The three sisters is an agricultural technique used by Native Americans long before the advent of pesticides and is considered a symbiotic and ecologically sound method of cultivation :
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| (There is also a '4th sister'-the Rocky Mountain bee plant which attracts bees to pollinate the plants) |
1.Eyes
2.Feet
3.Hands
1.Eyes: Focus on the ball from the time your opponent gets ready to hit it and all the way to your racquet.
2. Feet: Move your feet to get into position to hit the ball.
3. Hands: Your left hand (for righties) should push or pull the racquet to get your shoulders turned and to get the racquet head in position behind the ball before the ball bounces on your side.
This tennis version of the Three Sisters will get your game consistent and dependable rally after rally.
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| 2009 Three Sisters commemorative dollar coin |
Zen Tennis : A guide for League Players to reach Tennis Nirvana
2014 Tennis League concludes !
Thank you all !
Despite the fact that the total number of matches played were less than last year,there is no question of the fact that
it was a lot of fun !
The play offs to decide the winners are also concluding soon and we wish to thank each one of you for your support of the Hudson Valley's largest tennis league.
As a celebratory tribute to League Players,please enjoy watching this video of the 2014 Bastille Day fireworks over the Eiffel Tower:
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The all body stretch in 5 minutes or less !
Details at:
https://www.yahoo.com/health/the-world-s-greatest-stretch-c1412789780341.html
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Zen Tennis :a series of articles to help League Players reach tennis Nirvana
"You can have my name,you can have my number ...but you can never have my heart"
-Theme song from the Bond movie,'Skyfall'.
Even when your opponent is playing well,you can still create a significant impact if you have heart.
Playing with 'heart' means playing with the intention of winning. The thought of losing is not even an option. Think Jimmy Connors. He played every match like he was going to win.-giving it his 110%.
In order to play with 'heart'. you need to :
1. Get back to back to basics: watch the ball,move your feet,and avoid risky shots.
2. Play each point as if it were match point.
3. Focus on the moment not the aches,the heat or the result.
These 3 things will make you change the fulcrum point of the match and you might even come from behind!
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Better late than never !
The article below,on Malala Yousafzai, was published last year on this web site just before the Nobel Peace Prize was awarded. Unfortunately she did not receive the prize last year but won it this year along with an Indian children's rights advocate. Malala is Pakistani and having an Indian and Pakistani share the Nobel Peace Prize just as India and Pakistan are going to war,is ironical-to say the least.
As ironical as setting up a good point and then flubbing the put away shot !
I am Malala (published 10/8/13)
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| Malala Yousafzai |
Malala Yousafzai is a 16 year old Pakistani girl who was going to school when the Taliban entered the school bus and shot her for daring to get educated. She was left bleeding but ultimately rescued and sent to England for treatment of her complicated injuries. A piece of her skull had to be replaced with a titanium piece.She now carries that piece of her skull as a reminder of her mission-a mission to provide education to girls all over the world. She has been a spokesperson for education despite continuing to be on the Taliban's hit list.
Her book entitled " I am Malala" was released this month and the words " I am Malala" has been incorporated by children all over the world as a rallying cry and support for Malala and women's education.
She is a favorite to get the Nobel Peace Prize this year-to be announced Friday 10/10/13.
We applaud her courage-and as a reminder to League Players : persistence and passion can get you from impossible situations to successful ones.
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For League Players who don't want to practice.....
(Thanks,Donna Viertel, for sharing this quote !)
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Eye on the ball .....
We all have been told to do that and here are some pros who do just that !
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League Players Shine in Woodstock Open !!
League players left their mark on the clay courts at Woodstock with 6 of them reaching the finals !
Jihyuk Han and Don Tegeler were in the Open Doubles finals.
Claudia Brown beat Elyssa Staub in a match with long rallies.
In the Men's Finals Steve Hack beat
the defending champion ,The Terminator, Greg Tellier.
Greg had won last year's championship defeating
Ulster County Champion Shawn Holzmann, in the finals. So by this calculation, Steve can be considered the best player in Ulster County---and he is a League player too !
Welcome to the Elite Group,Steve !!
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| Don Tiegler/Jihyuk Han ( extreme right) Doubles Finalists |
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| Steve Hack beat The Terminator in the Men's Singles Finals |
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| Claudia Brown(L) d Elyssa Staub in the Women's finals. |
3 degrees of separation ! !
Steve Hack won the 2014 Woodstock Open Singles defeating
-->The Terminator,Greg Tellier who --> beat Ulster County Champion,Shawn Holzmann in the 2013 Woodstock finals.
So doesn't that make Steve the #1 player in Ulster County ?
We think so !
Or as Fox News would say : " We report -you decide" !!
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The Lone Rangers
2 beautiful mornings this weekend and no one playing tennis !
Except for the Lone Rangers....
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| League Player Lisa Carbone and her husband were the only occupants of the 7 courts at UCCC |
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| The Terminator Greg Tellier(R) and friend were the loners at Forsyth Park |
The void....
When the pot holes outside the tennis courts were glistening with new gravel and shiny paving material,it had less to do with the town's new found love for tennis but more to do with putting on a happy face for the attendees of the 'Touch a Truck' ( yes that was the name) expo. The tennis courts were empty but that was probably because there was no place to park for tennis players !
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| Empty courts... |
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| Full parking lot for the truck expo ! |
Fall League Begins !!
The Fall Edition (groan....!) of the Mid Hudson Tennis League has begun !
Players in the Spring League are automatically enrolled in the Fall League at no extra charge and retain their points ! New entrants are welcome too. This will give League Players some extra playing time till mid October when the play offs take place.
So don't hang up your racquets and make use of the extended summer weather we are having !!
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Coach of the Year: Pete Zeeh
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| Ace Coach Pete Zeeh at his home court |
He now gives private lessons at his home court at Sawkill Road in Kingston in the summer and teaches in Englewood,Florida in the winter.
He also gives FREE lessons at Forsyth Park on Saturdays at 10 a.m.
Pete has a very simple yet very effective approach to teaching. He takes the technique used by a player, and simplifies it without modifying it. The result is instant improvement (we have tested and tried it!)
Pete Zeeh can be reached at:
pete@zeeh.com
and at 845-331-4355.
We recommend him highly !!
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Winners !!
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| Extreme left (back row): Vicky Madonna and Kevin Madonna |
Vicky and Kevin won their first three matches on July 20, but lost in the finals played on August 21. Their runner-up trophy was presented to them by James Blake on center court after the conclusion of the women's quarter finals.
Kevin is also heading to Tuscon,AZ to play for his USTA team at the National Championships. We wish him the best !
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