Winnie Hatch Memorial Golf Outing at Hartford Golf Club

Courtia Worth put together a paddle morning, mid-day lunch and shotgun golf tournament on Monday, October 4th at the Hartford Golf Club in Hartford Golf Club in Hartford, CT. Among the many reasons to attend were the opportunities for raffle trips, an open bar and delightful dinner and finally an opportunity to celebrate the life of Hall-of-Famer, Winnie Hatch.

Players from five states assembled at the five paddle courts for three hours of casual play as many of Winnie’s former partners and friends kicked off the 2010-2011 season. Sprinkled amongst the twenty plus players were former champions; Sig Buckmeyer, George Lynch, Jack Westerfield, Bob Brown, Bill Childs, Ted and Nanny Hoehn, Sharon and Herb Hummers and Rich Lombard.

Several of the Hartford seniors mixed in with the outing players including one 70+ player who strapped on his oxygen tank and proceeded to race around the court to the amazement of all players and spectators.

The golf tournament drew nine foursomes (three dropped out due to threatening weather which the paddle gods short circuited) and all who played raved about a first rate course. For $20 you could buy as many mulligan as you felt necessary, resulting in six teams tying for third with 63s. Two golfing foursomes, traveling by ferry from Bridgehampton, showed how the game should be played, sans mulligan and walked off with the prizes as did Nanny Hoehn who won longest drive and closest to the pin. [enlarge image to read more]

Richmond, VA hosts Premier Cup and APTA Exhibitions

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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 Association organized a Friday night kick-off party featuring an APTA clinic and exhibition set to reggae music and the smell of grilled burgers.

Booths were provided by both the APTA and Wilson Racquet Sports – allowing spectators the opportunity to view the latest in platform technology and to learn more about the APTA.

Over 50 members of the Country Club of Virginia came out to watch top-ranked teams Peter Berka and Drew Eberly (of Chicago) play against Denny English and Brian Heil (of Columbus).

Following the play, all spectators were encouraged to grab their paddles and join the “pros” for an evening of social play.

At 9 a.m. on Saturday, the eight nationally-ranked “Premier” teams assembled at the Country Club of Virginia. The weather was a replay from Friday – sunny and 75 degrees. Players and spectators alike preferred the non-seasonal high temperature.

Jason Gray read aloud the rules of engagement: Two four-team divisions, each playing a three-set round robin against each other. The top two teams would advance to semi-final play on Sunday.

Over the course of the day, spectators cheered on the 16 competitors. Two Chicago teams went undefeated in round robin play – Mike Marino / Dane Schmidgall and Peter Berka / Drew Eberly. Steve Derose / John Lubow and Drew Broderick / Guy Moore went 3-1 and 2-2, respectfully, to advance to Sunday play. All-in-all, players represented Baltimore, Chicago, Cincinnati, Columbus, Connecticut, Richmond, New Jersey, and New York.

Attendance grew each day of the event leading up to the semi-finals and finals on Sunday morning. Spectators came from as far as two hours away and as far north as Washington, DC.

In one semi-final, Berka and Eberly defeated Broderick and Moore 6-4, 7-5. Marino and Schmidgall defeated Derose and Lubow 7-6, 6-2 in the second semi-final.

As play progressed, players mingled with the spectators and helped provide great excitement and better understanding on how the game is played.

Representatives from area country clubs attended and expressed interest in potential new court growth.

In the finals, Schmidgall and Marino defeated Berka and Eberly in a two-set thriller.

Marino said, “I thought Dane and I stayed mentally tough throughout, and his shotmaking ability from both his forehand and backhand made the difference.” Marino added, “The Premier Cup was, as usual, a great event. The hospitality at the Country Club of Virginia was excellent, the weather was great, and the paddle was extremely competitive.”

Although the players won $5,000 in prize money, the real winners were the residents of Richmond. Club member Peyton Lawson said, “I was fortunate enough to be a part of the entire weekend festivities and Ihave never been more hooked on platform tennis. I had the opportunity to play against Berka/Eberly on Friday. I think we had them on the ropes for a few minutes! What I experienced this past weekend has encouraged me to get out and play more and travel to other tournaments that I hesitated on going to in the past.”

His interest was shared by scores of spectators. Premier Cup participant and Richmond resident, Andy Todd said, “I am very appreciative for having the opportunity to bring the 2010 Premier Cup to our area and help grow the sport in Richmond. Jason Gray and David Dodge, along with our very talented and organized committee, created one of the best events we have ever had and also provided an incredible atmosphere on and off the court, southern style.”

It was clear that the platform tennis interest has never been higher in Richmond. Dodge and the APTA are both hopeful to see the continued growth of paddle in Richmond and further into the south.

Source: Platform Tennis Magazine, Vol. 12, Issue 2, December, 2010

The Longest Game – Documentary highlights the game and friendship

Camille Thoman didn’t go to Dorset, Vermont expecting to make a movie about platform tennis, but when she and her mother stepped into the paddle hut at the Dorset Field Club, she found a group of senior players that she found irresistible.

“We walked in, and there were these old men there making fun of each other, bantering and sharing laughs around the sport,” Thoman said. “My mother said, ‘You should make your next film about these guys,’ and to be honest, I was charmed to my tippy toes by them.”

Thoman, an acclaimed director, who has worked with talent such as Tony nominee Mireille Enos, Oscar nominee Melissa Leo and Oscar winner Timothy Hutton, as well as produced her own one-woman theater pieces, flew with producer Elizabeth Yng-Wong to Vermont thinking they would be filming a short. They quickly found that they had something bigger on their hands.

“These are special people, inspiring people to be more active in their old age,” Thoman said. “These guys are incredibly inspiring. Because platform tennis is such a social sport, because of the smaller court set up for four, there’s so much laughter and banter in the sport. It works very well in our film.”

Currently in post-production, The Longest Game is expected to be completed sometime in 2012. [Update:The film is expected to debut in the Fall of 2013]

Thoman is hopeful about the prospect of a theatrical release – a feat not common for documentaries. However, the unique flavor of the film has people talking about it and wanting to see more. Because of its appeal, the filmmakers are also optimistic about its distribution potential, on television and in new media markets.

“Paddle is the glue, but it’s a film about memory age and time, and the perspective of being 87 years old, which isn’t always valued enough in today’s society,” Thoman said. “There’s this dark spot around old age. People seem to disappear from the media around 70. Everybody wants to see this movie and we’d be very interested in showing it around the country in paddle venues. We really feel strongly that these guys are the gold standard of how good life can be in their 80s, showing a whole generation of people to be more active in their old age.”

Charlie Ams, one of the subjects of the film, said The Longest Game isn’t his first foray into cinema, but being featured on camera was surprising.

“They did a piece on us for the Platform Tennis Hall of Fame, so we weren’t too surprised to see Camille here,” Ams said. “But, then again, a bunch of old fellas playing, it’s always surprising when someone’s interested in you.”

Ams has been playing at Dorset for about 15 years, and while the film portrays great friends and camaraderie, all of that stems from the game of platform tennis itself.

“It’s the game, for sure. We don’t all see each other socially, or play cards, it’s the game itself,” Ams said. “When you get here, and stay here all winter long, there’s a great deal going on. It’s a place to play and we have all sorts of people here.”

Ams said that his children and grandchildren, as well as the people at the club are all excited to see the finished film.

“[Camille] sent us a teaser on YouTube, and that passed around quite a bit,” he said. “My grandchildren and family are interested in seeing it, and the people in club, who want to see what we old fellas are doing why we’re still moving around.”

Thoman said it’s obvious that the game has brought them all together in a very special way.

“Chemistry is a big part of it with each other and the filmmakers. I think this particular group of people is extremely funny and eloquent. On the other hand, I do think because paddle is a sport that seniors play a lot of, and it’s a social sport, it does lend itself well to banter and humor as they play it, which is very cinematic and good on camera.”

Source: Mark Berton, Platform Tennis Magazine, Vol. 12, Issue 1, September, 2010

Player Profiles: Jerry Albrikes and Johan du Randt

Jerry Albrikes
Age: 40
Hobbies: Fitness, running, tennis and the Minnesota Vikings
Family: Married to Beth; Children: Olivia 15, Liza 14 and William 3
Residence: Mystic, CT
Tennis Highlights: Former #1 in New England in Men’s Open, Doubles and Mixed
Occupation: Head Professional at Mystic Indoor Tennis for 10 years to present
Platform Tennis Beginnings: Peter Harvey introduced me to the game six years ago. I played tournaments for four years with Lennart Jonason and this year with Johan. Currently plays out of Essex Platform Tennis Club in Essex, CT, once a week and tournaments on weekends.”

Johan du Randt
Age: 32
Hobbies: Golf, Squash,teaching my dog tricks and playing poker
Family: I have a girlfriend named Neely and a Stafforshire Bull Terrier named Bliksem. He was our mascot at the Nationals.
Born: Somerset East, South Africa
Residence: Newton MA
Tennis Highlights: Ranked #331 ATP in the world in tennis; and #222 in doubles. Won the Futures.
Occupation: Tennis pro at Bosse Sports in Sudbury, MA.
Platform Tennis Beginnings: Started playing about three years ago with Paul Fairchild and Karl Levanat and was hooked ever since. Currently plays league for Cape Ann play seldomly, but with a great group of guys.

Without a doubt the new hottest team in the country, Albrikes and du Randt won the 2010 National Championships while playing together for only one season.

Du Randt has recently come off the ATP tour with a world ranking at 331. His athleticism and strength propelled the team to wins in Boston and the Nationals in Philadelphia. Many players were saying that he displayed one of the greatest platform tennis exhibitions ever seen before.

Albrikes compliments du Randt’s aggressive style with extreme consistency, mixed with frequent explosive shot-making.

Albrikes said, “Johan and I both needed a partner for the year and we both wanted to find someone who would commit for the whole year. We agreed to give it a go.”

Du Randt recalled, “Well I knew Jerry was a Pitt bull and I just wanted someone that was gonna give it all they got so I asked him! He was on the fence for about five minutes as he supposedly had another partner before he decided that I would crack the nod.”

“Jerry is consistent, positive and never yells. I’m inconsistent, I play crazy (increasingly less crazy)and I yell. I guess opposites attract. He does not realize that putting up with me for a season and beeing mentally tough is a huge talent.”

He added, ‘We both try to be consistent. Me, with hitting it in and him with hitting it hard. It seemed to work out for us at the Nationals. Johan is the most talented player I’ve been around or have seen. That doesn’t always lead to victories but it did in Philly Nationals.”

Albrikes said, “Winning the Nationals in Philly was the most exciting thing in sports I’ve ever done. In tennis, when I won some tournaments, there were always some people who weren’t there that could beat me. While at the Nationals in Philly, it’s hard to say we weren’t the best team in the nation that weekend.” He added, “One of the big things I coach my students in tennis is to believe they can win. I felt like a hypocrite in not believing we could win, but we did.

Each match I felt we could win I just wasn’t sure I believed it until the final point of the finals.”

Du Randt conferred, “The Nationals win was completely unexpected. As the tournament progressed, I gained confidence and felt we could beat anybody, but there was still the ‘LEGEND’ factor to deal with against Goodspeed and Mansager in the finals.” “During the Nationals, for the first time, I felt like I `got’ the game. Now, the question is if I should retire on a high (just kidding Mr. Bancila) or keep it together,” du Randt said.

During the course of the Nationals, du Randt smashed countless short overheads into the bodies of his opponents at the baseline. The shot is very rare and extremely hard to hit, but du Randt seemed to master it and used it nearly at will.

Du Randt said, “To anybody I intentionally hit with an overhead… apparently I never really apologized. The reason for this is I just tried to hit you and it is a legitimate shot, so I think a lift of the racquet is fair. For the two guys I nearly hit on the fly, it definitely was not intentional. That is why I apologized so much after that.”

He concluded, “You gotta feel the game and focus less on yourself but see the bigger picture and just keep it simple. These are my tips for whoever thinks I am worth listening to.”

Later this year, Jerry Albrikes is moving to Charleston, SC, to be Head Professional at a tennis club. He is hopeful to be able to build a platform tennis program there.

The 2010-11 tournament schedule is unclear for the pair, but one thing is for sure, they’ll be getting lots of calls from prospective partners.

Source: Platform Tennis Magazine, Vol. 11, Issue 5, April, 2010

Hall of Fame Inductees: Cynthia Ann Prendergast and Alan M. Graham

One of the great highlights during the APTA National Championships in Philadelphia was the party at the Waynesborough Country Club and Cindy Prendergast’s induction into the Platform Tennis Hall of Fame.

Hall of Fame Committee President Bob Brown and APTA President Tim McAvoy presented the award to this dedicated enthusiast.

These achievements were noted among Cindy’s many contributions to the sport:
– Winner of six APTA National events, including three mixed, two women’s, and one senior women’s titles
– Recognition for her effortless style of play, easygoing manner, and outstanding sportsmanship
– Served on dozens of tournament committees and a force behind Delaware’s hosting of the Mixed Nationals
– Led a delegation to Germany to introduce the sport of platform tennis

March 17th was the biggest night of the year for the Chicago league. Teams battled it out in playoff finals across 18 levels of play and converged afterwards at the Glen View Club for the league’s annual party. In addition to a terrific barbeque, the record crowd of 600 players were delighted with a surprise announcement: “Mr. Paddle,” Alan Graham, was being inducted into the Platform Tennis Hall of Fame.

The presenters noted Alan’s many accomplishments as a player, mentor, and leader in the sport:
– Three-time champion in the APTA Senior Nationals
– Co-chair of the 2006 APTA National Championships
– Served on the APTA board for six years and led the Chicago Platform Tennis Charities for 15 years
– Tripled the size of the Chicago league to more than 4,000 players
– Helped to raise $100,000 for 12 local charities

Source: Platform Tennis Magazine, Vol. 11, Issue 5, April, 2010

College Platform Tennis – Chris Kelley reports

Georgetown University – After eight years of playing paddle and three years of passionately promoting college platform tennis I offer some observations, advice, and optimism for the future of the sport at the college level. There has been a lot of talk about college platform tennis and, I’m pleased to say, something to show for it too.

At Yale University, Kate Macauley (Yale ’11) and Rob Coster (APTA College Program Chair) have done a great job securing two courts at a nearby country club, getting support from local players and enthusiasts, and holding weekly events for Yalies. After two years in the making, Yale Platform Tennis Club has 30 students of all abilities on the roster, and about ten players who play each week. Kate has been successful by recruiting Yale friends to play and has grown interest through club fair events at school. [enlarge image to read full report]

Progress at the Platform Tennis Museum and Hall of Fame

Although the platform tennis season is winding down, the full flame is still burning at the Platform Tennis Hall of Fame Museum. Another year has passed, and while progress has been slow, there continues to be good progress toward the realization of the dream of a “bricks and mortar” home for display of the memorabilia of the sport and a place to honor those elected to its Hall of Fame.

The Foundation’s Chairman, Bob Brown, and Museum Curator, Jim McCready, have worked with museum consultant Ed Puches to develop a model of a display case featuring the 1970’s decade. It is pictured below. Mr. Puches of Irvington, NY has developed projects at Harvard University and IBM. Eight similar display cases will be included in the museum to highlight other decades since the sport’s invention in 1928. A great deal of the memorabilia has been collected, but more is still welcomed by the Committee. [enlarge image to read more]

Charles F. Baird (1922-2009)

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 50+, 55+, and 60+ Nationals in the same year.

Aside from these accomplishments on the court, Chuck actively promoted the game by playing exhibitions and instructing, and while on assignment in Toronto as Chairman of Inco, he was an active leader in successfully promoting the game in Canada. He also served on the APTA Board as the Director of Senior activities.

In recognition of his outstanding record and his contributions to the game, Chuck was inducted into the Platform Tennis Hall of Fame in 1992.

Source: Robert A. Brown, Platform Tennis Magazine, Vol. 11, Issue 3, January, 2010

John Embree – a great supporter of the game

John Embree has had a long and storied history in the world of racquet sports. Growing up in Chicago, he moved back to his home town in the Windy City to take a position with Wilson Sporting Goods. He remained there for 17 years, rising to the title of Vice President and General Manager of Wilson’s global racquet sports. He subsequently left Wilson to become part owner of tennis apparel manufacturer Balle de Match.

“I went to Balle de Match because the owner needed marketing and sales help,” Embree said. “I thought I could use my tennis connections to grow the business. Wended up tripling sales in three years.” That firestorm of sales helped Embree get his next position, as he was tapped by Prince CEO George Napier in March of 2009.

“When I started with Prince, the economy was in a trend heading south and consumers stopped their spending,” Embree said “Consumers are now changing their spending habits. ”

Broadening their platform tennis base, Prince bought out Long Island-based Viking Athletics. Embree said the acquisition was a “natural extension” for Prince. [enlarge image to read full story]

The Villages takes on Platform Tennis

Orlando Retirement Community to Build Six Platform Tennis Courts

The inaugural meeting for a Paddle Instructor Committee, or PIC, was held at the Villages in Orlando on Friday, Jan. 15, 2010. Anderson DaSilva, Manager of the Truman Recreation Center, hosted the meeting.

Village of Bonita resident, Joe Russo, Sr., volunteered to be the instructor. At the meeting, he discussed the following:
A. The new ground-level paddle court design used here
B. Demo of current play equipment
C. Sources of equipment
D. Membership in the APTA
E. Update of APTA Rules
F. A flyer on paddle in The Villages to be given to newcomers

Other discussions and activities included:
1. Outline of free teaching clinics, court play regulations and court times by Anderson
2. A 33 minute DVD on paddle (and ask for comments)
3. Question and answer period
4. Discuss next PIC meeting time and date
5. Enjoy picnic style lunch

The kickoff date for the new facility is currently being planned for early March. Platform Tennis Magazine will cover the festivies and report back in a future issue.