Goran Alimpic - The 2018 TennisPortland.com player of the year

We caught  up with Goran Alimpic from TennisPortland.com the Metro Portland Oregon Tennis League.  He's going to win the 2018 Player of the Year contest.

Tell us a little bit about yourself, for example: What do you do? Where did you grow up? What are your hobbies (besides tennis)?

I work from home as a software engineer. As I moved to USA in 2016 (I used to live here a long time ago, as well), I am not really connected to a particular place, so I move around a lot - it is just more interesting that way. As for other hobbies, I like to travel, I used to produce music and play in a band, I tried SCUBA diving and flying, but the only thing that stuck was tennis.

Which league are you a member of? 

Portland Tennis League,  he has a 48-20 record and has only been playing since Nov. 2017.  He's played matches in 3 different franchises: Tennis-Austin.com, TennisDenver.com and TennisPortland.com

How long have you participated in your league?

6 months in this one - before that I played in leagues where I lived (Austin, and Denver). In total, that's a year and a half.

How did you first learn about it?

I am not sure - I either searched the net for some local leagues, or heard about it from somebody.

How often do you play?

I try to play as often as I can, usually several times a week.

What do you like most about the league?

I like how everything is well organized and without a glitch. It always goes forward and it is easy to find an opponent.

Tell us about your most memorable match(es)

I remember losses better: in the most recent league playoff match I was leading 8:5 in the final tie break and serving. My nerves got the better of me and I lost 5 points in a row, and the match. 

Who are your favorite rivals in the league? Why?

Whoever is super friendly and likes to engage in conversation during breaks and after the match. From the competitive perspective, I like players who attack more and punish my short balls, rather than just return them, since then I feel I can also adjust my style and be more aggressive, which makes the match more intense.

Do you have any other interesting comments about your experiences with the league?

I am actually amazed with the level of honesty and fairness during matches - I rarely ever had an issue regarding the score, validity of the point, someone's behavior or anything else. Every match is always a pleasurable experience.

How did you get started playing tennis?

I wanted to exercise more, and It seemed like a better alternative to working out or running, since I find most physical activities boring, and playing a competitive match is more interesting.

What level player are you? (NTRP rating)

4.0

What do you love about tennis?  

I love the competitive aspect of it, which shows on all levels: POINT - each one is its own little battle with beginning, middle, and end stages; GAME - even being independent, points in a game connect together as you play for the final game score and adjust your tactics to that end; MATCH - as you learn about your opponent's strengths and weaknesses, and your own form during the match, you change your style and strategy. Besides just hitting the ball,  it is everything that happens in your head while trying to outsmart and outplay the opponent.

Who are your favorite pro players? Why?

Since I am originally from Serbia, I can't help but always root for Djokovic. As for the style of play, I like Nadal - we are both left-handed, prefer clay courts and use the same racquet. (That's where the similarities end, though) 

What can I do about my shoulder pain? By Dr. Scott Glidden, DC

What can I do about my shoulder pain?
By Dr. Scott Glidden, DC

Shoulder pain and dysfunction can reveal itself in many forms: sharp pain, a pinch, ache, and much more. Regardless of how it feels, it can be a debilitating injury. It can affect your work, sleep, and how you enjoy your free time with friends and family. How does it happen?

How did my shoulder pain start?

Unless there was an "event" that caused your shoulder pain, most shoulder pain is the result of a slowly developing chronic injury. This occurs when a motion is repeated over and over again, especially with force.  The symptoms will be worse with motions that are more forceful or require greater range of motion.  This is where we see common shoulder injuries in tennis—with the overhead serve. It can occur during any shot, but the overhead serve requires the greatest amount of function of the shoulder.  The muscles that move and stabilize your shoulder all have to stretch out when your arm is overhead.  As they become more dysfunctional, they will lose more and more range of motion and strength.  Eventually instead of stretching out, the muscles will actually cause irreversible damage to the shoulder.  The affected muscles will cause the top of your rotator cuff to work harder, causing it to degenerate or tear.  Instead of stretching, these muscles will compress the joint space in the shoulder causing cartilage damage and an acceleration of arthritis. It might just feel like a “pinch” at your shoulder, but there is so much more than that going on in the shoulder!

How did this happen?

If your problem is from a chronic process, the root of your problem is most likely adhesion. It is the most common, under-diagnosed, and fixable condition in musculoskeletal health. Adhesion occurs when you use a muscle or ligament more than it is prepared to, resulting in an excess of inflammation.  When this happens, adhesion will develop on the overused structures. Adhesion is like glue and when it sticks to things it limits their range of motion, saps their strength, and makes symptoms more and more likely. Your body can handle a little bit of adhesion but when it is allowed to build up is when the trouble starts.

This is healthy shoulder range of motion: both arms easily touching the head, covering the ears with no tension or discomfort

How do I fix my shoulder?

Adhesion is very difficult to fix, but with expert care it can be removed and the shoulder can become pain free again.  Is adhesion the ONLY thing that causes pain? Absolutely not! There can be rotator cuff tears, labral tears, separated shoulders, cartilage damage, or arthritis that can complicate shoulder problems.  A proper diagnosis can rule these problems in or out with a thorough exam and history. One thing is for sure: an adhesion free shoulder will take pressure off of the joint, slow degeneration, decrease pain and increase function.

At our office, we use Manual Adhesion Release to reduce adhesion.  MAR is one the most effective treatments for adhesion and we use pre and post-treatment assessments to determine exactly how much improvement each treatment achieved. Unless you measure effectiveness, how does the doctor know if the treatment is working? If the doctor doesn't measure function, the doctor has no clue if when they discharge you the pain will stay away.  A pain free shoulder can be one workout away from pain again. Good function=healthy shoulder.

Dr. Scott Glidden is a soft-tissue specialist in Milwaukee,WI. His practice focus is chronic unresolved muscle, nerve, and joint problems. You can find more information on him and his practice at selectspineandsport.com.

Shannon Yee and Kelly Keegan - Making life friends through their local league.

Shannon Yee backhand

We caught up with Shannon Yee and Kelly Keegan out TennisMinneapolis.com | Twin City Tennis League. They have both developed some great friendships in the league.  Shannon won her first ever championship during the Summer Season. Kelly is a two time champion. Photos were taken by Shannon's friend Xi Chen.   We are looking forward to Shannon and Kelly joining us on Nov. 30th in Miami for the 10th annual East Coast National Championship.

- Story updated 11/13/18 adding in Kelly Keegan's comments.

What do you like most about the league?

Shannon:  Flexible location and schedule, the opportunity of playing different lady with different level and styles, the opportunity of playing with the favorite opponent multiple times. 

Kelly:  I love that the league has all levels of players, that the schedule is flexible for those of us who are unable to dedicate a specific time and day each week, and most of all, I really enjoy the fun people I have met! I have made friends through this program and am so glad I joined.

Kelly hanging with Shannon

Tell us about your most memorable match(es)

Shannon:  I call my friend Kelly an "emotional" player.  Because on a good day, she will serve big, make opponent move like a dog, she's consistent on the base line, and approaches net, do all the tricks that only advanced player would do. On occasions, she rips out this scary overhead smash.  When I first played Kelly, I felt the only way I can get a game out of her is counting on the mercy that she might have an off day, which appeared to be the case.

 

On Sept. 8^th, Kelly and I played the summer season championship against each other; it was a sunny day with a little autumn wind.  Like always Kelly started strong with very powerful serve, long deep baseline shot, sharp angles,  some aces.  I was pushed in defensive mood and struggle to hanging there, game is so close that our score walks like climbing stairs  1-1, 2-2, 3-3, 4-4 .. all the way to 6-6.  It was so long that 2 hours has passed and the wind became a little stronger, we feel we'll be on court forever .. Instead of full set, we decided to change to 10-games pro-set so we can eventually finish.  Kelly and I took a water break, 2 hours of non-stop run has consumed us pretty badly.

The wind was blowing even stronger after our water break, Kelly started to lose her concentration after we came to 7-7.  As a pusher I was exhausted and all I have is energy to give the ball back to her court .. Kelly’s aggressive nature showcases at that point she starts to hit very hard, too hard just slightly over the baseline, she gets to the net, and that little timing off caused by wind and exhaust made her miss, anxiety and a desire to make a quick win somewhat did the opposite.  Another hour later, we finished at 10-7, total of 3 hours for a 10-games match!!  I have to admit that tennis is such a thing that combines skill, physical and mental strength, strategy, and honestly some unpredictable good or bad luck.  In the end we were both glad to finally get over the longest match.

Kelly: The most memorable matches of mine are the league championships I've played, both won and lost. That and the matches that have been so close. Once Shannon and I played a match for two hours and we had to stop when it was dark at 6-6 in the first set. 

Julianne S.

Who are your favorite rivals in the league? Why?

Shannon:  Julia Ann for sure.  She is a USTA rated 4.0 player, super athletic, serious and passionate about tennis.  She brings the best of me and I feel each time I play her I get slightly better.

Kelly: Shannon Yee is my favorite for sure! She and I are closely matched, she is a delight and has the best quips.

Do you have any other interesting comments about your experiences with the league?

Shannon: The friend I made from Tennis Minneapolis is the best, it is so much easier to build friendships among people with similar interest.

Kelly:   I was nervous to join because I thought I would be outmatched and not very good. Instead, I have seen my game improve and the league has provided me a source of pride - not only for my play, but the fact that had the courage to put myself out there.