This is a terrific letter I hope everyone gets the opportunity to read. You have a few people in charge at the USTA who are only now beginning to realize they screwed up with this mandate. Their real problem now is trying to figure out a graceful return to what was before a good system.
Wayne Bryan in blue and Chris in black–check it out!
Just a fabulous letter, Chris, and I agree with every word. I especially like this paragraph that you write at the end: Because Tennis Associations don’t produce players. Local pros, parents and volunteers help produce players. However, they need the freedom to work with the students and they don’t need associations to mandate what they can and can’t do. And congrats on your playing back and your wonderful coaching background. Great stuff and keep up the good work . . . And I enjoyed watching Kabeer’s two tapes. Great young player and very well coached and love those sharp volleys and the fact that you are having him hit ’em . . . Hope our paths cross soon and maybe in early April when I am emceeing the ATP Event at River Oaks in Houston?
Keep battling. This Mandate will not stand the test of time. Sad, silly and stupid and too, too many great coaches and experienced parents are against it . . . And kids don’t like it either. The Mandate is over the top. Over cooked and heavy handed. Just like all the other USTA PD Mandates that have come and gone over the past 23 years. I say get rid of the USTA PD lock, stock and barrel. Once and for all . . . And watch American tennis thrive . . .
Best and thanks again for the great letter and keep Kabeer fired up and don’t let the USTA’s actions get him down. . .
Hi Kurt,
I am a 67 year old teaching pro in Houston, Texas. I played on the pro tour. I am originally from England where I was ranked # 6 in the Boys 18 Singles when I was 14 years old. I immigrated to Australia, specifically for tennis when I was 17 years old. I was ranked #7 in Australia in the Boys 18 and Under Singles. I played 4 years of US College tennis and competed in 9 Grand Slams winning 5 Singles matches and 4 Doubles matches. My students have played in 37 USTA National Junior Championship Finals winning 25, including the 1978 USTA National Boys 18 Championships at Kalamazoo. 24 of my students have gone on to play professionally and gained ATP and WTA rankings, including a World #1 Ranking in Men’s Doubles ( Reneberg ).
One of my current students is Kabeer Kapasi, age 8. Kabeer is outstanding but he is now forced to play with green balls until he is at least 91/2 (11/2 years from now). He can play against and beat older players and does so during the week. He hates the green balls and doesn’t want to play in the 10’s . He wants to play in the 12’s but here in Texas he can’t do that because Texas has carried the 10 mandate to the extreme where you cannot play 12’s until you are at least 91/2 and then you have to win 4+ 10’s events to move up. Kabeer basically cannot play 12’s here in Texas until he is 10. Two years from now. How much will he improve in almost two years given his talent level? He improves by the day. It is a shame what the USTA and TTA are doing to kids like Kabeer.
I am sending a short video of Kabeer in a separate email.
I would appreciate anything you can do to allow 10’s to play up in 12’s as long as this green ball mandate is in effect. Kids like Kabeer do not have the opportunities now to achieve what US players in the past were able to achieve. Pete Sampras, Andre Agassi, Tracy Austin, John McEnroe, etc., who were able to move freely up to older age groups if their parents and coaches felt they would benefit from it. Do you think these players would have done better if they had had the opportunity to compete in the 10’s with green balls until they were 10 years old?
Honestly, what do you think of that? Kabeer wants to be a pro. He lives and breathes tennis. He watches the pros on the Internet whenever he isn’t playing, eating or sleeping. He has watched so much that he knows every shot sequence the pros play especially his hero Nadal.
Please don’t ruin this kids chances of success because of this ridiculous mandate especially here in Texas. Give people choices. The USA has some wonderful coaches scattered around the Nation. Coaches who know what they are doing, who know how to recognize talent and how to develop that talent. Right now, especially in Texas, we are being squashed and our talented kids are getting hurt. I am told, the TTA will meet in February to discuss things. This I was told last year. My response was, ” Do you realize how much a 7 year old can improve in 6 months ?” That is an eternity. Kabeer has improved out of sight in 6 months but he cannot get tournament experience unless he plays with green balls. He hates green balls. He says it isn’t tennis. He wants to try the shots Nadal hits with the same balls Nadal plays with. That inspires him. The green balls make him feel like he is a little kid doing little baby stuff until he gets to be a big kid.
Come on USTA open your eyes to what you are doing. I said earlier I am from England originally and I saw the LTA bungle Junior Development for years and they are still at it. They pile millions of pounds into Junior Development and have succeeded in producing nobody. Why? Because Tennis Associations don’t produce players. Local pros, parents and volunteers help produce players. However, they need the freedom to work with the students and they don’t need associations to mandate what they can and can’t do. Thank you for your attention to this matter.
Regards,
Chris Bovett
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James Paul Weber is known to his students simply as “Coach Weber”. It’s about the only thing that’s been shortened in his life-long pursuit of tennis excellence...
The Texas U10 Mandate is crippling progress in Texas tennis. I am in the trenches on this one as I have lived this mandate with my son who is 10 so I have many, many examples of how detrimental the mandate is. In order to be fair about the debate I have taken my son out of the equation and asked upper level U10 parents what they think of the Texas U10 Mandate and without exception the response has been frustration. I have heard that other sections are looking at the Texas U10 Mandate and I can not disagree more in regards to the Texas U10 Mandate being adopted by other sections. The only reason the Texas U10 Mandate would be adopted by other sections is for short term financial gain.
I think a U8 Mandate would be reasonable and grow tennis far, far more. I have spoken with Chris Bovett on the phone and seen Kabeer play and it is ridiculous to have Kabeer not playing the appropriate tournaments based on his skill level. Kabeer is going to waste a good 18 months because of this silly and sad situation in Texas
Lawrence,
The USTA brass were in town yesterday to speak about the National schedule stuff. While here they really did not want to discuss the 10 and Under stuff but both Jerry Baskin and Chuck Kriese managed to squeeze in a little but about the 10 and Under stuff. Jerry spoke up and explained to the USTA that even the their own coaches PD do not believe in the initiative. Chuck Kriese explained he felt like it was not any way to go about motivating coaches to become creative or players to strive forward by mandating age based stuff. They spoke quickly about it then moved on to the issues before the group.
I was struck by one speaker who is the Chairman of the USTA’s 10 and Under initiative for the Southern Section of the USTA. He spoke passionately to the USTA brass about how he felt like it was his money and his kids and it should be their choice to do what they want to do for their vacations. They should be allowed the freedom to choose how to handle their kids. 30 minutes later I had the opportunity to speak with him about the “mandate” and whether he thought there might be a like struggle from the parents of children affected by the mandate. He explained to me he saw no similarity in the two situations in terms of choice. I was dumbfounded and asked him to come on my show last night and he graciously came on and repeated the same stuff. I was dumbfounded. He was able to cite the “talking points” of the USTA on the 10 and Under issue and related to me the success he has had with his kids but could offer nothing more to convince me. This remains to be a tough one.
While on the show Ray Brown from Houston, TX came on and made several excellent points. One of the points he drove home was it is “unfair” to simply have the younger kids play up. I agree. This is especially true here in the Southern section where kids cannot look at a yellow ball until they turn 13 years of age. Not good. We have a circuit of tournaments we have begun here in Marietta where we have the kids of all ages playing the “old school” yellow ball–Regulation Ball Tennis! RBT Tournaments! Let’s spread these across the USA.