Jean Kempner reported for PTM:
As the first "major" of the year, the Chicago Charities tournament picked up where last year's Nationals left off. Story lines were continued, rivalries were resumed and new partnerships featured exciting and fresh dynamics.
The Women's tournament showcased all of last season's top teams and, though the pairings hadn't changed, the results were clearly different. Mary Doten and Susie Keane came in as defending National Champions and made it to the final without dropping a set to stage a rematch of last season's National final against Kerry Delmonico and Aila Main. Delmonico and Main had a tougher road and won a three-set semi against Cynthia Dardis and Amy Shea 4-6, 6-2, 6-1. Doten and Keane had beaten Sally Cottingham and Chris Sheldon in their semi in a 6-3, 6-3 slugfest. Cottingham and Sheldon had broken through to their first Chicago semi by defea[...]
More than 80 juniors from the tri-state area gathered at Fox Meadow Tennis Club to open the 2006-07 Viking Junior Tour. Participants in Viking Junior Tour events earned points toward an end-of-season ranking - but most importantly, they had a great day of platform tennis!
On Saturday, December 16, 2006, the Long Island Platform Tennis Association ("LIPTA") hosted its 4th Annual Viking Junior Tour tournament at the Garden City Country Club, the Cherry Valley Club and the Garden City Community Park. With Christmas only a week away, the children received a surprise early morning visit from that jolly old Nordic man with rosy cheeks and a little round belly - that's right, David Kjeldsen, founder and chairman of Viking Athletics, was there to provide his support, wearing his trademark "horns." LIPTA is grateful to Viking Athletics for its sponsorship of the Viking Junior Tour, and for providing the children with a memorable platform tennis experience (and great favors).
Among the four age divisions, we had thirty-nine teams participating (78 kids), and countless parents and grandparents cheering. The level of paddle was extraordinary, the good sportsmansh[...]
Brad Kelly
Age: 38
Married: Jenny
Children: Lauren (11), Anna (9) and Ben (6)
Born: Charleston, WV
Resides: Pittsburgh, PA
Education: BA Business Marketing WVU (1991)
Occupation: Director of Brokerage Services ECHO Real Estate
Like many of the top platform tennis players, Brad Kelly was a full-scholarship, Division 1 college tennis player. At WVU (Top 20 national college tennis team), Brad captained his team to nine conference championships in singles and doubles. He was one of three Division 1 All-Americans in WVU tennis history and he also earned a USTA National Indoor Doubles Championship title.
Brad moved back to Pittsburgh in 1995. He recalled, "I knew a lot of guys that played platform tennis at The Pittsburgh Field Club and they got me out there to give platform a try." He added, "At first, I relied on the similarities with tennis - really the basics such as strokes[...]
A few years back, David Dodge of Premier Platform Tennis built two concrete grade-level courts at Ocean Pines, Maryland. The warmer climate sees little snow and therefore the necessity of a conventional deck was absent.
A few months ago, Dodge and Bullet Brown (Bulletworks Platform Tennis) completed two more courts at Ocean Pines.
The courts - not yet approved by the APTA - were not painted, except for the red lines. A broom finish was applied to the court for better footing. So what is the post installation verdict?
Resident players claim:
• The broom-finish provides very good footing and is considerably easier on the knees and ankles.
• The non-painted court is much brighter under the lights.
• The non-painted surface initially saves $3,000 per court and $2,500 every few years thereafter.
• Pitching the courts just two inches from the net to either end work[...]
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]
An expanded version of the 2004 proposal to Fox Meadow was made in July 2010 which contemplated adding a two story wing onto the existing building. In addition another proposal was made to the Village of Scarsdale to renovate their Brite Avenue facility to include a modernize structure to house the Museum and Hall of Fame and act as a "warming hut" and add three new courts.
Fox Meadow terminated the discussions in October citing doubts about the ability of the Platform Tennis Museum and Hall of Fame Foundation (PTMHOFF) to raise the necessary funds and concerns about obtaining all the necessary building and zoning approvals to construct such a facility.
Likewise, the Brite Avenue proposal ran into a number of logistical issues with implementation on Village property.
Source: Robert A. Brown personal communication and Minutes of the PTMHOFF meetings
Bullet and Jacki Brown, owners of BulletWorks Platform Tennis, are pleased to announce the formation of Advantage Paddle Courts. The new entity was created to market ground level courts in Regions VI and VII. The first official Advantage court was installed this spring in Napa Valley, California.
"We see tremendous growth potential for the sport in the Southeast and West," says Bullet Brown. "There are tens of thousands of active seniors in these areas who have never heard of platform tennis. We plan to introduce targeted groups to the sport and position our product as a smart recreational amenity for their home or community."
BulletWorks, Inc. operates out of a 5,000 square foot manufacturing space in Rutland, Vermont. Currently, in response to limited market demand for new courts from the existing platform tennis community, BulletWorks manufactures 10-20 courts a year. "We could[...]
With the lone exception of the National Championships, no other tournament packs the talent like the Chicago Charities. With few exceptions, the best of the best showed up for the 35th annual tournament benefiting the Northwestern Healthcare Kellogg Cancer Care Centers.
Women's: On November 2nd, 52 Women's teams kicked off the 2007 Chicago Charities. Six of the top eight teams from the 2006-07 season competed. Absent was the nation's top team - Lauren Zink/Cindy Prendergast and the nation's #6 team - Bobo Delaney and Tonia Mangan.
Last season's #2 team of Sally Cottingham and Chris Sheldon took the #1 seed spot, while Delmonico/Main, Doten/Keane, Dardis/Shay, Prop/Schneebeck, Ohlmuller/Takach, Flynn/Tarzian and Henke/Lemieux rounded out the 2-8 seed spots. Tournament Director John Noble's draw sheet ran as expected with all seeded teams reaching their anticipated finish with on[...]
Laura Berendt-Parsons was born in Barrington, Illinois, a Chicago suburb, 30 years ago. Laura competed heavily in junior tennis.
Among others, Laura played against Annica Cooper in 10-and-under competition.
During childhood, Laura moved to Florida where she was ranked #1 in the state in 18- and-under tennis competition. She had a national ranking of #16.
Laura earned a tennis scholarship to the University of Texas. In her sophomore year, she reached the prestigious status of All-American.
After college, Laura hit the pro tour for two years. "I didn't like being on the tour. I always felt alone," she said.
"I started playing platform tennis a few years ago. Nate (Parsons) needed a tennis/platform tennis assistant at theGlenview Club in Chicago," Laura said. She added, "I love the
social aspect of platform tennis much more than tennis '
Laura had only played in four tour[...]
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