We had an excellent turnout over the weekend at our 10u Junior Circuit Tournament. Four of our talented players from SRQ Tennis, namely Adam Bennaji, Alice Okonobo, Jonah Grossenkemper, and Edouard Ducrey, participated. I'm thrilled with their outstanding performance during the event. Each of them displayed incredible skills, a positive attitude, and notable improvements!

It's hard to believe how quickly this year has passed. This year has been a significant one, filled with both challenges and exciting developments, both professionally and personally.

Team Growth:
On the professional front, finding a reliable and committed team has been a bit of a struggle. However, I'm thrilled to report that we have a strong team in place. Nick, Sidd, and Rachel have been invaluable additions, and their contributions have been particularly evident over the busy summer months.

Personal Milestones:
On a personal note, as many of you are aware, my partner Amanda and I are eagerly anticipating the arrival of our baby girl. Her due date is fast approaching—the week of November 23rd! We are beyond excited to welcome a new member into our family.

Balancing Act:
This year's personal developments have necessitated some adjustments that have also had an impact on the business. I appreciate your understanding and support during this transformative period.

Focused Vision for SRQ Tennis:
Moving forward, I want to share that the primary focus of my professional endeavors will shift toward the development and growth of our Junior Tennis Program. I've been dedicating considerable time to refining our program's offerings, events, and overall expectations, and I'm committed to taking it to the next level. Your involvement as parents is invaluable, and I look forward to partnering with you as we enhance the SRQ Tennis experience for our young athletes.

Thank you for being a part of the SRQ Tennis family. I appreciate your trust and am excited about what the future holds.

 The United States Tennis Association (USTA) recently released its 10 & Under Play Tracker, a tool designed to help young tennis players track their progress and improve their game. This innovative tracking system not only helps kids take ownership of their development, but also provides them with measurable data that can be used to identify strengths and weaknesses. Let’s take a look at how this new tool works. 

How It Works 
The USTA 10 & Under Play Tracker is easy to use and accessible on any device. To get started, all you need is your USTA membership number, the name of the facility where you play, and the last four digits of your Social Security Number. Once you have entered this information into the tracker, you will be able to log your matches and track your progress over time. 

The tracker allows players to keep records of their points won per game as well as their overall score for each match they play. Players can also add notes about each match so that they can remember what worked well or what needs improvement in future games. Additionally, the tracker compiles all past match data into one comprehensive report so that players can easily compare their performance over time and identify areas for improvement. 
For example, if you are playing a lot of three-set matches but aren’t winning them as often as you would like, then you may want to focus on improving your endurance or strategy during long rallies. By looking at the data provided by the Play Tracker, you can see which areas need more practice in order to get better results in future games. 

The USTA 10 & Under Play Tracker is a great way for young tennis players to track their progress and quickly identify areas where they need additional practice or coaching. Not only does it provide valuable insight into individual player performance, but it also helps instill confidence in young athletes by allowing them to take ownership of their development and measure tangible results from practice sessions or tournaments. With this powerful tool at their disposal, kids will be able to reach new heights in their tennis game!

Playing a successful game of tennis requires more than just good physical technique. Mental strength is also necessary for success, and having the right mindset is essential. A strong mentality can help you stay focused and motivated throughout your match. It can also enable you to better cope with the pressure of competition. Here’s why having the right mindset is so important in tennis. 
  

​Having a positive attitude will help you stay composed during a difficult match and come up with strategies that are adaptable to changing conditions on the court. When you have a positive mental outlook, it’s easier to stay focused on the task at hand and analyze what's happening in front of you without getting overwhelmed or discouraged by mistakes or mistakes made by your opponent. This will allow you to adjust your strategy as needed in order to take advantage of any weaknesses or opportunities that arise during play, which could be the difference between winning and losing your match. 

​Negative thoughts can be damaging, especially when playing a sport like tennis which requires intense concentration and focus. If players start talking themselves down mentally, it can affect their performance on court and lead them to make bad decisions or become distracted due to anxiety or fear of failure. According to research, negative self-talk has been linked to poorer performance levels than those who practice positive self-talk instead; so athletes should work on developing an internal dialogue that helps them remain confident rather than one that undermines their confidence during matches. 

Resilience is an important mental skill for athletes, as it helps them bounce back from setbacks quickly and more effectively manage their emotions during tough times on court. Having a strong mental attitude will allow players to view adversity as an opportunity for growth rather than something that brings them down; this type of mindset encourages resilience which can be beneficial both during a match and beyond it, enabling players to better handle stressors both on and off the court. ​

Resilience is an important mental skill for athletes, as it helps them bounce back from setbacks quickly and more effectively manage their emotions during tough times on court. Having a strong mental attitude will allow players to view adversity as an opportunity for growth rather than something that brings them down; this type of mindset encourages resilience which can be beneficial both during a match and beyond it, enabling players to better handle stressors both on and off the court. ​

The CTM is a teaching method based on focusing primarily on the fundamentals of the game. Mastering the basic fundamentals is at the core of the Common Threads Methodology. The CTM points out the common fundamentals or “threads” used by the best players in the world. The CTM does not focus on the form or style of the best players in the world, but rather on the common fundamentals of each stroke performed by the best players in the world. Unlocking students full potentials would be impossible without the proper basic fundamentals. Too often players are incapable of reaching a higher level of play not because of their lack of talent or athleticism but more because of fundamental flaws. Not acquiring and understanding the basic fundamentals will put students at a significant disadvantage to become an advanced tennis player. Those basic fundamentals are the blue prints to each and everyone of every student’s own perfect swing. Using the CTM will accelerate the learning process for players of every levels at a much faster rate because it teaches tennis the natural way. The CTM teaches students an advance foundation platform that will never have to be undone.
If you accept, understand and duplicate these basic Common Threads, you will never need to change them as your tennis game grows. There is a very good reason why all Professionals use the same basic fundamentals to hit a ball: because they figured out the easiest way to do it so if  it’s good enough for them it’s good enough for you!

The PDSM is a teaching method built on the three pillars of doubles play; anticipation, court positioning and shot selection.
Anticipating your opponents’ every shots while focusing on your court positioning and choosing the highest percentage shot selection is the blue print to master doubles play at any level.
The PDSM will show you which shots your opponents are most likely to hit, where you should position yourself and which shot to hit in a variety of situations. You will learn how to read the many clues that will reveal which shot your opponent intends to hit. Successful anticipation of the shots you are about to receive will help you position yourself in the most advantageous way to help your hit the highest percentage shot, making you a smarter and better doubles player.
If you accept and understand this methodology you will never need to change it as your tennis game grows.