Tim McAvoy elected President of the APTA

Focus, accountability, teamwork, and growing the game…….

It is a privilege and a pleasure to have been selected to lead the American Platform Tennis Association as we enter our 75th year as a not-for-profit association. I look forward to giving back to the sport that has introduced me to so many wonderful people across the country.

I am committed to the tradition and integrity of our sport and am also focused on the APTA’s mission to govern, grow and try to improve the sport we play and enjoy so much.

I was introduced to platform tennis as a child and started playing competitively in 1982. My mother helped bring the sport to the Philadelphia area in the early 1970′s and taught platform tennis to hundreds of players over the next two decades. Known as Mother Paddle in Philly, Lucie McAvoy was inducted into the Platform Tennis Hall of Fame in 1992.

I would like to first begin by tipping my hat to Mark Fischl and acknowledge the tremendous team of volunteers he helped assemble–your APTA Board of Directors.

I would also like to thank Ann Sheedy, the APTA Executive Director, for her positive attitude and tireless support of our members and Board initiatives. She is a shining star within our tremendous platform tennis community.

One of my first goals is to reinforce focus, accountability and teamwork within our Board. To this end, we have formalized Committees for each initiative we feel is critical to growing the game and/or adding value to our membership. Each Committee has a Chairperson and a team of volunteers, focused on delivering against agreed upon goals.

These Committees promote teamwork and a sharing of ideas among Board members. I encourage you to visit the APTA website at www.platformtennis org to view our Committees and stay current with what is happening in the world of platform tennis.

I am also focused on growing the game and adding value to our members. I view the APTA membership in terms of interclub players, open tournament players, Seniors and Juniors.

On the Juniors front, the segment of our membership that is the future of our sport, I am proud to announce the APTA Junior Tour for the upcoming season. The APTA Junior Tour will be lead by Tom Safford and will continue the tradition that David Kjeldsen started with the Viking Junior Tour. Again, check out the schedule of events as well as stories from the Junior Tour throughout the season on the APTA website.

One final comment—please note that future PTM articles in this space will come to you from different APTA Board Committee Chairpeople. I’d like folks on our team to showcase their key initiatives to you, our members.

I hope to see you on the courts this coming season and if you ever have an idea or issue that can help grow our game or add value to our membership, please reach out to me. I welcome your thoughts.

Tim McAvoy, APTA President