***We have decided to open a monthly Bear column which will deal with specific questions and comments from our readers. If you have a question and want a straight answer, which you might not like, or which might be subjective, what you will get is a no nonsense answer not colored by personal agenda (although it will be suggested) but by years of experience in the sport.***

First of all, let’s comment on the Tony Roth, Noble Tennis, Ottawa Athletic Club and dissatisfied former clients situation.

The article submitted by Tony was one, which I looked at as a philosophical approach to player and individual development. Given Tony’s background in education and his development as a player, his thoughts do not surprise me or provoke me in any way. What they do is present a refreshing approach, which is certainly worth examining for all of us looking to improve ourselves. In fact, I sent the article to all of my coaches to challenge them into thinking outside of the box.

In case you haven’t seen it yet, brace yourself – the clay courts in Madrid have had a major face lift – the rusty colored clay courts have been dyed to a rich blue to match the colours of hard courts across the world.

Is this ridiculous or innovative?

***A great occurrence in tennis is the many unbelievable encounters you have. Sometimes decades later, a new meeting brings back memories and thoughts about the wonderful [or not so wonderful] moments you lived previously through the sport. The Bear now begins a new series “No Coincidence” which recalls some of these special moments.***

This is the first of a series of articles which will highlight the tennis connection between Canada and the State of Mississippi. You might wonder why I would choose a seemingly far-fetched Canadian connection with the State of Mississippi. The Magnolia State, which is also known as God’s Country for those that have been lucky enough to live there, and which has given us Elvis Presley, B.B. King, Jimmy Buffett, William Faulkner, John Grisham, Brett Favre, Archie Manning, Morgan Freeman and Oprah Winfrey, has the most amazing connection to Canadian Tennis.

It has also been one of the greatest influences in my business and personal life. I lived in Mississippi in the late 60’s and early 70’s at a time of unbelievable change in American society.

To read the full article, please click here.

***Wayne Bryan is the father and coach of the Bryan twins, who have been the World No. 1 doubles players for over 5 years and just won their third Monte Carlo trophy. Coach Bryan has many other titles, including lawyer, musician, husband and author. And here is what he dreams about…***

*** I dream of a day when there is no USTA Player Development Program and there is no more top down pontification and harmful and ill conceived mandates from on high.

*** I dream of a day when USTA National Coaches do not root for one American player over another.

*** I dream of a day when all USTA National Coaches do not illegally coach from behind the fence during a Tournament and that USTA National Coaches follow the rules that all our rank and file coaches and parents must follow.

*** I dream of a day when local coaches and parents are valued and listened to by USTA execs.

***Helen Donohoe, M.S.Ed., is a teacher of English and French in the Hamilton/Burlington area. She holds practice SAT sessions on Saturdays on an informal, drop-in basis at Cedar Springs Racquet Club where she is a member, long-time tennis hacker and aficionado.***

Strategies for the essay section on the SAT

Last week, I outlined strategies for you to use in the essay that involve your own experiences and observations, mainly on the tennis court. This week, let’s look at themes from literature that you can incorporate into your essay.The best way to get started is to make a list of everything you can remember reading, at school or at home. Divide the titles into two main sections: novels/short stories and drama. You can also add poetry.

To read the full article, please click here.

To read the full article, please click here.

The Milan Chronicles: Grumpy Old Men Rob Serbians of Mojo

To read the full article, please click here.

All You Need To Know About SAT: Part 20

***Wayne Elderton is acknowledged as one of Canada’s leading coaches. He is Head of Tennis Canada Coaching Development and Certification in British Columbia. Wayne is a main contributor to the Tennis Canada Coaching Certification program and has also written articles and coaching materials for the PTR, Tennis Corporation of America, Tennis Coaches Australia, and the International Tennis Federation. He is currently Tennis Director at the Grant Connell Tennis Centre in North Vancouver which was awarded the 2005 Canadian Facility of the Year for program excellence by the Tennis Professionals Association. For more information, visitwww.acecoach.com***

• Parent Education is a critical facet of tennis coaching. It is rare to have a good player in your program who doesn’t come with an involved parent. Behind every top player is a dedicated parent.

• One of the keys to minimize future problems is parent education. Typically, your most problematic parents will not be open to education, however, having the others educated means the problematic ones will have less influence on the others.

• Here are the “Top” parent attitudes I have found the best tennis parents have adopted over the years…

***Helen Donohoe, M.S.Ed., is a teacher of English and French in the Hamilton/Burlington area. She holds practice SAT sessions on Saturdays on an informal, drop-in basis at Cedar Springs Racquet Club where she is a member, long-time tennis hacker and aficionado.***

SAT Strategies: Answering the Questions in Order or Choosing Those You Can Do Best

The strategies vary according to the section:

MATH – Look first for the questions you can do quickly. Then do the rest.

CRITICAL READING -

1. Sentence Completion – The questions are usually in order of difficulty, so start at the beginning.

2. Short Reading Passages – There are usually only four questions to answer based on two passages. If the passages are not related, deal with the questions on each passage separately. If the two passages are related, read both before answering the questions.

To read the full article, please click here.

***Peter Marrack is a writer & hip-hop journalist from Toronto, Canada. He writes for RESPECT. Mag in New York City and Mthrfnkr Mag in London, England. He also coaches tennis at the Ontario Racquet Club. You can follow all of Peter’s work at his own personal blog, THEMarrack.com, and on Twitter @petermarrack.***

Last time I was on here I wrote about Milan Pokrajac. It was a critical piece. Naked. I regret that it had to be so naked. I have seen Milan naked. It is nothing like how the article was. Naked or not, Milan is a brilliant physical specimen. Like he says, “I was born to do this.” Born to play tennis. Maybe not at Monte Carlo, under the lights, but born to play tennis. Even his wardrobe suggests it. Brand new Nike Vapor 9 Tour’s. Sleek black nylon sweatpants. And to complete the trifecta, a ratty Nationals long sleeve from ‘02. If only Milan would opt for a nicer polyester crew neck he would probably break into the top 400.

***Helen Donohoe, M.S.Ed., is a teacher of English and French in the Hamilton/Burlington area. She holds practice SAT sessions on Saturdays on an informal, drop-in basis at Cedar Springs Racquet Club where she is a member, long-time tennis hacker and aficionado.***

With Easter break over, you’re now heading into a crucial part of the school year as you continue to coordinate school and tennis and conclude the school year on a high note I hope. If you can get to ACE in Burlington (see map) on Saturday mornings at 10:45, you are welcome to join the weekly SAT prep class that I hold there. There is no charge for ACE students and you can bring a friend. The spring session starts this Saturday April 14, 10:45am – 12:00pm and meets most Saturdays until the end of the school year. Meet in the lounge. Bring a binder and/or laptop etc. to record new vocabulary. Even if you are able to attend only occasionally, this class will help you greatly to prepare for the SAT. Time flies! Make sure that you make the most of every opportunity!

To read the full article, please click here.