Premier Cup held at Four Bridges CC in Cincinnati, OH

They came to the Four Bridges Country Club in Cincinnati from all over: Chicago, Toledo, Pittsburgh, Philadelphia, New York, New Jersey, Baltimore, Boston and Cincinnati. Sponsored by Premier Platform Tennis, Wilson Sporting Goods and Michelob Ultra, David Dodge (Premier) and promoter Jason Gray invited the top 16 men’s players to compete for a $5,500 purse at the 2006 Premier Cup.

“The best tournament of the year!”

“The highest level of play in the game today”

“I’m here to take home the cash.”

These were a few of the quotes offered by the players. An overwhelmed and enthusiastic Cincinnati audience had similar comments not suitable for printing.

After a Saturday round-robin featuring two four-team brackets, the top two teams in each paired off against the top two in the opposing bracket on Sunday morning semi-final play. Sunday saw David Keevins and Chris Gambino play against Mike Cochrane and Scott Estes in one semi and Mike Marino and Bill Fiedler play against Mike Stulac and Bill Anderson in the other.

With Estes/Cochrane and Marino/Fiedler prevailing in their semi match-ups, the finals demonstrated incredible talent from the game’s top players. In the end, Marino and Fiedler succeeded to take home the trophy, the cash and most importantly, the bragging rights into what is sure to be a very competitive 2006-07 platform tennis season.

Source: Platform Tennis Magazine, Vol.

Hall of Fame Inductees: G. Estabrook Kindred, Sue Aery, Gerri Viant, and Howard Sipe

Brook Kindred was inducted posthumously at his home club, Fox Meadow Tennis Club, by Bob Brown in a heartwarming, well-attended ceremony on March 18,2006.

Sue Aery and Gerri Viant were inducted into the Hall of Fame ceremony in Summit, N.J., where Patty Hogan, a 2005 Hall of Fame recipient, stressed the significance of their talent and the disciplined approach to the game that they both possess.

Howard Sipe was inducted into the Hall of Fame at a ceremony at the National Championships on March 4, 2006 at the Glen View Club.

Prior to presenting the award, 2004 Hall of Fame recipient Walt Peckinpaugh expressed that “Chicago is the ‘hub’ of the sport right now, in part because of his pioneering efforts.”

Source: Platform Tennis Magazine, Vol. 8 Issue 2, November, 2006

APTA Rule changes – Bob Callaway Rules Committee Chair reported

Bob Callaway, Chair, Rules Committee reported:

At the Annual Board of Directors meeting in May, a number of rule changes were approved and will be in effect for this 2006- 2007 season. Since a most recent edition of the Official Rules of Platform Tennis has not been printed and distributed, the APTA wanted to alert all players of the following changes:

Rule 1: Dimensions and Terminology
The Board approved as an option, a gap of up to six inches in the alley lines where the alley lines meet the service line and extending toward the baseline. It was felt that this optional alteration in the painting of the lines will make it easier to make calls on serves.

Rule 10: Fault or Out
In the third paragraph an additional sentence will be added: “In an officiated match, depending on the Chair Umpire’s responsibilities regarding line calls, agreed to ahead of time with the Tournament Director, the Chair Umpire may call for a let or loss of point if he overrules the player’s call. If the players make an incorrect “out” call on a ball that is returnable, the Chair Umpire will call for a let, and the point will be replayed. If the players make an incorrect “out” call on a ball that is unreturnable, the Chair Umpire will call for a loss of point to the team making the out call.”

Rule 13: A Let
The third sentence (a) will now read: “it hits an overhanging obstruction such as a corner cross piece on a court or a tree limb.” Also, an additional clause will be added: “(e) a player loses an item of clothing; i.e., hat, glasses, hair accessory, etc., the opposing team has the option to call a let. A let must be called immediately. If not, the point will stand as concluded. ”

Rule 18: Loss of Point
An additional clause will be added: “(j) A player strikes a ball in the court which then rebounds off a screen, comes back across the net and lands inside the lines without being touched by an opponent.”

This rule was added because there are players who are capable of hitting balls off the back screen which will rebound all the way back over the net. If an opposing player attempts to field such a ball by either running around the net or jumping over the net, the player will have lost the point as soon as his/her feet touch inside the court on the other side. However, this does not preclude a player running around the net and hitting a ball while staying outside the court lines. Also, please note this rule change only refers to balls hit off a screen. It does not affect, for instance, a ball struck with such severe underspin that it crosses the net and then comes back across the net.

These changes are intended to facilitate play and make the game more enjoyable and safe.

Source: Platform Tennis Magazine, Vol. 8, Issue 2, November, 2006

The in’s and out’s of paddles – technical advances and innovation

Jerry Brown of The Paddle Company provided an update:

Since 1995, platform tennis has enjoyed an amazing technological transformation with graphite, carbon fiber and titanium making paddles lighter, stronger and easier to play with. This has helped to reduce the stress on players’ bodies and encouraged a broader participation in the sport. Developing new paddles for the sport has been an enlightening and rewarding experience. Within standards developed, by the American Platform Tennis Association, there are numerous ways which paddles can be adjusted and made to look and feel different from one another. And with the new materials accepting vibrant colors, the new graphics allow paddles that are distinctive and attractive.

Source: Platform Tennis Magazine, Vol. 8, Issue 1, September, 2006

Junior paddle blitz by APTA and PPTA

The APTA and PPTA will partner this season in an effort to bring more juniors into our sport. The APTA will provide the funding and the PPTA the know-how at Junior Paddle Days around the country. Generally, these will be scheduled to precede a junior tournament by a few weeks, in order to build interest in those “follow-up” events. All juniors who become APTA members, during one of these events (necessary for participation in APTA tournaments), will receive a gift from the APTA. If you would like to host an event in your area, or learn about an event scheduled for your area, please contact Marjorie at the APTA Office. Parents, pros and other interested adults are encouraged to get involved.

Source: Platform Tennis Magazine, Vol.8, Issue 1, September, 2006

Viking celebrates production of 25,000th OZ paddle

Viking Athletics announces the manufacture of its 25,000 OZ paddle, the most played with paddle in platform tennis.

To celebrate, Viking is giving away more than $25,000 in product.

Viking will be supplying every paddle manufactured for the upcoming 2006/2007 platform tennis season with a scratch-off ticket that is redeemable for product at the Viking Pro Shop.

APTA Annual Meeting

PHILADELPHIA — The APTA held its Annual Meeting and Board Meeting at Waynesboro Country Club in Paoli, PA, May 5-6, 2006. Highlights from the meetings include:

A new APTA mission statement was developed. It reads:

The mission of the APTA is to:
A. Govern the sport
B. Grow participation
I. Among all levels and types of players
2. Across all our regions
C Improve all aspects of the game

We will accomplish this mission by: maintaining the rules and codes of behavior to ensure the integrity of the game; creating and increasing awareness of our sport; providing guidance to clubs and municipalities on how to start platform tennis programs and then how to make those programs successful, and; promoting the sport among current players to raise their level of addiction

APTA finances in 2005-06 were in the black by approximately $49,000.

The Board approved a $12,500 grant for the Chapel Hill Tennis Club (Region VII) for the purchase of two platform tennis courts and the development of a platform program.

CHTC, located in the heart of North Carolina’s Research Triangle, will be the first club in central North Carolina to have platform tennis courts. The club and the APTA hope to capitalize on the growing interest in the area for platform tennis among new players and the many paddle transplants who call the area home.

The Chapel Hill experience will serve as a test case for future development projects the APTA hopes to support. If you know of an area that would benefit from a similar court- seeding project please contact APTA President Mark Fischl.

A check for $8,000 was presented to the APTA by Bill O’Brien on behalf of the Chicago Platform Tennis Tournament Charities, Inc.

The funds were generated from Chicago area events last season and will enter the APTAs Junior Development fund. The Board is grateful to the CPTC for their generous gift. The APTA will hold exhibitions this season in Niagara/Toronto, Chapel Hill, and possibly other cities. If you are interested in having an exhibition or clinic in your area please contact the APTA office or Board member Todd Ward.

The Board acknowledged the outstanding work of APTA Executive Director Marjorie Hodson.

Marjorie’s devotion to the game goes well beyond the “part-time” official status of her APTA job. Her tireless efforts and many talents are key elements behind the APTA’s strong
financial showing.

The Board voted to approve a “service gap” of no more than six inches.

The service gap has become popular with new and repainted courts and is intended to make it easier to make service calls in the outer corner of the service box. The service gap is not mandatory.

Eyewear Endorsed

The APTA now recommends the use of protective eyewear, especially for juniors. Signs encouraging use of protective eyewear will be distributed to APTA member clubs for hanging on court entrances.

A new age category will be tried this year at selected events: the 95s.

Fundraising

Now that the APTA is officially a tax-exempt 501 c3 organization, a major effort is underway to raise money which will fund future initiatives in keeping with the Association’s mission statement. Fred Gumbinner, Region I President, is leading the fundraising program.

Present at the Annual Meeting were: Mark Fischl (President, Long Island), Tim McAvoy (Vice President, Philadelphia), Scott Bondurant (Vice President, Chicago), Sally Cottingham (Treasurer, Chicago), Taylor Bowen (Secretary, Charlottesville), Marjorie Hodson (Executive Director, Summit), Bill O’Brien (Chicago), Nancy Budde (Dayton), Fred Gumbinner (Washington/Region III President), Beach Kuhl (Ross), Rich Lombard (New York), Marina Ohlmuller (Chicago), and Todd Ward (Cincinnati).

Visitors at the Friday afternoon working sessions and evening Annual Meeting included: Jacki Brown (Bulletworks), David Dodge (Premier Platform Tennis), Wayne Dollard (Platform Tennis Magazine), David Kjeldsen (Viking), Brian Mills (Viking), and Clark Reed and Jerry Brown (The Paddle Company).

Source: Platform Tennis Magazine, Vol. 8, Issue 1, September, 2006

Paddle in Atlanta surges

Ansley Golf Club and Piedmont Driving Club played hosts to the 1st Annual Peachtree Invitational Platform Tennis Tournament January 14 & 15. This is a new APTA Region VII PCQ event that follows on the heels of last year’s successful exhibition and clinic that kicked paddle in Atlanta into a higher gear. The two-day event was limited to 16 teams due to court capacity (there are currently just two courts in Atlanta). Nine players traveled in from as far away as New Jersey and Virginia to participate in the event.

Atlantans Jay Bailey and Peter Lauer took the inaugural Peachtree title over brothers John and Nick Gill (from DC & Alabama). Bailey and Lauer also won the Southern Invitational in Winston-Salem, NC, two weeks later over Mark Fischl and Alex Whaling. [enlarge image to read full story]

Junior Nationals

Patty Hogan, Junior Nationals Director, summed up the action:

This year’s Junior National Championships, hosted by The Beacon Hill Club in Summit, N.J. will be remembered for several significant “firsts”.

This was the first year there were enough players to hold a separate championship for the 10-and-under girls.

This was the first time we had a player from Yale win a Junior National Title, as Brandon Kutcha took time off from his studies to team up with his brother Michael to win the very competitive Boy’s 18-and-Under title. They won a thrilling three-set, third set tie-breaker over the first player ever to come back from a stroke to reach a national final. That player is the incredible Eric D’Elia, who suffered a stroke in July but was able to team up with Marc Powers to beat some very tough teams en route to the finals and the close loss to the Kutcha brothers.

It was a great Nationals for these and for all of the nearly 200 juniors who participated this year. When it was all over, eight teams were crowned 2006 National Champions.

In the first-ever Girls 10-and-Under tournament, Elizabeth Kallenberg and Katie Hammond won a close three-set final over Yassi Shafaie and Avery Hatfield. The Boys 10-and-Under final was won by Peter Simonds and Daniel Adajian over Kevin O’Malley and Grant Van Fossan.

In the final of the Girls 12-and-Under, Corey Delaney and Nicki Ross topped Katie Hopper and Maddie More. The finals of the Boys 12-and-Under saw Ryan Hissey and Scotty Safford pull it out over Taylor Geiger and Rory Shepard. The Hissey/Safford team had thelargest cheering section, as many of the “Philly Faithfuls” made the annual trip to New Jersey to cheer on their teams.

The Girls 14-and-Under title was won by the team of Hana Bowers and Karen Cash. They topped the team of Adrienne Bourget and Margaret Souther to claim the title. The Boys 14-and-UnderChampions are Nick Newhouse and Jason Ottomano. They had a strong tournament, especially in their win over the veteran team of David Dickson and Cody Newton in the finals.

The Girls 18-and-Under winners were Mia Kent and Elspeth Boynton. They topped Molly Findley and Lindsay Toth in the finals. Findley and Toth’s appearance marks yet another first; they are the first team from the Pittsburgh area to reach a junior national final.

Special thanks goes to the sponsors: Marsh, Viking, The New Jersey Men’s Platform Tennis Association, The New Jersey Women’s Platform Tennis Association, the APTA Junior Development Fund and to first time sponsor Balle de Match.

Source: Platform Tennis Magazine, Vol. 7, Issue 5, April, 2006

Summer paddle…why not says Matt Terry

The snow had melted and leaves were starting to appear on the trees. Knees swollen from a winter of pounding on the paddle courts had started to heal. Tennis whites and racquets with strings had been removed from the closet. Then the phone call came. A good friend called and said, “I played tennis last night. It occurred during the match that paddle is much more fun than tennis. Would you be interested in playing paddle during the summer?” Three thoughts came to mind after hearing the proposal. First, that paddle really is more fun than tennis. Second, there was no reason that we couldn’t play during the summer. Last, could we find anyone else crazy enough to play? [enlarge image to read full story]