LIPTA donates $24,000 to charities after hosting 2002 Nationals

As the result of a very successful fund raising effort in connection with its conducting of the National Championships of platform tennis for men and women last March, the Long Island Platform Tennis Association was able to distribute $24,000 to three local charities.

The beneficiaries were the Family and Children’s Association, the Interfaith Nutrition Network, and Rotacare. Each received an $8,000 share of the contribution.

“A large portion of the contributions came from the individual members of LIPTA who participate in the sport during the fall and winter seasons,” indicated General Chairman Charles Vasoll. Several corporate sponsors enlisted by Director of Finance, Duane Hayden, also helped make the event a financial success. Leading that list was the AON Corporation. Other corporate sponsors deserving of mention were The Island Financial Group, First American Title Insurance Company of New York, National Land Tenure Company LLC, and Graphic Technology, Inc.

Viking Athletics Ltd. also made a significant contribution. Viking CEO, David Kjeldsen reduced costs by donating team uniforms for President’s Cup players and providing all balls for the events.

“As it was when it was previously held on Long Island in 1992, the event was a success socially, athletically, and financially,” Vasoll stated. He concluded, “We just hope that another decade won’t have to pass until LIPTA can sponsor the competition again.”

Source: Platform Tennis Magazine, Vol. 4, Issue 1, September, 2002

Dick Reilly, Chris Casiraghi and Jim Reilly

R. J. Reilly Jr, Inc. and Green Mountain Merge

Big news in the platform tennis court industry. R.J. Reilly Jr., Inc. and Green Mountain Platform Tennis have merged to form Reilly Green Mountain Platform Tennis. PTM carried the details:

The merger brings together the industry’s most experienced platform tennis court providers. R. J. Reilly Jr., Inc. was started over 40 years ago by Dick Reilly. His daughter Kathy and son Jim joined him full-time in 1985. R.J. Reilly invented the aluminum platform tennis court, which has become the standard court of the industry. They have built over 3,000 courts throughout the U.S. and the world and have long been devoted to contributing to the growth and development of the sport through innovations, educational materials and resources, as well as financial and material contributions.

Chris Casiraghi, owner of Green Mountain Platform Tennis and now the president of Reilly Green Mountain Platform Tennis, has been building and maintaining courts for over 30 years, He has had his own platform tennis business for over 20 years. Besides his experience with manufacturing, installing and maintaining courts, he is proud of his ability to meet the needs of “each and every serious court buyer” thanks to his large inventory of pre-owned courts. “Our combined customers will now have increased resources for all of their platform tennis court needs,’ says Casiraghi of the combined companies.

Jim Reilly adds: “We want to assure the community that with this new endeavor, our commitment to providing unequaled products and service, and to meeting our customers paddle court needs, are our top priorities.” While Jim and Chris will both continue to work directly with the customers and crews, they plan to combine their respective strengths to maximize the benefits for the paddle community. For example, Jim will focus on customer satisfaction in his role as Sales Manager and monitoring the quality of the crews and installations while Chris will utilize his business skills to manage the business overall.

Dick Reilly plans to continue to be closely involved with the business and also intends to focus on running and enlarging his paddle camp in Jackson Hole, Wyoming. The camp will still be solely a Reilly venture, but provides a valuable service to the paddle community by helping individuals and teams improve their game, while also allowing Dick to stay in close touch with the players and their needs. Kathy Reilly Gross, who has been splitting her time between family and business from her home in New Hampshire for the past five years, will also continue to provide her expertise.

The company will operate out of the R.J. Reilly headquarters in Brewster, NY and will maintain that address and phone numbers. The company encourages court owners and customers to contact Chris Casiraghi or Jim Reilly with any questions about the new organization and how it will benefit them. Reilly Green Mountain Platform Tennis indicates that their new structure will allow them to fully commit themselves to providing the best quality, lowest cost, and most responsive service possible. They further emphasize that, with their new structure, their hope is to help support the growth of the game and the work of the APTA in ways that they were not previously able to do in the past.

Source: Platform Tennis Magazine, Vol 4, Issue 1, September, 2002

Player Profile: Patty Hogan

She says that she’s 5′ tall wearing new shoes on a good day. Stating that “size doesn’t always matter,” Patty Hogan is a six-time National Champion who has proven year after year that mental prowess is more important in platform tennis than physical size.

Born 42 years ago in New Providence, New Jersey, Patty’s early platform tennis mentors included Hank Irvine and Wendy Chase. Today, Patty is the mentor for hundreds of adults and juniors across the country. The achievements I’m most proud of are the 17 Junior National Champions I have taught to play our sport,” Patty said. She added, “I am also extremely thankful to the Beacon Hill Club for giving me the freedom and flexibility I need to do my job to the best of my ability.”

Over the years, Patty has had record-breaking seasons with many of the best women to play the game. “My best season was the winter of 98′-99′ when I played with my friend and long-time partner, Cindy Prendergast.” Patty concluded, That season, we went undefeated straight through our last match in the Nationals.” No other women’s team in recent history has repeated this feat.

Arguably the best current player in women’s platform tennis, Patty is as much a contributor as a taker. Her other numerous undertakings include: Beacon Hill -Director of Racquet Sports, Junior Nationals Chairperson, PTM Instructional Staff Supervisor, PPTA Testing Professional, Viking Cup Event Coordinator, and Player’s Committee Representative for the APTA.

Patty is planning on playing the 02′-03′ season with Hilary Debbs. In the meantime, she is working her way toward becoming a scratch golfer. Patty exclaimed, “I just shot my first 80! It’s not the same as a National Championship, but it sure feels good too.”

Source: Platform Tennis Magazine, Vol. 4 Issue 1, September 2002

Mixed National Open & Senior Tournaments

Mixed Nationals:
Milbank-Delaney defeated Hogan-Cosimano 7-5, 7-5

National Husband/Wife:
Zink-Zink defeated Mangan-Mangan 6-4, 7-5

Senior Mixed 60+ Nationals:
Buchmayr-Hatch defeated Goldman-Carpenter 6-1, 6-0

Mixed Masters 50+ Nationals:
Bassett-Tucker defeated O’Donnell-O’Donnell 6-2, 6-0

National Senior Husband/Wife:
O’Donnell-O’Donnell defeated Sturgis-Sturgis 6-2, 6-2

Senior National Men’s 50+, 60+, & 70+

The events were held at Fox Meadow Tennis club in Scarsdale, NY. [click image at left to enlarge]

Men’s Senior 50+:
Hodges-Irvine defeated Baird-Hayes 6-4,6-1

Men’s Senior 60+:
Graham-Opdycke defeated Holmes-Anderson 6-1, 7-6

Men’s Senior 70+:
Bascome-Leroy defeated Nelson-Piccoli 6-3, 6-3.

Men’s Senior 45+, 55+, 65+ & 145+

Bertan Cikigil and Rich Lombard reported on these events which were played at The Sleepy Hollow Country Club in Scarborough, New York and featured a turnout of 65 teams:

Represented in the draw were teams from Canada, Florida, Illinois, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Colorado, and the Northeastern states. Three days of non-stop play featured a number of firsts, such as:

• Bob Brown and Howard Sipe won the Men’s Senior 65’s and gained their first-ever win over Bill and David Childs 7-5, 0-6, 6-4

• In the Men’s Senior 55’s, Gary Cochrane and Tom Caputo gained their first (or anyone else’s for that matter) win over Doug Russell and Hank Irvine (1-6, 6-2, 6-3), and then went on to win the championship over Scott Estes and Danny Galves by a score of 6-4, 6-2. This was their 29th match against each other, and they now stand 1 and 28. Congratulations to perseverance!

• The Men’s Senior 45’s featured a 2 1/2 hour, two-set marathon semifinal with Bob Kleinert and Jim McNamara outlasting Steve Baird and Martin Sturgess (last year’s champions) 6-4, 7-5. Bob and Jim went on to defeat Chicago’s Mike Sullivan and Ray Murphy, 6-2, 6-1, in the finals.

• The Men’s Senior 145’s featured a first-ever National Championship for Jack Westerfield, who teamed up with Bob Brown to defeat fellow Fox Meadow colleagues Paul Doyle and Vince Greco 7- 5, 7-6.

Source: Platform Tennis Magazine, Vol. 3, Issue 5, May, 2002

Sue Aery and Gerri Viant accept the trophy for the 2002 Women's Open National Champions. Moments later, Sue addresses the crowd and announces her retirement from platform tennis in order to pursue chiropractic school.

Sue Aery retires on top

On March 17, 2002, Sue Aery (and partner, Gerri Viant) shocked the spectators at the National Championships. No, it wasn’t the service let cord that dropped in for a match point ace. Nor was it the tight third set victory After all. Sue and Gerri had won seven of the previous eleven Women’s Open National Titles, including three in a row. The surprise came to the crowd when Sue picked up the microphone and announced her retirement from platform tennis.

Sue and Gerri had accomplished more than they ever could have imagined thirteen years earlier. Just when 400 exuberant fans were expecting Sue’s modest victory speech, her tearful eyes and trembling voice proclaimed a different message, “As of now, I am announcing my retirement from platform tennis to pursue a career in chiropractic therapy.”

Sue’s mother. Peg, said, “Sue has had extensive chiropractic therapy over her athletic career and she feels that she could not have achieved what she has without it.” Peg concluded, “I think that it’s great. Sue wants to be able to give back to people the help she has personally received from chiropractic care.”

Source: Platform Tennis Magazine, Vol. 3, Issue 5, May, 2002