MIDWEST TENNIS NEWS A publication of the Winter 2007 USTA/Midwest Section Volume 7 No. 2 WHAT ’S INS I DE TH I S ISSUE • Junior and Adult Player News • Latest Membership Benefits and News • Community Spotlights • Feature Articles • Special Guest, Tennis Pro and Official Columns • Hall of Fame and Award Recipients • Resource and Grant Information Take Home Something Better than Gold Traveling abroad as a People to People Sports Ambassador lets you: • Work with exceptional coaches at training camps • Take a swing at international competition • Explore new places off the court • Form friendships that transcend borders • Earn academic credit for doing what you love Holland and Austria await you in 2008! Contact People to People Sports Ambassador Programs to become part of the excitement. Dwight D. Eisenhower Building | 1956 Ambassador Way | Spokane, WA 99224-4003 888.556.8897 | 509.568.7902 | www.sportsambassadors.org USTA/MidwestUSTA/Midwest Members:Members: STARTSTART YOURYOUR ENGINES!ENGINES! The USTA/Midwest Section is pleased to offer to members, discounted tickets to the ‘Greatest Spectacle in Racing,’ the 2008 Indianapolis 500. USTA Members Receive: -Tickets at discounted price of $75 located in the South Vista Grand Stand -Official Indianapolis Motor Speedway Hat -Invitation to attend a meeting of the drivers -A one time 10% Savings at the Hall of Fame Museum™ Gift Shop Plus, a portion of the proceeds will be donated to the USTA/Midwest The Indianapolis 500 Section to help promote and develop the sport of tennis in the region. Indianapolis, IN May 25, 2008 Call: 1-800-768-3948 Contact Michael Puck at Promo Code: USTAMW [email protected] *Tennis Channel Bag is a gift from the USTA/Midwest Section, limited to the first 50 new DIRECTV orders. $40 cash offer available for USTA Members in Midwest only. Proof of USTA Membership required. Offers end for more information or 2/26/08 and are based on approved credit; credit card required. New customers only (lease required). Lease fee $4.99/mo. for second and each additional receiver to place your order WINTER 2007 2 3 www .MID W EST .USTA .COM VARNADO ’S CORNER TABLE OF CONTENTS - MESSAGE FRO M THE PRESIDENT President’s Message 3 Incoming President Q&A 4 2007 has been a great year for the USTA/Midwest Section. As we continue to make strides in membership as well as participation, I Guest Column 5 would like to point to areas of emphasis and areas of hope. Hall of Fame Enshrinees 6 The USTA/Midwest Section’s individual membership numbers Award Honors 7 for the fiscal year ending October 31, 2007, exceed 82,000, which is a record number for our Section. Indeed, the Section would love to Junior Players 8 see a growth rate that surpasses 8%, which is our record total for Officials Corner 10 any one year. Currently, our Section leads the nation in organization Youth Foundation 11 memberships. These organizations provide critical leadership at the Ace’s Alley for Kids 12 grassroots level as they promote tennis through education, grants, tournament administration, instruction, and other ways. I urge anyone Membership News 13 with a burning desire to volunteer at the local level to contact a community tennis association in your area. Features 14 USTA Leagues and USTA Jr. Team Tennis are two USTA programs which offer enormous Adult Players 16 potential for adults and juniors. Both offer camaraderie in an environment of competition and fun from the local level to the national level. The USTA League program is particularly innovative as it provides a Community Spotlight 18 number of divisions for all ages and levels. Similarly, Jr. Team Tennis can be a nice alternative or supplement Resources/Grants 20 to individual tournament competition in that it provides an excellent training ground for honing tennis Healthy Tennis 21 skills in a team environment. In fact, some clubs, community tennis associations, and schools have used Jr. Team Tennis as a ladder for varsity tennis teams. Indeed, it is a wonderful way for the many high Pro Corner 22 school tennis players to remain connected during the summer months. Whether you play USTA-sanctioned tournaments, non-sanctioned tournaments, USTA Leagues, ADVERT I S I NG RATES or USTA Jr. Team Tennis, it is vital for our mission that you participate in tennis activities. Racquet sales Advertise in Midwest Tennis News and reach and ball sales would suggest that participation numbers were healthy in 2007 for our Section. Naturally, approximately 75,000 tennis players and we want to see you playing tennis, and urging your friends and family members to do the same. Through families. For advertising rates, contact us at promising participation numbers, the base of tennis is strengthened. Though we are receiving fierce 317-577-5130 or via e-mail at john@midwest. competition from other sports and various forms of today’s advancing technology, we must adapt to usta.com. keep pace. I am proud to say that our Section has endeavored to cement its relationships with the many Park and Recreation Departments throughout the Midwest. Indeed, schools and Park and Recreation I D W EST ENN I S E W S Departments have a much greater supply of tennis courts than clubs. Hence, public courts are where M T N most people play tennis. It is necessary that these partnerships be nurtured in such a way as to ensure Midwest Tennis News is a publication produced that courts are built and maintained for public use along with the availability of tennis programs. As we by the USTA/Midwest Section. Information in endeavor to make tennis more inclusive and diverse, it will be done on the public courts. Midwest Tennis News may not be reproduced Finally, we must urge that tennis be part of the curriculum in our schools. An early introduction without prior written permission from the of tennis in a classroom setting can usher in hordes of passionate and long lasting tennis fans. Tennis Executive Director. Publisher: Mark Saunders; can be taught quickly and effectively with the students reaping the benefits of instant gratification. Editor: Kathy Dalla Costa. Having such a potentially captive audience, we must not look past opportunity. USTA/Midwest Section It has been very exciting to serve the USTA/Midwest Section as its President over the last two 1310 East 96th Street, Suite 100 years. I have enjoyed working with the Board, the staff, and volunteers as we valiantly strive to promote Indianapolis, IN 46240 tennis. My successor will be the dynamic and energetic Doug Wenger. My new job will be the President Phone: 317-577-5130, Fax: 317-577-5131 of the Midwest Youth Tennis & Education Foundation. In this role, I will succeed the incomparable and fearless Jay Hacker, who was a key figure in the construction of the Section’s new headquarters. This publication is mailed free of charge to all USTA members who reside in the USTA/Midwest Thanks for serving tennis! Section, and whose membership is current as of November 1. Midwest Tennis News cannot be forwarded. Please notify the USTA regarding a change of address at 800-990-USTA (8782). Leslie Varnado, Jr. 2 3 WINTER 2007 QUEST I ON & ANS W ER WI TH NE W PRES I DENT Doug Wenger has been elected as President of the USTA/Midwest Section Board of Directors for a two-year term commencing on December 6, 2007. Wenger was born and raised in Battle Creek, Michigan. He holds a bachelor’s degree in Computer Information Systems from Ferris State University and an MBA from Western Michigan University. Wenger is Senior Vice President and Chief Information Officer of OMNOVA Solutions Inc., of Fairlawn, Ohio, a manufacturer of specialty chemicals, emulsion polymers, and decorative and functional surfaces. He is responsible for all information technology systems on a worldwide basis. Wenger has been an active member of the local, section and national tennis community for more than 30 years. Locally, Wenger founded the Greater Battle Creek Tennis Association in the mid-1990s, and served as Doug Wenger President for a number of years. At the Section level, he served as Chairman of the Community Development Committee before his election to the Board of Directors. At the USTA level, Wenger is currently Chairman of the Information Technology Committee, and was a member of the Community Tennis Association Committee. As a player, Wenger competed on the Ferris State University tennis team. Since graduation he continues to play competitively. He and his wife Julie have a son Darren who was a section ranked junior player. Wenger shares some thoughts below on several different areas relative to the sport of a lifetime. Q. How were you first introduced to the sport of tennis? mate and I were the first tennis players from our school to ever My best friend from junior high school had an older brother who qualify for the state championships. As a player, I was the first in played on the high school team. We used to hit tennis balls against our community’s history to win 100 high school tennis matches in a the garage. His brother took us out and hit with us. After that, the career. My high school coach, Jim Cummins, taught me how to play local high school coach started a summer program and we played and the value of hard work, dedication, and perseverance. I watched all day, all summer long. my first professional tennis match in person at the US Open Clay Q: As someone involved in tennis for a number of years as a parent, Courts in Indianapolis. volunteer and player, what are your thoughts regarding the growth of our sport? I feel tennis still has a lot of growth potential.