Live Streaming Video Captivates Audience
There is the Tennis Channel. And then there is the Platform Tennis Channel. For anyone that didn't have the pleasure of playing or watching the Nationals from Long Island this year, the next best thing was watching it on the home computer.
Ken Packert, a physics teacher and a member of Huntington Country Club, joined the 2012 APTA Nationals Committee to handle all video projects. Fortunately for the Committee and the paddle community at large, he was uniquely qualified to handle the first live streaming ever shown on the APTA website.
To make sure Nationals would run smoothly, the group planned a test run at the Long Island Invitational in December of 2011. By Nationals, he knew what equipment he needed (simple webcams) and which wires to string up.
He also got the best seat in the house. A tiny balcony above the deck at the paddle hut[...]
Weston Golf Club, in Weston, Massachusetts, was the host of the 2012 APTA Board Meeting and Annual Meeting. Despite two warm spring days beckoning, the board was able to tackle its full agenda. As the governing body of platform tennis, the APTA continues to look for ways to improve communication within the sport throughout the country, build the game by making it accessible to all corners, and streamline rules and tournament and Nationals coordination.
Hellos and Goodbyes:
One important order of business was voting in new board members and saying farewell to those who have served their three-year terms. The APTA Board approved three new members—President of the APTA, Rob Coster, of Region II, Steve Caccam, also from Region II, and Sara Lanthier, of Region IV (the Canadian connection). Tim McAvoy chaired the Friday meeting as outgoing President of the APTA. He will be missed. The Bo[...]
Ready or not, here comes the 2012/2013 platform tennis season! I'm very pleased to share with you that, due to the tireless efforts of passionate volunteers around North America, the game we love is thriving more than ever. Platform tennis might be relatively small when compared to the more mainstream games we play, but recent revelations portray our game in a different light.
While working through bankruptcy reorganization this summer, court documents listed the Viking Platform Tennis division of Prince Sports as the crown jewel, representing close to 20% of Prince's business. At the APTA annual meeting in Boston this past spring, a representative of Wilson Sports stated that platform tennis represented "the single fastest growing segment of their entire company" Many of the platform tennis court manufacturers are using one word to describe their business recently: "crazy!" Maybe our[...]
The PTMHOFF established revised goals in 2011 after an arrangement for housing a physical museum fell through. A significant part of 2012 was spent in pursuing Phase 1 of the new plan:
Phase I: Create a “virtual” museum and Hall of Fame with the first step being a dramatic upgrade to original web site. The revised site would have three features – an illustrated history of the game, a completely new look and feel for the Hall of Fame with extensive biographies, and a “Search and Explore” section which would house all of the memorabilia collected in digital formats and allow visitors to browse the artifacts by various search keys (by name, for instance).
This phase which is the foundation and heart of the revised mission, was now about 75% complete with the collection and digitization of artifacts, the development of the illustrated time-line history and the revised and e[...]
Serves Her Right! Anne Flemming Wins the 2012 APTA Service Award
The APTA created the APTA Service Award in 2009 to recognize people who have made invaluable contributions to platform tennis. This year, out of ten deserving nominees, Anne Flemming from California was chosen by the board for her truly remarkable service.
Tim McAvoy says, "For 33 years, our Service Award winner was the driving force, the official and unofficial ambassador and champion of platform tennis in California and Region VI."
Tom Mayes says, "Her infectious and enthusiastic nature got me and many, many others involved in our fun sport. Without her, the face of platform tennis in our local community may not even exist."
Christi Hayes says, "It takes a force of nature to promote paddle and grow it where the climate and attitude is so biased toward other sports. It takes unbridled enthusiasm and single mind[...]
Brad Easterbrook started his two-year reign as President of the PPTA (Professional Platform Tennis Association) this September. Easterbrook welcomes the challenge of his new position and the gratification of working with more than 300 top-notch professionals.
A player and pro for over 25 years, Easterbrook currently is the Director of Platform Tennis at the New Canaan Field Club in Connecticut. He has worked as a director of racquets at various clubs in the tri-state area, many of which had platform tennis courts. In 1994, he started playing platform tennis. He credits Steve O'Connell with introducing him to the game and, as with most tennis pros, he picked it up quickly. By 1998, he was playing and teaching as much paddle as tennis. He was drawn to the camaraderie and atmosphere surrounding the game. "The game is tremendous fun. Win or lose, it's always a great time
Easterbrook wa[...]
Jane McNitt
Residence: Winnetka, IL
Family: Husband, Peter; children: Peter Jr. (19), Johnny (17), Megan (15)
Profession: Part-time platform tennis professional
Hobbies off the courts: Swimming, biking, rollerblading and skiing
Awards/Accolades within the sport: Winner of Chicago Charities (‘05, '10, '12) Illinois State, Midwesterns, Indianapolis, St. Louis, Kalamazoo, and Illinois State Mixed tournaments
Wendy Shpiz
Residence: Winnetka, IL
Family: Husband, Dave; children: Jack (4), Charlie (3), Mollie (1)
Profession: Marketing Director - Nike Tennis Camps
Hobbies off the courts: Spend as much time with my family as possible, skiing and running
Awards/Accolades: 1992 Illinois State Tennis Champion. All-American at Duke University. On the pro tennis tour for three years and made Top 250 in the world.
How long have you two been playing as a team and how did your team [...]
With Hurricane Sandy leaving one of platform tennis' strongholds reeling, the devastation along the East Coast was more than evident this year at the Women's 2012 Chicago Charities tournament. Many of the nationally-ranked teams that usually come out of the New York, New Jersey and Philadelphia region were eerily absent this year, virtually allowing Chicago women full reign of the tournament.
This year's Charities benefitted Family Matters, a group located in Chicago's North of Howard neighborhood that offers children and families individualized personal development experiences that provide opportunities to find their place in the world and to be a force for positive change.
The 48-team women's event kicked off on Friday, November 2 at 8 a.m., with overcast skies and mid-50s temperatures that were sustained throughout the weekend.
http://www.flickr.com/photos/31584475@N05/81538479[...]
Jim Dey lets it fly
Jim Dey should be called Jim Diehard. The man has been playing paddle since he was 10 years old, for 60 years. He grew up in Short Hills, New Jersey, with platform tennis courts right around the corner. His only time away from the game was during a work stint in the state of Washington, where courts were non-existent. He moved back to the East Coast in his early 20s, and immediately got back into the game. In all those decades, he has basically had two steady partners: Bob Smith in the early years, and John Spears, who he has played with off and on for over 30 years.
"Paddle has gotten me through a lot of winters," Dey laughed. "I don't need to get away?' If you have ever had the pleasure of staying at the Shelter Harbor Inn, you would understand that concept even more so. Dey bought the cozy retreat 36 years ago. Replete with outstanding food, a rooftop hot tub[...]
Cincinnati's hut commander extraordinaire enjoys all the action
Cincinnati's hut commander extraordinaire enjoys all the action Jerry Wahl of Cincinnati has found the recipe for a good life. She stays active, playing many sports, including 30 years of platform tennis. She loves the career she established as an event coordinator. She now meshes work and play by volunteering at sporting events, where she often is asked to take on a leadership position. As someone once said, "To work at the things you love, or for those you love, is to turn work into play, and duty into privilege:' So, while Wahl works at a sports event, she really is also playing, and she feels privileged to be able to do so. "Because this is my profession, it is not a burden to do this stuff," Wahl explains.
Wahl has been working at the Midwesterns, a three-day tournament with over 150 teams, for so many years, she [...]
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