First the GOOD NEWS: It was our great pleasure to offer our video services during our 3rd consecutive ALABAMA OPEN at the Marvelous Mobile Tennis Center. TD Scott Novak GETS IT and his entire staff is a pleasure to be around...As predicted, the weekend in Mobile was the EXACT OPPOSITE of the previous weekend in Florida---THANK GOODNESS FOR THE SOUTHERN SECTION!!! We interacted with dozens and dozens of players and parents who were actually HAPPY that we were there and a record-setting number of players from the Alabama Open will be using video to their advantage in the weeks/months to come. WHAT A CONCEPT! Not only that, we had a blast at the Academy Video Session for the Scott Novak Academy... wow, just think: everybody won that weekend.
Now for the not-so-good (but hardly surprising) news: As it turns out, the USTA did not say what we were told they said. Huh? Not only did they not say what we thought they said, they said the exact opposite. We thought the troublesome, unpleasant issue concerning match recording of primadonna players with unreasonable parents was finally resolved when we were told they made the following statement: "Any match in a public or private facility may be recorded." HOWEVER, now we learn that they didn't really say that at all...What they really said :( was the following: "If one parent objects to a match being recorded, the camera must come down." Quite a difference, eh? Who knew we'd misunderstand their position so entirely...One would think we were actually recording children getting dressed...
We know you'll be unhappy about this news and we are VERY unhappy too. For the past 4+ years, we have been operating under the guidance that we were given (through a third-party) that went something like this: "If one player wants their match to be recorded, it may be recorded because the USTA supports the use of video for instructional purposes in the development of junior players." Clearly, something has changed - and not for the better (in our opinion). Instead of supporting our efforts to grow the game of tennis, the USTA caved. They are consistent - they have never done a single thing for us in the history of HIGH-TECH TENNIS.
How this will change our future is very unclear, but isn't it timely that we'll be branching out into the Southern Intercollegiate Championships this weekend and the official kick-off of HIGH-TECH TENNIS 'N GOLF on Monday. Not only that, we're trying to stay focused on the positive..."Do not let what you cannot do interfere with what you can do." (John Wooden) and "Ring the bells that still can ring, forget your perfect offering, there is a crack in everything, that's how the light gets in." (Leonard Cohen)
Sorrrrry this is soooo long, thanks for your amaaaazing support, and know that we'll certainly record your matches in the future - unless your opponent or his/her parents object, that is...We're not gonna stop doing what we're doing. This is a free country and what we do is extraordinarily valuable. It should be getting easier by now (it's been FIVE YEARS) but in many ways, it's getting harder. Great thanks to those who make it harder than it should be.
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