Hit the same/Mentally tougher

Tennis is such a fickle sport. You can “own” one opponent but never be able to beat half the players that opponent is able to beat. Why is that? Everyone always runs to look at the draw to try to evaluate players based on their results on paper, and say things like, “Oh well, this #125 must be good, he beat the #35 last week”, or say things like “I always beat that kid, how does he win all these matches and I don’t?” It happens in the pros too, just not as often because the best in the world are, well, the best. When the level is so high, and the players so established in their training, techniques and fitness levels from an early age, a lot of the times the outcome of the match is solely based on the mental state of being, physical preparation and those outdoor indoor conditions of the time of play. Sometimes player’s games just don’t match up well against one another, causing this great divide between being able to beat two players in the top hundred, or being in the top 10 and being able to beat everyone.


Look at this years Medibank International warm up tournament in Sydney, right before the Australian Open. We will take Serena for example, although cases might be abundant on both sides of the draw. Quarterfinals, Serena Williams vs. Caroline Wozniacki. Nobody bet on Denmark’s Caroline Wozniacki to win the 09 Australian Open, many bet on Serena Williams, marking her clear favorite of that match. Of course Wozniacki is up and coming and Serena is a defending champion of many slams and a veteran of top rankings. Wozniacki could have beaten Serena, after all she had three match points to close out the match at 6-5 in the final set. Doesn’t mean Wozniacki played a lot worse, or can’t beat Serena, it just comes down to experience, nerves and those varying states of being. Serena ended up losing to Dementieva, who beat Safina to the trophy. Moving on to Australian Open. Where is Serena and where is Caroline Wozniacki? Wozniacki lost to Dokic 3^rd round and Serena is in the finals again. Perhaps the stage is bigger during Grandslams and not all the young players can compose themselves like the past champions, evidenced by the lack of underdog winners. It must be frustrating, knowing you can strike the ball no worse than today’s Slam winner, hold match points, but be unable to convert. Patience is a virtue, those who find themselves and beat their inner demons, come out on top in tennis. Because they all look good striking the ball.


So what is the punch line of this observation of juniors at the draw and close pro matches where the champions pull out the victory? More advice for kids! It is true; anything can happen in sports, so stay positive and don’t give up until the handshake. Seeing that someone can never beat a particular type of player may give away hints of what type of players they struggle against most. It’s good to be observant and strategical, it will teach you to think on the court. Playing a high seed at a big tournament probably does mean that they have a lot more match experience, but not necessarily wins. Work on your game, develop your strengths and learn how to play in all types of conditions against all types of players. No experience is a bad experience in sports as long as you learn from it. Most importantly train yourself to be mentally tough. If this observation means anything, it’s that if you hit enough balls, you will be good enough to play with the big shots. But to be a big shot, you’re going to have to be mentally tough and experienced.

Read Serena’s Interview from Australian Open on mental tennis:

http://tennisinfoblog.com/me-against-the-russians-serena-williams-australian-open-interview

To Retire, or not to retire?

Global warming, summer in Australia, fact is, the heat was overbearing this year. We watched the players struggle, and we were sad to see the several retirements amidst really great tennis. Jie Zheng retired against Kuznetsova after hurting her wrist on a fall. Victoria Azarenka retired due to dizziness and sickness in her match against Serena. And Novak Djokovic retired against Roddick. Notice, all three were visibly unwell.

Kids retire for the wrong reasons sometimes. Some hate to lose so much they convince themselves they are unable to go on and retire. Others are really unwell and hate to lose so much, the more positive ones, walk side to side in hope of a miracle until they lose 6-0 in 15 minutes. Retirement should be monitored in kids. Pros would never retire because there is so much on the line for them, but they also care enough about their health and their full year jobs, to retire if they really can’t go on. Kids need to find that balance. Got an injury mid match? Playing on it will only make it worse? Retire! You don’t want to develop problems when you have years ahead of beating up your body. Feeling sick, be rational, no one needs a hero, but sometimes it is better to play through it. Don’t feel sorry for yourself, and you will see a clearer picture. Losing badly? All of a sudden an old injury is seemingly aching when you keep missing those forehands long? Try to slow down and figure out why you are playing the way you are and how to win more of the points that you win. Don’t give up. Its only going to break your character and your mental training and you will never be able to play up to your potential.

Check out Djokovic's defensive remarks against players that accuse him of gamesmanship:

http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/tennis/7853238.stm

Check out Federer's comments on Novak's retirement:
http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport2/hi/tennis/7853693.stm

Check out Azarenka's retirement and what her opponent had to say:
http://espn.go.com/video/clip?id=3860412

"Me, Myself" and I

No, its not that movie with Jim Carrey featuring a whole 10 seconds of Anna Kournikova and no it is not the confession of a narcissist. It is news from the sports retail world. It is the name of Adidas's new ad campaign.

“The new Adidas philosophy of Me, Myself is inspiring to me because it shows women as individuals; that we are all athletes in our own right and that we all have things that we do differently whatever level of athlete we are,” said Ana Ivanovic about her new Adidas campaign that is going to be in print and broadcast. That campaign is called “Me, Myself’ and features text that explains the 30 minutes that athletes need to themselves to peak. "Ana, 30. Thirty minutes of 'me' time - it's what I need before I can meet my next challenge. Impossible is nothing." This sounds like a very good and inspiring campaign.

I really like the sound of this campaign. It’s a good example to kids, who often forget about what their 30 is all about. Unfortunately that can be a lot of things from brushing their teeth twice a day, to writing out flash cards for an exam, to stretching before and after practices. Taking away from this particular campaign, I think this will serve as a great reminder to kids particularly about their 30 mins of stretching before and after tennis. So many juniors skip this step because it is “boring”.

Newsflash, sports are about routine, at least in preparation. Unlike many truly routine sports like gymnastics and swimming, tennis at least is a game with many interesting nuances and unlimited time to turn things around, to ploy game plans and dissect opponents. But those opportunities don't come to those that don't take preparation seriously. Take some time to figure out your 30, Me, Myself.

If you have any questions regarding the charity, or how to donate tennis racquets, visit TennisRacquetsforKids.org

Barney, Big Bird, Polly Pocket, Tennis Coach

One of the hardest things in this world happens to be holding the attention of a 3-6 yr old. They are little bundles of energy and curiosity, and their minds tend to jump around and their thoughts scatter and they often forget what it is that they were doing a moment ago. A scary reminder of old people with memory problems. Nevertheless, accurate!

To grow good tennis players, kids simply have to start playing as kids, even better if they’re still toddlers. It takes millions of tennis balls and good coaching to lay the foundation right. A house with bad foundation crumbles, right? Sports aren’t any different. But a sport like tennis is pretty routine and mundane in some ways, and how on earth can it hold the interest of a little kid, repeating the same motions time after time, over and over again? Of course, there are group clinics for the Pee Wee class, where seven kids line up in a chaotic row and wait their turn to try to hit the occasional giant foam ball while a coach tries to fix their grip and show them the motion while keeping the other kids from turning their frames into weapons. Fun, yet not very productive. It is pretty important to take things into your own hands, parents…or take some private lessons, they will get more balls hit and more attention will go towards tennis, as in the actual fundamentals of the game. These kids are like little sponges, they just need to be constantly redirected and given correct things to imitate from day one.

Now, clearly, this can’t be a serious 30 min. – 1 hour lesson. Kids are not mature enough; they don’t have enough skills to try too many different things. Teaching little kids is like working on the cartoon network, if you want results. I can’t even begin to name the characters I have played to teach, I’ve dressed in neon colors and sang Barney songs with text like “bounce, hit”, pretended I was Spiderman for the little boys that had to hit the fireballs the basket spat back over the net, or played games like capture the money with various stages that granted a fake money reward for 3 shots hit correctly and over the net. This creative approach to coaching kids, may seem a little crazy from the side, but it is the most productive approach. It may drain the coach of energy, but it stimulates the kids to learn to do things correctly, it gets them used to routine and gets them to understand that hard work and productivity are rewarding, and fun! Not all kids are the same, not all kids like sports or show extreme athleticism at such a young age, and that has to be considered. There is an interesting understanding of the average American kid in Eastern Europe, and that is a kid who does fifteen things but not a single one well. Or there is the opposite understanding that Eastern European kids live out the one single dream of their parents with no back up what so ever, be it school, violin, or swimming. For some kids its worth to wait longer and find out what they are most inclined to be better at. For other kids it’s important to direct them early on so they develop the skills they need to be great. Both are a risk. Ultimately both develop children in a positive way.

So parents, if you’re thinking about raising tennis players, serious ones, here are some tips.

Spend time with kids yourselves; no one will make them understand how to work productively like you can.

Find a good coach who will focus on setting the right grips and technique off the bat. Poor technique is the hardest thing to fix.

Invest money in private lessons; your kids will improve faster.

Have them play often. It doesn’t have to be a lot while they are little, but often.

Work with your kids off the court by developing their eye hand coordination. Have them bounce tennis balls on their racquets and do some running, catching and throwing ball drills. Clearly, tennis is not ballet, but stretching your kids when they’re still little, will help their muscles become more flexible and athletic to handle the excess of exercise later on.

Don’t be afraid to get creative. The world is changing and our kids respond to a lot of things at a faster and more colorful rate. It takes more of everything to stimulate them, but kids will always be kids, make it a game and they will respond and learn faster than by force. Don’t burn them out.

Do not forget that kids are your greatest investment in life. Don’t be afraid to have them do something seriously from an early age. Especially sports. Athletic careers aren’t long lasting, thus they simply have to start early.

Support your kids, but don’t succumb to their every whimsical protest against taking something seriously. What they pick up at their most critical learning stages will stay with them for life.

If you have any questions regarding the charity, or how to donate tennis racquets, visit TennisRacquetsforKids.org

The Australian Open 2009

Our new year is in progress, as well as our very first Grand Slam. Don't forget to watch the coverage on Espn2 throughout most of the morning, evening and night, as well as visit the official website for up to date scoring, draws and interviews.

Any guesses? It is a race to the number 1 spot for several players on both sides of the draw. Plenty of inspiration to give it their best as well as a hefty monetary reward and an eternal engraving on a trophy. Hopefully a beautiful semi final of Murray/Djokovic, Murray/Federer or Nadal/Djokovic, Nadal/Federer. On the women's side, my bet is with a Serena Williams/Jankovic final as I am pretty sure they want to add this to their resume pretty badly.

A Moment in History

The 2009 Inauguration was disputably the most moving political event of a grand scale in a while. It was clearly a historical moment that was one of a kind and one for the books. I think in this time of difficulty that America is facing, having this overwhelming feeling of patriotism, change and hope is the only way to move forward. Of course, some people may not see it that way, as politics are divided. However, the outcome is ultimately inescapable and everyone needs to be on the same page more now than in a while. A lot of people criticized the expense of the event we watched just yesterday, but it simply couldnt have been done in a simpler way. Despite its cost, the event had to be rich and beautiful and elegant, because it marked a new era in history, it stood for a lot of different things to a lot of different people and it had to be noticed. It screamed greatness, change and hope. In our world of tennis, there are also heroes of the day. Tennis is as much a part of life where it concerns questions of gender, race, nationality, patriotism. In many ways, American tennis has been elevated to unprecedented heights by the Williams sisters and here is what they had to say about this great moment in history.

Source: Tennisinfoblog.com

Q. Big night back home for Americans with the inauguration. Can I ask you what that means to you? Also, early hours of the morning tomorrow. Will you try and wake up and watch it?

SERENA WILLIAMS: This is an amazing moment for American history. Even yesterday, the United States being Martin Luther King’s birthday. To have his birthday and Obama’s presidency fall so close to each other. This morning I was watching on the TV before I went out to play. I looked at my arm, and I literally had chill bumps.

I’m a big fan of African American history, learning my roots so I can be a better person. You just look at all the things that we’ve come through. Now to have this opportunity in less than 24 hours is amazing.

I don’t know, I’ll probably record it. I need my rest for this tournament. But it’s definitely something that I probably will look at.

Q. Is it inspiring for you and your sister? Do you feel in some ways yourself and Venus have done in a sporting sense what Obama has done in a political sense?

SERENA WILLIAMS: I definitely think myself and Venus has opened up a lot of doors, being the first African Americans to do so much in tennis. But I never really look at that. I just look at trying to stay focused.

At the end of my career, I always thought I would go back and kind of dwell on that, because I don’t want to get complacent and be like, Oh, I did this, I did that. It can become easy to become complacent with nine Grand Slams and counting (laughter).

Also: tune into a video conference with the William's sisters provided by Espn.go.com

http://espn.go.com/video/clip?id=3846053

The KEY to a great two handed backhand...

The two handed backhand is a pretty compact shot that doesn’t require a huge backswing, or differs greatly in technique among too many players, but is often the weaker shot in comparison to the forehand (which is hit solely with the dominant hand). Why is that? Perhaps, the dominant hand is often the very problem.

The key really is simple. You have to hit tons of shots with your non dominant hand in order to develop a world class backhand. It is a misunderstanding to some point to think of a one handed backhand and a two handed backhand as the same stroke. One handed backhanders have a much larger and looser motion and use a lot more of their core and dominant arm to create spin and power. The best two-handers in the world barely use their dominant arm to create spin and power on their backhands. We completely overuse our dominant hand in tennis, with forehands, slices, volleys, serves and overheads all being hit with one arm. For those of us whose non dominant hand is underdeveloped, the tendency is to mostly use our dominant hand on the backhand as well, when in reality, the non dominant hand should be the main guiding force.

How do we develop our non dominant hand? Like everything else, we hit many more tennis balls and we practice it. You can get fed baskets of balls to the backhand side where you use the same grip, prepare with both hands, but hit the ball with your non dominant hand. You can also, incorporate it into your daily warm up, starting with mini tennis all the way to the baseline, alternating between two handed backhands and (lefty) forehands if you’re a righty (vice versa for lefties). This will ensure that you get a better feel for the ball and the wrist action necessary for your non dominant arm/hand in the complete stroke. Practice hitting both angles, through the court and lobs to feel the variety. Now, tennis players know that nothing happens overnight. This is really something that should be taught from an early age on and blended into a daily routine. Practice makes perfect and this really (REALLY!) helps!

If you have any questions regarding the charity, or how to donate tennis racquets, visit TennisRacquetsforKids.org

Kids Breaking Racquets

We have all seen footage of John McEnroe and his on court temper tantrums, and we have all seen the antics of Marat Safin, and occasionally of his sister Dinara. There are many racquet breakers out there, and while most pros have it under control and serve us as great role models of keeping cool no matter the bad day and score (perhaps despite their inner most desire for outrage), there are plenty of juniors and amateurs who can’t control themselves (maybe its because only pros are really penalized with big green bucks).

Naturally, we were curious, medically, psychologically speaking if you will, why some kids lose it while others don’t. We consulted experts and came upon a study. Of course keep in mind that it’s pretty hard for studies to be perfect because there are just too many variables and factors to consider.

On January 1, 2008 there was an interesting study published by Melinda R. Bolgar et al. of the University of Florida, in the Journal of Applied Sports Psychology. The study was called “Trait Anger, Appraisal, and Coping Differences Among Adolescent TennisPlayers”. This study didn’t answer all our questions, but it focused on finding out the difference in how two different groups of kids cope with tennis situations. One group was labeled as kids prone to anger and the other comprised of kids prone to coolness. This study was also interested in finding out whether boys and girls manage anger differently.

Tennis officials record hundreds of penalties each year due to racquet abuse on the junior tennis circuit. Even that is surface data to how much breaking really goes on (not every tournament and practice has refs). From personal knowledge, Marat Safin’s Head representative used to lecture kids on the fragility of the frames citing Safin as the worst example, as he demolished an average of 45 frames a year and cost himself and the company quite a bit. Most people study anxiety, but few study anger when dealing with these racquet throwers and breakers. Emotions and psyche are a huge part of sports and a better understanding of them can contribute to more effective intervention from the coaches and parents as well as prevention of early burn out that haunts so many juniors. Plus, we’ve all seen how destructive negative behavior can be when kids get upset a lot on the court and are unable to really compete like they can. Dictionary-wise, Anger is an “emotion-action” and a reaction to stress. Now, stress can be ignited for many reasons such as personality, coping style, type of ego, one’s goals, how one thinks about and appraises threatening situations. It has been long proven that individuals with a trait for anger (lets think of it as genetic) get angry more and do it way more intensely. It doesn't mean that they care more or are playing much worse than kids that don't show emotions. In tennis, so many factors can undermine one’s goal like, cheating, wind, sun, bad day, a cramp, to name a few. Coaches always say, “Don’t make up excuses; your opponent is facing the same problem”, which is true, but not everyone can follow that advice easily. Most people get angry for the same reasons, the difference lies in how people cope. That is what separates the racquet abusers and screamers from the string fixers and deep breathers.

This particular study decided to give several surveys to about 103 (boy and girl) competitive teen (11-18) USTA tennis players. They gave them one survey to find out how prone the kid was to anger, another to see how they reacted to situations and a third to determine how often they showed their anger. The format of the questions was a rating scale (1-10) with statements like, “When I am angry I have a hot temper,” and “When I am angry, I avoid people to stay out of trouble.” To questions like, “I stayed in the situation and tried to control my emotions to better deal with the situation”, to “I often throw my racquet, scream, swear, hit the ground, hit the fence”.

The data they evaluated showed that kids prone to anger, react to the same types of problems that cool kids list, much more emotionally as opposed to rationally. Those who scored higher in reactive anger had more outbursts on the court and it didn’t seem to matter whether they were a boy or a girl. This supports the idea that kids who are less prone to anger find more solutions to the same stressful situations and are thus able to react more calmly.

The question then is, if a kid is prone to anger, will he/she never learn to control their emotions? That is not true; it just means that these kids need to be taught how to see problems from many more sides. To be open to change, not see things in just do or die. The goal is to learn how to identify how the kid is feeling about the problem and then modify their initial emotional reaction to see more ways out and find more logical resolutions. Kids should not be “locked into views of reality that hinder coping” these researchers say. Coping sounds like a better plan to win that match than throwing a fit.

Everyone gets angry, it’s a human emotion that we all have to express, however tennis is a game and no matter what it means to you, at the end of the day someone wins while someone else loses. Point is, by throwing your racquet you will never play your best and be able to focus on the ultimate goal. You will only upset yourself and let your opponent see your mental weakness. (This doesn't just concern the kids, we're talking to adult league players too ;P) Learn from the pros, even though, they too, are only human. Let this be a lesson to you kids especially, you're not all sponsored like Safin and get free frames, don’t crack racquets, they are your only weapons on court, if you really don’t need them, give them to us and we will give them to those that really do need them!

If you have any questions regarding the charity, or how to donate tennis racquets, visit TennisRacquetsforKids.org

For your pure entertainment...Links to YOUTUBE VIDEOS of what NOT to do

John McEnroe (King of classic anger)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YxAPKtOe0fQ&feature=related

Andy Roddick

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5sr3A10qZkE&feature=related

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9_pEOmEuToo&feature=related

Kristian Pless

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BIzPZz2atDk&feature=related

Marat Safin (Prince of temper tantrums)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K3QtkHSyvaE&feature=related

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XrlpJpKb0Do&feature=related

Roger Federer (exceptionally rare moments)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MW3Z5N6DjT4&feature=related

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wmCEgNR1TCk

Nicole Vaidisova

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=si00JdfqOsc&feature=related

Maria Sharapova

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=htF0eMiEHvk&feature=related

Childhood Obesity & The Metabolic Syndrome

One third of children in the United States is either overweight or obese. More teenagers are now being referred to surgeons for bariatric or obesity surgery. Something needs to be done to stop the cycle of continous weight gain in children. Obesity increases the risk for Type II, or non-insulin dependent Diabetes Mellitus. The number of children being diagnosed with this form of diabetes is increasing each year. Children today are found to have poor nutritional habits and higher cholesterol levels. Obesity is a risk factor for diabetes,and as these children become young adults, they could develop the Metabolic Syndrome. The Metabolic Syndrome is a group of findings that puts people at a higher risk for heart attacks and strokes. One of the characteristics of the Metabolic Syndrome is waist size. If you are a male and you have a waist size of 40 inches, or a women and have a waist size of 35 inches, you are at risk for the Metabolic Syndrome.

There are many reasons for this increase in childhood obesity. Poor food choices, the lack of knowledge regarding nutrition, lack of exercise, school burden and parent over scheduling. Gone are the days of coming home from school, going to the local park,and still having enough time to complete homework. Now, too much time is spent with video games, computers, and homework. Texting is a sport onto itself, but unfortunately does not burn enough calories. While schools are now first addressing healthier lunch items, they must also address the exorbitant amount of homework and projects given to children in middle school and high school. These are the ages where children are found to be overweight and obese. In the past, 10 math problems would suffice, now 25 problems are needed. Add to that, laboratory reports, and assignments requiring multiple chapters to be read and outlined in their other subjects, as well as, a testing and quiz schedule every two weeks. There is certainly no time for exercise, and a limited amount of time to sleep. Schools need to acknowledge this problem and limit the amount of homework. On the show, " Everybody Loves Raymond", Raymond had a feeble attempt to speak to his child's grade school teacher about the excessive homework, but he was intimidated. Was this another "show about nothing", or was it really true to life?

Parents need to take a more active role in educating their children about healthier food, and offer vegetables and fruits in the home. Fast food needs to be removed as a regular meal choice. Smaller portions and healthy snacks needs to be emphasized. Sodas and high calorie sport drinks should be very limited in the diet. Use your child's pediatrician as a resource.



When kids have down time, they turn to their computers, video games, and phones, not to exercise. Parents have to reinforce the benefits of regular exercise for their children.Exercise can be as simple as walking, going to a park, or bicycling. Given the time constraints on today's children, 40 minutes of continuous aerobic exercise four times a week, is a minimal recommendation. Any activity with movement, such as dancing, walking, basketball,soccer, hitting a tennis ball or paddle ball against the wall are all acceptable. The key word is continuous movement, and multiple times a week.

We are embarking on a new year, 2009, and now is the time to fight the growing epidemic of childhood obesity,and diabetes. This will lead to a growth in heart disease. This path is totally preventable with lifestyle modification and exercise. Take the time to help our children help themselves stay healthy. It is a team effort. The challenge is ours.

If you have any questions regarding the charity, or how to donate tennis racquets, visit TennisRacquetsforKids.org

This Weeks Highlights

• Ivanovic has lost to No. 23 Mauresmo in QF of Brisbane 6-3 6-2

• Venus Williams beat Jankovic at the JB Classic in Hong Kong. Venus went undefeated also beating Chakvetadze and Zvonareva.
• It’s the 13^th Hopman Cup title for the Slovaks as Dominika Cibulkova and Dominik Hrbaty edged past the Safin’s. No. 19 Cibulkova beat Safina 6-7(3) 6-1 6-4 for her first time ever, and No. 250 Hrbaty beat Safin 6-7(5) 7-5 7-6(3)
• Viktoria Azarenka captured her first WTA title in a win over Marion Bartoli in Brisbane.
• Dementieva beat Vesnina 6-4 6-1 in Auckland, capturing her 12^th singles title.
• No crisis for Aussi Open champions, the singles finalists will receive $1 million each while the winners will get $2. This is a 12.3 % increase from last year.
• The Spanish wild card duo of Marc Lopez and Rafael Nadal defeat top seeds and 2008 ATP Champions Daniel Nestor and Nenad Zimonjic 4-6, 6-4, 10-8, at the Qatar ExxonMobil Open in Doha.
  

If you have any questions regarding the charity, or how to donate tennis racquets, visit TennisRacquetsforKids.com

Stories of Interest

- Anne Koethavong, the only British female tennis player to crack into the top 100 in the past 7 years, has launched her own website. Who doesn’t have a website these days. There are even plenty of parents launching sites for their juniors in hopes of attracting attention of sponsors, and mimicking the pros. That is not necessarily bad however.

- "I love my job. I love hitting balls, running, jumping, chasing after that ball. I love what I do, so that's what keeps me motivated," said 28 year old Venus Williams in Hong Kong this week, dissipating all questions about retirement plans. She has yet to win the French Open and the Australian and she is in great shape, why stop now!

- "I can't run and I can't play," said Davydenko. "I know that I may not return to the court soon." He is in a lot of pain due to a left heel injury and has pulled out of several pre-Australian tournaments as well as the first slam of the season. "What's important," he said, "is that I have to be fit as there are still three more Grand Slam tournaments left."


-"I have nothing to do with this," said Peer of the Israeli invasion of Gaza. "I'm Shahar Peer. I came here to play tennis. I know I'm from Israel and I'm proud of my country and that playing tennis is what I'm going to do tomorrow." Already in the quarters and surrounded by security, Peer was asked by the tournament to withdraw and respect the country’s boycott of Israel, but she didn’t secede to their request. "The sports boycott of Israel is a key part of any boycott campaign because it is much more visible than a trade or investment boycott and can have an important psychological impact," said a tournament representative. "Two days ago, I was crying a bit, actually more than a bit, so it was a hard time for me," she said. "I hope as soon as possible it will end and we will all be happy, because no one wants to be in a war." Peer said she had never previously been the focus of protests and had even been the first Israeli to play in the Muslim country of Qatar. She said the protesters had the right to express their views. "It's their choice and they are choosing what they want to do".


- "This could be a very meaningful season for me," Federer said. "I can equal Pete Sampras' record. I can add another Wimbledon title and this is something that is very dear to me. I can also win my first French Open title, so I am looking forward to my season." Federer has reportedly been training harder and feeling better and his fans have a lot to look forward to this season, including more great history in the making. "Rafa is my main rival," Federer said. "We have been doing it for so many years and have had great matches." Of course, both Federer and Nadal were beaten by Murray this week.

-IMG, the leading client management company in tennis represents some of the worlds greatest champions, such as Federer, Nadal, Sharapova, Venus Williams and James Blake. IMG also owns and manages many of the top tournaments like the Sony Ericsson Open and Australian Open and now they will represent Jelena Jankovic, the world number 1. She will be joining their modeling agency as well as giving them responsibility for all her management and promotion. She grew up training at IMG Sports Academy, curious why she hasn’t been offered this opportunity before now. Other changes in Jankovic’s life is her new clothing sponsor. Reebok has expired and the Chinese brand Li Ning didn't hesitate to pick her up. If that is indeed true, it would be a sure bet that this brand paid the most.


-News from the junior side is that Americans John Isner and Christina Mchale have earned wildcards into the Australian Open. They both won a round robin play off hosted by the USTA.

Photos: Nadal and Federer in Qatar
http://crazyworldoftennis.blogspot.com/2009/01/new-hq-pic-of-rafa-and-roger-from-doha.html


If you have any questions regarding the charity, or how to donate tennis racquets, visit TennisRacquetsforKids.com

WestHampton Beach Tennis & Sport Supports Tennis Racquets for Kids

Tennis Racquets For Kids Inc. is grateful to WestHampton Beach Tennis and Sport for embracing our charity. Tennis Racquets for Kids Inc., is a non profit organization dedicated to the distribution of donated tennis racquets to individual children or to organizations or charities that represent children in need of such racquets. Owner, Scott Ferguson agreed that previously owned tennis racquets, which are often discarded, represent an opportunity to help children who otherwise might not be able to afford them. He was excited to help recycle these used tennis racquets which will now be provided to less fortunate children. A collection box was set up at the facility and racquets were placed in a drop box. We are thankful to WestHampton Beach Tennis and Sport, owner Scott Ferguson, and the WestHampton community for their overwhelming generosity and continued support in helping underprivileged children realize their dreams. A special thank you is also extended to Ms. Pam Shields for her extraordinary personal interest and contribution.

If you have any questions regarding the charity, or how to donate tennis racquets, visit TennisRacquetsforKids.org

In with the new, out with the old: good and bad news week 1

All tennis fans know the rules of tennis but few tennis fans know how their role models make up their schedules, earn their points and keep their rankings. The rules, the paychecks and the technology keep changing and this year is no exception. Let’s take a look at the WTA tournament changes for the New Year. If you want to see the official break down, check out http://www.onthebaseline.com/2009/01/02/the-2009-sony-ericsson-wta-tour-roadmap-guide/, or download the 2009 calendar, http://onthebaseline.com/uploads/files2009_WTA_Calendar.pdf.

It is also important to note that the Sony Ericsson Tour has doubled the women’s points in value. This has been in effect since January 5^th, 2009. The new system will count one less tournament towards the player’s ranking (from 17 to 16). Check out the top 10 women’s rankings from the source.


"I couldn’t believe that I have got my own star in the sky. That is something unbelievable and I am so happy," said Jelena Jankovic as she really was awarded her own star bought for her by her sponsor Knjaz Milos and its brand of Aqua Viva water. For Astrology buffs, it is located in the SC2 Hercules constellation of North polar region and it is called JJ. Jankovic seems to be at the top of world with an Olympic athlete water polo player boyfriend, a world number one ranking and now a star to call her own in space.


Marat Safin was seeing stars last week. He arrived in Perth for the Mixed Team Hopman Cup, asked to reschedule the match and went to see a doctor. He then further stunned fans, when he showed up to play an Italian team with his sister Dinara, with two black eyes. In his statement he hesitated to give details about a brawl he had gotten into in Moscow, but didn’t hesitate to say the he had won the fight. He and Dinara also won their match.

Kim Clijsters is the opposite of celebration as she lost her 52 year old father, Leo Clijsters, to a year long battle with lung cancer. He was a former Belgian International soccer player and managed Kim in her tennis career until she retired in 2007. =(

Sven Groenveld is also at a loss this week as Ana Ivanovic has decided to drop her coach. Currently at No. 5 in the world, Ivanovic will likely be coach-less before the Australian Open.

Jelena Dokic, the former No. 4 in the world, had made her big advance for a comeback at the end of 2008 and she is now steadily climbing the rankings in preparation for 2009. Currently ranked at 179, she faced Mauresmo at a warm up tournament in Brisbane this week and lost in two tie-break sets. "If I got blown away maybe it wouldn't hurt so much,” said Dokic about her match. It will be interesting to follow her results this month.

Lindsay Davenport is definitely out with the old and in with the new. She will be making another halt to her career as she is expecting her second child. “Of course this unexpected but exciting surprise now means I will be putting tennis on hold for the foreseeable future,” Davenport said in a statement.

Andy Murray just beat Rafael Nadal 6-4, 5-7, 6-3 in the final of the Abhu Dabi exhibition match. He also defeated Roger Federer in the semis. That’s $183, 000 there. Looks like an exciting start and some possible majors on the way for Murray. Roddick and Monfils are cruising through the draws in Doha right now.

If you have any questions regarding the charity, or how to donate tennis racquets, visit TennisRacquetsforKids.org

#1's in 08

2008 has come to a close and there are a few chart toppers that can't go unnoticed.

Maria Sharapova not #1 on court but #1 on Yahoo

- Maria Sharapova marked 2008 as the most searched for name. Having not played the majority of the year due to her injury, nevertheless she was able to beat out quite a few Olympians to top the list at #1. Its good to be talented, hard working and beautiful.

http://www.womenstennisblog.com/2008/12/28/maria-sharapova-declared-as-the-biggest-hit-on-yahoo-in-2008/

Jelena Jankovic and Rafael Nadal were ITF World Champions in 2008
- Nadal has proved himself to be a Grandslam champion. Jelena has not. This shows that more than one road can lead to glory.


If you have any questions regarding the charity, or how to donate tennis racquets, visit TennisRacquetsforKids.org


http://crazyworldoftennis.blogspot.com/2008/12/2008-itf-world-champions-nadal-jankovic.html

Happy New Year!

Happy New Year from Tennis Racquets for Kids!!!

Here are some fun quotes from 2008 to start off the year with some humor:

http://www.tennistalk.com/en/blog/Cheryl_Murray/20081217/Top_tennis_quotes_of_2008_-_Federer%2C_Nadal_and_more

Tennis Fashionistas

Vogue, move over, tennis magazine is here! It is amazing how far fashion has come in sports. Fashion in tennis has always banked on great personalities like Agassi and Chris Evert, but there has never been more freedom of expression through outfits on the court as there has been in this decade. Just this year at the US Open commentators were interviewing Chris Evert and asked her if she regretted the fact that she belonged to a prior generation, given that today’s tennis stars have so much more of everything. Chris Evert said no, but she did say that she couldn’t believe she had to pay a designer to wear a unique dress to the finals of a Grandslam whereas designers today are paying so much for athletes to wear their designs, or to even design their own as is often the case with Serena Williams, Maria Sharapova and of course Bethanie Mattek. It is pleasing to see how companies really try to stay fashionable and not only differentiate designs among the brands but even among their own collections. It definitely translates for a bigger fan base and more marketing opportunities when these outfits then hit general retail and the crowd goes wild. Here are a couple links to some of the Women’s fashions we witnessed in 2008.

Bethanie Mattek: http://www.womenstennisblog.com/2008/05/30/bethanie-mattek-gives-a-sneak-peak-into-her-wardrobe/

Amelie Mauresmo: http://www.womenstennisblog.com/2008/12/31/all-amelie-mauresmos-2008-reebok-tennis-outfits/

Jelena Jankovic: http://www.womenstennisblog.com/2008/12/25/what-did-jelena-jankovic-wear-during-2008-tennis-season/

Daniela Hantuchova: http://www.womenstennisblog.com/2008/12/21/retrospection-of-daniela-hantuchovas-2008-nike-tennis-outfits/

Maria Kirilenko: http://www.womenstennisblog.com/2008/12/18/video-overview-of-all-maria-kirilenko%E2%80%99s-2008-stella-mccartney-outfits/

Venus Williams: http://www.womenstennisblog.com/2008/12/17/all-venus-williams%E2%80%99-2008-eleven-outfits/

Ana Ivanovic: http://www.womenstennisblog.com/2008/12/16/video-overview-of-all-ana-ivanovic%E2%80%99s-2008-adidas-outfits/

Here is a sneak preview of the upcoming Australian Open outfits which promise to be colorful and radiant to start the new season off: http://crazyworldoftennis.blogspot.com/2008/12/adidas-australian-open-outfits.html

Men’s Fashion has changed over time as well. When you think Nadal and Federer, there is so much more than a rivalry there, or the talk of their difference in being a lefty or a righty, two hander or one hander, there is an entire persona that is formed, just as in the celebrity world. Look at Nadal’s custom pant style with the sleeveless tight torso hugging shirts and Federers always classy tuxedo look, it is not a coincidence, it is todays necessity for athletes that become so much more to the sport to differentiate themselves. They are brands to the world at the same time that they are at the peak of their athletic careers. Tennis is clearly a highly marketable sport and this great deal of fashion that goes alongside it makes it that much more interesting and jubilant. This dual factor can probably be further explained by the fact that almost every female tennis player wishes to have a parallel career in fashion and modeling, they are so intertwined.

If you have any questions regarding the charity, or how to donate tennis racquets, visit TennisRacquetsforKids.org

Roger Federer & Rafael Nadal: http://www.blackbookmag.com/article/federer-vs-nadal-blazer-vs-pirate-pants/3265