In the Men’s, the previous year’s finalists Jennings and Steele, emerged as the champions over two-time winners Kingsbury and Mangan.
In the Women’s, the California duo of Hilary Hilton and Annabel Lang, who excelled in paddle tennis, were imported to break the dominance of the East Coast and did just that.
In the Senior events, Chuck Baird and Ned Swanberg won their fourth straight 50+ title, establishing an unrivaled record. Baird and Lankenau won their second straight 45+ and Do Deland, daughter of the co-founder of the game Jimmy Cogswell, won the Women’s 50+ with Deborah McIlwaine.
Back to TopBob Kingsbury in action at the 1975 Nationals at Fox Meadow
The APTA initiated a Life Membership for a fee of $100.
Buffy Briggs became the first Life Member by putting up her money on the very night the APTA created the new membership category.
APTA moves election of Officers and Directors from fall to spring
Back to TopWendy Chase teamed with Linda Wolf and took the tour by storm in 1975 and 1976
APTA President Robert Brown explained the reasoning behind the change:
“The reason for this change is to place the officers who will be responsible for the affairs of the Association during the next season in their functions at an earlier date than in the past. This new management team will then have the spring, summer, and early fall to prepare for the coming season, and we feel that this will have real management benefits.”
Source: Off The Wire, Vol. 6 No. 3
Under the guidance of new editor, Ann V. Cosstick, Paddle Talk added an Issues Column to allow a dialog on issues of concern to the platform tennis playing population.
Source: Paddle Talk, No. 1
Cecil J. (Mike) North, Jr. elected APTA President (1975-1977)
Back to TopCecil J. (Mike) North, Jr. Photograph taken at Fox Meadow in 1978 at a gathering of past APTA presidents.
The North years led to the emergence of a meaningful Junior Development program; the beginnings of regional management, including an international region; the formation of the players' committee; the upgrading of communications with the APTA membership; and the beginnings of solid financial based planning in APTA Board activities.
In the first issue of Paddle Talk in September, New President Cecil North Jr., expressed his views on the issues facing the APTA.
Source: Paddle Talk, No. 1
John Ware (1921-1999) was born in Chestnut Hill, MA and was a graduate of the Brooks School and Princeton University. He served as a first lieutenant in World War II as well as in the Korean War where he received the Bronze Star.
Before his retirement in 1987, he was director of industrial sales and professional development at John Wiley & Sons, publishers, and served on the national committee of the American Society for Training and Development
The wooded paddle courts were always difficult to maintain and the club began experimenting with an aluminum deck in the early 1970s. After some trial usage, and with the Board anguishing over the cost, the decision was made during Ware's term to convert all the courts to all-aluminum. The new courts now had heaters under them to melt snow and ice and this extended the available playing time.
Ware served as APTA President from 1961-196[...]
The APTA Board accepted the Equipment Committee’s recommendations to update the standards at their June meeting.
Only balls and paddles certified by the Equipment Committee as meeting these specifications could be used in sanctioned or ranking tournaments. However, it was now not necessary for balls and paddles to be formally "APTA Approved"; this designation was awarded to equipment at a later date.
The rapid growth of the game the high expectation for its continued expansion had encouraged a number manufactures to produce paddles and this drove innovation. This innovation forced a change in the APTA paddle specifications, specifically with respect to the number of holes allowed. Up to late 1974 the had been a requirement that the paddle should have 63 holes with a tolerance of 52-74. the developments of the Play-morTM paddle which used an aluminum honeycomb core and had just[...]
In recognition of the growth of interest in on-grade courts in warm-weather areas, the Board confirmed that a court need not be built on a platform to meet APTA specifications.
Ambassador Walter Stoessel, a keen player and lover of the game, had introduced platform tennis to both Moscow and Warsaw, and had courts built in both capitals.
The Warsaw Chapter of the APTA sent the association a report on an inter-embassy tournament played on April 26 and 27 between them and a team from Moscow that included Stoessel, the American Ambassador in Moscow.
The Moscow Chapter claimed the title of Champions of the Eastern Hemisphere based on their triumph in the tournament, in which they won eight of the contests.
Source: Paddle Talk, No. 1
Paddle World Vol. 1 No. 2 Mid-Winter 1976
The spring edition of Paddle Talk carried this story.
“If the Dutch haven't heard of platform tennis yet, then they soon will, or so at least hopes Cees Cuppens of Bellfires BV in Holland. Recently he visited the U.S.A. and met with Gloria Dillenbeck of the APTA to discuss his plans for marketing courts in Europe. The Dutch are already tennis-mad, inspired by the success of their national tennis heroes, Betty Stove and Tom Okker. And the tennis twosome just happened to be paddle freaks, too.
Bellfires BV makes fireplaces, but recently decided to expand the business. They have chosen to go into the leisure industry, ironically one of the few areas that have benefited from current adverse economic conditions. The path that has led Mr. Nico de Wal, President of Bellfires, and Cees Cuppens to see the potential of platform tennis was determined by conditions specific to a tiny count[...]
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