Over three decades Diane Straus Tucker amassed 23 National Championships with 12 different partners, including six Women's titles and two Mixed titles. She is still winning Senior events.
Gerald Manhold devoted the better part of a lifetime to platform tennis and was a driving force for platform tennis league play in his home state of New Jersey and served as the representative for senior level play on the APTA Board for five years.
Walt Peckinpaugh's legacy was in his organizational leadership, vision, promotional abilities, expertise in chairing major tournaments, and technical competence. Without his contributions, there would be a vastly different platform tennis landscape today in the Mid-Western Region as well as nationally.
Source: Platform Tennis Magazine, Vol. 5, Issue 5, April, 2004
Jason Gray from Beckett Ridge Country Club (BRCC) in West Chester, Ohio, was the first to take the courageous step of transforming traditional green and brown platform tennis decks to the bold custom mixed colors of 'Premier Purple' and green. Research indicated that ball visibility was increased because purple provided the most intense color contrast to yellow (and orange). The ease of making line calls is greatly enhanced also by the purple background and white line contrast.
Source: Platform Tennis Magazine, Vol. 5, Issue 5, April, 2004
Susie Keane was born in Detroit, MI, 39 years ago. Growing up, she had a natural talent for tennis. Susie made the pro tennis circuit in 1980 after being ranked the #1 junior girl tennis player in the world (PTM mistakenly said "the #1 girls' 15-and-under player in the world")1. She competed on the tour until 1988, earning a ranking as high as #27 in the world.
Enjoying her tennis retirement by raising her three children, Susie was coaxed into a paddle game three years ago when her husband's partner (her brother) failed to show up for a Saturday morning game. "My first game was very frustrating, but I liked it," she recalls. "Playing that first match got me interested and when my friend Nancy Maxwell called me to play in a follow-up game I was excited. Nancy had been trying to get me out there for years," she added.
Susie moved to Chicago shortly after that first game. She explaine[...]
Chris Gambino and David Ohlmuller edge out Flip Goodspeed and Scott Mansager for the Men's #1 position and Cindy Prendergast and Lauren Zink secure the Women's #1 ranking.
In its efforts to grow the game in all regions and at all levels, the APTA is heading south to hold an exhibition in Atlanta, Georgia, on Saturday, January 15. The exhibition will take place at Ansley Golf Club from 10 AM-2PM. The event will feature top players showcasing their talents, as well as an opportunity for locals to hit a few balls in an introductory clinic and round robin. Enthusiasm for platform tennis is high in Atlanta thanks to two existing courts at two clubs and a large number of experienced players from more traditional platform tennis areas who now call Atlanta home. With a strong foothold like this the APTA hopes that Atlanta will be one of the next major growth areas for the sport. It is also hoped that an APTA-sanctioned tournament will be added in Atlanta in 2005-06 as the sport grows there.
Source: Platform Tennis Magazine, Vol. 6 Issue 2, November, 2004
In July 2004 a proposal was made to Fox Meadow Tennis Club to establish the Museum and Hall of Fame in a new building on the Fox Meadow premises. While a number of discussions were had at the Fox Meadow Board level no consensus could be developed. Alternative proposals were made to Fox Meadow in 2007 and 2010.
[Note: the first proposal to establish a "home" for APTA artifacts was made to Fox Meadow in 1972]
Source: Robert A. Brown personal communication, 2013
Platform Tennis Magazine editor Wayne Dollard surveyed the manufacturing companies supporting the game.
Platform tennis has been called the best kept secret of winter sports. The game has a small following of die-hards that would have difficulty imagining what winter would be like without their favorite pastime. This article is a look into those six service and manufacturing companies that provide us the opportunity to enjoy our "little secret." Representatives from Viking Athletics, Wilson Racquet Sports, Bulletworks, Premier Platform Tennis, Reilly/Green Mountain and The Paddle Company opine on the state of the game from their perspectives.
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Source: Platform Tennis Magazine, Vol. 6, Issue 2, November, 2004
On behalf of the Board of the American Platform Tennis Association, I am pleased to welcome you to another season of fun and competition.
I am very excited to be starting my first year as your President.Your Board and I have been working hard on establishing a strategic vision that builds upon recent successes and help take the APTA and our sport forward with a clear sense of purpose and a renewed sense of vigor.
As for the short term, we are pleased to announce a number of initiatives for the upcoming season designed to improve member services. Look for a redesigned Platform Tennis Magazine and a greatly enhanced APTA website. In addition, we have begun a new effort to share learning from across the country that will help build better players and programs.
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Mats Wilander is a tennis legend—and for nearly 20 years he has enjoyed playing platform tennis in his spare time. Mats won 33 career singles titles including 7 Grand Slams (Australian Open in '83, '84 and '88, French Open in '82, '85 and '88, and US Open in '88). He was also a member of three champion Swedish Davis Cup teams.
Occupation? I'm still involved in tennis. I travel about 51h months a year playing the senior tour and exhibitions. I'm also the Captain of the Swedish Davis Cup Team.
When and where did you first start playing platform tennis? I started playing around 1986 in New York City. My wife lived in the city, and I played on a court in her neighborhood around 3rd Avenue and 23rd Street.
How often do you play? About 10 times a year.
Why do you enjoy platform tennis? I like any sport where you have a ball or a puck and something in your hand to hit it with. Hoc[...]
Wayne Dollard, PTM editor in Vol 6, Issue 3 reported:
For each of the past six years, ! have spent my birthday weekend at the Chicago Charities tournment. There are few places I'd rather be. Thi Midwest hospitality offered by our Chicago friends is matched only by their enthusiasm for the sport. And there is no other place in the country experiencing the growth rate that we are now seeing in Region V.
Six years ago, 90% of the APTA's membership came from the East Coast; today that number is less than 50% The change is not due to an eastern decline, but rather a western expansion. Of the 7,500 APTA members, 30% are from Chicago and 52% overall are from the Midwest.
Source: From the Editor, Platform Tennis Magazine, Vol. 6, Issue, 3, December, 2004
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