June 2019

| ISSUE no 12 USTA OKLAHOMA TENNIS MAGAZINE CHAMPIONS CROWNED the STATE  JUNE 2019 in this issue Oklahoma 2.5 Teams Breaking Boundaries baseliner Club with a Cause Published by USTA OKLAHOMA President Bill Towler Vice President - Adults Mary Jo Tasker Vice President - Juniors Eric Wedemeyer Secretary Bart Ramsey Treasurer Dwayne Campbell NE Quadrant Peter McCorkle NW Quadrant John Sedlack SE Quadrant Dawna Johnston SW Quadrant Phil Barnes USTA OKLAHOMA BOARD Special Thanks to Article Contributors: www.USTA.com Tara Williams Bill Towler Erin Maher Mary Nhin okstate.com USTA Oklahoma Advertise with us! 2 I thebaseliner.net USTA Oklahoma OK Executive Director Text find yourself in the game USTA Oklahoma THE GREENS COUNTRY CLUB WINS USTA NATIONAL AWARD FOR MEMBER ORGANIZATION OF THE YEAR CHECK OUT THE HIGH SCHOOL STATE CHAMPIONS, PLAYED AT THE OKLAHOMA CITY TENNIS CENTER IN MAY 2019! 2019 COLLEGE HIGHLIGHTS 5 6 12 35 on the cover CONTENTS 16 FEATURES COMMUNTIY COVER JUNIORS COLLEGE ADULTS JUNE ISSUE 28 click a head GREENS COUNTRY CLUB 31 "32 Women's 2.5  USTA teams in 2019! STA Oklahoma Mid-Year Update 2019 is developing to be another banner year for USTA Oklahoma. All of our junior participation numbers are ahead of pace from this time last year. Same for our adults – we will have nearly 8000 “participations” in Adult League Tennis in Oklahoma this year. A participation is defined as a league participation. So, if someone plays in 5 league that counts as 5 participations. Just to give this some context the next largest district in Missouri Valley is St. Louis. They will have slightly over 5000 this year. One of the great and amazing stories is that of our 2.5 ladies leagues. Amazing numbers. 32 teams with a stunning 28 of those in Tulsa alone. 112 new USTA unique players. Unreal. When I visit with USTA folks around the country, this stat just blows them away. It truly is a testament to the commitment of our operators, staff and volunteers to bring new players into our game. Hats off! With all of this play (and it is just fantastic) does come some challenge for our adult league coordinators. Michelle O’Quinn, our District League Coordinator AND Tulsa Local League Coordinator, Marc Claude, our 18’s and 40’s in OKC and Wink Winkler, our 55’s, 65’s and Tri-Level Coordinator in OKC all work diligently to insure our adult league programming runs smoothly. This year has presented some challenges with all of the weather we have had that has led to cancellations. I ask all of our adult league players and captains to please keep in mind that customer service comes first with our team. The logistics involved in rescheduling can be extremely complex. We are in this together to provide the most exceptional product for our players. To that end, I ask all of our captains to please allow our adult league coordinators to handle the rescheduling. PLEASE do not do this on your own. This can be especially difficult when captains reschedule a match on their own and do not inform anyone. Our operators reserve the courts for USTA League play and we pay them for those courts. When teams do not show up, having rescheduled a match on their own, we still pay for those courts which results in confusion when the teams actually play as to who pays for those courts. Common courtesy and thoughtfulness, especially given all the matches we have to schedule, is sincerely appreciated. I trust everyone understands this concept and we can all work together to communicate and insure that we get all the matches in that are scheduled to be played – regardless of how many have to be rescheduled. And if you get a chance please thank Michelle, Marc and Wink if you see them out or around the courts. At times it is a thankless job and it should never be that way. So, on behalf of all of us that play USTA Adult League tennis in Oklahoma – a big time thank you to Michelle, Marc and Wink!! Bill Towler, USTA Oklahoma President FROM OUR PRESIDENT 4 I thebaseliner.net U LETTER   2019 USTA Oklahoma Awards Chair Bart Ramsey CLICK LINK TO NOMINATE USTA OKLAHOMA will award those individuals and organizations who have contributed above and beyond normal expectations at the Hall of Fame and Awards Banquet in February 2019. Nominations Open TAKES JUST A COUPLE OF MINUTES ANYONE CAN NOMINATE HELP SOMEONE THAT IS DESERVING AND HAS STOOD OUT IN OKLAHOMA TENNIS! For more information: Contact mckenzie@ustaoklahoma.com 2019 USTA OKLAHOMA The United States Tennis Tennis Association awarded The Greens Country Club in Oklahoma City the USTA Organization Member of the Year Award. This award is a National award given annually to an organization that provides outstanding service to its members and to the local community. The Green's is often referred to as a "Club with a Cause." The facility hosts several tournaments that benefit several local charities and USTA sanctioned events throughout the year. “The Greens Country Club has been remarkable in promoting and developing tennis for the good of the game, offering play opportunities for all ages and abilities,” said Craig Morris, USTA Chief Executive, Community Tennis. “They are an outstanding local tennis organization that focuses on community engagement through grassroots programming.” The Greens Country Club promotes tennis on all levels. Their membership is full with an all-time high in club event participation and their Junior and Adult USTA league and Team tennis participation increases every year. The Green's members continue to support and dedicate to community service, whether they play in the multiply Benefit tournaments, donating monetarily, or with hard good from their Charities of Choice Wish lists. Some of the Charities include The Infant Crisis Services, Hearts for Hearing, Bella Foundation and Free to Live, Oklahoma Lawyers for Children and the Whitefields Boys Home, Back to School Classic, The Down Syndrome and Alzheimer's Association, Food Bank, and The Children's Hospital. The Green's was established in 1972 and offers an 18 hole golf course, Par 3 practice facility, 6 indoor and 6 outdoor "US Open Blue" courts, 2 Professional Table Tennis Tables, Badminton, Pickleball, and a Fitness Facility fully equipped with state of the art Nautilus machines and free weights. All the outdoor tennis courts are lined for the 10 & Under junior tennis and 6 10 & under nets for the Smasher players. The club offers yoga, free fitness classes which include Cardio Tennis, as well as Mommy and Me classes twice a week. The Green's has a fully equipped pro shop that has everything for tennis or fitness outfitting, certified stringers that offer same day stringing service on their state of the art Balero stringing machine. Throughout the facility are flat screen TVs featuring the tennis channel and a monitor at the reception area displaying event pictures, upcoming tournaments/activities and recent tennis news. They have an inviting viewing area that is stocked with snack items promoting local merchants such as the Kize Bars Company and even local wine from Oklahoma Vineyards as well as the Great American Wine Company in which a portion of the proceeds benefit the Wounded Warriors Project. During all the major tennis tournaments/events The Green's host prize drawings for just coming to watch, including non-members. The Green's Country Club has a unique and supportive membership for their tennis community and are committed to the success of tennis. All of the Green's tennis professionals are USPTA certified and the extended staff play tennis and are USTA members. The entire staff are members of NET Generation and maintain updated compliance to USTA/USPTA regulations and industry requirements. The Green's Country Club strives to keep USTA membership at the forefront of all their events and promotes the importance of USTA to the club membership. USTA NATIONAL AWARD WINNERS THE GREENS COUNTRY CLUB 6 I thebaseliner.net 2018 MEMBER ORGANIZATION OF THE YEAR Just a few of The Greens Socials & Fundraiser's they have annually: Hearts for Hearing Tennis Benefit The Alzheimer's Association Spring Open Benefit Junior Play Night Pickleball Night Labor Day Doubles Columbus Day Doubles Tennis Oktoberfest Junior Champs Tournaments Turkey Day Cardio Thanksgiving Classic Benefiting the Oklahoma Food Bank 7 I thebaseliner.net the green's High Performance van to take Juniors to State, USTA Missouri Valley and USTA National Tournaments the greens ALSO REFERRED TO AS "CLUB WITH A CAUSE" 112 NEW 2.5 PLAYERS IN 2019 the 2.5 ADULT LEAGUES in oklahoma have grown so much in the past few years they are running out of court space 32 TEAMS oklahoma exceeding., unbelievable. incredible. Two years after LaFortune Park's Tennis Center major renovations doubling in size, the facility is already busting at the seems and looking to expand even more. The growth of tennis has exploded at LaFortune and all over Oklahoma! 2.5 TEAMS BREAKING BOUNDARIES IN OKLAHOMA 9 I thebaseliner.net "THIS IS OUR FIRST YEAR OF USTA LEAGUES AND WE ARE LOVING IT!" -annie edmonds in 2019 226 unique players in oklahoma 81 players under 39 years old "USTA Missouri Valley is very excited to see the tremendous participation in the Oklahoma 2.5 league. USTA Oklahoma has had a lot of support from the pro's and clubs in connecting those players to our leagues from their lessons and programs. USTA Oklahoma has become a main reference point anytime 2.5 leagues get brought up. Even the staff at the USTA National Campus use Oklahoma as an example for growing 2.5 leagues at all of our conferences and meetings. It is very encouraging to be one of the smallest sections but have one of the largest growing 2.5 leagues in the nation. Hats off to USTA Oklahoma, keep it up!" Alyssa Stelmach, USPTR Manager of Adult Leagues USTA Missouri Valley LAFORTUNE PARK IS A BIG PART OF THE SUCCESS QUOTE By Tara Williams USTA Missouri Valley On April 15-19 of this year, the Missouri Valley Tennis Service Representatives (TSR) had the opportunity to come together with TSR's and TSR Managers from across the country to network, learn and share information and experiences with each other. TheThe National TSR team did an amazing job providing continued education and updated information on the programs offered under the USTA Community Tennis Program Suite. Tuesday night was the opening event with a National program trade show, with everything from adult/youth marketing, USTA-U and Pro Circuits to Schools, Adult Leagues, and Junior Play. The TSR's had the opportunity to ask questions of the National Program Staff while networking with their counterparts from other sections. It was a great start to our week together! The next several days were filled with sessions on the following areas: Net Generation (Proposed Junior Structure & Net Generation Circuit), The Adult Program Suite, National Marketing and Membership, Diversity & Inclusion, Net Generation Digital and Consumer registration, On-Court sessions for schools and community workshops, in-class sessions on ShowPad, Net Generation App and the Learning Resource Center, USTA Tennis Event Products and USPTA & USTA-U. We were also provided tools on how to take ownership of our territory, assess and tailor the needs of our providers and to build local partnerships. We all came away from the week energized, informed and equipped to continue to build our team, relationships in the field and provide the best information and support to our customers! It was a great week! USTA Tennis Service Representatives Attend National TSR Summit 10 I thebaseliner.net S T A T E 13 I thebaseliner.net 4A: GIRLS 1S: Lauren Michalcik, Metro 2S: Grace Deinger, Metro 1D: Curtis/Wall, Christian Heritage 2D: Sutton/Sutton, Metro 4A: BOYS 1S: Daniel Haley, Crossings 2S: Hunter Demundrun, Crossings 1D: Allen/Wadley, Ada 2D: McCortney/Watkins, Ada STATE CHAMPIONS 5A: GIRLS 1S: Reagan Miley, Bishop Kelley 2S: Kate Miley, Bishop Kelley 1D: Thompson/Treadwell, Heritage Hall 2D: Bailey/ , Bishop Kelley 5A: BOYS 1S: Aaron Brewer, Riverfield 2S: Cole Knutsen, Riverfield 1D: Vaughn/Gawey, Bishop Kelley 2D: Wilson/Zeiders, Heritage Hall 6A: GIRLS 1S: Jenna Noel, Jenks 2S: Maggie Holcomb, Bixby 1D: Conway/Smith, Bixby 2D: Barber/Roger, Union 6A: BOYS 1S: Mert Arabaci 2S: Wes Robertson 1D: Hessen/Wilbourn, Jenks 2D: Ivester/Melton, Deer Creek BISHOP KELLEY 14 I thebaseliner.net 5A METRO CHRISTIAN HIGH SCHOOL 6A GIRLS STATE 4A BIXBY 4A HIGH SCHOOL 6A edmond north BISHOP KELLEY & Heritage Hall BOYS STATE ADA 15 I thebaseliner.net 5A B14 champ qualifiers ALICE HSU MATTIE LEE THATCHER WALLIS B14 ALEX STALLINGS B12 B16 B14 CADEN KNOEDLER MARSHALL LEHMAN WALKER NELSON B14 EMMA KRUSKA TRUMAN PRATHER HUTTON RHODES B14 B12 G14 JUNIORS MAX BEARD JAMES KI BEN JONES Jan-May G14 B12 B12 B14 2019 Challenger Players that have qualified for Champ Tournaments DALLAS PENNINGTON B16 B14 TYLER SAMS NATHAN BATES 2019 G12 16 I thebaseliner.net 18 I thebaseliner.net 19 I thebaseliner.net By usta.com In honor of May being National Physical Fitness and Sports Month, USTA League players will be sharing stories as to how being a part of a local USTA League has kept them fit and active. Bill Towler is the President of USTA Oklahoma, and below shares his first-person account of what a difference USTA Leagues have meant for him. My name is Bill Towler. I am 59 years old and started playing tennis again, after about a 25 year layoff, 12 years ago. While I had always maintained good physical fitness (i.e., going to the gym and exercising regularly), other than just wanting to stay in shape, I had no real motivation for working out. I had just started hitting again by participating in a drill group at a local municipal facility close to where I lived. A gentleman approached me and said, “hey, looks like you have played tennis before. Would you be interested in playing on a USTA League team?” My response – “what’s that?” Fast forward 12 years: I met my wife thru tennis I have been on 3 teams that went to Nationals and Captained 2 of those I am in my third year serving as President of USTA Oklahoma I serve on the USTA Missouri Valley Board of Directors I serve on the Oklahoma Tennis Foundation Board of Directors I serve on the USTA National Committee for Diversity and Inclusion And, I love to play singles. Fitness is essential to maintaining a high level of play in tennis, regardless of what level you are playing. While most of our local league matches are played in the evening, we do play on Saturday and Sundays and the playoffs are all played outside in the heat. Being prepared physically and mentally for the challenge is critical to one’s success. I now train to play tennis. I really do not care what my physique looks like. I care about my ability to be the most physically fit player on the court. However, the upside to a regular training regime, eating relatively healthy and staying fit is that you do not put on the extra pounds. Tennis is my motivation to stay fit. When I train, I am thinking about how will this help me on the court – not what I look like at the beach. The cardio intensity of my training benefits me on the court. If the match is about fitness I always feel like I have an advantage. Now, if it comes down to tennis there is no question I am very often not the most talented. But being fit gives you a strategic advantage – especially in the heat. Additionally, I cannot emphasize enough how tennis, and the social aspects of the game, keep me mentally healthy. The social community that is wired around tennis is like a big family that always has your back. There is a reason playing tennis extends your life expectancy more than any other sport. To play tennis you have to be fit. Eating somewhat healthy helps you maintain that fitness, and the social aspects of the game keep you engaged mentally as well as physically. So go play USTA Adult League tennis, have some fun and stay fit!! Bill Towler Shares His Tennis Story BILL TOWLER SHARES HIS TENNIS STORY 20 I thebaseliner.net 21 I thebaseliner.net the baseliner in print want a hard copy of this months baseliner? email: MCKENZIE@USTAOKLAHOMA.COM to purchase your copy $15 Order by January 15th! 22 I thebaseliner.net TENNIS MAKES YOU HAPPY M By Erin Maher, USTA.com May was National Physical Fitness month, and what better way to celebrate than spending time swinging, serving and practicing your strokes on the tennis court! After all, research shows that tennis players enjoy better general, physical, social and mental health. A 2018 study conducted by the USTA in conjunction with Dr. Alexis Colvin, Chief Medical Officer of the US Open, analyzed survey data from more than 10,000 USTA League players to reach that conclusion. The study, which was conducted online, investigated USTA League members’ general, physical, mental and social health using a validated standardized questionnaire. Out of those surveyed, 97.7 percent of participants in the study reported that playing tennis helps manage their health. And the numbers don’t lie. The average mean body mass index (BMI) of players surveyed was 24.8 kg/m2, which falls within the healthy weight range. Tennis may also foster healthy habits off the courts. Of the respondents, only 1.4 percent of participants smoked cigarettes, which is one of the major risk factors for everything from cancer to lung disease to death according to the Center for Disease Control and Prevention. The findings also showed that players who played more than three days a week, and who were rated 4.0 or higher, reported better health. “This is one of the largest studies to date on recreational tennis players and it certainly confirms the many positive health benefits of tennis,” says Dr. Colvin. USTA League player, Rafael Garcia, is a testament to the health benefits of tennis. A former high school tennis player, Garcia let tennis and his health fall to the wayside, and found himself weighing in at 350 pounds in adulthood. 12 years after he first picked up a racquet, Garcia, an El Paso, Texas resident, decided to partake in a local tennis event. Holding a racquet brought back the passion Garcia once felt for the game, and immediately he joined a USTA League mixed team and a men’s 4.0 team. "I think tennis has had a profound effect on me, both mentally and physically," said Garcia. "It has transformed me completely." Soon enough, Garcia found himself on multiple league teams and played monthly tournaments in singles, doubles and mixed events. All of Garcia’s time on court, paired with a fitness routine and healthy diet saw the tennis player, losing a total of 140 pounds. "The greatest change from losing weight and playing tennis came mentally. Now I expect great things out of myself, because I believe I can. My mindset has changed completely from when I use to weigh 350 lbs. to now at 210lbs and the person I am today!", said Garcia. 23 I thebaseliner.net Edmond champs player Writes and Publishes First Book on Mental Toughness "Nhin points to his own struggles as a particular source of inspiration for his book." He’s 14 and he’s already accomplished what most of us only dream of. Middle-schooler, Kobe Nhin has written and will be self-publishing a book titled, How to Win Wimbledon in Pajamas on Amazon. The book is available for pre-order and will be released on May 14th. He’s only 4 days into his Kickstarter campaign and is 87% funded. He was presented a co-op book deal from two different publishers but chose to self-publish. Nhin cleverly presents 5 mental tips that help you conquer performance anxiety, self doubt, and frustration. The 32-page children’s book focuses on building mental toughness through strategies and techniques that help us remain calm under pressure. “Our goal is to help all performers from sports players to future business leaders to reach their potential during high-pressure situations,” says Kobe Nhin, author. The story from How to Win Wimbledon in Pajamas took Kobe a few months to write, despite maintaining his National Junior Honor Society status and juggling a competitive tennis schedule that includes two tournaments a month. His mother helped him refine his ideas and is listed as a co-author. Nhin points to his own struggles as a particular source of inspiration for his book. He has played competitive tennis since he was 10 years old. In the beginning, he won a lot but then as he reached new levels it became more and more difficult to close out matches. Nhin went through a phase where he was losing the really tight matches. He began researching mental toughness through books, took a course to help him develop necessary skills, and took time to work with coaches to overcome his plateau. The investment paid off. He started winning again, but more importantly the love of the sport came back to him. He en- joyed playing after learning how to be calm and carefree. Nhin was motivated to help others overcome their own self-limiting beliefs during a high school course he took during eighth grade. The course required Nhin to write a research paper. He chose the subject of finding the zone and increasing mental toughness so that he could further his understanding of key concepts. From his research and from what he had learned firsthand on the court, he wrote How to Win Wimbledon in Pajamas. The children’s book is the first in a series on mental toughness Nhin has planned. He is currently writing the next books in the mental toughness series, How to Win the World Cup in Pajamas and How to Win the Masters Barefoot. His goals for this book series include: Encourage a growth mindset: We believe it is important for kids to develop intrinsic motivation and autonomy through the development of long-term goals. Setting our sights on performance goals, rather than outcome goals provide a basis for long-term satisfaction. We hope these books give children a love for battling new challenges and that they grow up eager to explore what this big, beautiful world has to offer. Cultivate kids' self-confidence: We believe it is important for kids to learn how to practice positive self-talk and positive body language. The more they understand that even mistakes and failures teach us, the more they can focus on celebrating their journey, mis- takes and all. Our books will teach kids to be courageous enough to take risks and trust that the dots will someday connect. We want to teach kids how it feels to be scared and brave all at once, and how to move past fear and learn to jump. Increase kids’ focus and attention: We all get side-tracked and that's why it's important to have rituals to reset oneself. Our hope is that these stories will help kids get back on track and focus on the task at hand. Life itself is overwhelming. We want to help kids see that everyone faces hurdles and that we can stay focused with habits and mantras. Develop perseverance and grit: Setbacks and failures teach us how to be graceful in the face of adversity. The books aim to encourage diligence and a hard work ethic. To order his book, click below: https://www.amazon.com/dp/1733862714 Sept 6-8, 2019 LaFortune Tennis Center Don't wait until the last minute to register. USTA Oklahoma, USTA Missouri Valley and USTA National tournaments do not accept late entries. 24 I thebaseliner.net Read the tournament notes on the homepage. Seems simple, but by reviewing all the information prior to the start of the event can save you a ton of possible headaches. Your contact information is extremely important to a tournament director. Double check your email and phone number when registering. An invalid email or no email provided puts players at risk in missing out on important information pertaining to that specific tournament. Oklahoma DISTRICT CHAMPIONSHIPS Quick Tournament  Registration Tips JULY 26-28, 2019 Kickingbird Tennis Center www.usta.com minihan@ustaoklahoma.com Challenger cHAMPs **CHAMP TOURNAMENTS FROM JAN-AUGUST PLAYERS AGES 7-16 THAT HAS NET EXPERIENCE AND HAS GRADUATED THE 10 & UNDER SMASHER CIRCUIT WILL START PLAYING THE CHALLENGER CIRCUIT. THESE PLAYERS ARE NORMALLY AT THE INTERMEDIATE LEVEL. THEIR GOAL IS TO EARN 375 POINTS WHICH WILL QUALIFY THEM FOR THE CHAMPS CIRCUIT. March 1-3, 2019 Indian Springs March 15-17, 2019 Earlywine March 29-31, 2019 Westwood April 19-21, 2019 RH-91 April 26-28, 2019 Enid May 17-19, 2019 Owasso May 31-June 2, 2019 Duncan June 7-9, 2019 Union June 14-16, 2019 Earlywine June 21-23, 2019 Union June 28-30, 2019 ERC July 5-7, 2019 Ada July 12-14, 2019 Union July 19-21, 2019 Indian Springs July 26-28, 2019 Earlywine August 2-4, 2019 OKCTC August 9-11, 2019 Duncan August 16-18, 2019 OKCTC August 23-25, 2019 Kickingbird August 30-Sept 1, 2019 Union September 6-8, 2019 Indian Springs September 13-15, 2019 Duncan September 20-22, 2019 Greens September 27-29, 2019 Owasso October 4-6, 2019 Indian Springs October 11-13 Enid October 18-20 Kickingbird 2019 usta oklahoma January 4-6 OKCTC BG16-18 January 4-6 Oak Tree BG12-14 January 11-13 OKCTC BG16-18 January 25-27 Oak Tree BG12-14 February 8-10 Indian Springs BG12-14 March 1-3 Owasso March 8-10 Earlywine March 29-31 Kickingbird April 19-21 LaFortune April 26-28 Kickingbird May 17-19 Union May 31-June2 ERC June 7-9 LaFortune June 4-16 OKCTC June 21-23 Indian Springs June 28-30 Greens July 5-7 LaFortune July 12-14 Indian Springs July 19-21 Union July 26-18 Kickingbird (open) August 2-4 ERC August 9-11 LaFortune August 16-18 Earlywine August 23-25 Greens August 30-Sept 1 RH-91 boys & girls ages 7-18 tournaments THE CHAMP CIRCUIT IS FOR PLAYERS 7-18 AND QUALIFIED THROUGH THE CHALLENGER & SMASHER CIRCUIT. CHAMP PLAYERS ARE ELIGIBLE TO PLAY ANY CHAMP TOURNAMENT INCLUDING DISTRICT CHAMPIONSHIPS AND FUTURE QUALIFIERS. ALL TOURNAMENT EARN MISSOURI VALLEY POINTS. 26 I thebaseliner.net BUZZ WORTHY Reigning Oklahoma Adult Player of the Year David Box of Oklahoma City captured his first national singles title, winning the USTA Midwest Clay Court Championships Men’s 55 Singles title at Carmel (Indiana) Racquet Club on June 2. Box did not drop a set in the tournament, defeating No. 4 seed Craig Bottorff of Newburgh, Indiana in the finals 6-1, 6-1. In the semifinals, Box ousted No. 1 seed and 1984 Big Ten Conference men’s singles champion Adam Abele 6-4, 6-3. Abele (Lakewood Ranch, Florida) is the all-time leader in singles victories at the University of Purdue and a member of the Boilermakers’ Athletic Hall of Fame. Box, a three-time men’s tennis letter-winner at the University of Oklahoma from 1982-85, won the 2018 USTA National Grass Court Men’s 45 Doubles title and placed runner-up in Men’s 50 Doubles. For his efforts he was named the 2018 Oklahoma Adult Player of the Year. The Tahlequah, Oklahoma native is President and Chief Executive Officer of Box Ventures, which has diverse holdings, including ownership of The Greens Country Club in Oklahoma City, Box Talent, Box Real Estate and Box Consulting. Box captures national title DIVERSITY & INCLUSION 27 I thebaseliner.net USTA Missouri Valley BG12-14 Team Event was held at Oklahoma Tennis Center May 25-27. This event is a chance for a little district rivalry! Each district sent one team of eight girls and eight boys to the event to compete for district bragging rights. The Oklahoma Team went 6-0 to take home the title. Way to go Team Oklahoma! Play It Forward, a NJTL chapter, hosted three clinics for children with down syndrome this spring. Click here to read an article written by The Oklahoman on the Play It Forward Tennis Foundation. Santa Fe Family Life Center Sports & Fitness Complex recently hosted a successful wheelchair clinic. The Oklahoma Tennis Foundation has contributed to the purchase of some chairs for their program. The Oklahoma Tennis Foundation recently hosted a Play Day at the Oklahoma City Tennis Center benefiting First Serve. $1,500 was raised! Missouri valley team event C O L L E G E HIGHLIGHTS 29 I thebaseliner.net As the norm with Vince Westbrook’s scheduling philosophy… Play the Best. In the 2019 season that’s exactly what the Tulsa Golden Hurricane men’s tennis team did again, playing 8 of the nation’s top 50 teams, and finishing the season with an overall 14-12 mark, including wins over #14 TCU and #23 Oklahoma State. To top that, four of Tulsa’s 2019 opponents reached the Super Regional Round, while three advanced to the final 8 and one, Texas, captured the NCAA title. All three of Tulsa’s matches against the three final 8 teams were played at the Michael D. Case Tennis Center on the TU campus. Tulsa men’s tennis graduated senior Majed Kilani, who will go down as one of the most decorated athletes in head coach Vince Westbrook’s 28-year tenure. Kilani played past the regular season for the second-straight year, earning an alternate bid into the NCAA Singles Championship. The Tunisia native ranked just outside the program’s all-time top 10 career singles wins with 67 solo victories while at Tulsa. Kilani added his third overall all-conference honor in his final season, earning a second-consecutive American Athletic singles all-conference nod. The senior also earned a doubles all-conference honor following his sophomore year with decorated teammate Or-Ram Harel. 2019 SEASON HIGHLIGHTS UNIVERSITY OF TULSA COLLEGE The Tulsa women’s tennis bunch once again made history in its 14th year with head coach Dean Orford at the helm. Juniors Martina Okalova and Vera Ploner earned All-America status after reaching the quarterfinals of the NCAA Doubles Championship, becoming just the second and third in program history to do so. They joined just Anousjka van Exel (1998, 1999) to earn the prestigious status, while the duo posted a 29-7 record this season, along with a 15-4 dual match record. In the AAC, Okalova and lone senior Martha Matoula were named to the American Athletic All-Conference team. With this season's two honorees, the Golden Hurricane have now put at least two selections to the all-conference squad in all five years since joining the AAC in 2014. Matoula wrapped up a successful career under Orford, boasting the second-most doubles victories for a career in school history. Her 94 career doubles wins comes second to only Anastasia Erofeeva (2008-12), who finished her career with 107. The Greece native is also No. 8 in all-time singles victories, earning 86 for her career after boasting a 22-3 singles mark in her final campaign. TU WOMEN'S TIDBITS TU MEN'S TIDBITS Adel-Byanu Abidullina Ranked No. 2 in ITA National Singles Rankings MIAA Co-Player of the Year MIAA Freshman of the Year 46-13 record this season (22-5 singles, 24-8 doubles) 30 I thebaseliner.net 19-3 MIAA TOURNAMENT CHAMPIONS NCAA NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIPS ROUND 16 Paola Landin Ranked No. 53 in ITA National Singles Rankings Ranked No. 9 in ITA National Doubles Rankings 45-19 record this season (25-7 singles, 20-12 doubles) UNIVERSITY OF CENTRAL OKLAHOMA Isabella Dunlap Ranked No. 5 in ITA National Singles Rankings Ranked No. 9 in ITA National Doubles Rankings ITA National Freshman of the Year ITA National Runner-up 42-20 record this season (24-9 singles, 18-11 doubles) U C O COLLEGE All-Americans 17 wins (most since 2014 Best Big 12 record since 2014 FIRst NCAA appearance since 2015 Program-record four All-Big 12 selections 17 winS 9 defeats of ranked opponents 10th straight NCAA appearance 6th Sweet 16 appearance in seven years 2019 SEASON HIGHLIGHTS 31 I thebaseliner.net THE MEN'S TEAM Went undefeated (6-0) against teams in the ITA Central Region SOONER TENNIS COLLEGE 32 I thebaseliner.net WOMEN'S TENNIS Oklahoma State's men's tennis team finished with an Oracle/ITA ranking of No. 22, marking the sixth-straight season the Pokes finish in the top-25, it was announced Wednesday. The Cowboys finished with an overall record of 16-12, recording six victories over ranked opponents. OSU has now recorded at least 15 wins for six-straight seasons. Oklahoma State graduates one senior, Artur Dubinski, and will return Big 12 Newcomer of the Year, Matej Vocel, next season. Keep up with all things Cowboy Tennis by following @CowboyTennis on Twitter and Instagram. OKSTATE.COM/NEWS Click Here for More Oracle ITA rankings positioned the Oklahoma State women's tennis team as the No. 1 program in the Central Region for the fifth-consecutive season in this week's poll. The Cowgirls reached the semifinals bout of the Big 12 Conference Championship this spring before hosting a regional at the Greenwood Tennis Center for the fifth year in a row. After knocking off Central Arkansas and Miami, the Pokes advanced to the NCAA Super Regional where they faced top-ranked North Carolina. OSU dropped a close bout to the Tar Heels before sending individuals to the NCAA Championship in Orlando, Fla. COLLEGE MEN'S TENNIS Click Here for More ALTAMONTE SPRINGS, Fla. – Prior to the start of the NCAA Division II National Championships, the ITA released their national awards and CU's Josh Cobble was tabbed the Wilson/ITA Men's Tennis Coach of the Year.  Cobble, who is in his third year at Cameron, has been at the helm at one of the biggest turnarounds in the nation, taking a team that went 9-11 last season to a 19-4 record this season, a perfect regional record during the regular season, a regular season conference title, and a spot in the national tournament.  This is the third time in his career that Cobble has been selected a National Coach of the Year, as he picked up the NJCAA honor while at Cowley College in 2011 and 2012. This season, he was also named the Lone Star Conference Coach of the Year and the South Central Region Coach of the Year.  It is the first time that an Aggie coach has been named the top shot caller since James Helvey was tabbed Coach of the Year back in 2008.  Cobble and the Aggie men will begin the national tournament with a first round matchup against No. 7 West Florida, who they defeated 4-1 earlier this season. That match is set to begin at 11 a.m. on Tuesday. 33 I thebaseliner.net 35 I thebaseliner.net ADULT Leagues COMING SOON OKC Fall USTA Captains Meeting Adult 40 & over and 18-39 Leagues Tuesday, August 13 @ 7:00 pm Location: TBD oquin@ustaoklahoma.com claude@ustaoklahoma.com OKC 55 & Over Mixed Doubles Combined 7.5 level Captains register your teams by July 1 Tulsa Fall Day Women's Leagues 2.5 Women Fridays @ 10am 3.0 Women Mondays @ 10am 3.5 Women Tuesdays @ 10am 4.0 Women Wednesdays @ 10am 4.5 Women Thursdays @ 10am Captains sign up your team by July 20 Play starts late August. wink@ustaoklahoma.com claude@ustaoklahoma.com OKC Tri Level Leagues Men's 3.5/4.0/4.5 Women's 3.5/4.0/4.5 Matches are one line of doubles at each level. Play begins July 8 rules WHAT'S THE CALL Have you ever been uncertain about a rule during a tennis match? Don't worry, whether you play for fun or play competitively, it happens to us all! Check out some of the most common disagreements and go to usta.com for more rules. Question: During my doubles match, I served a ball that clearly was long. My partner and I made no attempt to play our opponent’s return because I was anticipating a second serve. Our opponent claimed he won the point because he made a good return. We said that the serve was out, and it should be a second serve. Who was right? Answer: The opponent was right in claiming he won the point. According to Code 5, players makes calls on their own side of the net, so even if you thought the ball was long, you still need to continue play as your opponent may have been giving you the benefit of the doubt. Question: Does the length of a tiebreak game determine who serves at the start of the next set? If someone wins a tiebreak, 7-5, versus a 15-13 tiebreak, does it change? Answer: Luckily, no matter the length of the tiebreak game, you just need to remember who received at the very beginning of it. If you (or your team) were the receiver for the first point of the tiebreak, you become the server for the first game of the next set. So go forth and play long tiebreaks; just remember who received first. (ITF Rule 5) that's out 3 1 water break? 4 3 Click here for the latest edition of Friend at Court. I was playing in my local league singles match, and after a really long rally, we forgot the score. My opponent, who was serving, said it was 40-15, but I thought the score was 30-30. What is the proper procedure figuring out what the score should be? Don't beat yourself up. This happens more often than you would think. I bet a few pros would forget the score after a long rally if they didn't have a Chair Umpire announcing it. There are three ways to come to an agreement on the score. The first way is to count up all the points and games that you both agree on. You would then replay those that you don't agree on. If that doesn't work, you can replay from a score that you mutually agree on. And if you still can't agree, toss a coin or spin a racquet to settle the dispute (but hopefully, it doesn't come to that). WHAT'S THE SCORE? WHAT'S THE CALL SERVE?AFTER TIE BREAK Question: At my daughter’s tennis tournament, her opponent took her water bottle with her onto the court and placed it near the back tarp. Between points she would periodically take a drink, but didn’t delay the game. Is this allowed by USTA rules? Answer: It is allowed if, when the player was serving, she did not violate the 20 seconds between points and, as a receiver, was following the reasonable pace of the server. As you stated, this action did not delay play so it is permissible. Receiver readiness is covered in Section No. 29 of "The Code". 2 37 I thebaseliner.net 38 I thebaseliner.net 7 A player should always give the opponent the benefit of any doubt. When a match is played without officials, the players are responsible for making decisions, particularly for line calls. There is a subtle difference between player decisions and those of an on-court official. An official impartially resolves a problem involving a call, whereas a player is guided by the principle that any doubt must be resolved in favor of an opponent. A player in attempting to be scrupulously honest on line calls frequently will keep a ball in play that might have been out or that the player discovers too late was out. Even so, the game is much better played this way. Ball that cannot be called out is good. Any ball that cannot be called out is considered to be good. A player may not claim a let on the basis of not seeing a ball. let 5 6 Touches, hitting ball before it crosses net, invasion of opponent’s court, double hits, and double bounces. A player shall concede the point when: • A ball in play touches that player; • That player touches the net or opponent’s court while a ball is in play; • That player hits a ball before it crosses the net; • That player deliberately carries or double hits a ball; or • A ball bounces more than once in that player’s court. The opponent is not entitled to make these calls. The principle of giving the opponent the benefit of any doubt applies. WHAT'S THE CALL super tie break opponent gets benefit of doubt Scoring: The first team/player to win 10 points by a 2 point margin wins the match. Points are simply scored 1, 2, 3, 4 and so on. If the score in the match tiebreaker becomes tied at 10 points, play continues until a player or team has a 2-point lead Order of Serving: The original order of service continues. Before the start, though, doubles teams can change their order of serving and receiving, and this order remains until the end of the tiebreaker. Who Serves First: The player or team whose turn it is to serve, serves the first point of the tiebreaker. The next two points are then served by the opposing player or team. From then on each player or team alternates serving two points until the end of the tiebreaker. Changing Sides: The player whose turn it was to serve in the set serves the first point of the tie-break. Their opponent serves the next two points and after that the serve rotates after every two further points. The players change ends after every four points. 8 crossing the net Courtesy of USTA.com 10-point Tie-break in lieu of 3rd set Question: When the ball is in play, another ball rolls onto court. A let is called. The server had previously served a fault. Is the server now entitled to a first service or second service? Answer: First service. The whole point must be replayed. In all cases when a let is called, except when a service let is called on a second service, the whole point shall be replayed. The Baseliner is published 4 times per year by USTA Oklahoma. The opinions expressed in The Baseliner are those of the authors Advertising Information Full page $125 Half page $95 1/4 page $75 Discounts are given for ads whose frequency rate is two or more per calendar year. Contact Casey McKenzie mckenzie@ustaoklahoma.com for more information. USTA OKLAHOMA MEN'S LEAGUE 40 & OVER MOVING TO FALL Advertise With Us! MENS LEAGUE MOVING 40 & over Men 3.0, 3.5, 4.0 and 4.5+ Captain's may register a team July 1-August 15 by    emailing oquin@ustaoklahoma.com  Captain's meeting July 7 at Lafortune Tennis Center. Play will begin September 16, 2019. Last 3 matches will be played in March, 2020. League winners will advance to 2020 Championships. 39 I thebaseliner.net Text USTAOKJUNIORS to 84483 to receive  USTA Oklahoma Juniors alerts usta.com instagram.com/ustaoklahoma USTA Oklahoma Text twitter.com/USTAOKJrComp GET CONNECTED 1500 E. 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