Coca-Cola commissioned Robert Sticker to do an oil painting of a platform tennis scene at the home of the game – Fox Meadow Tennis Club.

Charles Millard, President of the Coca-Cola Bottling Company of New York and a key supporter of the game, commissioned the painting1. Source: Paddle Talk, Vol. 2 No. 2 (December) Who are the players? “My guess is that Sticker drew the players from scrap art - several pictures that he patched together with his brush. He must have visited FMTC for he beautifully and accurately portrays the Club, snow, court, bleachers, and spectators. As to the players, I've always related to the guy hitting the overhead. I recognize the posture, the pants, the green socks and the sweater. But who knows. The other player in the foreground court sure looks like the back of Paul Sullivan's grey head. And it makes sense that he would be there. Too bad Bob Brown isn't on the other side of the net, because he was usually in that FMTC group. The guy with the hat looks like Dave Jennings. It doesn't[...]

Changes needed to encourage spectator interest?

APTA President Mike North expressed his view at the Annual Meeting as part of a discussion on the growth of the game: “The second necessary development is for the rules to be changed to encourage spectator interest. I agree with Dick Squires' excellent article in a recent issue of Paddle World that urged reconsideration of the rules as proficiency increases. For instance, we should consider returning to a less lively ball, introducing the return of serve before the ball hits the screen, and the provision of a winning shot.” Source: Paddle Talk, Vol. 2 No. 2 (December)

Tribuno starts a Women’s Tour

The circuit proved almost as popular as the men’s. The 1976–77 season kickoff was the Tribuno Platform Tennis Tournament of Cleveland, followed by Canoe Brook (New Jersey), Norwalk (Connecticut), Bronxville (New York), Detroit, and the World Championship at Forest Hills, New York. The prize money for the Women’s World Championship was $15,000. Because Tribuno offered equal prize money to men and women for the World Championships, the women voted to play three out of five sets, like the men did. In the semifinals, the spectators got their money’s worth as they watched Gengler and Hilton beat Wendy Chase and Linda Wolf (7–6, 6–3, 4–6, 1–6, 6–4).

PRO-Keds Classic – Irvine and Fitz Gibbon take the $10,000 prize money. Squires creates a promotional and instructional video from the event

The PRO-Keds Classic, held in New York City, was one of the game’s greatest marketing ideas. The event was the brainchild of Dick Squires, and was co-sponsored by Uniroyal and the New York City Department of Parks and Recreation. A court was erected in midtown Manhattan, at the site of the fifty-story Burlington House, on 54th Street and Avenue of the Americas. The area in front of the skyscraper was offered rent free, in exchange for $5,000 worth of PRO-Keds sneakers for the New York City Urban League underprivileged children. An integral part of the tournament was the junior program. Ninety-six children were chosen from the city's boroughs to participate in lunchtime clinics on the court, given by Bob Callaway. General Sportcraft contributed paddles for the kids and Burlington Industries provided socks and lunch. And, of course there were free sneakers for the children from U[...]

APTA Honor Award: Moses and Wasch

John R. Moses was an exceptional tennis player, earning a number one ranking in Interscholastic doubles, and a number five ranking in singles. He was captain of the Yale tennis team, and was a finalist in the National Men’s at nineteen in 1943. Four years later, at age twenty-three, he won his first title, and a second followed ten years later, in 1957. John also won the Mixed in 1955. His record could well have been extended, but he moved to Kansas City where there were no courts. Blanchard thought that, at his best, Moses had few equals with quick hands and remarkable court coverage. (Fox Meadow Tennis Club). Susan Beck Wasch inherited her mother’s racquet genes and grew up playing both tennis and paddle. She had played Junior Wightman Cup tennis for two years when a serious illness interrupted her racquet career, and there was thought that she might not play again. [...]

APTA Annual Meeting Minutes

1976 Annual Meeting Minutes

San Diego to Host Paddle World Series – $25,000 purse. First of a kind for the West Coast

The Baird “Boys” – compared to the other top player they were, and they were contenders

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Men’s Nationals now by invite only

The draw was limited to 64 teams and all teams had to be invited to play by the APTA. Qualification was based upon team performance in at least three APTA ranking and/or sanctioned tournaments during the 1976/77 season. The guidelines were as follows: A team will qualify to enter the National Championships if it achieves the following: (a) Reaches the round of 32 twice or round of 16 once in a ranking tournament in which more than 60 teams compete. (b) Reaches the round of 16 twice or quarterfinals once in a ranking tournament in which less than 60 teams compete. (c) Reaches the quarterfinal round in a sanctioned tournament in which more than 60 teams compete. (d) Reaches the semi-finals of a sanctioned tournament in which less than 60 teams compete. (e) Is a finalist in the National 18 and under championships or in the National 21 and under championships. (f) Is[...]

Tribuno Men’s & Women’s Tour schedule announced – $75,000 in prize money