The 5th Annual Premier Cup took place this year at Sunset Ridge Country Club in Chicago on October 10th & 11th. This year's field featured the strongest veteran teams in the sport as well as many of the top up and coming teams. Sunset Ridge boasts six courts and is under the direction of Peter Berka. This year's field had representation from states of Illinois, Ohio, New York, and New Jersey for the two-day event that had a total purse ofS5,000.
The first day of competition started at 10 a.m. on Saturday and lasted through dark as each team played a round robin competition within their own group (three matches).
Format:
• Two out of three sets; regular scoring
• Super tie-breaker for 3rd set (Sat. only)
• Top two teams from each group advanced to semi-finals on Sunday
Rules for Advancement:
• Best overall record from round robin play
• 1st tie-breaker used i[...]
Melanie Oudin helps inaugurate courts in Atlanta
On Friday, October 9, The Peachtree Paddle League (PPL) kicked off the new season in fine style with its annual gala and exhibition at the newest platform tennis venue in Atlanta, the Racquet Club of the South (RCS).
Made famous recently by the charmed success of US Open quarter finalist, 17-year-old Melanie Oudin, RCS unveiled their brand new courts and viewing deck to a crowd of some 125 people, including many enthusiastic kids.
Topping off the night was an appearance by Melanie in person, who picked up a paddle and played her first set of platform tennis, paired with Philadelphia native and Atlanta transplant, Ali Tross Cole.
Behind the RCS story was a grant from the American Platform Tennis Association to help with the cost of construction of their two courts.
Mark Fischl, then President of the APTA, was instrumental in [...]
Marty Pomerantz, Director, Campus Recreation, University of North Carolina-Chapel Hill filed this report with PTM:
It took about five years of cajoling, collaborating, and construction, but this author's vision for a multi-purpose recreational facility finally evolved from a paper napkin at Bruegger's Bagels to a successful grand opening on Saturday, October 17. The new South Campus Recreation Complex (SCRC) sits atop what once was an eight court tennis center and home of the Carolina Varsity Tennis Team. Today, it consists of three sand volleyball courts, three tennis courts, two full length basketball/inline hockey courts, and the piece de resistance, three brand new ground level platform tennis courts.
The grand opening event included sand volleyball and tennis tournaments, which attracted a number of student teams. But the highlights of the day's festivities included a professi[...]
Hall of Fame inductee, Chuck Baird died peacefully on December 26, 2009 at the age of 87, after a long bout with Alzheimers. A true ambassador of platform tennis, he was an active participant in both the play and the promotion of the game. He was consistently highly ranked in the years that he competed on the "open" circuit and in the Nationals. Although never a winner of the open Nationals, he and his partner, Roger Lankenau, went as far as the quarter-finals. Upon entering the Senior ranks, his first Championship win was in the 50+ Nationals in 1973. What followed thereafter was a record-breaking streak of Senior National Championships, totaling 23 wins in the 45+, 50+, 55+, 60+, 65+ and 70+ categories. He was also a finalist 15 times in these Senior events. In 1982, he and his partner George Schmid achieved a milestone never accomplished before or since, winning three events, in the 5[...]
Financials:
Aila Main presented an overview of our income statement and balance sheet which showed our financial position as being very strong.
However, given the wide variety of initiatives the APTA is pursuing, it was proposed that we raise the league membership dues. Tim and Ann proactively reached out to many of the APTA league Presidents and the idea was agreed to by all of those people.
It was moved that we raise the APTA league member dues from $25 per year to $30. The motion carried unanimously.
Then, a variety of discretionary spending items were discussed resulting in the following actions:
It was moved that we put $15,000 into the budget for "Grow the Game" grants this year and each succeeding year. The motion carried unanimously.
It was moved that we transfer (one time) $40,000 from our cash on the balance sheet to the fund for grants for this coming year. The m[...]
In an effort to spread an awareness of platform tennis across the country and grow the game, the APTA's grant program awarded three grants this year totaling $35,000 to projects that otherwise would not have succeeded.
The awardees induded the Creve Coeur Racquet Club in St. Louis, Mo., North Park, a county run facility in the suburbs of Pittsburgh, Pa., and the YMCA in Wilton, Ct.
The first and largest will assist with the creation of a new platform tennis venue beginning with 2 courts at the Creve Coeur Racquet Club in St. Louis, a large, low cost, semi public indoor/outdoor tennis facility. The growth of Paddle in St. Louis has for years been hampered by a lack affordable access. Two years ago, Rick Randall, Frank Sant, Frank Childress and Bob Curtis formed the STL Platform Tennis Association to address the problem and the APTA is pleased to partner with this group of enthusiast[...]
On March 30th, the growth of Platform Tennis continued its seemingly inexorable journey south. Thanks to the vision and efforts of Joe Russo, The Villages in Florida decided to install six grade-level courts. The Villages, located 60 miles northwest of Orlando, is a retirement community of almost 80,000 people.
Coming on the heels of APTA-assisted projects in Chapel Hill, North Carolina and Atlanta, Georgia, The Villages is a privately- funded project masterminded by Joe Russo. Joe previously had been responsible for the installation of four courts in Ocean Pines, Maryland. Preliminary plans for the addition of twelve more courts are being discussed as the initial project is evaluated.
The Grand Opening at The Villages featured an exhibition and clinic hosted by APTA Board member Juan Pablo Arraya Martinez. Juan heads up the APTA Exhibition tour, having succeeded Todd Ward in May o[...]
Early each summer, David Dodge and Jason Gray sit down to discuss how they are going to out-do their previous year's Premier Cup tournament competition. Dodge is the owner and founder of Premier Platform Tennis Courts. Gray is the Director of Racquet Sports at the Four Bridges Country Club in Cincinnati but moonlights as the consummate promoter of all things platform tennis.
Over the past several seasons, many cities have been host to the Premier Cup - a $5,000 invitation-only, elite paddle tournament. Who gets to play? The top eight men's teams in the country are invited. If anyone cannot participate, the #9 team will be invited, and so on.
The 2010 Cup was set up a little different than those of past seasons. This year, the event took place in southern "virgin" paddle territory - Richmond, Virginia.
To kick off the three-day festivities, the American Platform Tennis As[...]
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