Media Guide 2014 What champions play for. 2014 MEDIA GUIDE PUBLISHER: Mylan World TeamTennis EDITOR: Rosie Crews ASSISTANT EDITOR: Matt Fitzgerald DESIGN: Paulien Rorick PHOTOGRAPHY Fred and Susan Mullane/Camerawork USA ATPWorldTour.com • Getty Images • Reggie Day Kevin Koski • Pete Souza • Joe Scarnici • USTA • WTA Tour Billie Jean King: Andrew Coppa Photography Ilana Kloss: Jonathan Exley Sharon Fichman, Frank Dancevic: Tennis Canada/Arturo Velazquez Raven Klaasen: Tennis South Africa/Reg Caldecott Megan Moulton-Levy: Chris Smith Andy Roddick: Kris Luck THANKS Mylan World TeamTennis gratefully acknowledges the following for their assistance with this publication: ATP Tour, Camerawork USA, Getty Images, Paulien Rorick, USTA and WTA Tour. World TeamTennis, LLC. Billie Jean King, Co-Founder Ilana S. Kloss, CEO/Commissioner MYLAN WTT STAFF Rosie Crews, Senior Vice President, Communications Nancy Falconer, Office Manager Matt Fitzgerald, Manager of Digital Media Bryan Hicks, Supervisor of Officials Natalee Jarrett, Manager of Corporate Partnerships & Communication Delaine Mast, National Director, Mylan WTT Recreational League Samantha Shaw, Senior Vice President, Player Recruiting & League Operations Jennifer Smith, Director, Mylan WTT Recreational Tournaments Jason Spitz, Senior Vice President, Marketing Elaine Wingfield, Director, WTT Collegiate Competition SPONSORS & PARTNERS Adecco ESPN Tennis Channel Comcast GEICO USTA DecoTurf Mylan Wilson MEDIA RELATIONS The official Media Guide of Mylan World TeamTennis is published by World TeamTennis, LLC., 1776 Broadway, Suite 600, New York, NY 10019, Rosie Crews, WTT (212) 586-3444. Phone: (817) 684-0366 All contents in this guide are copyrighted 2014 by World TeamTennis, Cell: (817) 691-5424 LLC. Reproduction of any portion of this Media Guide is not permitted [email protected] without the prior written consent of World TeamTennis. CONTENTS Billie Jean King Bio 2 Ilana Kloss Bio 3 Staff 4 Mylan WTT Recreational League 5 Mylan WTT Doubles Up Talent 6 - 7 Mylan WTT in 2014 8 2013 Season Recap 9 - 12 2014 Schedule 13 TV & Broadcast Schedule 14 Broadcast Partners 15 Glossary 16 - 17 Milestones 18 - 19 Finals Recap 20 MVP Awards Recap 21 Rookie of the Year Awards Recap 22 Coach of the Year Awards Recap 23 League Records 24 Bonus Incentives 25 Sponsors 26 - 27 Mylan World TeamTennis Teams Austin Aces 28 - 31 Boston Lobsters 32 - 35 Philadelphia Freedoms 36 - 39 San Diego Aviators 40 - 45 Springfield Lasers 46 - 49 Texas Wild 50 - 53 Washington Kastles 54 - 59 Notes 60 National HEADQuarters World TeamTennis 1776 Broadway, Suite 600 New York, NY 10019 (212) 586-3444 WTT.COM 1 ▪ wtt.COM BILLIE JEAN KING Co-Founder, World TeamTennis Visionary • innoVator • Champion Born: November 22, 1943 Birthplace: Long Beach, Calif Residence: New York, N Y As one of the 20th century’s most respected and influential people, Billie Jean King has long been a champion for social justice and equality. She created new inroads for both genders in and out of sports during her legendary career, and she continues to make her mark today. Among her many accomplishments are: • On August 12, 2009, King was awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom, the nation’s highest civilian honor The first female athlete to be honored with the Medal of Freedom, King was presented the award by President Obama in ceremonies at The White House • Named one of the “100 Most Important Americans of the 20th Century” by Life Magazine in 1990 • Won 39 Grand Slam singles, doubles and mixed doubles tennis titles, including a record 20 titles at Wimbledon • In 2008 King authored Pressure is a Privilege: Lessons I’ve Learned from Life and the Battle of the Sexes to commemorate the 35th anniversary of her historic 1973 match against Bobby Riggs • Was one of nine players who broke away from the tennis establishment and accepted $1 contracts from tennis promoter Gladys Heldman in Houston The revolt led to the birth of women’s professional tennis and the formation of the Virginia Slims Tour and Women’s Tennis Association • Empowered women and educated men when she defeated Bobby Riggs in one of the greatest moments in sports history – the Battle of the Sexes in 1973 This match is remembered for its effect on society and its contribution to the women’s movement • Founded the Women’s Tennis Association (1973), the Women’s Sports Foundation (1974), Women’s Sports Magazine (1974) and co-founded GreenSlam, an environmental initiative for the sports industry (2007). • In 1974 King co-founded World TeamTennis (WTT), the revolutionary professional tennis league. Now in its 39th season and known as Mylan World TeamTennis, the league showcases the best in professional team tennis competing for the King Trophy Also founded the Mylan WTT Recreational League, one of the most popular recreational tennis formats in the U S • Appointed Global Mentor for Gender Equality by the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) in 2008; received the NCAA Gerald R. Ford Award in 2009; honored with Major League Baseball’s Beacon of Change Award in 2010; and named to the Presidential Delegation to the 2014 Winter Olympics • Continues to be a leader in the fight for equality and recognition in the GLBT community, and has been honored by many of the leading GLBT organizations, including the Human Rights Campaign, GLAAD and Lambda Legal Foundation • Honored on August 28, 2006, when the National Tennis Center, home of the US Open, was renamed the USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center in honor of King’s contributions to tennis, sports and society both on and off the court She continues to be involved with the USTA and is currently Honorary Chair of the Tennis in the Parks Committee • A member of the President’s Council on Fitness, Sports and Nutrition and serves on the boards of the Women’s Sports Foundation, the Andy Roddick Foundation and the Elton John AIDS Foundation. BILLIE JEAN KING PHOTO BY ANDREW COPPA PHOTOGRAPHY 2 ▪ wtt.COM ilana KLOSS CEO/Commissioner, Mylan World TeamTennis Born: March 22, 1956 Birthplace: Johannesburg, South Africa Residence: New York, N Y Mylan World TeamTennis CEO/Commissioner Ilana Kloss knows firsthand how the sport of tennis can connect and inspire At age 11, she was a ball kid for the South African Open, a men’s and women’s pro tournament in Kloss’ native South Africa One of the top players hit a few balls with her and told Kloss’ father Shlaim that his daughter had real potential That was all an aspiring young tennis player needed to hear. “When I heard that I really began to dream about the possibilities and work towards being the best player I could be,” said Kloss Four decades later, Kloss is still inspired by tennis, now as the CEO/Commissioner of Mylan World TeamTennis which was co-founded by Billie Jean King and then- husband Larry King in the 1970s While King’s current role is primarily as a spokesperson, advisor and global ambassador, it’s Kloss who heads up the day-to-day efforts to secure sponsorships and grow the team tennis concept both in the U S and internationally In early 2009, Kloss brought the United States Tennis Association (USTA) on board as a minority owner of World TeamTennis. The USTA works with WTT on a number of growth initiatives, including youth participation in team tennis Kloss, who was recognized as Sports Business Woman of the Year by the Warsaw Sports Marketing Center in 2007, was recently elected to the International Jewish Sports Hall of Fame and was inducted during the Maccabiah Games in July 2013 In September 2010, Kloss was honored by the U S International Club (USIC) with the Sarah Palfrey Danzig Award for her contributions as a player and administrator. She was also recognized as a Gamechanger in October 2011 by Sports Business Journal as one of the top women in sports business Kloss’ passion for WTT’s unique format and community appeal is evident when she speaks about how Mylan WTT stands out in the sports landscape. “WTT is about both men and women competing together on a level playing field Our vision is to grow tennis and make it a true team sport With Mylan WTT, we are able to bring the best professional players to local communities where kids can see them working together as a team That’s an important inspirational message ” “Mylan WTT is also about giving communities a sense of ownership in tennis and a connection to our players,” adds Kloss. “We provide a level of access and involvement fans generally can’t get with other sports.” Kloss was just a kid herself when she became the youngest No. 1 in South African tennis history at age 17. By the time she turned 20, she was the top-ranked doubles player in the world, winning doubles titles at the U S Open, Italian Open, U S Clay Courts, German Open, British Hard Courts and Hilton Head in 1976 Kloss also added the 1976 French Open Mixed Doubles Championship with Kim Warwick Kloss played World TeamTennis for several years (San Francisco, Oakland, Long Beach, Miami Beach) before becoming a team coach. She guided the Chicago Fyre to the 1983 WTT title before joining the League full- time as Player Liaison in 1985. The transition from the courts to the office was a smooth one for Kloss. “I did it gradually, going from being a player to coaching a WTT team then working to recruit players for the League and eventually running the operation ” Kloss took over as the WTT Vice President in 1987 and eventually succeeded Billie Jean King as WTT Executive Director in 1991. Kloss was named CEO/Commissioner in February 2001 Kloss oversees Mylan World TeamTennis and the nationwide grassroots Mylan WTT Rec League programs from her New York City office Kloss’ primary focus is on national sponsorships, strategic planning, media partnerships and expansion of Mylan WTT ILANA KLOSS PHOTO BY JONATHAN EXLEY wtt.COM ▪ 3 MYLAN WORLD TEAMTENNIS STAFF ROSIE CREWS, Senior Vice President, Communications Rosie joined Mylan WTT in 2006 and is responsible for communications and media relations.