Wednesday, May 20, 2009

Kid's Summer Tennis Lessons, Camps, & Classes

Parents in Arkansas have a lot of options for this summer in selecting junior tennis camps /classes for their children. Below is a short list of quality instruction for junior and adult tennis lessons and programs across the state of Arkansas in alphabetical order of the cities in which they are located.
City/ Contact Name /Phone Number
Cabot / Chuck Cavin /501-570-6755

Conway / Chuck Cavin /501-570-6755

El Dorado /Eric Sixby /870-814-5122

Fayetteville/ Jake Shoemake/ 479-204-1009

Greenbrier / Chuck Cavin / 501-570-6755

Heber Springs / Chuck Cavin/ 501-570-6755

Hot Springs/ Ronnie Bran /501-624-2153

Jonesboro /Gary Jones /870-932-6556

Little Rock/ Chuck Cavin / 501-570-6755

Maumelle / Chuck Cavin / 501-570-6755

Morrilton / Chuck Cavin / 501-570-6755

Texarkana/ Billy Power/ 903-244-4061

Vilonia / Chuck Cavin / 501-570-6755

90 comments:

Anonymous said...

Why doesn't the ATA mention any of these and other junior programs going on across the state? Aren't they supposed to grow and promote the game of tennis? The ATA only promotes the Burns Park programs and thus competes with the other greater Little Rock tennis programs. Is that a conflict of interest? A few questions that need to be answered. I would gladly appreciate an answer if anyone out there has one.

Anonymous said...

If I were a local teaching pro competing with the ATA- Burns Park tennis program, I would be a little peeved about the ATA pouring money and advertising against another local teaching program. The dollars that the local pros contribute to the ATA thru leading their students into tournaments and league play are spent against their own programs. The local pros should definitely take this serious problem to the ATA Board.

Anonymous said...

It looks like Leslie Pfeiffer really made a BOO-BOO when structuring the tennis program at Burns as an ATA supported program. Local pros should be upset about this sort of behavior. She was very INSENSITIVE to their needs in the tennis community. Talk about RESTRAINING the growth of Arkansas tennis, she did it BIG_TIME in the Greater Little Rock area! Pros outside of that area ought to be glad that the ATA is not competing with their tennis programs!

Anonymous said...

Uou're right about that there are some organizational structure problems with the ATA and Burns. The tournaments at Burns should be sponsored by the Greater LR CTA instead of dollars going directly to the ATA. A southern tennis patron mentioned this same problem recently.

Anonymous said...

You guys always have interesting discussions. I can't wait for these ideas to circulate and for others to make some input.

Anonymous said...

Interesting concept of the ATA running Burns and competing with local pros. I have heard of many stories about the ATA trying to protect their turf at Burns by not letting people workout with ball hoppers and trying to keep people from working out tennis teams unless they are on the teaching staff at Burns.

Anonymous said...

Thanks for the wakeup call! Appears ATA is functioning as CTA also. Should be two separate entities or major problems.

Anonymous said...

The ATA got mad at a couple, a husband & wife, bringing a ball hopper to work out at Burns. I guess they thought the guy was going to charge his wife for a tennis lesson!

Anonymous said...

A southern tennis patron told me about that husband/wife story. What a hoot! Leslie P. is trying to play tennis police out at Burns!

Anonymous said...

A more hilarious moment at Burns was Leslie Pfeiffer jumping on the moderator as he was volunteering to help workout a 4.0 team at Burns. LP came running out to the tennis court ranting and raving, slurring words, and reeking of alcohol and/or cigarette smoke. She had Woody Juels, a former cop, used car dealer( you know the type ) witnessing the moment from above. I wish the moderator would log-on and tell the story because he went to the mayor and park's director to obtain the NLR Parks and ATA agreements. He found out that Leslie P. was not telling the truth about these agreements. He busted Leslie P. out. As the storyline has always read when dealing with LP- " She makes up her own rules". A really pathetic story about Leslie Pfeiffer. I hope this one gets told because Woody's daughter- Paula works as an assistant in city's attorney department and couldn't read and comprehend these NLR/ATA documents. Moderator told me that he recently worked this team out at Burns and didn't have any trouble with LP after HER OWN RULES were not the same as PARK RULES. He said LP ought to know also that alcohol is not allowed in the park, too!

Anonymous said...

Y'all know something even more funny was that moderator knew CHUNKY GIRL ( friend of Roller Derby Queen ) was instigating more trouble on her own team that gave her the boot. He was aware of the situation when it happened and had a blast with all the material he gathered when tennis players wanted a post about the ATA problems.

Anonymous said...

About time names are being brought out. I could care less about the rest of the drama. We just want our courts resurfaced as we were told they would be are the excuses and lawsuits are getting old. Get with it! You know the country club west of LR I'm referring to that you did such a poor job on and left us hanging.

Anonymous said...

Great topic! My family is new to the area and while looking for programs for my children was informed to go to arktennis.com. I only found information about a Burns Park facility in North Little Rock. I was then informed this place is a public park. Has this never been brought up? Private facilities and their pros are fine with a public park getting free advertisement? That is Southern hospitality full throttle!
Do others pay for advertisement on arktennis? I realize hearsay yet was informed a resurfacer gets free prompts also.
Looking forward to my 2 starting in a great private place thanks to this info but feel there are obvious discretions to be dealt with at headquarters.

Anonymous said...

I was playing with a ladies team one night and that must've been what I witnessed. It was a strange event for sure. A big pickup truck pulled up and watched for a little bit then a little woman came out and was all huffed up. It's really sad there is so much drama for such a little state and group of tennis players. That the ATA fuels the fire and funnels monies to BP while not helping out others is so wrong. Their mission statement says they are supposed to be promoting and growing tennis in AR. I wasn't aware BP and AR were one and the same.

Anonymous said...

what happened with burns park is that leslie p. had to use usta grant money to add other courts to replace the conversion of older courts into quickstart courts for state tournaments. then she thought she would start her own youth programs using ata funds, thus competing with other greater little rock programs. a grandiose scheme of overstepping her boundaries is all i can figure!

Anonymous said...

If you studied the revenue stream of Burns, the court revenue is very small including leagues and individual court revenue. The Tennis Director office created by Leslie P. is supported by the ATA. So there definitely is a flaw with this design by LP because it directly competes with other area teaching pros who are clearly supporting the ATA who in turns competes against them.

Anonymous said...

Yeh, LP should be reined in or retired before something worse happens to the image of the ATA. The NLR PARK/ ATA agreement is a 10 year renewable one coming up in maybe 3 years. Maybe something could be done in the meantime to put pressure on her to do the right thing and let someelse take over the reins of the ATA with a little more forethought. Any suggestions for a NEW EXEC. Director? Please submit your app.

Anonymous said...

I'd never put it all together. Clever little coniving ATA! All other pros and players pay dues and fees to USTA/USPTA/ATA while they control the money and tennis. Wonder which kids program they recommend? BP of course! Whole time they receive the USTA funds and grants which instead of passing around to help all they use 99% to help themselves. Typical nonprofit aka selfserving operation. Kudos to the sherlock in the group!

Anonymous said...

Enlightening Discussion- Arkansas Tennis Association ( ATA )is clearly supporting the Tennis Director position. There is not enough revenue from court fees to pay for that position. Teaching pros in LR area got hosed on this deal. Tennis Facility Management companies will gladly verify these facts.

Anonymous said...

What I want to know is ----where is the pro shop at burns??!! I have loved having it there for tournaments and being able to snatch up the sale items! I am sick it isn't there! What's going on? The ATA is nonprofit so I'm sure they aren't putting in a retail shop. Who is??

Anonymous said...

Dudes,
Leslie P. was sighted hiding behind a bush at Burns waiting for a ball hopper to go by.

Anonymous said...

You have got to be kidding! Rumors circulate how she tried to persuade the ATA Board to purchase a New White Ford Crown Victoria with a seal on the door reading ATA Security. The deal didn't got thru.

Anonymous said...

Do you think she was trying to spotlight evil ball hoppers?

Anonymous said...

She is now licensed to carry firearms for troublemakers.

Anonymous said...

Dudes,

Once she vacates her post at the ATA she ought to run for constable. I can picture her putting a bluelight on her dash!

Anonymous said...

Yep,
LP wants to be a Buford Pusser type with cigarettes rolled up her shirt sleeve or spitting a chew as she writes up people for using ball hoppers.

Anonymous said...

Hey guys,
I think you meant LP reminded you of Buford T. Justice of Smoky & The Bandit.Click link-http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ofa8OOxXwdI&feature=related

Anonymous said...

Don't you think LP must have watched to much Dukes of Hazard?

Check this out

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j19m2DVb_oQ&feature=related

Anonymous said...

To the question about proshop @ BPTC:

Leslie P. gave The Tennis Shoppe and Harry the boot. She thought she could do better but obviously not. You will never see sale specials at BPTC like Harry's. Leslie P. thinks she is all knowledgeable including retail. Leslie is all over the map- Tennis Director, constable, retailer, etc.

Anonymous said...

guys,

the ata is secretly pouring money into a dog-sniffing program that canines can sniff out ballhoppers

igor

Anonymous said...

IGOR,
I HEARD THAT PROGRAM WAS SHELVED BECAUSE THE DOGS MIGHT SNIFF OUT A MARIJUANA STASH OF THE TENNIS DIRECTOR.

Anonymous said...

I can't stop laughing! I just hope LP had the foresight to pick labs to run after the tennis balls! Did she get a sign for that too? I can see her slapping a magnetic sign on her Crown Vic, pistol packed on her hip, dog in the backseat and heading to Burns on her nightly stake-out in search of evil people with ball hoppers! Would save her from having to hide in Woody's pickup truck when she got a buzz from chunko!
Sad thing is it's the truth. Not the part about the Crown Vic least I think not but her wanting to be queen bee of all!?What's up with her? She needs to hop in the heat and do the dirty work of teaching kids to play tennis while in the heat instead of hiring a no-nothing pro to share a bong with! That's more important than jumping on parents who are working to help and promote tennis in Arkansas by videoing their children! And we wonder why Ar has such few jr players. DUH! C'mon LP!

Anonymous said...

Look it people and listen up re-surfacing guy. We paid you big bucks to fix our courts. You stayed around one day and left us hanging.We now are stuck with cracks all over the courts and other problems. You claimed you would fix them but we don't hear a peep and you never answer a call.We can't even get a court date because you're backed up with so many already! We are mad and mean it. The ATA promotes you and that in itself is plenty enough for many to be angry at them as well. Do your job like the rest of us!

Anonymous said...

Better simmer down some guys. Moderator wants this "kid-friendly" remember. True info on other post too and we're still asking for it back up. Let's not let the same happen here. We want both up!
Point is that LP/ATA should be promoting tennis over all of AR and not hogging for her own non-profit and yes, hoppers are allowed at Burns but not alcohol or cigarettes.

Anonymous said...

I checked on the ballhopper situation and Leslie P. and the ATA was misrepresenting that to the public, too! If you rent a court and enjoy working out with lots of tennis balls, ballhoppers are allowed contrary to what LP says.

Anonymous said...

I agree with previous posts in that the Burns Park Tennis Center tennis programs should not be supported by the ATA because it directly competes with the local area teaching pros. It is obvious that the local pros are supporting their own competition. If the ATA does not get their act together, new management is the only way to change its tarnished image!

Anonymous said...

Leadership is at the top. If their is any trouble with the staffing, the top level mgmt didn't properly staff and train it. So LP is most definitely the problem. She might want to blame others or bad mouth her naysayers, but she thinks that she cannot be removed.

Anonymous said...

I say that LP is weaker than she has ever been. Most organizations want to remove the bad press people create for them especially a non-profit. Complaints about LP are generally all true among the Arkansas tennis community- people skills, setting her own rules, disagreements with officials, ATA mishaps, not following guidelines & standards, staffing problems, junior/parent relations, poor public relations, low turnout in tournaments outside of league tennis, and the list goes on and on! LP doesn't realize that league attendance is up due to the local teaching pros because the largest group is 2.5, 3.0 new players created by these pros.

Anonymous said...

another sighting of leslie p. working the nite shift at walmart supercenter doing security work

Anonymous said...

I'm a teaching pro in a small community and I would hate to know that the ATA was supporting a program in direct competition to myself. Totally unfair and preferential treatment & biases would surely take place!

Anonymous said...

So just what really is up with the proshop at bp? Cobwebs are forming in that barren place. When are they going to fill it up again? It's pretty ridiculous right now. A retail shop with nothing to purchase?

Anonymous said...

I tried to reserve a court at Burns Park for my team to workout before the state tournament and they wouldn't accept my reservation when my tennis coach was going to work us out for no-pay. And this is an ATA-run facility to promote and grow tennis. What a joke! We are from an out-of-town area. The Leslie Pfeiffer run ATA has the most horrible reputation among the tennis players in my area. I talk to other players across the state and hear the same thing. Leslie Pfeiffer is the #1 grumpiest and gripiest head of the ATA in its history.

Anonymous said...

You guys are right about the growth of league tournaments in that the local pros support the system by developing new players into the 2.5/3.0 groups in team tennis. The ATA is clearly at fault and double fault with supporting other tennis programs against the present local programs.

Anonymous said...

I teach " Tennis for the Health of It " and had never met our Director of the ATA until someone pointed her out to me at Burns during a tournament. They said, "Her name is Leslie Pfeiffer standing over there puffing on a cigarette." I was aghast that our head honcho of tennis didn't support this USTA Program herself.

Anonymous said...

I too have shopped at Burns for clothing & other tennis items and am appalled at Leslie Pfeiffer's decision to end this wonderful enterprise close to my home! I have talked to many other fellow tennis players in my circle who have the same gripes about her arrogancy. Too many of us think that she acts a little masculine and has a short person syndrome.

concernedplayer said...

I've been involved with retail for many years and has been awhile since involved with Nike but thinking an initial minimum order is around $10,000.00. After that there must be a monthly order of a certain amount as well. A few years back but can't imagine that's changed.
Who's footing that bill at BP? Are there only going to be balls, grips and cobwebs sold?
Who finalized the very stupid decision of taking out Harry? Most obviously not someone with an ounce of retail experience. Big mistake. Big, big, huge mistake.

Anonymous said...

Whoever came up with the LP/Buford J correlation has me laughing all day! I fall out every time the picture comes in my head of her slapping a magnetic sign on a Crown Vic as she heads to Burns each night spotlighting for ball hoppers with a cigarette dangling from her mouth! She just needs Roscoe's dog in the back seat and picture perfect!
With all the people she fits one wonders if she's in need of or stopped taking meds for multiple personality disorder! Too funny guys! Yall are a riot!

Anonymous said...

The ballhoppers confiscated by LP and the ATA might be achieved by using more forceful acts such as

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J9CwJrRAAQk&NR=1

Anonymous said...

LP was overheard in her rear office at the ATA humming this song,

http://www.metacafe.com/watch/yt-UouLQ-e6dP4/sesame_street_i_sing_a_grouchy_song/

ElderlySeniorPlayer/Coach said...

I'm another teaching pro expressing my opinion on the Burns Park debacle. I have no "dogs in the hunt" since I am not in the LR area. However, the ATA has no business competing against the local pros. This is absolutely and totally wrong treatment of those pros by the ATA, and the founding fathers of the ATA would have never allowed this to happen! The ATA has clearly lost their direction on this topic , and I am speaking with over 40 years of affiliation with USTA and Southern Tennis. I am presently letting these views be known to people in the Southern Section of tennis which I have known for decades!

Anonymous said...

Another HOPPERGATE Story:

Beware of the Ladies & Mens Bathrooms being bugged at Burns by Leslie P. trying to seek out info by her detractors.

Anonymous said...

what is the chance of getting a new exec. dir. instead of Leslie P. ? Any candidates to replace her ?

Anonymous said...

It looks like this particular blog has transitioned into an ATA comment session. My team is currently playing in the Tournament this weekend, and as captain of a team caught a bunch of attitude when I was summoned to turn in my lineup 10 minutes before my match time. The chunky lady actually got off of her chair and opened the door at the office at Rebsamen and yelled out my name and proclaimed "where is your lineup we're waiting, you're the only team that hasn't turned in your card!" My immediate response was "it will get to you when I am through" you @#$ #$%^&. Now we paid 250 dollars and missed a day of work to participate in this fiasco/tourney and that is the thank you that we get. That is BS. The ATA need to know who their customer is, and they don't.

Anonymous said...

The ATA has a history of not training employees in how to serve the public. Numerous posts have dealt with this problem. Leslie Pfeiffer is the head of staffing and suffers from poor people skills herself and this quality is passed down thru the staff. When service-oriented new leadership takes charge, I expect this will change. The paying public still rules and change is slow.

Anonymous said...

The 4.0 womens state is this weekend and there is an 18 year old girl playing in it. She has herself rated as a 3.5. She was #11 in the state last year and as a junior player has always been at the top and went to sectionals most years I was told. She has already committed to playing for Ark. Tech next year even and told people about it. How do things like this happen? What can be done about it? I thought the ATA took care of it. Now what are people to do? Isnt fair if her team wins or not. I found a USTA 2009 chart that says she is automatically a 4.5! This happening isnt right! What can be done?

Anonymous said...

what's the deal at burns? proshop bare! is ata going to have to loan gus for inventory? they already do everything for him- marketing + the works beside wipe his rearend, all funded by his competition indirectly. ata is messed up in its funding & organization structure here!

Anonymous said...

If a player commits to a college tennis team they are immediately a 4.5 or 5.0 no questions asked. That is the GUIDELINE. What I have seen at this point is that the player is probably friends with an ATA employee or officer if they are eligible to play in 4.0 team tennis.
I think that a grievance was filed about this particular player, however the team lost so it is a mute point - but her team and her should be regarded as cheaters.

Anonymous said...

I see a lot of self-rates at the State Tourney and grievances should have been filed. Shouldn't the league coordinator been checking out all the self-rates at the beginning of the season instead of putting all the responsiblity on captains filing them? I am sure there are not too many self-rates to check out.

Anonymous said...

To Leslie Pfeiffer's poor training and staffing comment:

At State Tourney, woman passed out and threw up from heat. LP and Cindy Curtis ran to court several times and not once got the lady out of the heat. They left her on the hot court and did not immediately move her to a cooler area. Also, the ATA did not put out the tent with the mist blower for the hot and weary tennis player paying customers! Is that poor staffing, training, or both and ignorance? Leslie Pfeiffer clearly was in charge!

Anonymous said...

I witnessed the heat stroke victim and the golf cart was not sent to cart off the lady. I see the cart at sporting events hauling off injuried players off the field. Why didn't they immediately cart her to a cool area? Emergency response must not be in Leslie Pfeiffer's training manual.

Anonymous said...

Some of you need to actually learn the rules regarding Self-rates.
The ATA does not make the ruling on the Self-rates. A grievance must be filed and it is sent to Southern. Period end of discussion. In all of the hate regarding ATA, at least get your facts correct. The ATA does not handle self-rate grievances outside of forwarding paperwork to Southern, that is a Sectional/National rule in place.

Anonymous said...

I think the league rules should be forwarded to registered league players via internet so that miscommunication would not occur regarding self-rates, appeals, etc.

Anonymous said...

I can't believe it but the ATA performed quite well over the weekend at state. The weather caused a little trouble but Maureen and staff did a remarkable job. Leslie P.didn't dash off to avoid the crowd as she usually does. I give them two thumbs up!

Anonymous said...

I agree with you last poster. Very refreshing to see the ATA making good decisions and mingling with the players. I had never seen Leslie before. Like didn't know what she looked like except that she was one of the group that huddled inside that room. After a friend told me who she was then I saw her outside chatting with several different people. A people_persons job is tough and glad to see she was with the people. All ran smoothly and was a nice weekend. Makes one left with good memories! Thanks!

Anonymous said...

regarding the self-rate procedures there is obviously too much subjectiveness somewhere along the line. I know a now 31 y/o player who played for a Division3 school and is a super player. She got an initial rating of 4.5 which fits best. Her husband is a beginner but they wanted to play together for fun and did. They mostly won but there was enough affext to put her as a 3.5 as the computer seems programmed to believe men always carry. a sexist computer! She is honest and refuses to play T.F plus says wouldn"t be fair or fun so being over 30 and pregnant played 4.0 this year. Still odd. Problem is subjectiveness and selfrates and others not being watched.

Anonymous said...

Mistblower?!?! I've been involved in team tennis more years than not, always gone to state and what is a mistblower?? Guessing something to cool off hot players? Are you saying it's used at junior tourneys and not adult?! I heard of 2 bad overheats this weekend and thought I was about to be next several times. Why do juniors get better treatment?!

Anonymous said...

I think the 2.0 women concept is great. The cutest women are between 2.0 and 3.5 anyway. As woman tennis game progresses to a higher level, it seems that they act more masculine. The 4.5 women have very few hotties in their group.

Anonymous said...

The ATA crowd is too lazy to move the mistblower and tent out of the closet probably a few feet from where they were sitting at the tournament desk.

Anonymous said...

About the Burns Park Tennis Center Proshop Failure:

Gus Rivera saw the gross revenue Harry was bringing in and had no idea that Harry was running sales to move inventory. Gus got greedy and wanted to take over and then realized that he could not swing the territory and minimum inventory requirements in the retail business. Gus didn't know the difference in gross and net income and his eyes got big. End of Story!!!!!!!!!

Anonymous said...

I saw those 2.0 women too and am trying to self-rate down to a 3.0 so that I can play 5.0 mixed doubles. WOW! They are all beauties!

Anonymous said...

Gus Rivera, the tennis director at Burns, had the proshop hid behind two snowcone trailers at the state tourney to distract people from entering the building which is empty of merchandise.

4.5momshell said...

Awe. Poor wittle 2.5 guy. Don't you just hate it that so many women kill you on a tennis court? By next year the 2.0 women will be stomping you and then you won't think they look so hot. Why don't you stop oogling and get to work on your tennis game? Bet it needs help!

Anonymous said...

Yeah. I would agree they screwed up, know it and are trying to hide the gross error. Attempting to hide it with all the trailers isn't working however.
Hilarious but I was busy and kept seeing signs advertising frozen lemonade and had I not had to truck a mile to get some would have downed least a dozen. Try to cover the error and building but please put another trailer where one has always been by the players. Trailer hide attempt only decreased profits and increased thirst.

Anonymous said...

Unfortunately the same cannot be said as far as the men looking good and staying fit. I went out to watch the 4.0 men's final and also noticed the toned women on my way over. Different story on the men's court however.
Singles guys fairly fit. Doubles? Do men interpret that to mean they are to double in size per person? On two courts 2-3 players were clinically obese. Third court all were obese. One looked like a balloon blown to extremes. Put a pin in him and he would've popped everywhere.

Anonymous said...

Poor job of scheduling the Southern Boys and Girls 18s matches by Gus Rivera, the tournament director- Some Boys main draw mathches are at 1:30pm? Peak heat and if times are needed then, they should go to the consolation rounds instead. Other Southern tourneys have 9:30am, 11:30, etc before the stifling heat with serious sun problems, too. Parents from all over the south will think the tournament committee are a bunch of numbskulls!

Anonymous said...

Previous comment:
You can't schedule conso matches on the first day of play. Main draw matches are often played in the heat of the day. The problem for Gus is that he is new to running tournaments. Leslie's fault on that one is giving him the reins to soon. He needs some assistance on these very important tournaments for the first year or so. AR Qualifying he had some divisions playing semis and finals on the same day. That is a very basic fundamental that was missed. With a little oversight, Gus can run a much better tournament over time. Agree with the fact that the ATA should not be promoting one facility (it's own) on its website when it espouses to want to grow tennis in the state of AR. It is the ATA after all, not the BPTA.

Anonymous said...

I certainly agree Gus needs guidance. It's evident he isn't too savvy with tournaments or retail. A committee helping him should be in place.
The fact my son is a top player and through years of tournaments he's played very few while in the maindraw is one flag. Secondly having a former teammate inform me Gus attempted to put her in a 4.0 adult division in a tourney and she is a 4.5 player topped with the fiasco about now BP having no retail sales are flags the ATA should take notice and heed before more damage is done.

Anonymous said...

The mother of Chris Wettengel(a Pro Tour Player ), Bonnie Wettengel, said that Gus Rivera wanted her to play in a USTA tourney at Burns during the winter as a 4.0 knowing that she was a
4.5 rated player. She immediately told him it was against the rules and wouldn't be fair for the 4.0 players. More oversight is definitely needed for Gus in operating tourneys.

Anonymous said...

I want to watch the Southern Boys and Girls 18s and checked the times for the later rounds-
Rnd 32, etc & found starting times as late as 1:30 also for main draw events. So sad for players and spectators to have such awful time of day in the extreme heat when better times are given to consol-rounds. Major mixup here in major tourney!

Anonymous said...

Caroline Price, daughter of Former NBA star Mark Price, and Whitney Kay are in the Southern Girls 18s at Burns and have 3:00pm match times in the severe heat of the day. Is this the proper treatment of Easter Bowl Finalists?

Anonymous said...

I was wanting to watch also but am not going to risk being in such extreme heat. I live fairly close to Burns and have greatly enjoyed watching the junior tournaments over the years. This will be the first time the better players have matches in the maindraw at such horrible times. My memory isn't perfect but can't say have ever seen this. If were in the days my son was playing we'd have had a fit. Ludicrous and outright stupid scheduling.

Anonymous said...

Ditto on the comments about gus rivera's scheduling of major junior tourney matches. Main draw matches should be in cooler part of the day! Big oversight or ignorance! The southern closed is a jr. tourney with D-I tennis playing.

Anonymous said...

I was wanting to watch also but am not going to risk being in such extreme heat. I live fairly close to Burns and have greatly enjoyed watching the junior tournaments over the years. This will be the first time the better players have matches in the maindraw at such horrible times. My memory isn't perfect but can't say have ever seen this. If were in the days my son was playing we'd have had a fit. Ludicrous and outright stupid scheduling.

Anonymous said...

Can someone tell me where all most of the best juniors are in Little Rock? We are just moving into town and happened on this site. Thanks for the help.

Anonymous said...

LR area? READ THE RECENT POST HERE DATED MAY 20, 2009-"Kid's Summer Tennis Camps & Classes". The phone numbers and contacts are posted here. Little Rock has an excellent program under Chip Stearns and Thomas Andersen helps run the jr. program. He is my personal pick and most would agree.
He was a top player for Univ. of AR at LR (UALR) (D1) and is great at motivating the kids and pulling the best out of them.He's started some really good ones from scratch. He works out of Pleasant Valley Country Club (PVCC). Check the post and am sure the number is listed.

Anonymous said...

Agree that Pleasant Valley is the best place to go. Chip has been there a long time and Thomas is great too. Now they have Oskar Johanssen over there as well. All 3 of those guys played high level college tennis. Oskar from Arkansas, Thomas from UALR, Chip from Vanderbilt. Lots of good players come from out of there.

Anonymous said...

Just another teaching pro in agreement with other posters about ATA should not compete with other teaching programs. LP went overboard with grant funds, thus causing division among the tennis community thru a non-profit. Wrong turn by LP here! LP needs to turn around the ship and make the right turn before worse happens.

Anonymous said...

I've taken a poll among my tennis buds and we also agree that the ATA is competing with other local pros and should discontinue this practice!

Anonymous said...

I think the ATA could have done a better job with utilizing Burns Park Tennis Center as a tool to promote and grow tennis. It looks like a total failure in the current condition in which the ATA chose to handle the Burns Park situation.

Anonymous said...

I'm a little baffled about the ATA competing with LR area teaching pros. If the teaching pros in a particular area were satisfying and serving the needs in the tennis community, would it be right for the ATA to enter that area and compete with the existing tennis programs offered by the teaching pros? Please answer this question if anyone has one.