Event Descriptions

2010 Tennis Festival of the North presented by Delta Air Lines
Session Descriptions

For a complete listing of all sessions, click here.


Saturday, April 10
(Eden Prairie High School)

8:00 a.m. - 6:30 p.m. - Vendor Show and Fan Interactive Zone
Over 40 vendors are scheduled to be a part of the show, while the Fan Interactive Game Zone will feature fun and games for people of all ages including two QuickStart Courts, Tennis PLINKO, the Neos Sports Wall, a serving cage, Wii Tennis and much, much more.


9:00-9:45 a.m. - Opening session featuring Lindsay Davenport
Three-time Grand Slam singles champion and 1996 Olympic Gold Medalist Lindsay Davenport goes one-on-one for the audience. She will talk about her amazing career, her retirement, becoming a mother and coming back to the game before having her second child. Attendees will also be able to ask Lindsay questions during this session.


9:45-10:00 a.m. - Welcome and Clinic Overview
USTA Northern executive director Mike Goldammer will welcome the crowd and give specifics about the weekend's events.


10:15-11:15 a.m. - General Sessions

Steve Keller - 50 Errors and Corrections
Learn what an error is and how to correct it, in addition to finding the right approach to work with specific people to be the most effective instructor on the court.

Kathy Woods - Boomers and Beyond, Playing Tennis After 50
Using concepts from Playing Tennis After 50, written by Kathy and Ron Woods, this session will show players and coaches how to enhance the development of mature players and make them better as they age! Simple and successful tips for improving technique, adding shots to your repertoire, perfecting balance and court coverage enhancement will be addressed.

Kirk Anderson - Practice Ideas For Six Or More Players Per Court
This workshop will focus on the following: 1. Skill development through quality repetitions; 2. Tactics; 3. Conditioning; 4. Team building; 5. Fun.

Paige Love, RD - Hydration and Energy

Mark Brandenburg - How To Perform Better Without Really Trying
This provides both coaches and players the basics of understanding how emotional and mental factors decide their fate on the court. This presentation will be rich in ideas for coaches to get the most out of their teams for the coming season, as well as providing great tips and tangible exercises for players to play their best tennis.

11:30 a.m.-12:30 p.m. - General Sessions

Mike Carter - Dude! Your Warm-Up Activities Are Lame. Try These!
This session is designed to teach us new, fun and engaging ways to "warm up" while developing the necessary athletic skills to fully develop a tennis player. Participants will: 1. Gain a strong understanding of why athletic development activities are important; 2. Learn many new developmentally appropriate athletic development activities to use and share with their students; 3. Learn to modify activities for a specific age group.

Martin Blackman - USTA Player Development Teaching & Coaching Philosophy & Methodology

David Wheaton and Ginger Helgeson-Nielsen - Making It Despite The Snow!
Former WTA and ATP tour players discuss and answer questions about how they were able to make it to a Division I college and the professional tour despite growing up in a Northern climate.

Dr. Dan Halvorsen - Sports Science and 21st Century Tennis
This session will focus on how to become strong and powerful like Rafa & Serena; plus how fit was Martina in the day and today? It will also look at other top players in the world.

12:30-2:00 p.m. - Lunch and Vendor Show

What Equipment is Best For Me?
Equipment representatives from Head, Wilson and Prince will be present to talk about the latest in equipment and what players should be looking for depending on their level of play. Get your questions answered about what type of racquet is best for you, strings, string tension, grip size, etc.

3:15-4:15 p.m. - General Sessions
Joe Dinoffer - Myths and the Modern Game
The purpose of this presentation is share myths and misunderstandings of how tennis should most effectively be played and coached in the context of the modern game. The days are gone when all you need to know to play or coach is “racket back, bend your knees, and watch the ball.” Talk less to communicate more! Ginger Helgeson-Nielsen -

Martin Blackman and Kirk Anderson - QuickStart Tennis - A New Paradigm of Practice & Play For Ages 6-10
Learn how QuickStart Tennis originated in the U.S. and how this high-priority format fits in the USTA Player Development and Community Tennis models.

Dr. Dan Halvorsen - Health Benefits and Advocacy 101
Tennis is being used by medical healthcare systems and doctors as one of the best lifetime sports to reduce childhood and adult obesity; discover all the physiological and health benefits of lifetime tennis.

Tyler Thomson - The Golden Rules For Gopher Tennis: Singles & Doubles
Tyler Thomson, women's tennis coach at the University of Minnesota, will share his singles and doubles rules that can be adopted by any player at any level for better match results.

4:30-5:30 p.m. - North Dakota Tennis Association Meeting (open to everyone)
All ND tennis enthusiasts are invited to join ND Tennis Association members for an informal meeting and pizza in the Main Commons. Learn about the NDTA mission, activities, and how this state-wide organization may be able to support your tennis goals.


4:30-6:30 p.m. - Minnesota State High School Coaches Association Meeting

5:00-6:30 p.m. - VIP and Reserved Seating Reception 
Life Time Fitness - Eden Prairie - must have purchased separate ticket for this event. (This event is SOLD OUT. Shuttles will depart for Life Time Fitness from Eden Prairie High School at 4:30 p.m.)


7:00-10:00 p.m. - Exhibition featuring Lindsay Davenport, Martina Navratilova, David Wheaton, Jeff Tarango and more. (Eden Prairie High School Activities Center)
Eden Prairie High School

Sunday, April 11
(Eden Prairie High School)


8:00 a.m. - 12:30 p.m. - Vendor Show and Fan Interactive Zone
Over 40 vendors are scheduled to be a part of the show, while the Fan Interactive Game Zone will feature fun and games for people of all ages including two QuickStart Courts, Tennis PLINKO, the Neos Sports Wall, a serving cage, Wii Tennis and much, much more.


8:30-9:00 a.m. - Opening Session with Martina Navratilova
Eighteen-time Grand Slam singles champion and perhaps the greatest women's tennis player in the history of the game goes one-on-one for the audience. She will talk about her amazing career, her rivalry with Chris Evert, her life after tennis and much more. Attendees will also be able to ask Martina questions during this session.


9:15 -10:15 a.m. - General Sessions
Eric Alexon - Cardio Tennis (on-court for all participants)
Experience the excitement and heart pumping fitness of a 60 minute Cardio Tennis class. You will learn and experience: Playing while wearing a heart rate monitor and pulling the file; training in your zone; three segments of a Cardio Tennis class and tools for success.

Ajay Pant - Doubles and the Easter Bunny
This workshop explodes many myths associated with doubles. On-court and live-ball drills will allow participants to respect doubles nuances. Drills are tactic based and apply to all levels of play from beginners to professional players.

Luke Jensen, Jon Henning, Brandon Jackson - Beyond High School Tennis: Something For Everyone!
Come learn more about the unique experience of playing tennis in college. Get your questions answered by an expert panel of coaches representing every level of play: DI, DII, DIII and Club Tennis.

Paige Love RD, MS and Dr. Dan Halvorsen - Nutrition Hints for Winning Tennis


10:30-11:30 a.m. - General Sessions
Steve Wilkinson & Tommy Valentini - Strategies For Building Trust With Your Opponents
This session, given by legendary Gustavus Adolphus head coach and recent International Tennis Hall of Fame Educational Merit Award winner Steve Wilkinson, will touch on Wilkinson's ethical approach to tennis and the issue of stacking.

Luke Jensen - Tactical Doubles

Shawn Myszka - Training For Tennis Performance

John Carpenter - The Power of Simplicity In The Service Game: From Beginners To Pros
This session will focus on the best of the latest teaching methods and how The Power of Simplicity works for all level players. This will also touch on how tennis instruction has to learn to follow the Law of Primacy and other education principles.

11:45 a.m.-12:30 p.m. - Closing Session and Prizes featuring David Wheaton, Luke Jensen, Jeff Tarango, TBA 
These tennis great will talk about their careers, the state of the game and much more. Attendees will have the opportunity to ask questions of the panelist during this session.