USTA play day video

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Fall Session Two at Encanto

Fall session two starts next week at encanto sports complex. We are going to be having two beginner classes on Monday starting at five and the second at six. I have never been more excited about all that is happening!

After School at Encanto School

Thank you to everyone who has been apart of ten and under tennis lessons for the past two years. It is your passion and commitment that allow me to work so hard to be better each day. All of you are responsible for this amazing opportunity that has happened with our program.  We have been given the opportunity to teach a tennis class for the Wednesday program at Encanto Elementary School in the Osborn School District. This is an incredible opportunity to be able to give back for all this district has given to me. Encanto School is an A rated school. Encanto is best known for their Dual Language Program, allowing students to be able to learn in both English and Spanish.  We start the fourth week of October and run for eight classes.

Laveen and North Phoenix Lessons

We have started our lessons in Laveen. We still have some openings for our Wednesday night classes. The five to seven year old class starts at 5:30pm and is an orange ball class, meaning we play on the big net and the 60 foot court. Our Advanced beginner class starts at 6:00-7:00 and is a yellow ball class using the full court.  We are starting tennis on October 7 at North Phoenix. This will be an orange ball tennis class using the 60 foot court. You can get more information on our www.amstatz.com/tenandundertennislessons site.

I'm Back

I have not disappeared from the world. It has been a while since I posted about ten and under tennis lessons in Phoenix. I have been very busy preparing for the fall and continuing to serve those students who are taking tennis lessons. It is great to see everyone back after a well deserved summer break. I am excited about some of the new benefits to be able to offer you this year. It is very humbling to be able to see how fast this program has grown in just two years. Thank you for allowing me to be able to serve you.

Youth Tennis - Ages 7

  I found this little video to be interesting because we sometimes teach our students to use an underhand serve for a second serve.

Summer Time Thoughts

Well this weekend is the end of the summer vacation season and unofficial end of summer. What an amazing past three months we have had. June and July was filled with teaching a summer tennis camp at our North Phoenix location. We experimented with some new program ideas in the summer at Encanto.  We saw some of our seasoned students in Laveen really take major strides in their quest toward mastery. Most of all I personally had a chance to recharge and gear up for another quest to serve everyone in the ten and under tennis lessons both now and future. There are so many exciting things to look forward to this fall, but it started with the planning from the summer. My recharging was really a chance to sit back and look at what we can add or continue to be able to serve you. Thank you for an awesome summer. One of the best parts of the summer ending is that the US OPEN sends us out on a good note. I can remember so many US OPENS watching Andre Agassi win in 1994, 1999, and who can forget his 10 minute standing ovation as he said good-bye to tennis in the quarterfinal loss in 2006? Go out and enjoy this last week and weekend as you get ready to be a part of something bigger than we could ever have imagined.

Mommy and Me Day is full!!!

Well, big news. Our first fall class is listed and ready for registration! The student teacher ratio is 8:1 and the fall classes tend to be at capacity, so you will want to definitely want to save this date! Tennis:Youth Learn to Rally:5-7 years Bar Code: 7039 From: September 14, 2015 to October 19, 2015 Each Monday from 5:30pm to 6pm $35.00

It's been HOT, HOT, HOT!

That has been the word around here the past four days. We hit a record on Friday August 14 of 117 degrees. We need to be smart and responsible about when and how we go in the heat. I typically do not teach any students during the summer between the hours of ten in the morning to four in the afternoon. One of the reasons is the heat and intensity of the sun causes concentration lapses. I teach most of my summer lessons before ten and after five in the evening. One of the things I recommend for the students to always bring with them is water and a sports drink or pedialyte. Water alone will not prevent you from dehydration because water does not have any electrolytes and other minerals that keep our muscles from cramping or our body from shutting down. The pedialyte or sports drink will keep you thirsty so that you drink water. Following the activity, I recommend chocolate milk because of it's protein to carbohydrate ratio for recovery.

Some Benefits of Taking a Tennis Lesson with Your Child

1. Mommy and Me Tennis class is another opportunity for you to form a bond with your child. 

2. Your child will develop important cognitive and social motor skills.

3. It is an excellent way for you and your child to be able to make new friends.

 4. Moms can eliminate the feeling of being lonely. It has been shown that some mothers who stay at home have tremendous feelings of being lonely.

5. Your child sees the importance of staying healthy and spending time with their children.

7. Both of you will develop an increase in the amount of confidence that you feel. There is rarely anything that compares to the feeling that one has when they accomplish something or they see their child improve over a short period of time.


Mommy and Me Tennis Class
City of Phoenix
October 24,2015
Encanto Sports Complex

Encanto Fall Tennis Classes Posted

Well, big news! Our first session of  fall classes are listed. You can start making your plans which class you want to be in, but registration is not open until August 1.







https://apm.activecommunities.com/phoenix/Activity_Search

Daniela Hantuchova in Super Slow Motion | Forehand and Backhand #1 | Wes...

Character Counts

Resilience

"Life is hard." 

"Games and sports are a mini-lesson on life."

"How you play the game is how you play life."

  There are a lot of lessons we learn from playing games and sports. I think one of the most influential for me is the ability to be resilient. The thing is I don't even think about being resilient. Most of the time I think that I am not resilient, instead I just cave under the pressure. The truth is, that is not true. Do you know why? 

The reason is, I am still standing.  

 The struggle I was going through, though it may not have turned out like I would have liked, did not kill me. 

 I am still here, still breathing, and still working. That is the lesson our students can take as the biggest take away from our lessons. When things do not go their way, they are struggling to learn a new skill, they can know that if they just keep trying, just get back up, they are developing the skill of resiliency.    

There are two definitions of resiliency. The first one says it is the ability to become strong, healthy, or successful again after something bad happens. Think about that, the life lesson from a tennis match could be you do not play very well, but you decide to put in the work to get better. The bad moment pulled you into getting better. 

Sometimes in tennis or life we meet such circumstances that we are pulled, stretched, and bent beyond what we can bear. The second definition of resilience is the ability of something to return to its original shape after it has been pulled, stretched, pressed, bent, etc. That is what we teach our students to do. They have such poise, that no matter how much they are pressed, they always return to their original shape, the same foundation of strokes and attitude that will propel them to not necessarily winning, but living a life of victory.

Coming Events

August at Encanto Park

August 24 and 27 we are offering FREE drop-in clinics at Encanto Park. Stay tuned for more details.


September at Cesar Chavez High School

Sep 23 - Oct 14, 2015

Learn to Rally and Play @ 5:30-6p every Wednesday with Ten and Under Tennis Lessons
Beginner                       @ 6-7:00p every Wednesday with Ten and Under Tennis Lessons

*Save the Date* 
October 24, 2015  Encanto Park
 Mommy and Me Tennis Workshop 
 

Serena Williams - Australian Open 2015 - Volleying - Slow Motion Tennis

Tennis Tip

Aim for the Sky for Better Backhands

 

The key to having a successful backhand is to be able to lift the ball over the net about four to six feet. One of the many problems students, especially young beginners have is they try to hit down on the ball or swing across. We teach our students to use a two hand backhand with the left hand on the top. You will take the racket back into the back and down position, with your  left hand at the thigh. The left palm should also be facing the ground to keep the racket face closed. From the thigh, you go up toward the sky finishing with your shoulder touching your chin and the racket wrapping around your right ear.  If you can remember, thigh to the sky you will no longer be hitting those backhands into the net or sailing to the back fence. You will have a more controlled swing and be on your way to mastery.

True Competition

I see so many times kids today are focusing so much on winning. They are in the quest to be number one. They want to be at the top. As someone who played college tennis, played briefly on the professional arena, I realized one of my greatest faults was this thinking. Winning is not the ultimate goal. Mastery is. It dawned on me one day that in a tournament of 64 players there will be 63 losers and only one winner. So does that mean all of your efforts were in vain? I think not. The truth is, I figured out that I am not playing another person. I am really playing the ball and myself. I am my own worst enemy. If I can do everything I have been trained to do to get one more ball back, than I have accomplished a goal. What the other person does with the ball is irrelevant. I can only control what I can do. 

The key point I am trying to make today is, you are not competing against others in any aspect of life. I know there are people out there who will say that is just what people who have never won anything say. That is simply not true, it just helps you put your life into perspective. You are competing against yourself only. How many points can you win? How many obstacles did you overcome? What did you like best about the match you played? 

I found that when I took the focus off of the external and focused on what I could control, I was more relaxed and able to play at a higher level.  I also realized the anxiety of having to live up to an external expectation was gone. I now had peace and that is probably the greatest trophy of  all.

USTA CORE VALUES: DETERMINATION

COMPETE LIKE A CHAMPION

The best players in the world are great competitors. Specifically, they are very determined to compete and play their best game on every point. Determined players push through adversity and struggle and continue to strive for success in a positive, productive manner.

Determined players embody the following:
“Champions train, losers complain”
“If your dreams don’t scare you, they aren’t big enough”
“The difference between the possible and the impossible lies in a person’s determination.” – Tommy Lasorda
“Don’t limit your challenges. Challenge your limits.”

TO PLAY WITH DETERMINATION IS TO:

• Be willing to do what it takes to succeed (in an appropriate way) and do not let obstacles keep you from achieving your goal.
• See obstacles as challenges to move through and around.
• Be willing to fight and compete, especially when you are frustrated and angry.
• Very rarely become disappointed while you play. But if you do, you do not lower your commitment or energy and do not give in to doubt.
• Maintain high levels of energy and intensity even when you are losing and/or performing poorly. Keep fighting and trying to find a way to succeed.
• Understand that determination may just be more important than confidence. It is unrealistic to believe you will always feel confident. But if you have a plan and you are determined to follow it, you may surprise yourself with just how well you play.
• Put yourself in difficult training or match situations, have a plan for getting through it and stick with it. Determination only comes from exhibiting determination.

DO YOU REMEMBER THIS GREAT EXAMPLE OF DETERMINATION?
John Isner defeated Nicolas Mahut in the longest match in tennis history, both in terms of duration and games played. The encounter lasted more than 11 hours and, due to its length, was played over three days. Neither player was willing to give in, even as the fifth set went to 10-10, 30-30 and eventually 68-68. But in the end, Isner’s will to win prevailed, with the exhausted American finally earning the elusive break – and the victory, 6-4, 3-6, 6-7, 7-6, 70-68 – on a down-the-line backhand passing shot.

(2015) http://www.usta.com/corevalues/determined/ 

Novak Djokovic - Slow Motion Backhands (Left Side) in HD

The Path of Learning

Tennis is a sport that is not like the team sports most people play. Some people can go out and perform baseball, football, or basketball without any instruction. This may not mean they do not need to learn advanced tactics, but they have something in them where they can perform the basic skills without any teaching. Tennis is not like that. In fact, if you try and do what comes natural to you, you probably will not be very successful. Tennis is not like baseball where you hit a ball. You have to change your thinking and muscle memory to learn how to stroke a ball. Our goal is to be able to take the old information each student has about how to play tennis and train their muscle memory so that it is instinct.

The first phase our students will always go through is not knowing what they did wrong or how to correct it. When our students start with us they are aware that they need to get the ball over the net. When we teach them the forehand, for example, they now know what to do but when mistakes occur they may not know why the mistake happened and how to fix it. We use modeling followed by timely and specific feedback to help the student understand what they should be doing.  

The next phase the student will be able to start recognizing what they did wrong and ways to correct their mistake.  The student is now able to recognize on their own their errors and how to fix them. This can be mundane for students at a young age unless you know how to one, make sure they have success, two, add constant challenges, and three make sure they know that winning in tennis is hitting the same old boring stroke. What we have found out is that after a few lessons, we are able to use a feedback in the form of a question. The student may have used their forehand and the ball went off to the side. I may ask,"Why did the ball go off to the side?" The student will reply," I was too close to the ball."  

The third phase the student will be able to train their muscles to comply with what they are learning. Again, in this phase the student is going to be using a lot of repetition to develop the correct feel of their strokes. The student will be working on the correct technique consciously.

Which leads to our ultimate goal, the student will be able to have tennis strokes based off of instinct. The student will no longer have to think about how to stroke the ball. They have put in the 10,000 hours for mastery and have completely retrained their original process.

USTA Core Values: Engaged

COMPETE LIKE A CHAMPION

Have you ever noticed the laser focus of top players? They are engaged at all times, during practice, matches and training, to ensure the highest level of success. Engaged players should have their full focus directed on what matters in that particular moment and be invested in their own success.
Engaged players embody the following:
“The successful warrior is the average man, with laser-like focus”
“Always remember, your focus determines your reality”
“Don’t count the days, make the days count”

TO BE ENGAGED IS TO:

• Have full focus in the moment. Have all of your senses involved and be alert.
• Have the right mindset, developed from solid preparation.
• Have a goal or two for practice that relates to part of your game that needs improvement.
• Think about your goals prior to practice and see in your mind’s eye achieving them.
• Talk with your coach about the plan for the training/practice/match.
• Have a good dynamic warm-up, getting the body and mind awake and ready and the heart rate up.
• Get your feet going by bouncing around on your toes.
• Listen to your coach and ask questions if you are not sure about his/her instruction.
• Try your coach’s feedback.
• Give yourself feedback on how you are doing on your goals.
• Have a bounce in your step and move quickly between drills or balls.
• Be fully prepared for each drill or game and know the goal and what you are working on.
• Refocus on the purpose of practice during short breaks, even if there are distractions.
• Use the “breathe and believe” technique when things aren’t going well.
• Write in a journal about your goals and how you did in working on them.
• Learn from your mistakes.
• Look your coach in the eye when talking.

EXAMPLE
Rafael Nadal is renowned for his work ethic and his focus in practice. He runs for every ball in practice and works diligently on his game. You can imagine he does some of the drills that you do, such as two on ones, but does them with a very high level of engagement. He knows what he is working on and works with a high intensity. As Player Development Director of Coaching Jose Higueras said, “Rafa works with every cell in his body immersed in what he is doing.”

Source: (June

2015)  http://www.usta.com/corevalues/engaged/

Tennis Tip

Wear Handcuffs to Hit a Solid 
Forehand Volley

Hitting a solid forehand volley can make or break a point. When you are hitting a forehand volley you have obviously moved into the net to make a winning shot. With that kind of importance, it makes sense to make the most of a forehand volley. The best way to hit a forehand volley is to keep your left hand parallel with your racket in order to have more control. Too often people come to the net and hit a volley with their stomach facing the net and slap at the ball with their racket. Next time you come in for a forehand volley, pretend you have handcuffs on and you will make the winning shot.

Summer 2015 Encanto Park

Our summer tennis classes at Encanto Park are open for registration. You can enroll online or in person at Encanto Park. We are offering our traditional learn to rally classes and beginner classes. This summer we have added an  advanced beginner class for those students who have been apart of our beginner classes. We are also trying an evening class for intermediate players. 

I am really excited and looking forward to all that is happening at Encanto Park Youth Tennis this summer. Last summer was our first summer and we only met one day per week. We have been able to open up more days and times to accommodate your schedule. Amazing! What a blessing it is to serve all of you!  

 Learn to Rally Ages 5-7
5862     Tuesday        7:30-8:00 am
5863     Thursday       7:30-8:00 am

Beginner Classes
5865      Tuesday       8:00-9:00 am
5864      Thursday     8:00-9:00 am

Advanced Beginner
5866      Thursday     9:00-10:00 am

Intermediate
5861      Monday      7:00-8:00 pm

https://apm.activecommunities.com/phoenix/Activity_Search?txtActivitySearch=youth%20tennis&applyFiltersDefaultValue=true.   

Tennis Tip

Brush Up the Neck of a Giraffe For Better Forehands

The most important part of the game of tennis is to be able to get the ball over the net and land into the court boundaries. If you want to be more consistent you have to be able to understand you are not hitting a tennis ball, you are lifting and brushing the ball with the strings. The swing pattern in tennis is low to high. Your racket is below the ball on the bounce and brushes up in the same angle of a giraffes' neck. So next time you are playing tennis, imagine a giraffe in front of you and you are going to swing up his neck. When you do, you will see more balls going over the net and you will be in the position to succeed.

Serena Williams - Serve Practice Slow Motion and Normal Speed

Factors that Determine Success

I used to think that success was when you accomplished a goal and the more goals you accomplished the more successful you were. I even used to think that the bigger the goals you accomplished meant that you were more successful. The problem I had with this thinking is that it lead to me getting burned out and never feeling content. I just recently read a book by Dave Ramsey called The Legacy Journey and in it he talks about how that was his thinking too. Then one day he had a realization that he was a success not because he was accomplishing goals, but because he was working towards those goals. Too often I would get to the target date of a goal and completely fall short. Then I would be disappointed, but the truth is, I don't know the real end date for a goal to come to fruition. The work I did was opening up things for the future. This applies to tennis because it may take a year for a student to really master a particular stroke or skill. The parent's may be watching or the child may be thinking, I just can't get this. The truth is, the child is a success because they are working toward a goal of mastery, they are actually doing something to get better. Over time, one day it will click.  USTA High Performance Program says dedication and persistence influences the students success was the most important, followed by family and friends support, third was the coaches influence, fourth love for the sport, and fifth was the training program and facility. Our focus in our tennis lessons is to be able to allow our students to enjoy the journey, giving them the support they need, and provide them with the instruction that will allow them to grow.

Today's Thought

The USTA changed the way tennis has been taught to children around the middle of the 2000's.  Tennis noticed baseball starts with t-ball and sports such as basketball, soccer, and football have smaller fields, balls, and goals.  Their sport did not have any of that with the exception of a junior racket. The children used the same heavy pressurized ball, the same 78 foot court, and the same three foot net. What I have noticed since starting ten and under tennis lessons two years ago, is that the students are learning to develop more control, they are able to develop their strokes, and learn to keep a ball in play with more success than if they were on the bigger courts. They also changed the types of balls. The student starts out with a red foam ball and graduates to a red felt ball. As the student progresses, the student will move to the orange followed by the green tennis ball. The tennis ball color determines what size court the student is learning on.

Daily Thought

Pepsi Open

 

 

The past eight weeks have been a hard time for me because I had a partial muscle tear in a muscle. I was able to teach and to give everything I had, but I had not been able to play or maintain my strokes because I was limited in my movements. Yesterday at the North Phoenix location, I had the opportunity to finally get back to rallying. I was working with one of the top juniors in the camp.It felt really good to be able to get the body moving again and work out the stiffness that comes with the rest and rehabilitation. The key take away that I had was that my strokes had not diminished. If anything, they were more solid. I think the rest allowed my body to recover and renew the neuron-pathways. I also give credit to all of the hard work and time spent years ago perfecting my strokes.  The time you put in now will benefit you, because it will cut down on the amount of retention time.

Has it Been 20 Years? Really?

Encanto Lessons 2014

Summer has always been one of the most exciting times for ten and under tennis lessons. It is a time when so many little ones take an opportunity to try something new or get better at your craft. I think back to when I first started teaching tennis. Amazingly, it was twenty years ago this June and the amazing part is I have just as much energy and strength now as I did then.
On May 30,1995 I was at my high school tennis banquet and our coach had said that a township parks and recreation was looking to start a youth tennis program. I inquired and ended up getting the contact information.  On May 31,1995 I graduated from high school and a week later I had a great summer job. I was looking for a job exactly like this. It was amazing how when everything seemed stacked against me, the perfect opportunity fell into place. 

To show you how committed I was to the job, I can remember the first week lessons were supposed to start, the temperature in Wisconsin was in the 90's with 70-80% humidity, and I was out there waiting for students to show up. No one came that first week. I stayed the entire time and taught a lesson to myself. I figured, I might as well get some practice and teach like I would to 20. In between that time I would go to the local grocery store and set up a table and recruit. To make a long story short, we ended up getting twelve students that summer and in eight summers in Wisconsin, we grew to fifty students in a summer. It was after some time off that I got my vision back and started teaching ten and under tennis lessons as my primary focused and have been blessed with not one, but three locations, that I never could have imagined I would be able to teach at.I look forward to seeing many more students and parents this summer and serving you to develop your skills.

This was one of our most successful programs in 1999

Nadal High Intensity Training @ Masters Finals 2011

Happy Memorial Day!

Memorial Day is the official start of the summer vacation season and unofficially the start of summer. We have a lot planned for new and returning students. This is our third summer and we are blessed to be able to serve everyone and see your development. See you all soon and have a wonderful relaxing weekend!

Tennis Classes at Encanto are Open for Registration

Our summer tennis classes at Encanto Park are open for registration. You can enroll online or in person at Encanto Park. We are offering our traditional learn to rally classes and beginner classes. This summer we have added an  advanced beginner class for those students who have been apart of our beginner classes. We are also trying an evening class for intermediate players. 

I am really excited and looking forward to all that is happening at Encanto Park Youth Tennis this summer. Last summer was our first summer and we only met one day per week. We have been able to open up more days and times to accommodate your schedule. Amazing! What a blessing it is to serve all of you!  

 Learn to Rally Ages 5-7
5862     Tuesday        7:30-8:00 am
5863     Thursday       7:30-8:00 am

Beginner Classes
5865      Tuesday       8:00-9:00 am
5864      Thursday     8:00-9:00 am

Advanced Beginner
5866      Thursday     9:00-10:00 am

Intermediate
5861      Monday      7:00-8:00 pm

https://apm.activecommunities.com/phoenix/Activity_Search?txtActivitySearch=youth%20tennis&applyFiltersDefaultValue=true.   

Summer Tennis Lessons

We will be offering several locations this summer for your budding pro's to continue to master their skills. We have a tennis camp at our North Phoenix Location for advanced beginner through tournament players on Monday, Wednesday, and Friday from 8-9:30 am. This camp is through Bill Petersen Tennis Clinics, but Matt will be one of the staff professionals. We will be starting our youth tennis programs at Encanto Park and continuing with lessons in Laveen at Cesar Chavez High School.

Mastering the Serve In Laveen

Partner Practice

Working on mastering the toss.

Mastering the Serve from the 60 foot court using the correct grip.

USTA Tournaments

A few parents have been asking about tournaments for their children to enter. Here is a copy of the page from the USTA Southwest Section page for you to read. The source is www.usta.com/southwestsection


USTA Southwest holds many junior tournaments each year. As a USTA member, you have access to many of these sanctioned events throughout Arizona, New Mexico and El Paso County in Texas.

In tournament tennis, the sky is the limit. Whether you are aiming for a Section ranking, a national ranking, or just looking to get in some good exercise and competition while making new friends, USTA tournament tennis is for you.
 
There are many different tournament distinctions and caliber of play, and they are based on age and level. Participation at many of the top-flight events are based on rankings, but there are also plenty of local and novice tournaments that are open to the new competitor.

To keep plugged in to tournament news and updates going on in USTA Southwest, please send your email address to USTA Southwest Junior Competition Manager Nicole Fintell at nfintell@southwest.usta.com  or call (480) 289-2351 x 106 and you can added to our junior newsletter database.

For a complete listing of tournaments and to enter events in USTA Southwest, please visit http://tennislink.usta.com/tournaments and use the dropdowns to search for 'USTA Southwest' , 'Junior Divisions' to scroll through the listing of all events held.

For a breakdown of the types of tournaments held locally, Sectionally and nationally, check below:


LEVELS OF USTA JUNIOR TOURNAMENTS 
Level 1- USTA National Spring Team Championships, USTA National Spring Tournament (Easter Bowl), National Sweet 16, BG 14&16 Intersectional Team Events, USTA National Clay Court Championships, BG 18 National Team Championships, USTA National Hard Court Championships
Level 2 - National Selection Tournaments (February, October, and November), BG 12-16 Zonal Team Events
Level 3 - National Selection Tournaments (May), National Warm-up Tournaments, Southwest Junior Closed, and Phoenix Junior Master Championships
Level 4 - Closed and Open USTA Regional Tournaments (February, October, and November), USTA Southwest Section Master Series
Level 5 - USTA Southwest Section Challengers
Level 6 - Local Tournaments, supersets, and shootouts              
Level 7 - Entry level tournaments (without ranking points awarded)

POINT CHART LEVELS OF TOURNAMENTS

TOURNAMENT INFORMATION
National Tournaments/Southwest Section - All national tournaments on the USTA National Jr. Tournament Schedule that have a “level” distinction and use the Tournament Data Manager (TDM) software will count in a players standing/ranking. Players must notify the Junior Player Development Manager if they play in one of these events. National Championships, National Opens, Copper Bowl and National Team events will automatically be included.

Combined Rankings - USTA Southwest and USTA National Singles and Doubles Standings will use a Combined Ranking. This combined ranking will be based on a player's best Six (6) tournaments played in the last twelve (12) months. This combined ranking will use 100% of a player’s singles points and 25% of a player’s doubles points.

Contact info needed when entering tournaments - Tournament directors do not have access to phone numbers and email addresses of the tournament participants UNLESS the player re-enters their contact information at time of event registration.  This means that if a player does not enter their phone and email information each time they register for a tournament, the tournament director will not be able contact them for any reason, including withdrawals, defaults, byes, rain delays, etc.  Your cooperation will ensure that tournaments can continue to communicate necessary information to you. 

Age eligibility: Please note, most tournaments are age division play. To determine your age elibility for a tournament, please consult the listing below:

Andre Agassi Backhands in Slow Motion

Cesar Chavez Lessons

Just a quick thought on the tennis lessons we have in Laveen. Our tennis lessons last Wednesday at Cesar Chavez Park were so full of purpose. We have five students in our six o'clock class and three in our Learn to Rally five thirty class. The small class size really makes for great teacher:student interaction.  It is awesome to see such an improvement in skills and a dynamic of students who make an effort to help each student get better. I cannot wait to be able to watch them play this Wednesday. We still have openings in our Learn to Rally class.

Last Week at Encanto

Learning to Rally 

I can hardly believe that week six has come upon us. We are going to be finishing our spring session at Encanto Park. Each student has been able to master skills that have made them better. It has been such a wonderful, purpose-filled time for me these past six weeks to help develop skills in each student that will benefit them throughout their life. We will be starting our summer classes the first week in June.

ATP vs WTA Forehand

New Session for tennis lessons at Cesar Chavez Park

 Wednesday evening, April 8,  we start our April session for tennis lessons at Cesar Chavez Park. Our Learn to Rally Program for ages 5-7 starts at 5:30 pm and our Beginner class starts at 6:00 pm. 

Partner Practice at Encanto

The Science Behind Practice

I have often heard people say they just need to practice more, but the the key is to focus your practice sessions. In the latest edition from Tennis Pro teaching journal from the Professional Tennis Registry I ran across a very interesting article. The title of the article was about perfect practice makes perfect. This motto is something I have made a part of me and teach my students in school and tennis. It only makes sense that what we practice we master.  Practice good habits, master good habits or the converse is true, practice bad habits, master bad habits. Practice is about training your muscles to acquire new skills to the point those skills become automatic. 

There is no real duration of time that is suggested to be the best time for practice. Typically we judge it based on age, readiness, and commitment to the task. There is research that states to improve fine motor skills such as typing that focused practice for no more that an hour per day will improve the skills. It has often been said that in order for a person to become a master they need to apply 10,000 hours. There are two keys that will make you improve better, what you are practicing, and your focus and 'intentionality'. The emphasis on your practice session, the focus you put into it is what will develop your skills. 

Our belief at Ten and Under Tennis Lessons is in the power of a half hour. A student will have a focused, purposeful lesson designed at mastering a skill to be able to rally, play, or develop advanced strokes. In those sessions we move them from the simple to complex, from the model to independent practice. We structure the lesson like a tennis match with work and short breaks. 

Works Cited

Gellard, Mark.   "Perfect practice makes practice perfect". Tennis Pro, Professional Tennis Registry. p. 26-28. January/February 2015.

Character Counts! (From USTA 10 and Under Tennis)

CORE VALUES OF A SUCCESSFUL PLAYER

Whether you are a junior player starting your tennis career, a dedicated tournament player, a casual League player or a top professional, there are seven core values you should have to make sure success applies off the court as well as on it.

 

Today’s successful tennis player must be:

CONFIDENT

Players must have an unshakable self-belief in their abilities and skills. That is, they expect to be successful.

DETERMINED

Players push through hardship and struggle, always continuing to strive for success in a positive, productive manner.

ENGAGED

Players should have their full focus directed on what matters in that particular moment and be invested in their own success.

PROFESSIONAL

Players demonstrate character and exhibit the behavior and attitude of an athlete who is consistently prepared to practice and compete with full engagement.

RESILIENT

Players must have the ability to bounce back and refocus after failures, letdowns, etc., bringing their best effort to their next point, set, match, tournament or training session.

RESPECTFUL

Players act in a way that demonstrates appreciation for the game, courtesy to their opponents and teammates, and that focuses on bringing out the best in others – all while demonstrating sportsmanship and honoring the rules of tennis.

TOUGH

Players must be able to endure periods of difficulty and adversity in training and competition, both mentally and physically. They must embrace pressure and accept the challenge to continue to grow as a player and as a person, remaining resolute in their desire to succeed.

America’s top professional and most promising young junior players are living out these seven core values each and every day at the three USTA National Training Centers as well at Regional Training Centers, Early Development Camps and TEAM USA camps around the country. 

 

Players should continually strive to develop these values throughout their training and play – both on and off the court. Players that exhibit these seven core values every day will achieve the ultimate goal of competing – and behaving – like a champion.

 

These values were developed as part of a collaborative effort of USTA Player Development national coaches and Dr. Larry Lauer, mental skills specialist for USTA Player Development, to communicate the collective values of the national coaching staff on a daily basis.