Major update of APTA by-laws started
Back to TopThe committee, headed by Fox Meadow members Paul Sullivan and Jim Carlisle, provided legal counsel. The by-laws were approved in 1973.
Read More- The Early Years1928-1949
- The Evolution1950-1969
- The Rise1970-1979
- The Growth1980-1999
- Today's Game2000 and Beyond
Regional Interest in the Nationals grows
Back to TopIn a 1972 article about the Nationals in The New York Times, Tournament Co- Chairman Dick Balzac noted that teams had participated from as far away as Illinois, North Carolina, and Texas.
Read MoreThe New York Times looks at paddle
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The April APTA Paddle Newsletter included two Times’ articles on the game – one previewing the upcoming Men’s Nationals at Fox Meadow, published on February 27th, and a March 26th article by Suzanne S. Fremon entitled “It’s Dawn for Platform Tennis.”
Read MoreArapahoe Tennis Club establishes a tournament in memory of Hig Gould who brought the game to Denver, CO
Back to TopGeorge H.B. (Hig) Gould, introduced paddle to the Mile High City with the formation of the Arapahoe Tennis Club in 1964. He was tragically killed in a car accident in April 1971. The Arapahoe Tennis Club established an annual tournament in his honor that rapidly became well attended by nationally ranked players seeking to both ski and play paddle. The Hertz Corporation offered to put up cash prizes but the organizers declined the offer as they wanted to keep the event low-key. Hig was an accomplished player and had competed in the 1969 National Platform Tennis Championship at Scarsdale, NY. At the time of his death, he was president and a director of Gates LearJet Corp.
Read MoreWomen’s Rankings started
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Although women had been playing from the start of the sport, 1972 was the first year of women’s rankings with ten teams ranked by the APTA.
Read MoreNational Championships
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Bob Kingsbury and John Mangan broke through to win the Men’s over the three time defending champions, Gray and Sammis. It was a dominating performance by Kingsbury and Mangan, taking the title without losing a set. Gloria Dillenbeck and B.J. DeBree1 repeated as Women’s champions, and the brother-sister team of John Beck and Susan Wasch won the Mixed. In the Senior events, Charlotte Lee and Eleanor Hesseltine1 repeated as winners of the Women’s 50+, Charles Baird and Edmund Swanberg won the Men’s 50+, and Walter Frese and Ken LaVine won the 60+ (Veterans). Charles (Chip) Baird, Jr. won his fourth straight Junior Boy's title. Note 1: Historical Factoid:This was the second year in a row that Charlotte Lee won the Senior Women's with Eleanor Hesseltine and also the second year in a row where she lost to Eleanor Hesseltine's daughter, B. J DeBree, and her partne[...]
Read MoreAPTA Newsletters covered National and Regional Tournament results
Back to TopFor many years, the APTA newsletters carried the results of all the major tournaments from the round of 16 on. The February, April, and September newsletters included the draw sheets from the round of 16 for the Women’s Nationals; Senior Women’s; Western Pennsylvania Men’s, Women’s and Mixed; Connecticut State Men’s; Long Island Men’s Invitational; Rye Men’s Invitational; Middle Atlantic Men’s; Short Hills; and Bronxville Field Club Women’s Invitational. There were also notes on the New Canaan Men’s Invitational, the APTA Senior Men’s, and the first North Carolina Men’s tournament.
Read MoreAs game expands Fox Meadow players lose dominance at tournaments but the “spirit” of the game remains an essential part of the club
Back to TopBy the mid-1970's, platform tennis was a national game, attracting an estimated 500,000 competitors. The game was no longer exclusively played by Eastern clubs. The tournaments were often commercially sponsored. As the game widened, Fox Meadow lost its dominance of the Nationals, but the Club's impact in other areas remained strong. Cecil J. (Mike) North, Jr.(APTA President 1975-1977) of Bedford Golf and Tennis Club wrote in the program for an earlier Nationals: "As platform tennis attracts greater numbers of players, expands geographically, and becomes increasingly money-oriented, I think it is important to remember why people played it in the first place: because it is informal, because it is fun. Fox Meadow is a reminder of these qualities." Source: Diana Reische, Fox Meadow Tennis Club – The First Hundred Years, 1983
Read More“The Etiquette of Platform Tennis” published
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The Annual Meeting minutes included the following report by Secretary Robert A. Brown. “The rapid growth of the game is attributable to the increasing number of ‘newcomers’ who are exposed to and are taken up by the game. With this in mind and in order to maintain the high level of sportsmanship and good conduct that is such an important part of ‘paddle,’ the APTA recently published a new booklet entitled “The Etiquette of Platform Paddle Tennis.” The author of the booklet was Robert A. Brown. It has been reprinted a number of times and is still available. The APTA mailed the booklet to all members, and it was well received. Subsequently, the APTA received requests for over 3,000 additional copies of the booklet. Although intended for the newcomer, a number of old-timers requested copies for their close friends who played. Source: The APTA Paddle Newsletter, [...]
Read MoreAPTA develops policy on platform tennis court builders
Back to TopThe September 15th Newsletter carried the following basic policy: • It is the intent of the APTA that the game of Platform Tennis be played under uniform court conditions wherever it is played. • The APTA considers it appropriate to provide advice and guidance, where needed, to ensure quality and uniformity in court construction while recognizing the desirability of encouraging innovations in the use of materials and methods of construction so long as the basic nature of the play of the game is not affected. • The APTA will offer guidance to those seeking information on plans, specifications, and builders of platform tennis courts. Such guidance is offered within the framework of this policy, the implementation of which is outlined below; while it is based upon the best information available, the APTA cannot accept responsibility for quality of construction, delays, or fa[...]
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