arche3
Banned
Hi pat! You should stop using johns computer to log into this user name. Or maybe USTA has been working day and night to develops forum IP spoofing software for you. Good going!
#1 Junior Taylor Townsend "Benched" by the USTA
- Thread starter Tcbtennis
- Start date
Hi pat! You should stop using johns computer to log into this user name. Or maybe USTA has been working day and night to develops forum IP spoofing software for you. Good going!
It speaks to the incestuous nature of tennis and how the USTA is a monopolistic regime. If you speak out against it yet they are your employer or your source of revenue or your source of wild cards or your source of information, you may disappear into the night (metaphorically speaking, of course). Absolute power corrupts absolutely.
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Will everyone moan and cry when PMac gets into the ITF HOF?
It should happen by 2020 I predict.
His reign as the head of player development is not the sum total of his tennis career. He has been a great advocate for tennis as the captain of the Davis Cup team. He's just way over his head right now with too many irons in the fire. As of right now I don't think that he has done irreparable damage to his career but how he handles the controversies regarding junior tennis may be the tipping point. If he is concerned about his legacy (i.e. getting into the HOF) he should realize that it won't be because of his tennis career but what he contributed to tennis afterward. He should try to get his house in order.
Alohajrtennis
Semi-Pro
This is not fair to Collete.First, she has tweeted about it quite a bit and according to her tweets has an upcoming article. Second, she has been vocal about her opposition to the 2014 tournament changes, although in much more reserved, professional manner than some posters here. I have not known her to be a USTA suck up.
Tennishacker
Professional
It's been a week since this story broke at the WSJ.
I tried to post a comment on her site, but it was not posted.
She may not be a usta suckup but certainly is very selective with who she offends and etc. In addition, she has been known to highlight certain juniors and completely ignore others no matter what their achievements may be. She does play favorites with which juniors she picks to follow and dedicates paragraphs and paragraphs to insignificant details while completely ignoring the non favorites.
MarTennis
Semi-Pro
Avles
Hall of Fame
RodSmooth claimed on another thread to be a former junior standout.
But in doing so he managed to spell his own supposed name wrong (it should have been "Attila" like the Hun):
http://tt.tennis-warehouse.com/showpost.php?p=6840864&postcount=41
Draw your own conclusions...
You do not have to be a "suck up" to be wary of the "hand that feeds you". I guess you can call it good business. As a "consumer" I'm disappointed. I went through all the tennis blogs posted by Collete during the U.S. Open and she makes a vague reference about this story that has blown up and become quite big. This story moreso that the tournament change story has struck a nerve with the public and like a regime, the USTA has tried to control the flow of information. Collete does an excellent job staying on top of junior tennis but there is a reason why she has not been on top of this story.
Alohajrtennis
Semi-Pro
You obviously don't follow her on twitter. She is promoting the story heavily there probably letting Tom take the lead out of professional courtesy, it was his story. I first heard about the Sheila Townsend interview from her on her twitter feed, not this forum. She said she is going o write about it today.
You're absolutely right. I don't follow her or anybody else on Twitter and wouldn't even know how to if I wanted. The Tom that you're referring to is Tom Perrotta, the WSJ reporter who broke the story? He gets the credit for the exposing this episode but as to Collete extending professional courtesy to him by not reporting on it herself on her blog, I don't think so. Once it's out there for all to read, it's fair game and any reporter can do follow up or whatever with it.
I look forward to reading her article.
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Bravo Colette - some were writing her off to soon on covering this. She tried to address all the questions everyone has, and while she doesn't have all the answers, she puts it out there. For example:
Sports Illustrated’s Jon Wertheim went on the record after the Open with his opinion that Patrick McEnroe’s position as head of Player Development is in direct conflict with his role as a commentator for ESPN, with ESPN’s failure to cover the Townsend story one of those conflicts.
When McEnroe stepped down as Davis Cup captain, I had hoped he would have more time to devote to junior tennis. I’ve seen no evidence of that. I covered both Wimbledon and the US Open Junior Championships this year and in the course of my reporting I did not encounter McEnroe at any junior matches, although it’s possible our paths just didn’t intersect.
I understand he is an administrator, but I don’t think he’s involved enough when one of the country’s top prospects says, “I don’t talk to Patrick. I don’t. I don’t see him often, he’s not there,” as Townsend said when asked about their relationship.
She calls them on things, I haven't sensed that she is afraid to speak up against USTA.
I really hope Taylor finds a good coaching situation outside of this group. And not be afraid of earning her way into the tournaments rather than just keeping peace and compromising in order to get WCs. I've mentioned it before, we were asked to train there and turned it down for a lot of reasons, overall care and concern for the players (the many aspects of a player - physical and emotional) being the biggest one. They coaches know if you don't work out, there are 10 players behind you waiting at the door, so it's just a job for a lot of them, not a true genuine coaching relationship and all the benefits of that. It's a good place to go for hits, otherwise it's just a typical academy with problems (but holds the keys to WCs). Buyer beware.
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coaching32yrs
Semi-Pro
I'm sure many on this Board are accomplished in their fields - coaching, medicine, education etc. My expertise is managing departments of large and medium organizations. When I read that Taylor has no relationship with PMac and does not even talk to him I couldn't believe it. You are the head of USTA player development and you have no relationship with the #1 player? Believe me when I tell you the CEO of the largest corporations have relationships with their #1 salesperson, engineer, and creative talent. I know some of you are saying that USTA is a big organization and their are others whose job it is to advise Taylor. Hogwash. This is pure and simple shocking incompetence by PMac. With the Boards I have served under he would be terminated within 24 hours.
Zoo Tennis covered it
SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 15, 2012
My Thoughts on Taylor Townsend and USTA Player Development
It’s rare for a junior to be a story at the US Open, but this year Taylor Townsend became one after she and her mother Shelia spoke to Tom Perotta at the Wall Street Journal about her “benching” by the USTA. The story quickly picked up steam, with USA Today, most New York papers, Sports Illustrated and Good Morning America also investigating the USTA’s handling of the world’s top-ranked junior.
After her first round win Sunday at the US Open junior championships, I asked Townsend about her curious absence from all competition since the beginning of August and she simply answered she was “a little sick” and it was a “long story.” She wouldn’t elaborate in a follow-up question on the topic from another reporter in the small press conference, and it wasn’t until I saw the Wall Street Journal story Thursday that I fully understood the situation.
In a post-match press conference the following day, Townsend said she hadn’t read the WSJ story, but that “everything in there is the truth,” and described herself as “devastated,” when she was told to withdraw from the USTA 18s Nationals and concentrate on her fitness for an eight-week span, which also included the US Open qualifying and the US Open Junior Championships.
The topic of Townsend’s fitness level was hardly a new one. Back in May, Townsend participated in a conference call with Patrick McEnroe, General Manager of USTA Player Development, and this was one of the questions asked by a reporter:
Q. Taylor, possibly a sensitive issue. You never like to ask a woman about weight issues. Early on I noticed you were pretty overweight. I saw you recently and I marveled at how svelte you looked. Can you talk about your battle with that over the years and what you've done to get in better condition.
TAYLOR TOWNSEND: Well, I've always been pretty comfortable with my body. I know and I've been told, it's obvious for me, that I don't have a typical body type of everyone else. Really I just have to work with what I have pretty much. I use it. To me it's been working pretty well (laughter).
Being down at USTA I've learned the importance of my fitness level. I learned that just skill alone, talent, being able to use your hands isn't always enough. If I can't get to the ball, if I can't stay in the point long enough, I won't be able to give myself an opportunity to be able to use what I have.
Fitness is really important. I've learned that over the course of these years being here. I definitely made a transition, a positive transition, in the way that my body has come along. I think as well as losing weight, dropping weight, but growing as well.
I was young probably when you saw me. So just being able to grow into my body, get a little taller, all that stuff, it's helped a lot. Hopefully I can grow a few more inches. But I'm just pretty much using what I have.
PATRICK McENROE: You're using it pretty darn well, Taylor. Don't worry about it.
That exchange doesn’t sound as if the head of Player Development had too many concerns about Townsend’s fitness, but less than a month later an email went out to players who were full-time residents of the USTA National Training Centers and their parents, as well as all USTA Player Development coaches. Jose Higueras, Head of Coaching at USTA Player Development wrote (emphasis added):
"Dear Players and Parents:
Our mission in Player Development is to develop world-class American players through a clearly defined training structure and competitive pathway as well as through the implementation of a comprehensive coaching philosophy and structure. This means working with players to help them maximize their potential and reach the Top 10 of the ATP and WTA rankings. We have a great group of highly skilled and talented coaches and strength and conditioning staff to help players achieve this goal. It is undeniable that the level of fitness of our player(sic) at our three training centers (Boca, Carson and New York) is an essential component to their game and is often directly related to their success on the court. For that reason, our staff continues to work closely with our players on a daily basis to ensure sure we are enhancing their level of fitness.
However, each player has a responsibility himself or herself, to make sure they are doing all of the right things on their own to be in peak physical condition. With this in mind, we plan to implement a policy moving forward that if (in our opinion) we do not feel that a player has done their part towards achieving a high degree of fitness, we will not take them on whatever trip may have been planned.
Please do not hesitate to let us know if you have any questions and thank you for your support in helping all of us achieve our goal of helping to develop top-ranked, world-class American players."
After Townsend lost in the US Open junior quarterfinals to Anett Kontaveit of Estonia, she was asked about the Wall Street Journal article and how the weeks leading up to the junior tournament played out. Townsend said she met with USTA head of women’s tennis Ola Malmqvist after she lost 6-2, 6-1 to Vicky Duval in the first round of qualifying at the Vancouver Challenger, her first competitive match since winning the junior doubles title at Wimbledon with Eugenie Bouchard of Canada.
“He first told me that he didn’t feel as though I was in a good place, that I was kind of moving downward so they wanted me to go back and skip everything for eight weeks and just train and work on my fitness, primarily fitness. He said go back and get to a good place, and I went back and I was only hitting three times a week for 45 minutes. I was really confused because I was like, what’s happening, you know? Before that tournament I was doing two fitnesses and two tennis sessions a day, so why was it getting pushed back all of a sudden. I was shocked pretty much, but I can’t do anything about it now, I’m just glad to be here, honestly.”
Shutting her off from tennis for eight weeks meant Townsend had to withdraw from the USTA 18s Nationals, where she would have had an opportunity to win a main draw wild card into the US Open with a victory (or a qualifying wild card if she had reached the finals), and she was denied a wild card into the women’s qualifying. That also meant no funding for her trip to New York for the US Open Juniors, but the USTA could not keep her out of the US Open Junior Championships, since she had entered and been accepted by the ITF.
Room and board for any junior slam, called hospitality by the ITF, is provided to any junior who reaches the main draw in singles or doubles, so Townsend’s expenses would have been primarily airfare, which her mother paid. The USTA has a grant for airfare for those in the main draw of junior slams outside the US, but does not for New York.
SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 15, 2012
My Thoughts on Taylor Townsend and USTA Player Development
It’s rare for a junior to be a story at the US Open, but this year Taylor Townsend became one after she and her mother Shelia spoke to Tom Perotta at the Wall Street Journal about her “benching” by the USTA. The story quickly picked up steam, with USA Today, most New York papers, Sports Illustrated and Good Morning America also investigating the USTA’s handling of the world’s top-ranked junior.
After her first round win Sunday at the US Open junior championships, I asked Townsend about her curious absence from all competition since the beginning of August and she simply answered she was “a little sick” and it was a “long story.” She wouldn’t elaborate in a follow-up question on the topic from another reporter in the small press conference, and it wasn’t until I saw the Wall Street Journal story Thursday that I fully understood the situation.
In a post-match press conference the following day, Townsend said she hadn’t read the WSJ story, but that “everything in there is the truth,” and described herself as “devastated,” when she was told to withdraw from the USTA 18s Nationals and concentrate on her fitness for an eight-week span, which also included the US Open qualifying and the US Open Junior Championships.
The topic of Townsend’s fitness level was hardly a new one. Back in May, Townsend participated in a conference call with Patrick McEnroe, General Manager of USTA Player Development, and this was one of the questions asked by a reporter:
Q. Taylor, possibly a sensitive issue. You never like to ask a woman about weight issues. Early on I noticed you were pretty overweight. I saw you recently and I marveled at how svelte you looked. Can you talk about your battle with that over the years and what you've done to get in better condition.
TAYLOR TOWNSEND: Well, I've always been pretty comfortable with my body. I know and I've been told, it's obvious for me, that I don't have a typical body type of everyone else. Really I just have to work with what I have pretty much. I use it. To me it's been working pretty well (laughter).
Being down at USTA I've learned the importance of my fitness level. I learned that just skill alone, talent, being able to use your hands isn't always enough. If I can't get to the ball, if I can't stay in the point long enough, I won't be able to give myself an opportunity to be able to use what I have.
Fitness is really important. I've learned that over the course of these years being here. I definitely made a transition, a positive transition, in the way that my body has come along. I think as well as losing weight, dropping weight, but growing as well.
I was young probably when you saw me. So just being able to grow into my body, get a little taller, all that stuff, it's helped a lot. Hopefully I can grow a few more inches. But I'm just pretty much using what I have.
PATRICK McENROE: You're using it pretty darn well, Taylor. Don't worry about it.
That exchange doesn’t sound as if the head of Player Development had too many concerns about Townsend’s fitness, but less than a month later an email went out to players who were full-time residents of the USTA National Training Centers and their parents, as well as all USTA Player Development coaches. Jose Higueras, Head of Coaching at USTA Player Development wrote (emphasis added):
"Dear Players and Parents:
Our mission in Player Development is to develop world-class American players through a clearly defined training structure and competitive pathway as well as through the implementation of a comprehensive coaching philosophy and structure. This means working with players to help them maximize their potential and reach the Top 10 of the ATP and WTA rankings. We have a great group of highly skilled and talented coaches and strength and conditioning staff to help players achieve this goal. It is undeniable that the level of fitness of our player(sic) at our three training centers (Boca, Carson and New York) is an essential component to their game and is often directly related to their success on the court. For that reason, our staff continues to work closely with our players on a daily basis to ensure sure we are enhancing their level of fitness.
However, each player has a responsibility himself or herself, to make sure they are doing all of the right things on their own to be in peak physical condition. With this in mind, we plan to implement a policy moving forward that if (in our opinion) we do not feel that a player has done their part towards achieving a high degree of fitness, we will not take them on whatever trip may have been planned.
Please do not hesitate to let us know if you have any questions and thank you for your support in helping all of us achieve our goal of helping to develop top-ranked, world-class American players."
After Townsend lost in the US Open junior quarterfinals to Anett Kontaveit of Estonia, she was asked about the Wall Street Journal article and how the weeks leading up to the junior tournament played out. Townsend said she met with USTA head of women’s tennis Ola Malmqvist after she lost 6-2, 6-1 to Vicky Duval in the first round of qualifying at the Vancouver Challenger, her first competitive match since winning the junior doubles title at Wimbledon with Eugenie Bouchard of Canada.
“He first told me that he didn’t feel as though I was in a good place, that I was kind of moving downward so they wanted me to go back and skip everything for eight weeks and just train and work on my fitness, primarily fitness. He said go back and get to a good place, and I went back and I was only hitting three times a week for 45 minutes. I was really confused because I was like, what’s happening, you know? Before that tournament I was doing two fitnesses and two tennis sessions a day, so why was it getting pushed back all of a sudden. I was shocked pretty much, but I can’t do anything about it now, I’m just glad to be here, honestly.”
Shutting her off from tennis for eight weeks meant Townsend had to withdraw from the USTA 18s Nationals, where she would have had an opportunity to win a main draw wild card into the US Open with a victory (or a qualifying wild card if she had reached the finals), and she was denied a wild card into the women’s qualifying. That also meant no funding for her trip to New York for the US Open Juniors, but the USTA could not keep her out of the US Open Junior Championships, since she had entered and been accepted by the ITF.
Room and board for any junior slam, called hospitality by the ITF, is provided to any junior who reaches the main draw in singles or doubles, so Townsend’s expenses would have been primarily airfare, which her mother paid. The USTA has a grant for airfare for those in the main draw of junior slams outside the US, but does not for New York.
Zoo Tennis cont.
Shortly after the WSJ article, Patrick McEnroe was quoted as saying the money issue was the result of a miscommunication, and that the Townsends would be reimbursed, but that seems to contradict the substance of Higueras’ email.
The USTA also said later in the week in a tennis.com article that Townsend was not cleared to play the US Open medically, due to a diagnosis of low iron, and once she received clearance to play, they were happy to have her there and pay her way. While the medical clearance part may be true, and I know the USTA can be strict about such things, Patrick McEnroe did not mention this in his comments to the Wall Street Journal.
I think the reason this story has had so much resonance is twofold. First, it involves the ITF’s top-ranked junior, who has an exceptionally stylish game, a vibrant personality and the confidence to display both. Second, it raised the issue of fitness vs. body type and whether demanding greater fitness from an obviously successful and full-figured 16-year-old girl is a) appropriate and b) necessary.
Two great champions who had similar issues in their teens, Lindsay Davenport and Martina Navratilova, emphatically answered no to those questions and explained how they learned they needed to get in better shape. Serena Williams, who has also been the subject of much discussion due to her body type and varying levels of fitness, said “if that happened that’s a obviously a tragedy, because everyone deserves to play.”
Townsend has played only nine tournaments this year, but has managed to remain number 1 in the ITF Junior World rankings. She played two matches in one day, as did others, at both the Easter Bowl (which she won) and the US Open Juniors, and there was no evidence in either case of any lack of fitness.
Townsend admits however, that she isn’t in peak physical condition, saying “I’m not going to sit here and say that I couldn’t have gotten in better shape or that I can’t get in better shape, or I’m not going to sit here and say that I’m fastest person, the most agile, because I’m not. There’s definitely room for improvement, but it’s personal opinion.”
It’s interesting to recall the parenthetical clause in Jose Higueras’s e-mail “in our opinion.” Townsend believes she’s fit enough to play and the USTA does not. The heart of the controversy centers on whose opinion takes priority when it comes to competing. I simply can’t accept as necessary the drastic measure of keeping her out of two of the most important tournaments of the year. If the USTA felt it had come to that, it would have been more honest to ask her to leave the program, a common practice among all academies, and a scenario that has played out many times at the USTA’s Boca Raton Training Center.
Without an advocate outside the organization (she is still an amateur and doesn’t have an agent who may have smoothed out the ‘miscommunications’), Townsend and her mother may have felt shedding light on this difference of opinion was valuable to others. Certainly they were both available to address questions and provide candid answers to all who asked throughout the week, at least after the Wall Street Journal story broke. Townsend could have succumbed to the distraction this created, but she seemed unaffected when on court and went on to win the doubles title, her third junior slam doubles title of the year.
Even the staunchest advocate of the USTA can’t think this was handled well by the organization. Player Development has always struggled to communicate with those outside the system, and simply finding out who is actually training full time at the USTA is well nigh impossible.
There are many reasons for this, and perhaps confidentiality is one of them, but the high turnover rate of players, coaches and staff over the past two years at Player Development certainly contributes to it.
It’s been two years since there has been a press conference or call specifically devoted to player development, and although I don’t believe Player Development was as involved in the new Junior Competition changes as others do, it is but another instance where actual dialogue between affected constituencies was sadly lacking.
Sports Illustrated’s Jon Wertheim went on the record after the Open with his opinion that Patrick McEnroe’s position as head of Player Development is in direct conflict with his role as a commentator for ESPN, with ESPN’s failure to cover the Townsend story one of those conflicts.
When McEnroe stepped down as Davis Cup captain, I had hoped he would have more time to devote to junior tennis. I’ve seen no evidence of that. I covered both Wimbledon and the US Open Junior Championships this year and in the course of my reporting I did not encounter McEnroe at any junior matches, although it’s possible our paths just didn’t intersect.
I understand he is an administrator, but I don’t think he’s involved enough when one of the country’s top prospects says, “I don’t talk to Patrick. I don’t. I don’t see him often, he’s not there,” as Townsend said when asked about their relationship.
Would more day-to-day involvement by McEnroe have changed the way this incident played out? I don’t know. Townsend says she has a good relationship with her USTA coach Kathy Rinaldi and that fact didn’t change the narrative. I do know there are many complicated issues here that can’t be reduced to tabloid headlines.
What boundaries can the USTA set for its players, who are, after all, children with families, and what can it do if they don’t comply? Does that apply whether the player is ranked No. 1 in the world or has been unable to get out of the 100s? How do you convey and adhere to a philosophy without damaging individuality and creativity? How much do you demand and how much do you let players figure out for themselves? How are you accountable to your players and how are they accountable to you? How do you provide an environment where everyone feels they are playing by the same rules? How do you focus on cultivating Top 100 players through the instruction you provide and yet develop healthy, happy people, not just products that sell tickets to the second week of the US Open? What’s the best way to keep families involved and informed?
I could add another fifty questions and you probably can too, which is why even a post this long isn’t going to provide a definitive answer.
Townsend said she had no immediate plans to leave the USTA after this. But she also did not rule out the possibility.
“I just want to go and be at a place where I’m happy,” she said in her press conference after winning the doubles title. “I want to be in a place where I have a free mind and don’t have to worry about any drama or anything, go out and have fun on the court, work really hard and get everything I possibly can out of it, every single day. So whether that’s at USTA or it’s not at USTA, it doesn’t really matter to me because it’s me as a player, it’s not really USTA out there playing, it’s me playing. But as of right now, I’m at USTA and I’m happy.”
With her ranking and achievements, as well as her potential, there isn’t an academy anywhere who wouldn’t fund a full scholarship for her. She and her family are raising this issue from a position of strength, and it’s not often a player, particularly a junior player, has that kind of bargaining position with the USTA. Townsend isn’t the first junior to question the philosophy and methods of the USTA. She’s just the first willing to talk about it.
Shortly after the WSJ article, Patrick McEnroe was quoted as saying the money issue was the result of a miscommunication, and that the Townsends would be reimbursed, but that seems to contradict the substance of Higueras’ email.
The USTA also said later in the week in a tennis.com article that Townsend was not cleared to play the US Open medically, due to a diagnosis of low iron, and once she received clearance to play, they were happy to have her there and pay her way. While the medical clearance part may be true, and I know the USTA can be strict about such things, Patrick McEnroe did not mention this in his comments to the Wall Street Journal.
I think the reason this story has had so much resonance is twofold. First, it involves the ITF’s top-ranked junior, who has an exceptionally stylish game, a vibrant personality and the confidence to display both. Second, it raised the issue of fitness vs. body type and whether demanding greater fitness from an obviously successful and full-figured 16-year-old girl is a) appropriate and b) necessary.
Two great champions who had similar issues in their teens, Lindsay Davenport and Martina Navratilova, emphatically answered no to those questions and explained how they learned they needed to get in better shape. Serena Williams, who has also been the subject of much discussion due to her body type and varying levels of fitness, said “if that happened that’s a obviously a tragedy, because everyone deserves to play.”
Townsend has played only nine tournaments this year, but has managed to remain number 1 in the ITF Junior World rankings. She played two matches in one day, as did others, at both the Easter Bowl (which she won) and the US Open Juniors, and there was no evidence in either case of any lack of fitness.
Townsend admits however, that she isn’t in peak physical condition, saying “I’m not going to sit here and say that I couldn’t have gotten in better shape or that I can’t get in better shape, or I’m not going to sit here and say that I’m fastest person, the most agile, because I’m not. There’s definitely room for improvement, but it’s personal opinion.”
It’s interesting to recall the parenthetical clause in Jose Higueras’s e-mail “in our opinion.” Townsend believes she’s fit enough to play and the USTA does not. The heart of the controversy centers on whose opinion takes priority when it comes to competing. I simply can’t accept as necessary the drastic measure of keeping her out of two of the most important tournaments of the year. If the USTA felt it had come to that, it would have been more honest to ask her to leave the program, a common practice among all academies, and a scenario that has played out many times at the USTA’s Boca Raton Training Center.
Without an advocate outside the organization (she is still an amateur and doesn’t have an agent who may have smoothed out the ‘miscommunications’), Townsend and her mother may have felt shedding light on this difference of opinion was valuable to others. Certainly they were both available to address questions and provide candid answers to all who asked throughout the week, at least after the Wall Street Journal story broke. Townsend could have succumbed to the distraction this created, but she seemed unaffected when on court and went on to win the doubles title, her third junior slam doubles title of the year.
Even the staunchest advocate of the USTA can’t think this was handled well by the organization. Player Development has always struggled to communicate with those outside the system, and simply finding out who is actually training full time at the USTA is well nigh impossible.
There are many reasons for this, and perhaps confidentiality is one of them, but the high turnover rate of players, coaches and staff over the past two years at Player Development certainly contributes to it.
It’s been two years since there has been a press conference or call specifically devoted to player development, and although I don’t believe Player Development was as involved in the new Junior Competition changes as others do, it is but another instance where actual dialogue between affected constituencies was sadly lacking.
Sports Illustrated’s Jon Wertheim went on the record after the Open with his opinion that Patrick McEnroe’s position as head of Player Development is in direct conflict with his role as a commentator for ESPN, with ESPN’s failure to cover the Townsend story one of those conflicts.
When McEnroe stepped down as Davis Cup captain, I had hoped he would have more time to devote to junior tennis. I’ve seen no evidence of that. I covered both Wimbledon and the US Open Junior Championships this year and in the course of my reporting I did not encounter McEnroe at any junior matches, although it’s possible our paths just didn’t intersect.
I understand he is an administrator, but I don’t think he’s involved enough when one of the country’s top prospects says, “I don’t talk to Patrick. I don’t. I don’t see him often, he’s not there,” as Townsend said when asked about their relationship.
Would more day-to-day involvement by McEnroe have changed the way this incident played out? I don’t know. Townsend says she has a good relationship with her USTA coach Kathy Rinaldi and that fact didn’t change the narrative. I do know there are many complicated issues here that can’t be reduced to tabloid headlines.
What boundaries can the USTA set for its players, who are, after all, children with families, and what can it do if they don’t comply? Does that apply whether the player is ranked No. 1 in the world or has been unable to get out of the 100s? How do you convey and adhere to a philosophy without damaging individuality and creativity? How much do you demand and how much do you let players figure out for themselves? How are you accountable to your players and how are they accountable to you? How do you provide an environment where everyone feels they are playing by the same rules? How do you focus on cultivating Top 100 players through the instruction you provide and yet develop healthy, happy people, not just products that sell tickets to the second week of the US Open? What’s the best way to keep families involved and informed?
I could add another fifty questions and you probably can too, which is why even a post this long isn’t going to provide a definitive answer.
Townsend said she had no immediate plans to leave the USTA after this. But she also did not rule out the possibility.
“I just want to go and be at a place where I’m happy,” she said in her press conference after winning the doubles title. “I want to be in a place where I have a free mind and don’t have to worry about any drama or anything, go out and have fun on the court, work really hard and get everything I possibly can out of it, every single day. So whether that’s at USTA or it’s not at USTA, it doesn’t really matter to me because it’s me as a player, it’s not really USTA out there playing, it’s me playing. But as of right now, I’m at USTA and I’m happy.”
With her ranking and achievements, as well as her potential, there isn’t an academy anywhere who wouldn’t fund a full scholarship for her. She and her family are raising this issue from a position of strength, and it’s not often a player, particularly a junior player, has that kind of bargaining position with the USTA. Townsend isn’t the first junior to question the philosophy and methods of the USTA. She’s just the first willing to talk about it.
THIS IS WHAT WAS SAID IN MAY, TWO MONTHS BEFORE THE SUMMER.......
The topic of Townsend’s fitness level was hardly a new one. Back in May, Townsend participated in a conference call with Patrick McEnroe, General Manager of USTA Player Development, and this was one of the questions asked by a reporter:
Q. Taylor, possibly a sensitive issue. You never like to ask a woman about weight issues. Early on I noticed you were pretty overweight. I saw you recently and I marveled at how svelte you looked. Can you talk about your battle with that over the years and what you've done to get in better condition.
TAYLOR TOWNSEND: Well, I've always been pretty comfortable with my body. I know and I've been told, it's obvious for me, that I don't have a typical body type of everyone else. Really I just have to work with what I have pretty much. I use it. To me it's been working pretty well (laughter).
Being down at USTA I've learned the importance of my fitness level. I learned that just skill alone, talent, being able to use your hands isn't always enough. If I can't get to the ball, if I can't stay in the point long enough, I won't be able to give myself an opportunity to be able to use what I have.
Fitness is really important. I've learned that over the course of these years being here. I definitely made a transition, a positive transition, in the way that my body has come along. I think as well as losing weight, dropping weight, but growing as well.
I was young probably when you saw me. So just being able to grow into my body, get a little taller, all that stuff, it's helped a lot. Hopefully I can grow a few more inches. But I'm just pretty much using what I have.
PATRICK McENROE: You're using it pretty darn well, Taylor. Don't worry about it.
That exchange doesn’t sound as if the head of Player Development had too many concerns about Townsend’s fitness.
LOVE IT - DON'T WORRY ABOUT IT SAYS THE HEAD OF PD, UNTIL SHE IS NOT ALLOWED TO PLAY......
The topic of Townsend’s fitness level was hardly a new one. Back in May, Townsend participated in a conference call with Patrick McEnroe, General Manager of USTA Player Development, and this was one of the questions asked by a reporter:
Q. Taylor, possibly a sensitive issue. You never like to ask a woman about weight issues. Early on I noticed you were pretty overweight. I saw you recently and I marveled at how svelte you looked. Can you talk about your battle with that over the years and what you've done to get in better condition.
TAYLOR TOWNSEND: Well, I've always been pretty comfortable with my body. I know and I've been told, it's obvious for me, that I don't have a typical body type of everyone else. Really I just have to work with what I have pretty much. I use it. To me it's been working pretty well (laughter).
Being down at USTA I've learned the importance of my fitness level. I learned that just skill alone, talent, being able to use your hands isn't always enough. If I can't get to the ball, if I can't stay in the point long enough, I won't be able to give myself an opportunity to be able to use what I have.
Fitness is really important. I've learned that over the course of these years being here. I definitely made a transition, a positive transition, in the way that my body has come along. I think as well as losing weight, dropping weight, but growing as well.
I was young probably when you saw me. So just being able to grow into my body, get a little taller, all that stuff, it's helped a lot. Hopefully I can grow a few more inches. But I'm just pretty much using what I have.
PATRICK McENROE: You're using it pretty darn well, Taylor. Don't worry about it.
That exchange doesn’t sound as if the head of Player Development had too many concerns about Townsend’s fitness.
LOVE IT - DON'T WORRY ABOUT IT SAYS THE HEAD OF PD, UNTIL SHE IS NOT ALLOWED TO PLAY......
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Taylor Townsend -
"I was only hitting three times a week for 45 minutes.
I was really confused because I was like, what’s happening, you know?
Before that tournament I was doing two fitnesses and two tennis sessions a day, so why was it getting pushed back all of a sudden.
I was shocked pretty much"
HITTING 3 TIMES A WEEK FOR 45 MINUTES.
THE NUMBER 1 JUNIOR IN THE WORLD WAS ALLOWED TO HIT FOR 2 HOURS AND 15 MINUTES A WEEK.
WOW.
"I was only hitting three times a week for 45 minutes.
I was really confused because I was like, what’s happening, you know?
Before that tournament I was doing two fitnesses and two tennis sessions a day, so why was it getting pushed back all of a sudden.
I was shocked pretty much"
HITTING 3 TIMES A WEEK FOR 45 MINUTES.
THE NUMBER 1 JUNIOR IN THE WORLD WAS ALLOWED TO HIT FOR 2 HOURS AND 15 MINUTES A WEEK.
WOW.
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T
TCF
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Number1Coach
Banned
Taylor has a great shot at doing great if she is the same one I have seen she's a lefty "bonus" , she needs to get in better shape if she is going pro and who ever told her that should get and award for looking out for her best interest .
Shoot in Spain they would have locked her in a shed to get their message across "David Ferrer" and look what it did to mr.5'9 ,
I really hope Taylor takes it to heart cause being a lefty and a girl is a double bonus she could do great .
Shoot in Spain they would have locked her in a shed to get their message across "David Ferrer" and look what it did to mr.5'9 ,
I really hope Taylor takes it to heart cause being a lefty and a girl is a double bonus she could do great .
T
TCF
Guest
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coaching32yrs
Semi-Pro
Better late than never. Collete writes a thought provoking article about the TT affair and has more information that was not found in other articles. I am one who was calling Collete out for her silence on this subject but I was wrong about her. Apparently she was tweeting about it but not writing anything on her blog. Who would have thought that looking for info on the internet would be considered old fashioned?
HIGH-TECH TENNIS
Rookie
HIGH-TECH TENNIS response to Zoo Tennis: Taylor ROCKS...USTA - not so much. The instant I heard about it, I knew it was wrong, wrong, wrong. It's an unbelievable situation that is just so very distressing and damaging to all who love junior tennis...and most especially to all who love TT...Hope Taylor and Shelia will continue to hold their heads high---ALL WILL BE WELL FOR THEM IN THE END...I hope they find another place that values and protects and cherishes this CHILD instead of betraying her by sending confusing, mixed messages that make her feel badly about herself. I can't wait to see how far she can go as Taylor continues to develop her God-given talents. We have known and loved this family since 2006. They don't deserve this---actually no one does. Huge shout-out from HIGH-TECH TENNIS and thanks for the article, Zoo Tennis. WELL DONE!
superfittennis
New User
I am recently hearing several conflicting stories about this Taylor Townsend situation. If the USTA initially told her that she should skip the girls 18’s national championships and just focus on fitness, they were certainly doing the right thing. Since Taylor is the number one-ranked Junior in the world and has already won a Junior grand slam there is absolutely no reason to play nationals. That is especially the case when one's fitness is lacking. She was given an opportunity to not play tournaments for eight weeks and instead focus on improving her court speed and overall fitness. That eight weeks of time should have been a gift to her and should have been utilized correctly. That timeframe was long enough to prepare her for the US open juniors and the woman's tournament. Unfortunately, those eight weeks were not used appropriately. I cannot say whether that was Taylor Townsend’s fault for lack of motivation or the USTA's fault for providing her with inadequate physical conditioning and nutritional guidance but one thing is for certain….. SOMEONE IS TO BLAME!
No reason to play nationals?
That national tournament happened to be her entry way into the US Open if she won....
They also cut her tennis time down to 45 minutes 3 times a week.
Happy to say that this is one time the power of the press worked.
Maybe, there is a lesson to be learned here.
t135
Professional
The USTA may be right about her fitness level but I totally agree with the above statement.
superfittennis
New User
Taylor Townsend is an awesome player and no one is going to dispute that. Based on her lack of fitness, I simply do not think that winning the 18's Supernationals and getting that US Open main draw wildcard was a sure thing. That tournament was stacked with some players who could have upset her including Crawford (just win US Open Juniors) and Victoria Duval who beat her 6-1 6-2 on July 31st in a pro tournament. 18's Super Hard Court Nationals was the following week!
Her timing is not off? She won the US Open Junior doubles, didn't she?
Taylor basically had from July 8-September 9 to improve her fitness. I think that everyone is confusing fitness with fatness when that is not necessarily the case. The fact of the matter is that her movement is quite poor and must improve before she can win matches at the high levels of the pro tour.
If she could move, then they would just take her out of juniors and give her a complete pro schedule. Again......It is someone's fault, but I do not know who. Her's or the USTA's???
Please comment if you have actually seen her move..................
Her timing is not off? She won the US Open Junior doubles, didn't she?
Taylor basically had from July 8-September 9 to improve her fitness. I think that everyone is confusing fitness with fatness when that is not necessarily the case. The fact of the matter is that her movement is quite poor and must improve before she can win matches at the high levels of the pro tour.
If she could move, then they would just take her out of juniors and give her a complete pro schedule. Again......It is someone's fault, but I do not know who. Her's or the USTA's???
Please comment if you have actually seen her move..................
I only saw her movement from a video clip before so I cannot comment on her movement and fitness level around the US open. My initial speculation (that I posted in this thread) was like what you said....USTA perhaps wanted her to be fit for the pro level.
I don't know if her loss to Victoria Duval hurt the USTAPD's (and Taylor's) confidence in her game and fitness level or they just benched her for another reason.
What I (and probably many of us) have observed in juniors and adult players.....good tennis players with limited footwork and fitness often do well in doubles than singles. Not saying it applied to Taylor but her recent results seemed to show that trend.
JoelDali
Talk Tennis Guru
I think Taylor and PMac should do a Funny or Die type video where Taylor foot faults and PMac calls it, and Taylor threatens PMac with something like, "I'm gonna shove this ball down your throat..."
Then they laugh it off and go to McDonalds and have a nice lunch together. That would really be genius.
Then they laugh it off and go to McDonalds and have a nice lunch together. That would really be genius.
You seem well meaning but you have a lot of misinformation. First of all, of course it isn't a sure thing that Taylor would have won the National in order to receive the wild card into the main draw. But I can tell you that the odds are better when you are actually allowed to enter the tournament. And just because a player beat you one week means absolutely nothing. Anyone who has competed in tennis knows this. You learn from the first match and make adjustments. Maybe they work or maybe they don't. But you do not make predictions based on one match.
Lastly, at age 15, Taylor is not allowed to play a complete pro schedule. If I remember correctly, she must be 16 or 17 years old before she can compete fully in the women's tour. Since she just turned 15 she has time to work on her fitness. As someone posted earlier, after the US Open would be a perfect time to do this.
superfittennis
New User
I am not making predictions based on one match and perhaps Taylor Townsend (#1 ITF Junior) in the world would have won that national tournament easily. (Who cares?) If the USTA thought that she was in shape and could compete in the main draw they could have given her a wildcard. She is 16 years old and may play in (12) tournaments and can receive (4) wildcards at any pro level event. If she was in good condition and could move faster than a snail, then allowing her to play (12) professional events, all (4) grand slams, perhaps a couple of other grade A junior events, and just focus on game improvement and more fitness may have been the best thing to do. What do you think?
Personally, I think her support should be based on results instead of appearance or fitness level. If she is fit enough to win in the juniors she is fit enough to compete.
But, I don't have a problem with her coaches telling her quite frankly that your fitness is hindering you just like a bad stroke would hinder you and we are going to work hard to improve it.
They are trying to transition her from promising junior to world class athlete and she is not going to make the transition carry a lot of extra weight. It hurts but it is the truth. This is not little league - they are talking about the big league USO.
But, I don't have a problem with her coaches telling her quite frankly that your fitness is hindering you just like a bad stroke would hinder you and we are going to work hard to improve it.
They are trying to transition her from promising junior to world class athlete and she is not going to make the transition carry a lot of extra weight. It hurts but it is the truth. This is not little league - they are talking about the big league USO.
WARPWOODIE
Rookie
Taylor was knocked out of the recently concluded Eddie Herr in the round of 16. I wonder if the "benching" issue did something to her psyche?
Tennishacker
Professional
Is she still with USTA HP?
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