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Tuesday, September 18, 2007

How Tennis Came Back; New Address, Phone for USTA High Performance; Althea Gibson Award Established

There's not much going on in college and junior tennis today, but I ran across this interesting article from the New Republic on the resurgence of tennis in the past few years. Richard Just provides a short history of the tennis boom and bust in the United States, and although I don't agree with all of his characterizations (using "charmless" to describe Andy Roddick, for example), I think I buy his contention that tennis has been revived due to Federer, or more specificially, Federer and Nadal.

The USTA has put this notice up on the website regarding their move to Boca Raton/Evert next week. I hope to have the list of the players who will be living and training there some time this week. When I spoke with John Evert at the Open, he was confident that it would be ready for occupancy by October 7th, and it sounds as if everything has gone as planned.

And during the U.S. Open, the USTA announced a new award for two juniors, The Althea Gibson Leadership Award. Applications will be available on the usta.com website November 1. For more details, click here.

24 comments:

Anonymous said...

I am very interested in finding out who the players are!

Anonymous said...

Another award named for a multi-cultural person. Can we have a Chris Everett award, a Stan Smith award, a Jimmy Connors award, a Pete Sampras award, a John McEnroe award ,or an Andre Agassi award. Maybe the U.S.T.A. does have awards named for some of these people but if they do it never gets publicized. If these people were minorities how many of them would already have awards named after them. I'll bet Venus and Serena have awards named after them before these people. Can the U.S.T.A. give us a break on the going so overboard with the Multi-Cultural stuff. They already do more for every culture in junior tennis that is non-white with grants and all. They even have their own Multi-Cultural fund to draw from that white kids can't. Yes non-white kids, boys and girls(all nationalities from any country whether they are citizens or not that now reside in the U.S. are eligible for (more not the same but MORE) grant money from the U.S.T.A. than white kids born and raised here in America as long as they are as good or almost as good a player). How's that for discrimination? It's great to get EVERYONE involved in tennis but lets be fair to EVERYONE especially our kids in our own country, both black and white and foreign kids who are now citizens.

Anonymous said...

Dont know if anyone else has heard about this but the USTA has forced a whole bunch of clips and videos to be pulled off places like YouTube and Google Video. I dont know what everyone else thinks but it seems kind of dumb to me that we're trying to get people into tennis but the USTA is limiting the places you can watch it. Yeah they've got deals with the networks but if I were them Id be wanting people to have every possible opportunity to see tennis.

Anonymous said...

Collette, Can you confirm any of the information provided by Anonymous about the benefits of Multi-cultural players getting more money from the USTA over U.S. players?

Colette Lewis said...

I'm not aware of it, but I have no access to grant allocation numbers.

Anonymous said...

as far as multi-cultural players getting grants..I think it is on the usta website, in the player development section?

Colette Lewis said...

If you are going to leave a comment on this topic, please choose an identity of some kind under "other". It's impossible to distinguish one anonymous from another and makes it awkward to have a dialog.

Anonymous said...

Without a doubt they are eligible for more money and get it. It's the U.S.T.A.'s way of trying to get lower income kids involved in the game but it discriminates greatly against white kids and some of these kids aren't even U.S. citizens but they have lived here for a few years. White people are afraid to bring it up for fear of being called a racist.

Anonymous said...

Dean

this is a very provocative and incendiary topic.

I am not familiar with any of the numbers (Money) that is given to any players, regardless of race creed or color.

It would help this discussion if you could ( or anyone else ) provide correct info and where it was obtained.

This can become a very uncomfortable subject and it is better IMHO that we at least have the correct info.

Anonymous said...

It shouldn't be provocative or incendiary or uncomfortable for anyone. The fact is white kids can not draw from the Multi-Cultural fund which is advertised on the U.S.T.A. website but Multi-Cultural kids have their on fund and they also get to draw from the funds that are for everyone therefore getting more money. There will not be 1 person that works for the U.S.T.A. that can dispute this because it's true.

Anonymous said...

and the kids who get screwed on this are the middle class. We all know the rich kids are OK, as are the kids that have tennis PRO's for parents. There was a post on another thread which stated that a complaining person/parent should be like Mike Agassi, or Richard Williams..or just face facts that their kid cannot hack it. This "parent" should just "look in the mirror" instead of blaming the usta. If this is true (multi cultural fund), it indeed is not fair to White kids who cannot afford this expensive sport, and who do not have tennis PRO parents, or parents that will sacrifice jobs/location/family life to train their kids like an Agassi or Williams. Dan Golden

Anonymous said...

Dave, Dan Golden, Anon.

thanks Dave I read the info on usta.com (High Performance) about grants and the multi-cultural grants- and yes you are correct that NON-multi cultural players can NOT apply.

The reason I said it was a provocative and incendiary topic is because it is NOT JUST TENNIS.

There are multi-cultural grants in the Performing Arts (music, dance, singing, etc.) in the USA.

There is Affirmative Action in getting into college (students that are multi-cultural -do not need as high SAT's or GPA's to attend the same university) There was a court case involving U of Michigan in the '90's.

There are multi-cultural grants in education -science, math etc.

There are multi-cultural grants to get into certain high schools,etc.

That is a fact of life in the USA.

BTW, I am in no way associated with the USTA.

The argument that you raise David is one of a philosophical nature and if it holds true for tennis

it would hold true for all the other venues in the USA.

That is why I say it could be a volatile subject.

Anonymous said...

Sorry, Dean

I meant to say Dean instead of Dave on the previous e-mail

Anonymous said...

To the first poster:

Andre Agassi is multi-cultural (first generation Armenian-American), Pete Sampras is multi-cultural (first generation Greek-American)and John McEnroe identifies as multi-cultural (Irish-American).

Anonymous said...

Andrew
very interesting

I am not a corporate attorney but you probably need one to interput the definition according to the usta. Which can be found on the usta website http://dps.usta.com/usta_master/usta/doc/content/doc_13_14742.pdf

GOOD LUCK

P.S. I know Johnny Mac's parents were born in the USA and I think his grand parents, also

Anonymous said...

"Affirmative Action in getting into college"

Many minorities actually get
strongly discriminated by this so called Affirmative Action.

I have to say, I don't feel that great when I saw USTA give aids
to a kid whose parents were in
other countries, but sent the kid over. Our kids get any penny from USTA.

William A. Washington said...

Are You Surprised?

No one should be surprised that tennis is Dead in America. You are experiencing the kind of leadership we have had over the last 50 years under Jane Brown Grimes, president of USTA.

USTA spends more money on travel, lodging, wining and dining themselves on food and alcohol consumption than they spend on Player Development. The Buzz word around USTA is, "we must develop the next grand slam champion." Yet, they have reduced their chance by 90% when they eliminate the tennis athletes of color. And this poverty mentality of making $2,500 dollar Althea Gibson Grant to minorities is an insult to minority players considering that it cost a minimum of $60,000 per year to keep a junior on the circuit and you are dong your own coaching. Second, it is outrageous to allow Arlen Kantarian to commit $30 plus million USTA dollars to the US Open Series with a million dollar bonus to the winner of the series and the US Open and nothing for competitive Player Development for anyone. It upsets me because no black males were allowed into the 2007 US Open series and NO White American male Player had a chance of winning it or the US Open. This is throwing money into a bottomless pit. And it will stay that way as long as USTA and ATP tour directors and Marketing Agencies continue to grant Main Draw wild cards to whites only.

The behavior of the white man today is the same as it was when Althea Gibson won the US Open 50 years ago. And minority tennis athletes should not waste the time to file an application for such grant when I know for a fact white players receive $50,000 to $80,000 USTA dollars grants per year plus travel, lodging, per diem and coaching while our black players receive NO THING, Nothing (i.e., The Washington Family).

Now, read my recently published book, "Four In One Tennis Experience" by William A. Washington. You can get it directly from the publisher by contacting Kathleen Haak at bookorders@rosedogbooks.com or call toll-free at 800-834-1803.

Thanks,

William A. Washington, Author

Anonymous said...

Dean & Mr. Washington

Dean, now do you believe me on the:

"This is a very provocative and incendiary topic" which I stated in an opening e-mail!!!

Mr. Washington,

I believe the USTA has attempted to do something it can not possibly accomplish.

To try and produce a Grand Slam Champion.

If you look at the PGA Tour the USPGA (similar organization as the USTA in golf) does NOT try and produce a champion.

The PGA provides tournaments for juniors to compete in and that is it.

The USTA got "sucked" into thinking it could find the next great hope in America by a few American ATP players who are retired.

The USTA wants to take credit for the next Great American Hope and it is not going to happen. It is an ego thing with the USTA.

America is vastly different that the countries of Europe or the Eastern Block countries with reference to socio-economics, area of land mass, and in America there are just a lot more opportunities for the youth of today in other areas than tennis.

INHO, the USTA should just be responsible for the administration, and the running of events like the USPGA.

If you look at the great American players in tennis every one of them was home grown- either thru an academy (where the player at that high level did not pay a penny), private coaches, or parents.

It is a tough road to hoe but the best players seem to find a way.

Tennis, golf,swimming, gymnastics are individual sports - only the USTA is trying to take credit for the top echelon of players.

None of the other associations try and take credit or put much money into growing a top athlete.

Please Mr. Washington when I read comments such as your quote of:

"The behavior of the white man today is the same as it was when Althea Gibson won the US Open 50 years ago."

I really take offense at that--

Being a "white man" my company(which is not related to tennis or sports) has donated in excess of $20,000 per year for the past five years to help in the two areas -- education and tennis for inner city kids.

To me, I look at players not as white, black, green or purple but just as players.

I am not, in any way, shape or form a proponent of the USTA.

My children did play in the juniors at a high National level and played for a Division 1 school and now are well past 25 years old.

The reasons I give back-- are my kids got so much out of tennis and I am in a position to help.

Anonymous said...

The last time I checked Donald Young is black and he received a wild card into the U.S. Open and also had a lot of other chances with wild cards before actually winning a match on the A.T.P. tour. There were also plenty of black kids who got wild cards into the Jr. Open. Mr. Washington if you are truly an author you of all people ought to know the importance of checking your facts before throwing out false statements and out and out lies . The last time I checked Andy Roddick is White and to say that he didn't have a chance to win it and some other black person was slighted and might have won it had they gotten the chance makes you lose all credibility and come off as another black person crying wolf. You are doing a disservice to other minorities by making outlandish statements and claims.

Anonymous said...

Dean & Mr. Washington

I am not sticking up for the USTA and I certainly won't defend them on their picks for Wild Cards--

Whether it be "up and comers" or more established juniors-- but in my heart I do not believe they pick on race, creed or color.

I believe their philosophy is to pick the players that will make a difference whether they be black or white, asain, hispanic.

G-d knows they miss on their choices -but I don't believe it has to do race, creed or color.

In other words, I don't think they have a quota system.

Ten to fifteen years ago the top twenty players in the juniors (each age division were 95% white.)

Now the top twenty players in each age division (Juniors)are certainly multi-cultural and in fact the white players are in the minority.

Asian, Black, Hispanic dominate all top players in all age divisions (JUNIORS TOP 20). SO WHAT -- THEY ARE THE TOP PLAYERS REGARDLESS OF RACE, CREED OR COLOR.

SO LET'S JUST LOOK AT THEM AS THE TOP PLAYERS.

I know this is a very personal issue and it is tough to get a true handle on it.

Anonymous said...

Blacks,Asians and Hispanics dominate all the top spots in all the age divisions? Rhyne Williams doesn't fit that. Ryan Thacher doesn't fit that. Tenys Sandgren doesn't fit that. Ryan and Christian Harrison don't fit that. Emmett Egger doesn't fit that. Bo Seal doesn't fit that. Chase Buchanan doesn't fit that. Thats just the ones off the top of my head. What an outlandish statement and way off base.

Anonymous said...

Well if the USTA would just lower tournament fees that would help. This sport is beyond the means of most players' families and they go up every year! How about reimbursing expenses to the quarterfinalist at Supernationals? That would end High Performance predisposed favoritism and would be less expensive. Spread the wealth, please allow the process to choose the winners rather than your bias which have not produced in the past!!!

Anonymous said...

Dean, Dean, Dean

Please re-read the quote

I said they dominate the TOP 20 per age group in numbers (ie 10 or 12 out of the top 20). That is what I meant and said, not the top player, in each age group, but the top 20 players and a good percentage of the top players (top 20). Are quote non - white.


Meaning out of the top 20 players there are more than 10 players that are Non -white.

I really hate making commnets about tennis players by their race, creed or color. It really is uncomfortable to make these comments.

This is in response to some of the blogs. I would rather just call them tennis players.

My exact quote is below: (notice I mention top 20 players in each age group)

"Ten to fifteen years ago the top twenty players in the juniors (each age division were 95% white.)

Now the top twenty players in each age division (Juniors)are certainly multi-cultural and in fact the white players are in the minority.

Asian, Black, Hispanic dominate all top players in all age divisions (JUNIORS TOP 20). SO WHAT -- THEY ARE THE TOP PLAYERS REGARDLESS OF RACE, CREED OR COLOR."

Anonymous said...

the dude

Bravo

You are on the right track-- lower fees,

Give the top 16 players or 32 players to all Super Nationals expenses for the next tournament. (room, airfare, food allowance) then nobody would miss a National event and it is based on performance.

If the USTA did this it would really help the top 32 players and provide incentive for the players instead of just a few.

I like your ideas.