Clinic Schedule & Descriptions SATURDAY, DECEMBER 13TH

In alphabetical order. Please check the ITA Convention Schedule for presentation times.

LORENZO BELTRAME, courtesy of the Human Performance Institute: Coaching The Person Versus The Player: How Character Drives Mental Toughness & Competitive Strength A crucial component in a player’s success is his/her ability to compete under any circumstance. The ability to compete, like any other skill, can be learned and mastered through specific training. The ultimate competitor is grounded in a fully developed, fully functional human being. This presentation illustrates the training philosophy we follow at the Human Performance Institute in the training of all our Athletes, Corporate Executives, Military, and Medical staff.

Lorenzo Beltrame was a top ranked junior tennis player, a professional player and a coach. Throughout his coaching career, he has worked with dozens of ATP and WTA touring professionals including Jim Courier and Pete Sampras. He has traveled extensively coaching players in major professional events including the four Grand Slams, Davis Cup, and Hopman Cup.

Lorenzo has served as Director of Athletic Performance Coaching at the Human Performance Institute, in Orlando, Florida since 1996. Prior to that he was responsible for developing and running high performance programs at one of the most prestigious clubs in Milan, Italy, and at two of the leading academies in the U.S.

Lorenzo has learned and applied Dr. Jim Loehr’s mental training system to a variety of sports for nearly a decade. He specializes in both team and individual applications. He is responsible for the Mental Toughness Certifi cation Program at the Human Performance Institute and has helped to design and implement critical components of that training.

DICK GOULD, Stanford University: Q&A with Dick Gould Dick Gould has served at the John L. Hinds Director of Tennis since 2005 after leading the Stanford men’s tennis program for 38 successful seasons (1966‐2004). Gould is the winningest coach in Stanford men's tennis history with a record of 776‐148 for a winning percentage of 84 percent, including 17 NCAA Team Championships. He coached 10 NCAA singles champions and 7 NCAA doubles championship teams, 50 ITA All‐Americans. During his tenure, Gould helped mold 16 Davis Cup Team members, 13 different Grand Slam champions (singles, doubles, mixed), eight Olympians and seven players who attained a No. 1 ATP doubles ranking. Gould is a member of the Head/Penn Advisory Staff and Speaker’s Panel and has been an honorary member of the USPTA since 1981. He was awarded the USTA Educational Merit Award in 1983 and named the ITA Coach of the Decade for the 1980s and 1990s. Gould’s other honors include the Kenneth M. Cuthbertson Award for “Exceptional Service to Stanford University” in 2002 and the Positive Coaching Alliance “Lifetime Achievement Award” in 2012. He spearheaded a $20 million facility renovation drive that has resulted in The Taube Center, the host of the first ever combined Men’s & Women’s NCAA Championships (May 18‐29, 2006), and again in 2011. During Gould’s tenure, $20 million has been raised to completely endow the men’s tennis program.

JOHN LANSVILLE, courtesy of USTA Player Development: How to Assist Your Player with Navigating the Competitive Pathway This session will focus on assisting collegiate players with getting into ITF/USTA pro circuit events and understanding the importance of being included on the USTA National Ranking (Top 500 list). It will detail which events are included to calculate the Top 500 list and where to find that information throughout the year. The session will also explain the various levels of pro circuit events and junior events to assist coaches in the recruiting process.

John Lansville is the Director of USTA Training Center‐West and Player Services for USTA Player Development. He oversees the administration of the USTA Player Developments, Grants, USTA Pro Circuit wild cards, USTA Player Development Camps, Youth Olympic Games, Jr Fed Cup and Jr Davis Cup, World Junior Tennis Championships and the Top 500 List National Ranking. In addition he operates one of the three the USTA National Training Centers for the USTA in Carson, California. He has worked for USTA Player Development since 2003 and prior to that he was the Director of Player Development for Southern California Section. He was a collegiate coach in 1994‐1996 at the University of Redlands and he coached the 1996 Women’s Division III National Singles champion to the title.

DR. LARRY LAUER, Mental Skills Specialist, courtesy of USTA Player Development: On‐Court Mental Toughness Coaching In this presentation, mental toughness skills and drills that coaches can teach on the court will be examined. First, coaches will learn about a framework for providing mental toughness training. Second, a mental toughness development case study will be presented. Coaches will have the opportunity to discuss on‐court approaches to addressing the case study. By the end of the presentation coaches will have more ideas about how to develop mental toughness on the court, and how it can fit within a program. Dr. Larry Lauer is the mental skills specialist for USTA Player Development. For the past year Larry has worked with junior and professional tennis players, and the national coaching staff, training at the three player development centers. Larry has a Ph.D in exercise and sport science, specializing in sport psychology from the University of North Carolina Greensboro. He has been a sport psychology consultant for over a decade with elite tennis players from juniors, college, and pros. Larry was an assistant coach and mental coach for Michigan State Men’s Tennis the past three years, helping the team reach the 2013 NCAA tournament. Formerly, Larry was the Director of Coaching Education and Development in the Institute for the Study of Youth Sports (ISYS) at Michigan State University. At ISYS Larry conducted research on tennis parents, coaching, coach education, aggression in hockey, and life skills development in youth. He also was involved in training Detroit police officers and coaches to mentor youth athletes for the Detroit PAL. Larry was the lead editor for the USTA Mental Skills and Drills Handbook published by Coaches Choice. An AASP Certified Consultant and listed in the United States Olympic Committee Sport Psychology Registry, 2013‐2016, Larry was named one of the 100 Most Influential Sport Educators in America by the Institute for International Sport.

LEE NICKELL, State University of New York, Buffalo: Creating a Dream Job from the Ground Up: How to Make a Mid‐Major Work This presentation will encompass all of the necessary steps it takes to create a prosperous and successful coaching position at a mid‐major school. We will go through the stats on the current job market, discuss taking a position that isn’t highly coveted and turning it into a dream job. The program will focus on key components such as Building a Brand, Community Involvement, Athletic Department Interaction and Exposure. We will give innovative ways for coaches to overcome the obstacles that mid major jobs present.

Lee Nickell has been the Head Men’s Tennis Coach at the State University of New York Buffalo for six years. He coached the Bulls to two regular season MAC Championships and a national ranking that peaked at 56 in 2014. Prior to Buffalo Lee was an assistant at Fresno State and the University of Alabama. During his time as a college coach, Lee has also run numerous camps along with teaching over 20 hours a week at Miller Tennis Center. Lee served as region chair for the Northeast Region from 2010‐2014 and was named MAC Coach of the Year in 2010.

NCAA – Marie Scovron, Tad Berkowitz and Laura Ludwick‐White: DI Mock Selection and Bracketing Exercise The NCAA Championships Manager and members of the Division I Men’s and Women’s Tennis Committee will review selection criteria and then conduct a mock selection and bracketing exercise.

Marie Scovron is the Assistant Director of Championships and Alliances and currently the liaison for NCAA Division I Women’s Tennis. Tad Berkowitz is Chair of the NCAA Division I Men’s and Women’s Tennis Committee and head coach of the men’s team at the University of Arizona. Laura Ludwick‐ White is the subcommittee chair of the NCAA Division I Men’s and Women’s Tennis Committee and Associate Athletics Director/Senior Woman Administrator at Drexel University.

VESA PONKKA: The Spirit of Training and Competing  This presentation will discuss the importance of great spirit of training and competing within junior development.

 Unfortunately, there has been a decline in proper spirit of training and competition among players, parents and coaches in recent years.

 This presentation will offer common sense solutions to restore a healthy training and learning environment for all parties.

Vesa Ponkka is the Senior Director of Tennis at the Junior Tennis Champions Center in College Park, Maryland. He has over 30 years of playing and coaching experience at the highest levels of tennis: USTA, ITF, NCAA, Davis Cup, WTA, and ATP with PTR, USPTA, and USTA High Performance certification. Vesa was selected as the 2011 USOC National Developmental Coach of the Year as well as the 2013 National Developmental Coach of the Year by Tennis Industry Magazine. He was a founding member of JTCC in 1999 and has been a major driving force in establishing JTCC among the best training centers in the world.

SUNDAY, DECEMBER 14th

8:30AM – NOON: COACHES FORUM

ON COURT CLINICS:

ERIC BUTORAC, courtesy of Wilson Sporting Goods: Professional Doubles Drills Eric will run through a series of drills that pro players use on the ATP tour when training their doubles game. A number of exercises will be demonstrated focusing on skills like moving at the net, variety from the baseline and two‐back and one‐up‐one‐back formations. A number of drills will be shown for 2, 3 or 4 players per court so college coaches can be ready for any practice situation.

Eric Butorac has competed on the pro tour for the past decade, winning 15 ATP doubles titles along the way. In 2014, Eric has had one of his most successful seasons, making his first grand slam final at the 2014 Australian Open with partner Raven Klaasen. Along the way, the pair beat the top‐ranked Bryan Brothers, and they also notched a win over the Bryans in the final of the U.S. National Indoor Tennis Championships in Memphis. Eric reached the semifinals of the 2014 French Open mixed doubles event with partner Timea Babos of Hungary, and he has career wins over Rafael Nadal and Andy Murray. He is currently ranked #28 in the world in doubles.

A three‐time ITA All‐American while playing for Gustavus Adolphus College, Eric won the NCAA DIII Singles and Doubles Championships as well as the 2003 National Arthur Ashe Sportsmanship Award. He is the President of the ATP Player Council and also serves as the volunteer assistant coach at Harvard University.

MATT GRAYSON, courtesy of Wilson Sporting Goods: The Game is Getting Faster...Are You??? The game of tennis is getting faster and the speed and agility a player possesses becomes more and more important the higher the level they are trying to obtain. As the general health and nutrition of the kids in our country decreases, it is even more important that the coaches of these players understand the specific needs and training techniques that are out there to maximize the natural ability of the players they encounter. This presentation will provide several different training programs/techniques that you can run as a team or individually with little to no equipment on or off the courts. These training tips will be geared to help a player’s quickness, overall strength and recovery time for the rigors of a modern tennis game. We will also touch on some nutritional advice to make sure that athletes you are dealing with are fueled properly to handle what we are asking of them. The combination of proper training and nutrition can make the players you are coaching make great strides to improve their performance on the court and cut down on the amount of injuries they encounter in their playing career.

Ansley Golf Club’s Athletic/ Director of Tennis, Matt Grayson, played most of his tennis career in Texas, but his family members are native Georgians. He is a graduate from Baylor University (1994) with degrees in Business Broadcasting and marketing. While attending school, he played tennis as a walk on and played men’s volleyball for the university for two years as well. As a summer job, he played on the Jose Cuervo Beach Volleyball Tour. This was a two‐on‐two professional beach volleyball tour in Florida.

Matt has spent his entire teaching career in the Atlanta area. He began as an assistant tennis professional at Atlanta Country Club and Atlanta Athletic Club and then moved to Laurel Springs as the head tennis professional in 1997. In 2003, Matt joined the Country Club of Roswell staff as the head tennis professional and moved into the director role in 2004. In 2009, Matt restructured the club’s management and took over as the Athletic Director. As of 2012, he now coordinates the tennis, fitness, aquatic and youth care programs at the Ansley Golf Club in mid‐town Atlanta.

Matt is certified with the United States Professional Tennis Association as a Professional‐1 rating and has served on many boards and committees on the local and southern levels. Matt was honored as the Head Professional of the Year 1999‐2002 by the Georgia Professional Tennis Association and as the Southern Professional of the Year by the USPTA in 2002 and 2003. He has made presentations at the Southern and National level on club management and on‐court strategies. Matt is now currently serving on the USPTA Southern Division Board of Directors as it 2nd Vice‐President. Matt joined the Wilson Speakers Bureau in January of 2012.

JAMEA JACKSON, courtesy of USTA Player Development: Engagement in Practice Engagement is a key ingredient in the improvement of all players. Sometimes, however, is difficult to pull it out of student athletes that have so many things on their plate. I believe when it comes to engagement, the drills we run are as important as the words we say or the personality we bring to practice. This presentation will introduce drills and demonstrate components to these drills that can help increase a player’s engagement in practice.

Jamea Jackson competed on the WTA tour from 2003‐2009. She achieved a career high ranking of #43 and represented the United States in Fed Cup team in 2006. Jamea served as the Assistant Women’s Tennis Coach at Oklahoma State University from 2009‐2013. Jackson coached three Academic All Big12 student athletes and in 2013, she helped guide OSU to its first NCAA appearance in over a decade. Jackson joined the staff of USTA Player Development on July 1, 2013 as USTA National Coach, Women’s Tennis.

CLAIRE POLLARD, Northwestern University: Coaches Drills Come and share your favorite drill in 3‐5 mins on court with all the attendees. Any type of drill is welcome. Can be singles, doubles, or an on‐court conditioning drill. Claire Pollard will go first, followed by Mark Ardizzone then the floor will be open. Be ready to share your ideas and help all of us leave with some new ideas. Bring your racket and join in as a participant or a presenter.

Claire Pollard is currently the Women’s Tennis Coach at Northwestern University. She has enjoyed success there claiming either the regular season or tournament title of the Big Ten conference in all of her 16 years at NU. She is a proponent of change and is always looking for new ideas and drills to present to her teams.

DAN SANTORUM, courtesy of PTR, HEAD Penn and adidas: Competitive Games for Exciting Practices This is an extension of the Competitive Games presentation with some new and exciting games to use in your practice. Games will focus on a particular stroke(s) or tactic.

Dan Santorum is CEO of Professional Tennis Registry (PTR), the largest global organization of tennis teachers/coaches. He’s conducted 367 PTR tennis teacher workshops on six continents, 45 countries & 178 cities. Dan is the only person to have conducted tennis coaches workshops in all 50 U.S. States.

Santorum sits on numerous non‐profit tennis industry boards. He’s a member of the South Carolina Tennis Hall of Fame. Dan is the recipient of the International Tennis Hall of Fame’s Educational Merit Award and ITF Service to the Game Award.

BRAD STINE, courtesy of USTA Player Development: The Forehand – Footwork and Set Up Fundamentals This presentation will cover four different footwork variations on the forehand side that encompass hitting positions from all areas of the court. The presentation will break down each variation and why it is fundamentally correct from that position in the court. The four variations will also cover offense positions, absorbing positions, And running positions. Questions and discussion will be encouraged.

Brad Stine is currently a USTA National Coach. He spent 18 years coaching on the ATP Tour with such players as Jim Courier, Andre Medvedev, Mardy Fish, Taylor Dent and Sebastien Grosjean. Stine founded and ran Stine360TennisAcademy for six years and was previously the Head Coach at Fresno State for five years, the last three in the top 25 in the nation.

FRED VIANCOS, courtesy of USPTA: Drills that Work The session will have drills that work on fitness, technique, strategy and tactics for both singles and doubles.

Fred Viancos is director of professional development at USPTA, the world’s largest trade association of tennis‐teaching professionals. In August 2000, he was selected as one of Tennis Industry’s “40 under 40” representing the forty rising stars under forty years old in the tennis industry. He played collegiate tennis at Texas Christian University for renowned coach “Tut” Bartzen and competed nearly four years on the ATP World Tour.

MONDAY, DECEMBER 15th

JAMIE ASHWORTH & DR. GREG DALE, Duke University: Parents These Days: Who Are They and How Do We Deal With Them – An Interactive Discussion We would like to spend our time directing an interactive conversation with coaches on how we deal with the modern day parent. We are hoping that within the room we can share different experiences and together help one another deal with certain situations as they arise.

Jamie Ashworth is the women’s head coach at Duke University and the 2013 – 14 ITA National Coach of the Year. His team finished last year ranked #2 in the country and won the 2014 ITA National Team Indoors 4‐3 over UCLA. Duke won the 2009 NCAA National Championship as well as the 2003 ITA National Team Indoors. He has coached 24 ITA All‐Americans, 5 different ITA Grand Slam tournament winners, two Honda award winners and two national players of the year.

Gregory A. Dale, Ph.D. is a Professor of Sport Psychology and Sport Ethics at Duke University. He is also Director of the Sport Psychology and Leadership Programs for Duke Athletics. In addition to his work with Duke athletes and coaches, Greg consults with numerous high school, college and professional athletes and teams as well as corporations around the world. He also provides interactive and engaging professional development workshops for high school and middle school coaches as well as workshops for parents and student athletes. Greg has written four books related to coaching, parenting and performance in sport. In addition, he has written scripts and served as the “expert” on a series of thirteen videos on leadership, performance and parenting. Greg has been featured on Good Morning America, ESPN, MSNBC, Court TV and numerous national radio programs.

NICK BOLLETTIERI: Tips for identifying young talent, recruiting and on‐court coaching for college coaches Nick Bollettieri is one of the most influential people in the world of tennis and a legend who has transcended the sport. In 1978, he founded the IMG Academy Bollettieri tennis program in Florida. The IMG Academy Bollettieri tennis program was the first full‐time tennis boarding school to combine intense training on the court with a custom‐designed academic curriculum. What was once a program of primarily on court training has evolved into a multi‐faceted approach which includes blending the technical and strategic on‐court training with specialized performance physical training and mental conditioning.

It was this proven method that Nick used to coach ten #1 players in the world – Agassi, Becker, Courier, Hingis, Jankovic, Rios, Seles, Sharapova and Venus and Serena Williams, as well as a multitude of other world‐class players, including: Haas, Kournikova, Arias and Vaidisova, to name a few. The Academy quickly became synonymous with tennis excellence and its coaches and students continue to reflect Nick’s passion for excellence and the game.

In 1987, Nick expanded his vision when he joined forces with IMG to turn the Tennis Academy into a multi‐sport training facility, now known as IMG Academy.

Nick brings his own passionate style to everything he does and a message that cannot be ignored. He has always relied on his resilient and positive attitude and unique strengths to enable him to attain his current level of success. Nick is extremely zealous about giving back to the community and feels his moral obligation to share with our college coaches all the info he has learned and will continue to learn. Not only to help college athletes with their tennis but to prosper in their life after college.

Nick has written numerous books on tennis, contributed to many television and video programs and is recognized for his promotion of the sport, especially among the youth. The Bollettieri name is recognized worldwide as a leader and innovator in the world of sports.

JOHN RODDICK, University of Oklahoma: Priorities and Team Issues In just five seasons as head coach of the Oklahoma Sooners men’s tennis team, John Roddick has already won three Big 12 Conference and two ITA Central Region Coach of the Year honors.

John led the Sooners to their first ever Big 12 championship in 2012, their first ever No. 1 ITA team weekly ranking and the program’s highest overall seed at #2 in 2014. He has recruited and refined the world’s top junior talent, producing award‐winning graduate after graduate.

As a player, Roddick earned All‐America honors four times as a student athlete at the University of Georgia and was named the UGA Athlete of the Year in 1998.

John is the 2014 Wilson/ITA Division I Men’s Coach of the Year.

PAUL WARDLAW, Brown University: Be Quick, But Don’t Hurry – Understanding and Creating Time and Space on the Tennis Court The Rolling Stones said it best, “Time is on my side, yes it is.” With the game’s pace increasing how do we keep time on our side – mentally and physically? We’ll explore drills and technical cues that create time from the back court and front court. Additionally, we’ll look at the relationship between time and space and how to move efficiently and effectively around the ball and to the ball.