THE FEDERALIST PAPERS AND THE ROLE OF A CONSCIENTIOUS BOARD MEMBER By Javier Palenque

For those privileged Americans who have had the opportunity to study the Federalist Papers—often a hallmark of higher-quality education—this collection of essays is indispensable for understanding the ratification of the Constitution and the foundation of a new nation. It offers profound insights into the values and history that all Americans, native-born or otherwise, should cherish.

It makes sense that those in positions of power should periodically revisit the Federalist Papers and reflect on the founders' intentions, scrutinizing the current state of their governance. Such reflection would not only be enlightening but also a demonstration of responsible leadership.

However, I wish more of us would engage with these texts so that we could have meaningful discussions on how to improve our country. In the context of the USTA, this reflection could help us explore how tennis can contribute to national betterment.

In the book "No One Makes It Alone," the narrative underscores the transformative power of sport. Judge Valdes, who later became a beacon of justice for troubled youth, owes his trajectory to the person who introduced him to tennis. This anecdote exemplifies how tennis can uplift society. Yet, as a USTA board member, his potential was squandered by an entrenched and out-of-touch leadership of the incapable Ol’ boys.

The Federalist Papers, a seminal political document, provided a framework for progress. When George Washington sent the proposed Constitution to the Continental Congress for state ratification, a vigorous debate ensued. Opponents feared the Constitution would diminish state power and foster a remote, unaccountable government.

I draw your attention to this crucial point: opponents feared the rise of a distant, invisible, irresponsible, and tyrannical government. Regrettably, the USTA board you all serve mirrors these very fears of the distant past. The board has become distant, invisible, irresponsible, and tyrannical.

Worse still, the board collectively avoids debate and accountability, going so far as to censor dissent and mislead the public on critical issues like sexual abuse, player participation, and the overall state of tennis. USTA meetings are shrouded in secrecy, deliberately evading transparency. How can you support such a dysfunctional system that fails repeatedly?

Board Members, our sport is in decline, and revitalizing it requires fresh perspectives, this means new thinking. Unfortunately, you do not possess the intelligence, will, or honor to change the trajectory of the sport. The current waste is staggering, intellectual rigor is lacking, and the board's direction is misguided by greed, secrecy, and the nefarious status quo.

How can you condone hiding sexual abuse cases, fabricating participation numbers, paying absurd sums to incapable individuals, and prioritizing corporate interests over individual enthusiasts, when you all know tennis is an individual sport? Why do empty tennis courts give way to pickleball, yet no significant changes occur within the USTA leadership, who pays the cost of your ineptitude? What is the purpose of being a board member if the sport is not defended by those entrusted to defend it?

The status quo, which facilitated your individual board memberships, is the crux of the problem. Understanding these issues does not require extraordinary intelligence, merely an open mind and a commitment to fairness. How is this low level of decency such a complicated request? And if it is, do you see the problem? If it is not clear, it is the Ol' Boys culture, the obtuse refusal to understand that the country has changed and that you all failed to change with it.

At what point will you recognize that pricing the US Open for corporations is a gross misjudgment? How many sexual abuse cases must be covered up before responsible parties are held accountable? How many deceptive TIA reports will be produced before we stop squandering funds on dishonesty? How long will you protect the people who should have been fired long ago? What is the point of protecting them?

Where is your sense of duty to a nation that has undoubtedly been good to you all? Your acts are those of people who are at the bottom of the society scale, selfish, poor, with no vision, and void of a greater purpose other than getting freebies. Tennis is not a sport for this kind of management.

You can no longer hide, or lie, it is 2024. This article will be read all over the world seconds after I press send. Please board members, recognize that your date is past due. You need to leave so we can save the sport from where you left it at.

As a fellow tennis enthusiast and American, I implore you to do the right thing for the sport we love. The lying and deception must end, you are just protecting the malaise of the sport, which is your klan. Please resign, we do not need any one of you, we need honorable, intelligent, visionary individuals.

I say no to ineptitude and yes to growing the game.

?I can be reached at jpalenque@yahoo.com

PS. I hope you realize that the leadership of the USTA, is not only inept but not worthy of having the non-profit status granted. The reason is, that in their ploy to deceive, besides the sport, parents, coaches, and kids, they are also deceiving the government. Nothing can be erected when your intelligence level is so poor, that is why despite tennis being the best-funded sport in the country, the clan of incapables has managed to achieve that no one plays. It cannot get any worst than that.