More than 80 juniors from the tri-state area gathered at Fox Meadow Tennis Club to open the 2006-07 Viking Junior Tour. Participants in Viking Junior Tour events earned points toward an end-of-season ranking - but most importantly, they had a great day of platform tennis!
Read MoreOn Saturday, December 16, 2006, the Long Island Platform Tennis Association ("LIPTA") hosted its 4th Annual Viking Junior Tour tournament at the Garden City Country Club, the Cherry Valley Club and the Garden City Community Park. With Christmas only a week away, the children received a surprise early morning visit from that jolly old Nordic man with rosy cheeks and a little round belly - that's right, David Kjeldsen, founder and chairman of Viking Athletics, was there to provide his support, wearing his trademark "horns." LIPTA is grateful to Viking Athletics for its sponsorship of the Viking Junior Tour, and for providing the children with a memorable platform tennis experience (and great favors). Among the four age divisions, we had thirty-nine teams participating (78 kids), and countless parents and grandparents cheering. The level of paddle was extraordinary, the good sportsmansh[...]
Read MoreDavid Keevins and Brian Uihlein were the #1 ranked Men's team and Kerri Delmonico and Aila Main maintained their #1 ranking in the Women's.
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Brad Kelly Age: 38 Married: Jenny Children: Lauren (11), Anna (9) and Ben (6) Born: Charleston, WV Resides: Pittsburgh, PA Education: BA Business Marketing WVU (1991) Occupation: Director of Brokerage Services ECHO Real Estate Like many of the top platform tennis players, Brad Kelly was a full-scholarship, Division 1 college tennis player. At WVU (Top 20 national college tennis team), Brad captained his team to nine conference championships in singles and doubles. He was one of three Division 1 All-Americans in WVU tennis history and he also earned a USTA National Indoor Doubles Championship title. Brad moved back to Pittsburgh in 1995. He recalled, "I knew a lot of guys that played platform tennis at The Pittsburgh Field Club and they got me out there to give platform a try." He added, "At first, I relied on the similarities with tennis - really the basics such as strokes[...]
Read MoreA few years back, David Dodge of Premier Platform Tennis built two concrete grade-level courts at Ocean Pines, Maryland. The warmer climate sees little snow and therefore the necessity of a conventional deck was absent. A few months ago, Dodge and Bullet Brown (Bulletworks Platform Tennis) completed two more courts at Ocean Pines. The courts - not yet approved by the APTA - were not painted, except for the red lines. A broom finish was applied to the court for better footing. So what is the post installation verdict? Resident players claim: • The broom-finish provides very good footing and is considerably easier on the knees and ankles. • The non-painted court is much brighter under the lights. • The non-painted surface initially saves $3,000 per court and $2,500 every few years thereafter. • Pitching the courts just two inches from the net to either end work[...]
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Patty Hogan reported on the event for PTM For the 10th year in a row, Patty Hogan and the Beacon Hill Club hosted the APTA Junior Nationals. The growth of junior programs throughout the country is evident with a record 244 junior participants this year! Although half of the players came from New Jersey, the total represented six states and four different APTA Regions. The event was sponsorship by Marsh, Viking Athletics, the APTA Junior Development Fund, the New Jersey Men's Platform Tennis Association, and the New Jersey Women's Platform Tennis League. Bulletworks also sponsored the event by providing fun favors for all players. It would be impossible to stage a tournament this size without a dedicated corps of volunteers. Thanks go out to: Patty Hogan, Marjorie Hodson, Sheryl Barcic, Bob Considine, Susan Penney, Terry Doran, Steve Bromley, Scott Slobin, Kent Chalmers, Drew[...]
Read MoreOn January 27, David Caldwell, Todd Ward, Mike Rahaley and I headed to Chapel Hill, North Carolina, to put on an exhibition and clinic at the Chapel Hill Tennis Club (CHTC). I have been involved in many exhibitions, but this one was the first one I have ever participated in where the APTA has played a large role in the creation of a platform tennis program. Together, with some creative work by Reilly Green Mountain and Rich Green, the APTA is pleased to have been a partner to help CHTC install two courts, the first in the Raleigh-Durham area. When I first became involved with the APTA, my main goal was to be able to help with the installation of public courts around the country. The Board has worked hard to create a mission statement (see above) and to improve our finances to put us in position to help strong local leaders with the financial burden that goes with purchasing court[...]
Read MoreChapel Hill, North Carolina, has two new platform tennis courts. Sure, congratulations are probably in order but does the installation of two new courts merit full-spread coverage in PTM? Well, yes. You see, these particular courts are different. First of all, they are in the South — not exactly in the paddle mainstream. But what really sets these courts apart is that they were partially funded by the APTA in its grass roots efforts to grow the game. [enlarge image to read Bowen's full report]
Read MoreThe first National Champions of the season were crowned at Fox Meadow Tennis Club, the first club to have platform tennis courts. They came from California and Georgia, from Vermont and Pennsylvania, from Albany and Long Island and Westchester, NY, from Connecticut and Massachusetts and New Jersey. Only Region 5 was not represented at the Women's 50+ and 70+ National Championships! With many assists from Hope Kerr, the Women's 70+ doubled its size from the two previous years. Nine of the 16 participants were new this year! [enlarge image to read full report]
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Nationals Chairman Bill Taubner and his staff of volunteers had nearly every angle covered for the week-long platform tennis festivities in Pelham, New York. In a word, the start of the Women's Platform Tennis Nationals could be summed up as soggy. Rain plagued most of Friday, March 22, the first day of the competition. Despite the best efforts of the staff of the New York Athletic Club to dry courts in between showers, by 3 p.m., a substantial shower lasting a solid 40 minutes persisted. A few games already in play were completed, but as the tired and cold players felt the usually crisp hits of the ball turn into a soggy, hard-tocontrol effort, spectators and fellow competitors drifted away to the dry confines of the clubhouse. There, they waited and hoped for the rain to subside enough for the New York Athletic Club staff to once again bring out the towels and push-blow[...]
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