My first book , PLAY IS WHERE LIFE IS (2007 ) , is like all of them –on the blog http://www.tomparham.wordpress.com. All free.
The link below consists of comments about that book.
https://docs.google.com/document/d/1-ytMES75uCozvqCQboARk1bo3NRDY9sfBWxPmy61wvU/edit?tab=t.0
TIPPING POINT
“SPOT ON’
I posted this earlier and can’t recall the source
“… if you don’t start out with a trust fund, you’re stuck, especially for a sport like tennis that requires years of youth investment. This is a major, fatal disadvantage for American tennis. In Europe, South America and lately in Asia, kids from all social classes have a shot at a tennis career. If they show sufficient talent and motivation, there are numerous community organizations, government programs and general social assistance systems to help build up their careers, in part because these other societies strongly support investment in their youth. ”
Malcolm Gladwell’s follow up book, REVENGE OF THE TIPPING POINT, comments on the expense issue. The list of needs for wannabe great tennis players looks to be about 100-150 k annually. Six year cost ? 600 -900 thousand . Anyone wishing to follow junior tennis into pro tennis will probably have to go the Challenger route at 100k for expenses and 100k for a coach. Average time to develop needed tools about 3 years ( or 600k) to “make it”. ???
North Carolina has 4 men in its total tennis history who made enough to cover the tab and break even.
One spinoff will surely affect the only other way to recoup some of the investment: College Tennis scholarships. Tennis scholarships, already usurped in large part by internationals, are about to become even more rare for Americans. Two main reasons are 1. Sizable amounts of cash are now legal. Enough that the college route will attract more talented internationals. These people now know the harshness, expense, and probabilities of the Challengers tour. 2. A seismic shift is aided by the attractive improvements in College tennis such as the new money, competition levels that can aid development, no expenses, great coaches, facilities, teammates. What the hell, I may even go to class.
The new ITA’S new video on the history of American college tennis is enlightening. Seven minutes of the video address the international issue
(minutes 50-57 ). The one point I take issue with is the suggestion only parents were concerned and disappointed. Young Americans are eliminated . 300 schools have dropped men’s teams for reasons Coach Benjamin cites. Many Coaches throughout the nation had nice local programs rendered unacceptable. Fans and students say who cares? Still American Parents and citizens write the checks. To have Parents and youngsters dismissed to go hunting for a fifth option for their higher education is not acceptable .
With the door shut to scholarships, the expense of tennis player development becomes more and more a questionable sport to pursue.
Along with many American aspirants another group is about to be bumped : Marginal Internationals.
FOR YOUR INFORMATION
ITA HISTORY VIDEO (link below ):
FROM THE ITA
FROM STANFORD UNIVERSITY
Stanford senior Filip Kolasinski can envision the different paths his tennis career might have taken simply by looking at the group of players he trained with back home in Poland
Some now work or attend university in Europe, playing tennis only in their free time; others took coaching jobs. It’s a far cry from four years ago, when their schedules necessitated online high school, practicing four to five hours a day and traveling 25 to 30 weeks per year for tournaments and training. Several within this group of Polish junior players decided to turn pro, Kolasinski said, but it has been challenging for them.
Four years into their professional careers, some are still barely able to break even financially, Kolasinski explained, in spite of achieving decent on-court results. “I think the important thing is that you have to be really, really good in tennis to make significant money,” he said. “Because the costs of basically training and traveling are so high.”
Kolasinski, a Warsaw native once ranked among the top 100 juniors in the world, ultimately took a different route: NCAA Division I tennis. He is one of an increasing number of international players who are choosing to postpone or forgo professional careers in favor of additional years of competition and education at American universities.
And while collegiate tennis in the United States has long been an option for non-domestic players, athletes and coaches say that the financial incentives, professional opportunities and motivations for prospective international student-athletes have only grown in recent years.
According to an NCAA Research report published in December 2022, 61% of male and 66% of female Division I tennis players are international students, up from approximately 38% and 50% reported in 2006-2007. Many attribute this large increase to high-profile professional players who successfully transitioned from collegiate tennis to pro careers. Currently, 15 men in the Association of Tennis Professionals (ATP) top 100 are former college players, and six of those are in the top 50.
Recent talent to emerge from the collegiate sphere includes the American phenom, Ben Shelton, who won the 2022 NCAA singles and team titles for the University of Florida and reached a major quarterfinal less than a year after turning pro; American Danielle Collins, a two-time NCAA singles champion at the University of Virginia and now Australian Open finalist; the top-ranked British male, Cameron Norrie, who held the No. 1 national collegiate ranking in singles while at Texas Christian University; and Diana Shnaider from Russia, who spent this past season alternating between dual matches for North Carolina State and various pro events, scoring her first two major match wins in 2023.
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“The success of some of the collegiate players on tour has increased the viability for international student-athletes to consider college as a pathway to professional tennis,” said Stanford men’s tennis head coach Paul Goldstein.
Students can also benefit financially from playing pro events while at school, though only to a certain extent. NCAA eligibility rules state that Division I tennis players may collect up to $10,000 in prize money from professional tournaments each calendar year. Any additional money accepted after reaching that limit may not exceed the athlete’s expenses for participating in an event.
The ATP announced an additional incentive last January, unveiling a partnership with the Intercollegiate Tennis Association (ITA). The top 20 players in the June ITA rankings and any other player who reaches the quarterfinals of the NCAA Tournament singles draw will now be awarded wildcards into Challenger 50 and 75 events, entry-level tournaments designed to provide upward mobility to lower-ranked players. Those ranked in the top 10 will be entered into a tournament’s main draw, while Nos. 11-20 will gain still sought-after places in qualifying brackets. These opportunities, the ATP said in a statement, are intended to help the next generation of collegiate athletes jumpstart their professional careers.
“AND THE BEAT GOES ON.”
THESE RANG TRUE (by Tom Parham )
Here are some quotes on strategy from people I respect. These “rang
true” for my many players in many matches.
Find out what your opponent can’t do, or doesn’t like to do, and make
them do that.” –Jack Kramer (Think Nadal over Federer in 2007 French
Open. Target? Federer’s backhand.)
Don’t change the “line of the ball” unless you are sure you can make the
shot. Otherwise, cross courts “ad nausea.” Two-handed backhand down the
line shots will “slide wide” too often, believe me –T. Parham.
When asked what he would do differently, Ken Rosewall replied, “I would
hit a lot more balls cross court.”
Cross courts get you out of trouble. Jim Verdieck demanded the cross
court ball from his team.
Get yourself in a position to “volley away from the source” –Jim Verdieck.
Any ball hit extremely deep in either corner allows a good attacking
possibility –Jim Verdieck (“two and in”).
The simple strategy of tennis singles: “Attack the short ball” –Dennis Van
Der Meer.
Good approach shots make easy volleys –Jim Leighton.
No shots in “no man’s land” is a myth –T. Parham.
Rule 1: Find a good doubles partner. Rule 2: Get along with your
doubles partner.
THE “NEW” DOUBLES
The “ Pinch “ or “ 2 0n 1”
NADAL AND ALCARAZ TO PLAY DOUBLES TOGETHER IN OLYMPICS
That headline got some attention. The Spanish duo, history’s elite, past and future singles icons, playing doubles.
I watched too, but maybe with a new observation:
Credit as due—my first glance at this strategy came while watching the NCAA WOMEN’S DOUBLES this spring.
THE GOAL is to pin the server deep and wide on the baseline. Assuming all four players are right handed and the point is from the ad court, , the best way to begin is with a great service return down the line. This flies in the face of conventional thought which sends the return crosscourt. AND DOWN THE LINE IS TOUGHER TO DO.
However, Tactic 2 ups the ante. Once the receiver’s partner recognizes this return he moves to a unique position at the net, almost up to the net and in the MIDDLE of the court. This does two things (1) it cuts off almost all but the super angled crosscourt return and (2) renders the server’s partner to a neutralized position.
The College Women used this basic formation, and multiple variations of it, to achieve the same goal : To limit the opponent’s best option to a “down the alley” rally—-with our net player in a much better position to attack. And to put pressure on the opposition.
As the Olympics match began to progress I noticed both professional teams were not only aware of this strategy, both were using their own variations , OFTEN with great success.
Alvarez and Nadal have been singles specialists. Doubles is a different game. A team game, with different shots from different places. VOLLEYS, QUICKNESS, SERVICE RETURNS, ANGLES AND LOBS.
While odds favored the Spaniards doubles, a less familiar game featuring a new effective ploy, evened the match ( 7/6, 6/4 ).
The two diagrams below reflect
1. Traditional alignment for the four players and 2. The alignment goal of THE PINCH ( One variation ).
Here is a clip from an earlier blog—College Doubles
The most fun in tennis is playing for your school team. The doubles point often dictates the team winner. American college coaches. all things equal, recruit players who are good at both singles and doubles.
I believe college women will find great pro possibilities in doubles because of the unique efforts in developing doubles teams.
One flaw in American Junior development is the emphasis on singles ranking only. Doubles play is considered a detriment to singles rank. What if players were ranked on singles and doubles combined. Or simply a combination ranking?
Actually men’s college doubles vets shone brighter this WIMBLEDON. Henry Patten for the UNC Asheville Bulldogs, a winning partner in doubles. Rob Galloway of the Wofford College Terriers played a spectacular first set in doubles second round. Doubles COUNT in college tennis and the results shed light on a bigger issue. Having coached against Wofford and UNC Asheville years back I can describe them as small mid majors in the NCAA.
COLLEGE TENNIS HAS BECOME THE MINOR LEAGUES OF PROFESSIONAL TENNIS
Tie for Coach of the Year in Professional Tennis:
Oddly both awards come from second serve improvement. Both were able to eliminate a crippling flaw, one that will drive you bats.
[Verse 1]
Deep within each heart
There lies a magic spark
That lights the fire of our imagination
And since the dawn of man
The strength of just I can
Has brought together people of all nations
There’s nothing ordinary in the living of each day
There’s a special part every one of us will play
[Chorus]
Feel the flame forever burn
Teaching lessons we must learn
To bring us closer to the power of the dream
[Bridge]
As the world gives us its best
To stand apart from all the rest
It is the power of the dream that brings us here
[Verse 2]
Your mind will take you far
The rest is just your heart
You’ll find your fate is all your own creation
And every boy and girl as they come into this world
Bring the gift of hope and inspiration
[Chorus]
Feel the flame forever burn
Teaching lessons we must learn
To bring us closer to the power of the dream
[Verse 3]
The world unites in hope and peace
We pray that it will always be
It is the power of the dream that brings us here
There’s so much strength in all of us
Every woman, child, and man
It’s the moment that you think you can’t
You’ll discover that you can
[Chorus]
Feel the flame forever burn
Teaching lessons we must learn
To bring us closer to the power of the dream
Feel the flame forever burn
Teaching lessons we must learn
To bring us closer to the power of the dream
[Verse 4]
The power of the dream
Faith in things unseen
Courage to embrace your fears
No matter where you are
To reach for your own star
[Outro]
To realize the power of the dream
To realize the power of the dream
Noted from an article in July 15,2024 SPORTS ILLUSTRATED by Jon Wertheim
23. A secret hiding in plain sight: college tennis. It’s not just the experience it provides. ( Navratilova’s theory: College players play doubles so they work on their lobs and overheads.) It’s not just the legion of players now populating the draws-though, on Wimbleon’s middle weekend, three alumni from one school (University of Virginia) were in action. It’s also college tennis’s far-reaching effects. Agents come out of college tennis. So do tour employees, significant others and coaches. A few weeks ago, someone wrote into the mailbag asking who was coaching Bianca Andreescu. It’s J.T. Nishimura, who played at the University of California, Berkeley. Speaking of … 24. Peter Ayers played at Duke University in the 1990s. He became a tennis coach in the Carolinas and, nearly a decade ago, began working with Navarro. As she ascended in the juniors, then in college and then in the pros, he remained the chief aide-de-camp. It says a lot about Navarro that she would stick with him. A lot of players similarly situated would have left their coach once they hit the big time.
Read more at: https://www.newsobserver.com/sports/article290059719.html#storylink=cpy
*********************************************
Second Guessing
Here is a clip from an earlier blog—College Doubles
The most fun in tennis is playing for your school team. The doubles point often dictates the team winner. American college coaches. all things equal, recruit players who are good at both singles and doubles.
I believe college women will find great pro possibilities in doubles because of the unique efforts in developing doubles teams.
One flaw in American Junior development is the emphasis on singles ranking only. Doubles play is considered a detriment to singles rank. What if players were ranked on singles and doubles combined. Or simply a combination ranking?
Actually men’s college doubles vets shone brighter this WIMBLEDON. Henry Patten for the UNC Asheville Bulldogs, a winning partner in doubles. Rob Galloway of the Wofford College Terriers played a spectacular first set in the doubles second round. Doubles COUNT in college tennis and the results shed light on a bigger issue. Having coached against Wofford and UNC Asheville years back I can describe them as small mid majors in the NCAA.
Having watched the debacle of college sports ( portals and likeness, who pays how much? etc. ), combined with the decline of minor league baseball compared to college baseball’s staggering TV success (and women’s softball ), —haven’t these two become ” revenue sports “? The Omaha World Series, at $250 a seat sells out weekly. That Honeycutt kid from Carolina deserves a cut.
TV substituted college baseball for the pros when the Major Leagues went on strike. Colleges now are the minor leagues of baseball. Softball is a big TV draw. Are these new “money sports”? Others are growing on TV.
American Tennis players need scholarships to stay in the aena.
This from today’s newspaper article on Black Pickleball possibilities :
You are welcome:’ A Black Charlotte pickleball club is creating inclusion and culture BY MYLES MANOR UPDATED JUNE 27, 2024 10:41 AM Kayla Brooks hosts Rally’s pick up & play pickle ball events monthly at Rally. Troyonna Adams, Zenith Creative Media A Charlotte-based pickleball organization is rethinking how Black people view the popular leisure activity. Black Pickleball & Co., founded by Kayla Brooks in 2023, aims to improve the socioeconomic mobility of Black communities by involving them in a sport that is growing in popularity. Brooks says pickleball provides opportunities for professionals to network with each other. “Societies function and people have opportunities based on loose ties,” she said. “It’s not necessarily your best friend, but you know a person enough, and they know you enough that if you need a professional service, you can ask them, and you have that connection from it [pickleball].” Pickleball, which was created in 1965, is considered the fastest-growing sport in the world, with about 13.6 million active players, according to the Sports & Fitness Industry Association. However, only 7.3 percent of documented pickleball players in the United States are Black. Brooks was hesitant to begin playing pickleball herself because, when she was once invited to play, she told a friend, “Black people don’t play pickleball.” These days, Brooks is now directing initiatives to make Charlotte’s pickleball scene more welcoming to Black people. The group has hosted events and pickleball games at Rally and Lab City in Charlotte to engage a new demographic that was previously overlooked. “Part of bringing Black people into this space is not to assimilate to the culture,” Brooks told The Charlotte Observer. “I want them to feel community.” Black Pickleball & Co. hosts events for Charlotteans to connect and enjoy community not just play pickleball. Troyonna Adams Troyonna Adams, Zenith Creative Media REIMAGINING THE COUNTRY CLUB EXPERIENCE Now, Black Pickleball & Co. hosts matches at Rally every month, including a recent Juneteenth event held on June 19. Brooks says the partnership with Rally is a sign that the organization is heading in the right direction. “We aim to radically reimagine the country club experience for a new generation of activity-seekers, and a big part of that is opening up the racquet sport world to communities that have historically been excluded from it,” Rally co-founders Megan Charity and Barret Worthington said in a joint statement to the Observer. “We are honored to have been a launchpad for Kayla to build BPC into the huge success it is today. “We’ve been so inspired by the team and the community that Kayla has built around a genuine love of the game. They motivate us to work harder every day to make Rally the most inclusive and welcoming community possible.” BUILDING COMMUNITY COMES BEFORE PICKLEBALL Brooks hopes promoting Black participation in pickleball can create a space where people can feel comfortable with new experiences. “A lot of Black people miss their seat at the table simply because they don’t play these sports,” said Brooks about the history of Black people not participating in large numbers in sports like pickleball, golf and tennis. To date, more than 500 people have attended Black Pickleball & Co. pickleball events since last August, according to Brooks. “Everyone who comes to BPC is not Black. Everyone is not a millennial. Everyone who comes to BPC does not look or dress a certain way, and we’re very proud of that,” she said. Other pickleball organizations tend to focus on bringing together people who play pickleball, Brooks says. Black Pickleball & Co. focuses on community first and pickleball second. “A lot of people in Charlotte are looking for community, and I think that’s what makes us different from other pickleball organizations is that a lot of other groups are looking for people who like to play pickleball,” she said. “On the converse, we are just looking for people.” Black Pickleball & Co. is not just focused on Black people playing pickleball. It wants pickleball to be a catalyst for friendships, business relationships, and enrichment for participants. “Come in your bright colors, come with everything that you are, and you are welcome in this space,” said Brooks.
This taken from a 2019 blog entitled THE ENEMY AT THE GATE?
Former North Carolina Governor, Jim Martin, on the federal deficit: It is “…like an baby’s alimentary canal—unlimited appetite on one end, and no sense of responsibility on the other.”
The Little Green Book of Tennis 