Take this PMac

[jonkras]

http://www.nytimes.com/2012/09/10/sp...chools.html?hp

[TCF]

For a guy who is in charge and makes over $1 mil in total compensation, Pat Mac sure sounds rather helpless. Its like he knows he has little chance of success and is just riding it out as long as he can.

[kme5150]

Originally Posted by TCF

For a guy who is in charge and makes over $1 mil in total compensation, Pat Mac sure sounds rather helpless. Its like he knows he has little chance of success and is just riding it out as long as he can.

That is exactly what it sounds like to me, too.

[Bowtiesarecool]

When in doubt, do what Spain does.

[Flat Top]

If tennis players got paid better, meaning good income generation not limited to the top players only, then maybe the school thing will help. Will increase the talent pool beyond just the rich kids. Otherwise, does not matter. Why would one go for tennis knowing the chances of making money is very small? You at least have several kids winning the lottery by being drafted every year in team sports. Better for schools to use their money on education. Unless USTA funds it which won't happen.

[Kaptain Karl]

As a "side job" I coach the local HS tennis team. Football, Basketball, Baseball, Soccer, Wrestling and Volleyball have (brief) Middle School seasons.

Not so for Tennis.

I get only the kids who don't like those other sports to tryout for the tennis team. Patrick McEnroe is correct. The USTA should work with high schools; not against us.

Jr. Team Tennis is a USTA program. It *does* help our high school teams ... but we still have to wait for a kid to decide he/she doesn't like soccer or baseball before we get them in the JTT program. It would be great if the USTA were more supportive of Elementary and Middle School tennis programs.

- KK

[Tennishacker]

Originally Posted by Flat Top

If tennis players got paid better, meaning good income generation not limited to the top players only, then maybe the school thing will help. Will increase the talent pool beyond just the rich kids. Otherwise, does not matter. Why would one go for tennis knowing the chances of making money is very small? You at least have several kids winning the lottery by being drafted every year in team sports. Better for schools to use their money on education. Unless USTA funds it which won't happen.

That's one of the biggest problems in tennis, it's too top heavy. (money wise)
Serena just won 1.9 million, drop in the bucket for her, but lotto money to the 100th ranked player.
Futures, challengers need to drastically offer more money, many players on those tour lose money.

Great article, when I played high school tennis in the 70's, (before prop. 13, cut funding to California public schools) we were provide equipment, uniforms for making the team. Now, I had to pay $700 plus uniform costs for my child to play on the high school team...

[TCF]

Originally Posted by Tennishacker

That's one of the biggest problems in tennis, it's too top heavy. (money wise)
Serena just won 1.9 million, drop in the bucket for her, but lotto money to the 100th ranked player.
Futures, challengers need to drastically offer more money, many players on those tour lose money.

Not sure it is the prize money at the top. In fact, that makes more chase the prize. The Lotto hits $300 million and many more play it. Make it $1 million to 300 people.....fewer would play. I saw a good increase of girls coming to lessons when it was first reported Sharapova was making $25 mil in endorsements after her Wimbledon win at age 17.

Now if you want to say the USTA should use the crazy salaries it pays to many worthless people, and money wasted on high performance, to instead hold more decent paying future tournaments where US players are given plenty of access, then we are on to something.

[Flat Top]

Originally Posted by TCF

Not sure it is the prize money at the top. In fact, that makes more chase the prize. The Lotto hits $300 million and many more play it. Make it $1 million to 300 people.....fewer would play. I saw a good increase of girls coming to lessons when it was first reported Sharapova was making $25 mil in endorsements after her Wimbledon win at age 17.

Now if you want to say the USTA should use the crazy salaries it pays to many worthless people, and money wasted on high performance, to instead hold more decent paying future tournaments where US players are given plenty of access, then we are on to something.

You sure about this?

[TCF]

Originally Posted by Flat Top

You sure about this?

100% positive. Lottery experts have studied this for decades. One pot of $300 million draws many more players than 300 pots of $1 mil each.

[Pro_Tour_630]

Originally Posted by Bowtiesarecool

When in doubt, do what Spain does.

name me the top spanish prospects similar to the ( nadal, ferer, ferrero, verdasco lopez bunch ) ,,,,,, cough cough,,,,,, not much,,,,,,,, especially females they are in a drought. Our females especially Jr ITF are better.

[Pro_Tour_630]

Originally Posted by Kaptain Karl

As a "side job" I coach the local HS tennis team. Football, Basketball, Baseball, Soccer, Wrestling and Volleyball have (brief) Middle School seasons.

Not so for Tennis.

I get only the kids who don't like those other sports to tryout for the tennis team. Patrick McEnroe is correct. The USTA should work with high schools; not against us.

Jr. Team Tennis is a USTA program. It *does* help our high school teams ... but we still have to wait for a kid to decide he/she doesn't like soccer or baseball before we get them in the JTT program. It would be great if the USTA were more supportive of Elementary and Middle School tennis programs.

- KK

KK where have you been

HS tennis coach here and I agree with Pat. The USTA just funded our elementary school and middle school courts. We are starting the programs and getting kids to start early and get them through the pip line to HS tennis. Problem is our local private tennis academies are selling a dream not to play HS tennis if they want to make it to D1, which is sad. I had two top players fall for the snake oil only to come back and play for my team and do well which gave one of them an edge to get into Yale.

So take that USTA!!!!!!!

[coaching32yrs]

Originally Posted by TCF

Not sure it is the prize money at the top. In fact, that makes more chase the prize. The Lotto hits $300 million and many more play it. Make it $1 million to 300 people.....fewer would play. I saw a good increase of girls coming to lessons when it was first reported Sharapova was making $25 mil in endorsements after her Wimbledon win at age 17.

Now if you want to say the USTA should use the crazy salaries it pays to many worthless people, and money wasted on high performance, to instead hold more decent paying future tournaments where US players are given plenty of access, then we are on to something.

How about the fact that the USTA funds 16 separate sections with buildings, rent, utilities, and staffs- all to the tune of 40 million + annually. Is this really necessary? I agree with your comment on a professional futures circuit for young American pros with decent prize money. I think that would be a big boost for American tennis. Didn't this exist at one time??

[TCF]

Originally Posted by coaching32yrs

How about the fact that the USTA funds 16 separate sections with buildings, rent, utilities, and staffs- all to the tune of 40 million + annually. Is this really necessary? I agree with your comment on a professional futures circuit for young American pros with decent prize money. I think that would be a big boost for American tennis. Didn't this exist at one time??

I think you are right, back in the day there was more of a structure for futures. Also I think there were more US based ITFs. More funds going into that level of tennis would be great for the game.

[RF20Lennon]

The main issue is work ethic and age at when they start playing. If you look at the top European guys they start playing when their 3 or 4. Americans on average start at around 8-10. The second thing is work ethic. The time spent practicing on the court and the pre-gym work out. For people who want to become pros they spend about 8 hours everyday for practice,stretches and workouts!! Americans usually don't even spend half the time! The reason Pete Sampras was so succesful was because he was originally Greek and he had the European work ethic in him. McCenroe and Connors worked EXTREMELY hard. mcCenroe said once in an interview as a junior sometimes he used to spend 6 to 7 hours on the court!! So when this improves America will get their new champion

[tennis5]

Originally Posted by RF20Lennon

The main issue is work ethic and age at when they start playing. If you look at the top European guys they start playing when their 3 or 4. Americans on average start at around 8-10. The second thing is work ethic. The time spent practicing on the court and the pre-gym work out. For people who want to become pros they spend about 8 hours everyday for practice,stretches and workouts!! Americans usually don't even spend half the time! The reason Pete Sampras was so succesful was because he was originally Greek and he had the European work ethic in him. McCenroe and Connors worked EXTREMELY hard. mcCenroe said once in an interview as a junior sometimes he used to spend 6 to 7 hours on the court!! So when this improves America will get their new champion

This is sounds like a dream date for the sports orthopedist.

Stress fractures galore.

[ClarkC]

Originally Posted by RF20Lennon

The reason Pete Sampras was so succesful was because he was originally Greek and he had the European work ethic in him.

Hilarious! That famous Greek work ethic, which has transformed Greece into the economic powerhouse of Europe, nay, of the world! The land where people have a God-given right to retire at age 50 and live on the dole for the rest of their lives, and if anyone says otherwise, it is time for another riot.

[TCF]

Originally Posted by RF20Lennon

The main issue is work ethic and age at when they start playing. If you look at the top European guys they start playing when their 3 or 4. Americans on average start at around 8-10. The second thing is work ethic. The time spent practicing on the court and the pre-gym work out. For people who want to become pros they spend about 8 hours everyday for practice,stretches and workouts!! Americans usually don't even spend half the time! The reason Pete Sampras was so succesful was because he was originally Greek and he had the European work ethic in him. McCenroe and Connors worked EXTREMELY hard. mcCenroe said once in an interview as a junior sometimes he used to spend 6 to 7 hours on the court!! So when this improves America will get their new champion

Sorry but this post is so wrong about so many things. Just full of wrong information.

1. The Euros start later, many play soccer up until age 10-14, and practice less. A survey of top 100 players showed most spent less than 15 hours a week on tennis up to age 14.

2. There is zero advantage to starting a kid in tennis at age 3-4 vs 8-9. More likely will instead result in worse players, burned out players, injured players.

3. Sampras is an example of stars aligning. Found tennis racquet while a bored little kid on a rainy day and started hitting on his own, sister says he would excel at any sport they tried with him from age 5 so was a freak athlete from birth, met a great coach as a young kid, loved tennis from day 1 and was self motivated.

4. Johnny Mac was also playing other sports through his young years. Went to college. Was a freak in regards to hand eye coordination.

5. Johnny Mac has been yelling that tennis kids need MORE balance, other sports, and LESS court time. Thats why he opened his academy!

http://bleacherreport.com/articles/1...rk-go-together

"The Academy has been built around McEnroe’s belief that a well-balanced life, one where kids participate in all sports, go to school, and then take up tennis, is what may work best."


Or we can go to John's own website for his academy and read his mission statement:

"John's passion and belief is that great players can be developed in urban settings, while still having the opportunity to live at home, pursue their educational goals, and participate in a variety of sports and extracurricular activities."

Sure all pros work very hard starting at age 15 up. But the idea that these guys lived for tennis from age 4 is total nonsense.

[barringer97]

Originally Posted by ClarkC

Hilarious! That famous Greek work ethic, which has transformed Greece into the economic powerhouse of Europe, nay, of the world! The land where people have a God-given right to retire at age 50 and live on the dole for the rest of their lives, and if anyone says otherwise, it is time for another riot.

Seriously.

[tball2day]

^^^Classic. lol.