Executive Director's Letter

As the 2000 season winds down, thoughts will begin turning to the Spring 2001 season, when most schools play at least one season of tennis.

The USHSTCA would like to hold its first workshop as a pre-season tune-up, and we need to hear from coaches.

We anticipate that most coaches will be well underway by February, and the association is considering a two-day, pre-season workshop for coaches in Atlanta. Please e-mail the association and let us know the best dates for you and what we can do to make the workshop valuable for you. A proposed list of topics is included in this issue, and we'd like to have your feedback.

Throughout the year, we've discussed how important it is for your players to practice like they play. In this issue of High School Tennis Coach, we discuss how to observe your player's actual match rally speed with a simple drill, which lets you and your player examine if this is the best speed for your player to use.

Another playing tip in this issue has to do with the physics of the serve, which will allow your players to better understand why certain mechanics will help them serve better.

If you're not exactly sure what to tell your players when they ask you for advice on getting their racquets strung, one of the industry's most respected stringing expert, Fred Romanus of GAMMA sports, helps solve some of the mysteries of this part of the game.

Finally, our skill-building drill will help your player understand how to use a part of the body they might not realize is a key part of the overhead.

Enjoy this issue.

Steve Milano
Executive Director