This month’s contributors:
Jim Heinz
Brian Whitcomb

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.

Before a lot of us were born, the City of Decatur envisioned a community that reached out to all ages. That was 1948 -- the year Glenlake Tennis Center was built.

58 years later, Glenlake Tennis Center, along with Scott Park Courts and Oakhurst Park Courts, offers a variety of activities that appeal to everyone from the very young (munchkins!) to seniors.

Nine lit tennis courts are open seven days a week. ALTA, USTA, T-2, K-Swiss and VISIONARY TENNIS league players compete weekly for that top prize -- a chance to go to the playoffs. Just last year, over 50% of all their teams were headed exactly there. From C-level teams to top A teams, Glenlake is proud of what they’ve accomplished — offering tennis lessons and tennis camps that provide everyone with the opportunity for fun, fitness, and personal achievement through the learning and playing of tennis. Peggy Brodsky, assistant program supervisor, (who has been at Glenlake since 1976) said that she has witnessed several generations grow.

Everyone feels truly special playing on these Decatur Public Courts. Even the dogs get a treat!

The teaching pros, Jim Purdom (www.playwinningtennis.com), Jabari Cole, Alex Calero, Mariaan DeSwardt, Martin Cole, Jennifer Tinnell, Tommy Valentine and Brad Hawthorne offer private, semi-private, adult/junior drills, group lessons and team coaching.

Mark your calendars for the week of May 8th, when the City of Decatur will host their 15th annual tennis tournament, including singles, doubles and mixed doubles. This could be your year to take home the trophy! For further info, call 404-377-7231.

	Glenlake Tennis Center 1121 Church Street Decatur, GA 30030 404-377-7231 www.homelandcommunities.com

Olde Towne Travel Club

To provide the best service and value to our members, Olde Towne Travel Club has have engaged Williamsburg Travel Management-American Express to be our travel provider. Williamsburg is one of the largest travel firms in the Southeast U. S., a Centurion level American Express Representative, and has a reputation for excellent service. Williamsburg offers us the choice to book on-line or deal personally with one of their highly experienced agents.

• Special discounts and amenities on American Express Air Inclusive Vacations
• The best rates and amenities on Cruise Vacations
• Special Rates on Hotels Worldwide
• National Rates on Car Rentals
• Access to American Express Financial Services such as Foreign Currency
• 24 Hour Emergency Travel Service Worldwide

Packages consist of round trip flights and hotel stays. Inclusions, transfers, car rentals, meal plans, sightseeing, and trip insurance may be available as you build your package. You are moments away from your dream vacation. Experience the ease and convenience of booking and paying online!v

We will be planning special group travel programs so watch for further details.

For reservations, call 770-261-8605 / 800-541-9075 and be sure to identify yourself as an Old Towne member ... or book online.
www.willtrav.com/otac/

Restaurant of the Month — ESPN Zone

For sports lovers of all types and ages, ESPN Zone is an all-encompassing sports dining and entertainment mecca where guests are immersed in an ESPN experience. ESPN Zone offers the ultimate viewing experience on more than 150 monitors, including a high-definition big screen. In addition to expertly- prepared American grill food and over-the-top service, guests can enjoy more than 10,000 square feet of interactive games and attractions.

Short on time but still want a great meal and outstanding service? ESPN Zone is perfect for private business meetings or group lunches. Check out their new lunch menu featuring great items at lower prices, Monday-Friday, between 11:30am-4:00pm. Relax and unwind with lunch at ESPN Zone!

During the NCAA Tournament, ESPN Zone is the perfect place to have your company function with great food, fun, and a whole lot more! Private event packages are available for groups of 25 or more. Contact the sales team at 404-682-3776.

Looking for even more? Try their new Braves Power Lunches! Starting on April 28th and continuing once a month, you'll have the chance to have lunch with your favorite Atlanta Braves players and coaches.

Visit us at 3030 Peachtree Road in Atlanta, 404-682-3776. We're open for lunch and dinner every day of the week! See our website for full details: www.espnzone.com/atlanta

(I've seen him walking near my neighborhood on occasion, and each time I see him I think the same thing: "OUCH!" My whole body aches just watching him walking down the sidewalk. I don't even know his name; we've never shared more than a nod to each other when we've crossed paths during our walks. I supposed I should stop and introduce myself, but I just haven’t)

He’s an older gentleman with a very limited view of the world. His face points toward his shoes. We see people like him everywhere and we all think, "I hope that’s not me someday." It could be a man or woman but the reaction is the same ... "I don’t want to be like that when I reach that age."

The condition is called hyperkyphosis in doctor’s language. It’s when the person’s upper back is humped over and their face is pointed to the ground. It can be caused by a number of things. Sometimes a bone in the mid-back collapses due to osteoporosis; that’s the condition where the bones lose their calcium content and weaken over time. Other times, the fracture can be caused by a violent event like an auto accident. For the most part, however, the condition is a result of the slow and gradual effect of gravity on someone with poor posture.

We live in a society where much of our day-to-day activities cause us to lean our heads forward. Whether it’s working at the computer, writing, reading a book, lying in bed watching TV with our neck bent, or falling asleep on the couch, the effect is the same -- the structures that hold our heads correctly positioned over our shoulders get stretched, and those muscles weaken. Over time, we begin to carry our heads slightly forward of where they should be.

Perfect posture is defined when certain body parts are aligned or stacked so that one is directly above the other. Viewed from the side, your ear, shoulder, hip and a spot just in front of your ankle should all be lined up one over the other. Just look at the people around you closely. You’ll find that a large number of them have their heads leaning forward.

You may ask, "So what’s the big deal?" Well, when the head leans forward, over time gravity takes its toll pulling the head down and causing the shoulders to hump over. This process happens so gradually that most of us don’t even realize what’s happening until it is very advanced; by then, it is difficult, if not impossible, to correct.

Your car, oddly enough, can be a factor in helping to prevent this problem in many but not all cases. The solution is simple, but needs to be carried out consistently to be effective. First, before starting your car, sit up very straight in your seat. Then adjust the mirrors so that you are able to get a clear view when sitting in this position. Then if you slump, you won’t be able to see and it will be a reminder to straighten up -- without slouching.

Next, when you come to a stoplight, use this moment as a posture workout. Press your head gently against the headrest and count to ten. Over time you can increase the count and the effort you use each time. This isometric exercise will help to strengthen the muscles that hold your head properly over your shoulders. Finally, although this doesn’t have anything to do with your car (I hope!), limit yourself to one pillow. Sleeping on more than one pillow pushes your head forward for hours at a time. Prolonged periods like this are horrible for posture.

Using these simple tips can help you to minimize the negative effects that our daily activities have on our posture. My dream is that all of us will be able to enjoy our older years with a full view of our world -- not just the tops of our shoes.

Until next time,

Dr. Jim Heinz
Family Chiropractic Group
1376 Church Street
Decatur, GA
404-377-3377
heinzjim@bellsouth.net

A massage makes a great gift.  Call Jordana Alder at 478-284-1518 to schedule a special treat for a loved one.

Somewhere along the path of ‘growing up’, the essence of play becomes more and more elusive, like a dream’s receding memory. Many of us give in and allow the sheer fun of life to be discredited, forced to cower behind a wall of ‘reasonable expectations’.

But once in awhile, something rekindles that spark, awakens that child to come out and play. It is that moment that gives us all hope.

Visionary Tennis is all about that moment, and about bringing it back to you again and again and again. We want you to play. We want to remind you that ‘playing tennis’ really is just that. It’s not a job, it’s not a discipline —
it’s a game.