The first platform was built in Scarsdale, NY and was ready for play in late November, 1928.
Initially it was used for badminton and deck tennis but the discovery, soon afterwards, of the racquets and balls used in paddle tennis1 lead to the creation of the game we know today.
Despite a number of experiments with modifying the physical dimensions of the court over the years the court configuration adopted by the Founders has stood the test of time, as did the one-serve rule and playing the ball off the wires.
For more details on the initial experiments with the game please see The Early Years 1928-1934.
Note 1: Paddle Tennis was developed by the Reverend Frank P. Beal as a child in Albion MI. Later in life when he had moved to New York City and was the Associate Minister of the Judson Memorial Church he introduced the game to New York City playgrounds in the early 1920s
The APTA started looking for a simple new logo during the latter half of 2002 and a contest was announced with the winning designer earning an individual life membership to the APTA.
At the May Board meeting the logo designs submitted in response to the search for a more modern logo were reviewed and the one submitted by Connie Welch was selected. The new logo was to be be the new masthead for the organization.
The original logo for the APTA had been designed by John Ware in the early 1960s and had been replaced in late 1977 as part of the celebration of 50th anniversary of the game in 1978.
APTA President John Horine covered the developments in the From the APTA... section of PTM:
At the APTA Board meeting in May, we heard from Rob LeBuhn who wanted to organize and formally train umpires so that the Nationals and each region will have certified umpires for all of its events. The Board whole-heartedly supported Rob and his idea.
The Board also formally approved the Promotions Committee, a group of Board members, players, court and equipment manufacturers who have gathered to brainstorm ideas of how to grow the game in dominant areas of the country.
Source: Platform Tennis Magazine, Vol. 5, Issue 1, September, 2003
Viking Athletics announced Viking Kids' Day 2003 would take place Friday, October 31st at the Chicago Charities Platform Tennis Tournament.
Dave Ohlmuller, National Sales Manager, Viking Athletics had this to say:
"Viking Kids' Day is going to be a wonderful experience for all the kids that participate in the event. We are thrilled to have such incredible support from the top regional and national teaching professionals and top ranked players for this event. The extent of the player commitment is a testament to what a worthwhile experience Kids' Day is going to be for the participants. The kids will have the opportunity to receive instruction from many of the top instructors and players in the game of platform tennis."
The following Viking Professionals and top players committed to participate in the Viking Kids' Day:
Mike Rahaley, Mike Marino, Tim Mangan, John Milbank, Sco[...]
Henry Burchenal (Summit, NJ) and John Donnally (Madison, NJ) have played together now for three years. Henry • and John won the 12-and-under Nationals in 2002 and lost in the semi-finals of the 14-and-under Nationals in 2003.
They are both 8th graders who also excel in tennis, hockey and lacrosse. They are looking to improve on their semi-final finish in last year's nationals by practicing more before this year's tournament!
Henry plays the ad court but his strength is at the net where he loves to hit his favorite shot, which is his backhand volley. John's strength from the deuce court is his return of serve. Both players love the challenge of difficult screen shots.
Henry keeps his 2002 Viking National Championship chair in his room along with his gold medal prominently displayed. John doesn't know where his gold medal is and thinks his brother traded him something for the ch[...]
Bob Kingsbury and Dick Squires, both of whom were major achievers and contributors in the 1960's and 1970's.
Because their achievements and contributions were better known to players in those decades, it was decided to hold the induction ceremonies at the Senior Nationals dinner at Sleepy Hollow in March of 2003, where there was a large, enthusiastic, and appreciative crowd of peers.
Brook Kindred presented the induction speech for Bob Kingsbury and Steve Baird delivered the presentation for Dick Squires.
Source: Platform Tennis Magazine, Vol. 5, Issue 1, September, 2003
Chris Gambino and David Ohlmuller secured the #1 spot in the Men's and Kerri Delmonico and Shelley Morse edged Bobo Mangan Delaney and Tonia Mangan for the top Women's position.
Gary led the way for the first five years of the Association's existence and with his energy and leadership the PPTA had made great strides in its mission of raising the standards of teaching platform tennis as a profession and increasing interest and awareness of the sport. Patty Hogan stepped in to fill his shoes.
Terry (Fairfield, CT) and Liam (Westport, CT) are headed into their third year as partners on the junior circuit. Both competitive tennis players, Liam has given up playing competitive hockey to be able to play more paddle. He still plays baseball and soccer, but paddle is his favorite! He loves the different tournaments on the Viking junior circuit and getting the chance to meet other juniors from outside his region.
Terry spends plenty of his time playing many sports including soccer and water polo. He is currently in training for his first triathlon and figures the 3-mile run will be the hardest part. His favorite athlete is Andre Agassi and he loves the Yankees. His favorite classes are gym and geography, while Liam enjoys math class the most and says Arthur Ashe is his favorite athlete!
Terry and Liam played many of the Viking junior events last year and look forward to playin[...]
PTM Editor Wayne Dollard had these observations:
This issue is a tribute to women and their changing role in platform tennis. When I first jumped on the tournament scene in 1997, I was amazed at the talent level among the top women players. As a newcomer to tournaments, it helped me to improve by watching their form, technique, preparation, and intensity. Gerri Viant showed me the ready position I use today. Patty Hogan drilled a steady and more compact volley out of me. And Sue Aery taught me that consistent groundstrokes are more valuable than powerful ones.
Looking back through the pages of paddle history, women such as Charlotte Lee, Hilary Hilton, and Robin Fulton have also added so much to the sport. Powerful one- handed backhands, backflips off the screens, blitzing the net, and more. These women showed the paddle community that they could do it all. The women of yesterday c[...]
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