The Importance of Sportsmanship

By Steven Kaplan
The etiquette and rules of tennis form a code of conduct for the sport. Adherence to "The Code" is the foundation of "sportsmanship," and responsible parents and coaches should teach and reinforce fair play. I cannot think of a time in which I have been more impressed by players' sportsmanship then...Read more

Treeing and Crying Babies

By Ricky Becker
In case you don't know, the term "treeing" means playing over ones head. It essence it means he/she is getting lucky. To me this is the ultimate sign of disrespect towards a player and seriously puts the accuser in a negative light. And I hate when people say this aloud. People aren't idiots. When...Read more

Cry Baby Cry

By Steven Kaplan
Spain's David Ferrer fired a tennis ball in the direction of a distracting, crying baby in the stands while on his way to losing to Mardy Fish in the quarterfinals of the Miami Masters this past Wednesday. In his post-match interview, Ferrer said about the incident, "It was in one moment of the...Read more

Oxy-Morons

By Steven Kaplan
The USPTA [United States Professional Tennis Association] and USPTR [United States Tennis Registry] are organizations that provide accreditation for tennis teaching professionals. In order to be called a "Tennis Professional" by these organizations, members must successfully complete a standardized...Read more

Some of My Favorite On-Court Expressions

By Ricky Becker
Most coaches have expressions, sayings or opinions. Some are unique, some are taken from other coaches and some are read. Here are some of my more common refrains. 1. "Tennis is a movement game" - I guess it's also a mental game too...but everyone knows that. So many under-the-radar things that...Read more

CELL-ibacy

By Steven Kaplan
"Cellibacy" - the act of refraining from looking at your cell phone at inappropriate times. While it's not a real word, it should become part of the lexicon of tennis players. Cell phone compulsion on the tennis court is widespread and not a healthy trend. This practice is disruptive, distracting...Read more

The Seven Dirty Words

By Steven Kaplan
One of the most pervasive myths in junior tennis is that the USTA conducts most tournaments when in fact they function mainly as the sanctioning body. The tournaments themselves are conducted by the individual clubs. These clubs can impose rules which go beyond the USTA Code, yet are enforceable as...Read more

Some College Questions at Long Island Tennis Expo Answered

By Ricky Becker
Batting lead-off and speaking first about the path to college tennis at the Long Island Tennis Expo had its advantages and disadvantages. Firstly, nobody could steal my material!!! Also, I didn't have time to sit around and question what I should talk about. Unfortunately, the audience got more...Read more

Embarking on the Road to College Tennis

By Steven Kaplan
On March 6, 2011, I spoke at the Long Island Tennis Magazine Expo covering the subject, "The Road to College Tennis" from a coaches' perspective. Here is an outline of that talk. The Road to College Tennis: Developing a long-term plan for competitive players. I. Consider your tennis plan. ►...Read more

False Start

By Steven Kaplan
Usta.com reports that "six of the brightest products of the QuickStart play format shined on center court inside Madison Square Garden" on Monday, February 28. I agree that these kids are absolutely great. The level of younger players is astounding; age 8 is the new age 10 in playing level. They...Read more

Early 2011 Opinions

By Ricky Becker
Maybe it's because I'm not a parent of a tournament age player, but I love this new tournament format. Lew Brewer of the USTA was interviewed on tennisrecruiting.net and said it perfectly. This news system makes a child earn his/her way to the next level. No more, "my child can't qualify for...Read more

Old Timer's Day

By Steven Kaplan
Each year, Yankee Stadium hosts an Old Timer's exhibition before the real game and it's a lot of fun to watch the stars of yesterday for a few innings. On Feb. 28, Madison Square Garden is hosting an Old Timer's tennis exhibition and it's the main event. John McEnroe (52) will play Ivan Lendl (50)...Read more
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