The Starting Line
Welcome to Visionary Tennis Leagues’ first issue of VISIONS. There's a lot of stuff packed into the pages below — our contributors have written some outstanding articles — so don't worry if you can't read it all at once!
When I meet players on the courts and at events, I'm often asked what we mean by "Visionary". Well, let me explain.
It was visionaries who started the first Olympic Games in ancient Greece; it was visionaries who brought them back to the world in 1904; and — as we watched the Games’ triumphant return to Athens last year — the stage was full of visionaries striving, slogging, and sweating their way to victory.
One example that stood out for everyone who watched (myself included) was the sheer devotion to sport demonstrated by the Iraqi soccer team; though it had taken Herculean effort just to participate, participation wasn’t enough — they’d come to play! Winning where they should have lost, cheering when they should have wept. Exceeding every expectation by long strides, and making us grin along with them.
I sat in my home a world away and shared in their joy. An event created long ago by a handful of folks in ancient Greece was helping to lift the spirits of billions around the globe centuries later. It sure is amazing what you can do with just one strong vision.
Welcome to a new century of ideas. Welcome to Visionary Tennis!
Do we dream big? Absolutely! We know of no other way. And now you are a part of it, too. Even as this season’s regular Super-8 play reaches its final week, preparations are being made for the long-awaited Tournament of Champions next month, where you'll see just how much fun participating and playing can be! Tennis wasn't created to be an exercise — it's a game, and you play it. At Visionary Tennis, our goal is nothing short of making your tennis experience the best it can be.
You see, we believe in the champion that is inside all of us. We remember playing with a racquet in our backyard when we were seven years old, smashing a ball onto our imaginary opponent's side of the net and winning Wimbledon ... and then doing it all over again the next day.
That's exactly the spirit we want to help you recapture as you play in our leagues, where every point feels like a victory, every win like a championship. And — because you can't play tennis by yourself — to remind you that there's a whole community of others just like you here, all wanting to learn and share and grow.
Once again, on behalf of all of us here at Visionary Tennis, welcome to this premiere issue of VISIONS — and thanks for being a player!
Michael S. Flint
CEO, Visionary Tennis, Inc.
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| MiMi Cain, editor |
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This month’s contributors:
Jay Jordan
Carolyn O'Neil
Butch Staples |
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Team Member Bio
We all wonder who are the players behind the scenes of a company ... how’d they get to be where they are today? We thought it would be fun to recognize a Visionary Tennis team member in our monthly newsletter.
Our first bio is of WebMaestro (aka James to his friends). Jamie came to the world wide web through a roundabout way, visiting much of the real world before turning his attention to the virtual. A native of Toronto, Canada, James spent one university year studying computer science before switching gears to complete a degree in music instead. Next he put his musical training to work aboard cruise ships, traveling the world for several years, before deciding to go ashore once and for all.
“It’s a great life,” he says about sailing the oceans, “but it’s extremely unreal. After awhile you just yearn for the ordinary — what you grew up with.”
Just as James was looking for something else to do, he learned a friend was keeping busy building websites, and decided to teach himself everything he could about this new world, eventually specializing in Flash, a program originally intended for making animations.
“But Flash has evolved so much over the last few years — now it’s got a very robust programming language built in, so almost anything’s possible.” Does James appreciate the irony of leaving music only to return to his original computer studies? He smiles. “You betcha!”
Fast-forward to 2004: Visionary Tennis is at this stage little more than a dream, and James comes aboard to design and build what would become the backbone of the entire company.
“It was — and is — an unparalleled opportunity. To do things that have never been done before; to build a community from the ground up.” Always looking for new ideas to improve the site, James muses, “You know how everyone says, ‘Wouldn’t it be great if someone did this, or built that?’ — but no one ever does? Well now I’m the one who can do these things, and really have an impact. Believe me when I say that I want to make this the best sports community on the planet.”
And what about those new ideas? Any hints at what to expect next season?
James grins like a Cheshire cat. “If I told you, I’d have to kill you,” he laughs. “Let's just say we’re going to make scheduling your match and finding your way there a whole lot easier.”
With that, he scribbles a note to himself, adding another idea to his website wishlist; something we’ll hear about in a couple of months, no doubt. Can’t wait!
FYI — Jamie has never played tennis and yet he has designed a website that is nothing short of amazing. And for that we say, Congrats to one incredible member of our Team. Way to go Jamie!
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Visionary Tennis Facility of the Month
White Columns Country Club
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Friends,
Each month we bring you a club or facility that has caught our attention for their outstanding contribution to our fellow Visionary Tennis members. If you have an outstanding facility that you would like to nominate for our monthly feature, please let us know at PlayerServices@VisionaryTennis.com.
This month’s Facility of the Month is White Columns in Alpharetta, Georgia.
Bobby Schindler has been the Tennis Director at White Columns for 6 years. Along with Bobby, Kerri Banham and Cindy Brady bring their years of tennis experience and enthusiasm to the facility's 500+ members. What makes White Columns special is the people, says Bobby. Regardless of the status of their environment (the private community is upscale), they really do care about their fellow peers, and love their coaches' honesty and involvement in their weekly matches. The camaraderie is very special.
White Columns is also very proud of their 2 Junior ranked players: Samantha Gridley (age 15) and John Barton, ranked in Boys 16.
Congratulations to White Columns for their support in all that tennis is about: a Vision to be the best at what you do!
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Ask the Pros
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I do not hit a two-handed backhand. But I do see players on my team mis-hit it, and I wonder if the right hand (right-handed player) keeps the same forehand continental grip since they're using both hands — or are they suppose to roll their hand into a backhand grip like a one-hander? Also, what is the other hand (the left, in this case) suppose to do as to positioning? |
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There are a variety of grips that are used for the two-handed backhand. These come primarily as a result of different right-hand positions (assuming a right-handed player).
If the player maintains a semi-western grip with the right hand, there will be a significant break in the wrist during the preparation (Mary Pierce) and a stronger left hand. If the player makes a fairly extreme grip change with the right hand towards the eastern backhand, the player will have less wrist break and a stronger right hand (Amanda Coetzer).
In general, what we advocate to a developing player is a continental grip with the right hand. This allows for balance in the two hands but gives the added advantage of allowing the player to let go and slice with one hand or hit effective volleys with one hand.
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Good luck!
Butch Staples, USPTR Professional
Van Der Meer Tennis Center
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Lifestyle & Leisure
With all the talk about the wily ways of women on the hit TV show “Desperate Housewives” we thought it might be fun to talk about how cheating can help you win the game of losing weight and keeping it off. Being good all of the time is just so boring! Here are five smart and sassy diet tips.
How to Cheat on your Diet
Excerpts from The Dish on Eating Healthy and Being Fabulous! by Carolyn O'Neil, M.S., R.D. and Densie Webb, Ph.D., R.D. Simon & Schuster, Atria Books, June 2004.
1) Order dessert first
Yes, that's right. Life is uncertain so order dessert first. This strategy helps you plan the rest of your meal around the sinfully rich dessert you really crave. OK, the waiter may think you're weird asking to see the dessert menu first, but you need information on your destination before you can map out the meal. If you know you've just got to have the chocolate cheese cake or coconut cake with pineapple ice cream, then you will make sure not to start with the fried calamari appetizer or the creamy New England Clam chowder! Save yourself for your true love, dessert!
2) Cover your tracks
A food diary or journal can help you keep track of your intake so you won't be caught going over your daily calorie limit. Research shows the most successful dieters do it and do it daily. Your journal notes don't have to be super detailed, but do include the types of foods, estimate amounts and write down where you were and perhaps how you felt. This will give you an insightful snapshot of your relationship with the foods you love.
3) It’s all in the technique
Straighten Up and Fry Right. Did you know that properly fried foods have less total fat and calories? Now these are the bad boys worth the heat!
Choosing cooking oils with a high smoke point, such as peanut oil, allows the foods to fry at a higher temperature and therefore cook faster and absorb less fat. If you master the right technique, your fried foods will be lighter tasting and lower in total calories.
4) Be smart about it
You may crave the crunch of potato chips and dip, or nacho chips piled with high fat toppings such as refried beans and sour cream, but give your cravings a healthy makeover. Choose baked potato chips with a low fat yogurt dip or nachos grande made with baked chips, black beans, salsa and low fat sour cream. Let the party begin!
5) Savor every moment
If you're going to cheat, then relax and enjoy it! Choose really fine chocolates so you only need a few decadent bites. Or if it's a five-course gourmet meal, you're luxuriating over, remember to put your fork down every so often and savor the flavors. It's quality, not quantity that counts. Sure satiety is about feeling full and getting enough food, but there are mysterious forces at work in the mind, too. Psychological effects on food satiety are powerful forces. So, slow down and let your body and soul appreciate small portions of big tastes.
Carolyn O'Neil is a registered dietician and former CNN Food & Health correspondent. Check out more ‘dishy’ tips and recipes on her website: www.dishdivas.com.
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Recipe of the Month: Tex-Mex Dip
It’s that time of year when the leaves are starting to change, weather is a bit cooler and the fall tennis season is in full gear. What better time to entertain whether at the courts or at home with a delicious and “pretty” appetizer. Enjoy!
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First layer — Spread 2 cans of refried beans |
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Second layer — Mash 3 avocados, add 2 tbsp lemon juice |
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Third layer — Mix together 1 cup mayo, 1 cup sour cream, 1 package taco seasoning mix
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Sprinkle on third layer — 1 jar medium salsa, 2 cans pitted black olives, and enough chopped cheddar cheese to cover all
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Serve with plain tortilla chips |
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From Player Services
How to get the most out of Tournament of Champions Weekend!
We hope every single player in every Visionary Tennis League has the weekend of November 5th and 6th marked in big red letters on their calendar.
It is THE weekend where top players from each league come together to battle it out for the really big trophies, but it is also a weekend where every league member is invited to come and bring the family for a great tennis experience.
The Tournament of Champions Weekend is designed to reward every player for their love of the game of tennis. All weekend long there will be fun and festivities for players and their families, so plan ahead.
A detailed schedule will be emailed to each league member prior to the weekend, but in the meantime you can count on the following:
- Pro exhibition doubles matches — Bring the spouse and children and watch some of the best doubles players in the South battle it out on the show court at Collins Hill Athletic Club.
- Free-prize turkey shoots — Bring your racquet for a number of contests designed to test your skills and win great prizes.
- Raffles and pick-the-winner contests — Bet on your pick to win the Tournament of Champions’ really big trophies. Come out and back your playing friends and league mates.
- Food and drink — Come thirsty!
- Music and fun — Live music and games at the Saturday night Players’ Party. Everyone’s invited!
- FREE STUFF — You know us — we just love giving away the free stuff!
Don't miss it!
See you there,
Rocket
Player Services
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How To Play Tennis and Win Lots Of Prizes!
Visionary Tennis Leagues were designed for the tennis junkie. And what are the two things that tennis junkies love most? Why tennis, of course, and free stuff.
In talking with many, many tennis players over the years, there is one thing that has consistently jumped out at us: most players are accustomed to plopping down 25 to 30 bucks season after season, year after year, to play in tennis tournaments or leagues — but they rarely end up with anything to show for it. Beyond the gameplay itself, there’s just no reward.
Visionary Tennis is changing all of that!
Sure, we have the traditional trophies and bag tags for league and tournament winners (by the way, the trophies are HUGE!). But on top of all that, Visionary Tennis has created the most exciting tennis-playing prize package in America.
We have created a currency for Visionary Tennis Leagues called PlayerPoints. Collect PlayerPoints by playing tennis, thinking tennis and talking tennis, and as your PlayerPoint ‘bank’ account grows, a whole world of free stuff opens up for you in our one-of-a-kind online prize Redemption Center. Think of it like a big arcade where you play and play and play, and, at the end, you cash in your tickets for the prizes of your choice.
Just ask Dan of the Atlanta Men's 3.0 Singles A2 Super-8. He is getting ready to play with his new Fischer Pro Impact FT racquet. Congratulations to Dan!
By being a Visionary Tennis member, you have up to four ways to scoop up the PlayerPoints — and the quickest way is just to play tennis (we think it's the most fun, too!).
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1) Every game you win, whether you win the match or not, automatically puts 5 PlayerPoints into your account. |
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2) Every match you win gives you a whopping 50 PlayerPoints towards the prize of your choice. |
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3) Looking for something to do while not playing tennis? Then play our weekly online Tennis Trivia games and win PlayerPoints for every correct answer. Bonus points for getting them all right. |
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4) Need a few more points to get your chosen prize? Play the monthly PlayerPoint Challenge contest. It arrives in your inbox once a month with a new tennis-related mind-stimulating challenge. Play and win! |
You’ll be amazed how quickly the PlayerPoints can stack up. Just ask Allen of the Atlanta Men’s 3.0 Singles A3 Super-8 — a brand-new Fischer backpack is on the way. Enjoy, Allen!
“So how many PlayerPoints can I win by playing tennis?”
Glad you asked. :-)
During your regular seven-match season, you have the ability to pick up over 1750 PlayerPoints. Make it into the Tournament of Champions and watch out — over 8,850 PlayerPoints available to you:
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Post a win in the round of 16 on Super Saturday and pocket 400 PlayerPoints. |
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Win in the round of 8 and scoop up 800 more. |
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Win in the round of 4 on Championship Sunday and your ‘bank’ account jumps by 1600. |
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Finally, hoist the big trophy after winning in the finals and you will receive a whopping 5000 PlayerPoints. |
So each and every season you can win over 10,000 PlayerPoints. Cash them in whenever you want — everything from wristbands and tee shirts to dinner out and vacation cruises. The Visionary Tennis Redemption Center has it all. You can even carry your PlayerPoints over from season to season. They never run out!
So ... what do tennis junkies really love to do?
That's right — play tennis and win loads and loads of PlayerPoints!
Have fun!
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Charity Update
The Dream House for Medically Fragile Children, Inc. is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization that saves children who have become dependent on life-supporting treatments and care from an institutional existence or abusive situation by providing them with a temporary foster home.
Each Dream House strives to aid families with the tools and information they need to successfully care for medically fragile children in their homes. Their Education and Training Program provides hands-on information, presented in creative formats in a stress-free setting for anyone that is involved. Parents, foster parents, teachers, church volunteers, friends and family are all welcome to participate in Dream House Classes.
Visionary Tennis CEO Mike Flint has many venues to make Dream House a key focus. For more information you can contact www.dreamhouseforkids.org, or write to Dream House, PO Box 533, Lilburn, GA 30048.
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Former CNN nutrition correspondent and VISIONS contributor (see Lifestyle & Leisure above) Carolyn O'Neil was our gracious host at this benefit. We believe it is important to remind you how so many good Samaritans can truly make a difference.
And what a difference!
On September 20th, Pampas Steakhouse in Alpharetta hosted the “Five Chefs/Five Courses/One Cause” evening, with a full 100% of the proceeds headed to the victims of Hurricane Katrina. In all, over $40,000 was raised. Not only did all who participated have a wonderful evening dining on the cuisine from five area chefs and sampling fine wines, but many contributed to the silent auction and walked away with incredible gifts. The generosity was overwhelming!
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On Court with Jay Jordan, M.E.
Conditioning (Part One)
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Jay’s Tip of the Month:
Did you know that pickle juice can relieve and prevent cramps?
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As we begin this column, (I say we because I want this column to be about your needs — I want to address the topics you want to study) let me start with a little background. I played on a NAIA collegiate tennis team as the #1 singles and doubles player for three years, winning over 60% of my matches. I graduated with a Bachelor of Science degree in physical education and athletic training and would later obtain a Master’s degree in Education with an emphasis in athletics. I have coached for twelve years at the high school level, with only one losing season. But perhaps the most important aspect of my profile which should concern you is the fact that I am, like you probably are, competing right now. I play ten to fifteen tournaments a year and have been doing so for the last five years. I know what works in the heat of competition and what does not. I know what is current.
Consider me, if you will, your personal mentor. I hope you will make use of me and ask me anything you want about tennis, or about sports conditioning and training in general. Let me know what you want me to cover in this column and I will endeavor to deliver. Simply click on “Contact Us”, fill in the appropriate information, and put my name somewhere in the Subject. And as soon as the Forums are ready, you'll be able to post a question to me there, as well — where you’ll get my answer and probably several more!
So — with that preamble out of the way, let’s start with a topic basic to tennis and all sports: Conditioning.
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 To play your best tennis you must be able to move well, stay low, and recover your breath quickly. You can often beat a better opponent or lose to a lesser one simply because you are in better or worse condition than the person on the other side of the net.
So we all condition, don’t we? Yeah, right!
Everyone wants to play, but very few are willing to get themselves into good enough shape to constantly win. They rely on ‘playing’ themselves into shape, and when they don’t improve they blame their strokes, their racquet, or even their on-court behavior for not improving — when in reality they are just not in good enough shape to play consistently good tennis.
Tennis is basically a running game, with explosive bursts of speed and power mixed with high levels of hand-eye coordination. Magic Johnson was once asked if he thought basketball was the most demanding sport for all-round skills. He said it was probably tennis; I would agree. In tennis, you are out there by yourself, with no coach, in varying weather conditions, and with no time limit. It is the only sport where you can score more points than your opponent, and yet still lose because of the scoring system!
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Yet there is a secret that all the pros know that help them win. It’s the key to playing consistently good tennis and constantly improving. This key to winning is very simple. Are you ready? Control all the variables you can.
That is why the pros all have their own rituals before they serve. They want to control as much as they can so they can keep focused. That is why they are so picky with their racquet weights, string tensions, the person who strings their racquets, and even the specific machine the racquet is strung on. That is also why they keep themselves in top condition. It is a variable they can control and you can too!
I believe that besides the actual practice of your strokes, it is the most important variable you can control. Most players will change to the newest, fanciest hyped racquet in hopes of improving their games, when what they really need is to just get in better shape. DON’T MAKE THAT MISTAKE! Determine right now that you are going to improve your conditioning so that you can take that variable out of the equation of winning. Do that and I guarantee you will improve.
In the next issue we will talk about how to actually condition yourself for tennis in the light of recent sport science research.
Until then, see you On Court!
Jay Jordan
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Each month we will select one letter and publish it. This lucky winner will be awarded PlayerPoints for prizes in the Redemption Center!
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Two-month Calendar and Critical Dates
October 2005
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| 18 (Tue) |
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Last date to report scores for your week-7 match |
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November
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| 5/6 (Sat/Sun) |
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Tournament of Champions
Every Visionary Tennis League player/family is invited to come to Collins Hill Athletic Club for food, music, contests, sponsor booths, pro exhibition matches, a Super-Saturday-night player's party, and tons of free prizes.
Come out and watch the professional doubles exhibitions; bring your racquet along for some fun, free prize contests.
The top players from each Super-8 league will be invited to compete for PlayerPoints and more — the top three finishers at each playing level all receive trophies.
More details on this exciting weekend will be coming over the next few weeks. Don't miss it!
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Critical Dates
| January 16 |
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Spring Season registration deadline |
| February 6 |
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Spring Season begins |
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The Last Word...
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WE LOVE TECHNOLOGY. It’s new and it’s shiny and it inspires a certain awe, like the Great Pyramids or a tiny new human being. Technology is good at the heavy lifting. People are good at the heavy thinking. Bits and bytes and ones and zeroes fly around the planet, but only at our discretion. The computer has a role model, and it is us. Computers are plastic and metal and sand. People are brilliance and discernment and VISION. Admire machines. Worship their inventors.
HUMAN ACHIEVEMENT.
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| Know anybody else who’s into sports as much as you? Why not forward VISIONS to them and spread the word! |
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VISIONS is the official newsletter of Visionary Tennis, and is published on the first Friday of every month.
All written content © Visionary Tennis Inc., 2005. No part of this work may be copied without the express permission of Visionary Tennis.
You may unsubscribe from the VISIONS newsletter here. |
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