chase buchanan

[verdasco]

found this article pretty interesting

http://nymag.com/news/sports/49288/

[tennisVS]

found this article pretty interesting

http://nymag.com/news/sports/49288/

very intresting indeed, I want to be a pro but i have a lot of work to do my dream is coming to a close. im stil trying though.

[TennisCoachFLA]

I wish Chase the best. But this article shows how the USTA really does not have a plan. They seem to be throwing darts, changing course every 3 months.

The best male athletes are not going into tennis in America like they are in Russia, etc. Until they find a way to change that, the rest is just spitting in the wind.

[BradBaughman]

I wish Chase the best. But this article shows how the USTA really does not have a plan. They seem to be throwing darts, changing course every 3 months.

The best male athletes are not going into tennis in America like they are in Russia, etc. Until they find a way to change that, the rest is just spitting in the wind.

you say the best Americans are not going into tennis you've got me a little confused can you describe what a top athlete looks like in America ive give you a starter "Phelps" can you descibe your thought??

[Gemini]

you say the best Americans are not going into tennis you've got me a little confused can you describe what a top athlete looks like in America ive give you a starter "Phelps" can you descibe your thought??

I think what a lot of posters mean/feel when they say that the best athletes are not going into tennis is that most boys are drawn to the big three: football, basketball, and baseball. The whole bigger, faster, stronger philosophy....

The problem I see with thinking that the best athletes are most likely playing those sports (and that they're skills would be transferable) is that it's sort of an apples/oranges comparison. The big three being team sports and tennis, golf, swimming, etc. being "individual" sports. Golf and swimming in particular exist in something of a vacuum when I think about it. The skill sets of those two is primarily developed without much to any one-on-one physical stimulus from an opponent.

What would work in terms of finding the best athletes? Finding the best young kids that exhibit success in a number of different sports including football, basketball and baseball. Track and Field would be one place I'd consider looking as well as Soccer.

Oh yeah...and the number 1 reason why we'll never draw the guys away from the big 3 is simply money. When a kid dreams about a multi-million dollar contract that GUARANTEES you money, it's pretty difficult to pass up.

But I do think that the boot camp theory is a good way to go. Make the environment more physical and competitive and you'll see results.

[bluetrain4]

I saw Chase play at a futures qualifying event two years ago. The kid was a bona fide little sh*t with enabling parents and coaches. But, he was talented.

If I'm being generous, I'll rack it up to "immaturity". But, on the other hand, the kid really was a pr*ck.

[BradBaughman]

I think what a lot of posters mean/feel when they say that the best athletes are not going into tennis is that most boys are drawn to the big three: football, basketball, and baseball. The whole bigger, faster, stronger philosophy....

The problem I see with thinking that the best athletes are most likely playing those sports (and that they're skills would be transferable) is that it's sort of an apples/oranges comparison. The big three being team sports and tennis, golf, swimming, etc. being "individual" sports. Golf and swimming in particular exist in something of a vacuum when I think about it. The skill sets of those two is primarily developed without much to any one-on-one physical stimulus from an opponent.

What would work in terms of finding the best athletes? Finding the best young kids that exhibit success in a number of different sports including football, basketball and baseball. Track and Field would be one place I'd consider looking as well as Soccer.

Oh yeah...and the number 1 reason why we'll never draw the guys away from the big 3 is simply money. When a kid dreams about a multi-million dollar contract that GUARANTEES you money, it's pretty difficult to pass up.

But I do think that the boot camp theory is a good way to go. Make the environment more physical and competitive and you'll see results.

i see what your saying but i dont think the dimentions of the court advantages larger people i think its the oppisite, studing this sport for a few years seems the ideal height/weight ratio is between 6'0 6'3 170 -205lbs. also the money factors in and its over!!

[andfor]

you say the best Americans are not going into tennis you've got me a little confused can you describe what a top athlete looks like in America ive give you a starter "Phelps" can you descibe your thought??

For argument sake let's start with Kobe Bryant, LeBron James, Allen Iverson, Deon Sanders and Adrian Peterson. It would be curious to see how James Blake and Andy Roddick stack up against these guys in a battery of athletic tests at a place like say, the NFL Combine.

I think we know who would be noted as the true athletes and it's not the American tennis players listed. Sorry.

[SoCal10s]

I saw Chase play at a futures qualifying event two years ago. The kid was a bona fide little sh*t with enabling parents and coaches. But, he was talented.

If I'm being generous, I'll rack it up to "immaturity". But, on the other hand, the kid really was a pr*ck.

He's your stereotypical great American Jr. that will not make it in the pros. same as Donald Young ,they'll just hang around without achieving true greatness because they never developed a big game... Chase is good at everything but not great at anything... plus he's a cry-baby (like a lot of American Jr)... I like Jenkin's game more than CB... J.J. is not winning as much now, but he's building a big man's game for the future..
I saw them both at Kalamazoo and although things got under Jenkin's skin he didn't cry about it like Chase B. .. I think Chase got a game penalty at KZoo for smashing his racket during a match... and he has a strange looking body,real small waistline like a female,and wide shoulders but doesn't serve very hard ... to think of it he plays a bit like a solid pro-level woman kind of tennis... won't be a factor in ATP...

[onehandbh]

Huh? What do you mean by this?

Chase ... has a strange looking body,real small waistline like a female,and wide shoulders...

I don't see how having a small waist in and of itself is "like a female."
What do you consider small? 23 inches? 24? 28? 30? 32?

[stanfordtennis alum]

i have seen chase play many times and he has a bright future but he wont be top 150... he'll end up being like a brendan evans or scoville jenkins.. good luck

[TennisCoachFLA]

The boot camp thing cracks me up....another scattershot, stab in the dark USTA idea.

Take a 15-16 year old boy and send them to a simulated boot camp for a weekend. 16 years of being raised one way, 16 years of a certain work ethic, and in a weekend they will be toughened up and change their work ethic?

When a Marine comes out of boot camp they are in the Marines, with everything structured. Everything they learned in boot camp is reinforced every single day.

When a tennis kid comes home from boot camp they are back to whatever environment they were in before. Its just so pointless and gives you no confidence that the USTA has a real plan.

[TennisCoachFLA]

you say the best Americans are not going into tennis you've got me a little confused can you describe what a top athlete looks like in America ive give you a starter "Phelps" can you descibe your thought??

We don't know if Phelps can walk and chew gum out of the pool. For all we know if you threw him a ball it would hit him in the nose.

But we do know that a super talented 11 year old football wide receiver or an amazing 10 year old basketball player have skills that MAY translate into tennis. Why not use all those USTA millions to draw some of them into tennis?

[TennisCoachFLA]

you say the best Americans are not going into tennis you've got me a little confused can you describe what a top athlete looks like in America ive give you a starter "Phelps" can you descibe your thought??

By the way, what Phelps did was amazing....just not sure if he would be an amazing athlete in a land based sport.

[onehandbh]

By the way, what Phelps did was amazing....just not sure if he would be an amazing athlete in a land based sport.

That's a good point. Some of my friends that were top swimmers or
water polo players struggled in land based sports like basketball for some
reason. in the pool they were explosive. On land, no so much.

[BradBaughman]

By the way, what Phelps did was amazing....just not sure if he would be an amazing athlete in a land based sport.

ive done my share of some of the most grueling conditioning ,,and making swimming part of my reg was unbelievable,, he's a monster athlete and the greatest olympian of all time and it takes unbelievable dedication to do what he did he's in the realm of his own all the rest are below him. And he's one of the few i would think could make it in tennis even at his height.

[BradBaughman]

For argument sake let's start with Kobe Bryant, LeBron James, Allen Iverson, Deon Sanders and Adrian Peterson. It would be curious to see how James Blake and Andy Roddick stack up against these guys in a battery of athletic tests at a place like say, the NFL Combine.

I think we know who would be noted as the true athletes and it's not the American tennis players listed. Sorry.

and vise versa like to see how the list you posed would do running some tennis drills , i give dion and iverson a possible chance of not making fools of themselve to much

[BradBaughman]

heres the definition! Athlete (a person who takes part in a sport, in particular running, jumping, throwing)now by definition all who play tennis,baseball,football,soccer ect are athletes, so why any one would think Iverson is or can be a better athlete then Federer at tennis is a guess at best !!

[BradBaughman]

The boot camp thing cracks me up....another scattershot, stab in the dark USTA idea.

Take a 15-16 year old boy and send them to a simulated boot camp for a weekend. 16 years of being raised one way, 16 years of a certain work ethic, and in a weekend they will be toughened up and change their work ethic?

When a Marine comes out of boot camp they are in the Marines, with everything structured. Everything they learned in boot camp is reinforced every single day.

When a tennis kid comes home from boot camp they are back to whatever environment they were in before. Its just so pointless and gives you no confidence that the USTA has a real plan.

all they are doing is what ive always said trying to get a work ethic and discipline in the kid when its to late ,, if they sent my kid there i would be insulted it would show i didn't do my job as a parent !!!!!

[andfor]

heres the definition! Athlete (a person who takes part in a sport, in particular running, jumping, throwing)now by definition all who play tennis,baseball,football,soccer ect are athletes, so why any one would think Iverson is or can be a better athlete then Federer at tennis is a guess at best !!

and vise versa like to see how the list you posed would do running some tennis drills , i give dion and iverson a possible chance of not making fools of themselve to much

No disrespect BB but you're straddling the fence. The athletes I picked and the forum example NFL Combine I picked for 2 reasons. One, the athletes I picked was because of I believe their overall athletic ability (take their sport out and just consider as you said, running, jumping & throwing) is beyond elite and just plain feakish. Two, the NFL Combine is a series of pure athletic tests, with one exception position specific drills not just football related.

2008 NFL Scouting Combine
Combine Events

40-yard dash
Bench press
Three cone drill
Broad jump
Vertical leap
20-yard shuttle
60-yard shuttle
Position specific drills
Physical measurements
NFL team interviews
The Wonderlic Test
The Cybex Test
Injury evaluation


The point is if you put tennis players (American Ones) in there with the American athletes I used as examples the tennis players would get blown away. If you had the tennis players do the football specific drills they would fail and the football & basketball players would fail the tennis specific drills. Take out the sport specific drills all you have left is the athletic ability. No contest who wins.

The concept remains, if an Iverson, Kobe or started with tennis instead of BBall or Football I like my chances of them becoming a champion. Start Roddick or Blake in BBall or Football and I don't like their chances. It's all hypothetical anyways and I think most would agree with me. If not, why?

[ClarkC]

The concept remains, if an Iverson, Kobe or started with tennis instead of BBall or Football I like my chances of them becoming a champion. Start Roddick or Blake in BBall or Football and I don't like their chances. It's all hypothetical anyways and I think most would agree with me. If not, why?

I think that players with the height of Kobe Bryant and Lebron James have tended to stall out well short of #1 in tennis. There are trade-offs here, but it seems that the advantages of the body size are outweighed by the disadvantages.

On the other hand, a guy who is only about 6 feet tall and has the quickness to play cornerback in football or point guard in basketball seems a lot better suited to be a tennis star.

As for the hypothetical of taking Roddick or Blake and putting them in a different sport, the odds are against elite level success for any athlete who switches. The elite level seems to require sport-specific skills that are hard to develop to an elite level. If we took the top 200 basketball ******** coming out of high school this year, took them all back in a time machine to age 8, and had them all concentrate on tennis, I think several of them would have a shot at top 20 in the ATP by the time they are 25. But we might be surprised that the 30th best basketball recruit ends up being the best tennis player out of the bunch, and we don't really know how to explain it even in hindsight.

James Blake can hit very hard groundstrokes. So can I, but Blake's shots actually go over the net and into the court on the other side. Very difficult to do. Does he look like a better athlete than Allen Iverson? Not necessarily. Could Iverson ever develop the same groundstrokes as Blake? Maybe, maybe not. Shuttle runs and 40-yard dashes are relevant to court movement, but strokes are more important to success.

[onehandbh]

I think that players with the height of Kobe Bryant and Lebron James have tended to stall out well short of #1 in tennis. There are trade-offs here, but it seems that the advantages of the body size are outweighed by the disadvantages.



That's because there has never been a pro tennis player with the height (& physique)
close to Kobe or Lebron. Tennis is a little bit like how the NBA was
in the 40's. The tall guys were pretty unathletic and slow.

[vbranis]

I played Chase in a regional Designated tourney back in the 12s division. Solid game, good off both sides, played impressively for a 10-year-old (he's actually a couple of years younger than me). He still beat me 64 61 and ended up winning the entire tournament.

[BradBaughman]

No disrespect BB but you're straddling the fence. The athletes I picked and the forum example NFL Combine I picked for 2 reasons. One, the athletes I picked was because of I believe their overall athletic ability (take their sport out and just consider as you said, running, jumping & throwing) is beyond elite and just plain feakish. Two, the NFL Combine is a series of pure athletic tests, with one exception position specific drills not just football related.

2008 NFL Scouting Combine
Combine Events

40-yard dash
Bench press
Three cone drill
Broad jump
Vertical leap
20-yard shuttle
60-yard shuttle
Position specific drills
Physical measurements
NFL team interviews
The Wonderlic Test
The Cybex Test
Injury evaluation


The point is if you put tennis players (American Ones) in there with the American athletes I used as examples the tennis players would get blown away. If you had the tennis players do the football specific drills they would fail and the football & basketball players would fail the tennis specific drills. Take out the sport specific drills all you have left is the athletic ability. No contest who wins.

The concept remains, if an Iverson, Kobe or started with tennis instead of BBall or Football I like my chances of them becoming a champion. Start Roddick or Blake in BBall or Football and I don't like their chances. It's all hypothetical anyways and I think most would agree with me. If not, why?


i understand where your going with this hypothetical concept ,, i come from a different background sports wise and at 5'10 156lbs ,147-149 top shape i was pulling a 4.4-4.5 40 yards and had no problem getting up to the rim on the the basketball court ,i trained for explosive movement,, but as ive studied tennis i dont see the bigger stonger guys doing well i think a Bryant would do well on the serve but once he started getting pushed around on the court i beleive his height would end up hurting him in the long run.

[onehandbh]

i understand where your going with this hypothetical concept ,, i come from a different background sports wise and at 5'10 156lbs ,147-149 top shape i was pulling a 4.4-4.5 40 yards and had no problem getting up to the rim on the the basketball court ,i trained for explosive movement,, but as ive studied tennis i dont see the bigger stonger guys doing well i think a Bryant would do well on the serve but once he started getting pushed around on the court i beleive his height would end up hurting him in the long run.

Kobe Bryant has tremendous explosiveness. His first step is
pretty impressive. He also has amazing body control. It's hard to
realize just how impressive some of the NBA guys are unless you've
either had a chance to play against them or have seen them up
close. The first time I saw a game live I had crappy seats and I was
still impressived. The next time I was right up near the court.
Holy smokes. I was totally blown away. I've seen pro tennis
up close and was impressed, but no tennis player I've ever seen
comes close to the top NBA guys. Imagine a guy with John
Isner's height that's stronger and faster and more athletic than
anybody on tour. I'm guessing that being 6'8 or 6'10" may not
be ideal for tennis and something more like 6'5" or 6'6" may be.
This is the height of a lot of the guards in the NBA.

Tennis would get transformed like the NBA and other sports
did if it started getting better athletes.

[SoCal10s]

Kobe Bryant has tremendous explosiveness. His first step is
pretty impressive. He also has amazing body control. It's hard to
realize just how impressive some of the NBA guys are unless you've
either had a chance to play against them or have seen them up
close. The first time I saw a game live I had crappy seats and I was
still impressived. The next time I was right up near the court.
Holy smokes. I was totally blown away. I've seen pro tennis
up close and was impressed, but no tennis player I've ever seen
comes close to the top NBA guys. Imagine a guy with John
Isner's height that's stronger and faster and more athletic than
anybody on tour. I'm guessing that being 6'8 or 6'10" may not
be ideal for tennis and something more like 6'5" or 6'6" may be.
This is the height of a lot of the guards in the NBA.

Tennis would get transformed like the NBA and other sports
did if it started getting better athletes.

if tennis was only the best athlete wins, then guys like Monfils ,Tsonga ,Noah would have collect many Grand slams by now.. there was a pro player name Chip Hooper(Cooper),when he came on the tour,he had a hugh serve,bench press and did squats with weight that other pro football athletes did... he was tall and fast.. well he didn't last too long on the tour..the rest of the guys just figured how to return his booming serve just like they do now with Roddick ..
I used to love playing against tall guys who thought that being tall ,they had their way with everyone else because people cannot pass them when they came up to volley.. well my coach taught me that "EVERYONE HAS THEIR OWN ADVANTAGES AND DISADVANTAGES" and it's up to you to find those thing out.. so when I played tall guys,I just did a nice drop shot and brought them to net and set up real good and blast the ball right into their body... tall guys cannot get out of the way quick enough to hit a decent volley and then I come forward and go at them again..
tennis and golf is not about who is physically the strongest but it's about who can think their way into winning.... plus I don't think a guy with Kobe's body can last 10 plus years of practicing on hard cement ,countless hours and then come into the pro tour to clean up on everyone .. their bodies will break down from the wear and tear ...you have to remember,those wood floors are really soft and bouncy compared to cement, and on clay,you can hurt yourself real good if you don't slide right or slide into a wet spot now and then...
I would love to see Monfils and Tsonga win and bring more attention to tennis and get all the great bodies out there on the court but for now,I don't see it happening..

[BradBaughman]

Kobe Bryant has tremendous explosiveness. His first step is
pretty impressive. He also has amazing body control. It's hard to
realize just how impressive some of the NBA guys are unless you've
either had a chance to play against them or have seen them up
close. The first time I saw a game live I had crappy seats and I was
still impressived. The next time I was right up near the court.
Holy smokes. I was totally blown away. I've seen pro tennis
up close and was impressed, but no tennis player I've ever seen
comes close to the top NBA guys. Imagine a guy with John
Isner's height that's stronger and faster and more athletic than
anybody on tour. I'm guessing that being 6'8 or 6'10" may not
be ideal for tennis and something more like 6'5" or 6'6" may be.
This is the height of a lot of the guards in the NBA.

Tennis would get transformed like the NBA and other sports
did if it started getting better athletes.

once again exploding and then doing a jump shot or lay up ect. is one thing ,,but chasing down a ball agassi has punch 90mph thats only coming up about 2feet off the ground will have its toll. i understand where you would like this to go but most these top players in tennis are training with the same guy these nba nfl players are training with Etcheberry at saddlebrook

[BradBaughman]

""""With Elite Player Development, he says, “We think it’s worth a try.” quote from kantrina someone with us develeloment

getting back to the subject this is a quote worth looking at it sums it all up we are gonna guess at how to make and elite tennis player ,,let me send my son there without me !!

[SoCal10s]

“We’re competing now with the whole rest of the world, and the rest of the world are hungry mothers!” says Bollettieri, who considers himself a partner of the USTA’s academy, not a competitor. But is spending about $10 million a year to push two dozen kids (at roughly $416,667 a head) the best way to go about it? “I’m skeptical of its cost-to-benefit ratio,” says Colette Lewis, who’s been following junior tennis for the past three decades and now runs a blog, ZooTennis.com. “With all the intangibles involved, it’s too risky to devote that much attention and money to a handful of young players.” The gamble is not lost on Kantarian. “Any time you spend money, it’s always, Could we spend it better?” Kantarian had a choice: “Do we spend it on racquets and give them out for free? Do we build more courts? Or do we try to do something different?” So far, he’s tried the first two. With Elite Player Development, he says, “We think it’s worth a try.” quote::: from that article

so there's a lot of USTA money $$$ flying around $416,667 per USTA elite class.. I can say I saw some of those elite class and there's a 'you tube' of Nadal when he was 12... now if I was USTA I would have spent all the $$$ on the guy who beat Nadal when he was 12.. and that's what USTA is doing... they're spending $$ on those guys who have already invested so much to get to that level ...those elite class of kids I saw at Kalamazoo already had countless coaching and physical training so they are most likely already at their maximum potential ... so why spend more money on them when they are already maxing out... $416,667 on a guy who will never grow tall over 5'10" ,but he's good now... almost the same thing with Donald Young, how many of those do we have to see before we get past the political correctness of it all...there are some kids that USTA wants to build as the next "???" but seeing the genetic physical makeup of the parents, a fair person can say that the kid is never going to be a great athlete(if that's what USTA is looking for),so why spend that kind of $$ to have the next Donald Young or Tommy Ho?? ... I don't get it..
I may be wrong here,but then again this opinion may be right on..

[andfor]

once again exploding and then doing a jump shot or lay up ect. is one thing ,,but chasing down a ball agassi has punch 90mph thats only coming up about 2feet off the ground will have its toll. i understand where you would like this to go but most these top players in tennis are training with the same guy these nba nfl players are training with Etcheberry at saddlebrook

We are splitting hairs with Kobe. Maybe he'd have been a great tennis player maybe not. As onehandbh said you have to go to an NBA game in person to see what an athlete with freakish ability is all about. There are plenty of NBA expamples of these types unlike Kobe and under 6-6 ft. tall like Ray Allen, Allen Iverson, Gilbert Arenas, Jason Kidd, Dwayne Wade and Chris Paul.

SoCal10is has a nice counterpoint about Monfils, Tsonga and Noah but I'd have to say they are the exception. FYI, Hopper was a very good athlete who happened to be a big time weightlifter before his time. He played college tennis with Mel Purcel who was a much better athlete and had somewhat more pro level success. Purcel had off court distractions....enough said there. Nadal, Federer, Sampras and McEnroe are all IMO athletic freaks of nature who happen to play tennis. McEnroe was said to be great at Basketball and Soccer. Fed and Nadal most likely if they chose the path to play soccer would've made it to elite levels. Sampras, not sure of his athletic skills off the court but his play on it spoke for itself.

The point is that if more of America's best athletes took up tennis we would have a chance to have more tennis players in the top 100. There's a bunch of these type of athletes also playing in the NFL and MLB, can you blame them?

[andfor]

“We’re competing now with the whole rest of the world, and the rest of the world are hungry mothers!” says Bollettieri, who considers himself a partner of the USTA’s academy, not a competitor. But is spending about $10 million a year to push two dozen kids (at roughly $416,667 a head) the best way to go about it? “I’m skeptical of its cost-to-benefit ratio,” says Colette Lewis, who’s been following junior tennis for the past three decades and now runs a blog, ZooTennis.com. “With all the intangibles involved, it’s too risky to devote that much attention and money to a handful of young players.” The gamble is not lost on Kantarian. “Any time you spend money, it’s always, Could we spend it better?” Kantarian had a choice: “Do we spend it on racquets and give them out for free? Do we build more courts? Or do we try to do something different?” So far, he’s tried the first two. With Elite Player Development, he says, “We think it’s worth a try.” quote::: from that article

so there's a lot of USTA money $$$ flying around $416,667 per USTA elite class.. I can say I saw some of those elite class and there's a 'you tube' of Nadal when he was 12... now if I was USTA I would have spent all the $$$ on the guy who beat Nadal when he was 12.. and that's what USTA is doing... they're spending $$ on those guys who have already invested so much to get to that level ...those elite class of kids I saw at Kalamazoo already had countless coaching and physical training so they are most likely already at their maximum potential ... so why spend more money on them when they are already maxing out... $416,667 on a guy who will never grow tall over 5'10" ,but he's good now... almost the same thing with Donald Young, how many of those do we have to see before we get past the political correctness of it all...there are some kids that USTA wants to build as the next "???" but seeing the genetic physical makeup of the parents, a fair person can say that the kid is never going to be a great athlete(if that's what USTA is looking for),so why spend that kind of $$ to have the next Donald Young or Tommy Ho?? ... I don't get it..
I may be wrong here,but then again this opinion may be right on..

Why does DY always have to come into it? He made it to #1 ITF Jr. at the age of 15. Did he not deserve the attention based on those results. Sure some of decision surrounding his handling could have been different. Hindsight is 20/20. He's 19 give him another year or so. I know, his clock is ticking.............

Is it $400K per Class/Age Group or $400K per kid per year?

Regardless, there's no magic formula. Just those with God given athletic talent who choose to play tennis and have a genuine love for the game, a burning desire to succeed at the highest level, good coaching, a coachable player, laser focus on improving and following a well thought out plan, staying relativley injury free, supportive parents, and a little luck mixed in for good measure. There's no way to perfectly package that in an factory like asemblyline for a kid and athletes.

[BradBaughman]

Why does DY always have to come into it? He made it to #1 ITF Jr. at the age of 15. Did he not deserve the attention based on those results. Sure some of decision surrounding his handling could have been different. Hindsight is 20/20. He's 19 give him another year or so. I know, his clock is ticking.............

Is it $400K per Class/Age Group or $400K per kid per year?

Regardless, there's no magic formula. Just those with God given athletic talent who choose to play tennis and have a genuine love for the game, a burning desire to succeed at the highest level, good coaching, a coachable player, laser focus on improving and following a well thought out plan, staying relativley injury free, supportive parents, and a little luck mixed in for good measure. There's no way to perfectly package that in an factory like asemblyline for a kid and athletes.

the reason DY (19)comes up? He is and example of the best junior we have and how he's transitioned, it hasn't been good until now a couple of good wins "finally" but by the time nadal was 19 he already knocked off a couple of grandslams and a no. of masters and so on ,no excuses for nadal and take a look he's not and inter-city kid so much for that theory.

as for the rest of what your saying tennis is a sport that takes brains and athletics something thats not pushed here(USA) and self control. i believe DY is getting a lot of attention(latest tennis mag) on how far he can throw a racket out of the stadium when he's mad over a point not much control and no thought on who that racket might hit.

As for what its gonna take? some kid who's smart, has some good size, knows what shots to hit before the balls even left his opponents racket and isn't on his I-phone, sidekick or playing some stupid video game allnite with his buddy's or text messaging between matches ,,man that sounds like somebody pretty dedicated!! yes and thats what it takes no matter who or where your from!!!!!!

[BradBaughman]

BTW i talk to DY about his attitude face to face in carson we had a good talk told him the attitude needed to go he has the talent but once again if you don't clip it when there young good luck!!!

[BradBaughman]

SOCAL10's you in my area and have we met you dont have to reveal your self but youve mentioned deit as though you seen him in person?

[SoCal10s]

SOCAL10's you in my area and have we met you dont have to reveal your self but youve mentioned deit as though you seen him in person?

I really have not mention Deit at all except to congrats to you and him for the sectional win.. some of my students played him before but it's been 2 years since I've seen him.... you've e-mail me before and I have your(wife)e-mail address ....

[SoCal10s]

Why does DY always have to come into it? He made it to #1 ITF Jr. at the age of 15. Did he not deserve the attention based on those results. Sure some of decision surrounding his handling could have been different. Hindsight is 20/20. He's 19 give him another year or so. I know, his clock is ticking.............

Is it $400K per Class/Age Group or $400K per kid per year?

Regardless, there's no magic formula. Just those with God given athletic talent who choose to play tennis and have a genuine love for the game, a burning desire to succeed at the highest level, good coaching, a coachable player, laser focus on improving and following a well thought out plan, staying relativley injury free, supportive parents, and a little luck mixed in for good measure. There's no way to perfectly package that in an factory like asemblyline for a kid and athletes.

I just want to say DY as a sample,because he is the most recent name out there.. and to point out that no one especially the USTA knows how to spot the next future "???" DY just had stardom written all over him and has not really lived up to all the hype and expectations... just like who would bet a kid from an island in Spain,coached by his uncle,hitting crazy topspins would take down one of the greatest tennis champions... too many intangibles ...

and that's $400,000+ per/kid...

[andfor]

I just want to say DY as a sample,because he is the most recent name out there.. and to point out that no one especially the USTA knows how to spot the next future "???" DY just had stardom written all over him and has not really lived up to all the hype and expectations... just like who would bet a kid from an island in Spain,coached by his uncle,hitting crazy topspins would take down one of the greatest tennis champions... too many intangibles ...

and that's $400,000+ per/kid...

I've thought about this some for a day or so. So I now have the answer to this and to where the Holy Grail is. Seriously, you, Brad, many folks including the USTA (that was hard to say) even me know a seriously talented athlete when we see one. You are so right about the intangibles. Although we know what they are exactly *how do you for example measure mental toughness let alone teach it. Mental toughness in the juniors does not always translate to mental toughness against the pros. Sure there are methods but does anyone have the tried and proven recipe? *NOTE: My mental toughness reference was just one example of intangibles needed for a good tennis player. I know, there are many others.

Regarding the USTA and spotting tennis talent and my answer, we just need more kids playing. Coaching methods could be modified, I believe they always are and money better spent, but overall I claim no expertise. Bootcamping kids may run more off than you elevate. Sadly kids in the U.S. today are somewhat soft and it's not all their fault or their parents, the fast-food-get rich quick-do whatever makes you happy-playing videogames-texting society has its impact as well. If all you have is a handful of players DY included as serious contenders for pro stardom as juniors your chances are slim they will blossom into top pros. This is no indictment of our kids today. Kids in every generation are looked upon harshly but the adults.

DY's handling has not been all the USTA's, I am sure they had some. His parents and IMG are also involved. At the end of the day let the individual be responsible for their own destination. Sure there are and need to be others there to help but to blame anyone or even all of the support mechanisms to me at the end of the day ends up as an excuse wrapped up to look like a reason.

The point about Nadal coming from an Island in Spain and coach by his uncle is another example of a great player by-passing the today’s system of academies and federation player oversight. We could go on and one about this but as you point out, Nick Bollettieri says "we are competing against the rest of the world and they are hungry mothers". More kids are learning the game worldwide. There is only so much room at the top. So expecting tennis domination from any one country for an extended period of time may not be realistic.

As for the whereabouts of the Holy Grail I was just kidding. But for the person who finds it, they will likely also find with it the recipe for making a successful pro tennis player.

[BradBaughman]

I really have not mention Deit at all except to congrats to you and him for the sectional win.. some of my students played him before but it's been 2 years since I've seen him.... you've e-mail me before and I have your(wife)e-mail address ....

10/4 you metioned "i thought" about him getting height maybe it was someone else thought we might have talked recently at a tourny .

[Julieta]

NBA guys have a big advantage because they have an off season where they can train and build and do whatever else they want/need to do. Also the team resources of coaches, trainers and doctors. It is hard for tennis players to do that because if they don't play they don't make any money so its hard to devote months to getting big and you can't really afford an entourage of stuff and people until you've made it at least to some level.

The odd thing though about tennis now is that you are starting to see guys who are big but fast and agile. That used to never be the case. Usually as SoCal said there were ways to beat the big player but the big players aren't slow these days. It's happening in other sports too, look at Bolt. He's unusual for the sprints. On the other hand, in the States no coaches would steer him toward sprinting.

My two cents on USTA player development is that they will always hype the kids they want to do well. I think they tend to create players that are a bit too technical and mechanical. I think though that we do this a lot in all sports in America which is another reason we get passed over sometimes internationally.

[Michael Bluth]

I thought Buchanan was a sure bet to beat Ryan Thatcher in the Kzoo quarters because Thatcher was hurting in that tournament, but Thatcher surprised me by pulling out the win.

Ryan Harrison will be a strong competitor once he gets bigger and more experienced.