We are proud to announce that Nindy Pike of Haverhill, Massachusetts, will be joining our team as associate editor/writer.
This new part-time position has been created because of the steady growth of platform tennis and the increased need for APTA member communication.
Pike was chosen from more than 50 qualified applicants from across the country.
The initial thrust of the PTMHOFF was to create a “bricks and mortar” facility, but as they pursued this goal they realized that the history of the game could also be told by a “virtual museum”. Many traditional museums were moving in this direction as they saw opportunities to deliver content in a more visually exciting and interactive way with the added benefit of attracting “visitors” without the need for them to be physically at the museum.
The revised approach was developed during 2011 and comprised three phases:
Phase I: Create a “virtual” museum and Hall of Fame with the first step being a dramatic upgrade to original web site. The revised site would have three features – an illustrated history of the game, a completely new look and feel for the Hall of Fame with extensive biographies, and a “Search and Explore” section which would house all of the memorabilia collected in digital formats and allow visitors to browse the artifacts by various search keys (by name, for instance).
Phase II: Create a physical presence but with a significantly reduced foot-print by combining the material from Phase I with the more traditional elements of a museum – physical displays. The work in this phase will also include seeing how we can repurpose the material developed for a “travelling/pop-up museum and Hall of Fame” that could be used at major National Championships.
Phase III: Build an app which would be the digital equivalent of our coffee table book Passing Shots: A pictorial History of Platform Tennis, containing all the elements of the “virtual” museum
The Chicago Charities tournament has become second only to the Nationals for paddle treasure.
Good work and good play go hand in hand every year at the Chicago Charities tournament, where the proceeds benefit a charity chosen by the CC committee. Glen View Club of Golf, Illinois, hosted the highly-touted tournament, known for its quality of play.
Teams came from all over—including California, Canada, and Connecticut—to vie for the Charities cup and to support a great cause, The House of Peace Shelter. And no good deed goes undone—everyone received favors of warm picnic blankets and paddle DVDs for their participation.
Hall of Famers and former national champions dotted the draw sheet for both the men’s and women’s events. The women played on Friday and Saturday morning of a golden weekend. The worst element the women had to deal with was bright sunshine. With a field embarrassing in riches, the fact that two unseeded teams (Hallie Bodman/Sally Jones and Lauren Cash/Maria Manley) snuck into the quarterfinals was impressive. Some well-known players partnered anew making it a challenge to forecast the winners.
Two East Coast teams came out on top and headed to the finals. Gerri Viant and Lauren Mandell of New York could not hold off the exacting duo of Cynthia Dardis and Amy Shay of Connecticut, 7-6, 6-7, 6-3. Dardis/Shay only lost one set in the entire tournament.
For the men’s tournament, the action started on Saturday, with over 50 teams signed on. The deep draw saw only one non-seeded team steal into the round of 16 (Ryan Baxter/ Rick Heath).
The quarterfinals took place as dusk hovered over the Glen View Club. APTA Executive Director Ann Sheedy said, smiling, “The hut and environs were packed with spectators. The evening party was beginning. It was amazing that the players could concentrate with the smell of the grill gently wafting over the court.”
On Sunday, the men were graced with overcast skies but had to contend with that famous Chicago wind during the semi-finals and finals. The strength of the field was never more apparent than in the finals, where both sides of the net could claim multiple national championships. In an amazing display of control and power, Chris Gambino and Drew Broderick won over Mark Parsons and Mike Stulac. The second seed withstood a wearing first set that lasted over an hour to beat out the #1 seeded team, 4-6, 6-1, 6-4.
In other Charities action, the well-attended Men’s 90+ took place on Sunday at neighboring Exmoor Club in Highland Park, Illinois. Tournament director John Noble and Rod Workman beat out James Goldman and Charlie Usher for the cup.
The Chicago Charities tournament once again ran seamlessly. Chairs John Noble, Robin Cohn and Howard Sipe organized an energetic event for players and fans. Umpire Bill O’Brien roamed the courts, keeping an ear to the ground and an eye to the lines. All of the good work and good play on the courts paid off—for a deserving charity and a deserving group of good sports.
Source: Nindy Pike, Platform Tennis Magazine, Vol. 13, Issue 1, 2012
In the summer of 2010 Wilmington Country Club built a new platform tennis facility. With four courts and a fantastic hut, the complex sets a high standard for any club that intends to build the “best” new facility. As WCC starts its second paddle season with the new facility, the number of paddle players has soared. This brief history may provide other clubs with a road map for going from “just okay” to great.
WCC was founded in 1901. It has always been a premier golf club in Delaware. The South Course (one of two 18-hole courses) was designed by Robert Trent Jones. It is consistently rated one of the top courses in the country. The tennis facility boats 17 tennis courts including the only grass courts in Delaware as well as three indoor courts. Year after year the squash program produces nationally ranked juniors and college players.
The sport of platform tennis experienced rapid growth in the mid-1970s. In 1973 in Delaware, two tennis clubs, first Greenville Country Club, and then Vicmead Hunt Club, built paddle courts. Before the first season of play was over, WCC decided to build courts. Two wood courts were ready for play by the beginning of the ‘74 season. Because there was no hut, players used the living room of an old hour that was close to the courts for viewing. Although it did have a wood-burning fireplace, it was too far from the courts and too small.
In the late ‘70s the paddle community tired of replacing warped wood planks and looked for a solution. In the early ‘80s, after the sad (and unsuccessful) experiment with plastic tiles on top of the wood planks, most clubs, including WCC, converted to aluminum. In the early ‘90s WCC installed the brightest court lights south of the Philadelphia Airport. Other than the lights, no significant improvements were made to the Wilmington paddle facility for almost 30 years.
WCC is the home club of three national champions, Bunny Vosters (Hall of Famer Lucie McAvoy’s long-time partner), Pete Morrow and Cindy Prendergast (another Hall of Famer). Most clubs would be proud to have even one member win a single national championship. Wilmington can boast of a total of 13 championship wins, seven by Prendergast.
National champions, understandably, focus on playing their best paddle. Prendergast focuses on her game, but she also embraces the bigger picture of the sport. In the late ‘90s paddle participation at WCC was dwindling. At neighboring Delaware clubs it was thriving. The Wilmington men’s team dropped out of the MAPTA men’s league for lack of players, and the women were down to only one team. Prendergast decided to do something about it and worked tirelessly for 10 years to convince her club to build a first-class facility.
The WCC Board approved the project and one very important decision was made before the design was completed. The location of the courts would be changed – they would be built in a central location between the indoor tennis building and the outdoor tennis courts. During the summer, tennis players and golfers enjoy the hut. It also allows for use of the courts by the club’s junior members during their summer camp.
The hut is a few feet higher than the courts. The height of the hut, along with the expansive windows, provides excellent viewing of the matches on all four courts. The outside decks are wide enough for plenty of spectators to enjoy the action. The courts (built by David Dodge of Premier Paddle) are close enough to the hut that spectators inside the hut can follow matches on each court.
Build it and they will come. From the oversubscribed opening APTA Clinic in September 2010 to the sold-out mixed paddle dinners on Friday nights, it certainly is true for Wilmington’s paddle program. The hut is attracting non-playing members for a cocktail before dinner, as well as tennis players who stop for a beer after their indoor game.
Source: Barry Snyder, Platform Tennis Magazine, Vol. 13, Issue 2, December, 2011
Some days you win, some days you lose, and some days… it’s hot – at least by paddle standards. Nevertheless, over 60 players braved the 88-degree temperatures on Saturday, October 8 to participate in an APTA-sponsored clinic and exhibition on the brand new Homestead Country Club courts. Homestead Country Club is located in Prairie Village, Kansas (about 10 blocks from Kansas City), and has about 300 members, many of them active tennis players on Homestead’s 16 hard courts. This summer, with great help and support from the APTA and its grant program, Homestead recently built two new platform tennis courts and began offering an economical seasonal platform tennis membership.
To launch the inaugural season, several pros came in for a Wilson-sponsored APTA/PPTA clinic and exhibition.
The Kansas City paddle community was excited to welcome Nathan LeFevre, Mark Fischl, Sebastian Bredberg, and George Wilkinson – four great players and phenomenal instructors. The day started with some fun sets against local pros and players, including several former college tennis players who are learning the game quickly. Following the morning play, LeFevre, Fischl, Bredberg, and Wilkinson ran free clinics from 10-12 and from 2-4 covering all areas of platform tennis including volleys, overheads, drives, lobs, serves, and everyone’s favorite – screens! It seems clear that the 50 to 60 participants of all ages, many holding a paddle for the first time, will soon begin playing in clinics and leagues to help grow the game in the Kansas City area.
Between the clinics, LeFevre and Fischl played an exhibition against Bredberg and Wilkinson, which was USA/Australia versus Ireland/Sweden, (sorry I mean England/Sweden – anyone at the event will know what I am talking about!). Honors went to the USA/Australia team and, when asked for a rematch, they said wanted to wait until next year! The highlight was the first point of the exhibition with at least a 150-ball rally. The day concluded with some more play in the cooler evening, and it is safe to say that all involved had a great time.
A big thank you to the host club, Homestead, and we wish them all the best with their new platform tennis program. Also, thank you to Chace Brundige and head pro Kevin Kowalik for all their work putting the weekend together. The temperatures cooled as nighttime approached and the courts were again filled by avid clinic participants.
Source: Platform Tennis Magazine, Vol. 13, Issue 2, December, 2011
Close to 100 players took part in seven hours of clinics over the course of two days hosted at the Kingsway Platform Tennis Club in Toronto, Canada. Juan Arraya was joined by Mark Fischl, Brian O’Connor and Newfoundlander Mark Parsons, along with Toronto’s own Paul Stulac on the Kingsway courts and led a series of clinics and exhibition matches on a challenging weather weekend.
Adults and juniors who had never picked up a paddle took part along with seasoned level 1 players.Beginners, intermediates and advanced players had only one negative comment about the clinics – WE WANT MORE! [enlarge image to read more]
You two recently paired up as a team. How did you find each other and was it an instant gelling?
Warner: “Mark was my junior tennis coach during my high school years. A few years after attending SIUE, Mark and I began corresponding again and soon began to practice on the paddle court. It wasn’t until this year that we seriously discussed pairing up. We are good friends off the court, and we were curious to see how our strengths would complement each other on the court.”
What about each of your styles of play do you think make your team strong?
Warner: “Through the use of spin on both serves and overheads, we try to keep our opponents neutralized from attacking from the backcourt; as a righty/lefty combo, we find sometimes we can create more pressure on the net team with our forehand drives and blitzes from the middle of the court.”
Where do you see yourselves having to work out weaknesses?
Warner: “At times, we have to remind ourselves that you can’t always bring the ‘full court press.’ This game was built on patience, good shot selection, and minimal errors.”
What is your practice routine/frequency?
Warner: “We try to drill at least once or twice a week in a one-on-one or two-on-one setting to focus on specific situational patterns.”
If either of you has migrated to platform from tennis, are there any advantages/disadvantages that your style brings to the game?
Warner: “With a few minor adjustments, I feel my serve has made a good transition from tennis to platform tennis. I still feel I am able to consistently hit a spin serve that, for the most part, is able to neutralize most opponents from consistently driving on the return of serve.”
As partners, you obviously are unified on the court, but what do you think you do to challenge each other as well?
Warner: “The mental game – strategy, discipline and focus – is what differentiates the good from the great players. Each and every point is a battle. As the game grows, talent continues to migrate into this game so it’s imperative to play within ourselves and play disciplined in order to win matches against the top teams.”
What racquet are you playing with and do you feel it gives you any particular advantage as far as your play style?
Warner: “The Wilson Blitz Low. I have had elbow issues in the past and this paddle plays a bit softer on my arm.”
Johnson: “I play with the Viking O-Zone paddle. With my style of play, I feel it is a little more of a forgiving paddle. I like the feel of the ball staying longer on the paddle.”
What advice would you give to fledgling teams trying to find success on the court?
Warner: “To newer players, play as much as you can – tournaments, etc., seek insight from more experienced players, determine and discuss what your strengths are individually so that you can play as a team towards those strengths.”
Johnson: “My advice for players trying to make success on the court, is that the game of paddle takes time to get familiar with the smaller court screens, etc. Be patient with this game. Give yourself time to learn and don’t give up. Lastly, you always learn from the best. Watch the great players, take notes and ask questions about game.”
Have you identified any teams that you think will be your toughest challenges this season?
Warner: “There are many, many teams that offer different types of challenges. We don’t expect to have any easy matches in tournament play.”
Johnson: “The game of paddle has changed dramatically. There are so many great players and teams out in the paddle world now. In my opinion, every match is a tough challenge.”
Source:Platform Tennis Magazine, Vol. 13, Issue 2, December, 2011
Rich Green
Age: 47
Residence: Chapel Hill, North Carolina
Profession: Hedge Fund Reporting and Analytics
Achievements in Tennis/Platform Tennis: The most memorable tennis achievements were more than 20 years apart. Winning both team and individual 1984 New England Championships and being awarded the tournament’s Individual Sportsmanship honor while playing for the University of Vermont tops the list. Twenty something years later winning the 2007 North Carolina State 40s was quite unexpected after a frustrating year of hitting forehands into the ground and fence from changing continental to semi-western grip and swing.
Bringing paddle to Chapel Hill, North Carolina in 2007 is certainly my greatest paddle achievement. Playing achievements came mainly winning several tournaments in 2003/2004, each with a different partner: Short Hills B, West Hartford B, Long Island B, and the Southern Invitational. Interestingly, two of these titles were with partners I had not met before stepping onto the court. One was 2010 National Champion Jerry Albrikes when I filled in at the last minute for the top seed’s sick partner in Hartford while on a ski trip to southern Vermont. Earlier this year Jerry was on the opposite side of the net in the Tar Heel Men’s final. It wasn’t pretty. I may have won a few games.
As far as ranking level tournaments there has been scattered success with long time friend and occasional partner Michael Stern after moving south in 2004. Finalists in the Charlottesville NRT, reaching Nationals round of 32, and a sizeable upset in early rounds of the Atlantic Classic were legitimate wins for guys like us. I also played and captained President’s Cup several years for the new Southern Region 7.
Hobbies off the courts: Off the courts most often there will be some form of yoga which I think is very good for paddle given the physical, mental, and concentration needs to play a long match or tournament. I volunteer with Special Olympics cycling, softball, and tennis. I enjoy guitar with my son, Josh, seeing my daughter, Sam, as often as possible, hiking with Ellen and our sweet dogs Rumi and Shanti, learning to cook vegetarian food, cycling, and skiing. This year I am also in yoga teacher training.
Personal Platform Tennis Philosophy: Mainly play to have fun, to get some exercise, and on occasion to compete. I enjoy introducing the game to new players, playing with friends, and tournaments. Tournament strategy varies depending on partner, opponents, and what the moment calls for. My offense is sporadic and serve not very strong. I try to be a consistent, quick, supporting partner who can occasionally surprise with offense. My favorite shot is to hit short angled drop shots around the net post. When competing against stronger players I like to play very, very long points. Defense mode, digging in until the tide turns can also be fun.
The 7th Annual “Super Bowl of Platform Tennis” was held October 14-16 in Columbus, Ohio, at the Scioto Country Club. Columbus hosted some of very best men’s teams in the country, who showcased their incredible talents for all to enjoy. Teams from cities and states such as Chicago, New Jersey, Cincinnati, and Richmond, competed for the only paddle purse as well as bragging rights. Columbus’ own Denny English’s and Brian Heil’s fans helped fill the home team’s warming hut.
At the same club where Jack Nicklaus learned how to play golf, beginners were encouraged to pick up the game of platform tennis. Kicking off the weekend’s festivities was a free clinic conducted by the APTA. All ages and levels were invited to learn the game and its intricacies and were taught by an enthusiastic group of pros. This is a relatively new feature of tournaments nationwide and is one way that the APTA is helping increase participation in the game.
Once the courts were warmed up by the clinic action, the tournament kicked into a higher gear and the competent game play of eight super-powered duos. Saturday was the round robin portion of the tournament in which each team played three matches. Winners took two out of three sets. While the players were dazzled by sunny skies, the glare and breezy conditions made conditions less than ideal.
In the end, the top two seeded teams of Drew Broderick/Chris Gambino and Peter Berka/Drew Eberly went undefeated and advanced to the semi-finals. Joining them were Steve DeRose/John Lubow and Mike Marino/Dane Schmidgall. Once play was completed for the day, all teams were organized for the “money” matches that took place Sunday morning.
The weather for Sunday was perfect for play and viewing, and, once again, the spectators witnessed incredible shot making and high-caliber play. The semi-finals featured the top four seeds, and in the end the top two seeds advanced with hard fought victories. In the first semi-final, a rematch of last year’s Premier Cup final pitted Berka/Eberly vs. Marino/Schmidgall with a different outcome this time.
Berka/Eberly avenged last year’s loss with a straight set victory and advanced to the finals. On the other side, Broderick/Gambino defeated DeRose/Lubow in straight sets setting up a final of the two top seeds as well as the only unbeaten teams.
The battle of the Drews was the highlight of the weekend. The top-seeded teams squared off in a match that was certainly closer than the score. New champions Broderick and Gambino were crowned after defeating the 2009 champions Berka and Eberly 6-2, 6-2.
Playing off for 3rd and 4th places, DeRose/ Lubow won in straight sets over Marino/Schmidgall. The battles offered long points and spectacular shots.
For the first time in the seven-year history of the Premier Cup, all teams received financial compensation for their athletic ability and effort. The tournament directors were proud to boast of a total purse of $10,000.
The deluxe warming hut was home to a cheering crowd and paddle enthusiasts new and old. The sport commonly known as “The Hidden Gem of Racquet Sports” received great support from the locals and showed Columbus what amateur and professional platform tennis looks like.
Huge thanks go out to the presenting sponsors, Total Platform Tennis and Wilson Racquet Sports, for their continued support for the event. A special thanks to the host Scioto Country Club for a warm and luxurious venue. And finally, thanks to Denny English and Brian Heil, who helped raise a record purse for this year’s event, making the 2011 Premier Cup the richest in many ways.
Source: Jason Gray, Platform Tennis Magazine, Vol. 13, Issue 2, December, 2011
In April of 2011, the Fox Meadow Tennis Club celebrated it’s 80th anniversary as the first platform tennis club. The history of the club, located in Scarsdale, New York, has been well documented over the years.
Platform Tennis Magazine reviewed the history of the sport and provided insight into how the game saved Fox Meadow from possible bankruptcy during difficult financial times.
Origination of “Paddle Tennis”
Platform Tennis, or Paddle Tennis as it was originally named, was started in 1898, in Albion, Michigan. At nearby Albion College, a young boy, younger brother to a student, had been enviously watching the on-going tennis matches. The 14-year-old boy’s own backyard was too small for a tennis court and, besides, tennis courts were expensive to put up and to keep up. But the concept of playing a ball back-and-forth across a net would not be refused. If the court were not more than one quarter of the size of a tennis court, it would just fit. Persuading the tennis court maintenance staff to let him have some of their discarded tape and a few old tennis balls, he went to work mapping out a court in his own backyard. Old chicken wire served as his net and out of a one inch maple plank came his first “paddle.” The name of this boy was Frank Beal, the founder of Paddle Tennis.
Later in life, as associate minister in Washington Square, New York (1921), Reverend Frank Beal was faced with a recreational problem for the boys of the neighborhood. Remembering his childhood invention, he laid out similar courts on the floor of the church gymnasium. Reverend Beal soon became Chairman of the Community Councils of New York, and his game was played on the streets and playgrounds, providing children with a sport that taught them the rudiments of tennis in a small area and at a minimum expense. The game flourished and the United States Paddle Tennis Association was founded in 1923. Court measurements, paddles, balls, and net heights were soon after standardized.
Platform Paddle Tennis
Platform Tennis, as it is played today, was born in October 1928. Scarsdale, New York neighbors James Cogswell and Fessenden Blanchard began a quest for an outdoor winter sport close to home. “For weekend walks to enjoy the beauties of nature didn’t thrill us. Neither enjoyed walking for exercise. It wasn’t competitive enough,” stated Blanchard. Out of the discussions came the idea to build a wooden platform on the Cogswell place on Old Army Road. With a solid wooden platform under their feet, they figured they could play deck tennis almost all of the time, badminton on calm days, and once in a while round up the neighbors for a game of volleyball.
Blanchard was quoted to say, “We soon found that it was so seldom that we played badminton, in our relatively unsheltered location, that we confined ourselves largely at the start to deck tennis.” He added, “One day, Jimmy Cogswell turned up with some rectangular-shaped paddles and balls, which he discovered in a sporting goods store, and thought we might try out on our platform.” Cogswell and Blanchard had never heard of Beal’s paddle tennis that was now seven years old. That first day, a mixed doubles game was drummed up and the rest is history.
The first key change from playground paddle tennis came very early on. Because a hard service in lawn tennis gives a tremendous advantage to more powerful players, Cogswell and Blanchard allowed just one serve in their new game.
Keeping the balls in the court posed another problem, so around the platform went chicken wire of two inch mesh stapled to two-by-four uprights eight feet high. Blanchard and Cogswell also decided that the 44’ x 20’ badminton measurements were better for adult platform play than the 39’ x 18’ measurements used in the original form of paddle tennis. However, the shortness of the platform provided only a scant two feet between the back line and back wire. It was because of this lack of room to swing their paddles that came the incident which, in the opinion of all present-day players has “made the game.” During an early match, one of Blanchard’s opponents hit a ball that landed in the court, then flew up and stuck inthe back wire. “It’s still in play!” announced Blanchard, who apparently had the privilege to alter rules in the middle of match play. He then proceeded to run around the fence and give the ball a good smack, sending it back into play and forcing the opponents to continue the point. After appropriate arguments, a new rule was agreed on allowing a ball to be played off the screens, given it has bounced first within the regulation court. The rule made strategy and finesse equally important for winning play. Ironically, if it had been topographically easier to have lengthened the court, Cogswell and Blanchard would have and platform tennis would simply be tennis played on wooden boards.
Note: This is a oft repeated legend and is incorrect. In fact playing the ball off the wires was part of the game form the start and was called the “ground rule”. The incident that became the basis for the legend comes for Blanchard’s book Platform Paddle Tennis published in 1959 and was just some “color commentary” by Blanchard]
By 1932, other innovations had been accepted. Cogswell rebuilt his platform within an enlarged 60’ x 30’ area, using concrete blocks to support the deck. Boards of Douglas fir were installed and spaced slightly apart to permit drainage of rain and snow. The net was lowered to 2’ 10” at the center strap, with the back and side wires raised to their present 12-foot height.
The Old Army Athletes
The paddle tennis court on Old Army Road became the weekend and holiday hangout of a group of enthusiastic suburbanites who named themselves the “Old Army Athletes.” Sub-zero temperatures and snow to be shoveled off the platform only fed their hunger for their favorite weekend activity. It was the members of this group of 25 to 30 families who were the ones responsible for putting Platform Paddle Tennis on the map in ever widening communities. Some of them erected platforms at their own homes or summer places. Visitors from other towns came and saw the new sport and were then addicted as well.
By the end of 1932 there were seven platforms in Scarsdale alone, and the first open tournament took place. Earle Gatchell and Fessenden Blanchard beat out the other 41 teams on the newly enlarged court of the Cogswells, to capture the first platform paddle tennis trophy.
For the next several years platform paddle grew.This occurred in spite of the fact that the game was plagued with irregular bounces off the loosely strung screens. The founders knew that platform tennis could never become a game of pure skill as long as the luck of the bounce prevailed. Donald Evans assured the future of platform tennis in 1934 when he created a design making it possible to stretch the one inch wire mesh from the top to the bottom well inside of the uprights. Adjustable tension bars helped to provide a uniform bounce for balls bouncing off any one of the court’s four screens.
Another step forward was the non-skid surface developed by Richard Grant and others at the Tremont Place Paddle Tennis Club in Orange, New Jersey. The secret to obtaining the surface was to sprinkle fine beach sand in the paint as it was put on the platform. The result was a rough sandpaper-like surface which, if properly prepared, prevented players from slipping.
Paddle’s First Club – Fox Meadow
The Fox Meadow Tennis Club was founded in 1883 in Scarsdale, an upscale suburb outside of New York City. The Club flourished into the years marked by the beginning of the Great Depression.
In 1928, of the 25 or more families comprising the Old Army Athletes, five belonged to Fox Meadow. They and other Fox Meadow members urged the Club directors to install a platform court to experiment with this growing sport. They pointed out that as a tennis facility, Fox Meadow shut down for half the year, whereas this new game could transform the club into a year-round sports haven.
Conservative tennis players were not easily sold on risking club funds on this new, untried sport, especially in the midst of the Great Depression. To counter, The Old Army Athletes proposed a paddle court with a boarded up end that could co-function as a practice court. This pleased the ardent tennis members enough to approve the proposal.
On April 15, 1931, Fox Meadow became the first club to install a platform tennis court. The first court was so heavily used that a second court had to be added by 1934. With the second court in place, the membership at Fox Meadow grew, a waiting list developed, and platform tennis became an integral part of the club.
Today, in addition to six Har-Tru tennis courts, the Fox Meadow Tennis Club boasts nine platform tennis courts and is host to many of the major Senior and Open Championships.
The American Platform Tennis Association
Thanks to the leadership of the late John C. Ten Eyck, Jr. of the Manursing Island Club in Rye, New York, the American Paddle Tennis Association was formed in November 1934. The charter members were the Field Club of Greenwich, Fox Meadow, and Manursing. The original purpose of the Association was to standardize rules and equipment, to promote the popularity of the game, and to sponsor tournaments.
By 1950, the American Paddle Tennis Association changed to the current name, the American Platform Tennis Association(APTA), to better reflect the nature of this new sport.
Today, there are an estimated 4,000 courts and 100,000 platform tennis players, 30,000 of whom are avid league players. Currently, the APTA holds hundreds of sanctioned tournaments per season, up from only 48 in the 1970s.
Source: Platform Tennis Magazine, Vol. 13, Issue 1, October, 2011
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