The 2001 Men’s President’s Cup competition was hosted by the Montclair Golf Club on March 23rd. The Chairs for the event were Ginna Ohlmuller and Carol York.
Men’s Region IV, lead by Andy Todd, won the event with Regions I and II finishing in a tie for second.
Region IV Team Members
1. Tony Jagodzinski and Todd Ward
2. Tim Foster and Eric Toth
3. Martin Sturgess and Paul Stulac
4. Mike Stulac and Dan Mott
5. Greg McFaden and Scott McFaden
The Region 1 Winners [L-r} top row: Jeanie Shaw, Kimberly Newsome, Louise Cash, Bobo Mangan Delaney, Susan Lovejoy: bottom row: Tonia Mangan, Carrie Short, Susan Penney, Andrea Noyes. The bandannas were the team favor/ color and the teams were told they had to wear them creatively; Region ! won that award too!
The 2001 Women’s President’s Cup competition was hosted by the Short Hills Club on March 22nd. The Chairs for the event were Ginna Ohlmuller and Carol York.
Women’s Region I, lead by Brenda Borho, won the Women’s President’s Cup, with Region II posting the next highest score.
Region I Team Members:
1. Bobo DeLaney and Tonia Mangan
2. Hilary Debbs and Carrie Short
3. Louise Cash and Kimberly Newsome
4. Susan Lovejoy and Jeanie Shaw
5. Andrea Noyes and Susan Penney
Chris Gambino and David Ohlmuller were ranked #1 in the Men’s and Sue Aery and Gerri Viant #1 in the Women’s.
Cherry Valley Country Club in Garden City, New York hosted the 50+ Women’s National Doubles tournament on February 28th, with matches also being played at the Garden City Country Club and Plandome Club.
Karen Cashman & Courtia Worth, the 2000 champions, were back again! The newly formed team of Helen Garrett / Ann Mitchell had sharpened their paddles for the event along with the seasoned teams of Alice Duff/Penny Johnston, Winnie Hatch/Sharon Hummers, Gloria Grafer/Elaine Hoolahan and Rita Goldberg/Ruth Weil. Viking supplied all players with balls and coolers.
Cashman & Worth, the twin towers, were defeated by Garrett and Mitchell in the semi-finals 6-3, 7-6, with Courtia diving for the ball the last point of the tiebreaker!
Hatch & Hummers defeated Duff & Johnston on the other side of the draw, 6-4, 6-2. Hatch & Hummers then faced off against Garret & Mitchell, two players who have each won the 50’s in the past with different partners. The points were long and the gallery was pounding on the windows while sipping wine!
They split the first two sets. In the third, Hummers, a bit worn down from her backcourt play (those in the hut counted one point where she hit 48 balls in a row while Hatch smoked a cigarette) began to drive and blitz. Hatch followed her lead with the same strategy, and they won the third set, 6-2.
Source: Platform Tennis Magazine, Vol. 2, Issue 5, May, 2001
David Ohlmuller
Born: November, 1969 in Montclair, NJ
Current: Single and resides in Chatham, NJ
Occupation: North-East Technical Manager – Wilson Sporting Goods
As a child, David grew up as a junior tennis tournament player. In college, he continued his tennis as the #1 player for Loyola College.
David was introduced to paddle in 1989 by his mother, then acting APTA secretary, Ginny Ohlmuller. From 1990 to 1995, David earned his first three National Titles. All were Mixed Opens with Patty Hogan. In 1995, David (and his partner, Bruce Kelsey) also won his first Men’s Open National Championship.
In 1996, David was hospitalized for 25 days after a car accident nearly took his life. Eight surgeries later, David’s leg showed progress and talks of amputation were dismissed. It didn’t take long for David to hit the courts for his ’97 comeback tour. David has progressed each year coming into the 2001 Nationals.
This year, David and Chris showed why they were the #1-ranked team in the country, dropping only 26 games in six rounds, including a 6-2, 6-4 final win over the 5-time defending champs, Scott Mansager and Flip Goodspeed.
David is anxious to compete in next season’s first ‘slam’ event, Chicago. He explained, “Over the past few years, Chris and I are 2-2 with Goodspeed and Mansager. Chicago will give the winning team the edge. It should be interesting.”
Chris Gambino
Born: October of 1969 in Matawan, NJ
Current: Single and resides in Fair Haven, NJ
Occupation: Assistant Trader -Sherwood Securities
Chris Gambino might have been the best junior tennis player to come out of New Jersey. He was #1 in the USTA Eastern U.S. Boys 12’s, 14,’s, 16’s, and 18’s. By his senior year, Chris was recognized by Arizona State after winning the New Jersey State Singles title.
At ASU, Chris spent his time schooling the Division 1 competition at line #1.In his college years, Chris had wins over Todd Martin, John Stark, Alex Obrien, and Brian McPhie. Chris was on his way to the pros until a car accident ended his tennis career with a broken shoulder and wrist. Chris was a senior at the time.
Five years later, in 1996, John Milbank introduced Chris to platform tennis at the Navesink Country Club in New Jersey. Since then, Chris has dramatically improved each season, culminating with the Men’s Open National Championship in 2001.
Only time will tell the potential for David and Chris. Anything’s possible, just as long as they steer clear of danger and focus on the long road ahead of them.
Marjorie Hodson reported on the event for PTM:
If you have been worried about the future of platform tennis, you can relax. The future was on display at the Beacon Hill Club, Canoe Brook Country Club, Short Hills Club and Echo Lake Country Club on Saturday, January 27, and it is bright. The APTA Junior Nationals, an exciting lead-up to Super Bowl Sunday, featured competitive matches and unparalleled sportsmanship. Parents and pros pitched in to prop up a pneumonia plagued Patty Hogan, and play proceeded as planned. Check-in and lunch at the Beacon Hill Club preceded a great photo opportunity with the giant inflatable Viking hat. Players then dispersed to nearby clubs to begin the competition. Following Round Robin play in all age groups, semi-finalists returned to Beacon Hill to finish.
In 10 & Under play Pete Donnally, a finalist last year, teamed with Karen Cash (whose sister Lauren was a 12 & Under Champ last year) to edge the sister-brother duo Anna and James Burke in three tight sets.
The 12 & Under Champions, Chris Cummins and Andrew Nebel, survived two match points against them in the semi-finals to advance and win a 3-set final over Phil Bernasek and Eric D’Elia.
14 & Under winners An Borinsky and Ben Williams used the tournament experience they gained playing the Viking Cup this year to deny Peter Hissey and Chris Lewis in yet another three setter.
Defending 18 and Under champions Anthony and Will Nunziata made it through a morning of SAT exams to outplay Tyler Gaffney and David Hissey and retain their crown.
Viking Athletics, New Jersey Men’s Platform Tennis Association, New Jersey Women’s Platform Tennis League, R. J. Reilly, and Louise Gengler helped to make the day special for the 100 juniors who participated.
Source: Platform Tennis Magazine, Vol. 2, Issue 4, March, 2001
PPTA President Gary Horvath provided the update:
In 1998, a group of the country’s top teaching professionals met in Chicago to lay the groundwork for the USA Professional Platform Tennis Association (PPTA). Since then, the PPTA has developed a certification process that provides professionals with an initial rating at one of three levels (P1, P2, or P3) based on their performance on a battery of tests. In a nutshell, the PPTA certification exam includes a written examination covering all aspects of the game, an on-court examination of teaching skills, a feeding skills test, and a playing evaluation.
As those who have taken the test will testify, the process is comprehensive. The written exam is heavily weighted towards the topics of teaching and strategy, but requires knowledge of teaching concepts and principles, tactics, business, stroke and strategy diagnostics of photographed match play, grips, rules, size of the court, philosophy and mission of the PPTA/APTA, code, equipment, history, and court maintenance.
In addition, each applicant is asked to teach both a private and a group lesson on topics (strategy, techniques, positioning, wire shots) specific to platform tennis.
Because feeding is an important part of teaching, the applicants are also evaluated on their ability to consistently feed for net shots, screen shots, basic strokes, service returns, and serve-and-volleys. Finally, the applicants are rated on their playing skills.
Source: Platform Tennis Magazine, Vol. 2, Issue 4, March, 2001 and Vol. 2 Issue 5 May, 2001
APTA President John Horine provided an update in the March and September From the APTA columns in PTM:
I am very excited about the progress the APTA Board has made so far. In the past, APTA Board discussion of a Hall of Fame has never gotten off the ground. I am determined to make this a reality. This is where you, the APTA member, come in.
A significant development occurred this spring/summer for The Platform Tennis Museum and Hall of Fame Foundation. The Hall of Fame became incorporated as a 501(c)(3) tax-deductible organization. Thanks to the work of Cincinnati player/attorney, Andy Giannella, the Hall of Fame now stands alone from the APTA with its own Board and fund raising capabilities.
You can bet one of the first goals will be to begin fund-raising for a permanent location (Note: This had to wait for an application to be made to the IRS for approval of the 501 (C) (3) status and then working through the approval process; the IRS granted exempt status effective February 19,2004).
To say the least, I am very excited about the future of The Platform Tennis Museum and Hall of Fame Foundation. There are many people who have been inducted into the Platform Tennis Hall of Fame who have given selflessly to the game.
To this day, there has not been a physical location where someone can go to learn more about these people or about the history and evolution of our sport. Now, with the creation of the Foundation, money can be raised to find and build such a place.
Hopefully, with your financial support and ideas, this can take shape. Right now, we do not know where the museum will be located or how much it will cost. These questions will soon be answered.
If you would like to make a monetary contribution to the foundation, it would be most welcome. If you have some memorabilia you think the Foundation might like to display, please contact the APTA office.
Setting up the Museum/Hall of Fame from scratch is a large endeavor – one which I am not taking lightly and one which will need your help. If you are called to contribute, please do so in whatever manner you are capable. Show your love for the game.
Historical Factoid: The idea for a “physical space” to house APTA memorabilia went back as far as 1972 when a proposal was made to Fox Meadow Tennis Club in Scarsdale, NY by the then APTA Secretary, Robert A. Brown.
Source: Platform Tennis Magazine, Vol. 2, Issue 4, March, 2001 and Vol 3. Issue 1, September 2001
Bob Brown, chair of the APTA Rules and Equipment Committee, on a proposal to eliminate the singles lines:
Why do we have white lines defining a singles court when the game of platform tennis is rarely, if ever, played by just two people? That is the question that was raised by the APTA Rules and Equipment Committee in a recent proposal to the Board of Directors to eliminate the unnecessary singles lines.
If this were done, the lateral service line would be extended (by two feet per side) to the outside service line. The concern would then be whether the wider service box would have any effect on the play of the game. The committee has conducted some play tests and preliminary results have concluded that the wider service box does not have any noticeable effect on the game.
However, the Board decided that it would be appropriate to advise the membership of this proposed change and encourage them to experiment. This can be done simply by extending the lateral service lines with a two-inch wide piece of masking tape and play the service line that lands in the alley as ‘good.’
The reasoning behind this proposal, as explained by the Committee, is that the court would then reflect the true nature of the game as intended for doubles play. The layout is simpler and has an attractive, uniform appearance. There is a 29% reduction in white lines on the court, which would be a benefit for maintenance and construction. The incidence of foot-slipping on wet lines would also be reduced.
The Board understands that if this proposal is adopted, there will be some minor costs incurred by court owners in order to revise the lines. Consideration is being given to an implementation program that would minimize this expense.
The Rules and Equipment Committee presented this proposal for a vote at the annual meeting in May of 2001 but based upon a number of negative letters received in response to the proposal, the proposal was voted down and discarded from future consideration.
Source: Platform Tennis Magazine, Vol. 2, No. 3, January, 2001 and Vol. 3 Issue 1, September, 2001
Anyone who has run an APTA sanctioned tournament knows that one of their many responsibilities is the ominous task of collecting dues from those participants who are not members of the APTA. I will never forget the first time I had this responsibility. I mentioned the dues payment to one of the participants who responded by saying, “Why should I pay APTA dues? What benefits do I get from being a member? If they are like most organizations they surely don’t do anything, and besides, I probably don’t want whatever they are selling.”
At the time I fumbled to find an appropriate response, even though the answer was obvious to me. It seems only logical that by supporting the governing body, you are supporting the infrastructure for the sport. In addition, in a sport as small as platform tennis your voice will most likely be heard when you have questions or concerns. This line of thinking is obvious to me because I have been close enough to the sport that I can see the inter-workings of the APTA. To those not as close, the answer is less obvious.
In a nutshell, the APTA serves as the governing body for the sport. In this capacity, its most important duties are to maintain the rules and serve as a focal point for the sport. Initially, these tasks sound rather trivial. As a way of understanding the
importance of these duties, let’s look at some of the suggestions that have been made for improving the sport over the past 25 years. Some of the more memorable proposed changes have been to: lengthen the service box by six inches, allow oversized paddles, allow a let when you bounce the ball out of the court, cut a hole in the back screen so that it is possible to hit winners, allow two serves, color the inside of the ball the same color as the flocking, play on a grade level (tennis court) surface, allow the carry or double hit, round the corners to make the crease shots less predictable, allow let serves, use a tiebreak that was different from the tennis tiebreak, allow winners when a shot hits a 2′ x 4′ target placed on the back screen, and use red balls.
Can you imagine playing interclub matches, tournaments or social events where every club uses a different set of rules and with matches played on courts with different sizes or configurations? Most people find it challenging enough to deal with a constant set of rules and the different shots of their opponents without having to deal with a different set of rules for each facility. When you think about it, the payment of the annual dues is justified by having the peace of mind that there is standardization in our sport that allows it to be enjoyable for the masses.
Now, let’s look closer at the manner in which the APTA serves as a focal point for the sport. First and foremost, it provides communication opportunities with members and manufacturers almost full-time), and the financial support for Platform Tennis
Magazine. By sanctioning tournaments, the APTA provides organized playing opportunities for the members and helps draw attention to the sport. Pages could be written expanding on the value of these member benefits, but hopefully that’s not necessary.
The entertainment value gained from these immeasurable benefits far exceeds the cost of the annual dues, or if you don’t like to be dinged for annual dues there is the painless life membership. I am almost embarrassed to call myself a life member, as I purchased the membership over 20 years ago for $100. Annual dues cost less than a round of golf or cart fees. They also are less than four tickets to a newly released movie or a single ticket to a professional hockey or football game. The APTA annual dues are about the same as a dozen packages of Oreos or Ben and Jerry’s double scoop ice cream cones. The cost is truly a small price to pay for the structure and enjoyment that it brings to the sport.
Source: Platform Tennis Magazine, Vol. 2, No. 3, January, 2001
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