Corey Kuck - Eating healthy to return to tennis

Serving off the court: Fueling Your Body for Tennis

You’re playing tennis regularly and working on your game but still feel like you need extra energy to make it through a match. Sound like you? If so, you may need to take a look at your nutrition.

Healthy, balanced eating consistently could give you the boost of energy and enhance your athletic performance on the tennis courts.

So many people are excited to get out and play tennis in the Mid-Atlantic region, and so we want to help you not only get back to playing but have a few nutrition tips and a healthy recipe that can help you get your nutrition on point, and ready to fuel your tennis game from the inside out.

We caught up with another local business owner featured on the #ServeItForward business list Corey Kuck, Chef, and owner of Catering By Corey for his thoughts on tennis, cooking and a simple, healthy recipe for you to try out. 

USTA Mid-Atlantic: Where are you from originally?

Corey Kuck:  Sheboygan, Wisconsin

Where do you live now? 

Leesburg, VA

How long have you been playing tennis? 

A little more than 1 year.

How did you get started playing tennis?

 I never really played before but did I try out for my High School team against the number 1 player. I didn’t win. I didn’t pick up a racquet again until I met my girlfriend and last year, she got me involved in playing tennis.

How often do you play and where? 

I try to play socially at River Creek Club in Leesburg once or twice a week. If I am not able to hit with someone, then I use the ball machine to improve my skills. I try to take lessons once a week as well. 

How does it feel to be back out on the courts?

 It feels great to be on the courts. My game is progressing and tennis is one sport that you can safely play during the pandemic. It helps me relieve stress.

Let’s switch gears and talk about food  . . .

How long have you been a Chef? 

I have been in the industry as a cook and chef for 22 years 

Where did you train?

 I am a self-taught chef. I started early on by watching my mother at home; my mother is a great cook. I then progressed to learning through hands-on experience from people with all skill levels in the industry. I jumped from restaurant to restaurant every two years to make sure that I learned to cook dishes from all over the world and continuously honed my skills.

What drew you to cooking? 

Cooking is artistic, delicious and I get to play with knives and fire.

What’s your favorite dish? 

That is an impossible question to answer as it always changes because of my love for food. I always like a good Taco.

What do you want people to know about your business?

I not only cater, but I make homemade meals for busy families or those that want healthy home meals.

What are a few nutrition tips tennis players should keep in mind while returning to the courts? Always hydrate. Watch your sugar intake and make sure you get enough potassium and carbs before a match.

To help fuel your body to get back out on the court, try Corey’s Summer Herb Pesto crusted Pork Tenderloin with Mediterranean Couscous:

Ingredients:  

1 or 2 pork tenderloin

2- 3 teaspoons minced (Dried) onion

1 teaspoon granulated garlic per pork tenderloin

¾ of a teaspoon ground ginger

salt and pepper to taste

1 capful apple cider vinegar per pork tenderloin

3 heaping tablespoons summer herb pesto (store brand is fine) 

1 ½ cup of plain couscous 

1 ½ cup vegetable or chicken broth

1 12oz can of quartered or chopped artichoke hearts

1 med to large fresh tomato

½ to ¾ cup fresh basil

½ cup fresh Italian parsley 

4 or 5 cloves of fresh garlic 

½ of medium red onion

½ cup feta cheese

⅓ cup white balsamic vinegar

⅓ cup Extra Virgin Olive Oil 

½ of lemon

½ of lime

Herb pesto crusted Pork Tenderloin: 

  1. Clean Pork Tenderloin of all silverskin, pat dry then drizzle about one tablespoon of apple cider vinegar on pork and rub in.  Season with dried Onion, granulated garlic, ground ginger, salt, and fresh ground black pepper and rub in.  
  2. Sear pork in a medium-high cast iron pan with oil of choice.  When all sides of pork are seared and have a rich golden brown color, take off the heat and let cool for 5 min. 
  3. Rub the summer herb pesto all over the tenderloin.  
  4. Place on a lined cookie sheet and finish in a 350-degree oven for 13 to 17 min depending on the size of tenderloin and preference of the doneness of pork (Medium to well done).  

For the Mediterranean  Couscous (you can make a day in advance) 

  1. Prepare a plain couscous with a vegetable or chicken broth according to the directions.  Fork fluff the couscous and put in the fridge.  
  2. Mince fresh garlic (4 or 5 cloves) and lightly roast in a small pan with oil at medium-low temperature until toasted, take off the heat, and set aside. 
  3. Cut fresh basil and Italian parsley, dice artichoke hearts, fresh tomatoes, and red onion.  
  4. In a large bowl toss in the couscous,  drizzle white balsamic vinegar over couscous, and extra virgin olive oil about 1/4 cup of each.  
  5. Add all of the vegetables and herbs and squeeze one half of a lime and lemon into the couscous and toss all together and refrigerate until you serve.

Now that you have a few quick nutrition tips, don’t forget to check out LaRue Cook’s tips on preparing your body for tennis

USTA Mid-Atlantic invites everyone to #ServeItForward both on and off-court, and get involved in helping to support tennis in the Mid-Atlantic Section as part of the recovery process we’ll all need.  Learn more about how you can #ServeItForward and support the USTA Mid-Atlantic, a non-profit organization, as we bring the healing power of tennis to our Mid-Atlantic community. 

Let us know how you or your tennis friends #ServeItForward by emailing hughes@mas.usta.com.

Sources: Medicine & Science in Sports & Exercise, Harvard Medical School

https://www.healthline.com/health/fitness-exercise-eating-healthy#breakfast

Serving Off the Court: A Perspective on Healing Through Tennis

By, Deirdre Hughes

As a black woman living in a diverse metropolitan community, I don’t face a daily barrage of overt racism. Instead, I encounter the slow, steady drip of microaggressions and bias that wear on my mind and soul. Regular occurrences like the glares of disdain from my neighbors as I walk in my own neighborhood; Starbucks Barista moving the tip jar when I step up to the counter or the co-worker telling me that racism “isn’t a thing.” My experience, it’s like death by a thousand pin-pricks. 

Our current times have generated high stress and anxiety across the nation, in the local Mid-Atlantic region and around the globe. In the African American community, high blood pressure and diabetes are prevalent; African American adults are 60 percent more likely than non-Hispanic white adults to have been diagnosed with diabetes by a physician, according to the Office of Minority Health of the U.S. Department of Health & Human Services. Studies suggest that these chronic diseases are also linked to mental health issues such as depression and anxiety disorders. Further, research that links experiences of racism with poor mental health is emerging. 

Fortunately, one of my best strategies for combating stressful experiences is tennis.

My tennis story begins on the public tennis courts in Buffalo, N.Y.  My uncle, who is also a tennis player, gave me my first racquet as a Christmas gift when I was in middle school. That following summer, I started learning tennis in a free tennis summer camp sponsored by the Buffalo Department of Parks and Recreation.

My passion for the sport started during those summers. Over the years I played tennis every once in a while. Then in 2011, I started taking lessons again when my job’s wellness benefit covered tennis lessons. Over time, as I saw improvement in my play, I began playing more and more. 

Currently, I am a 3.0 player but I prefer to play at 3.5. I am a singles player but I will play doubles from time to time. I have played on various teams around the Washington, D.C. metro region in addition to playing in USTA Sanctioned tournaments. My biggest tennis accomplishments to date include an undefeated season in 6.0 Mixed Doubles and winning the January 2019 Ladies 3.0 Singles Simkins Indoor NTRP tournament in Greensboro, N.C.  

For me, tennis is an escape and outlet from the daily stresses of my life. Nothing else matters when I step onto a tennis court. From my first strike of the ball, I can feel all my anxiety melt away and my problems temporarily disappear. After I finish playing, I am relaxed and positive, and ready to once again tackle my everyday life.

Tennis also helps my mental acuity. I love the challenge of thinking through a match, problem-solving, self-evaluating, and correcting mistakes. These skills don’t just reside on the tennis court but are skills that I use in my professional life as a marketing manager at USTA Mid-Atlantic. Further, tennis aids in developing mental toughness and resilience. Two very important traits needed to navigate our world.

It’s important not to underestimate the power of tennis. Tennis is unlike any other sport;  a lifelong sport that offers physical and mental benefits. Just read Dr. Jack Groppel’s 34 Reasons to Play Tennis and listen to the webinars he held with us at USTA Mid-Atlantic recently and you’ll gain an understanding of the physical and psychological reasons to play the sport.

While playing tennis cannot solve systemic issues such as racism, it can, however, aid in relieving stress and improving overall health. Tennis can foster connections, communication, and community. Healthy minds and bodies create healthy communities. 

Tennis can help all people  – socially, emotionally, and physically. 

And it is with this very belief USTA Mid-Atlantic works hard to make tennis the most accessible sport in the region for ALL people and communities. Tennis can help as part of a recovery process and the #ServeItForward campaign is in progress to support this effort.

USTA Mid-Atlantic invites everyone to #ServeItForward both on and off-court, and get involved in helping to support tennis in the Mid-Atlantic Section as part of the recovery process we’ll all need.  Learn more about how you can #ServeItForward and support the USTA Mid-Atlantic, a non-profit organization, as we bring the healing power of tennis to our Mid-Atlantic community. 

Resources:

https://www.anxiety.org/black-americans-how-to-cope-with-anxiety-and-racism

https://www.webmd.com/mental-health/news/20191204/african-americans-face-unique-mental-health-risks

https://www.humana.com/learning-center/health-and-wellbeing/fitness-and-exercise/tennis#:~:text=Joan%20Finn%20did%20a%20study,other%20athletes%20or%20non%2Dathletes.

https://www.active.com/tennis/articles/five-benefits-of-tennis

https://minorityhealth.hhs.gov/omh/browse.aspx?lvl=4&lvlid=18

Serving Off the Court: Kendall McCaughey

Serving Off the Court: Kendall McCaughey

As we continue to navigate through these unprecedented times, our focus is often on meeting the needs of our family members, friends, and neighbors. However, animals living in shelters need love and attention as well during this pandemic. And while news reports suggest a surge in pet adoptions and fostering of animals, experts are quick to note that shelters still have and always will have animals in need.  USTA Mid-Atlantic member Kendall McCaughey decided that she could step in and provide that TLC to our non-human friends.  

We caught up with Kendall to find out more about how she is serving off the court in this unique way

USTA Mid-Atlantic: Where do you live? 

Leesburg, Va.

Tell me about your family.

I am married with two kids. Bryn is 17 and is committed to playing lacrosse at the University of Denver in the Fall. Michael is 20 and a sophomore at the University of South Carolina.

How did you get started playing tennis

I played tennis as a youth and played competitively in high school.

I got back into tennis as an adult 13 years ago and I’ve played quite a bit on lots of teams.

Do you play on any tennis teams or in tournaments?

I did play on lots of teams. The biggest highlight was placing 3rd at the USTA National Tournament for 8.0 mixed doubles.

Where do you play tennis? 

I play mostly in my neighborhood.

Tell me about how you are serving off the court.

 I walk dogs about once a week at Friends of Homeless Animals (FOHA) in Aldie, Va.

How did you get started? 

I went online and signed up at FOHA.org. Then I went through training which takes about an hour to an hour and a half.

Why did you decide to volunteer

These animals are confined to small shelter spaces. FOHA needs volunteers to give them the opportunity to improve their quality of life through exercise and positive human interactions like snuggling!

What’s your favorite part of helping? 

I feel fortunate to provide time to these animals who desperately need love and attention.

What advice do you have for someone who wants to get involved with helping during this time? 

This is a great time to get involved! There is a need for people to help walk and interact with animals in the shelter. It is a positive, socially distanced activity that gives tremendously needed attention to these sweet animals who are surrendered or abused through no fault of their own!

As the recovery process begins, tennis has the power to rebuild the community and we continue to be inspired by so many of you – the tennis players, parents, and fans out there, giving back and helping out during the pandemic in many different ways. 

USTA Mid-Atlantic invites everyone to #ServeItForward both on and off-court, and get involved in helping to support tennis in the Mid-Atlantic Section as part of the recovery process we’ll all need.  Learn more about how you can #ServeItForward and support the USTA Mid-Atlantic, a non-profit organization, as we bring the healing power of tennis to our Mid-Atlantic community.  

Let us know how you or your tennis friends #ServeItForward by emailing hughes@mas.usta.com