APTA Annual Meeting

The Annual Meeting took place at the Fox Chapel Golf Club, Pittsburgh, PA on May 4-5, 2007.Highlights were:

Financial Report by Sally Cottingham.
• $65,651.00 Income $9,000 over budget
• In 2003, APTA had $85,000 in working capital. $220,000 now.
• Need to put money in marketing.
• No restriction on the amount of reserve for 501 (C)(3)- we are provisional until 2009.

Regional Presidents Reports
Region 1: Mike Cochrane- Events well attended but not from outside the region. Nationals held at NYAC Pelham ran well with a few issues.
Region 2– Won Men’s President’s Cup
Region 3– Fred Gumbinner/Tim McAvoy. Participation up in all tournaments. Big prize money tourney! Well-attended, well-run- 45, 55, 65, 8145s.
Region 4– Martin Sturgess – Healthy region – more courts coming- Cincinnati is booming – new courts and a waiting list for the Midwesterns tournament. Rochester hosting Nationals for 2008. Leagues are APTA members. Nancy Budde – Women are 2007 Presidents Cup Champions, Prop and Schneebeck got to semis of Women’s Nationals. Great showing for Region 4!
Region-5– Bill O’Brien – Chicago area is robust and growing. In past 10 years, men’s league has grown from 64 to 165 teams – a 10% per year compound growth rate. The women’s league has grown from 60 to 110 teams – a 6.5% compound growth rate over that same 10-year period. Smaller areas like Milwaukee, Indianapolis and St. Louis growing more slowly but still healthy. Will move a couple of those tourneys to help boost participation (not to conflict with holidays).
Region 6– Beach Kuhl – Growing slowly in Region 6’s 11 states – new private courts in Montana, Idaho, Sun City, AZ etc….Region 6 ladies traveling to tournaments and playing President’s Cup (combined with Region 7’s team).
Region 7– Peter Lauer- Taylor Bowen’s Blog is a highlight- Chapel Hill new program is growing. 22% increase with participants in tourneys. 20 courts in Region 7 with Atlanta adding two this year. University of North Carolina wants to add three courts. Capitalize on tennis talent- kids paddle emerging. Players from region participated in Nationals. Freddie Uihlein started women’s paddle league. Trying to drive members to APTA- about 130 members in the Atlanta League.

PPTA Report – Todd Ward – Membership -Of 156 pros who have been certified, 84 are current members.

Las Vegas Tennispalooza – Jason Gray. Attended Tennispalooza (The Tennis Channel Open) in Las Vegas with Jean Kempner. Spoke with facilities mgr., Ken Solomon CEO… Objective to organize platform tennis component to the event. There are approximately 10 million Tennis Channel subscribers. David Dodge of Premiere Platform Tennis has offered to bring a court out to Las Vegas. Currently, we have secured an oral commitment from The Tennis Channel to participate in the event David Dodge is planning on going forward for ’08 in Vegas.
Proposal. Showcase match on Saturday, getting one of our teams to play maybe- Max Mirnyi/Jonas Bjorkman Doubles. Jason has a friend who knows Max Mirni and would be willing to play exhibition with $20k on the line. An idea would be to involve Andre Agassi Foundation.

Chapel Hill Progress report – Rich Green “Thank you to APTA and Taylor Bowen drove down 4 or 5 times- eager and a tremendous help” Reilly lease to buy arrangement. The Club didn’t want to commit to long-term so they could remove the courts if they wanted to. Courts were installed late in the season. Enthusiasm among other clubs. Rich agrees to help with emerging programs as a consultant creating a “New Program Assistance Committee.”

Court Funding – Sally Cottingham/ David Kjeldsen
1. Plan must be available to entire membership and well publicized.
2. Delay distribution of further funds until a plan is agreed upon and published.
3. Committee to be chosen to review applicants.
4. Specify whether the facility should be public, semi-private or private. The Board needs to decide on the definitions of what public, semi-private or private are (e.g. is a YMCA Public or Semi-private?).
5. Establish parameters of repayment.
6. Establish APTA contact to collect.
7. Research 501c3 parameters.
8. Need to determine what constitutes a success. What is time table for success?
8. Delay distribution of funds until return on investment on previous distribution (Chapel Hill). To date, APTA has not gotten any new memberships.
9. Use money from fundraising or 501c3 donations only for the Court Funding Program. APTA should not use funds from general operating money.
10. Facilities requesting a loan and/or grant should not be given any funds until they have already committed a certain percentage of their own money. Percentage to be determined.
11. All court manufacturers should be treated equally in the process.
12. Until success is determined as outlined in item 2 above, the facility receiving the loan and/or grant from the APTA should give semi-annual progress reports.

NEW BUSINESS
Philadelphia – 450 plan to join the APTA next season!
Hall of Fame – Voting for Hall of Fame candidates from selection committee. Scott Bondurant is liaison to HOF Committee. The COMMITTEE: Bob Brown, Steve Baird, Chuck Vasoll, Walt Peckinpaugh, Deirdre Redden, Patty Hogan, Tim McAvoy
Seniors – Rich Lombard. Senior tournament locations and events were discussed. Rich Lombard reported the success of the 28-team, one-day 125’s tournament. The Big Daddy cup, a Multi-regional 95s was discussed. Sally Cottingham proposed moving the senior nationals out to Chicago for a year. Bill O’Brien-well run tourneys in Chicago. Mike Cochrane- Seedings were a disaster in the 95s/65s/145s.Rich Lombard 145’s going back to NY to get better participation maybe hold the event on Thursday, then dinner for the legends of paddle
PTM Contract – Sally Cottingham. It has been agreed that Dollard Publishing will relinquish content ownership right of Platform Tennis Magazine to the APTA in
exchange for a four-year rolling contract.
Chair Umpires – Bob Callaway. Chair umpires mission statement was published – to train and certify chair umpires. 10 certified chair umpires as of now. This years National Championships was chaired by Rob LeBuhn.
Rules – Bob Callaway. Rule clarification: approved for APTA use on concrete or other surfaces to conform to dimensions. No motions were made in favor of changing either the let cord rule, or for a lob that bounces out of the court.
Fundraising Committee – Fred Gumbinner. Very slow year, National Platform Tennis Day didn’t work due to already full schedules and previously committed sponsors to other events.
Executive Director Position It was reported that the APTA interviewed 30 candidates for the position. They were optimistic about the quality of the candidates and time frame to transition. It was stated that the Executive Director/Offices of the APTA were not limited geographically.

Source: Platform Tennis Magazine, Vol. 9, Issue 1, October, 2007

Ann Sheedy becomes new APTA Executive Director

To say Ann Sheedy is passionate about platform tennis would be an understatement. By her own admission, Sheedy says her love for the sport is an outright addiction.

Exposed to paddle as a child, playing on her uncle’s court in Connecticut, Sheedy’s addiction remained dormant until she was invited to a beginner’s clinic 20 years ago.

“I said ‘yes,’ and it was love at first hit,” Sheedy said. “I’ve played in a league since that first year and I would say that my best friends have all come through paddle.”

In the early summer of this year, Marjorie Hodson exited the role as APTA Executive Director. Her successor, George Douaire of Chicago, was chosen from a pool of resumes. Douaire resigned in September but is helping the APTA on a volunteer level with long-term strategic planning. [enlarge image to read full report]

Senior Nationals round-up

The National Mens 45’s was arguably the strongest ever and players have expressed how exciting all the matches were. In the quarter-finals, Goodspeed/Todd defeated Griffey/Higgins; Mott/Pierce defeated Mangan/Heath; McAvoy/Stefanik defeated Palmer/Harlow; and, Gillespie/Kaufman defeated Hallett/Katz. In the semi-finals, Goodspeed/Todd defeated Mott/Pierce, and McAvoy/Stefanik Defeated Gillespie/Kaufman.

The final was unbelievable. In the first set tie-breaker 9 set points were saved finishing with a 15-13 to Goodspeed/Todd. The final set saw Goodspeed and Todd at their best winning 6-0.

The National Mens 55’s had another powerhouse draw. In the semi’s, Baird/Irvine defeated Nycum/Estes and Adams/Hayes defeated Brooke/Dyminski.

The final saw four greats with many years history between them. Adams/Hayes had to take an injury time-out during the finals 20 years previous leading with a set and 4-1 against Baird/Meyer. On the very same court 20 years later Adams/Hayes battled through a grueling three-setter finishing with a 6-3, 4-6, 6-2 against Baird/Irvine.

The National Mens 65’s experienced some of the greats battling through some very tough matches. The semis saw Dey/Spears defeat Beech/Marvin and, on the other side, Childs/Lombard defeated Lynch/Lockwood. In the finals, Dey and Spears overcame tough opponents to win the coveted 65’s National Championship.

On January 10, Fox Meadow Tennis Club again hosted the Women’s 50+ and 70+ National Tournament. Seventeen teams entered the 50’s and a record eight teams entered the 70’s.

In the 50+ tournament, Chris Ford from Atlanta and Christi Hays from Pittsburgh made their trip to New York a successful one as they knocked off last year’s champions Louise Cash and Ruth Ann Connors in the semi-final and went on to win 6-3, 6-4 against last year’s finalists, Tricia Bloom and Deirdre Redden, 3-6, 6-2, 6-2.

In the 70+ tournament, Sharon Hummers successfully defended her title, this year with Anne Mariani. In a very close final, they beat Nancy Libby and Gail Moskow, 7-6, 7-5.

The 2007 Women’s 40+ Championships and 60+ Championships were held at Canoe Brook Country Club on Wednesday and Thursday, February 7th and 8th. The full 32 draw for the 40s continues to get stronger each year.

This year, participants came from as far away as Minnesota, Ohio and Delaware. The weather was very cold but clear and everyone had a fun time, on and off the court. The draw held true and provided two excellent semi-final matches, pitting Andrea Noyes and Sheri Shea against Bobo Delaney and Judy Takach, and Cynthia Dardis and Amy Shay against Cindy Prendergast and Tonia Mangan. Both matches were three-setters and brought great excitement to those watching.

On Thursday morning, Andrea and Sheri were once again victorious in this event with a straight set win over Cynthia and Amy. They also won the gold in 2004 and 2006. The Consolation bracket was won by Acosta/ Mackell. Arden/ Reach won the Reprieve against Day/ Perry; and Mead/ Dowd were the winners of the Consolation Reprieve, beating Brucia/ Mullaney.

The 60+ tournament was short on participants, but long on talent and enthusiasm. Marjorie Hodson, the “draw master,” worked out a way for 10 teams to get in three matches each and still crown a champion. An early upset of Winnie Hatch and Sharon Hummers led the way for new finalists Mary Sturgis and Mary Fenton. Helen Garrett and Sandy Simmers proved too much for the newcomers in the final as they once again received the gold medals of victory.

Source: Platform Tennis Magazine, Vol. 8, Issue 5, April 2007

Coverage of Mixed Nationals and Husband/Wife Nationals at Glen View Club, Chicago, IL

The married mix field was a strong draw fielded by 25 Chicago teams and 5 out-of-towner’s who got to witness a typical March Chicago snow storm. With all the weather came phenomenal paddle. In through the snow came a local team of Dan and Sarah Williams to win their first national title taking out the 1st seed in a three-set battle in one semi, and then team Odenbach from Rochester N.Y. in another three-setter.

47 teams competed in the Open Mixed. Bobo Delaney and John Milbank defeated Sally Cottingham and Ed Granger, 6-3, 6-3 in one semi. In the other, Susie Keane and Mike Marino defeated Marina Ohimuller and Mike Rahaley 7-6, 6-7, 6-3. The finals saw Delaney and Milbank win 6-3, 6-3 over Keane and Marino.

President’s Cup: Region IV Women and Region II Men emerge on top

Gray skies and 30-degree weather opened up the Women’s President’s Cup Competition but, by mid-afternoon, the skies had cleared to reveal some much needed sun. The three main courts of the New York Athletic Club were surrounded by plywood sheets to protect player’s feet from the mud created by the melting snow.

What was perhaps most notable, however, was the way the Region 4 Women’s team melted away the competition. Comprised of Heather Prop, Lynne Schneebeck, Jenny Kelly, Sherri Wilson, Nancy Budde, Chris Underwood, Sandra Odenbach, Ann Turner, Karen Henke and Nathalie Lemieux, the team worked hard to win the President’s Cup and enjoyed drinks and dinner at the awards ceremony in the New York Athletic Club’s main dining hall.

As for the other teams present, all played exceptionally against very evenly-matched competition. Louise Cash of Allendale, New Jersey, played on the Region I team, which tied for third place out of six regions. Cash said the team won the President’s Cup three years ago and the competition in this year’s tournament was very even.

“Everybody seems to be very equal. There were many, many tiebreakers,” Cash said. “It was all tough competition, but all equally matched. We’ve done better this year than the past two years.”

Region VII was represented this year, but combined with Region VI.

The Women’s event was followed by Friday’s Men’s President’s Cup Competition, which featured simultaneous matches on the nine courts of the historic Fox Meadow Tennis Club in Scarborough, New York. Six of seven regions were represented this year, and Region 2 came out victorious – a first for New England.

Region II team is comprised of Jerry Albrikes, Lennart Jonason, Bill Power, Leo Power, Jim Greenho, Jeff Morneau, Rob Pierce, Greg Bennett, Geoff Cartier and Mike Fried.

Player Profiles: John Schmitt and Dan Rothschild

Over the course of a season, platform tennis players get an opportunity to eye each other up for strengths and weaknesses and see signs of improvement among their competition.

In 2005, Schmitt and Rothschild ended the season #10 in the country. In 2006, they ended #6 in the country. This year they were seeded 2nd going into the National Championships, but ended the season as #4.

Some teams just keep getting better and it forces the question, “Why?” That’s the case with John Schmitt and Dan Rothschild, both of Garden City, New York.

Schmitt said the reason for the team’s break-out success this season was their ability to analyze their strengths and weaknesses objectively. [enlarge image to read full profiles]

Women’s Senior 50+ and 70+ Nationals at Fox Meadow Tennis Club, Scarsdale, NY

The first National Champions of the season were crowned at Fox Meadow Tennis Club, the first club to have platform tennis courts.

They came from California and Georgia, from Vermont and Pennsylvania, from Albany and Long Island and Westchester, NY, from Connecticut and Massachusetts and New Jersey. Only Region 5 was not represented at the Women’s 50+ and 70+ National Championships!

With many assists from Hope Kerr, the Women’s 70+ doubled its size from the two previous years. Nine of the 16 participants were new this year! [enlarge image to read full report]

“If we build them, they will come”…… Taylor Bowen, President Region VII on how Chapel Hill could be a model for future APTA outreach

Chapel Hill, North Carolina, has two new platform tennis courts. Sure, congratulations are probably in order but does the installation of two new courts merit full-spread coverage in PTM?

Well, yes. You see, these particular courts are different. First of all, they are in the South — not exactly in the paddle mainstream.

But what really sets these courts apart is that they were partially funded by the APTA in its grass roots efforts to grow the game. [enlarge image to read Bowen’s full report]

APTA President Mark Fischl on developing the game at Chapel Hill, NC

On January 27, David Caldwell, Todd Ward, Mike Rahaley and I headed to Chapel Hill, North Carolina, to put on an exhibition and clinic at the Chapel Hill Tennis Club (CHTC). I have been involved in many exhibitions, but this one was the first one I have ever participated in where the APTA has played a large role in the creation of a platform tennis program.

Together, with some creative work by Reilly Green Mountain and Rich Green, the APTA is pleased to have been a partner to help CHTC install two courts, the first in the Raleigh-Durham area.

When I first became involved with the APTA, my main goal was to be able to help with the installation of public courts around the country. The Board has worked hard to create a mission statement (see above) and to improve our finances to put us in position to help strong local leaders with the financial burden that goes with purchasing courts. [enlarge image to read Fischl’s full report]