On The Ball

USPTA Middle States Division

Fall 2014

2014 USPTA
MIDDLE STATES
CONFERENCE
AND COACHES WORKSHOP

Whats inside this issue....

2 USPTA Player
3 Presidents Message
4 Featured Speakers
7 Conference Agenda &
Registration
8 The Continuing Education
Policy
9 How to Earn Required Credits

November 1415

at the Marriott Forrestal in

Princeton, NJ

BOARD OF DIRECTORS

A New Way to Register

for the Conference Using
USPTAplayer

Executive Board

District Presidents

President

Eastern

Anthony J. DeCecco
610-721-7003
Anthony2468@comcast.net

Suresh Ramamurthi
610-781-7876
ramamurt@kutztown.edu

Regional Vice President

Western Pennsylvania

FOR USPTA MEMBERS

Bruce Levine
908-698-9044
tennistotennis13@gmail.com

Ron Christman
724-413-5315
rchristm@waynesburg.edu

To sign on to USPTAplayer.com for the first time if you do

not know your password:

Second Vice President

Harold Conway
610-584-5502
Harold@frogtennis.com

Treasurer
David Price
814-880-1986
davepricetennis@gmail.com

Secretary
Beth Ann Myers
570-584-4963
BethAnn55@windstream.net

Director of Membership
Becky Desmond
610-269-8037
bd315@aol.com

Central Pennsylvania
Marybeth Williams
717-329-3983
marybw17@gmail.com

Philadelphia
Kevin Ryan
610-304-8855
krtt61@aol.com

Delaware

USPTAplayer.com

1. Click http://www.usptaplayer.com/
communities/middle_states/
2. Click Sign In and then click ?
3. Use your email address that is on file with your
USPTA membership to get a new password
4. IMPORTANT Do not create a new account as you
already have an account and you do not want duplicate accounts in the system
5. After taking the steps above, if you need more help,
you may contact the USPTA Player Manager, Randy
Jenks at randy.jenks@uspta.org

FOR NON USPTA MEMBERS

Jackie Roe
443-206-1456
jro10s@yahoo.com

Steps for Non-USPTA Members who would like to

register through www.USPTAplayer.com

New Jersey

1. Click Join USPTA Player at upper right of page (if you

are not logged in).

Joao Pinho
435-764-6252
pinhojoao@hotmail.com

Awards Chairman

Testing & Education

Mark Centrella
302-893-4524
centrella4@aol.com

Mark Centrella
302-893-4524
centrella4@aol.com

Executive Director Tim Irwin

610-730-0442
usptaexdirms@comcast.net

2. Complete the brief registration fields (including the

optional Child/Family account information if you have
other family members that play tennis), click the box
to agree to the terms and then click Sign Me Up
3. Enter Pennsylvania in the search drop down on the
right. http://www.usptaplayer.com/
communities/middle_states/
4. The Middle States Page will come up and on the right
under upcoming events is the conference. Simply hit
register and you are on your way!
5. Any questions please call 610-730-0442
You can still register by application on p 1 by filling out
application and sending it in but if you like the convenience of applying electronically, please use
USPTAplayer.com

USPTA Middle States Division Newsletter is published quarterly. The opinions expressed in this
newsletter are those of the authors and not necessarily those of the Middle States Division.

On The BallFall 2014

Presidents
message

t is a fantastic time to be a part of the USPTA, especially if you are in

the Middle States division! Last years Conference set attendance
records and this year promises to be better! USPTA/Nationals core
pillars include education, increased membership, and a U-30 presence. The 2014 Middle States Conference will deliver all of this and more!
The dates are November 14th and 15th and the place is the Princeton
Marriott Forrestal Conference Center and Spa. The presenters are worldclass: Butch Staples presenting on 10-U, Rodney Harmon speaking on
Coaching, Mark Kovacs presenting on Sports Science, James Fusco on Sales
and Marketing, Mike Kennedy on Competition and Tournament Play,
Oscar Wegner on the Future of Tennis, Emilio Sanchez-Vicario on Player
Development and a special guest who will be discussing leadership. In addition Tim Irwin is offering a specialty course on the 7 Habits of Highly
Effective People and Mark Centrella is conducting Testing and Upgrades.
We also have our annual Awards Banquet with live music by Dan Frantz
and an after-banquet party at Triumph at Palmer Square in Princeton
Proper. Diane Selke will be holding a general USPTA Meeting Saturday
morning and will be available throughout the Conference to answer any
questions about the National Initiatives. In addition, well have 15 vendors
hosting booths throughout the weekend and a Vendors Cocktail Party
Friday evening.
Join us in Princeton, NJ for a World-Class Event, centrally located, for a
fraction of the cost of the National Conference. The Conference fee
includes 2 days and one night accommodations, 4 meals, and all the
workshops as well as the specialty course!
It is an exciting time to be a part of the USPTA and Im hoping you
decide to join us for a weekend of education and fun!!
Sincerely,
Anthony J. DeCecco, Jr.
USPTA/Middle States President

Anthony J. DeCecco Jr.

Hyperlinks
If you are viewing this newsletter online, you can click
onto an email address or website address and you should
go directly to that address.

USPTA Middle States Division

USPTA Middle States Division

Featured Speakers:

Emilio
Sanchez-Vicario
Born in Madrid, Spain, Snchez turned
professional in 1984 and won his first top-level
singles title in Nice, France in 1986. He won
15 singles titles during his career, including the
Italian Open (Tennis Masters Series event) in
1991. His career-high singles ranking was
World No. 7.
Snchez captured 50 men's doubles titles,
including three at Grand Slam events. In 1988,
he won the men's doubles titles at both the
French Open (with Andrs Gmez) and the
US Open (with Sergio Casal). He won the
French Open title again (with Casal) in 1990.
Snchez and Casal were also the men's doubles
runners-up at Wimbledon in 1987, and the
pair won the silver medal for Spain at the 1988
Olympic Games in Seoul. Snchez was ranked
World No. 1 in men's doubles in 1989.
Snchez won two Grand Slam mixed
doubles titles in 1987, at the French Open
(with Pam Shriver) and the US Open (with
Martina Navrtilov).
He was a member of Spain's Davis Cup
team from the mid-1980s to the mid-1990s,
compiling a 3223 record. And he was part of
the Spanish teams that won the Hopman Cup
in 1990 and the World Team Cup in 1992.
Snchez is the brother of Javier Snchez
Vicario and former World No. 1 Arantxa
Snchez Vicario. In 1987, Emilio and Javier
met in the final at Madrid, with Emilio
winning the match 63, 36, 62. Emilio and
Javier faced each other 12 times during their
careers, with Emilio winning 10 of their
matches.
Snchez retired from the professional tour
in 1997.

Mark Kovacs,
Ph.D., CSCS
Dr. Kovacs currently oversees the Sport
Science, Strength & Conditioning and
Coaching Education areas for the United
States Tennis Association. He was an
All-American and NCAA doubles champion
at Auburn University. After playing professionally, he pursued his graduate work at Auburn
University and earned his Ph.D. in Exercise
Physiology from The University of Alabama.
Dr. Kovacs is a certified strength and conditioning specialist through the National
Strength and Conditioning Association, a
certified Health/Fitness Instructor through
the American College of Sports Medicine, a
United States Track and Field Level II sprints
coach and certified tennis coach. He is
currently the Assistant Editor-in-Chief of the
Strength and Conditioning Journal and sits on
the editorial board for the Journal of the International Society of Sports Nutrition,
Journal of Coaching Education and the International Journal of Exercise Science. He is also
a reviewer for over a dozen scientific journals,
and has published five books including
Dynamic Stretching and Tennis Training: Enhancing On-Court Performance. Dr. Kovacs
has been the recipient of the Editorial Excellence Award for his work with the Strength
and Conditioning Journal and in 2010 he was
awarded the prestigious Plagenhoef Award for
sport science achievement.

Butch Staples
Over the past 5 years, Butch has managed a team of 36 professionals and the
largest Adult and Junior programs in the
country as the Head Tennis Professional at
Midtown Tennis Club in Chicago. Prior
to that, he was the Director of Tennis at
the Athletic Club at Weston in Weston, FL.
From 1995 - 2002, he worked with Gavin
as the Director of Special Projects for Van
der Meer Tennis.
Butch is a USPTA Professional 1, a
USPTA Specialist in Competitive Player
Development, a PTR Master Professional
and a Tennis Canada Certified Level 3
Coach. He holds a B.A., a B.P.E. and a
M.S. in Physical Education.
He was named the 2006 and 2009
USTA Recreation Coach Workshop
Trainer of the Year. He is a QuickStart
Master Trainer conducting workshops for
both Community Tennis and Player Development. Butch is co-owner of Tennisclub of the Low Country at Rose Hill.
Butch and his wife Lynn, have a home
in Rose Hill. They previously lived in
Bluffton and are very happy to have returned to the Low Country.

On The BallFall 2014

Rodney Harmon

Oscar Wegner

Mike Kennedy

Rodney Harmon has been the head

womens tennis coach at Georgia Tech
since July, 2012.
In 2014, Tech received its 15th straight
berth in the NCAA Tournament.The Yellow Jackets defeated Purdue in the first
round, 4-0, before falling Vanderbilt, 4-2.
Harmon brings 25 years of player
development to the Yellow Jackets with
prior experience in both junior and
college tennis.
Harmon was the men's tennis head
coach at the University of Miami from
1995 until 1997. Harmon was the 1996
and 1997 Big East Conference Coach of
theYear during his time with the Hurricanes.
Harmon left the Hurricanes to re-join
the United States Tennis Association training center headquarters in Boca Raton,
Fla., where he advanced to director of
men's tennis. During his tenure at the
USTA, Harmon served as the head coach
of the U.S. men's tennis team at the 2008
Olympic Games in Beijing, China.
Before joining Miami, Harmon spent
four years as the USTA national coach
where he coached future pros including
Todd Martin, MaliVai Washington and
Alex O'Brien. During his first stint with
the USTA, Harmon served as the U.S.
men's tennis head coach at the 1993 World
University Games in Buffalo, N.Y.

Oscar Wegner is one of the most

known tennis coaches in the world. After
playing internationally in the 1960s, Oscar
undertook a coaching career and developed a remarkable methodology that
makes tennis an easy sport to learn.Tennis,
Oscar says, is far simpler than it looks.
Oscars teaches publicly and privately
throughout the United States and Internationally. He contributes to tennis publications and events. He tours the globe
giving clinics, lectures, seminars & workshops on his revolutionary method. In addition to publishing TennisTeacher.com,
he produces new DVDs and books and
oversees his Modern Tennis College, Elite
Training Program and Modern Tennis
Methodology Coaches Association.
Oscars coaching concepts have had
tremendous impact globally, earning him,
from Brad Holbrook, host/producer of
the Tennis Television Show in the USA,
the designation of the father of modern
tennis. Oscars breakthrough techniques,
which he initially taught in the National
Tennis School in Spain, then in Florianopolis, Brazil, where Oscar coached a
group of young players that included
Guga Kuerten until he was 14, later on
TV in the USA, and finally broadcast
worldwide through ESPN International,
have produced top players in the USA and
in countries as far as Russia, Thailand,
South America, Spain, and the Far East.
Among those are the famous Williams
sisters.

Mike Kennedy is the Senior Director

of Junior Competition and Player Development for the USTA Middle States
Section. Prior to this role, he served as the
USA Tennis High Performance and
Multicultural Participation Coordinator.
As part of the USTA MS Staff,
Kennedy is primarily responsible for the
Sections junior competitive program
structure, which is comprised of 10 and
Under Tennis (TAUT), Junior Tournaments and Jr. Team Tennis (JTT). He also
oversees junior player development for the
Section, including the Regional Training
Center (RTC) program and the Sectional
Training Centers (STC).
Kennedy serves as the liaison to the
USTA Player Development staff to assist
with the training of the USTA MS
sectional coaches. He counsels sectional
coaches, players and parents in regards to
the district/sectional/national competitive
player pathways with respect to the
various ranking systems.

USPTA Middle States Division

Featured Speakers:

Jim Fusco
Jim Fusco is the Marketing and Financial Services instructor at the Chester
County Intermediate Unit's Technical College High School. After successfully opening a school store in the IU's Pennock's
Bridge campus that his students operated
(profitably), he was transferred to the
Brandywine facility, where his innovative
recruiting and teaching strategies helped
double enrollment in the program in one
year. He currently holds teaching certifications in Business / Computers / Information Technology (K-12), and Marketing and
Distributive Education. Prior to becoming
a teacher 5 years ago, Jim was a successful
salesperson and sales manager for several industrial products companies. He also
worked as the assistant golf course superintendent at the Springfield Country Club in
Springfield, PA.
Jim earned both his Bachelor's degree in
Business Administration and his MBA in
Marketing Management from Widener
University. He has twice been nominated
for the Citadel Heart of Learning Award, he
received Horace Mann's Crysatal Apple for
Teacher of the Quarter, and, most notably,
was voted "Least Annoying Teacher Ever"
by his 2011 graduating class. He also works
as a freelance Spanish tutor, and spends his
summers power washing, staining, and rebuilding decks.
Jim lives in Downingtown, PA with his
wife, three children, and two dogs. In his
spare time he enjoys skydiving, Texas Hold
'Em, and, of course, tennis.

Diane Selke
Diane Selke has been a USPTA Professional for 29 years and USPTA Master
Professional since 1996. She has served on
the Intermountain Board 15 years and the
Executive Committee as President twice
and Regional Vice President three times.
Diane was the USPTA National Womens
Chairperson twice and currently serves
on the USPTA Master Pro Committee
for a second year. She was a speaker at the:
Intermountain, Missouri Valley, Eastern
and Texas Division Conventions and the
USPTA World Conferences. Diane was
also the chairperson and co-chair of five
USPTA Intermountain Conventions.
Diane was recognized as Intermountain
Pro of the Year, 1989, 2003, 2006, 2009.
She currently serves as vice president on
the USPTA National Board.

Tim Irwin
Tim Irwin is the Executive Director of
the USPTA Middle States Division and
has served in this capacity since 2004.
Tim is the Head Coach of the Coatesville
High School Girl's Tennis Team and past
coach of the Boy's Tennis Team at Bishop
Shanahan High School. Tim is the owner
and founder of the Coatesville Tennis
School, LLC where he serves as Director/President. Tim has been teaching tennis since 1972 and has also served as the
Assistant Coach of West Chester University, Head Tennis Professional of Radley
Run Country Club, Frog Hollow Tennis
Club, the Cynwyd Club and Director of
Racquet Sports at Aronimink Golf Club.
Tim has a Masters Degree in Educational
Leadership from Neumann College. He
is a certified facilitator of the "Seven
Habits of Highly Effective People Signature Course," "The Leader In Me Operational System for Education" and is a
domestic brother of the Brothers and Sisters of Charity www.littleportion.org. In
addition Tim is a full-time health and
physical education teacher in his hometown of Coatesville, PA.Tim is married to
Karen, who works for St.Vincent de Paul
Society and has three children Joel, Marci
and Chaz. Both Joel and Chaz are tennis
teaching professionals and Marci is a Yoga
Instructor. He and his family reside in
Downingtown, Pennsylvania.

On The BallFall 2014

2014 USPTA MS
Conference
Agenda

Attendee Information
Name:
________________________________________
USPTA #:
________________________________________
E-mail:

The Schedule is tentative. Speakers

and times are subject to change. Check
USPTA/Middle States Facebook.com for
information as it becomes available.

________________________________________
Address:
________________________________________
City:
________________________________________

A. Friday
9:0012:00

Upgrade Testing

8:0012:00

Tim Irwin7 Habits

Highly Effective People

12:001:00

Lunch with Mike Kennedy

1:153:15

Butch Staples TAU Red and

Orange Balls

3:304:30

Special Guest Speaker TBA

q 2-day Conference, USPTA member $199

5:006:00

Cocktail Party

q 2-day Conference, non-member $209

6:308:30

Awards Party with music

8:30

Princeton, Palmer Square

State: _______________ ZIP: _______________

Phone: __________________________________

q Saturday only, USPTA member $149

q Saturday only, non-member $159

B. Saturday
7:308:15

q Under 30 years of age, member $99

Board Meeting with
Breakfast

Method of Payment:

8:30

General Membership
MeetingDiane Selke

9:0010:20

James Fusco Sales

10:3011:45

Mark Kovacs

12:0012:45

Luncheon for attendees

and Womens Meeting &
Luncheon

1:00 2:20

Emilio Sanchez Vicario

q Visa

2:30 3:20

Oscar WengerThe Future

of Tennis

q Credit Card #:___________________________

3:30 4:20

Rodney HarmonCoaching

4:30 5:00

Panel: Mark, Emilio, Oscar,

q Check
Make Checks payable to USPTA/MS and mail to:
Tim Irwin
432 Hallman Court
Downingtown, PA 19335
q MasterCard

q Other____________

Exp. Date: _______________________________

Rodney

Signature: _______________________________
USPTA Middle States Division

On The BallFall 2014

How To Earn Required Credits

You have heard about the continuing education policy that
has gone into effect this year. All of us are required to get
6 credits in 3 years. Many of us are not sure where to go to get
these credits or how many credits are workshops, conferences, or
reviewed videos are worth?
This is really much easier than you think and it is important
that all of our USPTA members be clear on how to get the
credits and what they are worth.

The list below is only a partial listing of events eligible for

educational credit. If you have questions concerning events or
activities not listed, please contact the Education Department at
uspta.com/education or 713-978-7782 and 800-877-8248.
Members are responsible for submitting proof of attendance for
non-USPTA events (email, letter, certificate, receipt, etc.)

USPTA activities/events
Book Review
Business Meeting w/Education
Conferences
Education Events
Professional Tennis Management Program
PTCA I
Seminars
Speaker (Conference)
Specialty Courses (4 hours)
World Conference
Workshops
DVDs
USTA activities
High Performance Coaching Program
High Performance Coaching Program Continuing Education
Conferences
Sport Science Exams
Tennis Teachers Conference
Officials clinic
Workshops
Seminars
Annual meeting
Semi-annual meeting
Sectional meeting

Credits*
2
.52
25
15
918
4
.52
1
2
8
14
.52
Credits*
12
2.511.5
16
2
5
23
16
.52
5
3
23

Allied organizations activities/events

(CMAA, PCA, IHRSA, TIA, ITA, NCAA, ATP, WTA, ITF, ITPA,
HPI, ARC, AHA, NASM, AAPHERD, RPT, ASC, PTR, GPTA,
YMCA, YWCA, etc.)

Conferences
College courses
Courses and training
CPR/AED
Clinics
Workshops
USRSA Courses and Exams
Seminars
Certifications

Credits*
25
110
.510
23
.55
.55
14
52
14

*Credit may vary according to the number of education hours included in activity. Credit given for events that are
more than one day may vary depending on length of your participation.

USPTA Middle States Division

LOV
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EKIINDLED
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ince
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the exclusive supplier of rracquets,
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princetennis.com

Official Racquet, String,

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John Hancock Life Insurance Company (U.S.A.)

An individual long-term care (LTC) insurance

policy can help protect your financial
security, your quality of life, and your familys
well-being. Planning ahead when you are
young and healthy, can make this valuable
protection more affordable.
As part of our organization, you and
your eligible family members can purchase
LTC insurance at a 5% discount through
John Hancock.
The long-term care insurance policy describes coverages under the policy,
exclusions and limitations, what you must do to keep your policy in-force,
and what would cause your policy to be discontinued. Please contact the
licensed agent or John Hancock for more information, costs, and complete
details on coverage.
This is an insurance solicitation. An insurance agent will contact you.
Long-term care insurance is underwritten by John Hancock Life Insurance
Company (U.S.A.), Boston, MA 02117.
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USPTA Middle States Division

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To learn more about how you can customize

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Long-Term Care Policy Series:
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Earn at least
a minimum of
7 credits by
attending this
conference and the
specialty course.

USPTA
Middle States Division
432 Hallman Court
Downingtown, PA 19335

www.facebook.com/usptamiddlestates

The 2014 USPTA Middle States Conference

November 14 & 15
100 College Road East
Princeton, New Jersey 08540