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The official voice of Hawaii’s USPTA Professionals Fall 2012
Hawaii Pros attend USPTA World Conference
Hawaii Division pros attended the USPTA World
Conference the week of September 16-21 in beautiful
Monterey, Calif. Pros attended educational
classes, networked and reconnected with nationwide pros,
and addressed current issues and future challenges facing
all tennis teachers.
The following Hawaii Pros and guests attended the conference:
Kathleen Brady
C G Bush
Marc Casperino
Liane DePontes
Rusty Dyer
Rudolph Embernate
Kyle Kaneshiro
Norma Kop
Jose Higueras shares his wealth of knowledge.
Randy Kop
Beverly Nagel
Bruce Nagel
Ken Nakama
Max Pavon
David Porter
Carolyn Thibault
Beverly Nagel, former Hawaii resident and now USPTA Florida pro
John Koahou, Bruce Nagel, and Ken Nakama pose for a shot at the
Hawaii division party.
Awesome and dedicated pros: Rusty Dyer and Carolyn Thibault
More pictures, Page 4
2012-2013 Awards, Page 3 • World Conference, Page 4 • Loving mixed doubles, Page 7 • Vision: an essential of shot making, Page 9

Ken Nakama
President, Hawaii Division
Board of Directors
President
Ken Nakama
808-679-3197
ken.nakama@marriott.com
Regional vice president
Bruce Nagel
808-262-2057
brucenagel@aol.com
First vice president
Rick Wilson
rickw10spro@gmail.com
Treasurer
Henry Somerville
808-395-3300
henry_somerville@yahoo.com
Past president
Jerry Cape
808-382-5968
jerry_cape@yahoo.com
Head tester
Lee Couillard
808-944-5835
lcouillard@punahou.edu
Executive administrator
Julie Myers
888-877-8232
divisionea@uspta.org
Pro 2 Network
President’s message
Aloha Hawaii Division Pros:
As 2012 winds down, I’m glad two things are happening: that the economy has gotten
better (at least from my perspective), and we have the great sport of tennis to share with
others.
It’s an exciting time with our new CEO John Embree as he installs his new vision.
You can count on the Hawaii Division to be in great hands with the quality, knowledge,
and expertise that our Hawaii Division pros have.
2013 also brings a new slate of officers whose names will be released very shortly. Be
on the lookout for an email from me.
It’s also creeping up on that time of year again when we will be hosting our Hawaii Division
conference. Like last year, we will have two Master Professionals coming! USPTA
National Vice President Gary Trost is a sought-after speaker who will be fun, engaging
and informative. Hans Romer, whose club just hosted our world conference, will continue
our technological education that we started successfully last year by promoting social
media. Save the date, Sunday, Jan. 27, 2012, at Le Jardin Academy.
The Hawaii Division Nominating Committee has completed their selection for next year’s
slate.
If there are any further nominations, they must be submitted by December 31 to be put on
the ballot for a special January election. He/she must receive five nominations from fellow
USPTA Hawaii members. For more information, call Ken Nakama at 620-3256.
2013 Division Board Slate
President: Bruce Nagel
Regional Vice President: Lee Couillard
1st Vice President: Rick Wilson
2nd Vice President: Henry Somerville
Treasurer: David Porter, Ed.D.
Secretary: Carolyn Thibault
Immediate Past President: Ken Nakama
Save the Date!
Hawaii Division Convention
Sunday, January 27
Le Jardin Academy

2012-2013 awards
We need your help! It’s once again time to recognize our
best teaching professionals from the USPTA Hawaii Division.
We look forward to presenting these prestigious
awards at the January 27 Awards Luncheon to those professionals
who are truly deserving of such recognition for their contributions
to the USPTA, the USTA and the game of tennis in general
based on the January 2012-January 2013 time period. Please take
careful consideration when nominating our members and be sure
to include thorough detail to support your nomination(s).
Please note also that the categories mentioned below are
examples of award categories we have featured in the past. The
Committee recognizes the need to present only meaningful
awards and may choose not to fill in or pigeonhole every category.
We need your input as to who deserves meaningful recognition
for their achievements in the past year.
Mahalo for your votes and please email all nominations to
the following no later than January 14, 2013.
Julie Myers
Hawaii Executive Administrator
julie.myers@uspta.org
Professional of the year: Made significant contributions to
USPTA Hawaii Division, USTA and actively involved in the community,
publications, special programs, services and the tennis
industry as a whole.
Assistant professional of the year: A professional who
proved to be an essential asset while assisting the director of
tennis, head professional or any organizational leader or tennis
program.
Rookie of the year: A new professional who made outstanding
strides in the tennis community in just the first year of his/her
certification.
Open player of the year (male or female): Had outstanding
USPTA, USTA and/or ITF Open tournament play results. Official
rankings and other results will also be considered.
Senior player of the year (male or female): Had outstanding
USPTA, USTA and/or ITF tournament play results in the
45+ age divisions. Official rankings and other results will also be
considered.
Facility of the year: Encouraged professional development of
staff and fellow professionals, promoted tennis in a club, commercial
tennis facility, public tennis program or hotel/resort
environment. This facility supported USPTA education, hired
USPTA Professionals, hosted tournament/league competition,
made special contributions to the game and is affiliated with
various industry organizations.
High school coach of the year: Developed enthusiasm and
had permanent influence on high school team players.
College coach of the year: Developed enthusiasm and had
permanent influence on collegiate team players.
Community service award/special recognition award: A
USPTA professional who has meaningfully served and bettered
the community for altruistic reasons, irrespective of his or her
professional development, profit or advancement.
Pro 3 Network

Scenes from the World Conference
It was a nice change from Hawaii’s sunny climate to observe the
classes in cool, crisp weather.
Hawaii pros and friends enjoyed dinner and camaraderie at the Loose
Noodle Company.
Kyle Kaneshiro and Rosie
Bareis at the Hawaii Division
Pa’ina.
Pro 4 Network
Warren Lem and Ken Nakama
Norma Kop with famous pro Vic
Braden. Laugh and win!
Bruce joking around at the
Hawaii Division party.
Past presidents Ron Woods and Dave Porter, along with CEO Tim
Heckler joined the Hawaii Division for some good times.
Wailae C.C. Director Randy Kop (left), Kailua Racquet Club GM
Bruce Nagel (right), and our terrific Executive Administrator Jill
Phipps!

Hawaii Pro Kyle Kaneshiro honored
at Awards Breakfast
Kyle Kaneshiro of Honolulu, Hawaii, received the Lessons
for Life Individual Award for his all his efforts
in the tennis community as director of tennis at
Moanalua High School, including raising $200,000 for the
Moanalua High School Tennis Lights Project.
Kaneshiro has been the director of tennis at Moanalua
High School for 13 years and has done much for the tennis
community during that time. The courts at Moanalua High
School had been without lights since 2009 after they were
removed due to safety issues because of corrosion, and as
a result the facility was forced to discontinue a majority of
its tennis programs.
With the help of family, friends, students and parents,
Kaneshiro was able to raise the $200,000 within two years
by hosting golf and tennis tournaments, through grants
and donations and tennis clinics. The project was finally
completed in November 2011.
He continues to use the courts to give back to the
community. He has hosted events supporting the Hawaii
Children’s Cancer Foundation and he has hosted free clinics
for kids in the Free Judiciary Juvenile Drug Court Clinic
and at Moanalua Elementary School.
Kyle Kaneshiro receives his award from USPTA President Tom
Daglis at the USPTA Awards Breakfast.
Bruce and Beverly Nagel Bruce and Ken at the Executive Committee meeting.
Pro 5 Network

Hawaii’s David T. Porter named
USPTA Professional of the Year
David T. Porter, Ed.D.,
of Laie, Hawaii, who
has been involved
in teaching tennis for more
than 35 years and has been
a USPTA member for more
than 25 years, received the
United States Professional
Tennis Association’s Alex
Gordon Award for the Professional
of the Year.
Porter was recognized
during the USPTA’s annual
awards breakfast at
its World Conference on
Tennis. The USPTA, the
world’s oldest and largest
association of tennis-teaching
professionals, hosted its
annual World Conference
Sept. 16-21 at the Hyatt
Regency Monterey Hotel &
Spa in Monterey, Calif.
The professional of
the year is judged in seven
areas, including: contributions
to USPTA and USTA;
as a teaching professional,
player and coach; education,
research and publications;
organizational affiliations;
and contributions to the
community.
Porter, who is a USPTA
Master Professional,
played collegiate tennis for
Brigham Young University,
a top 20 Division I program.
Porter graduated with
Ed.D., M.S. and B.S. degrees
before beginning his tennisteaching
career.
He has been very committed
to the USPTA. He
has been a Head Tester
since 1988 and has served
on the National Board from
Pro 6 Network
1994-2007. This included
serving as the national
president from 2003-2005.
In addition, he has served as
the chairman of the education
committee and the
chairman of the testing and
certification committee. He
has also been a speaker at
numerous USPTA divisional
conventions and national
conferences.
He is currently the head
tennis coach at Brigham
Young University – Hawaii.
Porter has an impressive
record of 1,193 wins and
145 losses over his college
coaching career, and he
has never lost a conference
match in women’s tennis
during his entire career. His
BYU – Hawaii women’s
team is the three-time
Pacific West Conference
champions (2010, 2011,
2012). He has also taught/
worked with several nationally
ranked players, including
Zheng Jie, ranked No. 15
in the WTA, Yan Zi, ranked
in the top 100 in the WTA
and Li Na, ranked top 10 in
the WTA.
Porter has written several
articles for China Tennis
Club magazine and AD-
Dvantage magazine. Also, as
the chairman of the USPTA
Player Development Advisory
Council, he consulted
and edited “The Six General
Performance Components
of Tennis.”
He is currently on the
HEAD Penn Racquet Sports
Advisory Committee and
Nike China Advisory Committee.
His previous accolades
include Hawaii Division
Pro of the Year (2004,
1995), USPTA College
Coach of the Year (2003,
2002), Hawaii Division Tester
of the Year (1997, 1994),
and Hawaii Division Hall of
Fame Inductee (1985).

Loving mixed doubles
Growing up in my
native Netherlands,
playing mixed
doubles was, and still is,
an important part of team
competition. The Royal
Dutch Tennis Association
(KNLTB) has structured
the match format in such
a way that two decisive
matches can determine
the outcome of the entire
day, even at the highest
level. Four singles matches,
one men’s doubles, one
women’s doubles, and two
mixed doubles keep a total
of eight players (four on
each team) busy all Sunday
in the spring. Each match
is worth one point, and
since the mixed doubles
are scheduled last, you can
imagine the pressure on
these final two matches.
However, no matter how
fierce the competition is,
afterward we all enjoy “bitter-balls”
(a typical Dutch
snack) and a cold Heineken
with our opponents!
While competing
on the weekends, I was
enjoying my first years as
a teaching professional at
a medium-sized club, just
outside Amsterdam. Teaching
tennis, or teaching
anything for that matter,
is a very rewarding career.
Seeing students, young and
old, developing athletic
skills and having a good
time while doing it, is a
goal many teaching profes-
sionals take pride in. Let’s
face it, tennis is the perfect
vehicle - especially for
juniors - to connect with
other people. Hitting tennis
balls, running around the
court, being with friends,
participating in healthy
competition in a safe environment,
are ingredients
that not every after-school
activity can offer. Even
though I was only in my
mid-20s, I recognized the
importance of providing
these kids with more than
just tennis. Good attitudes,
being courteous, fair play,
being polite and respectful,
were just some of the
traits I integrated in my
lessons and clinics, without
necessarily emphasizing
it. Respecting the game, I
also felt that educating the
juniors about the history,
rules and etiquette was one
of my responsibilities as a
coach.
On a beautiful sunny
Wednesday afternoon, during
a Peewee class, I asked
the young rascals if they
were aware of all the different
playing formats. “When
two boys play together,
what do you call that”? I
asked. At first they didn’t
have a clue where I was going
with this question, so I
answered for them, “That’s
called boys singles.” How
about two girls? Daphne,
a bright girl, answered,
“Girls singles!” All the other
A true story by Hans Römer
Hans Romer enjoys the game of mixed doubles – and hearing
children’s unique take on it.
kids recognized the logic,
but were speechless when
I presented them with the
next question, “How about
when two boys play against
two boys?” For a moment I
lost them again and explained
that was called
boys doubles. Daphne took
charge again, and before I
even imposed the question
on the group, she stated,
“When two girls play
against two girls, it’s called
Girls Doubles!” I replied,
“That’s exactly right, good
job Daphne!” My last obvious
question was, “Now
what if a boy and a girl
play together?” Little Anna,
who had been quietly paying
attention, gave me the
This article is reprinted with permission from ADDvantage magazine, July 2011.
most precious answer in
my entire teaching career.
Without hesitation, she
said, “Making love!”
Hans Römer, USPTA Master
Professional, is the director of
tennis at the Monterey Tennis
Center in California. He has
been a speaker at numerous
tennis conventions. He also is
a member of the United States
Tennis Writers Association and
the USA correspondent for Tennis
Journal, a Dutch magazine.
Römer graduated in his native
Netherlands from the prestigious
CIOS Sport College with a B.A.
degree in physical education and
studied pedagogy at the University
of Amsterdam.
Pro 7 Network

Pro 8
Network

Vision – an essential of shot making
Technique, speed, agility, footwork,
strength, mental toughness
and match strategies have
always been the main criteria in
judging tennis ability. And all tennistraining
programs have been designed
with those criteria in mind, even
though our body will only respond to
what it can see. Despite this fact, little
attention has been paid to vision.
For decades, players have been
told to “watch the ball” or “keep your
eye on the ball.” These phrases seem
to be a maxim that should solve this
problem when playing tennis. Remember,
it’s not hard to know what
to do, but how to do what you know!
Not watching the ball is typically due
to “visual wandering” and a lack of
visual discipline/training. Running,
acceleration, eye movement and the
speed of the ball are the visual spoilers.
Try reading a newspaper and running
on the spot. You will notice that
the running caused difficulty reading
the newspaper.
By undertaking a simple visual
training program, a tennis player
can improve his performance. That’s
because the eye, like the muscles in
our bodies, can be strengthened to
perform better with exercise. By seeing
better, you can play better because
what and how you see, is what and
how you will do.
Some of the required visual skills
that can be enhanced through training
are:
Head positioning
Dynamic visual acuity
Eye tracking
Eye teaming & depth perception
Peripheral vision and
Eye-hand coordination.
Head positioning: The average adult
head weighs 12 – 15 pounds. When the
head is moved excessively in order to
see, we risk throwing the whole body
out of balance. Thus, players need the
ability to identify and feel their head
positioning during strokes.
Dynamic visual acuity: Playing tennis
is a visual stress test. It requires more
from your eyes than the daily activities
of reading the newspaper and working
on the computer. The player who
sees the ball late and exercises poor
visual judgment is at a distinct disadvantage.
An aggressive player will
move around the court, which tires
and weakens your visual judgment of
ball placement and speed. Running
impairs visual acuity; many errors
occur after a player has been forced to
run for a shot. The solution, of course,
is preparation. You can hone dynamic
visual acuity so that you can function
optimally in matches in which the ball
is hit hard and you are forced to run a
great deal. The two factors that make
seeing the ball difficult are your motion
and the speed of the ball. Thus,
players need the ability to see the ball
more effectively and efficiently while
the player and the ball are moving.
Eye tracking: This is the ability to
follow a moving object smoothly and
accurately with both eyes. In tennis,
it is desirable to track the ball to the
moment of contact, that is to “see the
ball hit the racquet.” But, according to
Feisal Hassan, USPTA Master Professional
Eyes, like the muscles in our bodies, can be strengthened to perform better with
exercise.
Jack Groppel, Ph.D., a tennis ball contacting
the strings happens way too
fast to see with the human eye. The
comparison he offers is of a normal everyday
60-cycle deck lamp. The light
of this standard lamp seems steady
enough, but actually it is flickering on
and off 60 times every second, so fast
that it appears to be a steady beam
of light. Have any of us ever seen this
light either on or off? No. The reason is
that it simply turns off and on too fast
for the human eye to record. According
to Groppel, the moment of a tennis
racquet striking a ball takes less time
than a 60-cycle light flickers on and
off.
It takes 1/10th of a second to
relate information from the eyes to
the brain. Research by the LTA shows
that watching the ball only occurs
5-6 feet in front of the player, so after
this (tracking the ball), de-emphasize
watching the ball, emphasize getting
into the right position and bring your
eyes to the point of contact. We need
to “anticipate” and pay attention to
preparation – where the ball is going
to be and when it’s going to be there.
Eye teaming & depth perception:
This is the ability to use both eyes
together (in unison) and to judge
Continued next page
Pro 9 Network

Continued from page 9
relative distances of objects and to
see and move accurately in threedimensional
space. Although we look
at the world with both eyes, we are
aware of only a single impression of
the environment. When the eyes work
together as a team, the perceptions
of each eye are coordinated. Depth,
for example, is perceived when
two-dimensional images received by
each eye are fused in the brain into
one three-dimensional image. As a
result, we can judge distance easily
and locate objects in space. On the
other hand, anyone whose eyes do not
team up finds it very difficult to judge
distance.
Peripheral vision: This is the ability
to maintain and interpret what is
happening on the court (in your side
vision) while attending to the ball
(the specific central vision). Think
of a wide receiver in football. When
a pass is thrown in his direction, he
must focus on the ball, the opponent
Pro 10 Network
trying to prevent him from making the
catch, and his feet in relation to the
sideline. If he does not account for all
three things, he won’t be consistently
successful. The same thing applies to
tennis. A player must concentrate on
the incoming ball, account for his own
position on the court and what his
opponent is doing across the net. All
three are crucial for a player’s “triple
vision.”
Eye-hand coordination: This is how
the visual system guides the motor
system.
The eyes lead the hands – not the
other way around. Coaches and players
who refer to “hand-eye coordination”
have missed the significance of
this relationship. The visual system
leads the motor system.
We all use eye-hand coordination
in our daily lives and take this skill for
granted.
Driving a car requires constant
coordination between vision and
hands and feet. Turning a car at an
intersection requires the processing
of visual information by the brain and
an immediate reaction by the hands
on the steering wheel to the brain’s
command. Parallel parking, a more
difficult task, requires a series of quick
adjustments between the visual system
and the hands and feet. Braking is
a good example of eye-foot coordination.
When we want to stop or slow
down, the foot controls the brake
pedal, but our vision first processes
the information that tells us where
and when to brake.
The goals of this article are:
1. To demonstrate a simple on-court
vision training program which
will improve the performance of a
tennis player.
2. To coordinate the proper eye
movements with the body.
3. To make quick and accurate decisions
on the court.
The vision training program
The vision training program is
broken down into six types and levels
of exercises:

Level 1: head positioning exercises
Level 2: dynamic visual acuity exercises
Level 3: eye tracking exercises
Level 4: eye teaming & depth perception
exercises
Level 5: peripheral vision exercises
Level 6: eye-hand coordination exercises
Level 1. Head positioning exercises
Purpose: to help players identify
and feel the head positioning during
strokes
A. General head positioning
The head should remain above
center of gravity and stay relatively
still at all times. The more your head
is over your center of gravity, the more
efficient your visual tracking, balance,
strokes and recovery. If the head gets
too far off the center of gravity as you
move to the shot, you will have difficulty
hitting in balance, control and
recovery.
Drill: upside-down cap (or folded
towel)
Place a cap upside-down or a
folded towel on your head. Balls could
be hit to you, or points played out.
Your goal is to keep the cap or folded
towel on your head.
The dominant eye is the eye that
sends information to the brain quicker
than the non-dominant eye. The brain
gets the information a few milliseconds
faster. And since the brain gets
the information quicker, the body
reacts quicker. Research shows that
the dominant eye’s connection with
the brain is 10-13 times faster than the
non-dominant eye.
The test to determine the dominant
eye is a simple one. Make a circle
with both hands about the size of a
tennis ball. Then look through this
circle at a fixed object about 15-20 feet
away. Next, while holding your line
of sight on the object, close your left
eye and look through the circle at the
object with your right eye. If you can
still see the object through the circle,
you are right-eye dominant. On the
other hand, if you can no longer see
the object through the circle, you are
left eye dominant.
B. Head positioning for groundstrokes:
The goal on the groundstrokes
is to get the dominant eye
closer to the ball.
TIP: Make sure your opponent can see
both your eyes when you are tracking
the ball.
C. Head positioning for volleys: The
goal is to get your head at the same
level as your racquet head when lining
up for the ball.
D. Head positioning for serves/overheads:
players typically drop their
head prior to hitting the ball.
Tip: Keep your head up by keeping
your non-dominant hand up “longer”
(until the follow-through). Think of
an outfielder in baseball getting ready
to catch the ball.
All stroke drill: Keep a pencil behind
your ear. Play points. If the pencil falls
anytime during the point, the opponent
wins the point.
Level 2. Dynamic visual acuity exercises
Purpose: to help players see the ball
more effectively and efficiently while
the player and ball are moving.
Drill: two-ball rally
Players have a ball in one hand. On
the count of three, both players feed
their ball to the other player and try
rallying cooperatively with two balls
in play.
Drill: colored ball
Have a basket of balls with different
colored balls in it, e.g., yellow,
orange and white.
If the ball fed to you is an orange
ball, you hit a forehand; a white ball,
you hit a backhand; a yellow ball, you
hit a lob.
Another variation could be using
the same stroke. For example, if you
get a white ball, you hit a forehand
crosscourt; if you get an orange ball, you
hit a forehand down-the-line; if you get a
yellow ball, you hit a forehand lob.
Level 3. Eye tracking exercises
Purpose: to develop the ability to
follow a moving ball smoothly and accurately
with both eyes.
Drill: ball characteristics
Use command words (or trigger
words) to identify the ball characteristics.
Shout out the words as soon as
you have identified the characteristics.
Initially do one characteristic at a
time:
Ball Trigger words
characteristics
Spin top, slice, flat
Speed slow, med., fast
Direction right, left
Depth short, middle, deep
Height low, medium, high
Drill: distraction rally
Rally normally from the baseline,
while two other players are diagonally
across from each other at the net hitting
volleys (or touch shots) back and
forth simultaneously.
Level 4. Eye teaming & depth perception
exercises
Purpose: to develop the ability for
your eyes to function in unison and to
judge relative distances of the ball and
to see accurately in three-dimensional
space.
Drill: “in-out”
You are at net. Coach or another
player feeds from the opposite baseline
with different speeds, heights,
spins, directions and depths. You call
“in” or “out” based on ball going past
you. A third person can stand on the
baseline acting as the line judge.
Drill: 4-quadrant
Divide court into four quadrants
by extending the center service line
all the way back to the baseline. With
the line extended, the court has four
boxes or quadrants. Number each
quadrant from one to four. As the ball
goes over the net, you must call out
the quadrant number that the ball is
going to land in.
Level 5. Peripheral vision exercises
Continued page 13
Pro 11 Network

USPTA announces plans to move forward
Tim Heckler to retire in December 2012 and John Embree named
as new CEO/Executive Director
The USPTA has announced plans
to move forward following Tim
Heckler’s retirement as chief executive
officer effective Dec. 31, 2012,
after 30 years in the position.
Heckler announced
his intent
to retire earlier this
year and the Board
of Directors also
offered Heckler a
one-year severance
package through
the end of 2013,
which was ratified
Tim Heckler
by a vote of the entire Executive Committee
in April.
The Board of Directors and Search
Committee recently hired industry
veteran John Embree as the new CEO/
Executive Director. Embree began
transitioning into his role as of Oct. 1
and will be relocating to the national
office in Houston on Nov. 1.
The association conducted a search
for the new CEO/Executive Director,
and after interviewing several candidates
in conjunction with the executive
search firm, GSI Executive Search
Inc., the USPTA Search Committee
offered the position to Embree. The
contract was ratified by the USPTA
Executive Committee in late August.
“The USPTA is indebted to Tim
Heckler for taking USPTA to the next
level, and his 30 years of service as
CEO is a demonstration of his passion,
his commitment to the association,
and his endless hard work for helping
and improving the well-being of the
tennis-teaching professional,” President
Daglis said.
When Heckler, who is a USPTA
Master Professional, was tapped as
USPTA CEO in 1982, the organization
Pro 12 Network
had approximately 2,400 members
and an annual budget of $700,000.
Today, the association is the world’s
oldest and largest organization of its
kind, serving more than 15,000 members
in 66 countries, and operating on
an annual budget of $6.5 million. Also,
the association’s equity has grown
from $60,000 in 1982 to more than
$4.2 million today.
Heckler, who began playing tennis
at age 3, started his tennis-teaching
career in 1970, the same year he joined
USPTA. He was elected president of
the USPTA Texas Division in 1974
and served as national president of the
organization from 1980 to 1982.
With Heckler’s guidance, USPTA
became one of the first tennis organizations
to embrace technology, first
through the computerization of the
business itself as early as 1982, and
then later through its use of the Internet
and email-based communications
and education. USPTA introduced its
first website in 1995.
The USPTA honored Heckler in
2000 by naming him a grand inductee
in the Association’s Hall of Fame.
He also received the International
Tennis Hall of Fame’s Tennis Educational
Merit Award in 2002 and was
inducted into the Texas Tennis Hall
of Fame in 2005. In 2008 he received
the highest honor awarded by the
United States Professional Tennis Association,
the George Bacso Lifetime
Achievement Award.
“We are pleased to welcome
John Embree into the USPTA family.
His vast tennis industry expertise,
contacts, and company management
skills will serve the USPTA well,” said
President Tom Daglis.
Embree has held a wide variety of
influential tennis
industry roles
for more than
30 years. They
include serving as
President of Prince
Sports, The Americas;
President of
Balle de Match
John Embree
LLC; and Vice
President/General Manager, Racquet
Sports Division for Wilson Sporting
Goods Co. Most recently, he launched
a tennis consulting practice to assist
endemic brands, associations and new
corporate entities in maximizing their
impact in the tennis marketplace. His
client list included the USTA, Intercollegiate
Tennis Association, Peter
Burwash International, Off the Grid
Technologies, and Donnay USA.
Embree has served on many national
USTA Committees, including
the USTA Nominating Committee in
2005-2006 and currently as the Vice
Chair of USTA Professional Circuits
Committee. In addition, he recently
served as Presidential appointee of the
Board of Directors of USTA Middle
States section, is a past member of
TIA Board of Directors and Executive
Committee, member of the Board
of Directors of American College of
Sports Medicine Foundation, and
past President of the Chicago Tennis
Patrons Foundation. One of his proudest
achievements in tennis was the
creation of the USTA Adult League
Tennis program in 1980, when he
served as the first USTA Adult League
Tennis Administrator for two years.
He earned a bachelor’s degree from
Washington & Lee University in Lexington,
VA, and was inducted into the
W&L Athletic Hall of Fame in 2005.

Continued from page 11
Purpose: to develop the ability to
monitor and interpret what is happening
on the court (in your side vision)
while attending to the ball (the specific
central vision)
Drill: ball training
Have a partner (holding two
balls) standing 3 to 4 feet from you.
The balls are thrown to you simultaneously,
and you must catch one ball
in each hand. As you improve, cross
your arms to make the catch.
Drill: hand signals
While rallying, have your partner
make hand signals (fist, open fist,
thumb up or thumb down) to see if
you can recognize what the signals
are.
Level 6: eye-hand coordination exercises
Purpose: to train a player to effectively
develop how their visual system
guides their motor system
Serve drill: two-ball collision
Have a ball in each hand. Mimic
the serve motion and release both balls
to try to make both balls “collide” or
hit each other. This is great, not only
for an eye-hand coordination drill but
also great to develop synchronization
of the hands on the serve.
Return of serve drill: racquet handle
return
You must return serve with the
racquet handle (or grip).
Groundstroke drill: rally
Rally from the baseline, but rotate
the racquet around your body two
times after each hit.
Net play drill: volley-rally
Players volley back and forth
switching the dominant hand from the
grip to throat of the racquet after each
volley. This drill emphasizes eye-hand
coordination with respect to the point
of contact and getting used to muscle
tension and relaxation.
Another variation is to switch the
racquet from one hand to the other
after each hit.
Trying to develop watching the
ball and judging the ball flight skills
are challenging tasks for any player.
This article is an example on how
this might be achieved. The drills
presented are just some on-court
examples and should only serve as
guidelines. I have had success with
this program.
In summary, I believe a good vision
training program should always
lead to:
• controlling the head positioning
and movement
• developing the following visual
skills:
• dynamic visual acuity
• eye tracking
• eye teaming and depth perception
• peripheral vision and
• eye-hand coordination
Feisal Hassan, a USPTA Master Professional,
is a member of the HEAD Penn Racquet
Sports National Advisory Board and
Speaker’s Bureau. He holds USPTA specialist
degrees in Competitive Player Development,
Facility Management and Little Tennis. He
is also a USTA Recreational Coach and
Quickstart Trainer, and a member of the
National Cardio Tennis Speakers Team and
the USPTA National Education Committee.
He co-chairs the USPTA National Diversity
Committee and was also the Director of Certification
& Testing for the USPTA Middle
States Division.
Pro 13 Network

Free dinner and pop-up clinic
Mark Kovacs
Pro 14 Network
Hawaii pros were invited for a free dinner by Kailua Racquet Club chef
Dave Kaminiski and an educational seminar provided by Mark Kovacs,
Ph.D., on Friday, Nov. 2. Mark was on his way to speak at the International
Tennis Federation’s Conference in Thailand. He shared his wealth of
knowledge as the USTA Manager of Sport Science and Director at the International
Tennis Performance Association.
Attendees at the pop up clinic were:
Bruce Nagel
Ken Nakama
Henry Somerville
Rick Wilson
Carolyn Thibault
Lee Couillard
USPTA Hawaii Pros enjoy free food and education at the Kailua Racquet Club.
Ben Erickson
Jamie Delacruz
Fred Wong
Lynn Vosloo
Joe Curcio
Windy Cummings

Hawaii happenings
Welcome New Members:
Ismael Fernando of Kihei
Will Heaven of Pearl City
Jason Hester of Honolulu
Ikaika Jobe of Honolulu
Johan Loo of Honolulu
Diego Miranda of Kahuku
Jean Mueller of Lahaina
Aaron Tada of Kapaa
Garrett Tanouye of Pearl City
Reinstated members:
Lono Beamer of Mililani
Steve Campbell of Kamuela
Sheldon Kennell of Honolulu
Cheryl Shrum of Kailua Kona
HELP WANTED!
The division board is always looking for articles, announcements,
pictures, etc., so if you are interested in contributing
please contact any board member. All contact information
can be found on Page 2.
Is your email on file?
Between newsletters, the Hawaii Division sends out
notices about upcoming events and other important announcements
to division members via email. If you have
not been receiving these emails and would like to, please
log into the “Members Only” section of the USPTA website
and update your information there or call 800-USPTA-4U.
Your email will remain confidential and only be used
for USPTA business. USPTA never releases members’ email
addresses to outside parties.
SAVE THE DATE!
2013 Hawaii Division Conference
Jan. 27, 2013
Le Jardine Academy
Oahu, Hawaii
More information coming soon!
Need to upgrade?
If you’re a Professional 2 or 3 and want to upgrade on
the written, grips or stroke analysis exam, you now
need to retake the entire section, not just the missed
portions. To schedule an exam or for more information,
please call the World Headquarters Membership
Department at 800-USPTA-4U.
Find-a-Pro. Visit USPTA’s free job
listing service, Find-a-Pro,
at www.find-a-pro.com, to find a job,
list a job or find
other USPTA Pros near you.
If you would like to place a job listing
in the newsletter, please contact
Julie at divisionea@uspta.org or
888-877-8232.
Pro 15 Network

Hawaii’s
Pro Network
3535 Briarpark Drive • Suite One • Houston, TX 77042 • divisionea@uspta.org
Editor Julie Myers
Contributors Feisal Hassan, Ken Nakama and
Hans Romer
Hawaii’s Pro Network is published quarterly by the Hawaii Division of the
United States Professional Tennis Association, Inc.
The opinions expressed in Hawaii’s Pro Network are those of the authors
and not necessarily those of Hawaii’s Pro Network or the USPTA Hawaii
Division.
Copyright© Hawaii Division/United States Professional Tennis
Association, Inc. 2012. All rights reserved. Reproduction of any portion of
the newsletter is not permitted without written permission from the USPTA
Hawaii Division.
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