IMG Bollettieri Tennis Academy student Ryan Harrison

Seventeen-year old IMG Bollettieri Tennis Academy student, Ryan Harrison, will make his debut in the main draw of a Grand Slam at the 2010 Australian Open. The young American won the USTA Wild Card Playoff by beating fellow IMG Bollettieri pro, Jesse Levine (world #115), 6-4, 6-1, 6-3. This is was the first time Ryan played and won a best three-out-of-five set match.

At 17, Harrison is one of the best young players in the world, and definitely one of the top young Americans. Congratulations to him and good luck in Australia!

Second match of my USTA and I sort of knew what to expect, except I came up against a pretty strong lefty and I had not played for 2 weeks before because of the weather. This guy’s subdivision has indoor courts, so he does not have the problem of rain or snow, which is nice (super $$$).   I also started playing with a racquet that had my latest experiment, 15 gauge strings and things did not start out well at all for me, losing the first set 1-6.  I just could not pick up the ball with the thick strings and kept hitting into the net from both sides, so I ended up picking up my other racquet with Big Banger Luxilon @52, which for my taste is too loose and carefully pounded this guy’s weaker side, which happened to be his backhand, which greatly played to my strong forehand side and I ended up winning the next 2 sets for a final score of 1-6, 6-3, 6-2 win.

IMG Bollettieri Tennis Academy student Ryan Harrison

Two IMG Bollettieri Tennis Academy pros will face off later today with a chance to play in the main draw of the 2010 Australian Open on the line. Seventeen-year-old, Ryan Harrison, defeated world #194 Donald Young 6-3, 6-4 in the semifinal round of the USTA Australian Open Wild Card Playoff in Atlanta last night. He will face world #115 and the top seed, Jesse Levine, who beat Michael McClune 7-6(3), 6-4. This is the second career meeting between Levine and Harrison, as Levine took the first earlier this year at a Challenger in Sacramento 6-4, 6-3.

On the women’s side, Christina McHale will take on CoCo Vandeweghe. The action begins tonight at 5pm with the ladies match and then the guys will follow.

Riviera’s Junior Excellence Director, Erik Kortland, coached Carolyn Xie to the recent Championship Title in the Girls 12s at the Nike Junior Tour Masters Tournament at Stanford. She went on to the world competition in the Dominican Republic against girls from 28 other countries.
Carolyn is ranked 2 in the nation and 1 in Southern California

With victories in the $180,000 American National and the $130,000 Abe Lincoln Stakes, OK Commander opened enough eyes to command the USTA staff to name him the November Horse of the Month.

After tough trips against very tough company in major stakes races in Canada, including the $700,000 Breeders’ Crown, OK Commander has revved up his engine, breaking his maiden in dramatic longshot fashion in American National on November 14 at Balmoral Park, followed by another smashing run on November 20 in the Abe Lincoln at Maywood.

“He’s a big horse already and if he develops even more over the winter I think we’re going to have a very nice 3-year-old on our hands,” trainer James McNair said after OK Commander’s big victory in the in the Abe Lincoln.

OK Commander is surely one of the horses RoadtotheJug will be watching going into 2010…

rozchylam usta w noc bez snu

i uda pełne pożądania

i czuję wilgoć moich warg

gotowych do kochania

Played my first USTA match this winter season, the guy told me that he plays K-Swiss at 3.5, which is next level for me so I was curious as to how i would do against him. First set we exchanged forehands and I pretty much hung with him, but I could tell that he was too comfortable and it was just long rally one after another, he did not want to make too many mistakes and i lost the set 4-6. Then i tried to take him out of his comfort zone and started slicing, changing pace, hitting to his backhand, etc, etc, basically doing the exact thing that so many guys that seem to play worse than me were able to do successfully against me. basically I frustrated the guy with my defense to the point he could not hit the ball even if it was in his comfort zone and I closed out the next 2 sets 6-3, 6-2 for a win. Winning ugly? No, I say adjusting to your opponent before it’s too late is the key to winning many matches. On the other hand, I really enjoyed playing this guy and now figure that I really should be playing at the next level in K-Swiss, so will see what happens next spring. It’s very hard to move up a level, so maybe my division will not have another sandbagger that prevented me this time.

…of my life have been very exciting!  I worked with my friend Lindsay until the wee hours of the morning on this photo shoot for a fantastic hip-hop artist.  The shoot is for Complex magazine.  Drake will be on the cover and they are doing an article on him as well.  He is honestly a very talented and nice guy, I’m sure most of you know who he is.  We did 3 in studio shots then went out on the town to do ‘action’ shots.  It was an amazing and new experience!

I have a completely new appreciation for photography and can’t wait to utilize more applications on my camera.  It was amazing what can be done with light, movement and different colors.  The photographers were from NYC and have done shoots for most of the major hip-hop artists (Kanye, 50-Cent, Usher etc…) and had some great stories to tell.  There was also a film crew following us around to shoot a “behind the scenes photo shoot with Complex” for their internet site.  Should be cool to see when it’s posted!  I’ll link to it when it’s online.

I didn’t go to sleep until 2:00am and got up at 8:00am to run with “my girls” or as we call ourselves “The Distance Divas”.  We run together and train for different races.  We all trained for a marathon together, I ran the Marine Corps Marathon and the others ran the Chicago.  We are running now to get ready for the Thanksgiving Half Marathon.  I hope I can finish it as it makes the Thanksgiving meal so much better!

I am now sitting on my back patio soaking in the beautiful sun through these enormous old oak trees.  I love my neighborhood, it’s quiet and peaceful.  Some of my favorite people live within a 5 – 10 mile radius, which is great for Atlanta!  I am on several tennis teams and all of them play around the Smyrna/Vinings area as well.  I have been on these teams for 4 years and we have really excelled!  I think we started in the Middle B range in ALTA and around 3.0/3.5 in USTA and now at A3 (hopefully moving up again after we won regionals!) and now 4.0 USTA.  If you are in the tennis world, you know what all this means.  It is an amazing group of women who I have made so many great friendships with that will last a life time!

Off to keep exercising, then to watch some SEC football!

On October 11th the mighty Diego Huttepain struck again. This time his winning ways earned him the Boy’s 10 Winer’s trophy at the Beverly Hills Fall Satellite Classic. Go Diego go!!!

jau, ich war in karlsruhe! und natürlich hat’s mir gefallen! karlsruhe eben. es geht eben nichts über innenstadt, pyramide, bahn fahren und karlsruher luft schlechthin. leider bin ich nicht wirklich raus gekommen, weil eben landesastenkonferenz war. und da ging es vornehmlich um das wichtige thema der verfassten studierendenschaft. und spazieren gehe ich sowieso nicht gerne. nicht mal in karlsruhe.

hier der hauptbahnhof:

Karlsruhe Hbf

viel treiben und viele menschen. passend dazu das verwackelte bild. kunst?

die karlsruher pyramide!!!

das klebt beim usta der karlsruher hochschule (kit!) so rum. brauch ich auch.

das plakat ist schon etwas älter. inzwischen liegt die quote bei professorinnen in der brd etwa bei 10-12%. auswandern?

ich brauch auch so geile aufkleber. am besten so richtig geile queerfeministische!

also ihr seht, in karlsruhe wars soweit ganz cool. allerdings war die turnhalle/schlafstätte ziemlich scheiße. zugig, kalt, laut. wie immer eben. nächstes wochenende: seminar zu hochschulpolitik in würzburg!

Usta video klibi

Facebook kullanıcısı olarak facebookta bulunan binlerce videoyu izliyor fakat bilgisayarınıza indiremiyorsanız, Videofaz ile artık facebook videolarını bilgisayarınıza indirebilir istediğiniz zaman izleyebilirsiniz. İşte adres : facebook video indir. Saniyeler içerisinde bilgisayarınıza indirebilirsiniz.

Usta şarkısının sözleri

Ellerinden değil ayaklarından öpüyorum
Sebebim ustam koca babam
Sana yazıyorum ey gidi ihtiyar
Ellerinden değil ayaklarından öpüyorum

Köylüydün belki ama onurlu mamur
Bilirdin bir çok şeyi bir çok bilenden
Sıcaklar altında orak sallayan
Güneşten kavrulan teni bilirdin
Kendini bilirdin kendini

Onaltı yaşındaydım
Bir gün türkiye tanıyacak diyordum beni
Rençperiydim vahşi ve çılgın saflıkların
Gülerdim benden ileri ve geri olanlara
Dengesiydim her ikisinin
Çocuksu, saf, masum gülerdim
Birazda erkekçe
Onaltı yaşındaydım

Kırıldım belki defalarca bil ki eğilmedim
Utanmadım ruhuma çizilen resmin yırtılışından
Bir gül dalıydım koparılan
Çelik bir kol
Her fırsatta kasırgalaşan yellerinde
Yerlerinde yeller eser diyebilecek kadar büyümüştüm
Kırıldım belki defalarca bil ki eğilmedim.

Bu ezan hangi selaya çıkar baba
Nefesim acıyor.
Sözlerim gözde kaldı artık
Kaşlarım sual.
Duymasın güzellerin gülü can birazdan gideceğimi
Birikmesin gözlerinde intihar yüklü bulutlar
Ben de yolculuk telaşı var.
Bu ezan hangi selaya çıkar baba.

Vurgun yedim baba vurgun
Oltu taşı tesbihim , tütün tabakam ve siyah çakmağım şahit
Bir de yüreğime çizdiğin resmin vardı yanımda
Üç damla kan düştü geceye
Üç damla baldıran zehri
Vurgun yedim baba vurgun

Ben böyle düşünmüyordum ölmeyi baba
Altından azgın suların geçtiği demir köprüde olacaktım
Rakipte olacaktı
İkimizin elinde iki 14′lü ve gece
Birbirimize sıkarak koşacaktık birbirimize
Yıldızlar yağacaktı üzerime
Beni sabaha götüren.
Ben böyle düşünmüyordum ölmeyi baba.

Bir gece düşüme giren ihtiyar adam
“murad olsun söyleyim oğul” dedi
Zafer nerde gizlidir dedim
Ömrüne ömür can güzelin yüreğinde
Peki güneş nerede saklanır dedim
“yavuzun atının ak yelesindeki sırdır oğul” dedi
Bir gece düşüme giren ihtiyar adam.

Burda insanların yalnız ağzı var
Siyah beyaz bir fotoğrafın içindeyim muzdarip
Düşüncelerim kurşuna dizildi sabaha karşı
Esselatu hayrun minen nevm derken ezanlar
Açıldı sonsuza giden yol
Burda insanların yalnız ağzı var.

Ne açtı yüreğini güzellerin gülü can
Ne de beyaz atın yelesindeki sır’a erdim
Ve buyur eyledi ötelerden o ihtiyar adam
Hoş geldin oğlum osman hoş geldin
Ne açtı yüreğini güzellerin gülü can
Ne de beyaz atın yelesindeki sır’a erdim

Söz ve fon müzik: osman öztunç

Artık videolar facebooktan gösterilmemekte dailymotion sitesinden gösterilmektedir… yakında facebook grubumuz açılacaktır bekleyin bizi

Professional Instruction
The San Francisco Recreation and Park Department offers Professional Instruction for a fee at the Golden Gate Park Tennis Complex. Download Professional Instruction Information (PDF)

Lessons for Children and Adults
The San Francisco Recreation and Park Department offers free tennis lessons for children and adults on a year round basis. For information regarding hours of instruction and specific location or if you have any additional questions regarding tennis lessons, contact Jake Hall at 415-831-6302. Click here for their Current Class Tennis Schedules (Change the Start date, In the Keyword: field, type Tennis, click on the Search button).

USTA NORCAL
The USTA has a website listing Tennis Welcome Centers, throughout the US that have lessons, activities and events open to the public. Rates for competent private instruction can range from $50.00 – $70.00/hour. Group lessons can range from $15.00 – $25.00/hour. There are a number of gypsy tennis pros teaching on public courts without authorization, without certification, liability insurance and continuing education or training. Their rates can range from $40.00 – $50.00/hr. Or, you can visit the national USTA site on how to improve your game with Player to Player advice.

Additionally, a number of the private clubs referenced before in my blog entries offer private and group lessons to the public. Do note that their prices vary upon instructor and whether group or individual. Lake Merced Golf Club offers private and group lessons to the public and the Western Athletic Clubs has 3 facilities in San Francisco offering tennis instruction.

Much has been said about the questionable use of non-profit ‘front’ organizations that strategically communicate messaging to the public and congress on behalf of corporations, unions, and other organizations.   Typically, these organizations blast out their communications at appropriate times (just prior to a vote, for example) to sway public opinion one way or another, often-times using heavily slanted news and paid polls.  The method of delivery is typically mass telephone calls and mailings, and to a lesser extent, emails with links to websites or blogs from which to register concern or donate funds.

And while these groups generate quite a bit of controvery in their own right, there are may more legitimate non-profits who do good work on behalf of a variety of causes which otherwise might not have a voice…for instance, the Sierra Club and Amnesty International.

Surprisingly, very few such non-profit groups have gathered social media into their toolchests.  According to one recent studyhttp://capitolcommunicator.com/News/tabid/116/EntryID/769/Default.aspx, 75 percent of organizations studied are using four or fewer online tools. That, from a list that includes Facebook, MySpace, blogging, Twitter, LinkedIn, YouTube, Digg, StumbleUpon, widgets, email signup form, blog badges, SlideShare and Flickr.

In fact, the top 10 were the only groups that scored higher than 50%; they are:

Sierra Club: 10/71%
Service Employees International Union: 9/64%
International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers: 8/57%
American Wind Energy Institute: 8/57%
Human Rights Campaign: 8/57%
National Electrical Contractors Association: 8/57%
Business Roundtable: 7/50%
League of Conservation Voters: 7/50%
National Beer Wholesalers Association: 7/50%
U.S. Telecom Association: 7/50%

Personally I was shocked by this. I thought the lobbyists in Washington were much more social media savvy than it appears they are. 

Having said that, I wonder how much more effective they would be if they made better use of these tools?  Or would it increase their chatter, possibly involve their publics sooner or in more ways than they desire?  What’s your take?

Congratulations to Henry Catanzaro for being a finalist in the 13th BEVERLY HILLS NTRP & JR SATELLITE CLASSIC on October 10th. Great work Henry!

Besides the Battle of the Bay discussed in my prior blog entry, there are a lot of opportunities to observe college and university level tennis locally. You can go to local colleges/universities such as University of San Francisco, University of California Berkeley (Cal), Stanford University, Santa Clara University, and St. Mary’s College websites to peruse their tennis schedules and attend in person. Also, Stanford and Cal stream some of their matches online.

PROFESSIONAL TOURNAMENTS
There are a number of professional tennis tournaments throughout the year.
The SAP Open is in February annually featuring top male professional players and matches are played at the HP Pavilion in San Jose. The next tournament is scheduled Feb. 8-14, 2010.

The Bank of the West Classic features the top female professionals at Stanford University and is scheduled annually in July.

There are also some smaller professional tournaments featuring up and coming tennis professionals at low cost throughout the year. National junior tournaments and tennis benefits are played in the Bay Area – go see some world class tennis and support a worthy cause. Check out USTA/NORCAL’s site for a current schedule of all tournaments.

First, a couple of stats about mystelf:

• 33 years old
• Right-hander
• Racquet: Wilson nCode nBlade 98 with Wilson Sensation in crosses and Babolat Pro Hurricane Tour 16 Strings in mains
• One-handed backhand
• USTA ranking : 3.0-3.5
• K-Swiss ranking : 3.5-

Some abbreviations I use here are:

• K-Swiss: (or Ultimatetennis.com) is a Singles League, their website: http://www.ultimatetennis.com
• ALTA : Atlanta Tennis Lawn Association, their website: http://altatennis.org
• USTA: United States Tennis Association, thier website:http://usta.com

I blogged long time ago with my friends about things of this and that nature because we needed a place to organize our findings and thoughts, but slowly that process faded into just posting pictures and writing little one-liners, which basically meant micro-blogging, which is fine, but when you have a specific activity behind your postings, that is not enough, like technology or political blogs, and so this one is going to be a description of my tennis matches in ALTA, USTA, and K-Swiss tennis leagues, both doubles tennis and singles tennis, what I and my opponent did right, and what we did wrong, both technically and mentally, and the goal of this is to reflect on past matches and figure out a pattern of how to achieve best result and eventually win more matches against tougher opponents and eventually move to a higher lever of play. So, lets get started.

For those who are a little less competitive and less structured, another option are the USTA Flex Leagues. These are a little less strict than the USTA Leagues discussed in my prior blog. USTA Flex Leagues are specifically designed to help you fit tennis into your busy life! You decide whether to play singles or doubles at whatever time is convenient for you.  Here are some resources in order for you to take advantage of USTA Flex Leagues:

• Find a program near you
• Sign up via USTA’s fast and easy Online Registration System TennisLink which enables users to report scores, track schedules, view league standings and scout the competition. The cost for the full season for singles is $35 for non-USTA members and $25 if you’re a member. Doubles: $30 for non-members; $20 for members. Do note that USTA Members save $10 off the sign up fee for each USTA Flex Leagues season as well as additional exclusive benefits.
• Flex Leagues Rules (as all USTA Leagues) your play level is determined by NTRP rankings.

Be a part of the action by joining the country’s largest recreational tennis league – the United States Tennis Association (USTA) League. Each year more than 325,000 players nationwide get on the court, have a good time, and step up their game.

USTA League is organized, competitive team play for women and men age 18 and older of all abilities and experience. Whether you’re new to the game or a former college player, there’s a spot for you. Teams are made up of a minimum of five to eight players depending upon division. So round up family, friends and co-workers to form a team – it’s easy and fun.

Teams and matches are set up according to NTRP ratings as mentioned in my prior blog for the AWTC, so your teammates and opponents will be at your skill level. The competition is exciting, the atmosphere is social, and since players compete on teams, you have a bulit-in cheering section.

How does it work? Teams compete in four national divisions: Adult, Senior, Super Senior and Mixed Doubles. The format features singles and doubles matches for adult leagues, and three doubles matches for seniors, super seniors and mixed leagues.

To learn more about a local league for you to join, your local coordinator or team can be found through this link on the USTA site. Or, if you belong to a private club, please contact their tennis director. Local parks also have their own clubs, so please contact your specific park through the San Francisco Parks & Recreation site, or additional information can be found through this pdf detailing tennis court locations throughout San Francisco.