download the application. ... usta texas congratulates ellie, hada and abigail on a ... its...

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Inside Tennis | YEARBOOK 2013 2 i ns ide tenn is .com

2013 Texas Diversity Grant DeadlineThe Texas Diversity Grant strives to reach

players who are in need of financial

assistance with expenses relating to both

tournament preparation and tournament

play. The age limit is 6-18, and applicants

should not be entering college in 2013. The

application deadline is Jan. 25. Grant

recipients serve as role models and

ambassadors to the multicultural community

and to the sport of tennis. Email Carlos

Hernandez at [email protected]

with questions relating to the grant or go to

www.texas.usta.com/About-Us/diversity/

to download the application.

2013 Athletic Trainer Matching GrantThis grant is to assist tournaments in

covering half of the cost of having a trainer

present at a tournament. In addition to

providing help for injuries, athletic trainers

can be used as an educational tool.

The grant application deadline is Jan. 31.

For more information or questions contact

Paige Schumacher at

[email protected] or call

(512) 443-1334 ext. 211. You can go to

www.texas.usta.com/About-

Us/grants_and_scholarships/grants/ to

download the application.

USTA Texas Tournament Schedule Guide AvailableThe USTA Texas

2013 Tournament

Schedule Guide

has been

released. Each

current USTA

Texas member

household

received a copy

by mail. To view

the online version

of the publication go the USTA Texas website

at www.texas.usta.com; then click the Adult

Tennis tab; Tournaments / Rankings; then

2013 Tournament Schedule Book.

Davis Cup teams. He then coached at

Schreiner University and was the director of

tennis at numerous Corpus Christi clubs.

Amarillo Tennis Ambassador Leo LaBorde PassesIt is with great sadness that

USTA Texas was notified

about the passing of

Amarillo native Leo O.

LaBorde, a longtime

ambassador of tennis,

mentor and coach to

hundreds of junior and

collegiate players. Living in Dallas, he died

on Oct. 14 at the age of 94. He coached

Baytown High School to 75 district, regional

and state titles from 1949-55. He served as

the Southern Methodist University tennis

coach from 1956-66. He also was an

organizer of the Dallas Cotton Bowl Indoor

Tennis Tournament in 1957 that continues to

this day. Leo touched many people in the

Amarillo community for over 40 years

teaching and coaching at Amarillo Junior

College from 1969-78 and was a teaching

pro at the Amarillo Country Club. He was

inducted into the Texas Tennis Coaches Hall

of Fame in 1983 and the Texas Tennis Hall of

Fame in 1997. He played competitively well

into his 80s.

Texas Tennis Hall of Famer Nancy Penson PassesOn Oct. 21, Nancy Penson

passed away in her home

after a battle with cancer.

She was 88. Nancy was

inducted into the Texas

Tennis Hall of Fame in 2002

and reached the ranking of

No. 1 in Senior Women’s

Tennis and No. 2 in Senior Women’s Doubles

with her partner Nancy Swenson while

playing. Born in Dallas to Robert and

Elizabeth Penn, Nancy was a 1945 graduate

of Wellesley College with a degree in

classics. She was also involved with the

Dallas Symphony Orchestra, Meyerson

Symphony Center and the SMU Meadows

School of the Arts. She is survived by her

husband of 69 years John and her daughters

Annie, Suki and Read.

USTA TEXAS NEWS & NOTES2013 Texas Officials Certification School Dates Set The USTA Texas Officials Certification School

dates are set for 2013. All new and or re-

certifying officials must take and pass the

test before attending. For more information,

locations and dates go to

www.texas.usta.com/Officials/certifi-

cation_schools/

Spring Branch Opens First Set of Public CourtsThe Spring Brach Tennis Center opened its

first two public courts in the Bulverde /

Spring Branch, Texas community on Nov. 29,

2012. The center has plans to complete 10

courts and a club house. The project was

supported by Comal County community

members as a facilities grant by USTA. The

courts are located at 101 Jumbo Evans

Parkway, Spring Branch, TX 78070

Texas Tennis Hall ofFamer Crawford PassesChristopher Lee Crawford,

a former resident of Corpus

Christi, Texas passed away

on the evening of Nov. 15,

2012, in San Antonio after

bravely fighting prostate

cancer for seven years. Chris was inducted

into the Texas Tennis Hall of Fame in 2003

because of his coaching and playing

accomplishments. At 17, he made the finals

of the Junior National Tournament in

Kalamazoo and went on to represent the

U.S. on the Junior Davis Cup team from

1956-58. He won the Orange Bowl Boy’s 18

singles title in 1957 and was the No. 1

ranked junior singles player that same year.

He was a member of the 1959 and 1964 U.S.

ChristopherCrawford

Leo O. LeBorde

Nancy Penson

Spring Branch Tennis Center. Photo by Sam Roberts

Teams from Austin, Texas

representing the Texas USTA

Section, captured the Advanced

Title at the 2012 USTA Jr. Team

Tennis 18 & 14 and Under

National Championships at the

Cayce Tennis and Fitness

Center in Cayce, S.C., back in

October.

Both JTT National Champi-

onships brought together the

top 32 teams (more than 250

players) at Intermediate and

Advanced levels from various

USTA Sections throughout the

country.

The Austin 18U team, also

known as the ATA Dream Team,

defeated a team from El Paso,

Texas (60-13) in the Champi-

onship match. The El Paso

team, because of location, is in

the USTA Southwest section.

Earlier in the tournament, ATA

defeated a team from

Jacksonville, Fla., in the

semifinals (59-33). The 18U

Champions join the Texas 14U

team, who won the JTT 14 and

Under Advanced National

Championship.

The USTA Texas Section

14U team defeated a team from

Providence, R.I. (4-1) in the

Championship match. Earlier in

the tournament, they defeated a

team from Maui, Hawaii in the

semifinals.

Both the 14 and 18U Texas

Advanced teams are coached

by Kendall Brooks. The 18U

team features: Brittany Brewster,

Josh Hagar, Meredith Parks,

Jonah Kral, Austin Mayo,

Morgan Barnhill and Meghan

O’Malley. The 14U team

featured Georgia Wright, Haarika

Somarouthu, Alexandria

Beardsley Mjos, Abigail Chiu,

Erik Alexander Kerrigan, Payton

Holden, Jack Schiffman, Tyler

Anson, and Jesse Wikso.

The national championships

serve as the crown jewel of

USTA Jr. Team Tennis as the

nation’s top teams compete for

the title. Each year the USTA

crowns a national champion in

two age divisions (14U and 18U)

in both the Intermediate and

Advanced play divisions. This

year, there are 32 teams from

across the United States who

have advanced to the national

championships totaling 249

participants.


TEXAS SECTION

Austin Team Wins JTT 18U & 14U National Championship

BY N. ARNOLD / USTA TEXAS

Three Texas players, Ellie

Douglas (McKinney), Hada

Chang (Trophy Club) and Abigail

Chiu (Austin) made big

statements at the Eddie Herr

International Championships at

IMG Academy in Bradenton, Fla.

that took place from Nov. 22 –

Dec. 2, 2012.

GirLs 12s siNGLes:

Ellie Douglas of McKinney,

Texas won the Girls 12s singles

main draw, and was a finalist in

the Girls 12 Doubles.

In the singles semifinals,

Ellie defeated the overall No.

1 seed Abigail Desiatnikov

(Ohio) 6-1, 6-3. After losing

the first set 6-7(4) in the

finals to Anastasia Potapova

(Russia), Ellie battled back

by winning the next two sets

6-0, 6-2 and therefore

clinching the Girls 12s

division.

Ellie has benefited from

repeated participation in

USTA Texas Regional

Training Center Camps,

presented by a partnership

with USTA Player

Development and USTA

Texas.

Congratulations to Ellie

on a great tournament!

GirLs 14 DOUBLes:

Hada Chang from Trophy

Club, Texas and Abigail Chiu

from Austin, Texas were finalists

in the Girls 14 doubles main

draw. Top seeds Dalma Gálfi

(Hungary) and Tereza Mihalikova

(Slovak Republic) defeated

Chang and Chiu, 7-5, 6-2 for the

Girls 14s Doubles Champi-

onship.

Hada and Abigail are also

recent and repeated participants

in the Regional Training Center.

USTA Texas congratulates

Ellie, Hada and Abigail on a

great tournament!

Texas Players Shine at Eddie Herr International Championships

The city of Austin, Texas has produced powerhouse teams in recent years, with both 18 &Under and 14 & Under Advanced division teams winning at the 2012 USTA Jr. Team TennisNational Championships. Photos by USTA / Joe Murphy & Jennifer Pottheiser

Texas juniors Abigail Chiu (Austin), Ellie Douglas(McKinney) and Hada Chang (Trophy Club)finished strong at the Eddie Herr InternationalChampionships. Douglas won the Girls 12s Singlestitle while Chang and Chiu finished second in theGirls 14 doubles. Photo by Nick Arnold / USTA Texas


USTA Texas announced that

the Houston Tennis Association

(HTA) was named the 2012

Texas Member Organization of

the Year for its service to the

Texas tennis community and

members.

The Texas Member Organi-

zation of the Year award was

established in 1982 and

presented annually to a member

organization in the USTA Texas

Section to recognize

outstanding service to the local

community, to the organization

members and to the game of

tennis. In addition, the USTA

Texas winner automatically

becomes a candidate for the

USTA Member Organization of

the Year Award.

Through its National Junior

Tennis and Learning (NJTL)

chapter, HTA is the major

supporter of the city’s free youth

tennis program, which is

administered through the

Houston Parks and Recreation

Department. The program is

designed to provide children

with the fundamentals of the

game of tennis and educational

components that develop life

skills. They have served over

7,700 children in 37 parks while

also supporting physical

education classes and after

school programs.

“The Houston Tennis

Association is clearly a worthy

recipient of the USTA Texas

Organization of the Year Award,

and it goes well beyond that. HTA

truly gives back to the growth of

tennis in all of its communities,”

Ken McAllister, USTA Texas

Executive Director said. “They

truly stand for Inclusion and in

doing so, has provided the rest of

Texas with outstanding and

innovative leaders.”

HTA held its first NJTL Gala

last January raising $49,885 and

continues to organize and

manage tennis tournaments for

thousands of players for

beginners through advanced

levels of play. HTA managed over

4,500 players in tournaments

with eight junior, three adult and

senior and one super senior

tennis events last year.

HTA partners with the City

of Houston Parks & Recreation

Department and the private

clubs to provide courts for

tournaments and leagues even

though the organization does

not have courts of its own. They

have awarded over $18,000 in

scholarships to area high school

graduating seniors and over

$148,000 during the lifetime of

its scholarship program.

“The Houston Tennis

Association is an amazing

organization. They continue to

HTA Named 2012 USTA Texas Member Organization of the Year

The USTA Texas Junior

Team Tennis Fall Section

Championships were held from

Nov. 17-18 with the 12U

Intermediates, 14U Beginner

and 18U Intermediate held at

the John Newcombe Tennis

Ranch in New Braunfels, Texas;

and the 12U Advanced, 14U

Intermediate, 14U Advanced

and 18U Advanced held in

Waco, Texas at the Waco

Regional Tennis Center. Listed

below are the results from each

division:

12 and Under intermediate

Houston (Racquet Club)

Austin (Tennis Academy)

Houston (King Daddy)

NETT (RTC)

12 and Under Advanced



Dallas (Brookhaven)

Houston (Net Witts)

14 and Under Beginner

Houston (Walden)

San Antonio (Spring Branch)

San Antonio (ACE 10s)

NETT (14U Green)


NETT (Aces)

East Texas (Crown Colony)

San Antonio (Cordillera)

Houston (Bay Area Racquet Club)



Dallas (Dallas Country Club)

Austin, Houston & NETT Take 2012 USTA Texas JTT Fall Championships

grow tennis by offering new and

expanded services to the

community,” said Nancy Alfano,

chairman of the USTA Texas

Awards Committee.

The organization has partic-

ipated in numerous public park

maintenance projects, offered

Wheelchair and Adaptive tennis,

10 and Under, Junior, Adult,

Senior tennis, USTA Adopt-A-

Unit, along with league

sessions, educational, and other

life skills programs.

HTA was named the 2011

USTA Community Tennis

Association of the Year by the

Unites States Tennis Association

nationally from a pool of 1,200

community associations from

across the country.

For more information on HTA

go to www.houstontennis.org.

14 and Under Advanced Champion from Houston


Waco (Lasers)


NETT

San Antonio (Ace 10s)

Houston (Bay Area )

Denton


Houston (Bay Area Racquet Club)

Dallas (Gleneagles C.C.)

Dallas (Royal Oaks)

Denton (GTC)

JAN/FEB 2013

The main draw singles and doubles final

for the inaugural John Newcombe $50,000

Women’s Pro Challenge was held on Nov. 4

at the John Newcombe Country Club, in New

Braunfels, Texas.

Fans saw American Melanie Oudin

defeat Marina Duque-Marino in singles 6-1,

6-1 while Mirjana Lucic and Elena Bovia

defeated Duque-Marino and Adriana Perez

6-3, 4-6 (10-8) to win the doubles crown.

“The finals didn’t disappoint and were a

perfect ending to an incredible week” stated

Scott McCulloch, Tournament Director. “We

could not be more pleased with how the

community embraced the tournament,

players, and officials visiting us and making it

feel like home. The work starts now to

prepare for next year and an even bigger and

better event!”

Additional highlights during the

semifinals included USTA Member

Appreciation Day, which was hosted by

USTA Texas and the John Newcombe

Country Club, with free admission to the

semifinal matches for spectators that present

a current USTA member card.

American Melanie Oudin Wins $50K Challenger in New Braunfels

TEXAS SECTION


2012 USTA Texas League 40-PlusSectional Championships

Champions from Dallas, Fort Worth and

San Antonio were crowned in the ladies 3.0,

3.5, 4.0 and 4.5 divisions; and in the men’s

3.5, 4.0 and 4.5 divisions for players who are

40 and older at the 2012 USTA Texas League

40-Plus Sectional Championships held in

Arlington, Texas from Nov. 16-18 at the

Arlington Tennis Center.

2012 USTA Texas 40-Plus Women’s 3.5 SectionalChampions (San Antonio)

2012 USTA Texas 40-Plus Men’s 4.0 Sectional Champions(San Antonio)

2012 USTA Texas 40-Plus Men’s 4.5 Sectional Champions(Fort Worth)

2012 USTA Texas 40-Plus Women’s 4.5 SectionalChampions (Fort Worth)

2012 USTA Texas 40-Plus Women’s 4.0 SectionalChampions (Fort Worth)

2012 USTA Texas 40-Plus Women’s 3.0 SectionalChampions (San Antonio)

2012 USTA Texas 40-Plus Men’s 3.5 Sectional Champions(Dallas)

Texans Battle at Austin Hill CountryClassic – Pro Circuit Futures

The $15K Futures Pro Circuit – Austin

Hill Country Classic hosted by the Polo

Tennis & Fitness Club in Austin, Texas was

played in September.

In singles action

in the Men’s Open

Vullnet Tashi (Houston)

defeated Miguel Alda

(Round Rock) 6-4, 6-

4; Men’s 3.5 singles

David Watterson

(Austin) defeated Wesley Woods (Austin) 1-6,

6-4, 10-4; Men’s 4.0 Robert Fisher

(Driftwood) defeated Bruce Anderson (Austin)

- (Inj.); and in the Men’s 4.5 Dusty Duke

(Austin) d. Matt Corey (Cedar Park) 6-1, 6-1.

In doubles Men’s 3.5 Watterson/Whipple

d. Jank/Morgan 6-2, 6-0; Men’s Mixed 4.0

Harrison/Tannehill d. Cossette/Hovorka 6-3,

6-1; and in the Men’s Open Alda/Rollins d. Di

Laura/Moreiras 7-6, 2-6; 7-6(6).

Futures are professional tournaments

offering $10,000 to $15,000 in prize money

and are typically the proving ground for top-

ranked juniors, college players and pros at

the beginning of their careers.

For more information on the USTA Pro

Circuit, schedules and tournament

information go to www.usta.com/Pro-

Tennis/Pro-Circuit/UsTAProCircuit/

American Melanie Oudin won the 2012 John Newcombe$50,000 Women’s Pro Challenge held in New Braunfels,Texas, a USTA Pro Circuit Challenger Event. Photo by D.Hackett / USTA Texas

By losing only one set, San Antonio

outlasted Austin and Corpus Christi to win

the 2012 USTA Texas Fall Ladies Lonestar

Sectional Championship held in San Antonio,

Texas, from Oct. 27-28. The San

Antonio team is captained by Laurel

Williamson and includes Natalie Anne

Basore, Amy Carson, Tracie Costello, Sara

Federico, Mary Grant and Jennifer

Williamson.

The Lonestar division is an extremely fun

event featuring ladies beginner 2.5 teams to

advance to a sectional event in a three

doubles team format.

JAN/FEB 2013


San Antonio Wins Texas Ladies Fall Lonestar Sectional

2012 USTA Texas Fall Ladies Lonestar SectionalChampions (San Antonio)

TEXAS SECTION


The 2012 USTA Texas League Super Senior Sectional Champi-

onships were held Nov. 9-11 in New Braunfels. Played at the John

Newcombe Tennis Ranch, USTA Texas crowned six new champions in

a weekend of exceptional play by our 60-and-older league players

with winners advancing to the National Championships in April 2013.

2012 USTA Texas Super Senior Sectionals

Our Super Senior league players 70 and older battled at the 2012

Texas Super Senior Plus Sectional Championships held in Austin,

Texas from Nov. 2-4. Local winners gathered to play for the state title

in a three doubles format. Teams from Austin, Fort Worth, and NETX

took home USTA Texas Super Senior Plus titles.

2012 Leagues Texas Super Senior Plus Sectional

2012 USTA League Texas Super Senior 6.0Ladies Champions (Austin).

2012 USTA League Texas Super Senior 7.0Ladies Champions (Austin).

USTA League Texas Super Senior 7.0 Men’sChampions (Dallas).

2012 USTA League Texas Super Senior 8.0Ladies Champions (Dallas).

2012 USTA League Texas Super Senior 8.0Men’s Champions (Austin).

2012 USTA League Texas Super Senior 9.0Ladies Champions (Dallas).

2012 USTA League Texas Super Senior Plus6.0 Ladies Champions (NETX).

2012 USTA League Texas Super Senior Plus7.0 Ladies Champions (Austin).

2012 USTA League Texas Super Senior Plus7.0 Men’s Champions (Austin).

2012 USTA League Texas Super Senior Plus8.0 Ladies Champions (Fort Worth).

2012 USTA League Texas Super Senior Plus8.0 Men’s Champions (Fort Worth).

JAN/FEB 2013


Teams from Dallas, Fort Worth and San

Angelo collected Combo titles at the 2012

USTA Leagues Texas Combo Sectional

Championships held in Waco, Texas from

Oct. 19-21. Combo is a sectional combining

players only 1.0 difference between partners

so that friends of different skill level in a three

doubles format can play together.

2012 USTA League Texas Combo Sectional Championships

2012 USTA League Texas Combo Sectional 5.5 LadiesChampions (Greater Fort Worth).

2012 USTA League Texas Combo Sectional 6.5 LadiesChampions (Dallas).


2012 USTA League Texas Combo Sectional 7.5 Men’sChampions (San Angelo).


2012 USTA League Texas Combo Sectional 8.5 Men’sChampions (Dallas).


Congratulations to our Texas teams that

won the 75 and 80s division at the 2012 USTA

National Women’s Intersectional Team Event –

Hard Court Championships that was held at

the McFarlin Tennis Center on

San Antonio, from Nov. 12-18.

The Texas 80s team

included Billie Schulze

(Kenney), Darlene Gifford

(Odessa), Margaret Canby (San

Antonio) and Helen Cooper

(Lakeway).

The Texas 75s team

included Kathy Langer

(Rockwall), Mary John Lynch

(Rockport) and Chris Smith

(Corpus Christi).

Started in 1986, all 17

USTA sections compete with

the event alternating between

clay and hard courts. The

tournament is one of the most highly regarded

events of the year.

Sponsors of the event included the

United States Tennis Association, National

Senior Women’s Tennis Association, USTA

Texas, Texas Tennis and Education

Foundation, and San Antonio Tennis

Association.

Texas Wins 75s & 80s at USTA National Women’s Intersectional

2012 USTA National Women’s Intersectional Team Event 80s winners(Texas). Photo by SATA.

2012 USTA National Women’s Intersectional Team Event 75s winners(Texas). Photo by SATA.

TEXAS SECTION


Bush Tennis CenterReceives LatinoOutreach Grant

With a USTA Outreach

Grant, the Bush Tennis Center,

in Midland, Texas is hosting free

outreach programs for Latinos

called “Por

Mi Familia.”

Families are

invited to

learn more

about

tennis and

to work with

different

instructors

during the

five-week

program.

Equipment

and refreshments are provided

along with support information

on wellness, exercise and

community. For more

information go to www.bushten-

niscenter.com

Nancy Chandler - West Texas 10 and Under Star Coach

Congratulations to Nancy

Chandler from Fairway Oaks

Country Club in Abilene who was

awarded for her outstanding

success with their 10 and Under

program. Earlier this year Fairway

was one of the newest members to

join the USTA Texas Approved

Facility list with its 10 and Under program, offering group lessons, Play

Days, and their 10 and Under Summer Camps all on blended lines.

The

South Plains

Tennis

Association

hosted a

Veteran’s Day

Play Day in

September,

bringing out

over 60

players to the

Burgess-

Rushing Tennis Center in

Lubbock, Texas. It was an event

in coordination with the

Lubbock Parks and Recreation

department, SPTA and Texas

Tech University. Between

matches, players enjoyed pizza,

watched a Texas Tech men’s

exhibition match, and donated

items to SPTA’s Adopt-A-Unit

efforts. SPTA would like to

recognize Marsha Thomspon

and Kaye Kuss for all their hard

work and efforts in coordinating

this event.

Bush Tennis CenterLatino Outreachprogram. Photo by A.Randle / USTA Texas

Nancy Chandler West Texas 10 and UnderStar Coach

South Plains Veteran’s Play Day. Photo by A. Randle / USTA Texas

South Plains Tennis Assoc. Hosts Veteran’s Day Play Day


Have you ever warmed up before a match with an opponent

whom you did not know and completely misjudged how you were

going to do against them? I recall several matches that I thought the

guy I was about to play had beautiful strokes and I was about to get

killed only to win the matches easily. The reverse happened just as

often. Having great stroke production helps, but the bottom line is

always to get the last shot in on every point.

When the National Tennis Rating Program became the system of

rating USTA League tennis players over 30 years ago, it initially was

based on a description of the quality of tennis strokes that made a

player a 3.5, 4.0, etc. This system was supported by a computer

rating program that compared even the closeness of matches among

thousands of players. The third support system was a trained network

of NTRP Verifiers, who had the power to override and change the

ratings of players visually.

Gradually, it was becoming obvious that visually rating players

had the inherent weakness of judging books by their cover and a

general inconsistency even from the most conscientious and well

trained Verifiers. We also moved away from relying on the description

of strokes – although helpful in self-rating – to focusing on actual

results as our form of rating. This also allowed an easier entry into the

game through self-rating. The guidelines for self-rating became more

stringent, and the consequences of self-rating too low became more

severe. Captains and coordinators now have to be more cautious

about allowing more dubious self-rated players on to their rosters. So

rather than having human verifiers, the notorious “3-flag” system of

bumping up a player who has three results higher than his self-rating,

is 100-percent controlled by the computer program.

No computer program can perfectly rate players but so far, no

one has found anything more accurate than the current one. Part of

that reason is that all of us players are not consistent. We also rely on

players to always try their best and not deliberately lose to keep their

rating lower. Singles play is always more consistent than doubles in

rating a player. For example, if you are playing with a stronger player,

your rating may be higher than you would be if you played with a

weaker player than yourself.

The bottom line of this article is to give perspective to how the

rating program has moved away from being affected by any human

opinion or decision. Ratings are result oriented and can only be

changed within guidelines around such things as medical concerns. If

you have questions or comments, please contact me at

[email protected].

NTRP Perspective

Ken McAllister

Executive Director(512) 443-1334 ext 201 [email protected]

ADMINISTRATIVE

Rhonda Lindsey

Director of Administration(512) 443-1334 ext 204 [email protected]

Larry Eichenbaum

Controller(512) 443-1334 ext [email protected]

Pam Jaeger

Office Manager / Awards Coordinator(512) 443-1334 ext [email protected]

COMPETITIVE

Steve Cobb

Director of Competitive Tennis (512) 443-1334 ext 210 [email protected]

Nancy Perkins

Adult / Senior Coordinator(512) 443-1334 ext 217 [email protected]

Tosha Smith

Leagues Coordinator(512) 443-1334 ext 231 [email protected]

Todd Reed

NTRP / Assist. Leagues Coordinator(512) 443-1334 ext 232 [email protected]

Nick Arnold – Junior Coordinator (512) 443-1334 ext 209 [email protected]

Melissa Chambers

Junior Coordinator (512) 443-1334 ext 220 [email protected]

Paige Schumacher

Junior Coordinator (512) 443-1334 ext 211 [email protected]

Amanda Shaw

Field Staff / 10 and Under(512) 443-1334 ext 203 [email protected]

COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT

Mike Carter

Director of Community Development(512) 443-1334 ext 207 [email protected]

Todd Carlson – Asst. Dir. of Community Development / CTAs / Tennis On Campus(512) 443-1334 ext 208 [email protected]

Eric Clay – Jr. Team Tennis Coordinator(512) 443-1334 ext 212 [email protected]

Taylor Helfeldt – CD Support Staff / SchoolsCoordinator / Wheelchair Coordinator / Grants / Advocacy(512) 443-1334 ext 219 [email protected]

Carlos Hernandez – Program Support Staff /Diversity & Inclusion / NJTL(512) 443-1334 ext [email protected]

Megan Longbotham – CD Support Staff / 10 and Under / Adult Recreation / Special Events(512) 443-1334 ext 218 [email protected]

Laura Gilbert – Tennis Service Representative/ Fort Worth / North Central Region [email protected]

Cindy Benzon – Tennis Service Represen-tative Houston / Southeast Region / AdaptiveTennis Coordinator, [email protected]

Amanda Randle – Tennis Service Represen-tative Panhandle / West Texas [email protected]

Robyn Readicker – Tennis Service Representative / Dallas / Northeast Region [email protected]

Katy Rogers – Tennis Service Representative/ South Region, [email protected]

Carrie Hale – Tennis Service Representative /Waco / Austin / San [email protected]

MARKETING AND MEMBERSHIP

Stephanie Arena – Director of Marketing(512) 443-1334 ext 206 [email protected]

Derick Hackett – Communications Manager(512) 443-1334 ext 202 [email protected]

kenny Mc’S CORneR

By Ken McAllisterEXECUTIVE DIRECTOR - USTA TEXAS

PRESENTED BY

USTA TEXAS STAFF DIRECTORYUSTA Texas

8105 Exchange Drive, Austin, TX 78754(512) 443-1334 • www.texas.usta.com

JAN/FEB 2013

TEXAS SECTION


First, I would like to recognize Dr. Alfredo

Trevino’s leadership over the past two years.

He has been a great steward and represen-

tative of our Section. He will continue as the

Section Delegate. I also would like to thank

those leaving the Management Committee -

Ben Eshleman, Carol Welder, Punam Kersten

and Emily Schaefer - for their service and

dedication to growing the game in Texas.

I have the distinct honor and privilege of

being elected President of USTA Texas for

the coming two years. I am excited about

the opportunity to lead USTA Texas.

A little about myself, family and tennis

experiences.

I grew up in Savannah, Ga., where, at

about age 13, began playing tennis on

neighborhood courts. My tennis “career”

began in high school when I played two

years for the Cadets of Benedictine Military

School. From there, I moved on to

Armstrong State College (now Armstrong

Atlantic State University) where I played two

years on the varsity team and graduated with

a B.S. in Criminal Justice.

the PReSIDent’S ADVAntAGe

By Dan BartaPRESIDENT - USTA TEXAS

PRESENTED BY

www.texastennishotels.com

Two claims to fame – first, the school

won the conference the years before and

after I played. I refer to my two years as the

“rebuilding” years! And second, the year

after I played our No. 1 singles player was a

guy named Paul Haarhuis – who later

became the world’s top-ranked doubles

player and was one of the vanquished

players 39-year-old Jimmy Connors beat in

his run to the 1991 U.S. Open semifinals.

During my years at Armstrong, I became

interested in a career as an FBI agent. After

obtaining a second undergraduate degree in

accounting from Savannah State College,

this goal became a reality. After training, I

was assigned to the Dallas office to

investigate white-collar crime, particularly

savings-and-loan failures.

After seven years, I left to work in a

fraud and forensics role with Arthur

Andersen, LLP, followed by several years in

the fraud group at Bank of America. For the

past 15 years, I have worked for two

software companies in their fraud and

financial crimes areas.

Throughout the 25 years I have been in

the Dallas area, I have played men’s and

mixed leagues with the USTA and Tennis

Competitors of Dallas.

I met my wife, Sheryl, in Dallas, and we

were married in November 1992. She has

taken up tennis and is an avid 3.5 player. We

live in the community of Hackberry Creek

and play our tennis out of Hackberry Creek

Country Club in Irving. We have two children

– Nick is 13, and Kennedy is 9. Nick has

played some tennis but currently is loving

basketball.

I have volunteered at the local level as a

director and treasurer of the Dallas Tennis

Association. My involvement with USTA

Texas includes the Budget & Finance

Committee, section treasurer and Vice

President of Competitive Tennis, as well as,

national committee assignments.

The game of tennis has provided me

numerous opportunities and lifelong

friendships. Volunteering at the local,

section and national levels has provided an

opportunity to give back to the sport. Over

the next two years, USTA Texas will focus on

exposing tennis to more Texans through our

various programs. We will continue focusing

on expanding and improving playing

opportunities including tournaments and

leagues and to insure we are good stewards

of the resources we have to execute our

mission.

I, along with the other members of the

incoming Management Committee, look

forward to working closely with the USTA

Texas staff and volunteers, as well as the

leaders of our local CTAs to expose more

people to the great game of tennis. I look

forward to a great term!

Looking Forward to a Great Term

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