Susie Keane was born in Detroit, MI, 39 years ago. Growing up, she had a natural talent for tennis. Susie made the pro tennis circuit in 1980 after being ranked the #1 junior girl tennis player in the world (PTM mistakenly said "the #1 girls' 15-and-under player in the world")1. She competed on the tour until 1988, earning a ranking as high as #27 in the world.
Enjoying her tennis retirement by raising her three children, Susie was coaxed into a paddle game three years ago when her husband's partner (her brother) failed to show up for a Saturday morning game. "My first game was very frustrating, but I liked it," she recalls. "Playing that first match got me interested and when my friend Nancy Maxwell called me to play in a follow-up game I was excited. Nancy had been trying to get me out there for years," she added.
Susie moved to Chicago shortly after that first game. She explaine[...]
In July 2004 a proposal was made to Fox Meadow Tennis Club to establish the Museum and Hall of Fame in a new building on the Fox Meadow premises. While a number of discussions were had at the Fox Meadow Board level no consensus could be developed. Alternative proposals were made to Fox Meadow in 2007 and 2010.
[Note: the first proposal to establish a "home" for APTA artifacts was made to Fox Meadow in 1972]
Source: Robert A. Brown personal communication, 2013
Platform Tennis Magazine editor Wayne Dollard surveyed the manufacturing companies supporting the game.
Platform tennis has been called the best kept secret of winter sports. The game has a small following of die-hards that would have difficulty imagining what winter would be like without their favorite pastime. This article is a look into those six service and manufacturing companies that provide us the opportunity to enjoy our "little secret." Representatives from Viking Athletics, Wilson Racquet Sports, Bulletworks, Premier Platform Tennis, Reilly/Green Mountain and The Paddle Company opine on the state of the game from their perspectives.
[enlarge the images to read full story]
Source: Platform Tennis Magazine, Vol. 6, Issue 2, November, 2004
Mats Wilander is a tennis legend—and for nearly 20 years he has enjoyed playing platform tennis in his spare time. Mats won 33 career singles titles including 7 Grand Slams (Australian Open in '83, '84 and '88, French Open in '82, '85 and '88, and US Open in '88). He was also a member of three champion Swedish Davis Cup teams.
Occupation? I'm still involved in tennis. I travel about 51h months a year playing the senior tour and exhibitions. I'm also the Captain of the Swedish Davis Cup Team.
When and where did you first start playing platform tennis? I started playing around 1986 in New York City. My wife lived in the city, and I played on a court in her neighborhood around 3rd Avenue and 23rd Street.
How often do you play? About 10 times a year.
Why do you enjoy platform tennis? I like any sport where you have a ball or a puck and something in your hand to hit it with. Hoc[...]
PTM Editor Wayne Dollard reported:
PTM recently had the opportunity to sit down with Baltimore's up-and-coming paddle sensations Blake Cordish (age 33) and David Caldwell (age 30) and asked about their remarkable history with tennis and their seamless transition to platform tennis.
Blake Cordish was born in Baltimore and played tennis at an early age. As a junior, he was ranked in the top 100 in the United States in singles and the top ten in doubles before going on to play for the varsity team at Princeton.
David Caldwell was raised in Danville, Virginia. As a junior, David was ranked #1 in the country. At the University of North Carolina, he improved and was a three-time All-American. By the late 1990's, David was playing the top pros in the world at the Australian Open, French Open, and US Open. He was ranked in the top 150 on the ATP Tennis Tour.
David and Blake have be[...]
Wayne Dollard reported for PTM from Chicago:
A refreshing 2004-05 season was on display in Chicago from November 5-7 for the annual Charities tournament. The best players in the game, including 214 men and women, competed in this season's extravaganza. New pairings, veteran teams, and reunited legends captured off a weekend of unparalled platform tennis.
2004 Chicago Women's Charities: What would you like to see when going to watch a major platform tennis championship? Power, finesse, excitement? You might also like to see new teams rising to greater heights and veteran teams returning to show a younger generation that they're not ready to go away any time soon. This year's Chicago Charities provided all of these things plus much more.
The ladies of platform tennis kicked off the weekend on Friday, November 5th. The absences of Lauren Zink, Shelley Morse, Patty Hogan, Sarah Krie[...]
On Saturday, December 11, 2004, the Long Island Platform Tennis Association hosted its 2nd Annual Viking Junior Tour tournament at the Garden City Country Club and Cherry Valley Club. Among the four age divisions, 28 teams participating (56 kids!), with countless parents and grandparents cheering. The level of paddle was extraordinary, the good sportsmanship was commendable and the smiles were constant!
John Cerga and Alex Bancila, the Directors of Racquet Sports at the Garden City Country Club and Cherry Valley Club, respectively, volunteered their time and helped make it a memorable day for the players. We expect to have even more teams next year, so sign up early! The Champions and Finalists were as follows:
10 & Under
Winners: Jack Stiuso and Dylan Neville
Finalists' Hunter Robinson and Timmy Schnier
12 & Under
Winners: Liam Neville and Warren Trunz
Finalists: Jack Mara [...]
The iconoclastic Platform Tennis News.com was published by 2005 Hall of Fame inductee Charles Vasoll and a former President of the APTA.
The first issue was in September 1, 2003 and after a year of publishing hard copies the newsletter was moving online. Vasoll wrote articles that gave his view of happenings in the sport and invited others to submit articles with their views.
Vol 1-1 discussed Vasoll's view of the new APTA logo [enlarge pages to read his views]. The APTA had started a search for a new logo in late 2002 and had picked a winner in May 2003.
Note: All issues of Platform Tennis News.com are available in Search and Explore
Source: Platform Tennis Magazine, Vol. 6, Issue 1 (mislabeled as Issue 6), September, 2004
During the summer, Platform Tennis Magazine launched their new web site www.ptmonline.com in partnership with the Pittsburgh-based web design firm Amixa, LLC.
A list of core features for the site were:
• An on-line store
• Tournament dates and information
• Rules of platform tennis
• History of platform tennis
• Featured articles from the most recent issue (summary only)
• Platform Tennis Magazine archives (for ordering)
• Advertising information for Platform Tennis Magazine
• A robust set of links to other platform tennis web sites
The website was not affiliated with the APTA
Source: Platform Tennis Magazine, Vol.7, Issue 1, September, 2005
Junior paddle, past and present – a short history of the ups and downs. Kudos to David Kjeldsen, Robin Fulton and Patty Hogan for revitalizing the junior game
Maura Judkis provided a summary of efforts to grow junior paddle over the past decades
One of Whitney Snyder's most poignant memories from his childhood in Sewickley, Penn., is the slow scratch of a shovel being dragged across a snow-covered aluminum floor. While his weeks were filled with middle school, his weekends were devoted to platform tennis. Instead of waking up early on wintry Saturday mornings for cartoons, Snyder would go to the paddle courts at 7 a.m. and hear the scraping shovel that signified the beginning of his early morning group lesson.
The 1970s generated junior paddle leagues across the country. Both Snyder and his friend Bill Hallett recalled their junior paddle days as being sponsored by enthusiastic parents who were willing to teach the game and send their children to the Junior Nationals by the bus load. "There really weren't pros teaching the game," said Ha[...]
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