Tennis

Celebrating Hispanic Heritage Month: Jeff Gomez & The Tennis Twins

Published

8 months ago

October 14, 2022

darragh

n celebration of Hispanic Heritage Month, which takes place Sept. 15 – Oct. 15, USTA Florida is recognizing members of Florida’s rich Hispanic community whose talents and dedication help to grow the great game of tennis every day — at every level. We applaud them all for making tennis a better and more inclusive sport, and for making the face of our game more accurately reflect the dynamic diversity of our country.

When it comes to tennis for Jeff Gomez, family is the first thing he thinks of. Gomez, who got into tennis later in his life, has dedicated a lot of time to the sport as he supports his twin daughters. “Family means love, and that means everything to me, my kids, my wife, they are everything!”

Jeff Gomez and the Tennis Twins

Gomez comes from Columbian decent, as his parents moved their family to America due to hardships back in his home country. He grew up playing baseball, but always had a passion for professional sports. “When I was in college, I would turn on ESPN and I used to watch the highlights of Pete Sampras and Serena Williams, and I was like, this is a pretty cool sport.”

Jeff loves to watch his daughters play tennis and supports them everyday.

When Jeff’s twin daughters, Jordyn and Jaedyn turned about 4 years old, he wanted them to get involved with sports. So, his wife said, “Tennis is an explosive sport and it’ll be great for girls. It builds character and girl power.”

Having a smaller background in tennis at the time, Jeff had to hit the books and learn everything he could to prepare his girls for the sport. “I’d go on YouTube and I’d watch videos, read books, find tutorials so I could learn how to teach these kids.”

Even though they were active in other sports, the twins decided they wanted to stick with tennis because that’s the sport they had the most fun playing. That decision has paid off well for the girls as they are well known throughout their community and the tennis scene.

“They go to school, and everybody knows them as the Tennis Twins,” he said. “Kids will come up to my daughters at tournaments, as go ‘you’re the tennis twins, can we get a picture with you guys?’ So, that’s cool to see.”

Since the girls have social media presence, Jeff tells them to live their life to inspire others. “You never know who’s looking at your social media,” he said. “There could be a 13-year-old girl somewhere, who might click on a picture and want to play tennis or feel inspired.”

In his free time, Jeff loves to paint and teach others how to. “I started drawing young, and in high school I took art classes. Then I went to college, and I majored in art,” he recalled. “It’s just the love of it that stayed there.”

Jeff recently painted Rafael Nadal, who is a major inspiration to tennis.

He enjoys painting on canvas and loves to capture moments of professional athletes. His most recent one was of tennis legend, Rafael Nadal. “I look to an athlete that inspires me and that has made an impact.”

Why It’s Important To Celebrate Hispanic Heritage Month

Jeff finds it extremely important to celebrate Hispanic Heritage Month both in tennis and outside of it. On the tennis side, he talked about some of the game’s best players being Hispanic.

“In the Spanish Community, there’s a lot of people up there that we can look at as are our heroes,” Gomez said. “That’s inspirational, look at tennis, the top two players in the world are from Spain, in Carlos Alcaraz and Rafael Nadal.”

He also talked about his parents, who grew up and lived in Colombia for years. His father instilled work ethic into him, because in Colombia “there was a need to work hard,” Gomez said. “I saw how hard they worked just to help us with baseball practice, driving us to games and there was a sense of pride. This is where we’re from, this is our language, our food, our culture, and our community.”

When it comes to his daughters, their tennis coaches have all been Hispanic, so he knows how important they are to the community. “My side, being full of Hispanic Heritage, they got to see that and be inspired, and it has to stick to them.”

The post Celebrating Hispanic Heritage Month: Jeff Gomez & The Tennis Twins appeared first on USTA Florida.

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Tennis

Four Fabulous (And Healthy) Prep-Ahead Smoothie Recipes

Published

5 days ago

May 25, 2023

darragh

Today we’re sharing four fabulous, (mostly) vegan/dairy-free healthy smoothie recipes, all of which can be made ahead so you won’t be late for your tennis match or work, or wherever you need to be. Each one of these healthy AND delicious smoothies has no added sugar, which means no juice, no maple syrup, no honey…nada. Just the natural sweetness of the fruit in the smoothie!

Prepare the smoothies ahead of time:

You can use freezer bags, but mason jars are perfect since they are reusable. Jars do require more space in your freezer to store, and they collect frost faster, so it’s best to prepare the smoothies no more than 2 weeks prior to drinking them.

Place the frozen fruit chunks at the bottom, and follow with your add-ins: extracts, flax, chia seeds, spices, etc. are all totally fine to add in!
Top the jars with any greens like kale or spinach (great nutrition and fiber that you CAN’T taste!!), and seal with the jar lids.
NOTE: DON’T use fresh fruit as any moisture will freeze the fruit to the jar itself, making it difficult to get out of the jars.
These smoothies will keep for about 2 weeks in the freezer.

The Tropical Turmeric Smoothie

This smoothie is PACKED full of anti-inflammatory promoting ingredients including the turmeric, pineapple and leafy green spinach (or kale). And you can’t taste the turmeric or the leafy greens, just pure tropical bliss! This makes a perfect post-match or post-workout treat as the anti-inflammatory properties help your body to recover more quickly.

Image Source: POPSUGAR Photography / Michelle Bell

Serves 1 | Total calories: 305 | Total protein: 5g | Total carbs: 49g

INGREDIENTS

1-1/4 cups almond milk
1 cup kale or spinach, packed
1/4 teaspoon turmeric
pinch of black pepper
1 tablespoon chia seeds
1-1/2 cups frozen pineapple chunks

PREPARATION

Combine the first 5 ingredients in a blender and blend until smooth.
Add the pineapple chunks and blend again until completely smooth.

Blueberry Coconut Protein Smoothie

This smoothie is packed full of antioxidant rich blueberries, hydrating coconut water, and gets a boost of protein thanks to a scoop of hemp hearts. The blueberries, coconut water, nutty hemp hearts and greek yogurt pair perfectly together for a protein-packed post match/workout snack!

Image Source: POPSUGAR Photography / Michelle Bell

Serves 1 | Total calories: 300 | Total protein: 17g | Total carbs: 49g

INGREDIENTS

1 cup spinach, packed
1 cup coconut water
1/2 cup yogurt (full-fat plain or Greek)
1-1/2 cups frozen blueberries
1/4 teaspoon coconut extract
1 tablespoon hemp hearts

PREPARATION

Combine the first three ingredients in a blender and blend until smooth.
Add the blueberries, coconut extract, and hemp hearts. Blend again until smooth.

Green Mango Antioxidant Smoothie

This smoothie is PACKED with superfoods: mango, spinach, chia seeds, ground flax…so many antioxidants in one drink! A touch of almond extract pairs surprisingly well with the mango and really takes the flavor up a notch. And a big YAY for the antioxidants! We want all the antioxidants we can get because they can lower the risk of cancer and fight against aging!

Image Source: POPSUGAR Photography / Michelle Bell

Serves 1 | Total calories: 289 | Total protein: 8g | Total carbs: 41g

INGREDIENTS

1 cup spinach, packed
1-1/4 cups almond milk
1-1/2 cups frozen ripe mango chunks
1 teaspoon ground flax
1 tablespoon chia seeds
1/8 teaspoon almond extract

PREPARATION

Combine the spinach and almond milk in a blender and blend until smooth.
Add the mango chunks, flax, chia seeds and almond extract. Blend again until smooth.

Goji Peach Cherry “Good Night” Smoothie

Goji berriesare linked to a huge list of health benefits including longevity, calmness and improved sleep, and weight loss. Interestingly, cherries are a good source of melatonin and are linked to improved sleep as well. What a tasty way to get a good night’s sleep before your morning match!

Image Source: POPSUGAR Photography / Michelle Bell

Serves 1 | Total calories: 229 | Total protein: 6g | Total carbs: 36g

INGREDIENTS

1 cup spinach, packed
1 1/4 cup almond milk
1 cup frozen cherries
1/2 cup frozen peach slices
1 tablespoon goji berries

Optional:

1 tablespoon chia seeds
1 teaspoon ground flax

PREPARATION

Combine the spinach and almond milk in a blender and blend until smooth.
Add the cherries, peach slices, and goji berries. Blend again until smooth.

IMPORTANT NOTE:

Goji berries can have some side effects, particularly with Warfarin and diabetes drugs, and should be avoided entirely if you’re pregnant.

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Tennis

5 Tips To Neutralize A Net Rusher In Tennis

Published

6 days ago

May 24, 2023

darragh

Rushing the net happens more often in doubles tennis, and occasionally you’ll come across a team in which not just one, but BOTH partners will not only serve and volley, but will also come in to the net with their returns. EVERY. FRICKIN. TIME.

Uuuuugh! It’s so frustrating! They move in to the net and mentally slap you with intimidation, putting you in defensive mode, forcing you to think fast and make a passing shot.

But DON’T FALL INTO THEIR TRAP. Only the very best volleyers cope well at the net, and even though they might seem they can handle it, the odds are strongly in your favor that they can’t. Matter of fact, sometimes this intimidation is merely masking some other weakness.

Don’t get me wrong, if you’ve got a solid ground stroke, you’ll get it by them a few times. But sooner or later (no doubt sooner), your opponent will be reading you like a cheap romance novel.

So what can you do?

You’ve gotta change up your game – and often. Call your opponent’s bluff and make her work for the point! These are some great things you can do (other than your passing shot) that will help neutralize your net rusher:

hit deep – keep your groundies low and close to the baseline, which will keep them back.
lob – force the net rusher back by lobbing over the head of the person already at net. Both players should then move back, which will allow you and your partner to take control of the net.
hit a dipper – using heavy topspin, hit a short return to the net rusher’s feet as she’s coming in, which will result in her hitting a shorter, higher and softer ball, thus setting up your passing shot.
get aggressive – give the net rusher a taste of her own medicine. As she’s coming in, hit the ball as hard as you can, keeping it low and aiming for her abdomen – and move in. At best she’ll only be able to block the ball back, setting up your passing shot.
mix it up – keep you opponent guessing by dishing out all of the above.

If you succeed in discouraging a net-rusher, you often find that all their ammunition miraculously disappears!

Jen C.

May 24, 2023
May 24, 2023

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Tennis

Review: The Babolat Pure Strike 16 x 19 3rd Gen Tennis Racquet

Published

1 week ago

May 23, 2023

darragh

I’ve been playing with the Babolat Pure Strike 16 x 19 3rd Gen Tennis Racquet for a month or so, and what sets the Babolat Pure Strike series apart from many others is its wide range of styles for all play levels. The Pure Strike 16 x 19 has an 11.4 oz strung weight and 98 in² head size, making it very appealing, indeed.

The Babolat Pure Strike 16 x 19 is perfect for all-court players who want a well-balanced tennis racquet that performs consistently across a wide range of strokes.

Babolat Technologies

Babolat’s Pure Strike 16 x 19 utilizes a number of key technologies that give tennis players a competitive boost on the court.

Woofer

Babolat’s patented Woofer Technology is the first dynamic system that makes the frame and the strings interact when striking the ball, allowing for a more generous sweet spot, additional power, and less shock.

Hybrid Frame Construction

The frame uses square and elliptical shapes in strategic locations, offering a highly responsive blend of control and power with excellent feel and precision.

FSI Power

Babolat also uses its patented FSI Power technology to increase the spacing of the cross strings. This results in more power, spin, and comfort when striking the ball.

C2 Pure Feel

New to this 3rd generation racquet is a thin rubber material applied at the frame’s three and nine o’clock positions. This technology creates a softer, more dampened feel.

What I Love About the Babolat Pure Strike 16 x 19

Based on my evaluation, here area few of the Babolat Pure Strike 16 x 19 attributes I loved the most.

Maneuverability

The Pure Strike 16 x 19 is easy to maneuver at 11.4 ounces and 327 swing weight, making it effortless to bring the racquet back for groundstrokes and transition for volleys at the net.

Groundstrokes

With its 98 in² head, the frame delivered plenty of power while its 16×19 string pattern helped produce crazy spin. Additionally, its flexible frame offered great control.

Returns

This highly maneuverable racquet delivered fantastic performance, especially when returning fast and deep serves that require you to react quickly and pull your racquet back fast.

Volleys

The Pure Strike 16 x 19 is unique because it also maintains high marks up at the net with volleys. Its light weight makes bringing the racquet head up for a quick poach a breeze!

Who is it best suited for?

Me! I’m a 4.5+ player who plays a little on the aggressive side. The Pure Strike 98 is for advanced players who like to play aggressively and go on the attack. The high swing weight makes it more suitable for players ranked NTRP 4.0 or above.

You can purchase your very own Babolat Pure Strike 16 x 19 3rd Gen Racquet from Do It Tennis, or many other tennis retailers. And if you like my dampener with ‘tude, you can purchase it (and many other other styles) on Amazon!

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