USTA

This week, 5 PTR Master Professionals were in attendance and part of the  presenting faculty Collins for PDW.  Ken DeHart, Jorge Andrews, Louie Capp, Butch Staples and Pete  as well as Anne Pankhurst, formerly with the USTA Player Development Program.

Cardio Tennis kicked off each morning with heart pounding tennis to music by Troy Robinson from the National Cardio Tennis Team. We then met for sessions on coaching philosophies, working with parents and recognizing age, skill and maturity level instruction for junior players.

The weather was typical Hilton Head humid and some chance of rain – but it never got us.  A few miles away on the Carolina coast they got 8 inches and floods.  The PTR hospitality was outstanding with Director of Operations, Julie Jilly, CEO Dan Santorum, Director of Education Steve Keller and the PTR staff making sure we had another “PTR Magic Moment” during PDW Week.

My presentation on “59 Best Drills and 25 Best Corrective Techniques” was really well received by the participants.  We had 3 hours to demonstrate the 13 Best Warm Up Drills, 13 Best Warm Up Drills with a Racquet, 13 Best Singles Drills, 13 Best Doubles Drills and 7 Best Net Play Drills – oh yes, and the 25 Best Corrective Techniques.  Audience participation was awesome and lots of questions followed – as well as a BBQ cookout on the PTR porch for all the PTR participants.

Jorge Andrews did a great presentation on “7 Habits of Highly Successful Tennis Pros”, Dr Louie Capp demonstrated “Top 20 Errors and Best Corrective Techniques” Craig Jones presented on “Tactical Development of Juniors” and “Anatomy of a Drill”, Heath Waters presented on the “Millennium Forehand” and Inaki Balzola demonstrated “Live Ball Drills” for the pros as part of PDW.

It is always great to meet so many new people and to renew relationships with other long-time friends at these continuing education forums like this.  There is such an exchange of ideas and re-energizing for the opportunities back home in San Jose, California.

Now – the real challenge – getting where you are supposed to go on the airlines.  I turned in my Avis/Budget rental Chevy Cobalt about 2 hours before my flight.  I thought I might set down and do some paper work.  Well that is going to be easy – my flight is delayed 2 hours from Hilton Head to Atlanta.  If I get to Atlanta, my connecting flight to Ft. Meyers, Florida is scheduled to leave the same time I arrive.

Let’s see, call the rental car agency to let them know, contact the Marriott in Marco Island, Florida where I am supposed to be tonight, contact the USPTA tournament desk to let them know I might not make it in tonight.  The airlines – Delta- tells me if I miss my connection tonight, they can get me into Ft. Meyers  tomorrow by 10 am – when I am scheduled to play my first round match in the USPTA Nationals and an hour after I am supposed to be at my High Performance Coaches meeting at 9 am.

So, I won’t know until 9:30 tonight if I will make my connection – there’s a chance if it is delayed also, and then I need to call the rental car agency, hotel and tournament desk and etc.  My family, Karen and Kameron have been in Disney World and are scheduled to meet me in Marco Island tomorrow.  With this new schedule we may meet in Ft. Meyers.  I arrive at 10 am and they come in at 10:30 if I don’t make my connection tonight – oh the joys of airline travel.

See you in Marco Island?????

Photo Credits: robbiesaurus

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