The Starting Line

“If we are together, nothing is impossible.” — Winston Churchill

Dear Visionaries,

Our dream that began two years ago — the vision of bringing communities of people together through sport — has finally come to fruition. This past season has seen tennis players from all walks of life come together (many meeting each other for the very first time) on court to play — and play their best. Both novices and pros found common ground in their love for the game and for great competition.

By the time you read this, the inaugural Visionary Tennis Tournament of Champions is halfway complete. The weather is spectacular-perfect for a championship tournament. The top competitors from each Super-8 league were invited to play in the tournament, and EVERYONE was invited to the player party on Saturday afternoon. Exhibition play with pros, prizes, food, drink, and live music were a part of the festivities. The success of this event lies with you-the 40,000-players strong that are now receiving this message in the Atlanta metro area.

40,000? Now that's humbling ...

When the Rocket and I first contemplated putting together a community of passionate people using tennis as the vehicle, we had no appreciation for the multitude of tasks and the depth of talent that would be required to make our vision reality. Fortune smiled upon us, however, and other visionaries soon joined our cause, each helping to carry the flame a little higher. Who are these people? You'll discover them, their talents, and their passion in each issue of VISIONS as they are featured in a Team Member Bio. Today you'll read about the amazing Andre Janasik -- and, I think, soon share my sense of awe at Andre's history and the many talents he brings to the table.

In keeping with Visionary Tennis's tradition of attracting and partnering with the best people available, I am proud to announce that, as of today — Saturday, November 5, 2005 — Visionary Tennis and Netcord.com are partnering to bring an unparalleled, amateur sports experience to not only Atlanta tennis players, but soon to national and international players as well! [By the way — in case you'd noticed this newsletter was sent out a day late, this was why!]

My first encounter with Netcord's website left no doubt in my mind but that the people behind it were driven, intelligent, passionate entrepreneurs who ensured that customer service was always the focal point of their daily operations; my personal dealings with them since then have only proven this again and again. For six years, Bobby, Barton, Jerry, and Barb have been bringing the greater Atlanta tennis community the finest team management tools and customer service experience available anywhere. Their candid and personalized repertoire with you has earned them a reputation as outstanding service providers.

I am very excited, therefore, to dedicate the energy and resources of Visionary Tennis to Netcord and its members, and to welcome Netcord's talents in supporting Visionary Tennis. The end result of this partnership will only make for a bigger and stronger tennis community. Our combined talents and resources will give you, the tennis player, the greatest amount of options for both flexible and traditional league support, team management, Redemption Center rewards, and sponsor support for discounted and free equipment, lessons, and travel experiences.

Put simply, our collective mission is to be the world's leading online and offline tennis community.

In closing, I would like to acknowledge all of you reading this message for sharing in our vision. We promise you that we will continue to progress, to push limits, and to make possible that which was not before. You and we — and now, Netcord — are all in this together.

If Mr. Churchill was correct, our future looks bright!

Blue skies,

Michael S. Flint
CEO, Visionary Tennis, Inc.

Lifestyle & Leisure

Chef of the Month — Michael Strimban — Executive Chef, Olde Towne Athletic Club

Who said you can’t be just a tennis player? There’s a hidden talent in all of us, and cooking is what Michael’s passion has become since his days on the courts at Walker High School in Charleston (where he was the #1 player on their tennis team) and at the College of Charleston and Johnson and Wales, Charleston, S.C.

His dream came true when, at the young age of twenty-one, he started cooking at many renowned restaurants in the Charleston area. Since moving to Atlanta with his wife, Katie, he has enjoyed working as the executive chef at Chattahoochee Plantation and Racquet Club of the South. His specialty is southern and comfort food.

It’s been twenty-four years since Michael first picked up a tennis racquet, but he continues to play whenever he’s not in the kitchen at Olde Towne creating incredible dishes like his famous Chili — which just happens to be the one that he’s sharing with ya’all today.

Recipe of the Month: Michael Strimban’s Chili

Whether you’ve been playing tennis, working in the yard, or just finishing a day at the office, nothing says“Welcome home” quite like a hot pot of chili — especially in November!

Featured Interview

Ever wonder what it’s like to be a sibling of a touring pro on the ATP circuit? We asked Jenni Ginepri to share with us her week of highs and lows in Indianapolis as she cheered her brother, Robby, on to victory. No one said it was going to be all glamour and fun. Even the pro’s and their family can’t guarantee all will be perfect. ENJOY Jenni’s tale of woes in Indy!

A Week in the Life of Jenni Ginepri

Every year, I try and go to a couple of tennis tournaments to watch my brother Robby. I usually stick with the same tournaments because I have lots of fun. This particular week in July I would be joining Robby in Indianapolis for the RCA Tournament. I have been coming to this tournament for four years and looked forward to returning.

It’s so difficult to make plane reservations so I decide to drive. I leave Saturday afternoon and arrive eight hours later at the hotel — only to find I have no reservation! The person who usually makes our reservations had forgotten to book a room for me. Normally this would not be a problem but the hotel — and the city — is pretty much sold out for the duration of my trip (at this time my duration was unknown, dependent on the success of Robby). Luckily they have a room for two nights so that buys me some time.

Sunday I go with Robby to the tennis site for my credentials and to watch Robby practice. That evening, we have dinner along with James Blake, Jeff Morrison and their coaches. For some ‘evening entertainment’ we all go back to Robby’s room and play cards.

Monday, Robby plays Michael Ryderstedt. He plays a great match and defeats him in two sets — 6-1, 6-4; we celebrate by having dinner at Ruth's Chris Steakhouse. Later that evening, I have to find another hotel to stay in. With hopes that rooms would become available as players lost, I haven't found a new place to stay. I quickly start calling hotels around the area and wind up moving across the street.

I pack my bags for one night, because the current hotel's sold out for the rest of the week. Luckily, the host hotel that I had been staying at has a room for Tuesday and Wednesday night, so I check back into there.

After winning his next two matches, Robby plays Andy Roddick in the quarterfinals on Thursday. Having played him four times and losing them all, Robby finally prevails! We go celebrate, all forgetting that I have no room to stay in. Spending over an hour on the phone, the Indianapolis tournament director helps find me a room at the airport, which is ten miles away. I graciously thank them for their kind assistance so I wouldn’t have to sleep in my car. I check out the next morning and try to find a hotel to stay at for the rest of the trip.

Friday morning, I move into my FIFTH hotel room for the week, and don’t even bother unpacking. I end up storing my stuff in Robby’s room until the host hotel can see if there is a room. Luckily Robby has the day off so it gives me an entire day to find some place to stay. The tournament director makes a few calls and I end up taking over Andy’s suite.

Later that evening, I check into the suite knowing I will at least be here for the last two nights of my stay (hoping Robby would keep winning!). I finally unpack my luggage since I have been living out of a bag for more than a week. After getting situated, I notice that my room is on the warm side. Turns out the air conditioning is not working and the hotel is once again sold out! The front desk sends up their repair man, who ends up installing a brand-new air conditioning unit. He leaves at 3 am. Is this a bad dream?

Saturday morning we leave early to let Robby prepare for his semi-final match against Karol Beck. After losing the first set 5-7, he rallies back and wins 6-2, 6-3. Again, we celebrate by eating at Ruth's Chris Steakhouse — this is our third night in a row! When Robby gets on a winning streak, he likes to stick with the same routine (a little superstitious?). We retire early for the night. Robby knows he has his work cut out for him with his match against Taylor Dent tomorrow playing in the finals of the RCA Tournament.

Sunday temperatures reach into the high nineties — a scorching day for the finals. After a long first set, Taylor wins 6-4. After regrouping from a first-set loss, Robby wins the next 9 games before Taylor withdraws to heat exhaustion. It was Robby’s first title of the year and the second of his career. It was so exciting to be a part of, even with changing hotel rooms five times in eight days ..

Welcome back. Its good to be back On Court with you.

In the last issue we discussed the importance of getting yourself into top physical condition, and how doing so will take your game to a new level even if you were to do nothing else. We looked at how the best players control all the aspects of the game to eliminate inconsistencies in their play, and how getting yourself into top condition is the easiest thing to control but often the most neglected. In this issue, we will take a look at some of the most recent research concerning conditioning in tennis, and how you can adapt it to your game to take you to a new level.

Conditioning for tennis is composed primary of three areas: strength, cardiovascular, and flexibility training. We'll take a look at each one, concentrating on the strength element in today's issue.

If you think you can develop a quality tennis game — one which will take you consistently deep into tournament play — without lifting weights, well ... you're right — if you are happy with ntrp 4.0 tournaments and under. But if you want to develop a game which will eventually enable you to hit with the big boys in open aged-leveled tournaments, you'll have to develop a dedicated weight lifting program. A good program will give you the strength needed to hit the ball both hard and consistently for an entire tournament.

So that means a regimen of lifting large weights and pushing iron, right? Well, that might be great for working on your muscle-mag figure, but not so for developing tennis-specific strength. Studies have shown that athletes who lift weights or use machines that mimic the same motions that they'd use during competition are better prepared for their sport by having more explosive movements and fewer injuries — makes sense, right? But did you know there is a better way that produces movements that are even more explosive and more protective?

Each muscle group is made up of a protagonist and an antagonist muscle. One provides the movement (protagonist) while the other (antagonist) provides the support. If you only exercise the group that mimics the motions you use in tennis, you'll become stronger and hit the ball harder — but because you have neglected the supporting muscles, you'll leave yourself open to severe injury. The protagonists will become much stronger than the antagonist and eventually they will literally pull themselves apart.

This is exactly what happens during a rotator cuff injury, one of the most common on the tennis court. Tennis players are constantly using the front part of the shoulder on the serve, forehand and backhand; the back part takes care of the deceleration of the swing. This causes the front of the shoulder to become disproportionate in strength to the rear part of the shoulder, which in turn causes a forward pull on the tendon that connects the front of the shoulder to the rear during forehands, serves and overheads. If the back of the shoulder isn't sufficiently strong enough, this constant pulling to the front will wear or tear those tendons that make up the rotator cuff. To prevent this from happening, you must make sure your weight lifting workout includes exercises that build up the antagonist muscles along with the ones that build up your protagonist muscle.

In the next issue we will look at what the different protagonist and antagonist groups are, some of the best exercises to use for each group, and the amount of reps, sets, and weekly workouts you should be doing during the course of a calendar year (that's right — you should be thinking of your conditioning program in terms of a year, not just a month or two).

Remember: to take your game to the next level you must control all the variables you can. Take the unknown out of the equation so that you can work on improving the known. Dedicating yourself to an excellent weight lifting program is one more variable you can control.

In the next issue we will talk about how to actually condition yourself for tennis in the light of recent sport science research.

Until next time, I'll see you On Court!

Jay Jordan

Two-month Calendar and Critical Dates

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.