Member at Large Shashank Nautiyal shashankhill@gmail.com
Member at Large
Ryan Roeth ryanroeth10s@gmail.com
Member at Large
Chris Smith csmithbluehillscc@gmail.com
Member at Large
Caitlyn Sagraves caitlynmetseff@gmail.com
Past President
Rod Zerni rodzerni@gmail.com
Executive Administrator
Angie Koumaris angela.koumaris@uspta.org
Coach Developer Bunny Bruning bunnybfs@aol.com
VValley iewpoint
We are coming to Oklahoma! This year we will be hosting our February convention in Oklahoma City. The host club will be Quail Creek Country Club February 21st and 22nd, 2025. Keep your eyes in the near future for more information regarding our February convention including host hotel and featured speakers! I personally have been a board member since 2014 and know we haven't hosted our Mo Valley Convention in Oklahoma throughout that entire time so I am excited for the change in scenery!
If you have any convention suggestions, thoughts, ideas, featured speakers, etc., please email me personally at Tomtennis101@gmail.com. We are always looking for new ways to provide you with in person education and networking. We know you are taking off work and/or travelling for our convention so we are always open to your suggestions to make it worth your time!
Lastly, let's start thinking about who in our division has been going the extra mile as a member of the USPTA and might be worthy of being nominated for a division award. We hold our yearly award ceremony at our Division Convention and we will be taking nominations soon. Have those nominations in mind and ready to go!
I hope everyone had a great summer and has a smooth transition into the fall and winter months!
Thanks, Tom
Jennings
USPTA Missouri Valley Pros,
Stay Ahead of the Game: Why Continued Education Matters
“I know that I know nothing.” --Plato
In my 33 years coaching, I’ve learned a valuable lesson: there’s always more to learn.
I feel really sorry for those I taught early in my career when I thought I knew everything, and my way was the only way. Thanks to great mentors who challenged me to open my mind to continual learning early on, my career pivoted. I started going to every convention and workshop that USPTA offered, and WOW were my eyes opened. I’ve come a long way since then. I now have over 300 hours of USPTA credits logged, and I am grateful for every one of them.
CANI (Constant and Never-ending Improvement) is now my motto as a teaching professional. Even though we might have a lot of experience and think we have the answers, as tennis professionals, we should continually approach our jobs with a learning mentality; it needs to be ingrained within us.
7 tangible benefits to continued education:
Written by: Kendell Hale USPTA Elite Professional
1. Career Advancement: Employers want to know that you are growing as a professional. The more you know in your field, the higher up the ladder that you will go! Be in that 99th percentile of your field and you can hand pick your position. This is the definition of USPTA Master Professional.
2. Increased earning potential: In most fields, obtaining your education to a master’s degree or Doctorate will likely increase your pay with each accomplishment. The same is true in our profession.
3. Expanded job opportunities: The influx of new racket sports like pickleball, platform, and paddle, each having their own certifications, have opened the potential of opportunities. Clubs are now hiring racket professionals and want professionals with broad skills in all the racket sports.
4. Personal Growth: Everyone at every age needs to challenge themselves personally to keep growing intellectually. It can help you think in new ways, expand your horizons, and increase your confidence.
5.Networking Opportunities: This is my favorite because I have met so many influential people at conventions and workshops. I can honestly say that I would not be who I am today without the influence of these people.
6. Staying Current: This goes without saying, but the game has changed since I arrived on the scene. If I did not get the continued education, I would still be playing with a wood racket and teaching continental forehand grips. Stay in touch with what’s happening in our game.
7. Personal Fulfillment: Learning is a lifelong journey, and continued education can bring a sense of personal fulfillment and satisfaction. It can stimulate your mind, spark your curiosity, and keep you engaged!
North
American Indian Tennis Association National Championships held at Edmond Center Court 2024.
Players traveled from all over the United States including Florida, Arkansas, Texas, Arizona, California, New Mexico, and North Dakota. There were 21 competitors in the junior divisions. The level of play at the tournament continues to rise. There were several current collegiate players and over ten current high school players participated.
Our Men's Open Singles champion was Braden Young The son of Oklahoma State University Women's Coach Chris Young. Our Men's Open Doubles Champions Brady Matthews and Chris Burns are both former Cowley College tennis players.
USPTA certified pros Caitlyn Sagraves and Tony Mullican both participated in the tournament.
Sunday afternoon of the tournament we held a Kids Clinic that had over 40 Native American kids participate. Each kid received their very own racquet and a t-shirt. Our goal is to help grow the game of tennis in Native country. We want to see our youth active and involved in healthy activities breaking the cycles of obesity, diabetes, and addiction.
This year's awards were handcrafted and painted plates made by a local Native American artist. The opening ceremony was started with a traditional blessing, song, and drum. It is very important that our culture is woven into the DNA of the tournament.
The NAITA community is what really makes the tournament special. Families come out for the whole weekend and spend time getting to know one another and connecting.
The 2025 National Tournament will be held at the Oklahoma City Tennis Center on Memorial Day weekend. The Tournament Director will be Anthony Miller who is a teaching pro at the Oklahoma City Tennis Center
Newsletter of USPTA’s Missouri Valley Division
405-819-6294
email: angela.koumaris@uspta.org
Editor Angie Koumaris
Contributors Kendell Hale, Tony Mullican, Tom Jennings
MOmentum is published quarterly by the Missouri Valley Division of the United States Professional TennisAssociation.
The opinions expressed in MOmentum are those of the authors and not necessarily those of MOmentum or the USPTAMissouri Valley Division.
Ads will be in black and white. Prices are per issue. Full page......................$90
Half page.....................$60
1/4 page.......................$35
Discounts are given for ads whose frequency rate is two or more per calendar year. Contact Angie Koumaris at abtwonder@yahoo.com for a rate card and circulation information.
