thanks so much, what a great article

The park states that this is because the canoes were getting damaged on the overnight trips. Seems like there are many different ways to solve that problem (If it was really a problem at all) but they couldn’t seem to come up with any so if you want to enjoy Grocery Place bring your own boat or canoes!

Otherwise just squint at the small photos in this article!

Although I’m figuring it was not the USTA’s initial intent, the USTA Tennis Centers have become the equivalent of Aristocratic Country Clubs. There’s a division among American junior players and USTA junior players.

The USTA kids are expected to win and if they don’t their reign at the Country Club can be very short lived. The USTA finds and accepts kids who have already been coached into being very strong players by outside tennis professionals, then have to sign a contract with outside training being discouraged. A real slap to those that help build the junior into the prominence of being noticed by the USTA in the first place.

You’ll definitely find that the majority of the USTA player’s parents with kids in the program will keep outside training on the down low to avoid repercussions.

The junior players in the program are by and large hanging by strings living within a never ending “trial period” and if they don’t keep up impressive tournament win records, will inevitably be cut from the program.

Anyone close enough to, or living within junior tennis know very well that The USTA centers do not have their primary focus on making great players, but rather demanding that you deliver the results of a great player or you’re out of the program.

It’s a little thing called job security. Those running the program need the results to show that the program is working. “If you can’t bring the results for us, we’ll find another kid who will.”

If you truly spend time and ask around within the junior tennis community, and sincerely talk to players and parents outside the USTA centers, inside the USTA centers, and those once inside then escorted outside the USTA centers, you’ll find that the above is a reality not a complaint.

Personally, I have 2 daughters that are nice, fun human beings, really love tennis, are having a great time in the sport, have lofty goals and are currently highly ranked in Southern California. We have never been to nor have a desire to enter the USTA program primarily based on everything we hear directly from friends that are either in the program or have been pressed through that mill.

I’ve seen USTA kids walk off a court crying after taking a hard loss and be met by the head of the USTA Home Depot program with the first line being: “What do you think you could have done to win that match?”

I love the sport, I love healthy competition that can directly lead to invaluable life lessons, all things that the great sport of tennis has to offer. When things become any version of a clear division of “us against them” and/or an elitist element introduced to our sport, it makes me sad.

When I go to a tournament with my girls, I want to see them win just as anyone else would, but I don’t need them to win. Often times a healthy loss can help their game and improvement infinitely more than a victory. This shouldn’t be about winning and losing but having a great time while getting better and better and if the child is so inclined with personal passion then better and better leads to BETTER and BETTER and BETTER. Then the sky can be the limit.

I can’t math the increase of US Pro Players by the USTA purposely shrinking and restricting the number of kids that can play in national tournaments, however I can math how with less players in the tournament, the more likely that a “protected” player will not get knocked out of the tournament by an “outsider.” Hey, if you make the draws small enough and you can eliminate the “outsiders” all togther! That would be awesome, then the USTA programs will have ALL THE TOURNAMENT WINNERS! YEAH! Whoops, this was all a big smoke screen… We didn’t beat the competition, we just prohibited them for earning points so they can’t qualify to play… Equals = No US Pros!

Let’s get rid of the concept of Exclusive Country Clubs and “outsiders.” Let’s get the USTA establishing initiatives and programs that support and promote ALL US JUNIOR PLAYERS AND COACHES. Encourage hard and healthy competition with not only a focus on winning but a bigger focus on the clear benefits one can pull from a victory and a defeat. Don’t make one bad, use both for future success!

I applaud anyone at the USTA that has the courage to take a moment in time like this and step out and speak the truth. I do not believe that the present challenges were formed with a malicious nature, but the present path is not promising and someone from the inside needs to speak out.

Good luck and we hope you have a speedy recovery.

Sue and Frank

Grace and peace,
Your cousin-in-law,
Jack deJarnette