What does Rudyard Kipling’s poem “If” have to do with tennis? Well, for starters, when the competitors walk on Centre Court Wimbledon before their match, an excerpt from this poem is printed on a placard posted on the exit above the locker room door which states “If you can meet with Triumph and Disaster and…
Playtheclay.com claims that "of the 103 men who have reached the top 10 since rankings were kept, 91 of them grew up on clay." That’s 88% and that’s astounding if it’s true. How did they come up with that number?
Last night, I was sitting on my futon, watching what my DVR recorded during the day. There was this show on the Discovery Channel about a guy who gets dropped off in the middle of the Amazon and has to survive and eventually, find a way out. This is my favorite show on television right…
As the college offseason comes to a close and the professionals finish up their first major of the year, we all start heading back to the courts en masse. However, playing in college and trying to get your game to its optimal level is not your only challenge this time of year, especially when you…
I hate losing!! I hate losing at anything, tennis, checkers, anything. I hate when my students lose, I hate when my favorite sports teams lose, I even hate when I don’t win the lottery. Unfortunately, losing is a part of sports and we can let it help us or let it cripple us. We are constantly stuck between wanting to win…
Lately the northeast has seen some of the most extreme winter weather in recent memory. Three weeks ago the "Snowacane" dropped over 30 inches of snow in some areas. Last weekend a powerful Noreaster whipped hurricane force winds across the local region. I expected most of the tournament matches would be canceled or postponed during…
Anyone who has walked into Bethpage Park Tennis in the last six years has probably met and certainly remembers, Ria. She was friendly, cheerful and always helpful. She remembered everyone’s name and a little bit about their life. When she asked, "How are you?" she truly cared about the answer. Her job title was "assistant…
Has anyone see the Domino’s commercial from a few weeks ago that claims Papa John’s has engaged in "puffery?" Domino’s defines puffery as "exaggerated statements based on opinion, not fact." When advertisers commit puffery, they frequently use terms like "better," "best," "ultimate" or "greatest." It’s easy to find examples of puffery in the tennis world….
As a computer semi-illiterate, I have read very few blogs and I have just a superficial understanding of the blog format. I have, however a clearer understanding of the significance of blogs in today’s technology driven news world. An increasingly large percentage of people keep current with the world via blogs. This is both an opportunity…
So you want to be a professional tennis player? And you just don’t want to be one of those players who makes it to 700th in the world, and then gets a job becoming a teaching pro at a country club … you want to be someone special! You want to travel the world in…