Taking Pride in Something

When eight year old Olivia Wen was asked who her favorite tennis player is on stadium court immediately prior to the ladies semifinal match she was speechless. She wasn’t the only one speechless, as many of the hundreds who were watching the display of talent and ability of the 8 & under tennis players could only marvel at what they were seeing. Olivia Wen has a love for tennis. She trains at Weston Racquet Club at least three times per week with her fraternal twin sister Vivian and hits with her family on their home tennis court when she is not at the club.
But tennis isn’t her only passion. She plays the piano and ice skates. She is a well rounded individual who excels at everything she does. Just when the Wens thought it couldn’t get any better (they helped their club win the 8 & under state championship earlier this summer), it did. Not only was Olivia invited to participate in the first annual 8 & under invitational at the New Haven Open but also was invited to a 10 & under tennis demonstration at the U.S. Open in Flushing Meadows, New York as part of the USTA National Teacher’s Conference.

It doesn’t come without hard work, dedication and discipline. “Olivia rarely misses a lesson, is always on time, but more importantly has a genuine love for the game and is a true example of sportsmanship,” stated Angelo A. Rossetti, her tennis coach and director of tennis at Ivan Lendl’s Weston Racquet Club. He likes to think that Weston is the capital of 8 & under tennis. A future goal for Olivia would be to make her high school tennis team, a team that has posted five straight class S titles and has a nationally ranked player playing in the number one spot. Some have said that high school tennis passes through Weston. Rossetti likes to think that 8 & under tennis goes through Weston as well. The new format of teaching and competing for children 10 years old and younger involves lower compression balls, smaller racquets and a smaller court. 10 and Under Tennis is a revolutionary change in the way kids learn and play tennis, as well as compete. Tennis is following the formula that the majority of youth sports have used for years - tailoring equipment and courts to a child’s size and age so that they develop skills and have fun right from the start. 10 and Under Tennis is structured for kids to learn tennis and rally and play quickly in a way that is both enjoyable and rewarding.

Tailoring equipment and courts so they are sized appropriately for kids makes the game more accessible—and more fun—by allowing kids to get involved right from the start. 10 and Under Tennis eliminates waiting in long lines to hit the ball and the frustration kids feel at not being able to rally. Kids will enjoy playing the game right away and will keep coming back for more, developing a lifelong passion and appreciation for tennis – also helping to grow tennis programs.

The invitational event included a flight of matches held indoors at the Yale Cullman-Heyman Tennis Center. The top six total game winners advanced to play a singles and doubles match on stadium court side by side. These matches were announced by Wayne Bryan, the father of the #1 doubles team on the ATP Tour, Bob and Mike Bryan. He adds color commentary during matches each year at the New Haven Open. Olivia Wen won the finals 7-3, 7-6 against Audrey Magnusen, who played for Norwalk Stars during the winter for USTA Junior Team Tennis. Wen had two service aces enabling her to clinch the first set. She ended up winning the sudden death point at 6-6 to clinch a straight set victory.

“She was actually physically shivering with all the excitement, and perhaps nervousness,” stated Warren Wen, Olivia’s father. She didn’t go to bed until past midnight that evening as she still was so amazed at her experience.

Wen wasn’t the only player from the Weston area to have success at the New Haven Open. Prem Dave, a seven year old from Norwalk, was also undefeated en route to playing a doubles final on stadium court as well. They have built a good friendship and enjoy training together at Weston Racquet Club. The Club fully adopted tennis with the Quickstart format about three years ago when it was first being launched across the country.

Probably the most special moment came after Wen won the competition and completed her undefeated experience at the New Haven Open. She was with her family and coach when a young girl asked for her autograph. She was stunned as she signed a large fuzzy yellow tennis ball. When asked how she felt signing her first autograph Wen said, "I was there getting autographs from Caroline Wozniacki. Never thought I would be signing one. It was so cool!"

“The quality of play this year was excellent and many from Yale attended to cheer on Caroline Wozniacki, Li Na and other top players. The tournament showcases New Haven at its best and we look forward to its growth in 2012 and beyond,” said Yale University President Rick Levin. You can now add Olivia Wen as one of those top players.

John Pirtel, the director of New Haven Youth Tennis and Education, who served as the tournament director for the 8 & Under Invitational commented on the Quickstart format. “It’s really important. Kids are able to get strokes down quicker and to pick it up easier. On bigger courts that was impossible.” Matt Fraenza, Tennis Industry Marketing Manager for the New Haven Open at Yale, played a key role in not only selecting the players for the invitational but also helping run smoothly in synch with the New Haven Open professional tournament itself – and the timing had to be perfect. Since the semifinal match between Caroline Wozniacki and Francesca Schiavone was nationally televised, the window to have the 8 and under finals played on stadium court was extremely small. All in all it was a huge success, leaving a few minutes to spare, just enough time to clean up the stadium court for the televised match.

“This is all with an eye toward helping kids feel more successful quicker on the tennis court: Immediate gratification,” New Haven Open tournament director Anne Worcester. “More kids are enrolling in lessons and staying in lessons and moving on to competitive opportunities.”

“In the history of USTA, this is the largest investment we’ve made in youth tennis,” said Sue Hunt, managing director of marketing for USTA National. “With the changes, we think kids are going to fall in love with sport and develop the skills to play.” And fall in love with the sport is what the Wens have done.
For now Olivia will continue her pursuit of tennis, with her eyes set on her second state championship in the 10 & under division for Weston Racquet Club. More information about 10 & under tennis can be found online at www.10andundertennis.com while specific tennis programs local to the Weston area can be found online at www.WestonRacquet.com.

Photo Captions:
Photo 1: Weston Racquet Club’s Olivia Wen, 8 years old, hitting a forehand during her victory on stadium court at the New Haven Open.
Photo 2: Olivia Wen signs her first autograph ever for a young fan in the stands while her mother, Jing Ping, proudly looks on.
Photo 3: Olivia Wen, 8 years old, on the left, Angelo A. Rossetti, Director of Tennis at Weston Racquet Club, and Prem Dave, 7 years old, at the 1st Annual 8 & Under Invitational at the New Haven Open.

Putting Life into Perspective

Thanks to my brother Ettore for keeping me updated on the global events that put my life into perspective. Please take a moment to read my brother's blog post below:

Fast-A-Thon for Save the Children

"Experiencing Vicarious Empathy"


Ettore Rossetti, Director, Internet Communications & Marketing


Westport, CT

August 8, 2011

I work for Save the Children in the Westport, CT office. The situation caused by the droughts in East Africa is dire for children especially. Though I serve the mission of children professionally, I thought to myself ‘what can

I do personally to help even more.’ So last month during the heat wave here in the U.S., I was voluntarily working through lunch and I started to feel a late afternoon hunger pain. So, I walked downstairs to the lunchroom at about 2:45 pm in the afternoon. The door was closed, so I missed a meal. I pulled a dollar out of my pocket and tried to buy a snack from the vending machine…but it only takes exact change and I did not have 90¢, so I skipped a snack. Feeling thirsty, I walked back upstairs to the nearest coffee station but the coffee ran out, so I settled for water. I settled for water.

That’s how easy it is in Westport, CT or Washington D.C. or in much of America to find food when we are hungry or water when we are thirsty: Walking a few yards inside an air-conditioned building. But these children in East Africa walk for miles under the desert sun to get to food or water.

Every week, six year-old Sofia, carries her two-year old sister, Suada, on her back for miles to a Save the Children feeding center in Kenya. I am a parent like many of you and even if you are not a parent, we were all children once.

Imagine a child having to endure this…imagine if Sofia was your child? It is unimaginable. And in that moment I realized that there is something I could do about it. I could voluntarily fast to feel empathy. We could all fast to feel empathy and then tell our friends about it. We can be sympathetic to the plight of those children but we cannot feel empathy unless we experience some of their pain. The hunger pain around the lunch hour is a very small glimpse of their pain. And so Save the Children’s Fast-A-Thon was born in that moment of inspiration.

Some of my colleagues in the field can experience empathy directly. But through the power of the Internet, we can all experience empathy vicariously. And it is this vicarious empathy that connects us all. As I was just about to close my laptop at about 3 a.m. last night, I received a chat message on Facebook from a woman in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia thanking me for all we were doing for her country.

Some people say that social networking demonstrates the theory of “six degrees of separation” -- the idea that everyone is on average six steps away from any other person on Earth. I believe that these friend-to-friend networks do not separate us but rather connect us. Perhaps we should rename this theory to the “six degrees of connection." If we all ask 10 of our friends to donate $10 – the price of a meal – that’s $100. $100 can help us feed 1 child for 100 days, until the rains come back. That’s the power of social networking.

Thank you to all of you who are participating in Fast-A-Thon by fasting, friendraising or fundraising. But most importantly, I would like to recognize those children in East Africa who are fasting involuntarily.

____________
About Fast-A-Thon: Fast-A-Thon is a voluntary, 24-hour fasting marathon organized by Save the Children to show solidarity and to demonstrate empathy for the millions of children suffering from hunger and thirst in East Africa due to the food crisis.

About Save the Children: Save the Children is the leading, independent organization that creates lasting change for children in need in the United States and around the world. Follow us on Twitter and Facebook.

The ABC's of Life

I just received a gift of a plaque from a friend that I wanted to share. I added my thoughts at the end of each phrase.

Accept differences (because everyone is unique)
Be kind (because you appreciate more when others are kind to you)
Count your blessings (because life is a gift and you never know how long you'll be around)
Dream (because it makes life all the more amazing)
Express thanks (because the phrase "thank you" is one of the most powerful yet under-used phrases in the English language)
Forgive (because you never know when you'll need to be forgiven)
Give freely (because generosity builds character and bridges between us)
Harm no one (as nothing is gained)
Imagine more (because the world is our oyster)
Jettison anger (because smiles look much nicer than frowns)
Keep confidences (because that's what they are meant for)
Love truly (because it enriches peoples lives including our own)
Master something (as it's much better than be ok at everything)
Nurture hope (because it gives people things to strive for)
Open your mind (as you can never stop learning)
Pack lightly (as you'll never know who you'll need to carry)
Quell rumors (since most are never positive or accurate)
Reciprocate (because it's the right thing to do)
Seek wisdom (as it's the best way to grow and learn from other's mistakes)
Touch hearts (because life is too superficial)
Understand (as listening is a skill worth nurturing)
Value truth (as it builds trust)
Win graciously (as you'll build friends not competitors)
Xeriscape (as it helps preserve the earth's resources)
Yearn for peace (since it's a way to unify the world)
Zealously support a worthy cause (as it puts others in need first)

The ABC's of Life by R. Stewart 2005

Believe in Yourself

It was Friday afternoon about two weeks ago and my cell rang while I was at home with my family. I stepped into the bathroom to grab the call as it was from one of my tennis students who was trying out for her high school tennis team as a freshman. Through the sound of fighting off tears she exclaimed "I made the team!"

Through a teary-eyed response I said "Congratulations, I am SO proud of you!"

You have to understand the backdrop of this story in order to appreciate the significance. A few weeks prior she came for our weekly lesson being down on herself. She had told me she went to a clinic and a pro told her that she didn't have enough topspin on her forehand and because of that it wouldn't be likely that she would make her high school team.

I asked her to observe me hitting a forehand. She fed me a ball and I cranked it across the net, fairly low, flat and hard. It was in for a winner. I asked her "Now did THAT have enough topspin?!" She responded, yes because it was in.

"Exactly!" You only need enough spin to keep it in. Everyone has their own amount of topspin I explained. After a confidence boosting lesson I sat down with her afterwards and asked a simple question, "Do you think you will make the team?"

Her answer was something like "I'm not sure, maybe."

In a tone similar to grabbing someone by the shoulders and staring them down, with a look of confidence glaring right through her soul I said "You will make the team." Tell me that as if you mean it. She said "I will make the team," more because I was asking her to rather than from the heart of someone who believed it.

Ok, here's the deal. For your homework please go home and write down by next week "I will make the high school team" one hundred times on a sheet of paper. Can you do that? She said she could. Then I instructed her to do one other thing. Write a press release and post date it as if it already has happened. I explained to her that I did the same thing when I was preparing to set the world record for the longest rally with my brother. "But I've never written a press release." I told her not to worry. I helped her with what it could say but it had to state that she made her high school team. She gave me her word that she would complete her assignments and I knew that she would as she committed to me with sincerity.

Having her buy-in was the key to starting the process of getting her to believe in her goal.

The next week she presented me with her completed assignments, both the sheet of 100 times saying she will make the team and the press release. I was so impressed that her hand writing was so neat. She obviously was meticulous in doing her homework as making the team meant a lot to her. The press release was short and sweet but mainly covered all that it needed to. So then I asked her the million dollar question "Do you NOW believe you'll make the team?" She said, well yes. But do you BELIEVE you will make the team? The hesitation was enough to tell me she didn't believe it yet. You need to keep reading what you wrote until you believe it. That's your last assignment before try outs.

She was definitely an underdog in my opinion in making the team since there is a lot of tennis talent in her city and it was her first time trying out. With that said, my goal with her wasn't to have her make the team....it was to get her to believe that she would make the team.

Everyone has different goals in life. Coaches and teachers should first believe in their student's goals then get them to believe in them themselves. Her making the team was just important to her as me setting a world record for charity.

Remember that BELIEVING in your goals is just as important as setting them.

Suggested Reading:
"What It Takes To Be NUMBER ONE" by Vince Lombardi & Vince Lombardi, Jr.

What makes a moment in life special?

When you expect one thing something else usually happens. I was teaching a lesson on "topspin" yesterday. Topspin is the art of striking a tennis ball and making it roll forward rapidly without going out but clearing the net. One of the women in my clinic has been trying to master this difficult concept for over a year. It never has really "clicked" for her.

I was trying every angle, expression, rhyme and saying until finally it "clicked!" I knew it clicked, not because of what I saw but what we felt. Sometimes in life you have those "moments." Yesterday's lesson was one of those for me. I had so much enjoyment and satisfaction that I had during the lesson after we had break through after break through.

Although I received wonderful thank you emails from both players in my clinic I owe thanks to them for making me realize that I am truly blessed to be pursuing my passion of teaching tennis and directing others to do the same. I give my best lessons to those who I really admire as people not just as players. We have mutual trust and admiration so we can try different ways to learn and to teach so that we get to the end result together.

I would have paid the players for the happiness that my lesson brought me.

When you get down on yourself in life or feel down on your luck just remember to count your blessings and perhaps your negative feelings will become distant memories.

The photo above shows Nicolas Mahut, my twin brother Ettore and me at the International Tennis Hall of Fame last summer after Mahut's longest match in the history of tennis at Wimbledon. We are honored to be asked back to coach and inspire tennis children this summer for the 3rd year in a row. I'm sure the experience will provide another moment for me.

Suggested Viewing:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yaXVk5GBx-s (inspirationl sports moment)

Having a Positive Attitude is Contagious

When I compete I always try to be positive with my doubles partner. Enjoying the process and not focusing on the result of winning or losing is so key to success in any sport and in life, since you don't have a direct affect on the outcome.

They say when you lose sometimes you win. Although we earned 3rd place in the Pro-am and lost the tournament, we found something more important - friendship.

I received a compelling email from my partner of which this was my response:

I am humbled by your kind words. You have so much potential in tennis. I only wish I was as good of a player as you are when I was your age.

I have learned to enjoy the process because life is short. Everyone seems to focus on the result - which is something you have no control over. You can control your level of effort, sportsmanship and positive energy.

I sincerely hope that you can take what we learned tonight and apply it to your college tennis career. Playing D1 tennis at UCONN, making the team as a walk on, earning the best record my final season and representing my school and the comradery with all my teammates was one of the best memories and experiences in my life.

So.....please enjoy the process, never get down on yourself and forget the past and focus on being present in tennis and in life - and you'll be a huge success.

But here's the thing - you already are.

Now strive for being undefeated in your position by giving it your best effort for every practice and every match and cheer on your teammates like I support you during our matches and you'll graduate knowing that you can take that experience and build upon it in life.

One day you'll be the pro and your am will be thanking you for encouraging him to victory.

Thank you again for your sincere appreciation, something that is all too often neglected in life.

Your friend,

Remember, stay focused on the process and keeping things in perspective will change the entire meaning of winning and losing.

Suggested Viewing:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yaXVk5GBx-s (Inspirational sportsmanship sports video)

The True Meaning of Giving

My 4 year old daughter and I helped with the Basket Brigade today. I want to teach my daughter at an early age that giving to others in need is something that we need to do as people. Not everyone can afford a Thanksgiving dinner and good people aren't defined by the tough times they go through. I first got involved to be a volunteer a few years ago when I was studying to become a Dale Carnegie instructor after graduating from a few classes. That is where I met two wonderful people; Victor and Cristina.

So we set out to help assemble the Turkey baskets, which had more than just a turkey in them. They included food donated from stores including a turkey, a metal bin to cook it in, a bag of potatoes, 2 cans of peas, 2 cans of green beans, a pumpkin, some other food items and a toy all packaged in a laundry basket. We were set out as a team to deliver 650 baskets. I brought some of my co-workers and their families to help out as a team-building exercise.

On the ride there I explained to my daughter that we were going to pick out a toy at the store so that we can add it to one of the baskets. She immediately started to cry like one of those downpours of rain that comes fast and unexpectedly. I consoled her by saying that we weren't giving away one of her toys but rather buying one for someone who couldn't afford one. When I told her that these people didn't have any money she exclaimed "but I don't have any money." I told her that the parents of these children don't have money and that we would buy the same toy that she already had.

It was my way of getting her to not only understand the purpose of our journey on a Saturday but also to get her excited for what we were set out to do. Needless to say she embraced the idea, ran into the store and down the aisles until she found the dinosaur toy.

Upon arriving at the warehouse in Milford we were greeted with the exciting and energy of hundreds of volunteers packing baskets, singing and dancing. Girl scouts, boy scouts, adults and children alike. What a warm, wonderful feeling of giving. It was an organized assembly line when we walked in. Different foods organized along large tables with volunteers on each table end placing each of the food items in as other volunteers carried the baskets from table to table.

After a couple of hours of assembling now came the really rewarding part - where we drive the baskets to the homes. Our first home we had to deliver 2 baskets. The turkey was too heavy for my daughter to lift so I had her bring the toys and pumpkin pies that were in each basket. We were greeted by a family, the father answering the door, with their two children coming down the stairs and the mother coming to the door from their kitchen. It was a very small house with a front door that was more like a small side door.

I encouraged my daughter to give the stuffed animals to the two children, which she did. One of the children warmingly took the toy and thanked Madison but the other, younger sister, was shy and didn't know what to make of this unexpected act of kindness. Finally, with her parents' encouragement, she extended her hand and took the gift. Our next delivery found us knocking on a door that wasn't answered. Just before we left, the resident from the apartment upstairs came down to get her mail so I asked if anyone was home in the downstairs apartment. We didn't realize we were knocking on the back door. She onto the front we went and sure enough, we met three African American adults, it looked like a mother and her two grown sons. They remarked on how my daughter should go into modeling since she looks like Shirley Temple.

Finally, we met the last woman outside of Walmart since when I called her she said she wasn't home but to meet her there. I certainly hope that she wasn't homeless but it didn't look like she was living out of her Ford. She passed us by once, I think making sure that we were legitimate, or to assemble enough courage to accept such a donation. She stopped the second time next to our car and greeted us with a huge smile. She is a nursery school teacher in New Haven for 3-year-olds. This hit home with me since my daughter just turned 4 and currently attends nursery school.

Paying it forward is something that we all need to do when we are able. Anthony Robbins once said "Everyone has the need to contribute. It is one of the six human needs. The need to give from your heart, it will come back to you tenfold."

In every basket we had a piece of paper with a neatly typed message which read 'This comes from someone who cares about you. All that we ask is that you take care of yourself and hopefully someday you repay the favor to someone who needs it.'

Suggested Reading/Watching

Anthony Robbins on the Basket Brigade
http://www.anthonyrobbinsfoundation.org/video/ar_on_bb_player.html