What a relaxing two weeks it has been! After a very busy and GREAT summer some down time was well deserved. You can only so many 12 hour days in a row :-) Our Fall schedule will kick into high gear this coming Monday and I am actually looking forward to getting back out on the court. It is amazing what a break and vacation can do for you - feel so refreshed and excited to work!! 

During my break I of course relaxed by watching hours and hours of the US OPEN, and how sweet it was. I did predict that Serena Williams and Roger Federer would win. They both just rose to the occasion and played the big moments EXTREMELY WELL! Between her semifinal and final matches Serena saved 14 set points (10 were against her sister!). Federer continued to get better and more confident each match he played. Andy Murray, besides being exhausted, had to take on Roger at his very best!! These two champions competed so well! 

I am trying to continue to challenge my lessons to play MATCHES. After watching a Grand Slam we see the value of playing matches - confidence, calms you, lets you practice your shots, experience, you learn how to compete, and you improve! I gave out an agreement to some girls this past week that encourages them to play 2 full matches a week. It pushes them to play new people and people of all different levels. For some motivation there will be incentives along the way. But in order to get there they have to play 12 matches. Alright girls can't wait to hear how your matches are going!! 

Have fun playing! 

Sweet Shirts!!

I came across these shirts today and they are awesome! Check it out! 

www.stickitwear.com

I will definitely be sporting one soon :-) 

End of Summer!

Tomorrow is the last week of our evening girls clinic. I hope that you are able to make it out for one more fun week before school starts or fun first week of school! Since it is getting darker earlier we will start at 545 and then end at 745. The conditioning hour on Monday will be at 445.

As school starts I want to keep the energy of the summer alive. Everyone was playing a lot of tennis and playing so much better. I was thinking of putting together a tennis challenge ladder or some sort of accountability for the girls. I was thinking 6th-8th grade girls in the fall and then in the spring when high school tennis ended opening it up to high school girls. They would get credit for every set played, win or lose, but if played in a tournament it would count extra. There would be some sort of incentive program too! Just brainstorming right now. Before I decide to organize this, I need some feedback. Do you think its a good idea? 

Let me know what you think. Remember we need to play matches to gain confidence and test our strokes under pressure! It is important to play all different types of players - stronger players, weaker players, grinders, serve and volleyers, backboards, attackers. So hopefully this ladder would encourage you to play all types of people. Think about it, ask some friends to see if they would be interested, and let me know! 

Power of FOCUS!

Ok girls when we actually focus we can do a lot - on and off the court! In tennis when we focus we achieve what we usually can't. We gain confidence! It might be hitting volleys, hitting 30 in a row from no mans land, serving under pressure, winning a point or winning your first tournament match. It is so easy to get distracted - to think about what you are doing after tennis, thinking about lunch or dinner, school, boys, friends, parents - but when we eliminate these thoughts and actually focus on the task at hand, WE ARE SUCCESSFUL! 

So lets carry our new ability to focus on the court while playing tennis, to the school year and the rest of our lives :-) 

Knowlwood Tennis Tournament

Happy Sunday! Today I watched Alexandra Wosniack beat Marion Bartoli to win her first WTA title. She had to qualify for the tournament and she's only 20 years old. The Knowlwood Tournament starts this Thursday and maybe you feel like the underdog, like you are not quite ready or good enough. I bet that Wosniack did not see herself winning the tournament - she had to win a qualifying tournament to even make the draw. Let her be your inspiration this week!! Don't limit yourself. Dream big. Believe in yourself! 

Belief and confidence is a huge part of it but the other part is preparation. So this week make sure you are playing matches, drilling and practicing your serve. A great way to do that is come to clinic :-) 

Hope to see you all Monday-Wednesday from 6-8 p.m.!! 

Go Girls!

Ok girls we have completed 4 weeks of clinic. Give me some feedback! I have loved every minute of it because I have seen how each girl rises to the occasion. It might be cross court games or cross-fire, but when it comes to keeping score and moving courts, these girls can compete. Girls who sometimes get goofy and start on the bottom courts, end up on the top courts because they focus and bring their A-game! I love it. When it comes to the absurd amount of running I sometimes make them do, of course there are a few complaints, but you should see how fast they are. They are working hard and pushing themselves to go faster - they truly rise to the occasion! 

Now either if its high school tennis season, or the upcoming Knowlwood tennis tournament there is a goal to be working towards. That is the reason we work ALOT on consistency and seeing  the ball well. We have been playing ALOT of points so that we get to test our ability to make shots and use our strokes. My dream is that by our tournament or season that we feel CONFIDENT and STRONG in our game and moving around the court! I want each girl to feel encouraged by the improvement and at the same time challenged to see how much they can improve. 

Girls or parents let me know what you are thinking. Ideas, comments or questions about clinic. I am open to everything - I just hope each girl feels that their needs are met. 

Wimbledon Classics

Well I have not been able to blog lately due to lots of hours on the court and a 48 hour trip to DC that wiped me out. However I did catch the women's final and most of the men's final - and how incredible were they. First off the WILLIAMS SISTERS were on fire Saturday. Together they went home with $2.5 million dollars - thats pretty good for two weeks work. I really enjoyed watching that match because of how well they both played. They really rose to the occasion and won points by winners rather than unforced errors. Venus is now 2-6 against here lil sister in grand slams. Serena made her work for it but in the end her serving and body language let her down. Venus served great and was able to play the big points well!! HER 5th WIMBLEDON!!! Losing is hard but imagine losing to your sister at the Wimbledon finals, where you are points away from the first set, and then having to play doubles together? We could all tell that loss was tough on Serena but she handled it well and bounced back to play well for the doubles title! 

Now the BOYS! Obviously this went down in the history books and will be a Wimbledon Classic for years to come. The improvement in Nadal's game was so impressive this tournament and it showed more against Federer in the final set. While Federer's serve and forehand brokedown - Nadal actually served better and his backhand was unbelievable. Federer has said this was his hardest loss ever but followed it with Rafa is a deserving champion. Nadal showed his respect by saying that Federer is one of the best players in history. Do you respect your opponents like that? 

What a tournament and it finished in style!! What a turn of events - Nadal first guy to win the French and then Wimbledon back to back since Bjorg. Watch out for him at the US OPEN! 

Wacky Wimbledon

In the past two days on the grass courts Sharapova, Ivanovic, Djokovic, Roddick and Blake have lots :-( On the other side, Federer, Nadal and The Williams Sisters look GREAT :-) 

It shows that having one weapon is not enough. You need the all court game. The ability to come to the net, to hit angle volleys and put away overheads, to transition forward. Variety and mixing up spin is huge! A great first serve but an even better second serve. You need the ability to stay mentally tough and not tire. 

As we enter the middle weekend at Wimbledon, go practice your weaknesses. For most people is moving forward, volleys, overheads, slices - which is what the grass courts are all about! Go play some doubles! 

i love tennis

What a fun these past two weeks have been! Despite working 12 hour days, the first two weeks of the girls clinic has gone great. On days where we are short courts we are able to make it more fun and games. These days are super high energy and a great work out. Days where we have courts, we have been spreading out and playing singles and doubles. These are my favorite because I get to see how everyone competes and how well they keep their strokes! Regardless we have been starting off each day with running and conditioning. Followed by an aerobic warm up with soft touch games with lots of moving in between shots. I love starting this way because it gets our eyes, hands and feet ready to play. Since it is tiring, you get the benefit of doing the rest of the clinic already breathing hard. Playing WELL while tired will take you to the next level!! 

Each girl is unique and brings something special to the clinic. I hope that off the court friendships are made and everyone feels like they are growing there tennis directory. Even though I have already worked 10 hours at this point, I love 6-8 Monday - Wednesday. It is the best way to end my day! Girls thank you for working hard and letting me assist you :-)

See y'all Monday!

CONDITIONING @ 5 p.m!! 

FIRST WEEK DOWN, TEN MORE TO GO!!

The first week of clinic turned out great. The numbers were even better than I had hoped for. It was a great group of girls! There were girls from SB Junior High, SB High School, San Marcos High School, La Colina, Laguna Blanca and Marymount. I hope by the end of the summer to have more schools represented and the community of tennis players to have grown even more! 

Now I need YOUR help. Give me feedback, questions, ideas, comments. Last night the girls said serving and match play were two areas they want to practice - I could not agree more! When we have the courts we will spread out and play. Hopefully getting to practice doubles and singles equally (since high school tennis is primarily doubles). What else would you like to work on this summer? It could be a specific stroke, footwork, or strategy - anything. 

As much as we don't like it sometimes, CONDITIONING will continue to be a emphasized. We are so lucky to have Tiffany on Mondays before clinic (5-6 pm) - so take advantage of it! The more we move, the better we are going to get. When we move well between shots, we are able to stay on balance as we hit which will make us more consistent and improve faster! 

Keep comments, ideas, feedback, and emails coming! One more thing, if any of you want to take a lesson or two to work on something specific, let me know - it will really help! Looking forward to another fun week of clinic!! 

Check it out!

Since Sunday is all about our dads I thought I would brag about mine for a second. Besides being the coolest guy I know, other than my husband, he just wrote his first book! This book is primarily about motivating a teenage workforce, but any one interacting with teenagers might enjoy reading it. Waves for Success, written by Ken Whiting (my DAD!) is hot off the press and is available for purchase on Amazon. Check out my Shelfari on the right side bar for more information. 

Get out your all whites!

Here is a sneak preview of Ana Ivanovic's Wimbledon all white look! What do you think of it? 

Good Bye French Open!

Congrats to Ana Ivanovic on winning her first Grand Slam title. She played flawlessly against Dinara Safina in Saturday's final. The nerves and mistakes we saw in her final appearance in Australia were no where to be seen. Her 6-3, 6-3 win and with Maria Sharapova's early exit sends her to #1 in the world! Her confidence and improved fitness made the difference. Safina ran out of gas in long points and by the middle of the second set she had nothing left. Safina's energy both positive and at times negative carried her through the tournament. Her fight, desire, fire are her both her strengths and unfortunately her weakness. She gets that from her older brother Marat Safin! Her road to the final was long and tiring as she took out Sharapova, Dementieva, and Kuznetsova. Be watching out for her to make another run at Wimbledon later this month! 

Before the players came on the court as they waited in the locker room, Ivanovic and her trainer did medicine ball work, footwork drills, running, jumping and stretching. They made sure that she was mobile and loose from the first serve. This extra effort has separated her from the rest of the WTA tour. Most other players don't travel with a trainer but for Ana it has been worth it. When not on the road, besides her normal work outs and on court time, she takes kickboxing and does other cross training. 

Now for the men's final. I am not sure what to say. Rafa Nadal just zoned - making 10 unforced errors the whole match, keeping Roger Federer to 4 games total. He took out Federer 6-1,6-3,6-0. I was up at 6 am expecting a match that would go down in the record books, and like many of you, were left feeling disappointed. Nadal was simply too good. However, I would have liked to see more energy, more positive body language from Federer. Well, watch out for Nadal at Wimbledon - he is going to be after Federer on his own court! 

The clay court season has been fun! We have learned from it and now we get to welcome the grass courts! Time to serve and volley! 

Congrats to Ana and Rafa!! 

John and I at the FRENCH OPEN!! 

Two more weeks

It is 5 am and can't sleep because of the time change. So I am watching the French Open. The women's quarterfinals is being played and it is some great tennis. There a couple things I wanted to share.

First of all, our trip was amazing. Unfortunately, it rained the two days we were there but were still able to see some tennis! The highlight match for us was watching the persistent American Wayne Odesnik take out the flashy Guilermo Canas. The American won 7-6, 7-6, 7-5 and we were sitting first row to cheer as loud as we could! The points were amazing to watch - almost like watching a video game. They were playing at such a high level and making hardly any unforced errors. They really stuck to the cross courts, hitting incredible angles and depth. When there was a lack of depth or speed, they would step in and either hit down the line or hit a drop shot. Then it got really exciting - volleys, soft angles, lobs, sliding, passing shots, overheads! It really was a fun match to watch from beginning to end.

After the French Open, we enjoyed Italy for a week! It was incredible and such a beautiful country.

Secondly, I wanted to check in about summer with everyone. There are only 2 weeks until clinics start! It all starts JUNE 16th with 5 p.m. conditioning and then tennis from 6-8. I have received great feedback but I am still hoping to get more numbers and exact weeks. I really think this summer is going to be the break through time for a lot of girls. With conditioning, clinic and then there own match play every one will see improvement! 

Hope to see everyone June 16th! Looking forward to a great first week of clinic :-)

At the FRENCH OPEN!

I will be gone in Europe until June 3rd. If you have questions about lessons, or summer clinic/conditioning, email me and I will try to get back to you as fast as possible. My husband and I, along with best friends, are traveling to London, the French Open for two days and then, Italy! We are so blessed to take trips like this and for great friends!

Questions while I am gone, either leave me a message at (805)886-9665 or even better, email me at kendyllandjohn@cox.net - I will get back to you as soon as possible! 

Have a great 10 days and look for us on t.v. while watching the French Open :-)

CONDITIONING!!!!

In addition to the SUMMER CLINIC - I am offering conditioning for all the girls. Here are the details! A good friend of mine whose a trainer at Platinum Fitness in Montecito is going to run this class. She is an amazing athlete and very good at what she does! 

When - MONDAYS from 5- 6 p.m. Every Monday during the course of the summer (same weeks as the clinic). Starting JUNE 16th. 

Who - All girls who are taking the clinic. Hopefully, Mondays end up being 5 - 8 p.m. One hour of conditioning and then two hours of tennis! What a great way to prepare for the upcoming high school tennis season! 

Cost - $10 (in addition t0 the clinic price)

Contact info - Tiffany Jaeger @ (805)570-5614 0r tiffjaeger@yahoo.com

World No: 1 Justine Henin to retires (BBC)

Check this video out! Justine Henin speaks on her decision and feelings of being exhausted. Fellow pros share their thoughts and show their respect for her! In an article on ESPN.com, Heinin said she wants to be remembered for being different - for being the small one who could compete with giants!
How would you want to be remembered???

Summer Clinic

I just learned that schools are out June 12th - so I am going to start the clinic a week earlier!!

Week # 1 - June 16-18, 6-8 p.m.

Make sure to tell others that instead of June 23rd, we are starting June 16th. Looking forward to a great summer with everyone! 

Safina

The younger sister of Marat Safin, has used her work ethic to get to where she is. Yes, she is talented but what she lacks in skill she makes up in hard work. To win this past tournament, she beat Justine Henin, Serena Williams and Dementieva. What a tough draw! Her opponent in the finals, Dementieva took down Ivanovic and Jankovic along the way. Not easy! 

These two ladies were not the clear favorites to reach the finals. Dementieva, during the course of the tournament, said "I have figured out how to win without a serve!" She knows her serve is ineffective but she makes up for it with big ground strokes and hard work. Safina using hard work as well to overcome any weakness in her game. 

What does your game lack?  Is it a serve? A major weapon? Don't be afraid to rely on your work ethic, ability to grind, or defense to pull out tough matches! If you are not the best one in clinic or youth tennis league, work hard in the next week, month, year and you will catch up or even surpass them! 

TOURNAMENT

To all my girls in Santa Barbara - 

The designated Santa Barbara Summer Junior Tournament is approaching. The deadline is May 20th and the tournament is May 31-June 1 and June 7-8, 2008. 

Click HERE to sign up NOW! 

Definitely play singles and try to play doubles too. If you want to play doubles but not sure who to partner with, call me and we will find someone. 

Start practicing! 

Embracing the clay!

The season of the French Open is upon us. With warm up tournaments each week, the players are testing their spins, slides, endurance, speed, and patience as they prepare for the main event, Roland Garros! Sharapova won Amelia Island, Federer won Estoril, Serena won the Family Circle Cup and as I type James Blake is deep in a third setter against a Spaniard playing in his first ever final. The big names in the game (with the exception of Nadal, a natural clay courter) are being pushed by players they have never heard of. Unknowns break into the game since our stars are used to the speed of the hard courts. 

What can we learn from the red clay?? Clay courters are comfortable with long and draining points. They don't try to end the point to soon because they are confident in their ability to cover the court and their endurance. We should embrace their on court strategy by hitting the ball high over the net with heavy topspin and find patience in our points instead of the anxiety of hitting a winner. Use your variety to wear your opponent down. 

For us girls, Justine Henin is the leading lady of clay courts. She hasn't played any of the few warm up tournaments but her game will be sharp by the middle of May. She doesn't let her size or lack of power slow her down. Rather she combines fitness, patience and big topspin ground strokes for a winning strategy! 

James Blake lost that finals match to a young man from Barcelona who had never made it past the quarterfinals. He grinded his way through the match knowing he could outlast the American. Do you have that confidence? Are you fit enough and patient enough to still be fresh late in the match? See if you can embrace the clay court and bring it to your game! 

Parents - SUMMER CLINIC INFO!!

What - A clinic for junior high through high school girls who want to have fun, get a work out and continue improving at tennis. There will be focus on volleys, overheads and doubles strategy. We want these girls confident and ready for high school tennis. We also hope that these girls will enjoy working hard and want to become better athletes and tennis players!

Where - Knowlwood Tennis Club, 1675 East Valley Road, Montecito.

When - Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday 6-8 p.m. starting June 16th. There will be 11 sessions running all summer long. 

Session #1 June 16-18

Session #2 June 23-25

Session #3 June 30-July 2

Session #4 July 7-9

Session #5 July 14-16

Session #6 July 21-23

Session #7 July 28-30

Session #8 August 4-6

Session #9 August 11-13

Session #10 August 18-20

   Session #11 August 25-27

Pricing - Knowlwood members $96/session

  Non members $108/session

Sign up! If you are interested and know which weeks you plan on attending, send your information along with payment to:

Kendyll McManigal

2434 Fletcher Avenue

Santa Barbara, CA  93105

**Please make checks payable to Jerry Hatchett

Questions? Contact Kendyll McManigal 

(805)886-9665 or kmcmanigal@att.blackberry.net

Keep with it!!

Do you ever feel like giving up? Ever feel that all your hard work never pays off? Or ask yourself - When will my time be here? Does it seem like other people all around you keep getting better, or it finally "clicks" for them? Well girl I have been there! 

Everyone needs to feel encouraged and supported and I want YOU to know that I believe in you! I believe in you because I know what it feels like and have gone through it just like you are now. People, mainly my parents and coaches, kept believing in me as I lost match after match, and I want to keep supporting you. I remember so vividly driving home from a tournament with my mom and just being in tears. Crying because I lost and the anger of this simple question "how many matches do you have to lose before you win?"

Maybe you are feeling that same way. Let each loss, each frustration, each missed shot, MOTIVATE you! Use them to fuel the fire. If you truly love tennis and want to keep improving, then let those hard days add to your desire. That is what I did and although it took me along time, it is worth it. Your career does not end when you reach high school, college or even upon graduation. The beauty of tennis is that there is no end - you can play until you are not physically able to. 

So ask yourself how badly you want "it"? It can be a small goal or the goal of getting a ranking or a college scholarship. No matter how small or big, if you truly want to achieve those goals then KEEP WITH IT! 

Championship Weekend

My girl Serena Williams won in Miami! She had to play and beat a lot of big names. She is back and ready to take on the top players in the world! Jankovic pushed her to three tough sets in the finals but Serena was able to come out on top. I hope that she can keep this up all year!! 

The men's final is on Sunday. Nadal verse Davydenko?? Who do you think will win?? 

A Good Idea

Today I ran a clinic for 6 juniors. All good players - 10 to 13 years old. It was a 3 hour clinic and after a short warm up I sent them out to play a set (no ad scoring - for time reasoning). After each set we asked three questions.

1. What did you do well? Meaning, how did you win points? Might have caused your opponent to be more defensive or second guess their own game. 

2. What could you have done better? This is how your opponent beat you. Could be one thing or a few reasons that caused your opponent to be the better player that day. 

3. In the next set, what are you going to work on? Or how are going to improve from the previous set? 

Next time you are playing a set (for practice or in a tournament) ask yourself those questions. Evaluate yourself and how you were performing... it will only help you improve!! The best players are those who can quickly correct a mistake and the more you practice these habits the more likely you will be make those game time corrections. 

Heating up in Miami

Today in the early rounds in Miami Lindsay Davenport and Ana Ivanovic faced off. Ana coming off a tournament victory in Palm Springs and Lindsey retiring due to a back injury - clearly, Ana had all the advantages on paper. The former world # 1 came out strong and never let up. She immediately starting crushing returns causing Ivanovic to stop going into the court on her serve. That was the difference between the two. Ivanovic was never able to truly get herself established and stayed too defensive.

What a tough place for Ivanovic to be in. Can you imagine? She has been playing her best tennis ever then she faces a former world #1 in the second round and has everything to lose - while Davenport has nothing to lose and everything to gain! The great thing is Ivanovic is so young that she is just going to learn from every match and in return, keep improving. 

Davenport coming back to professional tennis had mixed reviews. Some supported her and others probably thought she was crazy. Try to use that as inspiration in your own life. Never let anyone tell you that you are not able of reaching your goals. Set your mind to it. It will take LOTS of work but YOU are capable of anything!! You just have to believe in yourself! 

Ivanovic!

What a great win for Ana Ivanovic. She played well the whole tournament, looked great, and deserves to win the title! Personally, I really like her attitude on court. She doesn't take extra time, she is no nonsense, has a quick tempo and she plays solid tennis. She is only going to get better as she continues to improve her volleys and net game. I love that she is not afraid to move forward and pressure her opponents. Not to mention her great style! Good job Ivanovic! 

Top Four

It is set. The semifinals of the Pacific Life Open are here. There are no surprises and it is what we all expected! Sharapova is playing Kuznetsova and Jankovic and is taking on Ivanovic. Unfortunately Davenport had to retire against Jankovic due to a back injury - otherwise she could have possibly been in this elite final four. 

Who do you think will be facing off in the finals? Who will walk away the champion? It is up for grabs with four incredible athletes and champions in the running. Tell me what you think! 

Pictures (more to come later)

These players were warming up by playing soccer where they used the doubles sidelines and baseline as the playing field. Great for your footwork! 
Hantucha preparing for a forehand. Notice her balance and how she is tracking the ball over her shoulder. 
John and I at the Pacific Life Open. 

Inspired

I returned home from Palm Springs yesterday and let me say, the HOT tennis made up for the COLD weather. My husband and I saw some great matches. I will post some pictures later today but wanted to share a few highlights. 

On the men's side seeing Tommy Haas beat Andy Roddick in straight sets was very entertaining. Haas handled the big first serve of Roddick beautifully by blocking it back deep. He was in every point by playing perfect defense. Poor Roddick had no idea response for how Haas played defense and quickly would switch to offense flawlessly. On another note about Andy Roddick - I saw him walking with his girlfriend at the La Quinta Resort on Sunday morning. We were getting an early morning coffee and noticed this couple walking towards us - not sure why that feeling of getting star struck is exciting but no matter how you try to fight it, it is always a rush! 

On the women's side we saw all the big names. We saw Davenport (who I love!) just overpowering this poor girl. Literally Davenport was inside the baseline just crushing the ball off both sides and her opponent was ten feet behind the baseline just fighting. Davenport won her next round in a harder three set battle - she has still got it! We saw Sharapova play a deceptively good player who made her struggle just a little by taking pace off the ball and setting the ball back deep. A great strategy against one who wants a fast, high pace match. Maria did win in straight sets! We saw a tough battle between Harkleroad and Safina - that the American pulled out in the third. This was a match where no one slowed the pace. It was heavy hitting the whole time! 

One of the highlights of going to a pro tournament are the outside courts and practice courts. We saw so many great players practicing, conditioning by playing soccer and hitting serves and returns. There warm up session is more intense than most people's matches. They start in the short court and gradually work there way back. At this they are on their first ball - hitting every ball on BALANCE and with lots of heavy SPIN. As the pace picks up so does the depth and height over the net. They see the ball actually hit the strings allowing for very clean well hit balls. When they do miss they get the ball going before you can blink and correct their mistake immediately. There ability to freely swing and hit their hardest could never happen if they were not on BALANCE and holding the racquet softly!! 

Time for me to go workout! I am so inspired after my weekend in Palm Springs! More to come later! 

On another note, lets talk about the infamous Venus and Serena Williams. I did not know (and should have) that they refuse to play this tournament because of a legendary match in 2001. Serena was playing Kim Clisters in the finals and upon winning, was booed! This is because in the semis the sisters were supposed to play each other and Venus withdrew last minute. It brought about racial remarks and with that, they have not played at Indian Wells since then. 

What is your opinion? Should they play? I believe that they should forgive and play the event. At some point you have to be the bigger person instead of proving a point. What happened was uncalled for but selfishly (since I will be there), I am disappointed they will not be there. Serena is coming off of a tournament win in Bangalore and I would have loved to seen her while she is playing well! 

Good thing I am going to the French Open. Maybe I can catch them in action there :-)

The draw it out

The Pacific Life Open women's draw is out. Check it out and make your prediction for the semifinals and the tournament champion!

Desert here we come!

Who is excited to watch the Pacific Life Open in Palm Springs? I know all my lessons are and of course, I can't wait either! Alright the tournament starts on Monday and runs two weeks. Who do you think will win? Tell me your predictions!! I will be there the middle weekend and try to post some great pictures. We will be staying at the La Quinta resort which is where many of the stars stay and practice - so there will be plenty of chances to meet them or get a photo with them! 

Who do you think will do well?? Who will be this years Pacific Life Open champion? 

Feelings

I have not received many answers to those questions I posted - hopefully my responses will spark some interest in others!! A quick note - I ask these questions to challenge you and make you think about the reasons you play tennis.

Growing up my tennis dream was to get a scholarship to play college tennis. I posted my goals (short term and long term) on this mirror I looked at every day. Those dreams drove me to practice and play as many tournaments as I could. I did get a tennis scholarship to a school I was really excited about going to! 

Off the court my dream was to pursue my passions but mainly that I would meet the man of my dreams and get married and have a family! 

Because I had these goals I practiced hard and made sure that I took each session seriously. I would be silly with friends once tennis was over for the day but when we were at clinic I wanted to work hard. I was the same way in college - my teammates knew that and I would try to keep practice moving along and I would play a lot outside of our team work outs. 

Tennis and being an athlete has been a huge part of my life. Growing up playing sports you learn discipline, a strong work ethic and gain a confidence that you can't get anywhere else. 

Oh and clearly I LOVE Nike! 

Alright girls if you feel the same way or have gained other strengths from playing tennis let me know - email, post a comment, call, text, whatever! 

Feedback

Hey I got some questions for you girls...

What is your favorite thing about tennis? About playing sports and being an athlete?

What is your big dream/goal in life? What are your tennis goals?

Can you explain what playing tennis and/or other sports has done for you?

Would you rather have an easy lesson or clinic and have it be more fun or be pushed and challenged and feel yourself get  better?

Less serious - favorite designer on the court and off?

Favorite subject in school?

Heres the thing I want to keep understanding you teenage girls and keep trying to make this website more helpful and entertaining! Email me at kmcmanigal@att.blackberry.net

Later I will post my answers to those questions too!! 

Keep sparkling.......

DREAMS!

Today I took four girls I teach to a Westmont College tennis match. These junior high girls and I had a great time. I love getting to spend time with them off the court and learn more about them. But it also made my day that they were excited to go watch tennis. I wanted to show them they can play college tennis - if they want to. So often we are intimidated by the college ranks and rule it out too soon. Westmont is in the N.A.I.A. and plays some great schools. The experience is the same as a NCAA DI, you can receive athletic scholarships, team trips and unity, and the school is incredible. 

What are your goals? Do you want to play college tennis? If so, what would be your dream school? Small school? Big time college tennis? Do you want to be the star of lower ranked team? Or a lower ranked player on a championship team? Close to home? Types of majors? 

Maybe you don't want to play in college - which is fine because learning tennis now will be a skill you will love owning the rest of your life! So you play high school tennis and have fun with your friends and teammates, and focus on school! Where do you see yourself then in those college years? Are you designing clothes in New York? In a sorority? Going abroad and traveling? 

It is never to soon to start thinking about your future! Dream big girls!! My Dad used to tell me that goals are nothing more dreams written down. How true is that? So don't sell yourself short. Write down your dreams so that you never forget them and keep looking at them! Put them somewhere you will see them everyday. They can big and small goals. What are your dreams??

Play time!

I just read this article in the New York Times called, "Taking Play Seriously". It is all about the benefits of play. How children benefit from free play. They gain social skills, motor skills, brain development, creativity - the list goes on. Well I heard about this from a sports newsletter that was encouraging us coaches to put "play into our workouts". A focus on the process and what can be gained through experience of moving and playing, instead of technique and results. 

Well unfortunately us girls are not the best at play. Boys are, though! They are always playing different games - getting hurt, getting dirty, getting into trouble. But in return they are great athletes. They can fool around on a tennis court all day making up games and just hitting around. Think how much better we would get if we "played more". There are tennis specific games that are "play" based - mini me, soft touch games, rolly polly, dinkem, dingles - again the list goes on. But the best type is just to go out and freely hit. Play tennis!!! Not worrying about technique, if you are going to win, what your friend is wearing, homework....just playing! 

To all my girls who read this - GO PLAY!! :-) 

A perfect practice

Pick one aspect and just watch that a minute. It might her footwork. Or the way she breaths through her shots. Or her backhand. Or what she does in between shots. Study that one thing!

How do you practice?? How can you practice better after seeing this clip? How can you copy Henin?

Gratitude in your ATTITUDE!

Just thought I would encourage everyone to stay positive. If you miss an overhead, shake it off and hit another one. The beauty of tennis is that you always get another chance. There is no buzzer, no time limit, no innings or quarters. Its not over till someone wins two out of three sets....it can take any length of time. Enjoy the fact that you are outside healthy enough to be playing tennis. So remember to forget the mistakes and hold on to the shots, the moments, that make you say, "that felt good!" Instead of moping on that missed forehand, ask your coach for another!! That positive attitude and desire to improve will be contagious.  

Today was another beautiful day in Santa Barbara. Mid 80s in the middle of winter...we are incredibly blessed! As I was teaching tennis today I remembered a saying a well known tennis coach told me - There should be GRATITUDE in your ATTITUDE!! So simple and cliche but we should take it with us where ever we go - school, tennis, life. 

YEAH!!

Just had to share - yesterday my husband and I, along with our best friends, bought our tickets to Europe. The highlight of the trip - the FRENCH OPEN!! I am so spoiled and blessed by this life I lead! 

Fed Cup

It is that time of the year again. The start of a new year and the Australian Open behind us. The ladies have to recover from the first grand slam and enter into a clash of countries. I love the team aspect of Fed Cup. It is similar to high school or college tennis, just on a HUGE scale! Some of the highlights of last weekend were - Russia led by Sharapova defeats Isreal and the USA led by the surprise Ashley Harkelroad beat Germany. USA played in San Diego and I would have loved to have been there. I have been to a Davis Cup match before and it is AWESOME. Rules are out the window. Cheering your loudest is required. Noise makers are allowed! These team formats are a great thing for tennis...where usually it is one person for them self. When competitors come together as teammates they only get better. 

You know this just made me think of something. So often as girls playing sports we get cranky, jealous, or care too much what the other girl is thinking. These bad thoughts and attitude can take the fun out of team tennis - junior tennis tennis, high school tennis, college or a USTA team. We should imitate the pros in situations like these. If they make tennis a team sport then we should to! So embrace it. Enjoy everything that goes along with it - uniforms, cheers, coaches, captains, personalities, challenge matches, friendships, team trips and meals. I hope the next time you are on a tennis team you are able to make the best of it! Sharapova, Harkelroad and others "sparkled" while competing for their countries - why don't we "sparkle" for our club, school, or USTA team!! 

If anyone has a chance to watch some matches (Tennis Channel) I would encourage it. We learn so much from following and studying the best in our industry or sport. I got to be patriotic, and say, " GO USA!"

Maria Sharapova Slow Motion Service Action

You know what Sharapova does to warm up her arm and to improve her serve?? She throws a football back and forth with her coach. The throwing motion is just like a serving motion...which is why as girls, our serves are not as strong! We need to practice throwing. This weekend - play some catch!!

MY INSPIRATION......

What are your life passions? What makes you tick? We can have many passions. Many trends in our lives that persuade us from time to time. However a true passion is steady. It doesn't come and go. I have had a few rock solid things in my life....my faith, my family and of course, tennis. For the sake of this blog, lets talk about tennis. It has been tennis since I was eight. Since I saw Venus Williams in her debut pro tennis match. Since I realized that I could play for hours and hours and not get bored. Since I gave up other sports to devote time to this thing I loved. Since I gave up all my weekends in high school to go to tournaments. Since I realized how cute those little tennis outfits were. Since I met great friends and eventually my best friend, my husband! 

Now I get to teach this game. Something that has been pivotal in my life. I am blessed to spend my days outside and spreading the love I have. My favorite age group to work with, are my girls! These 10 - 16 year old girls (plus or minus a few) who have style, strength, sass, and they remind me of myself at that age. Except they are such better tennis players then I was at their age...trust me I am not kidding! Tennis is a unique sport in the sense that the female athletes are still girly. They show off their beauty and their strength every time they step onto the court. Off the court, they shine! Feminine, fashion, Hollywood, family, kids, college, normalcy, acting, and wives. They are trying to be the best they can at every thing they do.

I want this web site, and my example, be a light to all these girls I teach. A tribute to the professional athletes we admire and look up to. I hope that we can learn from following the best in the game. By seeing how athletic yet girly they are. I hope that I can do my best to encourage those I am surrounded by and myself, to be the best we can. Lets sparkle on and off the court!

Shara-power

Well who would have thought on day one that Sharapova would have won the championships. I didnt! But so far with my predictions, whatever I think, the opposite will happen. Sharapova played out of her mind this entire tournament. Her opponent played tough and won more games than any of Maria's other opponents, in the end Sharapova's composure and experience won! 

Her and Ivanovic are only 20 years old. I always enjoy listening to the post match interviews. These two girls truly understand competition and how truly blessed they are. They gave the credits to the other person and thanked others for making the opportunity possible. You can always tell a true champion by their words after they compete. These two girls are both champions! They handled the moment gracefully and with lots of personality! 

Congrats to Maria Sharapova! Her first Australian Open title! 

Fist Pumps....

How about the fist pumps of these two?? Sharapova with the thumb through the pointer and middle finger. Then there is Ivanovic with the bicep curl fist pump. (My husband can't stand it....ha). 

Got to love the personality! Tonight these personalities take center stage....Who will get the final fist pump?? 

Finals Friday

Well it is still raining in Santa Barbara....In fact there is snow on the mountains! (The day my husband and I got married the mountains of this beach town were covered with snow!!) With the weather and a lot of great tennis on t.v. I have been staying up late watching the live matches and enjoying the Australian Open. Tonight live at 6:30 is the women's final! Sharapova verse Ivanovic....... A contest of strength, loud grunts, squeeky shoes, beauty and the two cutest tennis outfits (besides Kirilenko). My husband and I will be tuning in for sure. I bet most guys will be tuning in to this match!!! 

Now I have no idea who will win. Struggle has brought out the best in Ivanovic and she improves with each match. While Sharapova steam rolled, playing her best tennis ever, until the semifinals. At that point she was lucky enough to be on the same court while Jankovic self-destructed! This is Ivanovic's pursuit in winning her first Grand Slam...Can she stay composed? Can Sharapova keep her streak alive without dropping a set? What do YOU think? 

Final Four

Sharapova vs. Jankovic!

Ivanovic vs. Hantuchova!

Who do you think will be in the finals?? 

CHECK IT OUT!

My mom is an amazing photographer. Her emphasis is newborns and maternity but she rocks at everything! 

www.reneewhiting.com

www.reneewhiting.blogspot.com

Enjoy!

Rainy Tuesday

Well so far with my semifinal guesses I have been totally WRONG! Lets see if Venus can pull it off tonight against Ivanovic. (Both sporting really cute outfits). So cheer on the American!! She has her work cut out for her. Apparently the more we think we know, the less we actually do! The players who have not been playing well, played incredibly in the quarters. I am shocked!

Today in Santa Barbara it rained all day. Unfortunately it shows rain through next Tuesday. While we need the rain, as a tennis pro, it equals time off! Which is fun for a day but after awhile the work is good. I have been thinking about this blog a lot and how I would love to get junior high and high school girls everywhere following my blog.  If anyone has any suggestions about marketing, or even just pursuing your ideas and dreams, I would love to hear from you! With not a lot of on court time the next week, I am going to commit myself to bettering myself and others off the court. How can we sparkle better off the court? Love to hear from people! Enjoy the final few days of the Australian Open and the cold rainy days!

The Elite Eight

So it is week two at the Australian Open.... There are eight women left. Tonight a big match up between Serena Williams and Jelena Jankovic, and Justine Henin and Maria Sharapova. Tomarrow, Venus Williams takes on Anna Ivanovic, and Hantuchova plays the young Radwanska. These quarterfinal matches are worthy of being finals! Who do you think will make the semifinals? I am going to go with the Williams sisters, Henin, and Radwanska. Henin vs. Serena, and Venus vs. Radwanksa are my picks for the semis. Who are yours???

On a less exciting note, while teaching a clinic today and running for a forehand I rolled my ankle on a ball.... Ouch! It was not the most graceful of falls and needless to say, I am resorting to ice and Advil for a couple days!! 

Nicole Vaidisova Signature Shot

Venus Williams Signature Shot

Wimbledon Trip

Wanted to show these picture. Some of my favorites from our Euro 07 trip. The first a picture of center court at Wimbledon. Unfortunately it rained on the day we were given incredible tickets. We still enjoyed the day. There is a buzz in the air as you walk around the grounds!! 

The second picture, I think is so funny! In this small beach town in Ireland where most of the people were at the beach, we saw a few kids running down the roads with racquets, so I wanted to see where they were off to. These kids were happy as ever playing tennis on a court that in my opinion was more than a little beat up. But they didn't know any better. We should be so grateful for every chance we have to play tennis especially at our nice country clubs!! 

Quality Tennis!

So yesterdays tennis at the Australian Open will go down in history. First lets talk about the mens draw....Roddick loses in five, Blake wins in five, Federer wins in five and as I write Hewitt has his fifth match point in a four and a half hour match. They are playing at four am in the morning! What an incredible shape you have to be in to last that long. Not only fast and quick but you must be able to endure, to be the stronger person late in the match. 

Now the girls! Kirelenko took out Chakvetadze in a tough three set match! By the way, Kirelenko might be the most fashionable player out there. The young Radwanksa took out Kuznetsova. Anna Ivanovic won in two sets moving her on to the next round. Love that blue Adidas dress.....And Venus Williams playing under the lights won in two sets!!! 

On todays line up I am really excited about Serena Williams taking on Nichole Vaidasova. That has the makings of a being a hard hitting battle. Jankovic, who has barely scraped by, is taking on the hot young Australian Dallacqua. Going to be entertaining!

Yesterday I worked out hard in the gym (tried to be my own Jillian Micheals, ha) and then last night my husband and I played tennis. We played a set and a game of twenty one. Of course he won the set (guys serves!) and I won the next. But we were spent. Think about the quality of play and length of the matches the pros are having! I think I need a little more off court work and to play alot more tennis to be able to hit that intensity for as long as they do. 

I would love to inspire you today to get outside and play tennis! Grab your boyfriend, bestfriend or mom.... Trust me you will have FUN and get a workout!! 

First Thoughts

As I write this I am watching the Australian Open. The Williams sisters, Sharapova, Henin, Davenport, Ivanovic....The list goes on. These women are professional athletes, where normally not so feminine, these tennis players embrace who they are! They show off there strength and beauty. There are role models to younger up and coming tennis players. What more can I say besides Lindsey Davenport? New wife, new mom and still just an incredible tennis player and athlete. Or Serena Williams, who said this week that Lindsey Davenport is her ultimate role model. Or Venus Williams who just graduated from fashion school and one of Wimbledons greatest champions. 

I am a teaching pro who tries to leave the same mark on my lessons. I want my lessons to be athletic, fit, smart, beautiful girls. I try to be an example to them....Through my own tennis career, my own tennis fashion wardrobe, to my relationships. 

I hope this blog grows to be a tribute to what I just have talked about. To tennis, to "sparkling on and off the court", to being athletic and girly!

With the Australian Open upon us, I will give updates here about the women's draw. Go Serena!