Toronto Tennis City

ONcourt Weekly Edition: October 15 – 21

admin — Fri, 19 Oct 2012 19:08:26 +0000

Peter Straub: “How to Create the best Mental Conditions to Play our Best Tennis”

To have the ideal mental conditions to play our best tennis we have to train our mind regularly and correctly. We might think that the top players in the world have better minds than other players, but we probably just have a vague idea of what that means. It is true that, mostly they have less negative minds functioning and therefore, in general, they can: stay better focused; won’t give up; and are more relaxed in big points, while they are playing a tennis match.

To read the full article, please click here.

Allen Fox: “Mentally Dominate Opponents to Break their Will”

***Dr. Allen Fox, Ph.D. psychologist from UCLA, is a former NCAA singles champion, Canadian National champion, Wimbledon quarterfinalist and a three-time member of the U.S. Davis Cup team. Dr. Fox also coached the Pepperdine tennis teams to two NCAA finals, including team member Martin Laurendeau, captain of the Canadian Davis Cup team.***

A closely fought tennis match is more than a physical battle. It is a struggle of wills, mental strength, and character. It is a pervasive personal and emotional contest in which you use every means you have, both physical and mental, to break down your opponent’s mind (while keeping your own intact and functional).

To read the full article, please click here.

Clement Golliet: “Myths of Stretching”

***Clement Golliet is the newly appointed Director of ACE Fitness and is overseeing the fitness component of all ACE Tennis High Performance programs, is the Head Trainer at Toronto Tennis City and ACE Burlington, and offers private and group fitness sessions for ACE and OTA players as required. Clement’s mandate is to help build the new ACE Fitness brand and to offer leading edge training for tennis players in Ontario.***

Many people claim that stretching is good to enhance performance and prevent injuries, but there is evidence that shows that this is not always the case. Studies of some team sports have demonstrated that the best athletes are in many cases not the most flexible. This may be surprising, but it is indeed true.

To read the full article, please click here.

ONcourt Weekly Edition: October 8 – 14

admin — Fri, 12 Oct 2012 19:42:54 +0000

Pierre ‘The Bear’ Lamarche On ‘Sweet Lou’ Cayer

‘The Bear’ says: I am asking all of you that have been touched by the genius of Louis Cayer over the years to write in and support his nomination for the Tennis Canada Hall of Fame. I know this is a rather unorthodox way of lobbying for someone’s admission into this elite circle, but there are some mitigating circumstances that could affect this great Canadian tennis builder’s inclusion in the place he belongs. These are due to how he departed from Tennis Canada and possibly political and personal agendas.

To read the full article, please click here.

Michael Emmett: “What About Wood?”

***Michael Emmett is the Director of Tennis Operations at all Mayfair clubs. He is a certified Tennis Canada Coach 3 with a Journalism degree from the University of Texas. Michael spent several years working in sports television at TSN and Sportsnet. Michael is a former National champion who finished his last year of junior tennis ranked #1 in Canada.***

The title of this article would suggest I’m going to talk about bringing back wood racquets to the great game we all love. Well, to be blunt – not even close. I will explain shortly.

To read the full article, please click here.

Allen Fox: “Beware of Counterproductive Emotions”

Most of the obviously counterproductive emotional responses during tennis matches are driven by subconscious fears of failure and urges to escape the stress of competition. Darwin would have it that emotional responses generally evolve because they, in some way, enhance prospects for species survival. In other words, they are supposed to be helpful.

To read the full article, please click here.

ONcourt Weekly Edition: October 1 – 7

admin — Fri, 05 Oct 2012 17:23:06 +0000

Pierre ‘The Bear’ Lamarche: “OTA Gets it Right”

This week’s column addresses various topics that have been presented over the last month in ONcourt. The article on “Trouble down below” and the issue of National Associations being directly responsible for the development of players to the pros brought quite a few comments, none as direct and insightful as the two from Casey Curtis, Milos Raonic’s former coach in his junior development stage.

To read the full article, please click here.

Allen Fox: “The Reality of Perfectionism”

We often hear players who become angry when they miss claim they do it because they are “perfectionists.” They say their standards are so high that they simply can’t accept the errors. So let’s take a closer look at the concept of “perfectionism,” which I see as substantially different from the common understanding. When people label themselves as “perfectionists” they usually do so with a hint of pride. There seems to be something admirable about being the type of person who will settle for nothing less than perfection.

To read the full article, please click here.

Jeff L. Rosenbaum: “YThe Net Game, Will it Disappear?”

***Daniel L. Rosenbaum, an ITF Level 2 coach with a Social Sciences degree from the University of Sao Paolo, has been working with juniors and professional players since 1982. As an assistant, producer and speaker, Daniel has participated in several national and international tennis courses, conferences and workshops. He founded and coordinated with Carlos Kirmayr the Coaches Education Department for the Brazilian Tennis Confederation, and is currently the Achievement Program Director for the Israel Tennis Center.***

Of course, it’s all about predictability. I think this makes our sport interesting. At the beginning, we teach by turning an unpredictable game, open skills based, into a predictable one. The players, as they learn the game, get experienced and are able to anticipate (take decisions), try to turn it unpredictable and unexpected to their opponents.

To read the full article, please click here.

ONcourt Weekly Edition: September 24 – 30

admin — Fri, 28 Sep 2012 08:00:41 +0000

Pierre ‘The Bear’ Lamarche: “OTA Gets it Right”

The Ontario Tennis Association has announced a new major fall circuit for the U18 and under U16 age categories. The tournaments will be offered under the title of Team Ontario Circuit and will provide the winners of each circuit a direct entry to the Canadian Junior Indoor Nationals in the winter competitive season.

To read the full article, please click here.

Allen Fox: “Your Game Will Follow Your Emotions”

When you feel good, you are apt to play well; conversely, when you feel bad, you are likely to play poorly. Sport psychologists talk about the need to control emotion on court, but what they mean by this is not simply suppressing emotions (like anger or depression). They refer instead to an optimum strategy by which players not only rid themselves of negative emotions but also to create positive ones.

To read the full article, please click here.

Clement Golliet: “Youth and Resistance Training”

***This article by Clement Golliet is the first in a series of articles that will be produced for ONcourt. Clement Golliet is the newly appointed Director of ACE Fitness and is overseeing the fitness component of all ACE Tennis High Performance programs, is the Head Trainer at Toronto Tennis City and ACE Burlington, and offers private and group fitness sessions for ACE and OTA players as required. Clement’s mandate is to help build the new ACE Fitness brand and to offer leading edge training for tennis players in Ontario.***

Despite what many may say that young children should not do resistance training and notwithstanding controversial literature, in fact, the risk of injuries stays at relatively low levels and the number of kids with growth plate fracture remains extremely small.

To read the full article, please click here.

OffCourt Bistro – Closing for the year

admin — Wed, 26 Sep 2012 17:54:33 +0000

Dear Members,

As the Summer has now drawn to a close and the weather being chillier, I am sad to announce that the OffCourt Bistro will be closing on September 30th.

Thank you Tabish Waseem, Amanda Manett-Riding and Shahrukh Shafaat for the operation of OffCourt Bistro. The hard work and enthusiam from the three of you has made the bistro most successful. Thank you again and I wish you all much success in your future endeavors.

As well, I would like to extend a big thank you to TTC members for your support of the Bistro.

In closing, I would like to present Amanda, Tabish and Shahrukh’s final thoughts and comments regarding OffCourt Bistro:

Cheers,
Allan Tse
General Manager
Toronto Tennis City

Over the summer I was given the opportunity to run the OffCourt Bistro as part of my internship at Humber College. I met dozens of wonderful people, including the club members, staff and passersby of the community. Without their support and ongoing enthusiasm, this summer wouldn’t have been as much fun as it was.

I want to thank both Allan and Pierre for the opportunity. I had a blast. I was able to learn and grow over the summer to become a better chef in my future. I thoroughly enjoyed the chance to show off my skills as a chef and even learn a thing or two about the tennis community along the way.

I will always remember Toronto Tennis City and the friends I’ve made there. From deep down, again, I thank you and I will miss you all.

Amanda Monett-Riding
OffCourt Bistro

After a long wait in order to find a better organization to work with I came across Toronto Tennis City. The work seemed to be challenging and was also provided an opportunity to do things on my own which I really wanted since the beginning of my career.

On the first day of my internship at TTC I was a bit nervous but after interacting with the employees I felt better and more confident that I was doing my job well. It was a challenge to organize the bistro from scratch. Though unaware of last year’s operations, our team was able to translate plans into action which culminated into the yet unnamed “OFF COURT BISTRO”. The support from management was phenomenal. Things progressed and in early June the OFF COURT BISRTO opened to the public.

From the start, the support of cheerful club members was a regular part of the job. I felt motivated to wake up every morning not only in order to prepare myself for a good start but also to meet new people and see the smiles at my workplace. Summer flew past before I could even realize.

Now that it is time for the closure of this summer’s Bistro, it is hard to believe that I will have to move on. I would like to take the opportunity to mention that my time spent at TTC has been amazing. I have many fond memories to take with me. I have never had so much fun while working as I had when the kids camps were in session. Chatting with the kids and fulfilling their extraordinary needs (Caesar salad but no lettuce, burger but no bun, kids climbing bar stools and informing me of their beer preferences) has left hilarious memories that I will cherish. I felt I was not only a part of TTC but also a part of a family. Even the neighborhood was so lively that I had regulars who would sit in Bistro simply to watch the youngsters hit volleys. While working at TTC I made good friends and met great people. Allan has always been supportive in that he allows people to take initiatives and prove their worth, while at the same time having faith in their competence.

I have had an excellent time working at TTC and look forward to returning in summers to come. I would like to thank Pierre and Allan for their efforts in making TTC both a better place to work and play.

Tabish Waseem
OffCourt Bistro

I had the education and experience of working at the front of the house in a restaurant. I came to Toronto Tennis City confident, thinking I would get a job relating to my experience and what I had been doing in the past. But Allan threw me a curve ball and asked me to work in the kitchen instead. It was something that I had never experienced but, as I liked the place, I accepted the challenge. I grabbed the opportunity and started to work as the chef in the kitchen of the OffCourt Bistro.

To my surprise I started liking the job and became good at it pretty fast with the help of some very nice colleagues who helped me cross all the hurdles with ease. Working since has been a great learning experience for me and I would give all credit to the management here at Toronto Tennis City, especially to Allan Tse who empowered me with the confidence to trust in myself.

The environment and work culture here has been remarkable and worth mentioning. My stay here was brief but the time spent working here has helped me improve my skills and gain a great deal of knowledge about my industry. I have been very lucky that I got to work with very knowledgeable colleagues and supportive staff of Toronto Tennis City.

Shahrukh Shafaat
OffCourt Bistro

ONcourt Weekly Edition: September 17 – 23

admin — Fri, 21 Sep 2012 23:12:05 +0000

Pierre ‘The Bear’ Lamarche: “Trouble Down Below”

One of the greatest ironies of our society is how we constantly face directives from public sector institutions and individuals who quite often do not have the experience, success or knowledge necessary to qualify for such a role. Even more disconcerting is the empowerment that comes from the position and which deafens them to any feedback from the people they are dictating to. It seems in tennis that unlike in Canada, where everything is perfect in the relationship between coaches, parents and players, there are huge problems in our neighbors to the south.

To read the full article, please click here.

Michael Emmett: 30 Best Male Servers of All Time

I always hear the debate – “where do you think Milos fits in with some of the best servers in the history of the game?” Recently, the gang covering the US Open for ESPN had a heated discussion on this topic. Not surprisingly, Pete Sampras was the overwhelming favorite amongst the commentators in New York. In the list below, I let you know where the top servers of all time rank in my opinion. Let the debate begin!

To read the full article, please click here.

Damien Cox on the Davis Cup: “Big Boys Coming To Town”

“The draw was held for next year’s World Group competition today and lo and behold, if Canada didn’t draw the nastiest opponent of ‘em all, the mighty Spanish, without question the most powerful tennis nation on earth at the moment.”

To read the full article, please click here.

ONcourt Weekly Edition: September 10 – 16

admin — Fri, 14 Sep 2012 23:49:41 +0000

Cindy Brinker Simmons: “USTA Breach of ITF Rule”

There is worldwide upheaval on the International Tennis Federation mandating that all U10 tournaments be played with progressive tennis balls. Progressive tennis is a great tool to learn and develop skill in players of all ages. To impose such draconian inflexible rules lead to the ongoing issues between sport federations and the public they serve. In the US, there is unbelievable backlash from a variety of initiatives which are being imposed not suggested on their constituents. National training centers, national coaches versus private coaches and the imposition and restriction of rules for players U10 are all symptoms of a greater malaise: government intervention, with public money in areas best managed by the private sector. Here is such an issue involving the world renown Little Mo tournaments, the USTA and the International Tennis Federation.

To read the full article, please click here.

Michael Emmett: TSN Leaves Fans Stirring Mad

When it comes to programming decisions by TSN (Canada’s so-called Sports television leader), not showing the men’s semi-final live is the worst in their 28-year history. Thank Goodness I purchased satellite radio a few months ago; this allowed me the good fortune to at least listen to this contest as it happened.

To read the full article, please click here.

Andre Agassi on his father’s interaction with Pete Sampras

“Andre remembers one of the very few times his father attended one of his matches and how all hell almost broke loose.”

To read the full article, please click here.

ONcourt Weekly Edition: September 3 – September 9

admin — Fri, 07 Sep 2012 18:17:08 +0000

Pierre ‘The Bear’ Lamarche: The Bear Awakens

Being a disgruntled old bear [to some people], mixing up the seasons is nothing out of the ordinary for me. I went into hibernation of sorts since last April when my alter ego, Pierre Lamarche passed over the day to day leadership of the ACE Tennis organization to former ATP player and Jamaican national coach, Douglas Burke. Something funny happened to Pierre Lamarche, everywhere he went people wished him well on his retirement. Actually, although I did not tell him, he is a sensitive type of chap, some people were really happy they would not have to deal with his in your face type of attitude. Me, the Bear, I was confused so I decided to lay low and see what would transpire during the summer period and I even made a statement that my days questioning the policies and decisions of the all mighty Tennis Canada would cease.

To read the full article, please click here.

Joe O’Connor: Canada’s greatest tennis player is an 82-year-old globetrotter who lives in his car

*** Joe O’Connor is a columnist for the National Post. He can be followed on Twitter at @oconnorwrites. This article was originally published on August 29th on NationalPost.com, and can be accessed here.***

He has captured 39 world championships to go with the “too many” Canadian titles to count and was recognized by the International Tennis Federation in June, at a tennis-star-studded black tie dinner during the French Open, as the greatest seniors player ever.

And he is not done winning yet.

To read the full article, please click here.

Pierre ‘The Bear’ Lamarche: Reflections on Milos

We are all very fortunate to have Milos representing our country. The KID is a star, not a Canadian one but an international one. Good looking, intelligent, well spoken, affable, good sense of humour and a great smile. This summer when I talked to him in the Players’ lounge at the Rogers, I congratulated him on what he had done up to date and his answer which I can’t remember exactly was, thanks but there is a lot more to come. I believe him, the top 10 is a definite, a top 5 on the horizon and after that, it’s another game, whose result will be determined by the decisions he and his team make over the next few years.

To read the full article, please click here.

ONcourt Weekly Edition: August 27 – September 2

admin — Thu, 30 Aug 2012 21:45:19 +0000

Gary Muller: The King of ORC

***Gary Muller was born in Durban, South Africa and is currently Tennis Director at Ontario Racquet Club [ORC]. He turned Pro at 20 and played on the Pro Tour for thirteen years [1985-1997], and coached on the Tour for eight. Gary is married to a Canadian who he met at Wimbledon in 2000. They have four kids – 3, 5, 7 and 9 years of age.***

ONcourt: What are your impressions of Canadian tennis compared to where you were brought up?

Gary Muller: The opportunities in Canada are much greater. South Africa has very little academy structure and the facilities are nowhere near what they are in Canada. For example, there is not one clay court or one indoor court in the whole country. To get good competition, juniors in South Africa have to travel very far, which is very expensive. Furthermore, there is very little support from the Federation in South Africa. However, one advantage South Africa does have is the excellent weather.

To read the full article, please click here.

Reflections from the U16 Outdoor Canadian Nationals

*** Craig Mercer is currently the Director of Operations at Ace Tennis and the Head Coach of the High Performance Competitve Training program. Ranked as high as #3 in Canadian Junior tennis Craig competed in more than 20 Junior Nationals for Team Atlantic and Team Quebec. As the Team Ontario Coach for the recent u16 Outdoor Nationals in Laval, Quebec, ONcourt asked Craig to share his thoughts on the event. ***

It was an absolute pleasure to be a part of the the u16 Nationals in Laval this summer. Irfan Shamasdin and I were the Team Ontario coaches for 27 OTA players. ONcourt asked me to provide some insight into the event.

To read the full article, please click here.

The Best Coach in Tennis History?

*** Jeff Salzenstein is the founder and president of JRS Sports, LLC. A member of the Colorado Tennis Hall of Fame, Jeff set the standard for tennis in Colorado with an unsurpassed record as a player at the amateur and professional levels. As he regularly competed against the best players in the world, Jeff became a serious student of the game and an accomplished world-class competitor. Jeff also has a successful website www.JeffSalzensteinTennis.com where he shares cutting edge tennis tips and lessons to help players improve their games. ***

Friday, I heard Nick Bollettieri accept a Hall of Fame award in NYC, and while listening to him live, I was struck by this man’s passion and commitment to the sport of tennis and to touching the lives of those who come in contact with him. Say what you will about Nick, but you can never question his desire to help others play better tennis and have a better life. When you look at personalities that have transformed a sport, one has to put Nick Bollettieri at the top of the heap in tennis.

To read the full article, please click here.

Newsletter: August 2012

admin — Mon, 27 Aug 2012 22:11:14 +0000

Ladies Indoor East Team Tryouts

Attention Ladies:

Tryouts for the Ladies Indoor East Team will be held on the following dates:

Monday September 10 9am-11am A2 /C2
Monday September 10 11am-1pm B2

You can register online under Registration, Indoor East Ladies or through the Front Desk (647-381-6464).

As per last year, please be advised that the B&R C2 ladies have purchased a corporate membership with the club. They will be alternating matchplay with our C2 team.

Wishing everyone a great winter playing season.

Bubble Up

The club will be closed on Sunday, September 2 at 8pm for bubble up. We will re-open for play on Monday, September 10 at 7am. We have changed the interior lining of the bubble and installed a new lighting system.

City of Toronto Tennis Championships

TTC will be hosting the 5th City of Toronto ‘Red Clay Court’ Tennis Championship from August 24-September 3. This annual event will have a series of divisions ranging from Juniors U9 to Men and Women’s Open. Last year, Peter Polansky won the Men’s Open. We will be hosting a weekly practice for them on Friday, 12-2pm. They are not entitled to book other court times.

Any members interested in competing, please register with Kyrylo (289-208-2321) or drop by and watch some exciting matches.

Court times will be limited in order to accomodate this event. TTC apologizes for the inconviences.