PTM Editor Wayne Dollard had the story:
On Saturday, October 8th, 16 of the top men in platform tennis competed for $5,000 in prize money at the first-annual Premier Cup. The group included last season's #1, #2, #3, #5, #6, #8 and #11-ranked teams.
Nearly one year ago, David Dodge (owner of Premier Platform Tennis Courts) and Jason Gray (head professional at Four Bridges Country Club) were brainstorming on ways to bring improvements to platform tennis. In the spirit of tennis' ATP tour, the two men came up with the "Premier Purple" court color. The demand for the new look has been overwhelming
on Dodge. He explained, "Wherever I go, I am being asked to repaint old brown and green courts with the new Premier Purple. The more vibrant color is not only refreshing but it also makes line calls easier because of the ball contrast on the court."
At the 2005 National Championships in P[...]
Rex Savorum, paddle enthusiast, reported from The Paterson Club (Fairfield, CT):
If it's true that "necessity is the Mother of invention," then jam-packed weekend calendars for families in Fairfield County, Connecticut, was the catalysis for starting Sunrise Paddle. Beginning the week before Daylight Savings Time, and running through mid-March, a hardy group of passionate paddlers arrive in the paddle hut at 5:30 AM on Saturday mornings for coffee, donuts and stretching.
Accompanied by an eclectic mix of Rock, Blues, Punk, Reggae and (very little) Rap music piped out to the platform courts, play starts at 6:00 AM sharp and normally runs to 8:00 AM, or whenever the blinding early morning winter sunrise makes it near impossible to play. This unique "paddle cult," now going into its third year at The Patterson Club (Fairfield, CT), started with a member e-mail blast to over 100 fellow[...]
As competitive play increases in platform tennis, so does the need for accurate line calls. Platform tennis courts are smaller than tennis courts and line calls are typically easier to make, with the exception of where the singles line meets the service box. To solve this issue Jason Gray (Beckett Ridge Country Club in West Chester, OH) and David Dodge (Premier Platform Tennis) implemented an idea used in tennis which is to leave a three inch gap in the singles line. Jason had mentioned this idea to David two years ago but with 'The Battle of Beckett' during the Cincinnati Midwesterns, and the Premier Purple introduction, the service gap issue was unintentionally neglected until the idea surfaced by John Stefanik, a private court owner from Philadelphia. John wants the service gap incorporated in his court when he resurfaces with Premier Purple this spring 2005. Jason put this new idea i[...]
Nestled in the center of the Niagara Region, the Niagara Platform Tennis Club (NPTC) will open its doors this fall as Canada's first new platform tennis facility in over 10 years. Located just 30 minutes from Buffalo, one hour from Toronto and just 15 minutes from Niagara Falls, the NPTC can offer plenty of enjoyment for both platform tennis enthusiasts and fans.
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Source: The Platform Tennis Magazine, Vol. 7, Issue 1, September, 2005
What started out five years ago as a handful of pros teaching platform tennis has grown into a record 115 certified pros in 18 different states.
Illinois leads the way with 34 certified pros.
The numbers are a reflection of the growth of the game and the acknowledgement that teaching platform tennis is a viable profession that can help club professionals establish themselves in year-round teaching positions.
Source: Platform Tennis Magazine, Vol.6, Issue 5, April, 2005
When longtime platform tennis player and friend Dan McCormick introduced Kern Delmonico to platform tennis eight years ago, she had no idea of the sport's addicting nature. Coming from a family with two brothers and one sister Kern grew up in a competitive environment. She explained, "In platform tennis, I enjoy the team aspect, but in the end it's all about the competition!"" Kern had a few consistent partners and would achieve a consistent top five ranking year by year. I feel that I have stepped up a level this past year," Kern commented. She added, "Aside from reading the player tips and strategy in Platform Tennis Magazine, I think the biggest factor to my success is that my boyfriend Mike (Stulac) is rubbing off on me." Mike (the 2005 Men's Open Champion) and Kern have been dating for the past two years. In addition to platform, Kern is an accomplished tennis player. She discussed [...]
PTM Editor Wayne Dollard reported on one of his favorite tournaments:
The sun rose at 6:25 am on Wednesday, November 3rd over the Glenview Club as 76 women arrived to prepare for a long day of battle at the 33rd annual Chicago Charities tournament.
At first glance of the tournament draw sheet there were gaps that had previously been filled by top national ranking players: Aery, Shea, Hogan, Prendergast, Zink, Debbs, Mangan and Delaney. Was this Chicago Charities going to live up to the expectations set by the previous 32 events? After further review of the draw the #1, #4, #5, and #6 teams in the country were all represented. Perhaps more important, Chicago showed up with some fresh new talent taking the tour by storm.
On display the traditional first weekend of November was the power and depth of the Chicago area women's field featuring: former State Champions Sally Cottingham [...]
There's a growing trend in paddle that is helping to make the sport hotter than ever.. or at least warmer than ever. Today's warming huts are elegant, multifunctional structures with expansive social spaces both indoors and out that offer full kitchens, bathrooms and more. In fact, the term "hut" no longer does these buildings justice.
A force behind many of these new and improved huts is Chris Casiraghi, President of Reilly Green Mountain Platform Tennis. Most know the firm for their 45+ year history and innovation building of platform tennis courts; yet, they have expanded their offerings to meet the changing needs of their clients. 'We have definitely seen a shift in what our clients are asking for when it comes to warming huts," Casiraghi explained. "More than a decade ago, Reilly Green Mountain built (for the most part) modest warming huts. Today we are asked to build state-of-th[...]
Terry Miller was born in New York City 38 years ago. After tremendous success on the local junior tennis circuit, Terry jumped on the professional tour at the ripe old age of 16.
From 1983 to 1991, Terry competed with and defeated the top female tennis players in the world. Over this time period she reached the quarter-finals of the French Open, Wimbledon and US Open Grand Slam events. At one point, Terry was ranked 14th in the world.
After leaving the tour, Terry moved to Winnetka, Illinois, and became a tennis teaching professional. In 1993, she was introduced to her future platform tennis doubles partner, Jane McNitt. "I met Jane when I was teaching tennis at Indian Hill Club in Winnetka. We were then re-connected last fall when we played together at the exhibition opening of the new paddle hut at the Winnetka Park District."
Terry spoke about her new-found favorite sport, "I[...]
Brook Kindred died on January 7, 2006 after a long and brave battle with cancer.
He had the distinction of having served the cause of platform tennis for more years than practically any other living individual. Dating back to the early 1960's he was a tireless, unselfish and dedicated contributor to the support and promotion of the game.
He was elected to the APTA Board in the early 1960's and served on the Board for 16 years. He was Treasurer, Tournament Director, and single- handedly produced the Newsletter for many of those years. He also served on many National Championship committees and was the Tournament Chairman of the 1968 Men's Nationals.
He was instrumental in the formation and administration of the APTA Umpires Committee in the 1970's, and although that activity no longer formally exists, he still continued to go far and wide to officiate at APTA Championships and ot[...]
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