Doug Browne

dbrowne912@aol.com

If you have time and a lot of patience, and perhaps some perseverance, tennis coach/author Wayne Bryan (father of successful twins Bob & Mike) offers a number of strong opinions about the United States Tennis Association and college tennis. To be fair, I am an acquaintance of Mr. Bryan and I have spent considerable time talking tennis with him over the past ten years or more. He is a refreshingly honest, passionate man who has earned the privilege of offering keen insights about the state of the game today. Wayne Bryan’s book, “Raising Your Child To Be A Champion In Athletics, Arts And Academics,” has been a successful guide for parents. Currently, Mr. Bryan travels a minimum of 150 days each year covering myriad tennis events: He acts as master of ceremonies at innumerable pro events, conducts clinics and, most important, watches his sons dominate the ATP doubles tour. Here are examples of some of his recent quotes:

• “Champions are not created by million dollar slick ad campaigns! Tennis will never grow from Madison Avenue! It grows from Main Street. Local parents. Local groups of kids getting going. Local parks. Local schools. Local clubs. Local coaches. Tennis grows from solid and fun and dynamic programming and charismatic parents and coaches and club pros. It grows with bells and whistles. With energy and enthusiasm. With fun”.

• “This is the big elephant in our tennis living room. The USTA has never taken a stand on this. They even put out a White Paper saying basically that there is no problem. I chaired a panel discussion on this two years ago and the four USTA Staffers at the table all said American kids are ‘no good’ and ‘lazy’. Huh?! There are several million dollars in tennis scholarships going to foreign players whose parents do not spend dollar one in taxes for education in this country. In this dire economy this is unconscionable it seems to me.” (Mr. Bryan discussing the state of men’s college tennis.)

• “With 65% of the players being from overseas, it is criminal and most of all, it is a crying shame that American college tennis is now a world class sport. It should be for our American youngsters to enjoy and to derive the wonderful benefits. Are those parents of the players from Europe and Asia paying taxes to support UCSB and all the other colleges in this country? To ask the question is to answer it”. (Mr. Bryan continuing his unhappiness with the American college tennis system.)

• “Reducing all those coaching salaries and there could and should be a fabulous junior WEB Sites, where you could find any junior singles or doubles rankings for any age group and any sex in any section. It should be a storehouse for records. Articles. Pictures. Upcoming events. Reducing those massive staff expenditures and you could make every entry fee in America half of what it is today, maybe even free. You could give every kid who could not afford it a racket. Maybe even a club membership. Lessons. Shoes. Reducing those massive staff expenditures you could send the top 1,000 ranked juniors in the US to the Davis Cup, the Fed Cup, and the NCAAs.” (This is Mr. Bryan opining about his view of excessive USTA salaries paid to the people who are running tennis.)

In all of my tennis experience, I cannot support our player development program since it has not produced one Grand Slam champion in the last 23 years! Whether I am at a USPTA convention or at a pro league match at the Player’s Club, pros are keenly aware that our USTA player development program, now headed by Patrick McEnroe, has been a disaster. Moreover, Patrick McEnroe is rumored to earn over one million dollars annually and his other top pros, Jose Higueras and Jay Berger receive well over a quarter of a million dollars each year.

At last September’s USPTA convention, I made a point to go see our featured player development trio (Patrick, Jose and Jay) and they failed to get the crowd excited. They methodically presented their plan and then conducted drills that lacked passion and fire. On the other hand, when Wayne Bryan is on court coaching drills, he never fails to inspire. I’m sure when he views the player development pros in action; he shakes his head with bewilderment. As far as the new 10 and under initiative is concerned, Wayne Bryan is probably skeptical because he thinks this new idea is unnecessary (the new tennis courts are about half the size of the original, smaller rackets and green colored tennis balls are part of the big changes). Furthermore, hundreds of current tennis coaches have been bending his ear about this far-fetched idea.

However, I need to know what the ultimate goal is for the new 10 and under program before I criticize it. Tennis and golf are tough games to learn and, if we have new ideas that could encourage more youngsters to take up tennis and stick with it, perhaps it could be a great plan? In summarizing Mr. Bryan’s concerns, the 10 and under initiative needs valuable time to see if it works or not before we judge it too harshly. If you are a tennis enthusiast like me and wish to read Mr. Bryan’s entire letter to the USTA, please go to www.collier-tennis.com

Doug Browne is the Hideaway Beach Tennis Director and the new Collier County USPTA Pro of the Year. Additionally, Doug has been the International Hall of Fame Director of Tennis this past summer. Doug has been writing his tennis column for the past fifteen years and welcomes your feedback.

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Capt. Pete Rapps

Pete@CaptainRapps.com

Tim, Tom and Jim with redfish and a sheepshead. PHOTOS BY CAPT. RAPPS/COASTAL BREEZE NEWS

As January passes, we shall see some small changes in fishing. We were lucky not to be hit with many cold fronts in January. Hopefully the mild winter temperatures continue and the coldest temperatures of the winter will now be behind us. Water temperatures will continue to hover in the low 60’s. Morning air temperatures should average in the low 50’s, and warm up into the mid 70’s by the afternoon.

Keep an eye on your tide charts because we have some extremely low tides around the next full and new moons. More specifically, be mindful of the morning low tides February 5th – 9th, and the 17th – 22nd! Wind direction affects the tides dramatically. A north or east wind will make the tide lower and longer than expected as it blows the water out and delays it’s return.

Tim, Tom and Jim with redfish and a sheepshead. PHOTOS BY CAPT. RAPPS/COASTAL BREEZE NEWS

In the 10,000 islands near shore areas, I like to hit the outside flats on the incoming flood tide. We drift areas that are 3’-5’ deep and vary from grass to sand. This way we can expect a combination of both trout on the grass, and pompano on the sand. I like to use a 3/8 oz. bucktail type jig, with a good amount of glitter on it. A perfect example of a universal jig that will catch both trout and pompano is a Don’s Potbelly Jig. You can use your light casting gear with 10 lb. test line and 2 feet of 20 lb. fluorocarbon leader. In addition to the trout and pompano, you can expect to pick up Spanish mackerel, jacks and ladyfish.

The backwater bays and rivers hold redfish, snook, mangrove snapper, ladyfish, and other fun-to-catch species. When fishing for snook, it’s hard to beat live baits like pilchards and thread herring. We have had great results using popping corks with Berkley Gulp Shrimp on a jig head. Snapper will gladly accept pieces of shrimp, and the ladyfish love jerkbaits and bucktail jigs.

John Czencz with a nice Trout.

On the outgoing tide, I like to head into the river mouths and the backwaters and fish for sheepshead and snapper. They both love shrimp and will gladly accept a piece rather than a whole live shrimp. The reason why I like shrimp pieces in February is two-fold. First off, the winter shrimp tend to be large. By cutting them in half, you can stretch your supply to last a lot longer. Secondly, the sheepshead and snapper have small mouths and will usually just rob a whole shrimp right off your hook.

I have a Species Availability Chart relative to the backwater and nearshore areas that I fish in the Everglades National Park. You can see it at www.CaptainRapps.com

Capt. Rapps has been fishing the Chokoloskee area for just over 20 years. He offers expert guided, light tackle, near shore, and backwater fishing trips in the 10,000 Islands of the Everglades National Park. You can book a charter right online 24/7. See the online availability calendar, booking info, videos, recipes, seasonings, and first class web site at www.CaptainRapps.com and you can reach him at 239-571-1756.

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Frances Diebler

hfdiebler@gmail.com

Herman, fixing our boat in exotic places. SUBMITTED PHOTOS

Before I continue taking you south through the Caribbean Island chain to the North Coast of South America, I would like to discuss some of the requirements I consider necessary to prepare yourself and your boat for such a long trip aboard.

First and foremost, from my perspective and experience, is to prepare yourself and your crew. In our case, my husband was the skipper and I was the crew. We took all of the classes necessary for long term offshore sailing; Advanced Piloting, Navigation and Weather from the United States Power Squadron. We had taken the beginning classes years ago.

My husband, Herman and I, sailed many hours offshore to distant islands and ports in New England and southward along the Eastern Seaboard. He then sailed GRENDEL with a crew of 4 other guys to Bermuda and back to Connecticut. These sailing excursions helped us to prepare ourselves for long distance offshore cruising necessary for an extended voyage.

This did not happen over night. We had maybe twenty years of local and offshore experience. Truthfully, we were prepared to do a round the world trip, but I didn’t want to be away from home, family and grandkids that long.

If you are at all interested in long range sailing, start out on small overnight or two or three night sails to ready yourself for night time sailing. There are no harbors or marinas in the middle of the Atlantic. You are on your own with the assistance of equipment such as VHF radios, SSB and Ham radios, and computers. Nowadays, more than 20 years after our voyage, you have satellite phones and computers to provide email. Also, if you are in a big town or city, you have the option of going ashore and paying a small fee to rent equipment by the hour.

However, I will only write about my experiences and how we did it. More important for me is where we went, how we went, and what was there when we got there. I do keep abreast of changes that have occurred down island since we were there. The big difference is GPS, chart plotters and internet in practically every port. In any event, sailing there in your own “little” boat has not changed. The wind still blows, the sea still rises, and cruising routes are still the same.

Local grocery and all around convenience store in Isla Culebra, Puerto Rico.

Before you leave port in the U.S., have most, if not all, of the charts you think you will need beforehand. It is not easy to get proper charts you think you may need in the future “down island”. Yes, in big cities such as in the Virgin Islands, you can buy many things that you need. However, in little villages where you may find yourself, there will be no modern shops to find any items you may need or want. Often, you may run into another cruiser whose skipper or crew would like to buy the charts that you no longer need. Such items are announced on the radio in many of the harbors that we visited.

Other items that you should include on your list of “must haves” are extra fuel jugs. Some of the smaller harbors have no refueling facilities at all. We always carried 2 or 3 jugs of fuel and one or two jugs of water. Along with fuel, think about any filters or other disposable equipment you carry aboard and keep a refill supply aboard.

Other necessary equipment should include, of course, a long range radio, a single sideband radio is a must in some areas, telephone, outside compass, inside compass, radar, wind speed and directional, depth, and an emergency light. The inside compass could be mounted above your bunk so that you can check it out at night without having to go outside. In unexpected squalls, this was a most important instrument as we lay in our bed. You then know if you may be dragging or not.

Herman, relaxing at its best after fixing things aboard.

Don’t forget a good flashlight. Also, keep in mind the word “redundancies.” Often, when you are most in need of some common object, it does not work. Therefore, have a spare in your tool box, scissors, sharp knife to cut a line in a hurry if you need to do it, a variety of wrenches, screw drivers, pliers, vice grips, bottle opener, etc. You get the idea. Oh! I almost forgot another important item, a cork screw, plus a spare, for your wine bottles!

You do not need to stock up on too many bulky items like toilet paper, paper towels, napkins, detergent, and so on. These products are readily available in most markets anywhere we have been with the exception of the Orinoco area of the Amazon in Venezuela.

Most important, do not forget you RX medicines. They may not be available where and when you need them. If you plan to be gone for a number of months, ask your pharmacist to prepare as many as he can. For you ladies, if by chance you may “enhance” your hair color, bring your products with you. The first time we sailed to the Bahamas, I had my beautician from home pack me up several months supply to take aboard. My husband became my beautician. Do not allow your husband to use the excuse that he does not know how to do it. I told mine that if he knows how to caulk a boat, he could “caulk my head!”

Obviously, there are several other subjects that need to be addressed before you cut the lines and sail off to new horizons. I do not want to spoil it for you, so I’ll stop here and next time address more urgent subjects such as tools, fixing things afloat, boat maintenance and all those other boring subjects.

Frances is a Commodore of the Seven Seas Cruising Association and a member of Sailing Association of Marco Island and AP United States Power Squadron. 

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justin@coastalbreezenews.com

The Tampa Bay Buccaneers barely missed the playoffs last year with their impressive 10-6 season. Their quarterback Josh Freeman played great, with a TD/ INT ratio of 25 touchdowns to a measly 6 interceptions. Those statistics are of course from last season. This season the Bucs only won 4 games. After a promising start going 4-2, they lost their final ten games and were last place in the NFC South. Fans are upset and don’t know what went wrong after thinking this might be the year the Bucs gain ground in the division. There was no large change in personnel or players, or even in the front office for that matter. Whatever the case may be it’s obvious the team had to make a change somewhere this offseason. That change came immediately after the season with the firing of the youngest coach in the league, Raheem Morris. There are a lot of big name coaches interested in coaching stints; Wade Philips, John Fox, Brad Childress, and Bill Cowher to name a few. Hopefully, Tampa will pick up someone who will fit the position and corral this team to elite form.

Tampa’s receivers, Mike Williams, Sammie Stroughter, and running backs LeGarrette Blount and Kregg Lumpkin never got it going this year. With such a strong performance last season there are many questions about why the young quarterback, Josh Freeman, has struggled. It may have been the pressure or surrounding cast. Whatever it was it needs to be fixed by next season or his hypothetical “franchise” tag might be ripped off. It has been almost a decade since the Buccaneers won the Super Bowl with John Gruden over the Oakland Raiders. The Bucs fans are tired of hearing about those years and would love to have another great run at a championship. Fans need Freeman to be their ticket out of this drought, and hopefully next year he will deliver.

There were some close games the Bucs lost and then there were the real losses. These include the blowout losses to the 49ers 48-3, the Houston Texans 37-9, the Jacksonville Jaguars 41-14, and the Carolina Panthers 48-16. So perhaps it isn’t just the offense, but the defense that needs to be seriously examined and modified in the off season. The Bucs will get some high draft choices, and we are waiting to see if they cash in on what they truly need. A few more offensive weapons would surely not hurt the Bucs next season. Ranking 16th in total passing and 30th in total rushing will not bring this team to where they want to be. Hopefully they climb those lists next season.

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Frances Diebler

hfdiebler@gmail.com

Isla de Coche, Venezuela. SUBMITTED PHOTOS

After writing several pleasant articles about our life at sea, I began to miss some of the things that made life both more pleasant and more frustrating at the same time. I know that this statement is a contradiction within itself. When we all write letters or tell stories about our family adventures or accomplishments, we tend to forget or diminish some of the unpleasant circumstances that we experienced. Indeed, we could not have lived aboard a forty foot boat for more than four years and in the past, sailed three different boats over a span of forty years if we could not deal with inclement weather at sea, living in tight quarters, having to live without most conveniences, missing family and friends, celebrating holidays away from family and on and on.

Life at sea is a contradiction of pleasures and inconveniences. You must adjust to planning and doing every day things a bit differently while at sea. Shopping for groceries, often not the brands and particular products you prefer, offers a weekly challenge. You learn quickly how to improvise. Laundry, for me, was the most inconvenient chore to do while living and sailing aboard.

While we were cruising in the nineties or earlier, in the seventies and eighties, banking, bill paying, and all money matters were not too easy as we had to get to a bank from time to time. Nowadays with global banking, much can be done from your computer or phone lines. We didn’t have all those conveniences from1992-1998. Also, we did not have ready access to a telephone! No cell phones, no Skype, much less internet communication. Pay phones from booths or shops ashore were our links back home. Don’t forget we were still living an island lifestyle, not a modern, vibrant big city existence.

Today, there are big, very clean, and well stocked supermarkets on the bigger and more populated locations such as Nassau, St Martin/St. Maarten and St. Barts. However, you will still have to deal with the smaller “mom & pop” variety stores where you can get fresh groceries as well as shoes, shirts and many non-edible products. No, I am not speaking about “Wal-Marts”. These all purpose stores exist in small towns and villages. There are “supermarkets”only in big cities.

Please, if you have time, leave the bigger city ports by bus, car, or taxi and explore the quiet villages where the real lifelong residents live. These people are descendants of the original natives and a mixture of many different cultures. Some smaller tribes of people still live very much as their ancestors did. Very primitive. One culture comes to mind, the Orinoco Indians who live on the Orinoco River, which is part of the Amazon in Venezuela. They still live in huts, men wear leather thongs, fish with long sticks armed with an arrowhead for a fish hook.

Arrival to Venezuela.

Throughout the Caribbean chain of islands, there is a world of difference in cultures as day is from night. Some of the islands are very continental and up scale, such as the French islands of St. Barts, St. Martin, Guadeloupe, Isle Des Saints, Marie Galante, and Martinique. Other islands which previously were British possessions, such as Anguilla, St. Kitts, Nevis, Antiqua, Barbuda, St. Lucia, St. Vincents and Bequia have changed hands a number of times in their history and therefore reflect the varied cultures of their past.

Southward from St. Vincent, on the island chain of the Grenadines, you can alter your course and head southeastward passing Mystique, Tobago Cays, Carriacou and Grenada, Tobago, Trinidad and then westward to Margarita, to the outer islands of Aruba, Curacao, and Bonaire. If you prefer a different island experience, drop down southeast to Isla de Margarita to the north coast of Venezuela, on to Puerto La Cruz.

Completing such a cruise really enlightens you to the many different cultures along the Caribbean trail. There are English, French, Spanish, African and other influences. While we were in Venezuela, we had some work done on our boat. Before they would launch it, we had to pay the bill. This was on a holiday and we would have nowhere to stay for two days until the boat was launched. We would have had to find a bank and cash a check for the money to pay for the launch.

Jane and Dave Ebbtide.

The boaters next to us, whom we only knew casually, offered to pay our bill in cash until we got to the bank on Monday. We accepted their most generous offer. Our boat was launched and we were able to stay aboard in the comfort of our own sleeping quarters. Monday morning, as soon as the bank opened, we obtained $2,000 cash to repay our most generous and trusting cruisers.

That’s how most cruisers are. We each take care of other cruisers and know that they will come through. We are all in this sailing circle together looking out for one another.

Frances is a Commodore of the Seven Seas Cruising Association and a member of Sailing Association of Marco Island and AP United States Power Squadron. 

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justin@coastalbreezenews.com 

Tebow throws for the win. SUBMITTED PHOTOS

Wild Card week of the NFL playoffs followed the expected storylines; unless, of course, you count the Broncos victory over the Pittsburg Steelers in overtime. Besides that thriller, the other games went according to script. The Houston Texans, in the franchise’s first playoff appearance, beat the mostly rookie and inexperienced Cincinnati Bengals. Even with the Bengals being eliminated from the Wild Card round, I want to point out what rookie wide receiver and quarterback AJ Green and Andy Dalton have accomplished this season. The Bengals made the playoffs after losing arguably the best quarterback and wide receivers in franchise history in QB Carson Palmer, and WRs Chad Ochocinco and Terrell Owens. I am confident that this new group has many amazing years to come; we definitely haven’t heard the last of the Bengals.

The high powered, record setting New Orleans Saints closed the door on the up- and-comers from Motown. This was the first successful season that Detroit had enjoyed since ’99. Once again, the Lions were a young and inexperienced team; and, in the end, they couldn’t go the distance with the recent Super Bowl winners. Having a great quarterback in Mathew Stafford will surely give their fans hope for a lot of return visits to the post season.

In New York, the divisional winning Giants clobbered the Atlanta Falcons. Most people in the know predicted the outcome, so no great surprise there. In fact, the first three games felt almost routine.

It seems that the NFL was destined to save the best for last. Finally, the most exciting game of the weekend, the Denver Broncos hosted the Pittsburg Steelers. The Broncos found themselves to be underdogs to the Steelers. Even though Denver was division champ, the Steelers had won four more games than the Broncos in an arguably more difficult division. Three teams in the AFC North made the playoffs this year and two of them enjoyed 12-4 records. The Broncos’ quarterback, Tim Tebow, started only a handful of games last season. This year, he took over a 1-4 team and never looked back. It was the first time the Broncos made the playoffs since 2005. The victories came by small margins, however, and were usually achieved by last minute heroics. Defeating the AFC representatives in last year’s Super Bowl should go a long way in keeping the “nay-sayers” quiet. Tebow was probably the most talked about starting quarterback this season. Everyone who doubted his throwing mechanisms and his decision-making must be questioning their own judgment after this game. He racked up 316 yards, threw two passing touchdowns, and added a rushing touchdown in the Broncos overtime win against the Steelers. An eighty-yard touchdown strike to Demaryius Thomas on the first play in OT was all it took to cement Tim Tebow as a bona fide star in the NFL. This was one of the best debuts of a Denver quarterback in the post season in franchise history. Even the Bronco legend and current GM was quoted after the game exclaiming, “I love it! I love it!”

This weekend, these teams face many challenges as they go against an even better crop of teams in the league. The Giants have to go into Lambeau Field and face the Green Bay Packers; who have only lost one game this season and have been picked by many to win it all. The Saints must compete against one of the best defenses in the playoffs right now, the San Francisco 49ers. The Houston Texans meet Ray Lewis and the Baltimore Ravens. The Ravens are a favorite to take the AFC. Of course, the Denver Broncos have to try and recreate the magic against Tom Brady and the offensive juggernaut known as the New England Patriots. These two teams met a few weeks ago and it was Brady and Company who cast the spell in that outing. It will be hard for any of these road teams to have an upset this week, but if the NFL teaches us anything, it is to expect the unexpected.

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By Matt Walthour 

In the wake of last week’s cold snap or as I like to refer to it as “freezing”, I had the need to search out my freezing out riding gear. I am not sure about everyone else, but when it gets below 60 degrees outside, I am cold. I guess being born and raised in Boston didn’t stick to my bones too well, or I was a true Floridian all along. Either way, I need to be warm, especially when I am riding my bike on these chilly days. Let me offer a few ideas about how to stay warm in the colder months, because for me there is no way I can postpone riding my bicycle for months.

It just boils down to choosing the right attire. Besides the obvious layering of t-shirts, sweatshirts and jackets, which works great for a leisurely ride, there are technical clothes made for cold weather riding. I like to layer, but with more of the “technical” style riding gear. Let’s start with the head and work on down.

It is most important to protect one’s head and we should all wear helmets all the time. Personally, I never ride without one and it’s also the law for children younger than 16 years of age. There are a few different cover ups you can wear under your helmet for cold days. One is a balaclava, a sort of ski mask, but usually of a lighter material. These work great, especially on really cold, windy days. There are also ear warmers, that you basically wear around the back of your head or some that attach to the sides of your helmet.

Onto the upper body, I usually start with an undershirt that will help in wicking moisture, because even in the cold you will sweat some. Then over the undershirt I wear a short sleeve cycling jersey, usually one with back pockets. Next are arm warmers, and just as they sound, they protect the whole arm up to the armpit. Arm warmers are especially good for longer rides because as you warm up, you can just peel them off and put them in your back pocket. Then, depending on how cold it is, I wear a windbreaker style jacket, one that I can fold up and put in my back pocket as well. There are long sleeve riding jerseys available for those who do not like to deal with arm warmers or are more comfortable with long sleeves. To complete the warmth level I sometimes wear long fingered riding gloves. I always wear gloves but in the cold the long fingered ones are best for me.

Regarding protection for the lower body, I always wear padded cycling shorts, which are very comfortable for me and aid in wicking moisture. I prefer them to the pads and I am more comfortable in the saddle. I wear either whole leg warmers, or just knee warmers depending on the cold and how long I plan to ride. Both styles are helpful because they can be removed as you warm up. Lighter weight, loose fitting cycling pants are available that can be worn over cycling shorts. Some brands are water and wind resistant. Finally, there are booties available to cover riding shoes, or covers for just the tip of the shoes. However, I am generally comfortable with a good riding shoe.

These suggestions are the basics of what is available for cover up in cold weather riding. The same clothes and clothing accessories are also available in wool, which is particularly helpful for riders in bitter cold and snowy areas. Remember to stay hydrated, even in cold weather, because you will sweat, no matter the cold, so always replenish!!! Bundle up and keep on pedaling.

Matt Walthour, a Marco Island resident since 1985 is a graduate from Embry Riddle Aeronautical University, and is the owner of Island Bike Shop and Scootertown on Marco Island and Naples. He is also a member of the Marco Island bike path ad-hoc committee .

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Doug Browne 

dbrowne912@aol.com

Please forgive me as I may sound like I am preaching but I feel it is necessary to point out crucial tennis etiquette information as many tennis players begin preparation for both USTA tournaments and local league competition. A group of tennis friends have assisted me in our new 10 Commandments of Tennis and here is our first list:

• Thou shall be kind to thy doubles partner.

• Players must be fair and honest with their opponents.

• After a tennis match, invite your opponents for lunch.

• No profanity on the tennis court.

• Be kind to the visitors – do not clap when players make mistakes.

• Support your team captain.

• After your team match, stay around to cheer on your teammates.

• Resist the temptation to coach your partner or partners.

• Err on the side of caution, be gentle with your delivery, opponent.

• Kindly deliver the score after each point, thus avoiding conflicts.

Not long ago, I addressed the importance of being a great doubles partner; no matter what happens on the court; do NOT blame your partner for the loss! Here is an example of the insecure player: (the player is talking privately to the captain or coach) “Susie is definitely a player on the rise but she just doesn’t know how to win the big points,” or “Tom and I just don’t play well together so I would suggest that you don’t team us up in the future,” Jim offered to the captain after a loss. These subliminal messages are easy to translate and it is curious why one would waste their time with such nonsense. In each example, the person is not taking responsibility for their own actions. It is clever to tell the captain that ‘Tom and I don’t jell,’ but it is disingenuous to offer this comment. Last fall, one of the visitors asked me to address the point about when people should applaud or not and I was happy to assist. Simply stated, when the home team only cheers on their fellow club members, it can be quite lonely for the visiting team. Therefore, the home fans should make a point to occasionally cheer for the visitors. No matter what, be careful and thoughtful as most points end in an error and we don’t want others to feel bad when they miss a simple stroke. Usually, when the road warriors feel comfortable at your facility, there are few arguments on court. Moreover, when there is a good vibe, the visitors will desire to stay around and have lunch and then everyone is the winner!

One of my club members kidded me the other day and said, “The last time I checked, we weren’t playing for big money, so I just want to have fun when I’m on the tennis court!” she added, as we were joking about our coming tennis schedule. It’s funny how people lose sight of what really matters in life, not just tennis – being kind to one another is really the only way to go as we have to look at the big picture. At the end of the day, it is just a tennis match and doing anything possible to win is wrong. When players elect to play team tennis, they must throw out their individual needs and start thinking of others and that often begins with the captain. People often discuss the challenge of being a captain and that is due to the selfishness of some people. The best team captains look beyond their own desires and think of the totality of the group. Additionally, they communicate well and offer open discussions. It is fruitful to have open dialogue so everyone feels that they are involved in the process. As long as I have been associated with this great game, it has been called a gentlemen’s game (or ladies game) and we must not lose sight of that awesome intent. When I was on the tennis circuit, there was a joke about cheaters: “When in doubt, call it out!” Well, when I think of the 10 Commandments in Tennis, I think of being kind, supportive, giving and most important, I think of honesty. Team tennis starts next week, practice the 10 tennis commandments and you will have an incredible season. Good luck.

Doug Browne is the Hideaway Beach Tennis Director and the new Collier County USPTA Pro of the Year. Additionally, Doug has been the International Hall of Fame Director of Tennis this past summer. Doug has been writing his tennis column for the past fifteen years and welcomes your feedback 

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Capt. Pete Rapps

Pete@CaptainRapps.com

The common snook (Centropomus undecimalis) are the most widely distributed species within the Centropomus genus, and have been reported as far north as New York (USA) and throughout the Gulf of Mexico. Common snook are abundant along the Atlantic coast of Florida from Cape Canaveral south through the Keys and Dry Tortugas, and north to Cedar Key on the gulf coast. Common snook occur infrequently along the coast of Texas to Galveston and then more or less continuously south to Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.

Kurt Kintz with a Snook. PHOTOS BY CAPT. RAPPS/COASTAL BREEZE NEWS

Here in the 10,000 Islands, Snook are greatly sought after by near coastal and back country sport fishermen. The attraction comes from their difficulty to locate and catch, and for their lightning fast strong runs and amazing jumps after hooking up with them.

Juvenile common Snook are generally restricted to the protection of rivers and estuary environments. These environments offer shallow water and overhanging mangrove lined shorelines. Juvenile common snook can survive in waters with lower oxygen levels than adults. Adult common Snook inhabit many environments including mangrove lined rivers, beaches, river mouths, near shore reefs, salt marshes, and sea grass meadows. Adult common snook appear to be less sensitive to cold water temperatures than larvae or small juveniles. The lower lethal limit of water temperature is 48.2°-57.2° F for juveniles, and 42.8°-53.6° F for adults.

Van Sayler with a Snook.

Common snook have a slender body and a distinct lateral line. The dorsal fins are high and divided and the anal spines are relatively short. The common snook has a sloping forehead with a large mouth and a protruding lower jaw. Adult common snook can grow to over 47.24 inches total length, which is larger than any other species in this family. Common snook on the Atlantic coast of Florida commonly grow to larger sizes than common snook on the Gulf Coast of Florida. The largest observed sizes for females on the Atlantic and gulf coasts are 43.5 inches and 40.6 inches, respectively. The world record for a common snook caught on hook and line is a 53-pound 10-ounce in Parismina Ranch, Costa Rica.

It is thought that common snook can live to about twenty years of age.  On the Atlantic coast, the oldest sampled common snook was an eighteen-year-old female, and the oldest male was fifteen. Here on the Gulf Coast, the oldest common snook sampled was a fifteen year old female, and the oldest male was twelve.

Capt. Pete Rapps with a Snook.

An interesting fact about the Common Snook is that they are protandric hermaphrodites, meaning that they change from male to female after maturation. This transition is identified by the presence of both male and female sex cells in the gonads and takes place when they grow to between 9.4-24 inches in fork length, which corresponds to 1-7 years of age. The majority of small common snook are male and most large snook are female. Males reach sexual maturity during their first year at 5.9-7.9 inches fork length. Research shows that female gonads mature directly from the mature male gonads shortly after spawning. The probability that a common snook of a particular size will be a female increases with length or age.

Scott Newsome with Snook.

Rick Roberts of the Snook Foundation (www.SnookFoundation.org) states that the incredible rise in the number of fishing trips in FL (estimated 30,000,000 this year alone) ensures the accuracy needed in data has become extremely important. Without Fishermen, the rules and regulations are set by scientists and technicians who are not out there fishing every day. Rich says that we are left with little recourse other than to complain about the unfairness of this process. Rick recommends that all readers will be helping the cause and themselves by logging their catch at www.angleraction.org I have used this web site to record data that will be beneficial to the future of our Snook populations.

Snook took a hard hit in January of 2010 when we had 10 consecutive nights of freezing temperatures. Many of our local shallow bays were exterminated of Snook as the water temperatures fell into the 40’s. Since then, Snook have been illegal to take, and the FWC continues to monitor their recovery.

Here is a history of Snook regulations in our local areas:

• 1947 – Snook haul seines made illegal in Lee County.
• 1947 – Snook haul seines made illegal in Lee County.
• 1951 – Snook haul seines made illegal in Collier County.
• 1953 – Minimum size set at 18 inches fork length.
• 1957 – Snook made illegal to buy or sell. Capture by hook and line only. Bag limit set at four snook per day, eight snook possession limit.
• 1981 – Bag limit reduced to two snook per day, two snook possession limit. No snook less than 26 inches fork length may be taken in June or July during 1982-1986.
• 1982 – June & July of 1982 closed to snook possession.
• 1983 – January and February 1983-1986, closed to snook possession. June and July 1983-1986 closed to snook possession.
• 1985 – January, February, June and July closed permanently to snook possession. August 1985-1986 closed to snook possession. Minimum size increased to 24 inches total length. Only one snook may be greater than 34 inches total length.
• 1987 – All species in the genus Centropomus covered by the regulations. August is closed permanently to snook possession. – All snook to be landed whole. Use of treble hooks prohibited with natural baits.
• 1994 – Closed winter season changed to December 15th through January 31st.
• 1999 – Slot limit is set at 26 inches minimum / 34 inches maximum total length.
• 2002 – Possession limit reduced to one snook and May closed to snook possession on West Coast of Florida only. East Coast of Florida not changed.
• 2006 – Minimum size increased to 27 inches total length. 34 inches maximum total length not changed. Total length defined as the straight line distance from the most forward point of the head with the mouth closed, to the farthest tip of the tail with the tail compressed or squeezed, while the fish is lying on its side.
• 2007 – Slot and bag limit, and open seasons, reduced per above.
• 2011 – Next stock assessment!
• Current Rules: Slot Limit (Atlantic): 28″ to 32″   Bag Limit: 1 per person – Stamp Required. Snook are currently closed in all Gulf waters – the Snook fishery is closed until at least September 1, 2012. Be sure to follow current regulations at www.myFWC.com

Local anglers reported some of the best Snook fishing the area has seen since the freeze and Snook Kill of January 2010. We look forward to their recovery as time goes by. Stop in you local bait and tackle shops to get the scoop on what and where the Snook are hitting, or hire a local guide to put you on some.

Thank you to Rick Roberts at the Snook Foundation, and to the Ichthyology Department at the Florida Museum of Natural History for supplying information in this article.

Capt. Rapps has been fishing the Chokoloskee area for just over 20 years. He offers expert guided, light tackle, near shore, and backwater fishing trips in the 10,000 Islands of the Everglades National Park. You can book a charter right online 24/7. See the online availability calendar, booking info, videos, recipes, seasonings, and first class web site at www.CaptainRapps.com and you can reach him at 239-571-1756.

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Rather than continuing writing on our journey from Connecticut to South America, I think it is time to address your need for planning, i.e. what to do, when to do it and how to do it. Each cruiser has many of the same responsibilities and many have very different issues. One essential task is to plan an itinerary. You need to consider the length of time required to accomplish your trip, from its start to your final travel destination and return home.

Just where do you start? First of all you need to plan your voyage realistically for six months, one year, two years, three years and so on. This plan should include your trip time and the time needed to return to your original home base. Just what do you need to know? Where do you start?

This picture shows my husband Herman discussing our plans to sail to Bermuda with Tania Aebi who had just completed her circumnavigation of the world. She was the first American women and the youngest person ever, at that time, to have circumnavigated the globe alone. Her adventure is chronicled in her book “Maiden Voyage”.

Are you planning to go off sailing with an open ended schedule? Do you estimate that this trip will take one year, two years, three years or more or even less? Do you plan any returns to you home from a distant harbor while leaving your boat in a slip or on the hard? Chances are that whatever your plan when you started out, it will be modified as you go along.

Most long range cruisers whom we have met along the way, ourselves included, left our voyage an open book. Yes, we did have an outline of where and how long we planned to be gone, but there was always an opening in the plans to allow for changes for many reasons.

Boat condition is a primary reason people continue on or turn back. Comfort, health and stamina of your crew and skipper, set the tone and harmony for all and has a most important impact on everyone’s mental state and physical comfort. Do you push onward when everyone is tired or do you all relax and take each day as it comes?

Comfort, rest, conditions on board, weather and wind directions, sleep, loneliness, and congeniality play a part in how you and your crew interact on a day to day basis.

This description describes a group or captain with a friendly crew. Another alternative is the “Mom and Pop” scenario which is perhaps the most common format of today’s cruisers.

Most of the cruisers whom we met along the way were middle aged, retired from their landlocked life at work or home and eager to try life at sea. We have met several couples who were traveling with children, who brought their school studies and plans with them. Time was set aside each day for school work and homework. The children were very conscientious and attended to their studies before they left the vessel each day. After study time, they rounded up a group and put together teams for board games and physical games such as basketball, golf, track, swimming competitions, soccer, football and the like. The students were very serious about their homeschooled lessons as well as physical education.

Each student had an education plan suited for his age, grade, and ability. There are several companies which offer homeschooled lessons. You can check on line by looking for on board schooling lessons for all school age students. There are several and with some investigation on your part, you should find one that fits your needs and expectations. Do not let this get in the way of traveling with children as their life at sea is a life time experience of is own.

Along with the required school lessons you can add, navigation, study of night skies, mathematics, using time and distance problems, which should be enhanced by living the experience of boating. You can add geography, history, botany, and the language of the islands you visit. The kids will benefit from a non-traditional education experience with the many on line resources available for family instruction.

Frances is a Commodore of the Seven Seas Cruising Association and a member of Sailing Association of Marco Island and AP United States Power Squadron. 

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Adult Softball 

DaVinci’s team.

Winterberry Park and Tommie Barfield Ball Park host an adult softball league with teams that are sponsored by eight local establishments. The teams play every Thursday night at either 6:15 or 7:30 at one of the parks. The current teams are Cocomo’s, DaVinci’s, Joey’s Pizza, Nacho Mama’s, Islander Pool, Marco Island Brewery, NeNe Kitchen, and Kretch’s. It’s a great chance to watch competitive play and to come and root for your friends or favorite restaurants. Apparently, local rivalries between restaurants can be settled by hits and RBI’s; as well as, food sales and customer satisfaction. Although, the number of teams in the league may be small, there is no shortage of excitement. Everyone has a shot at the playoffs.

Nacho Mama’s team.

The games can be high- scoring affairs. On December 15th at Tommie Barfield Park, DaVinci’s ran up the score on Nacho Mama’s and beat them 15-3. Nacho’s was light on the hits, but they did have a slew of difficult outfield catches. Three of those praiseworthy grabs were by Matt Hopkins. DaVinci’s player, Ray Neil, ran home in the 5th and scored their 15th run of the game. That play effectively ended the contest triggering a courtesy rule.

The following game resulted in a similar conclusion after Ne’s put up a whopping 23 points to best the Islanders. The final outcome was 23-3. Paul Thomassen of NeNe’s and Matt Hopkins for Nacho’s both expressed how much fun they have every week. They hope to play again next year. The teams always appreciate a good crowd, so next Thursday get out there and support your local businesses and athletes. It is always a great time.

First Volleyball District Championship 

The 2011 Lely Girls’ Varsity volleyball team did something that no other team has done before them; they became district champions. The girls’ achievement was just what the doctor ordered. Their play has been the highlight of the school’s sport’s program this year, since the Varsity Football Team finished with just one win and the upheaval of their coach’s resignation. The girls’ volleyball coach, Dan Selvey, on the other hand, is looking to “grow more as a coach” and definitely plans to return next season. The victory came after they beat Estero to claim the district’s top spot. The girls’ volleyball team led the district for the first time ever, after beating Estero. Even though the team was knocked off by North Ft. Myers in the regional semifinals; ending the year with the best record in school history, 19- 8, is an amazing feat. The volleyball team that set so many records in 2010, serving percentage, hitting percentage, ace percentage, and kill percentage, had actually been surpassed in 2011.

Being an underdog in some of their matchups worked to their advantage; they hadn’t won against Naples in the past 16 years. Of course, that all changed this year when not once, but twice, they bested Naples. The players spoke of their coach as a very enthusiastic mentor who preached to them three things; discipline, great fundamentals, and always taking everything in steps. The Lely High principal, Leslie Mooris, also spoke highly of Dan Selvey telling of his great passion for the team’s success. Dan, who has been coaching at Lely for four years, made it known how important it was for all five seniors from last year to play again this year. That mindset of the girls coming back together to play again is a crucial part of the building block of a team. Dan explained that this team was special due to a few core philosophies. “It was never about just one player” and “Respecting each other and getting along on and off the court”. The simplified college style offense that he incorporated was very effective in getting the team farther than they’ve ever gone before.

The starting seniors, Lisa Feola, Hannah Skotzke (Most Improved), Alexandra Meurgue (Player of the Year), Shiree Dangler, Jessica Johnson, and Samantha Howard will be gone next season; however, they have all made it very clear how important this year was to them. With them moving on to various colleges and career paths, this was still a bittersweet way to end their high school run. Mary Gibler and Katie Roche, who were very important to the success last season are juniors and hopefully, will return next season to give it another shot. The seniors will be remembered and are now moving on to bigger and brighter futures. Let’s hope that 2012 brings Lely even more success on the court.

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January is typically our coldest month of the year. The days when the fronts are absent, the sun is shining, and the thermometer gets up into the mid 70’s, can make for some awesome fishing!

Trout season opens January 1st.

January is another month when you should keep an eye on your tide chart before planning your day on the water. We have some extremely low tides around both the Full and New moons. If you get caught in a -.5 low tide that you did not anticipate, it could ruin your day! Be extra careful with the morning low tides January 7th – 11th, and the 20th -24th.

Speckled Sea Trout season re-opens January 1st and will now remain open year round without closure. Local rules for our area allow 4 per person, between 15” and 20”, and allows you to keep just one over the 20” mark. These rules do vary so be sure to confirm them with current regulations by the FWC at www.myfwc.com

The shallow flats are alive with Trout, Bluefish, Ladyfish, Jacks, Spanish Macks, and some Pompano. Among my favorites are DOA jerkbaits and shrimp, both in rootbeer and white color. You can also use 3/8 oz bucktail type jigs tipped with a very small piece of shrimp.

Nice to meet you Ms. Redfish!

The oyster bars hold Sheepshead & Redfish. If presenting natural bait, they both like to eat crustaceans like shrimp, sand fleas, and fiddler crabs. Fish for these guys on the oyster bars on the incoming tide.

Snook are being caught in the backwaters, but please remember that they are catch and release only, and still in a recovery state since the 10 day freeze of 2010. Take a quick photo and quickly set them free. We have been catching Snook over oyster bars and up against the deep pockets of the mangroves on good moving tides, They have been hitting a variety of bait including jigs, soft plastics, and live bait.

Capt. Rapps has been fishing the Chokoloskee area for just over 20 years. He offers expert guided, light tackle, near shore, and backwater fishing trips in the 10000 Islands of the Everglades National Park. You can book a charter right online 24/7. See the online availability calendar, booking info, videos, recipes, seasonings, and first class web site at www.CaptainRapps. com and you can reach him at 239-571- 1756. 

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Watching people struggle at the practice range turns my thoughts toward helping and what swing keys could I suggest that would make the big change for them. It really surprises me that so many players do not know how a golf ball acquires lift and that seems to a major reason for so many bad swings with poor ball contact. Golfers need to be taught that a golf ball is struck on the downswing with some clubs at the bottom of the swing with others. I like to help players realize that lifting the ball in the air does not come from getting under it as the club head does not go under the ball. The club head catches the ball on the downward side of the arc. When you have been trying to lift the ball by getting under it for a long period of time, striking the ball on the downswing can be a difficult move to achieve. Proper motion and action at the bottom of the swing during practice sessions will enable a player to experience the correct feel.

A classic follow through.

The second problem that seems to be more evident as I work at instruction is the differences between swinging the club and forcing with the upper body or shoulders to increase power which I call a push. The big question is, are you able to feel the difference between swinging the club or pushing with your shoulders to increase power which I call a push. The big question is, are you able to feel the difference between swinging the club or pushing with your shoulders and upper body? When you cannot feel the difference on the downswing, your chances for improvement are not very good. A common saying around the practice tee is, “when I swing at twigs, cigarette butts or golf tees, I always make good contact with them, but I do not have the same result with the ball.” To begin with, the small items mentioned really do not have to go anywhere so in all probability the player uses a good swing or lets the club head do the work. The problem begins when we try to make a golf ball go a long way and we bring force into the picture. There are many articles written about hop work, leg work, foot work and turning, but I rarely see one about arm work. If your arms were tied to your body, there would be nothing to swing. Your arms and the golf club are an extension away from body and rotate around your body during a swing. When a player is able to distinguish the difference between swinging and pushing, they are on the way to immediate success. Students often ask for a swing thought that will help them feel the difference of a swing versus a push and the one aid that has been more helpful than all others for me is a simple one. Hold the club up in the air about waist high like it’s a baseball bat and then swing it waist high. Swinging a club or a baseball bat waist high is a few motion with the bat or club dong most of the work. The body turns and there is a weight shift from one foot to the other, but the swinging of the implement causes those things to happen automatically. During this swing, when the club head returns to the center of the swing, the wrists and forearms rotate over the club shaft and that movement closes the clubface and develops proper spin and more power. That is one reason that the baseball swing feels so easy and natural. When a person does not feel the difference between pushing or swinging the club, their chances for major improvement become limited. Improvement comes when the proper swing thought or thoughts are repeated with practice. Repetition of thought will soon produce a repeated action. The ball is sitting still and if less attention is paid to the ball and more to what a good swing feels like, the opportunity to develop a natural and loose motion reachable.

Golf is very much like a bank account. You can never take out more than you put in and that says quite a bit about practice. I like what a famous golfer used to say, “The more I practice, the luckier I get!” Head back out to the range, discover the swing thoughts that suit you best, learn how to swing the club head and feel the club do the work. The reward will be a great one.

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Pete@CaptainRapps.com

Ed with a nice Redfish caught on a Captain Rapps Charter. - PHOTOS BY CAPT. RAPPS/COASTAL BREEZE NEWS

Another species of fish that we catch all year round here in the 10,000 islands is the Redfish. Its true name is Red Drum, however, most in our area refer to the fish as Redfish or just “Reds”. Its Latin name is Sciaenops Ocellatus, and it is closely related to the Black Drum or the Pogonias Cromis.

Redfish are classified as Drums because they make a deep drumming noise. Several times I have come upon large schools of Redfish that you could actually hear making a deep bass drumming noise in the water around the boat. It kind of sounds like that high school kid’s car stereo beating bass and drums at the traffic light next to you. In fact, the first time I heard it, I was looking around wondering who was out on the water blasting his stereo. Then I looked down into the water and it was solid copper in color from a school of literally hundreds of Redfish in the 20 lb. range. It was amazing!

Since 2007, Redfish have been classified as a “Game Fish” which means they cannot be commercially caught in Federal waters. They are however a fantastic eating fish and are targeted by local recreational fishermen as dinner. The younger Redfish in the slot size of 18”-27” have a mild flaky flesh that is fantastic for eating. Once they get larger, the flesh becomes tough and considered undesirable for the table.

They can be found in both the Atlantic Ocean and Gulf of Mexico. Redfish do not mind cold water and can be caught in the near coastal waters everywhere from New England down around Florida and throughout the entire coastal areas of the Gulf of Mexico.

Redfish can range from a deep copper color to a pure silver color. They just about all have at least one spot on either side of their tail which is believed to imitate an eye and confuse predators about which end to grab. Some fish have multiple spots. I have seen some with over a dozen. I have also caught several that did not have any spots at all. I do not know why some have more spots than others. Every time I ask one, they just give me a blank stare and never answer me. Rude, huh?

Greg and Joey with a nice Redfish.

It is thought that each female can lay anywhere from 200,000 to 3,000,000 eggs in just one batch! They spawn in the late summer into the fall. They are aggressive eaters and experience their most rapid rate of growth during their first year, which puts them right around 13” at the age of 12 months. A 25-27” Redfish is thought to be 4 years old, and of sexual maturity. They are thought to be able to live up to 60 years, and the largest redfish landed weighed just over 94 pounds and was caught off Hatteras Island in 1984.

Redfish can be caught in our area year round using various different methods. The most common is just fishing over oyster bars with a live shrimp on a hook. You can add to that by using a popping cork attached to 2’-3’ of 20-30 lb. leader. Many people use artificials including soft plastic shrimp, paddle tail baits, gold and silver metal spoons, live pilchards, thread herring, or cut bait like mullet or ladyfish. Whichever method you choose, hang on to that rod tight because a Redfish will aggressively inhale your bait and peel the line off your reel while making a fast run in an attempt to escape.

Capt. Rapps has been fishing the Chokoloskee area for just over 20 years. He offers expert guided, light tackle, near shore, and backwater fishing trips in the 10,000 Islands of the Everglades National Park. You can book a charter right online 24/7. See the online availability calendar, booking info, videos, recipes, seasonings, and first class web site at www.CaptainRapps. com and you can reach him at 239-571- 1756. 

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hfdiebler@gmail.com 

Holidays such as Thanksgiving and Christmas are celebrated all around the world and it makes no difference if you celebrate at home or at sea. We have experienced both and, each time, we had friends and family who celebrated with us wherever we were at sea or at home. Each celebration was joyous, warm, with both family and friends and all of the trimmings. We tried to spend one holiday back home such as Thanksgiving and our children would fly down to the boat at Christmas time. I know that this does not always work for everyone, but somehow it did for us.

We left Westport, Connecticut, October first and worked our way slowly down the Eastern seaboard to be in Marathon, FL before Christmas so we could fly back home for the holidays. We returned after New Year’s Day and continued on our voyage to the islands. Our second Christmas was enjoyed on our boat anchored amidst the beauty of the Virgin Islands. No matter where you are or go, you can bring Christmas with you.

I wish you all a very Marry Christmas and Happy New Year. Good health, good friends, good weather, family, love and peace wherever you are.

Frances is a Commodore of the Seven Seas Cruising Association and a member of Sailing Association of Marco Island and AP United States Power Squadron. 

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