs. Penn!

Randy Futty, the General Manager for Lee Tennis, is an avid player who plays for the 4.0 USTA team at the Boar's Head Sports Club in Charlottesville, VA.

Tennis and Erectile Dysfunction? Time to Find Some New Advertisers!

I love to watch tennis. I do not tire of the sport and take interest in most any televised match - replay or classic, men or women, singles or doubles. The television coverage of this year’s clay court and grass court seasons has been sensational, particularly the coverage of the French Open and Wimbledon. With all day coverage I am now able to catch key moments of the Slams at work. We keep the tennis on all day long in one corner of our office and this allows me to dart over and take a peek at tiebreakers and key turning points in matches. Additionally, DirecTV has been showcasing play on 6 different channels during ESPN’s live coverage allowing me to choose what matches I want to see. I absolutely adore this feature as ESPN2’s main coverage often focuses on top Americans sometimes eschewing great matches between lesser known players. I get to choose! This is great use of technology and has vastly improved the tennis viewing experience. And the Tennis Channel’s primetime evening coverage is awesome! Not only do they show you the day’s best matches, they filter in additional stories of interest and interviews that make you feel like you are right at the tournament. Bill Macatee does an outstanding job and the interesting and insightful cast of experts Tennis Channel has assembled provides us with a unique snapshot of life inside the sport at the professional level. Unfortunately however, there is one part of the television coverage that I come to despise and that is the incessant Cialis commercials.

My daughters – 10 & 12 years - are not regular players but they like the game and they love to watch it on TV. They know as much or more about the top players and the sport as many adults. They will sit with me for hours taking in the Williams sisters and Andy Roddick and other favorites. I abhor the fact that they are being bombarded with commercials about erectile dysfunction! What are your options as a parent when the commercial comes on? Quickly mute the TV? Change the channel until it’s over? Perhaps you start talking to them in a loud voice or simply sit there in an awkward silence. Oh yes, I almost forgot, one option the parent has is to stop watching tennis completely, or at least forbid their children from watching.

Clearly the folks at Eli Lilly find tennis a coveted demographic however the networks showing these matches need to use some discretion about whether the commercials they are airing are appropriate for their viewing audience. I have to believe (and sincerely hope) that there are many children watching the Slams. TV shows are now required to have ratings that warn viewers of unsuitable content, perhaps its time to do the same for commercials.

Now I do understand that tennis and television are businesses and that now more than ever the networks need ad revenue. Even so, this is not an excuse for tarnishing the values of our sport in the eyes of the public. I cringe to think of how many families might tune in only for the slams and how the Cialis commercials impacted their viewing experience and their perception of tennis.

Lastly, I think our sport and its network of volunteers and associated organizations should stand up against Cialis and any other questionable product associations (think Virginia Slims). It is absolute hypocrisy to try and portray our sport as a wholesome, healthy, family activity on one hand and use the sports greatest events as a mouthpiece for discussing sexual activity on the other. It’s a highly inappropriate message for children and a total compromise of values. I truly hope we will see the commercial selections change in the near future because everything else with respect to tennis coverage has really excelled. Everyone within our industry believes wholeheartedly that there is not another sport on the planet that can hold a candle to tennis and what it has to offer so let’s put our money where our mouth is and look for some other, more suitable business partners that we are proud to have associated with this great game.

Richard Gasquet: Was Justice Served? Is This Best for Tennis?

I was relieved and pleased to see Richard Gasquet reinstated on the pro tour last week. Here is a situation where rules and policy cannot always be followed and the ITF thankfully allowed an independent tribunal to inject some reason into the proceeding so that in the end justice was done.

I fully support protecting the sport of tennis from the threat of drugs, gambling and other influences that tarnish outcomes. The use of any banned substance to increase your likelihood of winning is cheating, plain and simple. Cycling and baseball are two sports that have lost all credibility in my eyes for this very reason and I would hate to see that happen to tennis. But there is stark contrast between what happened to Richard Gasquet and the deliberate introduction of a banned substance to enhance your performance. Was he stupid? Perhaps. Should he have been more aware of the crowd, the people, the location? Definitely. But this is not cheating, it’s simply a mistake.

I do think that professional athletes need to be held to a stricter standard than the rest of us as they stand to benefit to a much greater degree. I also believe that they should be held accountable and punished for unsuitable behavior and actions on and off the court. It’s important to note that Gasquet has been punished by a strong measure already. His name was dragged through the mud, I am sure he has or will lose sponsors and he did not get to compete at the French or Wimbledon which cost him money and ranking points. This was a good punishment and a hard lesson for a young man to learn. Anything more than this however would have been just inhuman.

Pat Hanssen is Director of Sales for Lee Tennis Court Products



ARE YOU KIDDING ME! I have heard and seen a lot of things in my life, but nothing as ridiculous as Gasquet saying I ingested cocaine from kissing a girl. I can see it now, I'm going to walk into the office, be screened, test positive, and then explain to my boss that I kissed a girl on Saturday night in which I ingested cocaine. What do you think the odds are that I keep my job? The ITF has given themselves a black eye in my opinion. Testing positive is testing positive... Who cares what amounts are in the system? Oh and how about Gasquet's complaint that he was tested after he withdrew from Key Biscayne and only athletes in competition were to be tested. If you are clean you shouldn't care when you are tested.

The independent anti-doping tribunal that Gasquet convinced that he ingested cocaine should be drug tested themselves! Check this out, "We have found the player to be a person who is shy and reserved, honest and truthful, and a man of integrity and good character,'' the tribunal said in its ruling. "He is neither a cheat nor a user of drugs for recreational purposes.'' In the same statement they then said, "After deciding to withdraw from the tournament he went to a nightclub in Miami with friends to see a French DJ perform at a dance music festival, which the tribunal noted was "notoriously associated with use of illegal recreational drugs including cocaine.'' So my question is this, what is a person of integrity and good character, doing in a club that is "notoriously associated with the use of illegal recreational drugs including cocaine?"

We all have seen baseball take it share of criticism for the steroid scandal and now the ITF has open its doors as well. Nice job with keeping the integrity and good character of the game!

Tracy Lynch – Wholesale Accounts Manager, Lee Tennis Court Products

Is Grass Court Tennis Irrelevant?

Anyone watching Murray/Wawrinka. Or it could be any match actually (excepts perhaps if Stepanek or Karlovic were playing). These guys aren't playing on grass, they are playing on a slow hard court! Seriously, where are the bad bounces? Where are the low bounces? Even slices aren't particularly effective anymore. The only semblance of grass that I recognize this year is the difficulty keeping your footing and the effectiveness of the wide slice serve.

Many a fan, tennis official and player have called for the elimination of grass court season. "The surface is too peculiar and the season too short," they said. "Why bother?" Up 'til now I have disagreed. I have held a reverence for the history and the tradition. I have admired those who have conquered all the elements (weather, history, other players) and the toughest element of all, the grass itself. But now I am convinced that whatever semblance of reason that existed for a grass court season has vanished.

History? What history? The tournament today is totally different than the Wimbledon of Budge, Laver, McEnroe, Becker and even Sampras. Tradition? With a new roof there are no more mind-tormenting rain delays. Let's be honest - what exists now is very different. So who needs it. You cannot tell me that if the tour was being created today that you could make a case for a grass court season. Its simply slow hard courts with worse footing. No you would never bother at all. The reason it was compelling was the history and tradition and I feel like that has been tampered with.

I do understand a desire to have longer points and more ralleys so I am comfortable with trying to give the baseliner a better shot but to make the surface cater to players who do not know how or when to come to net is absurd. It might help the game but it makes a strong case for the irrelevance of grass.

Serve & Volley Nostalgia

As I sit here and watch Jesse Levine struggling to recover in the 5th set versus Cuevas I cannot help but long for some volleying. Oh I have seen Jesse come to net and put away a few shots - he is an excellent volleyer - but that's not true volleying. I grew up a serve and volleyer and it was a very different premise. Right now players approach the net when the point is already in hand. By that I mean their shot has their opponent well off the court or is practically a winner and the volley is a mere poke to some wide open space. The serve & volley game I learned was about precision volleys and applying constant pressure on your opponent. Let's examine that a little closer.

Whether playing from the baseline or net, controlling the point and keeping the opponent under pressure is the difference between winning and losing. The way it works with serve and volley is you hit a serve to produce a weak or predictable return and then play a well-placed volley designed to wrong foot your opponent or get them on the run. This way they are confronted with two choices - hit a passing shot winner to a very small fraction of the court or lose the point. You see the odds favor the serve and volleyer. You control the point from the outset, you make your opponent run and scramble, prohibiting them from getting in a groove, and they have two chances to lose the point and only one to win it. They win by hitting a great shot. If they hit an average shot you pounce on it and volley for a winner. If they miss they lose as well - its 2-1 in your favor.

Now I fully understand that the game has changed. Equipment is different, balls are different and surface speeds are different. Most notably the strings are different and this is allowing players to generate more spin than we have ever seen in the history of the game. This means they can hit shots harder and have them stay in and they can create wider angles than were produced historically. But I find it hard to believe that strategically this could totally alter the ability of players to have success as serve and volleyers. I still believe that constant pressure to make great passing shots over the course of an entire set or 5 can and should work in your favor regardless of where you play. In reality, since the server gets to start the point on their terms, I believe a good serve and volleyer at the top of their game should defeat a good baseliner at the top of their game 3 out of 4 times.

Has the pendulum just swung over to the baseliners for the present or for the long term? Will this produce a counter-reaction - or an opportunity - for someone to win by incorporating a less commonly used strategy? Will we ever again get to enjoy the great style contrasts we have historically - McEnroe/Borg, Sampras/Agassi, Edberg/Lendl, Navratilova/Evert? I sure hope so.

Cardio Tennis & Monday go hand "n" hand. Nothing like starting off the week w/a heart pounding, adrenalin pumping workout. Trust me when I say you are ready for the week after that! If you haven't tried Cardio Tennis & are looking to mix your workout up a little....this is the class for you. Bring your racquet, your running shoes & check it out.

The 5 Greatest Clay Court Players Never to Win Roland Garros

I can't tell you how many times in my life I have stood on the baseline practicing serves and conjured up the image of being in the finals of the US Open or Wimbledon, the match just 4 points away. The noise of the crowd in what was then Louis Armstrong Stadium, the awed hush of Wimbledon's Center Court. The roar of the crowd and the rush of adrenalin and emotion closing out that final point with an ace up the middle.

I expect when you grow up on the red clay - as 3/4ths of the world does by the way - you cannot help but dream of that magnificent stage being in the city of lights - court Phillipe Chartrier. How many great Spaniards, South Americans, Belgians and of course Frenchmen have flitted through this fantasy? I can only imagine. Most, like me, never came remotely close to attaining those far away childhood fancies. There are a few however that have been right there, on the cusp and yet despite being among the very best at their trade were unable to fulfill a the lifelong dream of hoisting the Coupe des Mousquetaires. Here are the top 5.

5. Alberto Berasategui - Every single one of Berasategui's 14 titles and 8 runners-up came on clay. He reached the finals of the French in 1994 losing to another clay court artist - Sergi Bruguera. Berasategui's success came in no small part because of an outstanding forehand. He used a grip so extreme it was dubbed Hawaiian for being "so far west". In fact he used the same side of the racket for both forehand and backhand. Berasategui's success on clay in his era made him a favorite to win at RG he was not able to replicate the success he had at so many other clay events.

4. Jose Higueras - A consummate professional who understood his craft, Jose Higueras was twice a semi-finalist at Roland Garros. He played high percentage tennis and used a heavy ball and exceptional footwork, speed and balance to maneuver opponents out of position. He was very patient and despised unforced errors. In his career he won 16 ATP titles and was a 12 time finalist. Not surprisingly, all but two of those were on clay.

3. Alex Corretja - This Spaniard was not a flashy player but he was remarkably consistent and a great fighter. Is there any player who played more 5 set 5 plus hour matches than Corretja?! He was extremely solid off both wings and understood how to control the middle of the court with his forehand. He made it to the finals of the French Open twice, the semi's once and the qtrs twice. In fact, in my recollection I can't think of another player that so many expected to win the French in his era yet never did. Corretja won 16 events overall and was a finalist at another 13. 21 of those were on clay. He did have great success on hard courts as well and will, ironically, probably be most remembered in the US for the epic 5 set match he played against Sampras in the US Open qtrs where Sampras threw up on the court.


2. Manuel Orantes - This left-handed Spaniard was patient and consistent and hit with great accuracy. Orantes won 30 singles titles on clay (+3 on other surfaces) and was a finalist in 27 others. He won the US Open on Har-Tru in a surprise upset of Connors in 1975, this after beating Vilas in one of the most incredible comebacks of all time in the semi's.

1. Roger Federer - Can there be any dispute here? He has been dubbed the greatest player of all time. He plays with grace, style and ease. His movement skills rival that of any of the great champions and his shot making ability is second to none. He won his first Masters Series Title on clay in Hamburg, a tournament he won 4 times. He also won Munich and made it to the finals in Monte Carlo and Rome on multiple occasions. He reached the final at Roland Garros three times only to fall each time to the best clay court player of all time, Rafael Nadal.

Dominant on Clay/Winners on All Surfaces - The Top 6 Greatest Clay Court Players of All Time

As I see it we have 5 distinct seasons in professional tennis - slow hard court (Australian – Indian Wells), clay court, grass court, fast hard court (US Open Series) and indoor. Different surfaces and surface speeds lend themselves to different styles of play and call for different sets of tactics. This is why we see certain players thrive during certain parts of the playing season.
Most obvious are the currently-front-and-center, clay courters. There are more clay court specialists than any of the other surfaces seem to draw out. And this does not preclude their success on other surfaces – particularly recently as the other surfaces have been slowed down - but it means that the bulk of their success came on clay.
We are living in the era of the best clay court player of all time. Nadal has never lost a match at Roland Garros and he is undefeated in 5 set matches on clay, winning 45 straight. Just shy of 23, Nadal is and will remain the benchmark for greatness on clay for years to come – perhaps more than just clay when all is said and done. But who else is in his class? Here are my top 5 after Nadal.


5. Mats Wilander – You don’t win the French Open 3 times and finish runner-up twice without being pretty good on clay. And to win it the first time as an unseeded player beating Lendl, Gueralitis, Clerc and Vilas along the way is pretty incredible. That trip to the winner’s circle made him the youngest player to have won at Roland Garros at the time.
Mats won on grass and hard as well and he is one of only 3 players in the open era to own a Grand Slam on all three surfaces (note that the grass court slam came in Australia not Wimbledon). His winning percentages on all surfaces except carpet were very good. He played many more clay court events and won 20 clay court titles overall. With a game somewhat modeled after Borg, his exceptional two-handed backhand and ability to outlast and out-guile opponents helped him achieve tremendous success.
4. Ivan Lendl – Not many people think of Lendl as a dominant clay court player but let’s consider. His first Grand Slam came at the French and he played in no less than 5 finals, winning 3 of them. He also won 28 titles on clay, more than he won on any other surface. His style was very much built around clay court strategy. Lendl used a dominant forehand with heavy spin to control points, and his fitness and endurance allowed him to grind opponents down.
Of course Lendl’s success on other surfaces put him in the conversation when discussing the best of all time. Only Wimbledon eluded him, although he played in two finals.
3. Thomas Muster – How could you not admire this guy? In 1995 he’s on the brink of breaking through, making it to the Australian semi-finals and preparing to play Lendl in the finals of the Lipton when he tragically gets hit by a drunk driver and needs knee surgery. He devises a chair so he can practice flogging forehands during recovery and spends hours a day doing so. He is back on the court in six months.
He was gritty and determined and fiercely fit. A lefty with giant spin Muster won the French only 1 time but literally dominated on clay during his entire career and particularly in 1995-96 when he went 111-5, a mark that continues to stand as the best two year record on any surface. Muster also made it to the quarters at the US Open on three occasions.
2. Guillermo Vilas – Vilas experienced success on all surfaces but there is no doubt his specialty was clay. Some might say Nadal is Vilas in younger form as both powerful lefties dominated the surface in their era. Vilas in fact owned the record for the longest winning streak on clay at 53 matches until Nadal surpassed him. Surprisingly though, he won the French only one time (the year that Borg did not compete) but was finalist on 3 other occasions and he won the US Open in 1977 when it was played on Har-Tru.
Vilas won titles on every surface and made it to the Wimbledon quarters twice so he was able to come to net. In fact in his US Open title over Connors in ’77 at Forest Hills he won by surprising his American rival and attacking the net.
1. Bjorn Borg – Winner of 6 French Opens, and likely would have won 7 straight if he had not been under contract with WTT in 1977 preventing him from competing. He practically invented the heavy ball that is now considered a must for success on this surface. He was also a fast, well-conditioned, athlete who understood that it is best not to miss but to wear opponents down.
Of course Borg’s success on other surfaces is legendary, winning Wimbledon 5 times. Although Borg made it to the finals at the US Open 4 times he never could convert the victory there, on Har-Tru or hard courts. He seldom played the Australian

Next up…the 5 greatest clay court players never to win the French Open.

Officiating Tennis Needs and Overhaul

I believe that officiating in the game of tennis needs to be overhauled. With officiating being near and dear to me, its difficult for me to watch some of these folks out on the court. I know from experience that if I blow a call on the basketball floor or the football field I will most certainly get booed out of the gym/stadium, but not in tennis. There are physical requirements mandated to officiate other sports, but not in tennis. To watch a man or woman come walking out on the court and sit down in a chair just doesn't seem appropriate. Stand up and and appear to be athletic and interested in what is happening on the court. I think tennis needs mandate some level of fitness for the umpires and do away with the chairs on the court. You don't see a new set of officials coming into a baseball game in the bottom of the ninth inning so why are they sending in new officials mid way through the second set?

I can remember growing up as a child and watching Johnny Mac going ballistic on an blown line call. I'm not condoning his behavior, but he certainly set a standard for the officials that were involved in his match that they had better be on top of their game. The only thing that I wish would have been different about this memory is that the chair umpire would have put Johnny Mac is his place a few more times. In no other sport do you see a player act so unsportsmanlike and stay in the game. Wouldn't it had been great to see a chair umpire toss him out of a match? Just a thought.

I think in all sports officiating that the official must look the part, but more importantly they must prepare for the part. Tennis officials don't seem to trained when they walk out on the court and sit down.

Carmel Valley Ranch Play The Clay Event

5-02-09
Once again we dodged the bullet on the weather. The day was a bit overcast at the start but got better and better as the time wore on. There were 8 for the clinic and round robin – two of which had participated the previous day. Clark, Tim and I ran the group through a series of warm up drills where we were able to emphasize sliding and movement, drop shots, angles, inside-out forehands and patience. We then talked strategy, played out singles and doubles points and finished by playing a little up the ladder down the ladder doubles.

One of the highlights of the day for me was getting to meet the great Jean Harris. Not a familiar name? I recognized her from the minute she walked on the court as I have seen her picture and read about her in magazines and on the tennis channel. She owns 16 gold balls. That’s right – 16. She continues to play in the 90’s age division and participates in both singles and doubles. She cannot run and serves underhand but has exceptional hands and about the wickedest drop shot I have ever seen. I think she could have taught the clinic on that shot!

I got to play with Jean as my partner for one set which was lots of fun. Jean is a member at Carmel Valley Ranch and needless to say is rather a celebrity. She has played with and against nearly all the greats of her day at one time or another, men and women as she plays mixed as well. She has had a knee replacement, rotator cuff surgery and a few others but it does not seem to bother her. She is very modest, soft-spoken and engaging. Oh yes, and she was heading to LA Tennis Club next week to play one of the senior nationals on their two new HydroCourts – singles and doubles – and continuing on to La Jolla after that to play the hard courts. She is an inspiration!

After the clinic Dave Houston showed up. Dave is about as well connected in tennis in NorCal as anyone I know. He absolutely loves the game of tennis, is active in the tennis community, grew up in Monterey and taught and coached for many years. He currently provides clubs and tennis facilities with an assortment of products from windscreens to Playmate ball machines. His company is called DH Distribution.

Dave drove down from Half Moon Bay to join us with one of his ball machines on the chance we had any juniors for the afternoon clinic. First we ate lunch together at Earthbound Farms farm stand and café which is just a short, convenient drive from the Ranch. If you buy organic vegetables you have heard of Earthbound Farms and they had one of the best selections of healthful, organic and natural food that I have ever seen for a stand that size and much of it was straight from their fields.

Back at the Ranch we did not have any juniors come out but we did get to try out the latest innovation in ball machines. Playmate has adapted the use of a footswitch pad and a series of indicator lights that will greatly augment training and practice, particularly as it relates to the serve and volley. It is fabulous! There is a footpad that acts as a switch and connects wirelessly with the ball machine. For serve and volley practice, a player steps onto the pad with a ball and lines up to serve. The moment the player comes off the pad the ball machine is triggered to feed a ball to a predetermined location, which for serve and volley purposes can be at the T for singles or to one side or the other for doubles. The feed can be followed up with additional shots to programmed locations, including lobs to replicate the need for closing in and shuffling back for the overhead.

If you have ever used a ball machine, particularly for volleys, coordinating your feet and preparation with the feed of the ball is difficult as you are not quite sure when to split step. This is where the indicator lights come in. Just prior to ball feed a panel of red LED lights that looks almost like a miniature version of what you see in drag racing illuminates in sequence. This is akin to when your opponent would be hitting the ball in a live point, allowing you to learn exactly when to split step. It is a wonderful invention that I think will really help players improve serve and volley and many other skills. We spent about 1 ½ hours drilling on it that afternoon and got just an incredible workout. Dave also set up shot sequences that allowed us to practice poaching and working as a team at the net.

We thought people might be interested in viewing the machine and drills in action so we have placed video on the Lee Tennis YouTube page www.youtube.com/leetenniscourtprod that you can view anytime. I inquired about cost and Dave informed us that this technology will work on ball machines that are less than two years old and both the foot pad and lights together run between $800 and $1,000.

We ended a great day by having dinner with Dave at Clint Eastwood’s Mission Ranch restaurant, a restored mission overlooking where the Carmel River runs into the ocean, and having a few drinks at the Crown and Anchor Pub in Monterey. Tomorrow is the last day. There is a mixed doubles round robin that will be held on the clay courts from 11 AM – 1 PM.

Carmel Valley Ranch Play The Clay Event

5-2-09

I had artichokes on my pizza Friday night. I followed that up with artichoke chowder and an artichoke and asparagus omelet for lunch yesterday at Jeffries, a cozy and pleasant, bustling restaurant that featured not only good food, but the serenading of the Cannery Rogues, a barber shop quartet. Needless to say, I have tried to get in the artichoke spirit but I think I am about artichoked out!

The day began with some uncertainty about the weather but, in the words of Homer, dawn spread her rosy colored fingers across the sky, and there was sun. Indeed the weather remained very nice until our clinic ended, when it promptly began to rain. This was a positive development as there were 10 people who showed up for the event. They consisted of a mixture of Carmel Valley Ranch members, local residents and a few out-of-towners. About half had played on clay previously but even among those the experience was limited. One relayed that he is really only able to play on clay due to his knees.

I was impressed with the level of talent. All the players knew their way around a court. After a brief warm-up Tim and I started with the most basic and typically the most disconcerting aspect of playing on clay – the footing. Participants learned about sliding – why it’s important and how it’s done. After that we transitioned into strategy. As we had mostly doubles players we discussed the differences between doubles on hard courts and clay courts and after doing some drills to hone these tactics we played out points and then broke into groups for match play. It was awfully fun to be back on the teaching court and sharing some knowledge about clay court tennis. The group seemed to have a very nice time. Hopefully they will want to begin playing on clay more regularly and will share their experience with other tennis players.

After the clinic ended there was time to learn more about the Ranch. First of all, our hosts here are Tennis Director Clark Corey and Head Professional Rick Manning. Clark and Rick know how to make tennis fun. They clearly enjoy what they do and instantaneously put guests and members at ease. They are both PBI pros as the facility is managed by PBI, and they are extremely knowledgeable and definitely patient, as I peppered Rick with questions about the resort and the area.

The facility they manage is beautiful and includes two well-manicured Har-Tru courts and 10 hard courts. It’s called Carmel Valley for a reason, as the resort is nestled in the narrow valley with views of the hills rising up on both sides that produce a certain yearning to explore (note – for pictures check out the album on the Lee Tennis Facebook page). The view from the courts is particularly pleasing and might easily lead to an occasional boner as you get lost staring at the scenery and forget to be ready for the return to come right at you at the net.

Development of the Ranch began in 1976 with the golf course completed in 1981. The hotel opened in June of 1987. The entire property sits on what used to be fruit plantations. The last cash crop grown there was pears but when the Great Depression settled in they switched to cattle farming and it indeed became a ranch. The resort has what looks to be a challenging golf course that weaves its way up and down the hillsides. The rooms have been constructed in a modest fashion that suits the surroundings and they are nicely tucked away behind a canopy of trees so as to be hidden from view when you are on the tennis courts and golf course.

As afternoon rain set in Tim and I decided to make our way over to Pebble Beach Tennis Center to see how their two courts were performing. Tim conducted a maintenance seminar on the courts a few weeks back and led a renovation project, complete with drilling holes in the court and heavy scarification with the court devil, to improve drainage. He clearly did an excellent job because when we arrived the only courts still playable were the two Har-Tru courts. In fact they looked about perfect, despite the steady rain, and since these were the only two courts available the teaching staff had moved their very enthusiastic weekend group to these courts. We watched for a good 45 minutes, with it raining the entire time, and they were still playing as we left. Tim will be running another Play The Clay event at Pebble Beach on May 30^th so it’s nice to see those courts in such great shape.

Back at the Ranch our 3:30 PM clinic was rained out so Tim and I contented ourselves with computer work and catching up on phone calls. Hopefully the weather improves for tomorrow. We are on again at 9 AM.

Carmel Valley Ranch Play The Clay Event

Took the morning flight from Richmond to San Francisco yesterday. Felt a little like coming home when I landed. I spent half of '06 and most of '07 coming to the Bay area to research the market and understand the opportunity for bringing clay to the west coast. Actually looked at northern and southern Cal but at the end of the day we just loved the "community" that exists in tennis in the Bay area. So every other week for 6-7 months of the year I made this trip.

The trip had always felt a little like coming home. My dad grew up in Palo Alto, was a Paly High grad and went to San Jose St where he played water polo for a couple of national championship teams. I had taken several trips out here as a child to visit my Grandmother, who lived in Menlo Park, as well as my dad's sister in Los Gatos and my mom's brother in Apotos. My dad passed away a couple of years ago and my Aunt only two months ago and as I drive away from SFO south to Los Gatos for a meeting at Courtside Club, a flood of emotions best described as a combination of nostalgia, pride and a certain emptiness, invariably washes over me. It is a feeling I embrace and I am very glad to be back in Northern California swimming in memories that otherwise get stored away behind the cares of everyday.

Met up with Tim Beyer and after a nice meeting about Advantage Lighting with Gordon Collins at Courtside Club we head south on 17 for La Selva Beach and the Flora Vista Inn to pick up tennis balls and waters for the weekend. Flora Vista is a beautiful bed & breakfast nestled between fields of flowers and very private Manresa Beach, a lovely beach that is one of the few in the area that still allows campfires. The proprietors, Ed & Deanna Boos, are wonderfully warm and knowledgeable and understand that balance of privacy and company for their guests. The cooking is fantastic and as a getaway from the hustle and bustle of the Bay area it is first rate. And of course la piece de la resistance...there two, perfectly manicured Har-Tru courts there. These courts are a little known secret and in this season of clay - or any time for that mater - how nice it is to spend the day on the tennis courts accompanied by walks on the beach or just sitting, gazing across a tapestry of color with a glass of wine in hand.

On to Carmel. Monterey and Carmel are recognizable by reputation for most. They are exquisite seaside town homes to exclusive resort communities with postcard ocean views and quaint shops and restaurants. As an aside, the 2011 USPTA World Conference has been scheduled for Monterey which I think is a great choice and I am already looking for to. On the drive to Carmel you pass through some of the nation's finest growing areas. Fields of strawberries, almond farms and giant tracts dedicated to nothing but artichokes. Artichokes are grown on spiny looking bushes that are no more than 3' tall. The artichokes open up on the top like a flower. I saw a sign that the Artichoke Festival was coming May 16-19. Although I initially snickered a bit as I considered what the Artichoke Festival could possibly be like, I later learned from Tim that Marilyn Monroe was once the queen of the festival. Go figure.

Finally we arrived at the Carmel Valley Ranch. More on the Ranch in the next blog. After crossing through the gated entrance we wound our way through the community to the lodge, where we were greeted and driven to our room on a golf cart. A quick jog on the golf course as the sun dropped, to shake off the cobwebs of a long day, revealed marvelous old trees, deer and a few turkey, all of which seemed to regard me with suspicion and a bit of disdain for interrupting what I expected is typically "their time". Pizza at Ioli's - where we did manage to recruit some additional players for our clinics and round robins this weekend - and then bed.

First event starts tomorrow at 9 a.m.

A Tennis Tragedy Continues to Play Out on the West Coast

Californians are trend setters. Socially, technologically, environmentally and morally they have challenged and continue to challenge our nation and make the world a better place. Yet there is one place where California is dreadfully lagging behind their east coast brethren and the toll is severe. It’s without a doubt costing us tennis champions.

We live in a tennis world dominated by clay court players. We have since the tennis boom. Examine the top 10 ATP rankings since their inception in 1973. Examine the players who have reached that pinnacle of number one in the world. There is no debating it. Training on clay in your formative years is a crucial ingredient in the development of future champions.

So I assert again, California is depriving the United States of tennis champions. Less that one percent of the tennis courts in California are clay. In the greater Bay area there are less than 10 clubs that even have a clay court. In LA and San Diego the numbers are greater but not much. We are talking about a tennis powerhouse with huge participation numbers, a myriad of tournaments, where intercollegiate tennis thrives like nowhere else in America. We are talking about a storied past with legendary champions but a dwindling future in the elite ranks of this most international of sports.

Why doesn’t the state of California have more clay courts? Clay does exist and the few who are privileged enough to have access are reaping the benefits. They play longer they play healthier and their children develop a well rounded game. So what could possibly stop facilities from adding clay to what they have to offer?

The answer in a word - Fear. I have heard all the questions. Will a clay court work? Will players like it? Will players use it? It’s too hard to maintain. It’s too dry out here. It uses too much water. I will venture to say that the success stories out there decry these objections. I also hear - “My leagues play on hard courts. The tournaments are on hard courts.” Well of course they are! There aren’t any clay courts!

Experts suggest that clay courts represent 15-20% of the overall tennis court market in this country. Do you realize that this number is over 50% in FL? That’s correct - the majority of tennis courts in Florida are clay. Public courts, private courts, country clubs, resorts…you name it, they’re clay. You see a similar story in the northeast, though the percentage drops a bit. Looking for league play on hard courts in these locales? Don’t count on it. No one would even sign up.

Come on California, welcome to the 21st century. Our sport has been doing amazingly well thanks to the efforts of the USTA and its network of advocates all across the country. It’s time that the west coast does its part.