The Quarterbacks of Junior Tennis
Everybody knows what a quarterback is. Le us explain what we call The Quarterbacks of Junior Tennis:
In Football the quarterback role is one of the most visible and important roles on the team. The quarterback touches the ball on nearly every offensive play and has a great deal of responsibility both in calling plays and making decisions during the play. The Quarterbacks of Junior Tennis are individual players that are very visible in tournaments. These players work very hard and play mostly an offensive play. These are the kind of players that try to take control of the game and making their own game plan decisions. They love to go for the ball, have a good foot-work and are fast and they are not “moonballers”, “dinkers” or “no power retrievers” that you often find in junior tournaments. In other words they may not win all the time, but in our opinion these are the boys that everybody is watching, they have an exciting game. And they may be on the pathway of greatness… but it will take years to come.
We wish these players all the best – hope that you will find a full sponsorship – we hope that one day we will see you play in an international tennis event and you will represent the USA with flying colors.
So in our opinion these are the Quarterbacks of Junior Tennis:
Boys 10 & 11:
Sami Kierberg (FL), Justin Lee (CT), Noah Makarome (FL), Cody Rakela (CA), Alexander Del Corral (FL), Eric Nguyen (CA)
Boys 11 & 12:
Javier Restrepo (FL), Spencer Furman (WA), Victor Pham (CA), Taylor Fritz (CA), Tommy Hunter (KS), Gabriel Pilones (FL),
Boys 12 & 13:
Christian Langmo (FL), Jimmy Bendeck (FL), David Chrisovan (FL), Robert Seby (AZ), Tommy Paul (NC), Gregory Anderson (AZ)
Boys 13 & 14:
Drew Dawson (CA), Spencer Papa (OK), Christian Garay (GA), Jordan Belga (IL), Paul Oosterbaan (MI), Alexander Saltiel (FL), Baker Newman (FL), Jacob Dunbar (OH), Grayson Goldin (FL)
Boys 14 & 15:
Jake Albo (FL), Sean Karl (TN), Mackenzie McDonald (CA), Justin Crenshaw (FL), Roy Lederman (FL), Ryan Smith (FL), Trey Daniel (KS), Thai Kwiatkowski (NC), Connor Farren (CA), Tyler Gardiner (MI)
Boys 15 & 16:
Anthony Delcore (NE), Anthony Tsodicov (CA), Austin Smith (GA), Richard Del Nunzio (NY), Daniel McCall (CA), Jeremy Efferding (FL), Shane Vinsant (TX)
Boys 16 & 17:
Gonzales Austin (FL), Spencer Newman (FL), Dennis Novikov (FL), Nathan Pasha (GA), Junior Ore (MD), Mitchell Frank (VA)
Families, players and fans if you have an update on a current event please post it here.
Us Tennis Parents 
The USTA has recently sent an invitation to about 32 players in the southeast to attend a training camp in Daytona, FL. Not clear yet who was invited, will know later.
Also will report later on the quality and objective(s) of this camp.
tennis Parent - October 14, 2009 at 12:15 pm |
Happy to Report, that the USTA does have a excellent initiative to identify and guide talent development in the U.S. For starters for the most part, the correct candidates were selected for the training camp. The instruction was superb with world class coaches. Overall I think I expect good things coming out of the USTA initiative.
tennis Parent - December 4, 2009 at 2:16 am |
MESSAGE TO USTA PLAYER DEVELOPMENT: PATRICK McEnroe.
Let me make a few corrections wih this article written over 1 year ago. Maria Sharapova was not developed in a Tennis Academy. She had split her time between Academy and in a public court with Robert Landsdorp. Maria was also not working in a Academy when she was younger in Russia. She did however use the Academy environment to get matches etc. She did not drill on court with 2 other kids or follow groups like USTA etc. They only worked with the absolute best to become the best she could. She may not be #1 now, but she did reach #1 and after making the millions of dollars she has lost some hunger. She also had a surgery. Ana Ivanovic was not a Academy product. She worked with a Private coach who travelled with her from early age to ITF juniors. He was then replaced for her to work with a former big name coach and she slowly made her way up in the WTA ranking and to the top. Agassi, Selles, Tommy Haas, and other where product of Academy.
Academies where developing players in the 80’s and 90’s and now are best used for matches or using their facilities.
USTA has never developed players and the new program that Patrick McEnroe has put together will not either. In fact it will only make things worse.
For example, in the west coast we have numerous excellent coaches who are consistently developing players. Robert Landsdorp being on top. YOu then have a list of coaches like Craig Cignarelli, Sean Abdollahi, Robert Vant hof, and a few unknown coaches teaches without permission in public courts. Why is Patrick McEnroe not contacting these coaches? So stupid. All USTA cares about is who was a top professional player and who served coach of this team or the USTA. Jay Berger???? Are you kidding me. He is the biggest jerk and worst tennis coach. No junior or young pro has ever liked working with him. IN fact, he worked with Carly Gullickson few years back when she was on her way to Stardom. What happened after USTA and Jay Berger took her? She started double faulting 20 times or more per match, lost her confidence, and she never bounced back. Jay Berger is the worst choice.
You then have USTA having these useless clinics twice a week which is for free. Now you have coaches not motivated to have their kids playing any USTA tournaments, because after they start building agood plaeyr, the USTA steals them. You CAN’T fight with USTA. Why? They have power, wild cards, contacts and they can destroy you if they want.
McEnroe says he just wants American players and he doesn’t care if thye are coaches else where? That is such BS… If that right? Why does the USTA prefer giving wild cards to their own players? USTA is suppose to be a federation, but they are acting like a private company.
Mr.McEnroe this is what I suggest to you:
In Florida you need to hire Nick Bollettieri, Gabe Jaramillio, and Alex Kolov to recruit players for a USTA funded program. The players can train at the Academies or live outside. They will get coaching from Nick, Gabe, Alex or another coach with these coaches advise. Rick Macci, Harold Salomon, Andy Brandi and especially Tom Gullickson are OLD NEWS. Nick, Gabe, and Alex are seeing tons of new young pros from around the world and the US all the time. they have kept up. You lost YOUR BEST USTA coach, Jai Dilouie. He was a little strange, but he truly has passion for the game and he knows the women game. He was just never given all the tools. USTA needs to have a group of 5 or 10 sparing guys ready to play all the time.
In the West coast, you have the WORST of them all.
Hire Robert Landsdorp AGAIN. Have him only valuate players. The ones funded by the USTA. Have Craig Cignarelli, Sean Abdollahi, and a unknown Russian coaches who are making players in the public courts help us learn how to train the right way, what methods, and ask them what they need to make more players. You guys on the USTA side, take care of the PR, Marketing, Fed Club and Davis Cup coaching teams etc.
For now, all the elite coaches are and others have started telling their players not to play USTA tournaments so they are not discovered by the USTA and taken away….
Come on USTA….. Come on Patrick McEnroe? WAKE UP…..
Stop being so fancy and keep things simple. It takes a basket balls, court, sparing partners, unknown and hungry coach with track record. You need legends like Robert and Nick to give advice because they are still in the game.
We are demanding American top players and USTA wants STARS.
messagetousta - March 7, 2010 at 4:46 pm |
who are you to leave a message like that to the usta? it sounds like you may be one of those lowly names that you are trying to mix in with actual credited coaches. i hope not too many people are reading this deceitful and unreliable information.
ha ha - September 3, 2010 at 10:09 pm |
Thank you to message Tousta.
You are 100% right. The USTA only gives wild cards to their own players…..
HOW IS THIS FAIR?
Susan - January 23, 2011 at 8:23 pm |