USTA Training Academy Taking Applications
The USTA has published, on usta.com, its first detailed explanation of what it is offering and to whom at the newly constructed National Training Center at Evert's in Boca Raton. The examples of the kinds of results they want to see by birth year are certainly specfic, but as you probably know, I'm still unconvinced that birth year segregation has any meaningful part to play in junior development. I also think that if you are looking for a clue as to why clay court tennis skills are lacking in the U.S., you might note that winning the National Clay Courts is of no value when applying for a scholarship.
The deadline for submission is July 27 for those interested in beginning this fall.
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17 comments:
Who comes up with this stuff? If this was truly a training center, then you might want to look for kids with potential, but yet unproven results. You can mix these in with kids that have had great results. How do you travel to an ITF if you have to go to school, have parents that actually work for a living, or don't have the funds?
Have you taken a look at the application? After looking at the "required" wins, the Academy is basically open to the top 5 kids in each division...USTA knows who they are so why all the hoopla?
As the previous anonymous said...POTENTIAL...the USTA should be looking for kids with heart and desire, and most importantly raw un-tapped talent because of lack of high level training and coaching; the kids who will be accepted already have it...that is why they are where they are already.
I don't believe there is enough input from the local level USTA, they know who the grinders are ...out every weekend playing in local tournaments...getting to the round of 16 but never quire breaking though...these are the kids who deserve the opportunity....and forget the "academy" concept...too much $$..take the "academy" to the kids. USTA shoulk use the basics like the Competition Training Center (CTC) idea but actually train the kids...they have the idea right there but it needs to be expanded upon to truly develop players....if only the USTA really cared...imagine?
You guys should write emails to the USTA expressing your feelings.
Am I missing something or are they taking kids that are already successful. The USTA can't be so naive as to think that this program will work against countries that take 5, 6, 7 year olds and start molding them into successful players. Also - isn't the USTA already jumping on the bandwagon of kids that are already doing something out there? Whats the difference?
Who do you think are some juniors with the potential, but not the results required for the academy?
"Anonymous said...
Who do you think are some juniors with the potential, but not the results required for the academy?"
Well Matthew Kandath has beaten USTA Boy, Shaun Bernstein, 6-0, 6-0 and 6-1, 1-6, 6-0 in Eastern Sectionals and has never been anointed by USTA High Performance.
Matt Kandath is a great player, I've seen him play before he has some nice two-handed strokes. I think your right about potential. The USTA should look for more players with that potential like Matt, becuase there defenitely out there.
haha.. kandath is good but does not have potential.. i think the usta is doing great with there players as far as potential..
"usta doing great with there players as far as potential" You are correct, they tear up the U.S Juniors..the go PRO, and are lucky to crack top 100. Who wouldnt want the success of Querrey and Vania King, but they (usta) should set their sights higher, and look for the kids with quick feet, who can hit the crap out of the ball, or show an inclination to attack. Then some prodigies out there, who do not have "Mr Agassi, or Mr Williams" or "Mr Harrison" guiding them, could have the benefit of USTA money and competition at the camps/training centers. The usta rankings is not the ONLY way to discover and nurture talent. If this doctrine remains, we will continue to produce top 50-100 players. They should take some more chances, and set their sights higher!
mr. harrison??.... whos that.. i know mr agassi and mr williams but harrison?.... the usta doesnt just look at rankings.. they really take under consideration the talent and hunger of the kids that wanna really make it.. they dont get kids who have their goals set as going to college.. they want the players that wanna go pro and be a PLAYER... dont critizise the usta... the US will be fine in the future as far as producing pro PLAYERS (top 100)
The USTA is spending multi millions of dollars, tens of millions if you count the facilities.
I hope the USTA is not just looking for top 100 ATP pros.
For that kind of money they should be looking for top 10 or top 5!!!
The u.s.t.a. doesn't get kids who have their goals set on going to college? I guess you missed the Bradley Klan article about him going to Stanford, Kellen Damico going to Texas and a host of other U.S.T.A. kids going to college. You say you don't know who Mr. Harrison is but then turn around and try to talk like you know what the U.S.T.a. is looking for. If you do not know who Mr. Harrison and his kids are you must not keep up with junior tennis at all or you were trying to be very sarcastic. Either way write about stuff you know and don't sound so jealous.
i guess u just dont understand me.. i'm saying they get kids who aspire to be professionals... not kids who have goals of going to college... sure kellen and klahn are going to college.. but i'm sure there first goal was pro... im not jealous either of mr. harrison.. he has two great boys but i dont think u should be comparing him to williams and agassi...
I do understand you and disagree with everything you've said because it doesn't make sense. The High Performance kids with the U.S.T.A. are almost all going to college and I'm quite certain they know this while these kids are traveling as part of the U.S.T.A. A few may have the talent and the maturity to skip college but very few and I'm certain the U.S.T.A. knows this. As for Mr. Harrison being compared to Mr. Agassi or Mr. Williams you are right there is no comparison. He is a Teaching tennis pro who is also his kids coach. Mr. Agassi and Mr. Williams were tennis parents and know nothing about teaching the game or they would have taught their children instead of having Rick Macci teaching them at age 9 or Nick B, working with Andre. It remains to be seen how good Mr. Harrisons kids become but to this point they are certainly on the right path. I still maintain your writing reeked of obvious jealousy in the way it was written and that you know who he is and were being very sarcastic.
there is zero problem with the USTA doctrine of developing talent. I agree that many of the current crop of USTA "stars" are headed to top 100 (male and female)..nothing is a sure thing, but still, good young players out there. And once they get there, what a nice living they will make..not enough to retire on, but what beats playing a sport they love..seeing the world, and making a nice paycheck?
But these seem to be the USTA's only goal. Develop PRO's. I feel they should think "out of the box" a little, and work on developing CHAMPIONS. Many kids out there could be Federer's Mcenroe's Navratilova's Nadal's, but they do not have the family finances to obtain the rankings needed to garner interest. Instead, they may have out of this universe timing, or unreal quickness, or hard to fathom ability to do both! If kids have this WITHOUT proper training..without Jim Pierce riding them, without Mike Agassi having them hit thousands of balls..and included are many of the top juniors with parents not neccesarily as "hard" on these kids, but just as driven..without someone to guide these kids with gifts, then they will never reach potential. The usta should spot these kids lower in the rankings..kids that any blind man could see have even better potential than the kids with the rankings points..and try and develop these kids for greatness. No offense to the Paul Goldsteins of the world..and again, these players deserve the attention of the usta. After all, what would rankings in the juniors mean without the respect and oppurtunities that come with it. But again, anybody that knows tennis could look at a lower ranked player that has the "tools" to make it into top 20 or higher...and then look at the player that beats them 0-0 in the 14's-16's..but know in their heart that this kid best outlook is top 100. Why not try and develop both, and search out natural talents put there? Certainly the USTA has enough cash lying around for this?..
i' not jealous... but i just want to lay this out that i think the US is going to have plenty of professionals coming up in the future and in my opinion i think we will have "champions" too...
The USTA's junior development goal is, quite literally, to develop players who will make it into the second week of the U.S. Open, in order to increase ratings, to win more TV revenue for the USTA.
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