The US Tennis Congress is just under eight weeks away. Let the preparation/torture begin!
I know I have mentioned that I am attending the US Tennis Congress in Atlanta this October. This is the first time this event (or any event like it) has been put on so I am actually one of the “inaugural” attendees. And I have been assured that, because I’m going to this first event, I will be part of an “elite” group that will play a “special role” in shaping the future of the USTC. US Tennis Congress – you had me at “elite.”
The USTC is, in my mind, the ultimate adult tennis camp. It was designed for amateur adult recreational players of all levels, from beginners to extremely advanced. The only real requirements seem to be that you are passionate about tennis, are eager to improve your game, and want to train with some of the best instructors in the world. I say “Yes!” to all three.
Right now, there are over 40 incredible tennis pros from all over the world on the USTC faculty. It’s estimated that each attendee will get to work with about a dozen pros over the weekend. I even put in a special request to work with Ian Westermann of Essential Tennis, no matter what he’s teaching (hopefully it’s not “What’s Left To Learn For Us Now That We’re 5.0 Players?”). Actually, I had to fill out a pretty extensive questionnaire when I registered to ensure that I get the best experience possible during my weekend.
The man behind the USTC is P.J. Simmons, who is not only a tennis fanatic, but also documents his tennis adventures over at The Road to 4.5 Tennis blog. I was very lucky to connect on-line with P.J. and have learned tons to help my game by keeping up with his blog posts and videos. So when he invited me to attend the USTC, I jumped at the chance.
So now the whole thing is about two months away and while I am so excited about attending, frankly, I am more than a little nervous because:
1. I’m going all by myself and most of my friends think I’m crazy to do this alone (I guess it’s sort of like eating lunch by yourself in the high school cafeteria).
2. What if I’m the worst player there???
3. I’m spending a good bit of money on this (since I have to pay for the event + airfare + hotel), so I want to make absolutely sure I get the most value possible.
4. I think No. 2 is less likely to happen and No. 3 is more likely to happen if I’m in the best “tennis shape” possible.
5. I mostly want to have FUN and make new tennis friends! In other words, I don’t want to be stressed out by all of the above the whole time I’m at my tennis fantasy camp. (The fact that I came up with five points to worry about is just adding to my stress.)
So my plan is to come up with a “DIY Tennis Bootcamp” sort of thing to get me ready for USTC. I have less than eight weeks – SURELY, I can get somewhat prepared for this, right?
Oh, and bonus laughs coming – I’m planning on posting what I’m doing on my Tennis Fixation YouTube channel. I’ll put links here so you can follow. Or head over to my Tennis Fixation YouTube channel and subscribe to keep up. It’s probably going to be worth it just for the laughs (which is why I think most people enjoy my tennis anyway).
US Tennis Congress – GET READY FOR ME BECAUSE I’M GETTING READY FOR YOU! (And, if this is a thing, please don’t make me sit alone in the USTC cafeteria.)
© Kim Selzman 2013 All Rights Reserved
