This is one of the best articles I've read in awhile and what inspires me to continue working with the kids in Detroit. I am looking forward to our first annual All-City Tennis Practice in January. Look for pictures!
http://www.nytimes.com/2013/12/13/sports/tennis/mean-streets-to-hardcourts-for-chicago-youth-tennis-program.html?smid=pl-share
Stay tuned,
KS
Monday, December 30, 2013
Split Set Intermission
Dear, Official,
Over the summer, I had a doubles match for my 2.5 team. Our opponents won the first set. We won the second and before we could start the tiebreaker, one of our opponents said she had to go pick up her son from school and she would be back. She didn't want to start the tiebreaker and leave in the middle, so her solution was that we all reconvene at the courts an hour later. My partner and I protested, but felt bullied into letting her have her way. She came back an hour later, we started the tiebreaker and lost. But my question is, was she allowed to do this?
Dear, Delayed,
ABSOLUTELY NOT! I don't even know where to begin with this but I think the most appropriate rule is Rule 29, regarding continuous play, which states: "As a principle, play should be continuous, from the time the match starts until the match finishes." Furthermore, in adult league matches, the break between the second and third sets, when a match tiebreaker is being played in lieu of a third set, is two minutes. Lastly, matches are not permitted to be delayed for more than fifteen minutes, unless an official suspends play, in which case you would have been entitled to another warm up. Your opponent's "break" far exceeded the fifteen minute stoppage guidelines.
Over the summer, I had a doubles match for my 2.5 team. Our opponents won the first set. We won the second and before we could start the tiebreaker, one of our opponents said she had to go pick up her son from school and she would be back. She didn't want to start the tiebreaker and leave in the middle, so her solution was that we all reconvene at the courts an hour later. My partner and I protested, but felt bullied into letting her have her way. She came back an hour later, we started the tiebreaker and lost. But my question is, was she allowed to do this?
-Delayed in Dallas
Dear, Delayed,
ABSOLUTELY NOT! I don't even know where to begin with this but I think the most appropriate rule is Rule 29, regarding continuous play, which states: "As a principle, play should be continuous, from the time the match starts until the match finishes." Furthermore, in adult league matches, the break between the second and third sets, when a match tiebreaker is being played in lieu of a third set, is two minutes. Lastly, matches are not permitted to be delayed for more than fifteen minutes, unless an official suspends play, in which case you would have been entitled to another warm up. Your opponent's "break" far exceeded the fifteen minute stoppage guidelines.
Saturday, December 28, 2013
Rover's Job
In a local junior match, the parent of my child's opponent was upset with the rover who did not overrule two calls that the parent believed to be "in" even though my child called them out. After the match, she proceeded to tell the official that it was her job to correct the call. I know I am biased but the calls looked close to me.
Dear Trying To Stay Out Of It,
It is a rover's job to overrule erroneous "out" calls, but only if he clearly sees it in. Many times parents are sitting in positions to see the ball better than a rover who may not be standing in the best position to overrule a close call. The Friend at Court Comment VII. D-4 states "A rover should never overrule an extremely close call. Players are playing under The Code and are expected to give their opponents the benefit of the doubt."
-Trying To Stay Out Of It
Dear Trying To Stay Out Of It,
It is a rover's job to overrule erroneous "out" calls, but only if he clearly sees it in. Many times parents are sitting in positions to see the ball better than a rover who may not be standing in the best position to overrule a close call. The Friend at Court Comment VII. D-4 states "A rover should never overrule an extremely close call. Players are playing under The Code and are expected to give their opponents the benefit of the doubt."
Hitting Your Partner With A Serve
My high school team made it to the state tournament. I was serving a first serve when I accidentally hit my partner in the back on my serve. As I went to serve my second serve, the other team's coach stopped me and said that we lost the point. He said once you hit someone with a serve, the point ended. None of the other coaches agreed so I went ahead and attempted my second serve. But was the other coach right?
Dear Errant Server,
Although high school athletics often have rules that differ from USTA rules, I was not able to find anything anywhere that supported what the other coach said. You were entitled to a second serve. Your first serve was simply a "fault".
-Errant Server
Dear Errant Server,
Although high school athletics often have rules that differ from USTA rules, I was not able to find anything anywhere that supported what the other coach said. You were entitled to a second serve. Your first serve was simply a "fault".
Walking Foot Faults
During a recent USTA combo-league match, my sister and I played a match where one of our opponents would toss the ball and then walk three or four steps along the baseline before she served the ball. We informed her that what she was doing was foot faulting, but she said her coach said she was fine as long as she didn't cross the center hash mark. Who was right?
Dear Speechless,
Get your voice back! You and your sister are right. According to the ITF Rules of Tennis, Rule 18a. states that "... the server shall not: Change position by walking or running..."
Slight movements of the feet are permissible, such as dragging one's toe to bring the feet together.
-Speechless in SE Michigan
Dear Speechless,
Get your voice back! You and your sister are right. According to the ITF Rules of Tennis, Rule 18a. states that "... the server shall not: Change position by walking or running..."
Slight movements of the feet are permissible, such as dragging one's toe to bring the feet together.
Can I Be Your Steve Campbell?
I started playing tennis in college. My first three collegiate matches were in one weekend at the conference championships one week after I first picked up a racquet.
I loved tennis!
And I knew it was a fluke that I ever made the team, but I wanted to play the following year.
I went to school to the University of Detroit Mercy and that summer, I spent every morning playing in junior clinics at Metropolitan Racquet Club, a clay court club in the city, and every afternoon and evening playing at Palmer Park. I would bike about a mile and half west to the clay courts in the morning and I would bike a mile and a half east to the city park to play in the afternoons.
When people arrived early, I would offer to warm up with them. When I saw people practicing their serves, I would ask to return. When I saw someone tiring of their doubles games, I would offer to jump in and give them a breather. If there was no one to hit against, well, there was always the wall. And in those days, the wall won OFTEN!
But my best memory is one day at the junior clinic I got to hit against a guy who was really, really good. Back in those days, I had a lot of power and zero control and I nailed him square in the gut when he approached the net. (I didn't always believe in passing shots. When I was younger, I was either going over you or going through you!) I apologized immediately and as he got to his feet, he said, "No, that was great. Don't apologize!" was the first time that I saw the possibility of what I could do as a tennis player. Three days later, I found out I had been hitting with Steve Campbell, a former touring tennis pro from the Detroit area.
I look back to my tennis beginnings and it gives me a good feeling. And I've played a lot of tennis since that freshmen year. I've played three more years of college, years of leagues and tournaments. I've officiate countless junior matches and college matches. I've taught a few clinics and given a few private lessons. And although I always have a good time on the court, nothing quite felt the same as those long hours in the park.
Until I started coaching at Denby High school.
Originally I wanted to just run some clinics at the school during the summer. Denby goes to school year round and some of the girls kept telling me they wanted to learn how to play. So, I went to one of the assistant principals and asked if I could run a clinic once the spring sports ended. And she asked if I could coach the boys' team in the fall.
I did not expect to have any boys for my program. Knowing, I was going to have newbies, I knew I would have to find some athletes and convert them to tennis players. I played basketball going into college and I knew how my athleticism helped a lot during those first few years when I didn't have a clue. But since football is also in the fall, I really didn't expect to have many boys; maybe some freshman, maybe a kid who'd never played a sport before but wanted to give one a try.
I ended up with eleven boys on the team. We practiced every day after school. We practiced on Saturdays. They begged me to come up on Sundays. Two hour practices stretched into three hour practices. Cloudy days were spent playing at a quick pace to beat the rain. Breaks were taken only when it was too wet to play, but even then we hit volleys in the school's hallways while waiting for the rain to go away.
And it was bigger than the team. Teachers joined us on the court. My proudest day was when I heard one of my captains explaining to the ROTC teacher where to stand and what to do so that an impromptu game of doubles could occur. Security guards stopped me in the hall to ask about the team since they'd seen my players carrying their mascot-stenciled racquets around the school.
The football coach asked about my program daily. Every day I had more and more kids on the court, kids who played other sports and couldn't join the team officially, but wanted to be a part of whatever was going on at the courts.
Selfishly, coaching there has done more for me than almost any other tennis experience. And it was contagious.
I knew going in, this was not going to be the "easy" job and that I would need help. I cannot begin to thank the long list of people and organizations that donated everything we needed. We got so many racquets from my friend, Amy. We got balls and racquets from Franklin Racquet Club, my friend, Bertie, and several tournament directors in the area. We got help from my soccer buddy, Beth, which helped travel and food to scrimmages. We got an awesome ball cart from my friend, Robyn. My hockey buddy, Carolyn, donated a ball hopper and enough new balls to get me through not only the boys' season, but probably the girls as well. The GP South JV tennis team spent an afternoon humbly showing my players how good they could become. My mom and her office were our official "parents". They provided food and snacks for away matches when needed. One of the Wayne State tennis moms who collected tennis bags and racquets for our program. So many volunteers who donated their time, knowing that a team full of newbies needed more than a single coach trying to run around and show everyone, everything. All the teachers at the school who played tennis before who came out to the courts to provide my players with different looks.
I couldn't have had the season we had without all of them.
My biggest concern were some of the things I knew I would have to deal with that were out of my control like the fact that I don't operate very well without organization. Although, I like to think of myself as someone capable of using both sides of her brain with equal ease, I AM SO LEFT-BRAINED when it comes to what I expect from those around me. And I stressed about how much disorganization I would be able to handle. I think I dealt with (or ignored) more than I ever thought I could. But everyday, I would think about what I was doing and how excited and enthusiastic it made everyone around me, the things that caused aneurysms in the left side of my brain, didn't seem all that life threatening. (Although seriously, it would help my brain if others made organization a priority.)
At the end of the season, I couldn't help but remember that day on the clay with Steve Campbell. For so long, I wanted to be that person for a player coming up. I wanted young girls to look at me in my lacey tennis dresses with my black crew socks and see that they could be tough and intense on the court. I wanted city kids to realize that my path to tennis was something they could replicate. I wanted them to look at me and see the possibilities that existed within themselves. I wanted to be their Steve Campbell.
Expect more news about my program in the future.
Stay tuned,
KS.
I loved tennis!
And I knew it was a fluke that I ever made the team, but I wanted to play the following year.
I went to school to the University of Detroit Mercy and that summer, I spent every morning playing in junior clinics at Metropolitan Racquet Club, a clay court club in the city, and every afternoon and evening playing at Palmer Park. I would bike about a mile and half west to the clay courts in the morning and I would bike a mile and a half east to the city park to play in the afternoons.
When people arrived early, I would offer to warm up with them. When I saw people practicing their serves, I would ask to return. When I saw someone tiring of their doubles games, I would offer to jump in and give them a breather. If there was no one to hit against, well, there was always the wall. And in those days, the wall won OFTEN!
But my best memory is one day at the junior clinic I got to hit against a guy who was really, really good. Back in those days, I had a lot of power and zero control and I nailed him square in the gut when he approached the net. (I didn't always believe in passing shots. When I was younger, I was either going over you or going through you!) I apologized immediately and as he got to his feet, he said, "No, that was great. Don't apologize!" was the first time that I saw the possibility of what I could do as a tennis player. Three days later, I found out I had been hitting with Steve Campbell, a former touring tennis pro from the Detroit area.
I look back to my tennis beginnings and it gives me a good feeling. And I've played a lot of tennis since that freshmen year. I've played three more years of college, years of leagues and tournaments. I've officiate countless junior matches and college matches. I've taught a few clinics and given a few private lessons. And although I always have a good time on the court, nothing quite felt the same as those long hours in the park.
Until I started coaching at Denby High school.
Originally I wanted to just run some clinics at the school during the summer. Denby goes to school year round and some of the girls kept telling me they wanted to learn how to play. So, I went to one of the assistant principals and asked if I could run a clinic once the spring sports ended. And she asked if I could coach the boys' team in the fall.
I did not expect to have any boys for my program. Knowing, I was going to have newbies, I knew I would have to find some athletes and convert them to tennis players. I played basketball going into college and I knew how my athleticism helped a lot during those first few years when I didn't have a clue. But since football is also in the fall, I really didn't expect to have many boys; maybe some freshman, maybe a kid who'd never played a sport before but wanted to give one a try.
I ended up with eleven boys on the team. We practiced every day after school. We practiced on Saturdays. They begged me to come up on Sundays. Two hour practices stretched into three hour practices. Cloudy days were spent playing at a quick pace to beat the rain. Breaks were taken only when it was too wet to play, but even then we hit volleys in the school's hallways while waiting for the rain to go away.
And it was bigger than the team. Teachers joined us on the court. My proudest day was when I heard one of my captains explaining to the ROTC teacher where to stand and what to do so that an impromptu game of doubles could occur. Security guards stopped me in the hall to ask about the team since they'd seen my players carrying their mascot-stenciled racquets around the school.
The football coach asked about my program daily. Every day I had more and more kids on the court, kids who played other sports and couldn't join the team officially, but wanted to be a part of whatever was going on at the courts.
Selfishly, coaching there has done more for me than almost any other tennis experience. And it was contagious.
I knew going in, this was not going to be the "easy" job and that I would need help. I cannot begin to thank the long list of people and organizations that donated everything we needed. We got so many racquets from my friend, Amy. We got balls and racquets from Franklin Racquet Club, my friend, Bertie, and several tournament directors in the area. We got help from my soccer buddy, Beth, which helped travel and food to scrimmages. We got an awesome ball cart from my friend, Robyn. My hockey buddy, Carolyn, donated a ball hopper and enough new balls to get me through not only the boys' season, but probably the girls as well. The GP South JV tennis team spent an afternoon humbly showing my players how good they could become. My mom and her office were our official "parents". They provided food and snacks for away matches when needed. One of the Wayne State tennis moms who collected tennis bags and racquets for our program. So many volunteers who donated their time, knowing that a team full of newbies needed more than a single coach trying to run around and show everyone, everything. All the teachers at the school who played tennis before who came out to the courts to provide my players with different looks.
I couldn't have had the season we had without all of them.
My biggest concern were some of the things I knew I would have to deal with that were out of my control like the fact that I don't operate very well without organization. Although, I like to think of myself as someone capable of using both sides of her brain with equal ease, I AM SO LEFT-BRAINED when it comes to what I expect from those around me. And I stressed about how much disorganization I would be able to handle. I think I dealt with (or ignored) more than I ever thought I could. But everyday, I would think about what I was doing and how excited and enthusiastic it made everyone around me, the things that caused aneurysms in the left side of my brain, didn't seem all that life threatening. (Although seriously, it would help my brain if others made organization a priority.)
At the end of the season, I couldn't help but remember that day on the clay with Steve Campbell. For so long, I wanted to be that person for a player coming up. I wanted young girls to look at me in my lacey tennis dresses with my black crew socks and see that they could be tough and intense on the court. I wanted city kids to realize that my path to tennis was something they could replicate. I wanted them to look at me and see the possibilities that existed within themselves. I wanted to be their Steve Campbell.
Expect more news about my program in the future.
Stay tuned,
KS.
Thursday, December 5, 2013
Just Don't Do It
I've avoided wearing Nike shoes on the court for almost ten years now. As drawn as I am to their awesome color selection for their stock shoes and the fact, that I do believe if I rock the swag, I can be like (Mike, Serena, Roy, Adrian or Alexander), their shoes have never fit by feet as comfortably and as sturdily as a pair of Barricades.
But six months ago, I succumb to my Nike fantasies and bought a pair of pretty black, white, and pink, (Mmm... Good & Plenty) Air Max Cage. I LOVED...
the way they looked...
But that's another Blog post. I took a chance on Nike because of their Durability Guarantee. As quickly as I wear through shoes, I figured, I would look good for four months and the instep aches and Plantar Fasciitis wouldn't be the death of me as long as I was able to replace them.
So, the 30th of November, exactly six months after I purchased the shoes, I called the Nike office. It was a Saturday and they were closed.
So, I called, Monday, the 2nd.
And it was too late.
There were sorry, but unable to help me.
Admittedly, this is my fault. I am used to the generosity of the Barricade Guarantee who allows for a grace period. Just in case you want to hit one more time in the shoes.
In order to take advantage of Nike's Warranty, you have to call 1-800-344-6453 (way before the sixth month), receive a claim number, return the shoes, the warranty card and the original receipt to:
NIKE RLC
Attn: Air Max Cage
3552 Avenue of Commerce
Memphis, TN 38125
I have friends, who play tennis, who put holes in their shoes when they are grinding it out on the baseline or hitting the big serve. And I have tennis friends who have tried to utilize the warranty. Twelve, exactly. Twelve different people attempting to utilize the warranty on their shoes and so far, no one has seen this mystical "Product Voucher". Imagine those quotes are air quotes because something that rarely seen doesn't deserve actually quotes...
Nike works hard to duck out of their warranty. If you read the warranty card, instead of reading like the instructions of how to return their product like the Adidas Barricade Guarantee. No, it reads more like a caveat, a disclaimer that if you violate any one of the ten bullets, you will be denied. Never mind the money you spent on a pair of shoes that wouldn't last wheelchair players the full six months. Never mind that you may be fully brainwashed by the power of Nike and will spend money to buy new shoes anyway. Never mind the fact that you may be a long time customer.
What I love most about the Adidas Barricade is that it gives me a break. I easily buy four pair of tennis shoes a year. And I wear through them and the replacements. The replacements have never caused me to not buy a pair of shoes. If anything, it made me feel more confident to keep supporting the company.
Nike, on the other hand, we are over. You are like Sheldon Cooper and his three strike rule, blindsiding your significant other when they thought things were going fine, by alerting them that they are, in fact, on thin ice. You are like the cool kid who went out with the unsuspecting plain girl on a dare. You are the judge, holding the gavel after he find out his wife is screwing the bailiff. My feelings are hurt and the only way I can express myself is in this poem...
Your shoes hurt my feet,
But I was in love,
I never noticed you suck,
Until you acted all above.
I'm going back to Adidas,
Your cruelness has rendered me mute,
But I'm still going to buy your clothes,
Cuz, OMG, your tennis skirts are totally cute.
(Don't judge me!)
KS
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)