NorCal Video Upload
It’s a great time to be a junior tennis player in America! Over the course of the last few years Patrick McEnroe (USTA General Manager of Player Development), Jose Higeras (USTA Director of Coaching) and their team have been working hard to restore American tennis to international prominence.
The USTA NorCal hosts several Player Development events every year. If you would like your player to be considered for these events please take the time to upload video so that our Section staff and Coaches Commission can review it.
NorCal Video Upload is for YOU! It allows us to open up our process and collaborate with ALL players and coaches in our section.
VIDEO AND UPLOAD PROTOCOLS
In order to have your player footage considered, please follow these protocols EXACTLY :
FILMING
Intro and Strokes (filmed from side view)
Introduction (Name and where they are from) 1 clip
3 x Serves 1 clip
3 x Forehands 1 clip
3 x Backhands 1 clip
3 x FH Volleys 1 clip
3 x BH Volleys 1 clip
3 x Overheads 1 clip
Live Balls (filmed from back view)
Crosscourt Forehands - 30 seconds 1 clip
Crosscourt Backhands - 30 seconds 1 clip
Play (filmed from back view)
6 x Serve Points 1 clip
6 x Return Points 1 clip
Total # of clips per player 11 clips
UPLOAD PROCESS
Once you have filmed all players and completed the Player Information form, you will need to upload the content.
1. Create a folder on your desktop named by the player’s First Name Last Name Year, eg "JOHNSMITH2011"
2. Copy the footage from the camera and the Player Information forms to this folder.
3. Zip the folder by right-clicking on the folder and selecting "Send to Compressed (zipped) folder"
4. Upload the footage, by clicking on https://www.yousendit.com/transfer.php?action=dropbox&dropbox=ustanortherncalifornia
? Browse for the zipped folder
? Click Send
FILMING TIPS
On the live ball drills and point play, make sure that there is as little "dead time" as possible.
Use a tripod and a hard drive camera (Mini DV tape cameras take too long to import, and the resultant file will also take much longer to upload)
Set the shutter speed on the camera as high as what lighting conditions will allow. For indoor filming, minimum should be 1/500, while for outdoors minimum should be 1/2000.
When filming strokes, set up a "production line" method - film each kid doing and intro (one clip for each kid), then film all hitting serves, and so on. This saves time in setting camera up, and also means that players don't have to stand around for too long.
When filming strokes, position camera at 90 degrees to the plane of the stroke (side view). Make sure that the sun is behind you.
For live ball drills and point play, a fence mount with a wide-angle lens for the camera is ideal. Otherwise, film from behind the player (on a tripod), and use as little panning as possible.