Newsletter
(previously AKA Court Monitor)

Click on the past Newsletter listed below that you would like to view:
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2015 Fall Newsletter
2015 Spring Newsletter
2014 Fall Newsletter

2014 Spring Newsletter

2013 Fall Newsletter

2013 Spring Newsletter

2012 Fall Newsletter
December 2006 Court Monitor
August 2006 Court Monitor
Winter 2006 Court Monitor
Summer 2005 Court Monitor

At the June 16, 2007 meeting, the Board of Directors unanimously voted to cease publication of the Court Monitor, our association newsletter. Instead, communication will be offered via the Internet (this web site) and mass e-mail. The main reasoning for this decision is that any information that might be in the Newsletter is already available on MHSTeCA's web site.

Listed below are items that were posted on the main page of MHSTeCA's web page.

 

ATTENTION COACHES

The 2024 Michigan Tennis Workshop will be held on January 26 and 27, 2024 at Hope College in Holland, MI.

You can now register for the Workshop! We have some great local speakers and some new national speakers that Jorge has seen during his travels to various tennis events. Click the following to go to the resistration page:

https://members.jorgecapestany.com/mhstc-workshop-home

 

December 2023

NOTICE

Ron Landfair (one of our Past Presidents and Coach at Lansing Catholic) has been selected to the Black Tennis Hall of Fame for induction this year. This is a national organization and their HOF includes a few names you might recognize - Arthur Ashe, Althea Gibson, and many more.

There is a short article on page 3 in the MHSCA's 2023 January Newsletter.
Click here to view the Newsletter.

January 2023

We still need some members for a few Workshop Committees (see below for details on each committee)
NOTE: Committee members do not have to be a MHSTeCA member or even a tennis coach, just someone who wants to help
Contact Peter Militizer (Workshop Director) or one of the people already listed as a volunteer

Coordinating Committee: need 2

Vendors Committee: need 2 - prefer someone with connections either to Holland (to recruit local businesses) or to tennis companies (club pros who have a contract with Babolat, Wilson, or Head, etc.)

Raffle Committee: need 4

August 2022

Starting with the 2023 Tennis Clinic, we are forming committees to help ‘spread the work load’. If interested in being on one of the committees, contact Peter Militizer (Workshop Director) or one of the people already listed as a volunteer. Committee members do not have to be a MHSTeCA member or even a tennis coach, just someone who wants to help.

Listed below are the committees and their responsibilities.

 

TENNIS COACHES WORKSHOP

 

WORKSHOP DIRECTOR

- Will oversee and coordinate all aspects of the workshop

- Will establish date and location

- Will establish committees for the various aspects of the workshop

- Work with the Treasurer on the financial aspects of the workshop

 

COMMITTEE CHAIRS

- Will work with the director in coordinating and running the workshop

- Will recruit committee members

- Will work with committee members to handle the areas of responsibility for their committee.

- Will work with committee members to send proper acknowledgement to those who assisted in the workshop.

- At the completion of the workshop will make recommendations to the workshop director for the following year.

 

COMMITTEES

- Coordinating Committee  (Need 2)

----- Work with the workshop director on planning, budgeting, implementation and follow-up

VOLUNTEERS:

 

- Site Committee  (Need 2)

----- Location of the workshop

----- Rooms, equipment, etc.

----- Set-up and tear-down

----- Lodging

VOLUNTEERS:  Kyle Krebs, Jed Mulder

 

- Speakers  (Need 2)

----- Identify and finalize speakers

----- Assist with transportation and lodging

----- Speaker topics, bios, and outlines

----- Follow-up

VOLUNTEERS:  Don Leavy, Brian Miska, Andrew Shipp

                                 Nancy Martin  (Thank Yous)

 

- Registration  (Need 3)

----- Registration form

----- Processing

----- Name tags, lanyards, badges

----- Workshop gift

----- Communications to registrants

----- Workshop Registration Table

VOLUNTEERS:  Judy Hehs, Kyle Krebs, Jed Mulder

                                 Mark Sobieralski (Workshop Registration Table)

 

- Vendors  (Need 2)

----- Price

----- Soliciting

----- On-site arrangements

VOLUNTEERS: 

 

- Hall of Fame Raffle  (Need 4)

----- Prizes (vendors and others)

----- Ticket Sellers

----- Publicity

VOLUNTEERS:

 

- Banquet  (Need 3)

----- Pricing and menu

----- Set-up

----- Coordinate with Secretary

VOLUNTEERS:  Jen Aldrich, Judy Hehs

July 2022

SOME SAD NEWS

Larry Harte of Warren DeLaSalle & Warren Mott passed away at the age of 66 on August 27
For arrangements, go to www.legacy.com
Click here for memorial to Larry.

Dwayne 'Tiger' Teusink of Holland passed away at the age of 85 on September 6.
For arrangements, go to www.dykstrafuneralhome.com
Click here for memorial to Tiger.

We send our condolences to Larry and Tiger's families.

September 2021

Tennis Reporting

Coaches will again be required to report their team scores on tennisreporting.com. It is still free to the school. See your AD for info on how to login.

Parents, players, etc. can also register on tennisreporting.com for a fee of $10.00 for the year (365 days). This will allow them to check on matches, players, etc.

There a number of 'new' things that should make this easier for coaches to use:

  • Matches

    • the home coach enters the scores of the match

    • these scores are then sent to the other coach(es) and if okay, he/she approves

    • if not, it gets sent back to home coach for corrections (comments can be added)

    • once both (all) have approved the scores, the match is recorded and can not be changed

    Post Season (Regionals & Finals)

    • Coaches can use tennisreporting.com to enter Regional lineup at anytime up to deadline

    • Players scores (past & future - up to deadline) will automatically be updated on the Regional lineup

    • Lineup can be changed at any time - up to deadline

    • Other coaches/schools can not see the lineup until after the deadline

    • Entries will be automatically sent to Regional Host after the deadline

  • Regional and Final results may be 'live'.

    • This will depend on if there is someone at the event to enter the scores.

    • There will be no cost to parents, players, etc. for this feature

The MHSAA has set up regional representives that can help you with tennisreporting.com.
Click here to see the representative for your area.

August 2020

2022 MHSTeCA
Michigan Tennis Workshop

High School Tennis Coaches:

We are pleased to announce that you may now register for January's 2022 Michigan Tennis Workshop!

Jorge Capestany will again host our Workshop at the DeWitt Tennis Center in Holland on Friday, January 28th and Saturday, January 29th. This has distinct advantages beyond the fact that sessions will be presented on an actual tennis court. If you aren't already aware, Jorge is known and respected internationally, and we are thankful that he is again one of our featured presenters.

Jorge has used his contacts to help us secure some of the most-requested speakers on the speaking circuit, highlighted by the ever-popular and charismatic Greg Patton. Greg will conduct both an on-court and off-court presentation for us. Classroom sessions are held at the nearby Haworth Inn and Conference Center.

https://haworthhotel.com/?utm_source=google&utm_medium=organic&utm_campaign=gmb

We have found in recent years that coaches typically find online deals for hotel rooms rather than stay at a Workshop hotel. Therefore, on the registration form we've highlighted three hotels that have been our partners in the past, but there are several hotels within easy driving distance of the Workshop.

Please be aware that the entire DeWitt Tennis facility is dedicated to our group on Friday, January 28th. In addition, Friday lunch is included, but be sure to mark your sandwich selection on the registration form.

The banquet room at the Haworth Inn and Conference Center will be the site for the Hall of Fame induction banquet on Friday night.

It's easy to register online by clicking on Jorge's link below. Follow the prompts, or there is an internal link to download and print a PDF document to mail in.

Please pass this email on to tennis colleagues in your conference or area.

https://members.jorgecapestany.com/mhstc-workshop-home/

Please contact us with any questions

Wishing everyone a safe and happy holiday!

Peter and Amanda Militzer
Phone 269.329.1958 - Home
Cell 269.382.9290 - Peter
Michigan Tennis Workshop

December 2021

Since the 2021 MHSTeCA's Michigan Tennis Workshop & Hall of Fame Banquet were cancelled due to Covid, we have posted the videos of the presentations that were made via Zoom.

Click here to see the videos.

January 2021

COACHES

A couple of items that the MHSAA's Rep Council passed that you should be aware of:

  • The Final tournament will be played on Friday and Saturday unless there are conflicts with the host facility, in which case the tournament location with the conflict would be scheduled for Thursday and Friday

  • Host schools may schedule Regionals on any day, Wednesday through Saturday, during the week of Regionals. Regionals currently take place Thursday through Saturday

May 2020

ATTENTION COACHES

The USPTA Midwest Division and the Midwest High School Tennis Coaches Associations
are presenting a "Midwest Winter Forum" on February 26 & March 5-6, 2021.

Register at usptamw.coachesclinic.com


The $45 fee is for the 3 days plus registrants can view the webinars online up to two weeks at their leisure, so they do not have to be present during the live presentation.

There is a special ticket for MHSTeCA members to pay dues and pay for conference, $25 + $45 = $70.
A coach who has already paid dues can simply register on the $45 ticket.

 

February 2021

USTA Net Generation School Opportunity: Free Equipment Kit & Curricula

The United States Tennis Association (USTA) has a program called the Net Generation School Tennis Program, where K-12 PE teachers can register for our complete FREE tennis curriculum and equipment package.  As a PE teacher you receive SHAPE America curriculum for grades K- 12, 30 size appropriate racquets, 36 tennis balls, net tape, chalk and a Net Generation roller bag to keep it all in. This is totally FREE! All you have to do is set up a FREE account on USTA.com, add your school program and return the attached Community Partner Agreement signed to Susan Courtright. This whole process takes less than 5 minutes and attached document demonstrate how to register on USTA.com.

If you are interested, please register on USTA.com and sign and email the attached Net Generation School Partnership agreement (you just need to fill out the school/district portion). If you would like to get your fellow colleagues registered as well, please share this information or have them contact Susan Courtright directly at susan@midwest.usta.com. (Please note you do not have to do Safe Sport Compliance videos or the NCSI background check during online registration).

Finally, the USTA also offers district wide workshops to train teachers how to teach tennis. These workshops often take place during professional development days. If you would like to get a training on the calendar, please reach out to coordinate a mutually agreeable date and time.

Tennis is proving to be a good social distancing sport, so consider making tennis a part of your PE curriculum moving forward.  The USTA looks forward to working with you!

Please contact Susan Courtright (susan@midwest.usta.com) to get started.

 

Susan Sommerville Courtright  | Tennis Service Representative,

Northeastern and Southeastern Michigan

USTA/Midwest Section | www.midwest.usta.com

317.333.3558 | susan@midwest.usta.com

Together Everyone Accomplishes More

January 2021

Here are the guidelines for submitting All Academic Spring 2020:

  1. You must be a current member of the MHSTeCA which means you either joined at the Workshop in January 2020 (135 members) or you sent your dues to Bruce Grotenhuis after the Workshop (63 members). If neither applies to you, it is not too late to join (or renew). The form may be found on the website: www.mhsteca.org.

  2. The deadline has been extended due to the circumstances as we know it may be difficult to reach someone at the school who has access to grades. But if you can, try sooner rather than later so the girls can be honored, especially for the sake of the seniors. If you are unable to reach someone at the school for grades, please have your form submitted by the end of August. Hopefully schools will be allowed to reopen in the fall and the administration will be there getting ready for the new school year.

  3. The form (click here) is just a guide for submission. Please submit who you think would have made the top 12 of your team. They do not have to be in line-up order. Freshmen who would have made the Varsity should be included as they would have a grade point average (unlike in the fall). The form should be signed by you as the coach submitting it and if possible, by the person who helped you obtain the grades (e.g. school counselor, principal, secretary, AD, etc.).

We hope, in some small way, this helps ease the disappointment of the canceled season.
Sincerely,
Nancy Brissette (All Academic Chair)
Bruce Grotenhuis (Membership Chair)

April 2020

Due to the MHSAA cancelling spring sports, the MHSTeCA has made a few decisions in regards to our coach and player awards.

  • We will not be awarding Spring 2020 All State or Coach of the Year awards

  • We will still do All Academic (NOTE: Coach must be a member of the Association)

  • Miss Tennis for the Spring of 2020 has been determined. It is Kari Miller of Ann Arbor Pioneer.

  • We will not have a 2021 Hall of Fame class

  • Distinguished Service and Assistant Coach Awards will be handled in a normal manner

For more detailed information regarding the above items, click here - Passing Shots (from MHSTeCA’s President).

Stay Healthy.

August 2020

Coaches

The MHSTeCA has renamed the Mr Tennis and Miss Tennis awards.

They will now be known as:
The Bob Wood Mr Tennis Award
The Tiger Teusink Miss Tennis Award

June 2019

The MHSCA would like to remind everyone of the extended
April 30, 2020 deadline for Rich Tompkins Multi-Sports Awards nominations 

The scholarship materials are on links below.

Please submit your seniors athletes for this opportunity.    

Reminder and Clarification for 2020’s Special Circumstances Nominations must be made at:
https://forms.gle/cevGt1AcU989mB597

The fact that Winter seasons were cut short and Spring seasons cancelled will not affect candidates for the award!

*To receive the 2020 award, candidates will be required to have participated in three seasons of school sponsored sports for each of their first three years of high school and the Fall and Winter seasons of 2019-2020, their senior year.

New this year:

  • Each State-Wide Winner of the MHSCA Rich Tompkins Multi-Sport Athlete Award will receive a $250 scholarship courtesy of Carol Tompkins.

  • If you have an athlete that meets the participation requirements for 2020 and you submit part one of the nomination, your candidate will receive a certificate naming them a Rich Tompkins Multi-Sport Athlete.

  • If you believe you have an “exceptional”, possibly the “best” nominee for your school’s class in their gender – in the State of Michigan, you’ll complete part two of the nomination form and your candidate will be considered for the scholarship and to be named THE class and gender state-wide winner.

Deadline to complete the nomination form is 30 April 2020
https://forms.gle/cevGt1AcU989mB597

Questions: LarryMerx@gmail.com

April 2020

The STATE CHAMPS! Sports Network
has highlights of the 2019 MHSAA Boys Tennis Finals.

The links are listed below.

https://business.facebook.com/statechampsnetwork/videos/748502445618106/

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AiZ7AotHLL0&t=562s

November 2019

The MHSAA's Representative Council Approved the following items on 5/6/19. These items will be in effective for the 2019 Fall Season.

  • Coaches Texting at the Finals: Coaches that are allowed to be on court for coaching purposes during matches are allowed to text (non-competing athletes and staff) as long as it is not disruptive to play. Should it become a problem, the coach will lose that privilege.

  • Deadline to Make a Substitution at Regionals & Finals: At Regional and Final Tournaments any substitution must be made before the end of the last scheduled coaches meeting prior to play. If there is a possibility of a seeded player not being able to play, the coach should notify the tournament manager in advance. If a substitution is made for any seeded player, the flight must be reseeded and redrawn.

  • Number of Allowable Coaches at State Finals: Each School is allowed three (3) coaches on the first day of the Final Tournament. If additional sites are used, one coach may be added for each additional site. On the second day of the tournament only two coaches are allowed. All Coaches must meet MHSAA requirments.

  • Coaching Rule for Sub Varsity & MS Matches: In middle school & subvarsity matches a coach may offer coaching at any time during the match as long as he/she remains off the court and does not disrupt the flow of the match.

July 2019

The passing of our Founder


Bob Wood, Founder of the Michigan High School Tennis Coaches Association died early Saturday morning, Feb. 16. Kathy, a self-described sad Steel Magnolia, said that “Even though he was not very mobile, we had some wonderful funny conversations about our past 22 years together. His body just simply played its last match.”

The link below contains an MHSTeCA Tribute. For so many of you, it, too, will elicit some fond memories. For those who have never met the man, this should be Required Reading.

University Liggett School will host a memorial service on Sunday, May 19th at 11:30. Donations to the Robert G. Wood Endowment Fund can be sent to the Development Office at 1045 Cook Rd., Grosse Pte Woods MI 48236.  Checks should be made out to University Liggett School with “Wood Scholarship Fund” in the memo. Four generations of the Wood family attended or are currently attending the school.

Kathy can be reached at 321 William Seth Court, Simpsonville SC 29681    kwood417@gmail.com

Click here to read tribute to Bob.

February 2019

 

 

2019
Richard Bradley Memorial
USTA/Midwest Section

Scholarship Application (click here for application)
NOTE: deadline has been extended to April 26, 2019

pict2

 

 

pict1

Richard Bradley’s volunteer service began at the grassroots level in his community and extended through different levels at the USTA with an emphasis on promoting and growing junior tennis.  Bradley believed that tennis could have a powerful impact in local communities and in the lives of children.

At the USTA level, Bradley volunteered for the USTA/Midwest Section for 13 years, serving as chairperson of the Section’s Junior Competition Committee and Multicultural Participation Committee.  He later served on the USTA/Midwest Section Board of Directors for four years, and was eventually elected as a Delegate-at-Large on the Executive Committee.

At the local level, Bradley was very active in the Chicago District Tennis Association, serving in volunteer and leadership roles for approximately 20 years, which included time on the Chicago District Board of Directors.  He was elected President of the Chicago Prairie Tennis Club in the early 1980s serving for several years.

Bradley was elected President of the American Tennis Association in 1994 and served for approximately six years.  He also was President of the Midwestern Tennis Association (MID-TAC), the Midwest Section of the American Tennis Association, for approximately eight years. 

Through his involvement with the Greater Chicago Community Tennis Association, Bradley became a mentor to former professional tennis player Katrina Adams during her junior career growing up in Chicago.

2019 Richard Bradley Memorial Scholarship

Richard Bradley Memorial Scholarship
The Richard Bradley Memorial USTA/Midwest Section Scholarship was established by the USTA/Midwest Tennis & Education Foundation in partnership with former tennis professional Katrina Adams in 2014.  Each year, a $2,500 Richard Bradley Memorial USTA/Midwest Section Scholarship will be presented to one junior tennis player from the USTA/Midwest Section.

The scholarship is designed to provide assistance to those who have demonstrated financial need, and have shown ability and aptitude as students and as tennis players.

Requirements

Each applicant must:

  • Be a resident of the USTA/Midwest Section;
  • Be a current USTA member;
  • Be an African American high school senior;
  • Be an A or B academic student;
  • Plan to attend an accredited college or university;
  • Play tennis at one of the following levels (USTA, Midwest, District or locally on high school team) and/or participate in program such as JTT or NJTL;
  • Volunteer for tennis in the local community;
  • Submit a completed application packet.

Please note: If the award of the Richard Bradley Memorial USTA/Midwest Section Scholarship to an applicant would result in the reduction of the amount of an academic or athletic scholarship(s) awarded to the applicant by a college or university, then the applicant is ineligible to receive this scholarship.  Applicants must verify that the receipt of the Richard Bradley Memorial USTA/Midwest Scholarship will not result in the reduction of any academic or athletic scholarship from their college or university.

USTA/Midwest Tennis & Education Foundation

The USTA/Midwest Tennis & Education Foundation, the charitable and philanthropic entity of the USTA/Midwest Section, is dedicated to supporting youth tennis programs and activities throughout the USTA/Midwest Section.  It supports community tennis programs for youth of all ages, skills and backgrounds. Grant opportunities for individuals are also available.

The USTA/Midwest Tennis & Education Foundation now supports specific adult populations, namely adaptive tennis and wheelchair tennis programs, as well as programs for disabled veterans and their families.  Grant opportunities for programs servicing these adult populations are available.

 

The USTA/Midwest Section

The Indianapolis-based USTA/Midwest Section exceeds more than 60,000 individual members and 700 organization members. It is the second largest section of the United States Tennis Association (USTA), the national governing body for tennis in the U.S. The USTA/Midwest Section is comprised of 13 Districts in the following states: Illinois, Indiana, Michigan, Ohio and Wisconsin, as well as designated counties in West Virginia and Kentucky.  The mission of the USTA is to develop and promote the growth of tennis.  The mission of the USTA/Midwest Section is to promote, grow, develop and service the game of tennis.

Selection Committee

A committee appointed by the President of the USTA/Midwest Tennis & Education Foundation evaluates the applications and makes recipient recommendations for the Richard Bradley Memorial Scholarship. The recommendations are presented to the USTA/Midwest Tennis & Education Foundation Board of Directors for final approval.  The recommendations and final approval will be made without regard to the applicant’s race, color, ethnic origin, religious belief, sexual orientation, or physical handicap.

The recipient of the scholarship is contacted by the President of the USTA/Midwest Tennis & Education Foundation. Each recipient of the Richard Bradley Memorial Scholarship is recognized on the USTA/Midwest and USTA/Midwest Tennis & Education Foundation websites as well as other social media. 

 

Application Deadline

All completed applications and required additional documents must be postmarked by March 22, 2019.  Applications must be submitted on forms identified by the year in which the awards will be made.

Submit applications and requested
additional documents to:

USTA/Midwest Tennis & Education Foundation
1310 East 96th Street, Suite 100
Indianapolis, IN 46240

Applicant Notification

Applicants will be notified regarding the status of their application in April 2019.  If you have any questions or need any additional information, please contact the USTA/Midwest Tennis & Education Foundation at 317-669-0465 or send an email to kathy@midwest.usta.com.

March 2019

ATTENTION COACHES!

The USTA, Southeastern District, has a couple of scholarships they want you to be aware of.
Please pass the info on to your players.

Click here for the information.

February 2019

ATTENTION COACHES!

Although we are sorry to be leaving the Troy Marriott, we are super excited to announce a new location for the 2019 Michigan Tennis Workshop! It will be held on February 1 & 2, 2019 at the DeWitt Tennis Center on the campus of Hope College.

A huge shout-out to Jorge Capestany and the PTM program at Hope College for supporting the coaches workshop. Hope College is giving us a REAL tennis court for all the on-court presentations (no more chandeliers!). Hope is also dedicating the ENTIRE 6-court DeWitt Tennis Center to us on Friday so there will not be anyone hitting on adjacent courts making it difficult to hear the presenters!

FRI FEB 1, 2019
at DeWitt Tennis Center
301 Fairbanks Ave
Holland, MI 49423
(all on-court presentations)

SAT FEB 2, 2019
at Haworth Inn Hope College
225 College Ave
Holland, MI 49423
(all classroom presentations)

MHSTeCA's Hall of Fame Banquet
will be held Friday, February 1 at 6:30 pm
at Haworth Inn & Conference Center in Ballroom III
225 College Avenue
Holland, MI 49423

Click here for registration & Clinic information.

Thanks to Peter and Amanda Militzer for all of the work that they have done.

December 2018

Honoring One of Our Own

Dan & Gary

Gary Ellis accepting the Charles Forsythe Award
from the Michigan High School Athletic Association
Presenter - Dan Hutcheson, Assistant Director

Anyone who has ever dealt with Gary Ellis – whether as an opposing coach, as a part of the MHSTeCA board, as a member of a seed committee, as a participant in one of his Saturday tournaments or regionals, or as colleague whose boss happens to be the athletic director – knows how exceptional this gentleman is. “He is one of the few people that I have ever met who can take a high-profile, high-octane, protesting coach and calm him down with reasoned and informed explanations,” says Ed Waits.

Yes, it’s his genial personality but it doesn’t hurt that he has spent so many years as not only a tennis coach, an athletic director, a member of the state seed committee, a member of the MHSAA Tennis Committee, a former president and current secretary treasurer of the MHSTeCA, and secretary of the Wolverine Conference. With this extensive background, he not only knows the rules but knows the ins and outs of rules-change procedures. He is always up-to-date and informed. You go to him for answers.

Furthermore, for so many years, Gary’s reach has gone far beyond high school tennis. He has hosted various MHSAA events besides tennis at the district, regional, and quarterfinal levels. He has served on baseball/softball site selection and Scholar Athlete Committees. As an administrator, he was named his region’s Athletic Director of the Year in 2011 by the Michigan Interscholastic Athletic Administrators Association (MIAAA). He was also named Community Person of the Year in education by the Allegan Area Chamber of Commerce and received the Allegan County Outstanding People for Education Award. He has served as an MHSAA registered official for 39 years in volleyball through the 2011 season and basketball for 26 years through the 1998-99 boys season.

Gary is a member of the Allegan Lions Club and has served as its president, is active as part of Christ Community Church and, of course, supports the Allegan Booster Club. He was the school’s first girls volleyball coach. He has coached middle school volleyball and 8th grade girls basketball. In addition, Gary has served the Western Michigan Tennis Association in various roles. He has been chairperson of the USTA/Midwest Section Junior Team Committee and worked as an official at local USTA events including national tournaments hosted at Kalamazoo College’s Stowe Stadium.

His honors and accomplishments in high school tennis, not surprisingly, are legion: Three-time Coach of the Year, Hall of Fame inductee, and a nominee for the National Federation Coaches Association national award for boys for 2004-05. His boys teams have won 29 conference championships and 13 girls titles (he spent a much shorter tenure as their coach). His boys and girls have finished in the top ten of the state finals 32 times.

But Gary did not receive the Charles Forsythe Award from the Michigan High School Athletic Association on March 24th because he was and is so good for high school tennis. His influence, as evidenced above, has extended far and wide. After all, this award is no small potatoes. Just look at the names of those who have proceeded him.

Nevertheless, we in the high school tennis community can be proud to call him one of our own. “As a leader in athletics and especially the tennis community, Gary Ellis has influenced and inspired administrators, coaches and students for more than 40 years,” MHSAA Executive Director Jack Roberts said. “In addition to serving as a fine athletic director representing his school, he has long provided key insights on the best ways to conduct tennis programs in this state, from how to seed the top players at our tournament to how to include as many as possible on the local team. We admire his dedication and are glad to honor him with this award.”

“When Gary walks into a room,” says Ed, “you would be wise to go over and stand next to him. Don’t say anything; just stand there. It’s called ‘basking in reflected glory.’”

May 2018

ATTENTION COACHES!

The MHSAA has made arrangements to use an online scoring program called Tennis Reporting. This program will be free of any cost to you and your school. Starting with the 2018 Fall Season it will be mandatory.

Click on a link below to view the program.

Tennis Reporting Website

Tennis Reporting Video

March 2018

Tennis Coach,

Thank you for your time and commitment to high school tennis in Michigan! The Dow Tennis Classic would like to invite you and your high school players to the Greater Midland Tennis Center on Saturday, February 2nd for the 2019 Net Generation High School Day presented by The Dow Chemical Company.

The free event is open to any student, male or female, in Grades 9 through 12, regardless of their tennis ability.

High School Day Agenda

10am – 12pm             On court action with World Class Pro players from the Dow Tennis Classic and the Greater Midland Tennis Center

12pm – 1pm               Free lunch

1:00pm                        Free ticket to Dow Tennis Classic Semifinal match!!!

Space is limited to the first 200 players so act fast!

Please RSVP by completing this online form –   https://ustamidwest.formstack.com/forms/dtc_coaches

We look forward to welcoming you to the Dow Tennis Classic and to making this sensational annual event, the largest ever!

Sincerely,

 

Mike Andrews, Director of Junior Tennis                      Scott Mitchell, Executive Director/Tournament Director
GREATER MIDLAND | TENNIS CENTER                                        Dow Tennis Classic
MAndrews@greatermidland.org                                          smitchell@greatermidland.org    

                                                               
Jim Amick
USTA/Midwest Section
jim@midwest.usta.com

January 2019

The 2016 Detroit Tennis Workshop (AKA The Tennis Clinic) was held February 5 & 6, 2016. This Workshop marks the 40th year, and the last, under the expert guidance of Bob Wood & Gary Bodenmiller. The MHSTeCA's would like to thank these two for all of the work that they did for the past 40 years.

The Clinic will continue under the supervision of Peter & Amanda Militzer (Portage Central) and Gary Ellis (Allegan). Look for information on the 2017 Clinic around the first of December 2016.

Bob Wood
Gary Bodenmiller

Thanks for the Memories

Few coaches who were in attendance at the first Tennis Workshop back in 1977 were thinking about a 40-year venture, one that would span two generations. Indeed, some of the coaches who were at last year’s event weren’t even born in 1977. All we knew at the time was that we were impressed. Some of us were experienced coaches and accomplished players, yet we left with an abundance of information and, more to the point, excitement at the prospect of using what we had learned.

It didn’t hurt that the first speaker was U of M’s Brian Eisner,  who, up to that point, had won seven Big Ten championships (He would win 18 in 30 years). Brian, coach of Vic Amaya (He would go 5 sets with Bjorn Borg at Forest Hills), Malivai Washington (Wimbledon finalist) and Mike Leach (NCAA singles champion), was terrific in terms of both presentation and content. He also brought enormous credibility to the workshop.

“Bob and I were neighbors but we also coached against each other -- he at University Liggett, me at South Lake in St. Clair Shores,” says Gary.  “We had attended the National Tennis Teachers Conference in New York City with our wives.  Brian Eisner, Ian Laver (Rod’s cousin and teaching pro in Florida) and Bob White (trainer Wayne State) were our featured speakers at our first workshop (White was so well-received for his talk on tennis injuries that he was invited back the next year.) Other coaches on the program were Charles Partin from East Grand Rapids, Don Brown from Cranbrook and Herm Kieweit from Kalamazoo Loy Norrix.” Note: All three are in the MHSTeCA Hall of Fame.

As they say in church, it’s one thing for people to attend the first time; it’s a brand new ball game when they come back. Surely we did because Bob and Gary kept bringing in top clinicians. A major reason is that Bob had the good fortune to talk Clarence Mabry, the director of the aforementioned National Tennis Teachers Conference, into coming to Detroit. “He set us on fire,” Bob says. “When I would call prospective presenters throughout the nation, all I had to say was that Clarence had come to our workshop. He was that well-known and respected.”

Who can forget when Chris Evert went through a workout (we watched up close) and then answered questions, or when Arthur Ashe arrived, even though he confessed at the time that getting through the snow and cold in Detroit on a Friday night in February was not his first choice.  Vic Braden, whose books during the tennis surge of the ‘70s made him a recognizable name among non-tennis people, brought his analytic approach to the workshop. Later on, it was Pam Schriver, Wimbledon doubles champion with Martina Navratilova. There was Jimmy Arias at Battle Creek and Tim Gullikson in Troy. We heard from Dennis VanderMeer and Nick Bollittieri.

Over these two days, high school coaches became even more enthusiastic about the upcoming tennis season. We left the event having learned a multitude of teaching techniques, drills, and verbal expressions that we were eager to impart in the coming months. After all, spring, with its promise on several levels, was coming soon.

“I was often reminded of things I already knew but had forgotten, and techniques that I had set aside which I shouldn’t have,” says Ed Waits. “But there was always something new and exciting. We witnessed great tennis teachers. Some of the best were the unknown names, people I had never heard of. Some were our colleagues.”

To be sure, there were plenty of celebrities that drew us in. Given the connections that Bob Wood forged nationally – and the reputation that the affair built over the years –  big names came first to the east side of Detroit, twice to Battle Creek, and then to Troy. They brought excellence and left memories.

  • Greg Patton getting off the plane and heading straight to the workshop without any sleep for over 24 hours.  He was still dynamic.
  • Peter Burwash pitching the vegetarian lifestyle and describing the process for killing chickens and processing them for consumption right before we headed out to lunch.  There were a lot of salads eaten that day.
  • Vic Braden and the threat on his life.  “I don't think I've ever seen Bob more on edge than that day,” says Gary Ellis.
  • Chrissie Evert and Jack Kramer appearing together for a presentation. Many of us grew up in the ‘50s playing with the Kramer Autograph racket.
  • Wayne Bryan - AWESOME every time he was here.
  • The Houston Rockets staying at the Troy Marriott at the same time we were there.  We all looked up to them, especially in the elevator where we prayed that Chuck Reed’s (Whittemore Prescott) wife would not ask: “How is the air up there?”
  • The first few workshops were non-stop sessions.  If you went to lunch you had to miss a session.
  • Gundars Tilmanis, who with a weirdly strung racket, mishit a ball and sent it up into the ballroom chandelier. Many of us were on our hands and knees scooping up shards of glass before the session resumed.
  • There were often outstanding sessions run simultaneously. You had to make a hard decision, then compare notes.
  • Joe Dinoffer offered simple, almost common sense advice. And he always had a few statistics to back up what he said. I still remember hearing that ‘44% of points are ended within the first two shots of the point.’ “In the season following that session, I think our team practiced serves and returns until someone's arm almost fell off.”-- Peter Militzer
  • Jorge Capestany always had a drill (or six) that you could take back and use right away. His drills were generally easy to follow and institute when you returned home.

“I feel I learned the most from what I would call ‘second-tier’ speakers. They may not have been national names but they often had built a very successful program, whether it was with a team or at a club, by sticking to a few solid principles. I've also learned a great deal from the sessions held by the high school coaches in our state.” -- Peter Militzer

The impact of this annual event also extended to our organization. It enabled 200+ high school tennis coaches to renew their memberships and perhaps have their schools pay. It allowed us to distribute annual directories without incurring mailing costs. It made it easier to attend an annual General Membership Meeting; after all, we were already there in one place. It also enabled Warren Mackenzie and later, Gina Mazzolini, to make MHSAA rules meetings attendance easier.

In addition, it provided a venue for the Hall of Fame banquet, a chance to honor in first class fashion not only inductees but coaches of the year, assistant coaches, distinguished service individuals, and Mr. and Miss Tennis. After getting a shaky start in Kalamazoo, the event was switched to the Friday night of the workshop, a superb decision. Although scheduled in conjunction with the National Junior and Boys tournament, the Kalamazoo affair was lightly attended. Not so in Troy where the banquet was often full to overflowing. The crowd would leave the affair with an afterglow of good feeling, having experienced a night of inspiring success stories and expressions of gratitude.  Doubtless, many who were there and are now reading this are singing/humming a version of Thanks for the Memories.

All of the above is the result of the vision, strong will, and organizational skills of Bob and Gary.  After all, any association is almost required to have an annual convention. Although the two certainly had help, they were the driving force behind so many events. Bob was nationally known. Gary provided the detail work. Together they started something that would span more years and include more coaches than they could ever have imagined on that Friday evening in 1977.

As tennis coaches surely know, there is a window, however short, when one can look back with satisfaction at a triumph that just transpired. The shortness of the window has to do with what challenge lies too soon ahead. We are incessant worriers. Something might be gaining on us.

But at the end of this era, that sense of satisfaction for Bob and Gary spans four decades of good stories and fond memories. They have a lot to look back on. Thanks to them, so do we.

February 2016

COACHING REQUIREMENTS AND DEADLINES
2014-15 Rules Meetings (Head Coach Rules Meeting Requirement has NOT changed)
DEADLINE - Thursday, April 16

1. Each head coach of a varsity team in a sport under MHSAA jurisdiction shall complete (in person or online) the MHSAA rules meeting for that sport for the current school year prior to the deadline if meetings are provided and attendance is required. If the head coach does not complete a rules meeting prior to the deadline, that coach shall be prohibited from coaching in that season's MHSAA tournament for the sport involved and shall not be present at the facility where the MHSAA tournament involving that coach's team is being held. An administrator or faculty member designee of that school shall be present with supervisory capacity over the school's competitors. Failure to receive reminder notifications (email or other) does not change the requirement of this Section.

2. Schools shall attest that all assistant and sub-varsity coaches have completed an MHSAA rules meeting (online or in person) for that sport for the current school year prior to the deadline or, in the alternative, one of the free online sports safety course posted on or linked from MHSAA.com and designated to fulfill this requirement. If an assistant coach does not complete a rules or safety meeting prior to the deadline, that coach shall be prohibited from coaching in that season's MHSAA tournament for the sport involved and shall not be present at the facility where the MHSAA tournament involving that coach's team is being held.

Besides the rules meeting (online or face-to-face), assistant and sub-varsity coaches may take one of the following online sports safety courses:
• MHSAA Rules Meeting Concussion Information & Protocol Review
• NFHS Concussion in Sports Course
• U of M School Coach Concussion Training
• Heads Up to Clinicians - CDC
• NFHS "Creating a Safe and Respectful Environment"
• NFHS"A Guide to Heat Acclimatization & Heat Illness Prevention"
• NFHS "A Guide to Sports Nutrition"

3. Effective with the 2015-16 school year, high schools must attest by each season's established deadline that all varsity head coaches have a valid current Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation (CPR) certification. FAQ about CPR Certification

4. Effective with the 2016-17 school year, each head coach of a varsity team in a sport under MHSAA jurisdiction hired for the first time at any MHSAA member school after July 31, 2016 shall have completed either Level 1 or Level 2 of the MHSAA Coaches Advancement Program (CAP). If the head coach does not complete CAP Level 1 or 2 prior to the established deadline, that coach shall be prohibited from coaching in that season's MHSAA tournament for that sport involved and shall not be present at the facility where the MHSAA tournament involving that coach's team is being held.

March 2015

COACHES!

MHSTeCA wants to get input from its membership on a number of items concerning tennis in the State of Michigan. A discussion forum has been set up dealing with different topics. Several new items have been added to this Discussion Forum that have come up at previous Board of Directors Meetings.

  1. Proposal for restructing Finals Tournament
  2. Proposal for "ethical, rule, and code violations." (Claims Committee)
  3. Regional Wild Card Entry
  4. Deadline for Line-up
  5. Tennis Parity
  6. Third Set Match Tiebreak.

Click here to check out other coaches' opinions and/or to add your opinion.

If you have other topics to either be added to this forum or discussed at a future Board of Directors meeting, please contact Joe Gentle or any Board Member.

FYI

Listed below are the rulings of the MHSAA's Rep Council on the items that the MHSTeCA's Board of Directors sent to them.

Spring 2013:

Proposals that were approved by the Tennis Committee and will go into effect Fall 2013

  1. Established a procedure for handling an oversight in the ranking of players/teams at an Area Seed Meeting: When new evidence of an oversight in ranking of players/teams at an Area Seed Meeting is found, it should be submitted to the chair of the State Seed Committee for review. The chair should follow up with the MHSAA Assistant Director in charge of tennis to determine if further action is to take place.
  2. Use the USTA penalty for time violations on change-overs (1st offense = warning, subsequent offenses = one point for each offense)
  3. Tournament officials will enforce all rules according to MHSAA guidelines, except for line calls where they will act as an appeal judges and rule only when there is a request from a player.

Proposals that passed the Tennis Committee and were sent to the Representative Council (May 2013 meeting)

  1. Exempt tennis from the summer dead week. FAILED
  2. Eliminate the restrictions of the 4-player rule for 7th and 8th graders. FAILED
  3. Create 8-team Regionals to replace the current regional system that is in place. FAILED

Proposals that were tabled

  1. In the regional and state final tournaments, move the byes to the spots opposite unseeded players; or to the lowest seeded player, in ascending order.

Proposals that did not pass the Tennis Committee

  1. Eliminate the rules prohibiting teaching pros from coaching while employed at clubs.
  2. Where only abbreviated scoring (short sets, 8-game pro-sets, match tiebreak for the 3rd sets) is used, a player may be allowed to play four matches in a day.

Spring 2011:

  1. Request that Tennis be exempt from the "dead period" provision of the MHSAA (10-1). FAILED
  2. Allow players to wear manufactured sleeveless tennis shirts (no tank tops) as a legalshirt in boys tennis (6-5). FAILED
  3. For all regular season contests, unless prohibited by conference/league rules, allow a coach to substitute directly into the line-up for any absent player, upon the approval of the other coach(s) involved in that contest (10-0). PASSED
  4. Require USTA officials at all MHSAA Final tournaments (11-0). PASSED
  5. Deduct a team pont for a flagrant unsportsmanlike violation committed by a non-playing member of a team at any time during an MHSAA tournament (11-0). PASSED

Spring 2010:

  1. Request that Tennis be exempt from the "dead period" provision of the MHSAA (9-0). FAILED
  2. Eliminate the following guideline in the Tournament Manager's Manual under Additional Procedure for Drawing Brackets (Final Tournament): "individuals who are winners must not play other winners in the first round matches. If an individual player is on the winning team, but did not win his/her flight, no special consideration is to be given." PASSED
  3. Request that the MHSAA select coaches to serve on an Ethics Committee - to serve as a resource for dealing with allegations of stacking or rule violations. FAILED (Requested that tennis do like other coaches associations and appoint their own.)
  4. Allow the four interscholastic scrimmages to happen any time during the season. PASSED

June 2013

At the Board of Directors meeting on October 26, 2013 it was voted to rename the Distinguished Service Award. The award will now be known as the Karen Page Distinguished Service Award in recognition of the significant role that Coach Page played in high school tennis and our organization.

October 2013

NOTICE TO COACHES!
Lawrence Technological University (LTU) in Southfield, MI, and their new head coach, Stephen Behmlander, are very pleased to announce the addition of Men’s and Women’s Varsity Tennis, beginning in the fall of 2014. LTU is one of nation’s best schools for engineering, architecture, science and applied technology. Coaches and players are encouraged to visit the LTU Athletics website at ltuathletics.com. A recruiting form can be found there for prospective players. LTU is a proud member of the NAIA and the Wolverine-Hoosier Athletic Conference (WHAC).

November 2013

ATTENTION!

Tom Leyrer of Jenison has be inducted into the Michigan High School Coaches Association Hall of Fame. Congratulations Tom.

November 2010

COACHES!

MHSTeCA wants to get input from its membership on a number of items concerning tennis in the State of Michigan. A discussion forum has been set up dealing with different topics. Several new items have been added to this Discussion Forum that have come up at previous Board of Directors Meetings.

  1. Proposal for restructing Finals Tournament
  2. Proposal for "ethical, rule, and code violations." (Claims Committee)
  3. Regional Wild Card Entry
  4. Deadline for Line-up
  5. Tennis Parity
  6. Third Set Match Tiebreak.

Click here to check out other coaches' opinions and/or to add your opinion.

If you have other topics to either be added to this forum or discussed at a future Board of Directors meeting, please contact Joe Gentle or any Board Member.

National High School Athletic Coaches Association
2011 Annual Convention comes to Grand Rapids, Michigan

The National High School Athletic Coaches Association collaborates
 with Michigan High School Coaches Association to host the
NHSACA Annual convention in Grand Rapids, Michigan, June 2011.

(click above for info and registration form)  

Michigan High School Coaches Association has been presented with an exciting opportunity as the host site of the 2011 National High School Athletic Coaches Association annual convention June 18-22, 2011. The National High School Athletic Coaches Association would like to invite all those in education and athletics to participate in Michigan first hosting opportunity of the NHSACA annual convention. It is an opportunity to Educate, Recognize, and Support, teachers, coaches, and administration of our nation’s student-athletes. The National High School Athletic Coaches Association Annual Convention will take place at The Amway Grand Plaza Hotel June 18 thru 22, 2011. Registration information can be found on line at www.hscoaches.org.  Fees for the five days of meeting begin at $100.  

Come join us for these and many additional educational possibility

  • College Credit offered by the University of Sioux Falls & MHSAA CAPs Classes with State & National presenters’ on Saturday and Sunday, June 18 & 19
  • Annual Meeting Session with COTY Sports Specific Coaching Classes: Presentation by National Coach of the Year nominees
  • NHSACA Guest Speakers Presentation from a State or National Spokespersons
  • MIGCA & NHSACA Golf Outing at Grand Valley’s home course to benefit Michigan high school golf player’s scholarship fund
  • Daily actives to be had for spouses and families to the Grand Rapids Children’s Museum, the John Ball Zoo, and Fredrik Meijer Gardens

For more information, contact:
James M. Okler, CAA
Grosse Ile Athletic Director,
2010-11 NHSACA President
734-362-2458
oklerj@gischools.org
          Or
Jerome Garry
NHSACA Executive Director
507-696-7793
JG.NHSACA@Charter.net

National High School Athletic Coaches Association
A Not for Profit Corporation... Founded in 1965

February 2011

FYI

Listed below are the rulings of the MHSAA's Rep Council on the items that the MHSTeCA's Board of Directors sent to them.

  1. Request that Tennis be exempt from the "dead period" provision of the MHSAA (9-0). FAILED
  2. Eliminate the following guideline in the Tournament Manager's Manual under Additional Procedure for Drawing Brackets (Final Tournament): "individuals who are winners must not play other winners in the first round matches. If an individual player is on the winning team, but did not win his/her flight, no special consideration is to be given." PASSED
  3. Request that the MHSAA select coaches to serve on an Ethics Committee - to serve as a resource for dealing with allegations of stacking or rule violations. FAILED, requested that tennis do like other coaches associations and appoint their own.
  4. Allow the four interscholastic scrimmages to happen any time during the season. PASSED

June 2010

Dear MHSTeCA:

I work for the USTA/Midwest Section in Indianapolis, and we are looking for avenues to help spread the word about available scholarships to high school seniors who play tennis around the Section. We promote, develop and service tennis in Indiana, Illinois, Ohio, Michigan, Wisconsin and portions of West Virginia/Kentucky.

The USTA Serves Scholarships are provided through our national office in New York. The MYTEF Gullikson/Van Horn Scholarships are provided through our USTA/Midwest Section's Foundation in Indianapolis. I am not sure of your policy for posting content from other non-profit sports organizations on your website and/or e-mailing to your high school tennis coaches. We would appreciate anything you can do regarding the posting and/or distribution/e-mail of the following scholarship information to give junior tennis players in Michigan the best opportunity to learn about these scholarships. In case you need additional information on our Foundation, please visit www.midwest.usta.com/mytef. Please let me know if you have any questions.

USTA Serves Scholarships
Each year, USTA Serves awards scholarships to deserving youngsters who have participated in USTA and other organized youth tennis programs. The following scholarships are offered: Marian Wood Baird College Scholarship, Dwight F. Davis Memorial Scholarship, Dwight Mosley Scholarship Award, USTA Serves College Education Scholarship, Eve Kraft Education & College Scholarship, and USTA Serves College Textbook Scholarship. The deadline for submission of scholarship applications is February 5, and click here for more information.

MYTEF Gullikson and Van Horn Scholarships
Each year, a $2,500 Tim & Tom Gullikson scholarship is presented to one female and one male junior tennis player, and a $500 Rick Van Horn scholarship is presented to one junior tennis player. Students who plan to attend an accredited college or university, who are current members of the USTA, and residents in the USTA/Midwest Section are urged to apply for the scholarships. The deadline to apply for either scholarship is March 1, and click here to access the application.
        
Kathy Dalla Costa | Director of Communications
USTA/Midwest Section | www.midwest.usta.com
1310 E. 96th Street, Suite 100 | Indianapolis, IN  46240
317.577.5130 ext. 224 | kathy@midwest.usta.com

January 2010

Two of our coaches are in the 'news':

Glenn 'Fuzz' Corey has been inducted into the Michigan High School Coaches Association's Hall of Fame.
Mark Sobieralski has been named National Coach of the Year for Tennis by the National High School Athletic Coaches Association.

Congratulations to Fuzz and Mark.

November 2009

NOTICE!

  • Beginning August 1, 2009 coaches may work with 4 players during the off season instead of 3.
  • Summer rules will now be defined as beginning with the Monday after Memorial Day, even if school is still in session.
  • New eligibility rules - if a student is not pass 66% of his/her classes, he/she will be ineligible the next trimester (if the school is on a trimester schedule) or 60 scheduled school days for those not using a trimester system.
  • MHSTeCA's Hall of Fame is tentatively set to be located in Genesys Athletic Club in Grand Blanc. More information to follow.

June 2009

MHSAA's Coaches Advancement Program

registration form (please complete form on computer, print out and send to MHSAA)

ATTENTION COACHES - "HOT OFF THE PRESSES"

Player record sheets for Regionals will NOT be done online this Spring. Player record sheets will have to be done as in the past (that is, legibly written or typed) and sent to the Regional Director by the deadline. The plan is to have the sheets done online beginning with the 2009 Fall Season.

March 2009

The 2009 Raffle at the Tennis Workshop received $875 from those who participated in the drawings. This money will be deposited in the Hall of Fame Account. The Raffle was led by David Schwartz of the Tennis and Golf Co. with ample assistance from Jennifer Aldrich of Allegan, Alva Morgan of Allegan, and Beth Van Dyke of Holland. The Tennis Coaches Association thanks them for their efforts and thanks those who purchased chances on the many prizes donated by the Tennis And Golf Co. and by Gatorade.

Submitted by Tiger Teusink

February 2009

COACHES: Below are a number of important items that we would like your help with.

  • We have been notified by the Midland Community Tennis Center that they will no longer be able to host our Hall of Fame. If you have any ideas or know of a place tht might be able to have our Hall of Fame, please contact Bill Riggs (Bill.Riggs@apps.k12.mi.us).
  • We also are looking for email addresses for newspapers. Please send the naewpapers' name and email address to Bruce Grotenhuis (mhsteca@comcast.net)
  • We are starting an email Newsletter. Send any items that you might have for articles or ideas that you would like to see included in the Newsletter to Brennan Brown (brownb@northwood.edu)

NOTICE: At the Fall Board of Directors meeting, it was decided that the Summer and Fall meetings of the Board of Directors will be held two weeks after the LP Finals Tournament.

November 2008

ATTENTION!

Listed below are some changes that are upcoming for tennis (note the dates for the changes)

  • Starting Fall of 2008
    • more than two coaches many be used at the Regionals & Finals Tournament only if more than two sites are used. These coaches must be registered with MHSAA before Regionals and can only be used at the extra sites.
    • the Coman Tiebreak will be used when a set goes to 6-6. Click here for procedure.
    • Regional Entry Forms will be able to be sent electronically to MHSAA
  • Starting with the 2009-10 season
    • Tennis Coaches Rules 'Meetings' will be online and will be mandatory. More info to follow.
    • The first match of the season can not be until seven days after the first day for practice.
      • EXAMPLE: For Fall 2009 - first day for practice is August 12, first day for a match is August 19

June 2008

NOTICE!

The Spring 2008 All State list did not include UP's All State players when it was posted in June. We regret any inconvience that this may have caused anyone. Below are the players that have been added to the 2008 Spring All State list. Congratulations to these playes.

Brian Tresedder (12) - Kingsford
Derek Harrington (12) - Kingsford
Matt Baumgartner (12) - West Iron County
Matt Lobeck (11) - Iron Mountain
Jeno Cederna (11) - Escanaba

November 2008

Coaches: Check out Wilson's 2008 Fall Edition Coaches for Life Newsletter. (Click on title to see the Newsletter.)

September 2008

Master Professional Jorge Capestany has launched a new video based website that has more than 600 videos of tennis drills and tips.

HS coaches may find the website extremely useful. The price has dropped by 50% from what was shown at the Troy convention;
 
There are 18 FREE samples to look at that can be printed out.

To see more, visit:  www.tennisdrills.tv

3/17/08

ATTENTION!

Doug Adams has resigned from the Historian position and Karen Langs has resigned as the All-Academic coordinator. Bill Riggs of Allen Park has agreed to accept the Historian position and Jan Gottlin of Riverview has accepted the All-Academic position. The MHSTeCA thanks both Doug and Karen for all of their hard work over the past years. And congratulations to Bill and Jan for taking on these positions.

July 2008

ATTENTION COACHES!
At our 32nd Detroit Tennis Workshop, $1,120.00 was donated via our raffle between speakers.  This compares to 2006--$1,074 and 2007---$1,114.  The 2008 Raffle was conducted by Jennifer Aldridge of Allegan, Jennifer Conrad of Allegan, Alva Morgan of Allegan, and Beth Van Dyke of Holland.  Prizes were donated by Gatorade and The Tennis Company of Royal Oak.  David Schwartz of the Tennis Company did the drawings and led the active Raffle. 
Reported by Tiger Teusink, Sec.-Treas.

2/12/08

Dear High School Tennis Coaches,

This year we are providing the opportunity for tennis enthusiasts, USTA League Players, and High School Tennis Team members to attend the 22nd Annual Professional Tennis Management workshops and ancillary activities and take advantage of the wonderful lineup of speakers and information we are offering.

Our headline speaker, Bill Tym, former Vanderbilt University Head Tennis Coach and tennis legend, will be presenting a seminar on Strategy & Tactics that is absolutely wonderful.  On Saturday, April 11th , tennis enthusiasts can participate in the Head Demo Day at 11 am, have lunch at 12 noon, and attend the Bill Tym’s seminar from 1-2:30 pm, all for a $15 registration fee!

The Ferris State University Professional Tennis Management program is the top program of its kind throughout the country and each year we host a flagship event that includes seminars and an awards’ banquet.  We would like to invite the tennis playing public to attend.

We would appreciate you distributing the brochure to several of your active USTA Team Captains and/High School Tennis Team Players, and would be happy to reciprocate delivering any club or tournament information that you send us, to our membership.

Thank you for your consideration.

Best regards,

Tom Daglis, PTM Director

USPTA First Vice President

click here for copy of brochure

3/17/08

ATTENTION ALL COACHES:
The USTA is holding a Recreational Coaches Workshop on March 8, 2008 at the Minges Creek Athletic Club in Battle Creek. It will be held from 9:00 am until 4:00 pm. This workshop is for High School Varsity and JV coaches - or anyone interested in updating skill, learning what's new, etc. To register, contact: Linda Spam, linda@mingescreek.com or 269-979-1111

2/4/08

Get a jump on your high school competition by attending an USTA Recreational Coach Workshop on Saturday, March 1, 2008. 

Our office won the National RCW Host of the Year Award!!
Come see what all the fuss is about!
If you're not interested, please pass this on to someone who could benefit from a great training by a couple of entertaining and informative instructors.

This interactive, on-court training program will be specificially designed for high school coaches. Taught by Mike Woody (Midland Community Tennis Center), and Jorge Capestany (Hope College), this active 6-hour session will include topics on:

  • Teaching large groups
  • The games-based approach to coaching
  • Running effective team practices
  • Top 10 Games Every Coach Should Know
  • QuickStart Format and Much, Much, More!

These workshops are an excellent primer for new coaches as well as a valuable refresher course for those with teaching experience but who seek more current methods and effective tools.

Upon completion, attendees will:

  • Become eligible for membership as a PTR Recreational Coach and in USPTA as a Developmental Coach
  • Be able to effectively run entry level groups and team
  • Receive many coaching resource hand-outs, a drills cd and samples of the latest in transition ball technology

FREE Lunch provided!

Saturday, March 1. 2008
Noon-6:30pm at the Dearborn Racquet & Health Club

Call the District Office (734) 421-1025 to sign up today!
FREE to High School Coaches ($10 deposit required to reserve your spot)
Katrina Walker
Community Development and USTA Jr. Team Tennis Coordinator
United States Tennis Association
Southeastern Michigan District
15195 Farmington Road, A-1
Livonia, Michigan 48154
(734) 421-1025
visit our website: www.semich.usta.com
The difficult I can do right now, the impossible will take a little time...Ira Gershwin

2/11/08

Posted Summer 2007

Dear Coach,
 
We would like to invite you to our upcoming Recreational Coach Workshop scheduled for Sat., Oct. 20th from 12:30-6:30pm in Farmington, MI.

A Recreational Coach Workshop is an interactive, on-court training program designed for parents, tennis teachers and coaches working with players at the recreational level.

Taught by Mike Woody and Jorge Capestany, these specially trained, certified teaching professionals will cover the following in this six-hour active format:
• Teaching large groups
• The games-based approach to coaching
• Running effective team practices
• The Top 10 Games Every Coach Should Know

These workshops are an excellent primer for coaches as well as a valuable refresher course for those with teaching experience but who seek more current methods and effective tools. 

Upon completion, attendees will:
• Become eligible for membership as a PTR Recreational Coach and in USPTA as a Developmental Coach.
• Be able to effectively run entry level groups and teams
• Receive many coaching resource hand-outs and samples of the latest in transition ball technology.

I am attaching a flyer (click here to see flyer).  If you have any questions, or would like to sign up, call our office at (734) 421-1025.  Cost is $40.

Katrina Walker
Community Development
and USA Team Tennis Coordinator
United States Tennis Association
Southeastern Michigan District
15195 Farmington Road, A-1
Livonia, Michigan 48154
(734) 421-1025
visit our website: www.semich.usta.com

The difficult I can do right now, the impossible will take a little time...Ira Gershwin

Posted Summer 2007

The United States Professional Tennis Association launched a new Web site that offers extensive resources to high school tennis coaches and others who work with high school tennis teams and players.

USPTA developed the new Web site to assist high school and other coaches who shape thousands of young tennis players each year. Its main goal is to provide resources that enable coaches to organize effective team practices for large groups. One of the most important elements is a practice template with a large library of drills and games that can be copied and pasted into the template to create a high school practice session of any length or complexity. Like many of the resources, the drills and games are time-tested by the finest tennis-teaching professionals in the world.

The resource center is the ideal tool to help promote the idea of “no-cut tennis” for high school teams by benefiting both new and experienced players, according to Jane Brown Grimes, president of the United States Tennis Association.

“High school tennis plays a critical role in growing the game. We need to do all we can to provide high school coaches with the tools they need to run effective programs. The USPTA's High School Coaches Resource Center will do just that. We are particularly excited about how this can help develop more ‘no-cut’ high school teams,” said Grimes.

The site, highschoolcoaches.uspta.com, represents possibly the largest collection of resources on teaching and playing tennis. The information comes from many sources, including almost four years worth of TV show productions for “On Court with USPTA™,” video recordings of both specialty courses and seminars from past USPTA World Conferences, audio seminars from past World Conferences, DVD productions from special events, including the USPTA Competitive Player Development Conferences, drills, games and more. The site is free to USPTA members and available free for 90 days to anyone else who registers and provides a valid e-mail address and password.

The high school resource site is one of seven independent sites hosted by USPTA. It will continue to evolve as new resources are added.

Posted - July 2007

NOTICE!
Judge Enslen has issued his opinion on the switching of the boys and girls seasons back to what it has been for years. Basically he denied the appeal because it happened too late. This means that the boys will play in the fall and the girls in the spring.

Click here to read the entire opinion.

Posted - July 2007

NOTICE! The National High School Athletic Coaches Association has chosen Tom Pullen of Ann Arbor Pioneer as their National High School Coach of the Year (Tennis). Congratulations to Tom.

Posted - June 25, 2007

Dear High School Coaches,

As part of the 65th Anniversary Celebration of the USTA Boys' 18 & 16 National Championships at Kalamazoo College we are hosting high school team tennis days on August 4th and 5th. As part of the celebration, students K-12 will receive free admission.

We would like to invite all area high school tennis teams and their coaches to participate in this celebration. Come out and watch some exciting tennis. Have your individual team picture taken at historic Stowe Stadium. All High School boys and girls are welcome.

Encourage your players to arrive at 11am and sign in at the ticket booth with their coach or chaperone. After the noon match on court 1 is completed, there will be a group photo taken. Other activities may follow after the team picture.

We ask that all coaches forward this information to their players and we look forward to your participation in supporting this 65th Anniversary Event. More information will be available on our website ustaboys.com.

If your team plans to attend, we encourage you to pre-register by either calling Tim Hubbard at (269) 337-7343 or by e-mailing boysusta@aol.com.

Thanks,

Tim Hubbard

High School Team Day Coordinator