The PPTA had a very busy fall certifying teaching professionals from all around the “paddle” world. Hank Irvine and Bob Callaway had the opportunity to go to Rich Maier’s world on the north side of Chicago and join him in a two-day certification marathon. Fifteen pros were tested thanks to Scott Bondurant, who recruited many prominent pros from the north shore area. Among the pros who went through the certification process were former national champion Scott Mansager and the current women’s national champions, Mary Doten and Susie Keane.

While Hank and Bob were in Chicago, Gerri Viant, Patty Hogan and Paul Quinn went to Philadelphia and conducted certification exams for nine pros from the Middle States area.

Source: Platform Tennis Magazine, Vol. 5, Issue 3, January 2004

The names Safford and Hissey may ring a bell for some of you because they are second and third generation paddle players out of the Philadelphia area. Scott’s parents, Tom and Leila, are accomplished players, as is Ryan’s mom, Laurie. Ryan’s uncle and grandmother are former national champs. Scotty and Ryan are following in their family’s footsteps by trying to make a name for themselves in the paddle world!

Between football, baseball and golf, it’s little wonder Scott and Ryan have any time to play paddle, but finding time and competing at a high level is something these two boys have been able to do quite well. They were the runners-up in the Junior National Championships in the 10- and-under age group last January. They also had success winning the Philadelphia Open 12s in 2001 and 2002, and in the Viking Cup lOs and 12s regional play.

Both boys follow the Phillies, Eagles and Sixers. They both say math is their favorite subject. Maybe that’s why they are so good at working out the angles and the geometry on the paddle court!

David Kjeldsen, CEO, of Viking Athletics, announced that the recently completed 2003 Viking Cup will be the last for the Child/Adult Tournament. Asked why such a well respected tournament is being stopped, Kjeldsen responded:

“The Viking Cup was started eight years ago in an attempt to get more young people on the courts. At the time, there were few outlets for kids to play platform tennis. We felt that if we could get the adults involved, we could get the kids on the courts. We’ve more than accomplished that goal. More kids are playing than ever before. We’d like to put our emphasis now on kids playing with kids. The Viking Junior Tour is gaining momentum and we’d like to increase our support in that area. In addition, we are exploring with a number of platform tennis communities around the country starting a Viking Junior Platform Tennis League, with much the same format as the adult leagues have. For our wonderful sport to survive, we all must support the juniors. Juniors are the future of the game and Viking is as committed as ever to support them.”

Source: Platform Tennis Magazine, Vol. 5, Issue 3, January 2004

Hall of Fame member Walt Peckinpaugh, Jr. filed the story with PTM:

Platform tennis made its debut in Cleveland shortly after World War II when the Chagrin Valley Hunt Club built the first courts. Even the arrival of Witherbee Black, the 1940 National Champion from Rye, New York, could not stir the interest in “paddle.” The facility faltered from neglect until 1968 when two new courts were built and the “modern era’ of platform tennis began. Members of the Hunt Club then arranged a paddle exhibition and clinic featuring four top ranked players from the East: Roger Lankenau, Don Miller, Oliver Kimberly, and Dick Squires. Members of all east side clubs attended the, exhibition and from cooperative relationships, paddle began to gain momentum in Cleveland.

A most important contribution to the growth of Cleveland paddle was the decision by John Bernet, Carrington Clark, David Dickenson, and Will McFarlane to create a major platform tennis event in Cleveland. Along with Dick Taylor, Bob Bartholomew, and Jack Turben, these men served as the directors of Cleveland Tournaments, Inc., the non-profit organization created to support major paddle events in Northeast Ohio. Oliver “Kim” Kimberly and Jesse Sammis, each National Champions with other partners, defeated Cleveland’s first Nationally-ranked (6th) team of David Dickenson and Carrington Clark in 1970 at the Cleveland Invitational. The Men’s event continued to be held annually and 1972 saw the birth of the Women’s Invitational with Peggy Stanton and Charlotte Lee establishing themselves as perennial National Champions.

The spring of 1973 brought the Men’s National Championship to Cleveland and away from the metropolitan New York area for the first time in 40 years of paddle. John Mangan and Bob Kingsbury were the champions and Cleveland Tournaments, Inc., had accomplished its goal – the very best platform tennis was being played in Cleveland.

Wooden courts were replaced by aluminum and the Cleveland Invitational evolved into the prestigious ‘Masters’ tournament. National Champions Jennings/Steele, Fitzgibbon/Irvine, and Baird/Baird dominated the early Masters Championships, and in the eighties, Steve Baird and Rich Maier won the Masters, continuing the tradition of bringing the best players in the world to Cleveland. The Women’s Masters was also making a name for itself through the wins of National Championship teams like Hilary Hilton/Louise Gengler and Wendy Chase/Linda Wolf.

In 1975, a Senior Masters, including teams from other cities, was inaugurated and conquered by Jim Kline and Bill Gunton. The next year saw the arrival of the first professional event, which was sponsored by Tribuno Beverage. Passport Scotch sponsored another professional tournament in 1976, but professional paddle quickly ceased its association with the Masters. The Masters continues to attract the very best paddle teams to Cleveland for its annual National Ranking event.

Paddle tennis in Cleveland was certainly growing, but still lacked a city championship until Bill Nook and Walter Dimling founded the Cleveland Cup in 1977. The Men’s Championship was unique in the respect that five different teams won in the first five years of play. In the eighties, the Cleveland Cup was dominated by the team of Dick Haverland and Dud Humphrey, the number one-ranked team in the Midwest region and 8th nationally in 1983. The joint effort of the Cleveland Skating Club and Higbee’s Department Stores produced the Higbee Cup Women’s Championship that same year, with the support of Bonne Bell, Inc.

In 1984, Cleveland Tournaments, Inc., under the direction of Dick Haverland, brought the APTA Open Nationals back to Cleveland for its second appearance here. Dick and his committee changed the look of the National Championships forever with the hosting of a week-long party involving several social events for both men and women and a serious party on Saturday night. Just three years later, in 1987, Cleveland again hosted the Nationals under the direction of Walt & Marilyn Peckinpaugh as part of the Cleveland Skating Club’s 50th Anniversary. Walt brought the Nationals to Cleveland again in 1993 after an eastern committee decided they weren’t up for the task. He also brought three senior men’s National events here in 1990, 1996, and 2000.

In 1988, Walt reorganized and renamed Cleveland Tournaments, Inc. into what is now The Greater Cleveland Platform Tennis Association and served as its President for 12 years. The purpose of this organizational move was to bring together the tournament committees and interclub organizers into one functioning entity. Today, Brian McCreary and his wife, Beth, keep this group together.

The history of Cleveland Paddle could not be complete without acknowledging the contributions of the nationally ranked teams of John Brownlow and Scott Rogers, Anne Kline and Ruth Sadler, and Dick Haverland and Dud Humphrey. Chet Kermode heads the list of men including David Dickenson, Dick Haverland, and John Brownlow, who have won National titles in the 45, 50, 55, 60, and 65 age divisions, winning seven titles and being inducted into the Platform Tennis Hall of Fame in 1998

All of the wooden courts are now gone, but Cleveland still has thirty-eight heated aluminum courts in the eastern suburbs. The new millennium brings a new era to Cleveland paddle. We are anxious to see what new stars and organizational leaders will emerge.

Copyright IP 1998-2003 Peckinpaugh & Associates, Inc.

Source: Platform Tennis Magazine, Vol. 5, Issue 2, November, 2003

In the October 13, 2003 issue of Business Week, platform tennis got another plug. Staff writer Marilyn Harris wrote about the wintertime enjoyment that we look forward to in her article entitled, “Paddle, Anyone?”

The night air was beyond bitter, the wind cut like a buzz saw. Light flooded a metal platform enclosed by chicken wire, on which four figures, bundled in fleece, chased a yellow ball and smashed it across the net. A car screeched up, and out jumped a man. “She has been crying since you left!” he shouted. His wife dropped her graphite paddle with a clang, raced into the car, and as soon as she could peel away the layers, was nursing her infant daughter. A short while later, play resumed.

What would make a mom run out on her newborn? “Neither rain, nor snow, nor crying babies keep me away from platform tennis,” says the athletic mother of three. Male or female, old or young, if you’re hooked, you’re hooked. “It’s like a cult sport,” says Patty Hogan, the over-40 national women’s champion and a teaching pro based in Summit, N.J. “Anybody who plays it, loves it.”

The season for platform tennis — called paddle, for short — is coming up fast. By tradition, the game is played in fall and winter, and for aficionados who like to defy the weather, the colder the better. The court measures 44 by 20 feet and resembles a miniature tennis court, made of aluminum and coated with a sandpaper-like finish, for better traction.

Paddle is so easy to learn that the tournaments run by the American Platform Tennis Assn. (www.platformtennis.org) feature players as young as 8. Equipment is minimal. A paddle, about 18 inches long and made of a composite material with aerodynamic holes drilled in the head, costs roughly $100. Three balls — solid rubber and spongy — cost about $10. The only other special gear you may need is a fleece mitt that fits over your hand and paddle handle for when the weather is frigid. As for rules, they’re essentially the same as in tennis, except paddle allows only one serve, and serves that touch the net are played. You can also hit the ball off the wire walls, similar to what you do in squash.

The major challenge for newcomers is finding a place to play. Most of the 4,000 or so courts in the U.S. are at private country clubs and resorts, including Snow King Resort in Jackson Hole, Wyo., and Shelter Harbor Inn in Westerly, R.I. Some public courts are available, mostly in metro New York and Chicago, and parts of California, Colorado, and Wisconsin. And new adult communities are increasingly building courts to attract buyers.

Paddle is largely a doubles game, marked by rapid volleying at the net. “There’s no better way to get some exercise on a cold winter’s day,” says New York banker Roger Bredder. “Fast-paced action, great competition, no long drive to a ski resort. Plus you can keep your tennis in shape without having to play in a bubble.” Hey, who couldn’t love a sport that makes it fun to be outdoors in nasty weather?

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 can still compete (and win) against today’s younger generation. As a matter of fact, eight of the top 18 women ranked in the 2003 APTA Women’s Open Division were also ranked in the APTA Women’s 40+ Division.

Today, younger players such as Lauren Zink, Sally Cottingham, and Chris Sheldon offer tremendous power and consistent groundstrokes while veterans Patty Hogan,
Bobo Delaney, and Tonia Mangan counter with near-perfect volleys. Then there are players such as Gerri Viant and Mary Doten who offer all-around consistency and make for outstanding deuce-court players. And let’s not forget the APTA Women’s Ranking Champions, Kerri Delmonico and Shelley Morse, who demonstrated best all-around play over the 2002-2003 season. Kerri is matched only by Hilary Debbs as being the most colorful player on tour. Last but now least, when looking for talent, look to the future with Susie Mascarin-Keane – formerly a top world-ranked tennis player and 2003 APTA Women’s Open National Champion (with Mary Doten).
Legends retire and new ones are made. That’s how it’s always been and how it will always be. In the past, platform tennis has had its share of colorful and talented women, however, the future is safe and secure with The Women of Today.

Source: Platform Tennis Magazine, Vol. 5, Issue 2, November, 2003

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 playing even more this year. Besides their win at The Nationals last season, they also won The Patterson Tournament and The Fox Meadow Tournament.

Liam thinks his Viking championship chair was the coolest trophy he ever won in his life and uses it daily when sitting at his computer. Terry’s chair is in his room but gets used mostly for his laundry. Both have their gold medals prominently displayed on the walls in their rooms.

Source: Platform Tennis Magazine, Vol. 5, Issue 2, November, 2003

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.

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 chair.

Henry’s favorite subject in school is history while John’s is a toss-up between gym and lunch. They are both big NJ Devils fans and have gotten to see the Stanley Cup in person!

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, Scott Mansager, Mary Doten, Lauren Zink, Marina Ohlmuller, Flip Goodspeed, Chris Gambino, Greg Stipa, George Zink.

Source: Platform Tennis Magazine, Vol. 5, Issue 1, September, 2003