Jody McVeigh's - How Maximum EFFORT gets Jody complete joy from his Tennis.

      Born in Philadelphia Jody McVeigh is self-confessed die-hard fan of all Philly teams but we shouldn't hold that against him because, despite his love of all things Philly, he has lived in LA for the past 13 years. He plays in the Tennis Los Angeles (Westside) league and has done so since 2010. Now a level 4.0 player he does try to play tennis between one and three times a week.

      A big fan of team sports through college Jody only played tennis sporadically until he played with a group of friends. However, he knew if he wanted to improve his game he would need access to better, more committed players… that’s when he joined the league.

      For Jody, tennis is about so much more than winning, it is about exercise, competition and the psychological challenge that each and every league match demands. However, he won’t take the easy route to success and likes nothing better than taking on players who are better than him in order to improve his game. Jody has played about 225 games since 2010 and feels that the experience he has gained gives him the edge of some of his more skilled but less experienced opponents.

      Jody won the 3.5 Championship a couple of years ago with an epic 3 set final when he came back from 2 or 3 love in the third set to win the match and championship. These are the matches Jody remembers the most, those matches where you have given it your all and throw your fist in the air when you win or curse when you lose. It doesn't need to be a final, but the shear physical effort you dedicate to any match that you come from behind to win is reward enough and its matches such as these that he remembers fondly.

      Like any keen, competitive sportsman Jody has league rivalries and for those in the league who play regularly and are extremely evenly matched these games become keenly contested. Jody has a pool of experienced and committed players at his disposal to ensure he never gets bored, nor is he given an easy ride either.

      Outside of Tennis Jody works in the hectic world of television as an Editor, you may have seen Drunk History on Comedy Central. Whilst his wife is not a tennis player, Jody is adamant that when they have children they will be keen players… let’s hope they don’t prefer soccer!

Tracy Conlon's Tennis NorthEast story. - 'Comraderie, Competition and Calories burned'

 

      Tracy Conlon has been playing in the Metro Boston Tennis League since July 2008. Rated as a Ladies level 3.0 player she tries to get on the court once or twice a week. Tracy loves to play tennis and if she can get sweaty, burn some calories and improve her game at the same time then she is one happy player. Outside of Tennis Northeast,  Tracy is a attorney and is currently a stay-at-home mother to her children.

      Tracy will give her all to win and in one memorable match she almost dislocated her knee as she attempted to beat a better player - now that is commitment! Ultimately, she lost that match and was limping around for two days. Nothing beats the pride she felt that day, as she literally gave it her all trying to win the match.
      Rivalries are common in any sport and tennis is no different. Tracy will tell you that her greatest rivals include France Martin and Marissa Carlson, however, she says it with smile on her face as they are also all very good friends. Wins and losses have been shared evenly amongst the three; nevertheless, Tracy is always able to improve some aspect of her game when she plays her greatest rivals.

      Introduced to tennis at a very young age Tracy was forced to give it up entirely due to school and work commitments. However, the lure of tennis is never far away and she took up the racket once more in her late thirties and has been an enthusiast ever since.

      Tracy’s love of the game is helped by the league in which she plays; according to her, it is a hive of great players, which makes for great matches. Any tennis player worth their salt will want to be able to play in a league that is not expensive, is easy to schedule matches and has an enthusiastic group of tennis players keen to play singles, doubles, round robins and meet ups.

Check out our newest franchises:  Milwaukee Tennis League and Columbus Tennis League.

                                                                                    -John Duncan

Meet Drew Dahan

     It’s never too late. And sometimes the game is more than just a game. Drew Dahan, player in the Men’s Competitive 3.25 League out of Tennis-Miami, illustrates how great tennis is often more than a good service and solid ground strokes.


      As a player, Drew doesn’t boast. He plays between a 2.5 and 3.0 level, “depending on the day.” He takes pride in a strong serve, loves the drop shot, and is learning to put more and more spin on his forehands. He gets to the courts whenever he can, usually two to three times a week, but life often has a way of eating into practice time.

      This would be very ho-hum, except Drew didn’t begin playing seriously until 2008. Our most beloved tennis stars—Agassi, Borg, Sampras, Djokovic—all started young. Somehow this image has burned into our heads, that to really play tennis, one has to start almost before they can walk.

      Andrew shows how the beautiful simplicity of tennis—all you need is a racket and a ball, really—allows one to jump in at any stage of life. When Drew moved from Chicago to Miami in order to pursue his Ph.D. in Music Education, a simple internet search hooked him up with Tennis-Miami.com. The competitive, collegial environment appeals to Drew . He loves how, “[Tennis-Miami.com] provides me with people to play against on a regular basis, and gives me motivation to get out and play as often as I can.”

      For Drew, the game is more than his win-loss and his break percentages.  “[Tennis-Miami has] provided a good outlet for a lot of pent-up energy I have from being in classes and rehearsals for most of the day,” he says. The flexible but regular schedule also works in Drew ’s favor. As an Adjunct instructor at Miami Dade College, it’s difficult to set aside definite blocks of time each week.

      More than anything, though, Drew likes to focus not on mechanics or footwork, but the people. “I’ve met some great people playing in this league, and I’ve enjoyed the relationships I’ve been able to build with people with whom I’ve played on multiple occasions.”

      Drew Dahan serves as the epitome of what good tennis should be. Miami-Tennis.com’s flexible leagues allow him to play, even having just recently focused on the game. He can work on putting more spin on that forehand while meeting great people at the same time.

       Check out our new tennis leagues in Milwaukee and Columbus.

In 2014 we continue our Charitable Contributions to CRI

     Here at Tennis League Network we continue to believe a good business will always have a charitable component as a way to give back to soeity.  For the past 4 years we've been making several donations a year to Cancer Research Institute (CRI). http://www.cancerresearch.org/   Today we've made an $800 for our first donation of the year.  Along with Jeffrey Barr out of TennisPhilly.com  we've made a total contribution of $6,000.  It's a small amount but every little bit does count.  We hope to continue to add to our donations totals as more players join the Tennis League Network in changing the way people play tennis on the courts!

My diatribe on the Tennis Ladder and the Challenge button

Did you know that the Tennis Ladder is an inherently flawed format?

Simply put there's absolutely zero motivation for a higher level player to play a lower level player.  Why would he/she want to play because at best they keep their spot in the tennis ladder, at worse they lose their spot if their opponent beats them.

So you might ask: Well why does Tennis League Network have a Tennis Ladder as one of it's playing options?
It's sadly because a huge percentage of the tennis playing community has been falsely convinced over the years that it's the way you play competitive tennis.  It rolls off their tongues so easily, "Hey are you playing in XYZ's Tennis Ladder?"

We've proven that the Flex League is the only true competitive tennis format, until Today!

Announcing the "Challenge" Button.      

Challenge Button

This little button will turn our Tennis Ladder upside down and revolutionize our competitors products once they copy it.

Players in the tennis ladder can now challenge any 1 of the 5 players ahead of them in the ladder.  Now a player whose lower in the ladder has some power and can force the players above them to play a match or lose their spot.

That challenged player has 3 days to either Accept the Challenge, Decline the Challenge or lose their spot in the tennis ladder if they don't respond. If they Decline the challenge the challenger will be moved ahead of the player in the tennis ladder.  If they Accept the challenge than they have 7 days to play the match or the Challenger will be moved ahead of them in the Tennis Ladder.

Players will still be able to send out match requests even with a Challenge outstanding.  They can only have 1 Challenge active at a time but they also could be challenged by a lower ranked player in the Tennis Ladder.

This should significantly improve the participation in the tennis ladder.  It still will never be the FLEX League but at least now a lower ranked player won't be as frustrated with no one responding above them in the Tennis Ladder.

Lastly, my belief is that Tennis Ladders are STILL a flawed format, just a little less flawed now.

-Steven Chagnon
Tennis League Network, llc.

Updating the (POTY) Point System

     The Player of the Year (POTY) program has been great to represent whose been the most active player in each program every year.

     The players currently can get points from either the League Playing Initiative (Get points just for playing) or League Growth Initiative (Get points for promoting the league).  Later this year we'll be adding a third initiative:  League Story Initiative.  We'll be creating a facebook style scroller feed where players will be hopefully motivated to submit content about their local program for everyone to read.

In 2013 we crowned these wonderful players Players of the Year:
Boston (TennisNorthEast):    Mark Stern
Chicago (ChiTownTennis):   Sarah Young
DC (TennisDC):                    Jorge Daniels
LA (Tennis LosAngeles):       Valentin Ionescu-Tiba
Philly (TennisPhilly):             Rameshkannan Arumugam
NYC (Tennis NewYork):      Arthur Wood
OC (TennisOC):                    Ajay Patel
SF (TennisSF):                      Michelle Atkins
Miami (Tennis Miami):          Eli Panell
Denver (TennisDenver):        Peter Aguilar
Phoenix (TennisPhoenix):     Michael Bronstein
Cleveland (TennisCleveland): Louis Burnoski
St. Louis (TennisStLouis):    Nick Flanchsca
Portland (TennisPortland):    Munjal Shah
Cincy (TennisCincy):            Sanjay Ray
Minny (TennisMinneapolis): Lydia Crouser
Austin (Tennis-Austin):        Andrew Rohlfs
San Jose (TennisSanJose):    Praveen Koka
Baltimore (TennisBaltimore): Jason Morstein
Orlando (Tennis-Orlando):   Wade Bailey
Pittsburgh (PittsburghTennisLeague): Martin Rubeo
Ft. Lauderdale (Tennis FtLauderdale): Thomas Trotter

We thanked all the players with Tennis Warehouse Gift Cards for their promotion and activity in the program.

In 2014 we're going to update the point system for both initiatives.

League Playing Initiative:
League Match Winner will go to 5 pts from 3 pts.
League Match Opponent will go to 3 pts from 2 pts.
Tournament Match Winner will go to 8 pts from 6 pts.
Tournament Match Opponent will go to 5 pts from 3pts.
Non-League Match Winner will stay at 2 points
Non-League Match Opponent will stay at 1 pt.

League Growth Initiative:
A League referral will now be 40 points, previously it was 30 points
A Non-League referral will be 10 to 30 points based upon how much of a commitment the referral makes.

This should increase the points and we all that know higher scores makes the game more exciting.

                              -Steve Chagnon, Tennis League Network, llc

Thank you to the most Active Tennis Players in our Program!

Thank you to the most Active Tennis Players in our Program!

You make our program run like a well oiled machine.  You know how to compromise and are a master with scheduling with other players whether they are veterans or new to the program.

So we want to extend our thanks by providing you a permanent discount moving forward:

More than 200 to 299 Matches: 2% off all league programs
More than 300 to 399 Matches: 4% off all league programs
More than 400 to 499 Matches: 6% off all league programs
More than 500 Matches: 8% off all league programs

We have a bunch of players who have hit each criteria:

More than 200 to 299 Matches: 22 players
More than 300 to 399 Matches: 7 players
More than 400 to 499 Matches: 4 players: Mark Stern, Boston, Ajay Patel, OC, Marcelo Saavedra and Valentin Ionescu-Tiba.
More than 500 Matches:  1:  Steven Chagnon

Yes, the owner of the network is also the player who has played the most number of matches over the years.

Tennis League Network, it's where players come to play!

Let's Ace Cancer . . .

       Tennis is a love of mine. It's one of the many things I love in life. In fact, it's the only place on this earth that I leave this earth for a little while. It's my escape and a way to let out some ruthless aggression. We all have things in life that we enjoy doing and look forward to. Like Louie Armstrong said, 'What a Wonderful World'.

       However, people who have cancer, can have their worlds altered overnight, their hopes and dreams put on the back burner and they can be overcome with a paralyzing fear. All of the simple things in life that most of us take for granted, become a precious commodity to those that battle this dreaded disease. The fight is no longer about winning and losing on the court. It's is about life and death off of it.

       We all know someone who has their lives affected by cancer. For me, it is my best friend. In addition, she is a mother, daughter, aunt, sister, director, CPA, cheerleader coach and jack of all trades. A true superstar that MANY people count on. She was fortunate enough to knockout cancer a few years back.

       But over the summer a thought dawned on me. What if she did not win the battle? What would all of those people do without her, that count on her everyday? My life is GOOD, way too blessed to be stressed! I decided to dedicate the Philly fall singles, doubles and Tennis League Network Year End Tournament in Key Biscayne, Florida matches in her honor and for everyone battling cancer that would love to be on that court.

       About a week into the season, my friend called me and said that her aunt was now fighting breast cancer. This is a disease that can strike anyone of us at any given time without notice. It is a privilege each and every time I step onto the court. The pressure of converting a set point or getting a second serve in can seem trivial in the grand scheme of things. Each time I was faced with these clutch moments this fall season, I thought about my friend, her aunt and everyone battling cancer to keep my head in check and fight with the heart of a lion. Whether I play singles, or doubles with my partner Tony, it's an absolute joy playing tennis. I am truly blessed. Really... I am blessed.

       I am proud to write out a donation today to the Cancer Research Institute, the home charity of the Tennis League Network.
The Cancer Research Institute (CRI) is the world's only nonprofit organization dedicated exclusively to harnessing the immune system's power to conquer all cancers. The Tennis League Network with the help of founder and ambassador Steve Chagnon, have raised over $5,000 dollars for the Cancer Research Institute over the last 4 years.

       I ask my fellow Tennis League Network members, in over 37 cities, to do something good for someone else this holiday season. Maybe even joining me in making a donation to CRI. As Steve would say, 'It's the right thing to do'.

Have a great holiday and I will see everyone in 2014.

Sincerely,
Jeffrey Barr
Tennis Philly

Some Details about the 2013 End of the Year Tourney held at Crandon Park Tennis Center

What a line-up!  What a line-up!   This is by far the most talented roster of players coming for the 2013 End of the Year Tourney.   I'm so excited to meet you again or for the first time.  Let's play way too much tennis and have fun on the tennis courts at beautiful Crandon Park Tennis Center in Key Biscayne, FL.

Here's some tourney highlights:
*  Ajay Patel out of Orange County is our most decorated player ever. He has 14 championships and 377 total wins in the program.
* Eli Panell out of Miami is returning after winning the Advanced championship last year. He's also won 5 total championships.
* Norbert Pukeca out of Orlando and Mariano Copello out of Miami both are undefeated at 27-0 and 9-0 respectfully.
* 16 players are returning for 2nd or 3rd or even 4th championship. Brian Beno out of Ft. Lauderdale and myself will have participated in all 5 tournaments.
* 44 players are attending as of today. That's a record.
* 28 players could be considered out of towners and will be traveling to the tourney.
* 16 players are from Miami or the Ft. Lauderdale franchises.
* Darrel Belvin out of Seattle will be the player making the longest trip to Key Biscayne.
* We're going to have 16 Advanced players playing for only 8 championship Sunday playoff spots. Friday, Saturday count more for them!
* Our smallest functional franchise: St. Louis will be having two participants: Nick Flanscha and Brandon Hall.
* The total record of everyone attending is:  2537 wins, 1785 loses -  58.6% win percentage
* The total record for the Elite players is:  964 wins, 211 loses - 82% win percentage
* Once again Denise Lynch will be the lead assistant in running the tourney. She did such a kick butt job last year and she's a wonderful sister. :)

Great things are happening at Tennis League Network.

A reflection on my first 100 matches - by Brian Patrick

         

           It was recently pointed out to me that I was approaching my 100th match.  I hadn't realized it and when I was first made aware, it didn't seem to mean much.  But after having a chance to reflect on 100 matches, I realized it was a big deal - to me at least.

            I joined TennisCleveland.com in the summer of 2011.  I had played tennis on vacation with my wife with a group of retired men and women in Hawaii in a round-robin mixer type activity.  I had played casually with friends before, mostly just singles, but after this one day, I realized I wanted to play more.  We got home and I did a search for tennis leagues in the Cleveland area.  I signed up and I was hooked.  I remember vividly my first match.  I was nervous, mostly afraid of looking foolish, but the gentleman I met that day made me feel at ease.  See, it was also his first match, too.  We had a nice match, despite the result, a resounding 6-1, 6-2 defeat.  Although, in retrospect, the loss was against the eventual champion, so nothing to hang my head over.  

            Needless to say I was hooked.  I signed up for Spring, Summer and Fall in 2012 and couldn't play enough.  My "lessons" were earned on the court.  I am a competitor, so I struggled with balancing winning with working on some of the fundamentals.  I still do.  There are just some matches where you really feel like you need that win to help your morale, or to overcome a hard day at work.  But that's what keeps us coming back, right?

            I've met some incredible people and had some amazing matches.  The highlight of 2012 was going down to Florida for the year-end tournament and meeting other enthusiasts from the other networks around the country.  If you have the means and the opportunity to do this, I highly recommend it.  Oh, and winning my first championship trophy (yes, first....beware TennisCleveland players, there will be more!).  

            2013 is off to a great start.  Match 100 was last night in 93 degree heat.  I lost easily 6-2 6-3, so that is in a way serendipitous to the way I started almost 2 years ago.  54 wins and 46 losses later and I plug on.  I love meeting and playing new people, so if you are ever coming through Cleveland, look me up, I'd be happy to play!